Alternative Books

I was moved by this beautifully written book. Carole allows her sensitivity and grace to shine through as she shares insights into the continuity of life that truly does exist after our physical life has ended. This book will be very beneficial to those who are grieving the loss of loved ones and can help those to heal by feeling that the connectedness to every living thing goes on forever. Carole is a gifted healer and medium and many will benefit from her work.
Linda Martin, Metaphysician
Belle Vernon, PA

In old films and books, psychic "mediums" sit in darkened rooms with groups circled around a table and conduct mysterious seances, channeling disembodied voices. As anyone who has seen the many recent films and television programs about the subject knows, the new group of mediums do their work in a very different way. They intuitively read messages from the other side in a conscious and expressive way, giving help and guidance in a way that seems very natural. Their work is extremely impressive in its accuracy and power, and no sceptic has been able to discount or rationally explain what they do, no matter how hard they have tried.

A personal reading with a medium such as Carole Obley can be a very powerful and uplifting experience. Her book is a personal account of the work she has done in this field, complete with a detailed and interesting description of how the process works and quite a few stories of how clients she has read for have used the process to help change and transform their lives. It is easy to read and a very good introduction to the subject. The ultimate value of both the book and the work is that things such as these can help open our eyes to an ordinarily unseen, but higher and enduring reality that is beyond death, and the higher truth that we are all connected by a Oneness that is greater than anything that can pass away in time.

This is a well-written, thoughtful book, and an enjoyable read. I now understand much better the nature of spiritual mediumship "from the inside." Ms. Obley is herself a spiritual medium and shares intriguing insight into the training, daily work, responsibilities and challenges of mediumship. More importantly, she provides abundant, compelling and fascinating evidence of the reality of life (and love) after death through numerous case studies taken from her own practice. One cannot help but also sense the genuine love and concern Ms. Obley has for all her clients. This is not a 'fluff' book -- it is all substance, and gives plenty of food for thought. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this leading-edge subject. Move over, John Edward!

Losing a loved one is a painful, unavoidable life experience, but having reassurance that our loved ones live on and are still connected to us by love makes it bearable. I had a reading with Carole last fall, several months after my husband's death, and it has helped me begin a spiritual journey and level of acceptance that has been comforting beyond words. I read Carole's first book, which is good, but this one is better. The stories she relates are very similar to the reading I experienced, and it made me a believer - - in an afterlife, in consciousness after death, and certainly in Carole's ability to act as a conduit for messages from our loved ones.

I very much enjoyed this easy to read book. If you are not a "believer", you will be after reading this book. It impressed me so much that I went to meet the author in person for a reading of my own. I am a believer. Read this book. Carole is an amazing person. Many of my friends are not only reading the book, but going for a reading of their own.

I bought this book on a whim several years ago when I started working as a high school teacher and was concerned about my increased risk of getting sick. This book is well written, easy to understand and very informative. Rountree describes each supplement and its effects in detail and also has specific supplement regimines to treat certain ailments. I can say that I have not had a full-blown cold in the last three years. Although the supplements can be expensive, what he recommends truly work! Buy this book and you will not be disappointed and if you follow his regimine you will rarely be sick.

I HIGHLY recommend this book! I had a sinus infection that would not clear up after three rounds of antibiotics-the most severe bout I've ever had, including losing my sense of smell. I followed the doc's reommendations for sinus infections, and within one week, my sense of smell began to return, and the infection finally cleared! Dr. Rountree is a genius! I am very grateful I decided to get this book-it is now my number one health reference. And NAC is a supplement that I will always keep on my shelf. Much gratitude to Dr. Rountree.

The fact that Robert Rountree is an MD who has practiced for quite some time makes me reassured regarding his suggestions. It's also quite relevant not just for general immune function but specific illness issues one might have at present. The first section is a fascinating explanation of how our immune system functions in our body. I have been on his general adult suggested dose of CoEnzyme Q and Cholostrum for almost two months -- I believe I am starting to have energy at the end of the work day! This is a minor miracle as I started to feel tired about 17 years ago ...no thyroid issue, no diabetes ever id'd with repeated tests. I credit these changes to the CoQ and colostrum. This is truly worth the time and expense for the information!

I loved this book. It is full of wonderful ideas to improve your mental and physical health. I have started using a few of the ideas and have already noticed a difference. I highly recommend the book to anyone looking at alternative ways to improve your health.

