J Books

In the world of self-help books, the message is often variations of the same thing - work harder to improve yourself; be kinder; be more loving; focus your attention; change, change, change.
The Dance is quite different. Oriah asks you, "What if there is no need to change, no need to try and transform yourself into someone who is more compassionate, more present, more loving or wise? How would this affect all the places in your life where you are endlessly trying to be better?"
I really loved this book because it encourages the reader to just be who they are, because who they are is just fine. It's not that the author doesn't believe in the power of change, rather she promotes the idea that the moment we let go of our need to become "better," then everything in life will simply unfold as it should.
What I especially liked about this book was Oriah's down-to-earth manner of writing. Unlike so many other authors of the same genre, she doesn't pretend to have all the answers - in fact, she is rather self-deprecating. She gives examples in her life where she really did screw up, but I think that this makes her message more meaningful, and a whole lot more human.




Zara Stevens
Boy Meets Girl: A Pocketful of Wedding Stories

I am a clinical therapist and use this book to inspire adolescent and young adult women in their journey! This entire trilogy is priceless for anyone who is interested in being blessed by watching another soul "unfold" and take flight! I love hearing about Oriah's metamorphasis... i can see her "grow up" throughout her trilogy! Watching her go full circle in her discoveries touches my heart and inspires my soul. She is human and she is courageous enough to share her story. I recommend you read all three... The Invitation, The Dance and The Call. Thank you Oriah!

Within the pages of this beautiful little book, the reader finds magic, truth, beauty and healing.

As an author, Chinese Medicine & Healthy Weight Management, and healer, I recommend this book highly to my patients and friends, as well as to you.

Words themselves can become acts of beauty that awaken and strengthen our commitment to living our soul's desires. ~Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Oriah Mountain Dreamer blends daily existence with spiritual insight. She survived a violent marriage, chronic fatigue and living almost next door to her ex husband when he remarried. Her life is a study in patience, emotional turmoil resolved and survival of the most open heart.

The start of the book contains a poem and then each chapter is an expanded vision of the elements contained in a part of the poem. After the poem, Oriah dives right into a retelling of her life, the conflicts she has experienced and how as a spiritual teacher, she too struggles to maintain emotional equilibrium. There is a subtle comfort in knowing that if Oriah can survive her life, then we can too.

This is the beauty mingled with the various stunning insights Oriah has while trying to unburden her heart and pull us out on the dance floor of life. She loves to read and a number of the books she mentioned where books I had just recently read. She quotes Rainer Maria Rilke and Rumi. She discusses Daniel Ladinsky's translations of Hafiz. Her "headed for home" comments made me think of Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet.

Throughout this work Oriah focuses on connecting, serenity, joy, an authentic lifestyle, living with passion, retaining energy and focus, being honest and finding happiness within the complex. She also provides meditations on worthiness, surrender, slowing down and letting go.

This is not a five-step or a ten-step program, it is more an unfolding of experience through an exploration of Oriah's life experience. She has struggled, she has survived. She also knows there are no quick fixes and that many self-help programs are no match for real-life situations. Sometimes there is no easy way out of the pain and you have to endure heartache to learn your greatest lessons.

"Take me to the places on the earth that teach you how to dance,
the places where you can risk letting the world break your heart,
and I will take you to the places where the earth beneath my feet
and the stars overhead make my heart whole again and again."
~ Oriah Mountain Dreamer

What did I love most about this book? The section where she talks about her ultimate fantasy of reading in bed with the man she loves. Yes, this book is mostly about Oriah, or the people she has met throughout her life, but the way she draws on her inner wisdom is by experiencing life and dancing with difficulty.

~The Rebecca Review

The Dance is a great book. I enjoyed it from the first page to the last. Oriah is not just a writer; she is an artist, with a new perspective on life, and on events. Her thoughts flow smoothly, as if you were reading something you wrote, or something you already knew to be true. I am going to say it again, she is an artist.

