The Secret

if you are ready to wake up but don't have time to sit and read then it is highly recommended to get this cd. The enthusiasm of all the participants is engaging

The dawning of the Age of Mindfulness

Eckhart writes in a very down to earth way that has a sound philosophical base. He is presenting the essential Buddhist concepts of sunnata (space consciousness) and mindfulness (sati) as the present-centered awareness that allows us to transcend object-consciousness and become the living reality of Buddha mind (bodhicitta). But the way he presents these often dry concepts is so engaging!<br />To read more about mindfulness and mindfulness meditation, I suggest you read:<br />The Path of Mindfulness Meditation: Finding Balance in the Midst of Chaos: The Application of Mindfulness and Vipassana Meditation for Personal Transf

Amazing concepts

I didn't quite enjoy the first 100 pages of the book. I was really interested in reading RD's views on God and the first 100 pages were just refuting others' rationale for existence of God. <br /><br />However, when he started his own arguments for why God doesn't exist and even more interestingly, why religion is so prevalent in all socieities, I couldn't put the book down. I didn't agree with all of logic 100%. For example, the argument that God doesn't exist because it's highly improbably statistically. Humans existence, as he mentions, is highly improbable but we still do exist. <br /><br />My favourite parts were <br /><br />1. Rationale for religion's existence as a by product of evolution, <br />2. The explanation for why religion is so wide spread<br />3. How we would be moral with or without religion<br /><br />The dangers of religion was particularly eye opening for me.

Excellent Read

I bought this book before going to see Sally live. Its a fascinating story about her

Original and encouraging

I heard Lucy Winkett preach earlier this year and looked on amazon to see whether she had published anything, hence this purchase. The book arrived at my office yesterday and I finished it this morning. This is a beautifully constructed and compelling essay, parts of which would be easily understood by a thinking child, and I can think of no higher praise. The points about the power of sound to unite or separate were simply expressed and illustrated with rich, but accessible, examples. Lucy Winkett also brilliantly illuminates the meaning of silence in our lives. Finally, I would mention her understanding of grief, which is profound. There is comfort, encouragement, and the stimulating power of some very original thought here. Highly recommended for anyone, whatever their faith.

Healing Spirits by Sally Morgan

This book was amazing, myself and my friend got a lot of comfort from it.

Excellent book

I've read a lot of books on meditation, this one answers all those nagging questions brilliantly.

An idea taken way too far

I worked with this book several years ago. I started out feeling very positive and hopeful, but after several weeks of doing the affirmations the condition I was attempting to treat was not getting better. Realising this I began to feel despair, but as the whole premise of the book is we cause all our illnesses by our negative thoughts, I also began to be afraid that my"negative" feelings were making my condition worse. I then began to feel afraid that this very fear was also making it worse. So I then tried to stop all these feelings, and after a while realised that I was losing touch with myself and my true feelings. I also realised that I was getting into a vicious circle, and threw the book out. To this day if I read a typical self help-style affirmation I can feel my anxiety levels rising with the memory of this experience. It's a good thing my condition was not life-threatening, if it had been I think I would have become very frightened.<br /><br />I did eventually find a resolution, and the cause was definately physical (though not diagnosed by mainstream doctors, a frustration that caused me to turn to the book in the first place). I do now believe that most diseases have a physical cause, and whether a person succomes is a combination of genes, lifestyle, external events and luck. While it could be true that positive people tend to have better health, you could put this down to them looking after themselves better physically and being less stressed. But it's no guarantee - unfair things happen, bad things happen to good people and the nicest people get cancer. And it's not their"fault", their thoughts did not cause it, it's just how it sometimes is. Saying otherwise is just going to cause unnecessary guilt and self-blame.<br /><br />I think the author's philosophy can lead to unhealthy repression. While I do think it's better to have a positive outlook on life and to try to put a positive spin on life's difficulties rather than to be bitter and resentful, and positive people are much nicer to be around and will attract more love, friendship and happiness, if someone believes that any"negative" thought will bring on terminal illness or other dire calamity, then they will, out of fear, deny themselves their true, authentic and appropriate responses to genuinely stressful or distressing events. Sometimes feelings of distress, fear, sadness, grief, anger are valid responses and need to be experienced and worked through. Feeling you are"not allowed" to have these feelings because something else bad might happen can't be good for the healing process, psychologically or physically.<br /><br />One very alarming thing in this book is that because the author's own cancer naturally regressed, she seems to be advising people not to go through medical treatment themselves, and simply focus on her affirmations instead. This is highly irresponsible advice. <br /><br />So in conclusion while positive thinking has it's merits up to a point, the idea that your thoughts cause every illness (and every other thing that happens to you) is total rubbish. If you become ill then seek treatment, and if the docters can't help then seek your own answers (by doing your own research, or in alternative therapies perhaps), but avoid this book.

