Book Reviews of 2007

Friday, December 28, 2007

Title: The Sinatra Solution - Metabolic Cardiology

Author: Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D, F.A.C.C.

Publisher; Basic Health Publications Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-59120-158-8

Genre: Non-Fiction/Health

This book is a really welcome addition to the growing field of metabolic cardiology (the role of food nutritional supplements to improve heart health - not a dictionary definition).

Author's Biography: The author Stephen T. Sinatra is a Board Certified Cardiologist, a certified bioenergetic psychotheraist and a certified nutrition and antiaging specialist. At his practice in Manchester, Connecticut, USA, he integrates conventional medicine with complementary nutritional and psychological therapies to help heal the heart. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and is the author of several books, including Optimum Health, Heartbreak and Heart Disease, Heart Sense for Women, and Eight Weeks to
Lowering Blood Pressure.

About the book: The book gives detailed information, backed by many case studies and other published research papers the role of Coenzyme Q10, L-Carnitine,D-Ribose and Magnesium in maintaining and improving heart health and also diseases of the peripheral blood vessels, muscles and conditions like Fibromyalgia etc.

The introduction by Dr. James C. Roberts, M.D, F.A.C.C. is really excellent and gives a good idea of the subject. Chapter 8 and the Conclusion also are helpful in allowing you to decide whether the book will be helpful for you. Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7 deal
with the four supplements in detail. The book has a glossary, Resources, References and an Index.

An excerpt: In congesive heart faiure (CHF), like other caardiovascular and many other disease syndromes, he actual root causes can be quite varied, from weakened heart muscle, to overly tight or overly loose heart valves, and so on. And while it is is definitely appropriate that cardiologists (and other medical practitioners) use the conventional drugs mentioned to treat CHF - because they work - consideration toward adding powerful nutritional supports like L - Carnitine, coenzyme Q10, and
D-Ribose is equally judicious.

Only by adding the these three nutritional supports will practitioners be treating symptoms as well as directing nutrition to the cellular level, where it can make a real difference on the undelying pathology. I have watched from the side lines as the simple addition of these nutrients has affected my patients' quality of life most positively... and has even helped them live longer than expected with their heart
conditions.

(From Pages 93 and 94, Chapter 5)

End of the excerpt

I would suggest that you check out the Introduction, the Chapter 8 (Sinatra Solution) and the Conclusion.

About Writing, Editing and Printing: Very good. The subject is very difficult to explain in layman's language but the author and editors tried their best. Printing is very good.

For whom the book is meant: Patients and their care givers. Many health professionals will find this a good handy guide to the field.

Recommendation: An excellent buy for preventive and maintenance care of the heart and general health. Will make an excellent gift to your family members, friends and their cardiologists and of course to yourself too!

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 1:21 AM 0 comments Links to this post

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Title: Laughing Sickness A Medical Mystery
Author: Anne Black Gray
Publisher: Bridgeway Books
ISBN: 978-1-933538-93-8
Genre: Fiction/Medical Mystery

The author grew up in semi-rural West Virginia, studied physics at Carnegie Mellon and then migrated to Southern California for a career in Aerospace Engineering. After retiring, she too up her second career (novel writing) at the same time that she was learning of the plight of victims of rare, hard-to-diagnose diseases. The needs of these patients became the inspiration for this, her first novel. The subject is very interesting and has been dealt with beautifully. It indeed reads like a good mystery and the reader is certainly kept waiting for the final diagnosis and to know how the patient fares.

The book gives the reader a good tour through the modern medical system, as experienced by Jessica Shepperd, the heroine of this novel, a sufferer from a hard-to-diagnose illness. She finds that when confronted with the apparently solvable problem, doctors who usually speak with science-backed authority can become irritable, evasive, dismissive and doubtful of the patient's mental soundness. If they can't find a physical reason, "it must be all in her head!" sums up the attitude of some of them.

Her illness changes her relationships with many, and she breaks up with her boyfriend, a doctor himself and who is a control freak. Jessica, on the other hand is obsessed with individual freedom. After a series of wrong diagnoses and after going on long disability leave (which affects her financially), she finally gets the right diagnosis (cataplexy) and hope is rekindled that the right treatment will enable her to lead an almost normal life. She also finds that she can write her experiences well and share with other sufferers. She also finds other people suffering similar problems and enjoys the friendship.

One small excerpt from the book:

Laughter and tickling inevitably cause attacks in over ninety percent of cataplectics.

Like her. May be all her life. When she was a little girl, if someone tickled her or told a joke, she fell. That could have been a precursor to her present condition.

She found little information on the physiology or neurology of cataplexy. It was simplistically described as a mistake, in conjunction with with narcolepsy, where the brain believes it's asleep and dreaming and, just as in normal dreaming, inhibits the body's ability to move. She read that narcolepsy and cataplexy are thought, but as yet not proven, to be autoimmune or autoinflammatory. Nothing was mentioned about sensations of switches flipping in the brain. Or about collapses after acceleration or deceleration.

End of the excerpt.

The books is extremely well written and beautifully printed. The style is engrossing and the suspense is kept up. I could put down the book only with a lot of difficulty and finished the book in 2 or 3 days. There is a lot of useful information about many medical conditions and diagnostic procedures. At the same time, it is entertaining too.

All in all, an excellent read.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 8:25 PM 0 comments Links to this post

Friday, December 07, 2007

Title: The Journey to a pain relief - A hands on guide to breakthroughs in pain treatment

Author: Phyllis Berger

Publisher: Hunter House Publishers

ISBN: 978-0-89793-469-5

Genre: Non-Fiction/Health/Pain Management

The book is both a complete handbook of pain-management options and a detailed introduction to specific cutting-edge techniques. The physiology of pain, the effects of fear, stress and worry, and the importance of the right attitudes that help you in
tapping the body's ability to heal.

Physiotherapy, Acupuncture, magnetotherapy, homeopathy, herbal treatments, prayer, TENS, Electropuncture, Modified Direct Current treatment methods etc. are covered.

The author is a qualified physiotherapist and acupuncturist. She has considerable personal experience with the methods described while trying to get healed from pain.

The book has a very good preface and 12 Chapters on various topics, followed by 3 Appendices, End Notes, Glossary, recommended reading, Resources and an Index. Thus it is a comprehensive manual of pain management and will be useful for patients, care givers and health professionals too. Chapter 3 (Patient, Heal Thyself), Chapter 6 (The Pain Pathways), Chapter 10 (Multimodal Approaches to Chronic Pain) and Chapter 12 (Coping Skills) are especially useful. Other chapters deal with specific techniques like Acupuncture, Electricity in pain management etc.

