Near Death Experiences Books

This book is thoroughly researched and well written from start to finish. The language is accessible to readers of all skill levels while not talking down to them, something that is difficult to do well.

Young adults and their parents can learn a great deal from this book, including issues surrounding family dynamics, self-image and anorexia. It also provides a glimpse into the past, a reminder of a chilling tragedy that has been ignored for almost 100 years.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a good read!

I've never read such a poorly written book. First of all, the author spelled names wrong! Marta's sister was supposed to be Mariam, not Miriam as spelled on page 114 of the book. The language was too juvenile and there were practically no imagery in the book. Things needed to be described weren't, and useless things which needed no description were described. The symbolism was confusing, the book was too short, and it should be written in a 1st person past tense form because it will be more effective. The book should be narrated by the anorexic girl herself, not the narrator. The 'dates' served no purpose and sometimes they weren't dates they may be names and such. The book was just BAD if you don't believe me go read it yourself.

In The Hunger, Marsha Skrypuch has managed to blend the past and present in a stark and compelling comparison of two kinds of hunger. Paula is a victim of anorexia whose views are forever altered when she has a near-death experience and 'steps into' Marta's character from the past. A riveting and important work!

A compelling read with characters that jump off the page. This young adult novel is sophisticated enough for the adult reader, and offers insight into issues facing contemporary teens as well as adults in today's world. The characters are vivid and believable, as are the relationships between them. The facts they uncover, the secrets they reveal, and the self-discoveries they experience give them a life of their own. Obviously well-researched, this novel draws astonishing parallels between a modern-day affliction and man's historical inhumanity to man. The story centers on Paula, a teen obsessed with perfection. A straight-A student, she throws herself into a history project while trying to attain the perfect body - and becomes bulimic and anorexic in the process. As her illness progresses, she has a brush with death and comes face to face with the horrors and privation of the Armenian massacres of 1915-23. The reader is pulled into Paula's world, and along the way learns about the mechanics and treatment of anorexia and bulimia, and the warning signs. Historical facts, like the obscure but chilling 1939 Hitler quote "Who today remembers the extermination of the Armenians?" add depth and relevance to Paula's quest for answers as she struggles with life...and death. A must read.

Anorexia and Bulimia are subjects that are all too often dealt with in a sensational manner in young adult fiction. Marsha Skrypuch, however, avoids these pitfalls in her wonderful book, "The Hunger", and has written a novel that is thought provoking but never didactic or preachy. The device she chooses to use - of linking fifteen year old Paula's struggles with food to the struggles of her ancestor in early twentieth century Armenia - works beautifully, allowing both Paula and the reader to put these struggles into a context, whilst also broadening the issues raised.

Ian Stevenson's thorough examination of children who claim to remember previous lives constitutes one of the most pioneering bodies of work in any scientific field in history. This text is geared towards a different type of reader than are his more comprehensive and technical works, such as 1997's two volume 2268 page magnum opus "Reincarnation and Biology," but the genius of his scientific approach remains apparent. The strength of Stevenson's arguments lies in the meticulousness of his methodology and the improbably consistencies among the thousands of cases he has personally investigated, and he would be the first to tell you not to draw conclusions from only a handful of cases, such as the group presented in this book. Nevertheless, "Children Who Remember Previous Lives" serves as an excellent introduction to a remarkable field, and is a must-read for anyone interested in psychical research.

In this book Ian Stevenson presents an empirical case for reincarnation. If that combination seems odd to you now it won't by the end of the book. He carefully and prudently refrains from arguing that reincarnation occurs; instead, he records some unusual and seemingly anomalous facts--carefully documented--and gives the reader the option of deciding whether reincarnation is or is not the best explanation for them. Stevenson remains open to the possibility of alternative explanations for how young, scarcely-verbal children can recite details about the lives of people they have never met, but by the end of the book it's clear that the usual mechanistic and biological explanations cannot suffice.

