5 comments about Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness.

1. My main issue with this book is the diet recommended. She endorses eating food that's sustainable, and full of "good vibes", but then her whole menu is based on processed soy and psuedo-dairy/meat junk! Has anyone else ever looked at the ingredients in some of those things? Not to mention that conventionally grown soy is causing numerous environmental problems, as well as questionable health issues. I feel like these "pop-veganism" books are really not the best resource for sound information. If you're looking for some solid information about the benefits of a vegan/plant based diet, check out Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat to Live" or the "China Study," by T. Colin Campbell.
   I gave it 2 stars as opposed to one because there is some good information in here. As long as you only take it w/ a grain of salt. Or brown rice.



2. This is the best book I have read/listened (because I bought the Audio Book and she has a very soothing, compassionate voice) so far on the topic of body, mind and spiritual wellness. I first heard of Kathy Freston in one of the Oprah Soul Series web cast. The idea of leaning into a change strikes me. Small habitual changes physically, emotionally and spiritually are the source of making the quantum leap. What strikes me more is to learn that we are all in this Quantum Wellness continuum. We are here to make progress and not perfection.
   
   I have been on this "leaning into change" journey since May 2004 when I suffered depression. I wish I had this book as a guide to follow from the get go. Instead, I had therapists who used the Quantum Wellness/mindfulness approach to help me "detox" emotionally and spiritually.
   
   In essence, this book summarized my journey of how I mixed my therapeutic soup in the journey of healing. My road to recovery was no easy journey for the first two years. There were much of the auto-pilot self defeating, judgmental thoughts I had to overcome due to my own perfectionist attitude towards myself. However, Kathy Freston suggested journaling as a way to learn and realize our own judgmental thoughts towards ourselves, others, the society and even to God/the Unvierse. Journaling was so powerful in my experience. I had two sets of journals. One journal I literally brought fear-based thinking to light talking to my higher self in my own journal. That was how I felt the first time I am actually a worthy, decent person and it was my first time experiencing compassion towards myself. My second set of journal is plainly for venting and then I threw it in the garbage symbolizing my intention to let go of the toxic thoughts
   
   Kathy Freston talked about how when we mix our therapeutic soup, it has to be multi-dimensional (physical, emotional and spiritual). This is very true in my experience! While I was working through my emotion, my fear-based thinking, I added a series of kickboxing classes considering I had been a coach potato with poor coordination in my "prior life". It helped me worked through the anger I have towards myself and the individuals close to me.
   
   Meditation and visualization eventually called onto my name once I am free from the emotional, fear based thinking. I sometimes still slip in the meditation arena (occasionally, I just couldn't sit), I have learned to become more aware of my breathing, my state of wellness more than ever. I also realize when one sets the intention to "lean into" change without us trying to make a detail plan on how change is supposed to unfold, the most beautiful thing comes to us like how Kathy Freston described. I started the meditation journey around 2 years ago. With the help of Eckhart Tolle and Jon Kabit Zinn's CDs, I find so much serenity and peace inside me no matter how crazy my life situation seems to be. Again, Kathy Freston was right on about leaning into change and set the intention.
   
   I first encountered animal rights out of a blue when somebody posted a [...] link on our company's classified post. When I saw the brutal torture of animals in PETA's web site, I set my intention to lower my meat consumption and stop buying animal products/products tested by animals. Kathy Freston again is right that when we are making progress refusing to be the participant of animal cruelty, we feel stable and fulfilled inside us. I am still having trouble letting go of the existing animal products I have (yes, shoes and existing wool sweaters particularly!) as well as certain animal by-products such as eggs and cheese. However, I find myself stop buying much of them. If you are a vegan/vegetarian and have encountered attacks and criticism from unconscious meat eaters, I think Kathy's messages in this book will help you make strong, valid points on why you choose such journey to others.
   
   Long story short, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make some changes in their lives to find a deeper, happier self. My story is the evidence that leaning into change does make a quantum leap. Kathy Freston's Quantum Wellness book is a complete road map to physical, emotional and spiritual wellness. Thank you for reading.



