Books that I recommend on my web pages are books that I have personally read. Many of
these books have had a formative influence on me of one type or another. A few of the
books have had an impact on my life to the extent that the thoughts I entertain and the
activities I pursue have changed in dramatic ways because of them. I make these books
available to you here in association with Amazon.com so that you, too, may enjoy the
benefit of having read them.
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A Course in Miracles : Combined Volume.
This is the most powerful book I have read to date, bar none! I had seen this book on
shelves for years and may have even picked it up and browsed it before I actually
purchased it. Something about it kept drawing me back to it as if it were saying from
its place on the shelf, "It's here! What you seek is in these pages!" I am so glad
that I listened.
At first, the content seemed rather far-fetched to me, yet I felt moved to continue to
read a section or a lesson a day as the book recommends. I also sought out a study
group through the Foundation for Inner Peace which
publishes A Course in Miracles. Eventually, what had originally seemed so
outlandish began to make sense to me.
The authors claim to have channeled the book from Jesus Christ himself. Whether or not
that is true, this book has had a profoundly positive effect on me. Applying the
principles of this book has given me great inner peace. Jesus gave us the following key
for discernment:
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of
thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit;
but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil
fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that
bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by
their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:15-20)
The writings of the Bahá'í Faith further define the tree thus:
And every branch of learning, conjoined with the love of God, is approved and
worthy of praise; but bereft of His love, learning is barren -- indeed, it
bringeth on madness. Every kind of knowledge, every science, is as a tree: if the
fruit of it be the love of God, then is it a blessed tree, but if not, that tree
is but dried-up wood, and shall only feed the fire. (Selections from
the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, section 154)
For me, the fruits of applying the principles in this book have been very good. Study
of this book has increased the love I feel for God. Therefore, I must conclude that the
book itself is good, too.
From the introduction of the book:
Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the peace of God.
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Urban Shaman : A Handbook for Personal and Planetary Transformation Based on the Hawaiian Way of the Adventurer
by Serge Kahili King.
This is a practical introduction to shamanism via the Hawaiian Huna Kane
tradition. This author was recommended by Master
Ho, an instructor at the Learning Light
Foundation. I heartily second his recommendation.
From the book, The Seven Principles of Huna Kane:
- IKE—The world is what you think it is.
- KALA—There are no limits.
- MAKIA—Energy flows where attention goes.
- MANAWA—Now is the moment of power.
- ALOHA—To love is to be happy with.
- MANA—All power comes from within.
- PONO—Effectiveness is the measure of truth.
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Basic Principles of Science of Mind
by Dr. Frederick Bailes.
This book taught me a new mode of prayer, a mode of prayer far more powerful than
anything I had encountered before. This isn't to say that I had not encountered such
prayer previous to this time; rather, using what I learned in this book, I was able to
experience prayer and its power to create our lives much more deeply. I was so
impressed by what I learned that I attended a few Sunday services at the local
Church of Religious Science to see how they put
this knowledge into action. The style of writing is technical.
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Your Heart's Desire : Instructions for Creating the Life You Really Want
by Sonia Choquette, Ph.D.; Patrick Tully; Julia Cameron (Introduction).
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The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success : A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams
by Deepak Chopra.
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The Seat of the Soul
by Gary Zukav.
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The Lightworker's Way : Awakening Your Spiritual Power to Know and Heal
by Doreen Virtue, Ph.D.
The author describes how psychic awareness shaped her life and influenced her career.
It was through reading this book that I discovered
The Learning Light Foundation. The author
also includes practical information about the chakra system, healing, and psychic
development.
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The Feeling Good Handbook
by David D. Burns, M.D.
This book presents a methodical approach to identifying and changing the thoughts that
cause depression. I used ideas from this book with great success when I was recovering
from a lengthy bout of clinical depression several years ago. The book includes
brief diagnostic assessments that provide a relatively objective means for measuring
one's mental state at a particular point in time. The book also includes a list of
typical erroneous ways of thinking and follows this up with specific methods for
correcting erroneous thoughts. Various worksheets are presented to help the reader work
through thoughts that may be causing depression and anxiety. In my experience, a change
in even only one thought habit can bring about tremendous life-changing benefits. The
methods in this book work! Where other books insist on the importance of changing your
thoughts, this book tells you how and gives you the tools to do it.
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You Are Psychic! : The Free Soul Method
by Pete A. Sanders, Jr.
