Meditation Books

This is a great little meditation book. It contains everything you need to know to begin a meditation practice. As a meditation teacher, I have often recommended How to Meditate to those first taking it up. Another benefit is its small size. You can slip it into your back pocket, go for a hike in nature, find a quiet spot and pull it out. Meditation can seem mysterious to those who have never done it before, and it helps to have it clearly and simply explained, for the Western mind, as Mr. Novak does in this book. I highly recommend it.

Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

This is one of several "How to Meditate" books I have purchased and read. Frankly, I wish this had been the first one I read. It is very brief, to the point, and well written. It does not scare the reader away with a lot of discussion of the paranormal as do some other meditation books. This sticks to the simple introduction into meditation and what the author feels that it can do for you. It also provides essentially one simple method that you can use to "get your feet wet."

If you are just beginning to research meditation and just want to decide if it is worth your time to investigate further, THIS IS THE BOOK TO BUY. Should you decide it interests you (as I did), you may find yourself investing in quite a few more books to learn more about this fascinating subject. As you probably already know, meditation is a life-long journey of learning.

RHB

I want to review this book because it kind of had a rather big impact on my life, now that I look back on it. I figured I ought to do something and perhaps the author will at some point know that I appreciated his work. I picked up this book on how to meditate sort of randomly one day because I was trying to find items to take home for some item I was exchanging at a bookstore. I didn't expect it to be much but it was. It was a simple step by step guide to help beginners focus and learn to concentrate, learn to control our bodies and minds, and to be aware of and to control the energy that exists in the universe. Now it's more than a decade later and I still remember this book because without it I wouldn't have had the first clue about how to raise energy in my current magickal studies, unless I'd somehow stumbled across it some other way. The book shows how natural and easy and wonderful meditation and its related arts can be, and I'm eternally grateful.

How to Meditate by John Novak was the one of the first meditation books that I ever bought. Nearly 10 years later, thanks to this great introductory volume, I am still meditating and feeling the lasting benefits! Although the title is somewhat basic sounding (there are lots of books called "How to Meditate" out there) this is THE ONE that is the most focused, practical and profound and one of the few of its kind that I could really recomend. I've also bought a couple of the other "How to Meditate" books and was disappointed that they were really just surveys or smorgasbords of a bunch of different techniques. In this one, Novak is careful to present one coherent, well-thought out system that you can really feel his enthusiasm for. I really couldn't recomend a better introductory guide to meditation (and its even one of the least expensive!).

This series provides both the giver and the receiver a message that is so uplifting and too the point. Amongst the chaos and clutters of life's events a treasure such as this can be given and received in Love. Love of God, family and friends!!!

This books is the perfect gift for the friends who need encouragement and inspiration.

I loved reading this book. It is a great book to give your friend. My best friend gave me this for Christmas. I can not stop[ reading it. It is an encouraging book to show you all about friends. I would truly reccomend it. I am so glad my friend gave this book to me.

This book makes a great gift for all of your friends. I found myself looking at friendship in a whole new way. This book was refreshing and can bring ease into the gift of giving. Friends who recieve this book will treasure it.

We all understand life by looking "through a glass, darkly." Buechner, poetically as usual, tackles some of the why, for why it's so hard and scary for us to really see the truths about God. Buechner divides the book into "The Search," our responsibility to seek God to fill our hungering dark, and "The Sought," God's ever-present desire to bring us to him.

Buechner is poignant and insightful. Each chapter is complete and yet leaves the reader hanging on for more. It's like the reading equivalent of savoring a piece of cheesecake.

Within all of us there is a longing, a hungering that we cannot fill on our own. Nevertheless, we all try to fill it: whether it is through people, money, things, work, education, fame. We end up living in a world of shadows and if we realize this, we wake up and find ourselves in the dark. What causes this hunger that leads us into the dark? The answer is simple enough: God. Yet, simplicity is complex. In this book full full of joy and hope, Beuchner examines this issue helping to enlighten the struggle we all face with the hungering dark.

Like all of Buechner's books, I can't tell you what they are about. They are about life. Its ups and downs and sorrows and joys. Buechner writes prose like he is a poet. Sure, he's a Calvinist preacher, but he isn't as curt as C.S. Lewis can be, and he is certainly not going to cram Christianity down your throat. I bawled through Chapters 7 & 8, and read the whole book in one afternoon. I will be reading it again, for sure.

This is a wonderful collection of sermons that both brightens and enlightens. Mr. Buechner has a manner of writing that brings joy and strengthens faith. In the still quiet of a room, read this book. It helps.

I picked up this book to take on a trip. The stories are great and perfect to read when your attention span for reading is very short. It's a fun read but really makes you think too. It is spiritually insightful, not fluff. I am currently attending a church where Dr. O'Brien is Interim Pastor and these stories often make it into his sermons. They are great.

I had the pleasure to be a student in one of Dr. O'Brien's classes. This book is testimony to his amazing lectures and wonderful character. What a fantastic and funny read; if you like this one, I recommend his other titles.

