General Practice Books

This book is very interesting and I would highly reccomend it to anybody who wants to understand Judaism, along with "The Book of Jewish Belief" by Louis Jacobs.

Like many of my most valued books, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin's `Jewish Wisdom' arrived by accident, not through deliberate choice, but rather as a result of my having missed the reply deadline for one of my book clubs.

The full title of the book gives a greater sense of the scope of this 650+ page book: `Jewish Wisdom: Ethical, Spiritual, and Historical Lessons from the Great Works and Thinkers'. This statement in the subtitle comes very close to an encapsulation of the Jewish faith for me -- it is an ethical way of life; it is a spiritual way of life; it is a way of life with high regard for history; it is a way of life with high regard to teaching and learning; it is a way of life that has accomplished great works and produced great thinkers. All of these things benefit the whole of humankind. `Two thousand years ago, when a non-Jew asked Hillel, the leading rabbi of his age, to define Judaism's essence, the sage could have responded with a long oration on Jewish thought and law, and an insistence that it would be blasphemous to reduce so profound a system to a brief essence. Indeed, his contemporary, Shammai, furiously drove away the questioner with a builder's rod. Hillel, however, responded to the man's challenge: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour: this is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary; now go and study" -- a model statement that has defined Judaism's essence ever since. As Hillel knew, the right words at the right time can inspire people for generations.'

Rabbi Telushkin has written or edited literally hundreds of books, and many of them consist of collections of writings or quotations. One of the things that sets this apart from other books of quotations and writings, both Jewish and non-Jewish, is the running commentary that speaks to the importance in the ongoing development of Jewish life and faith of the writings presented here. Indeed, some quotations appear more than once, because they have a relevance to more than one topic.

Rabbi Telushkin concludes with a fifteen-page bibliography, which reads as a 'best of' list of Jewish literature (and is a frequently-addressed reference source for me when looking up Jewish information of almost any field). At the front of this bibliography, he starts by listing the top-ten collections of Jewish quotes and texts -- what other book of quotations references even one, much less ten, other such collections?

A truly inspiring book, a wonderful reference, a thoughtful and insightful collection -- this book will not gather dust on the shelf. For those who are not Jewish, this book contains the key to following Hillel's instruction to 'go and study'. For those who are Jewish, this will serve as a solid addition to the library of essential facts and useful opinions and impressions from culture and history.

Jewish Wisdom is a marvellous resource for anyone who is interested in Judaism. In it, you will find quotations and stories from a wide range of sources, as well as commentary from the author.

If you want to know about how an assortment of Jewish luminaries think and feel about a particular ethical, spiritual or historical issue, the chances are that you can find it in Telushin's book. As an author, I sometimes use this book to bolster my own writing projects. In fact, I recently picked out a portion from the book to be read at my daughter's Bat Mitzvah. Trust me -- it's quite a gold mine.

What's frustrating is that I know of no comparably complete and well conceived work for other religious traditions. If anyone is aware of such a book, do tell.

In one section of this work Rabbi Telushkin asks the question, "What does God want of us?" The primary answer from the sources he cites is that God wants of us ethical behavior, the acting toward others with goodness, kindness and consideration. This is the walking in the way of God, that will bring about 'tikkun olam' or 'improvement of the world'.
I feel that somehow this whole magnificent compendium of Jewish wisdom has behind it this central purpose. And that Rabbi Telushkin in making this anthology is working to make us all wiser, which means ' better' people.
The anthology covers a great variety of aspects of life and experience, and also touches upon major events in Jewish history.
It could not be more highly recommended.

The other reviewers describe this as a fine outline of Jewish views on a variety of matters, and I agree. One caveat: the last 100-200 pages (which focus on the Holocaust and Israel) are essentially a description of Jewish history rather than Jewish ideas, so I thought they belonged in another book. (In fact, I suspect that they overlap considerably with Telushkin's Jewish Literacy, which I also recommend).

