Mythology and Folklore Books

Raisel's Riddle is outstanding because this Cinderella is not concerned with her appearance, nor is the rabbi's son. It is a wonderful twist to have knowledge be the commodity most valued!

Raisel is a Jewish girl that is orphaned and seeks work in a Rabbi's household. She attends a Purim dance, meets the Rabbi's son, and asks him a riddle. He seeks her, after the dance, to marry because of her intelligence. This is an adaptation of the story Cinderella. It is told about the Jewish holiday, Purim, which celebrates Esther, the Jewish queen of Persia. It preserves the essential qualities of a Cinderella story by having the girl orphaned, poor, kind, and marrying the "prince" of the story. It contains several references to Jewish words/phrases, such as Zaydeh, synagogue, rabbi, and Talmud. The illustrations match the text well by depicting what is written. The illustrations depict the characters in traditional dress of Jewish people for the date, when not wearing costumes for Purim .

There are so many different cultural adaptations of Cinderella, that I think it would be interesting to teach a unit with Cinderella as the theme. This could be a way to introduce the children to different cultures, while maintaining something that they are familiar with, Cinderella.

Raisel's Riddle is a story that gives profound meaning to the Cinderella fairy tale , Jewish-style. Instead of beauty being the criterion for selection of a wife, Raisel's intelligence and knowledge are the "charms" that win the heart of "Prince Charming," who in this story is a rabbi's son. Another irony is that instead of the woman having to pass the test of beauty, the man has to pass the test of intelligence and wit before Raisel agrees that he is fit to be her husband. Contrary to the feminist critique that Judaism is a system of patriarchal domination, including the idea that girls are not to be taught sacred lore in the same way as boys, Raisel, an orphan, grows up in the home of her grandfather, a Judaic scholar, who teaches her Torah and Talmud. "Get thyself at once to Amazon.com and buy this book." It is endearing and heartwarming.
Rabbi Fred V. Davidow

This is a Jewish version of the Cinderella story. Far better than the original in my opinion, because instead of something as random as shoe size, the key to discovering the heart-stealer is her riddle and her wisdom. This book stresses the importance of learning and is a wonderful romance at the same time. Beautiful!

My son received this book as a birthday present and was thrilled to see the beautiful illustrations. All he could say was Wow!! We are looking forward to more books illustrated by Bud Peen.

This beautifully illustrated rendition of The Pied Piper is a real treasure. The story is a classic but remains a good lesson to us all. Bud Peen has captured the subtle colors of the period and his detailed work is a delight to the eye. I intend to gift this book to friends.

I found the book beautifully illustrated and the story itself is an important teaching tool. I enjoyed his artwork and I felt I was truly involved in the story. I can't wait to enjoy Bud Peen's next illustrated book.

Bud Peen's beautiful illustrations provide readers with a wonderful subtext for enjoying this timeless classic. Each page of text comes to life with Mr. Peen's elaborate, thoughtful and beautiful artwork. I bought this book for my daughter, and she loves it! I thought I really knew the old story, but this dressed-up version opened me up to a whole new reading!

Work at something long enough and it becomes a part of you. Work at something for 6,000 years and you become part of it. Santa CEO is a wonderfully captivating and suspenseful tale that makes you rethink all you think you know about Santa Clause and the North Pole. What an amazing book ~ A true page-turner!

Greg Troin
CEO
eChamberConnect.com

A little hard to get started and keep all the characters straight. But once I got over that little problem of mine, I really enjoyed the book. Having a husband and father in the auto industry made many of the problems with the characters familiar.

Mr. Soubly has used characters that are familiar to most of us and we can easily relate to them. I didn't want to put the book down and am waiting for another!

Start with a strong dose of Christmas lore, mix in some of today's most popular management mantras, add a touch of science fiction and fantasy, and then spice it up with corporate intrigue. "Santa, Ceo" is a unique blend of literary styles that shows how the magic of Christmas can be poisoned with corporate greed.

Soubly's story causes us to re-think what is important in corporate life. Is it short-term shareholder value, always looking for opportunities for efficiencies at the sake of tradeoffs that can be mitigated and managed? Or do we stay true to the spirit of the early years, connect with our true customers, and deliver a product that is almost magical?

