Fine Print Online--March 2, 2010  Bridge Between Worlds: Extraordinary Experiences That Changed Lives
Dan Millman and Doug Childers
$14.95 QP, 9781932073263, H J Kramer/New World Library, www.newworldlibrary.com
This book contains 37 brief accounts of extraordinary events, usually taking place during a period of crisis, which opened people to a higher reality. Some concern well-known individuals, including Bucky Fuller, Black Elk, Carl Jung, Padre Pio, Walt Whitman, Robert Monroe, Gopi Krishna, as well as the authors. Although the stories give no final answers to life’s larger questions, the authors hope that these selections “reawaken a sense of reverence, wonder, and awe” and “remind us of our innate potential, and of a mysterious power that lives in each of us.” Accounts include instances of mysterious sightings, such as the visions of Lucia Santos in Fatima or those of Emanuel Swedenborg; miraculous healings, as witnessed by Dr. Alexis Carrel at Lourdes or transmitted through Edgar Cayce; and miraculous revelations, including those experienced by Laurens van der Post when a prisoner of the Japanese and by Morihei Ueshiba, founder of the martial art of Aikido. Dan Millman’s account tells of a motorcycle accident that caused severe damage but that led him to realize that the “accident” turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to him. Doug Childers relates how he endured pain and harassment as a youngster, which he compensated for by mastering martial arts, and then experienced a breakthrough of realization when confronting two delinquents ready to do him damage, in a flash seeing them as brothers, greeting them as such with conviction, and defusing the toxic distrust instantly. The factor common to all the experiences is that they changed the course of the subjects’ lives. Millman has written twelve other books, most famously Way of the Peaceful Warrior, now considered a spiritual classic. Childers, coauthor of three other books, is a professional ghostwriter, freelance editor, and book doctor. This is a revised version of their earlier book, Divine Interventions, published by Rodale Press in 1999. In presenting these accounts the authors do not attempt to impose a particular spiritual worldview but choose to let the stories speak for themselves. The current title relates to the authors’ conviction that the bridge between worlds “lies within each of us, ready to awaken us to a higher consciousness and a greater vision of reality.” –Richard D. Wright, Tranquil Things, Derby Line, Vt.  Why I Am a Buddhist: No-Nonsense Buddhism with Red Meat and Whiskey
Stephen T. Asma, Ph.D.
$21.95 HC, 9781571746177, Hampton Roads, www.hamptonroadspub.com
Stephen Asma, a professor of philosophy and interdisciplinary humanities and author of Buddhism for Beginners, has written this book with three intentions: to introduce unfamiliar ideas to the novice, to remind and inspire the old hand, and to show how someone puts into practice the theoretical teachings, the range of which he covers in this account. Broad but accurate brush strokes sketch his core ideas, with each stroke colored by the perspective of his experience. Knowing that many readers may have formed opinions regarding the austerity of Zen or the California-style hippy values of the Beat movement and Chogyam Trungpa’s “crazy wisdom,” he carefully examines these, shows how they came into being, and then makes clear why he takes a more worldly middle path by examining his own background, from his teenage years through marriage, parenting, foreign travel, and teaching. The book’s seven chapters cover background within the Buddhist tradition, including its relationship to transcendentalism, eros, mysticism, art, work and wealth, and the growing awareness of the world as a global village. Regarding Buddhism and science, he says that Buddhism “is officially agnostic (and practically atheistic) when it comes to God and the soul,” and that “it is not a tradition of revelation, but an experimental approach to knowledge and truth.” As to art, he notes that studying a painting or listening to music or losing oneself in a powerful drama “are not merely experiences that are similar to meditation, they are meditation.” He explains that in addition to Buddhism being a doctrine, it is equally a method or skill that can be practiced in every aspect of life. Zen, he says, deals with method rather than content, with a focus on one’s present activity. Being present in activity extends to engaging in labor, where he cautions, “For many of us, work is the time we spend waiting to live” rather than using attention to accomplish something with excellence, an attitude basic to Buddhist thought. Concerning what he calls “magical thinking,” he holds that “the Buddha’s teachings about freeing the mind from suffering are empirically testable and do not require commitments to mystical, supernatural metaphysics.” This book, with its iconoclastic no-nonsense approach, will be of interest to a wide range of readers, from those already following the path of Buddhism to other sincere but somewhat bewildered spiritual seekers. –Richard D. Wright, Tranquil Things, Derby Line, Vt.  Gnostic Healing: Revealing the Hidden Power of God
Tau Malachi & Siobhan Houston
$16.95 QP, 9780738719832, Llewellyn, www.llewellyn.com
