Latest Reviews

An interesting drama about a family adrift, each member isolated within his or her own capsule of concerns. Their car synchronistically breaks down in Mt. Shasta and the tormenting mystery of the mother's recurring dream draws her to the mountain.
The story line revolves around her remembering the details of her childhood trauma of losing her parents and releasing its hold on her subconscious mind.
She wanders up the mountain alone, and her family mount a search with the aid of the local policeman.

Aided by a talented cast, this is writer-director Jerry Alden Deal's feature directorial debut. I look forward to seeing his next production.

We all have felt the powerful effect that gratitude has on our well-being: this delightful journal provides the opportunity to incorporate gratitude more systematically into our daily life. It is a beautifully arranged collection of diverse stories, quotations, meditations, questions, and prompts that take only a few minutes each day to “exercise” your gratitude muscle. An ideal way to apply the wisdom found in Living Life as a Thank You by the same authors, using this gratitude journal will activate an abundance of expectation of abundance. Give and receive with genuine gratitude and you will strengthen your spirit, open your heart, and transform you and those around you in the most uplifting, heartfelt way possible.

Master Creative Anxiety is a great book by Eric Maisel that will help writers, painters, musicians and actors to cope with any anxiety their creative life brings them. He looks at the key issues that stop creative people from doing, completing, and sharing their work with others and suggests ways in which to combat the stresses and strains of a creative life.

Each chapter looks at where anxiety might spring from, such as working, thinking, failing, and choosing (or not choosing) the creative life. Maisel deals with each in turn and suggests one of twenty-two anxiety management techniques he has identified that will help creatives deal with that particular stumbling block. The techniques he uses include cognitive work, incanting, deep breathing, and physical relaxation techniques. As Maisel says "Experiment with the twenty-two anxiety-reduction strategies, learn which ones work for you, and begin to use those that work best."

The chapters are well laid out with each containing a story that illuminates how anxiety can affect your life and what you can do to avoid it. There is also a vow that you can use as a mantra and a 'to do' section to prompt you into dealing with your anxiety in a positive way.

Maisel writes clearly and succinctly, drawing on his experience as a creativity coach, to offer support and encouragement to anyone with creative leanings. This is a highly recommended book for writers, actors, painters and musicians everywhere.

“At a moment when our world faces multiple crises and is awash in pessimism, Abundance redirects the conversation, spotlighting scientific innovators working to improve people's lives around the world. The result is more than a portrait of brilliant minds - it's a reminder of the infinite possibilities for doing good when we tap into our own empathy and wisdom.”—Arianna Huffington, CEO, Huffington Post

“This brilliant must-read book provides the key to the coming era of abundance replacing eons of scarcity, a powerful antidote to today’s malaise and pessimism.”—Ray Kurzweil, inventor, author and futurist, author of The Singularity is Near

"Now that human beings communicate so easily, I suspect that nothing can stop the inevitable torrent of new technologies, new ideas and new arrangements that will transform the lives of our children. Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler give us a blinding glimpse of the innovations that are coming our way — and that they are helping to create. This is a vital book."—Matt Ridley, author of The Rational Optimist

“Diamandis and Kotler challenge us all to solve humanity’s grand challenges. Innovative small teams are now empowered to accomplish what only governments and large corporations could once achieve. The result is nothing less than the most transformative and thrilling period in human history.”––Timothy Ferriss, #1 NY Times bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek

“Today, philanthropists, innovators and passionate entrepreneurs are more empowered than ever before to solve humanity’s grand challenges. Abundance chronicles many of these stories and the emerging tools driving us towards an age of abundance. This is an audacious and powerful read!”—Jeff Skoll

“Abundance provides proof that the proper combination of technology, people and capital can meet any grand challenge.”—Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of the Virgin Group

"Our future depends on optimists like Diamandis...even the most skeptical readers will come away from Abundance feeling less gloomy." --New York Times Book Review

"A manifesto for the future that is grounded in practical solutions addressing the world's most pressing concerns: overpopulation, food, water, energy, education, health care and freedom. " --The Wall Street Journal

"A breezy case for optimism... Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think...[is] a godsend for those who suffer from Armageddon fatigue." --The Economist

“In Abundance: Why the Future is Better Than You Think, Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler offer a vision of the future that’s truly awesome in both the most traditional and modern understandings of the word; it’s as big as it as awe inspiring.” –The Futurist

A treasure trove of deep wisdom told with the gentle cadences of one of the greatest storytellers of our time. The insights are timeless and as fresh and apt today as they were in the time of the author's grandfather.

