Spirituality Books

Very practical. It's like having my very wise grandfather at my bedside and more... Yogananda writes eloquently, down to earth, and yet this extra-ordinary man talked and walked with the Infinite. I don't know of any other spiritual book that cuts to the chase like this one. It's a manual to living... really living, not just physically but in all aspects of our being. Read it, read it, again and again, and you will always pick up a gem. Mull it over, sleep on it... This is beyond wonderful.

Essential reading for any student of Yogananda - gems for those with the patience to dig.

Yogananda lectured extensively from 1920 to 1952 in the US. It's a shame that in the sixty years since his passing that only 3 volumes and a dozen CDs of his talks have been shared from the very extensive SRF Inc. archives.

In the Babaji line, Yogananda was by far the most prolific in lectures and written works. Only a fraction of that work has been made public.

Which follower would not like to see Richard Wright (Daya's brother)'s travel journal and films from the 1935/6, or see Yogananda's correspondence with Ford, Edison, Wrigley, in the same way that American Presidents have libraries that fully illuminate their lives?

Yogananda was a great spiritualist. He has a great way of explaining everything in a clear, profound language. I am sure you can find guidance to what ever questions you have in this trilogy set. Simply put,"God is the answer to all.. Sincerely pray to him.. don't betray anyone.. always think good.. if bad thoughts enter..simply move on keep focusing on good things.. God is all.. Just keep your mind focused on God." THis is pretty much the essence of all of Yogananda's teaching with some bells and whistles of course!! He keeps repeating what I have said as the answer to everything. You should read the book.. there's more to it than what I have said!! Here's the warning. People like Ananda and the Self Realization Society have made a wealthy living by selling Yogananda's lessons and ideas.. Actually they have made a fortune. Ananda is a complete fraud. Do not join any organization (ananda or Self real society) because they are CULTS. Do a simple internet search and you'll find that Ananda is a fraud. Just read the book.. but do not join their society in search of Kriya yoga techniques. They won't disclose these techniques till you have spend thousands of dollars and completely surrendered your life and wealth to them for years. True hindu teaching are not such!!! For the money you spend with these frauds, you could go to India seek a true Indian master and learn all these techniques for a much less price. Some recommended works include Swami Rama's Path of Fire series.. Sivaananda.. Get the picture!! there are tons of these guys. Don't give up your life, your family and your wealth in a quest for spirituality. If you want spirituality, go to India find a competant Guru there. Ananda and SR society are CULT like phonies. This is a way of making money! You can be as spiritual as you want with everything you have now!! God loves everyone. THe way these guys make it sound is like you have to be prepared or you have to go through initiation to reach God. God can be reached in one second at any point in your life. I hope I have been clear.

This collection of Yogananda's talks, along with its two companion volumes, should be on the shelf of every student of Eastern Wisdom, no matter what tradition they follow, and even if they don't follow any tradition, its just that good!

Like all of the great books written by Paramahansa Yogananda this one spills over with loving wisdom - as gentle and divine messsages of hope for this stressed out world that we live in are shared from his heart.

Truly no better modern book of wisdom exisists. It is a gift for the hungry soul! A must read spiritual bridge to enlightenment!

If you are interested in becoming a Druid Revivalist or a member of the AODA this book is a must-read. If you are not sure which path you want to trod, this book will be very helpful in explaining just what exactly it means to be a Druid Revivalist. Remember, if Druid Reconstruction is your cup of tea, then forget about this book. The only reason I give it a 4 instead of a 5 is because the book can be a bit dry at times.

This book was quite useful into explaining, what it means to be a modern 'Druid'.Ross Nichols wrote the book,'The Book of Druidry',some thirty plus years ago.Eventhough Nichols' Druid book was interesting reading,Greer's book is one of the best modern intrepretations of Druidry around today.Greer's book is the best facilitative druid handbook for daily ritual and spiritual practices.In this age of fatalistic attitudes,this book is empowering and enriching for one's soul.When one accepts one's connection to Mother-Nature,then one can live a positive life rather than a self-destructive morose one.This is not a persiflage prattle on Druidism.It's a fresh serious introduction on what a real modern Druid believes,observes,connects and practices during the turning of the Earth's seasons.An excellent start for everyone earnest about being a modern Druid,honoring and sharing the surrounding all-powerful Mother-Nature.