I would have liked to see Reiki and similar energy healing techniques also discussed, since from my personal experience as a healer, I can attest to their effectiveness.

The book is very useful for sufferers and caregivers alike and is strongly recommended.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 8:42 PM 0 comments Links to this post

Title: Supercharging Quantum Touch - Advanced Techniques

Author: Alain Herriott

ISBN: 978-1-55643-654-3

Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Genre: Non-Fiction/Health/Healing/Bodywork

Quantum Touch has become quite popular in the recent years and I was somewhat familiar with the topic but did not really know much about it. So, when an opportunity came to review the book, I was very much interested. The preface by Richard Gordon puts the whole book in the right perspective. The ability to sense the energy in one's own body or other is the key to the success of QT healer.

Mary Derr has also contributed to the development of some of the techniques and the whole subject has been presented in an interesting and easy-to-follow way by Alain Herriott. But you would first need a good exposure to the Quantum Touch method and the best way is to use the Quantum-ouch Interactive Video Workshop Package and get some hands on experience of the technique.

A small excerpt from the book:

Imagine a piece of flexible fabric, similar to the ribbing of a sock or cloth with an expandable weave that fits snugly. You can imagine it like an energetic "Ace" bandage. The woven mesh is made up of the basic building block colors: Copper, Silver, and Gold. This elastic light bandage blankets the area of the body where you hold the U-NAN pattern to maximize the healing effect in that area, making it last longer and affect the tissue at a deeper level. You can wrap the area internally, externally, or both. Visualize the are wrapped in this woven pattern and then "shrink wrap it" or make the bandage, snug, but not too tight.

Tip: The flexible body parts, like an elbow, should be wrapped more loosely to allow for greater movement. A disc or a vertebra, however, is not very flexible; therefore wrap it somewhat thickly, above and below the injury site. This gives added support to the weakened area. The same rule applies to broken bones.

End of the Excerpt.

I hope you get a good idea of the book from that. I was taught some similar techniques in my Reiki Classes (Reiki Surgery and similar techniques). I enjoyed going through the book.

The editing and printing of the book is very good.

All in all, it would be a good addition to QT practitioners and others interested in energy healing work.

I have no hesitation to recommend this book strongly along with other resources given at the end of the book. See www.quantumtouch.com and www.thelifeforceproject.org

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 8:08 PM 0 comments Links to this post

Title: The Foundations of Shiatsu

Author: Chris Jarmey

Publisher: Lotus Publishing, North Atlantic Books

ISBN: 978-1-55643-639-0

Genre: Non-Fiction/Health/Massage

I have only heard of the word Shiatsu but had no idea of what was involved. However, as a healer, I was certainly interested in knowing a little about the technique and I was thus happy when this book came to me for a review.

What is Shiatsu? Shiatsu is a Japanese bodywork therapy - a natural healing discipline from the same ancient oriental medicine principles as acupuncture. Shiatsu works by stimulating the body's vital energy flow in order to promote good health. The practitioner uses palms, thumbs and fingers, elbows, and even knees and feet to apply pressure and stretching to the energy lines known as channels or meridians. Thus it is also similar to acupressure, Sujok and Reflexology.

A short excerpt (Page 65)

Two-hand Connection

The techniques that have the most profound effects upon the receiver's Ki are those that involve having both hands in contact with the receiver's body. The hands are your most sensitive Ki imbalance detectors and Ki projectors. Therefore it stands to reason that two hands should be twice as effective as one hand. Two hands are even more effective if they are separated while in contact, rather than one overlapping the other. ......

End of the excerpt.

It is somewhat similar to the hands-on healing practised by Reiki practitioners.

The book covers the theory and practice of Shiatsu. Also, a comprehensive overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as applied to basic shiatsu completes the picture.

The author Chris Jarmey is the Course Director / Principal of the European Shiatsu School.

I confess that I or for that matter any one else cannot become a Shiatsu healer by simply reading the book, excellent as it is. The practical work has to be learnt by working with a Master like Chris.

But if you are interested in learning the technique, you would get a good idea of what is involved by reading the book and thus this book is a good investment and helps you decide whether it is for you.


If you are a massage therapist, an acupuncturist or acupressurist etc., you may consider adding the techniques taught in this book to your practice.

The book is edited and printed beautifully and the number of photos are add a lot of value to the text.

Strongly recommended.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 7:53 PM 0 comments Links to this post

Title: The Magic Violin

Author: Mayra Calvani

Illustrator: K. C. Snider

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-933090-49-8

Genre: Fiction / Children

The book is about a 8 year old girl Melina and how she regains her confidence that she can indeed learn the violin through some stratagems of her wonderful teacher Andrea.


When Melina starts losing her self-confidence, Andrea disguises herself as an old woman and tells Melina that her violin will become magical. And the child trusts the old woman and regains her confidence, which is of course the real magic.

The story of course only hints at this stratagem of Andrea and thus the children who read will really enjoy the old woman and the midnight magic so beautifully described in the short but sweet story.

The book is printed well, edited well and the illustrations are very appealing.

All in all, an excellent book for gifting to a child in this festive season.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 2:50 AM 2 comments Links to this post

Monday, November 12, 2007

Title: Secrets from the Sofa
Sub-title: A Psychologist's Guide to Achieving Personal Peace
Author: Dr. Kenneth Herman
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 9780595414321
Genre: Non-Fiction/Psychology/Self-Help

Key Words: Psychology, Change, Coping, Improvement, Self-Helf

'Secrets from the Sofa' is an attempt by a board certified clinical psychologist to share the lessons that he learned from nearly 50 years of practice. In his long career, Dr. Kenneth Herman had the opportunity to listen to the problems of many people and thus gained a deep understanding of human nature and he shares with us the readers, that understanding.

Change is difficult but is not impossible. That is the message that this book gives. The blurb on the back cover says, "With motivation and determination, you will find that your personal peace plan can make a change for the better completely possible. Secrets from a Sofa can lead you to a happier, more fulfilling life. And if you really put your mind to it, it will." I agree with that statement.

The book has eighteen chapters spread over five parts. Part One is titled, "Understanding Why", Part two is titled, "Gearing Up", Part three is called, "Your Personal Peace Process", Part four deals with "Your Emotions and Feelings" and the final part is "Emerging Stronger"

Chapter six has detailed checklists to help you understand yourself better.

The book has a number of case studies and the style is easy and interesting. Names have been suitably changed to protect the privacy of the individuals. It is easy to relate to many of the problems (lack of confidence, indecisiveness, anger etc.) faced by the people in the book.

