Alternative Books

After reading some of the enthusiastic and grateful reviews for this book, there is little that I can add. Clearly, everyone who reads Trisha's tale is able to extract something that aids female life in today's world. Apart from cessation of hot flashes following Trisha's suggestions, the most important information for me was that menopause does not immediately throw ladies into the visage of dried up sexless old crone. No one should start gulping hormones in fear of losing youth and good looks--Trisha has blazed the trail for all of us, looking much, much younger than her years and living and loving life.

I had heard about this book but when I went to get it in the hardcover it was out of print. Well, when it hit my local bookstore in paperback, I got a copy and devoured it in a few hours. It's been a lifesaver! Thank you Trisha for not making menopause into the negative journey that most books cast it as, and thank you for not only giving those of us who fear hormones a choice, but for so clearly setting forth a natural path that works. Since going on Trisha's regimen, my hot flashes are history, and I feel much better and in control (not to fail to mention 12 lbs lighter on the scale!)
With all the new news on hormones, this book is a MUST for any woman approaching menopause!

I have long been troubled by the two available sources of menopause advice: 1) questionable medical research relying on broad generalizations and possible drug company resources; and
2) women who have "passed through," and present their experiences as if they had just fought the Gulf War single-handedly.
I've never trusted "research" on HRT, and I'm very tired of the "rite of passage" horror stories.
There's also the unasked question--HOW DO WOMEN WHO ARE CURRENTLY VERY PHYSICALLY FIT AND EATING WELL FARE IN MENOPAUSE?
Those of us who have been following many of Trisha's suggestions for years are lumped in with all other women and told we're going to shrink/dry up/get fat/fall apart at exactly the same rate as the rest of the female population. I don't buy it. And I'm glad Trisha has written a quick, personable, and very readable book about the alternative opinions and options.
I'm 52 and I've been resisting HRT now for several years. I work out for an hour six or seven days a week--I'm a black belt in Shotokan Karate. I welcome Trisha's suggestions for the non-HRT path. I'm with you, Trisha!

Anyone facing menopause either directly or indirectly (you men out there could benefit from reading this book, too) should read Trisha Posner's account of her own battle with the changes being forced on her, and how she dealt with them. From the most common - hotflashes - to the least - auditory hallucinations (one which I have experienced) - Posner lists the symptoms and side effects of menopause in a highly organized and informative way.

Posner's own interest in a less clinical approach to menopause arises out of her family's history of breast cancer. She had a very real fear that hormone replacement might trigger cancer in her own body, and so she went out to research the alternatives. She's a professional researcher, and has done the research for her husbands books on history and current events. She is meticulous in her work and it pays off for her readers here in the assurance that she has thoroughly investigated the available information on each aspect of menopause.

While she never prosletyzes for any regimen, she does outline her own program very throughly (exercise, nutritional supplements, particularly soy; dietary changes) explains the thinking behind each point, and gives the reader an honest assessment of her progress. It is not her intention to persuade any of us that this is the right way, only to show that there are always alternatives to medical intervention for treatment of menopausal problems.

Her research is persuasive, her plan of action one that virtually anyone could follow. That doesn't mean that everyone will be won over to her way of doing things, but that's okay, too. The benefit of this book is in its wealth of information, not in any plan or magical formula. I recommend it for anyone who wants to understand this life passage a little better, and recommend it highly for those who want to take more control over that passage.

According to Posner, reducing fat intake, running, and weight training are a really great way to lose weight and reduce menopausal symptoms. She expresses great suprise about this, which makes me think that she slept through the 1980s. Who wants to pay for yet another book that discusses this subject in great length without adding a single new thing?

I found the author's perspective rather difficult to take. She repeatedly makes reference to her wealth, yet make no reference to how expensive her herbal recommendations are. She repeatedly makes the point that men are attracted to her still, that everyone is shocked that she's old enough to be going through menopause, and that her husband is the most supportive man on earth, which, frankly, he seems a bit creepy in the book.

If you're not bothered by her narcissicm and ignorance of excercise and diet information popularized in the 70s & 80s, you might find value in her herbal recommendation, so long as you can afford the hundreds of dollars it will cost you each month.