This author is an M.I.T. trained scientist and approaches his topic from a no-nonsense
scientific stance on a level that a layman can access and use. Explanations and
exercises are clear and understandable. The author sticks to the topic of the
development of psychism as natural senses without introducing God, angels, or any other
entities into the process.
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Stacey Wolf's Psychic Living: A Complete Guide to Enhancing Your Life with Universal
Energy
by Stacey Wolf.
This is one of the first books I read on the development of psychic ability, and it is
recommended as an introduction to the use of psychic skills. The author includes many
jokes and humorous incidents that might help the reader relax into psychism. At the
same time she encourages and reinforces psychic hygiene such as calling on one's
Higher Power and opening and closing one's sacred space. Her approach is entirely
nondenominational in that she really does not care what Higher Power her reader
recognizes. Her book includes many meditative exercises intended to develop one's
psychic senses. It is from this author that I have learned to use prayer to open and
close sacred space and also from her that I learned my habit of journal keeping as I
continue to develop my potential.
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The Superbeings
by John Randolph Price.
The author describes well the changes that take place in a person when a spiritual focus
is chosen. I especially appreciated the chapter, "The Superconsciousness," for its
descriptions of the various phases of spiritual development. It was reassuring to me to
learn that chaos is actually normal in a particular early phase of awareness. I was
able to say, "Yes, all is well, and the chaos I see right now is evidence that I am
growing." When the Universe seems all topsy-turvy as it had one recent summer, this is
indeed good to know. Even better, this book gave me the assurance that the chaos would
come to an end as I passed through that phase.
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Behaving as if the God in All Life Mattered
by Machaelle Small Wright.
In my opinion, this book begins on page 91 when the author and her husband move to a
woodland home. It is in this place that the author meets the nature devas. As the
relationship with the devas progresses, the author learns how to partner with them in
the task of growing a vegetable garden. The experiences she relates are truly
miraculous. This book contains a particular gem of knowledge that I have yet to see in
another book on mysticism. On pages 141 and 142, the author describes the process of
manifestation in amazing detail. These passages alone make the book worth seeking out
and reading, though there is much in the rest of the book that is of value as well.
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The Dream Game
by Ann Faraday.
This book tells how to keep a dream journal and interpret dreams in the context of
events occurring in one's waking life. I kept a dream journal using these methods while
I was in therapy for depression years ago. The process was quite illuminating.
Unfortunately, this book has been out of print for quite some time.
Dream
Power by the same author may be useful, too, though I have not yet read this book
myself.
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The Complete I Ching: The Definitive Translation by the Taoist Master Alfred Huang
by Alfred Huang (Translator).
This is my favorite book on the I Ching. Each gua is illustrated with the pictograms
from the ancient texts. The descriptions of what the pictograms depict add much to
my understanding of the meaning of the guas. Text for the guas include translations of
the ancient texts plus the author's own relatively extensive commentaries, all clearly
marked so that the reader can easily distinguish the ancient from the modern.
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The I Ching or Book of Changes
by C.F. Baynes, R. Wilhelm (Translator), Vary F. Baynes (Translator).
This book offers fairly extensive commentaries along with translations from the ancient
texts. This book is not as easy to use as Alfred Huang's book, though, because the
translations of the text of the guas and the ancient commentaries are included
separately. The reader must look in two separate places in the book to get the complete
available text for a given gua.
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I Ching Clarified : A Practical Guide (Tuttle Library of Enlightenment)
by Mondo Secter.
This book is good for its concise format. I use this book as a secondary resource
because it does not include translations of any of the original texts; rather, the
author has boiled down the essence of the meanings of the guas and changing lines into
brief explanations.
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The I Ching Kit : All the Tools You Need to Work With the Oracle of Change
by Stephen Karcher. (KIT)
The I Ching is one of my favorite meditation tools, and this kit is a great way to get
started with the I Ching. Everything you need is here: coins, yarrow sticks, a small
pad of paper, and Stephen Karcher's book How to Use the I Ching. The
methodologies are clearly written. Commentaries on guas appear to be limited to
translations of the ancient texts.
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Tarot : A New Handbook for the Apprentice (illustrated with Connolly deck images)
by Eileen Connolly.
This book is the perfect companion for the Connolly Tarot Deck.
The book explains the proper handling of Tarot cards, the relationship of the Tarot to
the Tree of Life of the Qabbalah, and basic spreads for divination and meditation.