Mr. Greer, once again, provides the reader with an in-depth look at Druidry as a way of life and a religion. His information comes from a long history within the path that he writes about. Excellent information, well thought out and well laid out.

The Druidry Handbook is a beginner's text for those interested in finding out more about Druidry (past and present) as well as those individuals who think they might want to become a Druid, either as a solitary or part of an organized study group. This book is divided into three parts.

Part one looks at the history of Druidry. I was quite impressed with this section as the author was not intimidated to discuss the lack of substantial resources about the Druids of ancient times nor did the author shy away from discussing the complexities associated with the Revival Druidry period. I was also pleased that the author looked to the Celtic myths for answers as many scholars tend to ignore these important resources completely.

Part two and three of this book look at specific aspects of Druidry. Part two introduces the reader to basic concepts such as the importance of triads in this belief system. Part three goes into more detail on general Druidic beliefs including a very good explanation of proposed calendar cycles and their associated ceremonies. The author also includes a very well thought out initiate program for those wanting to try on the Druid lifestyle.

This book is based on the Revival Druidry of the 18th & 19th centuries, including many of Iolo Morganwg's fraudulent inventions & the Albans as holidays (there's not much evidence that any but the Summer solstice were celebrated by the Celts.) Of course, the foreward by Philip Carr-Gomm is written in a way to romanticize Revival Druidry, but he has a clear agenda in doing so (to help sell books.) The author states that "ogham served as a magical alphabet," but this is nonsense. Most frequently, archaeological evidence of ogham writings tend toward mundania; boundary markers, gravestone inscriptions. Although there are some good things in the book, the title should have been "The Revival Druidry Handbook," in which case I wouldn't have purchased it.

Mr. Rabbin vividly describes the true nature and uncompromising power of the meditative experience in his new book. His eloquent and articulate style of illustrating the true spirit of meditation penetrates to the core of practice, revealing the bare essence of reality.

Robin Rabbin is a contemporary mystic who has been facilitating Meditative Inquiry retreats for more than fifteen years. In Echoes Of Silence, he draws upon his considerable expertise and experience to instruct the reader in the art of meditation as a method of achieving inner peace and happiness. Rabbin explores the true nature of meditation, revealing what it is -- and is not. Rabbin employs prose poems combined with beautiful duotone images to dispel many of the myths surrounding the authentic meditative experience. Echoes Of Silence is highly original, "reader friendly", a welcome introduction for the novice, and with much to offer even those having prior experience with meditation.

Rabbin's sutras are as timeless as the soul, providing a nourishing nectar for our hungry spirits. Packed with the wisdom of a true sage, this is a book you can read over and over since the words on its pages are ageless and will serve the soul forever. I will keep it with me always.

Robert Rabbin has achieved the near-impossible; he gives us the essence of the nondual without leaving us stuck in the mind. His aphorisms are simultaneously the map and a glimpse of the actual territory, and remind me of the discourses of the great J. Krishnamurti.

Once again, Robert Rabbin has managed to define the indefinable....to bring understanding to what seems incomprehensible for many of us. His unique and gifted style of turning words into wisdom brings clarity to the silence within us. Echoes of Silence is truly the meditation guidebook for the new Millennium.

I got interested in buying the book after listening to her "Dear Jane" podcasts. Unfortunately, the book was much less useful than her casts would lead you to believe. The podcasts are more useful than the book, and FREE!

Look for David Burns and his 10 Days to Self Esteem book sets for some real help. There is also Break the Chains of Low Self Esteem (cannot remember author's name). These books have been immensely more helpful in dealing with my depression and related low self esteem.

