Reviews written by NCreviewer

Why do people do the things they do? Sam Sommers's new book answers that question--insightfully, amusingingly, and memorably. Drawing upon decades of social psychological research, Sommers shines a light on the everyday behavior that we see around us and live ourselves (and read about in the newspapers). From racial issues to parenting to romance, this book keeps readers reading and learning about why and how situations matter. But that makes it sound too heavy because the book has plenty of smiles, chuckles, and laugh out loud moments, thanks to the author's engaging and witty voice. A must-read.
Review by The Prof, "kiddielitman"

Touching The Light explains the true energetic of healing by bringing up the bigger picture. The wisdom and fearlessness of the author to come face to face with all that holds us out of divine perfection is magnanimous. Considering the intensity of the times we are living in and all the new possibilities and miracles now available to us, Meg really explains it all. This book is a must read for anyone interested in healing themselves and others once and for all.

Review by Lori Barbaria

Starting with "Leadership and the New Science" and onto "Turning to One Another" and "A Simpler Way" Margaret Wheatley has informed and helped to transform my leadership and my life over the past 15 years. With the writing and production of this beautiful little book "Perseverance" Meg takes us to yet another whole level of appreciation for who we are and what we are capable of. Start on any page and you will find yourself (ourselves) in all of our ordinariness and all of our majesty. This book doesn't beg us to be anything but who we fully are and in that understand that we are worth something. When reading this book (actually using this book) one experiences not being alone. We immediately know that we are in the presence of another person who truly understands what it means to fully live in our common human dilemma of simultaneously being alone and together.

This is one of those books that we refer to as a treasure and like treasures we want others to appreciate it but to please return it. We want to use it as a resource and also just look at it and know that we are holding something special. We may even want to display it as an invitation to others to join us in an inquiry about what we deem important in our lives.

Reviewed by Phil Cass, Amazon Reviewer

“In Awakening the Planetary Mind, Barbara Hand Clow tells the story of who we really are and how we got here. Never before has there been a telling of history from such an experiential point of view so pertinent that it ties our global, present-day conscious existence with all its political, academic, and religious dogmas to a great catastrophe of our remote past and an ecological Golden Age that existed before; a truly remarkable accomplishment and fascinating book. I couldn’t put it down.”
Edward F. Malkowski, author of Ancient Egypt 39,000 BCE

Dianne Collins is a master at explaining the fundamental ways we can manage and create our lives--with powerful choices. I love her description of our "Observer created Reality"--simply put, that our reality is shaped by how we "observe" our own environment. We explain or shape our reality by how we observe it.

This is just one of the "distinctions" that Ms. Collins describes in her creation of a new way of thinking. Reading this book is intriguing, valuable, and just plain fun. Collins' writing is conversational and entertaining--she uses amusing anecdotes to illustrate her primary concepts and gives the reader very practical "recreations" or exercises the reader can do easily to master the quantum system of thinking. Collins gives us tools so we can access our power to create the things we want in our life in such a way that our life works.

I have read many metaphysical and self-awareness books--most are positive philosophies that are valuable to remember. The difference with Collins' book is that instead of reading and remembering, she gives us a system to practice the concepts and internalize them into our own system of experience...instead of remembering we are actually living the QuantumThink system. Ms. Collins' book is unique in that it takes us to the next place--a quantum leap if you will--to a new way of grounding ourselves in a way of thinking that literally alters our world and enhances our way of being. Very cool.

Collins says that when we begin living in an Observer created Reality, the magic begins. I say, bring it on! Kudos to Dianne Collins for giving us this gem--this way of knowing ourselves and our world in a bold and enticing way--from a powerful and unique perspective. I recommend you read this book and create your life with a quantum leap in the direction you want to take it.

Review by Shelley Portnoy, author
"Pioneers of Israel" & "Wrestling With the Angels: A History of Jewish Los Angeles"

Andrew Cohen introduces us to a new mysticism that is poignantly relevant to our time. He does not let you off the hook, but opens up a perspective that recontextualize life at this moment in history when science has demystified myth; yet, at the same time Cohen transmits a powerful experience of the non-dual nature of existence, bridging the gap between science and traditional spirituality. The depth of his mysticism and the breath of his evolutionary philosophy take you on a journey far from the restricted lens of the personal self and a culture than has run aground on its own narcissistic pathology.
Andrew Cohen gives us a map and the tools to create a better future.

