More Book Reviews

Obviously, other things have been higher on my priority list lately than writing about the books I'm reading.  For awhile, there were things higher on my priority list than reading.  I know.  Shocking. I'm back to share a little about three fantastic books that I've finished in the last few weeks.

Faith:  Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience

This absolutely fantastic book by Sharon Salzberg explores the concept of faith from a Buddhist perspective.  I had heard people refer to this book a couple of different times, so when I found it at a book stall, I bought it.  I'm really glad I purchased the book instead of getting from the library because I highlighted most of the book (and libraries tend to frown on that.)  

Salzberg does a great job of weaving her own faith journey into the explanation of the Buddhist philosophies regarding faith.  You get to see real life examples of faith at work, and of her struggles with faith.  

For Buddhists, there are three kinds of faith:  bright faith, verifying faith, and abiding faith.  I found these concepts to be very interesting, and it definitely helped me understand my own faith journey more.  I also loved the idea of skillful doubt, and that questions are a part of real faith, not the opposite of it.  

I highly recommend this book for everyone.  

A Chosen Faith:  An Introduction to Unitarian Univeralism

This book is a collections of essays by two Unitarian Universalist ministers, John A. Buehrens and Forrest Church, exploring the six sources of their living tradition.   I found it fascinating.  For those unfamiliar with Unitarian Univeralism, here are the six sources:

• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
• Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
• Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
• Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
• Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;
• Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

One of the things that I loved about this book was how different their perspectives sometimes were. I love the idea that we can believe and think different things and still get along and still learn from and support each other.

My favorite part of this book was Forrest Church's chapter titled, "The Cathedral of the World." The basic idea is that there is one light (truth, reality, God) that shines through all the windows of the cathedral, but there are different perceptions of that light depending on where we are in relationship to which windows.

In each the light and darkness mingle in ways that suggest meaning for those whose angle of vision is tilted in that particular direction.  (page 86)

Again, this is another book that I highly recommend, especially if you are open to finding light and truth from a wide variety of sources.

The Crucible of Doubt:  Reflections on the Quest for Faith

This book has been on my To-Read list since before it was released, and after reading several wonderful reviews, I decided I couldn't wait for it to be delivered, so I bought the Kindle version. There are things I love about e-books and things that I don't like so much.  For one thing, it took me longer to finish this because reading in bed was more difficult (angle, power source, etc.) Today, I pushed through and finished it.

As they did in The God Who Weeps, Terryl and Fiona Givens look at Mormonism through a wider lens, bringing in the words of poets, philosophers and mystics.  They present a view of Mormonism that is a little different from what I would assume most Mormons think on a regular basis, but in a way that is friendly to those who consider themselves active Mormons and to those that are more on the fringe of Mormonism.  Their message that doubts are normal and even helpful seems to be aimed at both the doubters and those who might harshly judge the doubters.

For me, the sign of a really good book is one that contains both things that I love and a few things that I disagree with or that challenge me in some way.  This book qualifies.  I did have issues with a couple of chapters, but overall, I loved the book.  It gives hope to those that struggle with faith or think they have none.

Book Review: Ruins

I wanted to like this book.  I really did.  I liked Pathfinder, the first book in the series.  And I've loved just about every Orson Scott Card novel I've read.  But this one just didn't do it for me.

The book started out great, with my only problem being trying to remember what had happened in the first book.  (And maybe I would like this better if I re-read Pathfinder.)  But then we reached an important moment in the book, and my brain just said, "Nope.  That ain't gonna happen."  And it was really hard to let go of that detail to enjoy the rest of the book.

Let me explain a little.  When you read a lot of science fiction and fantasy, you get used to accepting things that you wouldn't accept in everyday life.  And I had no trouble accepting the time traveling gifts of Rigg, Param, and Umbo.  But sometimes things happen and my brain just won't let me go down that path.

For example, when the new movie Hulk was introduced, I just couldn't buy that he was that big.  Sure, I could let myself believe that all the other characters had superpowers of some sort, but the CGI Hulk just seemed unrealistic to me.  And yes, I had grown up watching the Hulk being portrayed by Lou Ferrigno painted green, and I totally bought that.

In Ruins, the books from the future and the mice became my CGI Hulk.  Like in Divergent (which I also just read and didn't love) there is so much good material to work with--great characters, fabulous world building, social commentary, etc.--but it wasn't enough for me.  I won't be finishing this series either.  With so many great things on my "to-read" list, I can't justify time on things that are only semi-interesting.

Book Review: Divergent

This is a short place-holder review.  Hopefully I will return and write something with more depth.

I've heard wonderful things about this book from a lot of different people.  I had also seen the movie trailer and was really drawn in by that.  (I think I still might go see the movie.)  And maybe, I was expecting too much.