I am not a religious Jew in any sense of the term. But so far I have found this book a welcoming approach to religion. This humble approach to spirituality is refreshing.

A brilliant and loving introduction to new ways of approaching religion--and specifically Judaism-- for contemporary people. Very spiritual, very creative. JWF focuses more on how to rethink and reinterpret religious ideas and rituals, rather than a comprehensive primer to Jewish ideas and practices.

Informative and inspiring. Well worth multiple readings!

Perhaps the greatest compliment an author of a spiritual book can be paid is that he has, through virtually every page of his book, changed your life, deepened your connection with God, and brought new life to your spiritual disciplines. This is precisely what Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi has done for me through "Jewish with Feeling." It's the only book I keep among my prayer books, and each day I read something I've underlined (I've highlighted approximately half the book!)so that I might bring that spiritual practice or thought or way of interacting with others into my life .

Rabbi Schachter (or, Reb Zalman, as he's known to many of us) lives a life full of delight, creativity and joy and, through this book, he infused mine with a desire for the same zest and exuberance. While he loves his own religion of Judaism, as do I, he brings in fresh insights telling us how to connect - not just dialogue - with people of other faiths. He tells us of the unique contributions that Judaism has brought to the world, and at the same time, reminds us of the rich traditions given to the world by those of other faiths. Yet he doesn't stop there. Reb Zalman shows us how our spiritual life can be deepened through a literal sharing of one another's spiritual practices.

In addition, his personal experiences and stories captivated me, and his unique way of telling these stories, helped along by Joel Segel's extraordinary writing style, makes this a book I'll return to many, many times. Very often, it's a tribute to a book to say, "I just couldn't put this book down." But I think Reb Zalman would greatly appreciate the fact that I had to put this book down many times - to dance, to pray, and to reflect on how to live all I was reading.

From the time he was first sent out with Shlomo Carlebach by the then Lubavitch Rebbe Rav Zalman has been a major Jewish outreach person. He has followed the dictates of his own heart and experience. And he has tried to make Judaism a living spiritual reality for many. There are those who say he went outside the fold in doing this, went far too far especially in his efforts at syncretic connection with other religious traditions. But there are others his followers who claim that in the words of Reb Shlomo he is the 'holiest of the holy'.
While recognizing his deep feeling for Jewish life and story, his deep readiness to feel the mystical presence of God, his hunger for life, real life in religion- I wonder if he does not make a bit too little of traditional Halachic practice, underplay the way for many observance is the key to the higher spirituality.
Whatever one feels about it, this work provides a clear and story- filled picture of Rav Zalman 's personal way of seeing his life as a Jew, and making it holy.

Jewish With Feeling: A Guide To Meaningful Jewish Practice isn't just a guide to Jewish mysticism by Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi (in collaboration with Joe Segel): it translates scholarship and Jewish mystical experience to the realm of designing a personal spiritual path for those who would practice Judaism as a living religion. From questions of the special mechanics of faith in Jewish interactions, which differ from other religions, to Sabbath's real meaning, individual chapters translate the feelings and intentions of Jewish spirituality for all.

As a personal and professional coach, I often use this workbook, in addition to the original Discover Who You Are, when working with people who are making major life transitions, especially career change. I find the material thorough but not overwhelming for people with varying levels of education. Also, the workbook format allows my clients to scribble all they want and keep a record of their thoughts without writing in the margins of the text book (some people dislike writing in their books). The workbook can be pulled out weeks, months or years later to refresh memory and track progress - a real jewel.

The LifeKeys program is designed to help people discover their path in life. Whether you are just starting out, in a job you don't really like, newly retired, or just curious about the possibilities, LifeKeys is a great resource for finding out more about yourself and your mission in life.

The authors provide a series of simple tests on interests, spiritual gifts, personality type, values and passions to help the reader discern what God is calling them to. Each activity is simple, although they can be time consuming if done properly.

