Peter Books

This was one of those books that we happened to introduce our daughter to at the perfect time. She is 5.5, loves fairy tales, and has recently been very interested in Peter Pan, and we are teaching her about maps. She loved the book right away! She loves to have an adult read her the directions while she moves her finger around on the map. She also loves finding interesting items/people in the busy map pictures (think "Where's Waldo"). From an educational standpoint, with this book she was able to quickly understand how to use coordinate grids, keys, scale, cardinal and ordinal directions, and geographical vocabulary, all without the book being overtly didactic. Rather, it was just a fun story she could be a part of (and learning these things was an inherent by-product). I would guess most 4-8 year olds, but especially those who like fairy tale and pretend play, will enjoy this.

This is a great book that the whole family enjoys. It's fun to pick a map and since everyone knows the fairy tales already- to make new endings or stories and characters based on the wonderful maps. I've bought more of these as baby shower gifts to add to family libraries.

This book is great, it really brings life to the fairy tales like Snow White and even Peter Pan with big colorful maps of everything you read about in the stories. We have a lot of fun going over the map, and I really think for a youngster 4-7 or so it is perfect for their age and imagination. It really puts a picture to the story, and makes the fairy tales all the more real.

The maps are very colorful and vibrant, and really took some imagination and time to put together. There are a lot of fun things packed in, I really enjoy it as much as my daughter. Haven't reviewed many things but HAD to write one for this because every parent needs this on the bookshelf.

I'm so glad I found this book on Amazon. Beautiful illustrations with wonderful detail. My son and I both love this book!

We bought this book for my daughter when she was 4 and heavily into the world of princesses (especially Snow White) and fantasy. She had the book for months before she ventured off the Snow White page. There is so much to do and see with this book, and it can be easily adapted for multiple ages. This book is an especially good companion to reading some of these classics for the first time (Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, and others). While the older child will memorize the maps and whiz through the hidden pictures rather quickly, all kids will enjoy the creative process of studying the map and imagining what else happens. We have fun asking questions about where other scenes from these books could happen on the map and making our own maps from there.

LA NATURALEZA, REPRESENTADA POR ESTE LIBRO QUE NOS CUIDA Y NOS RESTAURA LA SALUD !

YO HAYA ENCONTRADO SOBRE ESTA FRUTA, que es una panacea..Todo lo cura y previene michisimas enfermedades.
El libro trae datos medicos, recetas, sugerencias y enfermedades...

es el ecudo con que protejo la salud de mi familia...
Y ESTE LIBRO ME DA MIL IDEAS PARA PREPARARLA DE MANERA QUE NO SE FASTIDIEN, SINO QUE DISFRUTEN TOMANDOLA A DIARIO !!

OF LIFE,
Read this book
Eat and drink PAPAYA !
The changes are INCREDIBLE

this book...
Since then, I enjoy ever more it's sweet and fresh taste, because I know IT'S THE GUARDIAN OF MY HEALTH...
Just take a look at the table of contents ofthis book, and you'll be awed by the power of eating-drinking papaya

This book is an enormous reinforcement for those readers who need to bolster their conviction that "going against the grain" and living a life of healthful alternatives will indeed pay huge dividends in better health.Authoritative,powerful people have done it and prospered by doing so. Escape the dangers of conventional medical treatment: READ, LEARN and CHANGE. Dan E. Chesnut, M. D.

Accepting the fact that we make choices each and every day and know that we live with the consequences, be they good or bad. This book teaches that our destiny,our health is related to our lifestyle choices, plain and simple. A must read and a necessary book in our collection. Richard Pentecost, orthopedic surgeon, retired Tulsa Oklahoma

Seems more than anything a book for those who realize they have to lead a healthy lifestyle to accomplish the purpose of their lives, yet do not know how to develop it. This informative, highly personalized daily guide, is able to inspire and keep people on track as they develop the aspired healthy mindset, consequently healthy habits that empower and lead to greater life satisfaction. The book was rightly recommended to us, and the recommendation can be passed on. Four stars for a thorough, well presented work.

We feel everyone will benefit from Dr. David Ajibade's book & we will recommend it to everyone we know.It is a GREAT daily devotional & journal all in one.Get it today.

