Passion v. Arrogance: A Dana and Goliath Story...

Passion v. Arrogance: A Dana and Goliath Story of Wine, Women & Wrong!
by Margaret Broderick

Published by Passion Power Press, Inc

Category: Non-fiction / Business

254 pages; ISBN: 0-9762597-6-1

Rating: 6/10

Review

I received an uncorrected proof of "Passion v. Arrogance: A Dana and Goliath Story of Wine, Women & Wrong!" by Margaret Broderick (the Dana of the story) for review a couple of months ago. Since the copy received is not the final printed book, I will not comment on the editing and the typos, which hopefully have been attended to before printing.

The book is about the rise and fall of a Winery in Indiana. The author and her partner Angee set it up with the help of loans from the Small Busniess Association and a local Bank. The business does well and they receive a lot of attention and praise. They approach the bank for more working capital. Because of some changed economic and political factors and because the bank that lent them money was also in trouble, the bank demands more equity from the enterpreneurs which they could not come up with. The health problems of Angee add up to the difficulties and they finally decide to close the business. But the bank doesn't play the ball and the whole thing ends up in a big mess! The legal tangles that follow, the incompetence of many people who are supposed to know better, the couldn't care less attitude of the other players as opposed to the passion of the enterpreneurs etc., is brought out well.

It took some effort to read through the book because of the anger and frustration that comes through very strongly. It was reading more like a rant than an objective analysis of a business problem. But a lot of useful information is embedded and the author deserves praise for that.

I could not empathise with the author as regards the we vs. they, women vs. men, right vs. wrong and such binary thinking. Practical world is not black and white. And many businesses fail, not only because of their own mistakes but because of many external impacts. Margaret's account reads as if there was a great conspiracy to ensure the failure of their business. That may not be the case. To me it appeared that the author could not convince the other people involved of her point of view. Her passion is praiseworthy but her persuasion skills were not matching.

Why the author and her partners did not take up some extra-legal methods which are quite popular in USA (like going to the Congressman of their area, writing to newspapers and mobilising pressure groups etc.) is not clear. What is clear is that Margaret took up writing this book as a means to get it off her chest, as a therapy.

Buy the book only if you too feel strongly about the topic and after browsing through the book extensively.

Our Toxic World - A Wake Up Call

Our Toxic World - A Wake Up Call
by Doris J. Rapp, M.D.

Published by Environmental Research Foundation

Category: Non-fiction / Health
510 pages; ISBN: 1-880509-08-3

Rating: 7/10

Review

"Our Toxic World - A Wake Up Call" by Dr.Doris J.Rapp, M.D., is a detailed account of the serious health challenges posed by increasing pollution of our air, water and thus the food chain. In a little more than 510 pages, Dr.Rapp, a Board Certified Doctor of Environmental Medicine, Pediatrics and Allergies, deals in detail with the various effects of many chemical pollutants that are now common in most of the developed countries, especially, the USA.

Chapter 1 titled, "Chemicals and Pesticides Can Hurt You and Those You Love" lays the groundwork for the whole book. The next Chapter, "How Can You Tell If Chemicals Hurt You?" describes the symptoms of illnesses set off by chemicals. The next chapter deals with methods of prevention to exposure and other actions to be taken after exposure. Chapter 4 explores in detail, whether the chemicals can affect the behavior, activity and learning etc. of children. Chapter 5 deals with a very important aspect of pollution, namely the effect on sex, including feminisation, masculinisation, infertility etc., in animals and humans.

Chapters 6 to 10 study the extent of the contamination, what one can do to minimise the effects, the ineffectiveness of the present governmental efforts in USA etc. Then follows a summary of the entire book and some useful Appendices.

The book is not easy to read in the sense that it is too detailed. But one will get a lot of information and a number of references about the points covered. In that aspect, the book is certainly useful.

One may or may not agree with the alarmist approach of Dr.Rapp, but there is no doubt that environmental health has become a major area for further research. If you or your loved ones, friends etc. are suffering from severe allergies and other vague illnesses, it may be useful to check out whether any of the common pollutants could be the reason.

Nobody Home - From Belief to Clarity

Nobody Home - From Belief to Clarity
by Jan Kersschot

Publisher: Watkins Publishing

Category: Non-fiction / Self-help

Genre: Psychology, Spirituality

191 pages; ISBN: 1-84293-062-1

Rating: 7/10

Review

"Who am I?" is the question that comes up often or atleast once in the life time of every thinking, rational being. This question has been studied and answered by several thinkers over the ages. Is there really a separate entity? Or is the sense of separation/ego an illusion? Advaitins (Non-dualists) maintain that the concept of ego as a distinct entity is an illusion or a trick perpetrated by the ego. Other thinkers have come up with different schools of thought. Jan Kersschot explores this question and the logical follow ups to this question in his earlier book, "Coming Home" and in the present book.

The author doesn't ask for much of believing and accepting. He asks the reader to explore the subject in an objective manner, but at the same time doesn't leave the reader to rediscover the wheel all by him/herself. He provides many insights from other philosophers and thinkers of various ages and lands/religions. He extracts the common ideas and suggests some innovative experiments to the reader to check out these ideas.

The book is certainly thought provoking and will appeal to an intelligent and persistent reader. Persistent because the book is not uniformly easy to read. You may need to read it a little at a time or reread it two or three times before you can say, "Aha! It is now clear!"