I love the concept, but the book took 150 pages to draw me in.  I moved through the rest of the book faster, but it never became a book that I couldn't put down. With me and fiction, that is really the test of how I rate a book.  It's not about literary quality for me.  It's about what pulls me away from this world into the world of the book.  It's why I can like the books of Stephenie Meyer and Dan Brown when my writer friends can't stand them.

When I finished reading Divergent, I thought, this was OK, I guess I'll read the rest of the trilogy, but within a few hours, it just wasn't important anymore.

Book Review: The Good Heart

Short version of this review:  I received The Good Heart:  A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus for Christmas and read it quickly.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!!!!!!

Now back to the regular review.

Every Christmas there is at least one really great gift that you immediately love and that becomes an important part of your life.  This book was one of those gifts.  My mom and I are both huge fans of the Dalai Lama, so when she found this book, she knew it would be perfect for me.

As I said before, I immediately loved this book, but as I looked at the table of contents, I was kind of disappointed.  Of the 200+ pages in the book, only about 100 were actually the transcripts of the John Main Seminar where the Dalai Lama spoke.  The rest of the pages were introduction, context, and glossaries of Christian and Buddhist terms.  I thought about just skipping to the main chapters, but the "read every word on every page in the right order" part of my OCD kicked it, so I started at the beginning.  And I'm so glad I did.  The "other" stuff was every bit as good as the main part of the book.

The Introduction by Laurence Freeman, OSB set the stage for the main body of the book, but also explained some concepts in ways that were new to me and that I found to be very helpful and beautiful. I particularly loved his words on friendship.  Freeman also wrote the section on the Christian context of the readings.  I'm interested in reading more of his work in the future.

For the 1994 John Main Seminar, the Dalai Lama was asked to give his perspective on several New Testament passages. His response reflected his character and integrity.

He accepted without hesitation, remarking only that , of course, he knew little about the Gospels. His comment struck me as a most impressive sign of his self-confidence, and of his humility. (page 4)

As the Dalai Lama discussed these various teachings of Jesus, he brought new insights to how similar our beliefs are, but also emphasized that there are important differences and we shouldn't try to make a "one size fits all" religion (my description, not his.)

One of my favorite sections was his discussion of John 12:44-50 and faith.  Sometimes these concepts that seem very simple to other people are not simple and easy to understand for me.  The Buddhist perspective here helped me to understand my own faith a little better.

In the Buddhist tradition we speak of three different types of faith.  The first is faith in the form of admiration that you have toward a particular person or a particular state of being.  The second is aspiring faith.  There is a sense of emulation; you aspire to attain that state of being.  The third type is the faith of conviction.  (page 112)

He then explains each type further.  He includes information about testing faith that reads almost like Mormon scripture.  He also talks about how faith and reason are both necessary.

In addition to hearing the Buddhist perspective from the Dalai Lama, this book also provides other perspectives that give voice to ideas that I did not grow up with.  Freeman's comments, both in the extra parts of the book and within the dialogue of the seminar, helped me learn more about what contemporary Catholics believe.  Other participants in the dialogue brought not just their Christian faith experience with meditation, but their academic knowledge and background in history, literature, and psychology.  

This book and the seminar it represents are exactly the kind of thing that I would like to participate in more.  I love the idea of conversing with people who have different beliefs but can respect and learn from each other.  This book is one that I will definitely be returning to in the future.

Book Review: The Universe in a Single Atom

I read this book for two reasons.  First, because I have a tremendous amount of respect for the Dalai Lama.  He really is compassion personified.  Second, after reading another book comparing and contrasting Buddhism and science (The Quantum and the Lotus), I was interested to see what the Dalai Lama had to say about it.  

In The Universe in a Single Atom:  The Convergence of Science and Spirituality the Dalai Lama shares his interest in science and how it relates to the principles of Buddhism that have been taught for centuries.  He begins by telling the reader about his education in and exploration of science.  As a world leader, he has had the opportunity to talk to and learn from many scientists, and he is clearly eager to learn and to compare this new knowledge with his training in Buddhism.  Chapters in the book give his understanding and perspective on important concepts like quantum theory, the big bang theory, and evolution.  Perhaps the most interesting chapters though were the ones on consciousness.  Neither science nor Buddhism can give us a complete picture of what consciousness is, and the Dalai Lama calls for science and Buddism to bring together third-person objective and first-person subjective methods of investigation to learn more about consciousness.

While most of the chapters required a great deal of concentration and effort to glean all that was there, the final chapter on the ethics of science and his conclusion were very clear.  Perhaps, that was because he and I share very similar views here.  For example, I think this comment on ethics is spot on.

