Reviews written by Diane Holcomb

Author of Taking the Quantum Leap, physicist Fred Alan Wolf marries science with spirituality in his latest book, and offers a glimpse into the “mind of God.” Using cartoon drawings to illustrate his insights, he explains the changes to our understanding of time, space and matter, and how our experience of matter is created by fundamental particles of light that space-twist and loop forwards and backwards in time. “Let there be light” takes on a new meaning as he uses quantum physics to prove that everything in existence is made of light. Readers will discover a new view of how the universe was created, and gain an understanding of what Dr. Wolf calls a “logical universal mind.”

Jean Bolen became a “tree person” when a beloved neighborhood Monterey pine was cut down in its prime. Unable to save it, she was compelled to write a passionate tribute to trees from the perspective of botany, biology, mythology and archetypal psychology. Drawing on her background as a medical doctor and Jungian analyst, and the wisdom of Buddha, Hildegard, John Muir, Greenpeace and the Tao, Like a Tree is a call to save these soulful, wise and leafy friends. Bolen discusses deforestation, global warming, overpopulation, and sacred feminism, and points out that we depend on trees for air and water as much as they depend on us for survival.

We yearn to create but don’t know how to start, or we’re blocked, or can’t find the time, or we’re too frightened to share our work. According to psychotherapist Eric Maisel we’re suffering from a simple case of “creative anxiety.” In his decades of experience working with artists, Maisel has developed a slew of anxiety-management techniques. Whether it’s dealing with a bruised ego, a day job, survival needs, choices, or the work itself, this book offers twenty-four lessons that describe the sources of anxiety, and specific strategies to manage it.

Who better to speak of compassion than the man who embodies it? This book is a compilation of the Dalai Lama’s teachings on the subject, beginning with the problem of anger and hatred. He discusses how to lessen anger’s hold, points out the basic mistakes of attitude that lead to inner turmoil, and offers practical exercises to overcome these problems. Finally, he demonstrates how to respond to difficult situations and urges us to practice and cultivate compassion for the sake of ourselves and the world.

Dog owners who want to be more in touch with their feelings need look no further than their pets. Kevin Behan, author of Natural Dog Training proposes that our dogs feel what we feel and they react accordingly. He explains the canine/human connection, the energy of emotions, and how our dogs know what we’re feeling even when we don’t. This book helps us understand our dog’s behavior, our own unresolved emotions, and opens the door to a new way of communicating between species.

A continuation of Thich Nhat Hanh’s bestselling The Miracle of Mindfulness and Peace is Every Step, this book is a collection of short mindful practices that can be done anytime, anywhere. At the core of each practice is the breath—helping us to release the past and future, bring awareness to our present state and our environment, and become fully present. Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how each moment is an opportunity for happiness and transformation: brushing our teeth, preparing breakfast, weathering strong emotions, talking, compassionate listening, and many other daily activities. He includes short verses, or Gathas, to recite during these activities to help us dwell in mindfulness.

Doreen Virtue, author of the bestselling Angel Therapy and Angel Medicine, now offers a handbook for anyone aspiring to become an angel therapy practitioner. Here in one volume she presents the methods for spiritual healing and psychic readings that she has taught to students since 1996. She begins with an overview of the angels and archangels, describes the tools and techniques for communicating with these celestial beings, and concludes with steps to take to develop a spiritually-based career.

Journalist Stephan Talty chronicles the twenty-four-year-old Dalai Lama’s historical flight from Tibet to India across the treacherous Himalayan passes to freedom. The author draws on first-person accounts to tell the transformational journey of a young monk coming of age and the forces that led to his exile from Tibet, altering the future of his beloved country. Pursued by the Chinese army and faced with blizzards, illness and the threat of wild animals, the 14th Dalai Lama’s belief in compassion is tested as he learns of the slaughter and exile of thousands of his subjects back home. The involvement of the U.S. in supporting the Tibetan people, the media frenzy that brought the story to the attention of the world, and the portrait of a spiritual nation fighting to defend their ideals makes for a page-turning read.

Mark Stevenson, futurologist, cultural education consultant and stand-up comedian, traveled over 60,000 miles asking the geniuses of today what the next hundred years has in store. He was shown an era where medicine and healthcare are tailored to the individual, where humans and machines merge, and space travel is accessible to all. Among the brains he picked are George Church, the instigator of the human genome project; MIT roboticist Cynthia Breazeal; and Australian farmers who found a solution to climate change. The future looks bright from Stevenson’s perspective, and readers will find this glimpse reassuring, entertaining and enlightening.

Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics at Cornell University, best-selling author of The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos, tackles the question: “is ours the only universe?” His theory, grounded in science and backed by mathematic calculations, is that our universe is one of many; that, like two mirrors facing each other reflecting an image endlessly, there is an infinite number of our selves reading this same sentence. With his trademark wit and lucid explanations he considers nine versions of the “multiverse” theory, including those proposed by quantum mechanics, string theory, cosmological physics, and the holographic principle.

