Alternative Books

It is easy today to get depressed about mankind. Bronowski demonstrates that there is hope for us yet. He also demonstrates that we, perhaps know more and are capable of more than we thought.

Bronowski's "Science & Human Values" should be purchased with A.J. Ayer's "Language, Truth & Logic" --the quintessential explanation of the "verifibility criterion of meaning". Just as the Russell/Whitehead "Principia Mathematica" sought to ground mathematics upon a foundation of pure logic, the "verifibility criterion of meaning" sought to provide an empirical basis for all scientific enquiry. However, the inescapable conclusion is that ethical imperatives (sentences containing the word "ought" or its equivalent) are non-sensical. However logical, this position may be untenable from a practical standpoint. Jacob Bronowski's crtique of the "logical positivist" position in his "Science and Human Values" pointed out an underlying social injunction implied in the positivist and analyst methods. That implied imperative is: "we OUGHT to act in such a way that what IS true can be verified to be so". Ironically, Bronowski's critique may have saved logical positivism from its own inflexible consistency, placing its edifice not upon an unassailable axiom but rather upon an "ought statement" which will not admit of proof by the very method which is its logical offspring.

While Bronowski's book, Science and Human Values is often lauded as a critique of logical positivism, I found it to be much more than just that. Bronowski launches a critique on a more pervasive foundation of western philosophy, that of dualism. Bronowski seeks to reduce the dualistic view that somehow science and technology are antithetical to the human spirit. The book is constructed as an extended essay consisting of three distinct, though closely related arguments:

a) The Creative Mind - an argument that the human mind operates creatively whether engaged in logical constructivist activities or in more subjective expressions of thought. In short, Bronowski argues here that the Poet and the Physicist have much more in common than we allow ourselves to believe.

b) The Habit of Truth - an argument that both the right (creative) and left (analytic) sides of the brain are doing the same thing, seeking truth, in the generative process.

c) The Sense of Human Dignity - an argument that the objective exploration of science and technology are just as "human" as the quest for introspective or subjective understanding of the human condition.

Epilogue) The volume also contains an interesting fictional dialogue titled The Abacus and the Rose, held between a public servant, a scientist and a literary figure regarding the nature of their thought processes.

Bronowski emphasizes the notion that the outcomes of science and technology are mere tools and artifacts, it is the spirit and creative energy behind them form the basis for human values and ideals. For Bronowski human values are what drive scientific discovery just as they drive public policy or artistic creativity. We get into trouble when we try and separate these ventures from human values, and thus confuse means and ends. In this way Bronowski offers a compelling argument that is less a critique of positivism than a call for a more holistic vision of human development and the creative spirit.

The essay is well written and easy to follow and provides some solid insight on the ever more difficult task of linking scientific and technological progress with human value systems.

"Whether our work is art or science or the daily work of society, it is only the form in which we explore our experience which is different; the need to explore remains the same." (Bronowski, 1965, p. 72)

This is a small but profound work. The three chapters" 'The Creative Mind'
'The Habit of Truth' ' The Sense of Human Dignity' taken together constitute an argument against modern positivistic philosophy and logical analysis regarding the absolute separation of 'is' from 'ought'. As Bronowski understands it the sense of values pervades and in a sense brings together the major realms of creative life. The special values of Science itself are for Bronowski 'independence and originality, dissent and freedom and tolerance; such are the first needs of science; and these are the values, which , of itself, it demands and forms."
Yet Bronowski also strongly emphasizes the evidence- based nature of Science in its search for Truth. And he speaks of the process of its development ," the view that our concepts are built up from experience, and have constantly to be tested and corrected in experience." Here is the great distinguishing feature of Science not only its quest for truth but in its power to transform the world.
What Bronowski does in another sense is cut across the 'Two Cultures' divide posited by C.P. Snow. A person of both literary and scientific background himself he finds that ' the exploration of likenesses' through symbolic concepts define creativity both in literary and in scientific realms.
Bronowski is in a very deep sense a humanist who defines and dignity of mankind in its search to understand and transform the world.
There is much to be thought and said about this very important book.

This was required reading for me in a required Social Sciences survey course required for my B.Sc. in chemistry over forty years ago (I hold an earned Ph.D. in chemistry in additon to a later acquired law degree). I still regard it as one of the most influential books in my life. I understand the essays in this small book to be a critical examination of various scientific philosophies. However what I found to be most illuminating was Bronowski's study of values in a scientist's search for truth; how the values necessary to enable the search for scientific truth in the cooperative enterprise of science are human values ratified by the great religions of the world. What this meant to me as a callow (at that time) intellectual who was more of an agnostic than an atheist at that point in my life was that many of the value systems espoused and shared by the great religions were independently derivable by the values necessary to succeed in the quest for "truth." This resonanted with me personally more than any thundering proselytizer in a church pulpit and my faith began to grow. This is a small book to have such a large effect and it is worth reading for many reasons - some well elaborated by other reviewers. I think Dr. Bronowski would be pleased with its effect on me.

This book presents a list of medical ailments, from Arthritis to Weight Loss, and the specific plants, herbs, and minerals that can be used for treatment on these problems. From the book's back cover by Clifford Zadok, Director of Research at Health Data Development Corporation:

"The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine by Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D., is a remarkable book that has been long awaited by herbalists and health professionals who are seriously interested in herbal medicine.

Dr Mowrey has presenter to us in his first book, destined to be classic work, documented research from predominantly peer reviewed medical journals and texts from around the world.

In this book, Dr. Mowrey provides the answers why herbal medicine is effective, possibly more effective in treatment than pharmaceutical drugs and medications. His documentation is researched from the very journals that the pharmaceutical industry relies upon!

For years Dr. Mowrey has written extensively in well known magazines such as "The Herbalist", and has produced research studies and essays that have been published in prestigious medical journals such as the British "Lancet".

