Works Books

Nagarjuna: Theory and Practice

Nagarjuna was a philosopher of unparalleled excellence, both in the East and the West, and Garfield has presented his Mulamadhyamakakarika with clarity, competence and coherence. If you like philosophy, and are a serious spiritual seeker with an inclination for The Perennial Philosophy, then this book is for you. However, you will need determination and perseverance to finish this book, for it will take you six months to a year to master its contents.

Here is a sample of Nagarjuna's tactics. He begins by attacking causality. He dissects causality down to its root premises (a thing is caused by itself, by another, by both, or has no cause) and then he closely scrutinizes those root premises and demonstrates that none of them possess any "potency", or power, to force, stimulate, compel, oblige, constrain, drive, make or cause anything to come into existence. Therefore, they are "empty". That is, they have no inherent self-nature or essence to affect anything else. They are like Mother Hubbard's cupboard, there is nothing there. Therefore, if the causes are "empty", the thing created is "empty". But all that is theory.

But what about in practice?. Reading this book will change your thinking. You will unconsciously become a Skeptic, and will not be aware of the state of your own mind until you ponder an issue found in Nagarjuna's treatise. Only then will you realize that you are stuck between three equally unsatisfactory propositions "Things exist", "Things do not exist" and "Things both do and do not exist." Not to worry though. You will be experiencing precisely what Nagarjuna intended.

Garfield specifically declares Nagarjuna's intention, page 314, "This, of course, is the key to the soteriological character of the text: reification is the root of grasping and craving and hence of all suffering. And it is perfectly natural, despite its incoherence. By understanding emptiness, Nagarjuna intends one to break this habit and extirpate the root of suffering."

For those desiring a 'meat & potatoes' study of the Middle Way, this is an excellent book.

Next to the Heart Sutra (Maha Prajna Paramita Hridaya Sutra), one of the most important writings for Mahayana Buddhists, and this is a good translation and commentary (there is Ocean of Reasoning, but that is way, way too massive and far more than what is necessary). Stick with the basics and simplicity, I always say. For a book of this magnitude, pick this one. You'll have enough to study while still coming to grips with its message.

i have not studied all of nagarjunas logic carefully in this book, it seems that he is arguing for the underlying emptiness of all things on the basis of his assumption of dependent or mutual arising. perhaps its a bit more complicated than this though. a cup of tea is not a cup of tea in itself. nor does the teabag have any individual or inherent identity, rather the teabag is a collection of collections without any individuality. just as my finger is a collection of cells, so a teabag is a combination of dependent things. infact he believes that everything depends on the presence or absence of something else. tea leaves depend on the presence of tanins, flavins, cells, maturation, drying, there is nothing inherently existent that could be called the individuality of the teabag. this of course defies common sense, but is reasonable. why cannot a collection be at one and the same time an individuality. ie one in many, or many as one. such an argument though would be contrary to nagarjunas thrust, which is to emphasise the existence of emptiness through dependence. ie everything that is dependent has no individual uniqueness (or soul) since all individuals are merely collections.

i am still studying nagarjuna, it seems that a statement such as "walker is not the same as walking, nor is it different from walking" can be argued any way which can. "walker is not the same as walking, if it were how could the two be told apart, nor is walker different from walking, or otherwise there would be walking without walker." it could be argued on the grounds of oneness that walker and walking are one and the same, that structure and function are inseperable. you could just as easily say that walker is the same as walking and that is why there isnt walking without walker. if nagarjuna says that legs are not the same as arms because they can be told apart he is right, because they can be told apart, but wrong because arms and legs are all part of one body and cannot be separated. so paradoxically one can say that walker and walking are not the same, but one can also say that they are the same (the same body/oneness).

it can be argued that walker is walking, walker is not walking, and as nagarjuna says walker is not the same as, nor different from walking. infact whatever you seek to prove, if you are clever enough, you can prove it. this is the nature of reason and logic. a donkey that is lead by the carrot of the person who possesses it.

