Creative Visualization: 30th Anniversary Edition (New World Library, 2008) By Shakti Gawain. For those of you too young to remember, this book, when it was originally published, turned out to be the seminal book on the subject of creative visualization. Indeed it pioneered and helped launch a new movement in personal growth. Now, it’s a classic. Creative visualization is the art of using mental imagery and affirmation to produce positive change in your life. Successfully used in the fields of health, business, the creative arts, and sports, it can have an impact in every area of your life. This elegant keepsake edition now incorporates the Creative Visualization Meditations CD — a series of guided meditations created and narrated by Gawain. www.newworldlibrary.com

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

Tapping the Power Within: A Path to Self-Empowerment for Women (Smiley Books, 2008) By Iyanla Vanzant. This revised and expanded 20th-anniversary edition of Vanzant’s first published work offers a powerful path to self-empowerment through the revitalization of one’s spiritual and ancestral roots. Written with Iyanla’s signature healing stories, this classic guide to uniting the will with the spirit teaches that only you have the power to make a change for the better. With chapters on basic breathing and meditation techniques, setting up a home altar, connecting with ancestors and guardian spirits, and the extraordinary power of forgiveness, this book is a perfect companion on the way toward the real you. Known for teaching by principle and example, this exclusive edition also contains Vanzant’s special “What I Know Now” commentaries and an original CD. Whether you are a beginner on the path or a veteran in need of refreshment, her prescriptions can support your growth from the comfort of spiritual adolescence to the wisdom of spiritual maturity. www.Innervisionsworldwide.com

Led By Faith: Rising From the Ashes of the Rwandan Genocide (Hay House, 2008) By Immaculée Ilibagiza. For three months in the spring of 1994, the African nation of Rwanda descended into one of the most vicious and bloody genocides the world has ever seen. Immaculée Ilibagiza, a young university student, miraculously survived the savage killing spree that left most of her family, friends, and a million of her fellow citizens dead. Through her simple and eloquent voice, we experience her hardships and heartache as she struggles to survive and to find meaning and purpose in the aftermath of the holocaust. It is the story of a naïve and vulnerable young woman, orphaned and alone, navigating through a bleak and dangerously hostile world with only an abiding faith in God to guide and protect her. Finally, fearing for her safety, Immaculée flees to America to begin a new chapter of her life as a refugee and immigrant—a stranger in a strange land. With the same courage and faith in God that led her through the darkness of genocide, Immaculée discovers a new life—one where she can finally look back at all that has happened to her and truly understand why God spared her life . . . so that she would be left to tell her story to the world. www.immaculee.com

Poetry as Spiritual Practice: Reading, Writing, and Using Poetry in Your Daily Rituals, Aspirations, and Intentions (Free Press, 2008) by Robert McDowell shows how reading and writing poems and making them an essential part of daily rituals of aspirations and intentions can help readers on their quest to find peace, meaning, and success in their lives. It also shows readers how poetry creates clarity, deepens and expands ongoing spiritual inquiry, and generates greater wisdom, compassion, self-confidence, patience, and love. McDowell illustrates his points with excerpts from well-known poems, good and bad, as well as work by students and work of his own. Interactive exercises appear throughout the text, allowing readers to practice methods for integrating poetry into their spiritual journeys. One best-selling author says: "Reading this lovely guide awakens in you a deeper appreciation for poetry and messages of the Spirit. It communicates a poet's soul-and helps you articulate that deep place of truth for yourself."-Caroline Myss, author of Entering the Castle and Anatomy of the Spirit.http://www.poetryasspiritualpractice.com

Angel Animals: Divine Messengers of Miracles (New World Library, 2007) By Allen & Linda Anderson. This book is a revised edition of what has now become an international classic in the field of animal spirituality. The Andersons' offer a collection of stories by ordinary people about the spiritual lessons and truths they have learned from animals. Whether these angel animals are daily companions or creatures observed in nature, they demonstrate gratitude, survival, courage, forgiveness, and other spiritual qualities. The stories are touching, humorous, and quite inspiring. Each one includes a meditation or a question or comment to help readers carry the spirit of these angel animals into their own lives. The three distinct parts of the book deal with teachings about relationships, handling life challenges, and death/dying and the afterlife respectively. If you love animals, you will love this book. www.newworldlibrary.com, www.angelanimals.net

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 electric current is love, mindfulness, and right concentration. To pray effectively, our body and mind must dwell peacefully in the present moment. So, anything done with mindfulness and concentration-from walking to raking leaves to making coffee-is a form of prayer and brings us closer tour higher source. Doing this, as we all know, is not easy. But Hanh helps us by introducing come very valuable spiritual practices, including chants, visualizations, breathing exercises, and invocations from the Buddhist Tradition. I particularly enjoyed his dissecting of the Lord's Prayer line by line. www.parallax.org/

Living Through Pain: Psalms and the Search for Wholeness (Baylor University Press 2006) Kristin M. Swenson. This is a truly wonderful book which contains deep wisdom. Swenson consults an ancient resource for wisdom, perspective, and insight on pain. Her close reading of selected psalms from the Hebrew Bible demonstrates that the challenge of living through pain is timeless. She shows how these ancient texts offer a vocabulary and grammar for understanding and expressing the contemporary experience of pain. Pain is a universal experience. It affects all aspects of a person, including also one's relationships to others. It also blurs the lines between body, mind, and spirit. Swenson invites readers to consider more fully what is involved in the process of healing. She encourages sufferers and the people who care for them to live wholly and fully even in the case of enduring pain. The voices of people in pain, preserved and passed on in the biblical book of psalms are voices of healing as they seek to put a fractured self together again. www.baylor.edu/baylorpress

The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for a Radically New Life (HarperCollins, New York, 2004) by Marianne Williamson. Best-selling author Marianne Williamson (excerpt here)delves deeply into the powerful role of change in our lives today. Change, she says, is not to be feared and avoided. Even the most difficult change gives us an opportunity to receive the gift of personal transformation. The only real failure in life, she notes, is the failure to grow from what we experience. Williamson helps us cross 10 key bridges of transformation. They include: From Forgetting Who We Are to Remembering Who We Are; from Negative Thinking to Positive Love; from Anxiety to Atonement; from Asking God to Change the World to Praying That He Change Us; from Living in the Past and Future to Living in the Present; from Focus on Guilt to Focus on Innocence; and more. For more information: http://www.marianne.com.

Creating Miracles: A Practical Guide to Divine Intervention (H.J. Kramer-New World Library 2006) By Carolyn Godschild Miller, PhD. Most people think of miracles as some dramatic object or event such as the Shroud of Turin or the healing waters at the Shrine of the Virgin in Lourdes, France. I truly love this book because it explores the more “ordinary miracles”—when something surprisingly positive happens to everyday people. For example, a car falls over the side of a mountain and the occupants survive, or someone’s doctors give her only a few months to live, yet, she fully recovers. Dr. Miller reports that people who survive situations like this all seem to report that, despite impending doom, they set aside fear and anger, and retreat into a detached and loving state of mind that sounds very much like a profound state of meditation. Some hear an inner voice or feel a loving and authoritative inner presence prompting them to say or do something they would never have considered otherwise. And when they followed this impulse, the unusual response often turned out to be the very thing that defused the danger and led to the happy ending. Dr. Miller posits that by choosing peace and love over fear and anger, we do our part to make divine intervention possible. We acknowledge our inability to solve the problem on our own, and “turn it over” to our “higher power.” Best of all, Miller says that we don’t have to wait for a life and death emergency to bring in divine intervention. Try it out on small things and your success will increase your confidence if you ever do find yourself in a more critical situation. www.newworldlibrary.com

The Wave: Flowing As Essence(Blue Dolphin Publishing 2005) by Lyn Mayo. You can find peacefulness just reading The Wave. Written in a meditative tone, it explores each of our own unique process of discovering the truth of who we are, our connection to all that is, and the endless discoveries of what it is to be consciousness in human form. A deeper understanding of truth can be found in honoring what are both unique individual and universal ingredients in the process of unfolding. In hopes of providing grounding and clarity, Lyn has illustrated concepts by using examples from her own life and from the lives of others who shared their spiritual stories. It focuses on the intricacies of the process of deepening awareness. Those who have been involved in their spiritual unfolding can often get discouraged at their perceived progress. Emphasis here is placed on validating the day-to-day experiences as well as the peak-experiences. The metaphor of the wave of essence is used to explore one's awareness of being with the flow and eventually becoming one with the wave. Our way of being in this world is continually changing as we find ourselves more often aware of the flow. These gradual changes in perception affect our relationships and our peacefulness of being. For more information: www.lynmayo.com.

10 Spiritual Practices for Busy Parents (iuniverse, 2005) By Jacqueline Kramer. Many parents today, who experience the stress of busy schedules and high expectations heaped on them by the culture, feel as if their lives aren't being lived fully. Kramer's book is designed to support parents' spiritual development in the midst of the everyday problems which may arise while raising children-such as cooking meals, driving to appointments, nursing a sick baby. Her premise is that parenting is fertile ground for spiritual development. She offers practical suggestions for using daily challenges to create strength and peace in the family. Kramer combines a unique blend of Eastern and Western perspectives to take a new look at how the everyday life of parents can be a place to develop happiness. Using universally cherished spiritual values such as generosity, being contented where we are, gratitude and commitment to love, she offers easy, practical ways to access these values. For example, she suggests finding a bedtime ritual to help your child settle down and go to sleep with a deeper sense of life. You will discover ways to use this precious pre-sleep time to let your values enter your child's unconscious in a gentle, imaginative way. Kramer also offers a helpful practice of releasing what you are doing and being fully present with your child when plans must be changed. This wonderful book can change radically change your perspective on parenting. For more information: www.buddhamom.com

The Awakening(Xlibris, 2002) and The Keys to Remember(Xlibris, 2005) by Jodine Turner. Novels teach us as much about facing and transcending challenges as any nonfiction book. These two particular novels, the first two in a trilogy, deal with the challenges that come with being called to a higher destiny, to a larger purpose to serve humanity, during tumultuous times. The Awakening is a story of spiritual evolution and elevations in consciousness, a 'turning of the ages. The first of the trilogy, the novel is set during the final days of Atlantis, when a corrupt governing body and a degenerate priesthood rack a once-vibrant culture. The Goddess of the Stars and the Sea, who intercedes on humanity's behalf during tumultuous periods of change, calls upon Geodran to help her assist humankind through this change. Geodran, who becomes a priestess, struggles to fulfill a destiny larger than and in conflict with her own personal desires and journeys through a heroic quest to bring forth the next era of human civilization. Author Jodine Turner observes strong parallels between today's political and societal events and Atlantis' final days as portrayed in her novel. "They both point to an overall picture marking a turning of the ages for humanity-an evolution in consciousness and spirit." The Keys to Remember is the award-winning continuation of the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea trilogy. Once again, humankind is on the threshold of a spiritual evolution. In fourth century England, six year old Rhianna is kidnapped and raised in a Christian Abbey but has never forgotten her grandmother's prophecy -"Your destiny lies with the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea." She alone must mid-wife the next stage of spiritual evolution, as dark times approach for humankind. Powerful forces within both the Abbey and the priestess community conspire to keep Rhianna from her rightful destiny and her true love. The price of her heroic quest is far higher than she expects. The third book will be set in modern times. For more information: http://www.jodineturner.com

Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss, Ph. D. This is a bold, life-changing view of how divine energy flows through your body. Encoded within your body, teaches Dr. Myss, is an energy system linking you directly to the world's great spiritual traditions. Through it you have direct access to the divine energy that seamlessly connects all life. In Anatomy of the Spirit, Dr. Myss offers a stunning picture of the human body's hidden energetic structures, while revealing its precise spiritual code and relationship to the sacred energy of creation. Our most revered wisdom traditions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Hinduism, hold in common essential teachings about seven specific levels of spiritual development - the stages of power in life. These seven great truths also grace the human body as an energetic system - a spiritual compass pointing the way to the divine. By revering this inborn code, you can learn to see the symbolic blocks within your energy centers and their correlations with your health, relationships, and spiritual development. Richly interwoven with research, examples, and self-diagnostic guidelines, Anatomy of the Spirit will take you to the heart of the spiritual life and beyond. www.myss.com

Life-Changing Affirmations: A 30-Day Plan for Spiritual Transformation (Red Wheel, Boston, MA 2005) Vicky Thompson. In this book, you'll find a spiritual practice that can be done in just minutes a day—and still change your life and reprogram your mind and attitude. You can find new ways to handle daily stresses and problems. Days 1 through 5 focus on fueling change. 6 through 11 helps develop an intuitive spiritual practice. Days 12 through 18 help access inner wisdom and the strength to look deeper into life issues. Days 19 through 24 use the tools of ®forgiveness. Days 25 through 30 focus on using your spiritual energy to serve yourself and others. For more information: www.journeywithspirit.com or www.redwheelweiser.com

The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity (Rodale Books, 2005) Edwene Gaines. (Excerpt here)An empowering message about the true meaning of prosperity-to help anyone achieve a life of material and spiritual abundance. Imagine if you could achieve a life of true prosperity, enjoying a vitally alive, healthy body through which you experience relationships that are always satisfying; work you love so much that it's play; all the money you can spend. Living at this exceptional level is right there for you, Edwene Gaines explains, if only you abide by the four spiritual laws of prosperity. Gaines, an ordained Unity minister, has been delivering her message to audiences of all faiths at workshops nationally. Explaining the four spiritual laws in this book, she shows why it is essential to tithe, set goals, forgive and follow your divine purpose. The solution to financial problems lies within, Gaines insists, and here she shows readers how to raise abundance consciousness. www.prosperityproducts.com

20 Questions for Enlightened Living: Peace and Freedom through Jnana Yoga (Heaven On Earth Project, Mt. Shasta, CA, 2003) by Julia Tindall. This is the first book to bring the teachings of classical jnana yoga, the yoga of Self-inquiry, and apply them to modern, everyday life in a clear, easy format. Jnana yoga uses awareness to "witness" the workings of the mind in order to unravel the illusions of the ego and convert knowledge into practical wisdom, Each of the 20 Questions helps activate the witness consciousness and transcend the voice of ego. Other issues they address include how to feel more alive in the present moment, how to move through lessons more quickly, how to let go of the ego's attachment to outcome, how to graciously accept life, and how to free yourself from the monster that eats your peace. The book appeals to anyone following a path of growth and spiritual exploration. For more information: www.hoep.org

One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps (Rodale, Emmaus, PA, 2004) by Kevin Griffin. Kevin Griffin, a Buddhist mediation teacher and longtime Twelve Step practitioner, weaves his personal story of recovery with traditional Buddhist teachings. The book takes us on a journey through the Steps, examining critical Twelve Step ideas like Powerlessness, Higher Power, and Moral Inventory through the lens of Buddhism. One Breath at a Time describes the convergence of two vital traditions, one ancient, the other contemporary, and shows how they are working together to create a rich spiritual path for our times. For more information, www.kevingriffin.net or www.writtenvoices.com.