Many people use this series in a church class: The one I led at our congregation of about 500 members attracted over 30 people to participate. There is a hunger out there for the kind of guidance LifeKeys provides. It is certainly a great program to use in a church context, and the workbook version makes it easy.

LifeKeys certainly is pitched to the Christian community. However, an individual reading the entire text would find it just as easy and rewarding to do on their own.

Develop your own personal mission statement, and use LifeKeys as a guide!

With a resemblance to What Color is Your Parachute, but with a Christ-based perspective, Discover Who You Are takes a multi-pronged approach to discerning how you can be a better steward of the gifts, talents and passions the God has given you. The book, which is part of the Lifekeys series, is designed to help you discover your calling. The book is practical, easy to read and full of exercises and self-assessment tools. Discover Who You Are is useful by itself, but it also makes a good resource for a church small group study. A workbook and a leadership resource are also available.
Discover Who You Are's multi-pronged approach begins with assessing your life gifts - what comes naturally to you. These are classified into six areas such as artistic, investigative and social. Next the authors look at spiritual gifts, helping the reader through a series of questions to identify which of 20 God-given gifts they might have, such as mercy, teaching and evangelism. This is followed by a chapter on Meyers-Briggs personality types, with acronyms such as INFJ and ESTP. An exercise on identifying one's values is next, followed by a discussion of finding one's passions. The remainder of the book focuses on service, with applying your self discovery to volunteer opportunities and career choices. These applications include specific sections dealing with different life stages, including first career, midlife transitions and retirement planning.
Some readers may find the book tells them what they already know about themselves and others may still be left with questions when trying to figure out specifically what they were meant to do with their lives. But most will find the journey through this book to be a useful way to sharpen their insights into themselves and better understand how God made them. The book may indeed help one live more purposefully for Him and find deeper meaning in life. jsteenhagen at ActiveStewardship

This book is a life-changing and life-enhancing source of how to use your God-given gifts...a lesson in God's love for us.

God believes each of us is special and this book shows the reader how to uncover (or re-discover) the gifts God has given that make each of us unique. And useful to God!

It is a blessing and a gift!

LifeKeys does a relevant and wonderful job of guiding those in search of a clear path in life. Through a series of simple but deep and though provoking tests, LifeKeys sets out to help the reader discover who they are and what God is calling them to do. The tests include interests, values, spiritual gifts and personality type, as well as guidance on integrating the gathered information to write a life mission statement.

There is a hunger for books like these in our society... in our church of about 500 members, over 30 people signed up for the LifeKeys class which I led. The discussion was wonderful, and students left satisfied with their experience.

The only drawback to this workbook: If you are using it to lead a class, plan on spending time reading the whole book before you begin, and more time on class planning. For the individual, simply the "LifeKeys" text is more than sufficient... it has all the materials included in this book. But for a group who doesn't want to make the larger investment in many texts, the workbook is a great resource!

The challenges and opportunities facing companies today in the area of sustainability are more complex and have greater potential impact than ever before. Making Sustainability Work fulfills an unmet need for senior executives, board members, and managers seeking better ways to manage these challenges and opportunities. In this book, Epstein provides direction and guidance to help corporate leaders integrate sustainability into their daily decisions and to better understand and manage corporate social responsibilities and corporate performance. Making Sustainability Work is an outstanding contribution to the field. This book will be an invaluable resource for senior executives, boards, and managers searching for the best ways to integrate sustainability into their decision making.
--Mark L. Frigo, Ph.D., CMA, CPA, Director of the Center for Strategy, Execution, and Valuation, Kellstadt Grauate School of Business at DePaul University

Whereas others have argued for why corporations must attend to social issues, Epstein helps us understand how. Epstein provides in-depth, thoughtful analysis that integrates the relevant research in the field about how to more effectively manage corporate social responsibility. He grounds this analysis in extensive examples of companies actively grappling with these issues. In doing so, he provides a manual for both academics and practitioners to understand what we know today about how to manage corporate social responsibility , and provides a set of questions for the issues that we must grapple with tomorrow. This book is a must read for anyone who cares about the success of companies and who cares about the future of our communities and our planet.