Review by Danielle Baudouin

Peter Baumann and Michael Taft have taken a fearlessly close look at human nature and still found a way to offer up a plausible, hopeful vision for our future in their new book, Ego: The Fall of the Twin Towers and the Rise of an Enlightened Humanity. Against a contrasting backdrop of first-hand accounts of 9/11, the authors build a conceivable case for our species' imminent propulsion into a brighter future based upon their read of current evolutionary theory, neuroscience, genetics and current social phenomena. Have Baumann and Taft convinced me that they're projected positive view of humanity will come to be? No. But they have convinced me that it's a possibility, and that visionary gift is a potential game changer. Read it, discuss it, envision it.
--Pace Veloce, Amazon reviewer

When you realize your potential and act on it, you can do great things. "Reflective Empowerment" delves into finding empowerment and inspiration in one's life. Philip Guy Ruchford, a success coach, seeks to advise readers to find their own success in life and advises them to find their own worth, know what one can do, and find purpose. With lots of wisdom and advice on using that wisdom to the fullest, "Reflective Empowerment" is an excellent and very much recommended read, not to be missed.
~ Midwest Book Review

Peter Sale is an academic. In his book, Our Dying Planet, he addresses a non-academic audience and reviews the ongoing changes in the natural environment in which we live. He states that we are now experiencing the "Holocene Extinction" - an extinction of species that may be proceeding at a much faster pace than at any previous time in our planet's history. Does this reduction of number of species matter? Perhaps not much on an individual level - the world's ecosystems can perhaps survive the loss of the Dodo. But at some point the cumulative effects will cause major disruptions, the tipping point will be exceeded and the world around us will become a very different place from the one we know.

What is the cause of our Holocene Extinction? The over-simplified answer (which does not do justice to Sale's full arguments) is - too many people consuming too many resources at a rate at which they cannot be replenished coupled with excessive use of fossil fuels.

Sale examines the importance of "ecological complexity" and recasts our understanding of "resilience" by suggesting that particular ecosystems (or perhaps particular "patches" of ecosystems) have "inertia" and can withstand a certain amount of disruption until such time as disruption is so overwhelming that the ecosystem, or patch, changes its character - for example from forest to desert or from sea-ice to open water.

Sale reminds us that technologies exist NOW to allow us to improve matters by replacing fossil fuels with energy from falling water, solar, wind, waves, etc. He states forcefully that we know the answers. We already know what to do. For example, reduce energy use by building to LEED standards, enlarge railway nets to reduce energy used in truck transport, encourage smaller numbers of children, etc. What we lack is public consensus and the political will to do it.

Sale's goal is to cause us all to come to a very widespread understanding of why we must change our ways - and to do so on ALL fronts. His hope is that this understanding will help to create a the sea change in public attitudes and behavior that may, finally, persuade politicians to pay attention to assuring that the global ecosystems remain habitable for our children and their children.

Sale's litany of unhappy news is presented with a lively and accessible writing style, peppered with frequent intriguing anecdotes from his research life (for example, observation of the real estate transactions of damsel fish) and some most intriguing real-life examples of "doing it right" - of hopeful management of the sort that might steer us away from the looming disasters. There IS hope - if we can only manufacture the concerted public and political will to reduce our reliance on fossil fuel and, most of all, to reduce our population growth.
--Anna Mallin, Amazon

I'm a health writer and often write about the topic of mindfulness, because there's so much research on the benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction. There are a lot of books out there on this topic, but I find Donald Altman's among the best of the best--and this is another winner. He presents mindfulness in its practical essence, allowing anyone to practice it easily, in any circumstance. That is a HUGE help, I think. I highly recommend this book for people new to mindfulness, and people who want to refresh and renew their practice of this accepting, open attitude, which is so essential to health and well-being.
Review by William M. Gottlieb