Come and See: A Photojournalist's Journey into the World of Mother Teresa (DC Press, Sanford, FL, 2003), by Linda Schaefer. Linda Schafer, a former editor and photojournalist with CNN, was hired by the Archdiocese of Atlanta to photograph a visit of Mother Teresa to open an AIDS hospice in 1995. Schaefer, known for the quality of her work (the Martin Luther King, Jr. family photographer, fashion photography in New York, crime scene photographer for the NYPD, video and still documentary on a nearly extinct tribe along the Amazon, the lost children of Rio de Janeiro, the 1988 presidential campaign) has had her work published in Time, Newsweek, the LA Times, the NY Times, Stern, Parade, the Catholic Digest, etc. Schaefer left her job and went to India in an effort to convince Mother Teresa to allow her to become her photographer. Having lost her first husband to cancer just prior to these events, Schaefer was also searching for some spiritual transformation and was devastated when Mother Teresa turned her down, saying "NO," and telling her that there were too many photographs and too many people making money off of her, while the sick and poor kept dying and being ignored. After accepting a challenge from Mother Teresa to "come and see" what the work was really like, she put her cameras down and went to work in the orphanages and houses of the dying and the leper colony. In time Mother Teresa was so impressed with her dedication and sincerity that she gave Linda a handwritten note on which she granted her permission to "photograph the work." With this OK, Schaefer went off on a round-the-clock photo shoot in which she captured sights and scenes previously unseen or documented. She followed Mother Teresa's on directive on how she hoped such a book would appear: with fewer photos of her and more of those who really made the work a reality. And so the book is a compilation of 155 select photographs (all full color, unlike most books that have been published previously in black and white) that show that in the midst of the poverty and agony of daily life, there is much joy and happiness. The book really does tell the story that Mother Teresa had hoped it would. For more information, go to www.MotherTeresaOfCalcutta.com.

The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, Riverhead Books, 1998. Howard C. Cutler poses the questions you'd like to hear answered by The Dalai Lama in a series of interviews covering subjects including loneliness, happiness, suffering, reducing conflict, dealing with anger, self-hatred, dealing with death, compassion and peace of mind. Cutler then intersperses with research and experience from his own life to corroborate what The Dalai Lama answers.

The Blooming of a Lotus by Thich Nhat Hanh, Beacon Press Books, 1993. A series of guided meditations which nurture joy, encourage healing, help us tap into our true nature, and release harmful emotions.

Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life by Thomas Moore, HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. New York, NY, 1992. Care of the Soul provides new perspectives on daily life and shows how to add meaning and depth by caring for one's soul and looking for the sacredness in the every day things.

Coming Home: The Return to True Self, (c) 1993 Martia Nelson, Nataraj Publishing, a division of New World Library, Novato, CA, 1993. For more information, go to www.nwlib.com. In 1984, a health crisis sparked Martia Nelson's spiritual awakening and introduced her to her greatest spiritual teacher: her own true self-that self that loves unconditionally, has compassion and is a guide and ally. She shows people how to access their own true selves and covers everything from how to open yourself more to love and address anger positively. A powerful, transformational book.

Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer: An Approach to Life in Fullness, by Brother David Steindl-Rast, Paulist Press, New York/Ramsey, NJ, 1984. This book is about prayer and gratitude, covering many facets of spiritual life, including faith, love and hope.

The Legacy of the Heart: The Spiritual Advantages of a Painful Childhood by Wayne Muller, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1992. With sensitivity, depth and compassion, Wayne Muller explores how, without denying the pain, we can transform our perception of and response to a painful childhood and recognize the potential gifts that it brings us-including spiritual healing and awakening. Incorporating spiritual teachings of many traditions, Muller covers areas such as pain and forgiveness, fear and faith, judgment and mercy, performance and belonging, scarcity and abundance, and isolation and intimacy.

Living with Joy: Keys to Personal Power and Spiritual Transformation by Sanaya Roman, H.J. Kramer, Inc., Tiburon, CA, 1986. A channeled book of teachings by Orin, a spirit teacher of love and light. It is designed to help you grow spiritually, transform your life, empower yourself and explore your highest truth.

Miracle of Love: Reflections of the Christ Mind, Part III, by Paul Ferrini, Heartways Press, PO Box 181, South Deerfield, MA 01373, 1997. For more information: 1-888-HARTWAY. Insightful and inspirational reflections on relationships, love, abuse and forgiveness, creativity and abundance, freedom and more.

A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of 'A Course in Miracles' by Marianne Williamson, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, 1992. A spiritual guide offering reflections, personal stories and insights drawing on 'A Course in Miracles' on how we can deepen our ability to love and express love in all areas of our lives-even with we are challenged. It gives examples on how accepting God in our lives, and by being living examples of love and forgiveness we can alleviate pain and gain greater peace and fulfillment.

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott, Pantheon Books, a div. Of Random House, New York, 1999. Anne Lamott writes with humor, wisdom, personal candor and insight about her brambled path to faith and how her faith and religious community have helped her pull through alcoholism, death of loved ones and other life challenges.

Waking Up Together: Illuminations on the Road to Nowhere by Paul Ferrini, Heartways Press, South Deerfield, MA, 1996. Reflections on "the path to your own heart, ...a journey through your pain to end the pain of separation." It covers areas including honoring self and others, moving inward, self-discovery, the lessons of relationship, grace, being where we are and forgiveness.

Buddha Mom: The Path of Mindful Motheriing by Jacqueline Kramer (Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, New York, 2003) Drawing on her 25 years as a Buddhist and on many other spiritual traditions, Jacqueline Kramer offers powerful insights into cultivating a more spiritual attitude toward parenting and homemaking. Each chapter centers on a central Buddhist theme -Simplicity, Everyday Practice, Joyful Service, Unconditional Love and more. Jacqueline's own experience as a mother raising her daughter to adulthood serves as her guide for integrating the roles of parent and spiritual person, and each stage of parenting offers an opportunity for spiritual practice. For more information: www.buddhamom.com.

Wild Grace: Nature as a Spiritual Path. Words and Photographs by Eric Alan   (White Cloud Press, Ashland, OR 2003) (Read excerpt) A deep meditation in clear photographic and prose visions on Nature as a Spiritual Path. Eric Alan masterfully integrates his stunning color photography of nature with profound prose on the spiritual dimensions of nature. Dividing Wild Grace into two sections (Sensing the Spirit and Living the Spirit), Alan draws us into the natural world as cathedral where deep lessons await us. In Sensing the Spirit, Alan shows us through words and images nature's teachings on "No Ceilings," No Floors," "Flowing," "Floating," "Silent Support," "The Faith of Stones," "Life Giving Life," "Awareness," "The Color of Peace," and "Perseverance." In Living the Spirit, he shows us how to cultivate the wisdom that comes from attuning our lives to the natural world. Meditations cover "Home," Surroundings," "Religion," "Sex and Intimacy," "Family and Community," "Exercise," "Stillness," "Balance," "Work," "Education," "Money," "Ownership," "Food," "Music," "Conflict," "Sleep and Dreams," and "Health." Eric Alan has created a beautiful celebration of the details of the natural world, and a meditation on living mindfully within it. For more information: www.wildgrace.org

Dark Water: Stress After Trauma (Author House, 2007) By Opal Rose This book , written in a conversational style, is generally meant to be supportive of those who are experiencing posttraumatic stress and those who know people who are experiencing it. Rose points out that healing takes courage, honesty and determination, and sometimes the process feels like it's uphill for longer than you'd like for it to be. Indeed, she describes it as a journey of many twists and turns, and also of discovery. But the good news is that you'll grow along the way, learn a lot, and brighten your spirit. Rose stresses that professional help is always a good idea, and indeed necessary regarding decisions about treatment. Naturally, a desire for healing is most vital. http://www.darkwaterrippling.com

The Passion Test™ (Plume, 2008) by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood is a tool for uncovering what matters most to you in life. Dubbed "The effortless path to discovering your destiny," this book helps readers make life decisions aligned with their passions. A recent survey showed that four out of five Americans are not passionate about their lives. Unhappiness in work or love, with money or weight, all contribute to the number of people just going through the motions, not really living life to the fullest. Accessible to anyone, of any faith, from any background, the book shows readers step by step how to identify their top five passions, and then provides the guidance to align one's life with these passions. What sets this book apart is that it takes readers through the steps of how to create and live a life based on one's deepest passions. http://www.thepassiontest.com

Codependence and the Power of Detachment: How to Set Boundaries and Make Your Life Your Own. (Conari Press, 2008) By Karen Casey. A codependent lives "as if"- as if what others think matters more than what they think, as if they can please or change someone else, as if they have to answer to another person or persons rather than their own inner voice and Higher Power. It's an insidious and pervasive addiction. And there is a simple way out of it - detachment. Karen Casey takes us through the steps of detachment - admitting our attachment, surrendering outcome, forgiving, focusing our attention on what works. When we give up judging others, we become accountable for our own behavior and let others-spouses, family, coworkers - be accountable for themselves. The power of detachment is a power anyone can claim. It's the power of sanity, of peace, of finding our own inner strength. Casey shares insights and tools she's discovered in her own decades of sobriety and in talking with dozens of other codependents. Her unique treatment of this much talked about but not clearly understood syndrome focuses not on naming or on cause, but on the individual's own power to detach from the bad situation and make a choice for recovery. www.womens-spirituality.com

Comfort and Joy: Simple Ways to Care for Ourselves and Others (Conari Press, 2008) By Colette Latia. This is a small book that can engender big and welcomed changes in our lives and our attitude. It's a book to keep handy, to turn to again and again. Lafia offers forty-five vignettes-small stories, pictures of comfort as simple and grand as a plush pillow, a warm cup of tea. Simply reading them is comforting and more than likely to inspire the reader to follow the suggestions in "Cultivating Comfort," which follows each passage. And because she knows that comfort taken and comfort shared make the world a very much better place, in a section called "Applied Comfort," Lafia gives us inspiring ways to take comfort and pass it on. A simple and beautiful book with a profound message - learning to comfort ourselves is not a narcissistic pursuit - it's absolutely essential if we want to make any kind of real difference in the world. www.colettelatia.com

Buddy's Candle (Trafford Publishing, 2008) By Dr. Bernie S. Siegel; Illustrated by Mari Gayatri Stein For many, Dr. Siegel needs no introduction. As a physician, who has cared for and counseled innumerable people whose mortality has been threatened by an illness, he embraces a philosophy of living and dying and patient empowerment that stands at the forefront of the medical ethics and spiritual issues. His first book, Love, Medicine Miracles, still stands as a landmark. In Siegel's new book, a father shares a meaningful story from his childhood with his nine year old son. In a gentle way, the father describes how a loving dog named Buddy not only helped him to heal when facing a serious illness, but also changed his life in miraculous ways. In its gentle way, this touching and heartwarming story helps us to deal with grief and teaches us how to live life fully and accept loss and death with an open heart. As a surgeon who has worked with people with life threatening illnesses for many years, Siegel shares in this story his belief that there is a light in each of us by God's/Dog's design. And, that we are all a part of the candle parade of light. As long as we remember to love, our candles will glow with life as will Buddy's candle across the Rainbow Bridge. This is a story both children and adults will find healing, uplifting, and inspiring. The original and charming illustrations by Mari Gayatri Stein take us on a joy filled adventure. These full spectrum color drawings add humor, and a heartfelt exuberance. www.berniesiegelmd.com/buddys_candle.htm Or www.gypsydogpress.com

The mindful woman: gentle practices for restoring calm, finding balance & opening your heart (New Harbinger Publications, 2008) By Sue Patton Thoele. Imagine a day in which you can be in the midst of chaos but maintain a clear head and sense of balance and focus and have your feet firmly planted on the ground. Even the busiest of women among us has the ability to embrace mindfulness and will reap the benefits of doing so! In this book, Sue Patton Thoele shows you how to incorporate mindfulness into your busy and dynamic life. The book's gentle and humorous approach makes it a practical and easily understood guide for those who are new to the practice of mindfulness as well as those who are already familiar with its gifts. The book offers over sixty-five simple and effective practices to help you embrace mindfulness one moment at a time. Filled with both the author's and other women's personal stories about the joys and hurdles that come with embracing mindful living, Thoele's book is a friend whose hand you can hold on the path toward being present in the moment. Finding your way will lead naturally to a more open heart, inner peace, and greater zest for life--a path well worth pursuing. www.suepattonthoele.com

Mental Resilience: how to develop the focus of a warrior and the peace of a monk (New World Library, 2008) By Kamal Sarma Do you frequently feel stressed, overwhelmed, depressed, anxious? Do your thoughts sometimes have too much control over you? What if you could focus your mind and find peace in any situation? We all face challenges - complex decisions, difficult personalities, constant demands on our time - but we don't have to be at their mercy. By developing the skills outlined in this book, which create what author Kamal Sarma calls mental resilience, we become able to meet these challenges with clarity. Both warriors and monks have for centuries made training their minds, developing mental resilience, a key priority. Through this training, they are able to silence incessant mental chatter and live a life of awareness, peace, and focus. Kamal draws upon his roles as a former student of Eastern spiritual practices and a successful Western corporate advisor to present a step-by-step guide to developing mental resilience. Through a progressive program and a guided-practice CD, Kamal provides models and metaphors that will help you clear your mind of repetitive, unhelpful thoughts and improve your ability to make decisions. You will learn how to reduce stress, maintain clarity in any situation, and discover an abiding calm within. www.mentalresilience.com

Color Me Butterfly (elpublishing, 2007) By L.Y.Marlow. Inspired by a true story, this poignant well-written book tells the story of four generations of mothers and daughters who embrace a legacy of unconditional love, old-fashioned family values, and faith, to triumph over a life plagued with unspeakable abuse and pain. They find the courage to spread their wings and fly. Written with the flow of a novel and with frank wisdom Marlow's book encourages readers to immerse themselves into this family's life and become advocates for change. It will incite discussion, debate, and heightened awareness about intergenerational abuse and its impact on our society. In the end, it will leave readers applauding the women of this story for their courage and strength and wanting to champion change for all women whose story shares the same face. http://www.colormebutterfly.com/

In An Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and Healing (Random House, 2008) By Lee & Bob Woodruff. In January 2006, Lee and Bob Woodruff seemed to have it all-a happy marriage and four beautiful children. Lee was a public relations executive and Bob had just been named co-anchor of ABC's World News Tonight. Then, while Bob was embedded with the military in Iraq, an improvised explosive device went off near the tank he was riding in. He and his cameraman were hit, and Bob suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly killed him. This book is the frank and compelling account of how Bob and Lee's lives came together, were blown apart, and then were miraculously put together again-and how they persevered, with grit but also with humor, through intense trauma and fear. The Woodruffs reveal the agonizing details of Bob's terrible injuries and his remarkable recovery. We learn that Bob's return home was not an end to the journey but the first step into a future they have learned not to fear but to be grateful for. In an Instant is much more than the dual memoir of love and courage. It is an important, wise, and inspiring guide to coping with tragedy-and an extraordinary drama of marriage, family, war, and nation. www.bobwoodrufffamilyfund.org