If you want a single book on how to make your company sustainable, this is the book for you. Epstein distills the latest and greatest thinking into a sensible and comprehensive program for delivering environmental, social, and financial excellence. You don't need to look further for a guide to retool the machinery of your organization to create value for all stakeholders. Epstein is a renowned expert in the field of managing for sustainable performance. It's amazing how many insights and examples he fits into this easy-to-ready book. A great contribution to the field.

This book provides a detailed model that provides guidance on how managers can implement sustainability at their companies. However, it is excellent not only for managers, but also for consumers who want to know what companies are doing or what they should be doing to improve their social and environmental responsibility. It is easy to read and contains many detailed real world examples to help readers understand what corporate sustainability is and how it should work at global companies.

Making Sustainability work does a significant contribution for practitioners on how to put sustainability principles and ideas into practice. We have seen in the past other important contributions about sustainability. The difference regarding this new book is in putting these ideas in a very explicit way; emphasizing on the challenges of integrating sustainability into the business strategy and in the decision-making that encompasses the implementation of successful strategies at the firm level.

The book goes further giving valuable guidelines in practical methodologies on how to measure social and environmental risks and impacts and in the implementation of systems inside the firms for permanently monitoring such impacts. This has been a weakness in some of the literature we have seen in the past. Making Sustainability Work addresses the necessary evaluation of the impacts of sustainability initiatives on the financial performance to correctly assess the convenience of implementing them in terms of the benefits to both, the firm and the stakeholders. Finally, we have in a very amenable reading style, an important guide for practitioners on how to put sustainability principles into practice.

Julie Morgenstern does a great job of clearly talking about steps to take to be more efficient and effective at work. It is a great resource.

Julie Morgenstrom fills every page with practical tips on how to manage critical aspects of life at work. Since I began using her tips on email management, I am in full control. Definitely worth the investment.

Although the title of this book suggests that the content is purely work related, it is very helpful if you want to learn how to balance your personal and work life. The most helpful part of the book for me was "Control the Nibblers." I was able to recognize my blind spots, then after figuring out my top three time wasters and biggest interruptions, I implemented the author's helpful recommendations. I have also implemented her suggestions about organizing meetings with considerable success. I certainly recommend this book.

Typically, the mentoring process is a two-way dialogue that takes place over lunch, in the gym or on the phone. But author Julie Morgenstern changes the traditional mentoring model. Speaking out from the printed page, she mentors by remote. Morgenstern offers useful career guidance and concise tips, organized as concrete "Grab and Go Strategies." Her colorful examples, logical chapter summaries and chatty case histories make her book outstanding. Occasionally, her advice is repetitive, but overall it's hard to find fault, because she is so clearly smart, thoughtful and on your side. We recommend this mentor's manual to every professional, including the overworked, self-employed and underemployed.

Just what I needed in the nick of time. As with all useful popular psychology books, its efficacy is in the reader making an effort to follow through with a plan, and Morgenstern inspires me to do just that. I especially appreciated her quickstart program. Saving the procrastination-potential reading until I've got a handle on some of my clutter--in both time and space! Speaking of which, being as visual as I am, I especially appreciated her sketch/analogy representing the inside of a (my) closet as it aligns with the inside of a (my) calendar! They look the same. If I can organize my closet in space, I can organize my calendar in time!

