General Practice Books

I am not a Christian, yet I found this book extremely insightful and compelling in its exploration of the violent basis of our civilization and how the message of Jesus, among others, is not only that of personal salvation, but one of perceiving with clarity the nature of the world, i.e. the Domination System that has blinded us to its true destructive nature.

The type of spiritually grounded, proactive, creative nonviolence advocated in this book is a complete paradigm shift, an entire dimension apart from the simplistic dichotomy of violence vs. "passivism" that most of us unfortunately believe are our only choices.

The book includes numerous examples and interesting Biblical exegesis on top of an incredibly insightful exploration of the myth of redemptive violence and the Domination System that comprises our human society.

Fundamental to Wink's analysis of our society is his assertion that spiritual Powers are real -- but not simply as angels floating in the clouds or demons waiting in hell to gloat over your soul, but as the psychospiritual complexes that are formed from collective human belief and energy. Our governmental and corporate institutions are themselves Powers, having a spiritual existence in the sense of having a Being above and beyond the sum of the individuals that comprise them (as well as enjoying legal status that puts them on the same footing as a human being!). Unrecognized, the Powers run amuck amongst us. We are slaves to our own creation, and blind to our slavery. Our allegiance to the Power of the national security state, for instance, blinds us to its own violence, opens us to being subverted to evil ends, allows us to be convinced that upholding democracy and freedom is synonymous with the killing of others.

A central thesis of the book is that these Powers, having gone unrecognized for so long, have taken on a life of their own and now dominate us. They must be seen and engaged in order to be redeemed and transformed -- and in order for us to redeem and transform ourselves.

Wink spends the book laying bare the way these Powers work, making clear that it is not only spiritual or only psychological or only material, but all of these. He explores in depth the manifestations of violence and its origins in deeply embedded cultural mythology -- as seemingly innocuous as children's cartoons, e.g. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -- and the nature of the Powers and the Domination System they create. And he explores what he calls "Jesus' Third Way," the path out of the contagious cycle of violence, not only through the example of Jesus but through examples in history of those who have triumphed through nonviolent means.

As a non-Christian, I expected to gloss over parts that were irrelevant to me, i.e. too heavily Biblical, but surprisingly I found that even many of those parts were very interesting and in no way exclusionary. It actually helps me to see the character and mission of Jesus in a new light, one that makes him suddenly much more relevant to this day and age.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Even as a non-Christian, I find Wink's theology of nonviolence EARTH-SHAKING in its importance.

This book is must reading for anyone concerned about the way things are going in the world and wondering what, if anything, can be done to usher in better times. Although it is often difficult reading - the author has a very prolific vocabulary - I couldn't put it down...and consider it well worth the effort. I plan to read more of Walter Wink's work. He is not an entertainer, but a generous and knowledgable guide. Don't miss the opportunity to walk with him through "Engaging the Powers". Save the Bible, I can't remember a piece of literature that has had a more profound effect on my moral character.

Reading this book, was a life-changing experience that has remained with me always. Wink leads the reader in detail, down a path of recognition and understanding, which for me, felt simply undeniable. He provides the framework and the language to unmask the subversivity we innately recognize, but feel so unable to effectively name and confront. I didn't necessarily agree with everything, but then, Wink's presentation isn't one that coerces the reader; so there's no feeling of needing to agree or disagree. The book provided a recognition --and a framework-- that has completely changed the way I think, and has thereby changed my most every action -- profoundly for the better. You'll reccognize that much of what he writes about is unabashedly rearing its head now in the US.