Don't think that Santa is the mystical figure that has all of the answers. He is far from perfect, struggling for answers and he has serious flaws, just like the rest of us. From corporate naiveté to a bar-room brawl Santa claws through his problems in a story filled with intrigue and excitement. There are even some younger "half-elves" that help the "Chief" (as he is affectionately known at NPI) face his challenges.

This is no Christmas tall-tale but is more Grisham-like in a story of a corporation that has lost touch with it's roots. A worthy summer read. Highly recommended.

Santa CEO is a delightful story about my favorite holiday -- turned business -- turned disaster! Christmas is in jeopardy and even Santa can't fix it. For a guy who's been at this for centuries, he is totally clueless. Everything is out of control, the business is not being run right, he can't trust the people who work for him, his personal life is in shambles, and most importantly he has lost the magic. Not until he is actually fired, does he have time to reflect on his life, his business, and his priorities. I especially love the character Tracer -- who can't do anything right -- who overcomes his clumsiness -- who does the right thing -- and who demonstrates his ability to be a major contributor of the team. Though the story is about the business of Christmas, the real story is about finding purpose. Purpose drives the business, including a new organization, new roles, new priorities, and a new life.

Using this book as a guide, some friends and I located some of these haunted locations and visited - great fun! David Pitkin did a fantastic job of putting these stories together! Easy and fun reading. I highly recommend buying this book. Wonderful to learn about the history of Saratoga County, a beautiful place with much history, and many of its alleged ghosts.

I was totally surprised while reading this book. To my amazement there was a story in there about my own family. I had always heard stories about my uncles house being haunted in Clifton Park but only somewhat believed it. The incident happened well before I was even born, it happened on the night of my fathers senior prom when his sister in law killed her husband three kids and then herself. It is so surreal to see it in writing.

Growing up in Saratoga County, I have heard bits and peices of the happenings in this book, and finally I found someone interested enough to search for the whole truth. David I commend you, and I recommend this book to all. My family and I got to meet David as he autographed our book, and he told us of another book he is working on...David, I will be waiting. Thanks for a job well done!

I learned much about the history of Saratoga County as well as it's haunts in this book of true short stories and accounts of local hauntings. The accounts are even more interesting because I know where most of these places are and have heard similar stories. It's nice to have a book to back me up when I repeat them to unbelieving fiends. David Pitkin did a great job!!!

I appreciate honesty and clarity in books about wisdom, both esoteric and "common knowledge." Both D'Aoust and Parfrey provide that honesty here. I felt comfortable that what I was reading was like good journalism, presenting the facts with no bias, leaving me to digest what this information means to me in my particular search. I consider this one of my tools in my search for growth.

The book The Secret Source might at first appear to be a outright criticism of the book The Secret or perhaps a book hoping to sell it's own brand of self help to confused consumers who mistake one title for the other but as good fortune would have it, it's neither. What The Secret Source offers is a highly detailed history of Prosperity Consciousness, the New Thought movement, Alchemy, Rosicrucianism, even Mesmerism and others and how they all can be traced back to Hermetic origins. It gets better though, the true story and recurring trend of Prosperity Consciousness doesn't exist in a historical bubble, the Secret Source shows the interlinked timeline of how it's Hermetic roots are bound within Christian, Judaic and Islamic history as well. The research in this book is highly detailed with all the major players, important texts, and movements laid out. The level of detail presented in this book is commendable and I'm sure in another life D'Aoust and Parfrey were detectives. One of the books strength is it's academic approach rather than being a self help book. Over 100 footnotes are present to site for anyone who would like to follow up with their own investigation. One criticism I would offer, though a very minor one at that, is that the order of some of the information in the early chapters seems to be not as well organized as it could have been for maximum comprehension. There is a lot of dense material to cover in the beginning of the book and for someone not completely acquainted with the subject there are a lot of names and connections to keep straight. Most chapters read like one major epiphany after the other. The authors make amazing connections and trace almost unbelievable timelines of major religious intrigue. I won't spoil it for the potential reader but I think one of my favorite things about this book is when it finally comes to the question of where do Hermetic Laws come from? Every great detective wants to peel away the layers of the onion but what happens when you get to the very last layer? What is the secret source of the secret source? It doesn't matter if you have never read The Secret to enjoy this book. You don't even have to know anything about hermeticism or the occult . Readers that like real life mysteries, history, religious study or anyone remotely curious about the self help trends they see in the media today can fully appreciate this book.

