Something Beyond Greatness: Conversations With a Man of Science and a Woman of God
Judy Rodgers and Gayatri Naraine
$12.95 QP, 9780757307812, Health Communications, www.hcibooks.com

“How do we return to our original loving nature to reclaim greatness in ourselves?” This is the question the authors sought to answer in Something Beyond Greatness.

They turned to two people to guide them in their search: a man of science, Humberto Maturana, professor of biology at the University of Chile and founder of the Laboratory for Experimental Epistemology and the Biology of Cognition. (“To see, you must let the other be and not put your expectations or purpose on them. When I see with the attitude of ‘let it be,’ without my expectations or desires, then seeing and loving are the same thing.”)

The woman of God referred to in the subtitle is Dadi Janki, chief of Brahma Kumaris’ World Spiritual University in India. (“With true love there won’t be any wrong actions performed, because the intellect that is filled with love guides the soul in the direction of truth.”)

The authors take us with them as they research and analyze acts of greatness in both famous and unknown people. We are given the insight that comes as they discuss their findings with Maturana and Janki. There are discussions about Seeing as a Transformative Act, Acting from the Heart, and The Ripple Effect of Greatness. One of the most interesting ideas presented in the book is Maturana’s description of how linear thinking (increasingly prevalent in today’s world) destroys the systemic processes that sustain our biological existence.

The book consistently delivers a hopeful message as when Janki says, “When enough people begin to experience themselves and humanity in a way that is not limited by the physical world, in the unlimited way that God sees us, the world will reach a tipping point and will tip into an age of truth.”

Anna Jedrziewski, Spirit Connection New York, New York, N.Y.

Picture Yourself Developing Your Psychic Abilities: Step-by-Step Instruction for Divination, Speaking to Spirit Guides, and Much More
Tiffany Johnson
$19.99 QP, 9781598638974, Course Technology PTR, www.courseptr.com

Tiffany Johnson, a psychic with more than 20 years of professional experience, has managed to condense a large chunk of New Age thought and information into one well-designed book. For customers who come into your store asking for a good, broad introduction to the concepts of New Age and metaphysics, this guide fits the bill nicely. It provides a straightforward, easy-to-understand explanation of a wide range of topics, including the different types of psychic ability (clairvoyance, clairaudience, etc.), divination tools (tarot, I Ching, etc.), crystals, auras, animal totems, and more. Those more well-versed with these subjects may find the information somewhat remedial, but for beginners, the book could not be more well-suited. It even comes with a 90-minute DVD that expands on and demonstrates some of the concepts in the book. Will readers be more psychic after reading it? That’s certainly not an automatic result—nor does the book promise such an outcome—but Johnson’s instruction can serve as a solid foundation to work from for anyone wanting to enhance their own natural capabilities.

Janine DePaulo, New Age Retailer, Bellingham, Wash.

Swarm Tree: Of Honeybees, Honeymoons, and the Tree of Life
Doug Elliott
$17.99 QP, 9781596296756, Natural History Press, www.historypress.net

Doug Elliott takes the reader on a heartfelt and sometimes-hilarious, down-to-earth spiritual journey, following tracks, messing with bees, chasing butterflies, stalking deer, catching fish, and picking up paw paws and hitchhikers. Elliott (author of Wildwoods Wisdom and Wildroots) is a nationally known naturalist and storyteller. He covers much of the lore and natural history of the plants and animals that one encounters in this book, but more importantly, he probes Creation, asks the deeper questions, and reveals fascinating details of the great narrative of life that connects us all.

Whether he’s hanging out with backwoods mountain folks, tracking skunks, philosophizing over dung beetles, negotiating with the police, or reading divine script on the back of a trout, Elliott brings a sense of wonder and humor to every story. I laughed out loud several times as I read about his adventures, encounters, and epiphanies.

Much of this book is about crossing boundaries, journeying into new realms, and gaining new perspectives. “Sometimes a boundary is defined by something as tangible as a barbed wire-topped chain link fence, or something as political as a mere dotted line on a map, as legalistic as an interpretation of the law, as mutable as the shoreline of a tidal creek, and sometimes it is as unfathomable as the tender edges of a lover’s heart,” says Elliott in the introduction. In Swarm Tree, he takes the reader beyond boundaries as he explores the convergence of nature, humanity, and spirit.

Swarm Tree is illustrated with many of Elliott’s detailed sketches, which are a rich, visual treat. This book is for anyone who is captivated by the wonder and mystery of the natural world and who appreciates a well-told true story.

Susan LosCalzo, Lofty Notions, Rutherfordton, N.C.