There are many books on the subject but Jan's is probably unique in not asking the reader to accept the metaphysical concepts without questioning and experience. A good read.

Is Nothing Sacred?

Is Nothing Sacred?
by Walter von Wegen

Category: Fiction / Crime
360 pages; ISBN: 1-59590-006-3

Rating: 7/10

Review

"Is Nothing Sacred?" by Walter von Wegen is a novel, that is gripping, scary and at places, rather revolting. It is about crime, police, politicians and manipulators. The story starts with a severed head discovered in a canal in Venice, Italy and then moves to USA. That and a bank robbery pulls in quite a few officers of New York Police Department and their rivals, goons of NPDi, the Internal Security wing, led by Donner, a real ruthless and cruel manipulator. The good guys come out on top at the end.

The novel has everything to hold one's attention if one is not put off by graphically explicit descriptions of torture, sex etc. It also has a lot of swear words, which probably may be acceptable in this situation.

The story and the incidents described are too realistic to be dismissed as fiction and the vivid imagination of the author. Thus the book is indeed disturbing and I needed quite a few days to read it. I am therefore, unable to agree with Judy Schuler's review on the back cover that it is - "one of the most fun reads..." But it has its fair share of humor too.

I found a few editorial slips, but fortunately they don't distract from following the story.

In The Beginning... There were No Diapers

In The Beginning... There were No Diapers Laughing and Learning in the First Years of Fatherhood
by Tim Bete

Published by Sorin Books

Category: Non-fiction / Humour
189 pages; ISBN: 1-893732-87-8

Rating: 8/10

Review

"In the Beginning... There Were No Diapers - Laughing and Learning in the First Years of Parenthood" by Tim Bete is, as is evident from the title, a humorous take on the parenthood. The title is self-explanatory and the book lives up to the promise. Certainly I laughed and though long past the stage of holding my boys with or without diapers, learnt a little more about the parenting skills. May be in a few years, when I become a grandparent, the skills will come in handy!

Tim writes well and writes with wit and humour, making liberal use of hyperbole. There is no doubt that the book will touch the typical American parent at the right spots.

The book is edited and printed well. It will make a good present to yourself or your friend who has just become a parent.

How To Dance With Life

How To Dance With Life
by Sara DeGraff

Category: Non-fiction / Education
80 pages; ISBN: 0-9709917-9-7

Rating: 7/10

Review

"How To Dance With Life" by Sara DeGraff is a small book of 80 pages, containing short articles on various aspects of living.

A few topics: Learn From Your Mistakes, Listen to Your Intuitiveness, Practice Humility, Do Not Fight Other People's Battles etc. Most of them are one page or a part there of. A few are two page long.

In keeping with the title, many of the articles read like instructions and in a few cases like sermons. This may or may not appeal to all.

While the content of most of the articles is in line with good psychology, spirituality etc., the reader may or may not resonate with all the ideas presented. But it is worth getting a Spiritual Master's perception on several aspects of a life.

Sara comes across as a gifted and spirtual person, but some traces of negativity (probably caused by past negative experiences) still come through the articles at a few places. That does add a little more authenticity to the book.

The book has a few typos.

Overall rating is GOOD.

Healing Environmental Illness From Within

Healing Environmental Illness From Within
by Marcia Murphy

Published by Trafford Publishing

Category: Biography / Health
118 pages; ISBN: 1-4120-0289-3

Rating: 9/10

Review

HEALING ENVIRONMENTAL ILLNESS FROM WITHIN by Marcia Murphy is a very intense personal account of a woman's struggle with chronic illhealth for several years and her understanding the root causes of her illness. Written in excellent style, the book holds the interest of the reader from beginning to end.

Marcia Murphy opens up her heart, mind and soul in the book. She takes us on a very intense private journey and shows us how she discovered, the role of mind over body. What was diagnosed as electromagnetic poisoning, and chemical sensitivity, she found had much deeper roots, of fears, of resentments and of lack of self-love. She describes beautifully how her Higher Self helped her in the process of discovering these aspects through some wonderfully mystical events.

And Marcia describes how the Option Institute helped her recover from serious illhealth and how she is now able to help others similarly placed.

The book is short and sweet, just 118 pages. The same Spirit which helped Marcia learn about her body, mind and soul, also motivated her to write such a moving, intensely interesting tale of learning, learning some deep lessons, from the book of life.

I have no hesitation to recommend the book as a Must Read for all those involved in health, that is all of us.

Happiness Is.

Happiness Is. - Unexpected Answers to Practical Questions in Curious Times
by Shawn Christopher Shea, M.D.

Published by Health Communications Inc.

Category: Non-fiction / Self-help
340 pages; ISBN: 0-7573-0066-9

Rating: 8/10

Review

"Happiness Is." subtitled "Unexpected Answers to Practical Questions in Curious Times" by Dr. Shawn Christopher Shea, M.D., psychiatrist, is not a self-help book in the traditional sense.
The correct categorization is Philosophy / Spirituality, and it is a well written exploration of what makes us happy that is fun to read and at places funny, yet manages to address two key philosophical questions - What is the nature of Happiness? and, What is the structure of human nature that determines the extent of that happiness? - in a compelling fashion. Of course, all books that help us understand our true nature are self-help books!