"Wisdom is life's gift...Wisdom doesn't come from the amount of material gain we have accumulated; rather it comes from the effort we expended to gain it. ...If we can look past the disappointment and the failures and understand why and how they happened, we can be wise. Then we can, and will, give back life's gift."

The book comes with a CD of commentaries and teaching stories by by the author. It would make a lovely and meaningful gift.

When an autistic, dyslexic and functionally illiterate individual writes a book, it is surprising. When that book turns out to be the account of an odyssey from a troubled youth, including a suicide attempt and dealing drugs in the underbelly of Chicago, to a successful life as high tech entrepreneur with a warm and happy family, it is fascinating. When, however, the book reveals a spirit of such indomitable integrity that it will not be crushed, no matter how high the cards are stacked against him, it is truly awe-inspiring.

"Dummy" is a beautifully written and riveting read on many levels. It provides an articulate insider’s understanding of the subjective experience of autism and how, by dint of incredible dedication on the part of his mother, he was able to penetrate the usual autistic shell of isolation and forge meaningful, and indeed insightful human relationships. It provides sobering testimony to the failure of the school system to understand and cater to his cognitive challenges, making drug dealing a default choice of livelihood.

It is an interesting commentary on society that David couldn’t adjust to its social norms of bullying, lies and duplicity, whereas with thugs and criminals he was better able to cope, because at least they said what they meant and he knew where he stood. In the end, what gave David the biggest push toward changing his life was the power of love, but not in any clichéd sense of the word. In a dynamic reminiscent of the Prayer of St. Francis, at age 14 he found a young woman even more broken than he was.

Throughout the book there an innocence and sweetness of character that keep shining through the dark events of his youth. After years of incredible trials and despair after his girlfriend’s near overdose, he had a spiritual epiphany that changed his life:

“Now I realized that it wasn’t about becoming more than I was, but about accepting who I am. I wondered to what degree the life I was living and the world I was living in were of my own making. Were they the result of what I believed the world to be? … if the world was a place of meaning and my life had a greater purpose than mere survival, then my choices and actions had profound significance. They shaped and defined who I was.”

David’s story and message are a gift to us all, and I would not be surprised if this book rises to the plane of spiritual classic.

"If you have observed the subtle, completing forces of nature steadily withdrawing from the land and our food in response to relentless waves of industrial synthetics and poisons, then this book will guide you in finding honest ways of bringing them back in their essential, nurturing goodness. Conscious Food is a banquet of agrarian insight."
-- Steven McFadden, author of The Call of the Land: An Agrarian Primer for the 21st Century, co-author of Farms of Tomorrow

"Conscious Food reminds us, eloquently and plainly, that even our daily bread is a sacrament. In its growing, in its cooking and in its eating, food deserves our honor and respect. Ewing thoroughly explores the reasons why our contemporary 'Industrial Food' system is broken, and then tells us how to mend our relationship with the earth and soil that nourish us - through careful growing practices, spiritual awakening, and mindfulness."
-- Robin Mather, senior editor, Mother Earth News, author of The Feast Nearby

In our current times more and more books about holistic living are being published. Too many of the authors have the theory of wholeness, yet disconnect the subject matter of their books. This is an error that Jim Pathfinder Ewing has avoided as he skilfully blends the ingredients of the land, the culture of the land, the growing of food and its consumption into one seamless whole. This is the way of a writer to whom a holistic way of life is a reality, rather than a theory. I thoroughly recommend this book and its valuable insights.
-- Michael J. Roads, Conscious Gardening

"Jim PathFinder is a competent guide through the realm of the miraculous, putting us deeply in touch with our selves." —Rowan Storm, musician and educator

"From his heart he shares what our ancestors have lived since the beginning of time: to be one with our Mother Earth and to heal each other." —Melynda Ruckels, faculty member, the Ritberger Institute