A thought-provoking book!I am using Powerful People Lead healthy Lifestyles as a tool to encourage others to research what they read about health and well-being. The daily quotes and exercises that the author has you do can only build your knowledge and encourage you to question what the health professionals are not telling you.
Changing your habits takes time, and this book helps you do that.

Having spent quite a bit of time in Provence I love to grab this book and go back there, remembering all the times and meals. Creating dishes from this book really helps me to enjoy Provence all over again.

I was a little suspicious of the series. After all, should we trust a book more suitably sized for the coffee table than for the kitchen counter? But my mistrust was misguided. The food is wonderful. All people have assumptions about "others," and one of the assumptions Americans make about the French is that their food is very difficult to prepare and relies on expensive ingredients. The truth is that French food need not be difficult and that it is a cuisine that recognizes the beauty of each season. Since my children bought this book for me, we have been building seasonal rituals around it. For example, we get salt anchovies from the neighborhood Italian deli for our Christmas eve appetizer. At Mardi Gras, we make the oreilles found in this book, which are the pastries sold as "pig's ears" or "angel wings" in the last days before Lent by Polish bakeries in Detroit. Depending on the bakery, they were known as "pig's ears" or "angels wings." My only criticism of the book is that I feel the need to keep it open in the dining room, lest kitchen grease spoils it.

"Provence, The Beautiful Cookbook" by Richard Olney is a beautiful coffee table book filled with exquisite views and mouth-watering authentic dishes from this region of France.

Every time I look through this book, I feel like I am on an actual journey to Provence. And each time, I close this book, I feel a strong yearning to actually see this part of France with my own eyes!

This book is divided into food chapters, like most cookbooks, but also, there are chapters about different areas within this region: Alpes-Maritimes; Soups and Starters; Alpes-de-Haute-Provence; Fish and Shellfish; Vaucluse; Meat, Poultry and Gram; Bouches-du-Rhone; Vegetables and Grains; Var; and Desserts.

A wonderful book for lovers of Provence!

I like this book, but it does point out one weakness in Provencal cooking...a slight lack of variety. There are multiple gratin recipes, good fish dishes, etc. It also doesn't shy away from organ meats, etc., much like the region itself. Like all the books in this visually stunning series, this one has lovely photography.

French born and 4th generation provençale, I take pride in the cuisine from my homeland and I have to confess I was a little wary about what I would find in this book. Well, the authors did a wonderful job at promoting the gastronomic traditions of Provence without betraying them. My grand-mother, our family's head-cook, and our culinary inspiration would have given her seal of approval without hesitation, would she have been around to discover this wonderful recipe collection and it is with her and my homeland in mind that I enjoy preparing the recipes featured in this excellent collection for my own enjoyment and the one of my (American) husband and our friends.

I have to admit I was skeptical when reading other reviews, but with an open mind I bought it. I'm a Pre-trib thinker and this book was enlightening. I will now go back through slower and dwell on what I've read - restudying the Word. This book will make you think.

I'm not yet fully convinced some of the seals have already been opened, but logically, considering the timeline of events, Mr. Goodgame makes a very persuasive argument.

Also, this doesn't go to the timeline or my overall opinion on the validity of the information, but I'm not convinced on his take on who will be the party to sign the seven year contract with Israel or his take on the Arab nations at the time.

The only slight disagreement I have is the statement that the earth will be renewed for Christ's 1000 year reign. The earth is not renewed - New Heaven/New Earth until after the 1000 year reign - at least based upon Rev: 21:1.

Otherwise, if you like studying prophecy then I would recommend reading this book as another guide to understanding the end times and the timeline of the seals and trumpets.

Believing that the sum of God's word is Truth, Peter has taken many obscure Old Testament prophecies and tied them together with the major prophecies of both the Old and New Testaments in such as to give a wonderful picture of the times that are now upon us and the events that will soon unfold. I found his theory on the two Witnesses to be ground-breaking, and after having conducted my own eschatological studies for a number of years, I have not found one exegetical flaw in Peter's presentation. I believe that Peter has been given the gift of prophecy and that God has revealed much to him because of his willingness to learn and his incredible desire for the heart of God.
Every Christian who is looking for the Lord and feels that the time is near should read this book. Every Christian who is apathetic about the Lord's coming should read this book. Every Christian who is confused about the End Times should read this book, as well as every Christian who blindly believes in a prophetic model despite its exegetical flaws. And everyone who does take this challenge to read this awesome work must do so with an open mind and a belief in Christ's return and what the Bible has to say about it.I would also encourage any fans of Peter's book or anyone who is at all curious about this gifted author to visit his website at www.redmoonrising.com. I have a wonderful feeling that we will be seeing more of Peter Goodgame in the future! Congratulations, Peter, and keep it up!