Dr. Mowrey's background [circa 1986]includes a Ph.D. in psychology and psychopharmacology from Brigham Young University, with related studies in biochemistry and biology. He has served with the faculty at Brigham Young University, and was the Director of Research and Development at Amtec Industries; Director of the Nebo Institute on Herbal research; and is currently the Director of the Mountainwest Institute of Herbal Science. He is also a contributing consultant to Health Data Development Corporation. In all these positions, Dr. Mowrey has been directly involved with toxicology tests and efficacy studies on numerous herbs and herbal formulations. Over the years much of Dr. Mowrey's research on herbal blends has been incorporated into the lines of leading herbal product manufacturers.

Get set for a grand experience..."

I have studied and used herbs since 1984. I own over 100 books,of all kinds, on herbs yet this is the main book I continue to go to when researching an herbal remedy. I personally use several of the herbal combinations or a modified version of them myself on a daily basis with great success.

This book is FANTASTIC!!! Go look in the pages and check out how they have their index. Most books' indexes you go to look up a word like *asthma* and you get page numbers that you go to and hope it's what you were looking for. In this book you look up asthma in the index and it shows you which herbs and the page numbers! That was worth the price of the book to me! Same with herb listings... you look up the herb and it tells you which ailment it will help and the page number to find it on.

Within the book you will find DETAILED explanations on which herbs to use, how much and how to apply them (i.e. gargling, teas, capsules, etc.)

This book will be my main herbal medicine book for years to come! Out of all my herbal books this one *by far* is the BEST book on herbal medicine that I have in my library! I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone seeking natural alternatives to health!!

I've studied herbs for years, and have collected many books on the subject, but of them all, Mowreys' book The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine holds a pre-eminent place. Well written,intelligently and solidly researched, this book stands head over shoulders above the plethora of herbal books that derive their information mostly from folklore and anecdotal reports. Mowrey's book seperates the "wheat from the chaff". Highly recommended.

I was pleasantly surprised by the information presented in the book. I purchased it for a quick reference. I quickly found myself reading page after page learning quite a bit about herbal remedies. I would recommend it to any one who is interested in healthy alternatives in addition to medications.

I happened upon "Cretaceous Sea" when browsing Amazon for time travel books. I enjoyed the book so much that I jumped at the chance to read the sequel, "Sea of Time." I agree with all of the previous reviews, but I will keep this brief because I don't want to repeat what's been said already. Suffice it to say that this is a marvelous book that took me to places I could never have imagined. I was so sad to leave Con at the end that I rationed the final pages of the book so we could spend more time together. ONE FINAL BONUS--Will Hubbell is writing books under the pseudonym, Morgan Howell. I just finished the first book in his "Queen of the Orcs" trilogy. It's just as good as this series and its main protagonist is a woman named Dar who is cut from the same cloth as Con.

_Sea of Time _ by Will Hubbell is the riveting sequel to his earlier book, _Cretaceous Sea_. The book opens again with Con, now Con Clements, married to Rick and living the life - incredibly - of her ancestor in 1880s Montana. A happy and successful mine owner, she is enjoying life raising her son Joey and living with her ammonite-collecting husband. Though she would have liked to go back to the 21st century, she had convinced her rescuers that being where she was and doing what she was doing was the best thing possible for the integrity of the timestream.

Unfortunately for the happy family, others disagreed. A man from the far future came to visit Con one day, a person who looked very human but was clearly, well, not from around there. He was a _Homo perfectus_ or Kynden, same species that rescued Rick and Con at the end of the first novel (one of three human species existing in the future by the way, the others being our race which in the future are called the Sapenes and one called the Gaians). This man goes by the name of Sam (full name Samazatarmaka) and he was the man who initially possessed the time travel technology that Peter Green stole. Con thought that Sam had been killed (that was what she had been told) but no, he is very much alive and offers to help Con and Rick if they will help him. Con declined his offer and Sam took his leave.

Not long afterwards Rick is murdered and Joey dies of starvation in the brutal Montana winter, with Con not far behind. A nearly dying Con is rescued by Sam and his daughter Kat (Katulumamana) and brought back to life. Given kind reassurances by Sam, she is assured that she will be reunited with Joey and Rick one day - if she merely helps Sam on a few tasks to fix history, which will, according to Sam, have the happy side effects of undoing Rick's murder and the resulting starvation of Joey.

Con is informed by Sam she has to journey to the 27th century and impersonate a recently deceased genetics worker working for a major corporation. Apparently assassinated before she made some historic breakthrough, Con is to carry through with those important scientific advancements.

How on Earth is she to do that? Well the how is covered by Sam and Kat, as Kat installs a mental implant in Con's skull and downloads directly into her mind the skills (and language, as they don't speak English in 27Th century North America) to do what she needs to do.

However, other particulars bother her. Who assassinated this woman, this Ramona Eberlade, and why? Will they try to kill Con? Even knowing Ramona's thoughts and skills, Con still doesn't understand exactly why this breakthrough is so very important, why someone would kill to make sure it doesn't happen.

Con also realizes she is at the mercy of Sam. Though Sam has been very nice to her, she starts to have suspicions about his motives. Why is he doing what he is doing? Does he really want to help Con? Can he really undo Rick's and Joey's deaths? Con also understands though she has little really choice. When Rick and Joey died and Con was removed from the 19th century, she ceased to exist in the 21st century; as she was her own ancestor; in effect her grandparents, parents, and her own childhood ceased to exist. She was a refugee from an alternate timeline that no longer existed, "a bit of wreckage washed up on the shores of the sea of time" (curiously, in these novels if one changes the past, everything "upwhen" in the future changes, but one cannot retroactively change the past, which is "downwhen;" if your past was changed so you didn't exist but you happened to be at a point in time well before that change was made, you stick around and don't vanish, even though technically you were never born). Con in essence has no home to go back to, though also she has a strength that she doesn't know for a while that she possessed, a strength uniquely hers, as a result.

