I Will Not Be Broken: Five Steps to Overcoming a Life Crisis ( St. Martin's Press, 2008) By Jerry White. The author is a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace and a recognized leader of the historic International Campaign to Ban Landmines. The loss of a loved one, a painful divorce, or a serious physical injury---we must all, at one point, face tragedy---unavoidable moments that divide our lives into "before" and "after." How do we muscle our way through tough times and emerge stronger, wiser---even grateful for our struggle? In 1984, White lost his leg---and almost his life---in a landmine accident. He has endured the pain of loss and the challenge of rebuilding. As co-founder of Survivors Corps, White has interviewed thousands of victims of tragedy. With this book, he shares what he has learned. What's more, he outlines a very specific five-step program to coping with disaster; to achieving strength and hope; and to turning tragedy into triumph. In their own words, his survivor friends and colleagues share their stories. It's a group that includes the well known, like Lance Armstrong, Nelson Mandela, and the late Princess Diana, and also everyday survivors. Through their stories and the author's words, the book takes readers step-by-step through the process of not only surviving tragedy and victimhood, but going on to thrive. www.survivorcorps.org

Why Buffalo Dance (New World Library, 2006) Susan Chernak McElroy. The author offers a series of short pieces—call them meditations or teaching tales—based on animals and the natural world. Arranged around the seasons, the pieces describe magpies hiding prized baubles in their nest, buffalo dancing on picnic tables, elk during mating season, dreaming squirrels, and even rivers, rocks, and the wind. In Susan’s words, these so- called inanimate aspects of nature are vibrant and alive, offering their gifts to any who will stop and pay attention. Concepts explored include emptiness, resistance, new beginnings, attraction, decay, integrity, leave-taking, cleansing, and regeneration. And if you are wondering why buffalo dance, the answer is as simple as it is elegant. They dance because, even though they are hungry and exhausted after the long winter, it is spring. I loved this amazing and unique book. www.susanchernakmcelroy.com

On Becoming Fearless…in Love, Work and Life (Little Brown, 2006) By Arianna Huffington This book is a roadmap for achieving fearlessness in every aspect of life. In particular, Huffington deals with the fears and insecurities that plague women, often keeping them from living their most complete, successful and fulfilling lives. She acknowledges the problem areas for many women: body image, relationship, parenthood, work, money, aging and leadership. Huffington reveals her own most difficult challenges—having a miscarriage during her first pregnancy, making a very public change in her political thinking, helping her children through the pain of divorce—and explains how they led her to the still center in herself that is impervious to life’s ups and downs. Her advice     is clear cut and often, quite unique. For example, she suggests that women who can’t stop playing the comparison game, and compare themselves to Angelina Jolie, should at least change who they compare themselves to. How about comparing ourselves to a victim of Hurricane Katrina, or a woman who lost both legs fighting in Iraq, she suggests. Several of her close friends, including Diane Keating and Nobel Prize winner Jody Williams have contributed their own essays to describe their own journeys with fear. Arianna is a true treasure. http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books/41/0316166812/index.html

Freedom Is: Liberating Your Boundless Potential (New World Library, 2006) By Brandon Bays. This book of deep understanding and insight tells us to stop looking outside ourselves for guidance, and instead, become still, look within, and discover our own eternal essence—the truth of our being which knows all and is all. No effort of any kind is required to do this, advises Bays. In fact, effort is counterproductive. Each chapter guides the reader toward a different aspect of this eternal essence—such as “non-attachment,” “forgiveness,” and “present moment awareness”. In addition, Bays provides a simple direct way for readers to experience their own relationship to each aspect. All of Bays’ teachings are seasoned with anecdotes from her life as well as traditional wisdom stories. Her book is an invaluable contribution for those ready to follow the journey to completion. www.newworldlibrary.com

Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers (Broadway Books, 2006) By Elizabeth Edwards. We all know of the author as the wife of vice presidential candidate John Edwards, and we probably have heard about her being diagnosed with breast cancer only days before the 2000 election. But what she reveals, in this most inspiring book, is how important it is to tap into the power of community to make our lives better and richer. Edwards, who grew up in a military family, learned how to make friends easily in dozens of new schools and neighborhoods around the world and came to appreciate the unstinting help and comfort naval families shared. In dealing with her son Wade’s tragic death at age sixteen in 1996, and again in her valiant fight against advanced breast cancer, she tells us how various communities celebrated her joys and lent her steady strength and quiet hope in darker times. www.elizabethedwardsbook.com

THE FEAR-LESS SERIES (audio CDs): Inner Talk for a Confident Day, Inner Talk for a Love That Works and Inner Talk for Peace of Mind (Jeffers Press 2006) By Susan Jeffers. If you are like most individuals, you probably tend to get bogged down in negative thinking. The everyday stresses inherent in our harried lives encourage much of this negativity. And so does the fear that follows us from childhood into our adult lives. However, study after study has shown that the repetition of positive thoughts allows you to out-talk the negativity in your mind, thereby giving you genuine transformational power over your actions and reactions to what is happening in your life. As a result, you become healthier and happier. Jeffers, an internationally acclaimed self-help author has created these wonderful CDs with repeated affirmations such as "I am creating a beautiful day," "I am opening my heart to love," and "There is plenty of time." She suggests listening to these CDs, which are accompanied by inspirational music, in varied situations-as you are dressing in the morning…driving to work…caring for your child…going to sleep at night. I have tried many of them and they really do work. www.jefferspress.com

My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love, and Laughing Out Loud (Broadway Books, 2006) By Kevin Clash-with Gary Brozek. Kevin Clash, the puppeteer, who has performed the world-famous Muppet known as Elmo for some 26 years, finally comes out from behind the stage to share his story, memories and life lessons learned from his furry red alter-ego. Elmo has charmed his way into hearts all over the world with his unmistakable laugh, over-the-top enthusiasm, and boundless love. And you'll understand why after reading Kevin's story. Kevin (and Elmo's) thoughts on love, creativity, friendship, and optimism remind us of life's simple truths, and ultimately encourage us all to be a little bit more like Elmo-to live with joy, to live more easily, and to laugh more often. www.kevinclashbook.com

Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment (Free Press 2002) By Martin E.P. Seligman, PhD. The author is the main proponent of the new Positive Psychology Movement, which shifts emphasis away from mental illness to mental health. It primarily focuses on strengths rather than weaknesses, and asserts that happiness is not the result of good genes or luck. Rather, happiness can be cultivated by identifying and using many of the strengths and traits that we already possess-including kindness, originality, humor, optimism, and generosity. Seligman suggests that we frequently call on our "signature strengths" in all the crucial realms of life. In doing so, we will not only develop buffers against misfortune and the experience of negative emotion, but also move our lives up to a new and more positive plane which will benefit our health, relationships, and careers. The book's got a very useful "Signature Strength Survey" along with a variety of brief tests that can be used to measure how much positive emotion we actually do experience, in order to determine what our highest strengths are.

