Latest Book Reviews

Reviews for 07/03/11

The Healing Energy of Shared Consciousness, Mantak Chia, (9781594773211) Paperback
How to connect with universal energy for inner peace, happiness, and individual and global healing

• How to transform the energy around us into positive loving energy

• How to perform the World Link meditation to unite with global consciousness

• How to fuse the observing mind, the conscious mind, and the mind of awareness

Western science now recognizes the three “minds” associated with the three tan tiens of Taoism: the observing mind centered in the brain, the conscious mind centered in the heart, and the mind of awareness centered in the lower abdomen. By unifying the three minds--what in Chinese is called Yi--we can transform the energy around us into positive loving energy and be empowered to manifest our goals and dreams. This can lead to a more balanced, less negative way of life and offers a way to gain inner peace, wholeness, and happiness as well as the ability to heal yourself and others.

In The Healing Energy of Shared Consciousness, Master Mantak Chia shows how to fuse the three minds and form the Protective Sacred Circle of Fire, which creates a seal around us allowing in only good energy and intentions. He explains step-by-step how to perform the World Link meditation to connect with global and universal energy for inner peace, happiness, and healing. Accessible even for those who have never worked with the Universal Healing Tao, this practice offers a way to unite people all over the world in a form of shared consciousness that amplifies collective loving energy to benefit the world.
SPIRITUALITY / PERSONAL GROWTH

Western science now recognizes the three “minds” associated with the three tan tiens of Taoism: the observing mind centered in the brain, the conscious mind centered in the heart, and the mind of awareness centered in the lower abdomen. By unifying the three minds--what in Chinese is called Yi--we can transform the energy around us into positive loving energy and be empowered to manifest our goals and dreams. This can lead to a more balanced, less negative way of life and offers a way to gain inner peace, wholeness, and happiness as well as the ability to heal yourself and others.

In The Healing Energy of Shared Consciousness, Master Mantak Chia shows how to fuse the three minds and form the Protective Sacred Circle of Fire, which creates a seal around us allowing in only good energy and intentions. He explains step-by-step how to perform the World Link meditation practice to connect with global and universal energy for inner peace, happiness, and healing. Accessible even for those who have never worked with the Universal Healing Tao, this practice offers a way to unite people all over the world in a form of shared consciousness that amplifies collective loving energy to benefit the world.

MANTAK CHIA, world-famous Inner Alchemy and Qi Gong master, founded the Universal Healing Tao System in 1979. He has taught and certified tens of thousands of students and instructors from all over the world. The director of the Tao Garden Health Spa and Resort training center in northern Thailand, he is the author of more than 35 books including Taoist Cosmic Healing.
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The Sacred Network, Chris H. Hardy, (9781594773815) Paperback
“Few among us are willing to follow our thoughts and intuitions until they bloom with discovery. Chris Hardy has devoted her life to finding out what lies beyond the veil and bringing it back to us so that we might share in her vision. The Sacred Network is nothing less than fascinating.”
(Linda Dennard, Ph.D., associate professor of Political Science and Public Administration at Auburn University and author of Complexity and Policy Analysis )

“Chris Hardy has been exploring the complex relationship between mind and matter over her entire career as a researcher and consciousness explorer. Now, with The Sacred Network, she’s provided the definitive work on ley lines and other physical locations of power and their relationship to the psyche.”
(Robin Robertson, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, associate professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and author of Mining the Soul )

“Chris Hardy is one of the most intrepid explorers of the frontiers of consciousness. The Sacred Network provides its readers with a blueprint for their development both as individuals and as members of the human species.”
(Stanley Krippner, Ph.D., professor of psychology, Saybrook University, and coauthor of Personal Mythology )

“A scientist mind meets a visionary sage in author Chris Hardy. She foresees our individual souls weaving networks that will connect all over the world. One of the most creative and original books of our times.”
(Allan Combs, professor of transformative studies, California Institute of Integral Studies, and coeditor of Thomas Berry, Dreamer of the Earth )
How sacred sites amplify the energies of consciousness, the earth, and the universe

• Examines the web of geometrical patterns linking sacred sites worldwide, with special focus on the sacred network of ley lines in Paris

• Unveils the coming state of shared consciousness for humanity fueled by the sacred network

• Reveals how consciousness is a tangible form of energy

First marked by the standing stones of our megalithic ancestors, the world’s sacred sites are not only places of spiritual energy but also hubs of cosmic energy and earthly energy. Generation upon generation has recognized the power of these sites, with the result that each dominant culture builds their religious structures on the same spots--the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, for example, was constructed over a Temple to Diana that in turn had been built over a stone pillar worshipped by the Gauls.

