Ethics Books

As a young idealistic college student protesting on behalf of humankind I was arrested on one occasion. And when they took all my "valuables" from me, I happened to have a copy of this book in my pocket. The police officer said, "Yeah, Every Man for Himself, that is just what we need more of in this country." And I said, this is not a selfish book about every man acting out of personal greed and selfishness, this is a book about how Mankind could serve its own interest in trying to do good for one another. And he said "Yeah, yeah, yeah - put this butt-head in cell # 4.
So as you can imagine this book has a significant personal memory for me. I will bet if I read it over today there is not that much that I would disagree with. I am now 65.

In this book the author gives an overview of his thinking on humanistic ethics, which is interesting from a speculative/philosophical viewpoint, but falls somewhat short if viewed from a scientific perspective. The book has an optimistic tone, as do many others by the author, and this makes the reading more palatable. If the ideas in it could be fleshed out with real scientific analysis, with supporting data, it would be a significant advance in the study of human psychology.

The author explains his optimism, interestingly, by reference to his experience with patients in his psychoanalytic practice. He speaks of encountering the strength of the strivings for happiness and health exhibited by his patients, which he believes is the natural embodiment of humans. "There is less reason", he says, "to be puzzled by the fact that there are so many neurotic people than by the phenomenon that most people are relatively healthy in spite of the many adverse influences they are exposed to". The statistics supporting this are overwhelming, and without a doubt are on the side of optimism.

The book is not a "pop-psychology", "self-help" book though, but instead a theoretical attempt to shed light on the problem of ethics and psychology. The author's goal is to get the reader to ask questions, and not to expect to find advice on how to obtain "happiness". The author's main goal is to find a validation for humanistic ethics that does not collapse into moral relativism but is based upon human nature and human's inherent qualities. The character structure of the mature and "integrated personality" is the origin of virtue, and vice originates from the ignoring of the self and "self-mutilation". To have confidence in values, the author argues, one must know oneself and be aware of one's capacity for doing good and being a productive human being.

The author carefully distinguishes between humanistic and authoritarian ethics, with the ethical norms of the former originating from humans themselves, while the latter some other entity. It is important for him to clarify the definition of "authority", one being "rational" authority, whose source is "competence", and "irrational" authority, whose source is always power over people. Rational authority he says, is based on the equality of the authority and the subject, with both of them differing only in the skill level in their respective fields and always having mutual respect for each other. Irrational authority on the other hand is based inherently on inequality, and denies the human capacity to know what is good or bad.

In humanistic ethics, as the author sees it, is formally based on the principle that only humans can determine the criteria for good and evil, and completely rejects any transcendent source of values. What is "good" is what is good for humans, and the "bad" is what acts to their detriment. Humanistic ethics, far from suppressing individuality and self-realization, encourages it, and there is no room in it for ethical doctrines that do not take into account the needs and nature of human beings. It is a life-affirming ethical philosophy, one that taps the human capacity for genius, and encourages responsibility for one's own existence. The crippling of human powers is the ultimate vice.

The problem then for humanistic ethics is to find out exactly what humans do in fact need in order to develop a healthy psychology. Throughout the book, the author attempts to characterize what such a psychology would be. In many instances throughout the book he makes some unexpected commentary, if judged by the overall theme of optimism in the book. For example, he views the human capacity for reason as both a "blessing" and a "curse". Viewing reason as a distinctly human capacity, not shared by other organisms (and this is troubling from the standpoint of current evidence to the contrary from biology), the author puts humans into a state of "constant and unavoidable disequilibrium". No matter what the level of accomplishment, humans will always be discontented and perplexed, and consequently driven to find new solutions, resulting in an endless restless cycle of achievement and discontent. But many humans do not fit into his sweeping generalizations here, but instead are very contented with their lives on this planet, and find the challenge of life fascinating, and who mourn only the prospect of it ending.

Because of his professional status as a psychoanalyst, it is not surprising perhaps to see a somewhat elaborate classification of what constitutes a healthy versus a non-healthy personality. There are "receptive", "exploitative", "hoarding", and "marketing" characters, which are non-productive and signs of personality "disorder" in his view. He gives detailed descriptions of these different types, but unfortunately does not quote case studies or any studies in the literature to support his views. Do individuals who have these personalities find it difficult to live and adjust in soceity? The author would probably argue that such an "adjustment" could be done, but that by itself does not mean that the individual at hand is not following a healthy course of action. The author seems to be getting quite dogmatic in his classifications here, and leaves the reader with a somewhat narrow view of what constitutes a truly healthy personality.

With more scientific research and justification put into his ideas, the author could have given the reader a more accurate view of what constitutes a healthy, integrated personality. The book is a good start though, philosophically speaking. Sometimes philosophy can encourage further scientific research, and sometimes it can clarify the issues involved in such research, but it can never take the place of science. The author's optimistic view of human nature is, to repeat, totally justified from a statistical point of view. And his view is somewhat rare, surprisingly, if one examines the statistics: the vast majority of humans are healthy, productive, and proud of their inner capacity for genius, and are without doubt fine examples of the humanistic ethic.

"There is no meaning to life except the meaning man gives his life by the unfolding of his powers." This sentence may be one of the most important themes in this wonderful book.