Some parts of the book, you won't help but read out loud to someone you care for. I did that with my mother, and some other times with a friend of mine. Both of them want to borrow the book.

This book will help you dream, and here I will quote something from the author, as she wrote "To dream is to create the stories of how we live our lives, and these are the stories our children's children will remember. I write with as much honesty and frankness as I can, because I want to offer stories of being present with what is. I recite poetry when I speak, because I want offer beauty and the power of art to remind us of who and what we are. I share personal stories, because I want to cocreate a story of intimacy and cultivate our capacity for compassion in dealing with out human failings. I tell love stories because I want to learn how to love well." (p151)

I will buy The Call, and I know it will be as good as the Invitation and The Dance. And hopefully one day in the future I will make it to one of Oriah's retreats.

Dave Barry's "Complete Guide to Guys" is at once one of the funniest and fact-filled books I have ever read. I had the good fortune to be a little sister to two big brothers growing up, then married a guy, and have spent my career in fields wherein I was the only female professional on a staff of at least 35 or so males, and needed to maintain my femininity while being accepted as "one of the guys."

Dave's book was a Godsend in terms of understanding the "guyness" in my beloved husband and the men and guys with whom I worked. While being ENORMOUSLY entertaining, it contains so many nuggets of truth that will save a multitude of fights in a marriage (and thus, if the woman doesn't bug her husband about his guy stuff, he won't get on her case about her "girly-girl" stuff, which HE doesn't get, but unfortunately to which there is no guide). Ladies, this book will make you look like such a heroine at home and work, because almost NO women "get it" when it comes to the "guyness" in men, and constantly berate them when they're simply doing their "guy thing."

All Mothers should give a copy to their daughters as soon as possible when they're growing up, and I am not exaggerating here, since the guy thing sets in very early in a boy's life. You'll be giving your daughter the advantage of understanding this concept as soon as she possibly can, and maybe get along better with her male classmates at school, and not, as I did, think they were complete, shall we say politely, "jerks."

Anyway, I have never taken the time to write a book review before, but in the case of Dave Barry's "Complete Guide to Guys," I just had to, since it is one of my all-time favorite books (and I am an avid reader). Over the years since its publication, I have bought many copies of it and given them away to cool women who I thought would appreciate knowing the wealth of very useful information about their husbands, sons, boyfriends, colleagues, clients, neighbors, and any other males in their lives. Can't recommend it enough.

As a guy, it is hard not to like something that is clearly written by another guy trying to explain to the rest of the world why we're wired the way we are.

As Barry says, "Woman have always wondered, 'just what are guys thinking?' ... and the answer is, of course, 'not very much'". It's true! Guys are simple creatures -- give a guy a beer and a steak, and he gets happy. Turn off his TV during a game and he becomes unhappy. Cause and effect. None of those inexplicable mind games or multiple levels of reasoning and analysis other genders tend to display; what you see is what you get.

And all jest aside, I think that this is a key message that really needs to get across more so that women everywhere learn to adjust expectations accordingly. A forgotten anniversary is just that -- stupid forgetfulness -- not a sign that he's secretly begun loathing her and now fired the first shot in a battle that will last years and eventually lead to a bitter divorce. A dirty sock on the kitchen counter is not a demonstration of his disrespect for your mother. And yes, that 49ers game really IS more important than your coworker's baby shower.

Of course, this is a humor book so expect at least three laughs per page -- par for the course in Dave Barry reading. So you have a great time PLUS you can use it to make others gain a better understanding when you're done with it. If I ever get married, I'll make sure to strategically leave this book out and "available" -- chances are I just might save myself a ton of grief.

So funny and so on the mark I have bought at least a dozen copies since it came out -- to give to friends. We used to read it at dinner parties, wait until the eating is over, you would otherwise choke!! Laugh so hard you will cry... and smile with recognition. Men and women LOVE this book!