Mind of the Soul: Responsible Choice (Free Press 2003) By Gary Zukav and Linda Francis. (Interview here) These renowned authors examine the power of choice and how to use it wisely. They show how changing our decision-making processes and taking responsibility for our choices in life can help us break free from the illusion that we are victims of our circumstances. They point out that we make choices, large and small, nearly every minute of every day-regardless of whether or not we are conscious of them. And this choosing never stops, because we base our choices on the future; even the way we perceive ourselves is a choice. Integrating practical exercises, helpful illustrations, and examples from their own lives into their narrative, they show us how becoming more aware of the choices we make each moment can lead to a better, fuller, more satisfying life. For example, take something that always makes you irritated, impatient, or angry-such as waiting in a long line at the bank, or irritation at your spouse for not being ready on time. Instead of responding as you usually do, consider how you could respond differently. Then make your choice. While this is just one example, the implications of following this practice are enormous in greatly helping you lead a more peaceful and happy life. Zukav's legendary book Seat of the Soul changed many people's lives including mine. This is another one. Go to: http://www.seatofthesoul.org

Heart of the Soul: Emotional Awareness (Fireside 2001) By Gary Zukav and Linda Francis. Many people walk around completely unaware of what they are feeling-even if inside, they are feeling sad or angry or some other emotions. They only become aware if an emotion becomes so strong that it breaks through their denial and interrupts their usual life routines. What's more, they often use tactics such as always trying to please people, perfectionism, impenetrable optimism, or workaholism as ways to run away from feeling the painful emotions hidden inside. This is no small matter, because this unawareness usually distorts their perceptions, words and behavior-ultimately bringing results exactly opposite from what they would really like. This magnificent book brilliantly shows how we can increase our emotional awareness. One way that particularly appealed to me is to take to take a scan of your energy system, beginning with a scan of your body from top to bottom. Pay attention to what you are feeling in different parts of your body-your head, throat, chest, and stomach. Start doing this once a day, and then increase the number of times you do it. Zukav and Francis show us how, becoming aware of and dealing with our painful emotions will help us to find the ultimate love that is hidden inside of so many of us just waiting to be expressed. What a gift. Go to: http://www.seatofthesoul.org

The One Decision: Making the Single Choice that Will Lead to a Life of More (Tarcher/Penguin 2005), By Judith Wright. This inspiring book tells us that the difference between a vaguely satisfying life and a truly great life depends on a single decision. In a world obsessed with "bigger and better," it may come as a shock to some that the measure of a successful life is not whether we earn the biggest salary or have the most tech toys. Nor is it about meditating, eating organic and doing yoga all the time. It's not about what we do, but why we're doing it, according to Wright. It's about living a life of purpose, what some would call a deeply felt life. The one decision involves a total shift in perspective and guides all the smaller decisions we make for the rest of our lives. For example, I choose to live my life as if everything matters, or, I stand for truth in the world, or, I choose to love myself. Wright offers nearly a dozen illuminating paths to find the one that works for you. In chapters like "The Adventure," "The Truth," and "The Good Fight," she explores what she calls the "ten facets of the One Decision, detailing how each approach can positively shape your life. Wright's life-changing book reminds all of us that a truly wonderful life is within reach if we are committed enough to grab it. www.judithwright.com

The Hidden Beauty of Everyday Life (New World Library 2006) By Kent Nerburn. If ever there was a time that stopping to smell the roses was exceedingly difficult, this is it. Indeed, our fast-paced technology-driven world, with cell phones to answer, e-mails to respond to, and deadlines to meet, has made it a rare experience. This wonderful book helps us to become more aware of the sacred moments that are waiting to be discovered in life's most ordinary experiences. Nerburn shows how a dinner conversation among family and friends, watching a kite's dance on the winds above the high New Mexico desert, or being at young girl's graduation from eighth grade can offer us poignant glimpses into the grace of ordinary days. If we can learn to see the beauty in these moments, whether they are in the light or in the shadow, we become witnesses to the spiritual and testimonies to the sacred. We become true artists of the ordinary, and our life becomes a masterpiece, painted in the colors of the heart. www.newworldlibrary.com

Jump Time : Shaping Your Future in a World of Radical Change by Jean Houston. Anytime I need to transform "cramped" thinking, feel expansive and connect to sense of what's possible in my life and the world, I turn to Jean Houston's books to send my mind, heart and spirit soaring. In her major new work, best-selling author and scholar Dr. Jean Houston, one of the founders and leading figures of the human-potential movement, draws on more than thirty-five years of research into human development to reveal how the millennial passage portends a new birth for humanity -- a" jump time" in both global and individual consciousness. Dr. Houston explains how six dynamic forces have been building over the previous generation and how they point to a quantum leap forward for each citizen of the earth. In Jump Time she goes beyond merely tracing the origins and nature of this leap -- she points to how each of us can harness our existing day-to-day activities and consciousness to remake our world. Among the areas Dr. Houston explores are: How the shift in human nature is moving people to discover and use dormant or little-known capacities, and how the breakthroughs in technological connection and new ways of being in community in global society are repatterning human consciousness. Some of her other books include: The Possible Human, Search for the Beloved, A Passion for the Possible, and A Mythic Life.www.jeanhouston.org

Yesterday, I Cried (Fireside) by Iyanla Vanzant. Iyanla Vanzant writes, "Life is about cleaning up the crap and, while you're doing it, being okay with the fact that you have to do it.... A word of caution. You can't get caught up in the crap! If you do, you will surely lose sight of the real meaning of life and lose your Self." Iyanla Vanzant knows about this statement firsthand. She has led a difficult life, full of periods of abuse and self-loathing, but she has learned "the lessons beneath the tears" and moved beyond her grief and into understanding. In the New York Times bestseller, Yesterday, I Cried, she passes these lessons along, continually stressing that past hardships can and should be used to teach us how to grow, heal, and love others and ourselves. The message is one that has been echoed in her bestsellers One Day My Soul Just Opened Up and In the Meantime, but when presented as a memoir, the result is particularly moving. Often seen on Oprah and now with her own show, Starting Over, Vanzant is a feisty and charismatic orator, and her no-nonsense style translates well into print. She is candid about her experiences without ever painting herself as a victim. She's inspirational without being preachy or self-pitying. "Of all things to master," she asks, "why did I have to pick tears?" By the end of the book, she finds the answer. And in searching the depths of her own soul, she encourages others to do the same. (Adapted from Amazon.com review) For more information: http://www.innervisionsworldwide.com/main.asp

Dark Nights of the Soul: A Guide to Finding Your Way Through Life's Ordeals By Thomas Moore (Gotham Books 2004) Reviewed by Jonah Blue. This book is indeed a treasure, and even more so since it deals with so much of what our website is all about. At some point in our lives, most of us experience a period of sadness, loss, frustration, or failure so disturbing and long lasting that it can be called a dark night of the soul. Moore does not see this as a psychological problem, but instead, an opportunity to find meaning during an event that affects one's life to the core-be it the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, an illness, career disappointment, or simply an ongoing dissatisfaction with life. Rather than being overcome by these periods of darkness, Moore encourages us to view them as transforming rites of passage that can be used as catalysts for personal growth and change. I loved Moore's number one bestseller, Care of the Soul and I love this book just as much. There are plenty of excellent "how-to" books available that tell us what steps to take when facing difficult challenges. But very few books have dealt with the "healing power of melancholy." Nor have they used someone like Humphrey Bogart as a role model. Bogart experienced a highly abusive childhood, and had a "dark luminosity that shone through his characters"-a luminosity achieved as a result of his childhood dark night of the soul, according to Moore. The author imagines that there is a black sun at our core as well as a bright sun, and tells us that a dark luminosity is "less innocent and more interesting than naive sunshine" His book will help you to appreciate your own dark luminosity. For more information: http://www.penguinputnam.com

Conscious Women, Conscious Lives, Book 2 (White Knight Publications, Toronto, Ontario, 2005) by Darlene Montgomery. Some of North America's leading women authorities on healing, spirituality and body mind wisdom share more life transforming stories of Healing, Triumphing Over Death and Scaling the Heights to Achieve their Greatest Dreams. Contributors include: Rachel Naomi Remen M.D., Marianne Williamson, Susan Jeffers Ph.D, the creator of this website-Alissa Lukara and many others. Each story is true and each brings healing, understanding, comfort and proof of women's courage. These stories show how the journey of facing some of life's greatest obstacles can be followed by a joyous emergence from the darkness of despair, and a return to the light of life, love and new wisdom. Themes include: Finding Meaning in Loss, Finding Life's Purpose, Learning to let go of a Loved one, The Gift in Illness and Loss, Turning Life's Obstacles into Stepping Stones, Rising to the Challenge, Overcoming the Fear of Death, Surviving and triumphing after life threatening illness. For more information: http://www.lifedreams.org.