I don't even think I'd recommend Enough is Enough for anyone who is further along in her/his recovery process. Just not helpful. Lots of platitudes, but no real skill building exercises.

Best of luck in whatever you choose on your road to recovery!

If you have thought to yourself or said out loud, "I just can't do this anymore" this engrossing, entertaining and practical approach to identifying the obstacles to living a vibrant and fufilling life is for you. Jane Straus provides tangible examples and exercises to help anyone who is really ready to address their 'endurance'. I have been acquainted with this author's work for many years and have seen impact in myself and others of her incisive and to-the-point remedies. She reveals her own inspiring story and those of many of her clients with compassion and humor, and invites the reader to undertake this exciting, and sometime painful path to a fuller, richer, more thriving life.

I have read around 100 self-help books and would, unhesitatingly, count it as one of the best (if not the best). It gave me lots of food for thought. I think Jane should get onto the Oprah show. It merits that kind of attention.
Paul Heller

A fun and easy read, yet powerful and filled with insight and inspiring stories. Jane Straus has compassionately offered her heart and soul in this book about truth, authenticity, non-judgement and forgiveness. "Enough is Enough" provides the reader with a sobering look at how our fears and self-judgements stands in the way of living the life we were meant to live, and how in the end, it is all about forgiveness. Jane gently guides us with practical tools and exercises to help us move forward in the direction of our dreams. Thank you Jane for your honesty, humor and humaness in revealing your own fears and vulnerabilities. I see so clearly now how I have been creating distractions in my own life and I am now ready to live my one precious and extraordinary life with no more excuses! Thank you for this wonderful gift you have given to all of us and to the planet.

I found this book very easy to read and, as strange as this might sound, I felt better immediately after reading it--like I really could change specific aspects of my life NOW if I was willing to see myself truthfully. The author uses personal experience, and the experiences of people she has coached in her professional life, to demonstrate how to stop enduring people, things, etc., in your life and start choosing to live a life that is aligned with your higher truth. While some books require extensive exercises and cumbersome companion workbooks, this book is much less threatening and provides thoughtful questions (she titles these "Time In") for your own consideration after she provides important "food for thought". One thing in particular that I appreciated about the author's approach is that living your life to the fullest is a process that can be started today, no matter what your situation. For example, one of her chapters is titled, "Daily Tonic for an Extraordinary Life" and she offers the following, "Living our truth cannot be for some future goal or noble end; our commitment to releasing judgment and limiting beliefs, practicing positive affirmation, honoring our emotions, and striving for win-win is the daily tonic for breaking free of our endurance." Wonderful stuff that I highly recommend to any reader!

I definately recommend this book! It is a well written, inspritational, thought-provoking, feel good book. It was hard to put down and is definately worth reading over again. My thanks to you, Mr. Staat! :)

This book is really easy to read. Blaine Staat does a great job of taking every day events and making them meaningful. This book does a great job of making you feel good, while taking a deeper look at the world around you.

I enjoy picking this up when I have a chance. It feels as though the author is having a conversation with you. It is wonderful to see a man living out his life for God.

Blaine Staat is a "regular guy" and talented writer who muses on faith, family, politics ... life. These vignette style chapters are self-contained, making it easy to read one when you have the chance. You may or may not agree with all of his thoughts ~ but they are entertaining to read, and more importantly, they will make you consider these significant ideas and issues for yourself. I'll be passing it along to my husband!

Finding Liberty I found to be an excellent read. Blaine Staat is both transparent and honest as he starts out telling us of how he and his wife left the rat race behind, and the money that goes along with it, to find a simpler and a more satisfying way of life. It is like taking a step back in time. I love how he and his wife are not so consumer driven, but put relationships with their family and their relationship with God at the forefront. They also are part of their community, which is something we do not see much of anymore. Not only was the book entertaining, but also challenging to me in my life. I would recommend this book for your personal library and even as a gift for a friend.