Additional resources are listed at the end of the book to help you explore specific topics in more detail.

The book is edited and printed well.

The book makes an useful addition to the many self-help books in the field and is recommended.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 8:11 PM 2 comments Links to this post

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Title: Reiki Without Rules
Product Details:

Printed: 231 pages, 6.14" x 9.21", perfect binding, black and white interior ink
ISBN: 978-1-84799-866-8
Publisher: Lulu.com
Rights Owner: Keith Beasley
Copyright: © 2007 Keith Beasley & Pintados Healing Art
Language: English
Genre: Non-fiction/ Health/ New Age/ Self-Help

Reiki Without Rules is an excellent effort by a Reiki Master Keith Beasley to explain what Reiki is, the history of Reiki including the myths that circulate about the origins of Reiki, the need for symbols, the question of charging and all other details.

There are several books on Reiki and each author has rightly presented the material from his/her own perspective. Keith also does the same in this book and thus adds a sincere personal touch to the subject.

The printing of the book is good. A few editorial corrections (very minor) were in order.

The book will appeal to all those interested in Reiki, whether they are beginners or are Masters. I certainly enjoyed Keith's personal journey through Reiki.

I strongly recommend the book.

About the reviewer: Swamy is a Reiki Master from Hyderabad, India and has written articles on Reiki.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 12:01 AM 0 comments Links to this post

Labels: Health, New Age, Reiki

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Title: Links to Reviews published by Metapsychology


The reviews of the following books were originally published in metapsychology.net

Eastern Body, Western Mind
Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self
by Anodea Judith
Review by S. V. Swamy on Mar 14th 2006

When It Gets Dark
An Enlightened Reflection on Life with Alzheimer's
by Thomas DeBaggio
Review by S. V. Swamy on Apr 6th 2005

Hatred
The Psychological Descent into Violence
by Willard Gaylin
Review by S. V. Swamy on Apr 12th 2004

Pox
Genius, Madness, and the Mysteries of Syphilis
by Deborah Hayden
Review by S. V. Swamy on Jan 4th 2004

The Churkendoose Anthology
True Stories of Triumph over Neurological Dysfunction: Insights into the Holistic Approach to NeuroDevelopment and Learning Efficiency
by Judith Bluestone (commentator)
Review by S. V. Swamy on Oct 1st 2003

The Cancer Monologue Project
by Tanya Taylor and Pamela Thompson (editors)
Review by S. V. Swamy on Aug 18th 2003

A Life Shaken
My Encounter With Parkinson's Disease
by Joel Havemann
Review by S. V. Swamy on Jun 25th 2003

It Takes a Worried Man
by Brendan Halpin
Review by S. V. Swamy on May 5th 2003

Bone
by Marion Woodman
Review by S. V. Swamy on Dec 22nd 2002

Limbo
A Memoir
by A. Manette Ansay
Review by S. V. Swamy on Jul 3rd 2002

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 4:00 AM 0 comments Links to this post

Title: Eastern Body Western Mind
Sub-title: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self
Author: Anodea Judith

* Paperback: 488 pages
* Publisher: Celestial Arts; Revised edition (August 2004)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 1587612259
* ISBN-13: 978-1587612251
* Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
* Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds


Genre: Non-fiction / Psychology / Healing /

Key Words: Kundalini, Chakras, Psychology, Colors,


The title is rather intriguing and invites the reader who is interested in exploring his/her self. The author is a trained psychologist with additional qualifications in health and human services. She is also trained in bio-energetics, trauma recovery, yoga therapy etc.

The book starts with an introductory chapter that deals with human body, mind etc. and gives an introduction to the seven chakras. Each chakra is then dealt with in a separate chapter. The layout of the chapter on chakra one is given below:

Shades of Red

Unfolding the Petals

Growing the Lotus

Traumas and Abuses

Character Structure

Excess and Deficiency

Restoring the Lotus

Conclusion

A similar structure is maintained for all the chapters on the chakras, which are followed by a concluding chapter.

Since an imbalance of any one chakra leads to imbalance of the other chakras too, a tabular presentation is given in each chapter relating the attributes associated with excess and deficiency of each chakra in respect of some typical personalities (for example the first chakra has a table connecting it to the Schizoid Character Structure).

As a layman with a good interest in and a moderate exposure to psychology, I found the author's discussions of the various examples of personalities and the real life examples interesting and educational. As an Easterner with some background, I found her discussion of the chakras accurate. However, I felt that the attempt at an integration of these two aspects needs some more fine tuning, especially with respect to the style of presentation. I found the author's style rather heavy going at places.

The book is rather exhaustive in its approach and is serious reading. Thus it may be difficult for the prospective buyer to decide whether to go for it or not after a cursory examination in a bookstore. I would however recommend the book to those who have a serious interest in the subject.

I would have liked to see photographs, not line drawings of different psychological profiles listed, and I would have also preferred to see some before-and-after photographs of the same people after chakra work.

Since the book requires multiple readings to be really understood and appreciated, it would have been a good idea to go in for hard-bound edition instead of a soft cover.

2006 S. V. Swamy

S. V. Swamy, India.


Note: The above review was originally published at:
http://metapsychology.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=book&id=3040&cn=139


Posted by S.V.Swamy at 3:44 AM 0 comments Links to this post

Monday, September 10, 2007

Title: "A Secret of the Universe"
Author: Stephen L. Gibson
Genre: Fiction - religious & metaphysical
Publication Date: October 2007 (But it is already available at www.amazon.com and from the publisher)
Publisher: Truth-Driven Strategies
Price: $26.95
ISBN13: 978-0-9793880-0-2
URL: www.truthdrivenstrategies.com
Bound: 6 x 9 Hardcover
Pages: 576
About: This is a story about belief-in God, sexual ethics, morals, political ideologies-told through two friends' struggle to make sense of life's triumphs and tragedies, which they interpret through very different religious filters. When profound revelations lead each friend to uncover shocking historical "secrets" in support of his own world-view, their odyssey plays out on a global stage, with tragic consequences. Only by embracing the inherent mystery and pain of their quest do Ian and Bill make the discovery that really matters-a genuine secret of the universe.

More details of the book at www.truthdrivenstrategies.com.

You can find this book listed on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Universe-Story-Discovery-Eternal/dp/0979388007/ref=sr_1_1/002-6362047-3964044?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179499521&sr=1-1 and you can read excerpts of this book using Google's "Book Search" link at http://books.google.com/books?id=pEIc5SALBFwC&dq=isbn:0979388007.