3. ...she beats a dead horse (brutal pun not intended) with the endless talk of animal cruelty. A short chapter would have delivered the message across effectively while still making people VERY conscious of the importance of eating with compassion.
   
   Her focus on the brutuality seems like a grim obsession, rather then educational. It takes away from the spritual side of Quantum Living. Instilling guilt and fear in your readers seems to be an oxy-moron
   
   Too bad, otherwise, a book that will change your life for the better.



4. Kathy Freston's book is a great and easy read. One of the chapters that caught my attention was titled "Be the Change". Here, she gently guides us to discover our personal and worldly aims and connect with our purpose. In doing so, she shows how we can make a difference while realizing our full potential and being satisfied and fulfilled. This chapter reminded me of two of my favorite authors, Ariel and Shya Kane and their book: Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Can Instantaneously Transform Your Life Their work transformed my life: I experience being in the present moment. I find myself being creative and productive without really trying as well as seeing that I make a difference in my environment.
   
   If you are ready to discover magic in your life, day in and day out,regardless of the circumstances, I highly recommend both books.



5. I loved this book! I have always tried to eat healthy and when I read this book it was the push that I needed to go all the way. I have lent it out to several people and have now read it twice. Buy it you wont be sorry.

5 comments about Will the Circle Be Unbroken?: Reflections on Death, Rebirth, and Hunger for a Faith (Ballantine Reader's Circle).

1. This book is a frank discussion of the subject that nobody wants to discuss: death. We all know it is coming, yet absolutely nobody knows what it will be like. We all have our ideas, based on our religion, our life experiences, our general outlook on life. That is what this book chronicles. Since nobody really knows for sure, the best way to face death is to gather as many opinions as possible. Studs Turkle does that for us in this book, gathering personal reflections from a vast diversity of people (including himself) covering the whole spectrum. When my wife almost died at 33 years old a few years ago, I was forced into thinking about death and what lies beyond a little sooner than I had hoped. This book helped me understand that death is not something you can control, so you might as well accept the inevitability and live you life the best you can. Some of the stories resonated deeply with me, while others I honestly skipped over, but I am sure there is something here that speaks to almost everyone.



2. This book consists of a series of chapters that are each an interview with a person about their beliefs surrounding death. A wide range of people from different: religions, no religion, ethnicities, cultures, and occupations. The author does not try to impose his own views, but simply allows the people who are being interviewed to express theirs. One of the most moving books I've ever read. You will probably want to keep a box of kleenex close by. It will definitely make you reflect upon your own life and those close to you.



3. Stud's Terkel is one of my favorite narative authors. This work is yet another masterpiece by the master himself. The views of different people on death, life, faith, etc. is intriguing and enlightening. It is good to know that the population still has soul in one form or another. Will the Circle Be Unbroken?: Reflections on Death, Rebirth, and Hunger for a Faith (Ballantine Reader's Circle)



4. I normally read quick paperbacks you can finish at the beach...but I picked this up after my father died. I didn't feel like calling an entourage of friends; I just wanted to hear from someone who understood. This book fulfilled the job of whatever therapy I needed...and more. Many of the stories have stayed with me and opened me up to a new level of empathy. I always thought undertakers were a little creepy. But I was very moved when I read about the guy who took such pride in his work, trying to make the people look as they did in life. It meant so much when the families said their loved ones looked like they had remembered.. The first story reminded me of my own innocence when the little boy asked the hippie in the park why he was crying when his mother died because she was so old. I was relieved when my mom told me as a little girl that she would be so old when she died I wouldn't care...it wasn't true, but it took away my anxiety. And who couldn't draw on the strength of Emmet Till's mother as she buried her son? Studs Terkel has a wonderful way of allowing you to share in the meaningful experiences of others. I guess that's what people are seeking when they flip channels from one reality show to the next, but with his oral histories, you get the real thing...no put-ons. I am on to my third book by him and he has become one of my favorite authors.



5. This book is very different from any I have ever encountered. I believe it is extremely well-conceived. Terkel's concept of interviewing people on a specific subject, in this case the very important human issues of faith in God and perception of death, has been very enriching to me.

