5 comments about A Practical Guide to the Runes: Their Uses in Divination and Magic (Llewellyn's New Age).

1. This book has a fairly decent (but short) description of the divinatory meanings of the runes, with some brief sections on their magical uses. One thing that bothers me is her inclusion of the blank rune, which is clearly a relatively modern addition which *some* prefer to use, but which most historical purists reject. That said, I still reference it when I want a fairly quick reading, because she does have a decent amount of insight on the modern implications of rune castings - especially when it comes to elaborating on certain runes appearing in combination with others.



2. This interpretation just didn't do it for me. The interpretations of each rune felt inconsistant, more like a compilation of other people's interpretations. This is not to say that another person wouldn't find just what they need in this book. It just didn't click with me.



3. This is a great simple pocket-guide to the Runes.This paperback is an excellent primer for all new Rune students,as i once was.So,if you're a more serious divination student,you will quickly move on from the basics presented here.The next forward step would be ,"The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Runes",by Sirona Knight and later the Thorsson series.The"Blank Rune Debate" is a difficult one to side with.There are the faithful Rune Traditionalists and also the creative New-Age Runestres among us.This book is still a good one.You also might read,"Gods and Myths of the Viking Age",by H.R. Ellis Davidson,for an excellent look at who created the Edda Prose and the lasting Runic gift of heathen communion with Nature.-Enjoy!



4. This is fairly typical of the inexpensive mass-market New-Age manuals available. It may be a handy booklet on divination, but it has little connection to the historical runes. It could just as well substitute any set of symbols and do the same job.
   
   Anyone following the Northern Traditions will be disappointed, perhaps even offended. The author follows Blum's lead in creating a superficial divination system complete with the spurious "blank rune". She adds a little influence from other New-Age rune writers, but makes no effort to access the wealth of interesting and powerful historical information that can be found in a university library, or even on the Internet these days. The 3 main rune references she cites are Blum, Fitch, & Conway, need I say more?
   
   Some may find the book handy for its techniques, but if you want useful information on runes, you will need to look elsewhere.



5. this is one of the best explanation of the runes i have found so far...I have enjoyed this book greatly and often refer back to it.

1 comments about Awakenings: Asian Wisdom for Every Day.

1. "Awakenings" is the fifth installment of the "Offerings for Humanity" series from this husband and wife team of photographers that creates these beautiful books. The wonderful photos are taken in settings such as villages in Laos, temples in Korea, and gardens in Japan. Along with the wise words of people like Confucius and Thich Nhat Hanh, this book is a treasure of beauty and wisdom.
   
   I have all the books in the series, and can't recommend them highly enough. Amazon often has people selling these books at very reasonable prices, so I've been able to give away copies as gifts. It's fun to be able to share some beauty of the world with others.
   
   "You cannot prevent the bird of sorrow from flying over your head,
   but you can prevent it from nesting in your hair." - Chinese proverb

No comments about The Revelation of Oneness: Dialogues on Nonduality and Spiritual Awakening.

4 comments about As a Man Thinketh.

1. I highly recommend this Audio book narrated by Charley Steiner. I have friends and collegues with this audio book narrated by other people who say Charley Steiner's narration is by far the best.



2. This is an amazing work and I've never come across anything quite like it. The elegant prose is beautiful and the messages of inspiration and example are extremely powerful and thought provoking.
   
   I found myself going over certain parts again and again, not because they were difficult or confusing, but because the messages were so profound that I wanted to linger on them for a time before moving on. Truly a classic work in the field of personal development, this is a "must have" addition to you success library.
   
   In the spirit of full disclosure, I should say that I am a speaker, trainer, and author of another unique and highly valuable learning tool that can also be found here on Amazon: The WealthLoop Series Beginner's Guide to Personal Wealth Creation (Combo Audio/Data CD): Audio Seminar With Downloadable 40-Page Action Manual and Active Link Library. It is a straight-forward discussion of the art and science of personal wealth creation and should be considered by anyone serious about wanting to learn more about the right way to get started on the road to personal wealth creation and financial freedom!
   
   Other "WealthLoop Series" tools of worth looking into include:
   
   The WealthLoop Series Beginner's Guide to Building Wealth Buying Houses: The Foolproof Roadmap to Real Estate Riches Without the Risks and Hassles of Landlording
   
   and
   
   The WealthLoop Series Beginner's Guide to Building Wealth Buying Houses (Combo Audio/Data CD): Author's Audio Commentary Plus Downloadable 32-page Marketing Manual, Checklists, Spreadsheets, and Forms.