No One Can Ever Steal Your Rainbow (Purple Lady Productions, Tiburon, CA) Story by Barbara Meislin and illustrated by Helen Webber. This true life story for all ages—children and adults—about about a stolen rainbow will inspire healing, wholeness, joy and above all, HOPE. If you've ever looked up at the sky after the rain and had your spirit lifted by the sight of a rainbow, the message of this book will be clear: Even in the darkest of times the rainbow within our hearts can lead us to a path of renewed hope. It's inspired by the author's own experience of loss. THis books makes me smile and opens my heart every time I re-read it. "Encourages the priceless value of kindling good cheer, happiness, kindness and wonder within and without. Brilliant, multi-colored illustrations...make the simple story come alive. Highly recommended. Midwest Book Review" It also comes with a musical CD. Proceeds benefit Neve Shalom/Wahat al salam (Oasis of Peace), a Nobel peace prize-nominated project, that enhances children's lives. For more information and to order it, e-mail purpleladybythebay@earthlink.net, call 415-435-0720, or go to Amazon.com

The Why Café (Da Capo Press 2006) John P. Strelecky. You're on a road trip, sitting at a tale in diner in the middle of nowhere. You pick up a menu, and note that in addition to the specials of the day, the menu lists three questions that all diners are encouraged to consider. Why are you here? Do you fear death? Are you fulfilled? The protagonist of this inspiring work of fiction is stunned when he sees these questions. But with the guidance of three people he meets at the café, he embarks on a journey of self discovery that takes him from the executive suites of the advertising world to the surf of Hawaii's coastline. Along the way, he discovers a new way to look at life and relationships. This book deals with a universal question- what is your purpose for existing? In a world where all of our lives are so short as compared to the larger time span of history, you may find it quite fruitful to ask this question of yourself. www.perseusbooksgroup.com/dacapo

An Evolutionary Agenda for the Third Millennium (White Cloud Press 2003) By Alan Sasha Lithman. This book offers a prophetic vision of the final unfolding of human evolution as we quickly approach what the author sees as the end of the “Era.” This era is ruled by the force within human beings that always instinctively resists any form of change. Lithman believes that human beings today represent a transitional species whose main function is to transcend ego and egoic tendencies in order to make it through these turbulent times so that the human race can survive and mutate into its final egoless form. If we are successful we will curb the tide of destruction that is threatening to cascade down around us. His awe-inspiring message is a call to arms that prescribes an agenda for “evolutionary activism” to facilitate transformation at the personal and collective level. www.whitecloudpress.com

Playing the Quantum Field: How Changing Your Choices Can Change Your Life (New World Library 2006) By Brenda Anderson. (excerpt here) Quantum physics teaches us that everyone and everything in the universe is interconnected in Quantum Field, according to Anderson. Indeed, every single thought we entertain connects us directly to the endless potential inherent in the Quantum Field. The key to true fulfillment is making “thought choices” that yield a high energy outcome at any given moment. This knowledge, combined with the understanding that multiple realities are possible, help us to tap into the potential of the field. When we grasp that we have the power to make high-energy choices or low-energy choices, we are able to make the right choices and create the reality we want. For example, our new technology gadgets, which are meant to bring us together, may actually keep us disconnected. We find ourselves in some kind of techno-trance that keeps us stressed and distracted, preventing us from making the choices that create lives of success and joy. In other words, we are tuned out. Anderson shows how we can make a high energy choice, tune back in to the Quantum Field, and reconnect with ourselves and others. This is a fascinating book which is much in tune with the latest cutting research. www.newworldlibrary.com

How Now:100 Ways to celebrate the present moment (Chronicle Books 2005) By Raphael Cushnir From Buddha to Ram Dass, prophets, poets, philosophers and sages have told us how to live in the "now." This, they say, will enable us to eliminate negative thoughts and behaviors, and find lasting clarity and peace. But what does that actually mean. Cushnir breaks down the ambiguous concept of living in the present and offers 100 practices designed to bring awareness to our thoughts and actions. One of my favorites is the "Minding Your Money Exercise." This involves keeping a rubber band around the bills in your wallet, and additional rubber bands around your checkbook, ATM card and credit cards. When you remove the band to buy something, take a moment to reflect and ask yourself whether you really care about what you are buying, what impact it will have on your life, and whether you would be better off using this money in another way. Watching expenses over time provides an opportunity to become present to previously habitual choices. There is no right or wrong here. Indeed, this awareness might be confirming, surprising, or a powerful inducement for change. Other exercises I love include Drawing with Your Opposite Hand, and Blow Bubbles. In the latter one, you blow bubbles for five minutes, watching them come in to existence and following their journeys until they are no more. I really liked this unique helpful book. For more information: www.hownow100.com

I Will Not Die an Unlived Life: Reclaiming Purpose and Passion (Conari Press 2000) by Dawna Markova. Recommendation by Jonah Blue. Twenty years ago, faced with a life-threatening illness, Dawna Markova began a journey of rediscovery. In 1991, she wrote a poem, "I Will Not Die an Unlived Life," that appeared in her book, The Art of the Possible: A Compassionate Approach to Understanding the Way People Think, Learn and Communicate (Conari Press). Her publisher was quickly inundated by requests for reprints. Soon the poem took off on its own. Indeed, the poem became an Internet phenomenon and inspired people around the world. It's a marvelous expression of the spiritual practice of zeal. This book, titled after the poem, takes us through five stages of coming to live "on purpose," each one drawing the world closer to our hearts so that we may experience more fully the energy of life, follows Markova's path to finding deeper meaning in life. As she points out, people can continue to feel powerless and live habitual lives - or they can make the choice to follow their passion. I loved this book and don't know any better way to tell you why than to quote the author's own words. "I'm not sure I know exactly what passion is,' writes Markova, "but I do know what it does for us. I know that it breaks us open until there is no partition between our bodies and the body of the world. I know it acts on us until something takes root inside and insists on growing. I usually forget that it begins as a reaching down into the dark as well as up and out toward the light." http://www.redwheelweiser.com/

The Daily Six: Six Simple Steps To Find The Perfect Balance Of Prosperity And Purpose (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2005) Recommendation by Jonah Blue. John Chappelear For years, the author's personal mantra was "Everything! All the Time! Right Now!" He built a multimillion-dollar business, owned luxury homes and cars, and enjoyed all the benefits that lots of cash can buy. But his all-consuming quest for more ultimately led to a divorce, estrangement from his children, loss of the business that he had worked so relentlessly to build and a crisis of faith in himself and the value of his life. Today, as a self-described Recovering Big Shot, Chappalear has committed himself to the pursuit of success with significance. In changing the priorities of his own life, he developed and codified the Daily Six. They change the focus of one's life and begin with willingness, germinate in quiet time, and flourish through service to others. The journey to a well-balanced life is enlightened by love and forgiveness and gratitude, but can be fulfilled only through action. When observed daily, these principles result in both career achievement and personal contentment. www.changingthefocus.com or www.thedailysix.com

If I Only Knew Then What I Know Now…: Your Once-in-a-lifetime Chance to Get It Right (Sound View Publishing, Inc. 2005) by James Green. Have you ever asked yourself, “If I could go back and change anything in my life, what would I do differently?” James Green has collected gentle, yet powerful stories from many people who talk about how to create a life without regrets. They speak from their own experience of choices they could have made versus ones they did make. http://www.iftheresonethingivelearned.com.