Simply put, Stevenson interviews kids between the ages of (usually) 2 and 7 who have stories to tell about who they were, by their own description, in a previous life. He then attempts to identify the previous personality, and to verify or disprove every detail of the child's story. He writes about kids who talk about being a fishmonger with a green jeep in a distant town they have never visited, and don't know anyone who has visited; kids who have birthmarks corresponding to entry and exit bullet-wounds they claim to have received when murdered, and who give the details of their deaths, later verified; and kids who claim to have another family and reveal that other family's secrets. Such cases are the tip of Stevenson's iceberg.

Stevenson makes a few speculative claims in his concluding chapters, and I think he could be more appreciative of the historical criticisms of vitalistic thinkers, from the alchemists to Goethe. He speculates a bit too much about the implications his research has for theories of personality, and in a few places his self-restraint feels strained. But his claims for a mind-brain dualism are excellent, as are his suggestions about the self-reconstructing capacities of the human psyche. This last is particularly important as some writers in this area, often under the spell of Jung, have denied the individual's capacity for self-reflective growth. If you seem backed into a corner after reading this book, remember that even if Stevenson's hypothesis is correct, the theory of reincarnation provides no definitive insights to the nature of the psyche, and offers no absolutes regarding conduct, morality, and change.

Although not Stevenson's most convinving cases (if you take a look, his files contain many better ones), there is some value here.

Yes, there is a question of contact outside. However, making a fool-proof case for reincarnation is impossible. Even the amazing birth mark cases Stevenson has on file (and these are, indeed, frightening to read) could be ruled out in _some_ way. The real world is not a laboratory: just ask the poor social scientists. You can't study something like this easily. There will never be a 100% fool-proof case of reincrnation. Nevertheless, many of the verifications are truly impressive and give good evidence that there might be something to reincarnation. Considering it is the most common belief in organized, animistic, and folk religions, there may be a reason for that yet.

While I give it 5 stars becuase it is quite good, Stevenson's Where Biology and Reincarnation Intersect is a better, and more convincing read... Not that it is airtight. Still, the amount of evidence there IS makes me absolutely shocked that only few people are interested in it. I am guessing that scientists of all stripes, whether social or physical, tend to categorize faith as faith and science as science. Frankly, I think that this is sometimes a simply arbitrary opposition

I'm impressed by Stevenson's integrity and honesty, but less so with his intellectual rigor. The 14 cases he cites rely on nothing more than anecdotes: all the "past life behavior" had been witnessed before the author met any of the players and so the veracity of the stories is hard to determine.

Of the 14 cases:

* Three were unsolved (ie, the identity of the "previous life" was unknown)

* Nine were solved, but the prior life person had (or could have had), some contact with the family of the child

* Two were solved, and the families apparently had no contact.

For me, the "unsolved" cases are worthless. The child could be fantasizing, repeating what he has heard on the TV or radio, or there could be other explanations that don't involve reincarnation.

The nine solved but with-contact cases are interesting. However, there are clearly other means that the child could have received this information. And some of these cases, in my opinion, look like wishful thinking on the part of the parents.

The two solved cases where the families had no contact, initially appear compelling. I have a few problems with them though, namely:

* They are anecdotes. In the first, Stevenson does not get involved until the child is 13 and in the second the child is 14. Virtually everything has already been observed (by others), by the time Stevenson arrives on the scene and so there is much scope for invention, misinterpretation, exaggeration and enhancement of stories. We just don't know what really happened and never will.

* Both occur in communities that believe in reincarnation, and where critical thinking is (shall we say), not thought of as a primary skill. The scope for self-delusion is high.

* One child only started having strong prior life memories when he was 11 years old. In all the other cases the child remembers things from around two years old but forgets them by about 11. That one of the only two strong cases in the book should contradict the trend makes it more likely that there is another explanation, in my view.

