Clear, makes sense and powerful scholarly book that opens up the parable's way of inviting us to experience what Jesus called "the kingdom of God" and what Crossan calls "God's Advent." Much, much more is going on in the parables than either the early Christian community understood, let alone all the varied paths they have been skewed off on by contemporary interpretations. Just look up "meaning of parable" to get a Whitman sampler. Crossan sees them in literary sense (which they are; they are stories) as listeners having the rug yanked out from under them, having their world turned upside down, experiencing polar reversals. That this is experiencing the inbreaking, the Advent of God. This is the Treasure, the Pearl and it comes without any other explanation either by Jesus or today by Crossan, as what it comes then to mean for the listener, with new eyes, is unique to each. If this resonates with you, also read his other books on parables, like Raid on the Articulate, The Dark Interval and The Power of Parable.