Instead, I recommend: New Menopausal Years : The Wise Woman Way by Susun S. Weed.

This system of movement has assisted me to release old tensions that I was unable to access or release in any other way. Truely a way to rejuvenation.

This book really does a good job of explaining standing (Zhan Zhuang) and Qigong to the beginner. My sifu had recommended that I do standing practice, and had taught me a qigong set, and I found that reading this book helped me along. Some of the things (such as the Ba Duan Jin qigong set) differ slightly from the way I was taught, but basically the book is right on the money, and does a good job of helping you understand what everything is for. I also like the warm up exercises before standing that he shows, they really do help. The book is very well illustrated also, which is a plus. Highly recommended, especially for anyone into internal martial arts.

This book is arguably the very finest introduction currently available to the practice of QiGong, especially for those who do not have access to a trustworthy living teacher. QiGong's burgeoning popularity has generated a plethora of both violently skeptical and credulously New-Agey essays. Rather than taking either on faith, you can actually experience internal Qi for yourself and make up your own mind as to its value, using this volume as a guide. Lam Kam-Chuen is one of a tiny handful of QiGong teachers who are fully qualified to write a practical instruction manual geared to the average Western person. For those who want to actually experience the truth about Qi for themselves rather than chew an academic cud of pre-digested dogma, this book is worth its weight in gold!

The past few years I've been practicing various types of meditation and decided I wanted to combine meditating with movement, so I turned to the internal martial arts (Qigong, Tai Chi, Xiang Yi, Ba Gua). After speaking to several internal arts teachers from sound linneages, they all recommended starting with Qigong, and to spend at least half a year only mastering several postures before moving on to the other forms of the internal arts. I bought this book because Master Lam's method seemed in tune with this belief, and I was pleasantly shocked at the results of this book:

--The book says to expect changes over a span of weeks; after the first day alone my back felt more loose, stress free and relaxed then it had in years.
--I no longer have the need to drink caffeine in the morning to keep me up throughout the day.
--I've slowly started to be able to detect an actual physical presence of chi throughout my body (this is coming from a fairly rational/logical, non new-agey type of guy).
--My overall mood and energy has improved.
--I have a much more peaceful state of mind.
--My hypertention has been completely erased; I can calm anxiety driven behavior down much more easily, and have learned to control and regulate my breathing.
--It has helped my cardio activities, long distance running & basketball, immensely. I feel I have more endurance, more balance, and more confident in both sports.

I owe a huge thank you to Master Lam for publishing a book that is simply written and easy to understand, while containing a wealth of information about the forms, postures, breathing, visualizations, anecdotes, meridians, and other information about Qigong, and Lam's specialty of Zhang Zhuang in particular. I'm still shocked at how much learning these postures has improved my life and brought me both physical relief as well as inner peace. Highly recommended.

The Way of Energy provides a step-by-step, almost month-to-month introduction to the practice of Qigong.

Many Qigong books are too "Eastern" for Westerners to read, or are too technical/textbook like, spending many pages going over the meridians, cavities, times of day and orientation. This is required knowledge for advanced practicioners, but gets in the way and is intimidating for introductory students.

The Way of Energy starts of with a simple, straightforward standing meditation. After a brief introduction to Qigong, Part One introduces two standing positions, discusses how to start with a few minutes then work your way up to many, a good section on breathing and has an excellent section describing the sensations most people experience when starting Qigong practice (this section is worth the price of the book for most beginners).

Part Two (which the text recommends proceeding to after a few months) introduces the Eight Pieces of the Brocade Qigong exercies (called Ba Duan Jin in this text) and introduces three additional and advanced standing positions. The reader is instructed on how to integrate these two new pieces into their practice. While the Eight Pieces of Brocade positions vary slightly from other texts, their descriptions are excellent and their purpose briefly but clearly explained.

Part Three describes four advanced standing positions and imagery exercises for the practicioner to begin managing their Chi. The last part of the book describes how to integrate these disciplines into everyday life.

In summary, an excellent introductory step-by-step guide. For more technical works, I would recommend the Qigong Meditation series by Dr. Yang, Jwing Ming (Embryonic Breathing, Small Circulation and the forthcoming book on Grand Circulation).

