5 comments about The Woman's Book of Confidence: Meditations for Strength and Inspiration.

1. My favorite book of Sue Thoele's is the very first one I bought- "The Woman's Book of Confidence". It was just what my slightly sagging ego needed, and it continues to provide much food for thought. Each time I come to a particularly good pearl of wisdom, I put in a book mark for easy future reference. This happened often. Pretty soon the thicker bookmarks were replaced with thinnner ones, but even then that book is fighting the battle of the bulge!



2. I keep this book and its sisterbook, "A Woman's Book of Courage", in my bottom desk drawer at work. From time to time, whenever I feel depressed, uncertain, insecure, I read passages from these books and feel immediately uplifted. My sense of confidence is restored, and I get back to work.



3. I fell in love with this book the moment I opened a random page to glance through it in a store. To be honest, I did not care much for the title, it sounded tacky to me then, but having read a few pages the smirk on my face faded away. Personally I myself am steel strong, but the images in the book brought to life memories and experiences of my mother, aunts and friends, who simply give, give, give. This book calls women for a pause to reflect and redefine lessons taught to us for centuries. The best aspect is its readability - one story, one example, one lesson at a time. I don't keep any bookmarks in it, but whenever I open it, I stumble upon what I just needed to hear that day - magical! Great book to gift.



4. SUe Patton Thoele, you have done it again, I love reading your books!!
   You have brought such positivity into my life!!!
   From feeling down to feeling empowered!!!



5. What a wonderful book to reference. You look through the book to the page or pages that you are feeling that day, and get inspired. It's a book almost all women can relate to, and it's like a non-judgemental girlfriend's advice! Loving, spiritual, deep and thoughtful-you will feel better after reading it! and always have it close by....

5 comments about If Women Ran the World, Sh*t Would Get Done: Celebrating All the Wonderful, Amazing, Stupendous, Inspiring, Butt-kicking Things Women Do.

1. This book reminds all women that we do kick butt! Not that we didn't know that, but just that we can all use a little reminder at times, and a good laugh too! I love this book!
   
   "If Women Ran the World..." reminds women that you do do enough when you may be feeling like you haven't. It reminds you of the amazing gift you have in the wonderful women in your life. This book is truly a woman's book - only we could understand the importance of having a girlfriend you can vent your complaints to and plot your pranks with knowing it's not the complaint or the prank that's important, it's the listening and unconditional loving involved that is. And that is worth celebrating!
   
   If you're looking for a book that you can relate to, laugh at, and be encouraged by, you WON'T be disappointed. Share it with all your friends. I am.



2. I love this great little book that is all about celebrating women without being male-bashing in anyway! The profiles of great women from "herstory," things women did first (LOVE that we were the first to survive going over Niagara Falls), and great organizations women founded were inspiring and informative, but I was most inspired by the stories of real-life women who did not let poverty, single parenthood, discrimination, or a child with an illness keep them from making the best of life. The questions in each chapter (like "What butt-kicking what if's can you imagine?" and "What would you do if you ran the world?") really got me thinking...and made me grateful for all the amazing women that have made a difference to me, and to the world. I'm looking forward to reading more from this first-time author!!



3. ...but I'm happy about it, because it was kicked by this wonderful little book into a place of sublime enlightenment. This is an exquisite example of soul awareness expansion, accomplished with humor, insight and compassion. With this book Shelly Rachanow has transcended the bounds of simple sexual identity and stereotypical tribalism with integrity and inspirational clarity. Its awesome inclusiveness will move both women and men to see themselves and each other in the light of acceptance and truth. Thank you for this gift; I highly recommend it!



4. I love the way Ms. Rachanow uses her "butt-kicking" words to create humor in this empowering book about women. The stories are very inspiring and are presented in a way that I feel compelled to share my own story. Her clever use of words keeps this book funny, uplifting and leaves me wanting more. I love this book and I highly recommend it to all women and all men who know women, i.e., everyone!