What follows are some incredible adventures in the 27th century, later on in the 31st century as Sam sends Con to follow up on events she had instigated, and then it is back to the Jurassic for a final showdown.

Very enjoyable book, for the most part it was quite different from the preceding novel, up until that is when they get to the Jurassic Period and the story had some similarities. Cardboard characters aren't any kind of problem here and many of the people in the novel were quite distinct. Each of the two future centuries Con visited were also quite distinctive and original (and chilling I might add). My only complaint - and it is a slight one - is that the author twice in the book had a fair amount of build up for a confrontation between some adversary of Con's and then when the encounter finally happens, it is over in a paragraph or three. While still producing important events in the plot, I felt there could been a bit more pay off. Still, a very good novel and one of the best time travel stories I have ever read. It had many surprises and tied in nicely with events in the first book without being in any way a kind of rehash.

When I read Will Hubbell's "Cretaceous Sea" just over a year ago, I found myself completely enthralled by the main characters, especially Constance ("Con") Greighton, the rich girl, and paleontologist Rick Clements. Indeed, the final few chapters of the book, dealing with the cold-hearted "Homo Superior" people from the distant future, have haunted my dreams. It was after the most recent dream that I checked Amazon for any news on a sequel. And lo and behold, "Sea of Time" was due out the very next day!

Needless to say, I pounced on the book and scarfed it down in just under 24 hours. I couldn't put it down, except when I had to go to work. There I thought about the book all day long, and could hardly wait to get home to finish it. All of the elements which fascinated me in the first book are present in the second: an imaginative take on future timelines and time travel in general, dinosaurs, and the way Hubbell portrays and develops his characters.

One all-too common trap that any author or film maker can easily fall into with sequels is to just serve up more of the same, only bigger and more exciting, so that readers or viewers leave feeling that they've wasted their time and money on regurgitated entertainment. The better sequels, in contrast, make sure that their characters continue to grow as they meet new and different challenges or adversaries. At the same time, they answer a host of questions from the first installment. Such as: "Who are these people, and where did they come from?" or "How does the author imagine the future will look like?" or "How did things turn out the way they did?"

I am pleased to say that "Sea of Time" falls into the latter category. True, as with the first book, none of the ideas about time travel and causality are particularly new. Any fan of Star Trek knows the dangers of tampering with history. Indeed, "Sea of Time" reminds me of two books in particular, also among my all-time favorites.

The first is "Thrice Upon a Time", by James P. Hogan, where the two main protagonists fall in love, then are separated by a change in the timestream. The protagonists meet up again, but this time events prevent them from getting to know each other. The reader, who has a "God's eye" view of the plot, keeps rooting for the sparks to fly again, and is frustrated when they fail to. And yet, what if the timeline changes again?

In "Sea of Time" there is a slight twist on the above: Constance knows that she and Rick were supposed to live happily ever after in 19th century Montana, at the end of the first book, but the villain has killed Rick off for his own nefarious purposes (naturally, to change history). When other time travelers, trying to undo the damage, get Rick and Con back together, by ineptly kidnapping him from an earlier point in his life, he has no idea who she is, and, even worse, thinks she's a madwoman. The scene where they first meet up (again) is sad and comical at the same time. It becomes a major source of tension as Rick, who has not been shaped by the same experiences as in his previous existence, continues to disappoint Con, who can't help but let him know about it.

The second similar book is Isaac Azimov's classic "The End of Eternity", where a group of lunatic time travelers, called the Eternals, endlessly move "upwhen" and "downwhen", tinkering with history, trying to steer humanity in the "proper" direction. Living, breathing people are created and destroyed at a whim, with only the Eternals remembering them at all. So it is with the villain in "Sea of Time". He will stop at nothing to sculpt the future of his twisted tastes, even if it means misery and death for untold billions.

This is another source of conflict for Constance. Initially an unwitting pawn, sent first to the 27th century to carry out a major crime against humanity, then on to the 31st century to finish the work, she figures out what is happening, and begins to fight back. There are no certainties for her. She knows that at any moment the ones she knows and loves can vanish without a trace, as she's jerked about by a ruthless puppet master. Whom can she trust? What is even worse is what might happen if the timeline is ever set straight again, as she, Rick and their new time traveler allies race to stay one step ahead of the enemy. (Or maybe not.) Can she do it, knowing what sacrifices it could lead to? Will Con and Rick end up forever separated by a sea of time, with only the reader remembering their happiness together?

I can say that Constance is one of my all-time favorite fictional characters. I would love to meet someone like her in real life. But of course, reality is seldom like that.

It can give the reader a headache trying to keep close tabs on all the twists and turns of alternate realities. Better to just go with the flow. As one of the characters remarks, he never tries to understand it all without a computer and a temporal data probe.

As with "Cretaceous Sea", the ending of "Sea of Time" was hard to predict in advance, yet in retrospect pretty obvious when it arrived. While there is the potential for a third book, it would be a major coup for Hubbell to pull it off without sounding hopelessly trite. I do find myself hoping he tries.

As I wait for anything else Hubbell might choose to write, I plan on rereading both of his novels again, back to back. And I will dream.

Rick and Con Clements are back on another zigzag and bizarre adventure through time to save the present from the twisted mind of Sam, a whacked-out scientist from the far future. On the way, the author presents us with plenty of characters and stops in time to stretch our imagination. Like Creataceous Sea, the ending is totally unpredictable. Hubbell's writing puts you right in the middle of every plot turn and character encounter. I can't wait for the next book in the series--what happens to that embryo?