Having worked in the alternative health industry for 12 years, and studied it for 17 years, I read the book having been on a similar journey as the author's. His is a very unique telling of such a tale. The first time I read the book when it was first published, I didn't agree with or understand some of his points on health or the way he was presenting them, but experience has shown me more clarity.
His is not a 'how-to' instruction book, and he gives clear reasons for why it is so. His is rather a book on his own ideas, and someone following in his footsteps will have different experiences and find different truths working for them.
And his insigts into why he still experiences physical discomforts provides great words for dealing with those types of questions one on this journey encounters from those outside.
And ordering it from Amazon is a great idea. [...]

Having now dealt with cancer in my family three times over, I was curious to read other literature about others who have dealt with cancer. My uncle currently underwent a new form of prostate cancer treatment, and is doing very well. What I find interesting is my uncle probably lives as close to Mr. Benedict's way of living, and has throughout his whole life. That did not prevent cancer. That did not cure it.

I am a daughter of a research scientist. I am a country girl and work with horses/ride/train/compete. I am also a writer(when I have a free moment). I like to think of things, read things, expand my knowledge. Knowledge is key to curing anything. The more you know, the more you can fight something.

I've watched my stepfather die of a radical cancer in short of three weeks, at the ripe age of fifty(dying on Christmas day. A rare blood cancer). He never even knew he had it. He was highly atheletic, ate healthy, never smoked. He still died.

When writing a book, I feel an author does have a certain responsibility to the public in showing a balance of information to the reader. This is the only place I found this book lacking. It was very one sided. If you eat a certain way = bad. I don't disagree with the theorires of Mr Benedict, but rather the lack of other information available out there. Truth be told, doctors CAN help patients. Patients can help themselves. There can be a yin and yang of both.

My grandfather just passed away at 93 years of age. He ate beef and eggs daily. He never smoked, was physically active his whole life, and stayed that way until his mid eighties.(perhaps because he had a vacation home in New Hampshire and retired there was part of that well-being? I've often felt of New Hampshire as a healing place and loved visiting there my whole life!)

What worries me about this book are some of the medical goings on in mr Benedicts life, and his lack of concern to reporting to a medical practitioner. There are many medical reasons of what was happening to him, not just mediphysical(excuse spelling, not my strong point).

Fact---your body will metabolize food eatten. It does not stay in your system longer than your body is able to eliminate it. There fore, the problems given(physical) were more likely due to stress, life style and other things(I believe Mr Benedict smokes cigars. Sorry, but right there, I Can give you a million reasons for why that could cause every ailment given).

HOWEVER, I am not dissing this book because I believe in it's message. HEALTHY living is key to being healthy. Enjoying your life, living your dreams, and making sure you eat a balanced diet and exercise. This is a key component that is ever disolving in today's life for kids. Childhood obesity and diabetes is on the rise, and you can thank fast food chains and their super-sized meals for that. While I do have to eat on the go with my job, I do not eat at those fast food places...the mere sight of them make me ill. When I do go with friends, and they grab a bite there, I am amazed at the portions now from when I was a child.

There are many pearls of wisdom in the book---do not fear. Many revelations that only a truly deep hearted person would want to share, and share he does--with his heart and soul. That's a GOOD thing, and so rare these days. People seem to want to profess something only if it benefits them. I did not see that in this book at all. I saw someone who went through something so huge and so overwhelming, he wanted to share that. That is to be commended.

In the end, what Mr Benedict is saying, and what I also believe in is live a healthy life. Eat right, exercise and above all else, enjoy and don't lose sight of your dreams.

I read the book, and I fell in love with it, and I hope that everyone would take their health seriously, and I hope that if someone you know is getting into health, please give them the book, it's a bible to the health-concious people everywhere, so please do take some of the things that Mr. Benedict is saying, it might save your life someday.

I believed in what Mr. Benedict is saying, and I hope that every one is taking their health seriously, and if someone is in trouble or confused with health, give them the book, if you do that you will be make making a great investment, people should take actors who have been through hell serious enough.

This is an excellent book. Dirk is an excellent author. This was the quickest read of non-fiction I have had in years. It is great getting a point of view of others, especially, when they write in a down-to-earth style you can understand. Dirk seems to be that kind of guy.

