New Books

What prevented me from giving it five stars was the lack of information on attunement levels required to perform some of the symbols. Intent is powerful and all, but an essential tenet of Reiki is that only certain symbols can be activated only after a specific attunement to the healer has been performed. Intent plays a role in it, but does not take place of the attunement. This important because and Reiki Level I, does not have the attunements required to activate Level II or III symbols, a Level II can not work with symbols of Level III....

As a Level II practitioner this would have been helpful.

Chris Penczak is THE man. About two years ago, I found myself seeking spiritual truth. The possibility of magick always intrigued me, so I signed up for a Transcendental Reiki I weekend class. That was an amazing experience.

After that, I found myself attracted to DM Kraig's "Modern Magick". The one thing that bothered me was the lack of Eastern inclusion in Western ceremonial magick. I felt pulled toward magick overall, but did not want to see my Reiki attunement and knowledge go to waste.

One day, at a small local bookstore, I saw the purple cover and title "Magick of Reiki". It was love at first sight. I've scrubbed some of the symbols against some of the Hebrew letters and symbols of Kaballah and found some striking resemblances, particularly with "The Ark", one of the symbols found in the Appendices of MoR.

This book, combined with another book about generic magickal training such as "Practical Magic for Beginners" by Brandy Williams, or "Initiation into Hermetics" by Franz Bardon, will have you turning your healing Reiki into a full-blown spiritual ascension system.

Thanks Chris,
Sean

I am currently reading this book, and I find it awesome and objective. It is well written, easy to follow, and I am learning a few extra symbols from other lineages, which will become handy once I start teaching next month... Thanks, Christopher.

This is a good book for those interested in the similarities between reiki and wicca. I had a good knowledge of Reiki but little knowledge of wicca before reading this book. I gave general knowledge about both subjects although leans more towards new reiki learners. I did not like the fact that it gave all the reiki symbols together. I follow my master's beliefs and believe that the 2nd and master symbols should only be learned after attunements, so I note to tell someone to skip those pages if desired would have been nice. Otherwise, if you are not bothered by that, a good book. Also gives some New Reiki symbols, but I would have desired a little more info about them. Also, be sure to check the distant reiki symbol. It does not correlate with the one my reiki master gave me, but of course there are discrepancies out there about this symbol, so follow whatever your heart chooses-author says this alot which i do like, some authors push their beliefs on the reader and chris doesnt. overall, a good buy!

As a pagan I was drawn to this book because of the title. I have been initiated into the traditional Usui system of Reiki. I've read other books on Reiki and found this to be very refreshing and open-minded. It resonated for me because the author is able to explore many views in a sensitive manner. Quite a different approach from what I had been exposed to in my training and experience with other practitioners and teachers.
I like that he includes many other symbols to work with. My favorite "alternative " symbol is the OM.
Based on reading this book, I will purchase one of his others. His writing style makes the topic very accessible and clear.

Men To Match My Mountains is the perfect follow up to Chittenden's The American Fur Trade of The Far West. Since H. M. Chittenden covers 1800- 1840ish, this book gives you detailed history of California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado beginning with the Oregon Trail movement. It contains some very well studied hard to find details of historical events. It's sure to please the serious history buff.

What a great book as an in depth introduction to the formation of modern day California.

Everyone I know that has read this book has loved it. If you are interested in learning about settling of the west, take a chance on this book.

A Great book, that really informs the reader. Hard to put down.

First, this is not my normal genre, but came as a highly recommended book. If one wants to learn about the immigration and exploration of the west, then one can not go wrong by reading and enjoying this wonderful history lesson in story form. As the title of the book indicates, it took a special stock of men (and women) to overcome the many obstacles that the mountains (and desert) requires of one. The book takes you on this journey from the viewpoint of the true early explorers, and adventures, to just people trying to make a better life, or escaping religious persecution. Either group provides the struggles required of all and the high adventures to get where they eventually landed.

It is hard to imagine that prior to year of 1830, that there were probably less than 5,000 non-Native Indians living in the far west. Even more so that most Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, Russians, (and others) that thought the far west presented far too much danger to even attempt the crossing, and once there, not much to reward your effort. This was based on some facts as the story unfolds from the Donner Party tragedy, and Indian attacks, to continued religious persecution, and vigilante groups of early settlements. All told though, there is only greed or great opportunity that can overcome a rational repugnance of such hardships to justify the costs which to overcome man's avoidance of living in such extremes. That greed comes in the form of gold and silver for many that ultimately made the effort to expand the far west.

