Self Help

Dynamic Laws of Prosperity

by Catherine Ponder

Average Rating:

"I'd give this book a 10-star rating if I could.I've read many self-help, motivational books over 20 years time and all have help in some small way. However, this book has helped me in a MONUMENTAL way. The book is an amazingly comprehensive explanation on how our attitudes and thoughts shape our lives, and how to approach all of life's situations so that you are prospered. The book explains that the word "rich" means having an "abundance of good" or living a fuller, more satisfying life, and that you are prospersous to the degree that you are experiencing peace, health, happiness and plenty in your world. So as well as becoming financially independent and secure, all areas of your life prosper, such as relationships, health, ect., and really, that's what everyone wants, even if they don't realize it.Another section of the book says that if you persist in expecting and talking about prosperity and success, there is no power in heaven or earth that can prevent them from appearing in your world. What a powerful, true statement. Catherine Ponder states: Desire is God tapping at the door of your mind, trying to give you greater good. She explains that it is NORMAL to want to prosper! This made a huge difference to my way of thinking. I bought this book in the summer ..., read it once, immediately re-read it and highlighted passages, and am now in the third reading in the spring ... and am writing out affirmations and practicing what the book suggests. My life wasn't even in bad shape when I picked up the book, and yet I felt something missing. As I apply the principles of this book to my life, layers and layers of sadness and a certain depression I didn't even realize I had are dissolving. The "dynamic laws of prosperity" are words I've been searching for all my life, and I am thankful, greatful, and appreciative to have finally found them."

Publisher: bnpublishing.com | More reviews: amazon.com

The Secret Language of Birthdays: Personology Profiles for Each Day of the Year

by Gary Goldschneider

Average Rating:

"Don't think that a person's personality is influenced by his date of birth? Then check out the profile for Oct. 9, the birthday of John Lennon. Those born on this day, the authors claim, are multi-talented, have a strong magnetism and the ability to see into the lives events of those around them with an accurate, critical eye. There's lots more, including the fact they can be swept away by their emotions for one person. Hmmmm....Authors Gary Goldenschneider and Joost Elffers delve into astrological and mystical teachings -- including numerology and Tarot card readings -- to profile the personality characteristics of those born on every single day of the year. Each birthday has its own two-page spread chock full of fascinating facts. And, there's a list of famous (and infamous) people born on that day. Do you share a birthday with your favorite movie star? A notorious criminal? You can cross reference to other sections of the book that detail the astrological influences at play on a particular date. This is a nice, thick coffee table book, amply illustrated, that will provide fun and fascinating reading. And, yes, it would make a great birthday gift!"

Publisher: Studio | More reviews: amazon.com

Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior: A Companion to the Book That Changes Lives (Millman, Dan)

by Dan Millman

Average Rating:

"Updated commentary on the "Peaceful Warrior" from a 60 or so year old Dan Millman? Well, it doesn't get much better than this! I enjoyed every moment that I spent with this book, and when I finished reading, I wanted to stand and clap (would have if I were not in a social setting...). Though I am somewhat biased in that I share many of the views Millman presents, I think any seeker will benefit greatly from reading this powerful book. It also has a very gentle feel, a humble feel, and obviously comes from a place of deep sincerity and honesty. I loved the various quotations because they were so on-target and poignant. The book covers a lot of ground, lots of material that is already out there, but the difference is the open-mindedness and willingness to accept that each person is unique and no view is perfect. A bizzillion stars! "

Publisher: HJ Kramer | More reviews: amazon.com

The Laws of Spirit: A Tale of Transformation

by Dan Millman

Average Rating:

"Many of you will know Dan Millman for his Way of the Peaceful Warrior, or perhaps one of his other many books. I've read a good number of them myself. But for its easy reading, its graceful approach, and its universal laws condensed, The Laws of Spirit is my favorite of all his titles.Standing in line with that ancient tradition of sharing truths through fable, the book tells of a fantastic Millman adventure; with his family away for a few days, the author heads out for a day-long hike into the nearby hills, and there he meets with a sage who extends his intended time away. In the course of a few days, she shows him all the most important laws of Spirit, and makes them real for him through immediate experience.These laws begin and end with the important principles of balance and unity; but they also cover so many others that can transform lives: choice, process, presence, compassion, faith, expectation, integrity, action, cycles, and surrender. They're all here, and explained with humor, and with real art - this is the most beautifully written of all Millman's work!I'm also a fan of the short and sweet - something people can use in our hurried world to slow themselves down just a little, and to get a real gem out of reading in those spare moments. The book itself is a lightweight champion, easy to keep on hand; each chapter is about eight pages, simple to tackle over breakfast, on the bus, wherever. It sort of kicks our excuses in the rear. Each chapter is poignant, and really filled with wisdom - almost like a book of wise quotes, so focused is the writing. But meanwhile, one enjoys the tale itself.Written as a tale like this, I believe it is also a book that would be well received by those who are looking for Spirit, but who don't want to be shocked by the more outrageous or risqué ideas available. So if you have a friend that you'd like to share some beauty of Spirit with, this could be your title. Wonderfully written, entertaining, a real gem among works. The Laws of Spirit is one for everybody's shelf."