5 comments about Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live.

1. Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Liveis a life changing book. Beck's examples are all ones we can relate to no matter where we are in life.



2. I see myself and just about everyone I know in this book. It is a good read, interesting, insightful and has a lot of exercises to help understand what's going on in your life and how you can change the things that feel wrong. Martha Beck is just plain wonderful!



3. Book in good shape, but so many underlined passages and the underlines distract from my enjoyment of reading the book. I underline my books that I do not intend to sell. I wish I'd known the book I chose to purchase had so many underlined passages. I would have bought another one.



4. This book offered me so much insight based off of the examination of my own life. There are workbook sections that help you pinpoint exactly where you are off your path. It helps identify the resistance and blockages in your life and it then leads you to discover exactly what you are here to do. There is a formula that Martha Beck uses as she is extremely talented as a life coach. She works from the soul and she will offer you tools and techniques to guide you to work from yours.
   
   I think this is an essential part of realizing your potential and living a peaceful life. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a life's journey full of passion, enthusiasm and, ultimately, triumph. Martha Beck's lessons will inspire you to reach for the stars. Good luck.



5. This is one of the best books I've read all year. It confirms I'm on the right path, but more than that, it's a great guide that I give to all of my life/career coaching clients. I highly recommend it to anyone who feels they're on the wrong path in life and needs to figure out who they really are!
   
   Malcolm O. Munro
   The Career Fitness Coach[..]

5 comments about You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder.

1. If you have recently been told that your ability to organize and process information is severely impaired by ADHD then you should NOT attempt to read this book.
   
   The formal features of Kelly and Ramundo's work make it obvious that the publishers did not take any cues from their writers about how to help ADHD readers with learning disabilities cope in an intimidating world of words!
   
   The book is impossible to access because: A) Small comic like font B) Letters too close together, C) Sentences with a narrow space between sentences, D) Dark stark letters against a bright white page, E) Topics that go on forever without new information, F) Organization difficult to track.
   
   In short, I'm surprised that more readers have not discussed the sensory overload they must have experienced when trying to literally TACKLE this book. Even after medication and skill based therapies, I still cannot get past a few pages before I begin skimming and skipping. A phenomena that no longer presents a problem for me with more difficult reading.
   
   I think buyers are attracted to the sentiments expressed in the title but surely, may find it daunting to complete. The editors must re-think their approach. Other books are much more accessible and succinct.



2. This book is great. I now realize what my problem was when I was younger. Everything is finally making sense. It is a great book for people that have ADD people as friends, family and partners to learn what the life is like for a person dealing with ADD.
   Really glad I purchased the book. You should too.



3. I bought this book because I'm always looking for solutions to the problem, not just diagnosis of the problem. This is a very practical, pragmatic, reality based book. With every issues mentioned for ADD, the author gives ways to address it to help the one dealing with ADD. I learned things I did not know, such as the issues dealing with time/space and why this occurs. This is a must read for anyone with ADD or who lives in the same house with an ADD member. Tons of information - once you begin to read, you can't put it down.



4. This book was given to me a s a gift from my ex-wife as a gift when I got re-married. She said it would help me keep this one, and she was right! I've sonce re-purchased the book many times to help friends with adult A.D.D. learn to survive and turn this misunderstood disorder into a strength, if not at least teaching them to live and work well with others.