Field Notes on the Compassionate Life: A Search for the Soul of Kindness, By Marc Ian Barasch (Rodale Books 2005) Reviewed by Jonah Blue. "Marc Ian Barasch's Fieldnotes on the Compassionate Life is an excellent and penetrating book. His argument for compassion is balanced yet persuasive, and long overdue. This book ought to be a compulsory read for all." -- Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. (excerpt here) Marc Ian Barasch sets out on a journey to the heart of compassion. Drawing from influences as disparate as Buddhist monks and skeptical neuroscientists, Barasch creates a riveting, persuasive argument that a simple shift to compassion consciousness can not only affect a tremendous, lasting impact on our psyches, relationships, and health, but also positively influence our society--and the very fate of the Earth. Barasch weaves a stirring, unforgettable account of his search to find the ability to live compassionately within himself and others. For example, he asks what we can learn from exceptionally empathetic people, such as a man in his late forties who is motivated to donate a kidney to a complete stranger. He also spends a little time living as homeless person, sleeping in the streets, discovering areas where he has been holding on to stereotyped ideas of who the homeless are, and eventually coming to a greater understanding of the common humanity in all of beings. And he reveals how a Buddhist monk, practicing deep compassion meditation while being scientifically tested for positive and negative emotions, had a reading that was literally beyond the curve in the area of positive emotion- the most extreme such result ever documented. Then, and perhaps most surprisingly of all, he delves into Charles Darwin's writings, and demonstrates how they are filled with admiring accounts of animal reciprocity, cooperation, and even love-a word shunned by most biologists that appears some ninety- five times in his major book (against only two entries for "survival of the fittest,") Perhaps, says Barasch, we have misinterpreted Darwin and must realize that the great driving force of our evolution is actually "survival of the kindest?" For more information, visit www.compassionatelife.com

Shortcut to a Miracle, How to Change your Consciousness and Transform Your Life ( Jeffers Press, 2005) Michael C. Rann & Elizabeth Rann Arrott. Shortcut to a Miracle speaks to an urgent need among readers to bring joy, health, fulfillment, and abundance into their lives- no matter how impossible the situation may seem. Through an exploration of amazing discoveries in the field of quantum physics this book explains how human consciousness is inherently connected to the Universal conscious power, making every human being wired for miracles. The "new science" of quantum physics shows that the universe responds to thought, our thoughts. How we think and what we think have a profound affect on our surroundings. By understanding how our consciousness affects how we live, we can change our lives in dramatic ways. The authors have mapped a specific approach to opening up our minds and hearts to the reality of miracle making. They go beyond theoretical speculation to make their case with real-life examples of miraculous results that people have achieved using the principles in this book. For more information: www.jefferspress.com.

Triumph from Failure: Lessons from Life for Business Success (Thomson) Alistair McAlpine & Kate Dixey. Triumph from Failure (Excerpt here) explores fundamental human themes, such as success, eating, sleeping, understanding, beauty, kindness, and failure. Each chapter explains how and why these themes play an intricate and essential part in our success as individuals. The key is to bring all of the small actions in your life under control and to obtain balance -- unlocking greater happiness in life, at home, and at work.

Discovery Your Destiny With the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Blueprint for Living Your Best Life (HarperSanFrancisco, 2005) Robin Sharma. In this book, Dar Sanderson, a 43 year old human resources manager, faces a spiritual emergency. He's got success on the outside, but little happiness inside. His wife left him. His possessions own him. His work leaves him cold. TRhen, a serendipitous encounter with the monk leads to a six-month journey to claim his authentic self and the life of his dreams. Turns our, his good life kept him from his best life. He gains balance and reclaims his authentic self. The monk offers 7 stages of Self-Awakening. www.robinsharma.com

The Resiliency Advantage: Master Change, Thrive Under Pressure, and Bounce Back From Setbacks, By Al Siebert, PhD (Berrett-Koehler, 2005). Reviewed by Jonah Blue. Many people in our increasingly fast-paced society have to cope with high-levels of ongoing disruptive change. Dr. Siebert's book shows how they can deal with this in ways that will actually enhance the quality of their lives. The solutions to so many of life's challenges involve letting go of the old and bringing in the new. So I particularly appreciated Siebert's guidance on how to change to a new way when an old way is no longer possible, and do this without acting in dysfunctional or harmful ways. Also, many of you will be surprised at research which reveals that we all need a moderate amount of stress to remain healthy. Otherwise we lose strength and deteriorate. This is called "eustress" meaning good stress. Siebert also describes three essential strengths-self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-concept, which he says act as gatekeepers controlling our access to high-levels of resiliency abilities. At first glance, they may all seem the same. But he points out that self-confidence has to do with what results you expect from your self when you take action, self-esteem relates to how you feel about yourself, and self-concept refers to who you think you are based on factors such as your age, job title, physical attributes etc. For more information, go to www.resiliencycenter.com.

Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies and Why (W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 2004) by Laurence Gonzales. Deep Survival is the first scientific investigation of survival. It is also a deeply spiritual book. Because it turns out that those who survive-whether in illness, accident, divorce, business or in the wilderness-must all go through the same journey and spiritual transformation. Using true stories and analysis of wilderness survival cases as a metaphorical frankwork, this book seeks to answer two elemental questions: How do we get into trouble? And, how do we get out again? By analyzing cases in which people have survived against seemingly impossible odds, often with no equipment or training, the book shows that there is an intangible quality of attitude, a set of psychological and emotional skills built over a lifetime, that ultimately determine how well people survive life's big challenges. The clear message in Deep Survival about who lives and who dies, Gonzales writes, is this: "It's not what's in your pack that separates the quick from the dead. It's not even what's in your mind. Corny as it sounds, it's what's in your heart." The book has captured the attention of diverse groups, ranging from scientists to mountaineers to people in 12-step recovery groups; from cancer survivors to business executives; and from abused spouses to the Navy SEALs. For more information: http://www.deepsurvival.com.

Soaring Through Setbacks: Rise Above Adversity Reclaim Your Life(Cameo Publications, LLC, Hilton Head Island, SC, 2004) by Cheryl Perlitz. Have you lost your loved one, your job, your promotion, or your dream? You may be asking, "How will I survive this…Loss? Disappointment? Disillusionment? Rejection?" "Will I ever feel happy and fulfilled again?" The fact is change is sad, painful, terrifying, overwhelming, and often overpowering. In Soaring Through Setbacks, you learn how to transform challenges at home and at work into opportunities for adventure and positive change. Cheryl Perlitz combines compassionate understanding of the change process with useful tools and 100 survival tips that will help you find a new beginning. Discover how to: " Survive so you can live through the pain of change; " Revive so you can find your true self again; " Thrive so you can reach the peak and soar with greater wisdom and purpose to serve others. For more information: http://www.soarwithme.com. For more information about Cameo Publications, go to http://www.cameopublications.com

Shifting Sands: A Guidebook for Crossing the Deserts of Change (Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco, 2004) by Steve Donahue. We live and work in a mountain-climbing culture. We want to see the peak, map out a route, and follow it to the top. The metaphors, however, are meaningless, says author Steve Donahue. Why? Because most of our life and work experiences actually resemble a desert. We get lost or stuck, and even chase the occasional mirage. With no clear routes or identifiable peaks, the journey seems endless. Donahue know about the desert firsthand. With two Frenchmen and his buddy, he embarked on an overland odyssey across the Sahara-the world's largest desert-that, over the course of 49 days and some 4,500 miles, became the adventure of a lifetime. In the Sahara, Donahue learned it's impossible to know exactly where you're going or how you'll get there-much less when you've arrived. In fact, says Donahue, experts can't even agree where the desert ends. And so it is with the deserts of life and work. Unlike mountains, we can't conquer them. They resist planning and preparation-and even past experience. In Shifting Sands, Donahue intersperses the true tale of his adventure with the essential rules for crossing the deserts of life and work. Among the insight and ideas he shares are : Why goals are a cheap substitute for direction; Why the more you stop, the farther you go; Why wandering is the best way to find true direction; Why it's important to travel alone together; Why getting stuck is a blessing. For more information: www.stevedonahue.com

