Maxim Books

The Soul's Book Of Answers by Carol Bolt is a unique work not meant to be read in the traditional manner. It is comprised of aphorisms, quotes from famous figures, common wisdom, prayers, and more inspirational thoughts that touch upon all aspects of life. To use it, one meditates upon a question, opens the book to a page that feels appropriate, and reads the thought on that page, which can be applied as one's answer. One would be surprised how relevant general advice such as "Do not be overly concerned to change [others'] opinion[s]" can be to a given problem of the heart. Also very highly recommended is Carol Bolt's previous work - Love's Book Of Answers.

The book has beautiful binding and is very nice for show and handling. I own many books of this type used for divination through bibliomancy and practice this magick daily.

I can see how the book would be fun for parties and get togethers or used for simple novelty. The book contains basic wisdom with depth that barely breaks the surface. I can easily compare it to the Magic 8 Ball toy.

For practitioners of divination using bibliomancy, the book is difficult to communicate with. Where, in my experience, you would normally open a book to it's page and it will speak it's wisdom to you, you have to "speak" to this one first, making the results often incomprehensive, nonsensical, or whimsical.

The method of operating with this book for serious diviners seems to work backwards and unnaturally.
At the risk of sounding silly, I've made several attempts to create a relationship with this book to no avail.

My experience with the book thus far; it is a beautiful book. I recommend it for novelty. The dollar value is mostly related to it's velvety cover. I would certainly recommend this book as a gift for teenagers or perhaps someone unfamiliar with this form of divining to get a general understanding of how it works, and not for someone who practices this often as the depth of the quotes in the book are not as meaty or hearty as I am accustomed to.

For divination and seeking wisdom and answers with far greater depth and dimension, I recommend the Susan Hayward collection. (Bag of Jewels, Guide for the Advanced Soul, etc.)

Carol Bolt's books are not only intriguing; they have beautiful covers that capture your attention. They can be left on a coffee table and will definitely get the conversation going at parties. This cover has a blue suede feel and a swirl of navy blue that reminds me of a ribbon. The picture here at Amazon does not do this book justice. This book feels good in your hands and would capture any bibliomaniacs interest.

The first time I saw one of Carol's books I was instantly intrigued. I was one of the last people to a book signing party. They were just putting the books away, when I walked over and found the last Autographed copy... as if it was waiting for me.

When I picked up the book I had no idea how to use it. Of course, I'm not known for reading instructions. However, once you realize you are playing a game, it becomes an enjoyable treat.

As soon as I figured out what this book was all about, I was laughing out loud. Carol explained that it has the intrigue of a magic eight ball, but unlike the magic ball, this book has so many more answers. The instructions are on the back cover on a removable sticker and are also in the front of the book.

First you ask an open-ended question while holding the book and concentrating on your question for a few seconds. Concentrate on our question or say the question out loud.

Then, riffle the pages from back to front with your thumb. When you feel the time is right, stop and open the book. The page you see will contain your answer.

I tend to ask very specific questions and get quite a few good answers. You have to be serious about what you are doing. When you really concentrate, it seems to have conversations with you. Which can, by the way, produce some chills up your spine!

"The Soul's Book of Answers" contains a collection of wisdom from many spiritual traditions, so I knew this would be an enlightening experience.

So, I ask the book: "What will the year 2004 bring in regards to my spiritual growth?" Answer: "The only limitations you have are the ones that you accept."

Since I was a bit curious about this mysterious quote, I asked: "How will I free myself from limitations?"
Answer: "Many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves when taken little by little."

Again, I ask: "How will I know what I need to overcome?" Answer: "Wait for what your soul shall see in sleep."

I love Carol's books because they really work for me. She produced the original Book of Answers in 1998 and the book was then published commercially later that same year. It went on to become a bestseller.

Other answers include:

"When you seek to know it, you cannot see it. When you are silent, it speaks."

"Out of clutter, find simplicity; from discord, find harmony; in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."

"A wise soul hears one word and understands two."

"The Soul's Book of Answers" is a mysterious little book to intrigue the mind and is the most spiritual of the "Book of Answers" series. Just be very careful what you ask. You might just get the right answer.

~The Rebecca Review

This was a gift from someone. I usually go looking for specific quotes on topics when writing a paper, or giving a speech, and this book is a good compilation of quotes pertaining to achieving success in your life, or as to what constitutes success. This includes sections on topics like competitiveness, aggressiveness, setting up goals, etc. I usually enjoy reading books like these through when I get them so I have an idea of what quotes there are, by whom, and where I can find them. It's a lot easier to find quotes online nowdays, and so I don't need to have books around like this, but it is always a useful reference to have laying around.