I bought the hard cover edition of this book about a year ago because I am very prone to colds and sinus infections. I read it but did not follow the advice because you seemed to need to buy so much stuff. This past spring and summer (2001), I got an endless and particularly exhausting sinus infection. I was miserable and I remembered the book and went shopping for supplements. I warn you the advice is not cheap to follow, however, the results for me were excellent. It took a few weeks to see results but now I feel better than I have in years--greater physical and mental energy. I caught a chest cold (complete with green mucus) in September and threw it off very quickly (within a week) without antibiotics--a first for me. I would not part with my copy of the book. Olive leaf extract, NAC, coenzyme Q10, alkylglycerol etc.--I take a lot of supplements every day now but they work. I have a huge shelf full of health books and this is undoubtedly the best one that I own. I literally live by it now.

This is a great book if you are trying to figure out referred pain patterns or ways for your client to help themselves at home. Good book to have on hand.

This book is a gem of simplicity and usefulness. It integrates anatomy, myofascial techniques, holistic thinking and traditional Chinese medicine meridien theory and also provides simple stretching and strengthening exercises to help patients move from pain to recovery. It's beautifully designed and illustrated; I especially love the calligraphic drawings of the exercises. As a massage therapist, I can say that it is now one of my favorite reference books.

great book that emphasize on learning to build one's skill in touch. great illustration pictures to master location of muscles. easy reference book to refer to in regard to figuring out possible trigger points for pain.

I am a massage therapist, who does deep tissue, sports and medical massage. I find this book to be a great guide. It is not as complete as the Janet Travell manuels, but it covers the main points of pain.

I'm a personal trainer and wanted the information to help me develop exercise programs for post-rehab clients. I was amazed at the quality of the book and the ease of use. The charts are great and the information is organized in such a way that you can find what you need very quickly.

Joie Davidow's telling of Aztec history is mesmerizing. When she draws her conclusion that had the Aztecs survived, their herbal medicines would rival those of the Chinese, I was totally convinced. Finding this book while looking for books on herbal tea was a stroke of luck. And, while the Mexicans may have as many herbs in their medicine chests as the Chinese, this book concentrates on about 200 or so of the most commonly found and used. I have always felt that we should make use of the herbs that grow around us instead of trying to grow those from another region. So I was excited to find a book about southwestern herbs. What I didn't expect was how many plants were included that were NOT from the Mexican area or even the southwest. It shows that her research is up to date on what herbs are being used by the Mexicans for medicinal purposes today. Particularly useful is the extensive lists of names given for each plant. Common names vary so much from region to region that it can be difficult to locate the correct herb for the healing tea recipe. Not only are we given several Mexican names for the plants but also the Nahuatl or Aztec name. Almost every imaginable ailment is listed and which single or combined herbs should be used. Easy to use and handy to have this book is also fascinating just to read.

As I am studying to become an herbalist, this is a very educational book. I like the idea that the author gives you the name of the herb in spanish, english, nahuatl, and mayan. I definately recommend this book to people with an open mind and who love to heal naturally.

I bought this book unseen and I am so happy to have done so. This book is a virtual treasure trove of practical herbalism and folk healing. There are many herbs listed with traditional uses, great tables of correspondance and my favorite part is a small section on some of the folk saints found in curanderismo. I am very glad to own this book and will treasure it for many years.

I have studied under a curandero, and this just adds more to my education. There are plenty of books out there about herbalism from around the world, and it is about time that CURANDERISMO gets recognition...thank you Joie!

For many years popular North American herbals were Eurocentric. It is enriching, valuable and timely that "Infusions of Healing: A Treasury of Mexican American Herbal Medicine" has been introduced to the public. As an herbalist I welcome the opportunity to broaden my understanding of the traditional uses, botanical names and history of herbs by Mexican Americans, Mexicans and indigenous Americans, among others. Davidow's book is comprehensive, thoughtful and engaging. The style of the illustrations make them the perfect companions to the text. I put "Infusion of Healing" at the top of the list of essential modern herbals for it's outstanding contribution to cross-cultural knowledge of herbal practices.

Mr. Rienzi obviously researched his facts and uses them to jump off into an very entertaining first novel. If you read between the lines a lot of things are said that could not be said in non-fiction. Without complete evidence the auther could be sued for slander/liable and as much of the evidence has been hidden for one reason or another Mr. Rienzi has chosen a remarkable vehicle to tell his story. An easy read yet very powerful.