* The community of this same child believes that when you die you are instantly reborn - your spirit doesn't hover in limbo for even a day. However, his prior person died 12 years before he was "reborn". How did they account for this? The child said he had been reincarnated in an intermediate life for the 14 missing years, although he can tell us nothing about this life. We are expected to believe that he cannot remember a prior life, but he can remember the one prior to the prior life. A more prosaic solution is that he learned about the life of his "prior person" and had to invent the intermediate reincarnation to make it fit.

* The other child had an intermediate life too - in London England. Even Stevenson concludes that this is "at least party a fantasy", but still accepts the details of the much better remembered life prior to this "fantasy" one. Why? Surely this acknowledged fantasy discredits the other story?

Stevenson supplies an analysis from his wider studies. The first striking thing is that reincarnation is reported much more frequently in cultures that believe in reincarnation. Stevenson insists that this is because where they believe in reincarnation they are more likely to report it. Where they don't believe, they are less likely to recognize a child's stories for "what they are", or will suppress the child's "memories". This is one explanation. Another explanation would be that in the cultures that do believe, people are looking for such signs, and are more credulous than in cultures that do not believe.

Other trends are noted. For example, in cultures where they believe that you cannot change sex in a reincarnation, they report no cases of changed sex reincarnation. Where they do believe reincarnates can change sex, this is sometimes reported. In my view, these are likely indications that the children and/or the adults observing them are (knowingly or subconsciously), applying their pre-learned cultural beliefs to make the stories fit. Stevenson has another view. He believes that these cultural beliefs are carried over when the person is reincarnated, and this prevents the person being reincarnated in a form that conflicts with their cultural beliefs:

"If a person dies believing that he cannot in another incarnation become a person of the opposite sex, perhaps he cannot, even if he can reincarnate."

This does seem to be ad hoc reasoning. Of course it is entirely circular - the conclusion assumes the premise of the argument.

Conclusion

Clearly these cases cannot be disproved. But I believe there are more prosaic solutions than reincarnation.

I don't know why anyone would think it more strange that we are born many times than that we are born once. Human beings, after all, are the result of an evolutionary process that began...when? With the beginning of life on earth? With the 'Big Bang'? Who knows? Whatever the answer, it is clear that 'the individual' is actually a multi-faceted being who origins, and destiny, lie far beyond the confines of what smug modernists think of as 'existence'.

And Stevenson has evidence for this. Come to think of it, the only evidence that can possibly be had for any theory of what 'happens' post-mortem. You will never prove that heaven or hell exist, in any scientific sense. But there is evidence for the idea of many lives, and Stevenson presents some of it here.

Haven't read this yet. It was shipped and came on time and in the condition promised.

I wrote this book in the early 90s after doing six years of research on the Aftereffects people develop after having a spiritual awakening. I had a powerful near-death experience in the mid 70s and was able to do my research in a University Medical School with wonderful colleagues like Bruce Greyson, MD and Ken Ring, PhD. This book has suddenly become popular because here we are 12 years later and people are talking about their spiritual experiences. And they want to know what all these new feelings and ideas are about. This book is about knowing we are all right and this is part of our evolution. Go to a traditional MD and you're going to be put on anti-depressants or even worse, anti-psychotics. That will stop the process that we've long waited to start.

Ahead of her time, this book came out in 1995. Whitfield explains in a practical way the experiential and heartfelt aftereffects of spiritual awakenings. Having a living connection to God or a Higher Power isn't as easy as we thought. Our newfound vulnerabilities in a world where God is an intellectual belief needs to be discussed. She lays the foundation for that clearly and shows us useful spiritual skills. Highly recommended!!

Barbara Harris Whitfield was in the perfect position as a researcher and near-death experiencer in the early 90s to understand what so many of us couldn't -- that we're not going crazy after a spiritual awakening! Instead of reading a dozen books to understand the after effects of awakening -- she has it all in one. The best part for me is that she doesn't separate herself as a researcher and clinician. She talks about all this first person. There have been many books written on this subject since hers was published in 1995, but Ms. Whitfield's is still the one that has it all under one cover.