....and toward a celebration of human-centered values: Fromm makes his case for it in psychological terms not to be missed. (He'd have liked Herbert's distinction between law and justice.) And yet, and yet...while this book is splendid, I can't buy making man the measure of all things; somehow there ought to be a recognition that some situations may harm and even kill the self (as in "self-actualization") that nevertheless feed the soul. Anyhow, well worth the read.

Can there be an ethical system that does not rely on moral absolutes on the one hand or moral relativism on the other? Is there any other way? This book says yes and -- amazingly, brilliantly -- lays it out in a way that makes perfect sense. The only value we can know, the only value we need, and the only value that can have any real claim on us is OUR value, human value, and that is neither absolute nor relativistic. If this sounds absurd or offensive to you, skip this book. If you see the brilliance in it, you're in for a treat. I've read this book several times and can't get enough. Fromm is an underappreciated genius.

this is an awesome book - would strongly recommend - especially but not necessarily for those with any appreciation of baseball at all - think this should be required reading for all high school students - very important and helpful life lessons - baseball is a great american tradition sure but more importantly the sport produces character - knew little of cal ripkin before reading this book - now i am a BIG fan

This book helped me and it helped me help my eleven-year-old son.

One of the parents from my son's baseball team actually said to me last night at our end-of-season party that several games ago it was like a completely different boy began showing up to play. He said he could see my son now has baseball in his head. That's about when I started reading parts of this book to my son. I started taking him to the batting cages. We began really working toward his goals on the field and talking about his goals in life.

This book resounds with the values I've always carried in my heart but have not been able to live due to circumstances beyond my control. Reading it allowed me to see these values do actually work somewhere out there in this world and these values are what I want for my child.

Cal Ripken offers many of his life lessons and experiences he has learned through playing the right way his whole career. I highly recommend this book to baseball fans of all ages and backgrounds.

Get in the Game is not only a book about Cal Ripken Jr., his consecutive games streak and his fine career. It's a recap of some simple but overlooked values.

Using his core strength in baseball to describe his thinking, the reader will not only appreciate some particular plays in his career, but also down-to-earth ways of approaching things in life.

This book provides extremely useful guidelines in dealing with situations we all eventually run into in our lives. While alluding to baseball related examples, it does not simply dwell solely on recounting Mr. Ripken's impressive baseball accomplishments or relate amusing/interesting anecdotes. Instead it gives thought-provoking insights into two all too fast-disappearing basic axioms in our country's psyche: "practice makes perfect," and "do unto others." I highly recommend this book for everyone, especially young people still in their formative years. In fact, it presents an excellent opportunity for parents to reconnect with their child(ren) by reading it aloud and together, with discussion centering on each of the eight elements as they are completed.

This is a terrific book for anyone struggling with the loss of a loved one. I've used it over and over again in support groups and sent it to many friends in their bereavement. Recommend highly.

Author Deborah Morris Coryell, who has worked in the health field for more than 25 years and has written numerous books on wellness, now takes pen to paper in order to shed light on the process of healing from grief and loss. She observes that "We only grieve for that which we have loved and, the nature of life being transitory, love and loss are intimately connected," among many other hidden truths about the essence of grief. Eloquent and poignant, Good Grief: Healing Through The Shadow Of Loss is a touching journey toward understanding the regret that makes us human.

Having lost my only child four years ago, I have read many books on grief. This one is by far the best! I found myself highlighting most of the pages and have just bought a second copy!

My advise: Buy This One!

We lost our 39 year old son in September. Although he had been ill for a number of years, his death was unexpected. We were glad he was no longer in pain and was finally at peace. At the same time, we miss him and tears are always quite near. GOOD GRIEF was a positive,clearly written essay about the author's own grieving. She espressed so well the feelings I didn't know how to put into words. Her experience gave me a way of grieving that was real and authentic. We will always miss our son. I will always be a Mom who has a son who has died. However, just as his life had meaning, so does his death. Just as he was one of my spirtual teachers while he was alive, he continues to help me to grow throught his death. GOOD GRIEF has given me a guideline for this painful part of my life. I know I will go through this period of growth, not around it. I want to completely experience one of the greatest losses of my life and use that awareness to be of service to others. GOOD GRIEF will help me to accomplish that goal. After reading the book, I immediately read it again. I also sent copies of it to a number of people who also loved our son and were grieving his death. They agreed with me about the value of GOOD GRIEF in their grieving process.

Deborah Coryell wrote this book for me. It was as if she looked into my soul and saw my need. I unexpectantly lost my daughter 3 days after Xmas 2004 and have been trying to cope ever since. Deborah Coryell reached out (through this book) and pulled me into a new realm of healing. I plan to reread it again and again. If fact, I am about to order 2 more copies for my other two daughters (I don't want to give up my copy). So much of what Deborah Coryell writes is what I believe and feel but she puts it in words for me. She also introduced me to a new way of viewing the transition from physical life to "...the divine spark...dispersed into the universe." Her words and understanding of loss, grieving and healing are powerful. I am so grateful for having found her (book) at this time in my life.

A quick read, use it for any training classes as pre-reading. The analogies provided proof useful in a variety of settings. I find myself applying them at work and when dealing with other companies. Highly suggested for a framework of professinal development.

If you manage people in a business or organization I highly recommend assigning this book to your employees / co-workers. It only takes a few hours to read, yet leaves the reader with a lifetime of experiences.