Being a thirty-year lay student of the "last days" via Christian and secular writers (such as Pat Buchanan), I rank "Red-Moon Rising" as a very fine lay presentation of end-time eschatology. The unfolding of the apocalyptic time line in clear, logical fashion supported by well-drawn diagrams. For a fresh and concise orientation or reorientation to the days about to descend upon us, there is no better map than "Red-Moon Rising". Read and heed!

This book is amazing! Peter explains his point of view convincingly and respectfully debunks theories of old regarding the rapture and the anti-christ. I've read it twice and it's on the docket for a third read.

Very thorough, thought provoking material.

A refreshing read. Nothing mundane about it.
Scripture references used to illustrate where each idea comes from, and is biblically backed.

This book is a wonderful read for those who are constanly seaking the truth about matters of faith, afterlife, and what is beyond death.
After you read it you will have more reasons to believe and have hope and you will be convinced that we are not alone in this world.

It is a comforting book, I truly recomend it, it is a must read especialy for those who are grieving and mourning the loss of a loved one.

What a wonderful book! Very thought provoking and comforting at the same time. I could not put this book down and I am planning to give several copies to friends and relatives for the holidays. I highly recommend this book.

Shocky writes in such an easy manner that this book was a hard one for me to put down. Even after reading it, I found myself mulling over the stories and their powerful messages. It has definitely touched me and my family in a positive way, especially as I have put to work some of the lessons learned. What a wonderful gift this makes for a friend or loved one in need of a lift. It doesn't take long to read, but what a difference it makes!

This book was very inspiring. I would personally put it us there with Conversations Wiht God and An Encounter With A Prophet.

Truly a glimpse of spiritual power

I am working on an old house restoration and from my reading this book has useful and sage advice. It is not a beginners guide and does not waste time explaining tools and materials other than to point you to more complete sources of information. A very useful book for the intermediate woodworker or builder taking on an old house project.

If I had to recommend just one book on renovating old houses it would be this one. Like most similar Taunton Press books, the book is accurate, well written, and informative about techniques that a real person might want to use. It includes lots of information about how old houses are constructed, the kinds of things that tend to go wrong with them over time, and techniques for fixing them. It is realistic about budgets and time constraints. And, perhaps most important, it gives fair warning about the stresses and strains of living in a house one is fixing up.

One might want to supplement this book with more specific books about the kind of house you are working on, and books which provide more information about how to match materials and aesthetics to the existing fabric of the particular sort of house you have, but this book is not to be missed.

in Kansas City. He read one chapter and pronounced it a collossal time saver, a validation of techniques he has heard from "old timers" in the craft, valued the colloquial and earthy writing style.
He especially appreciated the details on plasterwork, tile, window frames, rim joists and other esoterica.
I have given him many many books, and this won the Best Book Gift Ever award. That is saying quite a lot.

I believe this is the greatest book to read first in any attempt to restore and older home. Most homes relate to the late 1800's, but is revealing even for homes built in the early 1900's. Much detail from foundation to roof on restoring any part of an old cherised home for the do - it -yourselfer.

Fantastic, comprehensive book on old house restoration as well as maintenance. This one book contains more useful real-world information than a whole shelf's worth of those Home Depot, Black & Decker, etc. DIY books. And it's all delivered with intelligence, character and an occaisional dose of humor. This is a must have for anyone restoring or renovating and old house, living in and maintaining an old house and would be especially helpful to anyone who is about to 'go shopping' for an old house!

If you're wanting to understand either nondual wisdom or psychotherapy more clearly, read this wise and literate book. And when you're done, then read the second volume as well, Listening from the Heart of Silence. I wrote a longer review over there that applies to both volumes. They're good and, sad to say, there's nothing else out there that's like them. We need more. Until then, at least we have these.

