Reviews written by Mark Williams

This little book is packed with good, solid instruction on the simple act of breathing. Further, it makes it known, in no uncertain terms, how important the breath is not just in supporting the function of our bodies, but the ability to reach into our souls.
As a focus for meditation, the breath has been called out in many disciplines. This book helps define some very helpful and fruitful ways to gain a deeper focus on breathing with the promise of a deeper awareness of what it means to be alive. Exercises in awareness and instruction on helpful body mechanics to aid in deeper and more productive meditation are presented in an easy and caring style. I highly recommend this book as either a very good “door-opener” for the beginner in meditation, or as an excellent source for those who have been at it for awhile to “tune up” their meditative practice.

There are self-help books and there are self-help books. This one really is refreshing because it deals so openly and honestly with a topic that most folks don't want to discuss in public. Happily, that dynamic is changing, in large part because people like Drs. Brian R. and Anna Maria Clement have worked hard to destroy the myths around human sexuality. These people are turning on the light and removing the darkness from this most basic of human behaviors. It turns out that healthy sexual function is more intimately connected with our overall health and longevity than most of us ever imagined.

In this guide to lifelong sexual happiness, they lay out seven keys that they have developed through research and implementation at their Hippocrates Institute. Each key is backed up not just by their own research and studies, but by published and peer-reviewed clinical studies of many others in the medical, nutritional, and other fields. Even with all of the discussion of these studies, which in other books sometimes creates pretty dry reading, this one maintains a very engaging feel. It's a pleasure to read. I found myself turning page after page, very interested in the material and eager to learn (and un-learn) more.

It's a tough world today. Staying sexually healthy is a greater challenge than ever, mostly due to the fact that we live in a much more toxic environment than our ancestors did. In this book, you'll find proven tools to help you heal any difficulties you encounter and embark on a happier and healthier sexual future, which according to the authors, should last well into your 'senior' years. You'll find tools to engage in deprogramming and detoxifying, probably alter your diet a little or maybe a lot, and believe in yourself more than you're accustomed to. Take these keys. Use them to your betterment and good health. I intend to.

Now, that's what I call self-help.

“This is important stuff. You need to know it.”

I was deeply moved by this wonderful book. Men and women whose work I have studied for many years and others whose work is new to me have proven that there is a common denominator to the complex fractions of science and spirituality. There is, at the core of both modes of thought, a desire to find answers to the oldest human questions: “Who am I?” “What am I doing here?” “What is consciousness?” “Is the universe alive?”

Laszlo and Dennis have assembled an incredible collection of essays by some of the world’s best-known luminaries in science and spirituality. It’s a veritable “Who’s who?” of gifted individuals who talk very openly about the needed and apparently inevitable marriage of these two heretofore opposed modes of worldview. The focus of these essays is a long-avoided attempt at bridge-building between the two camps. Some of the contributions point out that science has been finding out, through its empirical efforts, that what some of the oldest mystical/spiritual traditions have been teaching for centuries is literally provable. The bridge needed to span the current gap is literally becoming shorter by the day. Mystics and scientists are beginning to look at one another in a new light. I knew I was living in an amazing period of history. This is one more proof of it.

I won’t spoil the read by telling you what all these experts in their fields have said. I’ll leave that for you to discover. What I will say is, if you’re looking for more evidence to support the need for and the effort to foster a new paradigm or worldview, this will add much fuel to the fire. I am personally now more motivated to share these insights as broadly as I can.

The editors offer their opinions, too. In summary, they show us the conditions that are literally forcing us (humanity) to either try a new path or possibly perish. The case made for the former is formidable, with the latter being the undeniable and unavoidable effect of pursuing the status quo. There is even a sort of “To Do” list of actions we can all take.

Don’t miss the opportunity to read this book. It’s very interesting, highly enlightening, and leaves no doubt about the notion that you really do need to involve yourself in creating a sustainable future for our children and theirs. Like I said before, “This is important stuff. You need to know it.”

This collection of translated verses from an obscure 17th century Chinese sage are an enjoyable study of the happy fusion of the three great disciplines of the far east. Taoism, Confucianism, and Zen Buddhism are explored in what moderns would call clever 'sound-bites' that help the reader gain insights into the sage's presription for a happy, contented and 'satisfying' life. It is somewhat reminiscent of reading the Tao Te Ching, the verses each poviding a little seed that, when pondered, sprouts into a useful concept in daily life. Simplicity and humility are strongly recommended in all things, just as you would expect from a Chinese sage. This is one of those books that you can pick up, open at random, let your eyes fall on any verse and get something of value to take through your day.