In Cretaceous Sea, Will Hubbell took us on a wild ride 65 million years back in time, to an era when dinosaurs ruled the world - until the K-T Event, of course, which we experienced in the company of Hubbell's characters. That steep temporal plunge back into the Cretaceous Period looks like a small ripple in the Sea of Time compared to the experiences chronicled in this follow-up novel. Cretaceous Sea was ostensibly about time travel, but Sea of Time really mines the depths of questions, possibilities, and repercussions the subject of time travel engenders. We're with familiar characters as well, as the wonderful heroes from Cretaceous Sea are back - in one temporal form or another, anyway. The heart and soul of the story is still to be found in Constance (Con) Greighton, who is also Con Clements. At the end of the first novel, Con and Rick Clements, the paleontologist she fell in love with on Montana Island in 65,000,000 BC, settled down in 19th century Montana to live the life of Con's legendary ancestor - yes, Con became her own ancestor.

Con was ready to forget all about time travel and live happily ever after - but this was not to be. The mysterious futuristic man Sam, whose stolen time machine had transported Con back to the Cretaceous Period, shows up unexpectedly and tells Con she has been tricked into changing the course of history. Suddenly, Con's husband is murdered and her son has died, and she is more than willing to do anything Sam wants - if he can bring Rick and Joey back to her. Thus begins a series of time-skipping adventures that take Con centuries into the future to do Sam's bidding. She assumes the person of a scientist whose work changes human history in some unknown major way, and she later travels farther into the future to see just what she has done. Thirty-first century Earth as she finds it is a terrible place, where Sapes (Homo Sapiens) live lives of misery, hopelessness, and genetically engineered addiction, surviving only as the servants of a new and better breed of humans. Blaming herself for the troubles of numerous future generations, Con is increasingly distraught. Then she is visited by three future time travelers of the Home Perfectus species, and they explain to her that Sam has been using her not to "fix" history but to pervert and change it according to his own designs. They want Con's help - but Con refuses to do anything until she is reunited with Rick.

She gets her wish, but unfortunately this Rick comes from a time before he ever met Con or traveled back in time. Suddenly transported to a poor and filthy thirty-first century world and forced to deal with a "crazy" woman who insists she is his wife, Rick is not the happiest of men. To succeed in her new mission, Con must once again win the trust and, she hopes, the heart of the man she fell in love with 65 million years ago. As strong a character as she is, she alone cannot possibly survive some of the challenges she faces here.

The race to beat Sam at his own history-altering game is a strategic one that takes our heroes over diverse areas of the timestream, including the Jurassic Period of Earth's early history. Like time travel, the novel can become a bit confusing at times. First off, the fact that Con is her own ancestor supposedly gives her a special ability to alter time. Then there are a few sudden shifts in temporal causality in which we suddenly see the Con of a different reality in front of our eyes. In terms of the future, you have three species of humans competing for dominance, and in some of those future histories, at least one of the species has become extinct. Con is even confronted with the fact that, thanks to the altering of the time flow, she was no longer ever born- her future past has been completely expunged from the space-time continuum. There are some fascinating ideas espoused in this tale. For instance, time - like a river - tends to be only momentarily diverted by outside changes - it takes a significant stimulus to truly alter the future. I also liked the argument that time travel in and of itself tends to weaken the stability of the timestream.

While the entire book is filled with excitement, the ultimate scheme for foiling Sam's plans seems rather clumsy to me, and the ultimate turn of events can be seen from miles away by the reader. Still, I loved this book. With its heavy emphasis on the theoretical underpinnings and logic-defying nature of time travel, its multiple journeys across a number of millennia, its account of the heroes' struggles to survive in the most inhospitable of times and places (both past and future), and its rich and wonderfully complex main characters, Sea of Time makes for a gripping, entertaining read.

Another excellent suplement to my western medical training. It is a welcome addition to my library

Este libro es único por su claridad y profundidad en un tema tan resguardado en la India; está escrito por un médico para otro médico. Trata y transmite entre otros temas el arte de leer el pulso, los niveles, órganos afectados, subtipos de Doshas, alteraciones de los tejidos, Prana, Constitución mental, efectos de las gemas, diagnóstico y pronóstico de las enfermedades. Te acompaña con 127 ilustraciones,10 tablas y un inglés fácil de leer. Como colega agradezco al Dr. Vasant Lad haber dado con gran Maestría parte de la Sabiduría del Ayurveda para que los occidentales del tercer mundo que no tenemos acceso a las Universidades de la India podamos aprender y aplicar esta ciencia a nuestro pacientes.

Clear and practical instruction on a "difficult" subject

Dr. Vasant Lad is a world-renowned ayurvedic physician, born and educated in India, with more than forty years of clinical experience. He is one of the world's leading teachers and scholars of ayurveda, and served as professor of clinical medicine at the University of Pune College of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery as well as director of its affiliated hospital. Currently, he is president of and a senior faculty member at the Ayurvedic Institute, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Vasant Lad is the author of several professional texts and popular works on ayurveda and has written countless articles on the subject.

Long ago, in India's remote past, ayurveda's sages described the means by which the radial pulse could be utilized to interpret the status of the physical and psychological constitutions of its possessor as well as to assess the overall state of health (or its absence). In the hands of an experienced and sensitive practitioner, pulse diagnosis (nadi pareeksha) can yield up a wealth of information of a very specific character well beyond the simple determination of prakruti and vikruti. It can lend assistance to locating the precise site(s) of pathology, the tissues affected and the state of the disease's progress and development, as well as the presence or absence of reactive systemic toxins that may lead to disease. Because pulse diagnosis requires a great sensitivity and deftness of the sense of touch that comes only with practice, it is as much an "art" as a science.

While pulse diagnosis has been cursorily described in several popular works on ayurveda, Dr. Lad has produced the first text on pulse diagnosis for the Western student practitioner, and "Secrets of the Pulse" provides a clear and straightforward method by which one can learn to assess the meanings of the pulse. With practice and the guidance afforded by this book, one can acquire the proficiency to read pulses accurately

This new edition has been revised and expanded in response to the feedback of many students and teachers who use this book in ayurvedic schools and clinics.

