Akers Books

Overall, this text is an excellent resource for the aspirant on the path of yoga. I highly recommend this text; along with an in depth study of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.

I spent a few months reading the Sanskrit, the English, and discussing the content of this short text at the Yoga Society of San Francisco with a world-renowned scholar of Sanskrit. We not only used Akers translation, but we also used 2 other translations. Of all the translations I have read, I have found that Akers translation is the most accurate. However, the only drawback of this text is that it doesn't have the transliteration. It goes from Devanâgarî to the English. Thus, folks who cannot read the Devanâgarî of Sanskrit will find it challenging. But if you have no interest in reading Sanskrit and just want to read the English you are fine. My only advice is that before you perform the exercises in Chapters 2, 3, and 4, I suggest you seek out a guru who is a master of these practices. Because like most exercise routines they may vary depending on one's unique constitution and where one is on their spiritual journey.

If you would like to learn more about this text feel free to contact me at anthony@urbanyogis.com.

Review by Nârâyaa (Anthony) Biduck, Co-Creator of Urban Yogis [...]

This is a unique translation of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Sometime in the 15th Century, Yogi Svatmarama put down his principals of the practice of Yoga. Many of these include the mysteries of Kundalini --the coiled center of energy close to the base of the spine. But there is a lot more here for the student of yoga, including photos of the various "asanas" or positions, health, diet and mental hygiene. If you read Sanskrit, this would be a treasure. If you don't, you still have a line-by-line translation of this ancient and honored work. It's like listening to the yogi himself as he lectures his disciples. Fascinating reading--and if you are a practicing yogi or yogini, you'll find this insightful.

Ably translated into English by Brian Dana Akers, The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is the classic sourcebook on Hatha Yoga, written by an East Indian yoga master named Svatmarama in the fifteenth century C.E. to preserve for future generations his own experience and the wisdom of older works now lost. This faithful reproduction of the crucial text features the original Sanskrit side-by-side with the exacting English translation. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika reads as a selection of individual phrases describing the hatha yoga poses and giving insight into the spiritual nature of yoga. Black-and-white photographs illustrate several of the poses. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is an impressive and highly recommended reference for students and devoted practitioners of Hatha Yoga.

The two best known English translations of Svatmarama's classical text on yoga from the Fifteenth Century are by Pancham Singh and Elsy Becherer. The former is 87 years old and the latter is a translation (with commentary by Hans-Ulrich Rieker) from the German, and is therefore twice removed from the original Sanskrit. Both books are out of print. Surprisingly there is virtually nothing else in English despite the fact that the hatha yoga teachings found in popular works, including B.K.S. Iyengar's celebrated Light on Yoga, are in no small part based on Svatmarama's text.

Brian Dana Akers brings us a new translation set with the English following the Sanskrit verse by verse. His style is straightforward, clear and elegant. He does not make the mistake of trying to translate yogic terms that are really not translatable, e.g., "nadi," "prana," "bandha," "mudra," etc. Instead he invites us to use a dictionary of yoga. He also makes the sly suggestion in his brief but graceful Introduction that "the scientifically minded do some empirical research. In a peaceful country, in a quiet place, free of all anxieties..." (p. xii)

Well, I have done some small research and I can tell you that Svatmarama knows whereof he speaks. I can also say along with Akers that I do not recommend some of Svatmarama's practices, (some of the "cleansing" mudras are unnecessary today; indeed they are dangerous) and clearly the old master exaggerates. However, his intention was not hyperbole. He spoke instead in what is called an "intentional language" that would guide teachers and advanced practitioners without confusing or revealing too much to beginners. This way of speaking is also called samdhya-bhasha ("twilight language") according to Georg Feuerstein. Thus a practice that allows one to become "young, even if old" may be distinguished from another practice that "destroys death," which in turn may be distinguished from one which leads to the place where "time is not."

Even though I first encountered the text almost 25 years ago and have read it several times, I did indeed find a dictionary helpful. I used Georg Feuerstein's definitive The Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga (1997), but could have also used an English-Sanskrit dictionary to explore the more secular meanings of some words, which might have given me a better feel for some of the nuances of expression used by Svatmarama. To really appreciate Svatmarama's text perhaps this from Feuerstein might be helpful: "Language has the curious capacity to both disclose and veil the truth, and since ancient times the masters of India's spirituality have been especially sensitive to the possibilities and the limitations of linguistic communication." (Opus cited, p. 167) Rather than throw himself into the briar patch of Svatmarama's expression, Akers has wisely stepped to the side and let the text speak for (and against) itself.

