General Practice Books

Dr. Walt Larimore has created a practical and user friendly approach to build healthy balance into your life with "The Ten Essentials of Highly Healthy People." I've given this book as a gift to friends and family because it's such an encouraging and practical way to feel better while gaining the positive energy that comes when your physical body is in balance with the other spokes in the wheel of life. Read through the sample sections and you'll see why I'm such a strong supporter of his approach to a better quality of life.

This was a phenomenal book giving practical tips for how to live a successful life in the areas of health, emotions, and spirituality. As a psychiatrist I highly recommend it!

Dr Larimore captures , with precise and articulte words, the idea that wellness encompasses an integration of both the physical and the mental/spiritual dimensions of our daily existence. The book is well researched. References and web based links are set out logically for further study. The book is medically reliable----as a pediatrcian for the past two decades and also as a wroiter myself, I was impressed by both the style and content of this well-written book.

Spirituality features prominently in this book. But as is the case with the classic timeless book "The Power of Positive Thinking"by the late Dr Norman Vincent Peale, the faith language is crafted in a non-offensive manner.

Even a passionate atheist will be challenged in a kind way, to consider the benefits of faith and spirituality when it comes to balancing one's life, by being proactive in preventing disease, lightening one's load, avoiding loneliness, and nurturing hopes and dreams.

This book will find its place, not in the bookshelve of my private library, but in a more accessable and prominent spot on my desk.

I am looking forward to referencing it in my own writing and will , without hesitation, highly recommend it to both patients in my clinic and coleagues at work.

As the title suggests, the 10 essentials are indeed essential to optimal wellness.

Dr Larimore has successfully convinced me that the four wheels of health are to in perfect balance; he has also provided the reader with the specifics of how to achieve that balance.

This book will contribute to a healthier lifestyle and inner peace and fullfillment.

I was unable to put it down during a transcontinental flight!
It will captivate the attention of any sincere and open-minded reader

Dr. Larimore's straight forward, easy to read, and practical advice is great. It makes so much sense and his tone is so motivationg. I'd love to have this guy as my doctor!

Concise, amusing, helpful and entertaining look at how to improve your health by engaging all areas of your life: physical, emotional, and spiritual. A wonderful book to motivate one for significant changes in health as well pithy anecdotes! Enjoyed it immensely.

I couldn't put this book down from the moment I started it. I, myself, have experienced the overwhelming mercy of the Lord through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and often wonder how to encourage others to participate in this amazing sacrament! Sister's book gives 101 reasons to just go - my favorite stories were from the priest's perspective - just a wonderful uplifiting book that would make a great gift for fallen-away Catholics.

I found this book to be as enjoyable as Sr. Patricia's daily notes. The most intriguing and revealing part of the book for me was Understanding Sin Today. Reconciliation used to be a checklist of sins but with the Church's contemporary view sins are reflected in relationships and social responsibility. What a refreshing outlook. The individual stories are great - I especially liked the one about the lottery winner who won millions of dollars only to find out his mother burned the ticket....talk about forgiveness!!

I have read all the books in this "series", and this is another great addition! It has humor, instruction, insight, and great personal, relatable stories from everyday people.

I stayed away from going to confession for a long time. I wanted to find out exactly what was expected from me in the confessional, before going back. This book helped me tremendously, it answered all my questions. I no longer just wondered or guessed if I was doing everything right, this book told me how to do and say all the right things. Thank you Sr. Patricia for easing my mind about going back to confession.

Not being a very young person, I remember the days when going to confession meant "shaking in your boots". Most of the time, I dreaded it. With Sister Patricia Proctor's book, 101 Inspirational Stories of The Sacrament of Reconciliation, I have come to relax in this Sacrament. Sister, in her book, shows us how to be fully at peace with ourselves. Jesus is total love, and wants to help us and forgive us. The priest, as Jesus' representative, is there to understand as Jesus understands. It is a beautiful Sacrament, where we do not have to live with guilt. Jesus, through the priest, removes all discomfort. This is a wonderful book, that helps us to look forward to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or confession. Thank you Sister Patricia for making this book available. This is truly a work of love. Maryann Kolod, S.F.O.