The Flight from Intimacy: Healing Your Relationship of Counter-Dependency-the Other side of Co-Dependency (New World Library, 2008). By Barry K. Weinhold, PhD and Janae B. Weinhold, PhD. Do you know someone who has trouble being close to others? Acts self-centered and egotistical? Never asks for help, even when needed? Has to look good at all times? Works long hours but never gets finished? Expects perfection in self and others? Has difficulty relaxing? If so, they may be suffering from counter-dependence-the flip side of co-dependence. Counter-dependent people may appear strong, secure and successful on the outside, while on the inside, they are weak, fearful, insecure, and needy. The Weinholds' book shows readers how to recognize and deal with them. And if you recognize yourself in the list above, the book will help you learn how to change. It teaches readers how to use committed relationships to heal the wounds from childhood and provides proven ways to use conflicts as opportunities for creating intimate, partnering relationships. www.newworldlibrary.com, www.weinholds.org

Breaking Free of the Co-dependency Trap (New World Library, 2008). By Barry K. Weinhold, PhD and Janae B. Weinhold, PhD. This best-selling book, now revised after almost 20 years, offers effective step-by-step instructions for identifying and releasing dysfunctional and destructive relationship patterns. The Weinholds challenge the widely held perception that co-dependency is permanent, progressive and incurable. They describe the developmental causes of co-dependency and correlate them with problems later in life, such as establishing and maintaining boundaries, clinging and dependent behavior, people pleasing, and difficulty in achieving success in the world. They conclude by focusing on healing co-dependency and provide a wealth of case histories and experiential activities that readers can use to help them transform themselves and their primary relationships www.newworldlibrary.com, www.weinholds.org

The Van Gogh Blues: The Creative Person's Path through Depression, ( New World Library, 2007) By Eric Maisel. Depression and anxiety seem to come with the territory for artists, writers, actors, and other creative types regardless of the specific medium with which they express themselves. The new paperback edition of this groundbreaking book, originally published in 2002, deals beautifully with this challenge. Creative people will experience depression. Maisel says that this is a given because they are regularly confronted by doubts about the meaningfulness of their efforts. But theirs is a kind of depression that does not respond to pharmaceutical treatment. What's required is healing in the realm of meaning. Maisel's book shows creative people how to handle these recurrent crises of meaning and how to successfully manage the anxieties of the creative process. Using examples both from the lives of famous creators such as van Gogh and from his own creativity coaching practice, he explains that despite their inevitable difficulties, creative people possess the ability to forge relationships, repair themselves, and find meaning in their work and their lives. Maisel presents a step-by-step plan to help creative people handle their special brand of depression and rediscover the reasons they are driven to create in the first place. www.newworldlibrary.com, www.ericmaisel.com

The Untethered Soul: the journey beyond yourself (New Harbinger Publications, 2007) By Michael A. Singer. What would it be like to be free from limitations and soar beyond your boundaries? What can you do each day to find this kind of inner peace and freedom? Singer's book offers a simple, profoundly intuitive answer to these questions. Whether this is your first exploration of inner space or you've devoted your life to the inward journey, this book can transform your relationship with yourself and the world around you. The book begins by walking you through your relationship with your thoughts and emotions, helping you uncover the source and fluctuations of your inner energy. It then delves into what you can do to free yourself from the habitual thoughts, emotions, and energy patterns that limit your consciousness. Finally, with perfect clarity, this book opens the door to a life lived in the freedom of your innermost being. www.untetheredsoul.com

At Face Value: My Triumph Over Disfiguring Cancer (Caveat Press, 2006) By Terry Healey. This is an extraordinarily inspiring book. Twenty years old and a junior at the UC Berkeley, Terry Healey seldom faced adversity or difficulty. He was confident and not concerned about his appearance. Then a lump formed behind his right nostril. Cancer. He fought it and survived, but was left to deal with what would become his greatest struggle for years to come - the resulting disfigurement of his face. Indeed, he endured over thirty surgical procedures and radiation treatments in an effort to reconstruct his face. Through the long and arduous process, he realized that the scars on the inside had become far more disfiguring than the scars on the outside ever were. Healy's book explores the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual difficulties forced upon a young man by dealing with such a challenge. It's a story about tragedy, obstacles, and ultimately, triumph. www.terryhealey.com

My Father's Secret War: A Memoir (Hyperion, 2007) By Lucinda Franks. In this moving and compelling memoir about parent and child, father and daughter, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Lucinda Franks discovers that the remote, nearly impassive man she grew up with had in fact been a daring spy behind enemy lines in World War II. Sworn to secrecy, he began revealing details of his wartime activities only in the last years of his life as he became afflicted with Alzheimer's. The book is an intimate account of Franks coming to know her own father after years of estrangement. Looking back at letters he had written her mother in the early days of WWII, Franks glimpses a loving man full of warmth. But after the grimmest assignments of the war his tone shifts, settling into an all-too-familiar distance. Franks learns about him -- beyond the alcoholism and adultery -- and comes to know the man he once was, but only as he is slipping further into his illness. She gets to finally understand her father as the disease claims him. This haunting and beautifully written book is a triumph of love over secrets, and a tribute to the power of the connection of family. www.lucindafranks.com

The Tao of Equus: A Woman's Journey of Healing and Transformation through the Way of the Horse, (New World Library, 2001) and, Riding Between the Worlds: Expanding Our Potential Through The Way Of The Horse (New World Library, 2003)-both books by Linda Kohanov. The author, a horse trainer and equine facilitated therapy practitioner, first began exploring the horse-human connection in the early 1990s. Over time she discovered that horses are not only intensely emotional, intuitive and intelligent beings, but also have an extraordinary ability to awaken intuition in humans, while mirroring the authentic feelings that people try to hide-all of which makes these animals powerful therapeutic teachers. Kohanov's extraordinary experience in working with horses-which some would consider paranormal-enables her to answer such questions in The Tao of Equus as How do horses seem to know what people are thinking and feeling? What do horses have to teach people. And why are women so attracted to horses? In Riding Between The Worlds, Kohanov shares amazing life-changing accounts that enable her to delve more deeply into the equine mind and spirit. She discovers what these amazing creatures have to teach us about the untapped potential of our own species. You can also get Way of the Horse Book and Card Set (New World Library, 2007) by Kohanov and equine artist Kim McElroy in order to explore your sacred connection with horses in an entirely new way. This wisdom-filled kit includes both a powerful new book and a beautiful forty-card divination deck to help readers access hidden equine wisdom. The book reveals the practical meaning behind horse behavior as well as the powerful symbolic and spiritual significance of these amazing animals. www.newworldllibrary.com

Riding Grace: A Triumph of the Soul (Silver Light Publications, Feb. 2007) by Alissa Lukara. Tackling the unspeakable in a bold, lyrical voice, Alissa Lukara breaks through denial, upends ancestral patterns and bravely puts a face on the silent survivors of child abuse and incest in her debut memoir, Riding Grace. Chronicling her life's journey from a childhood of darkness to subsequent debilitating chronic fatigue syndrome as an adult, Lukara's story serves as a testament of hope, resilience and courage. A heroine's journey for the 21st century, Lukara recounts in vivid detail the darkness of her childhood, her challenges in speaking that truth to her family, friends and the world and her 12 year quest to heal. She explores uncharted frontiers of alternative healing and new realms of existence and navigates the void where life and identity "as she knew them" cease to exist. With forgiveness, compassion and poetic vision, she embraces the larger meaning and purpose of her journey and finds grace. "In Riding Grace, I raised my voice, no longer silent, and told the story I'd been afraid to tell all my life," says Lukara. "I stopped being a victim-or a survivor-of abuse or illness and reclaimed a wholeness that lives inside me, regardless of what happened in the past." A roadmap to healing illness and trauma, Riding Grace also helps individuals experiencing serious life challenges to embrace what is, set down their burden of pain and give voice to the call of their souls. Throughout are words of insight, inspiration and the triumph of the human spirit. Lukara learns to accept the unacceptable-and opens to miracles and grace. www.ridinggrace.com

The Rape Poems (Pleasure Boat Studio, 1997) By Frances Driscoll. Out of sadness and tragedy, light and courage and inspiration can shine through. This is one of the messages of this extraordinary book. Driscoll's poems about rape are not what one might expect -at least in the sense of being ordinary detailed confessionals. Rather, they are touching and brilliantly written tales in their own right, which can bring readers to places of compassion in their own hearts that they never knew they had.

Strange Son: Two Mothers, Two Sons, and the Quest to Unlock the Hidden world of Autism (Riverhead Books, 2006) By Portia Iversen. This inspiring book relates how two mothers, from opposite sides of the world unite in an effort to communicate with their severely autistic sons. Tito, an autistic boy from India has an IQ of 185, favors the writings of Wordsworth and writes beautiful poetry. That he can communicate at all is due to his mother, Soma, who single-handedly developed a revolutionary method of teaching him. Portia Iversen, an Emmy-winning art director whose son Dov was also diagnosed with autism, heard of Soma's miraculous story in the course of her own desperate search for a cure. Under the auspices of Cure Autism Now, the foundation she started with her husband, she brought Soma and Tito to America to help researchers understand how Soma accomplished this amazing feat and to determine what can be learned from their success. Together, Soma and Portia have made remarkable progress in teaching their sons how to break through the walls of autism. They have redefined how autism-and autistic people-should be treated, all the while helping to answer some of autism's most baffling questions and prompting new research. http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/riverhead/index.html

Angel horses: Divine Messengers of Hope By Allen & Linda Anderson (New World Library,2006) The authors share true stories which demonstrate that horses not only carry riders but messages of unconditional love and hope as well. While still used for recreation, horses are now widely and successfully used in therapy. For example, they give disabled riders a sense of freedom and mobility and heal wounds of childhood abuse. The deep connection between horses and humans has long been celebrated in song and myth. In this book you will read how horses give troubled teens and lost souls a sense of purpose, rescue people from danger, and show us that love endures beyond mortality. www.neworldlibrary.com

Running on Dreams (Autism Asperger Publishing Company, 2007) By Herb Heiman. This inspiring story centers around the evolving relationship between a popular athletic track star and his socially-challenged classmate with autism. As their friendship develops, one, or sometimes both of them, must deal with the classic adolescent rights of passage, including rejection by peers, family pressure to succeed, and fitting in. Heiman's wonderful book is really a lesson for all of us. So many people find it difficult to accept people with superficial differences. Heiman asks us to respect people for who they are rather what they are." www.runningondreams.com

Trager for Self-Healing: A Practical Guide for Living in the Present Moment (New World Library/HJ Kramer, 2006) Audrey Mairi. The present moment is where we find our empowerment, our peace and our bliss. Unfortunately, old habits far too often keep us stuck in the dramas of our past history and future expectations. The Trager Approach is a holistic method of body/mind integration that creates greater present moment awareness. Mairi introduces and explains how to use practical techniques called Menastics, or “mental gymnastics”, to let go of mental, physical and emotional healing patterns so we can fully bring ourselves into the present moment. The exercises take very little time and are designed for all ages and fitness levels. Menastics, used in our everyday routines, allows us to experience a stronger connection to the Life Force, our very source. www.newworldlibrary.com

The Lost Years (Jeffers Press, 2006) Kristina Wandzilak & Constance Curry. A child, Kristina, caught in the depravity of alcohol and drug addiction by the age of 13 years old, and a mother, Connie, helplessly standing by unable to save her. The Lost Years is the real life story of just such a mother and child, each giving their first-hand accounts of the years lost to addiction and despair. The mother recounts her powerlessness to help her addicted daughter, the break-up of her unhappy marriage and how she comes to terms with her own co-dependency. Then follows the remarkable story of Kristina's recovery as she lives through rehab, her mother's "tough love" and the years of acclimating herself to living a normal life. Ultimately, she reclaims herself, her place in her family and a new and loving relationship with her mother. Both mother and daughter have since become a force for good in this world. Kristina is now an international speaker and well known interventionist and expert on drug addiction. The Lost Years is a beautifully written memoir of survival and transformation that reminds us all that so much good can come from so much that is bad. www.jefferspress.com

Healing Conversations: What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say (Jossey-Bass, 2002) By Nance Guilmartin. This much-needed, invaluable book is just the remedy for situations that leave you speechless, especially in today’s world where we can be called upon to respond at a moment’s notice. For example, imagine that your employee’s cancer is back, or your neighbor’s daughter is injured in Iraq, or your best friend lost everything in a hurricane, or your sister’s son didn’t get into college or…..Well, you get the idea. Many times, we all fumble for words, and say inappropriate things like “I know how you feel,” or Let me know what I can do.” Guilmartin shows us that there are better ways to respond in a world where anything can happen—often when we least expect it. She offers us practical examples to apply to life’s awkward or difficult moments—and not just in words. She also shows how the power of thoughts, silence or touch, and resisting the urge to automatically rescue, advise or assure people that they’ll be fine, can be just as (if not more) helpful.

