Self-Help Books

I found all sorts of "flashes" in this book. One of the best parts was how men and women look at work differently. I wish I had known this before! It would have made my life easier.

A great book for any woman of any age, but particularly for younger women who want to have it all. I love the quote that you can have it all, but not at the same time!

"Forget Perfect" is witty and charming. I feel like I personally know McLeod and her friends and love them for the stories she shares . Her honesty is endearing and I found myself laughing out loud at her refreshing take on being a wife and mom.
I never realized how much I resented my "prefect" friends until I read this book ! Prompted me to be myself and stop pretending to be something I'm not. Thanks, McLeod, for reminding me that life is not, and will not be, perfect.

I'm giving this book to all my friends - it's fantastic! Lisa McLeod is the voice of her generation -- a voice that says, "For God's Sake, I'm Exhausted, The Laundry Can Wait!" Forget Perfect is a wonderful, laugh-out-loud mirror for women - wives, mothers, daughters and friends everywhere who have put themselves last on their own to-do list. It's one of those rare books that makes you reevaluate what's really important, and helps you to realize that being perfect doesn't make people like you more, it makes them like you less. A wonderful book!

In today's society many of us are more worried of being perfect than being ourselves. Lisa did a great job showing us how to wake up and start living life on our terms. She teaches us to enjoy our stay on the this world and not letting everything bother us till we get it right.

Although this book was written by an woman and is more geared to women...I found the empowering message contained within this book to be very apropos for men as well.

To give you an idea what this book is all about here is the table of contents:

Prologue
Oh, what a difference she made

Is This It?
Picture Perfect
It's probably just me

The Perfect Thing
The Queen of Perfect
Who turned that thing on anyway?
"You really should . . ."
The case against housework, dieting, and other shoulds
"Just fine" isn't exactly what I was going for here

Mother Nature had Something in Mind
The truth about dogs and cats
Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers
Calling All Camp Counselors
264 Extra thoughts
Life of the party
The Best Laid Plans

Is Anybody Out There?
What was your name again?
Westward Ho
Home on the range
Hello my name is
Rebel with a Cause
Nobody.com
Just the facts mam

Last on the List
You're gonna need `em, you just don't know when
All your eggs in one basket
Madame chairperson
I heard it through the grapevine. . .
Who's Zoomin' Who?
Proud Mary

What did you expect?
Which end is up?
Cry me a River
The Trouble with Work
And they all lived happily ever after
Why didn't you say so
That girl

What time Is it?
It worked for Scarlet
I've got a feeling about this
This one's a keeper

Epilogue
The end
Bibliography
Author Bio's

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is waiting to do things until it's just right. This book makes a great gift as well. I gave one to my wife!

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works and founder of EmpoweringMessages.com

...truly! We spend all of our lives WANTING - thinking something out there will make us happy. If we have the perfect body, skin, man, career, kids, whatever...THEN we will be happy. I have truly spent my whole life believing this, that if I could somehow make myself BETTER, I'd be happy. This book is like a thump on the head. Hell-oooo??? No one is perfect, and the people who appear perfect, well, no one wants to be around them anyway! This book makes you realize that the GOOD stuff is already here. Cherish your friends and family. Be a real person. Be yourself!

The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die (BK Life (Paperback))

This is a beautiful book that quietly dances around your soul causing you to reflect on your own life. Using the metaphor of her own lifelong journey hiking in the mountains, the author takes the experiences of those hikes and connects them to the choices which fill life with joy and wonder. The book is illustrated with wonderful art that is worth the price of the book on its own. Eileen is a great communicator in person and on paper through the written word. This book is a gift from the mountain to your soul. You will want to keep it my your bedside and read more than once.

John Izzo, Author of The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die

The natural world has a knack for being able to cut all our complications and confusions down to size. And that's exactly what Eileen McDargh does with this lyrical book, showing us through observations on the backpacking trail that the path ahead is right in front of us--if we're really looking. She certainly is, finding lessons for use at home and work in the tenaciousness of a high-altitude flower, the unexpected whims of the elements, and the danger of false confidence on the downhill track. Books that shine the mirror of nature back on us often wind up stuck in the gates from triteness. Not this one. The writing is superb. I kept thinking, I wish I'd seen that on the trail. I wish I'd written that. If you love the outdoors, are a hiking fan, or just want to get some wise words from a pathfinder who can clarify decisions in work or life, check this little book out. It gets you off the bullet train and lets you see the forest AND the trees.