My daughter -- in her late teens -- is experiencing her first Venus vs. Mars misunderstandings with her boyfriend. I am about to buy her a copy of "Guide To Guys" of her own. I expect she'll laugh out loud. Or cry even louder.

This is without a doubt the funniest book I have ever read. Period. And I read a LOT of books.

A.A. literature and independent research make clear the relevance of this little book to the A.A., 12-Step, Recovery picture. See Dr. Bob's Library, 3rd ed.[[ASIN:1885803257 ; DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers ; The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth [[ASIN:1885803265 ]; The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous[[ASIN:1885803176 ; and Turning Point: A History of Early A.A.'s Spiritual Roots and Successes.[[ASIN:1885803079. A.A.'s co-founder Dr. Bob said hundreds of time that 1 Corinthians 13 was an absolutely essential part of the early A.A. program. He thought so much of this Drummond study that he circulated The Greatest Thing in the World widely among the A.A. pioneers. It was part of his library. It was part of his expression of the meaning of love. For that's what the Corinthians chapter and the Drummond book are about.

I heard Larry Burkett highly praise this book years ago so I got one. I agree, this is an awesome book. read just a few pages and it will change your heart to love others more, no matter how grouchy you are at the time. I prefer the older editions of this book, they fit in my purse better

My brother sent me a copy. He liked it so much he brought fifty copies to share with friends. I in turn have purchased copies to give away. It is the Sermon on the Mount, The Gospel of John, and First John all in one by way of expounding upon Paul's great love expose. Gary Trawick.

This book by Henry Drummond is a much-neglected meditation on I Corinthians 13. With kindness and gentle encouragement, Drummond walks the reader through the characteristics of love we all fail so miserably to exhibit in our own lives. Well-written and short, this book should be on the shelf of anyone who is trying to live Scripture.

Hadn't read Henry Drummond's book in years, but I recently picked it up again and re-read it and found it had lost none of its power for me. This book can be read in twenty minutes, but it's a twenty minutes that can change your perception of life and love.

Drummond, who was an inspiring liberal-thinking Christian of the 1800's, divides Paul's chapter on love in First Corinthians into three parts: "love contrasted," "love analyzed," and "love defended." He shows us what love isn't, shows us what it is, and defends it as the "greatest thing in the world." He helps us understand that it is not a burden to love - it's the easiest thing in the world!

This book is one of the most inspiring pieces of Christian literature I've ever read.

I had the pleasure of meeting Bill Jenkins at a conference in Portland,Oregon last August, and his book and his talk made an immediate and lasting impact on how I viewed organizational needs. I have used one quote over and over as I have worked with my retired teachers organization. "Individuals and organizations that continuously change are the ones who experience lasting success." I am 73 years old and I know that we must view change as a positive and explore new possibilities if we and our organizations are to prosper. "We have always done it that way" is not an option. I have shared my book with others and now find it has disappeared, but I will find another copy someplace - it is a "keeper."

This book should be required reading for all teenagers, and any adult going through personal or work-related upheaval would also benefit tremendously. It contains lucidly crafted, accessible principles that do much more than state the obvious home truths expounded in most such books. I am now circulating my copy among the "survivors": my newly formed team, created after a painful and protracted process of "right-sizing" and re-organization. I believe it will help us as a group to create afresh and avoid the predispositions, mindsets and mistakes of our predecessors. To the author : THANK YOU!

A simple but excellent way to remind that change is evident, and dealing with change can and will cause one to reflect on the inner self and admit strengths can also be weaknesses. It was great to be reminded that teamwork is so very necessary in all success whether professional or personal.

This book focuses on two issues that are crucial to relationships, working and personal, in today's society. The principles of worth and trust are key in any relationship, and as I read the book and reflected over previous experiences, I realized that, more often than not, the problems began because I was missing these two aspects. The Eagle & the Monk presents these and other principles in a simple, yet not childish manner. I found the questions at the back of the book especially helpful in focusing on the areas in which I personally need improvement. I think that everyone can find at least one of these principles in which they are deficient. The book helps readers recognize and address these problems.