Written by business consultant and trainer Mark Kimbell, The Hod Carrier: Leadership Lessons Learned on a Ladder is the deftly written, attention riveting story of Allen Hollings, a 19-year-old college student who decides to get himself a summer job on a construction site -- and finds that this decision will change his life forever. Allen is pushed and driven to the limits of his physical ability and emotional stamina as he struggles to meet the demands of the construction foreman. While learning and practicing the skills of carrying brick and mortar, Allen finds himself learning lessons about discipline, motivation, and time management that will serve him long after his summer job is over and the rest of his life begins. Indeed, Allen applies those hard learned summer job lesson to inspire a powerful work ethic in the lives and attitudes of the men and women he comes to manage in the competitive and hard working world of business. The Hod Carrier draws upon real world conditions laid out in a narrative storytelling which illustrates basic leadership principles that readers will find themselves absorbing interwoven with the genuinely interesting story so adroitly written by gifted communicator Mark Kimbell. The Hod Carrier is not just an another entertaining story, but does what the finest literary fiction has always sought to accomplish -- affecting and influencing the reader long after the novel is read and placed back upon the shelf.

Mark Kimbell's, The Hod Carrier, is one of the most straight-forward, business-applicable books I've read in years. The story about leadership lessons learned on a ladder conjures visions of difficult challenges each of us face. It also provides easy to remember lessons and simple tools such as "Bricks are twice as heavy when you're behind", and "Never forget whose bricks you are laying."

Mark's writing style is a Ken Blanchard-esque story style. The story itself is compelling, descriptive and so intriguing that you won't want it to end.

Carl Koetter
President
Koetter Training Resources, LLC

The Hod Carrier is a quick, easy read, but the message is profound. Mark Kimbell is as interesting on paper as he is in person. The concepts in this book apply in almost every area of life, and are illustrated in an entertaining and memorable way. The author creates wonderful visual images as he writes, and by the end of the book I felt almost as if I had experienced the events described along with the characters. I highly recommend The Hod Carrier. I will definitely read it again.

This book is extremely well written and doesnt dwell a lot on numbers and stats except when needed to enforce a point of view. If you are interested in a second amendment viewpoint others than facts and figures this book will do the job.

I bought this book quite a while back and it sat around for probably 5 years. I am one of those spur of the moment buyers and have quite a collection of books I have not read. I guess after reading this one, maybe I should start reading more.

A Nation of Cowards makes your brain work. After having just read "The Law" by Frederic Bastiat a week earlier and then reading this, it just all clicks.
My rights are MY RIGHTS. My life is mine and anyone who tries to take away my ability to defend myself is at war with me and my family. I don't know what it is going to take to wake up enough folks to shake off this I have a gun to hunt or target shoot mentality. I have a gun too...but it is big black and ugly and has one purpose...to DEFEND myself against unlawful attack, be it by ANY criminal.

Personally, after studing 9/11 (= inside job) to no end and realizing that "they" have declared war against "us" and maybe it is time to start thinking hard about the reason behind the 2nd amendment. And no...it isn't to be able to shoot Bambi.

This brilliant book offers a new perspective on freedom and responsibility. Although gun-control laws are used as a recurrent symbol of the erosion of our liberty they are incidental in the authors main point in that statistics and "studies" of the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of gun- control laws are irrelevant. Should I feel compelled to explain to the government or to any other entity the reasons why I exercise my personal freedoms and whether or not they are for the "greater good" of society? Snyder challenges the reader to examine the "BIG " picture on the attacks on our personal freedoms and warns against obsessing over statistics to justify them. I highly recommend this book.

Jeff Snyder has produced an historic book. One with insight and far reaching political goals. It examines in detail the continued decline in our (America's) moral self being. The era of blame is here and Jeff dissects its story with incredible ease. The tort cases, feminization of the american male, loss of self respect and most importantly, the loss of our resolve to stand for what we believe in.
This should be on every high school students must read list, and I recommend it as gifts to friends and foe alike.

More than a collection of essays on gun control, J. Snyder's "Nation of Cowards" dares one to examine the current condition of our society. He exposes some uncomfortable truths, including the willingness of some of the citizenry of our great country to simply let others take responsibility for their safety and welfare in general. If the reader is willing (and able) to think logically, without emotion, about Mr. Snyder's comments, he cannot remain aloof about his own responsibilities.

The essays are clearly written, well thought out, and concise. I highly recommend this book to everyone who truly considers themselves a Citizen of the U.S.A.

I guess the main idea here is whether or not the soul is immortal.

Does the soul exist outside of this physical, earthly experience ?

I've only begun reading Plato after years of reading a lot of other new age type books such as the Edgar Cayce material and Dr. Brian Weiss.

Plato is often consistent with those new age ideas but he expresses his thoughts in a more poetic way.

Plato and those others believed in reincarnation and even being reborn as an animal.

A new age theory about this is that if you go back to 10,500 BC and beyond you had a lot of people running around with for example the body of a human being but the head of a horse, tree branches for arms, etc..

Most people had tails back then.

This was a result of people projecting themselves into this physical dimension and getting entangled in the animal and plant worlds. As they did this across multiple incarnations they started to develop those animal appendages in their physical bodies.

It was in ancient Egypt around 10,500 BC that the priest Ra Ta and other Atlanteans helped these "things" to rid themselves of these animal characteristics.