The author adopts a systematic approach to defining the problem, analyses data, picks up bits and pieces of the jig saw puzzle, and then more importantly, validates the various premises with real life data and comes up with a practical workable blueprint.

Dr.Shea's model of human nature - the human matrix - is not really a new concept per se having been part and parcel of eastern philosophy and western mysticism for centuries, but his presentation is refreshing and provocative. He deftly creates a picture of human nature that resonates well with modern sensibilities and science. Dr. Shea describes human beings as constantly evolving moments in time where five interacting systems - our biologies, our psychological perceptions, our interpersonal relationships, environmental conditions, and spiritualities interact to determine a new being with every passing second. I would add that there are, in reality, probably many more elements to the human matrix but these are the five most prominent and they will do for now.

If you are looking for a book that, in a concise language, answers specific practical questions
you may be mildly disappointed by the storytelling and literary wordiness that distinguishes this book. Dr.Shea is quite clear in his Introduction that this is not meant to be a self-help book "filled with case studies and statistics. I believe in such books, and, indeed, have spent much of my career writing them. But the goal of this book is not proof. It is provocation. It is an invitation to think creatively, to view our existence through a different lens."

Thus "Happiness Is." is one of those few books of applied philosophy - that explore human nature in a compelling way via the use of vivid, sometimes quirky, and often memorable stories of what it is to be a human being in a universe that is at once both magnificent and overwhelming.

The examples chosen by Dr.Shea from his extensive reading (including in his own words, historical mystics such as Julian of Norwich, modern philosophical renegades such as Alan Watts, and contemporary humanitarians such as Paul Farmer the subject of Tracy Kidder's recent bestseller "Mountains Beyond Mountains") are described with a freshness and in contemporary language. Perhaps even more striking are his tales culled from his extensive clinical practice (taking care to protect the patient's privacy as usual) and from his everyday encounters.

The resulting tales are quite appealing and at places powerfully moving. If possible, see page 164, where a watchmaker named Bob finds his life's work of model airplanes all smashed to bits by floodwaters and then looks to his wife Judy whose eyes give him the power to smile through his veil of tears. She smiles back with a quietly intuited understanding of his loss and with unspoken support. It moved me to tears. There are several more examples in the book like that of Nick, the 8-year-old boy troubled by severe OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and many more equally vivid tales. Dr. Shea is at his best, when he is telling his stories, and has a good knack of weaving the seemingly disparate threads of the stories into a comprehensive, elegant, and useful understanding of the nature of happiness and the structure of human nature itself.

The book is easy to read, but is not to be read at a fast pace like a novel. I would recommend that you read it at your natural pace first. I think you will then find yourself returning again and again to come back for specific solutions, in a fashion characteristic of those books that have moved us deeply.

Perhaps the book would have benefited with an index. It was certainly a bit irritating to have to flip through several chapters to relocate the pages where Bob and Judy's story is told. On the other hand Dr. Shea provides a comprehensive bibliography, whose rich selections, may be useful if you want to go deeper into specific aspects of spirituality or even some of the historical curiosities that fill the pages of the book. The book has a total of 18 Chapters, in the typical eastern tradition!

I couldn't agree with some of the points made by Dr.Shea. He clearly emphasizes the essentially interconnectedness of everything (quantum theory is coming up often in my reading now a days). He also emphasizes this integration through his robust synthesis of Eastern and Western mysticism. But Dr.Shea seems to focus a bit too much on providing prescriptions for the individual to use to help solve the day to day problems of uncovering happiness. Thus he inadvertently slips into an acceptance of the illusion of individual independence. I also think that he would have done better to show in more detail how unhappiness and pain are useful, indeed necessary forces for helping an individual realize his/her true nature, which is Universal, which is beyond space and time. Till then, unhappiness is a good driving force to push the individual along the path that he/she is destined to travel.

Despite these concerns, I liked the book, that overall, is filled with provocative ideas, a fairly fresh definition of happiness, and a masterful use of storytelling to create philosophical intrigue.

The book has a bright blue dust jacket that pulls one into its pages, which are smartly designed and pleasing to read. In short, the book is not only well written, it is well produced, but the editing could certainly have been better. It tended to obscure the flow of ideas at some places and at places, the text tended to verbosity.

Dr. Shea comes across as a refreshingly warm and sincere psychiatrist, who has created a book of philosophy that is both fun to read and hard to forget. The stories of his patients will return to you over and over at times when their wisdom may prove most valuable. I would certainly recommend this book if you are serious about finding happiness. The book, whose ultimate message of compassion is sorely needed in our contemporary times, should appeal to a wide cross section of the reading public.

Goober The Golf Ball's Great Adventure

Goober The Golf Ball's Great Adventure
by Michelle Lynn DiCicco (Writer) & John Terlato (Illustrator)

Published by Trafford Publishing

Category: Children / Fiction / Humour
24 pages; ISBN: 1-4120-2071-9

Rating: 6/10

Review

"Goober the Golf Ball's Great Adventure" is a children's book, written by Michelle DiCicco and illustrated by John Terlato. It is a short and sweet story, humorous and with a happy ending. A boy Tommy loses his favorite golf ball, Goober. After a short separation, they get reunited.

The story is simple and easy to read for children. The illustrations are colorful and eye- catching.