In The Sacred Network, Chris Hardy shows how the world’s sacred sites coincide with the intersections of energetic waves from the earth’s geomagnetic field and how--via their megaliths, temples, and steeples--these sites act as antennae for the energies of the cosmos. Delving deeply in to Paris’s sacred network, she also explores the intricate geometrical patterns created by the alignments of churches and monuments, such as pentagrams and Stars of David. Revealing that consciousness is a tangible energy, she explains how the sacred network is fueling an 8,000-year evolutionary cycle initiated by our megalithic ancestors that will soon culminate in a new state of shared consciousness for humanity.
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Chants of a Lifetime, Krishna Das, (9781401931377) Other Format

Chants of a Lifetime offers an intimate collection of stories, teachings, and insights from Krishna Das, who has been called “the chant master of American yoga” by the New York Times. Since 1994, the sound of his voice singing traditional Indian chants with a Western flavor has brought the spiritual experience of chanting to audiences all over the world. He has previously shared some of his spiritual journey through talks and workshops, but now he offers a unique book-and-CD combination that explores his fascinating path and creates an opportunity for just about anyone to experience chanting in a unique and special way.

Chants of a Lifetime includes photos from Krishna Das’s years in India and also from his life as a kirtan leader—and the CD that is offered exclusively in the book consists of a number of “private” chanting sessions with the author. Instead of just being performances of chants for listening, the recordings make it seem as if Krishna Das himself is present for a one-on-one chanting session. The idea is for the listener to explore his or her own practice of chanting and develop a deepening connection with the entire chanting experience.

In the winter of 1968, Krishna Das met spiritual seeker Ram Dass and was enthralled by the stories of his recent trip to India, where he met the legendary guru Neem Karoli Baba. Soon thereafter, he left behind his dreams of being a rock ’n’ roll star and was on his way to India to meet this remarkable Being. In the three years he spent there with Neem Karoli Baba, Krishna Das’s heart was drawn to the practice of Bhakti Yoga—the yoga of devotion—and especially to the practice of kirtan (chanting the Divine Names).

Krishna Das returned to the United States and, as he continued chanting, developed his signature style, fusing traditional kirtan structure with Western harmonic and rhythmic sensibilities. He travels the world, leading call-and-response kirtans and sharing this deep, experiential practice with thousands of people.

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Cellular Awakening, Barbara Wren, (9781401927554) Paperback

What if almost everything you’ve been told about health and the human body is wrong? What if you had within you the ability to heal from any condition?

This fascinating book by Barbara Wren shatters many of the myths that currently exist regarding health and illness, and presents a vision of the human body and healing that is both practical and inspirational. In essence, no matter what ailment you’re dealing with, you have the potential to heal yourself; and if you already enjoy great health, you can illuminate your consciousness in ways beyond your imagining. Whatever your current situation is, you can begin to feel a true connection to who you really are, as well as understand your ability to create your own reality.

Your human potential is far greater than you can possibly imagine and is intrinsically linked to what is unfolding within you at a cellular level. Each and every one of the trillions of cells within your amazing body has the potential to hold and utilize light in the form of bio photons, subatomic particles of light. When a cell is illuminated, the DNA within that cell is also illuminated, giving you access to the universal wisdom that is held within its matrix. By matching your microcosm (the cell) with the macrocosm (the universal energies), you can begin to unlock your true nature and realize your potential for greatness.

Barbara Wren has been teaching and lecturing for the past 27 years, showing people a different approach to wellness through nutrition and healing techniques. She has always believed that empowering individuals through contacting their own inner wisdom is the only true way back to wholeness and happiness within the universal laws and rhythms. Barbara is the founder of the College of Natural Nutrition in the UK.