This is a very inspiring book. It's small....but great things always come in small packages.

Great book for anyone, expecially if you are in a 12 step program. I give this book away for "anniversaries."

I spend the last minutes of my day in meditation. This book is a nice addition to my routine.

This book was purchased for a gift to a recovering alcoholic. He does a lot of reading and meditation and was extremely pleased with the book. I feel this was a gift, well-chosen. Short reads and thoughts for meditation.

This book was given to me by one of the most wonderful human beings I have ever treated for addiction. I can still remember the trust and faith he had in me as a therapist and his openess to the 12 step program. He insisted that I take this book and use it to help others in recovery. What a gift recovery is and this book truly will help you on your journey. Prayer and meditation is a necessity if you are to maintain sobriety and develop a new way of living. However, remember it is spirituality we are after and we define that. Its not defined by any particular religion. They are both useful, but completely different. This book will help you on your spiritaul path to recovery. Highly recommended. And much thanks to my incredible client that gave me this book.

In this brief text, Fr. Brown masterfully distills his biblical exegesis into a form which is digestible by those who do not have a predisposition for exegesis. In this collection of essays based on his larger work "The Birth of the Messiah," Fr. Brown discusses specific motifs from each of the infancy narratives, looking for their significance not only intra-textually but also inter-testamentally. While much of the exegesis remains brief, it is enlightening for each narrative and serves as a "spring board" to further studies as needed and desired. Nonetheless, for its brevity, the content is dense enough to truly give one something upon which to reflect during Advent and Christmas.

This booklet contains an excellent summary of some of the important conclusions reached in Father Brown's comprehensive and scholarly work, "The Birth of the Messiah." Father Brown's concern in the booklet is the theological message of the evangelists--he views this as the most important aspect of the message, and something that can get lost amid modern searches to either prove or disprove each item of the stories as historical events.

As usual, the late great Father Brown did an excellent job. He explores the Old Testament roots of Mathew's and Luke's Birth Stories and analyzes broad and beautiful topics such as "the Meaning of the Magi" (the Good News is for all who will believe, including Gentiles) and the "Importance of the Shepherds" (they symbolize an Israel that comes to recognize and glorify its Lord Jesus, the Davidic Messiah foretold in the Jewish Scriptures).

Father Brown said he hopes the regognition that there is an adult Christ in the message of Christmas--i.e., that the theological meaning of God's gift of Jesus is included in these beautiful opening verses--will lead believers to proclaim that revelation to others, and that they will respond in faith. It was a wonderful thing to have this brilliant and intellectually honest scholar also put his faith on display.

Father Brown has written some great books. While this is a good book, I would advise a touch of caution here. If you or your church believe in a strict literal interpretation of the Bible, this book may not be good for you. That said, this book is an interesting study. Father Brown points out that both Matthew and Luke have passages in their Gospels that tell of Jesus' birth. However, neither Matthew or Luke were present at the birth of Christ. There is a theory that Mother Mary (who was obviously present at the birth of Christ) talked to Matthew and Luke about the birth of Christ. (Father Brown does not seem to believe this.) But even if we accept this theory as true, it does NOT disprove the important facts that Father Brown points out. The first thing he points out is that while Matthew and Luke present a different picture of Christ's birth, they both wrote with a hindsight of Jesus' great works, his crucifixion, and his ressurection. (Anytime we are writing something with hindsight, we can color the previous events to our liking. Moreso if the way we color it helps lead up to the ending.) Basically, Matthew wanted to emphasize Jesus' greatness. So, he includes the star that lead the 3 wise men to Jesus. Matthew also wrote for the Jewish populations. (He was trying to emphasize that Jesus was the new Moses.) In the Old Testament, there is the slaughter of children at the time of Moses' birth. So, Matthew has the wicked Herod order the deaths of all the new born children in hopes that Jesus will be killed. Like Matthew, Luke was also trying to emphasize the greatness of Christ even at his birth. So Luke adds the beautiful story of the wise Simeon who pronounces Jesus' greatness: "Lord, now lettest thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people" (Luke 2:29-31). Also with hindsight, Luke has Simeon make a reference to the crucifixion: "Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also..." (Luke 2:35). Father Brown's point is emphasized further when he points out a major point. Obviously, Matthew and Luke included passages on Jesus' birth. But while they made their changes, they still had to stay to some extent within the earlier written Gospel According to Mark. (Mark of course does not include a birth chapter.) Well obviously, Mark presented Jesus' conflict with the Jewish authorities. Well, the Jewish authorities were fascinated by the 12 year old Christ in Luke: "...all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers" (Luke 2:47). So, if the religious authorities were so fascinated by Christ as a 12 year old child, then why as an adult was he rejected to the point where the religious authorities wanted him crucified? Don't get me wrong. This IS a great book as well as an important study. But it is my opinion that the content of it could be disturbing to some.