It rained in Dallas? What if it did? Find out how history could have been changed. A work of fiction but this book is based on many facts. I couldn't put it down.

Mister Rienzi's novel is one of the best historical works of fiction ever written. The possibilities of historical outcome after this event are endless. Is there more than one future? You decide.

The title of this paperback is meant to entice the casual book browser. A likeness of President Kennedy is prominently displayed on its cover. Kennedy? Dallas? It rained? What if it had rained on the fateful day in Dallas? That is the premise and springboard of author Rienzi's novel and its mesmerizing plot. Twists and turns abound in this subterfuge of intrigue, sex and deceit all set against a canvas of well detailed and documented elements of the Kennedy mystique and historical record. Author Rienzi has no doubt done his homework evidenced by his meticulous attention to detail and accuracy of factual information and insightful interpretation of events from the Kennedy administration. This is a vigorously well-written novel. I couldn't put it down.

The assassination of JFK has been the subject of much debate and speculation. This fictional representation gives the reader pause...what if it were true? The author meshes known and surmised facts with a believeable and entertaining storyline to yield a provocative end product. It's a fun read that makes you wonder...

Relevant, pragmatic, an excellent reference for clinical libraries, Introduction to Meridian Therapy is ideal for the beginner and experienced practitioner alike. Well rounded information on meridian therapy that is highly applicable to clinical practice combines with numerous charts and diagrams for easy reference.

My interest in oriental medicine is serious and long-standing, although I have not had the chance to study formally at an established school. Ancient texts are seldom available in translation and can be extremely difficult to understand when they are available. Many of the more modern texts are quite dogmatic. Like second-rate cookbooks, they may give varying results for the home cook. Shudo Denmei's book is a wonderful gateway. It gives a very understandable "big picture" view of acupuncture as it developed from its origins to the present time. It gives extremely practical ways for a student to begin both study and early clinical experience. Without translation from theory to actual practice, no such book is worth anything. This book is the most practical I have seen at making this transition to clinical experience possible. So, this is a wonderful place to begin. On the other hand, the author also outlines very clearly at least one respectable path to mastery of the higher complexities of acupuncture practice. The text can, then, guide a person through long stages of improving practice. There are other wonderful books (consider, as an example, Dr. Manaka's book), but I know of no other text that is nearly as helpful or as practical, particularly for a person like me. I have great desire, but I don't catch on easily. Thanks to the author.

I liked this book - especially the hints to learning the pulse diagnosis, and the "embassy" analogy. This is a great intro to Japanese acupuncture. (Not for total beginners in acupuncture)

This book is the best of all of the books written already by this great master of "Meridian Therapy", Shudo Denmei. This book is extraordinary and indispensable to all and any acupunturista, be him linked to the acupuncture Chinese, Japanese or western. This book is of great aid not just in the diagnosis, as well as in the treatment of the disturbances of the meridians. And their teachings will be of great aid, as it is it for me, in the diagnosis and treatment of at least 80% of the treatable diseases with the acupuncture. Nobody in healthy conscience can stop reading, to study, to dialogue, to discuss and to share the rich information of the same with other work friends. Certainly, well practiced these techniques of the book, his/her performance as acupunturist will be said: before and after Shudo Denmei!

I attribute much of what I do in practice to this book. The text is very readable and the information is presented clearly. If I were allowed only one book on acupuncture, this would be the one.

This is a good book to help find and relieve pain. I use it in conjunction with my THERALASER T2000 to really get rid of pain and kick start the healing process.

If you want a comprehensive guide to pain relief, buy this book. Phyllis Berger offers a interdisciplinary, non traditional approach that you won't get when you go to your primary physician. Multiple case studies make the reading easy and informative.

Anyone who has ever endured pain for a length of time will understands how important it is to find relief.All too often, stretches ,heat, icing, and medications fall short. Many have learned to search farther afield for help and relief.
This book presents case studies, explanations of the reason for the pain, and a wonderful variety of treatments. The depth of understanding by this author is incredible. She offers options for treatment of everything from skin hunger, ( a very real condition resulting from the absence of touch) to neuralgia. Treatments are suggested relevant to the conditions discussed. .
Since many of us are using alternative treatments more and more often, this book is an invaluable resource . Treatments we have heard about but may not be familiar with, such as laser treatments, acupuncture, TENS machines and more are explained in simple easy to understand. The mind body connection is addressed and the importance of emotional well being for good health is presented with suggestions on how to achieve this physical harmony. Laughter, meditation and prayer should not be discounted, as they can be very helpful in conquering pain and achieving the relief and ability to cope with pain that many of us seek.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (7/07)

"The Journey to Pain Relief," by Phyllis Berger, is broken down into 12 chapters. The Appendix at the end covers Acupuncture Techniques for Specific Conditions, Treatment with TENS and Treatment with MDC.