If the photos don’t make you salivate, the recipes will. The Happy Herbivore is chock-full of delicious breakfast dishes, muffins and breads, soups, dals and chilis, burgers, wraps, tacos, casseroles, one-pot meals, mix-and-match vegetables, snacks, and desserts. Sink your teeth into juicy and tender Portobello Steaks, Seitan Pot Roast with No-Beef Broth, or a Spicy Sausage made from pinto beans. Try the Rustic Yam Fries or Maple Glazed Vegetables. The Oatmeal Cookies are loaded with dried fruit and applesauce and the Root Beer Float Cupcakes are sure to be a hit with the kids.

A journalist on assignment hits a hare with his car, and finds himself abandoned in the forest searching for the wounded animal after his photographer companion drives away. Thus begins a series of madcap adventures for a man who decides to play hooky from his job, his wife and his responsibilities, and wander the wilds of Finland with a bunny as his buddy. In the tradition of Watership Down, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and Life of Pi, this internationally bestselling novel has been amusing readers in twenty-five languages for thirty years.

The conventional notion of happiness is that it is something to be pursued, and depends on having money, good health, satisfying relationships, accomplishments, or pleasurable experiences. Zen teacher Ezra Bayda points out that it is the pursuit of happiness that keep us trapped in cycles of dissatisfaction. He says there is a deeper, more lasting state of contentment where we are okay despite the circumstances of our lives or our personal predisposition. While suffering from severe bouts of an immune system disorder, he found a way to experience genuine happiness by applying Zen mindfulness principles. He offers three questions to ask when confronted with difficulties: Am I happy now? What blocks happiness? and Can I surrender to what is? Through meditation, gratitude, and lovingkindness practices, we learn to become aware of when we’re caught up in thoughts, emotions, or feelings of entitlement, and become more present, open and alive.

Living a better-feeling life really comes down to one thing only: coming into alignment with the Energy of our Source. Getting into the Vortex, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, presents the teachings of Abraham as a meditation user guide/CD. This powerful musically scored, breath-enhancing tool contains four guided daily meditations designed to get you into the Vortex of Creation in four basic areas of your life: General Well-Being, Financial Well-Being, Physical Well-Being, and Relationships. (Reviewed by Marilyn, East West Seattle)

The author of The Age of Miracles and A Return to Love, among other bestsellers, now turns her attention to the spiritual aspects of weight loss. What began as a communication between the author and Oprah Winfrey, the ideas in this book offer a way to reconnect to our divine perfection and the person we were meant to be. Each lesson takes us deeper into our relationship with ourselves through acceptance, forgiveness, loving our bodies and owning our feelings. The tools include prayers and reflections, activities, visualizations and journaling. As we learn to drop our “weighty thinking” and address the spiritual, emotional and psychological aspects of what we carry, the struggle to drop those excess pounds disappears.

This book is a fascinating history of the ancient philosophy of Vedanta and how it came to influence American culture. Early translations of Hindu texts found their way from India to the U.S in the 1700s, influencing the likes of Emerson, Thoreau, Jefferson and Adams. The knowledge spread through the centuries and now permeates our everyday lives as we practice yoga and meditation, use mindfulness techniques for healing, consider the ramifications of karma, and strive for enlightenment. Goldberg also traces how the American perspective on these teachings now influences the people of India. As he traces the journey of Vedic wisdom from India to America and back again, we meet the great spiritual teachers Vivekananda and Yogananda who brought it West, and the scientists, authors, and others who absorbed it and passed it on.

If we want to make large changes in our lives, we may need to start by making small shifts in our consciousness. Andrew Peterson offers fifty-one different ways to slow down, tap into our wise mind and gain a larger perspective on our feelings and problems, opening up the possibility for change. Based on everyday activities such as breathing, procrastinating and taking out the trash, the meditations in this book combine psychological techniques with Buddhist mindfulness practices and can be done in ten minutes or less. Each chapter includes instructions on how to perform the exercise, variations to try, a follow-up meditation and a list of recommended books if we want to further our exploration.

Over nineteen million readers learned about the law of attraction in The Secret. Now Rhonda Byrne continues her groundbreaking work in The Power. In her uplifting style she reveals how we can harness the greatest universal force that resides in all of us, the power that creates health, wealth, happiness, relationships, and all the good things in life. Each chapter is filled with inspiring stories, and also contains a “Points of Power” list to use as reminders. Everyone, she believes, is meant to have an amazing life, and it is her goal to help us create it.

The white lions appeared from nowhere and occurred on only one place on earth: Timbavati. The author and her friends found themselves surrounded by these legendary animals while traveling in the bushveld, a near-death experience that propelled her into the world of African shamanism. Rescued by a medicine woman on that fateful night, Tucker later felt compelled to leave her life of glamour in Europe and move to South Africa to study these sacred creatures and fight to protect them from extinction. This is her story, and the story of how we all have the white lion heart within, and the power to save our own planet from destruction.