My own idea about the book: The book is a novel with a few chapters of Non-Fiction interwoven that explores the concept of God from a Christian perspective and through the eyes of two child-hood friends who look at the same teachings from different perspectives.

My reading experience: The book has a fairly good plot and the style is good so that the reader's attention is held for the many hours that the book takes to read. Some of the concepts are not that secret for me since I grew up with different religious teachings and in the course of nearly 60 years on this earth's plane have been exposed to different ideas about truth.

Printing and Editing: Excellent

Recommendation: Strongly recommended, especially to Christians to get a wider perspective of the world. Readers of other religions too will find the book interesting since fundamentalism is not confined to any one religion but is a basic trait of human nature.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 3:09 PM 0 comments Links to this post

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Title: How to Name Paint
Author: Linda Chun Yan Wang
Publisher: NPA Party Productions
ISBN-13: 978-0-9791979-1-8
Genre: Art/ Self-Help

How to Name Paint is a step-by-step introduction to the art of name painting using art forms for the letters of the English alphabet that both children and adults will enjoy. The book contains step by step instructions to the author who is trained in China and the example creations are indeed very appealing. You can see sample pages of the book and other books, kits by the same author at her website, http://www.namepaintingart.com/books.html#

I enjoyed looking at her art creations, though I did not try out anything myself.

In her companion book, Each letter of the alphabet is painted in five different styles in The Art of Name Painting (76 pages Softcover ISBN-13: 978-9791979-0-1 8.5 x 11 inches)

If you enjoy art, esp. painting, you can certainly go for this fun activity.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 1:43 AM 0 comments Links to this post

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Title: Reality Check: What Your Mind Knows but Isn't Telling You
Author: David L. Weiner
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 9781591023029
Genre: Psychology
Presentation: Soft Cover
No. of Pages: 303

About the Book (From the Back Cover): What's "reality"? Each of us has a "virtual reality" consisting of our individual idealogies, opinions, attitudes, values, and beliefs that we have built up over the years. But what if you found out that what you thought was true really isn't? The author takes us on an entertaining romp through many odd and interesting new findings in various scientific fields - from neurobiology to physics to genetics - in order to dismantle some of our most common misconceptions about being human. By opening our minds to a scientific view of reality, rather than hanging on to our own comfortable (and mostly incorrect) beliefs, we can gain valuable insights and tools for improving the quality of our lives.

My own perception: While the book is informative, it is not really entertaining or it is not definitive. It tries to bring down the disadvantages of rigid mind sets but throws up too much uncertainty and leaves the egos without a good alternative prop. Also, science has been changing too fast and keeps revising so many things previously touted as definite truths, so, unless one is willing to keep a fully open mind, the book leaves you with a sense of confusion.

The book reached me in December 2005 and was one of the books partly read and kept aside. So, when I recently took it up and reread from beginning to end, the feeling returned that it is not an easy read.

The book has a few editorial slips, one being the wrong year of India's independence (it should be 1947 and not 1949).

The author's introduction to various religions including Hinduism could not be deep enough and if only he had delved deep into the teachings of Hindu Philosophy (not the ritualistic portions but the deeply spiritual upanishadic or vedantic portion), he would have probably seen things in a different perspective.

My recommendation: A good read but may or may not be your type. Check in the local book store or online excerpts and decide.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 5:18 AM 0 comments Links to this post

Monday, August 13, 2007

Title: Emails from Hell - The Wrath of William Wendell
Author: David Earthman
Publisher: Synergy Books
ISBN: 9781933538457
Genre: Humor

About the book (from Back Cover):

“Have you ever wanted to respond to the Nigerian scam e-mails just to see how long the criminal would carry on the charade? A foreign dignitary promises to pay you a percentage of his millions if you just send money now!

Have you ever wanted to get in on the ground floor of a pyramid scheme? You sell vitamins and recruit your friends!

Have you ever wanted to reply to job postings and personal ads in an outlandish way just to see what happens?”

My own impression:

The book is the result of an attempt by the author to take his revenge at many of the spam (junk, bulk) mails and the scam mails originating (or purporting to be originating) from Africa. In that process, he has created a mythical character named William Wyndell, who wreaks havoc on the poor and unsuspecting spamsters and scamsters. He also tests the patience of innocent folks who just want to sell an unused wedding dress or some thing similar. The result is real fun to the onlooker (the reader) but a real pain in the ass to the recipient. You can read the excerpts of the book (the first chapter) at www.amazon.com and may be look at some more pages through google and at your local bookstore.

Some of the mails are a little offensive to read but in general the book will appeal to one and all. The book is edited and printed well.

I recommend this book as a good way to pass your time in airports or other places where you need to cool your heals while the system goes in its own way.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 10:18 PM 0 comments Links to this post

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Title: The End of Time
Author: Randall Towe
Publisher: www.lulu.com
ISBN: 978-1-4116-3846-4
Genre: Science Fiction / Christianity
Presentation: Paperback

"The End of Time" is a Science Fiction novel by Randall Towe. It is a good mixture of science, philosophy, religion etc. , and is a good story of the classic struggle between good and evil.

The book is based on the current world situation and at places reads like a commentator's narrative. But, overall, it is a good read and will appeal to Christians especially.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 2:51 AM Links to this post

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Title: Building Personal Leadership – Inspirational Tools for Work & Life
Author: Joe Farcht
Publisher: Genesis Publishing, an Imprint of Morgan James Publsihing
ISBN: 9781600371653
Genre: Business / Leadership / Self-Development
Presentation: Soft Cover
No. of Pages: 356

About the Book (From the Back Cover) – “Building Personal Leadership is a book containing a treasury of tools and techniques to help the individual seeking greater success in their work and lives to realize their wants and dreams. The wisdom contained in this book will revolutionize your life if you are willing to absorb and apply its lessons. The best way to predict your future is to create it. You must take this book along on your life journey.”

If you always wanted to attend a seminar on Personality Development and Leadership etc., and could not attend the same because 1) It is too expensive and as an entrepreneur you could not afford the expense or 2) your boss did not think it worthwhile to sponsor your candidature, you can consider buying this book and spend a good weekend usefully. You will of course miss many of the other inputs of attending a live seminar (the free goodies, the food, the camaraderie, the networking etc.) but you will also spare yourself the expense, the troubles with the travel and a food which doesn’t suit you. If you buy the book at a fraction of the cost of such a seminar, you will also get many useful online bonuses, which as a reviewer, I am not going to get!