"The Journey to Pain Relief" begins by defining the difference between acute and chronic pain. Acute pain "serves as a warning that an injury has taken place." Chronic pain is pain that never seems to go away. "The key to preventing chronic pain is to treat acute pain immediately." Chronic pain can have serious penalties for both the body and the mind. Pain affects us emotionally as well as physically. Pain can cause us to limit our movements in a particular area and it may create emotional stress. The higher our level of pain the more fear helplessness and anxiety we may feel. These emotions lead to sleep problems and depression.

"You have the right to seek relief from pain." You should talk to your doctor about your pain and he or she should listen. A patient needs to be proactive. Try to gather as much information as possible.

Find a way to laugh. Laughter seems to lower blood pressure, reduces stress, and strengthens the immune system. "Patients with chronic pain should seek out situations and activities that bring joy, happiness, and laughter into their lives in order to strengthen their system, uplift their spirits, and reduce the depression, anxiety and fear associated with pain."

Phyllis Berger brings hope to those who suffer chronic pain. I wish I had read this book before having four back surgeries. "The Journey to Pain Relief" is written in simple terms making it easy to read and understand. Ms. Berger promotes patient education. I found "The Journey to Pain Relief" to be very informative and helpful. Ms. Berger's credentials and personal experience lends credence to the information found in this book. I highly recommend this book to all that suffer chronic pain.

Reading this book has helped me tremendously with the control of my pain. I have suffered for many years with chronic back and neck pain. This book has enabled me to administer drug free pain control without huge expenditure on mainstream treatments. I recommend this book to all who have tried in vain to find help in pain management.

No other spiritual autobiography comes close to this one. I learned more from this one than from all the others combined. Paramahansa Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi" is a compelling read, but it pales in comparison to "The Knee of Listening." Adi Da is a spiritual genius--and I will be forever grateful to him for providing me with the way of "radical understanding" and the practice of relational enquiry.

I have just started reading this newly updated book, having read an older version several years ago, and I am even more speechless reading this book - with the profundity, the sacrifice, and the recognition of the One Who speaks through The Knee of Listening. This is spiritually historical, but also very human.

I am newly impressed on each page and each chapter, with the depth of Adi Da's Realization, and with the sacrifice Adi Da has made and continues to make for the sake of returning to the "Bright" not just himself, but as his gift for all humanity, for our liberation and Happiness. The relentless willingness he has to go beyond all limits blows me away! Also, the relationship he had to his teachers is very instructive, especially talking about Nityananda and Vivekenanda. I think this book is a must read for anyone interested in God, Truth, Religion, or anyone on their own spirutual path.

The Knee of Listening by Adi Da Dawn Horse Press 621p (1995)

This is one of many editions of the spiritual autobiography of the unique American mystic
Adi Da. The first edition was 1972 and new editions with more material and much advertising about the group continue to appear. I also got the latest one(2004) which was about 3 times the size and weight but the hundreds of pages of new material was more of the opaque prose and advertising. So, I recommend one of the earlier paperpack editions like this one.

The sticker on the cover says `The most profound spiritual autobiography of all time` and this might well be true. I am in my 60's and have read thousands of books and this if one of the great ones. Certainly it is by far the fullest and clearest account of enlightenment I have ever seen. Even if you have no interest at all in the most fascinating of all human psychological processes, it is an amazing document that reveals a great deal about religion, yoga, and human psychology and probes the depths and limits of human possibilities.