All in, this is a page turner with both drama, color, and interwoven events to keep the story (i.e. immigration) moving along to the far west that we know today. A wonderful and educational story indeed.

My fourteen year old actually finds these essays humorous in light of what is currently going on within our society. While I realize that common sense is not something that is highly valued within our education system, it is highly necessary for running a government. Thumbs up. Share these ideals and thoughts with your children!

Thomas Paine is the Main Man who started the two Revolutionary Wars, first America which took 7 years then afterwards France starts her own Revolution with Thomas Paine's help but hers is won almost overnight. Thomas Paine not only started these Revolutions but he participated in both. This book is a real page turner that you won't be able to put down!

With all of the current claims by people of what the Founding Fathers intended for our country I decided to begin reading them for myself to achieve a personal perspective on what the Founders intended. This book and the writings contained are an excellent source of information and insight as to what Thomas Paine's intentions were.

This little paperback is conveniently sized and conveniently priced. Were it not for the bothersome introduction, I would have gladly given it five stars. As it stands, however, I could do without radical leftist Sidney Hook's presumptuous introduction, wherein he arrogantly dictates to me precisely how I should read Thomas Paine, and in what manner Mr. Paine is correct and incorrect in his reasoning. Ripping out the introduction or going over it line-by-line with a black sharpie would be a marked improvement to this volume.

I have read much on the history of our beautiful country and also of other countries as well.

This book by Thomas Paine "COMMON SENSE AND THE RIGHTS OF MAN" is an extraordinary out line of how man should form his government and live in harmony with his fellow man in this world. Thomas Paine, one of our founding fathers, is a man that saw the rights of man being trampled on by England. His writing is plain common sense, of which many of us fail to utilize, about what a government should be and should not be. Our founding fathers gave us a Republic, if we could keep it. So far we have taken the declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights completly our of context. We are nowhere near the government our founding fathers gave us.

Those who wish to find the truth are compelled to read this book. Those who are satisified with the status quo will continue to be so. Read one of the best books ever written on the Rights of Man and then make your decision whether you want to live free men or langour in slavery.

Thomas Eby......

I am a student of Eastern philosophy and I looked at this book insofar as what it has to say from a Western, Jungian perspective. I was curious. At it's core Middle Passage explains Jungian theories of personality development and complexes that grow and change over time. The problem of the mid-life crisis, according to Hollis, is that we tend to hang on to ego-centric dynamics that worked in the past, perhaps out of necessity, but no longer work. The coping techniques run their course and rather than letting them go, growing, and accepting responsibility for our well-being and spiritual development, we cling to our former selves and projections on other. The book, however, tends to be abstract, more theoretical than practical. It explains more about HOW we get into mid-life in crisis and precious little about WHAT to do about it. But this is just the intersection with Buddhist teachings on essentially the same subject. Buddhism, in a sense, picks up where Jung leaves off. The Four Noble Truths, for instances, starts with the premise that human beings are prone to suffering for all the reasons Hollis gives in Jungian terms. It does not explain so much HOW we get into trouble with too much ego. Yet in 2,500 years of history, Buddhism and it followers have developed a rich set of tools centered around meditation for "staying awake" and living in the present as a practical anecdote for the ego -- namely, WHAT to do about it. In fact, toward the end of Middle Passage, meditation is one of the suggestions Hollis recommends for working through mid-life crisis. So I would say after reading this book take look at the writings of Pema Chodron, my favorite being Comfortable with Uncertainty. Get her seminar, How to Meditate, and see for yourself if this doesn't line up with Hollis and Middle Passage.

I had read all the reviews for this book before I purchased it but in the past that has not always been a guarantee. This was also the first Hollis book for me. Happy to say it won't be my last. I have a minimal amount of psychology studies (I minored in it) but am starting a master's program this summer. I picked it up mostly because I'm turning 50 this summer and felt the urges to put some "order" to the chaos I've been chasing the last decade or so in my life. It hasn't really been traumatic for me as much as it has been unsettling but I needed a name for it and Hollis names it well - the Middle Passage. I look back now and understand more clearly now why I seek out what I do and why I needed to reconcile what wounded me in the past. It gave me tremendous hope for the second half of my life and Hollis has a way of writing that is not intimidating. Too bad it's not a "must read" for every adult hitting 40 or 50. Marriages might have a better chance of staying stronger. People in general might not be wired so tight with superficial undertakings as they mature in life. I am grateful I found this author and intend on reading his other works.