In a nutshell, our ethical response must involve the following key factors.  First we have to check our motivation and ensure that its foundation is compassion.  Second, we must relate to any problem before us while taking into account the widest possible perspective, which includes not only situating the issue within time picture of wider human enterprise but also taking due regard of both short-term and long-term consequences.  Third, when we apply our reason in addressing a problem, we have to be vigilant in ensuring that we rein honest, self-aware, and unbiased; the danger otherwise is that we may fall victim to self-delusion.  Fourth, in the face of any real ethical challenge, we must respond in a spirit of humility, recognizing not only the limits of our knowledge (both collective and personal) but also our vulnerability to being misguided in the context of such a rapidly changing reality.  Finally, we must all--scientists and society at large--strive to ensure that whatever new course of action we take, we keep in mind the primary goal of the well-being of humanity as a whole and the planet we inhabit.  (pages 200-201)

Unlike some religious leaders who may fear what science has to offer, the Dalai Lama not only encourages scientific inquiry, but believes that it should also have an effect on our religious and spiritual beliefs.

My confidence in venturing into science lies in my basic belief that as in science so in Buddhism, understanding the nature of reality is pursued by means of critical investigation:  if scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims.  (pages 2-3)

For the Dalai Lama, there is no conflict between science and spirituality.  They are simply different ways of investigating and explaining things.  Although I've seen the effects of religions that won't trust science or scientists that won't trust religions, I've never personally felt a conflict between the two worlds.  I grew up believing that God was a scientist.  What made him God was his knowledge of how things worked.  Miracles were simply God acting in a scientific manner that we do not yet understand.  And I think that is what initially drew me to the study of how Buddhism and science are related. This book is one that I would like to return to in the future.  Neither science nor spirituality are one time stops.  There is always something new to learn and explore, even while revisiting something that we have already explored.  I'll leave you with these words from the Dalai Lama.

My plea is that we bring our spirituality, the full richness and simple wholesomeness of our basic human values, to bear upon the course of science and the direction of technology in human society. In essence, science and spirituality, though differing in their approaches, share the same end, which is the betterment of humanity.  At its best, science is motivated by a quest for understanding to help lead us to greater flourishing and happiness.  In Buddhist language, this kind of science can be described as wisdom grounded in and tempered by compassion.  Similarly, spirituality is a human journey into our internal resources, with the aim of understanding who we are in the deepest sense and of discovering how to live according tot he highest possible idea. This too is the union of wisdom and compassion.  (page 208)
 

Book Review: Entering the Castle

I've read other books by Carolyn Myss, so when I found this one, I figured it was worth exploring. Entering the Castle:  An Inner Path to God and Your Soul is a handbook for how to apply the principles from St. Teresa of Ávila's The Interior Castle to a contemporary life.  I have 2 confessions to make.  First, I may have gotten more from this book if I had read it side by side with The Interior Castle, comparing and contrasting Myss's ideas with Teresa's.  Second, this is a book full of exercises, and although I thought through several of them, I didn't really invest the time to work through all the exercises completely.  With books like this, I generally read straight through once just to get the generally idea and then I go back and work through some of the exercises if they interest me.

I have very mixed feelings about this book.  There are some pages that I highlighted multiple places because it made so much sense to me and fit so well into where I am currently in my spiritual journey.  Then I'd turn the page and read a little more, and respond with, "No!  Really??"  More than any other book I've read in recent memory, this one was filled with moments that brought incredible insight and peace, followed by moments that crushed your soul.  Yes, I do think it is totally to do with where I am and what I need right now.

Although the approach of this book is very Christian and God centered, I was struck by how similar the exercises were to what I've been reading about Buddhism.  In fact, the book jacket even says this

This exciting new teaching of contemporary mysticism is also a brilliant synthesis of the psychology of consciousness and of Eastern and Western mystical traditions.  

Perhaps the most helpful parts of this book were those places where she talks about a concept that I was familiar with already, but gives new life to it through descriptions and imagery that is new to me.  One example is this description of grace.

Grace is divine fire, cosmic power, that runs through your being, calming your body, inspiring your thoughts, healing your physical pain, preventing you from an accident, guiding your inner journey.  Grace is the indescribable breath of God entering into your being while you pray.  Grace is the energy you call upon to help another person in need of comfort, healing, or inspiration.  To embrace grace, become aware of its presence in your life, mindful of the reality of this divine substance.   (page 307-308)

This book took a long time for me to get through, but even with the things I disagree with, it was not wasted time.  No book is ever wasted time.  You may disagree with the premise or even find that the writing style was poor (which this one was not), but seeing those things helps clarify what you believe or how you write.

On the plus side, this book introduced me to a saint that I was not familiar with before.  Plus, I was enough interested in her work, that I would now like to read Teresa's text and explore it for myself. Carolyn Myss gave me one way of exploring the text through a contemporary lens.  I wonder what wisdom and insight I might find on my own.  