That "mystery of mysteries" the sphinx is a creature that is part human and part lion. Don't think this doesn't have some very deep and hidden meaning.

Another key point in the book is the death of Socrates. He dies like a true philosopher, not in fear, but calmly.

At one point Socrates actually proves that one plus one is not equal to two. That's power.

Jeff Marzano

Same Soul, Many Bodies: Discover the Healing Power of Future Lives through Progression Therapy

Lives of the Master: The Rest of the Jesus Story

The Lives of Edgar Cayce

Edgar Cayce's Egypt: Psychic Revelations on the Most Fascinating Civilization Ever Known

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What happens at death? Is the soul immortal? Why does the philosopher seek death but avoid suicide? What is so attractive about death to Socrates?

This is a masterpiece of a book. While Socrates does not prove the immortality of the soul, his arguments for such, as in the "law of opposites," the "theory of recollection" and the combination of the two, make way for a very interesting and mind enhancing read and is a hell of lot more valid, intelligible and religiously inclusive than any of the biblical literalist's security hold in fallacious illusion, or was Socrates and Plato infallibly inspired? Was Homer infallibly inspired? Of course not. In turn, Socrates is counter-argued with the "theory of attunement" and subsequently argues back for the immortality of the soul.

His thoughts which entail the body as the inhibitor of obtaining true wisdom, that philosophy aids a man to go beyond his body, so that at death he can be released from the body and use his wisdom to achieve a higher realm of true wisdom, as the body acts as a place of desires that prevents men from perceiving the world of ideas apart from the world of appearances. The death of the body is the release of the soul and the condition of the soul, either that controlled by desires or that of philosophy that has brought it to a higher realm, will determine where the soul travels to after death.

Socrates further gives us a description of the round, spherical earth. This exposes the fallacy of biblical literalists who attempt to prove biblical divinity by quoting Job 40:22 and Isaiah for the spherical earth, or does that make Socrates inspired? His further description of the earth's hollows by water and the place called Tartarus brings us to the identical words of St. Paul, who certainly was influenced by many non-Christian teachings, which permeated his entire belief system. Also Socrates gets Eastern in the reincarnation of the soul back to the world of desires, including that of animals and insects, which makes this book a fascinating read to say the least. This book is a gem and great masterpiece to contemplate on. I love Plato - and Socrates too.

I will not quote myself, but I'll evoke the words that I have written here before in the review of Krishnamurti's book. Since you're reading this I guess you're interested in Plato's philosophy and this work in particular. I'll just say few words and then will let you to dive into the book and find the meaning for yourself.
This is the book that belong to Plato's later works, and debate continues whether Socrates in this book is historical Socrates or just voice of Plato. If you take into consideration few Aristotelian lines than first option would be the true one. But, no matter which one is right, Socrates here is presented as few characters of world literature are. I can not speak about philosophy here, so I shall speak about style. Bearing the posture of romantic poets, and if you picture ancient greek dungeon as some reneiscance castle dungeon, you'll have the setting. And tht's it. No quarells, no fightning and vicious murdering, just one of the most beautifull speeches conserning human soul, and only one, diginified, death.
Books like these give me hope that there is still a chance for a world to become the better place.

If it was up to me to preserve just one of the dialogues of Plato for posterity it would be the Phaedo. That is because this is the metaphysical core of the teachings of Socrates (the main character) as told by Plato. As is emphasized in the text, death is the main topic of concern for the true philosopher- and that is what is covered here. However, there is nothing morbid about it. This is a message of hope, for Socrates establishes the divinity and immortality of the soul. The good man, he who has purified himself through the love of wisdom (Philosophy) goes to a higher, purer realm to be with like-minded souls and the gods themselves. The bad man also goes to his just reward with those of like character.

If I was to abstract the core truth here it would be that the true philosopher is always trying to free his soul from the body- for only then is the soul free of the distractions and distortions that can corrupt it and keep it from direct perception of the Ideals (Absolute Truth, Good, Beauty, and Justice.)

You easily see where the Church borrowed so much of its basic theological underpinnings. In fact, reading this work abolishes forever in your mind the idea that the pre-Christian pagans were in anyway necessarily savage or barbaric in their deepest spiritual beliefs. This is spirituality more pure than anything preached by the Church- and it is supported by reasoned argument and not appeal to empty faith and authority.

The closing of the dialog is probably the finest depiction in Western literature of the death of a great and good man. You truly concur that Socrates was indeed the wisest and justest and best of all men.

Socrates is unique among philosophers, not just for his place among the early Greek philosophers, but also for the fact that he is the most famous philosopher to never write his own books. What we know of Socrates comes from contemporary accounts and students, most particularly Plato.

Set in 399 BCE, the Phaedo is a reconstruction of Socrates final conversations with friends on the day he died. We do not know when this dialogue was written, but it was probably before The Republic (Plato's most famous work, also featuring the figure of Socrates). Like The Republic, this dialogue features a well developed theory of Forms -- these are introduced gradually here, slowly filling out the details of each step. This develops the story of the caves idea from Plato's earlier work in epistemological, metaphysical, moral, and semantic terms. Plato also advances the 'imperfection argument' here -- the idea that when we sense something, it is never perfectly the thing we are thinking of, and that idea or standard to which we relate what we see, hear, feel, etc. is tying into a more perfect Form.