The thrust of the book is the world is in control of the Domination System, the powerful institutions that repress us, perpetuate violence upon us, and whose power is based upon the myth of redemptive violence--the idea the violence "saves." Wink powerfully shows that the myth of redemptive violence is the actual religion of our society, so deeply ingrained in us that we are unaware that we idolize it. It is the basis of even our comic book heroes, of whom Wink observes "repentance and confession are as alien to them as the love of enemies and nonviolence." Wink's analysis is profound because it encompasses intellectual, the physical, and the spiritual aspects our predicament. The gospel, or good news, of his book is centered on how Jesus introduced us the "Kingdom of God," the antithesis of the Domination System, and how radical Jesus's teachings were, not only 2,000 years ago but today as well. Jesus's teachings were influential in the early church, but Wink shows how when Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire, the Church became corrupted itself as an institution, and has remained so to this day--because most of it became part of the Domination System which needs to repress the truth. Using biblical analysis, Wink explains that persons and institution in our world are (1) created by God and therefore good, (2) fallen, and (3) in need of redemption. A first-class biblical scholar, Wink among other things decimates the blood-theory of atonement, citing it as another instance of "redemptive violence" and an idea that could hardly have sprung from God: "Jesus's message reveals that those who believe in divine violence are still mired in Satan's universe." Satan, incidentally, he defines not as some personified boogeyman separate from our institutions, but as the malicious spiritual forces that are woven throughout our world and ourselves. There are many profound insights in this book. One of the most important is although Jesus was non-violent, he was in fact a passionate resister of violence and of the Domination System; in fact for this resistance he paid with his own suffering and his life. He brilliantly analyzes Jesus's sayings to "Turn the other cheek," to "Give the undergarment," and "Go the second mile," not as passivity, but actions taken to bewilder and expose the dominators for what they are, and to undermine the Domination System. Woven throughout the book are many spiritual and biblical insights regarding the world, the powers that control it, and God's plan. This together with considerable evidence he presents regarding the effectiveness of nonviolence in history is a powerful argument. Also present is specific spiritual guidance for the reader, expecially regarding prayer. These are wonderful insights from a spiritually mature perspective, with analysis from biblical passages to support his perpective. I enthusiastically recommend it.

I admit to more than a bit of bias since many of the authors are colleagues of mine; however I urge you to look at this book. It's the only one on the market, I believe, with diverse contributors and methodologies. The commonality among the authors is that they are all highly experienced and successful executive coaches, and I doubt that there's a "certified" coach among them. Some of these authors are also contributors to The Executive Coaching Handbook: Principles and Guidelines for a Successful Coaching Partnership, January 2004, third edition. It is written by The Executive Coaching Forum, (TECF) whose charter is to advance the highest standards and best practices of executive coaching with all members of the "coaching partnership" (Executives, Coaches, HR Professionals, and others interested in Executive Coaching). The Handbook is available to read or download at no cost at TECF's website: theexecutivecoachingforum.com

Executive Coaching: Practices & Perspectives, is an excellent and timely text consisting of 16 chapters written by 20 contributors, the editors also being contributors, providing a wide breadth of information and references. It provides a rare opportunity to shadow many experienced coaches from diverse backgrounds and learnings. I applaud the editors for what is a very successful attempt to weave many different "essays" into a coherent book. The writing styles and approaches are different for each of the chapters resulting in many practices and theories, and many modes of learning for the reader. Executive coaching is still a fairly new profession and this book provides a wide variety of perspectives not typically shared among peers.

Although titled Executive Coaching, it indirectly explores the diversity of individual and organizational learning and change with a keen appreciation for the complexities of the human mind. For executive coaching, as in organizational development consulting, one size does not fit all. The diversity of approaches from the respective authors reflects the strength of belief in their own methods when dealing with the complexity and diversity of the human mind; and reveals the many barriers to individual learning and ultimately organizational learning. In many ways the book is about organizational development and organizational learning brought to an individual level.

Most of the contributors have psychology backgrounds; however, the editors have made a good attempt to look at executive coaching from a variety of lenses, with a noticeable influence of Carl Jung and Robert Kegan. As an organizational development consultant and executive coach, I find some bias toward the need for a psychology or psychotherapy background in some of the chapters. Does one need a degree in psychology to have an understanding of a variety of perceptual views through intentional, behavioral, cultural, and social dimensions, for example? I don't believe so.