3. What an awakening! One of the most valuable knowledge for inner transformation. We are what we think! James Allen is a Heavenly Intellectual. His deep understanding and meditation into the mental and spiritual realm is a true work of art! Reading this book is like receiving food from Heaven. What a true blessing it is for me to discover this gem! Thank you James Allen!! Your spirit lives on......



4. This CD was interesting and had a good approach to personal responsibility; something that is sorely lacking in modern society.

5 comments about Bedtime Stories: A Unique Guided Relaxation Program for Falling Asleep and Entering the World of Dreams.

1. I have a terrible insomnia issue at times. Clarissa has such a soothing, beautiful voice, you can't help but be relaxed listening to her. The first time I listened, I was so interested in the stories, I didn't want to fall asleep and miss the endings! But, after the first time, it was very easy to fall asleep to her soothing voice. Excellent cd for fellow-insomniacs!



2. Soothing bedtime stories - what a great idea! I was looking forward to listening to this CD, especially considering all the great reviews. Unfortunately, I found most of the tracks are Dr. Estes *talking about* stories rather than telling stories. There are 10 tracks on this CD. I did not expect the 38-second introduction to be a story. However, of the other nine tracks only four, in my opinion, are actually Dr. Estes telling stories. Those four are "The Sleeping Beauty", "The Lion and the Mouse Fable", "The Jumping Mouse Tale", and "Winken, Blinken and Nod". Also, listening to these stories, or at least the style in which she tells them, did not help me relax or fall asleep. For me, when I go to bed I basically want to relax and "turn off" my mind. These stories did not help me do that.
   
   If you really want a CD that will help you relax and fall asleep, I recommend "Your Present: A Half Hour of Peace" by Susie Mantell, or "Journey into Deep Relaxation" by Doreen Blumenfeld. Those two worked for me.



3. This was not what I expected. The good reviews led me to believe it would be great. Unfortunately, it does not do justice to the hype. Some stories are very long and are read too slowly.



4. I am pretty sure that,if the cd was working, it is very good, but mine starts on the story number 9. It does not matter where I try playing the cd , it always starts on number 9 and there are only 10 stories. I need another cd.



5. I enjoyed this CD very much. I felt like I had really slept the night through and woke up refresshed at more at peace. I highly recommend this to anyone especially moms that need to relax and energize at the same time.

5 comments about Sylvia Browne's Book of Dreams.

1. I've read many dream books, but this one I would highly recommend. It's very practical. It teaches you how to analyze your own dream. Symbols in dreams don't always mean the same thing to everybody.



2. Browne offers her theory of interpretation of dreams with real-life stories. She believes dreams influence memories, health and well-being rather than those things triggering certain dreams as many of the researchers affirm. As all her rhetoric implies, we can make positive changes by heeding all things that we encounter in our lifetime. Browne states that one can connect with departed people they have known through the dream world. Working as a psychic for fifty years, Browne uses that basis in order to interpret dreams. Our sleep journeys, she says, even the nightmares, are gifts, our allies to embrace rather than dread, and worth every effort it takes to unravel their mysteries and cherish every valuable lesson they have to offer. She has assisted people with interpreting dreams for thirty years and says much of the other dream interpretation resources leave one more confused. She says periods of huge upheaval in one's personal life tend to make our sleep adventures more vivid, intense and meaningful. Astral travel? Be your own judge. One thing people may not know about this author is that she was a school teacher for many years.
   Trish New, author of The Thrill of Hope, South State Street Journal, and Memory Flatlined.



3. sylvia brown is a fake. She practices a technique called cold reading. Fake. and I would say evil for preying on people



4. Now this is a dream book unlike any of the other "interp" books out there. It's very simple yet thorough, because there ARE only a few basic types of dreams, and the interpretation specs here make total sense.
   
   Having said that, Sylvia's other books are rather odd, parties-in-heaven? I think not Sylvia!, belligerent, egotistical, unbelievable. They are, however, highly entertaining. Take them with a huge grain of salt.
   
   But this book is a winner; she definitely has insight into the dreamstate. Buy it!



5. This book is great. It helped explain things I have never even heard about but was experienceing in my dreams. I truly loved this book. Shipping was great and it was delivered quickly as well.

5 comments about Live Your Best Life: A Treasury of Wisdom, Wit, Advice, Interviews, and Inspiration from O, The Oprah Magazine.