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Loyalty To Your Soul, H. Ronald Hulnick, (9781401927288) Paperback

Loyalty to Your Soul establishes Spiritual Psychology as a paradigm-altering frontier. It initiates a radical shift at the core of contemporary psychological thought by unveiling a technology for using everyday life experiences as rungs on the ladder of spiritual evolution. This book is uniquely suited for anyone seeking to discover and cross the bridge that spans the waters between life referenced in material reality and life lived within the context of spiritual reality.

Loyalty to Your Soul shows you how to first gain access to, and then gradually learn to live from, that sacred place inherent within everyone, referred to by the authors as the Authentic Self—a place where emotional suffering ceases and profound peace and love are present. While many people have written about such an inner state, Ron and Mary Hulnick show you how to travel there . . . and what to anticipate once you arrive. The radical technology they introduce empowers readers to transform challenging or negative human experiences into direct experiences of the Soul.

 

H. Ronald Hulnick, Ph.D.,  and Mary R. Hulnick, Ph.D., are world-renowned pioneers and innovators in the emerging field of Spiritual Psychology. As founding faculty and co-directors of the University of Santa Monica, the Worldwide Center for the Study and Practice of Spiritual Psychology, they have developed and continue to facilitate USM’s innovative Master’s degree Programs in this field. Their work is highly experiential and seeks to assist students in discovering their own answers to life’s essential questions.

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Writing In The Sand, Thomas Moore, (9781401925628) Paperback
In his latest book, Writing in the Sand, Thomas Moore finds striking new meaning in the rich stories and imagery of the Gospels, recasting Jesus not as a teacher of morals and beliefs but as a spiritual visionary with a radical vision for humanity. This highly original take on the Gospels offers a fresh, new way of imagining human life and society. It presents Jesus not as the founder of a religion but as a world reformer offering a spiritual path to everyone, from every background.  It offers a personal spirituality fit for the twenty-first century, where the individual bears responsibility for meaning and for a creative, convivial way of life.
In his examination of the original Greek texts, Moore dismisses the cautionary voice of tradition and explores the deeper significance of language, stressing the origins of words and the many levels of meaning in stories and imagery. Through his study, Moore shows that the teachings of Jesus are challenging in a far different way than the moralism often associated with them. Based on being open to life, deepening your understanding, and giving up all defensiveness around your convictions, the Gospels can be the source of a new kind of certainty and stability that cannot be codified and enshrined in a list of rules. Writing in the Sand presents the essence of Jesus’ teachings and offers a way of understanding them intelligently and devotedly in the twenty-first century.
Thomas Moore is the author of Care of the Soul, which spent forty-six weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and fifteen other books on deepening spirituality and cultivating the soul in every aspect of life. He has been a monk, a musician, a university professor, and a psychotherapist, and today he lectures widely on holistic medicine, spirituality, psychotherapy, and ecology. He also writes fiction and music and often works with his wife, artist and yoga instructor Joan Hanley. He writes regular columns for Resurgence, Spirituality & Health, and Beliefnet.com. He has two children and lives in New England.
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Infinite Possibilities, Mike Dooley, (9781582702322) Paperback
"Infinite Possibilities is the perfect book at the perfect time. It is full of wisdom, answers, and guidance -- a unique combination that is guaranteed to help anyone during times of change and transition. I loved it." -- Ariane de Bonvoisin, bestselling author of The First 30 Days

"Having been a fan of the 'big boys' -- Anthony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Earl Nightingale, et al. -- I came away with the realization that Dooley is the most literate and professorial of them all." -- Roger Yale, Los Angeles Entertainment Today

"I am so excited about this book! Mike Dooley has given every human soul a great and wonderful gift. He shows us in the clearest terms yet just how to produce what God has always intended for us: a life of joy unbounded!" -- Neale Donald Walsch, author of When Everything Changes, Change Everything and Conversations with God

"This book is your ticket to living. After experiencing Infinite Possibilities, you will never see life from the same perspective." -- James Van Praagh, author of Unfinished Business
Infinite Possibilities is the masterwork from teacher, author, and featured speaker Mike Dooley. As the next step beyond his immensely popular Notes from the Universe trilogy, and his follow up, Choose them Wisely, this book contains even more enriching wisdom for living an abundant, joyous life.