Stewart Pearce's book THE HEART'S NOTE is a profound and extraordinary book of our time and I highly recommend reading it! The Heart's Note is a powerful guide and tool to reawaken your heart and soul to a deeper, more fulfillng, joyful existence and to remind you of who you truly are. Stewart's poetic and informative book explores many religions, cultures and the wisdom of the Angels, Saints and Masters to help expand and challenge your awareness, perception and preconceptions about your heart, your life, and your soul. Stewart gently reminds you of your immense power to love, be loved, heal, be healed and gives you wonderful tools to enhance your life on all levels. There are many moving accounts of his own client's transformational stories
to illustrate and clarify his message. THE HEART'S NOTE SONIC MEDITATIONS CD is also a must as it assists you to deepen into the healing power of sound, to discover and chant your heart's note, to receive healing, wisdom, inspiration and awareness from the power of the sound of your soul with
the loving assistance of Stewart and the angelic realms.
Review by Anna

Being a former practitioner of psychosynthesis, I often used a chakra balancing technique to assist my clients in healing their dis-ease. I have first-hand experience knowing that using sound-healing is a powerful modality that aligns the chakras while bringing balance to the entire body. In fact, I have a copy of the 2005 edition of "Chakra Frequencies" which I used and I am pleased to see a new edition emerge.

The book, in the beginning, gives basic principles that are reader-friendly and intended for those wanting to learn more about this powerful healing modality. To me, the section on "The Power of Intent" is of utmost importance because without pure intent the healing will not be executed. Being centered and directed with unadulterated consciousness will give fluid transmission.

The second part of the book focuses on "Basic Practices" and covers breath and toning, the sacred vowels, and the Bija mantras. Part III focuses on practicing with a partner and the fifth part addresses other applications. There is a CD giving examples of mantras as well as pronunciations.

The authors, Jonathan Goldman and Andi Goldman, are authorities in sound healing and have many years of experience working with healing sounds, frequencies, and chakras. The information presented in "Chakra Frequencies" is concise, reader-friendly, and simple enough for a beginner to understand. For those that already understand healing sounds, this book is a great resource to add to current knowledge.

Review by Irene Watson

This is a book for everyone. Its message is compelling, and while the suggested practices require dedication to one's growth as a human being, I found them to be simple, pure and easy to work with. And - an important point for me - this book is utterly free of dogmatism. I feel inspired and encouraged on my path. I would say this is a book for everyone who wishes to find, and embrace, inner peace.
Reviewed by Anne Fox

I have always had a passion for the Gita, more commonly known as the Song of God, with the deity Krishna telling his friend Arjuna why he should go into battle against people who were once his friends, as well as his family. It is a poem of devotion and love but it is a complex poem that touches philosophy, and it's not your run of the mill philosophy either. The Gita is not the easiest book in the world to understand, especially when translated from Sanskrit into English, it seems to loose something and up until now I have not been able to put my finger on what that "loss" was. Reading Jack Hawley's translation I can now see where other translators have gone wrong (for me personally). They have been quite LITERAL in their translation of the Gita and in being so literal have lost the passion that is the telling of the Gita. Jack has managed to put that passion into his translation and I cannot thank him enough. He has switched a light on inside my head and now I don't have to phone my father every five minutes shouting "Baba, what does this part of the Gita mean????" Not only that but this version of the Gita is so easy to read, with a good bibliography and index at the back for reference, plus some interesting musings from the author in the introduction and afterword. It is also a fairly compact book, which makes it easy to carry around, a bonus in my opinion, especially as most Gita's I have come across are bulky and very heavy. We could do with this translation being available in the United Kingdom; it would make life for the younger Hindus like myself so much easier.
--Kali "Bengaligirl" (Amazon)

There is a part of me that would like to make this review a bit funny. This is a deeply disturbing book. I’ve a preference for humour as a means of confronting the deeply disturbing. But I can’t bring myself to say anything remotely funny about this book.