Some very interesting personal experiences. Some parts needed to be read & reread to understand useful information. not easy reading.

I read this book and at best it is simply entertaining, hence the two stars, otherwise it would be only one star. I do not believe this woman's story. She admits to having been treated for brain damage and mental problems due to an auto accident she was in. I'm sure anyone who is medicated for brain problems could invent such a story. She claims God is very personal to her and comes to her in visions, this I find unbelievable, not unbelievable in a "wow" way, but unbelievable in a " I don't think so" way. If you are looking to be entertained this book is ok, but I'd rather rent Star Wars for entertainment.

From the beginning of the book till the end, the author takes us through a journey of enlightenment. As you read the book, you can't help but to be taken in by this woman's near death experiences and the lessons they provide us about our faith. The author's past challenges provide insightful lessons to all. God speaks to us in mysterious ways, and through this book Chiemi shares her conversations with us. The "Walk of Faith" is must read for those who would like to expand upon their spiritual beliefs.

'Walk of Faith' opens up for the reading audience my journey to find God, with God's help, through a series of three near-death experiences and miracles. In the first near-death experience, I went to the brink of Hell. In the second near-death experience, I went into the tunnel of Light. In the third near-death experience I went into the Light and met Jesus Christ and my guardian angel, and I had a glimpse of Heaven. I go into detail about my near-death experiences, stating that I did not grow up in a religious family. These experiences are followed by a supernatural quest to find out what the terms meant that Jesus and my guardian angel spoke of, (terms such as first and second seal, final seal, and seventh seal) leading to appearances of Jesus. Jesus gave me many lessons in life, clarifying them with visions, Scripture, and prayer. These lessons are meant for everyone, both for devout believers and also those sitting on the fence of belief. I go into detail 14 of the lessons I learned while conversing with Jesus. Ultimately, my near-death experiences taught me that there is an afterlife, from the mudpit of Hell to the Light of Heaven.[...] I hope you will enjoy my book! chiemi

I am writing because I noticed there are reviews for 'Walk of Faith' on Amazon.com. I really enjoyed reading 'Walk of Faith'. It was very interesting to hear the story of this woman's near death experiences, and it gives me courage to believe that there is life for us after this life, and that we will live forever. I give this book a rating of 5 stars!

If you are looking for a near death experience memoir- this is not the best choice.
It is not well written, nor very interesting. The author quotes often from the bible to make her point, and the whole atttempt comes across as preachy and pedantic. I was disappointed. The book didn't resonate with me, and I didn't find it inspiring.

As someone who had the thought pop spontaneously into my mind while watching the graphic and brutal medieval warfare of Mel Gibson's movie Braveheart, "Oh no, not again!" I was keenly interested in reading this book. Dr. Lane regressed a number of Renaissance and Medieval Faire hobbyists and found that their current interests correspond to past-life experiences. There is a quality of reality in the descriptions these people make of their recalled centuries-old environments. Everything is there: the dirt and squalor; the clothing and fabric; the relationships between classes; the effects of poor hygiene and little or no medicine. These descriptions really bring one into the past. What I appreciate most about Dr. Lane's writing is her approach of healing the past, so that one may step freely into the future. Five stars.

Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

Barbara Hall studied a group of Medieval reenactors helping them to explore past lives that may be influencing their current hobby. Many of the past lives are fascinating - some predictably are short and/or boring. Overall this is a very good book that helps us understand what drives historical reenactors and gives us a birds eye view of the hardships of living in the Middle Ages.

The only reason I gave this great book 4 stars is because its plot takes place in the Medieval Era. For those who do not feel they lived during that time...this book would not be as interesting or intriguing. However if you feel a strong resonance, whether its a positive or negative, to this time Era then buy this book and you will be taken back to that time through the stories of those who actually did live. You will hear how their horrible death, how they found love, how they lost love. Wonderful book!