E&M provides an innovative approach to an important topic. Easy to read and thoughtful in guiding content discussion, this book will be a particularly welcome change for students interested in leadership.

This is the prequel to the Tales of the Otori series although it was written last. As are all the books in the series, this novel is well written and rivetting as are the others.

Heaven's Net is Wide is Lian Hearn's stunning prequel to the Tales of the Otori saga. This book tells the story of young Otori Shigeru and his rise to become Lord Otori, head of his clan, amidst triumphs and tragedy, friendship, love and betrayal. Hearn's alternate historical version of Japan is as beautiful as ever and her writing adds depth and detail to the picturesque scenery carried through all her novels.

I really enjoyed how Hearn stayed true to her multi-character storytelling. Though the story was Shigeru's, I appreciated the chapters devoted to mysterious Tribe members Muto Kenji and Muto Shizuka, and also the background of Lady Maruyama Naomi and the members of the Hidden. Heaven's Net is Wide would be a great starting place for those new to the Otori series, but it is equally enjoyable as the final book in the Tales - bringing the story full circle to where it all began.

This book is up there with the many great books I've read - and I've read a few. Of course it's all down to opinion and taste but I found this book magnificently written - so well written I can't describe it with the acclaim it deserves. It is a HIGHLY, HIGHLY underatted book.

As I had read the first two books in the Tales Of the Otori Trilogy, when the prequel came out I decided to read the series from the start (From the prequel to the trilogy to the sequel). This proved to be a good decision as I (and I know this is very cliched) just couldn't put the book down! Because I had read the first couple of books and knew the characters - or for that matter of past characters that died before book one, to be able to read of things discussed in the trilogy actually happening before my eyes (because that's how well it is written) was an absolute treat.

But what I marvelled at most, was how well Hearn planned out the series. I just could not believe that events fell into place so well at exactly the right time, in exactly the right places.

Hearn creates a world where there are animals you'd find in from Europe to Asia to the Americas. There is talk of creatures like Goblins and Demons aswell as Spirits and Gods of various elements all set in feudal, mythical Japan with a magnificent touch of ancient history - of warlords and clans, of religions and beliefs, and of the struggle the women had and the dominance of the men.

Yet it is written and described quite subtly so that the loyalist of fantasy fans will enjoy it alongside the firm general fiction readers.

I suggest you read the trilogy and also if you want, the sequel first, so you can get the sense of appreciation for Lian Hearn's work and get an even more amazing read out of such and underated tale.

I believe this book alogside the trilogy and sequel, although it has some sex scenes, would be suitable for boys and girls, men and women alike above the age of 12.

Lian Hearn has created a world. It resembles Japan in the 16th century, but with added imaginary elements. The writing is exquisite - elegant, precise, rich and evocative. Once you start reading the Tales of the Otori you don't want to quit.

The ability to project yourself into a different personality set in a different culture and period, and do it convincingly and movingly - that is the mark of a very good writer indeed!

The prequel is not my favorite of the Otori series. Because of the amount of information that comes to light in the rest of the series the author felt like all the characters needed fleshing out. This "fleshing out" of characters makes the middle of this book very convoluted with an unnecessary amount of characters. The author finally comes around to giving the reader what they really want towards the last third of the book. I liked it but it didn't hook me the way the first two books did. This prequel is like the end of the series that takes itself too seriously and assumes we are all enthralled with minute details that don't carry the story line anywhere useful.

There is reading material and there is cherishing material, this book is definitely placed in the latter category. Ms. Cooper is a master storyteller. She is fearless in her writing, unafraid to follow her OWN heart and her OWN rules. Ms. Cooper uses more twist and turn than a California highway. She tells stories with her own country grammar and country charm.