The Secret Source reveals the occult doctrines and the modern equivalents that gave birth to "The Law of Attraction" and inspired the media phenomenon known as The Secret.

The Secret Source traces the seven Hermetic Laws back to ancient Greece and Egypt and shows how they filtered down through various religions and into the mainstream consciousness of the modern world. This book provides the actual texts and fascinating stories behind the "Emerald Tablet," the Kabbalistic treatise known as "The Kybalion," and the prosperity consciousness beliefs of the New Thought movement that have given sustenance to health and wealth-oriented seekers of every generation since the late 19th century.

If you recognized the power behind "The Law of Attraction" but felt ambivalent about The Secret's materially-driven, hard-sell approach, you will appreciate this deeper understanding and examination of the Law's true nature and the wisdom required to use it effectively.

Sure, the law of attraction is a Universal Law, but not "THE" law,
and Prosperity Consciousness is nothing new. And neither are without their dangers. The Secret Source traces the seven Hermetic Laws back to ancient Egypt and Greece, showing how they filtered through various religions and into the mainstream consciousness of our modern world. Maja DAoust and Adam Parfrey wade through my favorite cast of characters and themes, including but not limited to the Rosacrucians, the Freemasons, Mesmer, Hermes Trisgmegistus, Thoth, Enochian Magick, the Tetrgrammaton, and much more.

This book presents the actual texts and hidden stories behind the likes of the "Emerald Tablet," and "The Kybalion." The beliefs of the New Thought movement that have given generations of hopeful sustenance to health and wealth seekers throughout time are exposed through the works of Wallace Wattles, Napoleon Hill and the Carnegies.

Not be missed is the chapter entitled "Horny Angelic Beings". Now, before you too excited, I'll warn that you won't be reading a saucy account of Raphael getting it on with the Daughters of Man while the Nephilim videotape. Although personally I must admit I've always been a bit hot for arch angel Zadkiel and his abiltity toss my atomic salad, bringing my molecules into perfected frequency with his song of the violet flame. Sorry readers. I couldn't help myself. After all, Maja is the archetypal sexy librarian of the Philosophical Research Society. PRS and its' amazing library of esoteric manuscripts was founded by Manly P. Hall (sage and author of The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Reader's Edition)), and the society's main mission is to provide thoughtful persons rare access to the depth and breadth of the world's wisdom literature. Parfrey runs Process Media and Feral House, publisher of high-quality books on forbidden topics.

I really enjoyed this book. It was written in such a way as to really personalize the story of corn. It really brings a stark reality to what has been done to corn today by Monsanto. Totaly disrespect for the plant and the spirit of the plant. We all love corn and can learn a lot from it. Every American should read this book as corn is very special to this land.

In SELU, Awiakta engages the reader to critically think about the role of women and Native sprituality from that of Native understanding. It is not the usual garden variety of new age romanticism, but a honest look at the role of the feminine in Cherokee, and I think the authors point, everyone's life. If you have a keen interest in American Indian Studies, this book is of great interest to you.

I love all of her work, and these books on tape just add another element to the experience of Selu.

As a woman with ancestors of many cultures, and now raising a child of my own, I found Marilou Awiakta's conversations about Selu precious. Several years ago, I used the margins of my book to add my epiphanies and questions, as Ms. Awiakta suggests. Looking back at those thoughtful notes, I am touched by the way that this book became a journal, weaving its wisdom into my everyday life. I still ponder Ms. Awiakta's words in quiet moments, perhaps having forgotten exactly where they began. The spiral of wisdom that passes through each woman who reads this book did not begin within these pages, but is as old as the Corn Mother herself. I joyfully urge every mother to consider these practical and powerful conversations.

Marilou is an old friend of my mom, so my opinion is biased. But, if you want to get inside the thoughts that built the Cherokee worldview, this is a good place to start. Unlike so many so-called "Indian" books, this one is authentic, and has soul.

A modest book with some good insights on the spiritual symbolism of food and nourishing oneself at the hearth of one's home. It's a great subject that has not been adequately explored (either in this book or in others). Most books of this type explore either the general mind-body connection or accessing one's creativity, but don't focus specifically on food. I liked what I got from this book, especially insights about the goddess Hestia. But there wasn't enough real life examples from the author's actual practice. What exactly is a nutritional counselor? I wanted case studies and solutions. Instead, I got idyllic stories about her and her husband and her adorable little girls enjoying their country home. Not as much content as I would have liked.