There are many issues that emerge when we have conversations at personal and sometimes intimate levels. Do we dare go where no non-psychotherapist has gone before? I believe the human psyche is much less fragile than most psychotherapists, and even psychologists, might have us believe. And as organizational change consultants, how much damage have we inflicted because we dared not to tread, or even look, in those heretofore-protected domains?

Where is the line drawn between learning and repair, or between personal growth and cure? The authors have drawn their lines and they are in different places. I do believe, when coaching Executives, it is essential to have a greater depth of knowledge and abilities as an observer and guide.

I believe executive coaching can increase the potential for profound change. Peter Senge, in his book The Dance of Change, describes profound change as "organizational change that combines inner shifts in people's values, aspirations, and behaviors with 'outer' shifts in processes, strategies, practices, and systems ... In profound change there is learning." (p 15) W. Edwards Deming said, "Nothing changes without personal transformation."

Executive coaching allows us to further shift the learning paradigms of our clients. We are beginning to apply to individuals what we have applied to organizations. Coaching appears to be the natural progression to double-loop learning at a personal level, in addition to the organizational level, and further progression to triple-loop learning. Double-loop learning is a concept developed by Chris Argyris and Donald Schon based upon the work of Gregory Bateson. The term "triple loop learning" was used by William N. Isaacs, in Taking Flight: Dialogue, Collective Thinking, and Organizational Learning. "Double-loop learning encourages learning for increasing effectiveness. Triple-loop learning is the learning that opens inquiry into underlying 'why's.' It is the learning that permits insight into the nature of paradigm itself, not merely an assessment of which paradigm is superior." Effective coaching includes the practice of Dialogue at a one-to-one level. This "third" level of learning can be called transformational learning. As such, this book could be about transformational learning.

A noticeably missing piece was a chapter on distinguishing coaching from therapy, and addressing some of the boundaries to be considered and what resources the executive coach should have available in assessing and dealing with those boundaries.

Another missing piece was the role our body plays. Recent studies suggest a more holistic approach is needed in our learning - the integration of language, emotions and the body. I am referring to more than the traditional concept of "body language." Albert Einstein said, "My primary process of perceiving is muscular and visual." Richard Heckler, a psychologist and director of the Rancho-Strozzi Institute, says in his book The Anatomy of Change, "An education that connects us with our body would teach us the difference between what we are experiencing and what we are thinking and fantasizing about." (p 12)

Full awareness goes beyond what we are thinking. The body can reflect what we are thinking and feeling and the body can support what we desire to think and feel. Stuart Heller, mathematician, operations researcher, and psychologist, says in his book Retooling on the Run, "To make a change in any part of you, you have to change all of you." (p 10) "Your results are a function of the way you organize and use yourself. By studying your patterns of reaction, belief, tension, feelings, and posture, you learn how you both hinder and help yourself." (p 17)

I highly recommend this book to anyone involved with coaching and executive development. In addition, it offers many insights to any organizational change consultant wishing to search deeper in the psyche of an organization. Many organizations, and individuals, are struggling to find ways of breaking free of traditional thinking and modes of operation to enhance continuous learning. At a minimum, these insights may help forge better partnerships with clients and help facilitate greater awareness, reflection, and ultimately learning.

This book really is what books on coaching should be. Solid, theoretically-based and applicable. Beats most of the other executive coaching books hands down. One of the best books on coaching around.

Organizational consultants Catherine Fitzgerald and Jennifer Garvey Berger offer a collection of articles by 16 executive coaches, including themselves. The essays cover executive coaching perspectives, practices and management. This book examines the range of managerial and psychological approaches shaping this emerging field. These expert articles provide a diverse overview, varying in complexity, practicality and therapeutic philosophies. The hazard of anthologies is the mix of voices, so there is some blurring between what is coaching and what is therapy, and some drift about exactly who is being spoken to, the coach, the manager or the executive. The book seems to focus primarily on the analytical, psychological and tactical tasks of coaches. However, we from getAbstract suggest that if you are hiring a coach for yourself or your organization, you may find this very practical in understanding what coaches do and in being sure you select a good one.