Dubbed the “Eckhart Tolle” of parenting, Annie Burnside inspires parents to become spiritually awakened and to share that consciousness with their children, regardless of religious preference. Her twenty-two “parenting vehicles” are designed to integrate spirituality into daily life so that children learn to live mindfully and consciously, choosing love, compassion, forgiveness and gratitude in a hectic world. The fun activities and suggested music, movies and books will guide families in exploring universal spiritual principles together.

Are the pills we pop and the fifteen-minute doctor visits keeping us healthy? According to Dr. Malerba, our current medical system is “sick and it is making its patients sick.” Green Medicine is a new way of thinking about health care that takes into account the interconnectedness of all things: the brain to the body to the soul, bodies to families to communities to the planet to the cosmos. So that physicians don’t risk “becoming mere technicians of the body,” Malerba offers possibilities in healing that involve the whole person. He melds conventional with alternative medicine and draws on the fields of physics, philosophy, shamanism, alchemy and orthodox medicine to create a new paradigm in healing.

Here’s an account of how one man, after being fired from his job, tackles his regrets by dedicating a year to tying up loose ends and focusing on what is most important in his life. A workaholic suddenly adrift, Kravitz discovers how disconnected he has become from the people who matter most, and sees the many ways he has failed to act. Instead of rushing out to find a new job, he decides to make amends. Whether he’s fulfilling a promise to a refugee boy in Kenya, making a long-overdue condolence call, repaying an old debt or finding an abandoned relative, Kravitz is transformed and made whole again through the business of reaching out.

Here is a reference that no personal or professional healthcare library should be without – an in-depth, fully illustrated guide to the invisible energies of spirit, psyche and consciousness that influence every aspect of our well-being. Whether you are looking for the right complementary medicine to enhance your healing practice, seeking perennial wisdom about your body's energetic nature from world traditions, or exploring the quantum edge of intention-based care, this book is the perfect companion to have.

Don't feel grounded? Learn how to feed your root chakra. Crave carbohydrates like pretzels or cookies? Read how your solar plexus chakra may be out of balance and what you can do about it. Minich's book is a guide to the foods that can raise your energy, inspire creative changes, open you heart, and heal inside and out. Affirmations for each chakra, as well as a range of meal plans and mouth-watering recipes, make this an excellent reference on eating for body and soul.

“Make no mistake about it – enlightenment is a destructive process... the crumbling away of untruth... the eradication of everything we imagined to be true.” With straight talk and penetrating insights, Adyashanti addresses many of the traps we encounter as we begin to awaken spiritually: how the ego can “co-opt” realization for its own purposes, how the illusion of superiority can derail us following spiritual breakthroughs. Here is a powerful teaching on how to proceed once you discover who you really are.

The author, a pioneer in the field of intuitive development, leads us into new territory, exploring the dynamics of energy and personal resonance. A simple shift in “frequency” – your personal energetic vibration – is often all it takes to change depression to peace, fear to enthusiasm, and snagged situations to magical results. Learning to find your “home frequency” – your own highest vibration - can maximize clarity, minimize struggle, and open channels to new talents and capacities. Peirce shows you how.

In this revised edition of The Path, Swami Kriyananda, a close disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, offers inspiring new stories of his life with the Master. Originally written as a much-needed sequel to Autobiography of a Yogi, Yogananda’s timeless wisdom is presented here in his own words, allowing readers to feel that they are experiencing the Master’s guidance and blessings directly. “If you are still seeking your own path to truth,” writes Kriyananda, “it may well be worth your while to explore the possibilities offered by this new dispensation, which is, truly, a new path to God.” A must-read for any spiritual seeker.

Lovers of The Crystal Bible will want to get their hands on The Crystal Bible 2. The new edition includes high-vibration crystals for spiritual alchemy, and the ancient stones of Greenland that have been revealed by receding ice. Beautifully-illustrated, this book is a handy guide to how stones heal spiritually, emotionally, physically, environmentally and karmically. A must for crystals collectors.

Patricia Cori brings together a mind-bending collection of interviews that she conducted with visionaries on her BBS Radio show of the same name. Exploring subjects as diverse as string theory, extraterrestrials, crop circles, the spiritual brain, and Egyptian mysticism, the message is one of hope as our civilization faces a new Renaissance. It’s Cori’s hope that the reader will gain a new perspective on life, and a view of possible realities where humans are elevated to a higher level.

This book is a Godsend for anyone going through the process of providing care for a loved one during a crisis. In her previous books the author guided us through the various passages in our lives. Now she acts as a beacon through the labyrinth of caregiving. Drawing on her own experience of helping her husband through his final days, she describes the eight stages caregivers encounter, beginning with shock and mobilization and ending with the “long goodbye,” and offers strategies to lead us through each turn. Her words illuminate the challenges we will face, and help to make sense from chaos. She urges us to care for ourselves as well, and includes a wealth of resources and advocacy groups to help during every aspect of the journey.