I simply enjoyed the stories. They were funny at times, dealing with real life situations.

J California Cooper was magnificient in this book. She talks about love, lost, lonliness, and happiness. She also tells how even though life is consistantly taking you through hard times. Theres always a rainbow at the end of your journey.

If you think this book is excellent, poignant, funny, truthful, etc. listen to the 'books on tape' version. The various narrators bring this excellent work to life. I borrowed it from the library (several times) and love it every time. Classic lines like when the guy tells his wife he's leaving to find the life he's missed he says 'that's it in a nutshell. She looked at me like I was the nut in the shell." Don't miss this book.

This is my favorite book in the world. J California Cooper is my favorite author in the world. The characters in her books have a triumph of the spirit. Her words invite you into the lives of the people in her stories. She captures your heart with real life lessons and common sense. Most of all, I love her honesty. Life is best served warm, with tears, smiles, and truth and she serves it up just right.
The best gift given is that which is a part of you. So, in that spirit, I've given this book away to so many people that I have lost count. Last October I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Cooper at a book signing here in New Orleans and she was gracious enough to sign my copies of her books; (I own and have read them all). What a Blessing her words are! Read Homemade Love, and all of her books, and you too will become a fan for life.

This series of books is an outstanding history of the reorganization of Soka Gakkai International after World War II in Japan. It provides a great insight into the rebuilding of Japan, and the struggle many endured to rebuild the SGI and their lives. Recommend to all SGI members.

This book (series) chronicles the history of the Nichiren Buddhist laity, Soka Gakkai,from 1960 to the present. It's a collection of the personal struggles and victories of the pioneers of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism in America. No matter how many times I read it, it never fails to inspire me with hope and courage. The SGI motto "No matter what, never give up!" echos from every page.

As a foreigner living in a foreign land, I can understand from my own life how the Japanese war brides who introduced Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism to the USA felt. President Ikeda gave them four tasks to perform and they were:

1.) learn to speak English 2.) learn to drive a car 3.) buy a car 4.) become US citizens.

Impossible dreams for these women. By taking US citizenship they'd lose their Japanese citizenship and could never go home. English was very difficult to learn. Buying a car for a newly wed military couple, often with young children, was also seemingly out of reach.

Though their deep faith they made they impossible possible. Please do read the entire series. It will become one of your favorites as it has become mine.

As a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism and a relatively new member of the Soka Gakkai International, this book was a great surprise to me. I knew that the book was a history of how the Soka Gakkai was reinvigorated by Josei Toda after WWII. But I had no idea that the struggle was so great. I am learning every day more about Buddhism by reading how the characters in the books use their faith to overcome their own struggles (karma) and become enlightened people. Maybe the expert on snake oil does not practice Buddhism so the story does not make much sense. I look forward to reading "The New Human Revolution."

As a novel in which the protagonist, Josei Toda, discovers a deeper meaning to Buddhism while imprisoned by a militarist government during WWII may not connect with every reader. I read this novel approx. 30 years ago as I was learning about Buddhist practice and philosophy. It provided an excellent medium through which I learned the application of Buddhism in a practical setting, rather than simply as abstract concepts. I have continued my Buddhist practice and this novel was a key to keeping focused on the primary goal of enlightenment, a.k.a Human Revolution. Why another reviewer dismisses this as "snake oil" is odd. This Buddhism is a simple practice which requires no belief to undertake. An interested party, as I was, may begin without spending a penny, as I did. It is certainly not focused on trying people to spend large sums on ever continuing seminars and such. This school of Buddhism does alarm some people, as the novel illustrates, because other "mass movements" of the time were facist and not humanist. Furthermore, any new movement is seen as a threat to established institiutions. The Soka Gakkai, which this novel explores, is now recognized by a plethora of peace organizations as a beneficent organization.

The concept of human revolution is based on the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin, that enables people to elevate their life conditions to the highest through their buddhist practice, thus revolutionize them from within.