But what is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika? It is simply a course in how to obtain samadhi, or liberation or freedom from the pairs of opposites that dominate our lives. It begins with asana and pranayama and ends with transcendence. All of the postures so familiar to us, and all of the breathing exercises have but one purpose: meditation leading to pushing aside the veil of ignorance that characterizes ordinary existence. It takes a long time to get there. The "empirical research" that Akers recommends will be a project of years (unless of course one is particularly gifted).

What is not mentioned in Svatmarama's delineation are the ethical and spiritual considerations called the yamas and niyamas that we find in Patanjali. I recommend that the Hatha Yoga Pradipika be studied in conjunction with Patanjali's celebrated sutras as aids to your practice. They have much in common, but there are some significant differences. Svatmarama makes no concessions to political correctness nor to social or religious considerations. His text is indeed striking in its terse and single-minded, even profane, ambition. Quite simply there is a problem: bondage to samsara. And there is a solution: hatha yoga leading to raja yoga leading to liberation.

Brian Dana Akers and the people at YogaVidya are to be complimented for bringing this text to the general public and for doing so in a most attractive manner. This is the book you want after you have finished with the popular texts.

As a student/teacher of A Course in Miracles, dedicated to understand what I AM, Who my Brother Is...recognizing we are the Same, and not different...and how to look upon the world, and loose it from all I thought it was, I found NTI, Holy Spirit's Interpretation a profound Truth for anyone who is willing to receive its Light and Understanding.

Perfect for anyone, on any path, any religion, as it speaks of our Universal Self, Our Oneness, as God Created US, not as we believe.

Anyone who is a reader of the New Testament will appreciate this non-duality perception of the many books of NT. Anyone who is involved in any non-duality path..A Course in Miracles or any of the many Universal Curriculums all leading to the same place of "Know Thyself" will truly appreciate how NTI reinforces and resonates with where you are now, and deepens our appreciation of how Perfect it ALL IS!

David Fishman,
ACIM Gather and OneMind Foundation
Author of "Into Oneness, Thoughts and Prayers on the Way"

This is a beautifully Worded presentation of the True Message of the New Testament, given as only the Word of God/Holy Spirit could give that message. Its value has no limit.

This book reminds me of Roshomon. I feel the description on the back cover that it is an "interpretation" of the NT, misses the point. This is a retelling from the HS, as the truly objective witness, and thus at times it sounds like an interpretation, but at other times it is equally a correction of very skewed ego-based viewpoints.
It is a gem, no doubt, and it will last.

If you had the ability to look at my bookshelves now, you would see that I'm nothing short of an empassioned self-help junkie and bibliophile. From this point of view, you may know, that there are some books that are nice to read and some that are merely entertaining or attractive. However, there are also those few books that rarely come along in your life which truly leave you breathless. These books touch your life so deeply that you cannot even imagine being without them. NTI is one of those books. The Holy Spirit's Interpretation of the New Testament perfectly reflects another one of my favorite books, A Course In Miracles, and neither do I feel that my life would be same without it.

Since receiving this book, I've been carrying it around with me at work and showing it to the people who I feel prompted to share it with (which sometimes is just about everyone). Also, I've been using it as a daily guide, similiar to how I often use the Course. At times, I'll just open up to any place within it, asking Holy Spirit for just the right place, and read... the answers I receive are always perfect for what I need to hear in that very moment.

Truly, I cannot speak more highly about this book. When you purchase it, and you should, do not just read it to be another part of your metaphysical, self-help or inspirational collection. Let this book be a part of your life! Let your life come to new heights through it. I can promise you that if you practice its wisdom, genuine peace and transformation will occur. Each moment I read NTI, I feel more inspired and more in love with Holy Spirit. WOW~ Simply Being: One Year with Spirit

I have read LOTS of spiritual books and teachings. This book is my favorite along with A Course in Miracles. Both give step by step instructions to waking up to who You really are and finding peace and joy. I find NTI to be very gentle in its approach. The voice that speaks throughout this book is gentle, reassuring and speaks with crystal clear clarity. There is a nugget of inspiration in every sentence. The gentle voice throughout this book leads you to come to Know yourSelf as you Truly are.
It says in the title that it is a book of understanding and acceptance. I definitely have a new understandng of Who I Am and what my purpose is. I also have come to a greater level of acceptance of myself, others and all that I see. Thats quite an accomplishemnt!!!

Reading this book has changed me. Practicing the guidance presented in this book has the power to change your life completely. I have found a new level of peace and joy, truly. This is a book that wont go back on the book shelf.
You will want to keep it near you for inspiration and guidance. I am very grateful I found this awesome book!! It is a Real gift!

This is the kind of book that your kids will read a thousand times. The illustrations are refreshing, fun, and give perfect insight into a child's imagination. An absolute must buy!