5. Love this small book. Everyone who has read this book has
   loved it. I contacted the author Shelly Rachanow and she was
   nice. I ordered more copies to give to my women friends and
   they loved the book. It's about 150 pages of butt-kicking
   ideas that women can do to make this world a better place
   to live! She is busy with her next book coming out in 2009.
   Go Shelly!

2 comments about Awakening: Conversations with the Masters.

1. This was a good book if you like little excerpts of truth about the way things are. If you want more depth read his book, "Awareness". He was a very awakened man.



2. Anthony de Mello is loved and respected the world over; he was a Jesuit spiritual director and retreat leader from India who held numerous conferences, retreats, and workshops for those looking to further their spiritual lives. His Christianity was the mystical variety, a position which has placed his writings under the skeptic's scope since his death. But anyone who has read his splendid works knows firsthand the wonderfully kind and open heart he had; there is not doubt in this mind that Anthony was teaching the true spiritual roots of all Christianity.

   In this particular work de Mello unabashedly borrows from the very best of the world religions to present us with an eclectic pâté of spiritual awakening. Calling upon Zen Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu, and early Christian sources, among others- Anthony reveals mystical revelations which are layered as you progress through the book; taking each and every one of us on a wonderful spiritual journey. He uses a generic master for each allegory, this master could be a Hindu Swami, a Zen master, a Sufi mystic, even a Christian monk - to present us with some of the most intriguing food for thought you may ever encounter. This book is much like a collection of Zen koans, anecdotes that perhaps are not fully absorbed the first time you read over them. These stories can take time to marinate their way into not only your brain, but more importantly, your very ground of being.

   These teachings will awaken your mind's eye if you let them, allowing you to realize spiritual life is so much more than simply contemplation. It requires above all: ACTION. Enjoy.

5 comments about Men Like Women Who Like Themselves: (And Other Secrets That the Smartest Women Know).

1. This book is so simply written, yet very powerful. It gave me the confidence and courage to break off an abusive relationship and start a new! I highly reccomend it to any woman who has low self-esteem. This book will change your life!



2. This a powerful book. I found it to be more influential than most relationship books. Though I was a bit uncomfortable at first with the untraditional layout - the information is not organized into respective chapters and seems to flow from one subject to another continuously - it was that very conversational style that seemed to drive the authors' points home in a most profound way. Some of those points were:

   -To get to the end you must start from the beginning; think about connecting with men before you start thinking about marriage/babies
   -everyone makes mistakes, so give men a chance
   -husband's usually don't resemble magazine models
   -abuse is abuse
   -behaviors and conversations to avoid on dates

   The tone of the book was more practical than spiritual. The authors do not present "following your heart" and "soul mates" as precepts. For a read along those lines I would recommend mystical relationship books by Deepak Chopra.

   This book was also quick and easy read without being too wordy and conceptual; great if you're a busy person.




3. I did enjoy this book, though I only head half of it. It is written in such a way that the first half deals with you when you're not in a relationship and the second half deals with you when you're already in one. I had trouble connecting with it though. Some things were very true -- they were common sense. I was looking for help on how to deal with my lack of self-worth to help me find the right guy; I did not find it here.
   But I must emphasize, the book is still great :)



4. After reading "Men Who Can't Love" (which, by the way, is brilliant!), I was excited to pick up another piece by these authors. Unfortunately I was more than disappointed. I should have seen a red flag when I saw the title, so I have no one to blame but myself. Any woman who decides to "like herself" just so that a man can like her is sadly mistaken (you like yourself for yourself, not anybody else!). Generalizations such as "a balding man is a better catch than a hottie" are... simply put, ignorant. Theory that a lengthy first phone conversation indicates problems in the relationship going forward is ridiculous. Half way through the book, I came to conclusion that it was written for teenagers - a couple of valid points surrounded by a whole lot of common sense rambling. Women who want to improve their self-esteem should look elsewhere. And finally, who in the world thinks about babies on the first date???