I first sampled the book at random at several places and after being satisfied with the contents and the presentation, read through the book in a linear sequence. I was of course exposed to several of the ideas and concepts presented by Joe in his book in the course of my long career (spanning over 4 decades) and my exposure to several speakers, books, Multi-media presentations etc. Thus to me, it was a good refresher course.

If you are a middle or senior level employee of medium and large organizations, you may find that you have already been exposed to several of the ideas presented in this book and thus you too may find that this book is a refresher course. It does its job refreshingly well.

If you are relatively new to life and business, you will find here at one place, almost all the information that you will need. Use the book and the online bonuses and I am sure you will be benefited.

I found the printing and editing to be of high quality. I have no hesitation in strongly recommending the book.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 5:09 AM Links to this post

Title: Hermanisms – Axioms for Business & Life
Author: John L. Herman Jr.
Publisher: HSB Press
ISBN: 978-097902041-4
Genre: Business / Memoir
Presentation: Soft Cover
No. of Pages: 288

Hermanisms is the result of a number of years of experience of the author John L. Herman, who considers himself a failure expert – that is, not some one who fails at business (though he did fail at quite a few businesses and learnt his share of lessons), but someone who understands why a business fails. Having learnt the lessons from his own failures and successes as well as the many clients whose businesses he helped sell and thus salvage some thing out of a sinking proposition, the author decided to share his ideas through this book with those interested and willing to learn. He has already written another book “The Innkeeper’s Tales” again business wisdom through the story format.

The front cover of the book greets you with Hermanism # 55 - Are you Making Money… or Wasting Time? Which is explained in detail from P.203 to 206. Turn the book over and on the back cover, you will see a few more Hermanisms:

- Know math or no money (21)
- Failure isn’t fatal (33)
- Facing reality is sobering. Ignoring reality is like being drunk. (38)
- Make the right business regardless of money. (77)

And if you are holding the physical copy of book in your hand, you will like its get up, the fine print quality and the very high level of editing. You can also quickly browse through some more Hermanisms and I am confident that you too will find the book attractive and useful, as I did. Even if you are seeing the book online after reading this fine review, I am sure you can read excerpts, see the images of the front and back covers etc.

Though it will be good to read the book from cover to cover, it is by no means necessary. Open the book at random and enjoy the witty and eloquent wisdom of Herman. In fact, I read several such samples at random before deciding that it is worth investing in my time as a busy reviewer and read it in full. As the father of an entrepreneur (my second son is a successful businessman after a few initial failures and could succeed mainly because of the financial support extended by me and my wife), I found his ideas matching with my own at several places.

I strongly recommend the book to you if you have any interest in business or even if you want to apply the lessons to life.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 5:07 AM Links to this post

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Title: High Performance Health
Sub-title: 10 Real Life Solutions to Redefine Your Health and Revolutionise Your Life
Author: James W.Rippe
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: W Publishing Group (May 29, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0849901820
ISBN-13: 978-0849901829

The credentials of the author are very good. He is a board certified cardiologist, he is the author of several books including “Healthy Heart for Dummies” and is also the editor of “Irwin and Rippe’s Intensive Care Medicine” and “Lifestyle Medicine”. He is also the founder and director of Rippe Lifestyle Institute. This book is based on research on thousands of patients treated at that institute and also at Celebration Health, owned and operated by Florida Hospital, the largest hospital in USA.

The book has 2 parts. Part 1: Diagnosis and Understanding has 10 chapters and Part 2: Action Plan has 2 chapters. I am giving below the chapter titles for your information:

1. You will protect what you love
2. Achieve your best health now
3. Mastering the basics
4. Build your high performance health team and environment
5. Transform your life through high performance thinking
6. Revitalize your health through emotional well-being
7. Stop to rest and heal when your body and spirit need it
8. Overcome the seven main barriers to high performance health
9. Use high performance health as a springboard to high performance living
10. Find your purpose and embrace your destiny
11. Ten steps to achieving high performance health
12. A personal journey to high performance health

You may be able to browse through the book and read some excerpts online or at your nearest brick-and-mortar bookstore.

I found his approach quite holistic though he doesn’t use that word, which has been overused and abused and also has come to acquire a connotation with alternative medicine. The book has a very engaging style and is highly readable. The author comes through as a sincere and caring human being. The editor Mary Abbott Waite deserves to be congratulated and well deserves the thanks of the author, which he offers in a special Author’s note. The reader would benefit from the appendices and notes. A companion workbook available may also be worth taking a good look at.

Dr.Rippe could have added more value by integrating the alternative medical (and non-medical healing) systems also in to his holistic approach to health. Modern medicine has its limitations as he surely knows.

I strongly recommend this book from Dr. Rippe.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 9:01 PM Links to this post

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Title: The Monk’s Son
Author: W.R.Wilkerson III
Publisher: Ciro’s Books (www.cirosbooks.com)
ISBN: 978-0-9676643-1-6
Genre: Fiction / Religion / Novel
No. of pages: 280
Presentation: Paperback

About the book: (from the back cover)

“From great hell comes Paradise”

When Brother Dominic finds a baby hidden in a field, the real world crashes into the peaceful cloisters of an English Abbey. It is 1940 and German bombs threaten the country side.

The foundling, Steven, grows up in the abbey. Over time, the monks take in other abandoned children, including sixteen-year-old Michael, a defiant artist who upsets the community’s tranquility. The boy’s friendship challenges the monks’ sacred vows and takes Steven to the brink of death.

Michael leaves the serenity of the abbey and plunges into the turmoil of ‘60s London. But disastrous sexual encounters and his battle with the drug called Paradise drive his life to take darker and darker turns. Steven, meanwhile, is nurtured and strengthened by his faith and the abbey community. He takes his final vows and dons the monk’s habit.

When at last Michael’s world spirals out of control, he returns to the monastery in despair. His reunion with Steven brings them together in ways that they would never have thought possible.

My impression: The story is beautifully written, is gripping and the style quite fluid which holds your attention through out. The author succeeds in painting a vivid canvas of the events. The novel has many facets that appeal to different people, like orphanage, art, religion, philosophy, and the darker sides such as homosexuality, drugs etc.

My Recommendation: Strongly recommended.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 11:41 PM Links to this post

Title: Eric, Jose & The Peace Rug
Author: Dr. Helen B. Mcintosh
Illustrator: Carol Blumenaus
Publisher: The Peace Rug Company (www.peacerug.com)
ISBN: 978-0-9763949-8-3
Genre: Children / Story / Psychology
Presentation: Paperback

About the book (from the back cover):

Not only do Eric and Jose not get along – they hate each other. Theirs is a “simple-to-understand” story of conflict resolution, learning to talk to each other about the problem, talking through a plan to make things better, learning to be friends, and even teaching others “how” to become friends, including you the reader with a step-by-step plan that adults and children can understand.