I stumbled across this book through a newspaper article that was forwarded to me by a dear friend. (Kathy M. Kristof, "Spend your cash on things that are truly valuable") I was inspired by the article so I ordered the book that the article mentioned: "Gifts From the Mountain: Simple Truths for Life's Complexities"

I can say that the book was not at all what I thought it was going to be. BUT...I am very, very happy with my purchase. I call my experience with this book my happy, little accident. It came to me at a time where I really needed to have simple and clear messages to help me interpret some situations in my life. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for some insight into themselves and the world around them.

Enhanced with full color illustrations by Roderick MacIver, "Gifts From The Mountain: Simple Truths For Life's Complexities" by Eileen McDargh is a remarkable 114-page compendium of advisory truths for daily living that would be applicable to every man and woman regardless of their situation or circumstance in life. MacIver writes with a kind of lyrical metaphor when dealing with life's demands. The result is a collection of individual wisdoms that are universally applicable and enthusiastically recommended. 'Every Ounce Counts': Hike enough and you trim the weight/of what you carry. You learn that pita bread/weighs less than squaw bread; dried apples weight less than/trail mix; ramen and dried vegetables weigh even less/than some freeze-dried entrees. you discover/you can share a tube of toothpaste. Ditto deodorant,/sunscreen, and bug repellent.//How often do we encumber our civilized life with things/we WANT instead of things we truly need?//Choose what you carry carefully./I never saw a hearse with a U-haul behind.

When your workaholic colleagues and friends do not let up on their all-enveloping "goal", give them a respite they may pick up and read one day - and feel different when done. Thank you Eileen for this sensory, elegantly-simple gift book of reminders for why we are helped by taking that pause and looking around. Sculling out on Richardson Bay here in Sausalito this morning, I reflected back on her wise insights.
- Kare, movingfrommetowe.com

I am on my second reading of this book. I have recommended this book to all my Electrical Flat Rate Service Contractors that I consult for. Regardless if you are in business or not, you must read this book. You too will pass it on, to all those that you care about!

Jim Kavallines
The Absolute Best Marketing Company LLC
jim@abscousa.com

Please make sure to have read Part I before or it would be like watching the Godfather part II before the Godfather.

Mr. Mandino is a very easy read, and the story is simple so you breeze through it in no time. Then the hard part now begins, because your mind can't ignore the priceless lessons shared by the author. You know he has been through the road before and you will find many of the examples apply to you in the now or in the past; the question is what you will do for your future. I like to read his books two or three times and then give it to a person who has not had a chance to read any of Mandino's books. In time, I will buy another copy and do the process again, we all get different messages but so far they have all been positive and enjoyable which is why I highly recommend not just this book but all of Og Mandino's marvelous novels.

I didn't think it was possible to outdo Part I... but it did... Parts I & II together is probably the greatest story ever told!!!

I never cease to be amazed at how simple this author makes it easy to improve a persons life.

Pray it Forward: Daily Meditations

What a special person! This is someone who changed peoples lives by what he wrote! He was a brilliant author and person. I believe Og Mandino will live forever in our hearts, minds and spirits! This book as well as anything he wrote would be very much worth your time to own in your library.

I recently re-read The Greatest Secret in the World, and remember what a terrific book it was for me, in the process of learning to turn thoughts to actions, to realize goals. Most sales books come and go for me, this one stays.

With out doubt one of the really inspired writings ever penned!
Og Mandino led a remarkable career after a rocky start, he writes
in a way that every generation and every level of reader can gain something from.It gives the reader a clearly defined set of principles to live by, the scrolls help to establish new habits and can forever be there for a guiding set of reference points throughout your life.I have studied many of his books and read from this for over 25 years.Thanks to my friend Dave Blanchard, President of the OG Group
I continue to learn from the scrolls that Og so beautifully provides.This book was a tremendous motivation for me to re-write my 1st book that spurred my career immensely, Lessons From Great Lives, learn to be rich in all areas of your life. I love the study of great lives and Og would be one of those indeed to learn from.It has served as a treasure for millions for more than 30 years.I couldn't recommend a book with any more passion.
Dan McCormick Author of LESSONS FROM GREAT LIVES,LEARN TO BE RICH IN ALL AREAS OF YOUR LIFE!