The illustrations are great and they add a strong visual effect to the story. My child loved the book and we had to read it over and over.

My daughter, a 5-year old, both enjoyed the story and the drawings, and the level is just right to draw her into the reading of it.

This book is so great! I gave one to my niece and she loves it. The illustrations are awesome. I would recommend this book to anyone who has little kids. Great lesson for little kids to learn, and it is must read for everyone.

I had read the entire Dray Prescot Cycle as a child and have been waiting for someone to combine and bind them in a hardcover format. This they did, in a neat durable format.The Saga of Dray Prescot: The Delian Cycle (The Saga of Dray Prescot) It arrived quickly and I have already read most of it. I anxiously await the hardcover binding of the other cycles.

Greetings,

I wrote a fairly extensive review three days ago but it has not appeared. Was it because it was in fact, too extensive and plot revealing?

If so, could my review be returned to me as I'd like to post it elsewhere and sadly, did not save a copy?

Thank you!

Steve Servello

This a sword adventure of a planet circling Antares. The hero is a Nelson deckhand who has the grim determination to survive and prosper against huge odds and a host of fantastic enemies and predators. The writer , Ken Bulmer, writes a fast adventure to adventure style which keeps you entertained and involved. Personally, I do not want to be the hero, it usually would be much safer to be his friend and battle companion. I find it most compelling because of the incredible detail that is uniquely of the planet. It compels one to achieve and become the most one could be. The highly detailed action is not offensive nor does it become overly mushy. This is the place where you can slip into the world and have a fantastic adventure. This is the D&D world that others dream of and yet can not achieve. This is a most have for those who have learned to love the writing of Kenneth Bulmer aka Alan Burt Akers.

Since the Dray Prescot books were a big influence on my Taleran books ("Swords of Talera," "Wings Over Talera") I can't help but give this collection of the first five Prescot books a five-star rating. For those who don't know much about the genre these books are written in, I call it Sword and Planet fiction, although another common name is Interplanetary Romance. This subgenre of fantasy began with Edgar Rice Burroughs and his "John Carter of Mars" books, the first of which was "A Princess of Mars." Other early writers who wrote in this genre were Otis Adelbert Kline, and Robert E. Howard (with "Almuric").

British author Kenneth Bulmer, writing as Alan Burt Akers, began his series about Prescot in the early 1970s and it became the longest running Sword and Planet series ever, eventually extending to over fifty books, although only the first thirty-seven were published in English. The hero of the series, Dray Prescot, was born in 1775 and grew up to be a sailor in the brutal British navy. In "Transit to Scorpio," Prescot is transported mysteriously to the world of Kregen, which circles the twin stars of Antares. He finds himself quickly thrown into life and death action. In fact, action/adventure is the single phrase that probably best describes the Prescot series. If you like sword-fights, daring rescues, and desperate escapes then you should enjoy these books. But I enjoyed them just as much for the incredibly detailed world of Kregen that Bulmer invented, a world that continued to become more real as the series progressed.

"Transit to Scorpio" is not the fastest moving of the Prescot books because it had to set up the character of Dray and get him to Kregen where the tales take place. The pace of the series speeds up considerably with the second book, "The Suns of Scorpio," and Bulmer really hits his stride with #3 "Warrior of Scorpio" and #4 "Swordships of Scorpio." All of these are included in this "Delian Cycle" collection.

Although the price here seems a bit high for this collection, remember that you're actually getting five books in one, each book of which is probably in the 70,000-75,000 word range. That's a lot of good reading, and I certainly recommend it. After all, it made me want to write my own sword and planet series, which I finally did with the books about Talera.

This really was an inspiring book. For anyone who has had to deal with injuries, much less a chronic debillitaing illness, this book shows how to approach such situations with courage and humor. It also brings up the importance of letting others help you through crises, whether they be teammates, friends, doctors, psychologists, or the clergy. I especially liked the insights into other National soccer team members. And it was very interesting to read about specific National team games, games which I watched in person or on television. I had no idea the struggle Akers had just to continue playing, much less competing at a high level. I would recommend this book for any athlete, whether or not they are dealing with injuries or illness, and I would certainly recommend it for young girls to show them what it means to be a committed athlete.

For those who battle hard and never quit, Michelle's story is a great inspiration and story of hope, faith and perseverance. Great details about the Olympics and the US Women's Team as well.

Michelle's story is one of courage and determination. Soccer fans in particular will be interested in what she has to say, but even those who don't appreciate the sport should be touched by what she's endured.

I especially enjoyed her teammates' input and the humorous stories about their time spent together. I'm a big fan of the Women's National Soccer Team in general and really appreciated these insights. Michelle also shares thoughtful remarks about family and team staff members who have inspired her to pursue her dreams despite her fight with CFS.