5. You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?! is an all right book for anyone wishing to learn how to deal with AADD or even find out if they do have one, but I could have found out the same by reading some pamphlet from the doctor's office and saved myself the time. Somehow, I think the book is too fluffy, circular, and long-winded, and it almost keeps going back to the old saying, "Seek mental therapy." Yeah, but mental therapy isn't for everyone, and sometimes, it doesn't help. I discovered the anecdotes/vignettes offered by the book to be confusing and jumping in a back-and-forth mode since I was asking myself, "Are we talking about the same person or a different person? Or are we talking about you as the author having this experience?" Apart from that, the seeing-the-positive-side didn't work effectively well enough, and then the authors go back to the same cycle in the following chapters. From time to time, they put the episodes and/or examples well enough into words. Chapter 13 of the book touching on organization is a total waste of time and too excessive that I mostly skipped it. There are many parts of You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?! that are also meandering that I kept being tempted to skimp through. When the authors introduced the drugs, they seem to be saying, "Yes, you should be on drugs. I think you should take this one and with this much of dose." Pretty dangerous, I must say, coming from the two who aren't even M.D.s. All in all, You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?! is not a great book yet not too horrible. It just doesn't help but rather points out the symptoms just like how any ordinary AADD pamphlet would do. Another thing I found the book disappointing is the unclear demarcation between AADD and other disorders such as autism and Asperger's. Pretty much the bottom line of the disorder, as the book says, is that you need to get professional help. If that's the case, why buy the book in the first place? Exactly. I am very reluctant in recommending the book to anyone else who might be suffering the same thing.

5 comments about ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life.

1. This book addresses the challenges that adults with ADD face every single Day. There is a section in each chapter called: Is this your history? It is if you:
   1. Find that forgetfulness and lack of planning add to your daily stress;
   2. Resort to making an impulsive decision just to get it over with;
   3. Allow people or circumstances decide for you;
   4. Let escape activities interfere with your responsibilities;
   5. Tend to hyperfocus and lose track of time;
   6. Live in crises, reacting to circumstances;
   7. Thinks that everything is a "A" in your priority list;
   8. Rarely step back to consider what really matters;
   9. Have difficult to remember and follow future tasks;
   10. Has a cluttered house, bedroom, or office.
   You will find yourself in the stories related in this book and will find solutions for your problems. I did not give five stars because I do not agree with some "Level Three Solutions-Help from Professionals", but the book is good.



2. This book is a gift to adults with ADD. I have only read 2 chapters and it has already made a big difference in my life. As I read, I recognize myself on each page and then I get suggestions on how to better cope with different issues and situations.If nothing else, this book has given me hope. I strongly recommend it to any adult with ADD. It is a great tool.



3. I have read probably half-a-dozen organizing books, and this one has the most readable, usable format of any I've seen. Let's face it, many of the people who have trouble with organizing have elements of ADD, if not full-blown, diagnosed ADD. This book offers lots of suggestions on ways to look at and tackle organizing tasks, and while organizing will always be a challenge for some of us, the tools offered will make it more accessible. One thing that I wish was covered in more depth is the tendency to hoard.



4. Most of these books for women with AD/HD is written for who has family and children.I understand they need to write,but article is no use.
   This book is different.this book taught me how to deal with every panic I may have,
   Worthlessness,comfusion,and strong desire to want to know what affect me like this.
   This place..Tokyo is very diffrent from US.I am living small apartment(one of friend said"like a collage doom")
   and we don't have many helping person."Professional organizer"is just a dream.with many non-fit information,this book is so useful,espesially how to deal with situation.
   And I've read many books.I can say this works for me and you,and this book is rather thick,but see,"a Japanese can read".Written in easy-to read English.



5. ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life
   
   There are so many books on organization, and ever the optimist, I have bought a lot of them with the wide-eyed belief that that particular book would be the magic bullet to transform my clutter and piles of paper into the minimalist I know I am deep inside. And of all the books I have bought on organization, I think this one is the best because it is so specific to the organization and time-keeping challenges so many of us ADDers face every day. I found my habits and behavior described to a "T" on almost every page which made me feel more like a valued member of the club than depressed and overwhelmed. But most important, the authors offer specific ideas that address our special way of thinking and doing things. I use it as an ongoing reference book and wake-up call, especially when I'm looking to improve some area of my life. In fact, there is an excellent reference section in the back of the book that lists ADD organizations, professional organizers and more. I recommend this book be part of every ADDer's library.

No comments about The Bedside Baccalaureate: A Handy Daily Cerebral Primer to Fill in the Gaps, Refresh Your Knowledge & Impress Yourself & Other Intellectuals.

5 comments about Ride 'Em Cowgirl! Sex Position Secrets For Better Bucking.