I'm starting the program on Monday as advised in the book, it's exciting.

This is an intense Og Mandino book as someone said, "no punches pulled"

His other books like the greatest miracle, the gift, the 12th angel, mission:success, are all much more light hearted.

I think it may be beneficial for new Og readers to read those first to truly understand what a sweet, special man Og Mandino is. The intensity of this book is absolutley awesome for success seekers, but I would not want to turn anyone off the other heart touching stories Og has written.

He was an amazing writer and a super sweet man...and I have a plan one day to distribute "The Greatest Miracle in the World Books" to everyone I meet who is in any form of despair or encountering any challenge. It was an answer to my prayers when I read it.

So I would recommend this book to serious success seekers, just for the list at the end of his favorite off the wall success books if nothing else. And I would definatley recommend any other Og book to anybody at all, their beautiful writing.

I read this book everyday and have probably read the entire thing about 20 plus times.

Not only has it transformed the way I look at the world and myself, but it has given me a new appreciation for how amazing life can be if you are courageous enough to work on your bad habits (the main tenant of the book) and to improve your good habits.

This should not be quickly glimpsed at and tossed aside as something rudimentary and simple, but it should be taken very seriously because it can teach you lifelong lessons about values and visions that will make you a person who everyone will want to be around.

Simple...yes, profound and life-alterning...a definite yes.

I have read everyone of Og Mandinos Books and all I can say is that he writes with brilliance, clarity, enthusiasm, and spirit. You can never go wrong with any of his books. He points out the path to success and motivates the spirit within to achieve all that we as human beings are capable. He helped me to tap into my innate genuis and create a life of prosperity and creativity. If you havent raed his books, start now and your journey of the spirit will begin. He was a born writer and even after his passing continues to have a great influence on many people old and young. He truly lived a purposeful and divine life. Go buy all his books and enjoy the growth and enlightenment. After that Buy my Book " Your daily Walk with the Great Minds of the Past and Present". Enjoy and rememeber you are capable of great things in your life.

You may not necessarily appreciate Mr. Arterburn's advice unless you are broken and humbled. Some reviewers take offense at the advice offered by one whose own marriage failed. However, my point of view is, "Who better to listen to than someone who has walked in my shoes?". I've spent the last year of my life trying to survive. I'm ready to heal and start living again. Seems to me that the author has "been there, done that" and he speaks the truth. If you aren't ready to hear that truth, perhaps you should set it aside until you are ready.

Very well written materials to facilitate personal thought processes toward healing. I found the biblical basis and references to be very helpful. Definately geard for those searching for solid suggestions for emotional and spritual healing. POWERFUL!

I have read several self-help books and "Healing is a Choice" is the best. This book has given me a fresh perspective on old issues. Steve Arterburn is a great author. Go for it...you won't be sorry.

If we want to be real we need to be healed from the inside out. Being born into this world means we are born into dysfunctional familes. It is up to make the decision to get real and stop the pattern from being repeated. This book will help get you on the road to recovery.

Healing is a Choice is the book and workbook my Bible Study Small Group chose this fall. It is a great study for everyone.... A real work on myself what a diffence my outlook on life is now.

I have lived, my entire life, with Gender Dysphoria. From age six, I was certain that "god" messed up. More info, in my guides and lists, on personal experiences. However I have always studied Psychology, medical texts, and such, to get a grasp of the situation. Luckily, women in my life were understanding. I was able to experiment. Yet, over the last several years, I've had no outlet. Therefore this book has been important, to me. Technically, Gender Dysphoria is a medical condition, not a Psychological condition, but the way society treats "Freaks" definitely leads to Psych struggles.

To understand *why* I so highly recommend True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism--For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals, read....

Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us, by the author of My Gender Workbook: How to Become a Real Man, a Real Woman, the Real You, or Something Else Entirely and Hello Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks and Other Outlaws.