This book is my first contact with non dualism in psychotherapy.
I read a lot of books on modern psychology in the past, but hadn't tapped into the edge of the field in a few years. Reading this made me aware that psychotherapy had finally found its maturity. I've expected this for 30 years, that our modern world would provide paths to truth/reality/God/I AM...And here it is. Expressed by modern minds, non dualism is easier to "understand". This book contains many tentatives at describing the undescrbable, or at least get as close as possible, a bit like hints. The authors are so articulate and honest ( exposing the weaknesses, pitfalls etc...of what method they use in their non dual therapies) that they succeed, and one can get a good taste of what they hint at, providing one reads slowly, with an open heart/mind. I find it fascinating and plan to study this field for awhile. It helps me clarify my mind, which is precious. It's pretty funny by times. These folks have humor, I like that too.

What a find - a book that explains what is essentially unexplainable! The Sacred Mirror is the "Bible" for any therapist who works from the nondual perspective. The Sacred Mirror expertly guides readers beyond what the words themselves point to. It is very rare to find anything on the subject of Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy, let alone a book that does the subject any justice.

I appreciated the essays by John J. Prendergast and Dorthy Hunt. Prendergast writes, "The critical question is whether the therapist's awareness is centered in the moment and creatively responsive to what is." And Hunt writes about, "...the healing that unfolds when that which is awake directly and intimately touches what is." I found the same power and clearity in these authors' words that is typically found in the most illumined teachers. Both of these writers are seasoned psychotherapists. They write from their direct experience.

This book serves as a wise mentor to my work as a psychotherapist. It encourages therapists to trust such "non-tangibles" as silence and presence. It helps evoke the living experience of oneself as THAT which IS awake while expertly exploring how this "understanding" connects with psychotherapy. It is no wonder that the Sacred Mirror is considered the current reference in its field.

- Jonathan Gustin M.A. LMFT, Psychotherapist; Founder of San Francisco Integral Transformative Practice; Founder of Green Sangha: Spiritually Engaged Environmental Activism; and teacher of Mind/Body Medicine at Kaiser Permanente.

Reality, Self, unconditioned mind, awakening, presence, silence, emptiness, being, nondual. If these are words you'd like to hear associated with psychotherapy, this book will be very welcome.

The Sacred Mirror is a collection of original writings by leading practitioners of nondual psychotherapy. Each author -- in his or her own fashion, and with varying degrees of emphasis -- addresses the nature of nondual disposition, what nondual therapy is, how it is practiced, and its role in psychotherapy. It is angled toward psychotherapists and the healing of psychological problems, but will appeal to anyone interested in nonduality, whether a professional healer or not. This book will be appreciated by one who senses or knows presence, whether one is held, or holds, in presence.

Since the function and work of the guru or spiritual teacher is essentially the same as that of the nondual therapist, both voices are heard from each author. Since these authors and therapists are intimate with nondual awareness, there is no underlying difference. What nondual therapists possess that most gurus do not, is formal training in psychology and a set of skills allowing them to practice conventional psychotherapy.

The first two chapters give overviews of nonduality and nondual therapy. John J. Prendergast, in the first chapter, asks whether the nondual approach makes for a new school of psychotherapy. He talks about how nonduality fits into practice. He addresses whether psychotherapy is evolving into a vehicle for transmission of truth, and whether awakening therapists are in the same lineage as Buddha or other great sages of all time. Prendergast speaks of the primary and secondary impacts of awakening. He discusses psychotherapy methods and skills in light of nondual awareness and how awakening impacts the psychotherapist.

Following the first two introductory chapters is an interview with Adyashanti. This, the third chapter, could also be considered an introductory chapter, as it gives further overview of nondual therapy and nonduality. Adyashanti is a significant character in this book since he is an outsider to the profession of psychotherapy yet works one on one with people who are awakening. His perspectives on nondual therapy would seem to be important. The interviewers ask over two dozen excellent questions, not including follow-up questions and comments.

Chapter Four is by Prendergast, who writes, "When we look into an ordinary mirror, we see how we appear. When we look into a sacred mirror, we see who we are." The role of "sacred mirror" has traditionally belonged to the guru or spiritual teacher. This chapter describes how the role is being played by the therapist and explores ways of including this function into transpersonal psychology.

Chapter Five is entitled, A Nondual Approach to EMDR: Psychotherapy as Satsang, by Sheila Krystal. EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. For the reader who has some familiarity with EMDR, this chapter gives an excellent, sometimes sizzling, introduction. Having no knowledge at all of EMDR or the associated terminology, I had to search online for background information, which helped me more fully appreciate what Krystal has compiled.