However, the idea of the soul is rather less developed here than in The Republic. The soul is simply mind, or intellect - all emotions are here placed as bodily aspects. This is rather Pythagorean in a fashion, that only the soul grasps the perfect Forms, and so should consist of nothing but reasoning ability, for emotions distort and cloud the perceptions and judgments.

In the end of the Phaedo, we witness Socrates drink the hemlock, without fear or trembling, as a philosopher should know the value of life and welcome death with a firm hope. The story is almost religious in nature here.

David Gallop's translation is good and true to the original (in as much as I can tell from my small Greek learning). It is somewhat tending toward the formal side. This is serious stuff, but in a small number of pages manages to capture much, and this makes it all the more relevant.

I would definitely recommend this book. But, don't just take my word for it.

Here is what a leading metaphysical reviewer says about the Psychic Counselor's Handbook:

Richard Fuller, according to his own words receives daily books from all over the world and makes his decision of promoting and endorsing a particular book dependent on two major factors:

"I must find the author's integrity within the pages of the book. Once I have read the book from cover to cover I must be able to say that it will lead people to a better place."

His comment about the Psychic Counselor's Handbook was: "Yes, I would endorse and promote this book. You have a booster here."

Who is Richard Fuller?

Richard Fuller, senior editor and columnist has spent his entire working life as a writer, magazine editor and advertising executive. He is considered by his peers to be a truth-seeker, upholding the highest levels of integrity in his support of the new age community. He only endorses the finest books, videos and recordings available. Any work that is endorsed by Mr. Fuller is very worthy of your interest.

How often can you hope to get advice that's frank, honest and from life's experience? When you read this book you will feel like you are there in person with author and medium Ralph Jordan. How authentic he is, and what alot we have to learn. A must read for anyone who sees themselves as a psychic counselor, healer or a "wannabe".

The amount of books on counseling techniques is so great that it would easily fill a library. So, why should it be that there is one book on the art of counseling which belongs on every practitioner's table? Actually, there are two reasons why Reverend Ralph D. Jordan's "Psychic Counselor's Handbook" is outstanding. Number one is the book itself. Starting with The Basics, it provides the reader with a working model that he can use no matter what psychotherapeutic approach or group of clients he is working with. A vivid and comprehensive description of the Techniques, Tools and Attitudes for successful counseling is followed by a whole chapter on Pitfalls, which is as rare as it is invaluable for anyone who wishes to avoid them. In Part Four, the editor has compiled dialogues between the author and some of his students, dealing with subject matters which even the very experienced counselor might like to clarify for himself. Plus, they have managed to fit all of this into 160 pages of a robust paperback, thus giving the counselor a true handbook which he can carry with him and read chapter for chapter just as well as put on his office table and use as a reference book. Still, there is a second reason which strongly recommends the "Psychic Counselor's Handbook": its author. For Ralph D. Jordan is not only a brilliant psychic counselor and masterful practitioner of transactional analysis, Jungian psychology and behavioral confrontation but, being a student of Paramahansa Yogananda, has gone on to teach a pathway of metaphysical evolution that has helped thousands of Western seekers to make a better life for themselves. Thus, getting his book is also a wonderful investment in our self-growth - at a very good price.

As a practicing psychiatrist, I can say that this book channeled by Ralph Jordan, has been an eye opener in regards to the way I practice psychiatry, the way I view my patients, and my overall attitude about life. I have learned that, too often, we counselors have a tendency to view our patients/clients from a superior perspective, a "poor you, you're not good enough" attitude. This no nonsense book states it as it is, which is that we're all equal, we just make our choices. His approach to the use of non-empathy, non-judgment, non-pity is very refreshing when working with my clients because it gives the freedom to see them as just another human being, not a subject incapable of thinking or incapable of caring for themselves.

A point well brought out in the book is the concept of the law of attraction, knowing that the people that come into the office for counseling are coming due to similarly acting properties, or "bugaboos" as it's termed in the book, in the life of the counselor. I have learned that this is an important factor in psychiatry and plays into counter transference feelings/ideas the therapist may have for the client. The psychic counselor is just as prone to counter transference issues, and transference issues, as the mental health counselor. Counter transference issues get in the way of how we counsel; that's why the "Twelve Golden Rules of Psychic Counseling" are particularly helpful, because they point out the pitfalls a counselor will encounter, signaling that counter transference issues are interfering. Transference is an oft overlooked but very important factor in how someone hears the counselor and the expectations placed on the counselor.

It's a wonderful book, full of a wealth of information and wisdom which is helpful for moving beyond the ordinary into another aspect of counseling. Starting from page one, the reader is made aware that Ralph Jordan values professional ethics, the belief in being a neutral reader vs. one infusing their own values into the reading, and the assistance of God in all things. One builds an ethical practice by treating everything as information. There is no such thing as "good or bad: things simply are." The book is divided in 4 different parts: The Basics; Techniques, Tools and Attitudes; Pitfalls; and Seeker/Teacher Dialogue. There are Appendices also which add more valuable insights. This is psychic counseling done with the recognition that truth comes from God, that "Everything is working for God's greater recognition on this earth plane." Just reminding oneself of that principle helps to change the course of the psychic reading from being non-neutral to being a more neutral reading.