The editors, Catherine Fitzgerald and Jennifer Garvey Berger, came up with a high quality, lucid and readable book which is a diverse collection of contributions from an elite group of experienced and knowledgeable executive coaches. I was excited to go through the different perspectives and methodologies which should appeal to a wide readership.

Those wishing to develop their coaching skills will find the book fascinating and enlightening. I believe that this is one of the most important coaching related books on the market.

The book is excellent reading for coaches, executives, human resource professionals, trainers, consultants and others with an interest in executive coaching.

The Face of God, by Bill Meyers, provides an insightful metaphor of how Christ's death and resurrection free us from the law in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. Simultaneously, the reader is thrusted into the lives of two very similar men: a Christian pastor, and an important Islamic leader. The setting for this book is the Middle East, and it's fast-paced and action-packed! I highly recommend it for Christians; Mr. Meyers offers information about how the Muslims are a moral and a faithful people. I, also, highly recommend this book to Muslims.

I'm a fan of Bill Myers work and have been since "Blood of Heaven". This one slipped by me somehow and when I saw it I immediately got it. While the plot is somewhat tight for the most part, I do have some problems with parts of it. For one thing, the thought of a terrorist who will kill someone very close to him (read the book to find out) shouldn't have any qualms about killing millions of others. So why is he so intent on the stones? But the most annoying part of the book is the fact that people call each other by their names so much that it gets old. The minute anything happens, they're all screaming each other's names in the midst of the chaos until you finally just want them to shut up and get on with it. For the first-time emergency, we can live with it...but when something happens every few chapters, you've got to have a break! "Daniel!" "Tyler!" "Helen!" "Tyler!" "Daniel!" "Dad!" "Helen!" "Tyler!" Give me a break! Otherwise, a good story...though not up to the same level as "Threshold" or "Blood of Heaven" (definitely better than "Eli" though). Recommended.

This book arrived with the publisher's sticker on it stating: "We guarantee you'll love the book, or it's FREE." It's a no-risk guarantee, because I can't imagine anyone's not loving this great adventure story written from a Christian perspective. The plot is complex and very well executed. The characters come alive--it's very easy to identify with them. It's just a tad far-fetched, but hey--it's FICTION. If you have a modicum of imagination and a love for adventure, this is for you. One more thing...as a Catholic I enjoy Myers' Christian slant, but I truly believe this books transcends the Christian fiction genre and can appeal to anyone and everyone. Also, I noticed some reviewers referred to the violent content. For anyone who reads adventure stories, this book is pretty gentle in my view when it comes to violence. I heartily recommend it as one of Myers' best!

This book provides more than just excitement, intrigue and facinating interply between the characters. This book also offers the reader some incredible insights into the Muslim religion, as well as insights into the weakness in the Christian Church. A must-read for anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of our world today!

The Face of God is a gripping look into grief, fatherhood, and the synergies/differences between Christianity and Islam, all masterfully rendered by an author who has learned to distinguish shades of gray. Bill Myers is not a writer who leans on the supernatural. Rather, he is one of those rare individuals who understands that everything is spiritual, and that the physical universe enveloping us is actually the waiting-room for Eternity. If you're fond of story, fine writing, well-told relationships, and writers who get the facts straight (and who is not fond of those things?) then you absolutely have to buy this book.

There was a time when artists bread and butter work was painting true to life pictures: portraits, battle scenes, ships, landscapes. With the advent of photography, art changed to other forms, some of which bore no recognizable appearance of anything known to anyone but the artist.

With the advent of digital photography and the necessary software to manipulate images, digital artists began to move in the way of the painters. Their digital images are formed by the manipulation of multiple images, of changes that can be made down to the bit level if desired.

This book explores digital art. While as of yet this is not well received by the conventional art community, it is a sign of coming times. Specifically in this book the same three specific images have been given to seventeen artists to use to illustrate what they might create. The procedures they followed to create new images coming from these three seed images are documented. The results are wildly different between the resulting pictures.