You need this book. It is easy to become so engrossed in Kauffman's easy writing style that you will continue reading and lose track of time. Thumb through and stop at any place and you are guaranteed to find a wealth of information. Detractors to the best toxic-free remedies are provided rebuttals--you can learn a comprehensive approach to what and why. Let's make this required reading in medical schools! The only error I found was a typo misspelling of Antiplatelet in the Fig. 1-2 Treatment Meta-Analysis Table (p. 21). Again, this book is so loaded with useful information you will constantly refer to it. On p. 232 and again on p. 254 we read, correctly, how sunblock contributes to cancer by blocking Vitamin D formation--something that Rodale Press in their vast publishings fail to impart. Rodale Press, whom some may consider a leader in preventive health publishing, recommends sunblock to unsuspecting readers.

The hallmark of clinical observations (p2-3) over random clinical trials [RCT] is a common sense approach often missed in the medical literature and is sometimes used to discredit bonafide treatments that elicit positive results. You will learn of the class-action lawsuit against Pfizer regarding Lipitor [still want to ask you Dr. if it's right for you?](p97) and that statins cause cancer (p98).

The section on fluoridation is a must read. "How Antiflouridationists Have Weakened Their Cause," to only non-English speaking countries having the foresight to reject fluoride, to 60% US public water supplies being fluoridated--we get the good, the bad, and the ugly. As fluorides have been shown to increase cancer risks, adding them to water violated the Delaney Clause of the 1958 Amendment to the Food Drug & Cosmetic Act of 1938. So, the Delaney Clause was repealed in 1996 (p.273). Also, adding fluoride violates the EPA policy on drinking water standards (Safe Drinking Water Act) explaining why the 1990 National Toxicology Program on sodium fluoride was "revised" with findings of "clear evidence of carcinogenicity" to "equivocal" evidence. This was necessary to keep the flouridation program legal (p274).

On mammograms, benefits claim lower breast cancer mortality without providing all-cause mortality. Kauffman reminds that this is also a major fault in "major texts in gynecology and oncology" (p217). However, I was surprised to find thermography cast in such low regard, but then this is coming from the American College of Radiology, who cites a false-positive rate of 25% (p.212). Kauffman clarifies this in Addendum 1, on an entire page devoted to Thermography, in which thermography is better "able to detect breast cancer 5-8 years before mammography with vastly fewer false-positive errors" (p.327).

On anti-oxidents in red wine, Kauffman notes no evidence that moderate drinking offers worthwhile health benefits (p.142). What Kauffman calls "sudden enthusiasm for red wine in the late 1990s," reminds of a medical school course in which the professor remarked his telling the grape juice convention promoters that their product wasn't needed--that wine was preferred. No mention was made by the professor of the far superior anti-oxident capability of 1 gram of Vitamin C--in comparison.

There is absolutely no reason that this book should not sell out and go through several subsquent printings. A valuable edition to your medical library or home book-shelf.

In Joseph Conrad's famous novel, "Heart of Darkness," Marlowe, the narrator of the central tale travels to the Congo in search of the enigmatic and elusive Kurtz, a renowned European ivory trader who went to Africa as an idealistic "emissary of pity, and science, and progress." Marlowe finally encounters Kurtz on his deathbed, in a compound surrounded by a ruined fence, the posts of which are capped with shrunken human heads. Kurtz, having succumbed to primitive, destructive forces-- both external and internal-- utters his last words-a withering realization of truth: "The horror! The horror!"

Readers of Joel Kauffman's book "Malignant Medical Myths" should prepare themselves for an analagous journey of discovery. Not only will they learn of the specifics: that taking an aspirin a day may not make you live longer; that low carbohydrate diets are beneficial, not dangerous; that statin drugs, while effective in reducing cholesterol-an irrelevant endpoint-do little to reduce mortality-and then only in a very select population; that high blood pressure is over-treated; that the benefits of moderate alcohol use, exercise, and mammograms are exaggerated; that chelation therapy is unfairly maligned; that fears of radiation are overdone; that cancer cure rates have not changed much in the last forty years.