Klein compares some psychological experiments (torture by any reasonable definition of the word) carried out in the 1950s in Canada (funded by the CIA off US soil so they could plausibly deny they were researching torture) in which patients were blasted back to virtually a blank slate by sensory depravation and electric shock treatment to US foreign policy in countries such as Chile in the 1970s and Iraq today.

If you had forgotten just how evil unconstrained capitalism is – it is time to read this book. If you are concerned that the world seems to believe democracy = free markets – it is time to read this book.

For two decades it has been abundantly clear that the greatest danger facing the world is the ideology that likes to call itself Economic Rationalism but is better described as Radical Free Market Economics. This is the view that any restraint placed on the free operation of the market – from fixing minimum wages to environmental standards to health and safety controls in the workplace – are by definition wrong and counterproductive. This view states that governments are, by definition, wasteful and unnecessary. This view is an attempt at justifying unmitigated greed as if it was a universal good. It is about destroying all vestiges of democracy (and God knows those vestiges are today meagre indeed) in our society and handing over all power to corporations. If you are not troubled by the shift in power in the world away from governments elected by the people, for the people to corporations created out of greed for greed – then you really need to turn off American Idol and start looking around yourself.

Klein takes a series of increasingly distressing ‘case studies’ in which ever purer forms of radical free market economics are applied in times of crisis across the world – invariably with devastatingly negative results, invariably the opposite of what is predicted by the neo-liberals. She points out that without a crisis such as 9/11 or Katrina or the War in Iraq – such policies would never be allowed to be implemented. But come a crisis people are so shocked by what has just happened to them that they are prepared to forgo their democratic rights so things can be ‘fixed’.

The problem is that these bastards don’t want anything fixed. They want to apply more shocks, because that is the only way they can get rid of democratic structures that stand in the way of them handing over the wealth of our nations to themselves. The Corporate raping of Iraq as depicted in this book is only slightly less shocking than the Corporate raping of New Orleans. Perhaps I found the stuff about New Orleans more shocking because it was Americans doing this sort of thing to their own people. I know, I’m naïve.

The descriptions of torture in the book are too much to take. I’ve never been able to distance myself enough from the victims of torture to be objective about it. I believe it is the core of the democratic spirit – the notion that the sufferers of torture are our brothers and sisters and the perpetrators of torture require justice to be enacted against them – that immediately has me siding with the tortured. We have a moral responsibility to stop our government from using our tax dollars to torture people. If morality means anything at all – this is the minimum it can mean.

Klein documents that the torture used throughout the world by US client states has a long history going back to experiments done in the 1950s in Canada and have clearly become part of US foreign policy. If we are to be on the side of democracy then we must force our governments to stop using torture against the citizens of other countries. Particularly when these citizens are asking for what should be granted to them immediately – the right to reclaim the benefit of their own natural resources from foreign owned corporations.

There are so many lessons in this book, but the major one is that if people stand up against these greedy lunatics then we can stop them. We can reclaim our dignity and redistribute some of what has plundered from us. The criminal waste of tax dollars by these corporations in both Iraq and New Orleans is almost beyond description. In the book Iraq is at one point referred to as the Free Fraud Zone.

The world we live in today is increasingly becoming divided between those who have and are kept secure behind walled suburbs and those who have not and are forced to live without the basic necessities of life. We need to understand that my security is enhanced by making the world safer for you. That life isn’t about who ends up with the most stuff they don’t need or the biggest bank account or the fastest car, but that we are social animals and so what is good for all is also what is good for us.

As I said, this is a deeply disturbing book – but also an incredibly important one.
-- Trevor, Goodreads

Cyndi Dale's work is outstanding! A practical and important guidebook for anyone interested in developing and exploring their intuition and psychic senses. Full of information and techniques that are clear, insightful, and user friendly. The Intuition Guidebook is an excellent way to safely open to levels of consciousness that are vital for achieving our next step in evolution. --Andi and Jonathan Goldman Authors of Chakra Frequencies