Karen Sadler

This book reads like a Profiles in Success story. There are
hundreds of bright musings by contemporaries from John Stuart Mill
to Aristotle Onassis to Albert Einstein. John Stuart Mill discussed the interconnectedness of ideas. Aristotle Onassis said that success comes from knowing something that no-one else knows.
In the case of Aristotle Onassis, he purchased fleets of surplus
United States carriers for practically nothing. Then, he turned
around and utilized them to deliver world oil. Albert Einstein
labelled work as "x", play as "y" and silence as "z".

This volume is perfect for students of literature, journalism,
historical buffs and generalists everywhere.

This book will lift you up whenever you feeling down. In life, too many negativities are being thrown at us daily. This book will serve as a reminder that our successful forefathers have gone through the exact trying times as us before they saw light at the end of tunnel. Take life challenges at the chin, fight strong, it ain't over till you say so.

I purchased the Tao of Dying as a health care professional looking for insights and lessons from a taoist perspective, something I have found helpful in my work in the past. While the book professes to approach the subject from a Taoist philosophy, that wasn't what I found when I read it. Rather, the text approaches the subject from a Judeo-Christian perspective with sometimes not so subtle references to good vs bad, right and wrong, defiling and love. While the book may speak to some and help in their work, it really doesn't do justice to the possibilities that Taoism brings to seeing and knowing the dying process. I would welcome a truly Taoist writing on dying. I would challenge the author to go beyond his current version and explore the deeper meaning of Taoism.

I found this book with black and white photographs of the dying; old and young; and caregivers -- to be beautiful; but perhaps beautiful is not even the right word. wise beyond the words even though the words were used. i found it to be tao.

"flexibility makes no sense
until you know the dangers of rigidity
laughter seems foolish
until you know the dangers of seriousness.
touching is rarely considered
until you know the dangers of distancing.
allowing has the appearance of uselessness
until you know the dangers of controlling.
the soft overpowers the hard.
the slow outdistances the fast.
let those who question, question."

and 163 more pages of meaningful life and meaningful death...for caregivers who care for people without trying to change or cure them --- "wei wu wei" -- "doing by not doing" accepting people, things, and processes for what they are without trying to maniupulate, alter, or control them

I found this book at the hospice where my mother died just two days ago and immediately began recommending it to anyone who would listen. Being a practicing Buddhist familiar with the Tao Te Ching, it spoke to me immediately, echoing my "allowing" attude toward my mother's impending death. This book reaffirmed my intention to make my mother as comfortable as possible while not struggling with events which cannot be stopped. When my mother's nurses and friends commented on my strength and balance during this difficult time, I pointed them toward this book.

as prolific a writer as louis l'amour was, there are all kinds of great quotes, but with as many books and stories as the man has, they can be tough to look up. so it's great that his daughter compiled this collection. i had to only give it four stars for 2 reasons: 1-you'll find no quotes from his single poetry collection or from interviews; 2-when you write as much as l'amour did, you are going to end up repeating yourself. that's understandable, but when editing a collection of quotes, you can leave out quotes that simply say the same thing in just about the same words.

The only thing that prevents this book from being a 5-star book is the limited number of works the quotes were taken from. Many wonderful bits of wisdom were missed in quoting mostly from the Sackett series and some of the "major" novels. This book would be good for everyone whether they read L'Amour or not.

An outstanding collection of quotes to roam the Western trails with - quotes about the important things in life. Not your usual, lame, hippyfied quote book. Something appropriate for any and all situations. I have given as gifts and every recipient loved it.

"The Writer's Quotation Book: A Literary Companion" is a wonderful little book, which speaks the truth about books/reading and writing. The book quotes are the ones I really loved, but everything is great. Great for book lovers and writers! I recommend.

As an 'aspiring' writer I could appreciate the wonderful humor, insight, and honestly from the various quotes regarding the writing industry. From writers' block, to publishers are demons, to how writers feel about being broke, this book is charming and a must-have for wanna be or current professional writers.

Writing is a solitary endeavor. Reading quotations from other writers is a way to get advice from your peers. This is a most inspirational book.

For coverage, click on Table of Contents in the left-hand column of this page.

James Charlton is an editor, publisher, compiler and the author of nearly three-dozen books. He loves writing and writers.

As the author of 113 books (including revisions and foreign-language editions) and over 500 magazine articles, I highly recommend this book to writers. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com.

IF you are "horsey" at all, this is great fun reading......nice collection item too!!!

Horse quotes and horse poetry from a suprising and diverse number of authors and poets, such as as Will James,Alois Podhahsky, Ambrose Bierce, William Shakespeare, and many,many more. The musings of well-known horse trainers, such as John Lyons, are well represented here. The book even contains a number of biblical quotes concerning horses.

First of all, I like James Dines as an investment newsletter writer. I've also heard him speak in person and thought that he was exceptionally good. What I am about to say about this particular book is only based on my opinion of this piece of work.