The Psychic Counselor's Handbook will always serve as a reference book, even a text of inspiration, when it comes to counseling of any type. Thank you, Ralph Jordan, for your channeled ideas!

The amount of books on counseling techniques is so great that it would easily fill a library. So, why should it be that there is one book on the art of counseling which belongs on every practitioner's table? Actually, there are two reasons why Reverend Dr. Ralph D. Jordan's "Psychic Counselor's Handbook" is outstanding. Number one is the book itself. Starting with the Basics, it provides the reader with a working model that he can use no matter what psychotherapeutic approach or group of clients he is working with. A vivid and comprehensive description of the Techniques, Tools and Attitudes for successful counseling is followed by a whole chapter on Pitfalls, which is as rare as it is invaluable for anyone who wishes to avoid them. In Part Four, the editor has compiled dialogues between the author and some of his students, dealing with subject matters which even the very experienced counselor might like to clarify for himself. Plus, they have managed to fit all of this into 160 pages of a robust paperback, thus giving the counselor a true handbook which he can carry with him and read chapter for chapter just as well as put on his office table and use as a reference book. Still, there is a second reason which strongly recommends the "Psychic Counselor's Handbook": its author. For Ralph D. Jordan is not only a brilliant psychic counselor and masterful practitioner of transactional analysis, Jungian psychology and behavioral confrontation but, being a student of Paramahansa Yogananda, has gone on to teach a pathway of metaphysical evolution that has helped thousands of Western seekers to make a better life for themselves. Thus, getting his book is also a wonderful investment in our self-growth - at a very good price.

gives hope to us atheists and agnostics. shows that, unlike dawkins, we are not all angry and intolerant

David Cortesi writes in plain language for everyone, without condescending to anyone. He discusses how a non-religious person can get all the spiritual, emotional, social and psychological benefits of religion, without sacrificing a single neuron of intelligence, education or critical thinking.

He is completly critical of every religious tradition, but also open-mindedly sympathetic to all kinds of spirituality. He has searched for what "they" have, and how they get it. But he has not accepted an ounce of new-age hokeyness. He has kept his analytical mind active throughout.

He considers how a person can believe that the universe is purposeless and basically accidental, while still believing that one's own life has meaning. He discusses ways to create community, meditative or contemplative practices, meaningful rituals, ethics, happiness and contentment. He discusses death and self-transcendence and the bliss experience.

If you have no religion, or if you are losing your faith, read this book soon. It's full of good advice. It's consistently understated and about as brief as possible (Cortesi is a computer programmer), so you might have to consider his points carefully. It's honest and deeply thoughtful, intelligent and respectful of its audience. Highly recommended.

David Cortesi's premise is that the benefits of traditional religions are available to non-religious people if they're given the tools to reframe these benefits in secular terms. Cortesi proves capable of delivering on his generous but ambitious agenda. He's smart enough to sort through contending philosophies, honest enough to admit his biases, and grounded enough to not lose his way among the murky ambiguities of existence.

He starts by exploring religion's payoffs. First and foremost, religion provides answers to those two bedeviling questions: who am I and why am I here? You also get ritual practices that orient you in time and space, a ready-made community of like-minded people, and a pre-assembled ethical structure. Religion gives you tools for dealing with life's pitfalls and pratfalls, and ways to cope with your passage out of here. Religious believers get to feel the kind of contented bliss that's been missing since those golden days when it was just the infant you and an attentive caregiver placing a nipple between your lips. Finally, the lucky few occasionally plug in to states of ecstatic transcendence.

Sounds attractive, but there's a catch. To get the benefits, you have to buy in to the whole agenda, and most of these agendas weren't designed with you in mind. Some of them have in fact caused immense suffering and distress over many centuries. Cortesi shows us how to construct beliefs and practices that provide the same emotional and psychological support as religion without forcing us to park our common sense at the door or sally forth to smite infidels who happen to believe in a different godlike character.

His method is to research, then summarize the major issues we must deal with to construct a meaningful life. He's fair to all religious traditions and approaches each of life's big topics in an even-handed, pragmatic manner. Among other things, we learn ways of coping with the fact we're a random accident in the universe, how people actually achieve mystical bliss, and what it means to be happy. He gives practical advice on skills such as creating your own set of rituals, helping people who are grieving, and building up the psychological arsenal you'll need in order to be content. In an appendix, he lists further readings for those who want to delve deeper into any of these questions.

Cortesi is no Augustine, wrestling with great sins on the way to becoming a great saint. He has modest regrets (he wishes he'd devoted more effort to being part of a community) and isn't trying to attain every grand spirtitual aspiration (for instance, he questions whether the efforts to achieve bliss, are, practically speaking, worth the results). In the end, he delivers what he promised, showing us that it's quite possible to live a meaningful, spiritually fullfilled life without surrending yourself to a religious tradition. Cortesi has done us all a great service by writing this book, and everyone, whether secular or religious, should find something of value in its pages.