PW Review
"LaPlante's impressive first novel sensitively explores the mental disintegration of widowed 64-year-old Jennifer White, a once-lauded Chicago hand surgeon, who charts her own experiences with Alzheimer's both consciously, in notes she writes to herself and thoughts she shares, and unconsciously, as she records conversations and actions she witnesses but doesn't understand. When someone fatally bludgeons Jennifer's best friend, 75-year-old Amanda O'Toole, who lives just three doors away, suspicion falls on Jennifer because the killer surgically removed four fingers from Amanda's right hand. In a satisfying twist, Jennifer honestly doesn't know herself whether she committed the murder. Jennifer's 29-year-old lawyer son, Mark, wishes to have his mother declared mentally incompetent, while her 24-year-old daughter, Fiona, a sweet, loving flake, and her full-time caretaker, Magdalena, act out of less selfish motives. Mystery fans should be prepared for a subtle literary novel in which the unfolding of Jennifer's condition and of her past matters far more than the whodunit. 16-city author tour. (July)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

This is an incredible and profound book, full of information, wonderful stories, wisdom, and practices you can apply to shapeshift every day. I'll admit I'm biased -- I wrote the Introduction and I've spent more than 40 years studying with shapeshifters around the world. However, this book takes me to new levels. I've read it several times and every time it gets deeper; it continues to teach me more and inspire me to shapeshift to ever higher consciousness. I highly recommend It.

John Perkins

I had the great good fortune of seeing Ms. Rand in Frederick, Maryland when she was invited to do readings for a group of about thirty-five people. Some dear friends, my son and I went to see her and were amazed at how she had channeled lost family members and friends of the people that had come there to hear her. We were fortunate as Ms. Rand read two of my friends; one who finally got to say goodbye to a boyfriend who had died in a car crash. Ms. Rand is the real deal. Her grace and presence of spirit was so incredible there's no way that I could not have purchased a book written by her.

The book is wonderful! It's like sitting with a dear friend whose telling you about her life and sharing stories about the lives of the spirits that she's come in contact with.

The book is intelligent, insightful and meaningful. If you believe ... or if you don't ... get the book; you'll understand why once you read it.

Cheryl Shuster

As a Reiki Master myself I was thrilled to see this book come out to help spread the use of this energy healing modality. It is just as valuable for beginners as for Reiki Masters, as well as for anyone wanting to bring Reiki into their lives. It takes you through everything you need to know about how to do Reiki and, for a Reiki Master, how to teach it to others and give attunements. The book breaks down all the elements and guides you through each step with easy-to-understand directions. It makes a great course text book if you are looking to teach a class. This helpful book even lists the equipment you will need to start your practice and gives you guidelines on how to get your practice started. I recommend this Manual for anyone just getting started in Reiki and for those who are venturing into teaching Reiki.

Tracie Mahan

Ordinary citizens from both left and right recognize the real problem — the rule of gold has overruled the Golden Rule. The right blames Big Government, the left blames Big Corporations. From a higher perspective, we can see that the left right divide has actually empowered the Corporate State, which is Big Government + Big Corporations operating together, to the exclusion of We, the People. The Whole Brain Path to Peace offers a wise, heartening pathway toward integrating the functional aspects of conservative thought and the functional aspects of progressive thought in a whole-brained body politic. I recommend this book as an excellent prescription for "going sane."

— Steve Bhaerman, aka Swami Beyondananda, author of Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future and A Way to Get There From Here (with Bruce Lipton)

An invaluable source of Native wisdom.
— Wind Walks Woman, Cherokee storyteller, author, educator

Learning Little Hawk’s Way of Storytelling is destined to enrich this field in many dimensions of teaching, perceptions, and environmental as well as cultural sensitivities.
— E. Barrie Kavasch, American/Southern Cherokee/Creek/Powhatan, author, illustrator, master herbalist, food historian

A precious gem of guidance for all future storytellers and a must read.
— Bob Silver Eagle Brawn, Grand Chief, Méis of Maine

This unique “how to” book teaches more than just the art of storytelling: it invites us to rediscover an older, and wiser, way of experiencing our humanity.
— Nicholas Nicastro, author of Antigone's Wake

Kenneth Little Hawk's one-man show was a cornerstone event for the American Indian Heritage Month Celebration.
— John E. Winkfield, Director Department of the Army Headquarters, National Training Center, United States Army Garrison, Fort Irwin, CA

"When it comes to the afterlife there is no better recent evidence than the Scole Experiment which is the basis for this outstanding DVD. For the first time ever, we have a documentary about a scientific investigation of the afterlife using physical mediumship which patiently shows us that the evidence for the afterlife has become objective and repeatable.