Letters to Sam: A Grandfather's Lessons on Love, Loss, and the Gifts of Life (Sterling Publishing, 2006) By Daniel Gottlieb. In this poignant, beautiful book, (excerpt here) a grandfather, paralyzed from the neck down after an accident twenty-five years ago, writes thirty-two letters to his grandson, who was diagnosed, at fourteen months old, with a severe form of autism in the hope that he will one day read them. It has so much wisdom to teach, not only for his grandson, but for all of us. Indeed, the letters address the same challenges we all face, each in our own way. You will find no pity or regret here. The letters sing with the purity of a grandfather's love, concern, and understanding, and cover, universal life lessons, dealing with parents, coping with school, falling in love, living with disappointment, experiencing joy, and achieving personal success. Gottlieb's healing voice of tolerance, hope, and experience, serves as a wonderful reminder that, regardless of our abilities and limitations, we all share in the human condition. Go to: http://www.letterstosam.com

Soul Mind Body Medicine: A Complete Soul Healing System for Optimum Health and Vitality (New World Library, 2006) By Dr. Zhi Gang Sha. Dr. Sha, a master of Chinese medicine, takes the stance that our bodies are self-healing mechanisms, and that by tapping the power of sound (through chants and vibrations), mind (creative visualization) and souls (by requesting and suggesting healing), we can work in conjunction with health professionals to improve overall health and work to cure disease. This book emphasizes the power of soul over matter. It says that one has to heal the soul first, and then the healing of the mind and body can follow. Dr. Sha's book offers comprehensive healing strategies for more than one-hundred ailments, from the common cold to back pain to heart disease to diabetes. Also included are step-by-step approaches to weight loss, cancer recovery, emotional balance, and maintenance of good health. Go to: http://www.newworldlibrary.com

Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal (Bantam, 2005) by Belleruth Naparstek. This compassionate book opened my eyes to the far reaching impact trauma can have on our lives and spirits. Life-threatening accidents, illnesses, assaults, abusive relationships—or tragedies can leave deep emotional wounds that persist long after physical scars have healed. Survivors become “invisible heroes,” courageously struggling to lead normal lives in spite of baffling symptoms. Belleruth Naparstek offers new hope for the millions affected by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Drawing on more than thirty years’ experience as a therapist and on the most recent cutting-edge research, she presents a clinically proven program for recovery using the guided imagery. She reveals how guided imagery goes straight to the right side of the brain, where it impacts the nonverbal wiring of the nervous system, the key to alleviating suffering. Invisible Heroes offers new understanding of the effects of PTSD, who is most susceptible, and why symptoms can get worse rather than better with time and why conventional talk therapy can actually impede recovery. It shows why the nonverbal, image-based right brain is crucial to healing. There are also more than twenty scripts for guided-imagery exercises tailored to the three stages of recovery, from immediate relief of anxiety attacks, flashbacks, nightmares, and insomnia, to freedom from depression and isolation, to renewed engagement with life I taped and repeatedly listened to some of these scripts myself and found them to be empowering and effective self-healing tools. Naparstek also covers other imagery-based therapies. Go to: www.healthjourneys.com

Healing Pain: The Innovative Breakthrough Plan to Overcome Your Physical Pain &Emotional Suffering (Rodale 2006) By Ann Berger, MSN, MD and C.B. deSwann. How many doctors have told you that there is “no reason for the pain you are feeling.” If you are one of the 75 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain, this might not seem unfamiliar to you. Chances are you’ve been shuffled from doctor to doctor, to specialists with little or no training on the subject. Dr. Berger has developed a system that promotes healing and eases the emotional suffering that comes with chronic pain. She helps you describe your pain to your doctor which improves your chances for accurate diagnosis and treatment. In addition, she explains prescription and over-the-counter medications—and shows you how to pick the best ones for you. Dr. Berger also reveals the important role that complementary therapies, like guides imagery, hypnosis, and acupuncture can play in your treatment plan. And perhaps most important for many people, she shows how spirituality in any form can make a powerfuldifference. www.rodalestore.com

When Cancer: The10 Essential Steps to Follow After Your Diagnosis(Rodale 2006) By Tony Bernay, and Saar Porrath, MD. If you or someone close to you has received a cancer diagnosis, your first instinct may be to destroy the disease as quickly as possible, by any means possible. But this can lead to a barrage of questions: “What are my treatment options?” “What will my insurance cover?” “How can I cope?” Dr. Saar Porrath and his wife, Dr. Tony Bernay, found themselves facing these questions when Saardeveloped a rare form of cancer. Even with their collective medical expertise, they struggled to chart a course against the disease. Most of the time, according to Bernay, despite her husband’s being a doctor; they were “just another couple on the cancer conveyor belt, struggling against the machinery of the medical establishment.” Their experience helped shape the Personal Cancer Management System. This 10 step program guides patients and their loved ones through the maze of physical, psychological, social, logistical, financial and legal issues that so often accompany a cancer diagnosis. Using worksheets, checklists, and self-assessments, patients gather critical information to effectively manage the disease and make more informed decisions about their care. This book is not about finding a cure but rather about gaining a sense of control. Even small victories can fortify the immune system, fend off depression, and sustain the quality of life. These can have a dramatic effect on the outcome of any cancer battle. www.rodalestore.com

Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine by Deepak Chopra, M.D. When I was dealing with a chronic illness, I used to read Deepak Chopra and listen to his tapes to remind myself that complete healing was possible for me and others regardless of what diagnoses said. They gave me precious hope and new ways to look at the whole concept of health, and the mind-body-spirit connection. Here, in Quantum Healing is an extraordinary new approach to healing by an extraordinary physician-philosopher-writer, a book filled with the mystery, wonder, and hope of people who have experienced seemingly miraculous recoveries from cancer and other serious illnesses. Dr. Deepak Chopra began his search for answers when he saw patients in his own practice that completely recovered after being given only a few months to live. In the mid-1980's he returned to his native India to explore Ayurveda, humanities most ancient healing tradition. Now he has brought together the current research of Western medicine, neuroscience, and physics with the insights of Ayurvedic theory to show that the human body is controlled by a "network of intelligence" grounded in quantum reality. Not a superficial psychological state, this intelligence lies deep enough to change the basic patterns that design our physiology with the potential to defeat cancer, heart disease, and even aging itself. In this inspiring and pioneering work, Dr. Chopra offers both a fascinating intellectual journey and a deeply moving chronicle of hope and healing. www.chopra.com

Why People Don't Heal And How They Can by Caroline Myss, Ph.D., Harmony Books, a div. of Crown Publishers, Inc., 1997. Caroline Myss was another person I read and listened to on tape during my journey through chronic illness. She provided inspiration and a new way of looking at illness that empowered me. I explored my own life and health in relation to its precepts and found where I could look to release more of my energy for healing. This book expansively explores the cultural and individual circumstances in which people become physically and spiritually ill. Based on Myss' breakthrough work in energy medicine, it looks at illness in the context of human consciousness and spirituality and includes inspirational stories, practical help and insights into why some people heal and others do not. www.myss.com

The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis. First published in 1988, this million-copy bestseller is an inspiring, comprehensive guide that offers hope and encouragement to anyone who was sexually abused as a child. The Courage to Heal takes readers step-by-step through the healing process with clarity, compassion, and a deep respect for each survivor’s journey. If you are suffering from the long-term effects of child sexual abuse, you don’t have to suffer in silence anymore. There is a way out and The Courage to Heal can show you what it is. This classic book will change your life. Although the effects of child sexual abuse are long-term and severe, healing is possible for everyone. The authors weave personal experience with professional knowledge to show the reader how she can come to terms with her past while moving powerfully into the future. They provide clear explanations, practical suggestions, a map of the healing journey, and many moving first-person examples of the recovery process drawn from their interviews with hundreds of survivors. http://www.lauradavis.net or http://www.ellenbass.com/

Energy Medicine by Donna Eden. When I need extra energy, feel out of balance, stressed out, or "blocked," I turn to Donna Eden's Energy Medicine. Energy Medicinehas been called the "Gray's Anatomy of the subtle body." It weaves together the author's fascinating story, the invisible world of the energies with which she works, pertinent research, cross-cultural understanding, spell-binding case histories, and most important, a systematic and comprehensive program for self-healing and for "keeping your energies humming." Eden explains how to determine the causes of physical and psychological problems based on the state of the body's energy keypoints and meridians, and she offers highly effective treatments to remedy specific ailments and injuries. Using easy-to-follow illustrations and step-by-step instructions, Eden shows how even novices can treat themselves for such common problems as headaches, stress, and back pain. Her writing and her classes describe how to use energy medicine for a wide range of concerns. http://www.innersource.net

Women in Shadow and Light: Journeys from Abuse to Healing (Creative Minds Press, 2005) by author/photographer Jan Goff-LaFontaine. This book (excerpt here) is a celebration of women and the beauty and power of their indomitable spirits. I often found myself in tears reading the interviews and looking at the art photographs. But these were not tears of sadness. Rather, they were tears that emerged from being moved and touched deeply. They sprung forth from being inspired and having my heart opened, from being sourced by women who rose above the challenge of abuse and domestic violence to find healing. In the book, 40 women-ages nineteen to ninety-five-bared all to express their triumph over trauma. In this daring approach, fine art black and white photography combines with moving interviews to portray the essence of each woman's journey from the violence of abuse to transformation and healing. This is the most hope-filled book you will ever read about abuse and recovery. Begun as a photography exhibit, Out of the Shadows, the subjects are women who have experienced every economic situation from homelessness to the champagne lifestyle; they span many ethnicities; they are the famous-such as Laura Davis, coauthor of Courage to Heal-to the obscure-like the "ordinary" 62-year-old farm wife who left her abusive marriage. Each woman helped create her portrait as a personal symbol of healing, often focusing on one aspect of her body she felt was most affected in the healing process. For information: http://www.janlafontaine.com

Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness (Hyperion January 2005) By Jon Kabat-Zinn. In the national bestseller Wherever You Go, There You Are, Jon Kabat-Zinn struck a chord in contemporary society that continues to reverberate to this day. It has been embraced by politicians, business leaders, and celebrities and endures as a classic with readers. In his groundbreaking new book, Dr. Kabat-Zinn teaches us how to harness the power of mindfulness to effect profound change in our personal lives and in the world. As stress continues to exact a toll on everyday life, people are increasingly turning to ancient, meditative methods, which have been tested by science, to relieve the ill effects and become more focused, healthy, and proactive. Kabat-Zinn has been for decades at the forefront of this mind/body movement and the revolution in medicine and health care it has spawned, demystifying it and bringing it into the mainstream. In Coming to Our Senses, he shares how every human has the capacity to mobilize deep, innate resources for continual learning, growing, healing, and transformation through mindfulness. Woven into eight parts, Coming to Our Senses uses anecdotes and stories from Kabat-Zinn's own life experiences and work in his clinic to illustrate healing possibilities. At its core, the book offers remarkable insight into how to use the five senses -- touch, hearing, sight, taste, and smell, plus awareness itself -- as a path to a healthier, saner, and more meaningful life. This is the definitive book for our time on the connection between mindfulness, health, and our physical and spiritual well-being. For more information, please visit http://www.writtenvoices.com.

Eating, Drinking, Overthinking: The Toxic Triangle of Food, Alcohol, and Depression-and How Women Can Break Free (Henry Holt, 2005) By Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Ph.D. Depression is a common and debilitating problem among women, though it rarely occurs in a vacuum. Instead, as Susan Nolen-Hoeksema has found, depression often coexists with disordered patterns of eating and drinking. Three core problems -- overthinking, unhealthy eating habits, and heavy drinking -- lead to and reinforce one another in a toxic triangle that wreaks havoc on women's mental well-being, their physical health, their relationships, and their careers -- so completely they often find it very difficult to break free. Breaking free is possible, however, both for women who are already aware that they suffer from a serious problem and for the hundreds of thousands of others who dance around the edges with only occasional symptoms. The author shows how women can free themselves by transforming the very traits that make them vulnerable into strengths. She also provides the tools to harness the energy of women's reflective and interpersonal skills, creating more effective and healthy ways to counter their tendency to turn inward. For example, mindfulness meditation and/or keeping a diary may serve to keep one aware of when she is falling into a dysfunctional pattern. This book gives hope to women whose lives are in grips of the toxic triangle, as well as to their family and friends, that freedom is within reach. http://www.henryholt.com/

Gifts of the Journey: A Journey to Forgiveness, Love, and Hope (iuniverse 2004), By Allen Rowe. This is the story of a little boy who was being raised in the loving, nurturing environment of his doting grandmother. Then, one sunny Saturday afternoon, his world turned upside down when a stranger appeared at the door and took him away. The stranger was his mother. Thus his journey through darkness began. The little boy grew into a man, suffered many periods of isolation, loneliness, and despair. He always questioned why this had happened to him, and his struggles seemed endless. Finally, he decided to search for the meaning of forgiveness so he could experience love and put his painful past behind him. Rowe finds many gifts in his experience and reveals, in a very compelling and touching way, how you too can find similar gifts. If you've ever wondered why you have been challenged in your life, why the road has seemed so rough at times, then Gifts of the Journey may give you the answers you've been searching for. It may help you overcome your own challenges, and possibly show you how to use your experience to help others in your own special way. http://www.allenrowe.com

Reflections Between the Lines: The Healing of the Vietnam Generation, (Turner Publishing Company 2000), by Janice Goff-LaFontaine. I was so moved by this extraordinary, soul-inspired book. The author, married to a Vietnam veteran, started writing it out of a deep need to make sense of the difficulties her husband was experiencing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. What she found, as revealed by the words and photos of the fifty-five men and women veterans who had the bravery to bear their souls, was that all the Vietnam veterans bore spiritual, emotional, and physical scars from their service. Yet, despite that, every one of them managed to extract something positive, some strength, and some morsel of good from it. This is not a book about war, but rather the toll is takes on those who fought in it. Most of all, it is a book that celebrates the courage and illumination of the human spirit. Indeed, everyone who reads it will find some spiritual treasure (i.e. hope, will, acceptance), that they can apply in their own lives. http://www.janlafontaine.com

Positive Energy: 10 Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatigue, Stress & Fear into Vibrance, Strength & Love (Harmony Books, New York, 2004) (Read Interview here) Judith Orloff, M.D. Are you forever rushing around, fending off chronic exhaustion? Are you desperately overcommitted, afraid to say no? Do you have fang marks from being bled dry by energy vampires? Does the onslaught of violence in the news leave you drained? If so, you're the victim of a hidden energy crisis. Judith Orloff, M.D offers the Positive Energy Program. Dr. Orloff is the pioneer behind Energy Psychiatry, a new field that addresses the subtle energetic components of health and behavior. In Positive Energy, Dr. Orloff explains this exciting new discipline and how it led her to formulate ten essential prescriptions for boosting energy, improving relationships, and combating energy vampires. The prescriptions are: Awaken your intuition and rejuvenate yourself--and learn the cure for technodespair and overload; Find a nurturing spiritual path; Design an energy-aware approach to diet, exercise, and health--and learn how to avoid the "energetic overeating" that sabotages attempts to lose weight; Generate positive emotional energy to counter negativity; Develop heart-centered sexuality; Open yourself to the flow of creativity and inspiration; Celebrate the sacredness of laughter, pampering, and the replenishment of retreat; Discover how to attract positive people and situations; Protect yourself from energy vampires with specific shielding techniques; Create abundance and a continuing flow of energy. Following each chapter are Dr. Orloff's interviews with luminaries, including Quincy Jones, Larry King, Naomi Judd and Jamie Lee Curtis, who share how they use a specific prescription. Dr. Orloff says, "We can't stop the negative circumstances of our time--our cell phones will keep ringing, e-mails will keep coming, people will be rude, our children will be demanding, and bad things will happen. But we can learn ways to protect our energy so that we can stay centered in dealing with the stresses that arise." Positive Energy is a tool kit for transforming fatigue, stress, and fear into an abundance of vibrance, strength, and love. For more information: www.drjudithorloff.com. You can also find out more about Positive Energy here.