Publisher: HJ Kramer/New World Library | More reviews: amazon.com

Coloring Mandalas 2

by Susanne F. Fincher

Average Rating:

"I am so glad Fincher brought out this second book! I had already worked through the first book and taken such pleasure in it. Yes, the first one is good, but, for my purposes, the second one is even better.

It's made with the same high-quality paper that takes the colour so well and the same lie-flat spiral binding that makes colouring easy. There's a helpful little essay at the beginning explaining the author's theories concerning the mandala and why it can be so helpful both therapeutically and spiritually.

The designs are what make this book a standout! And there are so many of them: seventy-two in all! What abundance! Each one is a detailed and beautiful work of art, even before you start laying the colour down. Snowflakes, cathedral windows, tribal amulets: you will be inspired just by looking at these mandalas.

I often colour a mandala on my day off, in the afternoon, when the sun is slanting in just so. I open the book at random, and look at the mandala for awhile before getting a sense of what colour to start with. I never know what will be the end result until I've laid down the last stroke. And I always title and date the mandalas.

A hot bath, a glass of wine, a long walk on the nature trail and colouring. I love to colour, and this book gives me a lot of scope for creativity in colour design, as well as making me feel connected to past cultures.

Just a note: I did the entire first volume with a large box (48 colour set) of Prismacolor pencils and was so pleased with the results. The more colours you have, the more you can experiment. And go to an art store and get yourself a couple of nice, hand-held pencil sharpeners: you are going to need them. Many of the designs are quite intricate and detailed.
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Publisher: Shambhala | More reviews: amazon.com

Discover the Power Within You: A Guide to the Unexplored Depths Within

by Eric Butterworth

Average Rating:

"My first review of this book was written in 2002. Three years later and I still highly recommend this book to people who are new on the spiritual journey as well as those who are "advanced students". I use that term loosely as I feel that the only advances we ever really make are those in terms of consciousness.

There was one review that said this book was too religious. I think that Butterworth uses a lot of terms associated with the Christian religion but in no means does it make this book "religious". Butterworth stresses that Jesus is not the great exception but the great example.

I can see where the reader may have gotten a tad scared because there is a tendency on the part of some spiritual seekers to want to do away with anything that has to do with Jesus and Christianity. But I feel that the Christian religion is not truly based on the real message of Jesus. Creeds and Dogma and rites and ceremonies came after Jesus left the scene. Let us remember that Jesus himself was not a Christian at all, but a Jew who plumbed the depths of the Torah and had a revelation so magnificent that he wanted to share it with all.

Jesus discovered that there is a Power within all of us. Read your Bible, people! He said, "What I have done, you can do likewise and even greater things than these..." People don't want to hear that because that means we now have an inner responsibility to committ to but let us also remember that it is never we, ourselves, that do the work but the "Father within". Does a seed know how to turn into a flower? Does a caterpillar know how to turn itself into a butterfly? Do we, in all our supposed knowledge, really know how to turn bread, milk, and cheese into bones, muscle, and living tissue? If we are truly honest with ourselves we will come to the awareness that we do not, but something does and we can surrender to that Power not out of sheer defeat, but out of a boundless joy that we did not create our lives, Something greater did and It is this Something greater that lives, moves, and has all of Its Being in us, as us.

This book reminds us on every page that ONLY GOD is to be relied upon. It's a tough concept to do, and yet God in Its Infinite Love never judges us and condemns us for slipping up as we are so apt to do.

If you have grown tired of all the religious dogma, if you feel beat down by all the religious folk who say they know Jesus but still talk of hate, hell, and the devil, then come to your-SELF...come to your God SELF and let the Power within release you of fear and return you to a place of peace.

May Love guide our thoughts, our words, and our deeds."