As I have read and experienced alot in various religious traditions, I naturally compare his writings with those of others, particularly with the great Indian mystic Osho. Though they clearly agree on the major points of how to prodceed on the path, letting go of the attachment to the spiritual quest etc. their styles are vastly different. Both are highly intelligent and well read(Osho could speed read and read over 100,000 books) and were at home in the spiritual literature of the major religious traditions. However, most of Da's books are essentially unreadable as he struggles to express in language the ineffable realms of the enlightened mind. Even in this, by far his most readable book, he often veers off into pages of opacity as he tries to explain the unexplainable. Osho by contrast is the clearest, most jargon free expositor of the spiritual life who has ever lived. He wrote very little and nearly all of his more than 200 books are transcriptions of spontaneous talks he gave-- with no notes or preparation. They are nonetheless unexcelled masterpieces of spiritual literature. His amazing àutobiography`(actually compiled after his death) has been published by St. Martins by the full version is available online at www.oshoworld.com and other places. Unfortunately, he has very little to say about the exact details of his spiritual progress.

Most of Osho's talks were videotaped and are available on tape and DVD. As Da lives most of the time in seclusion on an island in Fiji it is not easy to get to hear him but the Dawn Horse Press sells a few videotapes on their web page. Da is not a very engaging or facile speaker, unlike Osho who is by turns amusing, shattering and hypnotic. But, as both of them understand, it's what the master is and not he says that is important.

Both of them were utterly honest and uncompromising in their life and teachings and Da omits nothing of relevance, including his youthful adventures with sex and drugs as well as his exposure to LSD, psilocybin and mescaline as a volunteer in government experiments. However, as with many or perhaps all of those destined to become enlightened, he was different from birth and experienced the Shakti energy (which he calls the Bright) from childhood. And, when he entered college, he said his primary interest was to discover what living beings are and what is living consciousness. Clearly not your typical freshman.

A major problem in describing advanced spiritual states is that no criteria or language for them exists in common discourse so mystics have to try to bend language in mostly vain attempts to capture their experiences. It is far worse than trying to describe seeing to a congenitally blind person since they at least have the cognitive structures and experience of the world. But mystics are quite rare and most of them have left little or no description of their mental states.

Unlike Osho, who rejected miracles, paranormal phenomena and all the other nonsense that commonly accompanies religion, Da seems to lack any science background at all and embraces precognition(p120), reincarnation(p555),`meditating` other persons, living on air(p287) etc., and regards the phenomena that I would say are happening in his brain as being `out there`. From comments included in newer editions it is clear that many of his disciples believe he can perform miracles like stopping a raging forest fire at their California retreat. Nevertheless, most of the time he is amazingly levelheaded, going thru over a decade of stress and psychic terrors that would drive most from the spiritual path. Millions of years of evolution have solidified the ego and it does not leave peacefully.

Interwoven with the spellbinding account of his spiritual progress are the details of the minds interaction with the body described in the East in terms of various forms of Yoga(eg., p95-9, 214-21, 249,281-3, 439-40). These few pages are worth more than a whole shelf of yoga books if you want to get to the heart of the mind/body relation in spirituality.

Unlike most who have become enlightened, he had a thorough grounding in Christian practice and made a major effort to become a protestant and then Greek Orthodox minister. Even years later, after he was far along the path with Muktananda, he had an amazing and totally unexpected series of visitations from Mary and Jesus that went on for weeks(p 301-3 et seq.).

Regarding drugs, as is nearly universal among spiritual teachers, he notes that although they may remove certain barriers at times, they do not provide a shortcut to understanding. However, nearly everyone is now aware that they put many on the path to higher consciousness.

He describes in detail the many stages in his ego death or self realization(eg, p72-4, 198-200, 219,20, 238-9, 245, 249, 258-9, 281, 355-65, 368-72, 406). Along the way, he realized the ultimate disutility of all practices and all traditions(337-9) including yoga(281-3) which are all attached to seeking and goals, ultimately winding up in the present. He discovered, as have many others, that seeking and meditation became obstacles and gave them up for devotion to his guru Muktananda(p420-22). His detailed accounts of his interactions with the famous Swami Muktananda and his ultimate realization of his limitations are of rare insight and honesty.

He constantly encounters his attachment to his ego(Narcissus-- eg, p108-110) and asks himself--`Avoiding Relationship?` by which he seems to mean avoiding the divine or ego death with spiritual seeking.