The Right Words at the Right Time (Atria Books, January 2004) by Marlo Thomas. Award-winning actress and bestselling author Marlo Thomas is joined by over 100 innovators, thinkers and cultural icons, such as Muhammad Ali, Tom Brokaw, Cal Ripken Jr., Steven Spielberg, Venus Williams, Rudy Giuliani, Toni Morrison, Jack Nicholson, Mel Brooks, Laura Bush, Billy Crystal, Tom Wolfe and Katie Couric, who each tell a story of a crucial turning point in their lives brought about by the right words at the right time. These first-person accounts of challenges and victories can provide guidance to all of us as we come to life's crossroads. Al Pacino and Gwyneth Paltrow were instructed by words they heard during a crisis. Billy Crystal and Chris Rock used their humor to guide them. Ruth Bader Ginsburg received advice from her mother-in-law on her wedding day that continues to help her on the Supreme Court. These original stories encompass life's struggles and adventures and demonstrate how people we admire found hope and inspiration through words delivered by family or friends, heard in a movie or play, sung on the radio, told in a joke or even drawn in a cartoon. For more information: www.rightwordsbooks.com.

You're Never Upset for the Reason You Think, by Paul & Layne Cutright, (e-book, www.enlightenedpartners.com) Paul and Layne Cutright teach you the secret to moving beyond blame, anger, resentment and hurt to your true power in any upset. They provide a powerful new model for enlightened conflict resolution in the Conscious Upset Resolution Exercise (CURE). It's a practical step-by-step program which helps you uncover the real cause of any problem or upset, stop the pain and halt the slide toward more upset and disappointment. The result: joyful, close and fulfilling relationships that are no longer poisoned by bad feelings, hurt, anger, and the inevitable "distance" that follows. It works with lovers, partners, business partners, co-workers, family members, children and any other relationship that is important to you . . . even with unsettling news you see on the television or experiences you have in life . . . absolutely anything at all that upsets you in any way. The CURE has two parts. Part One requires "inner work" and is done alone. Part Two is "outer work" and includes a dialogue between you and the person with whom you had the upset. It involves moving beyond blame and provides opportunity for lasting "resolution," because you're addressing the root of the issue, not just remedying the "outward" situation.

Get Off the Fence: 10+1 Steps To Help You Make That Big Decision, by Rhoda Makoff, Ph.D. and Jeffrey Makoff, Esq., (Health Communications Inc., Deerfield Beach, Florida, 2003). Big life decisions are difficult - sometimes impossible-to undo. What's more, a lot of us don't realize how many we're called on to make during the course of a lifetime. As a result, when a major decision does arise, we're ill prepared to deal with it. Indeed we often experience fear and anxiety--which can turn into decision making paralysis. The Makoffs, a mother-son writing team, offer 10+1 steps for making major life decisions in areas such as relationships, health, parenthood, career, and business. For example, when appropriate, they suggest that we break a problem into small pieces, admit what we don't know, find the best advisors, figure out the odds and reduce uncertainties. I especially liked their advice for handling the emotional components which are always involved when making big decisions. They suggest understanding how you feel about a decision and what impact an emotion will have on your decision. Thinking of starting a business? Ask yourself if you prepared to face the anxiety and other stresses that go along with it. Just received a marriage proposal? Dig deep and find out if you're ready to make marriage work--for a lifetime. The "+ 1" step involves respecting and listening to your intuition or gut instinct. That doesn't mean you should always act on it, but as the authors point out (and I have found in my life) intuition may sometimes serve you better than rational analysis. For more information: go to www.decisionmakingbook.com

Inner Security& Infinite Wealth: Merging of Self Worth and Net Worth, by Stuart Zimmerman & Jared Rosen (SelectBooks, Inc., New York, New York, 2003).) Money is undoubtedly a powerful, though puzzling, force. More than likely, you've experienced, as I have, any number of emotions - fear, excitement, pain, joy, confusion, despair, angst, happiness, grief, anger, thankfulness - all because of money. Regardless of how you view money, this book made one thing clear to me, as I hope it will to you: do not confuse your net worth for your self worth; financial security is no substitute for inner security. It can help anyone seeking clarity about their relationship to money and purpose beyond financial wealth. I loved the authors reminding us that, "There is more to security than money and matter. Everything we have in the material world can be taken from us in a heartbeat but true security - inner security - cannot." Using basic financial terms such as ownership, value, trust, investment and appreciation as a map for self-discovery, the book can help you unlock your inner wealth and discover wealth from the inside out. If you're looking to redefine their relationship to money, discover security beyond financial security, and achieve wealth beyond material wealth take a look at this book. For more information, go to: www.innersecurities.com

After Great Pain: A New Life Emerges by Diane Cole, Summit Books, New York, NY, 1992. A meditation on loss and renewal based on Diane Cole's personal experience with sickness, death and terror (she was held hostage). She draws on the findings of researchers, clinicians and other writers. She finds that deep suffering can be relieved and transformed.

Crossings: Everyday People, Unexpected Events and Life-Affirming Change (Harcourt Brace & Company, New York) by Richard A. Heckler, Ph.D. Crossings is a literal life raft for anyone undergoing a life challenge, major transition or otherwise having an encounter with the unexpected. It shows how people open to unimagined possibilities and create rich meaning out of passages that often completely change their lives. In the book, Richard Heckler charts the six stages of personal and spiritual transformation. These stages: The Slumber, The Call, The Incubation, The Search for Meaning, The Leap, The Integration provide a map to help navigate unexpected events and challenge.

End the Struggle and Dance with Life: How to Build Yourself Up When the World Gets You Down by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D., St. Martin's Press, New York, NY.1996. Inspirational advice, tools, wisdom and humor to lift your spirit, deal with life challenges and thrive even when faced with difficulties. Jeffers also wrote Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.

BirthQuake: A Journey to Wholeness, by Tammie Fowles, LISW, Ph.D. The author writes, “If you've found yourself at a turning point, or are attempting to find meaning and purpose in your life, then BirthQuake was written for you. It will assist you in looking at several very important aspects of yourself and your world. It will offer you hope, guidance and insight. It's not a book that will provide you with easy solutions to your present dilemma. It’s not that simple - emotional and spiritual growth never is.” For excerpts and information about the book, go to SagePlace, www.sageplace.com.

The Gifts of Suffering: Finding insight, compassion, and renewal, by Polly Young-Eisendrath, Ph.D., Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1996. Inspiring stories of people who faced great hardship, but emerged with renewed creativity and compassion, how they moved beyond pain and toward hope and understanding. Draws on Jungian principles and Buddhist teachings.

How to Handle Trouble by John Carmody, Doubleday, New York, NY, 1993. The author, who deals with incurable bone cancer, discusses how to deal with times of crisis. He draws on personal experience, various religions, and friends and acquaintances.

How to Master Change in Your Life: Sixty-Seven Ways to Handle Life's Toughest Moments by Mary Carroll Moore, Eckankar, Minneapolis, MN, 1997. Mary Carroll Moore wrote this insightful and truly helpful book on change based on her own experiences, hundreds of interviews and the teachings of Eckankar. It allows you to explore and embrace the spiritual aspects of change and transform life challenges into opportunities for growth, learning and fulfillment in our lives. The book includes many helpful, practical exercises to help you recognize the bigger picture of change and get the most out of the experience of any type of challenging change.