This is the forefront of digital art.

Joseph Nalven and JD Jarvis' Going Digital: The Practice And Vision Of Digital Artists is written by a cultural anthropologist who developed photography as a tool for working on ethnographic research, and an author who has long worked in TV production and graphic design: the two together offer a survey of the digital process as it applies to creating the art, from photos to finished products. 17 artists were asked to take three seed photos and use the images creatively in their own works of digital art: Going Digital takes these 17 efforts and blends them with discussions and examples of digital art from around the world, considering common challenges, presenting step-by-step processes from digital pioneer efforts, and creating a solid set of practical examples. A must for any aspiring digital artist.

Anything written about the practice of digital art today is doomed to be obsolete shortly. Very little is likely to survive even as being "quaint" in the way of Bill Gates's famous comment that 640 bytes were enough for anyone.
Since we have digital artists in the thousands, however, all eager to learn more technique, to make the most of all that's available, to see what each other is doing, we need resource material to serve them. "Going Digital" does this admirably in an original way. Seventeen artists each take the same three given photographic images and use up-to-the-minute tools to mold their own creations. The results are startlingly different. Most important, each artist has recorded his or her creative process in a sort of running diary, illustrated with dozens of images used or discarded en route to the final one.
The technology will more than likely change drastically as artists and computer scientists continue to interact. What will remain exciting and inspiring in Joe Nalven and JD Jarvis's book is the implicit discussions among editors and contributors about the meaning of art, the value of art, the place of artists, what changes and what abides. Both the many fine prints and the thoughtful questions raised fit into the history and practice of art, as always fascinating every one of us. Every question has more than one answer; rarely are these answers just yes and no. Although the discussion is implicit, the reader knows that he is in the hands of experienced teachers. The authors leave no doubt that their book goes past "now".
You'll want this book on your shelf or in your hand always. I wish that Amazon would let me give it a sixth star.

There is little that I can add to the previous excellent, detailed reviews. But I did want to add my two cents worth:

I received my "Going Digital" from Amazon a few days ago and read it cover to cover in two sittings - loved it! I especially enjoyed the participant's musings on the three seed photos. It was interesting that most all of them liked the image of the figure.

The resulting prints could not have been more different - a very interesting intellectual/artistic exercise indeed. It is a "must have" book for all digital artists - and will undoubtedly be a classic text book on the subject.

(...)

I find that having to create something with images not of your own choosing forces
you to stretch the limits - to step outside of your comfort zone. I have produced images that I NEVER would have done otherwise.

I have been working digitally less than two years, most of that time I have been in
an internet group with weekly challenges. I credit the "seed image" restriction with helping me grow and find my own voice in this digital world.

When I switched to digital everything was so new and unfamiliar. I have not been able to get into a comfortable rut with the ever-changing challenges. They have pushed me in directions I never would have chosen for myself- and that's a good thing!

When I finished the book I looked for a website that had the images available - I was dying to try my hand at it!

Buy the book, then try out the concept of "seed images" for yourself. It is a fantastic learning experience.

Oh wait... while I am here. Harald Johnson's other book "Mastering Digital Printing" (second edition) is another "must have" if you are serious about your digital art.

Carol
(...)

This book is a treasure trove of ideas for aspiring digital artists. Digital art has come of age, and Nalvin and Jarvis offer a comprehensive overview of the revolution that is transpiring before our very eyes. The book features an international group of digital artists working their magic on three simple images, while explaining their techniques and exposing their creative thought process at every step along the way. For the reader, each chapter provides a compelling intimate journey through the creative mind of a digital artist. My favorite was Greg Klamt, whose creativity is boundless. For me, this is digital art its at its very best. As Jarvis has stated in his digital manifesto, in the digital art world ".high cost will no longer signify superior work. Galleries and critics alike will soon have to realize that creativity, vision, diversity and craftsmanship have returned as the benchmarks of "value". Bravo!

excellent product, to get me started. I appreciate having it as a permanent fixture in my arsenal of references.