"Secrets of the Pulse" offers very practical and very clear instruction on pulse analysis that the author received from his own guru, describing a unique method that augments the practitioner's sensitivity and awareness while cultivating one's ability to directly perceive fundamental paradigms affecting the body.

Along with several other of Dr. Lad's works, I am certain that "Secrets of the Pulse" is destined to become a definitive textbook in English-language training programs for aspiring ayurvedic practitioners. It is an excellent effort, delivering practical instruction on a "difficult" subject matter with clarity and elegance. I heartily recommend it to anyone hoping to become involved in ayurveda.

I had wanted to learn this technic for several years now, being told it was impossible to learn without the presence of a teacher.

This book is easy to understand and impliment. I have been able to use many of the technics in this book with increasing accuracy, in just a few months. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in this science.

Sincerely,

Eric Lloyd

This book is very informative and easy to understand about ayurveda.Excellent and Fast delivery.

This book touches on so many levels, especially with the dark aspect of spirituality that so many of us run try to away from only to find out that it is really God's face with a mask on. The mask being our own lack of awareness and fear. Highly recommended to any student of the spiritual arts.

This spectular adventure unfolds in seventeenth century Tibet. It surpasses " Celestine Prophecy" in its mysterious, passionate luminous characters and plot. Evoking nuances of "Indiana Jones searching for the Holy Grail," author Phil Morimitsu's character, "Lobnear Wa" weaves his way through the ancient mysterious lush Hindu Kush mountains, its cities and its inhabitants. His quest is filled with conflict, treachery, and love. This is an action packed thrilling story which commands attention, and leaves the reader wanting more. The book begs for a sequel, and certainly a film version. Russell Crowe, or Harrison Ford -after "Gladiator" and "Indiana Jones", are you looking for yet another a unique part? After reading this book, I have been inspired to pursue my dreams and past life memories more fully. Perhaps "A "Seeker" exists in all of us. Read the book, and "venture in!"

Phil's 1992 book "The Seeker" is still a landmark in Eckankar's teachings simply because he takes one back to those days in Tibet when being walled up in a cave as a monk was a useful method of gaining enlightenment and solitude. Lobsang Rampa's books covered this terrain of Tibetean harshness for those seekers of truth as well as the recent movie and book, "Seven Years In Tibet," starring Brad Pitt. For me, since I was involved in the early days of helping Eckankar getting the right to build the Temple of Eck in Chanhassen, Minnesota along with Phil and many others, his portrayal of Temple politics which he gleans from his "inner" travels to Katsupari Monastery is not to be missed by any serious student of outer or inner body phenomenon who desires ultimately the light and sound of God! huuuu leland roth Quetzalcoatly2k@webtv.net

Phil's 1992 book "The Seeker" is still a landmark in Eckankar's teachings simply because he takes one back to those days in Tibet when being walled up in a cave as a monk was a useful method of gaining enlightenment and solitude. Lobsang Rampa's books covered this terrain of Tibetean harshness for those seekers of truth as well as the recent movie and book, "Seven Years In Tibet", starring Brad Pitt. For me, since I was involved in the early days of helping Eckankar getting the right to build the Temple of Eck in Chanhassen, Minnesota along with Phil and many others, his portrayal of Temple politics which he gleans from his "inner" travels to Katsupari Monastery is not to be missed by any serious student of outer or inner body phenomenon who desires ultimately the light and sound of God! huuuu leland roth Quetzalcoatly2k@webtv.net

Phil's 1992 book "The Seeker" is still a landmark in Eckankar's teachings simply because he takes one back to those days in Tibet when being walled up in a cave as a monk was a useful method of gaining enlightenment and solitude. Lobsang Rampa's books covered this terrain of Tibetean harshness for those seekers of truth as well as the recent movie and book, "Seven Years In Tibet", starring Brad Pitt. For me, since I was involved in the early days of helping Eckankar getting the right to build the Temple of Eck in Chanhassen, Minnesota along with Phil and many others, his portrayal of Temple politics which he gleans from his "inner" travels to Katsupari Monastery is not to be missed by any serious student of outer or inner body phenomenon who desires ultimately the light and sound of God! huuuu leland roth

It is very difficult to say more than I highly recommend "Shadows Of Wolf Fire". I eagerly awaited this book for months after reading the others in the series three times each. So much so, I purchased a Limited Edition Leather Bound book. That should tell you something. This is not a book to be read without first reading the other three. My recomendation to any-one, would be to read Volume 1, "Return Of The Warriors". Personally, I don't see how anyone can read the first volume without eagerly consuming the other three. Anything else I could say seems to place me in a "catch 22" situation, which you can only understand after reading and begining to live the wonderful, mysterious teachings that flow through them. I have never met Theun Mares personally or participated in any of his workshops, but I am truly honored to be a recipient of his purpose. To recomend the book in some way seems futile for I know that all that will read it have all been already determined by fate. In that regard, all I have to say is "thank you so much Thuen Mares."

Shadows of Wolf Fire
by
Theun Mares
Reviewed by Anthony Gagliano

In his latest book, Shadows of Wolf Fire, Theun Mares adds another chapter to the unveiling of the Toltec Legacy, a task he first began seven years ago with the publication of Return of The Warriors and continued in Cry of The Eagle and The Mists of Dragon Lore. Readers of these works, as well as serious students of Carlos Castaneda, will find in Shadows of Wolf Fire a most important addition to their understanding of what it means to walk the warrior's path, and more importantly, The Path With A Heart. This fourth volume in the series examines many topics which will be of great interest, including the training of the three and four pronged nagal; the socerer's explanation; the relationship between the dreamer and the dreamed; and the role of gender in the evolution of awareness, as well as many others. Fans of Tales of Power will find themselves on the edge of their seats.
I recommend this book without reservation, as I have the first three volumes. I do so not only out respect for Mr. Mare's works, but as a long time student of the teachings of Don Juan as first introduced to the modern world by his most famous student. I believe that Mr. Mares represents the truest segue from the teachings of Don Juan as imparted to Dr. Castaneda, both of whom the author acknowledges in the preface of the book. Long ago, a reviewer of one of Castaneda's works wrote that the significance of what the writer had achieved could not be overestimated. I can, with all my heart, and with all the powers of discrimination available to me, say the same of Theun Mares and The Shadows of Wolf Fire.