i find his logic is clear (it is)infact, it is pure genius, but as with all logic one has to realise that at this moment logic is thoroughly illogical. though perhaps when he wrote it was thoroughly logical. logic being logical? logic being illogical? two sides of the same coin. if logical can be illogical why discuss something as important as emptiness using logic? this defies a common understanding of nagarjuna, unless of course he wished to impress buddhist emptiness upon the minds of the common people. or, perhaps he really did believe in the immutable logos (reason) of plato. that insoluble all pervasive notion of truth. personally i see that reason has its uses (many of them groundbreaking and earth shattering), but can often be used to say what you want, especially when it comes to philosophy.

i find the argument for emptiness grounded in dependent arising 'can' be compelling, or not compelling. its just how you approach it. in that a collection does not necessarily indicate an individuality, it could be seen as a collective, for example a sea sponge colony 'may' have no singular conscious individuality as the colony as a whole, but then a human being is a collection with a consciousness . but as i see it, dependent arising could be used as a proof against emptiness just as much as a proof for it. i believe that the buddha would have days where he took time out from such an approach, that is he would respect the agile logical display of nagarjuna, but have said "not on mondays nagarjuna" (but only if you dont mind my friend).

i dont think that the buddha was about dogmatising certain concepts and words such as emptiness, as useful as they may be. even freedom can become an obstacle to relationship and his word "liberation" can be in buddhism taken to mean many different things. it may just be that mental freedom and freedom from suffering are synonymous. emptiness is representative of water and air, but one should not forget the presence of fire, or gold (earth)(male elements)that are representative of fullness/form. to argue away form for emptiness seems unbalanced. just as to argue away emptiness for form would be unbalanced, though it may be an interesting excercise (and not too difficult). infact rising to the challenge if one looks in minute detail/huge magnification at an area of space one will find it a quantum soup, and not nearly as empty as one expected. infact buddha is implacable when he says emptiness is form for this could imply that there is no emptiness, only form. or visa-versa one could argue that all is empty.

i have also read nagarjunas, i think its called the flower garland, which was less a discussion of emptiness and logical proof for such, though his approach in the middle way comes across in this book too. no, i remember now its called the discourse of the precious flower garland.

i realise that my comments on nagarguna's mulamadhyamakakarika may seem disrespectful regarding the buddhist saint, and have no desire to show disrespect, but i do feel that all in all, though brilliant his arguments are not compelling ground for emptiness. this is because i am aware of the bias behind reason. there are other ways to illustrate emptiness. the buddhas "emptiness is form" for example is a much clearer statement of anti-logic, that i find very elegant. also the prescence of the zero in any effective numerical system requires a hypothetical emptiness.

i have no doubt that in the original tongue nagarjuna was a marvellous poet, sadly this does not come across in this translation or in "verses from the centre" a different translation of the same work. perhaps, in his poetic form his genius would have shone out as much as it does from his rational genius.

this is an interesting book to read, a fascinating insight into the mind of an early buddhist saint and an example of how one can use logic to prove anything, even that which intuitively seems almost impossible. but personally i dont feel it tells me anything, other than showing patterns of logic, which are a useful thing to aquire. i must say though that i am 'astonished' by the mans logical dexterity.

i would have found nagarjuna more interesting if he had tried to prove the existence of form and balanced this with a proof for the existence of emptiness. for in truth it is not balanced to prove the existence of emptiness without proving the existence of form. and you cannot prove the existence of emptiness without proving the existence of form, for emptiness is form. it can be argued that all is emptiness, but it can also be argued that all is form. whatever you look for is whatever you find. such is the nature of reality. seek and you will find.

infact... making things fun, and killing the buddhas word, i would say that "form is not emptiness, form is form" is just as true as "emptiness is form". this is the buddas freedom. playing with logic, one does not take reason too seriously on mondays, but... aah, on tuesdays it is profoundly important.

thank you nagarjuna for the encouragement you have given many.

love, flakey xxx.