Beyond 2012: Catastrophe or Awakening? A Complete Guide to End-of-Time Predictions
Geoff Stray
$24 QP, 9781591430971, Bear & Company, www.bearandcompanybooks.com

Since 1982 Geoff Stray has studied aspects of the 2012 phenomenon and since 2000 has used his website, Diagnosis 2012, as a database with global input. Stray explains that he has assembled the research “in an attempt to find a pattern that underlies the information, misinformation, and disinformation that has been circulating regarding 2012.” He hopes that if people look at all the current theories, the book will save them time as they try “to reconcile the many different, contradictory, and often confusing collections of information.”

To this end he has divided the book into four main parts. Part 1, “Ancient Calendars and Prophecies,” looks at ancient sources, with chapters on the Mayan calendars, Mesoamerican tribal prophecies, Asian calendars, the I Ching, and Abrahamic religions. In Part 2, “2012 Theories,” looks at a disparate range of modern speculations, including sunspot cycles, astronomical conditions, archaeology, the geomagnetic field, cycles of ice ages, and various fringe science concerns. Part 3, “Beyond the Veil,” examines contemporary sources of information, including shamanism, altered states of consciousness, UFO and ET contacts, crop circles, Nostradamus, and New Age prophecies. Lastly, Part 4, “ Diagnosis,” is divided into (a) analysis of the more interesting and convincing items, (b) synthesis of those sources and prehistoric wisdom, and (c) prognosis of how one might best approach the 2012 phenomenon.

Richard D. Wright, Tranquil Things, Derby Line, Vt.

A Spiritual Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe: Travel Tips for the Spiritually Perplexed
Paul Rademacher
$24.95 HC, 9781571745972, Hampton Roads Publishing, www.hamptonroadspub.com

When Paul Rademacher was a boy, he was all about collecting Sunday school badges and being a good Christian, a winner in “the race for sanctity.” But a thirst for knowledge and the gift of T. Lobsang Rampa’s The Third Eye from his father started him on a spiritual quest that took him far beyond his Presbyterian roots—yet brought him back when, nearing middle age, he got a “sign” (actually many signs) from God that he should leave his successful contracting business and become a pastor. But after 15 years, Rademacher found being a pastor wasn’t enough—that no one religion is enough to contain and define God. A Spiritual Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe is one man’s tale of personal and spiritual discovery. Bouncing from anecdotes of his youthful years as a spiritual seeker to his stint as a pastor and beyond, he synthesizes his formal religious training with spiritual experiences that transcend all defined faiths, finding his life path and, in the process, helping readers find their true spiritual calling, as well.

Jayne Denker, Dragon-Droppings.com, Caledonia, N.Y.

The Dream Encyclopedia, 2nd ed.
James R. Lewis and Evelyn Dorothy Oliver
$24.95 QP, 9781578592166, Visible Ink Press, www.visibleink.com

Have you ever woken up from a dream and thought, “Woah. What the heck was that about?” The Dream Encyclopedia might just be able to tell you. Was there a mermaid in it? a burial? wallpaper? (These mean a message from your inner self, saying goodbye to something outdated in your life, and the surface appearance of something, respectively.) The first half of The Dream Encyclopedia is an alphabetical reference for everything to do with dreams, from the definition of daydreaming to short biographies of philosophers and scientists who have studied dreams. The second half lists hundreds of common elements dreamers encounter and their possible meanings. However, the authors caution that dream symbols can communicate a variety of messages, and many need to be interpreted in conjunction with other elements of the dream as well as events in the dreamer’s life. But The Dream Encyclopedia is a great place to start.

Jayne Denker, Dragon-Droppings.com, Caledonia, N.Y.

When Everything Changes, Change Everything: In a Time of Turmoil, a Pathway to Peace
Neale Donald Walsch
$19.95 HC, 9781571746061, Hampton Roads Publishing Company, www.hamptonroadspub.com

In his latest book, Neale Donald Walsch, author of the Conversations With God series of books, explains how to cope with traumatic life events by understanding the nature of change.

Walsch provides explanations of the mental and spiritual basis of change and tools to transform the way change affects us. This includes how we approach, deal with, and create change in our lives, whether it be a major life event or
an everyday shifting of any circumstance or situation.

The first part of his book deals with the physical aspects (mind) of how we experience change, followed by explanations of the metaphysical aspects (soul).

Change is the process of life itself, says Walsch, and it is inevitable. He encourages readers to stop avoiding change and start creating it with nine ways to make different choices of thoughts, emotions, truths, and one’s identity.