5. "Men Like Women...." consists of one frightfully banal cliche after another, surrounded by acres of white space. Go read the cards in the "Friendship" section of the nearest Hallmark store - the insights you'll gain will be just as profound as anything you could get from this book, and you won't be out any money.

3 comments about The Personal Workbook for Breaking the Chain of Low Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Recovery from LSE.

1. I enjoy the combination of informative reading about low self esteem & the exercises of going through my childhood. It allows
   me to address my feelings about the people, incidents & other
   areas of my childhood, adolescence & teen years.

   Through 2 stories in the workbook, it asks what were the negative
   reactions to the situation, then asks how a person with healthy
   self esteem would respond to these situations. These exercises
   illustrated how to change your feelings to a situation that has
   been uncomfortable before.

   Following the order in the workbook, I enjoyed the variety of
   going through the "obstacles", then reading a chapter of "Breaking the Chains of Low Self Esteem", then going back to the
   obstacle exercises in the workbook. It seems like an adventure
   and I look forward to moving on to the next one!




2. This workbook brought up many emotions and remembrances from my childhood that helped me to understand how my low self-esteem was formed. Working through it also enabled me to more closely see the ways in which my thinking controls my feelings and how often my thinking is distorted because of the negative feelings I have about myself. It was tough to work through but very rewarding.



3. I think everyone has a problem with self-esteem. I found that the workbook along with the Breaking the Chain of Low Self esteem book very revealing and comprehensive. You can do the program without a therapist, but a therapist would help answer additional questions you might have. I highly recommend both books!

5 comments about Exorcising Your Ex: How to Get Rid of the Demons of Relationships Past.

1. This isn't a book to help you get over your ex. It made me laugh though when I wasn't in the best of moods after my break up. So, if you just broke up and need a not so serious self-help read, go ahead and get this. If anything, it WILL make you laugh!



2. Sure this book isn't your everyday psychoanalytical guide to moving on, but that's what's so great about it. I think it helps to make all the serious painful stuff so trivial. Reading other people's experiences really puts things in perspective. I think the best thing for heartbreak is laughter, and this book definitely has a lot of that. For those who need and WANT to snap out of it, this book is a great read. Even if it doesn't work the first time, read it again in the future, it really does help.



3. this is a fabulously funny book. Definately helped me get over my ex! Hightly recommended!



4. This is one of the best books out there for handling a break up. It uses humor to help you deal with your endless emotions (anger, sadness, guilt, loneliness, etc). Read with a highlighter and/or sticky notes because you will want to revert back to certain passages/quotes and make them your new mantras -- or you could just reread the book over and over again! It's worth it! And it helps!



5. Its been years since I originally purchased this book, but I'm still lending it out and recommending it. It will make you laugh at silly/stupid humor that is situation-appropriate, and give you a reference when you're not feeling so great as to how to heal in a somewhat normal time frame. The best 10 bucks you'll spend when you're feeling like crap- for sure.

1 comments about You Say I'm a Diva Like It's a Bad Thing.

1. I love this book. All women will love this book. If you need a smile, get this book or anything by this author!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 comments about The Complete Book of Spells, Ceremonies & Magic (Llewellyns Sourcebook Series).

1. Well, it was not what I expected, so I was a little disappointed. Nothing negative, mind you, just not my cup of tea and was not what I needed as far as a resource I could go to often:)



2. When I first picked up this book, I already had an extensive knowledge of Magic and the occult. But what I though was extensive was WAY off. This purple little paperback has been one of my greatest reference materials to this date. The information covers such an extensive variety of Magick and the occult that it could easily be substituted for ones whole library.
   I was skeptical when I first received it as a gift, so I didn't really bother with it for about a month. But ever since I picked it up, I haven't been able to put it down. . .I enjoyed this book so much that I intend to but others from this author on the mysteries of the Qaballa.
   Whether your a Christian, Wiccan, Pagan, or even a Satanist, this book is DEFINITELY worth the money. . . .