Anthony Dale Gagliano

It is so refreshing to see the Totlec tradition embraced by some many and to hear another voice showing people the way toward freedom.

This book reminds me of the story of the Zen master pointing at the moon. The student is reminded to look at the moon and not focus on the master's finger that merely shows the way.

However you connect with your spirit, with the greatness of who and what you are - enjoy the process.

A very interesting read!

In the journey towards self-realization, SOWF serves as a springboard that catapults the reader to move beyond the "intellectual masturbation" and romanticism that many so-called spiritual books have regurgitated and repackaged. Within these pages are the tried and tested tools that are most practical and applicable to our daily lives.

How do we affect change to promote growth and evolution within ourselves so that, in turn, we may assist humanity in moving towards its own collective maturity? How does our own state of mind, when lost in chaos and confusion, affect the very interrelationship of life on a grander scale? How do we utilise our folly to gain a better understanding of the concept that life doesn't just happen, but instead should be lived and cherished as the most exhilarating adventure of all.

This book will make you remember.

Unlike many, my discovery of Theun Mares and the Toltec Teachings did not come through the Castaneda camp. In fact, to this day I still have not read straight through any one of Dr. Castaneda's books.

In any case, after I read "Return of the Warriors" by Theun I quickly ordered all of his books which up until that point did not include "Shadows of Wolf Fire."

It was with great anticipation that I began Theun's latest work on the Toltec Teachings: "Shadows of Wolf Fire." And I was never disappointed. In fact, moved to tears in many parts, puzzled and somewhat overwhelmed in others, I found in this work
answers to many of the questions raised within me from reading his earlier volumes of the Toltec Teachings.

In a world so riddled with strife, so fragmented by separative behavior and thinking and so very far from the potential magic inherent within each of us, Theun's newest book is a joy. It makes me glad to be alive and thankful for each day as I work to unfold the mystery which is me.

This book is the finest book written by Hulda Clark that goes to the nitty gritty of cleansing the body and chasing out the polutants and invaders. The progress Hulda Clark has done in the field of health in mere 15 years could not be done by Allopaty in hundreds of years.Fantastic job!

This is the ultimate science appetizer. It is relevant because it holds the key to proper immune support and protection. It is fascinating because it is new turf. This book shows how to be your own toxin detective in the foods you eat and the personal items you use.

Knowledge is power and the knowledge in this collection of experiments will put you and your family into the power of toxin reduction and elimination.

Here is the magic wand to make intelligent daily choices in the marketplace and in the kitchen.

Here is the book that started me on the path of science investigation.

Here are only a tiny fraction of the experiements by the woman who deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for decoding the functions and processes of the body detoxification systems.

Here is the book I wouldn't sell at any price.

Here is the cutting edge neo/techno Dr. Clark revolution.

Her body resonance invention inspired the marriage of radio electronics with biochemistry to offer a cheap, personal, and effective means of studying the workings of your own body in the comfort of your own home.

Ahhhhh, if only she had been my science teacher in high school I might have been a rocket scientist by now. I'll settle for being a benzene-detecting kitchen mama.

Syncrometer Science Laboratory Manual is a college-level manual with a plastic comb binding which will find its audience with students interested in making a Syncrometer and devising experiments for its use. These biology students will receive a thorough grounding in experimental procedures using syncrometry, from plate-zapping to new techniques for cancer therapy. A technical guide packed with explanations and tips on applying the syncrometer to research.

My paradigm of science has been expanded. I bought the syncrometer. I bought the video by Carmen Myers. I bought the Syncrometer Science Manual. I sat down one afternoon with all of the above. After three hours of practice, it worked.I will never, NEVER be the same again!!

I was astonished when I saw this manual available from Amazon. Fantastic! For all the skeptics out there who view Hulda Clark's theories as "unscientific" and "quackery," I invite you to check out her latest publication. This is science way beyond its time. This independant scientist has bypassed the normal route of dicovery and handed the results to you personally. No medical journal time lag involved here! She is not motivated by peer recognition nor financial gain. (Clearly the great power above would not have allowed her tremendous success in cancer, aids, etc. if she was motivated by greed.) Anybody familiar with biochemistry and physics can truly appreciate this entire book. It is basically broken down into 3 sections: 1. Basic syncrometer testing: This section contains 30 experiments in basic syncrometer testing. It is a companion section on her 3 books, "Cure for All Cancers," "Cure for Hiv/Aids," and "The Cure for All Diseases."

2. Syncrometer Biochemistry testing: This section contains 62 experiments in advanced biochemical testing with the syncrometer. This is not for the beginner. Nor can one use household products to make testing samples, but with a few hundred dollars in specimen, tissue and substance slides the possibilities are endless!

3. Geometabolism: This 3rd section of 16 experiments undoubtedly qualifies Dr. Clark for a Noble prize in various categories.(Of course she deserved a Noble prize in medicine with her very first Cancer book!) This section involves the effect of the earth's(or outer space) magnetic field on the timing of our metabolism. It would be a great discovery in modern science if she or other syncrometer operator was able to perform these experiments in a space environment outside of the earths atmosphere. This would bring us major steps closer to piecing together many questions of our existence. Are we really connected to our universe? Is there an ultimate "force" that brings us all together? Is there really something to Ayurvedic medicine's philosophy of our health being connected with the cosmos?(Ayurveda is the oldest form of medicine originating from India and spawning nutritional and exercise(yoga) guidelines.)