My impression: The book, meant for children of all ages (especially school children) is beautifully illustrated and the story line is simple and direct. The message is clear and direct. If you want friends, you must be willing to listen to them and you should be willing to change. The message is equally valid for adults too as pointed out by the author.

The colorful illustrations add a tremendous value to the story and the book.

My Recommendation: Strongly recommended to all children, parents, other adults and schools etc.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 11:30 PM Links to this post

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Title: On Shapes and More

Author: Roni Rosenthal-Gazit

Illustrated by: Jehanne Silva-Freimane

Publisher: StoryTime World - publishing house

ISBN-10: 0-9792800-0-1

ISBN-13: 978-0-9792800-0-9
Genre: Children/Picture Book


This little book aims to teach children shapes such as triangles, circles, squares etc., by relating them to some every day objects which they can relate to. The text is presented in a nice rhyme-like manner which goes well with the colorful illustrations.


I enjoyed going through the little colorful book that teaches the shapes and how they relate to every day objects in life. Congratulations to the author-illustrator and publisher team for a very useful project to help the children learn the connections between maths (and science) and life in a fun-to-read and fun-to-do manner. Parents can encourage children and help them extend the knowledge of shapes to more every day objects in and around the house.

There are a few blank pages at the end of the book for the child to try out his / her own hand at drawing.

I would have preferred that the pages of the book were laminated to withstand the rough and tough use expected from active and energetic children. As printed, the pages are good enough for a few readings and a few trials of shapes from the children's hands.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 10:31 PM Links to this post

Monday, May 21, 2007

Title: Dr. Bach’s Flower Remedies
Sub-title: Tapping into the positive emotional qualities of the chakras
Authors: Philip Salmon and Anna Jeoffroy
Publisher: Lotus Publishing, Chichester, UK and North Atlantic Books
Genre: Non-Fiction/ Health/ Alternative Therapies/ Flower Remedies
ISBN-10: 1-55643-640-8
ISBN-13: 978-1556436406
Presentation: Soft cover and high quality art paper.

I requested and received this beautiful book from NAB’s publicist after seeing an excerpt on the net ( a .pdf file) and the printed book is equally good or even better in its get up and print quality. This book combines the wisdom of Dr. Edward Bach whose 38 flower remedies have established an excellent reputation from many users since their inception, with the Chakras of Kundalini and their effect on human mind and emotions. The authors are reflexologists and are also knowledgeable about Flower Remedies and Chakras. The remedies have been grouped into 7 groups corresponding to each chakra, its color and its qualities. I am giving below the table of contents for your ready reference:

1. Edward Bach
2. The Journey of Consciousness Through the Body
3. Chakras and Physical / Emotional / Mental Development
4. Balancing Positive and Negative
5. Crown Chakra and Remedies
6. Brow Chakra and Remedies
7. Throat Chakra and Remedies
8. Heart Chakra and Remedies
9. Solar Plexus Chakra and Remedies
10. Sacral Chakra and Remedies
11. Base Chakra and Remedies
12. Using the Remedies
13. Journal Keeping with the Remedies

Quick Reference to Remedies
Quick Reference to Remedies in Alphabetical Order
Some Suppliers of Remedies, Books, Audio Tapes and Posters
The Bach Remedies and the Chakras
Bibliography

Thus you can see that the book is a good welcome addition to the already extensive literature on Bach Flowers.

Water Violet, Heather and Impatiens are clubbed with Crown Chakra and are especially indicated for Loneliness. Similarly, Chicory, Vervain, Beech, Vine and Rock Water are clubbed with Brow Chakra and are indicated for “Overcare for the welfare of others” and so on. Each chapter has illustrations of the plants and flowers, discussion about the chakra and is followed by detailed discussion of each flower. For each flower, the illustration of the flower, Qualities of the flower, Chakra qualities are given on the left hand page and Positive qualities, Negative state and The Action of the Remedy are given along with the illustration for the chakra and the color on the right hand side page.

This book will be a welcome refresher to students and practioners of Bach Flower Remedies and of course will be a good introduction to the subject of flower remedies for others. Even though, I already knew most of what the authors wrote about the flower remedies, I enjoyed reading the book since it refreshed my knowledge and gave a few new perspectives on some of the remedies. I also enjoyed looking at the beautiful illustrations of the plants and flowers as well as the color indications for various chakras. Being a Hindu well exposed to some esoteric knowledge, I am of course already familiar with chakras and their role in our mental / emotional well-being.

I strongly recommend this book to students and practitioners of alternative medicine. Patients too will benefit if they lack access to a good holistic healer in their areas. I also recommend to such people to also make use of my free online course on Bach Flower Remedies at the following address: http://floweressencesintro.onlinecourse.com

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 2:55 AM Links to this post

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Title: Keeper of the Arts
Author: Jackie Grant Miller
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
ISBN: 141207784-2
Genre: Fiction/Martial Arts

Any one who watched Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon" (if not other movies) will be certainly intrigued by the apparently effortless way the Master defends him/herself from many attackers. And watching that movie and some of Jackie Chan certainly whetted my curiosity and so when an opportunity came along to review this book, I said yes. I also read / heard of other styles like Aikido, Jujutsu etc. and thus wanted to read about the different styles that the author was mentioning.

The book is a bridge between a fictitious account and a thesis. So, you need to persevere with it. The book is certainly informative but unless you are familiar with the movements of the different martial arts, it may be difficult to relate to them. The historical accuracy of the book is out of my purview since I am not an expert on the history of the different cultures.

The book evolved from a stage play titlled Dream Maker. Thus, what is obviously a very visual exression of the different martial arts had to be converted into prose and that is not easy, esp. in the absence of any photos or illustrative diagrams.

Try to browse through the book (either online or in a bookshop) before deciding whether it is for you.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 5:19 AM Links to this post

Monday, April 23, 2007

Title: Sex Secrets of an American Geisha
Subtitle: How to Attract, Satisfy and Keep Your Man
Author: Py Kim Conant
Publisher: Hunter House Publishers
ISBN: 0-89793-490-3
Genre: Non-Fiction/Sexuality/Sensuality/Relationships
Presentation: Paperback
No. of Pages: 240

I got an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of the book, "Sex Secrets of an American Geisha" from the author for my review. Though I left the sexuality part of my life behind for some time now and am on the spiritual path, I agreed to review the book, because I was always intrigued by the Geisha system and here is an American Geisha (in a spiritual sense of that word), willing to share her sex secrets with all of us! The job of reviewer is to read, review and present to the potential reader, the strengths and weaknesses of a book, so that the reader may make a better decision about investing further time and money on the book. Whether it is a Good Book or not is to be decided before continuing to spend one's money and more importantly one's precious time!