But, the true greatness of the Daishonin's Buddhism lies in making the practice possible and available to anybody, and through giving each member of the world the opportunity to continuously change him/herself for the better, the world peace can be achieved. The idea itself is revolutionary, I believe, that it goes totally the opposite of what has been done historically to achieve peace, which is to make the change at the top to force the changes downward to people (in many cases with lots of sacrificing and suffering).

The SGI, whose president is the author of The Human Revolution and The New Human Revolution series, practices the Daishonin's Buddhism; therefore, its ideal is to make each individual happy and to promote peace throughout the world. The New Human Revolution can be read in many ways, but I would recommend to pay a little more attention, when you read it, to the fact that the Buddhist ideal is put into practice and actually happening.

As a SGI member, I am proud to be a part of this endeavor and recommend anybody to check it out.

A good selection of illustrative business cases, occasional thoughts that we had at the back of our mind organized and presented in a clear and enlightning way. Logical and convincing theory. Good reading for managers who want their daily routine to be in tune with the global picture.

THE MOMENTUM EFFECT - HOW TO IGNITE EXCEPTIONAL GROWTH covers all aspects of management, both external and internal, of a successful company sustaining high growth. It demonstrates how momentum powered firms significantly increase value for all stakeholders, including customers, employees and shareholders through the following eight steps:
* Momentum Design
o Compelling insights that can only come from time spent with customers;
o These insights lead to compelling values by understanding the deeper human drivers;
o Compelling values lead to power offers meaning power with customers and power to generate growth;
o Power offers generate customers with compelling equity maximizing the value of customers to the firm;
* Momentum Execution
o Power offers are continuously tweaked and improved until they become irresistible;
o The delivery of the power offer leads to superior customer satisfaction what the author calls vibrant satisfaction;
o Vibrant satisfaction leads to vibrant retention and
o Vibrant engagement of the customer. Momentum companies engage customers at an emotional level to generate positive, momentum-driven action.

Each of these eight essential components of momentum strategy are described in detail and richly illustrated by real life stories from momentum companies like Wal-Mart, BMW, Skype, Apple and IKEA, to name just a few. These momentum driving components allow you to systematically harness the powerful, sustainable energy that can take your firm to the new efficiency frontier, driving the exceptional growth that will propel you into a different league. Finally, the Momentum Effect is a never ending journey, not a destination.

Jean-Claude Larreche is professor at the renowned European management school INSEAD and a consultant with leading global corporations.

THE MOMENTUM EFFECT is a joy to read and a must read for anybody who needs to excel in today's competitive world. Kai Wenk-Wolff (MBA INSEAD) is a turn-around specialist for manufacturing operations.

This is a book that brought me an excellent and coherent view on so many concepts and principles in the area of marketing. From design to delivery, all consequent phases are clearly described with the use of many very interesting case studies from all over the world. The book provides an approach that you can use to build a so-called power offer, which is a superb customer offering to realize `exceptional growth' in your business. Of course, it doesn't guarantee that you will create extraordinary profits with your service or product, but it certainly gives you many handles to improve your product design, development, sales, after sales etc in a coherent and fresh new way. It connects all those elements as customer value, retention, pricing, emotions, distribution etc, without giving you the feeling that it opens doors that already are open.
The book is very easy to read; when you start, you want to proceed to the end. It is a book you want on your desktop so you can have a look at it regularly, read some pages and think them over. I had the honor of attending a course at INSEAD of Professor Larreché and was inspired by his lectures, but you can feel his enthusiasm and professionalism while reading the book.