See my friends list, or click the links. I reviewed Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us a while back. The Workbook is on my wish list.

"Hello, Cruel World" has been a tremendous help! I study Psychology, as a Minor, and I would recommend this to many people (teens and Adults), of all walks of life and Persuasions!

If you know *anyone* suffering from Depression, or simply bummed out, about living in Redneck "America" (or other backward places)...whatever their issues are, please get Hello Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks and Other Outlaws to them!

I have spent most of my adult life, being capable of diagnosing issues, helping other people with their issues, etc. However, after repressing my own issues, for several years.... I can verify that this book is well worth owning, and purchasing as a gift. Normally, I rarely give up a book, but I would give this to anyone who needs it. I am sure that Kate would not mind, if I buy another one, later. :-)

First, however, I am making notes of the resources, book and movie titles, and websites that Kate Bornstein provides in "Hello, Cruel World."

I haven't felt suicidal for a long time, but this book is also effective to combat a general malaise, irritability, anger or pessimisim.

The 101 alternatives are only the second half of the book. The first half is Kate's personal history, advice and observations. Some more traditional alternatives are also discussed in this first part ("Call a Suicide Hotline").

I believe that one of the most helpful parts of the book is its humor, woven affectionately into the advice, observations and personal experiences. This light-heartedness, never too much to seem disrespectful, helps to give perspective to life's problems.

I think there are better ways to help kids than to say that anything they do is okay. I was alarmed by the advice in this book.

All high school libraries should have this book, which could save a life. Troubled teens will understand where the root of their problems lies.

This book could save your life. I wish it had been around when I was a suicidal seventh-grader. One of the readers at Amazon.com says, "Every high school library should carry this book!" and that's probably the best possible endorsement. This is a wonderful book.

Hello, Cruel World is the best depiction I have seen of the real world of troubled teens. It accurately locates the bully as the most common cause of self-esteem issues that can take years, even decades, to resolve. Kate's only rule for readers is "don't be mean," and that is certainly the most obvious characteristic of every bully I've ever faced. Kate's winning personality and irresistible sense of humor prevail over the heavy topic matter. Her writing is inspired, passionate, and empathic. There is little if anything that goes uncovered here. (Well, okay, she includes "sex worker" but omits "drug dealer" and "rock and roller" from her list of freak-admissible careers in alternative 34, "Sing for your Supper." I mean, if you're going to include the Unholy Trinity, you might as well go all the way, right?)

Actually, my only real quibble with this book (and it is a quibble) is that I thought this book might be even "safer" if the cover were more discreet. I admit that it's a bit busy for my taste, but perhaps a plain cover would have been even better for the sake of the kids who might have to sneak around with this book.

Dr. Davis's book is an excellent tool for personal and professional use. With managed care limits on sessions, I am utilizing this book in both my private and State EAP (employee assistance program) practices as a means to "cut to the chase" for clients. The book provides a framework for self improvement based on cognitive psychology theory, and fits beautifully in my coaching model of services. I highly recommend this book to individuals seeking positive changes in their lives, as well as to professionals as an enhancement tool for coaching and/or therapy. Terri Gorman, LCSW

I 100% reccomend this book. It is extremely helpful for a healthy mind and life in competitive sports, as well as every day life. It is very well written and is excellent for teens and adults!

Just what you need to start with this way of thinking.

All of the points are not new, but the experience and the cleariness
make the book a great and enjoyable starting point.

Another plus: it is short enough that you'll be sure to... finish it

Wow! What a terrific book! As a Figure Skater, I gained tremendous strength from Dr. Davis' words and I was amazed at how simple it was to understand her "filing system". After reading this book, I cannot wait to compete in my next championship.

High Performance Thinking is an excellent source for anyone who wants to start using their thoughts to create success in any area of their life. It is was so easy to read, I felt as if Dr. Davis was speaking to me in a casual conversation. If you want to think your way to success, this is the book for you!

A practical guide on how to deal with and survive a stalker. I applaud the author for writing about a subject that many in law enforcement and society itself dismiss cavalierly, until it is too late. We need to take these crimes seriously and deal with them early before they escalate out of hand. This book highlights the do's and don'ts to help victims persevere and overcome the abuse of a stalker. A definite eye opener.