1. This book is a great compilation of Oprahs work. A nice addition to your table top books. I'm so pleased with this book and what a great price through Amazon! I bought several of these and gave as gifts for Christmas. Oprah and Amazon - a winning combination!



2. I bought these as gifts for all the girls in my office, They all loved the book and would talk about their favorite sections. This would be a grat hostess, gift, birthday, Christmas, etc. All around great book.



3. As a life coach I'm always looking for appropriate books to recommend to my clients--this is one of them. When this book first came out I bought several copies and gave them as gifts to friends. If you need inspiration, this book will help you make positive choices so you can live your best life. Pamela D. Blair, Author The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Mid-Life And Beyond



4. some articles were longer than need be. The book is big,heavy, and has waxy pages. I would have perferred a lighter smaller book. This is a high quality, keep in one place type book with many tips guys can use as well.



5. But she liked it enough that when her original book got eaten by the dog, She had me get her another.

5 comments about Inspiration Sandwich: Stories to Inspire Our Creative Freedom.

1. This isn't a new book (it was published in 1992). In some ways it isn't even a book at all. Yes it is shaped like a book and comes in a book-like binding. But it is more like a hand written (yes it is produced in the author's hand writing) journal and a collection of water color art than a traditional book.
   
   The book is written by Sark, a highly creative and inspiring woman who shares in this book ways to be inspired and to increase your creativity. Here are the opening lines from the foreword, which seems to capture the essence of the book:
   
   "This book is food for your soul, and a bubble bath for your spirit! It is a guide to keeping your creativity alive, and I wrote it for you."
   
   This isn't a book to sit in read in one sitting, though I have done that. It is a book to pick up, read, ponder, put down and marvel at. It is worth buying for the words, it is worth buying for the format, and it is worth buying for the art.
   
   I picked it off of my shelf today to write this recommendation, and I'm sure I will read some or all of it before it gets back to my shelf.
   
   It is that kind of book.



2. There are some meaningful messages in the book. But overall I felt the author was not bringing anything new to the table except hard-to-read doodles. She makes herself sounds like a former lazy bum who is now getting rich off doodling and painting. How nice. The doodles and handwriting really mask the message the book is supposed to convey. But hey, it's a shtick.



3. it is what the title is...an inspiration sandwich....sark inspires everyone to be who they are, live in the moment, try new things and bring creativity to your life daily. way to go susan for being inspired to inspire the world!



4. This book is a little treasure - something that you can consume on a rainy afternoon and will leave you bubbling with creative ideas. I enjoyed "Succulent Wild Women" more but this one is still ranked as one of my fav books!



5. I've read most of SARK's books and found that she tends to repeat herself within a book and between books......so, once you've read ONE of her books, you need to read no more.....they say the same thing in different words and different pictures.

5 comments about I & Dog.

1. It seems the Monks of New Skete can do no wrong when it comes to writing great books. This book is of the inspirational variety, and contains some very thought provoking statements. I found myself thinking "duh; that is 100% true! Why didn't I think of it like that?" The photography is excellent also. Some very true words of wisdom can be found in the pages of I & Dog.



2. This book, "I & Dog", makes one aware of the special relationship between dog and man. The pictures are fantastic and the tidbits of understanding are insightful. Investigating these photographs and contemplating these prose leads one to the realization that man is the one getting the lions share out of these relationships. This is a "warm and fuzzy" book. It just makes you feel good.



3. This is a lovely picture book with wonderful inspiring bits of writing interspersed which showcases the outstanding work the monks are doing with their dogs. However, those seeking hard-core how-to info on dog training will benefit more from the monks' other books: "How to be your Dog's Best Friend" and "The Art of Raising a Puppy."



4. This book is full of wonderful images, clear and heartwarming.
   The genuine love and dedication that the Monks have to these dogs, is clearly demonstrated by the expression on all the faces.
   With insightful phrases and these wonderful pictures, this book is a gem to own.



5. You have only to peruse the pages of this book to understand why it is possible to fall in love with a dog. The pages are simple, sensitive pictures and comment on the human/dog relationship. I have just gotten my first dog, or she has gotten me, and I will never be without one again:)

5 comments about Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance.

1. Come on! I love Julia but she needs to mine a new field or a new subject. Her last several books have rehashed and rephrased and retaught the same tools over and over and o....
   
   A writer needs to refocus the lens and she's been living off the laurels of AW for too long. WHERE'S THE CREATIVITY IN ALL THESE REHASHES? It starts to smack of commercialism when you dont ever plow new ground. She's just making more bucks off of the same material.