One of Raymond Brown's most enduring and significant works is THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH. It is without a doubt the most helpful work for preparing Advent and Christmas homilies as well as Bible studies based on the Advent and Christmas seasons. Though it's filled with great information, it's not quick reading by any stretch of the imagination. A quick reference guide would be more than appreciated by most readers and AN ADULT CHRIST AT CHRISTMAS and a volume that precedes it, A COMING CHRIST IN ADVENT, both published by Liturgical Press, serve this purpose.

AN ADULT CHRIST AT CHRISTMAS looks at the second chapters of Matthew and Luke's Gospels which deal with the birth of Jesus. Brown acknowledges the historical difficulties associated with these stories: Why did people not notice and record the star or Herod's massacre of the infants but doesn't allow these factors to take away from the overall message of Jesus' birth. He pays attention to the theology of the stories, namely that the Infancy Narratives for both Matthew and Luke summarize what we will discover in the Gospels themselves, specifically that upon learning of Jesus Christ some will respond and others will not. Brown further states that these stories challenge readers today in the same manner, so they're not cute stories as much as important lessons for mature believers, hence the titles.

The three essays in this book, the first of which focuses on Matthew's narrative, the second which looks at Luke's birth narrative and the Presentation in the Temple, and what Brown calls the "Third Christmas Story" or the finding of Christ in the Temple, were originally published as articles in the journal WORSHIP. They're informative and great for group discussion or homily ideas. Because it's a slender volume, it's perfect for an Advent Bible Study series or spiritual reading for people who combine scripture study and prayer. At such a busy time of the year, people want substance but often don't have time for lengthier works. This volume is perfect for that purpose. It's also great for preparing a homily, since it has major themes specifically for Advent. It also has footnotes with references for THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH and other works by Brown which makes it a great beginning for further research.

I read this book in this time of Christmas, 2001-2002. The content was incredibly interesting and changed my mind about the narratives of Jesus infancy. The two initial chapters of Matthew and Luke now say different things than I understood just a month ago. Recommendable only for people with a very well cemented faith. Short and very interesting and clear reading. That is the reason why I am a father Brown's fan.

I LOVE THESE BOOKS! I'VE READ THE BOOK, AND CAN'T EVER SEEM TO PUT THEM DOWN ONCE I START READING THEM. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE. MY FAMILY HAD A TRAGEDY IN OUR LIVES ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO AND THE BOOKS ARE STILL HELPING US COPE. THESE ARE BOOKS YOU CAN READ AGAIN AND AGAIN. PICK ONE UP, YOU MAY BE SURPRISED HOW YOU FEEL AFTER YOU READ IT.

As an Angel lover and an Angel believer I was drawn to this title. It is easy reading and can be quite comforting. During a very difficult time I read it and truly felt better. There are many areas, such as LEARNING TO ASK and WHY PEOPLE DON'T ASK GOD FOR HELP? that give insight. There are stories shared, angelic drawings and changes in ink color to keep you directed and interested. A book that eases you from page to page.

This is probably one of the best ANGEL books I have read both in style and in content.

My interest in Angels started when I was a very small child. This book has answered many questions and helped me to better understand the power of Angels and Prayer.