Chapter Six is authored by John Welwood. Its theme is, "Being fully human means honoring both these truths -- immanence, or fully engaging with our humanness, and transcendence, or liberation -- equally. If we try to deny our vulnerability, we lose touch with our heart; if we fail to realize our indestructibility, we lose access to enlightened mind. To be fully human means standing willingly and consciously in both dimensions."

Chapter Seven is by Dorothy Hunt, and is entitled Being Intimate with What is: Healing the Pain of Separation. Here are a few major points:
-- "When what is awake directly touches its own experience of anything, there is deep intimacy with what is. ... In this intimacy we find ourselves undivided."
--"(This realization of our undivided being) is unfailingly healing because it experiences itself as a whole."
-- This intimacy is not conceptual, not another idea or identification to be harboured. It is not separate from this or what is. It is direct experience. Any conceptualization is movement away from the experience of this. "Healing happens when we are not separating ourselves from the authentic truth of the moment."

Chapter Eight is by Dan Berkow: A Psychology of No-thingness: Seeing Through the Projected Self. "Therapy therefore facilitates exploration, gives feedback, and promotes inquiry. The effects of self-imposed friction are addressed honestly and without either minimizing or exaggerating. The psychosomatic and relational repercussions of self-protection are clarified with self-examination. The dropping of the projection of a separated self is the choiceless awareness of moment-to-moment being."

Chapter Nine, by Richard C. Miller, is about nonduality and Yoga Nidra. "Yoga Nidra is an ancient tantric Yoga practice that reflects the perspective of Awareness both as the inherent ground of our essential beingness and the container, agent, agency of our healing into the understanding that this is so."

In Chapter Ten, Stephan Bodian speaks about deconstructing the self via inquiry. "The inquiry that I describe in this essay, which now arises naturally with my clients, draws upon The Work, the self-inquiry of Advaita Vedanta, and the phenomenological investigation of experiential psychotherapy."

Chapter Eleven is called Healing Trauma in the Eternal Now. Lynn Marie Lumiere sets forth that nondual awareness is unconditional love and as such accepts extreme ecstasy and extreme trauma equally. "It is only in this embrace of the manifest by the unmanifest that true transformation or healing takes place," she says.

Jungian Analysis and Nondual Wisdom, by Bryan Wittine, is the twelfth chapter. "This chapter is about the journey in Jungian analysis of a spiritual seeker named 'Jenna,' who longed to know God. It is also about a defensive process I call 'psychospiritual splitting,' which nearly derailed Jenna's quest. Finally, it is about our analytical relationship and a nondual understanding of spirituality; both of which were central to her journey."

Chapter Thirteen is written by Jennifer Welwood. The author describes how we develop a conditioned identity. She states, "We lose the true support of our deeper nature and seek refuge in the false support of our conditioned identities. This is how our samsaric confusion manifests at the level of psychodynamics."

Nonduality as a term, as a word, remains a stranger to vast stretches of the fields not only of psychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy, but of religion, spirituality, physics, and philosophy. And to music, art, literature, ecology, architecture, athletics, nonduality is barely a phantom; it has barely breathed in those spaces. This book, The Sacred Mirror, introduces nondual wisdom or nonduality to the field of psychotherapy. This book provides an education in nondual wisdom, an enjoyable expression of nonduality, and an opening to a new direction in psychotherapy.

Jerry Katz
One: Essential Writings on Nonduality

The Sacred Mirror is truly a landmark book in the history of psychotherapy, and can be considered "must reading" for all therapists, therapists-in-training, their instructors, and, I daresay, many spiritual teachers. Editors John Prendergast, Peter Fenner, and Sheila Krystal have done an outstanding job, not only in the quality of their own articles (for instance, senior editor John Prendergast's "Introduction" and his article for chapter 4, "The Sacred Mirror: Being Together," are alone well worth the modest price of the book), but also in the high quality of all the other multi-faceted papers they have inspired their fellow authors to draft. Note that all these papers are original, not having been previously published elsewhere.