I received this book 2 day shipping as requested. I have had it for about a month now. It is easy to ready and goes well with the Kaplan course. Most importantly I am sure I will get a lot of use out of it as a reference. Great book!!

I received this product in a timely manner and in excellant condition. I have been very pleased with the sevice from Amazon and vendors.

this is a great essentials book for anyone interested in legal nurse consulting. i have read through some of it and will surely be using it even more as i am launching my new business. i got a used copy and it came to me in great shape!

This book is a great at home teaching tool on how to become knowledgeable in the field of LNC and how to start your business.

This book divides the LamRim into 21 analytical meditations, which the reader is to progress through one at a time, in a series, and then start again at the beginning. It provides an adequate introduction to its subject.

If your looking for a book to start a meditation regimine with this is it. This book gives you 21 meditations to follow, with brief discussions on what the meditation is about. This book is very good at getting the reader modivated to meditate. Details on how to perform breathing meditation, which is what the reader is asked to start with before going into the main meditation, is not included. However, these can be easily found on the internet. This book helped me become a more diciplined, effective and powerful meditator. It also lead me to the profound life changing realization of the power of compassion. Well worth the money.

I have used this book for 12 years. Everytime I read it I glean something else from it. This book contains the essence in a very condensed but powerful form of all Buddha's 84,000 teachings. This presentation is the 'Lam Rim' or 'Stages of the Path To Enlightenment' presentation of all Buddha's teachings that the great Buddhist teacher Atisha arranged for the Tibetans. This arrangement has been central to the Kadampa lineage, as well as the Kagyu tradition for a thousand years. This was the central teaching of Lama Tsongkapa.

This arrangement is really good for busy and distracted people like me! So beautiful.

This is the practical daily sitting meditation advice, including how to set up a shrine and the meaning of the prayers, which compliment Geshe Kelsang's Introduction to Buddhism: An Explanation of the Buddhist Way of Lifeand Transform Your Life: A Blissful Journey.'

I use the New Meditation Handbook everyday. Its structure is so helpful in establishing a daily practice and each meditation is presented so clearly and beautifully. I recommend this book to anyone who sincerely wishes to bring about a deep change in their mind.

I am so pleased to have found this book! As a beginner to meditation, I really connect with the idea of meditation being about familiarizing my mind with a virtuous object, as opposed to trying to "clear" my mind. The instructions here are very clear and have yielded good result in terms of my own ability to deal with the stresses of every day life. I would recommend this to anyone interested in meditation who doesn't quite know where to start. (Probably also good for seasoned meditators).

We have used this book for years as a part of a gift package that we give our graduating high school seniors. I feel as though it's structure, simplicity, and depth are perfect...even if it doesn't get opened until they are 30, it will be waiting for them and forever relevant in their lives. - Kirk Foote, Young Life Green Bay

This book is about all the main stories from the bible with a commentary after each by yancey and quinn, it is a very easy introduction to the bible and easy to read for anyone, especially those who find the bible tough going. I brought this book for my husband on the recommendation of 40yr male,and he was right, my husband loves it has brought one for his friend and is still reading it months after I brought it. A great book to read completely through, to get a good knowledge of the bible

This is an excellent book. It makes the Bible easily understood. The strong connection between the old and new testments is very clear. The explanations by the authors give a deeper understanding of book.
I strongly recommend this book.

This devotional is a terriffic, fresh approach to reading through the Bible in an overview or summary format. Each day's reading (using a modern translation) is accompanied by brief and informative text from Brenda Quinn or Philip Yancey, and then 1 or 2 questions to ponder. Both Quinn and Yancey have a reader-friendly, intelligent manner of writing that invites one to think rather than telling one what to think.
Makes a nice gift book, too.

I bought this book as a NY resolution and LOVE it. My husband and I read from it before we go to bed and on long road trips stemming deep conversations. We feel exhilarated, educated, and much more. Regardless of personal beliefs, this book explains the Bible in our generation's terms, meaning a churchless many (including myself). This book makes it fun and easy to learn about the Bible.