I read their first book about 2 years ago and did follow it a little bit but didn't believe. I find messages quite frequently from my angels to BELIEVE! The hardest thing for us to do. I went to an Angelspeake class with Trudy which was amazing and opened me up to writing to my angels and talking more clearly with them. I get saddened when people have a bad experience and blame their angels. If they read the book they would know the angels protect us, give us love love love love love! They would know the angels are sent from God to help us in our daily lives. Everyone will deal with sorrow in their life to be able to know true joy. One needs only to trust that your angels are their in your time of sorrow or grief and feel their love surrounding you to help you through it. By virtue that we are still on earth means we have more lessons. Ask your angels for help, believe, let go and THANK THEM! These books have been a true Godsend to me. I highly recommend them to anyone in need of a little extra help from above.

"The Angelspeake Book of Prayer and Healing: How to Work With Your Angels" (1997) by Barbra Mark and Trudy Griswold was given to me as a gift a few years ago along with the first volume "Angelspeake: How to Talk With Your Angels." I read the first volume then, and finally got around to reading this one now. The books were signed by Trudy to me, which made them a special gift.

This volume explains the process of communicating with angels, as did the first book, but it also includes answers and questions people had, letters people had for the authors, and advice on what one can do with the ability of angelic communication. The book reads easy and is enjoyable. One thing I realized from the book was what the expression "surrender to God" means. Having read about the phrase elsewhere, it now makes more sense.

What one takes or believes from the book may vary, but from my experience, this book made me think. Because "The Angelspeake Book of Prayer and Healing: How to Work With Your Angels" is written in a clear, understanding manner, my attention did not wander and I was able to duplicate their message all that much better.

An excellent and practical book. An easy to read guide on living in the present. A must for anyone who wishes to improve their life and live a more spiritually. The easiest reading book I ever read on this subject.

I have never before been motivated to post a review on Amazon. However, as the facilitator of a series of 6 week book studies on the topic of spirituality, with The Art of Being having been our latest study, I felt motivated to write due to the overwhelming and unified positive response of participants. Previous to this study, we engaged in a 6 week discussion of Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth. Since The Art of Being is a collection of essays centered around the topic of being present and living on purpose, it seemed like a natural next title, for Jones's book takes the principles identified so well by Tolle, and applies them, through essays followed by mindfulness practices, to real life. With the language given to us from A New Earth, we joyfully were able to use the essays in The Art of Being to springboard into marvelously rich discussions concerning relevant applications to every day life. The Art of Being allowed A New Earth to come alive for this group. It took principles of being and turned them into practice, and turned our group from being a class, to being a "sangha" (As Jones describes), or a spiritual community. It is a book whose value grew with each visit. In the words of one of the participants, comparing our last two studies, "Reading A New Earth was like enjoying a fine meal. Reading The Art of Being was like finishing with a delectable dessert."

...namely every single vignette.

In a world filled with distractions (or at least potential distractions), author Dennis Jones has assembled 101 peaceful reflections that he uses to help us focus on just being. This delightful book just oozes with a sense of peace and encouragement to be reflective about all that we have been blessed with.

I especially liked the way each vignette was punctuated with a couple of practices for integrating the message of the vignette into our lives.

For me, this is a book to be savored...to absorb one vignette at a time and really reflect on Jones' wisdom. Doing so, as I have been doing over recent weeks, creates a book with the potential to really make a difference in one's life.

I love this book. Triple kudos Dennis Jones.

I have not heard one word out of Dr. Dennis Merritt Jones that is not only brilliant, but very relevant to living a life today on purpose. This book is a must read if you want to get more out of your existance each and every day!

The Art of Being is a practical guide to meaningful spiritual practices that help us recognize the divinity that has always existed within each of our beings. Dr. Jones provides "Mindfulness" practices in the back of each chapter that help bring this recognition into our consciousness. My wife, daughter and I are now reading it together for the third time. Each time we read a chapter, we find something new and inspiring. I highly recommend it, it can be life transforming.
Stuart Azarchi
Hamilton, NJ

excellent insights into the difficult tasks of being a pastor of a church

This is a book that I have used, loaned, lost, bought and loaned again. Now I just give it as a gift to any friend in pastoral ministry that seems to be giving too much. It is a book that will quiet the noise of constantly trying to be more than God calls one to be.
I highly recommend it to anyone beginning their ministry.