Before you stare at a wall to practice suchness, you may want to spend some time acquainting yourself with this philosophical presentation that justifies your practice.

It will be no easy task. Both Nagarjuna's text and Garfield's commentary are challenging: I'm sure that would be true for the Western philosophers Garfield's commentary is targeted to and it certainly was for me as a lay person. But I persisted in what often seemed repetitious and tedious to find enough interspersed wisdom to make my patient reading worthwhile. This is not a book I could comfortably have browsed. Without Garfield's commentary, I might have quickly read over Nagarjuna's verses and believed I had understood much of it. Despite much that seemed cryptic, I'd have thought myself well educated in dependent origination, impermanence, emptiness, the self and other key Buddhist concepts. But, if I did that, I may have missed about 99% of what Garfield found therein.

A Sanskrit text by Nagarjuna translated into Tibetan and then into English by Garfield. A commentary informed by a tradition of Tibetan teachings. Understandings which may enrich one's meditation ... on emptiness. It is humbling to consider that Nagarjuna composed his verses in India about the 2nd century A.D. Such a thorough and penetrating analysis must have resulted from many challenges from others. That it holds up is something worth ... experiencing as one reads Nagarjuna and Garfield.

Nagarjuna's text is presented by itself, then again interspersed wihin Garfield's commentary. Garfield proceeds very precisely, keeping his interpretations closely tied to the verses at hand. Together they offer a tour de force in Buddhist philosophy. If you read this book and later hear someone say, as if it were a complete thought, that the self is an illusion, you should understand much better what the too often unstated context for such a statement is.

There are many valuable lessons: about the lack of inherent existence, interdependence, conventional and ultimate truth, dependent origination of all phenomena, the emptiness of even emptiness, even dependent origination as dependently originated, reification, of the self as a conventional designation. There are conclusions I found profound such as that "the conventional nature of conventional entities and their emptiness are one and the same". That "to say of a thing that is dependently arisen is to say that its identity as a single entity is nothing more than being the reference of a word", i.e. that its identity "depends upon verbal convention". Do I follow that? One problem may be that at the time I read such lines I may think I do but a short while later, I've lost it. This is not a book I would want to be tested on anytime soon after finishing it. I don't know when I will be ready for such a test. The answers may not be found through further study of the text and commentary but through meditation ... or perhaps some of both.

I recommend going back over after a first reading and making notes. Even then, it may take ... years ... lifetimes? ... for everything taught in here to sink in, but the intent is to enable you to internalize the teachings presented here through meditation so that it becomes more than philosophy but a way to live. A tall order but that is what Buddhist meditative practice, properly understand, seems to be.

I do feel I understand better from this reading, if only a little better, why meditation seems warranted. Being a less confused about that seems worthwhile.

I would recommend this book to anyone who does not believe dreams come true with a little hard work and a lot of faith. George Foreman came from nothing and look at him now. In spite of all of his wealth, he is committed to helping others. He is truly a rich man...in his heart and sould...not in his wallet. This book gives the reader an in-depth look at George Foreman the man...not the boxer. He has family values and morals that we don't find frequently in today's society.

Read this book!!!

George Foreman's personality, style and charisma make this perhaps my favorite book of all time. Why? Because George gives us a detailed look at his personal journey to finding spirituality and happiness in life and how he has shared that lesson with others in an attempt to improve their lives.

I liked George Foreman before reading this book but afterward, I achieved a higher sense of respect for a selfless man who gave up his boxing career to preach and follow the path to God. He even started the George Foreman Youth and Community Center in 1984 with retirement money that he had "tucked" away during his 8-year retirement from boxing. His goal was not to indoctrinate local kids but to give them a place to come and follow a productive direction.