3. I'm a ceremonial magickian. If you are a beginner stay away from this book, unless you happen to be a beginner who believes
   
   1>reading a book will make you a magickian
   2>reading a spell written by someone you don't know, with no real knowledge of what you're doing will help you
   3>having a book with a pretty purple cover makes you look cool
   
   This is an encylopedia of MANY magickal traditions and an explanation of none.
   
   I've been MEGA skeptical of "books of shadow" that contain a bunch of words that rhyme and claim that THAT's all you need to perform magick. This book has alot of that.
   
   If, on the other hand, you are looking for a brief overview of many types of magick, with the intent of being more educated on it OR BUYING A BOOK ON THE TYPE THAT INTERESTS YOU THAT REALLY TEACHES YOU SOMETHING, this book is perfect.
   
   Ms. Whippler's anecdotes of her own experiences are pretty interesting (her encounter with the "angel of death" (who I assume to be an Anti-Raphael, given what she was attempting to do) is quite a good lesson on the dangers of dabbling and unbalancing things



4. FOR HISTORY OF AN OCCULT SERIES THIS BOOK CANNOT BE BEAT IT COVERS
   ALL OF THE AREAS THAT ONE WOULD NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ALTERNATIVE RELIGION
   AND THE SOURCE OF IT'S BEGINNING! TO ADD TO THIS IT PROVIDES THE ACTUAL
   WORKING COMPONENTS FOR THE NOVICE OR THE ADVANCED DISCIPLE OF THE ART!
   
   
   THANK YOU AMAZON! !
   
   P.S. I WILL HAVE A BOOK COMING OUT FOR YOUR
   
   COMPANY:BOOKSURGE CALLED "AT THE CRSS"I HOPE YOU ALL WILL HANDLE IT WITH
   
   THE SAME PROFESSI0NALISM! !
   
   LARRY MIDDLEBROOK



5. Found tis book to have alot of usefull information and facts, I recomend it to alot of people with the same intrests as me. The book is well written and easy to follow.

3 comments about All We Have Is All We Need: Daily Steps Toward a Peaceful Life.

1. Karen Casey, author of Each Day a New Beginning (and 16 others), has crated a nice little pick up/put down book of daily steps to a peaceful life.
   
   In our hectic lives, we do have daily opportunities to experience joy and create peace. It's our decision to act from a place of love to others. We are neither helpless nor hopeless.
   
   The book can be "baby steps" toward that perfect presence in living with others. It is divided into 6 parts:
   
   1. On the Path with Others: Relationships, Forgiveness and Amends
   2. When Walking Away Is Wise: Letting Go, Acceptance, Powerlessness, Surrender
   3. The Choices We Make: Fear, Choice, Acting As If
   4. What We See Changes Us: Lesson, Change, Perspective
   5. Day by Day: Peace, Moment, Kindness
   6. We're Not Alone: Love, Wisdom, Prayer, God and Listening
   
   After each chapter's introduction, the following pages have three short thoughts/steps.
   
   For example, in the chapter on Choices-Choose Joy, my favorite is: "The thought that God is with us this minute, as we read these words, is powerful, isn't it. Well, God is powerful. Let yourself be at peace at this awareness today."
   
   Armchair Interviews says: This is carry-along book for those quick read as you wait for someone or something--peaceful yet powerful and thought-provoking steps toward a peaceful life.



2. "Let's not shy away from our responsibility. Instead, let's be grateful for the many opportunities to express more peace-filled lives that come our way everyday. It's through our example that others will be inspired. Then and only then will we see...change..." - From the book
   
   Author Karen Casey has designed her book All We Have is All We Need to encourage small steps towards more peaceful lives. Featuring mostly one and two-sentence statements, Ms. Casey intends to lead readers away from turmoil and chaos, showing individuals how they can apply basic ideas for creating harmony.
   
   "We get the partners we need for the lessons we have requested. There are no accidents in the way our lives are unfolding. If I can appreciate this today, I will be free from anxiety."
   
   "We had a hand in selecting the lessons we are experiencing today. Remembering this takes the sting out of the hard ones, doesn't it?"
   