The Little Book of Letting Go (Conari Press, Berkeley, CA, 2000), by Hugh Prather. The New York Times has called Hugh Prather “an American Kahlil Gibran.” A minister, lecturer and counselor, he is best known for his many books, including the best-selling Notes to Myself, which helped spark the personal growth movement of the 1970s and has sold more than 5 million copies. In his new book, The Little Book of Letting Go (Conari Press, Berkeley, CA), Hugh combines spirituality and self-help in a “30-Day Program to Cleanse Your Mind, Lift Your Spirit and Replenish Your Soul.” The book offers tools to “cleanse our minds of what can sour our attitudes, block our intuition, tear apart our relationships, and undermine the very aim and purpose of our life.” For more information, contact Conari Press at www.conari.com.

Real Moments by Barbara De Angelis, Delacorte Press, New York, 1994. How to deal with life's challenges, find happiness, peace of mind and gratitude by living in the moment. How to find more richness in life's moments.

The Seasons of Change: Using Nature's Wisdom to Grow Through Life's Inevitable Ups and Downs by Carol L. McClelland, Conari Press, 1998. Go to www.conari.com for more information. Using a model based on the four seasons, this books offers heartfelt guidance, stories, suggestions and activities which help you align with natural forces during times of transition, navigate your transition journey and build a strong support network. It includes a questionnaire to help you ascertain where you are in your transition process, how to move forward and stay on track.

Staying on Top When Your World Turns Upside Down, Kathryn D. Cramer, Ph.D., Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA, Inc., New York, NY 1990. Help in getting through major changes, such as job change, divorce and death, while activating the potential these changes hold for gaining self-confidence, physical stamina and personal satisfaction. Full of questionnaires, charts, advice and self-evaluation tools. Kathryn Cramer is a stress management expert.

Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes by William Bridges, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1980. A model for what happens when we go through changes and painful transitions.

When Life Hurts: A Book of Hope, by Wayne Dosick, HarperSanFrancisco, San Francisco, CA, 1998. How to create a new, more meaningful life after loss. A personal journey through the pain of loss when Rabbi Dosick and his wife lost almost all their possessions to a fire.

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, by Pema Chödrön, Shambhala Publications, Boston, MA, 1997. Compassionate, enlivening advice for what to do when things fall apart in your life. Using Tibetan Buddhist wisdom, Chödrön suggests that to alleviate suffering, we move toward the painful circumstances in our lives with compassion and relax into the unknown. In this beautiful, wise, mind and heart-opening book, she offers advice on dealing with negative emotions, loneliness, chaos, negative patterns, hopelessness and more.

If it weren't for You, We could get along! How To Stop Blaming and Start Living, by Dr. Lewis E. Losoncy DC Press, Sanford, FL, 2001. Dr. Lewis E. Losoncy's book helps you uncover and develop your practical intelligence and shows you how to stop blaming and really start living. It provides down to earth examples and tools for understanding versus judging, living today and releasing past wounds, focusing on strengths rather than blaming weaknesses, developing inner confidence, accepting what is, encouraging others,and developing optimism in the face of challenges. For more information, go to DC Press.

Prosperity Pie: How to Relax About Money and Everything Else, by SARK, A Fireside Book, Simon & Schuster, New York, NY, 2002. SARK's latest book explores how we can be and feel prosperous no matter how much we have or don't have, or what our outside circumstances and challenges may be. As in all her inspiring and imaginative books, SARK shares her own process of exploring who she is and how she responds both to life’s challenges and its kaleidoscope of pleasures. By her own example, one of the greatest gifts she provides us is "permission" to accept our glorious, flawed humanity in all its manifestations. Specific topics she covers include self, challenges, love, work, time, inspiration, teachers, adventures and prosperity. SARK is the author of 11 books and has more than two million books in print. For more information, go to Camp SARK.

Women of Spirit: Stories of Courage from the Women Who Lived Them by Katherine Martin (New World Library, Novato, CA 2001)These compelling stories of courage and spirit (excerpt here) inspire women and men alike to follow our hearts, listen to our deepest wisdom, and transcend adversity. The women that Katherine Martin profiles share those private, vulnerable moments when they make the courageous choices to live by their soul's calling--even when they are faced with their own and others' doubts and judgments, even when doing so means giving up the lives they know. Sections focus on women doing the unexpected, facing the truth, taking a stand, learning to be themselves, challenging and persisting. Many of these stories reveal ordinary women called to do extraordinary things. Well-known women are also represented, including Joan Borysenko, Iyanla Vanzant, SARK, Judith Light, Judy Collins, and Geraldine Ferraro. For more information, go to www.peoplewhodare.com.

Ten Things I Learned from Bill Porter by Shelly Brady (New World Library, Novato, CA, 2002). (Read Excerpt) Dealing with cerebral palsy and continual pain, Bill Porter was once told by the State of Oregon that he was "unemployable." But he was determined not to live on government disability. He started out selling Watkins household products door to door in one of Portland's worst neighborhoods. The people on his route didn't always want or need what he was selling, they didn't always respond to his smile and words of greeting, but he persisted and went on to become Watkins' top-grossing salesman in Portland, the Northwest, and the United States. After being featured in an article in The Portland Oregonian, he was interviewed for the television program, 20/20, and TNT produced a movie on his life, Door to Door. He's been called a "hero for our times" and this story of his optimism, courage, persistence, wisdom, heart and indomitable spirit are indeed an inspiration and reminder that each one of us can make a difference and change the world-one door at a time. Bill Porter's story forever changes the way most of us look at challenges and obstacles in our lives. Ten Things I Learned from Bill Porter was written by Shelly Brady, the woman who began working for Bill Porter as a teenager delivering orders and helping him with household duties. She continued after finishing college, marrying and becoming a mother. Eventually, she began sharing Bill's story with organizations and corporations. The ten lessons she relates encourage you to be and do your best and reveal how she incorporated these truths into her own life. Bill writes in the Afterword: "I never thought my life had meaning, and I didn't live it as though it was important to anyone except those close to me. Every time you ask yourself if you can make a difference, remember this answer: You bet you can." For more information: www.billporter.com

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger: Turning Bad Breaks into Blessings by Maxine Schnall (Perseus Publishing, Cambridge, MA, 2002- Read Excerpt Here). An unexpected tragedy-death, divorce, job loss, illness-can leave a person asking "why me?" Maxine says that internalizing that question-why me? Who am I? what do I want? Who do I want to be?-can help you understand yourself and become a more loving, resilient person. She knows from experience. Her own daughter was in a near-fatal car accident that left her permanently disabled. She reacted with guilt, anger and despair, thinking she could never transcend the misfortune. But she did. In fact, she emerged a stronger person psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. This book shares what she learned about adapting and growing from change. It also includes other people's stories of leaping from self-pity to self-actualization. For instance, when an accident left Nick as a severely brain-injured quadriplegic, Carol, his wife, became even more devoted to him and to the cause of helping disabled people. Matthew, a skilled doctor, lost his hand in a skiing accident, rethought his options and became a professor. 9/11 widows established foundations and scholarships honoring lost loved ones. Schnall's own daughter Rona, once a successful journalist, became an activist for the disabled, meeting a fellow advocate and falling in love. While writing this, Schnall was diagnosed with color cancer and overcame the disease in record time. Schnall says: "We can get through whatever challenges are thrown at us, as long as we accept each struggle as an opportunity for transmutation, see the possibilities in loss, move forward toward our choices from the heart with a new sense of purpose, and have caring and compassionate people accompany us on our journey." Only by using what life gives us that we can become authentic people. For more information: www.makesyoustronger.com

Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety (Bantam Books, New York,1997 by Robert Gerzon. Robert Gerzon (read article here) brings the surprising message that anxiety, fear and stress may actually be your most direct route to inner peace. In this book you'll learn a simple but potentially life-changing method of transforming fear into love, stress into success, and anxiety into serenity. You'll discover the long-hidden secret to mastering anxiety and learn how to identify and use Toxic, Natural and Sacred Anxiety effectively for physical and emotional healing, achieving personal goals and spiritual growth. You'll learn specific techniques that will help you deal with everything from daily hassles to the deepest human problems. You will learn how to change your inner worrier into an inner warrior. You'll have fun firing your Anxious Chatterbox and hiring an Inner Guide. Written in a simple, yet profound and inspiring style, this book can help you experience unshakable serenity and live in the paradise of the present moment. For more information: www.gerzon.com

When Life Changes or You Wish it Would: How to Survive and Thrive in Uncertain Times (William Morrow, New York, 2002) by Carol Adrienne, Ph.D. If you’re dealing with change and life challenges,—and who isn’t—then read intuitive counselor Carol Adrienne’s  new book, When Life Changes or You Wish it Would: How to Survive and Thrive in Uncertain Times (read article here).This treasure doesn’t just help you get through dark times, but actually shows you how such times can be used as opportunities to move through the gateway of an often fearful unknown and find a wondrous, new purpose and vision  for yourself. Adrienne brilliantly constructs a  “map” which describes four life conditions that make up the change cycle, so you can easily determine where you are in a particular situation.  The Break is a time of disruption. The Void  involves stagnation, confusion and loss of purpose. In The  Return, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel but you need to keep moving towards it. Finally, you reach Dynamic Balance, a period of relative stability. The book is full of great advice such as “trust the change is purposeful,” find the spirit of adventure,” “align with guidance,,” be open and present”, and “overcome fear by training yourself  to have the attitude that whatever happens, you’ll handle it.” But the real gem of this book is its stories. Inspiring real life stories. So many of them, I’m surprised the book is not twice as large as it is. Now I don’t know about you, but I learn the most from people’s stories. And the stories in this book consistently demonstrate, the resilience, compassion, caring, daring, and miracles that are not only available us all, but are truly the very essence of each soul. For more information: www.caroladrienne.com

Women of Courage: Inspiring Stories from the Women Who Lived Them by Katherine Martin (New World Library, Novato, CA, 1999). Recently, I've been going through major work/life transitions and navigating the course of anxiety and excitement inherent in that. Reading Women of Courage's amazing stories of courage (excerpt here )--particularly at this time--had a major impact in helping me move past fear and into a place of trust, faith and alignment with the deepest part of myself and my purpose. It also gave me a sense of "not being alone." For the most part, these women did not just have a challenge or an idea and forge fearlessly past their obstacles like superheroines. They often met adversity and followed their callings despite limitations, daunting fears and nay-sayers. They faced, survived and transformed wrenching losses and sorrows. The messages of heart, authenticity, perseverance, vulnerability and healing in these stories and Katherine Martin's insightful interviews still reverberate through my life, and I think of them often as I continue to meet my own challenges. Some of the women represented include: author Isabelle Allende; the Body Shop's Anita Roddick; past poet laureate Rita Dove; arctic explorer Ann Bancroft; psychiatrist and intuitive Judity Orloff, M.D.; founding executive of The Hunger Project, Lynne Twist; social activist for the poor, Cora Lee Johnson; artist Judy Chicago; Planet Hope founder Kelly Stone; academy award winning documentary filmmaker, Barbara Trent and many more. For more information, go to www.peoplewhodare.com.

Embracing Uncertainty: Breakthrough Methods for Achieving Peace of Mind When Facing the Unknown by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.(St. Martin's Press, New York, 2003) Embracing Uncertainty (read adaptation here) is about exploring, understanding and coping with the anxiety most people feel about the uncertain nature of everyday life. It's an incredibly powerful and healing book in these very uncertain times. With her invaluable insights, examples and exercises, best-selling author Susan Jeffers gives us tools to deal with the uncertainty in our life with a sense of wonder and possibility. She shows us how life can be fulfilling and rewarding, not in spite of, but because of the uncertainty. Never more timely than now, when terrorism and war have become a source of stress and uncertainty in the lives of all Americans, Jeffers' writing can help others understand and accept uncertainty in the minor and major worries of life. Providing a safety net in a world of constant change, Embracing Uncertainty is a comforting and life-affirming book. For more information: www.susanjeffers.com.

There Must Be More Than This: Finding More Life, Love, and Meaning By Overcoming Your Soft Addictions By Judith Wright (Broadway Books, New York, 2003). (Read excerpt) What keeps us from living the rich, fulfilling lives we desire? Judith Wright has found that too often we are tripped up by our dependence on seemingly harness habits like shopping, watching TV, gossiping, and surfing the net. These soft addictions can fill up our time, but leave us feeling empty, asking, "Is this all there is to life?" Wright invites you to overcome your soft addictions and discover a full, engaging life of more intimacy, purpose, joy, satisfaction, and love. An educator and life coach, Wright coined the term soft addictions after years of working with students who she found were limiting their experience and enjoyment of life by engaging in unsatisfying routines. She discovered that these time wasters and draining habits, which she named soft addictions, have a powerful hold on us because they satisfy certain wants -- to zone out, feet busy, numb painful feelings, or avoid anxieties -- but ignore deeper hungers for love, beauty, spirituality, and meaning. They substitute a superficial high or sense of activity for a sense of genuine purpose and fulfillment. There Must Be More Than This includes an eight-step program which helps you identify and fulfill the deeper longings behind your soft addictions. For more information: www.theremustbemore.com

The abc's of Successful Living: Getting What You really Want, by Dr. Tom Massey(Robert D. Reed Publishers, San Francisco, CA 2001) Another short book from the same author, using the same concise, succinct, format, offers tips for attaining success-however you define that. Whether success for you is a fulfilling relationship, a career that offers meaningful work and financial rewards, or personal health and well being, you'll finds the tips to be helpful. All of the tips describe some basic principles that will help you create the opportunities about which you dream. The book covers advice about such subjects as "Commitment"(go for it all), "Gumption"(ask for what you want), "Humility"(there's no limit to the amount of good we can do if we don't care who gets the credit), "Inclusiveness"(there is unity in diversity), "Quality of Life" (choose the most important things first), "Recovery from Stress," and "Learn from Your Mistakes". This book, like the other one, offers good practical advice as well as spiritual pick-me-ups. Some of you may have fun, as I have had, by just opening this book to any page and reading the tip that is there. Don't be surprised if you find, as I also have found, that you come across the perfect tip for what is going on in your life at that moment. Synchronicity is always just around the corner. For more information: www.rdrpublishers.com

Right Risk:10 Powerful Principles for Taking Giant Leaps with Your Life, by William Treasurer (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc, San Francisco, CA 2003). (Read excerpt here) Risks are part of a fully lived life-and essential for personal growth as well career advancement. I love the first two lines of this book which say that, "To live is to risk. Risk-taking is as essential to life as breathing." Right Risk teaches you how to determine which risks to take, and which to avoid, how to balance the need to take more risks with the need to preserve your safety, and how to confront all those people who tell you what a mistake it would be to take a risk. It also teaches you how to make wise and courageous choices-to confidently face life's challenges and take advantage of life's opportunities. It will help you become more comfortable with the uncomfortable, more courageous in facing fear, and more prepared to take the risks you've always wanted to take. In case you're wondering how the author knows all this, he overcame his fear of heights by making some 1500 high dives into water 100 feet below as a member of the U.S. High Diving Team. He also made 300 dives dressed in a cape drenched with gasoline, to which a match was lit-transforming him into his alter-ego, Captain Inferno, the human volcano. Wow. For more information: www.right-risk.com