If you are looking for a bit-by-bit blow from Battlestar Galactica or the A-Team...forget it. He only tells us a little about his work. I wish he would have written more because the few parts there were a great read.

This book is mainly about how Dirk fought cancer using macrobiotics. After reading this book I am not a convert, but I learned a lot. I learned that I and most Americans need to greatly reduce our intake of fatty meat and triple our intake of good vegetables. More veggies, a balanced diet and less caffeine and alcohol all lead to a healthier person.

I do not totally agree with him on his views on modern medicine. Yes, there are many quacks out there who think that they can solve any problem you have with a pill, you get addicted to that pill and then you're hooked. But evidence shows that we are living longer today despite our intake of unhealthy food. I think we can thank some doctors and scientists for that.

For me, the power of this book was the fact that Dirk took control of his life that, to him, seemed out of control. And it does seem like his method helped beat his disease.

I hope we have more offerings from Dirk, not only on the screen, but more literary works as well.

This is a very nice and gentle set of Faery Cards. I bought it after having owned the Froud-MacBeth set, which is magnificent, but stronger, deeper, profund and sometimes a little bit scary at first.

Doreen's card set however, is a soft and reassuring way to start the day. But do yourselves a favour, buy Doreen's 'Healing with the Fairies' book. They sell separately, but you will see lots more sense in the cards, and if you are a believer you won't be able to put it down. If you are not, this book may just change your mind. They both go definitely together.

Better still, do as I did, use this card set together with the Froud/Macbeth FaeryOracle cards. Doreen Virtue teaches how to do a two or multiple deck reading, and you'll be surprised at how the Faeries on both decks work together.

Highly recommended.

Nicely worded and inspirational booklet, but many of the cards are very dark in color. These cards aren't nearly as nice as Virtue's Archangel Oracle Cards or her Messages from Your Angels cards.

I bought these because I love fairies. I did not expect much from the cards though. It was an impulse buy. Years ago I once listened to some audio tapes by Doreen Virtue and was not especially impressed with what she had to say. I don't recall exactly which of her many products it was but it seemed rather fluffy.

I have been pleasantly surprised by this particular Virtue product. I have really enjoyed the art and the messages. The cards have a lot of wisdom and each has a positive affirmation to go along with it. You really can't go wrong with whatever card you choose. The box says "There are no negative or frightening cards or images". I appreciate this as I have been cautious when it comes to Tarot cards which I believe might be dangerous--although I really know little about them.

I have been quite amazed by the Fairy cards. I have used them many times now--yet I haven't even viewed all 44 cards. I have seen only the back design of many of them. I am literally choosing the same cards over and over again while at least half the cards I have yet to come across. This is synchronicity! It is no accident. It just can't mathematically be possible with the number of times I have used them. There is something guiding me in what I choose. I do hope it's the fae. These cards work, are helpful and lots of fun.

I have been an ardent fan of Doreen Virtue's Oracle Decks and have almost all of her decks in my collection. I have had the Healing with the Faeries Oracle Cards with me for some time now but only recently have started using them. As is always the case with Doreen's Oracle decks, the cards are beautifully illustrated, here you are treated to beautiful illustrations of faeries...some are illustrated in the classical tradition, and others are more abstract, but they are all beautiful! The The messages are uplifting and enlightening and I have always found an insightful message with every reading. Some critics complain that her decks tend to have the same repetitive message, I choose to see it more as emphasising some important points over and over again so that we may reap the most benefits out of the readings.I can't wait for Virtue's newest deck!

I own three decks of fairy oracle cards, this one being one of them.

This is probably the most lighthearted of the three. There are many pictures that are sugary sweet and really show the lighter side of fairies. For those who are a fan of fairies like Tinkerbell, this is the deck for you. The majority of the pictures are beautiful and the decks works very effectively in readings.

Now as I just said, this deck is very light-oriented. If you are looking for something that shows more of a variety of fairies, I would highly recommend Brian Froud's, "The Faeries' Oracle," which is also an excellent deck to work with. Also, both Doreen Virtue's and Brian Froud's cards work well with each other as they are both fairy oriented.