The book also refers readers to an interactive website providing a way to get immediate help from coaches or the author himself so they do not have to face life’s changes alone.

Lois A. Rogalski, Miss Lois’ Curiosity Shoppe, Benton, Ky. 

 
Do Dead People Walk Their Dogs?: Questions You’d Ask a Medium If You Had the Chance
Concetta Bertoldi
$13.99 QP, 9780061706080, Harper Collins, www.harpercollins.com

Realizing there were many more questions about the afterlife that she hadn’t covered in her New York Times bestseller Do Dead People Watch You Shower?, Bertoldi has picked up where she left off, producing a second volume of informal, irreverent, engaging, and humorous answers to questions she encounters most frequently during her speaking engagements and book signings. Eminently readable, in a fast-paced, oh-just-one-more, Q&A format, Do Dead People Walk Their Dogs? addresses … yes, whether dead people walk their dogs, as well as what it’s like on the other side (“perfection”), the strangest place Bertoldi was ever contacted by a spirit (a public ladies’ room), whether relatives who have passed over come to the aid of those still living, and the concept of soul groups. Other related topics include the role of people with Down syndrome, what to do if you think you’re psychic, whether one religion is more “right” than others, and whether there’s evil in the world. It’s a comforting read for anyone who’s recently lost a loved one, and a lighthearted yet touching overview of the nature of spirituality in general.

Jayne Denker, Dragon-Droppings.com, Caledonia, N.Y.

Be Yourself—Everyone Else Is Already Taken: Transform Your Life With the Power of Authenticity
Mike Robbins
$19.95 HC, 9780470395011, Jossey-Bass, www.josseybass.com

How “real,” how “genuine” are you? Are you sure? In his follow-up to his bestseller Focus on the Good Stuff, Robbins explains that being authentic (when we “live in a way that is true to our deepest passions, beliefs, and desires”) is a rare commodity. Whether it’s from fear of being judged or out of concern that we’ll let down family or friends who expect us to behave in a certain way, too many of us bury how we really feel, ignore our desires, and “shut up and try to fit in.” Robbins, a motivational speaker, draws on his 10 years of public speaking experience to illustrate the underlying motivations that prevent people from being true to themselves, outline his five principles of authenticity designed to help uncover one’s own real personality, and finally offer suggestions on how to take action to make lasting changes. Being authentic is a lifelong process, Robbins says, and one that takes a great deal of courage, but it’s necessary to live a life of happiness and inner peace—indeed, to truly live.

Jayne Denker, Dragon-Droppings.com, Caledonia, N.Y.

Glow: How You Can Radiate Energy, Innovation, and Success
Lynda Gratton
$16.95 QP, 9781576757680, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, www.bkconnection.com

Although the publishing world is inundated with myriad books encouraging spiritually based self-improvement on a personal level, the number of volumes dedicated to fostering positive energy in a professional setting number in the minority. Gratton elaborates on the points she made in her bestseller Hot Spots, encouraging businesspeople to “excite and ignite” themselves and others in the workplace by embracing energy and innovation. She introduces three fundamental principles necessary for “glowing”—having a cooperative mind-set, jumping across worlds, and igniting latent energy. With self-assessment quizzes and anecdotes that illustrate the differences between those who glow (and thereby succeed) and those who don’t (and fail), as well as a recommended reading list of other books on business and leadership, Glow is a new kind of business book—one that combines instinct, positive energy, and support for others in a unique recipe for success.

Jayne Denker, Dragon-Droppings.com, Caledonia, N.Y.

The Secret Temple: Masons, Mysteries, and the Founding of America
Peter Levenda
$16.95 QP, 9780826430007, Continuum Books, www.continuum-books.com

There’s so much more to Masons than the local lodges where men meet behind blocked-out windows, as The Secret Temple shows. Just in time for companion reading with Dan Brown’s new novel, The Lost Symbol, Peter Levenda’s new book is a history of Freemasonry that, he writes, “may be nothing less than the secret history of Western civilization itself.” The Secret Temple covers the origins of Freemasonry, sacred geometry, the controversy of the Knights Templar, and the history of Masons in America—indeed, the book illustrates how closely tied the history of the Masons and the creation of the United States really was. Levenda admits that he is not a member of the secret society himself and did not interview any men who currently are Masons—in order to preserve the oaths of secrecy members take—yet has done enough thorough research to introduce the important topics of Masonic symbolism and various initiation “degrees,” as well as the important role Freemasonry has played in important historical events the world over. The Secret Temple is an essential addition to any collection of books on secret societies.