To change someone's mind or life, there is the head-butting way and the "walk with me" way, and Dr. O'Brien takes the latter. His stories all contain something we are familiar with, jog a memory we had lost-- and then take us someplace maybe we didn't expect to go today. Take them as funny stories or parables, but either way you will find yourself retelling them. The best use for this book: Read it on a porch on a warm evening, a fan slowly rotating overhead, then leave it gently on the bedstand of someone you love.

Randall O'Brien is a pastor, a college professor, and an exceptionally gifted communicator. In this book he displays a remarkable ability to find the teaching moment in the events of everyday life. The book is collection of stories in which O'Brien calls upon events in his own pilgrimage to become storytellers for the Gospel. The book is full of richness and warmth, southern grace and uncommon insight. The short story nature of the book makes it ideal for occasional reading (i.e. a chapter before bedtime), since there are no plot elements which must be maintained from chapter to chapter. It is a fun book, and I'll bet you won't be able to read it without at least one giggle, one tear, and one moment of, "I have to tell so-and-so about this."

this book made me cry. because the stories were so real and precious. and because i fall so short sometimes. it helped me see what really matters in life...and helped me overcome fears i had denied for years. Jesus used this book tremendously in my life and he can use it in yours.

This book is a real testimony of how one woman makes her world a better place by telling others about Jesus. You walk through the book as if you were actually with her as she tells others. It is simple to read and is not very long, yet I give it 5 stars. It is a book that every Christian should read. The simple form it is written in represents this simple woman who has a big God inside of her. A God bog enough to change the world through any ordinary person. Even you. Read this and be inspired... be changed.

I am a high-schooler... I read this little book, and it changed my world!! It little message is that God is not some way-out-there person that is not personal... this book shows how He is apart, and wants to be more apart of our lives! and how if we let Him work in us, the world around us will change!...How He makes a beautiful thing out of our lives if we let Him!WOW! Ann has such a wonderful personality... she admits her mistakes and trusts God to do an awesome work in her- and through her. This book helped me see how God works and wants to work in our lives- and we so often want to push Him off till later...we miss so many blessing by doing that! This book is SOO easy to read... so simple and fun!... you'll laugh and cry!
If you're a Christian, or not, I HIGHLY recommed this book for ANYONE and EVERYONE to get a TRUE taste of what God is REALLY all about!

I have read and reread this book numerous times. I've used it several times, reading out loud to my youth groups and I've always gotten a great response from it. The content is so simply and beautifully stated that anyone reading or hearing it is encourage to think "I can make a difference in my world! I can share Jesus." It's one of my favorite books. (And to think that after my cousin gave me a copy it sat on the self for a year!)

This book should be a must read for parents, especially new parents. It helps one get through some difficult times.
I am not a parent but I am finding a lot of useful infomation.
Who better to talk to than "GOD"

I lost my dearest friend, my mother, in 1966. She died suddenly and I was totally grief-stricken. I found I was unable to grieve in the proper way.
At the time of the funeral, my Pastor's wife gave me this book for comfort. Little did she know how she helped me.

The section entitled, "The New Dimension" became the prayers I prayed both for me and my mother.
When I read "The Message", I smiled through my tears, It was as if she knew my mother and had been in her house! She wrote such wonderful memories.
The second paragraph reminded me that my mother too, was ready to go Home, just as if she was ready to go to church on Sunday.
"The Lesson of Loss" reminded me that there were those who were ready to comfort me if I would let them. My grief became easier
to bear and my tears started me on the healing process.
"Be Still and Know" helped me realize that my mother was healed now and no longer suffering.
And "The New Dimension of Love" thrilled me in knowing that I would see mother again in heaven.

I am now a Pastor's wife and I have tried to find this book to give to several of our congregation who have suffered loss.
I triumphed over my grief with the simple prayers and passages in this book. I want to share it with anyone who has suffered a loss, especially of a mother.
Thank you, Marjorie Holmes, for giving me strength.

I first found this book (an earlier edition)on my mother-in-law's nightstand after she died, and loved reading it. I have since rediscovered it and have already ordered 11 copies to read and give to my friends. I'm ordering another 5 to give to more friends.

The book has a wonderful way of helping you look at everyday events, and see the blessings in everything. It reminds us that we can always go to God - whether the need is great or small, or just to praise him for our blessings.

I first found this book (an earlier edition)on my mother-in-law's nightstand after she died, and loved reading it. I have since rediscovered it and have already ordered 11 copies to read and give to my friends. I'm ordering another 5 to give to more friends.

The book has a wonderful way of helping you look at everyday events, and see the blessings in everything. It reminds us that we can always go to God - whether the need is great or small, or just to praise him for our blessings.

...a gateway to an unfolding and ballistic morph of mind. June creates a space where magic happens. Where dominion of consciousness takes hold and grows without effort. The 'Illuminated Mind' marks a monumental and defining shift in my consciousness journey.
...a gateway to an ongoing magnificent life journey fuelled by June's presence and her seminars that continue to take you beyond your frontier.
New Energy Developer - Barry Whitfield

The illuminated mind is a fantastic book for anyone who wants to further develop their intuitive abilities. I am an intuition develop trainer and June is one of my teachers. She has a heart of gold and is a genuine person who has spent her entire life devoted to the study of self development. She is a treasure to all who know her and her book could easily become a classic in this field.