This simple book has been an important tool in helping me recover a sense of peace and serenity in parish ministry. The challenges and struggles of ministry are intense. The answer for me has been found in returning to a place of quiet, listening, and trust. The Art of Pastoring is a MUST READ for anyone in full-time parish work.

I have used this book for personal as well as community meditation ever since its first publication by CTS several years ago. As many others, I sincerely wish it were required reading in seminary and by corporate-type lay leadership who want a pastor to be a CEO rather than a pastor. I must disagree with the reviewer who faulted the book (modestly) for its lack of stress on the prophetic aspects of ministry. After all, wasn't Thomas Merton a contemplative who had a great deal to write concerning the prophetic issues of peace and justice, let alone racism? This book has been formative in enabling my continuation in ministry.

After 30 years in parish ministry, I wish I could have read this book slowly each year. I would have been more relaxed and focused. Martin takes the best from Eastern (Taoist) thought and puts it into a Christian framework. It's soothing. It's therapeutic. Especially for Type 'A' pastors like myself. We need these grace-filled thoughts to reflect on. My only caveat is a theological one. A few of Martin's reflections seem to blunt the edge of prophetic ministry--the concern for justice and equality in the world. It's that "everything is already perfect" Eastern notion. I realize the paradox involved in accepting "what is" in order to change or be changed. I wonder what Amos or Jeremiah would think about "everything is already perfect." That being said, I recommend this little volume for its peace-evoking words. I have used it in daily prayer to help me "let go." These words on page 24 keep ringing in my ears: "If you want to be a wise and true minister of the Word, work a modest number of hours each week, then go home." Amen.

My husband and I chose to read this book together and have really enjoyed it. It explains the practicality of one anothering each other in every relationship type -- marriage, family and friends (both old and new!).

This is more than a book-it is (hopefully) a way of life, one that I am certainly desiring. Our Pastor has agreed to use this material as a basis to begin our home fellowship groups which is exciting to me. The subjects have been well thought out and applied and it is part of "the progression" of our christian walk that is a necessary ingredient.

This book is a wonderful personal or group study book. It really helps us focus on how we can better serve each other and grow closer as a spiritual family.

This is one of the best books on relationship development from a biblical point of view. Very practical and simple; not another list of "to dos." Our small group is loving this book.

This is the best book that I have read detailing what relationships should look like in the church. Using examples from their own experiences and Christ, The Jacobsen brothers cleverly and thoroughly go through 22 verses in the Epistles that focus on the concept of "one anothering". The chapters are masterfully ordered to display the progression of relationship building. The first section starts with one's relationship with God. The next progression is the genesis of a truly authentic relationship. The authors follow this portion with a section called, 'Sharing the Journey'. As the title states, this portion of the book details relationships within an authentic community. The final chapters deal with what happens with true spiritually linked relationships deepen. If this was not enough, the end of each chapter lists discussion questions that really allow you to search your heart and challenge the authenticity of your relationship with God and others.

I have found the Jacobsen brothers to have true spiritual insight concerning what it means to walk the Christian journey in community with God and one another.

Currently, I am involved with a fellowship of young adult believers who wish to reach out to our surrounding community and friends. I am going to purchase a few more copies and use it as a mid week study tool. I would advise you to purchase this book, prayerfully read it and allow God to show you how your relationships with people can become deeper!

I've read this book from cover to cover. I've read many books on software development, software processes, best practices, qualitative approaches, and quantitative approaches, many from SEI. This book has to be one of the top two. For software professionals in leadership positions facing today's pressures of delivering quality software that meets customer expectations according to plan, this book is a must-read. You will be able to implement techniques directly into your organizational processes and deliverables with considerable ease. Kolawa and Huizinga have forged a grimoire that should be on every software leaders' desk, be they Project Managers, Software Architects, PMO Directors, of Vice Presidents of Development. Here are the key take-aways from this book:

1. Clarity: All concepts, practices, and examples were extraordinarily clear. There was never a question as to what was meant, or confusion in the information conveyed.