More important than these specifics is the totality-the picture of the medical establishment which emerges from them. That establishment, like Kurtz, is often seen as a beacon of pity, and science, and progress, but, when examined more closely, seems corrupted by greed, an aversion to truth, and a kind of tribalistic conformity; it seems to lack the structures which would provide an ethical backbone, and promote a commitment to scientific thinking. The hospital compound, with its white coats and gleaming machines is shadowed and compromised by an ominous fence of grievous errors and unpleasant truths.

The first subheading in Dr. Kauffman's introductory chapter is: "You Do Not Have To Trust Your Doctor." The reasons gradually become clear: Doctors' recommendations often rely on information which is "outdated, biased, flawed, and sometimes based on outright fraud."
Drug companies manipulate the results of clinical trials by careful selection of volunteers, by elimination of those who show initial adverse side-effects, by publishing only favourable results, by dealing only with surrogate endpoints, by failing to use placebos, and by failing to provide total mortality figures. Relative risk statistics, which are often highly misleading are used to advantage. Abstracts of medical papers, and hence press releases, may contain selective and hence misleading information. Doctors may not only rely on information given by drug company representatives; they are feted, gifted, and even paid by drug companies. Doctors on decision-making committees and panels often have conflicts of interest because of financial ties to drug companies. Doctors have great difficulty in exercising independent judgement, because conformity to current thinking, no matter how mistaken, is the safest course.

"The horror! the horror!"

We should be grateful to Dr. Kauffman for the research he has done to expose these medical myths, and reveal the corruption which initiates and maintains them. I became aware of Dr. Kauffman's work in 2005, in researching the causes of heart disease. Dr. Kauffman is a former professor of Chemistry at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and (according to biographical information on the back cover) has now "turned his attention to exposing fraud in medicine."

I think everyone should read this book, but there is no doubt that many will find it troubling. At the end of Conrad's novel, Marlowe meets with Kurtz's fiancee. When she asks what Kurtz's last words were, he responds: "The last word he pronounced was - your name."
He lies, because, in the end, the truth is too difficult. (It is the "necessity" of this lie that is the "Darkness" referred to in the title.) Dr. Kauffman is a Marlowe who has the courage to tell us what really happened.

This was exactly what I was looking for, INFORMATION and while it isn't a book for the beach, I will read and refer to it for many days,months and years. Would not part with this book.

One of the most remarkable examples of herd behavior among humans is their tendency to create and believe lore about medicine. Although biomedical researchers consider themselves above all this, as Kauffman shows, they are not. Without engaging in either inflated rhetoric or florid outrage, Kauffman exposes and dissects conventional wisdom in a careful selection of conditions that affect large numbers of people. Despite the occasional misstep, he puts the evidence and argument out on the table for us to see and judge. We cannot ask for more. When you are finished reading it, send it to your doctor.

If you care about your health, or that of those around you, this is a must read book.

This certainly isn't a book you can simply skim read. It took me a while to ponder about the impact this might have (I'm a medical student). The arguments are very well presented; he puts all the studies in front of you and analyzes them in a relevant manner.

What I consider to be a minor flaw in the book: the author sometimes concludes that certain differences in mortality are "negligible" when I don't think they are negligible. Certainly though, improvements in mortality rate are far easily attainable via fish oil, magnesium and other quality supplements.

I would love to see a new version of this book, further exploring and digging through the literature on various drugs and supplements.

Learn everything you need to know about dominant and submissive relationships in one explicit volume. You'll even learn how to find your own slave.

Now that you have a slave, what do you do with him or her? I'll tell you right now that this book will not answer that question for you. And for what the introduction claims the book is, it could be a far better guide to how to write "a master manual." The problem is that I've read no other book like it, and am uncertain of where else to point the hopeful reader who doesn't have a leather or kink community available as a local resource. if one keeps the introduction in mind and questions oneself as to what is really, really important in their day-to-day life as is, one can get an idea of how to assign tasks, train and remind a slave or submissive in how to serve specific interests.