Mike Dooley knows that we create our own reality, our own fate, and our own luck. We’re beings filled with infinite possibility—just ready to explore how powerful we truly are. Manifesting the magnificence of our dreams isn’t about hard work, but rather about belief and expectation. These principles transcend belief, realizing the truth about our human nature.

Your dreams are not accidental, nor inconsequential. And if someone were tell the truth about life, reality, and the powers we all possessed, would it be recognized? Our lives are full of adventures—and not exactly the sky-diving, mountain-climbing variety—but something better. Readers will laugh, applaud, and be inspired by Mike Dooley’s wit and wisdom.

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The Gift of Years, Joan Chittister, (9781933346335) Paperback
Well-known in Catholic circles for her willingness to take on anybody-even the pope-in defense of women's rights, Chittister, now in her 70s, examines how it feels "to be facing that time of life for which there is no career plan." Clearly, getting older has not diminished the controversial nun, activist, lecturer and author of nearly 40 books on feminism, nonviolence and Benedictine wisdom. This collection of inspirational reflections, "not meant to be read in one sitting, or even in order, but one topic at a time," abounds in gentle insights and arresting aphorisms: "'Act your age' can be useful advice when you're seventeen; it's a mistake when you're seventy-seven." Beginning each short chapter with a trenchant quotation ("'It takes a long time,' Pablo Picasso wrote, 'to become young'"), she ponders topics such as fear, mystery, forgiveness and legacy. Old age is rich for those who choose to thrive, not wither: "We can recreate ourselves in order to be creative in the world in a different way than the boundaries of our previous life allowed."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the edition.

"Chittister beautifully downplays regrets and accents the rewards of a mature life."  —Library Journal, starred review

"This collection of inspirational reflections . . . abounds in gentle insights and arresting aphorisms."  —Publishers Weekly

“We can all draw strength from Chittister’s essays on regret, nostalgia, and forgiveness. She reminds readers of all generations that aging doesn’t have to be a depressing series of losses.” —School Library Journal

"Perhaps you have to be in the second half of life to know how truthfully and helpfully Joan Chittister speaks. We live in a first-half-of-life culture, which makes this wisdom all the more necessary—and all the more wonderful."  —Richard Rohr, author, The Naked Now

"A prophetic voice that is desperately needed in our troubled time."  —Karen Armstrong, author, The Great Transformation

"It's the best book I have read on the subject of aging, a dazzling work radiant with gems of insight on every page. It will be my spiritual reading in the days ahead."  —Andrew Greeley, author, The Great Mysteries
"Brims with insight, pluck, verve and courage. . . . It shows us both the joys and the challenges of growing older, and encourages us to discover the deep spiritual meaning that can come with older age."  —Helen Prejean, author, Dead Man Walking
"An amazing compendium of wisdom not only for people facing aging or providing support, but for everyone who wants to live a spiritually centered and balanced life."  —Michael Lerner, editor, Tikkun Magazine
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Naming and Blessing, Andrew Tawn, (9780285638921) Hardcover
Illustrating the intimate connection between given names and spiritual identity, this collection presents more than 500 personalized name prayers. Each invocation draws upon the meaning of the name itself or Biblical verses, outlining the name’s origin and spiritual significance. Serving as the perfect introduction to the language of faith, this beautiful handbook is ideal for parents and members of the clergy to use at baptisms, confirmations, marriages, or any religious occasion over the course of a person’s lifetime.
Andrew Tawn is the rector of Addingham in the Yorkshire Dales. He has previously worked in parishes in Liverpool and Oxfordshire. Bishop David Hope is the former archbishop of York in the Church of England.
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The 10 Secrets of 100% Healthy People, Patrick Holford, (9780749929114) Paperback
'This all-round approach puts it a cut above your average flash-in-the-pan diet book' BOOKSELLER
Ten remarkably simple and effective habits that can help you not just survive but thrive
 