This book was recommended by a friend who read it when she was going through her own mid-life passage. I found it extremely helpful and continue to use it as a reminder to myself when I am feeling like I 'm floating in outer space. James Hollis writes very succinctly, in Jungian terms, what takes place in the psyche of a person in the second half of life. I found it comforting, useful, and true for me. I highly reommend it to anyone who needs a light of hope and a map through the terrain of mid-life transformations.

I have had the priviledge of sitting through hours of James Hollis' lectures at Houston's Jung Center. His writing style is very compact but pacts a punch (Hemingway for Jungian Wanderers, if you will). He takes the notion of the "mid-life crisis" to the appropriate realm of "mid-life transformation" by illustrating the WHY of the formerly named "crisis". Taking his words (and always keeping in mind TS Eliot's "The Wasteland") will help any reader better understand why they feel "unfullfilled". His book will also give them tools to direct them back to that path of command/control of their own lives. Additionally arming them with the notion that there will be plenty more goofy (read unconscious) activities with which to deal in the future.

This book is a tool and a useful tool indeed.

An amazing number of people in Vancouver are reviewing midlife crisis books ... is that city going through it's own midlife crisis ?

This book is perhaps the best one out there. The reasons are many as others have pointed out, but in my estimation is this: Hollis does not jump into the mechanics of the midlife period, in fact this is not the main emphasis at all. He starts with an in-depth retrospective on childhood and does a thourough analysis of our early years, then guides us into our present state and our future.

Highly recommended, yes.

This book is amazing! It is absolutely beautiful. The pages and drawings are breathtaking. My 2 year old son (just turned two) loves it and asks us to read it again and again.

I think the letters are perfectly easy to read and he now knows most of his alphabet. He knew several letters before but after having this book for only a week, he has learned almost all his letters and can call them by name.

He loves the "Shhhh" part at the end, in anticipation for the "Suprise- Happy Birthday!" All the different bugs keep his interest as well.

The book is written in a style that sounds so lyrical and flows beautifully. I would completely recommend this book for preschool learning and for simple enjoyment of hearing a nice story.

I received this book as a baby gift when my daughter was born. It was my favorite book to read her as an infant, she seemed mesmerized by the bright pictures even when she was only a few months old. The illustrations are bright and beautiful. Now as a toddler, she still loves to read it, making the "shhhh" motion and clapping and giggling at the "suprise" at the end. We own the board book version and even so our pages show a lot of wear. I think this book is so wonderful for babies that I have purchased several copies as baby gifts as well.

I will note, if you're looking for the perfect ABC book to teach your preschooler his/her alphabet, this probably isn't the book you want. The letters are a little curly-que and only capitol letters are shown. However, it a great book for introduction to the alphabet and is very entertaining for children. I also recommend purchasing the board book version on its own (not as part of the set). The board book is much sturdier and the books in the set are a bit more abbreviated in their illustrations--which to me are the best part of this series. Of course the hardcover version has paper pages, which is impractical for a toddler to whom this book is well-suited.

Wonderful book and highly recommended!

i bought this for my 14 month old daughter and she loves it!! although she is a fan of the miss spider tv show too. her big brother, 6 years old reads it to her which i love to see. it is colorful and not too big so i can take it in my bag when we go out and she can hold it herself. nicole

My kids love this engaging abc book. Its artwork is beautiful, and its bug theme is fun. My son learned the whole upper case alphabet (at the age of 3) just from having this book read to him (he wanted it again and again).

Even after almost three years, I still love to read and re-read these books to my girls. David Kirk's artwork is rich and deeply textured and the words are not your usual fare ("K" is for "Katydid"), roll of the tongue, and, in my experience, pique children's interest -- I particularly love introducing my girls to "hummingbirds hide inside irises" and "jumping june bugs kiss katydids" His books are where poetry meets art for the under five set. Added plus: I get a break from chanting "Brown, Bear"! For this alone I am grateful.

This book was recommended reading while I was on amazon buying another book.
I would highly recommend it. I could not put it down till I have overviewed it all. Now back to chapter one and still on chapter one. It is full of good hints. Not only are there hints on how to unleach your inner artist but also basic psychology and philosophy read many times before ... and now hitting home. Jackie

If you want more creative starter ideas then you can handle this is the book for you. You won't need another idea book for sometime it is packed with ideas.