Spirit Heals: Awakening a Woman's Inner Knowing for Self-Healing (New World Library, 2007) By Meredith L.Young-Sowers. This book is highly recommended for women on the mind/body/spirit healing path because it puts women's connection to Spirit at the very center - exactly where it should be. Drawing on her twenty-seven years as an intuitive healer and spiritual teacher, and her belief that healing is something we do every day, Young-Sowers gently guides women to create their own loving and workable healing plans. Emphasizing heart disease and reproductive cancers - the diseases that are claiming women's' mothers, sisters, and friends, the author offers a mix of attitude shifts, exercises, and simple meditations to help women harness the power of Spirit. She teaches women to understand and rely on their deep-hearted intuition as their most important healing partner. In a wide-ranging exploration of healing, readers can learn how to nourish themselves on all levels - emotional, intellectual, social, physical, and spiritual. As part of this, they discover how to respond effectively to stress in a way that heals the heart, understand why mind-body imbalances can sometimes manifest as disease, and claim strength and renewal at each stage of their journey. www.stillpoint.org, www.newworldlibrary.com

When Prayers Aren't Answered (New World Library, 2007) By John E.Welshons. At some point in our lives, particularly when our prayers aren't answered, many of us have struggled with the question of whether any supreme being even hears our prayers-let alone cares about them. Welshons challenges our culture's erroneous assumptions that difficulties in life are not supposed to happen. He gently guides us toward the realization that loss, sadness, and disappointment are an inevitable ingredient in every human life, and offers practical suggestions for finding true and lasting happiness, not in spite of that fact, but through it. Using compelling stories from his own life and the lives of those he has counseled, he offers an opportunity to learn how to openly receive the trials of life with honesty, love and equanimity. We learn how to use the painful experiences in life as fuel for our spiritual journey. He also reaffirms that no lone is alone or isolated in the experience of loss and sadness. www.newworldlibrary.com, www.johnwelshons.com

Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior: A Companion to the Book That Changes Lives (HJ Kramer, 2007) By Dan Millman. The author of Way of the Peaceful Warrior, which sold over a million copies and was made into a movie in 2006, now clarifies and expands upon the teachings presented in the book. In this new book, he sheds light on more than 100 of the original book's most interesting and enigmatic passages. Millman also explains the key ideas behind each key element, revealing their genesis in spiritual philosophies old ands new. Whether you are familiar with Millman's original book or not, this book will deepen your experience of life and reveal how to live with a peaceful heart and a warrior spirit. www.neworldlibrary.com

The Instruction: Living the Life Your Soul Intended (Sounds True, Inc., 2007) By Ainslie MacLeod, Have you ever sensed that your life has a deeper, more meaningful purpose-but don't know what it is? The author, a renowned psychic offers a systematic approach to uncovering the life your soul has planned for you. With the help of high-level spirit guides, the book takes readers through numerous "doors" to unveil the life plan their souls created before they were even born. These include the doorways to "perception", "acceptance", "achievement", "recovery," balance," "transformation," "wisdom" and "creativity". Each door imparts valuable information. For example, the door to perception focuses on your "soul age" and how it shapes your beliefs and behaviors, while the door to acceptance is centered around your "soul type" (i.e.-hunter?, thinker?, creator?, ) and what it reveals about your true self. The door to balance teaches you how to avoid false goals and diversions, while the door to creativity reveals how to use past lives in ways that enhance the present. For those readers drawn to this kind of exploration, MacLeod's book makes a valuable contribution. http://www.soul-world.com

Courageous Souls: Do We Plan Our Life Challenges Before Birth? (Whispering Winds Press, 2007) By Robert Schwartz. While the premise of this book may be a stretch for some readers, other people, in our rapidly changing world, may be inspired by its possibilities. The author, working with four gifted mediums and channels, tells the stories of ten individuals who "planned before birth" to experience great challenges. They discover what they chose and why. Schwartz posits that understanding this kind of information will help us use our challenges to foster spiritual growth. In addition, we will better understand the nature of our relationships, and deepen our appreciation and gratitude for life as a soul-expanding evolutionary process. www.CourageousSouls.com

Horses and the Mystical Path: The Celtic Way of Expanding the Human Soul (New World Library, 2006) By Adele von Rust McCormick PhD, Marlena Deborah McCormick, and Thomas E. McCormick. The authors take us on a journey where they learn, through their interactions with horses, to find a spirit of unity and beauty in everything they do. What’s more, they identify, as the ancient Celtic people did, the horse as a symbol of nature and spirit, and explore these peoples’ longstanding integration of nature, mysticism, and personal development.  They also demonstrate how the horse accompanied the Celts as they spread their spiritual vision far and wide. It’s quite amazing to read how the Celts intentionally befriended horses and used this friendship as a way to “live on the cusp of the seen and unseen world.” And perhaps most important, they reveal what can happen when you stand before a horse, in complete humility, and encounter the ground of your own being. www.newworldlibrary.com

Eckhart Tolle’s Findhorn Retreat: Stillness Amidst the World (book and 2DVD set) (New World Library, 2006). By Eckhart Tolle. This well-known spiritual teacher recently led a two day spiritual retreat at Findhorn, the famous spiritual community in Scotland. The entire event was filmed and edited into this four hour video and book package. The main theme of his talk at Findhorn is stillness. He explains how compulsive thoughts become as we analyze, interpret, and label every conscious experience we have. In such a state, we can no longer perceive the sacredness in ourselves and in the natural world around us. Our experience of life becomes nothing but a never-ending reel of thoughts, opinions, and viewpoints. But Tolle offers a profound message of hope and gives us simple tools for transformation—the clear guidance we need to realize the magic of every moment. www.newworldlibrary.com

In the Presence of a Great Mystery (Audio CDs) (New World Library, 2006) By Eckhart Tolle. This renowned spiritual teacher guides listeners on a journey into the present moment, into that spacious stillness where they are more than they think—they are in fact part of a great mysterious whole. Tolle first describes a problem we all face: a strict sense of self that is based on personal history, mental interpretations, and memories of the past; a sense that is forever being reinforced through habitual thought patterns. He refers to this as “the little me,” a self that is imprisoned within rigidly defined boundaries. Tolle then helps listeners conquer their own “little me” and achieve a transcendent state that allows them to move beyond self-defeating limitations into a life full of grace, ease and lightness. www.newworldlibrary.com

Aromatherapy for the Soul: Healing the Spirit with Fragrance and Essential Oils (New World Library, 2006) By Valerie Ann Worwood. How do the use of fragrances relate to our souls? The author, a world-renowned aromatherapist breaks new ground in this book with an in-depth study that reveals the answers to this question. Drawing on the pioneering research of eminent scientists and the insights of leading spiritual leaders, Worwood provides exhaustive guidelines detailing how fragrance is used in many spiritual practices, from Shinto and Buddhism to Native American rites. She reports on written records of odors being associated with every type of being-from ghosts, to angels, to saints. She also provides extensive charts, exercises and formulas that demonstrate how aroma is used in healing, prayer and meditation. The book offers step-by step guidance for those wanting to use essential oils for their own healing . For example, Worwood helps readers to distinguish between a physical, emotional, and spiritual crisis, and presents a detailed explanation for how to use essential oils homeopathically. This is indeed, a most unique and valuable book. www.newworldlibrary.com

The Energy of Prayer: How to Deepen Your Spiritual Practice (Parallax Press 2006). By Thich Nhat Hanh. This renowned monk, poet, scholar and human rights activist, and author of more than 60 books offers a short and most valuable teaching on prayer. He tackles questions many of us have asked in the course of our lives. For example: Does prayer really work? If prayer doesn't work, what's the point of praying? Hanh says that the two most effective elements of prayer are energy, and establishing a relationship between ourselves and the one we are praying to. In prayer, according to Hanh, the ele