This is an important book in the strongest sense of the word. That being said, it strikes me as somewhat sad that there's not a "Required Reading" list for all people. There are many books I'd put on that list - this one near the top, particularly for those locked in dogmatic points of view.
Robertson has put his considerable knowledge and talent to work on the question of the real meaning of the last book of the Christian Bible, The Revelation Of John. His observations, explanations and conclusions ring as Truth to this student/teacher.
The book explores the Revelation as the blueprint for the continuing spiritual evolvement of humanity not as a physical manifestation, but as the ultimate reconciliation of the 'separation' of God and (Wo)Man. Throughout the book, he shows how Jung and others have wrestled with the questions of symbology, archetypes and spiritual evolution, using illustrations from many spiritual traditions of history. The symbols that were used throughout history in the Egyptian, Roman, Greek, Hebrew and other myths and prophesies (including even the Hopi) are viewed not as separate, but a continuing stream of communication from the unconscious or spirit realm to the physical. The congruity of the message is impossible to ignore.
You'll find a strong call to cultivate practices that allow the development of psychic/spiritual muscle, the ability to reach beyond your self-imposed boundaries of 'identity'. This happens not so much from Robertson's exhortation to take up such practices, but from the understanding you gain of the importance of doing so while digesting the content of this book. The explanations of the elemental importance of symbols and of the Revelation as a conciliatory process that humanity has been and is continuing to experience since the creation will have you wanting to explore more deeply on your own or with a good teacher. I will go back to this book again and again...

This title appealed to me instantly, having read the Urantia Book in its entirety some years ago. I haven't heard much about it since, even though I'm aware of active Urantia study/activity groups. I was immediately interested in what the author had to relate about developments in the Multiverse during the intervening time.

Wylie's narrative includes descriptions of spiritual events in a number of locales which hold a dear place in my heart, even though I haven't had the direct experience of any of them. The Great Pyramid, the Holy Lands, Glastonbury Tor, the Yucatan and other places known to many spiritual seekers are the backdrops for an array of experiences he uses to paint a picture of a planet on the verge of large changes. Those familiar with the Urantia Book will recognize the terms and personalities he discusses in detail and will find satisfaction in Wylie's conclusions about what he believes is headed our way. Some of the deeper back-story is actually told in other of his books and only encapsulated in this volume. He obviously has been on this 'guided' journey for most of his life and does a masterful job of telling the story of angelic and midwayer intervention in his life. It's a strong statement in favor of a faith-based lifestyle, showing just how richly varied such a life can be. I can easily recommend this as a 'must read' for anyone open to a much larger picture of consciousness on multiple levels.

As one whose early exposure to yoga, many years ago, was in the introductory phases of 'hatha' yoga, or that having to do specifically with postures of the body and the physical benefits that came from them, I've had my eyes opened wider to a much broader and deeper world that the sutras describe. I knew this world existed because I've read about the yogis, their practices, and their devoted followers for many years. This book, however, is the first I've read that actually makes an attempt to lay down a systematic path for this deeper understanding.

Bachman, who teaches Sanskrit, ayurveda, chanting, and other yoga-related topics has assembled a wonderful guide to the central terms and disciplines of the yoga sutras of Patanjali. He has structured the book in a way that begins, logically, with the outer disciplines of the sutras and moves the reader through the explanations of the terms and ideas that illuminate the path to yogic enlightenment. The reader is told at every step that one must “do the work” and understand that the path is one of self-discipline and inner discovery that cannot be glossed over. Each premise/chapter has thoughts and exercises to ponder and practice. He explains that while the physical disciplines of yoga are helpful in gaining control of the body, the path of the sutras has a higher spiritual goal, which can only be obtained through deeper study and dedication to each of the principles set forth in the book. This book is a wonderful exploration of the deeper realms of yoga, the lifestyle it promotes, and the benefits that such a lifestyle can bring: namely, peace of mind and spirit, and the ability to allow one’s inner light to shine forth uninhibited. I can easily recommend this book to those who want to know more about the teachings of Patanjali and the benefits of a yoga-devoted life.