The New Creative Artist: A Guide To Developing Your Creative Spirit

Here is another WOW spiral-bound book!!! It is full of COLOR,a lifetime of ideas, activities, and opportunities to s-t-r-e-t-c-h. The coverage of the Design Element is full: Line, Shape, Value, Color, Size, Pattern, Movement, Harmony, Contrast, Rhythm, Repetition, Gradation, Balance, Dominance, Format Options, Compositional Choices, Design Strategies, and touches on when to give the rules a rest. If that isn't enough, there's lots more! I especially look forward to working through the section: The Realism-Abstraction Connection during my next artistic transition. A beautiful book!

Patricia Eastman

This book wasn't as good as "celebrating your creative self."

It was a little wordy with inspirational messages. Not as much about technique and new ideas as I was hoping.

This book will get any creative body with a block back into their creative hobby. She gives so many great ideas, like that you should write down all the great creative ideas you think of and put them in to a jar. That way, whenever you can't think of something to get your creative juices flowing, just grab your jar and do whatever the piece of paper says!

On a sidenote: I also love that the binding is ring - so that you can fold the book flat and not worry about pages closing on you when you are trying out something new - but that it is also protected by a larger cover so the ring binder doesn't fall apart like they usually do - THANK YOU PUBLISHER!

Anyhow, great buy for any artist or artists' library - a book I will forever reference...I only wish that Leland explained more of the techniques behind rare art forms (but that would add a whole other book!).

Origional New Orleans recipes! Easy to work with and helpful hints for substuting what you have on hand. How to make the special seasonings that make Cajun/Creole food unique! Spicey does not necessarily mean, hot! Great history of the different folks and festivals that make New Orleans special. Great place to visit and taste the food for yourself. Or buy the cookbook and cook it for yourself.

"New Orleans Cookbook" By Richard Collin is a terrific introduction to the cajan and creole cooking styles that NOLA is known for. To be able to understand how typical New Orleanians cook, one must attempt to understand both the culture and the region of Southern Louisiana. The recipes within this cookbook resonate with the traditional and innovative varities. Anything and everything that has come out of that area is easily found within these pages. The layout of the book is charming, and is very readable. The directions are not overcumbersome, and the reciepes are all simply preparable. A novice or an experienced chef will appreciate this cookbook.

I've got the Eighth, July 1980 printing. On page 40, The Collins' indicate that the Oyster & Sausage Jambalaya is their favorite. Use the cast iron for preparation, follow the directions explicitly (You'll use a little "elbow grease" on this one), and you won't be disappointed. It's my favorite Jambalaya, too !

10 years I lived on the Gulf Coast and spent
many, many days in New Orleans. When the time came I knew I was eventually going to leave, I spent months searching for a book which would allow me to take the food I loved with me. This is the book I chose & have loved it for years!!!!!!!!!!
It is authentic New Orleans food.....pre-Paul!!!!
You can open this book and trust that any recipe you choose will be successful.....except for the Red Beans & Rice which has too much meat to be the REAL LOCAL AUTHENTIC version.
I am a Chef & I can't imagine being without this book. It's REAL New Orleans food!!!!!! This
book is a REAL WINNER!!!!!!!!!! A CLASSIC!!!!!

Thank-you Rima and Richard Collin!!!!!!
K & Roo & Tessa TOO!!!












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My husband received this cookbook for his birthday, by my sister, some 15 years ago. But I am the one that used and took it over!!! I didn't even know how to really cook, but was able to make superb dishes, without fail, everytime. And since then, this cookbook has been well used!!! There are stains and pages slipping out from frequent use!!!

I am a huge Bible fan and spirit-filled Christian (certifiable Jesus-freak). I own several Bible is various translations and publishers (KJV, NKJV, NIV, Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, B&H) and LOGOS Bible Reference software.

I had heard of the Spirit-Filled Life Bible, and wanted one, so I got it, and I am not dissapointed. Pastor Dr. Jack Hayford, together with his team of gifted, well-known Bible theologians and scholars, along with elders from his ministry (Church On The Way), have put together one of the best study Bibles I've ever read. The combination of the accurate, nearly literal NKJV translation, relevant study helps, and comprehensive cross-references makes for a rewarding and fulfilling experience.