After enlightenment he teaches the 'only by me revealed and given Way of the heart`, finding all other paths to be `remedial` and 'egoic' and merely pursuing God or reality(p359 +) but after a careful reading of this and several other books I never got any idea what that way consists in. Undoubtedly being in his presence helps alot but in other places he has complained about the fact that his disciples just won't let it happen and one wonders if even one has been able to follow him. Of course the same considerations apply to all traditions and teachers and though some of Osho's friends(he disavowed the master/disciple relationship) have claimed enlightenment, nobody of his status has emerged. It looks like you have to have the right genes and the right environment and a very advanced and preferably enlightened guru to stimulate you. The world desperately needs higher consciousness and I hope that someone comes up with an easier way very soon.

Adi Da Samraj reveals his life and work in the pages of this autobiography, and as that revelation unfolds, a simple fact emerges: he has gone through an extraordinary ordeal to give us all a way to be happy, even right now. It is a fascinating and moving account of how that way came to be, full of both the ordinary trappings of human existence and incredible spiritual awakenings. This book opened my eyes and heart to a rare being. Definitely worth the read.

This is the most illuminating autobiography you will ever read! It will change your whole idea of life. When I read Adi Da's words, I can feel amazing clarity and bliss pervading my mind and heart. Troubles, seeking, and problems seem to instantly disappear.

I have always loved the prologue to the Knee of Listening, which speaks about the real possibility of freedom from fear of death:

"Death is utterly acceptable to consciousness and life. There has been endless time of numberless deaths, but neither consciousness nor life has ceased to arise. The felt quality and cycle to death has not modified the fragility of flowers, even the flowers within the human body. Therefore, one's understanding of consciousness and life must be turned to That Utter, Inclusive Truth, That Clarity and Wisdom, That Power and Untouchable Gracefulness, That One and only Reality, this evidence suggests. One must cease to live in a superficial and divided way, seeking and demanding consciousness and life in the present apparent form, avoiding and resisting what appears to be the end of consciousness and life in death.

The Heart Is Real understanding. The Heart Is Real Consciousness and Real Life. The Heart Is What Merely and Only Is, but Which Is also Appearing In and Behind the conditions of mortal life and its death. Therefore, it is said of old, the One That Is Is neither born nor come to death, not Alive merely as the limitation of form (itself), not Itself (or Entirely) Rendered in what appears, and, yet, It Is the Living One, than Which there Is no lesser other (and no Great or Greater Other), Appearing As all of this Play of changes, but Eternally One, Unchanging, and Free.

There is Only the Constant Knowledge and Enjoyment of the Heart, moment to moment, through the instant of all conditions of appearance and disappearance. Of This I Am Perfectly Certain. I Am That."

I really liked this book. I'm a bit stingy about my 5 stars but this one came close.

This book has many elements that make it an excellent read. There's the mystery of why Abby was expelled from public school, the on-going struggle with her self-involved parents, Abby's discovery of a hidden talent and the satisfaction of watching her develop it. And, of course, watching her develop her approach to religion. It is an honest book, not preachy at all. I liked it a lot.

I'm so, so glad I read this book. Leap of Faith stands out for a few reasons. It deals with religion, which isn't often tackled in MG literature without being overly preachy, or on the other side of the coin, overly cynical. Leap of Faith strikes a perfect balance with a story that it funny, real, hopeful, and uplifting without ever feeling contrived. It's fun to read and kid-friendly, too -- a great, great book.

After what her parents call "the accident," sixth-grader and previously good student Abby was expelled from her previous school. Left with three choices (the county alternative school, private school, or being homeschooled), she ends up at St. Catherine's, a private Catholic school. Her family isn't very religious, but beggars can't be choosers. She has to go somewhere, so there she goes.

Abby refuses to talk to anyone about the incident. This is partially because she's a private person, and partially because she thinks she doesn't have anyone to talk to about it. She likes being angry, claiming that the emotion gives her energy and power. Meanwhile, her parents would rather not discuss anything upsetting, so whenever Abby's expulsion comes up in what little conversation they have, they dance around the subject.

Like the incidents in Just Listen by Sarah Dessen or Sweethearts by Sara Zarr, "the accident" (and the truth behind it) is revealed in bits and pieces throughout the book. Similar to the revelation in Laurie Halse Anderson's novel Speak, this isn't just about what happened to Abby or how she reacted, but when she choses to talk about it and the person she chooses to be her confidant. (Note that this book is for a younger audience than the aforementioned titles, but can still be enjoyed by teens and adults.)

Leap of Faith by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is about acceptance, survival, and forgiveness. It is also about trust and about belief - in yourself, in the truth, in other people. It is possible to have a strong sense of faith without necessarily being religious. Thanks to her new friend Chris, his mother, and newfound faith in herself, Abby finds her way and proves that she is a survivor.