This book is years ahead of its time for those who can look past its basic ingredient, the syncrometer. Although rather elementary in its design compared to todays technology, its use involves the most sensitive, fool proof machine existing. Our own senses. This device is more sensitive than ELISA immunology testing, is cheap, quick and user frendly. So what is the catch? Well ask any musician if their instrument is difficult to use and you will most likely get a quick, "No!" The reason for this confident answer is that they have PRACTICED long hours. The syncrometer will initially require a few hours of practice much like a musical instrument. It is a blend of hand eye coordination, sensitive listening and concentration to blend the two together. In 6 months of daily practice one can become a saviour to ailing family members and friends. Good luck and God bless!

Fascinating recounting of a trip to South America tracking down natural remedies from herbs and plants in the disappearing rain forest. It makes me want to go, but only in the equivalent of a bee keeper's garb (carniverous insects), and with a portable air conditioner. And never take the bus anywhere...

The wise people of the tribes that the author encounters are fascinating; so much so, that someone who loves all modern conveniences would contemplate going there.

Wonderful travel adventures as well as a professional look at the world of natural medicines. The world needs more people with the heartfelt dedication of Chris Kilham. A great read.....

Having read many adventure travel books, and explorations into ethnobotany, I am a hard marker on books in this genre. I was impressed with Kilham's writing style, narrative drive, ability to quickly sketch colorful characters, and skill at connecting the lives of indigenous peoples and their herb lore to the jaded first-world reader. (He also doesn't skimp on the supporting science, but doesn't bog the reader down in it.) I learned a lot about kava, maca, and other unfamiliar but intriguing herbs, and had fun doing it. Highly recommended, as a perfect hybrid of adventure travel (replete with very amusing misadventures) and herbal health.

Cultural Anthropology, Herbology, History, Action, Adventure and Health information all wrapped up in an easy-to-read package. Thoroghly enjoyed the book in many aspects!!

Wow! Get ready for a magical mystery tour into the secrets of healing you won't find anywhere else. Chris Kilham takes us to some of the most hidden and exotic locations around the world, and uncovers remedies and rituals that heal the body and the soul. Don't miss this book if you long for excitement, authenticity and cutting edge discoveries.

Thank you Vasant Lad for this great tool that helps one unlock the truth called Ayurveda. Vasant Lad has presented a true text book that will become a companion of the modern day Ayurvedic student. Normally if one was to source concise information on the fundamentals of Ayurveda then one had the difficult task of studying the translations of Caraka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Vagbhata Samhita. While these texts are the foundation for modern Ayurveda they can be daunting to the student new to this amazing science. The only other method was to correlate information from books written by Vasant Lad, David Frawley, Atreya, Robert Svoboda, Subhash Ranade, Maya Tiwari etc.... and then one would build up a collection of information from different sources. Whilst this is not a bad thing (and I will continue to read books offered from these great teachers) finding enough detailed information was sometimes very hard. "The Text Book of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles" is truly amazing. It is a must for the serious student of Ayurveda. Vasant Lad has indicated that this if the first of three, the next two dealing with; the clinical assessment of health and disease, and the management of disease. The contents of this book is vast, it covers all aspects of the philosophical foundation that Ayurveda stands upon, The Tridosha, Agni, The Seven Dhatu, The Fifteen Srotas, Ojas, Tejas, Prana, Digestion and Nutrition, to be honest this does no justice to what is actually in this textbook. Get it!

Destined to become the definitive English-language textbook of ayurveda

Dr. Vasant Lad is a world-renowned ayurvedic physician, born and educated in India, with more than forty years of clinical experience. He is one of the world's leading teachers and scholars of ayurveda, and served as professor of clinical medicine at the University of Pune College of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery as well as director of its affiliated hospital. Currently, he is president of and a senior faculty member at the Ayurvedic Institute, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Vasant Lad is the author of several professional texts and popular works on ayurveda and has written countless articles on the subject.

There have been many textbooks published for intending practitioners of ayurveda, but until now nearly all of these have been in Sanskrit or more frequently Hindi or one of India's regional languages. Lacking facility in one or more of these, the English speaking student was left with one of two relatively time-consuming and unsatisfactory alternatives: consulting English-language translations of ayurveda's classics (i.e., the Sushruta and Charaka compendiums and the Astanga Hridaya, inter alia, a prospect unwieldy to say the least given the host of ancient therapies no longer in existence in today's world and the often untranslatable proper names of conditions and medicines) or compiling and correlating information from popular works on the subject and online sources.

Dr. Vasant Lad's "Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles" has resolved this daunting task for the professional student of ayurveda and provided in one well-organized, well-written and very clear English-language volume all salient aspects of the philosophical and scientific foundation that ayurveda stands upon: from the metaphysical underpinnings to the foundations of ayurvedic anatomy and physiology.

The book is arranged into ten sections covering, respectively the shad darshan (the metaphysical assumptions underlying ayurveda); the elements, gunas (qualities of matter) and the tridoshic theory; dosha subtypes and their locations and functions; agni (degistive processes) the sapta dhatus (seven tissue types); srotamsi (channels or meridians), ojas, tejas, and prana (subtle forms of the doshas), digestion and nutrition and swasthavritti (ayurvedic concepts of healthy lifestyles and regimens). The flow of instructional material in the book is superlatively well-organized, with the information provided in one section providing a knowledge base for the effective study of material provided in subsequent sections.

With the coming of ayurveda to the West, there has emerged a great need for a foundation-level textbook that not only caters to Western learning styles but that also forges a link between ayurveda's conceptions of anatomy and physiology and those of Western biomedicine. It contains the necessary foundation for the understanding of a paradigm of health and disease far removed from the Western one, going far beyond the level of detail and sophistication than that encountered in works published for the interested lay public.