1. Even if you're sexually skillful, you can stand to learn more illustrative and explanatory sexual contact.



2. I loved this book and really got a kick out of it. It's full of all kinds of different positions and ideas, and is written in a fun, friendly, informative manner. It's a good one to look through by yourself or with a partner and the author's writing style makes this possible. The content addresses straight couples but so long as you have an imagination and/or the ability to change out "him" with "her", this is a decent source of knowledge for any couple combination. I would highly recommend this book.



3. This is a great little book to have. Easy to read and easy to follow. I love the way things are split between those things just for "Cowgirls," just for "Cowboys," or things to be read as a couple. The diagrams are great too. Definitely a must have.



4. This book is right up to par with the rest of her collection. I most certainly was not disappointed. Find this book filled with thought-provoking positions, well explained with simple terms and illustrations.



5. One of the marks of a great book of this type is that you want to come back to it over and over, both for new ideas and for "inspiration." This book definitely delivers, with great drawings and wide variety of suggestions and side-topics for both men and women, all presented in a light-hearted, sexy style. Just paging through the book will get you wanting to try what you see!

5 comments about Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

1. If you are looking for a fresh start- I would recommend the practices in this book. I would also recommend books by ANTHONY STULTZ and EZRA BAYDA for the foundations of this wonderful new approach to freedom from unhealthy thoughts and feelings.



2. Yes, it has been said before, by various awakened sages, especially the Buddhists; and several modern Buddhists authors have also said it very well (Pema Chodron, Joko Beck, Jack Kornfield--"After the Ecstasy, the Laundry").
   
   Even so, I enjoyed hearing the practical message again (Be willing to feel what you feel when you feel it, without avoidance or clinging). The explanations in the book are helpful and the exercises are useful.
   
   I can recommend this book to anyone who has struggled to make unwanted feelings go away. It's a huge relief to lay down your weapons and walk away from the battlefield.



3. A truly magnificent work. Unlike many of the traditional McTherapy books that I wasted my money on, this book actually worked. It has transformed my life in ways that I cannot even begin to appreciate.



4. To the author's credit, these are very powerful ideas that, as I know first hand, can have a VERY powerful psychological healing effect.
   
   To his discredit, he totally ripped them off from a book called Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Claire Weekes. Now he's the founder of a "new school" of therapy. Please. He should grow a pair and credit his source.
   
   Five stars for the fact that the ideas are good. Minus three for intellectual grand larceny.



5. This is a great book for helping you get your life back on tract. It's a step by step way of getting to know yourself, and what you think is important in your life. A program that leads you to setting up goals (values). It shows you how to deal with the sticking points that have stopped you living your values and reaching those goals. This book would work quit well with a therapist too. I really cannot simply say enough about the simplicity of grasping the approach and making it work. Best Wishes...... Vern

5 comments about Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones.

1. Many reviewers used the term "right on the money" Interesting choice of words in that it will take LOTS of money to participate in Bioidentical Hormone Therapy. It does work, no question about it, however please know MOST insurance companies do not recognize a BodyLogic doctor, the lab work, OR the hormones. This can be VERY costly indeed. .Now, back to the book AGELESS. It does have some good advice - balanced for the most part and offers much hope to women who cannot get their menopause and post-menopause symptoms under control.



2. I have been using the Bio-Identical Hormones to control my menopausal symptoms for 6 months now. I was not aware that Suzanne had written so many books or was so knowledgeable on the subject when I first started. I read "Sexy Years" first, and re-read it again a month later. "Ageless" keeps on going in the same format with quite a few chapters being interviews with various doctors who support bio-identical or are studying health for the aging.
   
   I plan to follow Suzanne's hormone recommendations for the rest of my life!! I feel absolutely great, my joints aren't aching any more, I feel youger (I'm 46 now), and I feel that I have my "sexiness" back as I level my hormones out to what they used to be when I was younger.
   
   Thank you Suzanne for bringing much-needed information to the women "of a certain age"! Now we too can be "ageless"!!