I love the Word of God, and I read the Bible a lot, and I can say that after thumbing through and reading some of the Spirit-Filled Life Bible I will never look at study Bibles the same way. Hayford's study topics, charts, and explanations, "Kingdom Dynamics" and "Word Wealth" study aids add a fresh twist to this Bible. They're (and the other study aids and helps), are easy to read, contextual, well-written, and thought out, and thorough. I've got a Thomas Nelson NKJV study Bible and it pales in comparison to this one.

Not only is this a great Bible content-wise, it's also well-constructed and appears to be of very high quality. Iwas very impressed with the fit and finish. The Bible is bound in British tan genuine leather, and is finished very well. Although the binding isn't smythe-sewn (which I prefer), the glue job is awesome. I have a B&H Bible that is touted as one of the better-quality Bibles, and the binding is already starting to peel where it's glued. The font is large enough, even if it's not the ultra-huge size 12-14, and the print quality is very good, sharp and clear. In the front is an appendix for the Word Wealth and Kingdom Dynamics; in back are the mandatory maps, and there's a small but reasonable concordance (my Nelson study Bible takes the prize for the best concordance, 195 pages long).

Overall, this is an excellent addition to my Bible collection. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves the Word of God, or someone who is looking for a comprehensive, easy to read, relevant, fun to reas, and interesting study Bible.

As if I thought the Word of God couldn't get any better, I read Jack Hayford's take on the Bible!

Among the numerous bibles on the market, by far my personal favorite for clarity and understanding of the Scriptures. Easy to read and follow, as well as a "connect the dot" style of formulated study throughout the bible. A great purchase I will not regret!

i purchased this as a gift for my brother. He is a real nut about having a quick way to look up words, their meaning and history... so he loved it.

This bible is awesome! I have always had a New King James bible but have never "studied" the bible before. A friend suggested this version and she was right! I love having a concordance. The word wealth "boxes" as you read are very helpful as are the sections before and after each book that truly teach, enlighten and guide in the Spirit. It also has everything a regular study bible would have. I highly recommend it!

This is a very easy to use study Bible. I wish I had had this 20 years ago. It sure would have helped with my early Bible Studies. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to understand and know the Bible.

French cooking is not my real favorite and I have not really tried related recipes been to a French restaurant recently. But I have the 1979 version of this book. I had not tried this book for along time from my collection.( infact I think my wife bought it). Nevertheless while looking around for hamburger recipes, I found one in it that was quite good. 9.4/10 which included placing a fried egg and anchovies on top of the burger. Different. He also shows you how to set up his kitchen pantry. His recipes also cover Fish, soup , eggs, shellfish, beef , pasta and much more. His information about different recipes give you an insight into not only the recipes So I will have to try more. The recipes are not that difficult to make and there are quite a few to try. You might want to try some French recipes as I started to do .

I bless the day when I checked this book out (over and over again) from the library where I attended college. As a newlywed attending graduate school I was too poor and too time deprived to cook and eat. This book saved my life! Not knowing a thing about cooking... I happened upon perfection as a guide! Now, almost forty years later I am an accomplished cook and avid entertainer and it's all due to the foundation this book provided! I still think Jacques Pepin is the best celebrity chef on TV today.

I just ordered the newer copy so I could give it to my niece as she embarks on her own cooking start. It is what I call a foundation book. There are five or six of these that never leave my kitchen no matter what new cook book may try to abscond their place in the hierarchy of my inventory. A must have jumping-off place for any new cook and a "OMG why did it take me so long to get it" book for an established cook.

I used to cut out these recipes from the N.Y.Times when they were published years ago. It's great having them altogether and the majority are quite excellent.

I've owned The 60-Minute Gourmet paperback edition since 1979.
(the book is literally falling apart).

I've used this book since I was a complete novice and didn't have a clue how to boil an egg.
26 years later, I consider myself to be an excellent cook.... But I still reach for this cookbook. Why? because it contains excellent recipies.

This book is incredibly easy for a novice to understand and it will give a "seasoned" cook instructions how to prepare any dish in a new delicious way.
I simply can't praise this cookbook enough.
Another excellent cookbook is The Doubleday Cookbook by Jean Anderson & Elane Hanna.
Actually, this book should be called the cookbook bible.
Owning both these books will easily turn bad cook into a master chef!