Upright and reverse meanings are given for each card. A unique feature of this book is
the memorization couplets included for each of the upright and reverse meanings of the
cards.
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Tarot: A New Handbook for the Apprentice: Volume I Original (illustrated with
Waite-Smith deck images)
by Eileen Connolly.
This book is for the most part the same as above. Text for each of the individual cards
is the same in both versions of the book. Introductory material varies somewhat. This
version is for purists who would prefer to study the Tarot from a book with Waite-Smith
images.
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Universal Waite Tarot Deck
by Mary Hanson-Roberts. (DECK)
This is the best of the Waite decks, in my opinion. Images are drawn from the original
Pamela Smith drawings and are improved by Mary Hanson-Roberts' technique. The lines of
the drawings are thinner than the originals, and the coloring of the cards is brighter
with subtle shadings. This is a good deck for someone who wishes to study the Tarot
with a traditional Waite deck.
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Connolly Tarot Deck
by Eileen Connolly, Peter Paul Connolly (Contributor). (DECK)
This is an excellent deck for beginners. Two of the cards in the Major Arcana have been
given alternate names: "Death" has been renamed "Transition," and "The Devil" has been
renamed "Materialism." The new names and images go a long way toward reducing fear
reactions that some might have to the original cards of the Rider-Waite Deck. The cards
are beautiful and bright, with an appearance reminiscent of stained glass.
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Osho Zen Tarot : The Transcendental Game of Zen (includes book)
by Ma Deva Padma (Illustrator), Osho. (DECK & BOOK)
This is a wonderful meditation deck. While the images on the cards retain the basic
essence of meaning depicted in those of a Waite deck, the Osho Zen images are vastly
different. The book that comes with the deck has thought-provoking commentaries from
Zen philosophy.
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Tarot and the Millennium : The Story of Who's on the Cards and Why
by Timothy Betts.
This book will give you a radically different meaning for the Major Arcana. The author
has done some very careful research into the history of the Tarot and society in general,
preferring the oldest decks he could find as the source of the images and symbols for
study. His conclusion is that the Major Arcana of the Tarot is a depiction of the
sequence of events in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Bible.
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Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life : How to Use Feng Shui to Get Love, Money, Respect and Happiness
by Karen Rauch Carter, Jeff Fessler (Illustrator)
This book was used as a text book in the Feng Shui class that I took at the Learning
Light Foundation. This book is a wonderful, easy to read introduction to Feng Shui that
offers the type of practical suggestions that can help the reader achieve quick results.
Through Feng Shui I have learned the power of my own home as a workshop for manifesting
those things that I want in my life. I have gained a new appreciation for housekeeping.
Where previously I had a strong aversion to these tasks as mundane nuisances, I now see
them as an important part of creating magic and miracles in my life. Housekeeping has
literally become yet another form of prayer and a source of joy for me. My experience
of applying the principles of Feng Shui is that they work! As I have cleaned out and
rearranged various areas of my home, I have seen distinct improvements in the
corresponding aspects of life that they relate to. (Those of you who have seen my home
recently, please lovingly keep in mind that I am not done with with the clearing steps
yet!) Those interested in Feng Shui might also want to take a look at
Karen Carter's web site.
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Conversations With God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 1)
by Neale Donald Walsch
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Kryon - The End Times : New Information for Personal Peace (Kryon Book 1)
by Lee Carroll.
Kryon - Don't Think Like a Human : Channelled Answers to Basic Questions
(Kryon Book 2)
by Lee Carroll.
Kryon - Alchemy of the Human Spirit : A Guide to Human Transition into the New Age
(Kryon Book 3)
by Lee Carroll.
Kryon - Partnering With God : Practical Information for the New Millennium
(Kryon Book 6)
by Lee Carroll.
Kryon - Letters from Home : Loving messages from the family (Kryon Book 7)
by Lee Carroll.
Kryon 2000 - Passing The Marker : Understanding the new Millennium energy
(Kryon Book 8)
by Lee Carroll.
Kryon - The New Beginning : 2002 and Beyond
(Kryon Book 9)
by Lee Carroll.
These books contain channeled messages from the entity Kryon pertaining to this time of
transition into the new millenium. Topics include spiritual growth, the evolution of
mankind and the planet, and various scientific facts soon to be discovered. Later books
in the series contain references to articles that validate scientific information given
in the earlier books.