The highlight of the video for me was the interviews with some of the afterlife scientists and investigators who were involved including Dr Rupert Sheldrake. Most important and (now probably irreplaceable) were the testimonies of the three authors of the Report prepared for the Society for Psychical Research, Professor Ellison, Professor David Fontana and Montague Keen, all of whom have since died.

I suggest that the DVD is extremely valuable. The filming is of good quality, the pace is excellent and the interviews well edited. Altogether it maintains the interest and even races along. I suggest very strongly that watching this DVD very closely is very likely to “change your paradigms” as Professor David Fontana stated in his interview.

I would even go so far as to describe it as the best documentary about scientific investigation of the afterlife I have seen up until now."
Dr Victor Zammit (www.victorzammit.com)

Change Your Life, Change The World is a book about awakening to your spiritual truth and bringing peace, harmony and happiness to yourself and others. A former business man turned spiritual leader, author Master Ryuho Okawa states that since 1981 he has been “receiving messages from Jesus, Buddha, and others from the Heaven.”

The author begins by discussing the great cosmic tree that encompasses the whole universe, and reminding us that although we may feel separate as humans, we are really a part of this great cosmic tree and thus “part of the greater whole.” He postulates that we are reborn numerous times within our soul group, representing the leaves of the tree, to “learn new lessons and gain new knowledge” as a spiritual being. He goes on to discuss our relationship to others, karma, hatred, material versus spiritual perspectives, and the law of compensation.

The next part of this book focuses on reincarnation. In this section the author talks about our role here on Earth and how it is a school for us, and gives insight into the spiritual perspective of our life’s trials and tribulations.

The third section focuses on the “pursuit of happiness.” He states that the four principles of gaining happiness in your life are: the principles of Love, Wisdom, Self-Reflection, and Progress.

The last section is about how to create our own Utopia on Earth, and why we as humans strive for happiness, progress, and harmony.

Throughout the book Ryuho uses metaphors to help readers get a better understanding of the material, which I found very helpful for really internalizing some of the spiritual concepts he describes in the book.
IN spite of all the book has to offer, I did not quite resonate with the author’s style of writing and some of the semantics he uses throughout the book. Still, this book provides many wonderful insights into understanding the meaning of life and advice on how to grow spiritually.

Review by Heidi Crain

This revelatory anthology brings together the collective wisdom of 37 authors focused on helping humanity prepare for transitions anticipated for the year 2012. As Hunt Henion describes in the introduction to this book, "One thing on which all the authors of this work agree is that 2012 will mark an initiation into a completely new consciousness and a divinely new beginning for our world."

Guiding us away from doom-and-gloom and toward imagining positive transitions are world-renowned visionaries including: Drunvalo Melchizedek, Steve Bhaerman (aka Swami Beyondananda), Delores Cannon, Mike Quinsey, Tracy Latz, Marion Ross, and Martine Vallee. Adele Ryan McDowell keeps us laughing as she reminds us that keeping a sense of humor is a must, and Dr. C. Normal Shealy inspires us with his vision of the future of health care. Many chapters include insights gleaned from channeled information by Anrita MelchizedekSuzanne Lie, Suzanne Ward, Mike Quinsey, and Rhonda Smith.

What I love most about 2012: Creating Your Own Shift is its proactive perspective regarding prophecies of what some refer to as "end times," that there a new beginning is unfolding as many things come to an end. 2012 is highly recommended for anyone seeking inspiration, clarity and balance in these tumultuous, complex times.

Gurdjieff was a mystic and spiritual teacher (1866? – 1949), whose teachings were primarily presented by his chief disciple, Madame de Salzmann. Mme. Salzmann met Gurdjieff in 1919 and studied for another 30 years under his tutelage until his death. Gurdjieff predicted Mme. Salzmann would live to be 100 years old in order to disseminate his teachings: she lived to be 101.