If anyone is going through the hell of being stalked, or even think they are being stalked, they MUST by Detective Proctor's book "How to Stop A Stalker"
I have read other "stalking" books, and they have been helpful, but none to the extent of Detective Proctor's book.
The information, the suggestions, everything is a MUST for someone being stalked.
He UNDERSTANDS, something that I didn't feel from the other stalking books.
Detective Proctor knows the reality and horror of stalking in an easy read and extremely informative book.
This book is up to date (unlike some of the other Stalking books) and my only problem is that he doesn't have a sequel. Hopefully that is something he is working on.
I give this book ten stars. This book literally saved my life and it can save yours.
If you, a friend, or a family member are being stalked, you must read this book.

I have taught an upper division course on Family Violence for 20 years. After many years of searching for a credible and useful book on stalking I came across Det. Proctor's book on how to stop a stalker. I have also had 28 years of experience in law enforcement; therefore, I approached the book the first time I "studied" it from both an academic and an applied perspective. The true value of the book lies in the fact that the author bases it on years of field experience investigating and studying stalkers. He is to be commended for stating that he does not know everything and continues to learn new things about the subject. Two major typologies are developed. The first typology presents the elements of the crime of stalking--harrassment, credible threat, and course of conduct. The second typology presents the three types of stalkers--domestic, acquaintance, and stranger. Proctor draws on the two typologies throughout the book as he systematically writes about stalking. The book helps to understand the difference between romantic compulsion and stalking. Drawing on case histories Proctor provides insight into why they stalk, how they target victims, techniques of stalking, compulsion, and the impact on the victims' lives, as well as the victims' families, friends, and co-workers. Proctor does an excellent job of differentiating between male and female stalkers. The use of case histories is what makes the book come alive. Sound practical advice is provided for investigators as well as victims. I highly recommend the book for use in the classroom. My students were impressed and it generated insightful discussion--including personal experiences, on campus and elsewhere, as well as experiences of friends and family members. All criminal investigators and prosecutors should read the book as well. These are not easy cases to investigate and prosecute and Proctor' recommendations are both thorough and helpful.

First off, the royal we becomes annoying really fast.

When he sticks to his topic, he's informative, enlightening, and even entertaining. He knows his stuff and he covers a lot of ground, including the Internet. I feel like I've learned a lot of information from him and I don't regret reading this book.

Too often, however, he veers off into "this is why me and my group and wonderful and have to face a whole bunch of idiots." Like in the section on sadism where he never gets around to giving the example he promised, but rather discusses problems he had with a jurist from another jurisdiction.

Overall, the tone is quite juvenile, and I had to keep reminding myself this was a man in his fifties, not early twenties. He comes off as a bit of a puppy. The name calling gets tiresome after a while. I'd also rather he not talk down to the reader. I didn't need him to clarify that no, dead bodies don't sit up and give statements to the police, thanks.

Those last two points are what keeps the book from getting 5 stars. It's a good book; it could have been a great book.

I expected a work on stalking to be very dry and difficult to get through. This book,however, was extremely interesting,informative and easy to read. It is the sort of book that the normal man in the street could read and apply as easily as someone who is more knowledgeable about the subject. A wonderful handbook for anyone having troubles of this nature and a wothwhile read for any safety conscious individual.

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I've re-read this book several times because the first time wasn't enough; Mark Arax's ability to weave the details of his exhaustive research throughout this personal story provides fresh insight into society's sanctioned racism, a not-so-bygone era of California's heartland and every fatherless young man's struggle to find his identity. The characters and history are brought to life with such rich and poignant storytelling skill you won't be able to put it down, whether you're reading it for the first time or know how it ends.

This is a wonderful book about the Armenian community in Fresno, a search by an adult newspaperman into the circumstances of his father's unsolved murder, and policital corruption in the 70's. Mark Arax also co-authored a biography of a politically powerful large scale cotton farmer named Boswell located near Hanford, where I grew up. Highly recommended.
BerkeleyBob

I'm originally from Fresno, California and at the time of this murder, my grandfather, Ted C. Wills Sr., was Mayor of the city. When I picked up this book, I didn't know what to expect. What I found was validation.