There aren't enough good things to say about this book. The premise is that in losing the 'hearth' in a home, the whole family and whole culture suffers. Cooking is a sacred act and it nourishes so very much more than nutritional needs in a family. This is a global truth as the writer explores in chapters about Buddhists, ancient Goddesses, and modern families.

This book is a little bit hard to describe. I like its analogy of the hearth as a foundation of our lives, and the connection of the hearth to fire Goddesses, to home, to cooking, to our relationship with food, to the center (or lack of it) of our homes, and to our own "centers." The lack of hearths in our lives is described in a way that helps the reader understand the significance of that lack. And unlike many other books that just describe a problem, this book offers solutions.

The book contains much information about fire Goddesses, but not in the usual sense of merely presenting their story, their mythology. It has the history of their contribution to the world, and it's full of the author's reflections on how those Goddesses and the lack of their presence in society today affect us negatively. But again, there are solutions. There are also many, many experiential exercises and short meditations in the book to help us get in touch with various aspects of ourselves that may be hindering our ability to connect with aspects of these Goddesses and with ourselves. The exercises/meditations are important because, as the author says, "These archetypes hold tremendous power, and yet our understanding of them remains an intellectual exercise unless we experience their meaning in our daily lives. How do we bridge the distance that separates intellect from inner experience? First, we must consider our individual feelings in relationship to these Goddesses. These feelings lead us to meaning, and gradually the power of these archetypes becomes our own."

She writes about how the Goddess Pele helps us learn to see ourselves through "the eye of the heart," a watcher of sorts who is within us, who lesson is kindness to self. Again taking this lesson back to the hearth, she writes: "As we grow accustomed to this process of inner watching, we gradually awaken to ways in which be block our own nourishment."

The author talks about Chinese medicine and healing as well as from other cultures. And she talks about seasons, and how to intelligently adjust our eating to the seasons. But mostly she talks about who we are, and how we get that way and how food and hearth and home and love and the Goddesses who embody these things can help us. It's just a great all-around book for anyone into self-growth, parenting/nurturing, home life, raising children, learning about Paganism...I could go on and on. Get the book.

The title of this review appears on the book's cover; I couldn't think of a better one. While the themes Anne Scott covers --nutrition, goddesses, ancient practices such as Chinese medicine and the spiritual meaning of the seasons-- have become quite popular recently, this book has a unique voice. It is relatively short and compact and each page is filled with a quietly intense wisdom. The unifying theme is the hearth; that too often overlooked (in modern times) place of physical or spiritual fire that provides us with nourishment. Anne Scott explores this from many traditions. She focuses on several fire goddesses -- Hestia (Greek), Pele (Hawaiian), Brighde (Irish) and Gabija (Lithuanian), relates conversations with various teachers and healers and describes how the seasons correspond to the elements of Chinese medicine. Throughout the book are personal anecdotes that relate to the subject; indeed, the book seems to come primarily from her experience and life lessons. There is also some good advice on eating appropriately for the seasons, talking to children about food and eating more consciously. Like many spiritually-focused books, this one encourages us to slow down, pay more attention to our surroundings and appreciate the abundance of nature. This one accomplishes something rare; it is itself an expression of the kind of simplicity and awareness it advocates.

Shady was one of the funniest reads that I've come across this year. There was certainly a lot going on in Shady, South Carolina.

The story evolves around a well to do family and three friends that would walk through fire to save one another. In the end the truth comes to light and you learn how simple society thinks us to be. You become so enthralled in this book that you will find yourself laughing and talking back to the characters knowing full well that they can't hear you.

Shady is a must read.

Bravo!

When I first picked up the novel I wasn't quite sure what to expect. However, the novel had so many twists, turns and plots that I couldn't put it down. "Shady" was definitely shady with all the events that take place throughout the novel.

The setting is in South Carolina and revolves around a family that is up to no good and three friends that will do anything for each other. It is absolutely hilarious and will evoke almost every emotion that the human body is capable of feeling!

Bravo for a new up and coming author!