2. I agree that Ms. Cameron's current book sounds more like a cry for help than words of advice. After a life-changing experience of "The Artist's Way" for me and others, the exercises provided in "Finding Water" seem more rote and mechanical than truly enlightening. While there is some artistic merit to the book, I found it to be more of a disappointment than a true creative inspirational piece. A group of friends who formed because of "The Artist's Way" have read the book as a group and have found it to be a big disappointment.



3. I love it. She is very advanced and interesting insights that are new from her Artist way book.



4. Finding Water is the third book in Julia Cameron's trilogy on the creative process which began with The Artist's Way and Walking in This World. I was stalled on a project and looked to Cameron to see what she had to say about sticking to a task once that initial flush of excitement has passed. I thought she would have the magical answers. After all, she has produced some 25 books and has multiple credits in theatre, film, and television.
   
   Guess what. There is nothing magical. The answer is really quite ordinary. Whether you live in a New York high-rise (as Cameron does), or in the Pacific Northwest (as I do), you still have to show up at the empty page, alone, preferably every day. Cameron does the laundry, the dishes, takes the dogs for a walk and to the vet, just like the rest of us. Just because she has published many books doesn't mean she doesn't have to carry out the tasks of everyday life.
   
   "Okay, God, you take care of the quality. I will take care of the quantity." That's the sign Cameron posts at her writing station. She offers the basic tools she has included in all of her books on writing: morning pages, artist dates and walking.
   
   Morning pages, as you may have read in Cameron's earlier books, are three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing, done in the early morning for about half an hour. They're designed to get the kvetching out of your head and onto the page. Morning pages aren't necessarily all bad news, however. Sometimes you find in them the glimmer of a new idea. In this way, the pages become a "gentle mentor."
   
   Artist dates can bring a sense of enchantment and connect you "to a larger and more fascinating world than our normal beaten path," Cameron says. On one artist date, she visits The American Museum of Natural History close to her Upper West Side apartment in Manhattan. You could visit an art gallery, a fabric store, a photo exhibit or see a movie in French with subtitles.
   
   "Solvitur ambulando," St. Augustine is said to have remarked. "It is solved by walking." Cameron recommends walking to increase our creativity. That's when the "sorting process" begins. When we walk by ourselves, we "soon sense that the Divine is close at hand."
   
   There you are: the tools. In each chapter, organized to cover twelve weeks of creative persevering, Cameron asks if you have done your morning pages, your artist date and your weekly walk. To carry the water theme throughout, in sections called Divining Rod, Cameron poses questions and prompts to help readers identify their Inner Censor (for instance) or exploring the art forms they could practice if they took the "easy does it" approach. "Remember, the Grand Canyon was carved a drop at a time." Cameron reminds us in her chapter, "Uncovering a Sense of Perspective." Having visited the Grand Canyon recently, I'd say that's a lot of drops!
   
   Although Cameron's life may sound glamorous to those of us who don't live in New York City and who haven't published several books, it isn't. She struggles to earn a living just as we do, those of us trying to earn a living from our creativity. She has extra challenges, too: alcoholism, depression, and three breakdowns. I think she's a truly amazing woman and I applaud her for her courage and perseverance. She is a sober alcoholic who has learned to live each day very carefully, with writing, walking, praying, and contenting herself with "small amounts of progress." "All of the stratagems I have learned to apply to the artist's life come straight out of the toolkits I have acquired to maintain my sobriety," she says.
   
   Besides using her own suggested tools, Cameron writes three pages a day on whatever project is at hand, whether it's a screenplay, a nonfiction book or a novel. After she reaches this quota, she is free to do something else, such as visit with friends or take in a movie. She wants to wear her identity as a writer as "a garment worn more loosely" and to approach writing as part of normal life. That approach she says, has "served me very well." Just as she doesn't let the laundry or the dishes pile up, she doesn't let the writing pile up either.
   
   Cameron admits that she has found it necessary to repeat herself in this book. But what she repeats is important to our creative lives. The "small and gentle daily actions" lead to the large accomplishments. She waits at the keyboard to hear "what wants to come into being." I had to be reminded that there are really no magical answers. It is with a regular and committed practice that the magic can occur. I am grateful to have Finding Water as a companion and aim to commit to those three pages a day.
   
   by Mary Ann Moore
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



5. There is nothing new here (except weather reports). It's not even a particularly valuable recyling project.
   
   The Artist's Way and Vein of Gold are much better books with useful information. I would strongly recommend both of the earlier books.