 

Book Review: Untie the Strong Woman

Warning:  This review will contain language that may make some people uncomfortable.  I'm only including it here to show the potential for transforming the coarse and vulgar into something truly beautiful.  

I've been busy with other projects and other books, so it has taken me a long time to get through this book.  Last year I read Clarissa Pinkola Estés book Women Who Run With the Wolves and loved it, so when I found Untie the Strong Woman:  Blessed Mother's Immaculate Love for the Wild Soul at Half Price Books, I figured it was worth the investment.  Although she primarily focuses on Mary, the mother of Jesus, the boundaries are fluid between her ideas about Mary and her ideas about the Feminine Divine in general.  In many ways, Mormons could read these words and be reminded of Heavenly Mother.

In Women Who Run With the Wolves, Estés told many stories, but the themes linked together well and transitioning from one chapter to the next was easy.  I love the content of Untie the Strong Woman, but the structure and organization is not as strong.  It's almost as if each chapter was a new and random, unrelated musing about Mary.  That did make this book harder to read, but should in no way keep people from the message of this book.

Some chapters of this book spoke to me and other did not.  I suspect that that is mostly due to my own knowledge, understanding, and experience with the topics.  There are a few chapters that will make some readers extremely uncomfortable as they make us look at things and people from a different perspective.  Estés' ideas about immigration, abortion, convicted criminals might be a challenge for some who have only viewed these issues from the outside.  But, the thread that connects the whole book is that the Mother is there and always will be there for any one who needs her.

In Blessed Mother's view, all are lovable; all souls are accepted, all carry a sweetness of heart, are beautiful to the eyes; worthy of consciousness, of being inspired, being helped, being comforted and protected--even if other mere humans believe foolishly or blindly to the contrary.  (page 2)

Estés is a scholar and a psychoanalyst.  She has studied the great stories and myths of the world and how they affect us.  But more importantly, she has lived the stories.  It's not just academic knowledge she shares, but memories of her childhood, growing up around women who knew the Mother.  And it's her own personal experiences of feeling the Mother's love and it's transformative power that make this book what it is.

It's one of these stories that I want to tell you about.  I can't give you all of the details.  You really need to read Chapter 11 for the full effect of this teaching experience.  Here is the short version. Estés was teaching class in a prison.  The girls were tough and crude and she was having trouble reaching them.  Many of them had the word "fucker" tattooed on their forearms.  In one class, she was having trouble reaching them and things were close to getting out of hand.

But, there was no stopping Our Lady's voice inside my voice.  Being literally inspired is like giving birth; there is a moment up to which you have control, and then a tilt occurs and you couldn't stop if you tried with all the strength in you--everything rushes out.
So that's how I came to lose my mind and blurt out this challenge to the girls:
"If I can tell you a better story about the real meaning of each letter of the word 'fucker,' will you consider changing the tattoo on your arms to something that lifts you instead of dealing you down low, the way is does now?"

Over the next several meetings, they talked, and they transformed the word.

The f was the shepherd's staff, a symbol of Jesus who came from the Mother, "this Capital M Woman," and she wrote and M over the letter f as she taught them about Christ and the Holy Mother.

I continued then, "Consider this u in the word 'fucker.' This u is actually a broken sun with only one little ray showing at the bottom because many people have forgotten the real story of the precious life shining like a sun.  But because this sun really belongs to the Great Woman I've been telling you about, now her other rays can show too..."

And she made the u into a circle and added rays of the sun all around it.  

She added a cross to the c.

"This is the Cross on the round-topped hill called Golgatha."
I told them about the God of Love being found guilty of loving humanity instead of following the orders of the rulers and authorities of His time.  They understood completely being forced to follow rules instead of learning the Rules of Love.  They understood the ill drive in some to kill love.  They had lived it.  They understood the idea of the Cross.  Being nailed.  Some cried softly to hear of the Child of Love who included the downtrodden in His care most of all--that He had been murdered.  

To the k she added two more crosses for the men crucified on other side of Christ.  One asked forgiveness and Jesus granted it.

The letter e became an eye because "Creator first and foremost was all-seeing, not to catch people doing wrong, but to look after them."

…the kids decided that r at the end of the newly minted work "Mother" would become Blessed Mother's roses--the sweetness of new life--and the freedom to grow free.  Truly free.

Estés ability to meet them where they were and love them opened a dialogue that changes the girls' lives.   Her own powerful testimony of the Holy Mother's love made a difference.

This book opened my eyes to new ways of thinking and broadened my perspective of what it mean to give and receive love.  It's not an easy read, but definitely worth it.