Each essay is a gem. Having spent over three decades in "the nondual way" exploring its relevance for authentic living, loving, working and serving, I had wondered, before reading this book, just how much new insight could be generated by having so many contributors to this topic, "Nondual Wisdom in Psychotherapy" (the book's subtitle). After all, Alan Watts had brilliantly touched on many issues in his classic "Psychotherapy East and West," and Ken Wilber had written a fair amount on the nondual culmination of the psycho-spiritual development process.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Whereas there is some overlap, especially in that each author must define what "nondual" means for them--and the term tends to evoke a lot of the same definitions--even here I was impressed at the wealth of nuance in how each author has truly "owned" the language of nonduality, and doesn't merely sound like s/he is parroting nondual wording from the Perennial Wisdom traditions of Advaita Vedanta, Kashmir Saivism, Zen Buddhism, Vajrayana Buddhism, and contemplative Taoism (the main five sacred traditions that have engendered the rise of nonduality in the West).

Not only are these pages abundantly filled with "nondual insight" and good conceptual overview, most of the authors present transcripts or synopses of interesting individual cases clearly showing how nondual awareness-- arising either spontaneously or via gentle suggestion -- allowed for the therapeutic relationship to deepen profoundly and then, suddenly or gradually, radical healing/wholing could occur.

Limited space for this review prevents my discussing each of the papers presented in The Sacred Mirror. Suffice it to say that this book should be required reading for anyone working in the fields of transpersonal, humanistic or depth psychology. Persons in other "helping professions" and many other walks of life will also greatly benefit from reading this authentic compilation of enlightened teachings, thoroughly grounded in psychotherapeutic sensitivity and pragmatic common sense.

Congratulations and "Thank you!" to Prendergast, Fenner, Krystal, John Welwood, Jennifer Welwood, Dorothy Hunt, Dan Berkow, Richard Miller, Stephan Bodian, Lynn Marie Lumiere, Bryan Wittine, and Adyashanti for their truly fine contributions.

Only three criticisms of the book: 1) I don't recall in any of the papers (I might have missed something) any discussion of the ancient warnings by nondual sages that a person be relatively free of certain basic "defilements" before being introduced to nonduality (i.e, that only the One Is, that one's real nature is the Absolute, that "the sage transcends right and wrong"). Such warnings are given lest any immature persons misappropriate nondual glimpses or teachings for reifying or aggrandizing their own limited egocentricity (leading to the problematic "psychic inflation" that Carl Jung warned about).

2) Many persons can fall into a veritable "spiritual vertigo" when their initial nondual breakthroughs occur (recall the cases of Narendranath with Sri Ramakrishna and Paul Brunton with Ramana Maharshi, to give only two examples); I don't recall any of the authors dealing with this potential phenomenon in the therapeutic or nontherapeutic contexts.

3) A minor quibble: the "selected bibliography" could have been expanded by about 1 page to be more extensive without being exhaustive. For instance, I (and probably other readers) would have liked to have seen listed some classic works on the Sankara advaita and Kashmir Saiva advaita traditions, Yoga Vasishtha, Ribhu Gita, Ashtavakra Gita (etc.), more Ch'an/Zen and Taoist works, and works from some especially clear advaita teachers of the modern era like Douglas Harding and Wei Wu Wei [Terry Gray]--though several sages of great stature-- Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Jean Klein and others are referenced here. From a transpersonal psychology perspective, two classic works, Dr. Arthur Deikman's *The Observing Self* and Erich Fromm's *To Have or To Be* would also be quite relevant for this bibliography.

I must add that the one reviewer here who dismisses this book with "two fat gold stars" and denigrates the need for psychotherapy, suggesting that people simply read a few teachings from Ramana Maharshi, has not truly understood Maharshi's wisdom or the ancient distinction between the conventional and absolute levels (preliminary and final levels) of upadesha / spiritual instruction. Ramana was entirely open to his disciples utilizing whatever approach works for their authentic awakening in Atma/Self and their ongoing abidance in this nondual Love-Awareness. Thus, he readily supported disciples' and visitors' involvement in the various margas, the "pathless paths" or ways of spiritual awakening-- including wisdom and self-enquiry (jnana and atma-vicara), devotion (bhakti, especially abheda bhakti, devotion without any concept of duality between God and self), Patanjali's 8-limbed yoga system, and selfless service (seva). Had Ramana known about transpersonal psychotherapy, I'm sure he would have encouraged anyone chronically suffering mental/emotional challenges to avail themselves of this form of therapeutic help to work through their suffering to genuine freedom.