As a student at Yale Law School planning to go into estate planning, I found this book very helpful. Highly recommended for anyone who needs to plan their estate or for law students taking estate tax or planning courses. This book is easy to understand, well organized, and provides a good amount of detailed information, not just vague ideas. Highly recommended.

This book provides an easy to understand overview of estate planning plus easy to understand detail on many special circumstances. It is very easy to understand which estate planning techniques are right for you, and there are many examples that illustrate how the techniques work. Approximately half of this book is relevant to everyone. The other half gives clear, common sense explantions of advanced planning techniques that are typically reserved for those fortunate enough to be planning a high net worth estate (lets say $1M+). The advanced techniques are not for do it yourselfers, but the book gives you a good understanding of the issues and lets you converse intelligently with an attorney.

Now in a newly updated and expanded seventh edition, Plan Your Estate is a resource provided by attorneys Denis Clifford and Cora Jordan which is packed from cover to cover with everything anyone needs to know to ensure their worldly goods are promptly willed to loved ones. Written in no-nonsense terms that the non-specialist general reader can readily grasp, individual chapters clearly address wills, how to avoid probate, living trusts, property-control trusts, naming guardians for children and leaving property to children, estate taxes, living wills, how to reduce estate taxes, and much, much more. Especially recommended for individuals who own a business or who have children from a former marriage, Plan Your Estate is a "must-have", "do-it-yourself" legal resource, which is applicable to all American states except for Louisiana. Even those who prefer to let a professional handle the whole process of estate planning would be well served to read Plan Your Estate cover to cover, before stepping into an attorney's office where time is money and the clock is running.

Great for law students taking an estate planning course or an estate and gift tax course. Also good for people wanting to learn about estate planning in general. I would recommend this book.

This book is a must buy resource for persons interested in estate planning. Whether you are planning to do-it-yourself or use a lawyer, it is good to know what your options are. I am much better informed after reading this book.

I've owned many oracle cards and these ones work the best for me. Being a person who is very connected to nature, I feel right at home with these cards and the messages that accompany the cards. I like the fact that the cards aren't vague and that the explanations are thorough. A previous commenter said that certain animals were missing from their book. I don't know if their book was a misprint, but my book is complete with all animals represented.

I think a great companion to this set of oracle cards would be the book "Animal Speak" by Ted Andrews. Signs from nature and animals are around us all the time, you just have to be open to seeing them! :)

A great tool to learn and use. A must for all who are in tune with nature and those who want to learn

Excellent for use in discovering your totem and can be used with a strengths-base approach in counseling.

I really enjoy these cards. The pictures on them are awesome and the book included is pretty informative about each power animal. I only wish it included more on different spreads to use with them.

I had ordered Steven Farmer's Animal Spirit Guides book last year. My book is well worn and marked in the places that resonate with me. Over the weekend, I was at Border's and saw this deck. I just had to have it!
I ordered it immediately from Amazon and got them today. These cards are indeed accurate. I am a psychic, but I keep that from mostly everyone. I have clients via word of mouth. But other than that, no one really knows. After blessing this deck and asking the cards to give me a message in regards to my psychic ability. The "Raven" card fell out not once but twice. So I know this was a definite message from Spirit. After I read the book meaning, I was blown away.. Raven-own your power.
It seemed as if this message was what I needed. And it is Spirit's way of telling me that is time to come out of the closet fully.

I love these cards and I am glad I followed my intuiton on purchasing them.

Radiant Mind is a fantastic book! Having read many books on Zen, Buddhism and meditation, along with personal training and meditation retreats, I have to say Fenner nails it! It is difficult to say exactly what it was in the book that was most meaningful, but what Fenner says and how he says it definately gave me several Ah-Ha moments. Similar to Adyashanti's teachings, if you have moved beyond dogma and liturgy in Buddhism, and are truely looking for the essense of Buddha's awakening, then this work is where you want to spend time. It is a book I will return to many times.