Though George "un-retired" from boxing several times, he continued as a minister in his own local church and spreading the word of God in many ways. In fact, George illustrates that money, wealth and power do not necessarily create a sense of fulfillment; it's the spirituality that brings joy and contentment. George lays the advice out for his readers, plain and simple:

"I am convinced that God gives us all a chance to know Him. He gives us the opportunity and if we say "yes" to Him, He will choose us. But He won't force Himself on anyone".

"God is merciful and will always give us a new beginning if we are willing to change."

Clearly, this advice comes from a man who was transformed in that locker room in 1976.

I have never been a fan of boxing, but the name George Foreman has become a household name. From boxing to grilling, George tells his story of being born in poverty, to living on top of the world, only to have everything lost and be penniless once again, and back on top. He deals with his issues of hate, and overcoming all his obstacles to be the man who lives Christ. Some of his writings become repetitive through out the book, but it is a good read of how a man's life was change,gone to Hell and back, and now pastors a church and operates a life saving center for youth.
I am glad that I read this book. You will see both sides of George of what he once was, to what he is now.

Fight The Good FightForeman writes a great book about his life. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend it to anyone. I loved the Big Bass analogy for success. A lake was stocked with many Bass at the same time. Several months later some of them were much bigger than the others. Foreman's explanation as relates to success also. The bigger ones were more hungry. Wow! What an analogy.

What a thoroughly uplifting and inspiring book.
This book has been a pure delight to read.
George provides spiritual solutions to lifes challenges via
his real life experiences.

As others have already reviewed, I am a fly fisherman who purchased this book to get a better understanding of freshwater invertebrates other than mayfly and caddis species. (For a highly detailed description of mayflies and caddis for the fly-fisherman, I would recommend the titles "Nymphs, volumes I and II".)

This guide is well-written and not too difficult to follow, even for the beginner. There is a focus on stream ecology and some tips on how to collect and identify various species. Be clear - the focus of this book is not specifically on fly-fishing, but more of a biological guide to aquatic invertebrates.

For a beginner, this book is a great place to start, but is also a nice reference for those with a little more experience. The color drawings are detailed enough to help determine the differences in various species. All in all - Excellent Book.

This books is easy to comprehend, and the plates are well defined. Extremely useful for ID'ing aquatic creatures.

My teaching partner and I will use this in our Freshwater Ecology class at the secondary level. It is a great basic guide that will be used as a reference tool and identification resource at an introductory level. Excellent for the money.

This book contains easy to understand pictographs for beginners, plus distinguishing characteristics for experienced entomologists. A major plus to any and every watershed association out there, and every limnology, water pollution biology, fisheries, etc. class offered at the collegiate level.

A definate must have for nymph fishermen as well!

Well done for a price that doesn't take a bite out of the pocketbook!

This book is great for beginners or someone who wants to brush up on invertebrates. The descriptions are wonderful, as are the pictures. Highly recommended!

I teach math in high school, and I have found this dictionary more useful than the textbook. The definitions are more precise and understandable than in a book designed to be understandable. It's compact, lightweight (because it's paperback) yet it's packed with information. It has been one of my better purchases this year.

Well written and edited. Definitions and explanations are clear and to the point. As I flipped through the book, I ran into many, many entries which I did not understand, but in that regard, an unabridged dictionary of the English language has many, many entries in it about which I know nothing.

I'm yet to find a better maths dictionary. Lots of definitions. Well organized/cross-referenced. As an undergraduate, I'm yet to look up something and be disappointed. Handy tables at the back.

It doesn't get 5 stars because of a few glaring misprints.

My job requires extensive technical writing skills in the form of developing mathematical algorithms or creating presentations or other documentation that frequently requires that mathematical concepts be clearly defined for the reader. Even when you think you know a good definition for a mathematical term, this dictionary will likely give you a better one. Good reference to keep around.