   "Detaching from the difficulties of others may appear unkind, particularly if their circumstances trouble us, but we must focus on our own journey, not one else's. Today will allow me to practice this."
   
   "Nobody ever really wins an argument. Feelings are always hurt. I will refrain from hurting anyone's feelings today."
   
   "No disagreement requires resolution. Ever. Accepting our differences is the way to peaceful lives."
   
   "Not having to win an argument is huge. Why not experience this today?"
   
   "Deciding to be peaceful feeds one's soul. Arguing one's position doesn't. Which will I choose today?"
   
   "As you ponder any thought or action, try to discern what God would have you think or do. Will you adhere to this suggestion today?"
   
   Although the author is well intentioned, I find her tone preachy and condescending. Many of her statements assume a "right" answer, and almost scold, "Which will YOU choose today?" Not only that, some of her statements are contradictory. For example, we're supposed to "detach from others", but then she recommends that we refrain from hurting anyone's feelings. Since when are we responsible for the feelings of others, especially after she's already told us that feelings are "choices that can be released"?
   
   In addition, some of her questions-I suppose they're intended to be thought provoking-are yes/no questions. This does not promote self-examination or exploration, but rather corners readers into following her logic and her conclusions about the matter. She also prods us to be "examples" to one another, as if that's our main reason for existence.
   
   Some of her bite-sized statements are repetitive and many beg for further explanation. For example, taking a rather smug tone, she writes, "We had a hand in selecting the lessons we are experiencing today. Remembering this takes the sting out of the hard ones, doesn't it?"
   
   She doesn't explain the spiritual truth that causes her to believe this way, so why-and indeed, how-can readers just swallow these kind of statements? If she would share, for example, that prominent past life regressionists and licensed hypnotherapists chronicle reports from patients of creating a curriculum with our guides before incarnating (such as that found in the book Journey of Souls by Dr. Michael Newton), then individuals could at least follow her perspective.
   
   I enjoyed the passages on "do no harm", but if we're ultimately responsible for only ourselves (as the author teaches), then how can we know that acts of self-care wouldn't "harm" another? Going through life trying not step on proverbial ants (i.e. trying to protect people from discomfort)-not to mention always trying to be an example to others-is downright burdensome. How is this conducive to peace?
   
   With continual urging to walk away from arguments and conflicts, there is a vibe of cool detachment and "let's stick our head in the sand" pervading much of this book.
   
   All We Have Is All We Need is an attractive title for a book, but unfortunately, the contents are rather shallow. If you'd like information on spiritual surrender or accepting life as it is, you'd be better off getting the book Loving What Is by Byron Katie. Two other good books-authored by fellow Conari Press writers-are There Are No Mistakes by Eleanor Wiley or Let Go, Let Miracles Happen by Kathy Cordova.



3. It is so incredibly easy to get lost within the drama of everyday life. Suddenly each person who sees the world differently, questions something about our life, or disagrees with us creates an angry fearful reaction. We want nothing more than to teach that person a lesson and nothing less than being in the right.
   
   All We Have is All We Need reminds us that every person we come into contact with and every experience that we have is meant as a cosmic lesson. In our lives, we are both teacher and student, simultaneously. Fighting against these roles and circumstances simply causes more opportunities to deal with these experiences. Thus, the best way to deal with conflict or situations that cause you anxiety and angry is to be open to the lesson and allow awareness to permeate through your being.
   
   Along with discussion of these and other concepts, each chapter of this book contains a several pages of thoughts and questions. These short notes ask the reader to look deeper within themselves, to let go of judgements, and to act with kindness and compassion. The reader is free to choose one thought to focus on per day or to post several of these little gems around his or her home or office. Each reader will likely find several comments that resonate within them and become almost mantra-like.

5 comments about Ritual: Power, Healing and Community.