Some Kind of Genius: The Extraordinary Journey of Musical Savant Tony DeBlois (Rodale October 2005) By Janice DeBlois and Antonia Felix. Recommendation by Jonah Blue. Born blind, and diagnosed as autistic at the age of five, Tony DeBlois seemed destined for a life of quiet struggle. Yet, his mother, Janice, vowed to ignore conventional "wisdom" and instead help her son explore his own innate abilities. Hoping to engage two-year-old Tony with his surroundings, Janice bought a toy piano at a garage sale and put it in Tony's room. One day Janice heard the opening strains of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Her faith in Tony's musical gift has never wavered since. Tony found his voice and went on to graduate with honors from the Berklee College of Music. Today he knows more than eight thousand songs and can play at least twenty instruments. He is also a savant, and experts say that Tony is especially remarkable because his ability to improvise is exceptional even among savants. This book not only chronicles Tony's story but also tells how Janice fought for his rights as well as for all those with special needs. Lifetime TV channel made a movie based on Tony's life. I was so inspired by this story of faith. www.tonydeblois.com

Kentro® Body Balance: The Secret Pleasures of Posture (RiverWood Books, Ashland, OR 2005) Angelika Thusius This new, innovative body balance method reveals that Mother Nature designed us to be subtle and strong into our old age—as long as we give her a little help. You can practice these posture and movement methods easily—while you sit at the computer, drive a car or plant your garden. These activities can be done in ways that stretch, relax, exercise and tone the muscles—instead of straining them. I personally use them to help me lift boxes and packages without hurting my back and to stretch neck muscles and maintain good posture at the computer. Using Kentro movements, you don't have to "correct" your posture or push your body into fitness. Your regular daily actions can be done in a way to let your body reshape into its own unique expression. Specifically, the book teaches you to develop a strong back and body without strain, dissolve muscular and joint pain and strain in the neck, shoulders, back and hips; play the piano, cook, garden without tiring; safely lift weights and carry a baby, dance, do yoga and meditate; feel poised and comfortable in your body. For more information about the book, www.riverwoodbooks.com. If you live in Southern Oregon, find out about Kentro® classes at P.O. Box 963, Ashland, OR 97520.

The Sedona Method: Your Key to Lasting Happiness, Success, Peace and Emotional Well-being (The Sedona Press, Sedona, AZ) by Hale Dwoskin. The Sedona Method reveals a way to eliminate the painful emotions and limiting thoughts that sabotage success, happiness, and well-being. "It is powerful because it is simple," says Hale Dwoskin, CEO of Sedona Training Associates. Until now, the method has not been available except through seminars, and audio and video programs. In the book, Dwoskin upends the no-pain-no-gain theory of self-improvement. The premise is simple: The ability to be successful, healthy, happy, and experience true peace and joy is within us right now, whether we are aware of it or not, and no matter what our circumstances. All we have to do is access it. The Sedona Method shows you how to tap into this vast potential that everyone possesses by showing you how to rediscover your natural ability to let go of even long-standing, difficult emotions with ease and alacrity. Dwoskin bases the book on his work with thousands of individuals and corporations for over a quarter of a century and on the work of his mentor Lester Levenson. Lester, a physicist-engineer was literally on the brink of death in 1952 when he discovered the principles of the Sedona Method. He lived another 42 happy and productive years past when his doctors informed him he was supposed to die-doubling his lifespan. The method has also been validated by independent research, including a pilot study by Harvard Medical School. "We were born knowing how to let go of feelings that do not benefit us. Then our societal conditioning taught us either to repress or to express our emotions in ways that temporarily relieve us, but do not lead to more positive experiences," explains Dwoskin. "The Sedona Method teaches people how to rediscover their inborn ability to let go of limitations and what they do not want, making room for positive experience. For more information: www.sedonamethod.com

The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia (Penguin Compass) By Rebecca Wood. This nationally known, award-winning whole-foods authority focuses on the healing power of foods. She explains how the early hunter-gatherer peoples knew the healing value of local plant species and how this knowledge helped to form Western herbology as well as time-proven Asian medical systems such as Arurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine. Very simply, Western Nutrition analyzes the nutrient properties of the food, Chinese medicine uses the principles of yin and yang to determine the properties of a food and the science of its functional relationships and Ayurveda uses a plant-based diet of whole, fresh, seasonal and regional foods for medicinal purposes. Wood provides great healthy recipes, many tips on health and healing, and includes a complete index, organized so readers can research treatments by ailment as well as by the food itself. www.rwood.com

Hugs, Hope and Peanut Butter (Jada Press, 2006) By Marsha Mott Jordan. This unique and often humorous book of essays, illustrated with drawings created by children battling cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, will lift your spirit, strengthen your faith, and warm your heart. The author combines hope with humor, drawing upon her own experience of living with chronic pain and depression. She opens her life and her heart to share everyday experiences and the lessons God has taught her from them. Anyone who has ever faced tough times will be encouraged by essays about everything from husbands, wild bears, and a day in the emergency room, to aging, in-laws, and living with chronic illness. The book is filled with hilarious commentary and practical tips for coping with life's hardships. Best of all, proceeds will benefit the sick children served by the Hugs and Hope Club! www.hugsandhope.org

Conquering Fear by Chris Green. Fear spoiled Chris Green's plans for a better life for more than 12 years. He let pass opportunities to work overseas, to work in the entertainment industry, to become involved in two new businesses. Then, at 33, sick and tired of watching others get the breaks, he decided to work out why he was still stuck in a rut doing the same old same old, then watching others seize opportunity and make a better, happier life for themselves. Fear, he realized, was at the root. Through extensive research into what fear is and applying some real, concrete methods, he started a successful consultancy business, moved into a new home, eradicated debt totally and met some wonderful new people who became close friends. He achieved more happiness than he ever thought possible. Conquering Fear helps others overcome their fear, too, including methods to help conquer fear of rejection, success, loneliness, death, change, and to stop fear in its tracks before it can stop you from achieving what your purpose. For more information: http://www.conqueringfear.net

Gift of the Dreamtime: Awakening to the Divinity of Trauma (Spilled Candy Books, Niceville, FL, 2004) by S. Kelley Harrell, C.Ht. This is S. Kelley Harrell's story of transforming traumatic childhood memories into a true account of shamanic healing, through the heroine's fantastic experience. Through engaging with the author's inner worlds and reading the guidelines for shamanic journeying that follow, readers are awakened to ancient tools for creating healing in their own lives. She learned the nature of the spiritual relationships of significant people in her life, including of the person who sexually assaulted her as a child, and explores the healing that occurred in that process. She had infinite support not only in moving through that process, but in creating this book. It was published with her hope that it would serve as a guide for others to challenge themselves to manifest their spiritual truths in their waking lives. For more information: http://www.soulintentarts.com

Digestive Wellness By Elizabeth Lipski, PhD, CCN (McGraw-Hill, 3rd edition, 2005.) Dr Lipski, a nationally renowned clinical nutritionist, has completely revised and updated one of the most definitive guides on the subject of preventing disease through healthy digestion. She explains how the digestive system works and what can happen when it doesn't. I like this book because it's user-friendly, comprehensive, and perhaps most important, tells you how to go beyond symptom treatment and address the real causes of your condition. I also appreciate her self-empowering approach. For example questionnaires, self-tests, and workbook style exercises help you identify your own body's digestive strengths and weaknesses. After completing them, you can choose among the dozens of self-care tips offered by Lipski, including diet, beneficial exercise, food journaling, detoxification, cleansing programs and de-stressing. Anyone going through a life challenge will especially appreciate Lipski's suggestions for overcoming stress. After explaining how it taxes our digestive system, she tells readers how to avoid environmental stressors and offers easy-to-learn-stress reduction techniques. For more information: www.innovativehealing.com.

Dreamhealer: His Name is Adam-and-Dreamhealer 2-Guide to Self Empowerment By "Adam" (Dreamhealer Books, 2003, 2004) Reviewed by Jonah Blue. Throughout the ages, great healers have appeared, performing miracle after miracle, with most people still not having the slightest clue how they do it. Right now, John of God in Brazil is probably the most famous. But soon, more and more people will be hearing about "Adam," a 19 year old Canadian healer, who prefers to remain anonymous for the time being so as to protect him (he attends college) and his family from being overwhelmed by healing requests. Indeed, he received so many that he only does group healings now. But he feels that they are much more powerful anyway. Legendary rock music star Ronnie Hawkins says he was healed, from a distance, of pancreatic cancer, by Adam staring at his color photo and tuning into his energy field. Renowned astronaut Edgar Mitchell was also healed from a kidney tumor in a similar way over a six month period. These books not only tell Adams story, but contain valuable insights for all of us. Particularly unique is Adam's description of how see sees things while he's healing. Many healers can't, or aren't motivated to, tell us about their process. Basically, he views all people as holograms, and works with each person's hologram to see, identify, and clear energy blockages. In the second book, he tells us how to tap into our own healing abilities through the use of his visualization techniques. This is self-empowering in and of itself, and even more so since most of us will never get to work with him. For more information: www.dreamhealer.com.

Hello to All That: A Memoir of War, Zoloft, and Peace By John Falk (Henry Holt & Co., New York, 2005) The off-the-wall, heartbreaking, and often hilarious tale of a correspondent reporting from was while also battling his lifelong nemesis--chronic depression. His own chemistry was his worst enemy, and it took John Falk from the wilds of Garden City to sniper-infested Sarajevo during one of the most savage conflicts in recent memory. But through it all, he kept reaching out for the life, love, and friendship that his illness had made impossible. Hello to All That is his story--the crazed, comic, and hopeful tale of a guy who never surrendered. Falk was an average Long Island kid, until depression trapped him, at age twelve, in a lonely world. Ashamed and afraid, he said nothing and tried to keep going with tips from his big, loud, loyal family. By twenty-four, he was all alone, living in his parents' attic, surviving on the books by war correspondents that provided his only escape from the emptiness he felt. When he found a bluepill called Zoloft, he thought his struggle was over. But it took a journey to Sarajevo--where he set out to make his name as a reporter--to show him how far he still had to go. John Falk's journey has never been predictable. Neither is his moving, outrageous, and sometimes suspenseful memoir. Here is the tale of a real man's fight to defeat his greatest enemy, connect, cure himself, and finally, finally live. Among psychologists today, John Falk is known as patient X, and the story of his recovery from chronic depression is used to inspire hope in other patients. He is also a law school graduate and freelance journalist who survived the rough-and-tumble of reporting from the front in Sarajevo. An article he wrote for Details magazine, entitled "Shot Through the Heart," became an HBO movie and won a Peabody Award for Best Cable Movie of the Year. For more information: www.henryholt.com

Love Yourself: Joy-filled affirmations to inspire, encourage & comfort By Cheryl Rainfield. Many survivors or abuse have a hard time loving themselves and their bodies. Understandably so. Abuse sends the message that they aren't worthy of love or respect. These joyful affirmation cards are meant to give survivors of abuse positive messages positive, compassionate messages. They show girls and women of many shapes, sizes, races and ages, and offer messages that build self-esteem. They encourage you to listen to yourself, see your inner beauty, love and accept your body, depend on your own strength and reach out to others. Cheryl, the artist, is a survivor of incest and ritual abuse. She found that positive messages, along with therapy, can greatly help in healing. Each pack contains 54 affirmation cards that have been professionally printed in a playing card size, and have their own box. One side of each card shows an affirmation in an "I" message, the other side shows the same affirmation in a "you" message, because sometimes it's more powerful to be told something positive, and sometimes it's more powerful to tell ourselves something positive. Card purchasers can also download a deluxe screensaver with 40 images. For information: http://www.CherylRainfield.com

The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma, Dissociation, and Disease (The Haworth Medical Press, New York, 2002) by Robert C. Scaer, M.D. Using the clinical model of the whiplash syndrome, this groundbreaking book describes the alterations in brain chemistry and function induced in individuals by what is known as traumatic stress or traumatization, experiencing a life-threatening event while in a state of helplessness. It presents evidence of the resulting and relatively permanent alteration in neurophysiology, neurochemistry, and neuronal organization-changes correlated with many of the most common, yet poorly understood, physical complaints and diseases, including whiplash, migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and other painful, difficult-to-treat conditions. What's wrong, according to The Body Bears the Burden, is that physical traumas and emotional traumas are powerfully interrelated. After decades of research into brain chemistry, Dr. Scaer has identified some of the ways that the helplessness and terror of sudden trauma induce changes in brain function and the resulting consequences these measurable chemical changes can have on muscles, digestion, blood pressure, and many other bodily systems. Using the clinical model of the whiplash syndrome, the book offers new hope to anyone suffering from whiplash, post-traumatic stress disorder, or a history of abuse. It even provides ways to cope with new traumas to minimize the emotional and physical damage that's possible. For information, go here.

When the Body says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress (Vintage Canada, 2004) Gabor Maté, M.D. Review by Julie Devaney. Dr. Gabor Maté provides compelling medical testimony to describe what most patients instinctively know: stress makes us sick. Study after study has demonstrated that chronic stress produces physically toxic responses in our bodies. When I picked up this book I was initially skeptical. Highlighting people's lifestyles and using psychological profiling to determine the physiological patterns of cancer and autoimmune diseases sounded a lot like blaming the victim. But Dr. Mate makes it very clear very quickly that moralism and judgment have no place in science. Instead, he demonstrates with incisive criticisms of the medical establishment, that attempts to treat patients' diseases without reference to the material conditions that shape their lives is dangerous. He consistently demonstrates that only a combined understanding of the mind and body can actually provide insights into the human realities of autoimmunity and cancer. More information: www.whenthebodysaysno.ca

Fear and Other Uninvited Guests (HarperCollins, May 2004) by Harriet Lerner, Ph.D. (read excerpt)Unhappiness, says bestselling author Harriet Lerner, is fueled by three key emotions: anxiety, fear, and shame. They are the uninvited guests in our lives. When tragedy or hardship hits, they may become our constant companions. Anxiety can wash over us like a tidal wave or operate as a silent thrum under the surface of our daily lives. With stories that are sometimes hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking, we learn: * How to deal with the fear of not being good enough, and with the shame of feeling essentially flawed and inadequate; * How to stay calm and clear in an anxious, crazy workplace; * How to manage fear and despair when life sends a crash course in illness, vulnerability, and loss; * How "positive thinking" helps -- and harms, * How to be our best and bravest selves, even when we are terrified and have internalized the shaming messages of others. No one signs up for anxiety, fear, and shame, but we can't avoid them either. As we learn to respond in new ways, we can live more fully in the present and move into the future with courage, clarity, humor, and hope. Fear and Other Uninvited Guests shows how. More information about the book and author can be found at http://www.harpercollins.com/catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060081570 or http://www.harrietlerner.com.

Conscious Women-Conscious Lives: Powerful & Transformational Stories of Healing Body, Mind & Soul (White Knight Publications, Toronto, Ontario, 2004) by Darlene Montgomery, Associate Editor, Chicken Soup for the Parent's Soul. In this extraordinary collection of personal stories by Joan Borysenko Ph. D., Marion Woodman, Janet Matthews, Dr. Karen Jensen, N.D., Linda Anderson, Erin Davis and many more, women share their deepest and heart-felt experiences of healing from loss, illness, and accident. 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 facing and overcoming the death of a loved one, receiving love in challenging times, recovering after painful divorce, healing and finding purpose in life after the unimaginable grief of losing a child, surviving and triumphing after life threatening illness, to living our greatest dreams and overcoming life's greatest challenges. These true stories written by women, for women, help open the heart, heal the spirit, and bring peace of mind during some of life's most challenging times. As each author brings a treasure from her own rich experience, she contributes to the pool of wisdom we share on this planet of how each of us can meet our greatest fears to rise again with wisdom, grace and courage. Whatever challenges you presently face, these stories offer hope, reassurance, comfort and proud examples of the resilient nature and courage of women. For more information: http://www.lifedreams.org.