Py Kim Conant is not Japanese but is from Korea. She came to USA many years ago when she was young and like any young woman, was in search of a Good Man who can give her a good relationship. She failed and she failed miserably! But instead of giving up, blaming her fate, her destiny etc. (which is the typical Oriental reaction to failure), she set about finding out what a woman can do to attract men to her and
having attracted them, keep one of them as her Good Man. Through out the book, Py stresses on finding a Good Man so that you can have a good relationship. You, the woman, of course, also need to be a Good Woman, and she defines the Core Characteristics of a Good Man and a Good Woman.

In 13 Chapters (obviously she is not superstitious about that number), she shares many valuable tips and tricks (used in the positive sense of the word, not to cheat or manipulate) on how to make yourself attractive, hot, sexy and so feminine that men get attracted to you. In 4 explicit chapters, she tells you many sex secrets so that you learn to love your body, your lover's body and be an expert lover. I read
such explicit sex manuals like the famous Kama Sutra, Ananga Ranga, The Perfumed Garden etc., many years earlier and could not but help compare this book with them mentally. I can certainly say without any hesitation that Py's book is certainly on par with them. Her description of the female G-spot and the female ejaculate is an eye opener to many men and women.

Having attracted the right man, who is a Good Man (Py keeps stressing about the Good Man and your being a Good Woman), how to take the relationship to the logical conclusion of a marriage or a long term relationship? Py shows you the way and leads you by your hand as your Elder Sister. And concludes with an excellent recommendation of how to keep the relationship healthy. All through the book, she
confesses her own mistakes without any fear and comes through as a sincere and genuine person, a good guide.

I noticed a few typographic errors but since it is an ARC, it is quite likely that the errors would have been fixed before the release. In any case, they are very minor and don't detract from the message of the book.

A good Bibliography, References, Index etc. add value to the book. A good read indeed.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 11:49 PM Links to this post

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Title: Great Saints of South India
Author: R.Sreeramulu (Original telugu)
Translated by: Smt. Sonthi Anasuyamma garu
Publisher: Richa Prakashan (www.richaprakashan.com)
ISBN: 81-87062-75-4
Genre: Biography/Religion and Spirituality

Sai Ram. "Great Saints of South India" is a very good collection of short biographies of many great saints of South India (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu). This is the second of 5 books given to me for review by Sri KVR Rao of www.telugubhakti.com, Devi Bhagavatam being the 1st.

The book under review was originally written in telugu by Sri Ravinuthala Sreeramulu and received a lot of acclaim. It has been translated into good english by Smt. Sonthi Anasuyamma garu, who has to her credit many other religious and spiritual translations including "Arunachala Mahatyam" written by Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi, of whom both the original author and the translator of the present book are disicples. Bhagawan's grace enabled them to do a good job of bringing out the biographies of great saints including Sri Tyagaraja, Sri Ramadasu, Sri Kanakadasa, Sri Purandaradasa, Sri Eknath, Sant Jnanadev, Namadev, Samartha Ramadas etc. Many Saivite and Vaishnava Saints are also covered. Thus it gives a good heritage of the southern india over many centuries. It is worth noting that God is beyond caste and creed, and you can read about the great saints of all castes in this slim volume. Biographies of a few women are also given, indicating that devotion and jnana are not the exclusive preserve of men.

The book is generally well produced but could have been better edited. A few stories are somewhat disjointed. One example is that of Karaikal Amma where the beginning of her life story is apparently in Kailasa but later it is portrayed again as if she went to Kailas in that birth and thus it is not clear who related this story to whom. A few other stories also left me a little confused. And notable absence in this book are biographies of Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Raghavendra Swami of Mantralayam, Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, Sri Akkalkot Maharaj, Sri Sripada Vallabha and Sri Nrusimha Saraswati etc. And many modern saints are also not covered.

Except for such minor omissions and a few typographic errors, the book is well written and will be a good addition to the spiritual library of every sadhaka. Sai Ram.

India has produced many more saints and the book may hopefully be expanded in future editions to include some more great saints. I am thankful to www.telugubhakti.com for this opportunity.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 10:41 PM Links to this post

Monday, March 26, 2007

Title: The Splendour of the Supreme Mother - Devi Bhagavatham
Sub-title: A Compact condensed prose narrative
Author: Dr. V.V.B.Rama Rao
Publisher: Richa Prakashan (www.richaprakashan.com)
ISBN: 81-87062-46-0
Genre: Devotional/Hindu Mythology

Sai Ram. Sri Matre Namah. This book came to Shri K V R Rao of www.telugubhakti.com for review and at his request, I accepted this and took it as a command of Devi, The Supreme Mother. I also took it as a blessing from Sri Mata since earlier too I got a chance to read Her Glory in Telugu, and that too at the behest of His Holiness Sri Sri Sri Sankaracharya of Sri Hampi Virupaksha Vidyaranya Peetham, Sri Sri Sri Abhinavoddnanda Nrisimha Bharathi Swamiji around 1999 or 2000. At Swamiji's command, I read a fairly elaborate form of Sri Devi Bhagavatham written by Vidwan Saripella Viswanatha Sastry, published by Sri Rama Publishers. I also used to regularly recite Sri Lalitha Sahasra Nama Stotram, Sri Suktam, Sri Maha Lakshmi Ashtakam etc. for many years and thus took this as an opportunity to again read about Sri Devi, Sri Mata the Originator of us all. Sai Ram.

One thing which struck me is that the book is as described compact, rather too compact. Much of the detailed glory of The Mother had to be left behind in this attempt to condense and make the book compact. But many of the important features of Sri Devi Bhagavatam originally written in Sanskrit by Sage Veda Vyasa and which came through in the detailed Telugu transation that I had the good fortune of reading, did come through. So, if you, the reader are new to Devi and Her Divine Glory, this book under review is a good primer. And being in english, this book is more accessible to Indians and others who cannot read Sanskrit or for that matter the vernacular languages too. Thus it fulfills a good need.

In short, this book is a good introduction to Sri Devi Bhagavatam and it is Her grace that this review is being written on Sri Rama Navami, the end of Vasanta Nava Ratras, which are also dear to Devi (in addition to Sarannavaratras ending with Vijaya Dasami, which are traditionally considered very important for Devi Puja). As a Sai devotee, I again consider it auspicious that this review is being written on a day very dear to Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi (this day is celebrated as Baba's birthday by Sai Devotees), and as mentioned in this book, Sri Rama also worshipped Devi during this Vasantha Navaratras. Sai Ram.