Scholarly, accessible, never a dull moment

Diarmaid MacCulloch's book is a huge achievement: a blockbuster which doesn't compromise on scholarship but succeeds in being accessible to non-specialist readers. Like the TV series which he has fronted, the writing is alive and sparky.<br /> The 1000-odd pages cover every aspect of Christianity, from the beginnings in Palestine to today's global religion. MacCulloch is especially innovative when he describes Eastern Christianity, from present-day Iraq to far-flung China. One of the best of his TV series sees him introducing us to the Ta Qin Christian monastery, near Xian dating back to the seventh century. <br />We also understand more about the enduring arguments which are still a feature of 21st century Christianity. The doctrine of the Trinity is especially baffling for non-specialists. MacCulloch lucidly shows that they were arguing about how Christ could be human and divine. That argument continues. The"faith versus works" dispute linked St Augustine of Hippo with Martin Luther. Pentecostalism obstinately spreads its message globally in the 20th and 21st century in spite of Paul of Tarsus's disapproval of"speaking in tongues".<br />The author's voice is quiet and donnish and occasionally puckish. A Roman Catholic might say that he goes too far in criticising pushy Popes in the 19th century. Some protestant evangelicals might argue that he gives too little space to revivalism in North America in the 20th century, especially the omission of any mention Billy Graham, whose mainstream evangelical campaigns reached more people than any other preacher in world history. But overall, this is a scholarly and balanced account of the most successful religious movement in history.<br />

Not Credible

I did not find this book in any way credible. My opinion would be that the author is either making up stories or is totally delusional. (I might be wrong.) I am amazed this book ever found a publisher. That is being polite. The truth is I found it the biggest load of twaddle I have ever read.

Great way to start the day!

I like to read the daily pages as soon as I get out of bed. I find it a good way to start the day. Each page is an inspiration and the message is meaningful.

We cannot control the world, but we can control our reactions to it.

A month after I first read this book, someone asked me"What ambitions do you have at the moment?" I replied straight away"To be in a good mood every day!"<br />"Surely that's impossible." They said. <br />Well actually, maybe not, if you read this book. By picking it up, turning it in your hands, perhaps quickly scanning the back cover, you could have no idea of the huge amount of valuable help and advise that is contained between the covers. I read this book at a time when I was stressed up and burnt out. Some days I'd be driving someplace and simply forget where the hell I was even going or what I was doing. <br />I was losing it. <br />The wife and me took a two-week holiday and I took"Change your life in 7 days" with me. Quite simply it changed the way I perceived every single thing in my life and surely the same must go for anybody who's read it. I returned from holiday not only refreshed, but ready for anything! Chapter by chapter, Paul takes you through a series of exercises (and some very insightful information about NLP and the human mind), which will help and improve pretty much any aspect of your life. The idea being that we have to live with ourselves 24/7 and if you can spend all your time feeling good then nothing is impossible to achieve. Techniques like"The negativity fast" and"The inner smile" are incredibly useful, as long as you take it seriously and believe in positive thinking. <br />A year later, most days I still listen to the cd which comes with the book and use many of the techniques to combat any fears, worries, bad feelings, confidence lapses and even injuries I might find myself coming up against. Personally though, I did find it difficult to read it in the prescribed seven days - I took ten I think. But it still had a truly awesome effect on my life. I've been an avid fan of self-help books for many years and where many of them talk about"motivating yourself" and"looking at things from a different point of view", this really is the first book I've read that actually teaches you how to do those things, in a very well constructed format. So if you like the idea of feeling happy, confident and motivated every day when pull off your drive and into the world, buy this book and read it. Then read it again... <br />

A really excellent book

This book is serious with a great deal of research, and always clearly and fluently written. For me personally, it's been a very useful book in explaining experiences I've often had but not felt comfortable talking about with others. It's sometimes like a catalogue of different types of awakening experiences - which is why it sometimes seems a little academic - but it's extremely illuminating, and inspiring. It really explains some unusual aspects of human experience, and as such throws light into the dark areas of the human psyche. I think eventually the author will be known as a kind of 'cartographer' of the human mind in the same way that Jung or Freud were, or Ken Wilber is.

Read it NOW!

<br />It is as simple as this - just read this book. I am not a great reader but have just re-read. At the least it will point you in the direction of peace in this life; but it is all within you.

No self-platitudes: simply raw

CS Lewis looks death into the face; he does not flinch and does not console himself with platitudes. He had lost the love of his life and his pain is palpable to the reader. This is a raw and honest book but it is not at all depressing: At the end of the book, Lewis begins to recover: his wish is simply that, on his own death bed, his lover will come back to him and give him the consolation of seeing her face again.

How to Hear Your Angels

This book was very enlightening and a pleasure to read. I would recommend to others.

Interesting!

It was an interesting book, easy to read. Being already into the skills of happiness I learnt just few new things. It is nice to have a recap about things.<br />For beginner in this kind of field, I think it is a very interesting book. For the senior it is going to empaphize on the things you already know, and add some tips to your actual knowledge.<br />Ingrid

Interesting

This is a good how-to book on how to meditate. A clear explanation on what to do is given; how to sit; how to deal with problems and the like.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I found the explanation of what mindfulness is a bit mystifying. I didn't quite understand what it is and what's so good about it.<br /><br />I am now reading The Mindful Way through Depression, and I'm finding it a lot more clear in this respect.

The best of the bunch so far

This, along with the Dennett book 'Breaking the Spell', represents the peak of the recent plethora of atheist books. This is hardly suprising, as Hitchens is a very fine writer, dismissing key arguments for theism with a light, rapier wit, but backing it up with deep knowledge and profound logic.<br /><br />The chapter on how Islam is a second hand religion (in more ways than one) is particularly enjoyable.<br /><br />Read this; read the Dennett book. you will not be disappointed.