Book Review: The South Beach Diet Gluten Solution

I read this book, not because I was looking for another diet, but because I have quit eating gluten and I was interested in what this author would have to say about gluten.  After I told my mom that I was going gluten free, she sent me a link with information about The South Beach Diet Gluten Solution Cookbook.  I checked that book out from the library, but also found The South Beach Diet Gluten Solution which gives more information about gluten and how this particular diet works.

Like most cookbooks, this has some great recipes that I think I will try, but also several that don't interest me at all.  The books are due back at the library today, so I think I will probably buy the Kindle version of this book.  Since cooking gluten free also involves ingredients that might not be in every kitchen, they have some helpful information on things you might need and where to find them.  Each recipe also includes information on preparation time and if the recipe is suitable for use during Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the diet.

The South Beach Diet Gluten Solution also includes a few recipes as well as shopping and cooking tips, but the important part of the book for me was the information on gluten.  Chapter 3 describes the differences between celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten sensitivity.  Although wheat is the problem in all three situations, how the body responds to the wheat or gluten is different.   Also, he emphasizes the importance of getting a celiac test before going gluten free, since if you aren't eating gluten the antibodies that the test is looking for will not be present.

One of the things that Dr. Agatston asserts is that if you are only gluten sensitive (and you do not have celiac disease or wheat allergy) you may be able to eat some gluten containing food.  Phase one of the diet takes out all grains.  My understanding of phase 2 is that you gradually add in small portions of certain foods determining your own body's tolerance level.  So in theory, a gluten sensitive person may not be able to eat a full order of breadsticks, but they might be able to tolerate one breadstick.  Or, they might not be able to do bread at all, but could tolerate a little flour used as a thickener in soup.  The thing I liked most about this was the emphasis on listening to your body and making smart choices based on how your body responds.

I have chosen not to do The South Beach Diet Gluten Solution program for several reasons.  First, I've already done something very similar to phase 1.  And although recent situations where I chose to consume some gluten did not have horrific results, I feel better, and it's easier to make food choices by just avoiding it entirely.  Also, The South Beach Diet is too picky for me at this stage of my life. There are too many foods that you are not supposed to eat, like butter and full fat cheese.  I don't eat much butter any way, but I would much prefer a little butter to nasty margarine.  And regular cheese tastes much better.  I think you just have to use moderation.  He also advocates using artificial sweeteners which my body does not tolerate well.

Overall, I think there is some very helpful information in this book, and I think that the diet could be helpful for some people, just not me.

Book Review: Rescued: A Prodigal's Journey Home

I had this great reading plan for break, but I forgot that my mom usually has a huge stack of books waiting for me at her house.  This book was one from her stack.

As you can probably tell from the title, this is the story of one man's spiritual journey and his return to the religion of his youth.  Like, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, this is one person's journey, and it doesn't necessarily reflect my own, but I can and do appreciate reading someone else's story. Those moments of reflection and inspiration give me insight into how other people think and react. And I am of the firm opinion that each person is on their own path.  While there might be similarities in our experiences, each of our spiritual journeys is unique.

Johnston tells his story, focusing on the events surrounding the LDS temple dedication in Bolivia, and his memories of serving in Bolvia many years before.   One of the things that I found fascinating was his description of the people and the role that faith played in their lives. It was

a place where people bore witness to personal visions and prophetic dreams as often as they discussed the soccer scores.
As in the celebrated novels of Latin American authors, the supernatural and natural worlds blended seamlessly in our mission.  And when I went back thirty years later for the dedication, it was still the same.  If a member told you her grandmother had paid her a visit, you never knew if the woman had come from another town or another world.  Daily life push so-called reality into soft focus and brought the inner workings of the heart into high relief. 

The other chapter that I loved tells of his friendship with Neal A. Maxwell that grew from their associations at Desert News.  He had asked Elder Maxwell to submit a list of favorite books for a series that Johnston was writing on the favorite books of prominent people.  He was surprised at one title on the list, first because he too loved it, but it went deeper than that.

The reason I flashed on its choice by Elder Maxwell was I often kept copies of the book around to give as gifts, though I seldom mentioned it when discussing literature with my academic friends.  It was a guilty please.  I was, as I said earlier, still a disciple of the God of Good Taste.  And lofty little tomes of spiritual awakening didn't qualify.
But Elder Maxwell was an academic and knew literature better than I did.  And he had put the book out there for all to see, without a drop of self-consciousness or shame.  He didn't worry about what others thought.  He owned up to the things of his heart.
I had to admire that.  

I had to admire it, too.  In fact, it is one of the things that I have been trying to do more of this year, especially with this blog.  Not everyone will approve of my choice of books, or agree with how they affected me, but I've found much more peace and happiness as I have owned my choices and my responses to those books.