It would have been better if the age group for whom the book is meant for was mentioned somewhere, on the cover or in a short intro. Also, even in USA and Canada (for whom the book is meant for) there could be parents who don't play golf and so will be at a loss to explain what is a driver and what is meant by slicing. Such golf terminology could have been explained so that the curiosity of children and parents could be taken care of.

The story and the illustrations lend for a multi-media approach in the form of a CD (with nice music and the story read out).

A good effort.

Going Deeper

Going Deeper - How to Make Sense of Your Life When Your Life Makes No Sense
by Jean-Claude Koven

Published by Prism House Press

Category: Fiction / Self-help
438 pages; ISBN: 0-9723954-5-8

Rating: 9/10

Review

'Going Deeper' by Jean-Claude Koven is not a novel in the ordinary sense of the word and again it is also not a self-help book in the normal sense of the word. It is a novelised version of a man's spiritual search to understand his true nature and his true mission on this planet earth. The book's cover categorises it better as Self-Help, Spirituality, New Age and Metaphysical.

The action takes place in Joshua Tree National Park and the whole 'Story' is about the Spiritual Rebirthing (the Phoenix is an appropriate metaphor) of Larry, the 'hero' through shedding many layers of ego resulting in better awareness and thus better integration of the many egos that go to make up an individual.

Through Larry and his dog Zeus, who acts as a teacher, guide and guru, Jean-Claude tries to explain the nature of the 'self' or soul. The book is especially appealing to the 'Wanderers', souls of a higher plane who have volunteered to take birth on the earth allowing the veil of ignorance to cover them, but who, at the same time are not allowed to forget their true mission. This reviewer could well identify with the wanderer's problems, having been tormented by similar conflicts between the insights that keep coming up from the other side and the veil of ignorance that tries to cover up those sights. The book certainly helps clarify many of the puzzles presented by the universe. The book is different from the usual new age books in that it tries to harmonise the relationship between spirituality and science. I found the portion that bridges the spirituality and science excellent reading.

Even if you don't have a scientific background, the book talks to you from several points of perception and thus succeeds in reaching its central message across of non-duality, or the unity in diversity.

The author has obviously been exposed to several philosophies and religions from across the world. His ideas run close to the ideas of non-duality carried in the Upanishads and Sri Bhagavad Gita (The Song Divine), the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sai Baba etc. Readers who are steeped in believing a specific religion may find some of the ideas revolutionary and disturbing.

In general the book has been edited very well. The few slips don't affect the message. The photograph on the cover is really inviting and the printing quality is good.

The book has gripped my attention and interest. I had to pick it up every day and continue. This is the first book that I could read from beginning to end in the space of about a week, after several months of health problems. As the author writes, nothing is really random and I felt that the book came into my hands at the right time.

I won't urge you to go and buy the book and read it. If you are ready, the book will come to you.

Getting Hip - Recovery From A Total Hip Replacement

Getting Hip - Recovery From A Total Hip Replacement
by Sigrid Macdonald

Published by AuthorHouse

Category: Non-fiction / Health
160 pages; ISBN: 1-4184-7837-7

Rating: 7/10

Review

"Getting Hip" is the first person account of Sigrid Macdonald, who went through a Total Hip Replacement Surgery and felt the need to share her experiences before, during and after surgery.

At places poignant, at places serious and at some places humorous, the book gives a detailed account of what is involved in a Total Hip Replacement Surgery, including the decision to go in for the surgery, type of implant to be selected (given a choice) and what to expect in terms of pain, restrictions on movement and post-surgery life style etc. The author has referred to several books on the subject and has added her own wisdom to the subject.

One interesting feature of the book is the chapter dealing with the experiences of other people who underwent similar surgery. The widely different experiences of these people confirm the author's own experience that when it comes to a major issue, each individual has a different experience and while other's experience has some educational value, that does not and cannot form a benchmark. That is the message of this good book.

The bibliography and electronic references given at the end of the book add value to the book. The last chapter dealing with the Future of Hip Replacements is a little speculative and should be taken as the author's perception of various bits and pieces collected in the course of her extensive reading and interaction. Brand names of drugs should be acknowledged as such and wherever possible, generic names of the drugs may be preferred.

The book doesn't deal with alternative or complementary aspects of health care in detail since the author is totaly dependent on the Canadian Health care system, which is dependent on the main stream medical knowledge. Several people are however trying out alternative systems like herbal supplements, Homeopathy, Acupuncture etc. because of the adverse side effects of the main stream drugs.

The reviewer found some sentence usage patterns in the book rather odd, but probably these are country specific and in any case there is no difficulty in understanding the text.

If you are considering a hip replacement or if you need to support a friend or relative who is contemplating such a surgery and are looking for a layperson's perspective of what is involved in a major surgical operation like Total Hip Replacement, this book is certainly recommended.

This book is also worth taking a look at if you are in the health care profession, since it gives you the perspective from the customer's point of view.

Fun With Chinese Characters

Fun With Chinese Characters - The Straits Times Collection 1
by Selina Yoon - Publisher & Cartoonist: Tan Huay Ping

Published by Infini Press

Category: Non-fiction / Language / Humour
176 pages; ISBN: 1-932457-00-3

Rating: 8/10

Review

FUN WITH CHINESE CHARACTERS, The Straits Times Collection 1, is a fun book to learn a few basics of Chinese characters and sentences. The book is attractvely printed and the cartoons definitely add an element of fun to the activity. Each character is explained through several sketches, with the individual strokes and the sequence explained.