Publisher: HarperOne | More reviews: amazon.com

The Wisdom of Florence Scovel Shinn

by Florence Scovel Shinn

Average Rating:

"I 'chanced' upon this book as well, and those of you that have experienced periods of unparalleled synchronicity will understand the inadequacy of the word 'chanced'.Anyway, my warning is this: The book is highly focused on Biblical teachings and scripture, but don't let that get in the way. I was raised Christian and then moved away from it because most 'Christians' don't seem to be too Christ-like these days. I let the language get in the way, and it wasn't until I got to the `end of my rope' and `gave in' that it worked. One night before going to bed, I just thought to myself, you know, "I DON'T have all the answers and the way I'm going about things isn't working. What IF this is the way it works??!!" I put out my `request' and suspended my disbelief enough to accept that maybe it could work, and that is EXACTLY when it happened. Within 3 days, I was having a flood of insights and synchronicities that I have yet to experience again. My life changed overnight and I experienced a full blow spiritual awakening. The key is really believing that it will work. That concept is written about in many places, so this book is by no means unique in that sense. But, your belief that it will happen is the important part. Good luck! ..."

Publisher: Fireside | More reviews: amazon.com

Planet X Forecast and 2012 Survival Guide

by Jacco van der Worp

Average Rating:

"How many of you have tried to talk to friends, neighbors and family about an incoming planet that could wipe out 5/6 of the world's population, plant and animal life? Out of those, how many just heard something like, "we have enough problems trying to take care of THIS planet before we try to worry about another?"

This book provides the comfort of learning that you are not alone. In fact, the writers wrote the book with you in mind so that you can prepare to save the ones you can save, so that the species will survive. It tells about the incoming planet, itself, what governments are doing about and most importantly for those of us who are not on our government's Christmas list, what we can do to survive in survival communities.

The authors say that they're in it for the species. I believe that's true."

Publisher: Your Own World Books | More reviews: amazon.com

A Woman's Worth

by Marianne Williamson

Average Rating:

"Having had unfortunate bad luck and experience with intimacy and relationships in my lifetime, I turned to this book as an attempt for me to learn to "understand women". So I went ahead and bought the audio tapes. While this book was very poetic, I felt it was "missing" something: a common ground where men and women can come together and share their experiences. Unfortunately, in this book (and in practically all her later books), Marianne bought into the notion that "men are from mars and women are from venus". She is relentless with stereotyping the sexes, and what's worse, she puts men down openly in this book.If you want to read something which does justice to both men and women, I recommend the following two books: "The Future of Love" by Daphne Rose Kingma, and "The Nature of the Psyche" by Jane Roberts and Seth.If you are a male reader, please don't get this book. And if you are a female reader, I would think twice before taking Marianne's words as gospel. It would do you best to reconsider your attitudes and beliefs toward men, women, and relationships, and to look for a common ground which would benefit everyone."

Publisher: Ballantine Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Sexual Energy

by Mantak Chia

Average Rating:

"The main problem with this book is that the idea of chi is presented in such a low-brow Western terminology that the concept nearly lost. References to "Tongue Kung Fu". "Air" and the Cranial "Pump" tend to deflate and demystify the spiritual ideology. Literal english translations or even the retention of his own native language would have showed more respect for the subject.Chia's teachings of meditation seem accurate enough but make one fatal flaw. The whole book - all of the various levels of the energy transference exercises - lead to or stem from the Microcosmic Orbit. Through out the book, Chia states that energy moves from the sexual region, up through the body and is stored in the head. Why would he say that and then state in one of his other books, Awaken Healing Energy of the Tao, that proper storage of this energy, after moving through the head, should be in the navel. Anyone familiar with t'ai chi knows that the navel is the center point to all of your body's energy. To store such energies in the head can lead to insanity. Very irresponsible on his part.At the end of the book, I suppose in an effort to cover all bases, everything from the pubococcygeal muscle to refexology gets a paragraph or two. Needless to say that several Chia's notions on tangible sexual issues could use a bit more research. For example, Chia makes reference to how ingesting semen "is at least as rational as buying vitamins" as it is a "treasure house" of vitamins and minerals. Anyone worth his salt knows that it only contains trace elements. That statement alone makes me question just how accurate the rest of the book is. (Chia, of course, doesn't condone this sort of behavior, for you see, according to him, loss of this fluid can lead to baldness and premature death - hence the books whole stand point of retention and recirculating the energy contained within to other vital areas of the body.) Where Chia really lost me, however, is when he suggested that women practicing exercises in this book "should keep [their] panties on to prevent any chi from draining out.""

Publisher: Aurora Press | More reviews: amazon.com