This book is a well researched and thoughtfully written guide to living a fulfilling nonreligious life. In the first chapter the author outlines some of the benefits that religion offers; existential validity, community, contemplation and tranquility, ritual, mystical ecstasy, self transcendence, ethical structure, and comfort in death. In the remaining chapters of the book he examines how these benefits can be derived in a nontheistic context.
Each chapter could easily have been a book in its own right but what really works in this book is its broad overview and concise organization. It gives the reader a great starting overview for the issues presented. The author does give many references for further reading and thought on each topic. For this reason I would especially recommend it as a starting point to someone who feels they can't embrace belief in the supernatural or reject science but is concerned that their life would be lacking without a religious component. I would also recommend it to those who have trouble believing that someone who doesn't believe in a deity or religion could be a moral and ethical person. The chapter on the development of an ethical basis and personal/family code was one of my favorites.
I did want to add something from my own experience on finding community. The author gives a lot of practical advice but refrains from mentioning specific groups in the book. I think this was the right approach since each person's path and beliefs may differ. I personally found many friends and community through an American Humanist affiliate group and the Unitarian Universalist church. I'm not specifically endorsing any particular groups for others but just wanted to point out that there are lots of opportunities out there, some others are Brights, Pantheists, Secular Coalition, Free Thinkers, Secular Humanists, another reviewer mentioned Friends of Reason, etc...So do some research and you should be able to find a community of people of like minded beliefs, you are not alone.

This small book at last addresses in a simple way the key elements of a rich life that anyone can understand. While being very practical there is enough hard evidence to show that Cortesi's views are soundly based.
I especially recommend the chapter on happiness.
Buy it. Read it.

I agree with the majority of reviewers here, but I think you have to be an intelligent reader to appreciate it. For example, on page 20, in golf the author discourages distracting activities while opponents are playing, but you could disturb opponents, especially musically competent ones, while you yourself are playing, "by constantly whistling a phrase with one note - always the same note - wrong." In the footnote he actually writes the musical notation of a suggested phrase, the horn motiv from Wagner's Ring, with the second note changed from an A to a D# with a glissando (sliding up to the high note). I laughed out load before I even tried to play the phrase on the guitar. I realize that some won't see the humor here, but what incredible depth in the descriptions of these tactics!

I first bought this book, thinking it would be along the lines of Sun Tzu meets Frazier...I wasn't disappointed, but the '50s writing style is not fluid to read

This tome offers a complete introduction to the theory and practice of gamesmanship. Though some of the ploys are outdated, if properly executed, these gambits will most certainly put the gamesman in the one-up position. The coverage of countergamesmanship, while sparse, is essential reading for gamesman at any level.

This book instantly turned me into a Potter fiend, and I subsequently tracked down first editions of all four -manship books. This is dry, deadpan British humour at its absolute finest - I've never seen an American writer come close, except for Mark Twain.

I came across this at some rummage sale, and once I started reading it I was instantly hooked on Potter's dustbowl-dry wit and bought all his other books. Each is outstanding, but this is still the best. For the uninitiated, this has nothing to do with playing games; it has everything to do with attitude, games people play with and against one another in life, and poking fun at our egos and self importance...and the egos and self-importance of others. There's no explaining Potter's humor - you either love it, or you don't get it at all. I love it. Even the 'diagrams' are absolute screams. Only Wodehouse was as funny or funnier than Potter.

This remarkable book has forever changed the way I view the Church, the State, the Eucharist, Torture, and how they all relate.

William Cavanaugh's dissertation takes the form of a historical case study of the Roman Catholic Church in Chile during the Pinochet regime. He begins by dicussing how torture and disappearance[1] are ecclesiological problems. What he means is that torture and disappearance are not merely horrible abominations enacted upon individuals, but are violence enacted upon social bodies. Who are the victims of torture and disappearance? In once sense, it is those who have been tortured and disappeared, but in another it is all of those who dwell in the society in which this is taking place. This is because torture and disappearance are actions that can happen to anyone at anytime, so all people are kept in fear and an anxiety.

The idea of torture is perhaps the most effective generator of fear, since torture reaches to the very limits of horror, turning the body against the person to such an extent that death become desirable. Fear of torture, fear of death, were concrete fears that only began to articulate the hidden anxieties which lurked beneath the surface of Chilean society. (p. 47, emphasis added)

In this way, torture is liturgical:

Torture may be considered a kind of perverse liturgy, for in torture the body of the victim is the ritual site where the state's power is manifested in its most awesome form. Torture is liturgy...because it involves bodies and bodily movements in an enacted drama which both makes real the power of the state and constitutes an act of worship to that mysterious power. (p. 30, emphasis original)

So Cavanaugh argues that in Chile, torture was an act of violence upon the imaginations of the society. The society as a whole was made to take on the imagination of the state and forget all other narratives.

How Did the Church in Chile respond to these attacks?

Cavanaugh says that the Church in Chile had a deficient understanding of ecclesiology, which led to it being totally unprepared to deal with the violence of the regime. He argues that the Church had allowed itself to be relegated to a private "spiritual" sphere. They viewed the human being as being under two divinely sanctioned authorities, the Church (in regard to spiritual matters) and the State (in regard to social matters). When the state launched attacks upon the imaginations of the people of Chile in the form of torture and disappearance the Church was forced to respond to a state that was refusing to live by the bifurcation that their ecclesiology demanded. "Chapter 2 describes how ill-prepared the official church was to meet this strategy, since its own ecclesiology had already, in effect, disappeared the church as a social body." (p. 120)

So the church's response was to try and recapture its political and social aspects. The church learned how to be oppressed and give voices of dissent to the oppressors. The church began to tell a different story from that of the state, a story that gave the people a new imagination.