2. Readability: The text is very user-friendly. Coming from a very technical background, I tend to read challenging and complicated material. In this book, you were able to frame both technical and complex material in a readable way. In other words, I never had to re-read anything in the book. All of the material was very easy to understand. I feel the ability to effectively reduce complexity to simplicity is the hallmark of good authorship.

3. Implementable: I found the practice-side of the book to be what I call `out-of-the-box.' This means I was able to take material directly from the text and apply that into my process(es) or deliverables with very little work or trouble. (I actually did this multiple times.) This is a testament to the subtitle of the book, Best Practices in Software Management.

4. Usefulness: The book is actually aimed at being useful within for-profit businesses. Theoretical books are good for concepts, but it's up to the readers to find ways to translate the theory into executable practices (which often is beyond the role and responsibility of the readers). Your book actually bridges this gap, and provides mechanisms to help readers implement valuable techniques into their organizations, independent of their infrastructure.

These four points make a huge difference for readers looking to improve their software development processes to ensure profitability, cost savings, and customer satisfaction. Producing quality software while building defect prevention into your processes is key in today's competitive software marketplace. With these techniques, your organization will continue to become better, managing, reducing, and even eliminating the traditional sources of defects in software deliverables. You won't be disappointed in buying this book, as you'll refer to over and over again as you build process improvement into your organization.

This book offers a straight-forward, realistic approach to solving challenges of day-to-day projects that the software industry faces. Not only does it address the necessity of technology businesses to increase efficiency and productivity, but it also takes into account the psychological need for individual software professionals to be challenged and intellectually fulfilled on a daily basis. The powerful gains of software automation are amplified by the strategic best practices described in this software management book.

What sets this book apart from other software quality management books is its focus on real-world solutions. Many quality improvement strategies sound great on paper, but are impractical to implement because they end up slowing project progress and stirring resentment throughout the ranks. Rather than ignore the demands of modern day development, this book embraces them. The result is a refreshingly realistic approach to boosting software quality... while at the same time actually improving team productivity and developer satisfaction.

Automated Defect Prevention delivers a realistic approach to the nagging software quality problem. If you are responsible for developers who deliver business applications, you need to read this book. If you are an software architect or engineer, the book will offer a pragmatic road map to achieve incremental productivity gains within your software development lifecycle.

When I read this book I had a huge realization. Most of the quality initiatives that I had been involved with or observed had introduced (or layered on) additional tasks and responsibilities for either the architect, developer or QA engineer. Over time, these layered tasks ultimately resulted in dragging down productivity. Investing in the *correct* infrastructure to automate the monotonous/repetitive is the key to success. Quality should be the outcome of intelligent investment in productivity.

One issue I have with the software industry is that too many project managers, or stake holders managing software people, lack the understanding of just how important software quality is and how it can benefit the software teams and products. As the people most accountable for what happens with a software initiative, managers should have a solid understanding of what options are available to improve developer skills and the software they release. This book provides that needed information and helps explain who is responsible for what tasks, when they should be considering phasing in a particular practice and the benefits of a given item.

I like the way the information is presented in this book because I feel a project manager would be able to quickly evaluate a practice for phasing in without facing an all-or-nothing approach that some other books take. If, for example, a manager felt that they enjoyed the chapter on testing models, this book provides the information on what is needed, the benefits and the roles people need to take to phase that approach into their teams.

I enjoyed this book and I wish that more development teams used many of the practices in this book. While there were samples at the end of the chapters and a chapter on case studies, I would have liked to have seen a bit more information on difficulty and time constraints presented within some of the sections themselves. Overall this is a great book and definitely worth having on your desk.