Quite simply, Pierre Franey taught me how to cook - that is - how to combine ingredients that together transcend the sum of the parts. I came across Pierre Franey's column in the NY Times in the early nineties, and the recipes were a revelation. The techniques I learned from the recipes in this book, his column in the NY Times, and the follow up book, I use repeatedly. Unlike many other recipes, I continued cooking Franey's recipes after my kids were born. As youngsters, they would eat many of the things I prepared from this book, including the Poulet Saute Beausejour (chicken with wine and herbs) and the basic saute of fish. Franey also raised my standards of what to expect from a cook book! Very rarely does anything from his cookbooks fail to be delicious when I cook it.

I recently lost my boyfriend to cancer. After his death I was given "no death, no fear". Great book! It helped ease the pain. I wish I would have had this book before he died so we could have read it together. It is a simple book with very profund messages and helps take the fear away from the idea of death. Life continues...

Hanh quickly grabs the reader's attention and mindfully drifts off in euphamism and metaphor as he meanders over, under and through this difficult topic (difficult for most people).

Calming in his approach to death, life, beginning (no beginning) and end (no end), the author seems to have an excellent hold on his spiritual beliefs and his desire to share. For those of any and all faiths, death is a frightening subject, but Hanh paints a wonderful picture of immortality through all that a person touches in his/her life.

The only, and I stress only, misgiving I found with this short read are the over-used metaphorical analysis between human life and that of an oceanic wave. I wish the author could draw similarities shared by all breathing life organisms, rather than something as translucent as water (although I think I understand WHY he often describes life in terms of water).

I would certainly recommend this book.

I read this book after the passing of my Grandparents and it helped me deal with their passing. I recommend this book to anyone who is searching for answers about life and death. Great book!

This has been one of the most powerful books I've ever read. It helped me through the death of my father. My mother is now nearing the end of her life in this body and I'm re-reading it. I suspect that I will revisit it many times . . .

I first thought the book was simple and repetitive. But when I experienced a loss and re-read the book, I finally realized how profound this book really is.
I had been dealing with the subject of death for quite a few years. (I started with the book HAGAKURE, by Tsunetomo Yamamoto. You may or may not like to check that out. It's a more stoic approach to similar subjects). Anyway, I wanted to conquer the idea of my own inevitable mortality, so that when the time comes, I will handle it with grace. So, my approach was to prepare beforehand.
As I said, I was working on my OWN mortality. It never occured to me that I might also apply it to someone else. Someone I love recently died. That was the 1st real loss that I've encountered, so I was devastated. All those years of preparing myself didn't really mean much (though at the time, I thought I was ready and that I knew it all). I had already owned a copy of this book and read it several years ago. Feeling in the pits, I decided to pull the book out and read it again, as this time it is much more applicable (since I'm experiencing loss).
The book seemed so simple beforehand. It was a quick read. Thich Nhat Hanh also seemed repetitive; I felt bored several times. This, as it turns out, was my fault, not his. He is such a good teacher that he makes everything seem so simple. However, after someone I loved very much died, I re-read this book, and I realized how profound it really is. The reason why Thich is so repetitive, is because you need to drill it into you head so that you really understand it. It's like learning how to count to ten. No one is born knowing how to count to ten. But you drill it until the day when you know it all by heart. Trust me, this book is more profound than it seems; do not just read through it and think that it's all obvious and that you already know it. Reading and learning is not good enough; you have to experience it!
It's like this: death is not real. You cannot create something out of nothing, and you cannot become nothing from something. It's not the reality of things. (Physics will agree with that, for you scientists out there). The problem is that we're deluded. This delusion creates in us a false sense of reality, and that leads to our suffering. We fear death because we think we become nothing. We fear death, because we do not understand it. The problem is that we've learned the wrong way; we need to unlearn our delusions and see death as it really is: simply a change in form. Basically, it's moving on. We want to stay in one place, but the fact of the universe is that it is always changing. We are deluded into remaining stagnant in a universe that, let's face it, is not going to stop and wait for us.
This book helped me immensely in my loss. But it's neverending; you can't just reach a certain point and then stop; you'll lose it. You have to keep going. It's one of those books I will always keep with me. Get this book beforehand, and slowly introduce it into your life and try to apply it. Don't wait until you experience a loss. You will be too devastated. It's never too late to prepare youself for what's inevitable. It will greatly diminish your sense of despair. That much I can gaurantee.