I've long thought that my medieval tendancies have related to past lives. This book chronicles a study group of medieval reenactors, SCAdians, and Farie folk who are regressed to past lives which occured during the middle ages and then the data is compared with historical fact.

There were a couple of people's stories that I really enjoyed, especially that of Helen. I found these peeks to be entertaining and an interesting glimpse into the lives of ordinary people during the middle ages. Though in the end the author shares many interesting statistics from the study I didn't find there to be any overall conclusion.

Barbara Lane is a hypnotherapist, who after studying Civil War reenactors in her book Echoes from the Battlefield: First-Person Accounts of Civil War Past Lives, decided to do the same with Medievalists. She interviewed thirteen subjects involved in either the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), Renaissance Fairs and various living history organizations about their lives, interests and beliefs so that we know a bit about each person then she regressed them. Some had more than one session with her. Following their regressions, she had experts in Medieval studies look over the material gleaned during the regressions to historically verify the plausibility of the details revealed. The stories are so interesting I couldn't put the book down. At the end, Lane did a statistical comparison between the Medievalists and the Civil War reenactors (Echoes from the Battlefield, which I haven't read yet but plan to) making for a more scientific study of reincarnation. Highly recommended!

The author tries to hook a lot of complex phenomena into his proposals - which is perhaps understandable when taking into account the subject he is writing about - but in my view his book is frayed for it.

The UFO/abduction phenomenon, NDEs and even God are touched upon, but never really given the depth or consideration they require. Instead of being asked if they would like to participate in this extra-dimensional theory business, and granted the respect of answering for themselves, they were apparently dragged along by the ear.

The whole issue was not treated in spiritual enough a manner for my liking. You cannot tackle the subject of God and inner being and still try and be acceptably scientific: you need to ditch the labcoat wholeheartedly at the doorstep and walk in blindfolded.

That said, a reasonable introduction to such things for those who are at a relevant level of "discovery". A bit lacking for those who have already made some headway though I feel.

I read this book. It is very well organized and the author seems to be well read on the subject of physics and also on philosophy supporting the new physics background. Part III of the book [Extra-Dimensional Theory and the New Physics] is a good approach for a difficult subject and the author manages to give examples and analogies for the person not well versed in physics and mathematics. The Kaluza-Klein theories are very simply explained. The only flaw I found, and it is not a limiting matter for a buying/reading decision is when the author enters the subject of "spiritualism" --as called by him, when he really meant "spiritism". Spiritism is not dead, as he asserts; perhaps Mr. Violette did not make an exhaustive investigation and rested on early 20th century information. He also gives a very simple excuse of scientific fundamentalism to drive away the spiritism philosophy or practice anywhere. Anyway, I will certainly recommend this book for someone who wants to begin learning the concepts behind parallel universes, and the latest physics research. I recommend that besides this book, another book and DVD may be read and seen, such as The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene and also the books by Dr. Michio Kaku, Hyperspace and his new one, Parallel Worlds. Certainly this is a good book and for its price you cannot go wrong. Very good.

This is not an advancement of Ouspensky, as its hype claims, it is merely an application of that great thinker's ideas to modern-day mysteries such as UFO's, psychic phenomemon, etc. It does this with some success and the author has some good ideas of his own, but much of the stuff on the fourth dimension is just a rehashing of the greats: Abbot, Ouspensky, and Hinton.

Pass on this one and get Tertium Organum or New Model of the Universe, both of which are at least four or five dimensions higher than this thing.

This book covers many important topics, and all of them well - from higher consciousness, to the fourth dimension, cosmology and quantum physics, and the entire range of paranormal phenomena. And everything is tied together quite neatly. What I find especially impressive is the step-by-step layout, which combines all these complicated theories and ideologies into one easy- to-follow format.