Since I don't know Chinese language myself, I can't vouch for the accuracy of everything presented, but that didn't prevent me from enjoying the book. The book may or may not be sufficient to learn Chinese language, but it will help one to recognise some of the characters. This is the first of a three part series and may be the reader who practises the characters may develop some skill in reading and understanding Chinese Script. A companion CD with guide to pronounciation would have been more helpful for learning to speak and to comprehend the language.

Recommended to those with interest in the language, culture etc.

Forrest Tales - The Secret of The Labyrinth

Forrest Tales - The Secret of The Labyrinth
by C.J. Lewis

Published by Publish America

Category: Fiction / Fantasy
140 pages; ISBN: 1-4137-1035-2

Rating: 8/10

Review

"The Secret of the Labyrinth" is the first of Forrest Tales, a series of adventures featuring Edward Forrest. Written as a juvenile fantasy, the book is an extremely good read for adults too. I couldn't put the book down except for brief intervals necessitated out of fatigue. I had to finish it in one day. The story is good, the style is mostly good and the characterisation is very good. Most of the time, author C.J.Lewis succeeds in painting a vivid picture in the mind of the reader.

The book is not only about powers of light and darkness, but also the story of courage, withstanding temptation, learning to forgive and ultimately learning to 'be in the light'. The last few chapters of the book are spiritually very uplifting. Whether the present generation children will resonate with the lessons presented by Lewis is a debatable point. But the book is certainly an inspiring addition to every school, library and I would add, every home too, where a child lives.

I found a few editorial glitches but they do not interfere with the enjoyment or understanding.

I compliment the author, C.J.Lewis for an excellent effort and look forward to more offerings from her pen.

Finding The Right Spot

FINDING THE RIGHT SPOT - When Kids Can't Live With Their Parents
by Janice Levy; Illustrated by Whitney Martin

Category: Non-fiction / Education / Children
42 pages; ISBN: 1-59147-074-9

Rating: 8/10

Review

‘Finding the Right Spot – When Kids Can’t Live With Their Parents’, with text by Janice Levy and illustrated by Whitney Martin is a small book for young children, of suggested age 6-12 and the adults who need to take care of them.

Written from the perspective of a child, who is in the care of a foster aunt, and illustrated vividly, the book is a good read, filled with deep psychological insights. It is touching and moving. It is also highly educative. It is good value for children and for adults too.

Since separation from the biological parents is always traumatic, even where the child has been ‘rescued’ from a situation of abuse, the child needs to be taken care. The trauma of a fractured childhood lingers long, deep in the psyche, and holds sway for several years, until the script is erased by understanding and accepting.

Human psyche, especially in the formative years is fortunately flexible and negative strokes can, to some extent be compensated by positive strokes, hurts by hugs etc. This book demonstrates and reinforces the same concept through the small girl ‘finding the right spot’ in Jake, the orphan pup, to whom she can relate well because the pup too is separated from his mom. Aunt Dane provides the optimum support.

The same story, told from the perspective of the child's mother and the foster aunt would be interesting and educative to the adults who need to be the caregivers to similar children. I hope the author and APA will bring them out soon.

The Note to Caregivers at the end by Jennifer Wilgocki, M.S., and Marcia Kahn Wright, Ph.D., adds value to the book, by putting the story in the right perspective.


All in all, the book is an excellent addition to the children’s literature.

More information about the author, Janice Levy and her other books etc. can be found on www.janicelevy.com

Experiencing Astral Travel

Experiencing Astral Travel- An 8 week course
by V.M. Beelzebub

Published by Gnosticweb (www.gnosticweb.org)

Category: Non-fiction / Self-help
157 pages; ISBN: 0-9740560-0-6

Rating: 7/10

Review

'Experiencing Astral Travel- An 8 week course' by Mark Pritchard, writing under the pseudonym V.M.Beelzebub, is a good practical introduction to the subject. In about 150 pages, the author gives a practical approach to learn astral travel. There are many books on the subject, but this book starts from the very beginning and takes the reader to a fairly good level.

The author deals with astral planes, the problem with concentration, fears and other obstacles caused by egos and ways of overcoming the same. He also suggests a few mantras to help in remembering one's dreams, to conjure evil entities away etc.

This book is based on the FREE 8-week course offered by www.gnosticweb.org, with whom the author is associated. Similar courses on 'Self Knowledge' and 'Esoteric Wisdom' are also offered by the same site. That all these courses are FREE is praiseworthy.

The cover has been printed very attractively and the book is well printed. The editing could have been better to avoid style errors, punctuation problems etc.

Considering all the factors, I would rate the book as 'Very Good' with a score of 7/10.

Every Dream Interpreted

Every Dream Interpreted
by Dr.Veronica Tonay, Ph.D.,

Published by: Collins & Brown (www.chrysalisbooks.co.uk)

Category: Non-fiction / Self-help
272 pages; ISBN: 1-84340-051-0

Rating: 9/10

Review

EVERY DREAM INTERPRETED by Dr.Veronica Tonay, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist, is a very well produced book, that invites itself into your hands and then into your heart. I have no hesitation to say that this book is very elegantly designed and printed. And the subject is one which appeals to all of us. After all, all of us dream and almost all of us would at one time or another, be wondering about the meaning of our dreams.