"[This] knowledgeable man manages to impart his wisdom in a manner that is beautifully clear and concise." —Sandi Sedgbeer, editor, PlanetLightworker magazine

"Jim is a voice for the Earth, giving us much needed inspiration and information about living in harmony. . . . A marvelous guide." —Brooke Medicine Eagle, author, Buffalo Woman Comes Singing

"Jim Ewing writes with deep compassion and love." —Sandra Ingerman, author, How to Heal Toxic Thoughts

Money can be a very sensitive subject for many people, but particularly so within intimate relationships. With so many varying financial backgrounds and ways to handle money both individually and in personal relationships, it is no wonder there is more confusion than clarity surrounding how to effectively create financial intimacy.

Author and money coach, Deborah L. Price has provided a step-by-step guide to recognizing, understanding, and managing various money archetypes that she suggests is the key to creating true financial intimacy. In her book The Heart of Money, she walks readers through the process of identifying their money story, recognizing money patterns, and provides guidance on how to talk about financial challenges and make lasting change to allow for a more harmonious relationship no matter how much money is in the bank. Deborah shares inspiring stories, various exercises, and practical techniques to assist readers in co-creating a financially sound relationship, and while this book is aimed primarily at couples the information can be used alone to create a better financial future on an individual level.

I found The Heart of Money to be a refreshing shift from books about money that are more materialistic in nature. Instead of working from a basis of materialism, Deborah’s work is about creating a better relationship with money as she emphasizes that wealth is not just about the amount of money you have, but also about a life lived with purpose and love.

I admit it - I love words, and am always fascinated by where they came from. I enjoy words you can roll around in your mouth like Demosthenes' marbles, and I'm a sucker for obscure etymology. In all these respects, Phil Cousineau's book is intensely satisfying, but you also get a delightful bonus. The descriptions accompanying his eclectic selections, putting the words in context, are like a stream-of-consciousness memoir cum trivia treasure trove. It's a great book for cuddling up with or for sitting on the "throne."

This is another in a series of books by the same author that all point to new directions of being and thinking in our world.

Howard Jones moves easily between science, religion, philosophy, ecology, psychology and many other discreet ways of knowing and brings them together to build new visions. The World as Spirit is a deep well of background information, each item used to build on the last one to lead readers to better understanding of the synthesis they make. The sense of building a pyramid comes to mind, with each brick resting on another, but the end is not a final and static brick. On the contrary, Jones shows that we do not stand alone on the top of something solid, but are linked together in a unity with all things; that we are not solitary beings but totally interconnected in the all-encompassing spirit. With the hundreds of sources given, it is possible to see that neither science nor idealism are complete systems in themselves, but each takes us further into new realms of holism.

The book is characteristic of Jones' wide spirit, always looking for ways if integrating one view into a bigger one, and seeing how one aspect affects another. The words synthesis, holism, unifying, and spiritual are not on every page, but every page speaks of them and leads one to understand better what they represent. In each of his books one encounters the accumulated wisdom and insights of a person with wide views, and one feels to be holding a 'summa' in one's hand, and then another book is published and the mind is further expanded and the body becomes more integrated in a vision that is not `out there' but right here.

This is a book for any reader, young and old, learned and unlearned, familiar with any of the topics addressed, and not; it is written in a very accessible style, without jargon or necessary pre-understanding. Each reader can find new connections and insights, a bigger view than so far reached, and encouragement to continue in the path of ever greater or deeper thinking, feeling and acting for the greater good of all creation.

Verena Tschudin, Amazon UK

I suppose one has to be a bit of a logophile to appreciate Phil Cousineau’s latest book, The Painted Word. He has selected a treasury of words that send shivers down his spine when he hears them, not just because of the shape or color of the word itself, but because of its roots and sometimes delicious ambiguities of origin. Common words, short words and uncommon beauties, as he calls them, delight his senses and in this collection readers are sure to find a few of their own favorites. A few that caught my attention: ”gymnophoria”—the queasy feeling that someone is undressing you; “whale fall”—the carcass of a fallen whale on the ocean floor; and “bloviate”—to speak verbosely, to discourse in a pompous, empty, pretentious, or boastful manner. The Painted Word is a delightful buffet for anyone remotely interested in words.