When I first picked up the novel I wasn't quite sure what to expect. However, the novel had so many twists, turns and plots that I couldn't put it down. "Shady" was definitely shady with all the events that take place throughout the novel.

The setting is in South Carolina and revolves around a family that is up to no good and three friends that will do anything for each other. It is absolutely hilarious and will evoke almost every emotion that the human body is capable of feeling!

Bravo for a new up and coming author!

It's a wonderful satire! From the first page to the last SHADY is a literary delight! Teamer introduces characters that grow and blossom on the page as well as in our hearts. Effie, Tweet and Safronya are the "good time" girls of Shady Grove South Carolina. However, the good time girls run into some bad times. It is these times that tests the girls character and their friendship! If you loved books like The Color Purple, Women of Brewster Place, The Bluest Eye you will simply adore SHADY. I've told my friends that they must read it. They all love it! It's the best kept secret of the season!

Thomas Freese brings to life the beautiful village of Pleasant Hill with the always present ghost that haunt there. He has an excellent style of writing that introduces you to some fine people who have worked there and visited there. He tells of their experiences and makes you want to go experience those same ghost as well. This book is a thrill for all ages.

This is an excellent, entertaining, accurate of the "Shaker Experience" told by the people who actually experienced them. When I read this book, I immediately wanted to go to Pleasant Hill to experience these things for myself. Once you start this book, you will not put it down until you finish it!

---Roberta Simpson Brown
Author, Storyteller

Mr. Freese has not only succeeded at giving his readers a hearty serving of ghost stories -- he has also given them the full flavor of Shaker culture. As a lover of ghost stories, I found these Shaker ghost stories believable and was pleased that the stories were told to the author by those who live in, work in, and visit the village. Mr. Freese's literary skill, blended with his interviewing techniques, has resulted in an easy-to-read book that you will want to keep on your bookshelf.

Being a Kentuckian, I was eager to read Freese's book on Shaker Ghost Stories of Pleasant Hill. His words and descriptions make me feel as if I'm walking the village road at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. I enjoyed the interview format he used and how he introduced the employees of Shaker Village, they are people that I can relate to with down to earth values and experiences of the ghosts at Shaker Village. As I read, I felt as if I were there, exploring the buildings and searching for ghosts or their stories, just as Freese has done. Excellent writing and highly recommended to anyone who enjoys "historical" ghost stories.

What I like best about this collection is that the author (or editor, really) tells you a little bit about the people who tell the stories. He also includes the original Quechua, which is an interesting touch even if I can't read it. At any rate, if you enjoy fairy tales, and are interested in hearing them from other cultures (there are a few parallels to the traditional Brothers Grimm in this book), this is a good book to buy. If you aren't interested in fairy tales, this is a good book to change your mind.

An enchanting book! Here is a unique opportunity to read stories never before written down, much less translated. The author was told them in the original language in the high Andes by Quecua storytellers. Now he has translated them into English, and in She-Calf and Other Quechua Folk Tales we find, opposite each translated page, a page printed in the original Quechuan language. Fascinating! Johnny Payne further enriches our experience by sharing the similarities that he observed between these stories and stories with which we are already familiar. Included as well are wonderful background stories of experiences and people he encountered in the story-gathering process. For those interested in stories, folk tales, oral tradition, antropology, history, language, travel... This is not only a must-read, but a must-own. It's a keeper!

This is a marvelous collection of Quechua folktales, told by various Quechua speakers to anthropologist Johnny Payne. These are short and "catchy" tales printed in English with the Quechua version on the facing page. This gives you a chance to get acquainted with the sentence structure of the Quechua language which I found very helpful. The author also shares interesting insights into the people who tell the tales. I love to travel in Peru and I am going to pass this book on to a Quechua friend who will surely enjoy it as much as I did. If you're interested in the cultures of the Andes, or if you plan to travel there, don't miss this book! .

An excellent collection of stories -- not merely in the presentation of a different set of stories than those which reach the common awareness, but also in the insights it gives to the shape of the Quechua culture and people. It is not presented as an explication of the way these people live, the way the thoughts go, but the stories show that shape, show that means, bring the world alive in a way both subtle and profound.

The stories are presented both in the Quechua language and in English translation, and it is possible to see the shape and patterns of the language with careful text comparison; it makes it worth considering learning the Quechua tongue to pick out the nuances which are inevitably lost in translation.