Cavanaugh offers several examples of how the church in Chile learned to do just this in the midst of their oppression. Specifically, he focus his study on the Eucharist as the church's response to torture.

"The Eucharist , as the gift which effects the visibility of the body of Christ, is therefore the church's counter-imagination to that of the state." (p. 251)

"The Eucharist is the promise and demand that the church enact the true body of Christ now, in time. Worldly kingdoms have declared the Kingdom of God indefinitely deferred, and the poor are told to suffer their lot quietly and invisibly. In the Eucharist the poor are invited now to come and feast in the Kingdom. The Eucharist must not be a scandal to the poor. It demands real reconciliation of oppressed and oppressor, tortured and torturer. Barring reconciliation, Eucharist demands judgement." (p. 263)

The church in Chile was unable to adequately respond to the abuses of the regime because of its faulty ecclesiology. But after a time the church found within its own structures and liturgy the tools necessary to respond to the actions of the state by proclaiming a parallel narrative. The church learned that it can not separate between the spiritual and the social, between the ecclesial and the political.

May the church in America learn this truth as well.

[1] Disappearance, as Cavanaugh defines it, is the apprehension of individuals by the regime without the officers of arrest identifying themselves or giving the specifics of the charges. The individual is then held in custody for an extended length of time without trial or knowledge of when his imprisonment and torture will end.

When I first heard of this book, I thought I had a fairly good idea of what I would discover within. With its focus on torture in general, and the torture employed by the Chilean Pinochet regime specifically, I was sure that Cavanaugh's work was going to be some form of Liberation Theology. What I was not prepared to find was a work that arrived at many of the same moral conclusions as Liberation Theology, but which transcended this theology's shortcomings precisely because it was so thoroughly orthodox. But that is exactly what "Torture and Eucharist" is.

For Cavanaugh, torture is a kind of "anti-liturgy" employed by the State to divide its social bodies into individual and powerless units. The Christian performance of the Eucharist serves as the ultimate antithesis to this division, uniting the Church's members into one perfect political Body, the Body of Christ. This may initially sound like excessive idealism, but Cavanaugh pulls no punches in critiquing his own communion's failings. Focusing primarily on Jacque Maritain's ecclesiology and "Social Catholicism," Cavanaugh demonstrates how the Church under Pinochet abdicated its responsibility toward the "body," by turning this responsibility over to the State and by claiming jurisdiction only over the "soul". It is this separation of the "physical" from the "spiritual," the "political" from the "theological," that Cavanaugh presents as the primary reason the Catholic Church could offer no systemic resistance to Pinochet's regime. And it is, of course, only the Eucharist that perfectly unites the two realities--the Body which the Church failed to recognize.

The final part of the book contains case studies that demonstrate alternatives to the atomized and scattered ecclesiology of the Church during Pinochet's reign, though exactly how the Church at large could have reacted as the "Body of Christ" remains an open question. But I did not find this to be a shortcoming, as the author is committed to dealing with history, not speculation. Overall, I believe I have encountered in Cavanaugh a brilliant and sincere theologian, worthy of reading multiple times. It is an understatement to say this book gave me many things to ponder, at once disturbing and inspiring, long after I had read the last page.

Cavanaugh's book shows what Radical Orthodoxy is all about--he traces some of the myths that drive Western nation-states to medieval theological hiccups; he delves the resources of Christian liturgy for strength to resist the all-envious nation-state; he points to times and places that the Church has really "gotten it right" and taken a stand against the idols and empires in the name of Christian charity.

Best of all, Cavanaugh does it in such a manner that a reader who has trouble with John Milbank's dizzying syntax (and I are one) can make it though his book without having to read each paragraph three times.

For people who suspect that neocon political ideology is more sinister than we've been led to think, and for people who believe that the Peace of Christ is neither utopian dream nor otherworldly sigh but practices through which the gracious Father of the universe, incarnated in the Son and empowering peaceable communities through the Spirit, can redeem, even if incompletely, the world which God so loves.

This is a book with a narrow focus taht has far-reaching implications. Cavanaugh examines Chile under the Pinochet regime. This regime used torture as a tool of the state. In essence, torture became a "liturgy" of the state. Unfortunately, the church was not prepared to deal with such a turn of events. That is because the ecclesiology of the church at the time held that the state was to care for the body while the church cared for the soul. This dualism created problems for the church resisting the torture of the state.

It is at this point that Eucharist is suggested as a counter liturgy. Where torture individualizes, the Eucharist creates a social body. Eucharist helps others while the torture only harms. In short, Eucharist provides the means for the church to engage meaninfully the wayward state.

This book says wonderful things about the situation in Chile. It could also have implications in other contexts. What does it mean for the Eucharist to act as a counter liturgy to the litugy of capitalism? How does the building up of a social body in Eucharist allow Christians to deal with the fragmentation of war? There is much more that could be said based on what Cavanaugh does in this wonderful book.

A life-changing book in my development as a convert to Catholicism. Few have ever demonstrated the inherent relevance of the Eucharist in the arena of "worldly" power politics. Cavanaugh revealed to me how Catholics need not look so much outside of doctrinal orthodoxy for a response to secular evils. Rather the transformative power of the Eucharist and the Liturgy is ever yet to be discovered, not just as succor for the soul but also for the nations.