The pairing of a Gnostic Christian mystic visionary and teacher with a Harvard-educated scholar has given us a unique look at the practical and philosophical world of an ancient wisdom tradition. This book will be a welcome addition to the libraries of both serious academics and the general public. Gnostic Healing begins with the premise that we are all energetic beings who are innately connected to the universal field of energy-intelligence (God). Healing is defined as “... the reintegration of our energetic being and our material being ...” and healing is thought to begin with recognizing “... the spiritual life of a person as the foundation of illness and wellness...” Reuniting Gnosticism with its Kabbalistic roots, the book gives detailed descriptions of healing practices such as mystical prayer, meditation, the laying on of hands, sacred ceremony, vocalization, and the invocation of the names of God and angels. The book might be of interest to people who are involved in charismatic groups within traditional, mainstream religions. Consider pairing it with Malachi’s earlier work, Living Gnosis, and Elaine Pagels’ The Gnostic Gospels. It will also work well in a display of books about reiki and other energy healing modalities. –Anna Jedrziewski, www.SpiritConnectionNewYork.org, New York, N.Y.  Ignite the Genius Within: Discover Your Full Potential
Christine Ranck and Christopher Lee Nutter
$15 QP, 9780452295933, Plume Books, www.penguin.com
The authors ask the reader not to think of this as a book but rather as a mirror. As an EMDR (Eye Movement and Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapist, Christine Ranck has helped hundreds of trauma victims. Using that experience, she has developed, with Christopher Nutter, a new approach for stimulating creativity and insight to help people get what they want from life. (“There is actually an infinite number of other aspects of you. But just like a shattered mirror, when they are not recognized, they are out of sync with each other ... We are only aware of what certain parts of ourselves want and are unaware of the desires of other parts ... Because our brain is unable to deal with conflicting information unless it can be integrated, it tends to pick one perspective and repress all the information that doesn’t fit.”) The simple technique that is being taught is spelled out clearly in the first few pages. There is also a soundtrack that has been designed to calm the nervous system and stimulate subconscious thoughts and dreamlike imagery. (The soundtrack can be downloaded from the book’s website, www.ignitethegeniuswithin.com). The images in the book are meant to be accessed randomly, so that the reader chooses the sequence. Each image has brief text with questions or suggestions to start the healing thought process. Ignite the Genius will be a good fit for customers who are interested in taking action rather than studying the problem. Do be aware that the book works because it pushes memories and repressed feelings to the surface, so you’ll want to be careful about recommending it to customers who are struggling to maintain emotional balance. – Anna Jedrziewski, www.SpiritConnectionNewYork.org, New York, N.Y.  Living Well with Pain & Illness: The Mindful Way to Free Yourself From Suffering
Vidyamala Burch
$15.95 QP, 9781591797470, Sounds True, www.soundstrue.com
After a second major injury to her spine, Vidyamala Burch could no longer hope for a life that was free of pain. While recovering in the hospital, she had a visit from a chaplain who guided her through a meditation that changed her life. (“... I made the profound discovery that, although my body was injured, my mind was still whole, and I could experience peace.”) Afterwards, Burch lived in a retreat center for five years, allowing her inner world to continue to flower. In 2001 she attended a retreat with Jon Kabat-Zinn, who created the Stress Reduction Clinic and Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Inspired by the change that all of these things made in the quality of her life, she started an international, mindfulness-based pain management program called the Breathworks Community. Living Well was written to reach out to even more people suffering from chronic pain. (“The main focus of the book is physical pain, but the mindfulness techniques are relevant to illness of any sort. They will help you manage your energy and improve your quality of life. The techniques are also relevant to mental and emotional suffering, such as stress, anxiety, and depression.”) Burch writes about both the scientific research into pain and its medical applications and about Buddhism and its ancient roots. The bulk of the content, however, is about specific techniques for accepting and facing chronic pain and learning to control the secondary suffering created by the response to that pain. The goal, first and foremost, is to help readers fully embrace their lives regardless of the circumstances. The book will also be helpful to people going through treatment for cancer and for those who are terminal. In addition, it will be a valuable resource for customers who are in recovery from addiction and clearly facing the deep-seated emotional pain of their lives for the first time. Consider displaying it with Thomas Roberts’ The Mindfulness Workbook. That will help to let customers know that Living Well with Pain & Illness is a “take-action” book—and the two books make a perfect double purchase that many customers will be grateful to find. – Anna Jedrziewski, www.SpiritConnectionNewYork.org, New York, N.Y.  The Psychotropic Mind: The World According to Ayahuasca, Iboga, and Shamanism
Jeremy Narby, Jan Kounen, and Vincent Ravalec
$16.95 QP, 9781594773129, Park Street Press , www.innertraditions.com