1. I cannot stop reading Malidoma Patrice Some's accounts of his life and the lives of the Dagara people of Burkina Faso. The strong linkages between community, spirit, rituals, and individual growth are compelling and very engrossing. I first read "The Healing Wisdom of Africa: Finding Life Purpose Through Nature, Ritual, and Community," with awe and a realization of the connections that my own people lost when my ancestors were transported from this part of the world by slave traders.

   However, Malidoma, through works like this one, opens our eyes to the possibilities that all is not lost to us, and that even in this modern westernized culture, there are ways in which we can begin to make some of those connections again, through the way we relate to community and our loved ones.

   I found the chapter titled "a ritual sampler:The funeral and language of grief especially interesting and thought provoking.

   I can hardly wait to read more of your books Malidoma. Thank you.




2. This man has considerably more skill both as a thinker and as a writer than the average philosopher, or anthropologist, or even 'New Age prophet'. He really lays everything bare, like it or not, about the advantages of living in a subsistence community (as against our modern society). And further, he explains how the rituals work which those folks use to maintain links with the spirits of their ancestors, as well as with the earth and with each other.

   Malidoma's brief but cogent exposition on the reasons behind how animal sacrifice works would flay apart the average modern-day monotheist's supposedly reasoned rants against such practices.

   His chapter-length analysis of the Dagara's typical 3-day funeral ceremony is probably the most cogent dissection and analysis of a societal function that I have ever read, and coming from a true insider makes it that much more accurate as well as poignant, and believable. There's not a wisp of mere speculative cogitation coming from this man.

   This book opened/cleansed my eyes and my soul about African culture at least as much as Gary Snyder's 'Earth House Hold: Technical Queries to Fellow Dharma Revolutionaries' did as regards Asia, way back in 1969. I tend to think that those who approach this discussion with an open mind and heart will find themselves changed in very profound ways, not necessarily painlessly, but possibly, very thoroughly, and for the better.

   I met Mr. Some and his wife, and worked with them for a couple of hours around 12 years ago at a Michigan Medicine Wheel Gathering hosted by Sun Bear and his Bear Tribe. He is all that he seems, and then some. His laughter and sense of humor have almost a madcap quality that seems to reach far into the Otherworld, maybe even stemming from there. Yet he still feels to be very localized/grounded in the world of flesh and bone, as if the two (this world and the 'next') are not all that remote from each other. He's fun to be around, in addition to being bathed with a glow of dynamic, benign power.




3. Malidoma Patrice Somé, author of Of Water and the Spirit, describes a broad spectrum of ways in which rituals can be helpful. His perspective is that of a shaman trained in the West African Dagara cultural tradition, now living and teaching in the US. He eloquently shares his experiences of powerful shamanic healing practices.
   
   For Somé, rituals are potent interventions on many levels. At the social level they are forms for expression of religious beliefs, or communal celebrations. Rituals affirm our connection with our community. A healing ritual may draw together relatives from the immediate and extended family, as well as from the community at large.
   
   "Where ritual is absent, the young ones are restless or violent, there are no real elders, and the grown-ups are bewildered. The future is dim." (p. 12)
   
   Industrial society has lost much of its awareness of rituals.
   
   "Indigenous people are indigenous because there are no machines between them and their gods. There are no machines barring the door to the spirit world where one can enter in and listen to what is going on within at a deep level, participating in the vibration of Nature. Where machines speak in place of gods, people are hard put to listen, even more hard put to vibrate with the realm of Nature." (p. 17-18)
   
   Healing rituals, properly performed, are tools to achieve specific healing effects. People performing the rituals may enhance the power of the rituals through their innate gifts for healing, through their learning in apprenticeship the ways of a shaman, and through the assistance of various natural energies and spirit assistants.
   
   This is a book to be savored, rich in healings on many levels.



4. An absolutely fabulous book, which reads like a novel. Malidoma brings a lot of wisdom, and really get's you thinking. The contents of the book has it's application to life, but certainly also to leadership and the corporate world. If you only want to read one of his books, I definitely recommend this one.



5. If you are serious about understanding power, and healing in community. This is a good book to read.