This final book review of 2013 is kind a return home for me too.  The year started out strong.  I was reading a lot and writing a lot.  But life sometimes pulls you in other directions.  This holiday season has given me a chance to jump back into books.  I have two more books that I hope to review before Monday.  And then, it's time to get back into fiction.  Happy New Year, everyone!

I'm Back!

I know that you probably thought this blog died since I haven't posted in months, but I'm happy to report that I've just been busy with other projects.  I'm out of school for two weeks and I hope to get back into my reading and writing habits.

This week I finished reading two non-fiction books.  The reviews will be short, but I will get them done.

Reviews on these books should be showing up soon:
The South Beach Diet Gluten Solution*
Untie the Strong Woman

My biggest problem right now is deciding which books to take with me on my trip.  I'm only taking one suitcase and there is a weight limit.  The good news is, I just figured out how to use my library's eBooks, so I can do some reading and writing without needing to haul all the paper books.

These are the real books I think I will take with me to finish and write about:
Entering the Castle
The Universe in a Single Atom
The Great Hunt

These are the eBooks I'm hoping to read.  
Stitches
Divergent

Book Review: Finding Vocal Artistry

I read a book!  And I wrote about it!  Yippee!

You can read the post here on my voice blog.

(Plus I'm almost done with a fiction book, so watch for something about that in the next few days.)

Catching up (or trying to)

No, I didn't disappear from the face of the earth.  I didn't stop reading.  I didn't stop writing.  I've just had a lot of things on my plate lately, so getting posts done for this blog just didn't happen.  (Why does that sound like so many of my journal entries from my teens and twenties.)  Anyway...

If you are curious about what I've been up to, check out my voice blog and its companion FB page. You'll find me talking about lots of books there.  They are just all music books.  I'm also trying to do Camp NaNoWriMo this month, but I've been blogging so I haven't even started yet.  

When I typed up the tentative calendar for the book group posts for Emotional Freedom, I remember thinking, "This is ridiculous.  I won't need this much time to do these."  Now, months after it was supposed to be finished, I hope to get back to it.  Really, I will.  

And I'd also like to get back to writing reviews of the books I've read, but I'm not sure when it will happen so I'm going to just take some time now to tell you a little about them.  

Books I've finished reading since the last review.  

No Future Without Forgiveness by Desmond Tutu

This has been added to my list of favorite books ever.  As I mentioned before, it's not an easy read. Some parts will break your heart.  But it is also a book of hope.  A book of what can be.  The final chapter is the most beautiful and moving discussion of forgiveness that I have ever read or heard.  If you don't have time to read the whole book, read Chapter 11 and the postscript.  I promise it is worth it.  

Beyonders

A World Without Heroes (Beyonders #1) by Brandon Mull

Seeds of Rebellion (Beyonders #2) by Brandon Mull

Chasing the Prophecy (Beyonders) #3 by Brandon Mull

I was a huge fan of Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series, so I was excited to find these.  They were enjoyable reads, but I didn't love them the way I loved Fablehaven.  They were inventive and fun.  I liked the variety of the wizard created races.  I was bothered by some of the sexist things in the other world, but Mull had characters comment on the wrongness of that sexism, so I guess we are teaching kids some good things.  Mostly, I laughed when I saw things that reminded me of my own writing.  At one point, the main character is trying to decide what to do and goes into quite a lot of detail thinking his way through each option.  It reminded me a little of when I am doing NaNoWriMo and I don't know where I want the plot to go so I have one character explore all the possibilities just so I can up my word count.  Maybe that's not what Mull was doing, but it made me smile anyway.  Worth reading? Yes, but if you haven't read Fablehaven, I'd go there first because it is better.  

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine by Sue Monk Kidd

This is a beautiful book about one woman's spiritual journey.  She has made some different choices than I have, but I learned so much from reading of her experiences.  

Tai Ji:  Essential Tai Ji by Chungliang Al Huang with photographs by Si Chi Ko

This is one of two tai chi books that I purchased on a trip to the used book store in search of something else.  This books was a quick and easy read, but will be one that I return to often to explore its beauty and depth.  I would recommend it for people already familiar with tai ji.  The language used to describe the exercises is beautiful and powerful, but is not clear enough to really help you in learning the actual movement.  The pictures in this book are wonderful.  

New Spring:  The Novel (Wheel of Time 0.2) by Robert Jordan

I finally got around to starting Wheel of Time.  I've read this prequel and I think about 10 of the other books in the series, but I decided to wait until the series was complete before reading any more.  And of course, I've waited so long, that it was best to just start at the beginning.  New Spring is actually a prequel, written after the first few books, but telling what happened before Eye of the World.  I decided to go with chronological order for my reading rather than the order the books were written in.  I've heard both good and bad reports on these books.  I know I loved them before, but I'm anxious to see how I respond now.  