This is perhaps one of the best, if not the best, mathematics dictionary. But it is just that, a dictionary of mathematical terms and phrases. Do no expect it to teach you any subject in mathematics. It would be great for any student taking a mathematics course. If the student runs across a term that he/she might have forgotten, the student can refer to this dictionary for a quick reminder.

If you're anything like me, you enjoy reading while in the toilet, doing one of the necessities of human nature, this reference has a great "random open" feature, where you can just slide your thumb at any page and find an interesting term you can think and learn about, I dont know how much the shallow discussion to these complex terms is really useful, but it gives you interesting things to think about, it also contains some mathematics history and some information about famous mathematicians, the paperback cover provides for some nice comfortable format, this dictionary has replaced the old Almanac I used to open randomly when I'm bored.
A 5 star for the cuteness.

Enjoy.

This book is written very warmly. Not only do we all live in relationship with God, God wants a dynamic relationship with us! As our family copes with the turbulence of the times, He is right here with us. I couldn't put this book down, and I felt so much clearer and more hopeful for having read it. Thank you, Carol!

Carol Denego's first book is filled with charming personal vignettes about one woman's encounter with the vicissitudes of life, those events that fill our own storybooks with memorable moments of joy and sorrow, challenge and triumph. It is a friendly and honest book, guileless and funny in a way that touches us all no matter who we are or where we're from. Her message is deceptively simple: We are never alone, and life unfolds in perfection if we but do the journey. There is sweetness and magic in her stories, and they ring with the truth of everyday reality.

Carol's book is inspirational and gives the reader pause to "see a loving God" in every action and breath of one's daily journey. Her examples of her own life help the reader feel His presence and love. Her writing style allows the reader to ponder the book's meaning and not feel like you are being force into one view; rather to question, How is God's love and presence demonstrated in your life? You'll find yourself writing your own "High Road to Faith"!

I could not put Carol Denego's book down. I felt like I was visiting with her, and getting to know a very good friend. Her life's experiences are inspirational. Carol's book, The High Road of Faith: A Personal Journey, is a book I am sharing with all of my family and friends!

Upon hearing the title, what comes immediately to mind is the old Loch Lomond refrain which goes, "Ye take the high road, and I'll take the low road...and I'll get to Scotland "afore ye"... High road or low road, the intent is the same: to move forward on the road of faith. Consciously embarking upon a spiritual journey is a decision of strong intent, coupled with a sharpened sense of awareness that whatever we encounter along that road has a multi-faceted significance.

Carol experienced this, too, and shows us the importance of receiving each event in our lives--uplifting ones filled with song and friends but also losses and adverse events--as an opportunity to grow spiritually and develop our faith in an underlying purpose for our presence here on Earth.

In the best tradition of spiritual seekers throughout the ages, Carol's "gypsy" journey sends her to all sorts of places, both physical and metaphysical. Her earthbound travels take her around the world--from San Francisco Bay to Brazil, from Switzerland to Western Samoa, and from Hawaii to exotic Asian destinations like Thailand, Indonesia, and Mainland China and back again to Oahu.

At the same time, her spirit takes flight on journeys that are as passionate as they are, in the end, peace-filled as she learns to listen to "Spirit" and trust in a higher power to guide and keep her on that high road of faith through all of life's large, and small, trials.

Writing this review after the tragic terrorist attacks in New York and Washington brings home the fact that, as Carol confirms, "we create our world". Even a person or a nation as seemingly invincible as America can be momentarily caught off guard and dealt a devastating, if not lethal, blow that forces it to look inward to discover what circumstances permitted, indeed encouraged, such evil havoc. Spiritual cleansing requires deep and often painful introspection.

At the same time, being paralyzed by introspection and fear is not the answer. Carol shows, with a mixture of trust, curiosity, and humor, that she--and indeed any one of us--can summon up the strength to overcome uncertainty and self-doubt, breaking free of the past to embark upon our own personal, and highly rewarding, spiritual journey.