Whether you are an experienced meditator and long-time scholar or a complete beginner, Peter's teaching on these CDs will lead you to a direct experience of unconditioned mind, which is ineffable, i.e. your mind in its natural state, beyond words, ideas and concepts.

If you have read the book, you should still order the audio CDs. The richness of Peter's verbal expression, with its emphasis and significant spaces communicates this experience in a way the book cannot. You can actually participte with him in this experience. He is an extraordinary teacher.
Radiant Mind: Teachings & Practices to Awaken Unconditioned Awareness (Sounds True Audio Learning Course)

This book is exceptionally clear and lucid, while covering material that is deep and too often difficult.

If you pay close attention, you'll be able to notice that the author gives us readers a *process*, somethings to do...that help us get results.

This isn't theory-only, it's very practical.

If you want good background and foundation, processes and methods that work, if you want to come away with clarity and be able to make progress -- then this is one of those rare books that will give you all that.

The purpose of Radiant Mind is to turn the reader's attention toward cultivating unconditioned awareness in the midst of everyday experience. Peter Fenner is a well known teacher, writer, scholar, and counselor. In the world of nonduality, Radiant Mind is one of the few all-encompassing, structured nondual teachings for students of the early 2000s. If your current involvement with nondual teachings is unsatisfactory, you may be very pleased with the breadth and depth of Radiant Mind. I recommend investigating it.

Fenner anticipates and confronts the reader's avoidance and dishonesty. He points out the difference between disconnecting from and deconstructing our problems. He's honest: "We don't necessarily want to examine our patterns. In fact, the patterns are constructed with a dual purpose. They are designed to sabotage our life and the lives of others, but in such a way that we don't recognize them."

Following each chapter are exercises. Their initial objective is to connect you with your fixations or conditioned existence. Then the exercises are designed to cultivate unconditioned awareness through sitting, pure listening, and various ways of deconstruction, especially conversations: "These conversations dismantle the structures of our conditioning and introduce us to the experience of contentless awareness."

For those who think they are beyond meditation, or contemplative practice, Fenner points out that practice is necessary in order to reveal to us that practice is not necessary. More honesty: "This constant denial saps our energy and demoralizes us, because we're engaged in a losing battle with a reality that simply isn't interested in our existence."

Peter Fenner does not allow you hide anywhere. He knows all your tricks and spells them out. At the same time, he is open about the paradox of functioning out of the nondual space. He says, "You're so complete it doesn't mean anything to say you're complete. This book is a paradox. ... I'm sure you also know that it has nothing to do with unconditioned awareness."

Counselors, psychotherapists, coaches, spiritual teachers, and self-realized gurus looking for ways to explain things better, and anyone functioning within, or with, or as the paradox, will benefit from reading Radiant Mind.

Radiant Mind may also be engaged as an 8-month course. Fenner mentions the course in passing at the very end of the book. He gives all he's got within the limitations of a book. The course is not necessary, however the serious reader/student will know soon enough.

Finally, I want to briefly talk about the index. The index is excellent and professional. The only thing that puzzles me is why the material in the exercises at the end of each chapter was not indexed.

For example, under the entry "pure listening," all the appropriate page numbers in the book are noted except for pages 123-124, which are exercises in pure listening. Perhaps the indexer or publisher could explain to me the justification. Aside from that, it is one of the best indexes in the nonduality genre today. That the Appendix on Radiant Communication was indexed is commendable.

Jerry Katz
One: Essential Writings on Nonduality

For those seeking some form of Enlightenment, Fenner shines a bright, if not harsh, light on just what enlightment is - and is not. His writing is actually very positive and helps one to experience the non-dual in everyday life (hence: Radiant Mind), instead of merely seeking to "be" non-dual, which of course is an impossibility. This is the CD version - it is clear but Fenner does speak a bit slowly, perhaps attempting to induce a calm aura into his ideas. Very straight forward and down to earth, a welcome change to the Ken Wilber style. A valuable addition to a seeker's library.