With her impeccable credentials, Dr.Veronica tells us what our different dreams mean. She gives us the choice of interpretation from four principal schools of dream interpretation, Freudian, Jungian, Gestalt and Phenomenological. She also takes into account the various symbolic meanings attached by various cultures to different dreams. More importantly she tells us unequivocally that the dream is a product of the dreamer's psyche and so only the dreamer can truly interpret the dream! (The same view is expressed by Simon Godfrey in his book, "Dreams and Reality" reviewed in this blog)

The book has two main parts. The first part describes the dream theory, including the importance of dreams, the dreams that we remember, dream characters and unusual dreams. The second part is the dream directory,consisting of the environment, human characters, animals and buildings.

The book comes with a bibliography and an index, so that the interested reader can pursue the subject further.

The book is well edited. Still, my critical eye couldn't help noticing a few errors. Very minor, I assure you and unless you are very alert, you may not be bothered by them. I am not a psychologist, but I do have a different opinion about some of her interpretations, for example, the role assigned to cats in dreams, the negative interpretations for dreams of dogs etc. And I also wish she had touched upon seeing bulls, monkeys, donkeys etc., in dreams. In Hindu Mythology, these do have some special meanings.

All in all, an excellent introduction to the world of dreams and their meanings. Happy reading and happier dreaming!

Eternal Treblinka

Eternal Treblinka - Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust
by Charles Patterson, Ph.D

Category: Non-fiction / General
312 pages; ISBN: 1-930051-99-9

Rating: 8/10

Review

"Eternal Treblinka - Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust" by Charles Patterson is a touching, moving indictment of the cruelty of man to fellow men and to animals. The holocaust (mass murder of Jews during Second World War) is aptly compared to the daily slaughter of millions of animals. Charles, through Nobel Laureate I.B.Singer, whose works he quotes extensively, makes a strong case for veganism (strict form of vegetarianism excluding milk, yoghurt, cheese, honey and other animal products). In the case of most of the vegetarians and vegans in America and Europe, it is an acquired food habit out of their sympathy to animals, on the ground that man has no right to kill an animal, which can feel pain, for his living. The reviewer, on the other hand, is a born vegetarian (Indian culture accepts milk and milk products, honey etc. as acceptable food, but also requires that all food should first be purified by offering it to God before being consumed). Thus many of the arguments given are a part of belief system in India.

However, the reviewer hopes that the author extends his sympathy to insects and plants, who apparently don't feel pain. They do feel pain and alas, lack the organs to express the pain. The experiments of scientists like Sir J.C.Bose and others proved that conclusively. Thus the indiscriminate exploitation of vegetable sources and the slaughter of many 'lesser brethren' for our survival is also to be condemned.

It is a fact that in the food chain, each living organisam depends on another living organism for its survival. Plants and bacteria etc., depend upon the nutrients in the soil, water and sunlight for their survival. Animals depend upon other animals and or plants. Thus interdependency of the living organisms in the ecosphere is inevitable. What is unpardonable is wanton, mindless cruelty on the ground that might is right. In that regard, man who considers himself the most intelligent of God's creations, has the maximum responsibility to protect the other animals, plants etc., that is the nature. The present mindless exploitation of planet earth is like a monkey trying to cut down the very branch on which it is perched or trying to burn down the house which gives it shelter. To that extent, man has not really evolved fully.

The book is well written and holds the reader's attention well. Some of the descriptions of animal and human torture are rather vividly portrayed and squeamish readers may get distressed. The book is well researched and is also a good sourece for further reading and gives the reader many leads.

Whether the readers will be converted to veganism is another matter. Human minds have a great knack of repressing unpleasant thoughts and rationalising all actions. However, the book will certainly appeal to animal lovers and animal/human rights activists.

The concept of Karma, is probably new to the author and the other protagonists cited in the book. Many of the animals killed would have been born as Nazis and would have taken their revenge against the Jews. And who knows, the victims would have been born as Muslims and may be taking revenge against the Americans and Europeans. The Universe of God has enormous patience to balance the karmic books of all.

The reviewer does not share Singer's vision of God that is portrayed in the book as a malicious, vicious, self centered being indifferent to the plight of the animals. This perception of God is highly colored and is arising out of a limited perception. If God is the creator of all and also dwells in all, who is the killer and who is the killed? As per Hindu Philosophy, the whole life is a constant Yagna, Sacrifice. The concept of ritualistic sacrifice is not limited to Judaism or Islam. The animal sacrifice is an external symbol of the sacrifice of the ego. Having said that, the reviewer too shares the anguish of the author about the needless torture inflicted on fellow creatures.

The book is strongly recommended and will hopefully convert many readers to a life of compassion and love to fellow brethren of God's creation. Readers of this book may also be interested to check out "Hatred - The Psychological Descent into Violence" by Willard Gaylin, PublicAffairs, 2003, Review by S. V. Swamy on April 12th 2004 - Review at

http://mentalhelp.net/books/books.php?type=de&id=2103

Dreams and Reality

Dreams & Reality - Revelations on the Nature of Man & God
by Simon S. Godfrey

Published on-demand by Trafford Publishing

Category: Non-fiction / Self-help
245 pages; ISBN: 1-4120-1143-4

Rating: 7/10

Review

Dreams & Reality - Revelations on the Nature of Man and God is a book written by Simon Godfrey, a retired psychologist. He followed up this book by another book, "The Nature of Man and God", which I happened to review first. In the present book, the author shares the wisdom revealed by God to him over a number of years through dreams. The author's approach to interpretation of dreams is quite different from that of many other psychologists. In fact, the author covers in the first few chapters, the different ideas regarding dreams as propounded by various people over the centuries.