I was fortunate to see an installation of Sacred Mirrors in Oakland, Ca, many years ago. To see Grey's art up close and in its full-sized glory is transformative and inspiring, but to have this collection of 200 images of his artwork at your fingertips is the next best thing. A truly amazing artist.

“...possibly the most significant artist alive. Alex’s work, like all great transcendental art, is not merely symbolic or imaginary: it is a direct invitation to recognize and realize a deeper dimension of our very own being.”
(Ken Wilber, author of Integral Life Practice and Sex, Ecology, Spirituality and A Brief History of Everything )

“Inspired by Allyson Grey, every single image that flows into vivid being from Alex’s magical hand awakens, energizes, enlightens, and overjoys! The Net of Being is an ageless, yet now, glimpse of the ‘Jewel Net of Indra,’ the divine Buddhist image for the mutual interpenetration of all beings and things, from the subatomic to the trans-galactic. It takes your breath away, in the best way possible!”
(Robert Thurman, Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Columbia University, Co-Founder, Tibet House US, author of Inner Revolution )

“Alex Grey’s artworks bring together the tangible outer worlds investigated by scientists—full of molecules, bodies and stars–and the intangible visionary inner worlds—full of light, shadow and spiritual beings—known mainly to mystics.”
(Albert Hofmann, inventor of LSD and author of LSD: My Problem Child )

In an era of fleeting information fixes, this book is a full-length feature, and for that alone, I thoroughly enjoyed it (although that is not the only reason I enjoyed it). Truly a classic, the dated photos may seem "quaint," but the presentation of yoga practice in its undiluted tradition as a wholistic mind-body-spirit practice is timeless. The pillars for any yoga practice, as shown in this classic, include such practices as stamina, sexual control, breathwork, strengthening the endocrine system, internal cleansing, and concentration exercises, many of which are passed over in the modern age, or simply given broad brushstrokes. But yoga’s origins are in Eastern doctrines, and unlike the Western world, the “science” of these traditions explore and celebrate the metaphysical. Consequently, yoga in its pure state employs the physical as a path for spiritual development, with no apologies.

The daily and weekly yoga practices provided in this book accommodate students at differing degrees of fitness, so in this sense the book can be usefully applied by most (and the numerous photos and descriptions for each pose are most helpful); however, it’s not recommended for beginners or those unfamiliar with yoga postures or practice.

Our Light Body
Our Light Body by Mary E. (Betsy) Rabyor is, in my opinion, an important addition to the body of information about humanity’s awakening and transformation. Considering this process is, to my mind, the entire purpose of being alive, a first-hand, well-documented book is extremely valuable for helping us understand how this is happening individually and globally. This excellent book is also more evidence that this process of transformation is increasing, and this can be taken as very good news, since spiritual awakening is characterized by a transcendence of merely selfish concerns, into a way of life that is full of unconditional love, peace and joy.

When I was a young man beginning to explore and inquire into enlightenment, there were very few books on this subject and they were mostly philosophical in nature. Now we are getting detailed information from individuals actually going through the process and sharing with all, so more and more of us can be “up to speed” on what’s happening on our beautiful blue planet.

I’ve come across many stories of people who suddenly awakened through a kundalini experience without any prior understanding of the process, and it created extreme difficulties in their life. With the increasing availability of information from books such as Our Light Body, more of us will be prepared to adapt to the changes with greater clarity and empowerment.

Reading through the author’s personal journal makes it obvious this is not an easy process, so we can be deeply grateful for this unusually thorough documentation of what is the most profound experience anyone can know.

The first three sections of Our Light Body address the transformational process in general, with clarity, insight and wisdom. The last section is a personal account of the incredible changes and experiences the author generously shares with us. Important and relevant questions are addressed with the deep perspective we would expect from someone so far advanced in their awakening.

The author wisely avoids unnecessary instructions, knowing full well this is something orchestrated by our Higher Self, and essentially beyond words, so we are advised to simply surrender to the process, still the mind chatter with faith we are being guided. This is a marvelous book that I highly recommend.