It is not enough to enquire (a la Ramana's well-known "final approach") "Who is suffering?" or "Who needs psychotherapy?" to live authentically in the miracle of this spaceless-timeless here-now. When a person still has some unreleased, major identification with one of the koshas (physical, psychological, or psychic "sheaths" of karma), trying to launch themselves into the nondual "beyond the witness" state in almost all cases will not produce happy results. To know this is simply basic wisdom and compassion. And along this line, The Sacred Mirror is an invaluable contribution.

The critic also indirectly mentions the Buddha, who, 2500 years ago, urged that we be a light unto ourselves. But this critic fails to mention that the Buddha and other enlightened masters in his lineage(s) strongly encouraged association with a wise "spiritual friend" (kalyana mitra) and any number of (at least) 40 methods of meditation and inquiry into the source and causes of "attachment, aversion and egoic delusion" (lobha, dosa, moha). The therapists who have contributed to The Sacred Mirror are using "skillful means" (upaya) in helping anyone in pain to do just that and thereby come to real, final freedom.

And yes, this situation is a wonderfully wild, wacky PARADOX, for, ultimately, there are no separate beings needing therapy or "final states" of anything. One finds here only Buddha-nature, only Awareness, only God. YET... YET, as part of this enjoyment of purely nondual experiencing (no experiencer, nothing to be experienced), the nondual One can easily manifest in its dream-play of Awareness, a "someone" "buying" "this fine book" and "enjoying wonderful release"! No problem. Nothing really happening.

--Timothy Conway, Ph.D. (East-West Psychology, CIIS), author of *Women of Power and Grace: Nine Astonishing, Inspiring Luminaries of Our Time* and the forthcoming book *India's Modern-Era Sages: Nondual Wisdom Teachings from the Heart of Freedom.*

Thank you so much - the book arrived in fantastic condition and I enjoyed it very much.

--Beth :)

In this entry of the popular Rina/Peter Decker series, Kellerman assures us of more Jewish history and customs as the victims in this one are of the Jewish faith. This time the double-edged mystery sends Peter and Rina to Israel to track down the sons of a wealthy diamond magnate and his wife. Did the boys kill their parents? Add to this, the search for a friend of Rina's from New York, who comes to California for a visit with her three children and then mysteriously vanishes as well---to Israel. Add a cool ice queen named Kate Milligan, a shady partner named Shaul Gold, add a few other nasties and Kellerman sends her heroes off into a labyrinthine plot.
Kellerman's a good writer and as she progresses, she tries to focus more on plot and suspense, and not so much on Rina's faith. It does seem surprising though that she manages to slight other religious beliefs while sanctifying her own? Hopefully, as she progresses she'll take some clues from her husband Jonathan and write more substantial works.

I had trouble putting down this book from the very start -- it's a real page turner with a well-plotted mystery -- two of them actually -- keeping you going. The mysteries involve a family who has disappeared out of the blue -- he's a California diamond dealer, so perhaps this was part of a theft -- and a woman and children who arrive unexpectedly for a visit with Detective Decker and his family -- her husband is also a diamond dealer in a Chasidic community in New York. As Decker goes about trying to solve the disappearance of the California family, odd things begin happening with the New York family who are visiting -- they also disappear. Is there a connection?

The mystery takes Decker and wife Rina to Israel, a major diamond cutting/dealing country.

I learned a lot about diamonds and Israel reading this book, and for the most part really enjoyed it. The dialogue was more natural than in some Kellerman books I've read. But -- her pro-Jewish, anti-everything else sentiment was present in this book again, this time in an anti-Moslem bias. Why are metal boxes on door frames considered good religious practice but painting a doorway blue (as Moslems do) treated as superstitious? It seems to me that the customs of Orthodoxy Judaism are unusual enough that Kellerman should be more tolerant and openminded about the practices of other faiths.