_________

Here's a book that fans of James Dines, the original gold-bug may find a treasure to own. I think that his investment newsletter is interesting to read because of his unique writing style and in-depth analysis. I especially find his political/terrorism takes to be very interesting.

But this book is not something that I've enjoyed that much. It's basically a collection of self-coined quotations that are organized like a quotation book (which are not very interesting to read as a rule). There aren't any stories or cartoons or commentary/sidebars from Mr. Dines which would have made it far more interesting.

This looks like a cheap production where someone went through all his newsletters and snipped out little pieces. Now I realize that the book was intended for speech writers, but I think it could have used a lot more imagination in creating the final product.

Mr. Dines could have done a whole lot better if he would have invested more time, money and creativity into this book project. It's a shame to have so much great content wasted on a low-budget production.

The Dines Letter is a far more superior product than this.

At least one good laugh on every page! I've read through the book from cover to cover and loved every minute. I enjoyed the bits of wisdom interspersed with some hearty laughs - a wonderful combination. Now I leave the book available and just open to any page when I want to lift my spirits. I've enjoyed sharing many of the jokes with my family and friends, and will continue to do so. Highly recommended for everyone (although there is some mildly off-color, and funny! material).

If you are a horse person, reading this book will give your neck a lot of exercise. As you read each page, you will repeatedly nod your head in agreement. If you are not a horse person, you may wonder at some of the sayings, but for the most part will enjoy.

Perhaps a bit heavy on Hunter/Jumper truisms, there are plenty that apply to all equines and associated activities. There are even a few related to rodeos and roping. One of my favorites, "It's often the second buck that throws you," reminded me of a couple of unscheduled, abrupt dismounts by my ex-husband. Oh, so funny to remember! Another, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't keep him from rolling in it," allowed me to reminisce about the best horse in the world - the one who helped raise me and loved me for 23 years - who you'd better keep moving through water any deeper than 2 inches, for he'd lie down and roll!

Even if you don't own a horse, the gems of wisdom contained in this quick-to-read volume will make you think ... and smile. It's full of "horse sense" and wit. The authors have managed to craft word pictures on every page. My non-horse loving friends like it as much as the professional horsemen who've read it. Give it to that horse-crazy girl or the cowboy in the family and watch 'em smile

These photos are simply marvelous. Having been the owner of many cats these past twenty-seven years (and a few kittens when young), I have taken many photographs over this period of time. None, however, can compare with these. It makes your heart glad to look at the lovelies in the different poses and stances. Cats are highly intelligent and know exactly how to pose under different circumstances. Recently, I needed a ride to the vet to get Star's yearly shots and checkup. She heard me say "All we need are her shots, so it shouldn't take long." She hid under the bed until almost time to go, forgoing her tuna lunch, and I had to hytail her out to get ready for the trip.

Lillian Jackson Braun has made a fortune writing about the cats 'who' and had this quoke, "Cats never strike a pose that isn't photogenic." Some of her enormous supply of these books include THE CAT WHO PLAYED BRAHMS, THE CAT WHO TALKED TO GHOSTS, and THE CAT WHO TALKED TO THE BIRDS (which Amazon did not have listed, so perhaps it was listed in her Cat short stories).

Cats are independent but lovable creatures who love you and make good companions for all ages. And the best thing is they don't bark,.

It's a beautiful little book that sums of the wonderment of the cat. The illustrations are great. I'd like to find out more about the illustrator, Derold Page. His cat paintings are fabulous.

Dr. Hoffman has brought together a myriad of highly articulated statements offering insight into the heart and soul of graduating. The hallmark of every entry is a love of life, a call to the unselfish creative life,the conquest of fear,and of the goodness and nobility of serving others.

When one reads a Hoffman book one must be prepared to think deeply and to consider the well spring of your life. Every selection offers a taste of wisdom. Practicality is clearly stated and spirituality too. The Creative Spirit of Life can be seen hidden deeply in the words and pages of this splendid gift book.

If one wants to turn "Graduation Day" into a spiritual event that addresses the inmost heat and soul of a person,,,then this book is a true gift to the soul of the graduate.

It would be a wise "graduate" that considered the meaning of this marvelous little book and it would be a wise SOUL that offered this treasure as a gift to a graduate. I recomend it.

Birthdays are intensely personal events, some happy, others bittersweet. This book provides insights into how celebrities reacted to, celebrated, mulled over and contemplated their own birthdays or those of relatives and friends. Among the little-known tales: What Bob Dylan did on his 30th, Marilyn Monroe's "steamy" rendition of "Happy Birthday" to her "friend," JFK, the gift sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov bought for himself and the birthday poem Anne Frank's father wrote her while the family was hiding from the Nazis. It's a gift book that both entertains and puts perspective into birthdays.