This book was chosen as a finalist in the Middle Grade category of the 2007 Cybils Awards. I also placed it on my Best Books of 2007 list. I encourage kids and adults alike to read this book, then talk about what caused Abby's expulsion and what to do if something similar happens to them.

Even though the book is considered realistic fiction, the mystery of the incident between Brett and Abby remains untold until the end of the story which helps build suspense. The reader also becomes emotionally involved, feeling Abby's frustration with her "absent" parents. Humor is interspersed throughout the book along with interesting observations of the Catholic faith. Overall, an uplifting story of self-discovery, forgiveness, and faith. Great for a reader of any or no religion!

As a non-professional bodyworker, I found this book very useful for understanding healing touch. The real experience, however, was to actually have a professional Rubenfeld Synergist work on me. It is amazing energy work: so subtle and so effective! Words do not really describe this work, but I think Ilana wrote this book very well.

This pioneer method is a gentle and easy technique that incorporates well in a wellness lifestyle. Photographs and case examples allow the reader to be their own healer. Since the 1960's, Ilana Rubenfeld has been refining and polishing her techniques that allows people to heal their emotional bodies as well as their souls. Very innovative and forward thinking from the onset. Rubenfeld is also a psychologist whose been one of the leaders in the mind-body movement.

Other books in this light are from Dr. Joan Boryshenko and Tim Laurence of The Hoffman Process.

Ilana Rubenfeld combines Gestalt Therapy and bodywork in this excellent book. For anyone who has read Perls, Hefferline and Goodman's "Gestalt Therapy", Ilana's book provides real life practical applications of the theory.

Most psychotherapy techniques overlook the importance of touch in human interaction and health. Ilana recognises that touch can be a fundamental part of the healing process and her methods will appeal to anyone who has found traditional psychotherapy lacking in this respect.



The Listening Hand touched me in more ways then one. Ilana Rubenfeld, the creator and "mother-master" of the Rubenfeld Synergy Method, is a clear stand that traditional talk therapies, while effective, are incomplete without the power of touch. Not just any touch, but the Rubenfeld Synergy Method, which she developed over many years, working with an impressive list of mainstream therapists. The book uses many illustrations from her professional practice, but is not so filled with second hand accounts that they become tedious. It is written in such a manner that it is easily understood by lay persons and those not in the field, yet in no way does it feel condescending in tone nor over simplified in its explanation of the nature of the method nor its efficacy. Rubenfeld's writing tone, her clearly constructed sentences, even her picture on the jacket cover, all led me to a space where I could identify with her unique combination of touch and talk. I could imagine her touch, and realize her personal warmth in this book. This was particularly helpful, as you are transported to a safe space while you are reading. Many of the examples from her patients are followed by exercises which can be done either solo or with a partner. Not normally an interactive reader, I found that I was "feeling" through the exercises as I read them.. Even if you are not plagued by physical ailments, nor emotional upsets, there appears to be extreme value in reading The Listening Hand, solo or with a partner with whom you would like to reach a new and highly sensitized level of communication.



The Listening Hand touched me in more ways then one. Ilana Rubenfeld, the creator and "mother-master" of the Rubenfeld Synergy Method, is a clear stand that traditional talk therapies, while effective, are incomplete without the power of touch. Not just any touch, but the Rubenfeld Synergy Method, which she developed over many years, working with an impressive list of mainstream therapists. The book uses many illustrations from her professional practice, but is not so filled with second hand accounts that they become tedious. It is written in such a manner that it is easily understood by lay persons and those not in the field, yet in no way does it feel condescending in tone nor over simplified in its explanation of the nature of the method nor its efficacy. Rubenfeld's writing tone, her clearly constructed sentences, even her picture on the jacket cover, all led me to a space where I could identify with her unique combination of touch and talk. I could imagine her touch, and realize her personal warmth in this book. This was particularly helpful, as you are transported to a safe space while you are reading. Many of the examples from her patients are followed by exercises which can be done either solo or with a partner. Not normally an interactive reader, I found that I was "feeling" through the exercises as I read them.. Even if you are not plagued by physical ailments, nor emotional upsets, there appears to be extreme value in reading The Listening Hand, solo or with a partner with whom you would like to reach a new and highly sensitized level of communication.