As Carol travels on towards new challenges and discoveries, another old Irish blessing comes to mind, one woven to strengthen the spirit and heal the hearts of all travelers on this, life's premier journey: "May the road rise up to meet you; May the wind be always at your back; May the sun shine warm upon your face; And rains fall soft upon your fields; And, until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand."

Mr. DeVos' book has moved me deeply and powerfully. I have already started applying some of his beliefs and principles in my life and am feeling more empowered than ever. He also has boosted and strengthened my belief in God and my trust in Jesus. His inspiring personal story and his acknowledgement of the power of God's grace will have a lasting effect on me. I suspect anyone else who reads his terrific story will feel the same. The book is a "quick read' and I love the format of how the ten lessons for life are presented. This book should be read by Christians and non-Christians alike in my opinion. Thank you Mr. DeVos for sharing your story, your wisdom, and your unshakeable faith in our Lord and Savior. You have made me realize even further just how much He loves each and every one of us.

Rich Devos, co-founder of Amway and owner of the NBA Orlando Magic, writes his passages from his own experiences. He is encouraging and honest by presenting the many possibilities of life's pained times while showing how to positively grow from them. This book is dressed with vibrant pictures from cover to cover and filled with inspirational quotes that are the kind anyone will want to jot down on a post it and leave next to the front door. Rich Devos will give the reader an edge and feel of strength page by page.

This book is like a life guide for me. Rich Devos really knows how to touch you deeply with simple facts of life. I'll recomend to anyone and hoping this book will be translated to many other languages so it could really reach anyone.

If you need rules or guidelines for your life without an entirely religious or spiritual basis, this is them. Rich DeVos is a very religious person, but is able to relate ten lessons of how to succeed in life. From faith through love, Rich tells us how each one provided great things in his life. Being successful in all areas of his life, Rich is someone that everyone should listen and learn from, in business or not, christian or not, successful or not. There is always room to grow in your life, so let Rich lead the way.

I can't think of a better word to describe this book than - INSPIRED! You will be blessed by this book. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, get comfortable on the couch and.....enjoy.

This book is everything I expected. The pictures are great and the text very informative. I am enjoying it very much and it is a valued addition to my film library.

As a glamour photographer myself, this is a book I own and use for inspiration. I love the way Hurrell not only captures the inner-beauty of the subjects, but his photojournalistic approach. I often graze through this book as I've read it many times over--the grazing gets me going when it comes to my own glamour photography. I recommend anyone interested in this book, buy it now! If you'd like to see how it's affected my career, also check out the following books, Garage Glamour: Digital Nude and Beauty Photography Made Simple, Rolando Gomez's Glamour Photography: Professional Techniques and Images and even a book where I have a chapter, Professional Portrait Lighting: Techniques and Images from Master Photographers (Photo Pro Workshop series) This book should not only be on a collector's list, but for any student of photography--we're always learning no matter what level your photography. ---Rolando Gomez, contributing writer, Studio Photography magazine

This book -- how beautiful. I have photography books by several of the great portrait photographers of the 20th Century, and this one is the best. There are a wealth of photographs, and the story of Hurrell's life is also interesting. If you ever thought about seriously learning about photography and taking some good pictures, this book will take any hesitation out of your mind. Gorgeous!!

I thoroughly enjoyed browsing through and then reading this beautiful tribute to the legendary work of George Hurrell. As compelling as Hurrell's photos are it is the author's indepth knowledge and understanding of Hollywood and Hurrell that set this book apart.

Mark Vieira's own photographic artistry is based on Hurrell's techniques, providing current-day enthusiasts with authentic glamour photography of their own.

George Hurrell is universally acknowledged THE Hollywood portrait photographer, the man who recreated during the talkies much of the mystery of the silent stars through his breathtaking photographs. At a time when the finest still photography was becoming more incisive and natural, Hurrell managed to balance this new naturalism and directness in highly manipulated ways, producing in his best work iconic images of the great stars of MGM. After the second World War his work became largely passe, appearing too contrived and built up for an age demanding grit and spontaneity and an off-hand naturalness.