I would recommend this little book for anyone who wants to understand life and how to learn to live his or her life better. It is a very good starter for David Viscotts' books of which I started with "Emotionally Free" and now I have bought 5 of his books. This book is made up with short passages and so it is easy to read. Each passage has a short ending paragraph which serves like a prayer. Viscott writes in clarity and his insight into life enables him to write powerful and enlightening sentences that speak to hearts. His books help me a lot personally.

This book is fantastic!! I have read it over and over again. I have also recommended it to numerous people. It's easy to read and understand. I keep it by my bedside and read a few chapters each night. I highly recommend it!

I just ordered another copy - I have given my past three copies to friends in their times of need. I consider this book a gift from God. Simply written and sometimes brutally direct, any page will enlighten your day. Undoubtedly the best gift in the smallest package I have ever received!

This book is for everybody. We all need words of encouragement and David Viscott delivers. Every passage is something we as people can relate to everyday. When your down you can open this book to any page and find something to bring you right back up! Read a passage and take a few minutes to let it soak in and continue on with your day. My favorite,"What other people think of you is none of your business." Beautiful.

I agree with what everyone else has written. This book has become my steady companion. I randomly turn to a chapter and find it always speaks to where I am. While visiting my husband's grave I turned to "Accept Your Death". According to the book death is not an option so live life deliberately.

I thank David Viscott for writing this book. Is there a sequel?

My 5 and 6 year LOVE these devotions. A great way to take all of God's creation and apply it to our lives.

Wonderful devotional. My mother bought this for our daughter (she's 7 and in first grade) as a birthday gift and she just loves it. We have read through the entire book over and over again and she never gets tired of reading the devotionals. It's very well done. The stories are great and keep her attention. The scripture versus fit the stories perfectly and are easy for her to understand. This devotional is not over her head. All the subject matter is stuff that she can understand and can relate to her everyday life. This is very well done. Highly recommended.

I love this book for the children because it kills two birds with one stone. First, it explains the characteristics of each animals, (for each story), then they tie that in to what God wants us to do/what He wants for us. They also have a verse to pull it all together. Each story takes about 3 minutes to read. Every family should have this added to their library. Great buy too.

This is exactly the sort of resource I was looking for to have conversations with my children (4, 2, + baby) about God. The set-up is IDEAL - it's similar in style to our favorite children's book (educational, contains relevant questions, encourages curiosity) and the ideas are concrete - not just "be happy because God loves you" - these ideas go beyond that. I love the book and I would recommend it highly!

Our family loves this beautifully illustrated hard cover book. Excellent for children of all ages. This devotional uses a bible verse to teach God's principles in the characteristics of animals. We have all learned alot about animals and how God wants us to love one another. A must have for the library.

This book is written by an author that is well known in the academic community as being quite a knowledgeable scholar. I read this book after reading: The Second Half of Life by James Hollis and it was an excellent follow-up to the spiritual side of going older and wiser. I would recommend it to anyone interested in this subject.

This book was seminal in describing to me and helping me to understand the extent to which my life has been and continues to be a spiritual journey, one that was originated by the God of the universe, and to which the journey leads. This is a book for all, but especially for those who have been brought up in a majority Christian culture, but who eschew the parochialism and often bigoted dogma and rigid theology of mainstream and particularly, right wing christian culture.

The authors use all the great spiritual traditions to describe their concepts of the spiritual journey, including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and others. This is a book that really emphasizes the individual relationship with the Holy One, the Great Lover, and so has an attractive mystical bent. Quotes from the writings of Rumi as well as St Theresa of Avila, John of the Cross and Julian of Norwich fit very comfortably together within the authors' spiritual paradigm.

If you would like a book that can explain to you how you and everyone else on earth might fit into God's plan, despite differences in dogma and theology, then this book is for you. After all, this is exactly what Christ taught, despite orthodox bigots' exclusionary proclamations.