Peter Decker and his wife Rina are enjoying family life with her sons and their new baby daughter when Rina's old friend Honey Klein asks to come visit. Rina is surprised because they hasn't been in close contact with Honey in recent years, but she agrees to the visit. Meanwhile Peter works with his partner Marge on a case involving an entire family who have suddenly vanished. The husband is a diamond dealer, and there are many motives for a possible murder, most of them having to do with money. Coincidentally, after Honey comes to the Lazarus home, her husband, also a diamond dealer, is mysteriously killed. Peter's quest for the truth in these matters eventually takes him and Rina to Israel where they pursue missing persons from both of these cases. As usual, author Kellerman weaves interesting facts about the orthodox Jewish religion as well as Peter and Rina's evolving family life. The trip to Israel adds an extra dimension to the story, and the total package is very satisfying for a mystery reader.

In my book 'Sanctuary' is one of the best in the Peter Decker/ Rina Lazarus series. The story revolves around the missing husband of Rina's friend. The search takes Rina and Peter to Israel where we are treated to a fascinating tour of the West Bank and the diamond trade in Israel. What makes this entry so important today is the portrayal of the continuing conflict and violence that shapes Israel's future and her people. It is a pleasure to read a book that is both thoughtful and fun to read.

My only other suggestion if you are new to Faye Kellerman is to start at the beginning with 'Ritual Bath' to see the relationship between Rina and Peter unfold. Then read all her books in the order in which they were written. Its a great series.

Excellent resource for educators and people who want to be involved with changing the educational system in our society.

If you are an educator, parent or administrator, this handbook will enable you to obtain the crucial, leading edge knowledge in learning styles, multiple intelligences, personal neuro-physiology that enables one to "know thyself." Self-esteem and self-awareness, cognitive learning, including the necessary skills to make one prepared for "life at 21 years old," are also main considerations when teaching students to capitalize on their individual strenghts and wisdom.

Schools that Learn also emphasizes the importance of mastery, synergizing curricula presented, and authentic assessment vs. basing students knowledge purely on standardized test-taking.

This helpful manual is extremely important for educators, administrators, and parents, to read as it combines the aforementioned information and applies it to "building strengths that will be useful in career decision making."

Finally,Schools that Learn emphasizes the importance of keeping a "spirit-filled" outlook while learning, the extreme helpfulness of a mastermind group, accelerated and lifelong education, and of course giving back what you have learned to the community. This "cause and effect" is often forgotten in busy professtional lives, but truly ensures success for those who "get it."

This is an essential book for anyone interested in education. Its comprehensive coverage gives much background, even at the risk of being distracting when you want to follow-up on the leads to so many interesting source-books and links. Though you are told to dip in anywhere, you must read the first section, esp. "The Industrial Age System of Education" by Senge and "A Primer to the Five Disciplines" (Personal Mastery, Mental Models, Shared Vision, Team Learning and Systems Thinking) (pp. 27-93).

The authors consider this book a "prequel" to their other books about learning organizations (p.7). That's true. Though this is the most recent book, you can start with this one and go on to the others for further depth. Some repetitions may only serve well for mastery.

The whole book is very readable and informative. Concepts are clearly explained. It follows the same excellent editing format as The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook and The Dance of Change.

When you get too enthused by so many ideas and success stories of innovations, heed the advice for "The Strategy of Organizational Change". "Focus on one or two new priorities for change, not twelve. Most school systems are already overwhelmed with change. They don't need a new initiative; they need an approach that consolidates existing initiatives, eliminates "turf battles," and makes it easier for people to work together toward common ends." (p.25)

There are just too many passages that you wish to quote. The book is a treasure mine. However, for those (esp. busy administrators) who find the volume too daunting or verbose (592 pages!) and still want to get a handle on launching into transforming their schools into learning organisations, I would recommend, "Ten Steps to a Learning Organization" and start with the simple questionnaire given there.

Senge became famous for his book on learning organizations. In this book, he and his co-authors apply those concepts and ideas specifically to educational institutions. While much of their focus is on K12, the ideas and process are applicable to higher education as well. So many management books are really fads with superficial value, but Senge's books are very practical and valuable. This book in particular demonstrates a great deal of passion on the part of the author's for their topic.

Having been given the instructions to select a book of vision for a reading group in a graduate class, I didn't expect to choose one of over 500 pages. The length, however, is indicative of the power this book has for changing minds about schools and the way to structure them for learning. I found myself often reading passages aloud to other educators and anyone who would listen. Instead of stifling my curiosity, the book inspired me to dig deeper on the five disciplines. A great book for creating a vision of education that includes schools where students are learning. I may purchase another one to loan out!