Highly informative and practical, this guide covers 10 areas crucial to a healthy and happy life, including the key to gaining energy and losing weight, how to slow down the aging process, keeping your body and mind well oiled, sharpening your mind and improving your mood, keeping fit and supple, and finding your purpose in life. Some people have boundless energy and never get sick—what are their secrets? Patrick Holford and his team investigated by carrying out a comprehensive "100 percent health survey," which has now been completed by more than 55,000 people. This is a distillation of the fascinating insights provided by the survey's top scorers, and the author's 30 years of experience studying how to achieve good health. It shows readers how to discover where they are on the scale of 100 percent health and provides a new system of good health that is easy to follow and easily measurable—one that will enable people to transform their health and well being, whether they are relatively fit and healthy or struggling with health issues.
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Optimum Nutrition Made Easy, Patrick Holford, (9780749928667) Paperback
Health guru Patrick Holford addresses the true causes of illness - diet. Holford may be regarded as being outside the mainstream, but increasingly his apporach is being fostered in conventional medicine. GUARDIAN Patrick Holford is one of the world's leading authorities on new approaches to health and nutrition. DAILY MAIL
A revolution in health care—how to give yourself the best intake of nutrients to have the healthiest body possible
 
Inspiring, practical, and easy to use, this guide helps readers increase energy and control weight, delay aging and improve skin, choose foods that heal, boost immune system, improve mood and memory, and prevent serious diseases, all through choosing the correct foods. In The New Optimum Nutrition Bible, Patrick Holford revealed precisely how to achieve optimum nutrition. Here, he explains the basics of optimum nutrition, including what to eat, what to avoid, information on supplements and superfoods, useful questionnaires, advice on meal planning, and delicious recipes. With an A to Z of common ailments and their optimum nutrition remedies, and a comprehensive nutrition fact file, this user-friendly guide will help readers determine what their bodies are telling them and develop a personalized nutrition program.
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Power Up Your Brain, David Perlmutter, (9781401928179) Hardcover

The quest for enlightenment has occupied mankind for millennia. And from the depictions we’ve seen—monks sitting on meditation cushions, nuns kneeling in prayer, shamans communing with the universe—it seems that this elusive state is reserved for a chosen few. But now, neuroscientist David Perlmutter and medical anthropologist and shaman Alberto Villoldo have come together to explore the commonalities between their specialties with the aim of making enlightenment possible for anyone.

Joining the long-separated worlds of science and spirit, Perlmutter explores the exciting phenomena of neurogenesis and mitochondrial health, while Villoldo brings his vast knowledge of shamanic and spiritual practices to the table. Together they draw from the most powerful tools in each discipline to create the Power Up Your Brain program, a ground-breaking, five-week plan that helps prime the brain for enlightenment. With nutritional advice, dietary supplements, physical exercise, shamanic practices, meditation, and visualizations, Perlmutter and Villoldo guide readers, step by step, through a program to help them clear their minds from previous trauma and open themselves up to experience the inner peace, vast insight, and extraordinary creativity that define the experience of enlightenment, paving the way to successfully face the challenges to come.

David Perlmutter, M.D., FACN, is a board-certified neurologist and fellow of the American College of Nutrition. He serves as medical director of the Perlmutter Health Center and the Perlmutter Hyperbaric Center in Naples, Florida and is also an adjunct instructor at the Institute for Functional Medicine. He is the author of three books and numerous journal articles. Dr. Perlmutter has appeared on 20/20, Larry King Live, CNN, Fox News, Fox and Friends, the Today show, The Oprah Show, and The Early Show on CBS.

Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D., has trained as a psychologist and medical anthropologist, and has studied the healing practices of the Amazon and the Andean shamans for more than 25 years. While at San Francisco State University, he founded the Biological Self-Regulation Laboratory to study how the mind creates psychosomatic health and disease. Dr. Villoldo directs The Four Winds Society, where he trains individuals in the U.S. and Europe in the practice of shamanic healing. He directs the Center for Energy Medicine at Los Lobos, Chile, where he investigates and practices the neuroscience of enlightenment.

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