Gurdjieff’s premise, for which he is best known, is that “people cannot perceive reality in their current state because they do not possess consciousness—but rather live in a state of a hypnotic ‘waking sleep’." That being said, the sleep we’re in keeps us under the control of outside influences and we never truly become aware of who we really are.

The idea of combining body, mind, and emotions into an integral and harmonious balance to awaken us from the waking sleep is the “Fourth Way”: something Gurdjieff felt was lacking from spiritual disciplines and religions. His teachings invited people to “wake up” through of self-development that promoted comprehensive and balanced inner work, and included energy exercises, music, writings, and physical dance/ movement, which he shares in this book.

We journey with Mme. Salzmann as she struggles along this path of the Fourth Way. She feels herself becoming conscious of it for a short time then losing the “who I am” feeling of self. This struggle is the essence of trying to awaken from the sleep we find our self in. She describes this as being in a discordant state, but trying to reach another level. I’m sure many of us can relate to that.

The book is an easy read, and without any difficult vocabulary to decipher. Still, I could never quite understand how to accomplish this Fourth Way. This probably says more about me than the book. I would suggest that another read through the book to comprehend all that is given here would be helpful for others who might have a similar experience.

Gurdjieff himself wrote three books, which might be of interest to someone following his course of ideas.

Review by Terry Jones

Do you want to let go of guilt and shame? Feel more inner peace? Then read this amazing do-it-yourself book on how to “radically” forgive yourself by Colin Tipping, author of this International Best seller, Radical Forgiveness.

Colin begins by discussing the idea that in radical forgiveness there is a spiritual reason for why things happen, which “conventional” forgiveness doesn’t offer. He goes on to give a more in-depth analysis of conventional and radical forgiveness, weaving in spiritual concepts that stretch the mind and heal the soul as you read.

The author does a marvelous job of building and connecting the concepts learned through the exercises he presents, to bring you step by step into a higher awareness. He has you exploring the ego self versus the “I am” self, your shadow sides, and lastly, shame and guilt. In the second half of the book he explains the five stages of radical self-forgiveness and gives even more insightful tools/exercises that have you radically self-forgiving!

I must admit, a newbie in the world of spirituality might have a hard time believing some of the spiritual concepts in this book. Still, Colin assures readers that the tools/exercises go around the ego (from which objections might occur) to the higher self, so radical self-forgiveness can occur regardless of whether or not you believe in the concepts.

I highly recommend Radical Self- Forgiveness. This richly layered book takes SELF forgiveness to a spiritual level. It’s packed full of great tools for self discovery, radical self-forgiveness and acceptance; including exercises in overcoming financial issues, being overweight and health concerns, which can be incorporated into everyday life. This book is a keeper!

Review by Heidi Crain

Arnold Mindell PhD is not afraid to tackle big subjects with his unique synthesis of psychology, physics and mysticism. In ProcessMind, A User’s Guide to Connecting with the Mind of God, he succeeds again. Combining theory, exercises, and stories he transforms abstract ideas into personal, intimate experiences.

ProcessMind is the latest evolution in Dr. Mindell’s continuing explorations of the Dreambody, which currently includes the dreaming process, sentient awareness, and Earth-based psychology. He revisits his previous work, weaving it into his introduction of the processmind which is “the dreaming intelligence and field that organizes all our experiences.” He advocates for its altered state as a missing ingredient in our world: “If you know your processmind, you also know your most powerful way of dealing with all kinds of situations.”

This book is startling in its simplicity. It engages the eternal question of a background intelligence organizing our world and it’s manifestation as a personal force orchestrating our lives. The daily path we follow and the decisions “we” make seem to reflect this truth. Advocating for connection with our personal experience of this intelligence, Process Mind offers tools for engaging and co-creating with the “Mind of God.”

The author uses striking examples to explain difficult subjects; turning them into easily understood and deeply known experiences that stay with the reader. He invites us to be agents of change by working with ourselves and taking these skills into relationships, groups and the world around us. “To change our tendency to war, each of us must model a new world and the ability to access the processmind. The persistence of war as the world currently practices it… is due in part to denial of the process-mind altered state of consciousness and the mythic earth.”