This deck is much like the Healing With the Angels Oracle Cards, only it is much more polished in the book and the picture selections are nicer.

I would reccomend these cards to anyone who likes fairies or Doreen Virtue's cards. This is also one of her easier decks to read in my opinion, so if you are a beginner, this deck is very good.

which book is better this one or life in the pit?

I wanted to do a book report on korn my favoret group but it curses to much wy do you havto do that micster37@hotmail.com

this book is realy good, it offers so much info on how the band started and little extras that you may, or may not have wanted to know. i wasnt expecting it to be this good

This book has a lot of great information about the band. If you ever wanted to know how they started out or just some tidbits about the guys just read this. I did notice that some of the pictures are backwards. Like the tatoo is on one arm in one picture and the other in a different picture.

This book is great for all the KoRn fans. It tells you the whole story behind KoRn and it also has many colorful photos to look at. This is my favorite book in the world and KoRn rules! ! !

When I bought this book in November 2007, my right eye was 20/100, and my left eye was 20/50. Both had additional corrections for astigmatism. I also had double vision, requiring a 2D prism (1D in each lens). In January 2008, I passed the drivers' exam with 20/40 on the right and 20/50 on the left. Three months later, I reached 20/20 on the right and 20/30 on the left, with no double vision. If you are stuck on the path to increasingly bad eyesight, get off. This book will show you how.

This book has a ton of information in it. The most thorough I've ever seen. It may be a little too technical for some, but it is a great book!

People with vision problems MUST purchase this book because IT WORKS. I was skeptical, at first, after reading all the tribute and praises for this book. I thought it just sounded too good to be true. Can a book really improve my myopic vision? But after trying out for a month what the book was preaching, I was surprised to find out my vision slowly improving. There seems to be less tension in my eye muscles too.

There are no exercises in this book, only HABITS to follow 24 hours/day and that, to me is the reason why your eyes will improve. You are practicing good vision habits, not just for 20 minutes a day which other vision books will tell you to perform as eye exercises, but 24 hours/day good vision habits for the rest of your life.

People who are considering having laser surgery done on their eyes should buy this book first because, not only are they saving money, they are also ensuring that their eyes will never have to deal with the various dangerous side effects of laser surgery.

I bought this book on Amazon.com a month ago, after my doctor prescribed stronger lenses from -.50D to -1.50D. I performed these natural seeing habits during this one month period, and went back to the doctor because I couldn't believe myself that the glasses became too strong for me (luckly I didn't get rid of my old glasses with -.50 strength) so I could wear them in the mean time. After being tested, doctor went down from -1.50D to -1.00D. I started to see more clearly and objects are becoming more dark. I now am convinced that I'm on my way to 20/20 vision and the most important thing is that it is possible to achieve!

This is the best book that I have read on vision! Thomas Quackenbush did his homework in putting this book together. There is a lot of information on Bates research and how Bates came to his conlusions on restoring vision naturally. This book answers all of my questions about my own vision. Now I know why my vision improved at times and was worse at others. I had 20/20 vision until college and my vision got as bad as 20/400 at its worst. I certainly fall into all of the behavior patterns mentioned by bates. My vision has been improving as I have changed my behavior as indicated by the Bates recommendations. If you have vision challenges, you have to read and re-read this book until you really have the principles down and practice them. You will get results!

This book is so beneficial as reference material. The images are unreal and so specific. At least four therapists I know have bought the book since flicking through my copy.

This is the most practical and informative book that teaches what you need to know and what is relevant...not filler material.

Why you should buy this book:
1. If you want to teach yourself massage.
2. If you massage school gave you a crappy Milady's massage book, or worse, their own hand written, poorly illustrated version.
3. If you really want to own a great massage therapy reference.

Why I think its so great:
The illustrations and visuals, give you everything you need to know to massage any area of the body. They have created a much more 3-d experience to learning massage from a book and translating that experience to a real body. ANYONE can learn from this book. Its an incredible resource. I don't know why every school doesn't use this book! If you are in school -- buy it!