We're Still Family (HarperCollins, June 2004) by Constance Ahrons, Ph.D. What is the real legacy of divorce? Constance Ahrons, Ph.D., author of the highly praised The Good Divorce, decided to find out by interviewing the 173 grown children whose divorcing parents she interviewed twenty years earlier. In We're Still Family, Ahrons challenges the myth that children of divorce are troubled, drug abusing, academically challenged, and unable to form adult relationships. Instead she provides new evidence that the legacy of divorce is not as devastating as some researchers have suggested. Major findings show that: * Most of these young adults emerged stronger and wiser in spite of -- or perhaps because of -- their parents' divorces and remarriages; * The majority were very clear that their parents' divorce had positive outcomes for their parents and themselves; * More than half felt that their relationships with their fathers improved post-divorce; * While their new families of stepparents and half-siblings may look different from other families, the majority of young adults feel connected to these family members. Divorce is never easy for any family, but it does not have to destroy lives or lead to family breakdown. By listening to the voices of these grown children, divorcing parents will learn what they can do to maintain family bonds. Parents need to believe that after all is said and done, their children will look at their post divorce families and say with conviction, "We're still family." More details about the book and author can be found online at http://www.harpercollins.com/catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060193050 and http://www.constanceahrons.com.

Helping Children with Autism Learn: A Guide to Treatment Approaches For Parents and Professionals (Oxford, June 2003) By Bryna Siegel, Ph.D. Dr. Bryna Siegel gives parents of autistic children what they need most: hope. Her first book, The World of the Autistic Child, became an instant classic, illuminating the inaccessible minds of afflicted children. Now she offers an equally insightful, thoroughly practical guide to treating the learning disabilities associated with this heartbreaking disorder. The trouble with treating autism, Siegel writes, is that it is a spectrum disorder -- a combination of a number of symptoms and causes. To one extent or another, it robs the child of social bonds, language, and intimacy -- but the extent varies dramatically in each case. The key is to understand each case of autism as a discrete set of learning disabilities, each of which must be treated individually. Siegel explains how to take an inventory of a child's particular disabilities, breaks down the various kinds unique to autism, discusses our current knowledge about each, and reviews the existing strategies for treating them. There is no simple cure for this multifarious disorder, she writes; instead, an individual program, with a unique array of specific treatments, must be constructed for each child. She gives practical guidance for fashioning such a program, empowering parents to take the lead in their child's treatment. At the same time, she cautions against the proliferating, but questionable, treatments hawked to afflicted families. She knows the panic to do something, anything, to help an autistic child, and she offers parents reassurance and support as well as sensible advice, combining knowledge from experience, theory, and research. For parents, autism in a child is heartbreaking. But it need not be overwhelming. Bryna Siegel offers a new understanding, and a practical, thoughtful approach, that will give parents new hope. For more information: http://www.writtenvoices.com/titlepage.asp?ISBN=0195138112

Sacred Selfishness: A Guide to Living a Life of Substance (Inner Ocean Publishing, Maui, HI, 2002) by Bud Harris, Ph.D. Bud Harris Ph.D. shows us how to overcome the demands of culture, family and society so that we may live a life of true authenticity. He defines Sacred Selfishness as valuing ourselves enough to develop into "authentic" human beings who give back vitality and hope to the people around us. It is acquiring what Emerson refers to as "character-a reserved force which acts directly by presence, and without means."In this early thirties, Bud was "restless and generally dissatisfied." He was terrified that the rest of his life would "consist of going to work, meetings, church, soccer games, and vacations . . . simply adjusting to what one's family or society describes as a 'good life.'" This full-blown crisis led him into therapy and began a lifelong quest to become a person of substance.In Sacred Selfishness, he delves into classic quest stories to show that on the path of "renewed personal consciousness," we must examine all assumptions about ourselves and our lives to uncover our hidden potential. True change must come from within, and no mere outer change can solve our problems. Attaining self-knowledge both softens and strengthens us, and helps us love and appreciate life and other people. It affirms and enriches our choices of partners, vocations, and life-styles. "When the inner quest brings change, we can be comforted by knowing it's authentic, has been carefully thought through, and values our past and other people." This is the path of Sacred Selfishness. For more information: www.budharris.com.

So, What's Normal? Life After Pedophilia, Abuse and Neglect (Rhonnie & Company Publishing, P.O. Box 6219, Traverse City, Mi 49696-6219) by Rhonnie. This book is an astonishing narrative of on woman's journey from the horrors of childhood abuse and neglect down the long road to recovery and eventual hope. Her personal commitment to significantly reducing the sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of children, families and neighbors is her ultimate triumph. Reading the heart- rending words of the author we can only begin to realize the magnitude of the prevalence of deviant sexual behavior and its impact on society. She pulls us through with her courageous example, and we see how she has successfully broken the cycles of abuse. For more information: go to http://www.livingafterabuse.com

The Instinct to Heal: Curing Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Without Drugs and Without Talk Therapy (Rodale, Emmaus, PA, 2004) by David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., Ph.D. (Read excerpt here) Americans seek therapy in record numbers and consume more medications than ever before, yet stress, anxiety, and depression continue to rise to epidemic proportions. People can spend years on the psychoanalytic couch without making any progress. But psychiatrist/neurologist David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., Ph.D., knows that we can cure our emotional pain. He's seen certain natural methods produce tremendous results in his clinical practice, in that of his peers, and even in war-torn regions where horrific memories can leave deep scars. Some of these include EMDR, acupuncture, Omega 3 fatty acids, emotional communication, exercise, and dawn simulation. Numerous studies in prestigious scientific journals have documented the amazing benefits of these methods on anxiety and depression, but because the mechanisms through which they operate remain poorly understood, they've remained largely excluded from mainstream medicine and psychiatry. Dr. Servan-Schreiber explains how each of the natural methods in this ensemble treatment plan can help us escape the therapy/drug trap by working through the body to tap into the emotional brain's self-healing processes. Weaving fascinating accounts of his first-hand experience and findings together with the research of hundreds of other esteemed scientists, Dr. Servan-Schreiber outlines a program that's becoming embraced throughout the world as a permanent cure for emotional pain. For more information, please visit www.instincttoheal.org or www.writtenvoices.com

Lasting Love: The 5 Secrets of Growing a Vital, Conscious Relationship. (Rodale Press January 2004) by Gay Hendricks, Ph.D., and Kathlyn Hendricks, Ph.D. In this long-awaited follow-up to their seminal Conscious Loving, relationship experts Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks take on two of the most pressing problems that sap vitality and energy from committed relationships: how to forge a closer relationship that still allows each partner full creative autonomy, and how to generate the passion and preserve the harmony essential to keeping long-term partnerships alive and blooming. Filled with helpful real-life scenarios and straightforward advice, Lasting Love grew out of the Hendricks' laboratory of their 23-year marriage as well as their 10-year study of more than 2,000 long-term, committed couples. They discovered that the most common couples conflicts could be traced to at least one of five root causes: an imbalance between the creative energy each partner contributes to the relationship; a lack of emotional honesty; an unwillingness to accept responsibility for everyday issues; deep-seated commitment problems; and a deficiency of daily appreciations. Using these insights, the Hendricks devised a program based on five vital actions that simultaneously lead to a deeper flow of intimacy and greater creative freedom for each individual:

• Spend time expressing your own creativity rather than focusing on "fixing" your partner
• Eliminate the barrier to speaking and hearing the truth about everything
• Break the cycle of blame and criticism
• Make commitments you can really stand by
• Become a master of verbal and non-verbal appreciation

For more information, please visit www.hendricks.com or www.writtenvoices.com.

Becoming Real: Journey to Authenticity (DC Press, Sanford, FL, 2003) by David Irvine. Self-respect, meaningful impact, and the freedom that comes from living in harmony with your deepest self is achievable. The promise of becoming real, of living a life without façade or pretence or the need for prestige is possible. In this personal and provocative work, David shares his profoundly human journey to realness and his vision of authentic living. The authentic journey is a voyage to awaken us and take us to the heart of what our life is meant to be about. Yet when we conform to the world's expectations, we stray from that path. While some books offer ephemeral ideas for behavior change, this book offers enduring wisdom for real change. Valuable for those committed to amplify your impact in the world from your presence rather than your position, from your soul, rather than your role, and for those who yearn for serenity beyond the fleeting allure of achievement and materialism. For more information: go to www.davidirvine.com

Emotional Rescue: Healing Your Emotional Pain and Creating Inner Peace (Powerbase Books, Toronto Ontario) by A. J. Moses, M.S.W. "Why is this happening to me?" - This is the question that many of us ask ourselves when we're feeling overwhelmed with life challenges. Psychotherapist and author A. J. Moses believes that answering this question with profound self-honesty sets in motion the process for triumphing over our life challenges and winning. She inspires us to look within to discover the source of our challenges, and the process involved in resolving the emotional issues that continue to cause unhappiness. Drawing upon poignant stories from people's lives and centuries of universal wisdom, Emotional Rescue helps us understand why unresolved emotional issues often manifest in painful life challenges. Presented in 3 sections: Section I - "Emotional Clarity" explores how stressful emotional issues build up over time Section II - "Looking In The Mirror" explores how unresolved issues may manifest in depression, addiction, health problems, abusive relationships, and/or career problems Section III - "Inner Peace" outlines the process for healing emotional pain and freeing ourselves to create a deeply satisfying life. For more information: www.pbperform.com/life_challenges.htm

Second Innocence: Rediscovering Joy and Wonder, A Guide to Renewal in Work, Relationships and Daily Life (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., San Francisco 2004) by John Izzo, Ph.D. Is it possible to age yet keep the sense of wonder we had as children and experience the joy of being alive every day? Can we hold on to our ideals at work and in life even after watching the evening news? Do we have the power to change the world around us? Second Innocence is about rediscovering the wonder and joys of life. Based on Izzo's own unique experiences -- the death of his father, a rowing trip with his grandfather, his first real job, first love, a family suicide, teachers he remembers for their unique courage, and his experiences as a leader, lover, parent, and friend -- John Izzo's compelling stories will encourage you to reconnect with and learn from your own life stories. As Izzo tackles four key areas of human experience (daily life, work, love, and faith), he leads you to new perspectives on your own life and provides thought-provoking insights for reclaiming the innocence, idealism, and wonder that we often associate with youth. Dr. Izzo is also the author of Awakening Corporate Soul: Four Paths to Unleash the Power of People at Work. For more information, please visit http://www.writtenvoices.com/titlepage.asp?ISBN=1576752631.

Serenity in Motion, Inner Peace: Anytime, Anywhere (Warner Books, New York, 2003) by Nancy O'Hara. Too often, people spend their days racing to catch up, growing frustrated at delays, and worrying obsessively about the future. In Serenity in Motion, Nancy O'Hara shows how we can choose to shift our attitude, still our minds, and transform everyday challenges into opportunities for growth, gratitude, and joy. Building on the practice of mindful breathing for inner peace, she shows us how we can take our quiet corner with us and bring serenity to the rest of our lives. Whether you are driving in rush-hour traffic, stuck in the grocery checkout line, facing looming deadlines, or struggling with relationships, Serenity in Motion can help you learn to meet each moment as it comes and to be happy, serene, and secure in the knowledge that life is unfolding just the way it should. For more information: http://www.twbookmark.com/books/87/0446690856/index.html

Paths Are Made By Walking: Practical Steps to Attaining Serenity (Warner Books, New York, 2003) by Thérèse Jacobs-Stewart. In this unique synthesis of science and the study of spirit, psychologist Thérèse Jacobs-Stewart not only explains the phenomenon of the emotional brain, but, more important, shows us how to reap the valuable rewards of using it every day. Drawing on the Tibetan practice of Tong-Len, Indian Tantric disciplines, Christian contemplative thought, and other traditions, she offers twenty practices that help you improve relationships, develop leadership qualities, and calmly deal with the frustrations of daily life with sanity, and poise. The book includes fundamental practices that connect mind and body, promote greater awareness of the self, help stop you from going down old, well-worn unproductive paths, and show ways to deepen empathy with others. For more information: http://www.twbookmark.com/books/8/0446530670/index.html

No Regrets: A Ten-Step Program for Living in the Present and Leaving the Past Behind (John Wiley and Sons, January 2004) by Hamilton Beazley, Ph.D. In No Regrets: A Ten-Step Program for Living in the Present and Leaving the Past Behind, nationally respected self-help author Hamilton Beazley, PhD, points out that baby boomers are living with more grief, fear, and regret than previous generations. Divorce, career-family conflicts, terrorism and war, the economy, rising health-care costs, and many other factors contribute to midlifers' deep and worrisome malaise, according to a wide range of government and academic studies. He has dubbed this phenomenon "The Age of Regret." Dr. Beazley explains that regrets are an inevitable part of life, but they do not have to be burdensome. He offers an effective, original way for us to come to terms with harbored regrets and break free of their negative psychological effects, so we can get on with our lives. His book discusses toxic thought patterns that feed regrets; how the performance-focused boomer culture perpetuates "coulda-woulda-shoulda" thinking; the importance of forgiving clueless parents, heartless bosses, and ex-spouses; and how to view harbored regrets as opportunities for growth and self-knowledge. For more information, go to: www.wiley.com

Power Healing: The Four Keys to Energizing Your Body, Mind & Spirit (HarperCollinsSanFrancisco), by Dr. Zhi Gang Sha. According to renowned health specialist Dr. Zhi Gang Sha, despite continual advances in medical technology and know-how, society as a whole doesn't seem to be getting any healthier: "Incidences of illness and pain in this country are on the rise…" But take heart, says Dr. Sha: you have the power to heal yourself. Based on Sha's expertise in traditional Chinese healing modalities as well as Western medicine, Power Healing is a revolutionary guide to unlocking the body's potential to heal. Dr. Sha has a theory about why our bodies fall into disrepair: energy. "Healthy energy in the body, or chi, stems from the healthy vibrations of cells in every single part of you. When that vibration is in perfect order, your body has a good flow of energy. If that energy becomes blocked, imbalanced, or divered, pain or illness results." Sha explains and teaches the four keys: Body Power (special body and hand positions); Sound Power (healing mantras and chants); Mind Power (creative visualization); and Soul Power (the secret of soul healing) and shows how to use these self-healing techniques to enhance your mind, body and spirit. For more information: http://www.harpercollins.com

The Alchemy of Illness, by Kat Duff, Pantheon Books, a div. of Random House, Inc. New York, NY, 1993. A profound inquiry into the purpose and function of illness. Duff reflects on her own experience with CFIDS and draws from philosophy, religion, psychology, other people's stories, anthropology and myth to explore the universal experience of illness.

The Four Levels of Healing, A Guide to Balancing the Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, and Physical Aspects of Life, ©1997 Shakti Gawain, Nataraj Publishing, a division of New World Library, Novato, CA. For more information, go to www.shaktigawain.com or www.nwlib.com. Shakti Gawain explores the four levels of human existence-spiritual, mental, emotional and physical-and how each is important to the healing process. She offers meditations and practical wisdom to help guide us along the healing journey toward wholeness.

Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness, by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., Delacorte Press, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. New York, 1990. A guide based on the eight week program of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center which covers mindfulness meditation to develop relaxation, calmness and self awareness, the foundations for coping with stress, pain and illness.

Grace and Grit: Spirituality and Healing in the Life and Death of Treya Killam Wilber by Ken Wilber, Shambhala Publications, Inc., Boston, MA, 1991. A soulful, beautiful portrait of Treya Killam Wilber's journey through cancer. It combine's Treya's journals with Ken's narrative to explore the many faces of illness and health, spirituality, suffering, surrender, rising above difficult circumstances and love.

Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a Buddhist Perspective, by The Dalai Lama. Copyright ©1997. Reprinted by permission of Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, NY. For more information, go to www.snowlionpub.com. The Dalai Lama shows how the practice of patience and tolerance we can overcome obstacles of anger and hatred and open ourselves to compassion. This discussion comes from a series of teachings held in 1993 in Tucson, Arizona and is based on The Bodhissatva's Way of Life, a Buddhist classic.

Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal, Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., Riverhead Books, a div. of G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1996. Inspirational, caring, soulful stories of healing body, mind and spirit, connection and how we can become one another's healers.

Nature as Teacher and Healer: How to Reawaken Your Connection with Nature, by James A. Swan, Ph.D., Villard Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, NY, 1992. A book of inspirational stories and practice advice that discusses how to develop a powerful, lasting and healing bond with nature.

Prayer Is Good Medicine: How to Reap the Healing Benefits of Prayer, by Larry Dossey, M.D., Harper SanFrancisco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., New York, 1996. www.harpercollins.com Offers new ways of looking at prayer and discusses how to harness the healing potential of prayer. It is based on his work healing prayer and health.

Recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Guide to Self-Empowerment by William Collinge, M.P.H., Ph.D., Creator of the first mind/body program for CFS, The Body Press/Perigee Books, The Putnam Publishing Group, New York, NY 1993, pp. This book outlines principles and methods used by people recovering and recovered from CFIDS to help them heal on physical, emotional and spiritual levels. It empowers you to be an active participant in your healing, offers advice on lifestyle changes, and lets you experience illness as a teacher.

Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self, by Sandra Ingerman, HarperSanFrancisco, a div. of HarperCollinsPublishers, 1991. Sandra Ingerman draws on case studies to discuss soul damage and loss and how the shamanic practice of soul retrieval helps heal emotional and physical illness and trauma and return people to a sense of wholeness.

You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought: A book for People with Any Life-Threatening Illness-Including Life, by John-Roger & Peter McWilliams, Prelude Press, Inc. Los Angeles, CA, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 1-800-Life-101 from the Life 101 Series. This book is full of help for people ailing with what the authors believe is one of the main diseases today: negative thinking. The price, they say, that we pay for negative thinking is always high. However, if you have a life-threatening illness, you can no longer afford it at any cost. It is a book to be used to assist you in focusing more time on positive things in your life, less time on negative thoughts and enjoying every moment.

Herbal Medicine, Healing & Cancer: A Comprehensive Program for Prevention and Treatment, by Donald R. Yance. Jr., CH, MH, AHG with Arlene Valentine, Keats Publishing, Lincolnwood, IL, 1999. Yance presents detailed information that shows how a proper diet, vitamins and other micronutrients, whencombined with herbs, can help create the right conditions for maximum healing. He also deals with the spiritual aspects of healing. For more information, go to Yance's website: www.centrehealing.com

Where Souls Meet: Communicating With the Terminally Ill, by Dillon Woods, Windemere Publications, Los Angeles, CA, 2000. Dillon Woods has spent many years working with the terminally ill as a Franciscan monk, as a son watching both his parents die of cancer and as a hospice volunteer. This book started as a notes for a class Woods taught to hospice volunteers, grew into a booklet and has now expanded into a down to earth, profound and heartfelt guide to the issues that arise for people who are dying and their caregivers. It includes help for understanding the stages of dying and caregiving, dealing with the feelings that arise in this journey, help in communicating with and being with the terminally ill, suggestions for self-care, help in dealing with the medical and care community and more. For more information, go here

Who's Right? Whose Right?: Seeking Answers and Dignity in the Debate Over the Right to Die, edited by Robert C. Horn, III with Gretchen Keeler, DC Press, Sanford, FL, 2001. This book offers interviews with 10 people who have faced death—many with terminal and disabling illnesses—and have shared their journeys and their ultimate decisions of whether to live or die. In addition, 21 experts from various fields offer their own insights and positions on the critical and controversial issues surrounding a person's right to die. One of the editors, Robert Horn, suffers from ALS, and shares his own story on this website. Read it here. For more information on the book, go to www.insyncpress.com.

If You Had Controlling Parents, by Dan Neuharth, Ph.D. (Cliff Street Books/HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 1999). Dan Neuharth's (excerpt here) book deals with the issue of growing up with unhealthy parental control. The damage from this control may underlie problems that more than 15 million adults in the U.S. struggle with as adults. Filled with inspirational stories and practical tools, Neuharth shows you how to leave ome emotionally, create boundaries, build confidence, quiet "inner critics," bring more balance to your life and heal your past. It also shows adults how to avoid over-controlling their own children and loved ones. For more information, go to the Controlling Parents Website.

Who Cares: A Loving Guide for Caregivers, by Dee Marrella, DC Press, Sanford, FL, 2001. Dee Marrella's book is a journal to be filled out by middle-aged or older adults. It's meant to be an autobiography, written by an individual for his/her future caregivers' use. The journal explains the individual's preferences and desires, and acts as a compass for caregivers, a guide to direct them according to the older adult's own wishes and needs. Marrella provides examples and guidelines throughout the book. This is a gift any middle-aged or older adult can give to his/her caregivers, which will give caregivers more "peace of mind." With the input the individual personally provides, caregivers will know what's important to the person needing care. The person's own words will help them function with much less guilt and stress during caregiving. For more information, go to DC Press.

Dare to Dream: Healing Fears, Creating Miracles, &Living Your Dreams, by Margaret and David Hiller (Heart Dream Press, Ashland, OR, 2002). Margaret and David Hiller's book (excerpt here) is a sacred journey for creating Holy Dreams. Full of inspirational stories and helpful, practical tools, the book parallels Margaret and David's work, which encourages Miracle Thinking and healing the shift from survival dreams to thrival dreams. Learn how to heal old beliefs and fears that hinder creativity and how to rekindle hope and realize your dreams. Many of the stories relate healings of mind, body and spirit and miraculous breakthroughs. For more information on this book, go to home.mindspring.com/~miracles1.

The Gift of Hurt (1stBooks Library, 2002) by Pamela Crabtree. Pamela Crabtree's book (read article here) gives a riveting true account of the way that one woman's psychologically buried childhood trauma resurfaces later in life with calamitous results. The book describes the descent into madness and demonstrates how the delicate negotiations of psychotherapy can have unintended results. The Gift of Hurt reads like a novel. In the book, Ellie Jameson's husband Matt, is kidnapped but found in the trunk of a car after 19 harrowing hours of captivity. Despite Matt's rescue, he and Ellie both suffer residual psychological trauma from the toll the event takes on their sense of security and well-being. Both seek professional help. Ellie's step into the arena of psychological counseling proves to be a fateful one as an inexperienced therapist inadvertently triggers Ellie's long-suppressed memories of childhood abuse. From there, Ellie's fall into full-blown madness begins and her unhappy experiences with mental health professionals continue. Though The Gift of Hurt is a gut-wrenching account of mental illness, it is also ultimately a book of hope, self-discovery, self-empowerment, and eventually of overcoming mental illness. It teaches that in dealing with psychological scars, one may come out on the other side to be reborn with a renewed capacity for joy, love, and emotional intimacy. For more information, visit Pamela's website: www.pamelacrabtree.com.

If I Get to Five: What Children Can Teach Us About Courage and Character Fred Epstein, M.D., and Joshua Horwitz (Henry Holt, New York, 2003) Throughout his career as a pioneering pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Fred Epstein's young patients have been his most important teachers and trusted guides. In this inspiring book (read excerpt here, Dr. Epstein's patients teach us the lessons we all need to learn in order to live life to the fullest -- lessons about seizing the moment and facing our deepest fears, about holding someone's hand, and about embracing the joy and wonder of everyday life. Most of all, they teach lessons about uncommon courage -- the courage to do what's hardest, to It also tells the inspiring story of Fred Epstein's life -- from his struggles with severe learning disabilities as a child to his groundbreaking accomplishments as a surgeon. Recently, when Dr. Epstein suffered a traumatic brain injury and faced a daunting rehabilitation, the advice of the children he'd saved helped illuminate his own path to recovery. Most compelling of all, however, is the journey inside the hearts, minds, and souls of the wisest children you will ever encounter. "We tend to think of children as fragile, little people," says Dr. Fred Epstein. "To me, they're giants." For more information: www.henryholt.com

The abc's of Total Health: Practical Tips for Abundant Living, by Dr. Tom Massey (Robert D. Reed Publishers, San Francisco, CA 2000) Do you sometimes feel, as I do, that you just haven't got the time to read all of the wonderful books that might help you in your everyday life? If so, you might want to get a copy of this short book. It provides "practical tips for abundant living" in a very concise, succinct, and really helpful way. Among the tips, you'll find advice about "Acceptance"(accept who you are), "Attitude"(adopt an attitude of gratitude) "Journaling," and "Visualization "(the art of seeing things invisible). Other tips revolve around subjects such as pets, plants, opportunity, youthfulness, eating, humor, tolerance, optimism, and opportunity. The book follows a simple ABC format. Each letter of the alphabet is represented by two words. Each word, 52 in all, is presented as a weekly tip for healthful living and achieving a balanced life. Each weekly health tip includes a brief narrative, a recommended activity, and a daily affirmation. You can read the book in one sitting, but many people will just want to look at one tip that might help them deal with a specific issue. For more information: www.rdrpublishers.com

Depression Fallout: The Impact of Depression on Couples and What You Can Do to Preserve the Bond by Anne Sheffield (Quill/HarperCollins, New York, 2003). (Read excerpt and/or interview) Anne Sheffield coined the phrase "depression fallout" in her first book, How You Can Survive When They're Depressed, to describe the emotional toll of depression on spouses, parents, lovers, and children. Depression Fallout relates Anne Sheffield's experiences as a sufferer of depression, daughter of a depressed parent, and mother of a depressed child. The book explains how a depressed person's mind works and discusses the pros and cons of medication and psychotherapy, overcoming denial, and mending relationships. The book also describes the five different stages a non-depressed partner will pass through: confusion, self-blame, demoralization, anger, and the need to escape. She explains what experiences behaviors and feelings are "normal" when dealing with depressive illness and how to overcome a sense of helplessness and take charge of your life. She offers ways to restore optimism, peace of mind and a sense of humor. Throughout the book she uses poignant, real-life stories from her on-line support group to paint a vivid portrait of what happens to a loving relationship when depression enters the picture. For more information: www.depressionfallout.com

The Normal One: Life with a Difficult or Damaged Sibling, by Jeanne Safer, PhD (Delta Trade Paperbacks, New York, 2003). (See excerpt) Few bonds are as psychologically and emotionally significant as the ones we share with our sisters and brothers. What's more, many of us, at various points in our lives, can find these relationships quite challenging. Even more so if we have a truly problem sibling. Psychotherapist Jeanne Safer explores the far-reaching effects on the lives of those who are considered the "normal ones." Drawing on more than sixty interviews with normal, or intact, siblings, she examines the daunting challenges they face, and probes the complex feelings that can strain families and damage lives. A "normal" sibling herself, Safer chronicles her own life-shaping experiences with her troubled brother. She examines the double-edged reality of normal ones: how they both compensate for their siblings' abnormality and feel guilty for their own health and success. With both wisdom, compassion and empathy, she delineates the "Caliban Syndrome," a set of personality traits characteristic of higher-functioning siblings: premature maturity, compulsion to achieve, survivor guilt, and fear of contagion. Those of you with problem siblings will particularly like learning about some of the tools you can use to help resolve childhood pain. This book is a profound and eye-opening examination of a subject that has too long been shrouded in darkness. For more information: http://www.thenormalone.com

Forgiveness: A Bold Choice for a Peaceful Heart by Robin Casarjian, M.A., Bantam Books, New York, 1992. A discussion of forgiveness, based on A Course in Miracles, including exercises and meditations. The book explores examples of forgiving family members, crime perpetrators, ourselves and God.

The Forgiving Place: Choosing Peace After Violent Trauma, by Richard R. Gayton, Ph.D., WRS Publishing, Waco, Texas, 1995. This book is written from by someone who personally knows what it's like to experience violent trauma and find peace again. Richard Gayton begins by telling the story of his own wife's murder, then shows readers how to work through the impact on their lives from their own encounters of violence-including childhood abuse, rape, mugging, spousal abuse, assault, war, suicide, murder and vehicular manslaughter-and reach a place of inner peace and forgiveness. He offers various perspectives, skills, and processes to help cope with the aftermath of violence, recover and reach for a new sense of purpose and joy.

The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal, Schocken Books, NY, 1997. You are a prisoner in a concentration camp. A dying Nazi soldier asks for your forgiveness. What would you do? This amazing books begins with Simon Wiesenthal's personal account of being in a concentration camp and being asked by a dying Nazi for forgiveness. He tells what he did and how even years after the end of the war, he continued to wonder whether he did the right thing? It is followed by responses and comments by 53 world's notable thinkers, spiritual leaders, peacemakers, writers, psychiatrists, human rights activists, Holocaust survivors and survivors of attempted genocide in Bosnia, Cambodia, China and Tibet-including Desmond Tutu, The Dalai Lama, Matthew Fox, Mary Gordon, Harold S. Kosher, and Dith Pran.