The appearance of this valuable work by Dr. Lad is synchronous with the creation of more and higher quality, academically rigorous programs of instruction and training in ayurveda outside of the country of its birth. Dr. Lad has written what I believe will become the definitive textbook of ayurveda for English-speaking and reading students in the West, and is due an enormous debt of thanks by the ayurvedic profession and by the public in general. I heartily and unhesitatingly recommend this work as a necessity for all aspiring practitioners of ayurveda. It will also be of use to health professionals schooled in Western biomedical concepts who wish to achieve a degree of familiarity with ayurvedic concepts.

I think this is a through textbook.
I do yoga, meditation for 20 years and have read a lot of books, still there is a lot to learn in this book.
Also as an MD(Internal medicine)i enjoy adding knowledge of ayurveda and i feel using that for my regular office based patients is a big plus .
i strongly recommend this book .

I've recently purchased several ayurvedic books and will be returning most of them now. This book has everything. I MUST have. It is very thorough and extremely interesting. Not just a rehashing of information found elsewhere. If you only have one book - get this one!

Traditionally, ayurveda has been taught orally, with reference to ancient texts like the works of Charaka, Sushruta and Vagbhata; references that are still used today. These writings, which are believed to date thousands of years, contain the eternal and universal principles of the natural science of ayurveda; however they also contain therapies and lifestyle prescriptions which are hopelessly archaic; and materia medica which are no longer accessible (e.g. opium and camel's urine!). With the spread of ayurveda to the West, there emerged a great need for a text that not only catered to the western mode of thinking and education, but that also made connections between the ayurvedic view of anatomy and physiology, and that of the West. This book attempts to do just that.

Dr.Vasant Lad is in the forefront of Vaidyas (ayurvedic practitioners) who have made ayurvedic education available to the West. He started teaching ayurveda in the USA in 1980, and has produced many prominent writers and educators on the subject. His previous books include the popular Ayurveda; The Science of Self-Healing; and The Yoga of Herbs, co-written with Dr. David Frawley, a groundbreaking book introducing the concepts of ayurvedic herbology to the western public.

This Textbook of Ayurveda comes as more in-depth ayurvedic education programmes develop in the West. It contains the necessary foundation for the understanding of a medical model far removed from the western allopathic paradigm. To understand and practise ayurveda, one literally needs to adopt, to immerse oneself in, a completely different perspective. Dr.Lad's book contains chapters on the Six Philosophies which underpin ayurveda, from the unthinkably ancient Sankhya philosophy of creation, which also forms the basis of Buddhism and some aspects of Yoga; to the Nyaya science of logic; to Yoga itself, the profound science of psychology and human potential.

Then we explore the system of 20 qualities of nature; the five elements; the three humours (Doshas) and their 15 subtypes; the concept of Agni or Digestive Fire; the Dhatus or body tissues; the Srotas or body channels; Ojas, Tejas, and Prana or the subtle humours; and Digestion and Nutrition. Each aspect is explained and related back to western anatomy, physiology and pathology. The important connection is also made between each aspect and the mind, which in ayurveda is considered a distinct but interdependent part of the body. There are copious appendices and tables on the various systems, ayurvedic properties of food, and other useful information.

A notable feature is the high quality of production. This is refreshing - and I would say necessary, if ayurvedic education is to be taken seriously by mainstream medicine. To be frank, I am fed up of poorly written, edited, designed and produced books from India. Even so-called textbooks are appallingly arranged, sometimes with no indexes or useful means of finding information. This book is clearly illustrated with line drawings, attractively designed, and printed on good paper. Two of the book's editors are ayurveda and Sanskrt instructors in New Zealand. If such talents were used more often in the editing and production of ayurvedic books, the credibility and reputation of ayurvedic education and publications would no doubt increase.

But does the book really deliver the goods? In my opinion, a lot of the correlations with western anatomy and physiology are speculative, and Dr.Lad should admit they are so. A lot of the material, while interesting, is simply not standard ayurvedic training, traditional or otherwise - and therefore misleading. If, instead of trying to pass off these wishy-washy correlations, Dr.Lad had worked on better translating and elucidating the traditional texts and principles, I believe the book would have more usefully served the growing interest in ayurveda as a clinical medical system. I feel that, while the book is insufficiently academic and credible for serious students of ayurveda, it still serves as a good introduction for the intelligent western reader.

Great book. Awesome pictures to demonstrate each step and a wonderful muscle reference at the end. would recommend!

I have had the privilege of studying under Rick Gold in several subjects at the International Professional School of Bodywork (IPSB) in San Diego, California. I can tell you without a doubt that this book is an excellent guide and a great source of his incredible wisdom, passion and extraordinary depth of knowledge about Thai massage. Sawasdee!

This book was recommended to me by my thai massage teacher. It is very helpful and the DVD is one that you can watch on your TV instead of sitting at a computer. I worked on someone while watching this in my living room....great. I would highly recommend this book!!

This is one of the best books on massage that I have ever seen. I have been to Thailand and experienced traditional Thai massage. This book is an authentic presentation of this wonderful form of traditional body therapy. I especially appreciated the sections on history, theory and Buddhist influences on traditional Thai medicine. An aspect of this book that I have found to be particularly beneficial are the directional arrows that are present on each of the excellent black and white photographs. The instructions are clear and make even complicated procedures seem accessible.

Dr. Gold, in his book on traditional Thai Massage, has given the massage community hands-on guidance in the use of Thai Massage. This is more than a step-by-step workbook on Thai Massage. Yes, it has clear and rich photography and esay-to-follow instructions. It also includes the theory of Thai medicine, indications and contraindications, and a discussion of the sen (energy pathway). This book should be required reading for anyone wishing to deepen their understanding of Thai Massage.