3. This book is an excellent source of information for women interested in improving their health and well being through natural, bio-identical hormones. I've followed the regimen proscribed for over a month and see a tremendous difference in how I feel. I strongly recommend this book before undertaking a program of nutritional supplements for women over 50.



4. I wish I'd known aout this book years ago.
   This is the first I've heard of Bioidentical Hormone replacement.
   I think every woman should read this book, or at least research bioidentical hormone replacemtnt.
   Thank you Suzanne Somers!!
   Liz Epps
   Madison, AL



5. this book has good bkgrd info on these health issues for men as well as women and good interviews with docs.
   the info about various degrees of hormone replacement therapy is made understandable to ordinary folk like myself.

5 comments about The Vision Board: The Secret to an Extraordinary Life.

1. This book is beautiful. I was really impressed at the quality of the vision boards included in the book. And, the stories behind the boards are truly inspiring. Joyce Schwarz did an excellent job guiding readers to create their own boards. The chapters offer all kinds of insight and tips into how to create your perfect life by pulling together a few images.
   
   The Vision Board will make a great holiday gift for anyone who wishes to be inspired.



2. I was fortunate to learn early in life the simple power of writing down what I wanted in life. The act of putting to paper the desires of my heart always seemed to prepare me to receive. In "The Vision Board" Joyce Schwarz takes this concept a quantum leap forward to a more profound and powerful level. And, while I gained insights and inspiration from the many featured examples I keep coming back again and again to Jennifer Haught's image on page 157. I am sure all will find inspiration there.



3. As an educator, writer, lover, artist & social activist, I truly appreciated the genius of The Vision Board: The Secret to an Extraordinary Life (Harper Collins, 2008) by Joyce Schwarz. What is most telling about my experience with the book is how successful it was in my classroom. I took what I learned from The Vision Board and incorporated it into a lesson for a graduate school course that I taught earlier this November. The result was eye-opening: not only did my class of graduate students make their own vision boards and intelligently discuss them, but one of my colleagues went on to teach a lesson on vision boards in her own high school classroom. The theory behind The Vision Board is simple yet brilliant: if you can actually see your goals, dreams, aspirations, visions, manifested through images and words right before your own eyes then you will be more likely to achieve them. Joyce Schwarz presents the magic behind vision boards in a dynamic and inspiring way--I was left with a renewed sense of hope for my future and an eagerness to see my aspirations manifested in my own vision board. I promptly created a poster-sized vision board that revealed desires I had scarcely admitted to myself. When my vision board was complete I saw that I had constructed a vision filled with love, health, poetry, art, nature, spirituality, community, optimism, creativity, ambition, color, wealth, and compassion. I realized that the vision statement carpe diem (seize the day) succinctly embodied the way I want to live my life. If I were a marketer for The Vision Board, I would certainly market the book to other educators; the book is a perfect resource for both higher education and primary school.



4. Devoured this fabulous book in one evening. Lots of inspirational tidbits in getting to the heart of a vision board. More than an inspiration board, the vision board goes deeper with food for thought in getting started!
   Loved it!
   Law of attraction at best. Feel it, believe it, see it! This book will get you on track!



5. There is a fantastic feeling that you only get when a power greater than yourself, the universe, God, gives you a gift. A life affirming gift. One that ignites every essence of your being and has your blood pumping and heart throbbing. You find yourself saying, Oh I didn't know it could be this intense, amazing, or I could never have imagined something of this magnitude yet with such detail! The timing is beyond human construction. I am here on this planet at this time, lucky enough to experience this.... Then true humility in all it's beauty shrinks you to a speck in the DNA chain of this Divine Nature. The enormous, loving, gift giving, universe, made up of all that is... and there you are, feeling your own presence as a special part of it..... That is the present moment swallowing you whole! That is the enormous enveloping love that you experience when the moment puts you in it's center. I asked for this feeling and got it from using Vision Boards. Images and expression are the language of the universe and that is the language you will learn from reading The Vision Board; The Secret to An Extraordinary Life by Joyce Schwarz. You put your dreams up for the universe to see and then laugh and celebrate as those dreams are far exceeded. Have fun and a Vision Board is the best way to have a Happy New Year!