From Chapter 6 to Chapter 11, the author covers various aspects of dreams using his own library of dreams over several years. Each chapter in the book is enriched by a summary at end of the chapter. A glossary of symbols (as pertinent to him and his dreams), notes for each chapter, a list of references and an index at the end add more value to the book.

While I am in general agreement with the author about the subject, I do differ with him on certain aspects. I believe that all dreams are not messages with a purpose. Some dreams are simply wish-fulfilling fantasies. Their purpose is to show them that they are still bound by their wishes, which they are probably suppressing in their wakeful state. Similarly, it is known that some dreamers can direct their dreams and travel in astral planes under their will, which the author doesn't seem to think is possible. I also don't agree with the views of author in Chapter 12. The author seems to contradict himself between individual freedom and the Divine Wisdom. (The apparent conflict between individual freedom and destiny (Universal Will) is very difficult to resolve. So, while accepting God's (Universal) Will, the individual continues to try to do different things, since the thoughts do come from that Universal source only. So, the author's apparent contradiction is to be viewed from that context. - Added by Swamy on 7/8/2005)

The book has a few editorial glitches but is other wise quite readable. The book will appeal to serious students of philosophy who are trying to understand themselves.

Calm Amid Chaos

Calm Amid Chaos - An Executive Guide To Reducing Stress Through Meditation
by Charles Graybar

Published by Serenity Hill Press

Category: Non-fiction / Self-help
170 pages; ISBN: 0-9740265-6-5

Rating: 8/10

Review

"Calm Amid Chaos - An Executive Guide To Reducing Stress Through Meditation" is a practical guide to meditation by Charles Graybar. The book is authentic in that it is written by a man who himself has been a successful business executive and who thus understands the pressures and pains of the average American Business Executive / Leader. That he failed several times to meditate and finally succeeded should give all of us who fail to meditate (including this reviewer), the perseverence to persist and succeed.

Most of the meditation practices described by Charles Graybar (Chuck to his friends) are based on eastern approaches. But they don't demand any change in the religious beliefs of the meditators and thus the book should be acceptable to people of all faiths.

The book's editing left a lot to be desired. Fortunately, the author's message comes through with little distortion.

If you have been looking for a simple, practical guide to help you learn meditation, this is for you.

Blink : The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Blink : The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
by Malcolm Gladwell

Category: Non-fiction / General
288 pages; ISBN: 0316172324

Rating: 9/10

Review

"Blink : The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" by Malcolm Gladwell is an interesting book that explores the mechanics of thinking without thinking. The author calls it thin-slicing, to refer to the small size of the sample data when compared to the population from which it is drawn, especially in terms of the extremely small time window for decision making.

The book should properly be categorised as Psychology since Malcolm explores the science behind the process of thinking and intuition. He brings out, with the help of several examples, the positive and negative aspects of this thin-slicing. The positive aspects are of course very important when one needs to decide quickly and correctly. The negative aspects bring out the situations when prejudices and biases, prior conditioning etc., play an important role. As brought out by the author, negative first impressions can be and should be countered and tempered by prior practice to reduce the chance of error.

The examples are many and are interesting. Except for the highly technical words used in describing the anatomy of facial expressions, the writing is easy to understand and follow. The concepts come through very clearly and the author makes a convincing case for his hypothesis.

Whether you need to make the sort of snap judgements that Malcolm describes or not, reading the book will certainly increase the reader's clarity of the dynamics of thinking.

I would certainly recommend this book if you are interested in the mecahnics of thinking.

The book is printed well and the editing is quite good. The errors are very few. A good value for the money.

Beyond the Broken Gate

Beyond the Broken Gate
by Charles Graybar

Published by Serenity Hill Press

Category: Non-fiction / Self-help
360 pages; ISBN: 0974062522

Rating: 8/10

Review

"Beyond the Broken Gate - An Ordinary Man's Extraordinary Journey In Learning Who We Are, Why We Live, And Where We're Going" by Charles Graybar is a Spiritual book. The author had questions which trouble many seekers, viz., what is the purpose of life, where are we going spiritually etc., and got answers from advanced spirit guides. In about 360 pages, Charles or Chuck as he is referred to in the book, shares with us his extraordinary journey into some advanced spiritual realms and the answers that he got. Obviously his spiritual encounters have affected his career and personal life very extensively, so that his prsent life is in better tune with the original purpose.

To many westerners, the ideas presented in the book may be new and may thus challenge their beliefs. To eastern believers, much of what Chuck describes is already known. The Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita and of course Buddhist teachings (which Chuck is aware of slightly), present similar teachings. However, his attempt at explaining esoteric concepts is laudable and will appeal better to the 'rational' minds. Chauck comes through as an extraordinary man. In fact, since each individual is unique, no one is really ordinary.