I borrowed this from my library before purchasing it.
It is a must for an massage therapist, bodyworker, or closet healer!
Also great for National exam review.

can only say 'FABULOUS'!!! One of the most clearly illustrated, and easy to understand texts available, great for students and teachers alike!

I have bought many books and DVD's on massage and anatomy and this is by far the best. It acomplishes what others often fail at and what all my teachers tried to instill in me, looking at a body in a 3 dimensional way. Did I mention the DVD? I was soo suprised that it actually showed everthing (well at least all the anatomy, palaptations, striping and crossfibering) thats in the book. I am very glad I bought this book and see using it again and again, unlike several DVD's and books I currently have.

I consider it immoral to promote unproven treatments instead of the stuff that has been proven to work in hundreds of thousands of patients.
People die as a result of trying alternatives and delaying treatment. I've seen it. It's okay to use alternative therapies and diet in addition to, but not instead of the FDA approved treatments. There have been many studies, including sponsored by National Cancer Institute, which showed only small and inconsistent benefit of dietary changes when treating cancer.
And, actually, many treatments recommended by oncologists these days are not chemotherapy, but biological or targeted to your type of tumor.
Cancer doc.

Dearest Ones,

This book is a very empowering book for everyone with cancer or in remission. A must! Share it with everyone you know who has cancer or are in remission. Many blessings and healing, Devi Atmajyotis

This book should be in every household and readily accessible.
I found more information than I ever expected and all within reach if I choose to follow. I am surprised this hasn't been blacklisted.

Diet is an important part to health, and this book has a lot of good advice in that respect. However, one must always be circumspect when it comes to these types of self help books on cancer. Diet is not necessarily a ready cure for cancer, but it is an important part of the journey.

My wife was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2001 and succumbed to her cancer in March 2005. I only discovered Bill's first book six months before she died and had multiple conversations with him at the time. He was compassionate and patient and knowledgeable.

This book builds on his first one and is the best book on the market in terms of letting the reader know about the causes of cancer, why the pharma industry fights non-toxic approaches and what resources and approaches are available to the layperson who is struggling with cancer or is the caregiver.

I wish I had known about these approaches earlier. I have myself begun to research the role of sound vibrations in healing and have just released a healing chant called The Magic of Gayatri.

Kudos to Bill Henderson for putting this valuable resource together!

This book is changing my life. To overcome twenty years of craving chocolate and bingeing on sweets--twenty years of wondering what was wrong with my willpower--by simply following the seven steps outlined in this book: well, it's nothing short of a miracle. Here I am, someone who could never imagine life without chocolate, actually embracing cutting sugar out of my life. My daylong grazing has been replaced by planned snacks, I'm less cranky, I rarely battle mild depression anymore, and I can now stay up till 9:30 or 10 PM without petering out (a biggie for me). And it all began with getting enough protein for breakfast.

One of the best things is that you don't have to believe this eating program will work. If you just do the food, the changes will happen by themselves. It's straightforward (no complicated calculations), simple (though not always easy), and cheap (once you buy the book, there's no big outlay of money). Plus, there's a wonderful and caring online community to support people each step of the way.

I also highly recommend Kathleen DesMaison's eating program for children, outlined in LITTLE SUGAR ADDICTS. Through this book, my four daughters' lives are changing in wonderful ways as well.

The original version of this book gave me my life back. Depression gone, cravings gone, crazy thoughts gone, self-loathing gone, PMS gone. All through the simplicity of eating the right foods for my body. I gave up sugar without shedding a tear, something I thought I would never be able to do, and I don't miss it at all. This edition has all the newest, updated info that Kathleen and the Radiant Recovery community have discovered since the first edition came out. This book will change your life, will give you a life you might only have dreamed of otherwise. Thank you, Kathleen.

I suspected that I had a problem with sugar when I tried to get rid of it and couldn't. I also noticed that I tended to increase my sugar intake every day for several days and then go off of it for a while and then start again. I used it like a drug.

The first edition of PNP changed my life. All of DesMaisons' books are great, but PNP is the best. It explains the science behind the theory in greater depth than the other books, which gives the theory more power in my opinion. The second edition is sort of a different book. It has a lot of updated information based on what DesMaisons' has learned by working with the online community. It's worth reading both, but if you only buy one, get the second one.

