When I was given this book to review, my instant reaction was that I could zip quickly through it and have the review ready by the end of the day. How wrong I was. A week later I was still savouring its thought provoking words. Get ready readers, your envelope is about to be pushed open.

Ten Eternal Questions poses spiritual questions to leading political, artistic and religious figures. This book is a collation of the different thoughts and ideas that were the stimulated response. "What is your concept of God?" "Do you think this life is all there is?" are just two of the ten questions the author puts to such diverse array of figures.

Chapters are organized by question; extracts are drawn from Sallis' interviews with almost 40 personalities, among them Shimon Peres, Sophia Loren, Ilana Goor (sculptor), Sir Peter Ustinov, Gore Vidal, Paul Coelho, Zac Goldsmith, Nelson Mandela and U2's Bono and Jools Holland.

Because each question drew forth a multitude of beliefs and concepts which deserved time to digest, I realised that reading each page in a chronological sequence would not work for me. To understand and follow a particular personality’s train of thought, I found it more useful to read everything they said first before starting on the next person’s set of ideas.

Gore Vidal’s contributions were stunning. Jools Holland’s laissez faire outlook was simplicity itself, one word from him and we instantly understand. Vidal is an intellectual, Holland speaks from the heart, and both have a humility that speaks volumes.

Ten Eternal Questions is not only about the complicated conundrums that life tosses to us to entangle. There is humour too. When Sir Bob Geldof was asked, ‘do you think this life is all there is, or do you believe in an afterlife’, he answered, ‘this is it, no afterlife, thank God’.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it’s effect was to evoke within me, a deep sense of the numinous. This divine feeling put a spring in my step which I suspect will continue for some time yet.

About the Author: Zoe Sallis was born in India and educated in England. She met and fell in love with John Huston in 1960, their son Danny is an actor and director. Sallis has acted in various films and plays. She lived in Rome for 20 years and now lives in London.

Hardcover: 224 pages

Publisher: Chronicle Books (USA, 2005, March 16, 2006), Duncan Baird Publishers (15 UK 2005),

ISBN-10: 1844831841

ISBN-13: 978-1844831845

Buy the book: Amazon UK , Amazon USA