Sometimes you don't realize how good you have it until you hear what someone else has dealt with. This book is a very worthwhile read and may even help you to organize your own priorities!

I am a young soccer player who suffers from CFS. After reading this book I became inspired to work even harder. It is a great read for any soccer player or anyone who suffers from CFS. A wonderful book! Thank you Michelle!

Nice book - my MIL really enjoyed it. Great old pictures of Abingdon VA. Would make a nice gift.

This is a great book for your collection. It will bring back memories of your childhood and the past. The author did a great job of collecting memories for all of us to enjoy.

This book has many interesting pictures of Abingdon's places, people and buildings. I particularily liked the photos of the MArtha Washington, Barter Theatre and old downtown. It made learning about Abingdon's history very interesting...not like reading a history book at all.

A few years ago I carefully compared several texts on criminology, particularly looking for one that might address not theories, but also the extent to which they are supported by empirical evidence. This book was among the best, in terms of thoroughness, and in terms of analytical clarity (another is a text by Vold and others, and a third is by Shoemaker).

This book gives a great overview of the major theories in criminology today. The author outlines each theory, assessing how well it has been supported by empirical evidence. Of course, you walk away with a postive feeling about social learning theory, which suprise!suprise! is his own pet theory. I don't hold that against him; he evaluates his own theory as rigorously as the rest. He may just be a bit more energetic about stressing its empirical support. :) Not only a great resource for studying for comprehensive exams but a good book for an undergraduate or graduate course on criminology. I recommend it highly!

I have flown on 3 previous occasions, 6 times in all. The last time I was more nervous than ever, no logical reason for this, fear has no logic. Each flight was uneventful and safe but I am still terrified, so I decided to buy this book.
The author, a highly qualified pilot, explained everything that had concerned me about flying, the noises of the engines, the constant ding-dongs of the cabin, the reason why the plane takes off in the first place! Absolutely every fear I had is explained in this book! including absurd thoughts that go through your head!
You realise that the pilot doesn't just turn up and "turn the key of the aircraft" but that there are extensive checks and extensive preparation that goes on before you even leave home for the airport.
I am going on holiday in June 2002 and I am actually looking forward to the flight now, something I couldn't have dreamed of before I read this book. I urge anybody that is scared of flying to buy this book, because I felt it was worth every penny!
If you are a first time flyer and are nervous I also recomend this book, it explains an awful lot, answers questions, and is also very funny!

I bought a signed copy of this book in 1998, from Captain Akers-Douglas, who provided a very relaxed and comfortable Eurocypria flight from Paphos to Birmingham. The book is informative without being too technical. An excellent book, with good cartoon type pictures. It helped me to understand what really goes on before and during a flight. Captain Akers-Douglas is very entertaining both in print and personally, I would recommend this book to anyone who views flying as an insurmountable obstacle.

This is the 20th Century gold collector's bible! I found that as I started collecting I was referring to this book hourly, to the point that I had it memorized within a year. The depth of Akers knowledge and hands on experience with just about every great coin from this era offers a perspective that is unique in every aspect. He's seen them all, sold half of them for the owners, bought another half for buyers and owns 2% of them! He refers to the greatest of the great with remarkable detail and rates each date by appearance, color nuances, strike and then goes into a detailed history of ownership of the best examples known. His rating scale of rarity is dated but at the time reflects the scarcity of every date; however numerous hoardes have appeared over the last 30 years which has changed these numbers. But considering that there was NO TPG grading, NO pop reports...Akers accuracy is almost psychic. It's simply put, his collective knowledge from a lifetime of experience, and as one who knows him he's a marvel with what his knowledge is today, 30 years later! He's the Rosetta Stone of 20th Century gold...and other series'. I could never have entered this exciting arena without Akers "guide". It's "the book"!!

David Akers is the ultimate authority on this subject. His extensive knowledge and research are evident in this comprehensive encyclopedia of US Gold coins.

Bloody brilliant. The strength of character and wrenching realism of the storyline is one of the keys in this book, for me at least. Highly believable and Ben is a *wonderful* character, very likable; I felt for him throughout the entire book and quite liked the ending in that the conclusion was both satisfying and a long time coming, as well as the blossoming hope it provides for particular other characters (I won't spoil it) involved in the events of the story.

If you can get it, do so.

This story is about a 16 year old boy named Ben Corbett. His stepfather abuses him, and he can't tell anybody because then his stepfather would move the family to another community. The catalyst for change is Ben's writing - he wins a trip to a writers workshop for teenagers and has to fight to go to it. An excellent story about the power to change your life. Aker is a high school teacher, and has written really believable teen characters.