Jayne Denker, Dragon-Droppings.com, Caledonia, N.Y.

Opening the Kimono: A Woman’s Intimate Journey Through Life’s Biggest Challenges
Theresa Rose
$13.95 QP, 9780981886909, Serious Mojo Publications, www.newleaf-dist.com

Full disclosure: I didn’t expect to love reading this book. Something about reading what amounts to another woman’s personal diary seemed a tad … voyeuristic. I’m supremely glad I overcame my reticence and read Opening the Kimono. Cover to cover. In one sitting. The raw honesty, belly-laugh humor, and heart-wrenching emotion in these pages weave together to create a colorful, outrageous, compelling story about Theresa Rose’s life. With humor and wit, insight and shining spirit, she describes her struggles with weight and body image, marriage and motherhood, and the crushing loss of her mother to lung cancer. Meanwhile, with each secret revealed, Rose presents a lesson learned, a small slice of wisdom she hopes to pass along to the reader. In this way, even the saddest moments of the book take on great beauty. At the end, she includes discussion questions for what she calls “Club Kimono,” which encourages readers to practice radical honesty and trust in their own lives.

Janine DePaulo, New Age Retailer, Bellingham, Wash.

The Inner Science of Buddhist Practice: Vasubandhu’s Summary of the Five Heaps, With Commentary by Sthiramati
Artemus B. Engle
$34.95 HC, 9781559393225, Snow Lion Publications, www.snowlionpub.com

In many ways this is a compendium that nearly every serious student of meditation would need to grasp the path to enlightenment. The Table of Contents provides a detailed thumbnail sketch of what is required of the reader to come to a comprehension of the science of inner practice. From the 'three essential forms of understanding', through the doctrine of karma, the eleven virtues, past the afflicted mind, and ending with the eighteen constituents, an individual is guided toward a sense of enlightened consciousness. This volume requires work on the part of the serious reader, as the chapter on Fundamentals makes clear: there is no way one can forge the steps toward understanding without the work being done, to wit: "it is the action of the mind itself and not the body that is responsible for an increase or decrease in ... wisdom". There are no shortcuts: "... skill in a particular craft and a high degree of spiritual knowledge are achieved through repeated practice and the long-term pursuit of extensive learning.”

One element of this fine translation that must not escape the reader has to do with the Truth of Cessation. There are four aspects to this state of being and the condition refers to the permanent end of samsaric existence and the suffering that accompanies it. Of the four, peace, goodness, and deliverance are the key signals that alert the meditator that they have indeed achieved a state that is no longer temporary. This is an important realization because as Je Tsongkapa is referenced elsewhere on the subject of reincarnation into lower states, lack of awareness of who/what we are is part of those experiences. Further, and of greater importance is "...the erroneous belief that an unchanging self or soul survives from one life to the next.” Much of the nearly 100-page long Chapter Three entitled "Renunciation, the Four Noble Truths, and Closely Placed Recollection" deals with the intricacies and levels of the meditator from novice to the highly advanced. The topics are rich and the descriptions are powerful and require careful reading as they are key to advanced practices. Attentiveness, followed by repeated exercises avoiding using objects to train the mind, but instead using contemplative mental states incentivizes the meditator. Instead of fighting through "mental afflictions" the practitioner can instead become "...periodically greatly exhilarated...characterized by a deep serenity" and which "promotes delight.”

This virtuous state leads to "meditative absorption" and the perfection of wisdom. It in turn merges into the chapter on Mahayana Practice which further instructs the reader on how to understand the "Five Heaps" that takes us to the path of compassion, the mind's enlightenment, and non-dual wisdom. From this point, the student of meditation can and has likely overcome the mistaken beliefs that obscure how karma works, and how humans and other entities are invariably insubstantial by nature.

The remainder of this encyclopedic work contains translations related to the Five Heaps, which are: form, feeling, conception, formations, and consciousness. This is the extensive commentary by Vasubandhu. In the form of questions, answers, and short topical discourses, these 120 pages are exceptionally rich explorations of terms indicative of human consciousness. They cover topics such as taste and themes such as "space is not an element" to feelings. This section is critical to the task that author Engle has undertaken because it supplements greatly the earlier sections and without which a greater understanding of the depths of Buddhist practice would not be possible. There are also two Appendices containing Tibetan text. The volume contains 118 pages of Chapter and Section notes that are wisely appended to the end of the text as with this quantity, reading through the two main Parts of the work would be way too ponderous. Engle completes this masterful compilation with a 9-page Bibliography and of course, and Index. This collaboration between the Tsadra Foundation and Snow Lion is destined to be a keystone for the study of Tibetan Buddhism in English for time to come. It belongs in Religion, Philosophy, Spirituality, and Culture sections of our stores.