This work seeks to both show and tell the story of Hurrell's highwater era as not only the major photographer of the stars, and MGM in particular, but also his development as artist. Breathtaking photographs fill the volume - Harlow on a polar bear skin rug, her gown glowing a burnished white against the softer fur while all around her Hurrell captures an infinite play of lighting, the entire amazing and unrepeatable, a dream world evoked out of the irridescent sheen of an infinity of microscopic silvery gifts left by the platinum negative; Norma Shearer transformed from attractive but doughty into a timeless vamp, surpassing her silent film predecessors with an electric sexuality never before captured on still film; Joan Crawford, Hurrell's great muse at the top of his game, seen in powerful forceful images, unrelenting in their hold on an Apollonian authority.

Hurrell's flamboyant personality, his novel and sometimes off-putting behavior during shootings, seems now unfortunately taken as role template by many lesser fashion photographers. In his day and at his height during the late twenties through the beginnings of World War II Hurrell dominates a demanding and highly accomplished professional field.
Whether you live in a sumptious penthouse overlooking Central Park, need a single book for the coffee table in the living room of that restored Neutra you just purchased, or just enjoy reasonably priced fashion books, Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits fits the bill. At a significantly reduced price its a lovely reminder of one of the nicer advantages of democratic publishing: not every fine art book is a prohibitively expensive limited edition printed by a small press.

I really liked this book! Tons of info, personal experiences and suggestions are within on how to work with the unconscious mind in a healthy way. great for magicians, witches, sorcerers and lay folk alike!

I have previously read only one book on dream interpretation and think this one is excellent. I've always steered away from dream interpretation because I thought they were too mental for me. I am by nature an intellectual and caught up in daydreaming most of the time anyway. But Johnson tells me to bring feeling and body into the interpretation process, and that I like.

He also warned against passive daydreaming concerning any real person for they will feel something over the collective unconscious. Compared inner work to marching around the walls of Jericho -- conquering a psychic center might take years of persistent work.

All in all: simple and concise. I recommend it.

This book is a fantastic guide to doing Active Imagination. If you are new to the ideas of Carl Jung, this book has the introduction that you need. I have used the techniques from this book on many occasions, and I know I will keep going back to it. Active Imagination has helped me in working with my compulsions and in understanding my bad habits. This is not a 'self-help' book with catchy slogans and common-sense rephrased kind of book. You will end up talking nonsense to yourself and trying to make sense of it. What kind of 'self-help' book would ever encourage you to make up a bunch of nonsense and then try to understand it! When you see the way to express your instincts you will open up a part of yourself that you may never have known before.

This wonderful book is clear and practical, and really goes to the point. It instructs you and helps you at two levels: first it explains how our dreams and imagination function as a link between our conscious and unconscious lives; then it goes on to instruct the reader on how to learn from this link and how to build a fruitful and lifelong dialogue between these two spheres of being. In order to achieve the latter, the author shows us, with clear examples, the way to understand our dreams and to use our imagination and so find the wisdom that we all have inside. Although this all sounds like any other self-help book, here the author never means to sound witty, empty or artificially triumphant. He promises nothing and makes sure we understand that what he is telling us is nothing new: many cultures use these same methods for the psychological, spiritual well-being of people. But we happen to be living in a time and culture that have lost the sense of inner life.Reading this book is like listening to the words of a loving teacher, who knows things because "he has been there before".Well-written and packed with no-nonsense spirituality, without losing touch with the world where we live or our common sense.

though i wouldn't follow the author's exact attributions to symbols in dreams (use your personal ones - what do they mean to you?), the book is still excellent for interpretation and analysis. keep reading it, especially the most important parts, as you are likely to forget. i recommend first reading Owning Your Own Shadow as a primer, also by Robert A. Johnson.