Visit her website if you want to know more about the theory before you buy. There is life after sugar addiction and it is a great life!

I am amazed to find that all the symtoms I had were related to sugar sensitivity, I did not think I even liked sweet things! Lots of good advice in the book, and even if you do not want to follow the plan, there are lots of things you can do to improve your diet.

I've been following the program laid out in this book for going on 5 years. This program has changed my life, as it has done for so many others. It has helped me with all of the following issues: overcoming an eating disorder, reaching a healthy weight, getting over depression, lessening anxiety, becoming more comfortable in social situations, no longer procrastinating, getting to bed at a reasonable hour rather than staying up all night, finding life balance rather than cramming every day full of too many commitments, letting go of perfectionism, becoming more organized, and just in general learning how to be happy in my life.

Not only has the program changed my life, but it gave me the understanding of why I was having all those problems in the first place. If I hadn't found this program, I would have just gone on struggling in so many ways, and wondering, "Why me?!" and thinking it was my fault.

If you've ever set resolutions for yourself and then been unable to follow through, and sat there wondering why you couldn't stop yourself from eating the extra helping of dessert, or procrastinating on your taxes, or having one too many drinks; if you've ever wondered, "Why do I seem to be sabotaging myself?", this is the book for you. It's not your fault. And you can actually become the person you want to be, and live the life you've dreamed of.

This book gives a very clear and succinct description on the basic nondual nature of reality and that our own awareness is the only cause for not recognizing this. I liked it very much for its simplicity and getting down to the core of it without alienating phrases.

Memory tells that I once seemed to visit leo's beautiful internet site (awakeningtothedream.com) and read his book... not knowing 'advaita'... though it is ever clear... like looking in a mirror... a smile still seems to linger. As a waterfall takes no credit for being a waterfall, leo takes no credit for the writing - nor the insight. This book will be read from many perspectives and, in some cases, it will seem that a door opens into a doorless void that needs no words to express itself... it is not what you think it is, yet it seems to be... smile. If it seems you have read this far, perhaps this One book is enough... Love

Leo Hartong connects the reader to the terrain of Nonduality in a manner that is gracious, enjoyable and satisfying. The topics of enlightenment, ego, intellect, the witness, I Am, awareness, meditation, awakening, teacher/seeker, death, are integrated effortlessly.

Awakening to the Dream is both an excellent introduction to Nonduality, and an encounter with an awakened one. The writing style is memorable. This is a valuable work which could become a classic in the field. (Note: The previous sentence, as the well as this entire review, was written in 2003 when the book came out. It is first being posted to Amazon.com in 2007.)

Here are a few passages:

"These words are nothing but a gentle reminder from yourself to yourself that you are the awakened one."

"This whole universe is the dream of the Self. Our identity is one continuum with the deep Self, and when we use words like unconditional love, bliss, and acceptance, we are reaching for our own hands."

"Once your true identity is uncovered, you'll see that birth, existence, and death do not happen to you, but in you."

"Enlightenment appears as a goal that one can reach only as long as there is the illusion of a separate entity or ego. In Zen, it has been called the gateless gate. When one stands before it, the gate seems to be there. When one passes through and looks back, it's clear there never was a gate nor anyone to go through it."

Jerry Katz
One: Essential Writings on Nonduality

I've read many books on Advaita Vedanta and nondualism, and this is absolutely, without a doubt, the BEST of them all. Hartong writes so lucidly about difficult concepts that you will quickly come to understand many aspects of nondualism that take others YEARS to grasp. This book ranks #1 on my Advaita reading list. #2 is I Am That by Nisargadatta Maharaj. If you want your understanding of reality to be boosted RIGHT NOW, read this book. I'm now reading it for the second time, and marvel at the clarity and quality of the writing.

Leo's book is really good - it's very conceptual and uses every "trick" to point to that which you are. Leo has a way of using analogy and metaphor to throw us back to that which is the basis for all experience - not to see a new state of mind, a special experience, but to know that what you are is the silent, still presence in which all states and experiences arise. Leo's writing at times seems to reflect an impression by Alan Watts. He gently invites you to see through the concepts and duality that are the nature of the mind.