Book 1 offers an intriguing invitation to action that seems rather fanciful. Even so, I
accepted the invitation and requested the gift. Friends have since made curious
comments that would indicate to me that I got what I asked for. If this seems cryptic,
it is because it strains my sense of humility to say outright what was asked for and
received. Let it suffice that in my opinion, the gifts offered in these books are
real.
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The Journey Home : A Kryon Parable : The Story of Michael Thomas and the Seven Angels
by Kryon, Lee Carroll.
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A Whack on the Side of the Head : How You Can Be More Creative
by Roger Von Oech, George Willett (Illustrator).
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Creative Whack Pack (deck only)
by Roger Von Oech (Creator). (DECK)
This clever non-Tarot deck, based on the book A Whack on the Side of the Head :
How You Can Be More Creative, is something that could be pulled out and used in a
corporate conference room. The deck consists of four suits of 16 cards each:
- Explorer: discovering resources ("See the Obvious", "Give Yourself a Whack on the Side
of the Head", "Ask 'Why?'")
- Artist: transforming resources into new ideas ("Rearrange", "Simplify", "Challenge the
Rules")
- Judge: evaluating an idea and deciding what to do with it ("Focus on the Real Truth",
"Check Your Timing", "Be Dissatisfied")
- Warrior: implementing an idea ("Learn from Mistakes", "Slay A Dragon", "Flex Your Risk
Muscle")
Along with its title and image, each card also includes a bit of text with questions to
help move thinking along the lines of the title theme. The booklet included with the
deck gives suggestions for using the deck, both alone and in meetings, including a
couple of oracle-style suggestions for readings.
This is a great companion for the book, A Whack on the Side of the Head : How You Can
Be More Creative by Roger Von Oech. If you don't have the book already, the deck
can also be purchased in a boxed set with the book. (See next list entry.)
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Creative Whack Pack (with book)
by Roger Von Oech (Creator). (DECK & BOOK)
Includes book, A Whack on the Side of the Head : How You Can Be More Creative by
Roger Von Oech.
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The Corporate Mystic : A Guidebook for Visionaries With Their Feet on the Ground
by Gay Hendricks, Ph.D., and Kate Ludeman, Ph.D.
Around the time I found this book, I had been wondering, "How can I put my spiritual
knowledge to work in the workplace?" Actually, this question seems only to have begun
to attract suitable answers. This book gives some ideas about how various corporate
executives have answered this question for themselves.
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The Memory Jogger II
by Michael Brassard, Diane Ritter.
This little booklet was recommended by one of my M.B.A. professors. It contains
illustrations and instructions for various creativity and evaluations tools such as
brainstorming, fishbone diagrams, force field analysis, Pareto charts, and many more.
These tools are perfect for use in research papers and business reports, both for their
development and final presentation.
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Sidetracked Home Executives : From Pigpen to Paradise
by Pam Jones, Peggy Young, Sydney Craft Rozen (Editor)
This book offers practical advice for cleaning out and managing a home to those who are
not naturally organized in this area. The authors present a card box tickler system
for scheduling regular chores that can be used individually or by the whole family.
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New Dieter's Cookbook : Eat Well, Feel Great, Lose Weight
by Kristi Fuller(Editor).
This book is beautifully done. It could easily become my primary cookbook. The
recipes have relatively simple ingredients and instructions. They're for foods that
would be eaten in a typical household. Nutritional information is provided, including
dietary exchanges. Every recipe has a photograph. The main dishes are shown as a
complete meal with vegetables and perhaps some pasta shown on the plate with the recipe
item. I can tell already that meal planning is going to be a breeze with this book.
Even the kids can look through the book and easily choose something that they'd like to
eat.
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Bellydance! Magical Motion. (VHS VIDEO)
Bellydance! Slow Moves. (VHS VIDEO)
Bellydance! Fast Moves. (VHS VIDEO)
The movement and energy of belly dancing has intrigued me since I was a small child.
These tapes by Atéa and friends are fun to watch and dance with. The dancers
wear a variety of costumes from basic practice clothes to ornate show costumes. Each
movement is broken down into its component parts for easy learning. In addition to the
instructional segments, demonstration dances are also included.
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The Method - Precision Toning. (VHS VIDEO)
I like this tape for its calm, precise approach to the Pilates mat workout. This tape
has no music, so you may wish to play your own along with it.
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Tarot Magic. (COMPUTER SOFTWARE)
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