What more can I say? I stumbled unto Ms. Pema several years ago. I was searching for something that spoke deeply to me about how to frame my life/my struggles/my lingering past. I have done many years of traditional therapy/women's groups/etc....and I have had many wonderful teachers over my 54 years....each bringing something fresh and scary and real to the picture...but Pema and her body of tapes/CD's/books, has become the frosting on the cake for me. Somehow falling to sleep at night listening to her sweet and oh-so-knowledgeable voice...well, it seems like the cares of the world fall into place. Don't get me wrong, once you listen to this humorous little Buddhist nun you will be in for one helluva lot of work. She gets under your skin in a good way....and you find yourself opening up to your life as it is...and working with WHATEVER is on your plate. All I can say is, it works. A day at a time....listen to her when you are on the computer/or washing the dishes...or my favorite, trying to fall asleep (made difficult by hormones for some of us..). If there is a light in this world to help illuminate us along the way without dogma or perfectionism, Pema is that light. "Awakening Compassion" is my fav of her CD sets....."Getting Unstuck" is excellent as well....but hey, they are ALL worth listening to....and listening to...and listening to.....for I am quick to forget her words of wisdom, so I have to keep it going. Hope you enjoy her as much as I do. If you have the chance to see her in person as I have been lucky enough to, GO FOR IT. She doesn't tour much anymore as she has just turned 70, but if the opportunity presents itself...take it!

This set of 6 cassette tapes simulates being at her Gompa in Nova Scotia with your eyes closed. She is a Western Tibetan Buddhist nun who studied with Trungpa Rinpoche. She's published several lovely books (e.g. "Places that Scare You" and "Start Where You Are") as well as videos (e.g. "Good Medicine") and tape sets (e.g. "Noble Heart"). This particular item addresses her two main topics of the Lojong mind training and the practice of Tonglen (sending & receiving). The many techniques, meditations, explanations, etc. are VERY useful in daily life even if you don't do regular, daily, spiritual practices. Some Lojong items are: "Make friends with yourself," finding the soft spot within (sometimes hard to do!), resistence to capacitence, "how to do your best when you feel your worst," and "when you ask a question wholeheartedly, you begin to get the answer everywhere." Tonglen means taking in (mentally) other person's suffering and sending them your own happiness instead. Not easy at first, but she provides ways to ease into it and, best of all, a terrific "on-the-spot" method which is FAR easier to employ. This is simply a super set of tapes by a fantastic teacher.

Years ago I first bought these tapes. Since then I have recommended them to many from beginning seeker to long time student. Pema Chodron teaches mind training in a warm and humorous way to help us learn to become compassionate toward ourselves and others.

I sent these tapes to my brother. They were intercepted by my mother who had had a difficult life. She listened to them night and day until the day she died. She constantly told me on the phone how wonderful they were and how often she listened to them. They enabled her to die a peaceful death. I don't think that there can be a more powerful recommendation than that.

Life-changing. Highly recommended.

I was at the Dharmadhatu Center in Los Angeles in 1980. I had listened to some Tibetan nun lecturing. That was fine. I was talking to the guy at the desk. Asking him if I could only pay half on some seminar. It was a hassle. Suddenly, I turned around. There was the Tibetan nun standing in the doorway. She was looking at me with such intense love that I felt embarrassed. Just open love beaming at me. I don't know if the reader has ever felt that. Someone not loving YOU in a grasping way. But just total love. From the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. I suddenly turned away. It was a weird experience. Anyway, that was Pema Chodren. I have bought these tapes. You will do something called "Tonglen". You will also do Shamatha Meditation. And have 59 Lojungs (items to practice). I would like to simplify this if I may. You will learn a simple breathing technique (Buy "Start Where You Are" by Pema Chodren where she will tell you how to do this very simple technique of just following your outbreath). Then Tonglen. Another very simple meditation technique which you can also use during difficult times during the day. And then the slogans. I would like to share with you my experience with one of the slogans. "Drive All Blames into One". In this slogan, your focus is not on the person who is irritaing you, or the situation, but the focus is switched to paying attention to your anger. No matter what the situation. You are taking responsiblity for your emotions. Pema explains how this will enable you to be even more assertive! Because the anger is gone. You will eventually find yourself responding accurately to the person or situation. No back-talking in one of the slogans. No putting others down. It's a whole journey. I have only one question. Where will Bill Butler go?