June's Book condenses information and techniques that allow a person to easily and comprehensibly guide, govern and control the events in their life. It contains a wealth of new perspectives.

Dr. June d'Estelle is a seasoned travelor in the mystical realm of human potential. She is also a skilled guide and refined teacher with a heart of pure gold. The Illuminated Mind offers practical, hands-on, easy to digest practices that will enable you to develop your intuitive powers and discover the blazing light of creativity residing within you.
Kira Rosner, author of the Power of Being Human

Well written, full of revelant historical information that allows the reader to grasp the foundation of the fall and decline of tribal Christianity; or my love of Jesus is better than your love of Jesus. The final chapters highlight the need to overcome this Christian demonimalization, or eventually, all Christians will witness the erroding of the sacred message enunciated by Jesus the Christ.

Examining this book was enjoyable, educational and insightful. Mark Mason challenges the reader to go deeper into church history and examine the motives behind the actions then that influence us even now. It is the subtle quality of this book that makes it so powerful. And tying the past to the present is no small task, but Mr. Mason does a thorough job of doing just that. A must read for the serious student of history.

Well written, full of revelant historical information that allows the reader to grasp the foundation of the fall and decline of tribal Christianity; or my love of Jesus is better than your love of Jesus. The final chapters highlight the need to overcome this Christian demonimalization, or eventually, all Christians will witness the erroding of the sacred message enunciated by Jesus the Christ.

Mark Mason's In Search of the Loving God can be very helpful for former "Born Agains" (such as myself) whose intuition has always told them that there must be more to God than the punishing father or unreachable "bearded guy in the sky".

The author skillfully gives cultural and historical insights into the life of Christ and the Christian church of past and present. He offers reassurance based on etymological and cross-religious evidence that indeed, God is most definitely knowable and loving.

Far from being a dry document, the book is written in a personable, self-disclosing style which I found engaging to read. The extensive references and bibliography are also quite impressive and helpful.

When your world has been torn apart and your foundation rocked to the very core, these excerpts and passages remind you that you have rest and peace in the arms of God. Trust in His word and faith in the scriptures noted are a powerful lift on the road to recovery from loss or hurt. Compact size allows you to carry it whereever you go for on-the-spot ministering.

We recently lost our 11 year old son and this book is never far from me. It has provided me with such comfort, especially when I only have a few minutes to read something. The pictures inside are just beautiful, those alone can bring enomorous comfort and a peaceful feeling. I have given it as a gift many times.

The texts are deep and comforting, the photographs are of striking beauty, and the layout and graphics blend everything nicely: Every page of this book is a work of art! It helps us not to forget there is a loving God.

This is such a comforitng book, I am only 14, but I think this is the coolest book ever. The "devotions" are short and to the point, but sometimes it seems that there was one written especially for you in your time of need. The pictures are very beautifuladn vivid, they remind me of all the care and detail God put into making this earth. I just love knowing that knowing that God loves me, knows all my pain, and is ready to comfort me. I would recomend this to any one who is in pain.

This slim yet profound little book is a joy to read. It distills all the hype down to a pure and simple message of love.

The three sections of this slender volume, "Thoughts", "Stories", and "Prayers", are exquisitely written, and describe the life of the sisters who live in India and many other parts of the world, in austere simplicity, helping those in need.
Though there is the occasional flavor that the words are coming from someone whose mother tongue was not English, it does not detract from the beauty of the language, or its intent, which is to inspire us to serve, on any level that we are able to: "And be faithful is small things because it is in them that your strength lies" (pg. 15). This thought is paraphrased again on page 98.

The subject of loneliness runs through the entire book, emphasizing the compassion needed towards those who have been cast aside from society; Mother Teresa speaks of loneliness being the most painful suffering: "...the deepest poverty is not being loved" (pg. 66).
Originally published as The Mother Teresa Reader, it has a lovely layout, with a lot of space to frame the thoughts, and has chapter opening quotes by Michael Collopy.
Though it is a book that could be read in an evening, perhaps it is better taken in small portions and given time and consideration. The level of humility and faith is deep, and deserves our attention.

This little book comprising of Mother Teresa's thoughts, stories and prayers is a good spiritual guide for inspirational reading and reflection. It is particularly helpful to those who have not been exposed to her work or ideas. According to the content, the book is divided into three parts: Thoughts, Stories and Prayers. The book provides the reader with a good taste of the spiritual legacy of this modern saint. If you are looking for a comprehensive volume of Mother Teresa's spiritual insights and messages for the world, your search will have to continue.

In this wonderful book, Mother Teresa shares her thoughts on a variety of virtues, shares some wonderful stories which give the reader a true sense of her works, and offers a collection of prayers and reflections. An inspiring collection!