Sai Ram. Now I come to some shortcomings with a view to offer a constructive criticism for improvement in future editions. The 6th skanda (Chapter) on The Order of Creation could have been prefaced by a suitable explanation from the author that what was described thousands of years earlier is a little different from the world as it is observed by scientific means now. A few statements that it takes thousands of years for light to reach from Sun to Earth could have been avoided (it takes 9 minutes for light to reach our earth from Sun).

The book also suffers from many simple editorial slips that could have been easily avoided with a little more care. If the author or the publisher is interested, I can share the editorial corrections that I made as I was reading the book. Sai Ram.

In the end, I once again offer my pranams to Sri Devi for this opportunity and thank the author, the publisher and Sri KVR Rao of www.telugubhakti.com for being instrumental in my humble effort. Sai Ram. Sri Matre Namah.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 11:23 PM Links to this post

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Title: A Woman’s Guide to Saving Her Own Life
Author: Mellanie True Hills
Publisher: Healthy Ideas Press
ISBN: 0-9766008-0-3
Genre: Non-Fiction/Health/Self-Help
Key Words: Heart, Health, Women, HEART, Plan

A Woman’s Guide to Saving Her Own Life by Mellanie True Hills is a book written as a self-help guide to educate women in general and women of USA in particular , about the risks of heart disease and the steps that they can take to prevent such diseases or having come through, how to prevent recurrence and worsening of their health. The author was a high pressure executive and almost suffered heart attack and came out with an angioplasty (which was difficult because of the location) and is thus a survivor. She made a fairly intensive research of the various risk factors including heredity, life style, stress etc., and has developed a plan, which she has aptly named as HEART :

H : Healthy eating
E: Exercise daily
A: Attitude
R: Rest, Relaxation and Rejuvenation
T: Take Proactive Control of your health

The book is informative and well written with lots of charts and other inputs to help the reader chalk out her own action plan and see how it goes. Since she herself went through these problems, she comes out as a sincere person and her writing carries conviction. She is active as a speaker for the American Heart Association.

Since it is so informative, the book could have been hard bound to withstand repeated use. A few editorial slips were noticed but they don’t detract from the value of the book.

All in all, this will be a good read for women (and their men), especially this month (February is observed as a heart health month in USA).

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 12:49 AM Links to this post

Friday, February 02, 2007

Title: Miracle Stem Cell Heart Repair
Author: Christian Wilde
Publisher: Abigon Press
ISBN: 1-59975-054-6
Genre: Health/Medical/Heart Health
Key Words: Heart, Attack, CHF, Stem Cells, Stroke, Angina

This book, published in October 2006 is the companion book for the author's earlier book, "Hidden Causes of Heart Attack and Stroke" published in 2002. In case you have not read that book, I strongly recommend that you read that book and that too read that book first before taking up this one. I assure you that both are easy on the eyes (they use a bigger type face and are printed on off-white paper to avoid glare).

While Christian's earlier book focusses on the preventive aspect of health care, this book focusses on the repair of the damage already done. Stem Cell Research has shown good results in repair of scar tissue in heart attacks, reduced heart enlargements and helped patients of Congestive Heart Failure, helped patients with Angina, Stroke and so on. Thus this book offers hope to the so-called "No Option Patients".

Stem cell research has been in the news for the last few years and many debates are going on about the several issues, ethical and scientific about the use of stem cells in therapy. Christian has brought his journalistic skills (he is the host of a very popular radio talk show) and his deep and accurate understanding of the complicated subject and has presented the same in a easy to read and understand manner.

The author has taken the opportunity to update some of the information presented in the earlier book and thus has added value. The caution about the too low cholesterol and the associated risks of depression, stroke etc., is very timely.

The book is enriched by a number of references, Glossary of Medical Terms and an Index. I only wish it was hard bound to withstand repeated references.

I strongly recommend this book along with the other book for any one interested in heart health issues for themselves or for their family and friends.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 7:44 AM 0 comments Links to this post

Title: Hidden Causes of Heart Attack and Stroke
Author: Christian Wilde
Publisher: Abigon Press
ISBN: 0-9724959-0-8
Genre: Medicine/Heart Health/Fitness
Key words: Heart, Health, Cholesterol, CRP, Homocysteine, Inflammation, Stroke, Fibrinogen

I received this book along with another book written by the same author and which attracted my attention and resulted in my making a review request. And I am so glad that the Publisher sent this book too, which I read first. The other book takes off where this book ends and is titled, "Miracle Stem Cell Heart Repair". But first things first. About this book.

This book is a little dated in the sense that it was published in 2002 and obviously the demand must have been good to require a second printing in 2003. So, it is nearly 3 years old, but rest assured that the information is quite uptodate and it is worth spending the few hours to go through the book.

The author, Christian Wilde is not a medical doctor but is well qualified to write on the subject since he is a sort of investigative journalist and when he had a problem with his own health, he did not just go by the doctor's prescriptions but investigated all the literature thoroughly and more importantly discussed with the leading researchers and cardiologists to ensure that his understanding is correct. The result is an outstanding and up-to-date book on the various risk factors that go to make up the problems in the field of heart health, resulting in Angina, Heart Attacks and Strokes. That the author and the editorial team did an exemplary job has been endorsed by the leading members of the medical fraternity. Thus you can safely use the information provided in this book to discuss with your own doctor (who is the final authority to help you with your health problems) in an intelligent and meaningful manner.

Christian covers all the important risk factors that may compromise the heart health including cholesterol, Hypertension, Diabetes, Smoking, Obesity, Fibrinogen, CRP, Homocysteine etc. You may be aware of some of them and may not be aware about some of them. This book is a handy reference guide.

I enjoyed reading the book and as some one deeply interested in holistic health, I was impressed by the information provided. I found the editing to be less than perfect at some places but fortunately, that doesn't impinge on the accuracy of information presented. The book has a good Glossary of Medical Terms to help us, references to the various research articles cited in the book and an Index.

I found the larger type font and the non-glare paper easy on the eyes. I would have preferred to see the book hardbound to withstand repeated use since I expect this book to be referred to often.

I strongly recommend that if you have any interest in heart health (either of your own, your spouse, parents or friends), you should buy this book and the companion book mentioned above by the same author.

Posted by S.V.Swamy at 7:08 AM 0 comments Links to this post

Labels: A good book, Causes, Heart Attack, Stroke