We live in a world where, all too often, our public conversation is reduced to sound bites, which is no conversation at all. Sound bites are a particularly prominent example of the short cuts that give us ways to avoid hard thinking. They are used for their attention-getting power, not for their informational value. They are simple, easy to remember, and are never the whole story.

This book provides an alternative to sound bites in the form of Short Bites. While these compact pieces can be read in a short period of time, they are designed to foster a deeper consideration of the issues at hand. These Short Bites are personal reflections (stories, essays, poems, songs, and other observations) growing out of the author's efforts to dig more deeply into what he has heard, what he has seen and what he has thought.

The book is an invitation to look below surfaces and beyond first appearances. Readers are invited to join in a journey on which they might hear another lesson, experience another revelation, or understand another point of view.