Regarding the seemingly endless section about the dinner parties: if you don't have dinner parties, mentally substitute something that you find too time consuming to do yourself, but that you'd love to have someone else take care of for you. Preparing for and attending an Society of Creative Anachronism event? Tending to your artistic space? Buying produce? Tending to your feet? Really, anything truly nitpicky that you want done a certain way -- that section shows you how to give step-by-step detail in writing that a slave or submissive can refer to as they're doing the task.

Other tasks have detail given their importance TO THE AUTHOR. If there are things that the dominant / owner / daddy/ master (hereby known as the grand poobah, because I'm getting sick of typing all that) wants to do themselves, then they either get to specify that those actions are off limits unless specifically mentioned, or don't list them at all. Cleaning? What can be touched, and what should be left alone? How often? Spring cleaning? Seasonal changes, visits, decorations, etc? Who drives? How is the opening of doors dealt with? Dietary preferences and restrictions? If taken with the required grain of salt mentioned in the introduction, this book could help a lot of new people go from having their submissives post about looking for ideas for their grand poobah to having details instructions and a schedule already prepared after the contract is signed and the (training / temporary) collar is locked on.

I wish that Rubel had taken the time to outline his manual as he was presenting his information, as I've read reviews and even talked to people within my community who took offense at his tone because he wasn't being clear on providing a roadmap rather than specific expectations of behavior for all slaves. Indeed, a section regarding the potentially rude behaviors of guests at the above mentioned dinner parties would have been much more clear had it been explained why detailing such rude behavior was necessary to include in the manual; I can make some intelligent guesses, but it seems as though the manual involves a lot of in-references between the author and his slave that should have either been explained or edited out completely. Sidebars, more asides in italics and so on could have gone a long way to keeping otherwise normally intelligent and perceptive people from reading what they were used to reading -- lists of expected behaviors -- rather than what was being presented -- an outline of how to generate the behaviors the dominant reading the book would want for their particular life.

If this book ever ends up going out of print, I hope that the author redesigns it in a second edition rather than simply allow another printing of the same format. When presented in the right way, this could end up being a very valuable workbook for a number of budding ... well, poobahs.

A decade of M/s knowledge in one book

Both books Master/slave Relations: Handbook of Theory and Practice and
Protocol Handbook for the Leather Slave: Theory and Practice by Robert J. Rubel, PhD
Cover the same subject with a slightly different focus.

It amazes me that knowledge that took me years to learn is now available in 7 easy steps. The book can accelerate your journey into BDSM by a decade.

I consider this an expansion in many ways of the Leather Protocols book by Rubel. Here he gives more explicit examples of his own protocols and asks the reader to really consider what they might include and should include in their own should they chose the very, very rare path of an owner-slave or master-slave relationship. Personally my own protocols (yes, I do live this life, too) are not nearly as formal but these are very much the same considerations I felt were necessary to address when I began and as I continue in this life. Take the questions seriously don't just copy Rubel's ideas. Also don't plan on just jumping quickly into these relationships -- success requires planning and continuous reflection.

Wow! An A to Z discussion of what goes into developing and maintaining a Leather Master/slave relationship. This guy clearly knows what he's talking about. Rubel begins by defining his terms, moves through self examination, touches on ways of finding a slave, describes how to begin such a relationship, moves through collars and contracts and ends up with a slightly irreverent section called: "How's it Going?" All in all, this book provides a comprehensive and fresh look at this form of relationship. You should also check out his companion book, Protocols for the Leather Slave. Judging from the covers, they are probably meant to be companion works.

I needed something, especially non-religious, to get my mind off of where our country is headed.

I have been lucky enough to take two Mindfulness courses and they have changed my life. Both were run by excellent course leaders but nothing compares with hearing Mindfulness founder Jon Kabat Zinn discuss the philosophy and methodology behind it. His wit, compassion and way with words themselves make CD1 compulsive listening as well as explaining the reasons for CD2 which are the practices themselves. I cannot recommend this highly enough to anybody who wants to learn about themselves and especially those seeking release from troubled mind states such as anxiety and depression. Buy it- Mindfulness practitioners will tell you honestly that they make no promises to 'fix things' but it might change your life too...