Since I've spent the last few years studying tai chi, one of the things I really connected with this time was when Jordan wrote about Lan "dancing the forms" as he fought off his enemies.  The names of the forms even sound like tai chi and qigong forms.  I'm also fascinated with the use of the One Power and how the women weave spells.  The way Jordan uses this was actually very influential in some of my own writing. I love the intrigue of the inner workings of the White Tower and each of the individual Ajahs.  

Books I've started reading (even though I already have a huge list going)

The Farmer's Wife Slow Cooker Cookbook edited by Lela Nargi

In the clearance section at Half Price Books, I found this great cookbook of slow cooker recipes that are not all processed foods.  The editor took recipes from The Farmer's Wife magazine published in the early 20th Century and adapted them for contemporary slow cooker use.  The recipes look good, but the best part is the ads and articles reprinted from the magazine.  

Lessons in Becoming Myself by Ellen Burstyn

This was another great find in the clearance section.  I loved the title and this from the description on the back, "What Burstyn learned taught her to stand up for herself, to battle her private demons, and to reach for authenticity in everything she did."  Looking forward to this.  

The Encyclopedia of Energy Medicine by Linnie Thomas

You know how you are supposed to use encyclopedias to look up info on a specific topic.  Well, I'm the nerdy girl that likes to read the whole encyclopedia.  I've already read a huge chunk and I skimmed the rest last night.  (Just bought it yesterday.)  I like how it is not just descriptions, but includes information on training, certification, and licensing for each of the modalities discussed.  I'm looking forward to spending a lot more time with this book as I make choices about moving forward with my goals in energy medi

Catching up and plans for summer

With all that's been going on the last few months, reading and writing have fallen to the bottom of the priority list.  I miss them both and I'm looking forward to the slower pace that the summer will bring.  I read because it broadens my views.  I write because it helps me make sense of the world.  But those are not the only reasons.   I need to read and write like I need to breathe. I've had some wonderful and some difficult experiences in the last few months (you can read about them here).  Now it's time to process all of that through a little writing.

I'm hoping to get back to the book reviews and online book club posts soon, but I think that what I am currently reading is going to play a big part in my summer.  I'm re-reading a bunch of related novels and stories that I wrote, but have never revised, edited, or published.  It's interesting to revisit these tales.  Sometimes I am amazed at the clarity of the writing, and other times I'm amazed at how truly awful it is.  The story I'm reading right now will probably just be used as an outline of events.  The ideas are good, but the writing is not.  That's OK.  It served its purpose.  Now it's time to take it to another level.

So here is my summer reading and writing plan.

• Do more fiction writing.  
• Finish the book club posts for Emotional Freedom.
• Finish the book reviews for books that I finished reading in February or March.  
• Read and write about the entire Wheel of Time series.  Mostly I'll be re-reading to get the big picture, but I'm also excited to see what the last couple books of the series reveal.  After thinking the series was almost done several times, I decided not to read any more of it until the series was done and I could read the whole thing.  I'm weird like that.  

What are you planning to read and/or write about this summer?  

Book Group: Emotional Freedom Chapter 3

Dreams and Sleep:  Accessing Revolutionary States of Consciousness

This is one of those chapters that some people might have problems with.  Some scientific studies suggest that dreaming is nothing more than random firing of neurons while we sleep.  While scripture is filled with stories of people that had significant dreams, some religious people are uncomfortable with the idea that anyone can have dreams that are prophetic or offer guidance. Also, I'll be the first to admit that some of the dream interpretation books/websites are just a little too "out there".  

My personal take is this:  Some dreams are total randomness and carry little if any meaning.  Other dreams are your brains way of continuing processing events and ideas that are part of your conscious thought when you are awake.  And yes, sometimes dreams give you important information.  I also believe that while other people can offer suggestions for what dreams might mean, ultimately any dream interpretation has to be determined by the dreamer, taking into account his or her own personal history, desires, and fears.  

Now that that is all out of the way, let's move on to this chapter.  

Orloff starts the chapter with the known physical and psychological benefits of sleep itself.  She then moves into information about the stages of sleep and how to overcome insomnia.  Many of the things she talks about for improving the quality of your sleep were things that I was already familiar with.  One new thing that I loved, but haven't tried yet is visualizing delta brain waves.  Just mentally seeing the picture of the wave can help you relax.  I love that.  

The rest of the chapter covers how to remember your dreams and 3 different kinds of dreams.  Although it wasn't new to me, I appreciate the reminder about keeping a dream journal.  Even if I don't go through the process of analyzing each dream, having that record is kind of fun.  Plus, some of my best story ideas have come from fragments of dreams.  I often have very vivid dreams.  