And a Sword Shall Pierce Your Heart: Moving from Despair to Meaning after the Death of a Child (Chiron Publishing, 2006) By Charlotte Mathes. After suffering a parent's worse n nightmare-the death of a child, the author, a Jungian psychoanalyst, describes her journey to find meaning and wholeness in one of life's most shattering experiences. She establishes a background that guides the reader through the steps and archetypes that mark the process of mourning and shows how they can eventually regain a sense of inner and outer wholeness in life. The book also offers practical resources such as movies, books and music that help parents regain perspective and learn how and where to reach out for help. Mathes's profound psychological perspective puts it all together in a holistic way that is most accessible and helpful in a time of personal tragedy. www.chironpublications.com

Beyond Knowing (New World Library, 2006) Janis Amatuzio, MD.  Popular programs like CSI have made autopsies and forensic pathology a fascinating part of America’s pop culture.  This book makes it even more fascinating in its unique and informed perspective on the transition between life and death. The author, known to many as the “compassionate coroner”, relates stories that affirm there is more to death than just the cessation of breath. The stories ultimately improve the quality of life for those left behind by offering them life-changing, tangible proof that they are still connected to their deceased loved ones. Dr. Amatuzio’s job is to solve the mystery of “what happened?” when death comes suddenly, unexpectedly, or traumatically. She seeks to find a medical and rational explanation for it. But, as she puts it: “I have come to realize that for some experiences, there is no explanation, just a deep knowing that I have encountered the Divine. www.foreverours.com

Love You, Mean It: A True Story of Love, Loss, and Friendship (Hyperion, 2006) By Patricia Carrington, Julia Collins, Claudia Gerbasi and Ann Haynes-with Eve Charles. In this shared memoir of loss and rebuilt lives, the four authors recount their experiences of the years after each of their husbands died in the September 11th World Trade Center Attacks. They first got together in July, 2002, and from the beginning, their friendship was a true source of strength, sustaining them through difficult times as they began to find their way forward. All of them felt that their friendship was meant to be. Indeed, they began signing off e-mails and phone conversations with a lighthearted phrase: Love You, mean it. This poignant beautiful book will both console and inspire with its true story of friendship, empathy, and emerging hope. http://www.hyperionbooks.com/

Unattended Sorrow: Recovering from Loss and Reviving the Heart by Stephen Levine (Rodale Books, Emmaus, PA 2005) Reviewed by Jonah Blue. This is, without a doubt, one of the most soulful, healing, and nurturing books I have ever read. Especially because Steven Levine, one of our leading grief counselors for the last 25 years, expands our concept of what we ordinarily think of as "grief." In addition to grief from fresh loss, he also includes the pain and troubles caused by the unresolved anguish, sadness, and delayed stress that can accumulate over a lifetime-- the loss of self-identity, childhood abuse, illness, divorce, or even just being alive in today's world. Unattended sorrow is unresolved grief that has never been given a chance to heal. It is like a low-grade fever; it troubles our sleep and drains away our days; it scatters intuition and creates an underlying anxiety; it's the vague uncertainty that permeates every thought before every action; it's the heart working as hard as it can. It's what most of us carry with us from day to day and what prevents us form leading full and happy lives. Levine s offers a series of techniques for approaching and healing it. These include breathing exercises; keeping a grief journal; tracking sorrow through the body; and talking to the people who have passed on. I particularly like the fact that Levine does not claim to have a panacea cure all for unattended sorrow. Rather, he notes that though we may never wholly overcome the sorrows we've endured, we can confront them with mercy and self-acceptance that smoothes the path to healing the heart. For more information on Stephen's work, books and tapes, visit www.warmrocktapes.com

Evenings at Five: A Novel and Five New Stories (Ballantine Books, March 2004) by Gail Godwin. This bittersweet, touching novel by best-selling author, three-time National Book Award nominee, and one of my personal favorite writers, Gail Godwin, draws from her own experience of love, grief and coping with the loss of her long time partner. In the novel, which is interspersed with drawings that poignantly highlight the text, every evening at five o'clock, Godwin's "alter ego" Christina and Rudy began the ritual commonly known as Happy Hour, sharing drinks along with a love of language and music (she is an author, he a composer, after all), a delight in intense conversation, a fascination with popes, and nearly thirty years of life together. Now, seven months after Rudy's unexpected death, Christina reflects on their vibrant bond -- with all its quirks, habits, and unguarded moments -- as well as her passionate sorrow and her attempts to reposition herself and her new place in the very real world they shared. For more information: go to www.gailgodwin.com or www.writtenvoices.com.

Seven Choices: Finding Daylight After Loss Shatters Your World (Warner Books, New York, 2003) by Elizabeth Harper Neeld, Ph.D. Recovering from loss takes more than time. It takes choices.Even during the darkest times there are decisions you can make and paths you can choose that lead to wholeness and hope. In this compassionate, caring guide, Elizabeth Harper Neeld, Ph.D. tells of her own poignant loss, the death of her young husband, along with the real-life experiences of over sixty other women and men. Together with the latest statistical findings on grief and recovery, their stories help you to answer such questions as "How can I live through this pain?"... "Why can't I get over my loss?"..."Will I ever be happy again?" It helps you discover what steps rebuild beliefs, relationships, and happiness, how to honor the past without being dominated by it, what assistance to request from family and friends, how to tell the difference between sadness and depression, when to seek company and when it's best to be alone, why reminiscing about the past can help create a new future, why some people take longer than others to recover their love of life. This book was used by volunteers working with victims' families after 9/11. For more information: http://www.twbookmark.com/books/52/0446690503/index.html

How to Survive the Loss of a Love by Melba Colgrove, Ph.D., Harold H. Bloomfield, M.D., & Peter McWilliams, Prelude Press, Los Angeles, CA, 1976, 1991. An inspiring, comforting self-help book covering each stage of coping with and recovering from loss.

Living Through Job Loss: Coping with the Emotional Effects of Job Loss and Rebuilding Your Future, by Ann Kaiser Stearns with Rick Lamplugh. Simon & Schuster, New York, 1995 How to cope with the stress, anger, depression and roller coaster of feelings that can accompany job loss. Offers many true life examples.

The Lessons of Love: Rediscovering Our Passion for Life When It All Seems Too Hard to Take, by Melody Beattie, HarperSanFrancisco, a division of Harper Collins Publishers, 1994. How Melody Beattie got through the fatal accident of her 12 year old son, grieved and finally started her life again. What she learned in the process about the healing power of love. May offer comfort and solace for others grieving the loss of a loved one.

Vita's Will: Real Life Lessons about Life, Death & Moving On, by Debbie Gisonni. This book emerges from Gisonni’s own confrontation with death: In four years, she lost four family members to cancer, brain tumors and suicide. In the end, she left a successful career to do something more meaningful with her life. This book is the result and helps people deal serenely (or at least sanely) with life’s inevitable tragedies. Gisonni’s 44 real life lessons discuss everything from why you should listen with your heart instead of your ears, and how you can talk directly to a doctor or to God. For more information, www.reallifelessons.com.

My Father's Ghost: The Return of My Old Man and Other Second Chances by Suzy McKee Charnas (Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, New York, 2002. My Father's Ghost (read excerpt here) is a memoir which recounts the Nebula award-winning sci-fi author's bittersweet relationship with her estranged artist father and explores the emotions that surround watching a parent grow older. She discusses the years she invited him to live in the cottage beside her own in New Mexico and spent taking care of him as he became progressively more ill. She reflects on the challenges of caring for an aging parent as well as the opportunity these circumstances provided for them to bridge a gap they might otherwise never have bridged. Charnas uses writings from her father's journals as well as her own memory in this account. For more information: www.suzymckeecharnas.com

50 ways to Leave Your 40s: Living It Up in Life's Second Half (New World Library, 2008) By Sheila Key and Peggy Spencer, MD. If you're approaching that huge milepost with less than your usual birthday enthusiasm, open this book to discover all the ways in which turning fifty might just be the best thing yet. The authors share a wide range of ideas for making this major life transition a time of opportunity, growth, and celebration. Bursting with anecdotes, activities, advice from a savvy doctor, and clever ways to remember it all, this little volume sparkles like a treasure chest. Each chapter contains five sections: a core essay addressing a midlife issue, a "Cool Moves" section urging readers to try something physical, "Scribbles and Doodles," writing or drawing prompts for further introspection and artistic exploration, exciting "Things to Try at Least Once; and "Doc in the Box," which briefly explores an appropriate health topic. This book is a great tonic for the midlife blues. www.50waystoleaveyour40s.com

The Power of Giving: How Giving Back Enriches Us (Tarcher Books, 2008) By Azim Jamal and Harvey McKinnon. This book shows you how to create abundance at work, at home, and in your community. This is really a book about how each of us lives our life, and how you can improve yours. The surprise is that you can improve every part of your own life by giving. Indeed, research shows that giving is one of the best things we can do for ourselves, as well as others. Your simple act of giving can improve your health, your relationships, your company's bottom line, your happiness and more. This book shows you how to find and cultivate your own personal giving potential. It also reveals how to give most effectively by choosing the right times, places, causes and people to give to. You'll learn how to give better, where to give, and how you can achieve the greatest impact. The book will reinforce what you already know in your heart - that giving is a key part of every person's life.www.thepowerofgiving.com www.azimjamal.com/seminars.shtml www.harveymckinnon.com/resources/seminars

Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story (New World Library, 2005) By Christina Baldwin. In her powerful new book, Baldwin, one of the visionaries who started the personal writing movement, explores the vital necessity of recreating a sacred common ground for each other's stories. Through story and example, Baldwin shows the power of story to connect life experiences so that we can share them, learn from them, and inspire each other through the medium of a good tale. Baldwin's book invites readers to come back to storycatching. Each chapter in Storycatcher is carried by a fascinating tale-about people or family or community-intertwined with practical instructions on the nature of story, how it works and how we can practice it in our lives. The art of Storycatching invites us to spend time speaking and listening, writing and reading, enhancing the meaning in our lives. www.storycatcher.net

Standing at Water's Edge: Moving Past Fear, Blocks, and Pitfalls to Discover the Power of Creative Immersion (New World Library, 2008) By Anne Paris PhD. The author draws on her extensive experience working with artists to explore the personal fears that thwart creativity. Arguing that creative blocks and procrastinations are actually the artist's attempts at self-preservation when facing normal psychological issues inherent in the creative process, Dr. Paris suggests that success comes from understanding the deep hopes and fears that profoundly influence creative capacity. Throughout the book, she focuses on the most challenging part of creativity - having the courage to fully immerse one's self in the artistic state. Rather than presenting creative immersion as a lonely, solitary endeavor, Paris shows how crucial positive, supportive relationships with others are to the process. Her book also explores the important role that childhood experience plays in creativity and offers specific advice for psychologically navigating every aspect of a creative project. She also offers very practical tips for connecting deeply with creative pursuits. www.anneparis.com

20 Something Manifesto: Quarter Lifers Speak Out about Who They Are, What They Want, and How to Get It. (New World Library, 2008) By Christine Hassler. Surrounded by possibility but unsure of your direction? You're not alone. If you're in your twenties, you're likely feeling the combination of the excitement of this defining decade and the pressure to figure out your entire life. The thrill of newfound independence and opportunity can be quickly squelched by worry, disillusionment, or disappointment. Like thousands of other twenty somethings, you may have experienced what life coach and quarter-life expert Christine Hassler calls an "Expectation Hangover™. This manifesto explores the all-important questions and life choices of these turbulent yet exciting years. Twenty-somethings may commiserate about the challenges they face, but few resources offer practical lessons or suggestions. In these pages, quarter-life men and women tell their stories, sharing their successes and failures, along with their frustrations and realizations. The author's insightful commentary and "take away" suggestions provide the tools and skills you may find useful to create change and direction in your life. www.christinehassler.com

The Greatest Secret of All: Moving Beyond Abundance to a Life of True Fulfillment (New World Library, 2008) By Marc Allen. The wildly successful book, The Secret, taught people how to use the power of the mind to create wealth and success. Allen's new book goes one step further and reveals the most powerful secret of all: we can realize our greatest creative, emotional, and spiritual potential only when we learn to love and serve ourselves and others. Finding fulfillment, a sense of ease, and inner peace should truly be the most important goals of our life because they not only serve us, but also contribute to global peace and prosperity. Allen not only provides the clearest explanation of how the law of attraction works, but shows how we can use it to attain what brings us true happiness. www.marcallen.com, www.newworldlilbrary.com

Courage & Craft: Writing Life Into Your Story (New World Library, 2007) By Barbara Abercrombie. This book is for anyone who wants to write about her or his life, but wonders how to get started, how to keep going, and whether it is even worth it. It's about finding the courage to put your story down on paper no matter how sloppy or disjointed your first draft may be. It's also about crafting your story, shaping and editing into an essay, memoir, fictional story, or family history, In user-friendly language, Abercrombie helps writers determine the most effective genre for sharing their specific journey with the world. She describes how to keep a journal, craft a personal essay and write memoirs, poetry and fiction. In addition, she offers a nuts-and-bolts overview of each genre, exercises to keep the inner critic at bay, inspiration from writers who have been there, and practical advice for getting those words onto the page and into the world. www.newworldlibrary.com, www.barbaraabercrombie.com

On Their Own: Creating an Independent Future for Your Adult Child with Learning Disabilities and ADHD. A Family Guide (Newmarket Press, 2007) By Anne Ford with John-Richard Thomson. Drawing from her own personal experiences in raising her learning-disabled daughter (now age 34) and the numerous resources available to her as a leading Learning Disabilities advocate, Ford answers the questions which haunt parents of such children daily such as "Will my child ever be able to live on his or her own." In a candid, sympathetic style, with real-life stories, Ford covers such topics as: Social skills and dating, Sibling relationships, Job hunting and interactions with employees and co-workers, Finding the right college or trade school, and Estate planning. She devotes an entire chapter to the unique experiences of adults with learning disabilities in different familial and social relationships-including dating, marriage, parenting, and more. Ford also focuses on key transitions to adulthood such as college and employment. This is an extraordinarily useful book and is indispensable for families of adults with LD and ADHD. www.newmarketpress.com

Creativity for Life: Practical Advice on the Artist's Personality and Career from America's Foremost Creativity Coach. (New World Library, 2007) By Eric Maisel, PhD. Are you a writer, musician, artist, dancer, actor, or other creative person who struggles to find balance in your life while pursuing your artistic endeavors? Maisel's book can really help you. The potential challenges he explores include: deciding if you have talent-or if that's even important, determining your level of commitment, pursuing stardom-or not, honing your craft, over coming blocks, taking care of the business of your artistic life, finding your place in culture, coming out as an artist, finding love and friendship inside and outside of your artistic community, and using your art to explore your inner life. This book takes a comprehensive approach to this much-misunderstood life. www.newworldlibrary.com

The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to a Mindful Year By Jennifer Louden (New World Library, 2007) Louden's unique book tells us that traditional approaches to time management simply don't work for women because they don't fit their brains or lives. They emphasize linear thinking and compartmentalized days, which often doesn't work for women who hold many concerns in their awareness at the same time and whose lives are set up to be interrupted. The author's "Life Organizer" system blends the cutting edge findings of neurocardiology with ancient wisdom traditions to help women learn to access and apply their intuition throughout the day. Throwing aside utilitarian designs, Louden created a planner to help women connect with their innate feminine intuition and brought in what most planners leave out-true stories of women who have used her system to improve their lives and find their soul's purpose. www.newworldlibrary.com

This Year I Will…: How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True. By M.J. Ryan (Broadway Books, 2006) How often do you get inspired to lose weight, or get organized, or start saving, or stop worrying? And how often do you give up--frustrated after a few months of trying? Ryan's book offers breakthrough wisdom to help you make changes that stick. The secret? Most people think that there is only one way to lose weight, another way to get organized, and another way to save money. They don't realize that for all changes, there is one system that works best for each individual. This book helps you find your unique formula so you can use it over and over again. www.broadwaybooks.com