For years I struggled with the bits and pieces of recollection I had regarding this period of my youth. Arax's book not only validated my experiences, what I had witnessed, but connected many of the dots regarding other incidences related to my past. The cover ups, illegal activity and silent handshakes were a part of my youth and Arax described this perfectly.

The author's well placed words painted one vivid picture after another about a mystery which is reality based. At the end of the book, the pictures come together as one complete "town" portrait. In doing this, he brilliantly exposed the "dark side" of not only my history, but of a town bent on keeping up appearances, at all costs. Secrets were taken out of the closet and placed squarely on to the laps of the public at large. "If we do not expose our secrets, we are bound to repeat them."

I strongly suggest this book to anyone interested in seeing how organized crime on a local level works. Along with this, I hope that readers will appreciate how the author was able to weave powerful Armenian history with not only his own family of origin, but with the political and criminal drama of a small town.

Mark Arax has written a superb novel chronicling his zealous search for the
identity of the men who gunned down his father in his own bar in Fresno
back in 1972 when Mark was 15. The gripping story takes us from Fresno to LA
to NY to Mexico and Anatolia, the Ottoman empire, 1915, San Francisco, and
back to Fresno to circle around the little city of corruption and crime,
related to the pernicious drug trade. Armenia, a nation of people erased
from its ancestral homeland, submitted to genocide by the Turks
and dispersed in this American century, to America which promised freedom
and opportunity, delivered new strife, leading to new crises.

This epic saga tells of three generations of Arax family members overcoming
impossible odds to finally make a decent home for themselves in Fresno only
to have it shattered by a cold blooded murder on a Sunday evening in a
shady bar just before Mark's dad was to have made a public announcement,
naming names, letting the public know what went on in city hall and at
police headquarters. He was executed Mafia style with a son left in its
wake holding on to a bag of questions and a burning desire to get some
answers.

And yet, this state is endemic to the Armenian existence in its diaspora.
The resonances between Mark Arax's saga and that of every post-genocide
Armenian are loud and clear. Why were over a million of their forefathers
so brutally and systematically slaughtered like cattle at the turn of this
century? Why was the life of every Armenian in the Ottoman empire so cheap
and worthless? What had Armenians done to deserve the racist wrath of
Turks, Kurds and other nomadic bands of brigands in the Anatolian plains,
the ancestral homeland of all Armenians? Why do Turks today not admit what
is so plainly true? Why the denial and historical revisionism? How are
dignity and justice to be restored when nations place economic or strategic
considerations before the demands of historical truths? How can
democracies and free nations join in the Turkish lie that nothing happened
in 1915, it was just war, things like that happen all the time, let bygones
be bygones...?

Mark Arax would not stop asking his haunting questions either. His father
was murdered. The police never even tried to solve the case. Mark would
do his damnedest to get to the bottom of it himself, and he would do it at
any cost. Mark Arax was rewarded for his quixotic aspirations by much more
than he could have imagined. While the minutest details of his father's
murder are still unresolved, what Mark discovered was more precious and
more lasting than the particulars of a case of a Fresno drug mob and city
hall -- about to be exposed -- hit. Mark Arax found the true identity of
his people, the Armenians in the Californian diaspora, and their struggle
to preserve their traditions and rich heritage. Through all this, Mark
fathered himself to become a gifted professional journalist, a responsible
father and husband and a conscientious citizen. The long and persistent
journey that he took makes for a great read. The story is compelling and
gripping, yet it is filled with true human drama spanning three
generations. His is not a murder mystery with bought off politicians all
the way to Sacramento, with its rich source of drugs supplied from Mexico.
No, that is only part of the story. His is not the chronicling of how the
Hell's Angels distributed marijuana to all points north and south in the
60s and 70s, with the marijuana being air-dropped into the vineyards of
Fresno. No, that is only part of the story. His is not the story of a
"crazy" grandfather who was a businessman who held fond attachment to
communist ideology, who had big dreams and bombastic demeanor and yet
failed as many times as not in all his business ventures. His uncles,
great uncles and his own struggle with American or Armenian identity all
mix in to produce a unique story of love and redemption. A boy who has to
be the rudder in a cracked up society, a disintegrating yet ever expanding
town and a broken home. What Mark Arax achieves with his own life is a
courageous feat. To defeat the forces of decadence that took his father
away by rejecting that underworld and that easy life. To enter the ranks
of the successful the hard way, by dedication, talent, sweat and toil.