It's an easy read the first time, and gives forth more richly on subsequent readings.

I decided not to take any books on my (solo) vacation this year -- preferring instead to see what I would gravitate toward 'on the road' (my way of living dangerously -- such an exciting life I lead!). So it was, in one of the bookstores at Logan Airport in Boston that I came to be standing in front of the philosophy/self-improvement section. No -- PLEASE no self improvement (I said to myself). Aren't vacations supposed to be a respite from such relentless work?. But something (probably the link between my impending 37th birthday and the book's idea that a spiritual journey is natural in mid-life) intrigued me too much to let myself put this book back on the shelf.

When I reached my destination, I was still reluctant to start such a deep-sounding subject, but I picked it up anyway -- just to read a bit to get myself to sleep. Three hours later, I was still in the midst of this engrossingly descriptive guidepost to maturing spirituality. Reluctantly I put it aside to get some sleep, but the next morning I finished it -- somewhere between breakfast and lunch. Like another reviewer said, now I know what several friends will be getting for birthdays/Christmas presents!

I suppose the thing that touched me most was the inclusionary (rather than exclusionary) nature of the examples of different stages of 'the journey' -- tapping many different faith traditions rather than one particular dogma. Well, that and the idea that I have something 'new' ahead of me as I hit my forties and beyond, rather than more of the same old thing. I'd like to read it again soon (and I have a feeling I'll want to read it several times in the next couple of decades), but I'll have to get another copy -- my 'original' has been on loan since returning from my trip!

I have always been interested in spiritual and emotional growth in adulthood and though various people like Erikson, Vaillant, Levinson, Peck, Gebser, Jung, and Maslow etc. have tackled this issue in many interesting ways, I liked Moody's account the best. He explains it in a way that I can relate to and has beautiful life stories of people that go with it. This book has helped me get a better grasp on where I have been, where I am, and where I am going and I am sure that this makes all the difference in the overall quality of my life. Another book that I like equally on this subject matter is one called "The Ever-Transcending Spirit" by Toru Sato. This tremendous book by Sato looks at this from a very different perspective but has extremely interesting stuff about consciousness and relationships as well as human growth. Yet it makes everything look so simple, yet so clear. Both these books deserve five stars if not more.

I'm a well educated, ie former attorney, American male, 65 years old. Born & raised a Roman Catholic, but not a practicing Catholic for decades; I enjoy exploring & reading @ spritual & religious topics; I consider myself, with a huge tongue in check, an amateur metaphysician. I've read 20 - 30 - 40 books in this area during the past 15 years. This is the best! Period. I think that @ age 40, I would not have been able to understand this book or what Moody was trying to teach; as I grew older, more intrsospective, & more torn by ambiguity, I found the subject matters of this book much more "pressing". If you read 1 book @ the spiritual aspects of maturity @ the 50+ stage of life, I suggest you start your explorations with this 1! A classic!

The book arrived well within the promised delivery date. And the condition of the product surpassed the description given. Great quality and service. I'll not hesitate to use the service again. Thanks!

This book is like a workbook to the 1st Fools Crow book. It has changed my life and assisted on the spiritual path that I am walking. I am sure it will help anyone who reads it with an open spirit, heart, and mind.

For those who have read Fools Crow by Thomas E Mails should follow up with this book. If you have not read it I would sertainly do so as a companian to this book. Timeless Wisdom from the Old Lakota Holy Man that anyone can bennefit from the power of these teachings.

For a person interested in American Indian Medicine People, this Book, and it's companion book - Fools Crow, ISBN 0-8032-8174-9, will
read as a Treasure of insight, clarity, simplicity & wonder. This reviewer has been reading books on this subject for more than 40 years, and these 2 books are true Treasures of this world view. Fools Crow is magnificant.

Fools Crow Wisdom and Power is interesting in that the memoir is an account of a Sioux "holy" man. Yet, Fools Crow's holiness is not consistent. He has some good ideas about general spirituality but this is more of a plea for the Native American movement.
I read it for a graduate class in religion but was disappointed.