There is an interesting perceptional block in Chuck's understanding. While agreeing that the life on earth plane is similar to a dream and thus all events that take place here, good or bad have no real significance in the higher planes, except for their value as educational lessons, Chuck is still distressed about the negative atmosphere prevailing on earth in his life time. Chuck seems to have missed one important spiritual lesson that life has several cycles and the world too goes through several cycles of war and peace. A great war always cleans up the atmosphere and love, peace etc. start growing. But again as the decay keeps piling up, as the negativity keeps building, another war or earthquake, a flood or some other natural disaster comes up. In Hindu philosophy the Trinity of Creator, Preserver and Destroyer are three different aspects of the same Source. Much before the Crusades and the World Wars, two major wars were described in detail in Ramayana and Mahabharatha. But since Chuck's lessons to be learnt include compassion, empathy etc., his feelings are as per the programmed script.

The book has a fair number of editorial glitches, but thankfully the message comes through quite well. The book is strongly recommended to all spiritual seekers.

Awakening To The Dream

Awakening To The Dream
by Leo Hartong

Category: Non-fiction / General
148 pages; ISBN: 0954779215

Rating: 9/10 (Ratings explained)


Review

I have great pleasure in presenting my review of 'Awakening To The Dream', a book on Non-Duality by Leo Hartong.

Get from : www.awakeningtothedream.com and Amazon

Keywords: Advaita, Non-Dual, Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality, Dream, Awakening

'Awakening to the Dream' by Leo Hartong is a good introduction to and exposition of non-dualism, Advaita (not two). It explores the oft-rising questions like 'Who am I?', "What is Liberation?' etc., from the monistic (There is only One) point of view. It gives convincing arguments to reject the concepts of dualism (looking at the world from the point of view of two, (I or mine and You or Not-Mine) or pluralism (I, You and They/Others - a modified form of dualism). The book demystifies the psychic/mystic experiences which are often confused with enlightenment.

The book is extremely readable and after first reading, one can come back to it off and on to find answers, to clear the mental cobwebs. The author, Leo Hartong writes from personal experience and conviction. He doesn't expect you to accept his point of view. He shows you his perception and it is for you to decide whether those concepts vibe with you or not.

Leo is certainly not the first western author to write on non-dualism, which by the way is not a Hindu monopoly. I was pleasantly surprised that more or less similar concepts are found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Zen, Tao etc. Of course, since Buddhism was an off-shoot of Hinduism, that part was not new. But Zen, Tao and many other religions, also share this vision of Unity in Diversity.

The author has nicely brought out the common thread in apparently diverse religions across the world. Spirituality seems to be much more unified than apparent. It is the ritualistic diversity which is probably causing the apparent differences.

The author has rightly listed some of the other leading exponents of non-dualism who have inspired him. So, if the reader is a total novice to the subject, he/she will have not only Leo's point of view but will have the advantage of getting some more leads to read further. And if the reader has already a good grounding in the subject by reading classics of Sri Adi Sankara, Bhagavad Gita, Avadhuta Gita, Ashtavakra Gita etc., or modern non-dualists like Nisargadatta Maharaj, Ramesh Balsekar and others, he/she will find much to confirm the concepts by different analogies. More links are available at the author's website, www.awakeningtothedream.com

It is seen that a Dutch Language Edition of the same book is also available.

All in all, a very good and highly readable book. I recommend it strongly to serious readers who would like to answer the question, "Who am I?" -

Absolute Honesty

Absolute Honesty
by Larry Johnson & Bob Philips Publisher: Amacom (www.amacombooks.org)

Category: Non-fiction / Business
290 pages; ISBN: 0-8144-0781-1

Rating: 9/10 (Ratings explained)


Review

Absolute Honesty by Larry Johnson and Bob Phillips deals with the critical role of honesty, ethics and morals in business. In 10 Chapters and 290 pages, the authors bring out the negative consequences of dishonesty, shying away from speaking up, lack of a clear policy on ethics etc. They point out the benefits of actively following Absolute Honesty. While the book focuses on the corporate scene in USA, especially in the wake of many corporate scandals that broke out in 2002, similar situations have arisen in many other parts of the world and this book strikes a welcome chord in many a heart.

The book is meant for every one but especially for leaders and managers of business organisations, big or small. Employees also benefit, since they will learn the need for courage and honesty, the need to stay away from illegal and immoral activities. So that one can not only sleep better but also look at oneself in the mirror after waking up, without guilt.

The authors accomplish what they set out to do, very effectively. The book is very well produced, with the important points well structured and effectively communicated. Reading the book was like attending a seminar and listening to Larry speak. The style is lucid and friendly. Bob's rich experience as a Human Resources expert has added significant value to the book, in the form of real life examples.

Information about the book is available at

http://www.amanet.org/books/catalog/0814407811.htm

where Chapter 2 is available as sample. Chapter 1 is a good introduction to the book and chapter 10 is a good review of the whole book.

All in all, a very valuable addition to the bookshelf of every manager. The book serves the role of a good self-study guide too.

Rating: Excellent

I would like to share with the readers of this review, excerpts from a mail which I wrote to Larry Johnson, after reading the book.

"I finished reading the book. It is excellent and I am really happy that I could read the book.

The book appealed to my own strong ethical and moral streak. ..............I found the tips for differing with boss, like off-line communication very useful.

I found a few places where I would have edited the matter a litle differently. But in general, the editorial standards are quite high.

Would you consider bringing out the contents of this book as a Seminar on Multi-Media CD, or as a companion to the book?


Thank you for this excellent book.

Swamy"

In another development, Larry asked me whether he can share with his readers his experience of my own honesty and integrity. I agreed.