Ironically, Mark might very well have ended up a two bit hood himself and a
cheap hustler hanging around his dad's bar or the golf club, dealing,
racketeering and begging for trouble. Instead, his father's loss jolted
him into a state of permanent revulsion at that seedy world he was just
beginning to get comfortable in at the age of 15. By correctly identifying
it as the prime seducer who claimed his father, Mark avoided that scene and
kept it away from his family. Instead, by finding his deepest roots he has
been able to set some of his own. Let us hope that his tree flourishes
under that hot central California sun and that his children know their dad
for the American hero on the pages of "In My Father's Name," that he surely
is. Read for yourself and see!

When I first started this book, I was amazed at the description that Arax gives of Fresno. Being a life-long resident of Fresno, I can imagine everything he describes. Then I read about the corruption that I'd heard about all my life, and see the proof of it all. I was shocked beyond belief.

Then I read about these supposedly upstanding citizens that I've heard about all my life (who has community centers and arena's named after them here in Fresno) and I feel like a veil has been pulled from my eyes.

Mark Arax tells a story of life in a lot of small, and large, cities. The one part of the story I wish would have been included (but it is safer for him NOT to include, being that he is still a resident of Fresno) is not only the corruption of the past, but the corruption of the present as well. He describes how the city of Fresno was built upon corruption, ran in corruption for many years, and hinted to the present day corruption, but had to stop. Hopefully he will write another book about Fresno, and reveal something to everyone.

If you like to read, and you like to be trapped by a book, then I suggest you purchase this book.

As a Pastor,I've heard many a good sermon and read many spiritual books. But nothing compares to Alan Clement's ability to spellbind the reader with his magnificently written true life stories. He weaves together into a beautiful tapestry his own brand of Buddhist philosophy, political knowledge, science, wisdom and chutzpah that also seems mysteriously to encapsulate the reader as well. What I found even more intriguing in "Instinct For Freedom" are Alan's honestly-written and courageous choices and sacrifices he has made in life in pursuit of spirituality, freedom, truth and enlightenment. Any and all spiritual seekers from any belief system (or none) should definitely read this book.

In reading most spiritual books, I've noticed that there's a subtle gap between the well-meaning view portrayed, and what I actually feel and experience in reading. You know when you get a used book, and the prior reader has underlined and written, "How true!" Well, it's like other spiritual books have an undertone of "I wish it were true."

In contrast, Clements' words are alive with authentic conviction, and the unmistakeable clarion ring of truth. There's not a trace of pontification. This man has lived an incredible life. He's able to capture the essence of real spirituality and deliver it live and wriggling to the reader. I don't know how he does it. But, as a writer myself, I know that there's only one way he could do it. By really living it. And clearly he does.

He came back down from the mountaintop, so listen up, folks, cause he's really got something worth hearing.

...though I think Mr. Clements should not hold his breath while waiting for humanitarian impulses to saturate the planet. If all is one (whether in the quantum, holographic sense, or in the more traditional sense), then it is only "it" rearranging "itself" when living things appear to consume and/or exploit one another. It may only be an infinitely-manifesting (fractal) consciousness at play. In short, I have become skeptical of any and all conclusions drawn by us. Perhaps we are just a dream, as suggested by Chuang Tzu. I doubt whether we are nearly so important as we would have ourselves believe. How much would the earth miss us?

Instinct for Freedom is deeply inspiring and liberating. With his insightful and passionate voice, Clements compellingly urges each and every one of us to uniquely become ALL that we are, and in doing so expand the experience of freedom for ourselves, and for each other.

An absolutely amazing read! Open your heart & mind and experience what it could be like to be a divine human being living life wide-open and in complete freedom - beyond all dogma, nationalism, tribalism & religion.

I had the good fortune of seeing Alan in action during a recent retreat - now here's a guy who lives & loves life with reckless abandon. This planet needs guys like him big time if there's going to be any evolution of human consciousness beyond our current self-centred pettiness.