This is the author's point - that these phenomena cannot really be understood separately, only together as parts of a larger extra dimensional WHOLE. (What I found fascinating is the way the otherwise surreal nature of UFO abductions is understandable as beings of higher consciousness operating in a larger space-time.) There is a real sensibility and lucidity to the author's presentation. I see it as an important breakthrough in understanding. It certainly stands out to me.

"Our time is really motion in extradimensional space." This is a deceptively simple sentence, yet it speaks worlds. I have been reading everything available on the concept of a physical 4th dimension (as opposed to a mathematical abstraction) for two decades now. This book is not only the best summary- but it is the first in ages to break new ground.

The basic premise here is that we (and literally everything else) are 4th dimensional entities intersecting with a 3 dimensional world. A profound correlary to this is: just because we no longer intersect does not mean that we no longer exist.

The author addresses the subject on all levels- subatomic physics, cosmology, consciousness, and "unexplainable" phenomenon. His tie-in with the "perennial philosophy" is especially elegant. Of course, if you prefer hard science, then the revelation that Cerenkov radiation represents an "optic boom" analogous to a sonic boom is worth the price of the book- at least to me it was.

Not only is a tight case made for the existance of a 4th dimension made, but a reason and a purpose is stated for why we are just now becoming aware of it in significant numbers- survival pressure and evolutionary response. It is pointed out that on almost every level ours is a threatened civilization, indeed a threatened planet. 4th dimensional perception results in an expanded consciousness that transcends petty materialism and leads to a spirit of unity and interconnectedness (since everything IS really connected to a greater whole.) More importantly, it represents somewhere to exist if we do manage to render this planet uninhabitable.

This is the most significant book that I have reviewed in years- perhaps ever. I've read just about everything of significance in the bibliography. The author knows what he is talking about.

This is an astonishing, true story. Dr. Marge Rieder discovered while regressing various patients that a group of them recalled past lives in the same Civil War era town of Millboro, Virginia. The curious thing is that they were able to verify a great deal of what came through their hypnotic regressions. And the personal bonds of that previous time seem to have been carried forward. Although past-life regressions are becoming more and more common, as far as I know this is the first time that a group has been regressed to the same time together. This book really grabbed me. It is well-written and very compelling. If you are interested in past lives, especially those centered around the Civil War, you should get this book.

Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

This book is about a group of people who have alledgedly been regressed through hypnosis therapy to previous lives during the Civil War period that all coincide in the town of Millboro, Virginia. It was quite good and had me convinced until the author/hynotist also became involved as one of the group that had been in this town. At that point, to me, the author lost credibility. It would have been much more believable had she kept her story out of the book.

Even if you don't believe in reincarnation, this makes a fascinating read of Civil War-era lives. And if you can get thru it and *still* not believe in reincarnation, well ... . The endorsement by Bruce Goldberg is great; I'd also like to see more endorsement from someone in Millsboro. Perhaps in her sequel? I haven't read that yet.

If you have any interest in reincarnation or like a good detective story... read this book. The author does a great job of assembling the many regression sessions with the many people who are involved in this drama. You've got to read this book... you will not be disappointed!

As a native of the area the author investigated, and someone who believes the thesis she puts forward is possible, I found this book very disappointing. She had an opportunity to examine a unique situation but spent so much time in relating step by step research of the place name, she exposed the sloppy nature of her efforts and instead of establishing credibility proved she was over her head in this project which was self published. Had she solicted expert help and local historians she would had put forth a much more readable and exciting story. The content is worth reading but the book is tedious and frustrating.

i am not saying WOW (except for her photo-she is one of the most beautiful girls in the world) you gotta read this book but, i have spend an appreciable amt of time reading it twice and it is unbiased research giving solid reasons to both accept and disbelieve. only time will tell.