This book has been my savior I reccommend it to anyone even remotely interested in a PHd or a PsyD in clinical psychology you wont be dissapointed

I carefully followed this book's recommendations throughout the entire application process. I applied to eleven APA accredited doctoral programs in clinical psychology and was accepted at EIGHT of them! The book's detailed suggestions were tremendously helpful and probably contributed to this remarkable outcome. However, I found it important to use other sources of information as well, since some data in the book is inaccurate. Inadequate information on how to select the "best-fit" school from among multiple offers was the book's greatest shortcoming. P.S. Don't worry about typing the application forms - just use very neat printing or handwriting. Type everything else, however.

Everything you'd want to know about grad school is all in this one source. This book includes everthing you'd want to know about applying to graduate schools (overall acceptance rates, whether an advanced degree helps, what graduate schools consider to be important). However, rather than presenting the author's advice and opinions, the information is compiled from empirical research studies which adds much credibility to the information provided. Very helpful, is also the comprehensive guide of all APA approved combined, clinical and counselling psych programs. Provided are such things as scales indicating how clinically or research oriented a program is, the theoretical orientations of the faculty, what percentage of students are accepted into APA internships, the GPA and GRE cutoffs, number of applications received and number admitted, percentage of students receiving financial aid, percentage who hold advanced degrees, percentage of women and minorities, average years to completion of the program as well as research and clinical oppurtunities available. This book is very helpful in providing you with a general idea of what programs you may want to look into further, however the information doesn't always seem to be 100% accurate, therefore you may want to investigate further rather than accept all the information as factual.

This book gave me a realistic look at what it takes to get into a Ph.D. Program in psychology and how to go about getting what I needed. I have recommended this book to many others because most books on this subject only give you statistics of different schools- how many students they accept, what the average GPA is of someone who is accepted. THis book is much more practical and step by step.

For anyone interested in clincal or counseling graduate study, this book is essential. These areas are extremely competitive and one cannot go into the process "blind." The general APA guide can be useful, but it covers many areas and mainly gives the basic facts on all programs. On the other hand, this book is very specialized. It gives information on the programs, but also includes invaluable information relevant to clinical and counseling psychology training. It has information on the programs, but also tells you how to prepare yourself, so you get in to those programs.

I am interested in clinical health psychology and this book was a great help. It has a useful index of programs by subject area. It also has a self-rating from programs about how strongly they emphasize research or clinical practice. It is essential to find schools that will provide you with the experiences you are looking for.

Overall, this book will help you find programs that suit your needs and maximize your potential for getting accepted to them!

Lots of short little self-motivating lessons from finding passion in your life to taking care of others, taking care of yourself, taking care of business, etc.

One of my favorite suggestions dealt with the constant urge to check e-mail, a big time-waster - Tesh suggests instead dropping down for 10 pushups. That's a great cure! Digesting a "lesson a day" will help brighten your day, and build better tomorrows.

John Tesh puts together a great book full of heart and inspiration to encourage anyone who reads it to take back the passion and purpose in thier life. This is a great self help book for anyone and just an all-around great read to keep at your nightstand. To be composed of so many segments, it really flows well and is tremedously readable and enjoyable. John shares many lessons from his own life and encourages others to turn up the volume on thier lives. The book is not preachy and is written in a very warm, conversational way. John has this ability to connect with his listeners that really carries through to print. I believe that anyone and everyone will benefit from reading this book.

This is a wonderful book, I recommend it highly. I listen to his radio program and his book is the icing on the cake. It gives you something to think about and goals to strive for.

The book "Intelligence for Your Life" is a must read. John Tesh challenged me to really evaluate my passions for life. He encouraged me to create a plan to fulfill my dreams.

The book Inteligence for your Life by John Tesh came on time and in excellent condition. It is a wonderful book-glad to have it in my Library.