When I first leafed through this book, I thought it was a novel. How else could one interpret the fact that tables, figures and diagrams are just a small part of only the 10% of its total pages! Authors of scientific, marketing and management books have not used us to such a minimalism. J.C. talks substance, not visuals. Even for this reason, this book is exceptionally impressive. This "nothing less than exceptional growth" book smells strong, innovative thinking. It's a book on business total philosophy rather than a simply marketing or management text. It provides a sharp anatomy of things, supposedly known in a business enterprise, with the result that bold substance is revealed. Doing things right is not enough for Larreche. One has to do things exceptionally right. "Very satisfied customers" is not enough. Delighted customers should be the basic purpose of any business. Superb, total value to customers is running throughout the book. More revenues for less relative marketing expenditures is to look for. Anything else does not provide proof of the existence of momentum in a business firm. Larreche, a recognized expert of marketing, emphasizes its customer value building wisdom, rather than its routine functional elements commented about and stressed in all common marketing texts. This book, as product, provides the customer with real super value. It has been some time since I read a real best seller to be!

A lot of companies and agencies are pushing buzz words such as Customer Centric approach or Marketing 360°. The book from Jean-Claude Larreche is a great balance between strategy perspective and operational implications. It demonstrates that the success in creating value and momentum for growth is at the end of the day a cultural shift within companies. It offers a thinking platform and practical examples which are very useful to convince and address your customers and targets (internally and externally).

I strongly recommend this book for:
- Marketers who are looking for a holistic approach to review their customer focus strategy
- Consultants and agencies for reviewing their recommendations in light of what is driving success at the end of the day

I do not recommend this book for people who think that:
- They have the best product and brand in the world which is good enough to be sold by itself
- Decision makers for whom quarterly results is the main horizon for their strategy

I recently lost my boyfriend to cancer. After his death I was given "no death, no fear". Great book! It helped ease the pain. I wish I would have had this book before he died so we could have read it together. It is a simple book with very profund messages and helps take the fear away from the idea of death. Life continues...

Hanh quickly grabs the reader's attention and mindfully drifts off in euphamism and metaphor as he meanders over, under and through this difficult topic (difficult for most people).

Calming in his approach to death, life, beginning (no beginning) and end (no end), the author seems to have an excellent hold on his spiritual beliefs and his desire to share. For those of any and all faiths, death is a frightening subject, but Hanh paints a wonderful picture of immortality through all that a person touches in his/her life.

The only, and I stress only, misgiving I found with this short read are the over-used metaphorical analysis between human life and that of an oceanic wave. I wish the author could draw similarities shared by all breathing life organisms, rather than something as translucent as water (although I think I understand WHY he often describes life in terms of water).

I would certainly recommend this book.

I read this book after the passing of my Grandparents and it helped me deal with their passing. I recommend this book to anyone who is searching for answers about life and death. Great book!

This has been one of the most powerful books I've ever read. It helped me through the death of my father. My mother is now nearing the end of her life in this body and I'm re-reading it. I suspect that I will revisit it many times . . .