Carol Zaleski's book is clearly one of the best books on NDEs, still quite relevant even though a bit dated. This is interesting reading not only for her balanced presentation of the pro and con viewpoints of leading researchers on NDEs, but also for her contrasting NDEs of the latter 20th century with NDEs experienced by Christians of medieval times.

I imagine it would be difficult to write an unbiased book about near-death experiences, especially if you had a religious bone to pick. However, Carol Zaleski succeeds in writing a very scholarly, fair-minded book, and avoids the trap of attempting to envangelize the reader. Either you believe people have out-of-body experiences, or you don't and Zaleski doesn't attempt to convert you. What she does do (and this is what makes "Otherworld Journeys" so fascinating) is examine the influence of culture and religion on near-death experiences. A twentieth-century American will not report the same near-death experience as, say, a thirteenth-century Italian. Why that is true is for the reader to decide, in light of the evidence presented by this interesting and well-researched account.

I felt "Otherworld Journeys" was a definite keeper and well worth re-reading.

I have started reading this book and I am sad to say its a bit difficult to read. There is no subject that intrigues me more than the near death experience, and I read everything I can find on the subject. This is one of those books that you have to read in dead silence or you will miss something in her very long, very complicated paragraphs. I suppose it is Carol's doctoral thesis or something. Its written in a flat accademic fashion that is a bit cold and technical. I am still going to plod through this book, but I will have to sit at a desk to do it, with pen, paper and dictionary in hand. I hope the information gleened will be worth the difficulty of getting through the research. I can only hope.

Otherworld Journeys: Accounts of Near-Death Experiences in Medieval and Modern Times by Carol G. Zaleski, is a scholarly look at "near death experiences" from the middle ages to the current times. It is a tad bit dated, but is still a wonderful jumping off point into this exciting area of study. She does her research very well, and presents a very thorough survey from both literature sources as well as first hand accounts, summarizing the major similarities between the time periods as well as their distinct differences. At the end she recounts some of the numerous theories out there surrounding NDE research, and gives her summation of the work she has completed. This book has a very scholarly tone to it, a very interesting read, but could be hard for some people to truly appreciate.

I liked this book to an extent. The robbery/murder didn't sway me in any way and I guess I never felt the terror the author was trying to conjure up. Then, my second problem is my belief that usually people involved in a crime don't want to see one another again or be reminded of the crime in any way. So, why would these 3 women who really don't have much in common become friends? While you could figure out what would happen when each woman stated what her dreams and regret's were, I do feel that the story in general was entertaining and worth reading. While there were too many characters in this book, it did have a great ending. I would say this is a good book to read on vacation or at the beach.

I was hoping for so much more from this book. The three major protagonists are likeable and although wealthier than the average reader will be, easy to identify with. That said, the solutions to their problems are all too superficial. For example,we have one more over-weight woman losing weight and turning her life around. But my major disappointments are two: there are far too many pages that are just plain dull and unnecessary to plot or character development [filler?] that I just skipped after a while. And the major change in Kip's life seems contrived [I won't say more to avoid ruining the book for someone else]. I managed to finish the book by skimming, but this is my last Cynthia Victor book.

Three strangers suffer a near death tragedy, leaving them confused about their feelings towards family and life in general. Together they work through the rage that surfaces after their loss of control, and disappointments in a life that has passed them by. Kip, Nora, and Eloise are about to find out just how important it is to follow your dream.

The authors, Cynthia Katz and Victoria Skurnick, known by the pen name of Cynthia Victor, have written a book that upsets the balance between what is, and what can be. Remarkably you find yourself cheering on the heroines as they make political and social statements that shake up the standards. The characters are as clearly cut as glass and I found myself laughing as well as crying as the story unfolded. It all culminates in the last 100 pages where I felt like I was in a rowboat headed for the falls at break neck speed.

I picked up this book thinking this was a light read, the cover struck me as chick lit, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it was a total package with a great deal to say...

The story of three women who meet under the worst of circumstances "a robbery/murder", and form a bond of friendship.