Thomas Peter von Bahr, Pacific NorthWest Group, Lopez Island, Wash.

Essence of the Upanishads: A Key to Indian Spirituality
Eknath Easwaran
$14.95 QP, 9781586380366, Nilgiri Press, www.easwaran.org

This is a wonderfully dressed book with an attractive earth tone cover and in a size that efficiently packages it as a handbook. The book has a theme which centers around the Lord of Death (Yama in Sanskrit) and his continuing dialogue with the young Nachiketa, an exceptional young man who wanted to know about the state of being surrounding death. The basic parable is told with flare and humor and clarity by Easwaran as the mystery of death and rebirth is explored through much of the first part of the book. By tirelessly seeking explanations from Yama about the veil of death, as in the struggle for understanding in life, we may earn an understanding of our immortality as did Nachiketa through persistence and the acquisition of wisdom. As the author notes in his Introduction, the Upanishads “…are probably the oldest body of wisdom literature in the world”. Easwaran seeks to explain them as a story within a story through two Sections and 12 Chapters by focusing not only on the dialogue between Nachiketa and Yama but on the central idea behind all those who question consciousness; namely, “who am I.” The Upanishads are really composed of many scriptures and books, of which we are treated to mainly the Katha Upanishad, with the Yama/Nachiketa thread providing a context for the author’s deep conversational insights throughout. The author has so much intelligence and acquired perspective and common sense, that the result is highly readable, hard-to-put-down.

A central tenet of the Upanishads is prana. “Prana is undifferentiated energy,” the author states. But, he does not let the concept get away from us. He goes on, “but prana is not physical; it is also the energy of the mind”. He reminds us of the power of desire and the force of will with a subdued and humorous suggestion: “a man”, he posits, will “walk a mile for a particular kind of carcinogen” with reference to the underlying power behind desire. In this instance when prana is thrown out-of-balance, such desires can be harmful to health at all levels. Likewise, abundant prana in balance means “greater resilience” in “weathering the storms and stress of life”. One point Easwaran makes with emphasis is this: “even in your eighties you can have a clear mind, sound judgment, and a powerful will—if one has prana”. He goes on: “conversely, senility is not confined to old age. To be a fogey, you do not have to be old; you simply have to have a rigid mind. With the kind of life many people lead today, they may not have to wait until retirement; [signs of] senility can begin in the thirties and forties. Where prana is present, body and mind are active and resilient; otherwise rigor mortis sets in in both.” The dialogue and interplay between Yama and Nachiketa are never far away from the author’s sharp observations. In Chapter 7 entitled “Clear Seeing”, we are reminded of the importance of balance with Yama as a “precise teacher.” “Responsibility for making wise choices extends through many levels of personality.” Make them with care or as Yama would admonish, “those who do not know this wander on and on from death to death.” The reader is compelled to recall that Nachiketa wanted to know from Yama what was in life and what was in death. Yama’s comment as related by the author often is: “what is here is also there”, which sounds like a holistic understanding of the Golden Mean.

In the especially insightful chapter entitled “Death and Dreaming”, we have a focus on the practice of meditation, and Easwaran makes his point that ties much of the book together: “In meditation, if our senses and passions are coming steadily under control, the ego dies a little every day. Whenever we forget ourselves, even for a moment, the shadowy, separate self is gone; those are moments of immortality right on Earth.” But, it is a certain sweetness in the use of language that endears the author to the reader as in, “when self-will [ego] vanishes, love plays within your heart like a perpetual fountain; all you want in life is to give.” In his final chapter before the story of Yama and Nachiketa in the Katha Upanishad, Easwaran describes the fragrant odor of a lilac bush outside his window to its short time blossoming and shares with us, “everything passes; you haven’t got much time.” The great Mahatma Gandhi was an embodiment of the force of prana and his work through nonviolence was not accomplished “by the love of power, but by the power of love”. Be satisfied with oneself and serve the world beneficially and Yama would approve as this leads to immortality. Indulge selfish desires and you forsake the understanding Nachiketa achieved with Yama, who would shake his head, “you are meant for a million times more.”

This gem ends with a useful Index of 12 pages and belongs prominently displayed in our Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy, and Psychology sections. Reading this book is like engaging in a warm conversation with a wise grandmother.

Thomas Peter von Bahr, Pacific NorthWest Group, Lopez Island, Wash.

Fine Print was compiled by New Age Retailer staff.