A very useful program to help each one of us get in touch with what's real and important. It makes a lot of sense when you think about what John says. And you can't help but relax listening to his voice.

I bought this CD at the recommendation of a social worker. I'm a perfectionist, which frequently leads me to experience anxiety. I've lived this way for 50+ years but it's not healthy. However, it has been the norm for my life. Yes, I've done some counseling over the years, which has been extremely helpful but I constantly battle with trying to do too much, making it all perfect and then dealing with the anxiety that follows.

Although I've tried relaxation techniques in the past, I learned that Jon Kabat-Zinn's information is more than relaxation. It is learning to incorporate "mindfulness" into my busy, waking day. I found the information in this CD to be very informative. I've only listened to the CD two times and will need to repeat several more times to better learn this technique. Kabat-Zinn is the narrator and his voice is excellent as a reader or narrator. I highly recommend this CD, as well as the follow-up CD I am now listening to, "Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Mediation in Everyday Life".

While going through classes to try and grasp this concept I still could not grasp the practice. This CD made things so clear. It is extremely helpful & informative. I appreciate the authors tone and easy to follow language!
I will probably purchase follow up products from this author.

Our Family is so thankful for this book! Not only is it funny, but is also easy to read. This book gave me the confidence to celebrate Shabbat. We are already talking about "taking it to the next level" by incorporating the weekly Torah portions - this will be a book I will refer to for years to come.

Loved this book so much that I bought another for a friend (which she will receive for a Hanukkah gift). Very reasonable approach to celebrating Shabbat in today's modern world.

The modern, busy Jewish mother here receives a key to getting everything done in 24 hours AND to putting on Shabbat to bring a busy family together. Here are recipes, prayers, and even discussion questions that offer a wealth of ideas to translate an old ritual into modern times. Any collection catering to modern Jewish living needs this.

This is a wonderful book for both those exploring Shabbat as a new experience or for those wanting to expand their practice. This is not the usual "How To" book. The author shares her practice, how her friends celebrate and other possibilities. There are no judgements.

You will find the blessings, Torah portions along with questions for discussion as well as craft projects and recipes. Funny and thoughtful; both a good guide and a good read!

This book was well written and easy to read.It provided many suggestions
for keeping not only a religious tradition but family connecting for a meal together. In these fast paced times when two people work ,jobs and activity schedules keep us apart. This book helps alot.

Great book with lots of wonderful stories written concisely & beautifully compiled! Must have for any spiritual person!

I really enjoyed this book. Most of the stories made me smile, laugh, and cry. It is a very uplifting book. It gives hope and makes you see the good in the world in a time where most of the news is bad.

Whenever I need an emotional and spiritual boost, I turn to one of the stories in More Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Soul and receive an immediate lift. It reminds me that there are wonders available to people with open hearts and minds, and unseen forces at work in the world. And all the stories are true!

This book was what I expected it to be...and a whole lot more. These very personal and often life-transforming stories are gathered from people from all walks of life and beliefs. For anyone wondering if there's more to life than what you can see, touch, smell, hear, and taste, this book may make a believer out of you... it certainly did for me! A great read; Highly recommended.

This book is made up of so many different spiritual experiences that come from beyond the normal experience (as we call them). We can draw help, strength, protection, direction and decisions, thru these biddings in the form of prayer and faith. It's hard for me to pick a favorite story because they were all very touching. The one of Bo, the dog and master who had cancer, there was a spiritual bond between them, sad and happy. Mountain Angel is another favorite. It's about Azita Milanian who went running like always and was some how led a different direction the last couple of times and with the help of her dogs found a three day old baby buried in the dirt still alive. On that day she happening be wearing her "Save the Children" T shirt; A miracle in every sense of the word.

Bonnie @ MyShelf.Com