I was deeply touched by ProcessMind. Each chapter opened a door deeper into my personal experience and understanding of the underlying intelligence organizing our lives, leaving me with notions to explore physically, emotionally, and mentally. Recognizing my true presence, finding the Earth places that supports this, seeing how I am moved in different directions in my life to stay true to this underlying intelligence are but a few of the powerful practices. These ongoing sparks of illumination lodge deeply in my body and psyche, and are consistently present each time I read Arnold Mindell’s work. He offers a transformative experience inside the pages of ProcessMind, A User’s Guide to Connecting with the Mind of God.

Review by Lisa Marks MA LMHC
www.sentientbody.com

The Way of St James or El Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in Northern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of Saint James are buried. Mullen is an American author living in Scotland, and his book is a modern day journey following the path into Spain from France that pilgrims have followed for over a thousand years.

Legend holds that St. James's remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where he was buried in the city of Santiago de Compostela. As Mullen’s stories along the way reveal, there are many stories of St James rescuing believers and arriving as a mysterious horseman in the eleventh hour to turn the direction of critical battles.

Mullen’s book is a conversation between past and present. He cleverly overlays a strong sense of all the pilgrims that tramped the many miles across Spain over the centuries against a lively diary of his own journey. We meet as broad and strange a mix as any Chaucerian tale, some following the path as an act of religious observance, but most, like Mullen, looking for something. Mullen reminds us on many occasions of the mystery associated with the Camino, which quickly feels more than a route, and more like a spiritual journey. The Camino mends you, one pilgrim writes. A saying has it that the true Camino begins when you reach the end.

Mullen takes a self-consciously objective perspective, stating from the outset that he is not a person of faith, but using his diary of conversations, encounters, shared foods and eccentric fellow travellers as a way of reflecting on some of the big themes — the importance of myth-making and story-telling, and what we mean today by a sense of the soul. It quickly becomes clear that there is another kind of conversation going on here — between the detached observer and one who searches for something. Mullen writing about his parents, particularly his mother, reveals a longing for some kind of certainty or clarity, and it is this longing which informs his journey of the mind.

There is a real journey here, too — a reliable travelogue which surprises, and a lively sense of humor. Perhaps the biggest revelation is how little has changed in a thousand years — even though pilgrims communicate now by email, they are still exchanging stories and passing on tips about places to avoid, still sleeping in rough dormitories and sharing bread, olives and a little cheese and sausage at midday. Some travel in style (the legend is that those who travel in comfort miss the real experience), others in poverty, living off the comfort of strangers. And there is comfort, too — alongside the tourist rip-offs there is unexpected generosity in the villages they travel too. This may be a 21st century journey, which for many readers not familiar with the more catholic aspects of faith will be uncharted territory, but it is a timeless journey too. The path Mullen takes us shows us that the medieval is still amongst us, and all those who still travel this route into Spain every year are joining that continues forever.

There is an ending to Mullen’s journey, in an evocative moment where he does what pilgrims have traditionally done. Firstly they receive their laminated Compostella (a certificate from the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago for pilgrims who have walked 100km). In the middle ages this earned you not only better meals but a stronger foothold on heaven). The final ritual is a dip in the freezing Atlantic at Cape Finisterre and a walk on the beach to collect a scallop, the traditional symbol of the pilgrim. A cold reawakening before the realities of life kick back in, but as Mullen observes, many are already planning their return to the Camino.

This is book that really gets under the skin of the pilgrimage experience.

— John Lees, UK leading career transition coach, best selling careers author and part-time priest in the Diocese of Chester

MOST GOOD, LEAST HARM - A SIMPLE PRINCIPLE FOR A BETTER WORLD AND MEANINGFUL LIFE offers the author's simple approach to living a good life. Change begins with the individual: chapters demonstrate the real path to inner peace stems form new, powerful tools to face global issues to improve personal and planetary life alike. Any spiritual, self-help or general collection will find it inspirational.
--Midwest Book Review