I can only look at the events of September 11, 2001 in a spiritual sense. After those terrible acts, I went to church to seek solace, pray for the victims and their families and also pray for the perpetrators. All humans are members of God's family despite the atrocities we commit against each other and we all will face God on Judgement Day. Therefore, I don't believe that the terrorists won: their hatred was and is totaly alien to God's nature and wishes for God's children and I believe they will suffer eternally. And, as Reverend Jakes wrote in his sermon, Jesus took many to be with him at the end of their lives. Christ is the Christian's hope and light in the terrible darkness we are walking through today. His love is a salve to me as it is to many others. The author's in this book accurately pointed out the many mistakes American politicians have made in foreign policy and have supported evil when it was to in their minds, advantageous to America. This book is well-written and I believe a must-read for those of us who are seeking answers.

So many people are turning to faith since September 11, looking for reassurance, trying to find answers to hard questions. This remarkable book skips the banal platitudes; instead, it gave me real, solid guidance to begin to face those hard questions and try to make sense of it all. The variety and depth of this astounding collection of essays is breathtaking. I was astonished by how many different faiths are represented. Especially moving, to me, was a New York parish priest's account of ministering to victims. We also get to eavesdrop on the Beliefnet community as they helped each other cope in the days following the attacks; the personal interactions are riveting. Only Beliefnet could have created this book. This is a gift that truly will help us all rise "from the ashes."

I stumbled across beliefnet.com a few days after September 11 and found it to be full of much of the best and most insightful writing to be found anywhere. This book, which compiles many of the articles Beliefnet has published on the tragedy, demonstrates that the spiritual issues raised in the articles Ñ justice, evil, retaliation, even the very existence of God Ñ are not just timely. They are issues we are going to have to deal with over and over again. And this book is loaded with wisdom for anyone who is attempting to deal honestly with those issues.

The authors range from traditionalist Christians to Bishop John Shelby Spong, who argues that after September 11, we have to picture God in a different way than we ever have before. The ideas range from strong supporters of military response to the Dalai Lama and Bishop Tutu who counsel forgiveness. One of the most interesting pieces, for me, was Karen Armstrong's essay on Islam, comparing its attitude toward violence to that of Judaism and Christianity. There has been so much nonsense published on that subject over the past month. It was wonderful to read the insights of someone who understands and respects all three faiths.

The best thing about this book is that despite the range of opinions (which guarantees that every reader is going to find many ideas they disagree with), I did not find a single essay to be without merit. Even the ones I disagreed with all said things I felt I had to think about. There is no political or spiritual posturing here, but, in every case, an open and honest discussion of issues.

This is a beautifully written and important book for anyone who cares about spiritual issues.

I can only look at the events of September 11, 2001 in a spiritual sense. After those terrible acts, I went to church to seek solace, pray for the victims and their families and also pray for the perpetrators. All humans are members of God's family despite the atrocities we commit against each other and we all will face God on Judgement Day. Therefore, I don't believe that the terrorists won: their hatred was and is totaly alien to God's nature and wishes for God's children and I believe they will suffer eternally. And, as Reverend Jakes wrote in his sermon, Jesus took many to be with him at the end of their lives. Christ is the Christian's hope and light in the terrible darkness we are walking through today. His love is a salve to me as it is to many others. The author's in this book accurately pointed out the many mistakes American politicians have made in foreign policy and have supported evil when it was to in their minds, advantageous to America. This book is well-written and I believe a must-read for those of us who are seeking answers.

Picked this book up at an airport just before
my flight and was unable to put it down during
the entire flight! It is filled with healing
words, inspirational thoughts, and wisdom from
some of the greatest spiritual leaders of our
times, at a time when so many are desperately
seeking answers to questions regarding this
horrific tragedy against mankind. I strongly
recommend this book --- a must read for all of
us who care deeply about what happened to our
nation on September 11.