I first thought the book was simple and repetitive. But when I experienced a loss and re-read the book, I finally realized how profound this book really is.
I had been dealing with the subject of death for quite a few years. (I started with the book HAGAKURE, by Tsunetomo Yamamoto. You may or may not like to check that out. It's a more stoic approach to similar subjects). Anyway, I wanted to conquer the idea of my own inevitable mortality, so that when the time comes, I will handle it with grace. So, my approach was to prepare beforehand.
As I said, I was working on my OWN mortality. It never occured to me that I might also apply it to someone else. Someone I love recently died. That was the 1st real loss that I've encountered, so I was devastated. All those years of preparing myself didn't really mean much (though at the time, I thought I was ready and that I knew it all). I had already owned a copy of this book and read it several years ago. Feeling in the pits, I decided to pull the book out and read it again, as this time it is much more applicable (since I'm experiencing loss).
The book seemed so simple beforehand. It was a quick read. Thich Nhat Hanh also seemed repetitive; I felt bored several times. This, as it turns out, was my fault, not his. He is such a good teacher that he makes everything seem so simple. However, after someone I loved very much died, I re-read this book, and I realized how profound it really is. The reason why Thich is so repetitive, is because you need to drill it into you head so that you really understand it. It's like learning how to count to ten. No one is born knowing how to count to ten. But you drill it until the day when you know it all by heart. Trust me, this book is more profound than it seems; do not just read through it and think that it's all obvious and that you already know it. Reading and learning is not good enough; you have to experience it!
It's like this: death is not real. You cannot create something out of nothing, and you cannot become nothing from something. It's not the reality of things. (Physics will agree with that, for you scientists out there). The problem is that we're deluded. This delusion creates in us a false sense of reality, and that leads to our suffering. We fear death because we think we become nothing. We fear death, because we do not understand it. The problem is that we've learned the wrong way; we need to unlearn our delusions and see death as it really is: simply a change in form. Basically, it's moving on. We want to stay in one place, but the fact of the universe is that it is always changing. We are deluded into remaining stagnant in a universe that, let's face it, is not going to stop and wait for us.
This book helped me immensely in my loss. But it's neverending; you can't just reach a certain point and then stop; you'll lose it. You have to keep going. It's one of those books I will always keep with me. Get this book beforehand, and slowly introduce it into your life and try to apply it. Don't wait until you experience a loss. You will be too devastated. It's never too late to prepare youself for what's inevitable. It will greatly diminish your sense of despair. That much I can gaurantee.

Well-written and well-told story about the unconditional love between the two main characters, Torrey and Taylor, showing their painful transition between "best friends forever" and significant others. The roadblocks both women set up during this transition are so real and so typical of the roadblocks we as human beings set up in our own relationships. I just loved this story from beginning to end; it was a real page turner. The beginning, with the women first meeting as sorority sisters, was a great "hook" for this reader. I especially liked the character development of Jessica, their daughter, and the role she played in the story, and also the way that the author weaved recovery and recovery principles into the framework. Some of life's huge lessons well taught by this very talented author.

I've read this book, even before it went to print. I fell in love with it at first reading, and even now, after so many years, I can still remember the emotions I felt while reading this story. I felt like I was along for the ride, being a silent witness to Taylor Kent's and Torrey Gray's love for each other.

This is a definite keeper.

Read it, and enjoy!
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Trivia:
in the internet version, the song Taylor was listening to in the radio was while driving was Savage Garden's "I Knew I Loved You". Its different in the book.

This book I will keep to my library. Two college friends who become inseperable but untimately do part ways because they that is what is best for them.
A teenager in rebellion and out of control bring them back into contact with each other 15 yrs. later.
Take the journey with them to find out why they left each other when they loved each other so much. See if they can make the jump back to each others arms.

I loved this book! every word was perfect and LJ Mass Is the best at what she does.

I have always loved everything written by the late, great L. J. Maas. In fact, `None So Blind' was the first of her books I read. Of course that was several years ago, but when I recently read it again I was once again completely drawn in to the story.

Torrey Gray and Taylor Kent meet in college. The two seemingly opposite women become fast friends. So close that they are blind to the love they feel for each other. Torrey gets pregnant by her college boyfriend and is disowned by her parents. The recently graduated Taylor offers her home to Torrey and her daughter. Taylor thinks Torrey is straight and keeps her own feelings hidden. Torrey thinks Taylor has never made a pass because she isn't interested in anything more than friendship. Eventually they part ways, but keep in touch.

Almost 14 years later, Torrey's daughter Jessica has become an unruly, drug-addicted teenager and Torrey is at her wit's end. As a last resort, she sends Jessica to spend the summer with Taylor. This reconnection takes them all in directions none of them ever imagined.

I don't believe any reader can help but fall in love with all three of these characters. They are multi-dimensional, confrontational, and completely intriguing. Each has her own issues, but together they have great synergy and passion.

I freely admit I'd recommend any book by Maas. However, this is definitely one of her best. In fact, if you were only planning to read one book by this wonderful author, this would be the one I'd suggest.