It seems that after this life-altering event, each woman is having difficulties emotionally dealing with everyday life. They're afraid of sounds that go bump in the night, not sleeping, arguing with friends and family, eating like there's no tomorrow. The three woman decide that maybe they can help each other overcome their fears since no else seems to understand what they are going through so they arrange to chat on a weekly basis to discuss the best/worst moments of their past week.

Kip - wife, mother and former figure skater, who after being given a second chance at life decides to do something for herself -- but what?

Nora - single talented music producer has a fear of commitment -- why?

Eloise - editor of a woman's magazine whose husband leaves her as he's in love with someone else and expects her to be happy for him. Eloise does what she does best when faced with adversity, she eats -- but why?

Each woman seems to have it all on the surface but after having experienced a near death experience, each discovers something about themselves which they've hidden so deep in the subconscious that they are each amazed when they realize the real reasons for their fears and doubts but they also find out the true meaning of friendship. ...I loved Kip, Nora and Eloise for their strengths and their flaws and cried like a baby near the end of novel.

I've followed Ms. Victor's career since the release of "Relative Sins" in the early 1990's and she is an extraordinary storyteller -- you find yourself right in the middle of the plot. Her novels are wonderful!!!

Kip Hallman, Nora Levin, and Eloise Bentley all survive a brutal robbery/murder at an exclusive New York boutique. Their friendship is developed out of this tragedy and the three women stay in touch and form a support group. They soon learn that each has one big regret in life and it will come as no surprise to the reader that each will turn her regret into her proudest accomplishment.

The problem I had with this book is that their regrets were very superficial. Each woman is very wealthy and has a good life. It is hard to empathize with wealthy, glamourous women who discover a hangnail on the way to their weekly manicure.

Kip is a middle-aged woman who had been a high school ice-skating superstar. The fact that she wants to reclaim her ice-skating abilities seems trivial to me. Shouldn't a woman in her 30's have a more substantial primary goal than relearning to ice-skate? Nora has a fear of committment yet seems fairly cruel to the one man she claims to regret having loved and lost. Eloise has a weight problem, but as the editor-in-chief of a leading magazine for women, couldn't a few trips to Weight Watchers or a personal trainer have solved her poor eating habits? She didn't seem quite as upset about her husband leaving her for another woman, a problem I would have thought much more important.

Perhaps the fact that these women were so wealthy and had so many good things in their lives trivialized their problems. Perhaps the fact that the friendship seemed forced and not all that real was another drawback of this book. Their initial meeting seemed forced and that set the tone for the rest of the book. Friendship is more than a once-a week three-way phone call listing your "best moment" and "worst moment" of the week, but these three seemed to have no more than that.

Having said all this, I'd say the book is Ok, just not the best book on womens friendships I've read. There were also too many characters introduced and dropped as well as a major situation concerning Kip's husband that came from out of left-field and was suppose to be the ultimate bonding experience for the three.

This is not a bad book, but in light of all the truly good books on women friendships out there, it is perhaps not the best choice.

Spirits present themselves as angelic presences and can use this power to wreak havoc in your life.

This man has led an incredible life with lessons clearly enunciated for all to see. When life is weighing you down, this account of a well lived life and an encounter with death will lift you up.

This book can change your life and the lives of your loved ones who doubt there is an afterworld and a God. Glen's incredible story will warm your heart and bring you great peace and understanding of the miracles of our universe.

What this man has accomplished in his short earth life ... from rags to riches ($$) to rags to riches (divine goodness). He has been with who's who of Hollywood and dignitaries of government, yet he remains a man of simple pleasures.

His near-death experiences brought a peacefullness to my life in that I now know my loved ones (family and friends) who have passed on are encircled in love, passion, and eternal happiness.

I can only hope that someday I too can be blessed with actually contacting my guardian angel. Glenn's book and his Angel Ruth have given me the hope and preserverance I need to keep my faith and remain the good person I am.