This is an important book, especially if your store is near a college, university, or an intellectual, alternative-lifestyle community. The general public may not be aware of the hallucinogenic plants used by shamans in the Amazon and Africa, but a near-cult following has developed around them within certain circles of Western society. Three people (an anthropologist, a filmmaker, and a writer/filmmaker), who have researched these drugs in the countries in which they are traditionally used, came together for two conversations about the drugs, the shamans, and the influence of both of these things on outsiders. As electronic technology shrinks the world, more people have access to experiences that were previously exclusive to the cultures within which they developed. Outsiders are at risk for exploitation and for physical and emotional distress that they are not prepared to handle. This is likely to become a much larger problem in the near future. These three authors openly discuss the dark side of shamanic psychotropics. They offer serious guidelines for those who intend to seek out these drug experiences. They debunk the magical effects attributed to the drugs without demeaning the traditional practices in which they are used. They each state clearly the benefits they feel these drug-induced experiences provide when used correctly. This book will be valuable to professionals counseling young people and to those working with 12-Step programs and rehab facilities. Salespeople should understand what it is about so that it does not get passed over as being sensational and exotic. –Anna Jedrziewski, www.SpiritConnectionNewYork.org, New York, N.Y.  Deep Medicine: Harnessing the Source of Your Healing Power
William B. Stewart, M.D.
$16.95 QP, 9781572246447, New Harbinger, www.newharbinger.com
The recent health care debate has focused attention on the realities of medical care and the necessity for wellness care. This author has been in the business of the “new medicine” for decades. His time volunteering at the AravindEyeHospital in Madurai, India brought him an awareness of the spiritual side of healing. Subsequently, he co-founded the Institute for Health and Healing at CaliforniaPacificMedicalCenter in San Francisco to further explore the holistic aspects of medicine. Now he has written “a book about bringing your external and internal resources together for health-creating change and to foster well-being and healing ... about awakening your inner healer and harnessing your own healing power.” The Deep Medicine system combines philosophy and practical skills to help the reader connect with those internal resources and make the lifestyle changes necessary for vital health and optimal aging. Each part of the Deep Medicine system is discussed in-depth, and each chapter ends with exercises for putting the information into practice. Perhaps one of the most valuable parts of the book is the discussion of change: why it is so difficult to accomplishment, how we can motivate ourselves to do it, and how it can be sustained long-term. Deep Medicine will work well in display with any of the following books (recommended to the reader by Stewart): Angeles Arrien’s The Four-Fold Way, Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen’s, You, the Owners Manual, Ralph Golan’s Optimal Wellness, Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, James and Phyllis Balch’s Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Robert A. Anderson’s A Clinician’s Guide to Holistic Medicine and Wellness Medicine, John Douillard’s Body, Mind, and Spirit: The Mind-Body Guide to Lifelong Fitness and Your Personal Best, Christiane Northrup’s Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, Timothy White’s The Wellness Guide to Lifeong Fitness, and Mark Liponis’s Ultra-Longevity. – Anna Jedrziewski, www.SpiritConnectionNewYork.org , New York, N.Y.
 The Everest Principle, How to Achieve the Summit of Your Life
Stephen C. Brewer, M.D., and Peggy Holt Wagner
$15.95 QP, 9781401924607, Hay House, www.hayhouse.com At 207 pages, not including the 40 pages of appendices, this book covers a wide range of topics and is packed full with helpful pointers. Even if you don’t have an interest in mountain climbing, Everest makes a good symbol of a goal to achieve—and the authors assure us that we all need goals, whether professional or personal. The Everest Principle is organized into chapters that deal with the progression of the “climb,” from identifying one’s own Everest to preparing all the steps of the scaling. The methods discussed are practical, feasible, and integrative. Various disciplines are put forward, such as Pilates, yoga, the Alexander technique, and hypnoses, giving the reader a smorgasbord of disciplines and techniques to chose from. It is up to the individual reader to design a program that will work specifically for them. I find it refreshing to be able to take my personal idiosyncracies into consideration rather that being told that one size fits all. Physical soundness is the foundation for the program, yet I am more intrigued by the mental and emotional preparation also needed to achieve one’s goals. The authors point out potential pitfalls and how to circumvent them. One of my favorite topics is “Are you motivated by fear or desire?,” as the response makes a difference in performance achievement. While the book is goal-oriented or even goal-driven, the authors acknowledge that the journey is often more rewarding than reaching the destination. – Catherine Ferguson, Ph.D., www.cfergusonconsult.com, |