Orloff first covers psychological dreams, which she says can be both cries for help from something inside you that can't carry a burden any more, and "advocates for your finest qualities."  She has a helpful guide to some of the common psychological dreams and their meanings.  She also lists 5 steps for interpreting your psychological dreams.  

As she covers predictive and guidance dreams, she gives helpful signs for identifying them, as well as ways to learn from them and apply that knowledge.  One of the things that I found fascinating about predictive dreams is that there is a neutrality, detachment, and even calm to the dreams.  She talks of witnessing, rather than experiencing the emotions during the dream. A woman who has distressing dreams about a relationship is most likely having a psychological dream and not a predictive one.  

I love this quote about applying guidance dreams.

Never do anything that feels harmful to yourself or others.  Authentic guidance is always compassionate and will make you emotionally freer, even if it involves tough love.  (page 96)

Questions for discussion or personal reflection:

1.  How much importance do you give to your dreams?  Are they merely random thoughts linked together while you sleep, or do they carrying meaning for your life?

2.  Do you believe that the average person can receive prophetic and guidance dreams?  

3.  In what ways has looking at your dreams and their meanings helped you to process life events and/or find more emotional freedom?

4.  How is the quality of your sleep?  What things have you found that help you sleep better?  

Book Group: Emotional Freedom Chapter 2

Chapter 2:  Four Practical Secrets to Empowering Your Emotional Life

This chapter lays the foundation for everything else that is to come in the book.  As mentioned earlier, Orloff believes that emotions have 4 components:  biology, spirituality, energetic power, and psychology and that to really address emotional issues we have to look at all four components.  

In the first section of this chapter, she walks us through how emotions create biological responses, and what the effects of those responses can be.  She talks about the fight or flight response and how it is extremely helpful with dealing with short-term stress and danger, but long term exposure to the chemicals and the hormones that the body releases under stress actually makes us sick.  She then addresses the relaxation response and the positive effects it has on the body.  Most importantly, she points out that stress will come to us, but we have to go looking for calm.  We must actively seek and cultivate it.  

Orloff promotes meditation as a way to deal with the stresses of life.  She also gives directions for a three minute meditation that focuses on breathing.  This meditation is very similar to something I have been doing for years, and it really does help, when I remember to take the time to do it. Sometimes, even when I remember, I feel like I don't have time to do it, but the truth is, you don't even have to do this full 3 minute meditation.  A few low, slow breaths can do a lot to help deal with stress.  Somewhere recently (don't you love those kinds of references) I read that if you have time to meditate, you should spend 20 minutes meditating.  If you don't have time to meditate, spend an hour.  I believe it.  If we took more time to calm ourselves, I really believe that we would be more productive and kinder people.  

Now back to the book...

The second section addresses emotions through the lens of spirituality.  This section is absolutely beautiful and one I need to read frequently for reminders of why I am here.  As a Mormon, I was taught that our purpose on this earth is to learn and to become more like Christ.  Orloff's definition of spirituality fits that perfectly.

Spirituality, as I'm defining it, is a quest for meaning that goes beyond the linear mind to access a vaster force of compassion to frame everything...Spirituality is freeing because it means opening the heart and doing your darndest to see every nanosecond of existence through this aperture.  Always, you must ask, "How can a situation--any situation--help me grow and develop loving-kindness toward myself or others?" (page 42)

When we view emotions simply as negative, we lose the lessons they can teach us.  It is through those lessons that we transform the emotions and refine our souls. Feelings of jealousy can be an opportunity to develop self-worth, depression can help us learn about hope.  

Orloff then presents a beautiful heart meditation to help counter negative self-talk.  I was pleasantly surprised to encounter a very similar meditation in a class I am taking right now.  And I have a firm belief that if the same thing keeps popping up in different areas of your life, maybe it is something that you need to pay attention to.   

One of my favorite concepts is that of compassion.  It seems to be at the heart of everything Orloff discusses as well.  I love this quote:

Compassion is the great transformer, of the self and the world.  No matter how things seem, your compassion doesn't fall on deaf ears.  Remember:  Jesus talked about love and the people listened.  Whenever you feel lost, return to your heart.  It's the doorway to heaven. (page 47)

Energy.  This is one of those topics that some of my friends think is a little to "out there" or weird for them.  That's fine.  I respect the place you are in your journey.  The more I study and the more I learn, the more I come to believe that I have to address the energy components of all things.  It affects me and I know it.  Positive emotions create a different kind of energy than negative ones do.  Like stress, negative emotions (and the energy they carry) deplete us physically and energetically.  They are also easy to find and often more powerful than the positive ones, so once again, we have to seek out positive energy.  Again, she chooses to focus on kindness, love, compassion, and empathy.

When you are coming from a conscious, empathic place, that energy fills you and extends to others.  This won't make you into a Pollyanna or a pushover.  Rather, you can get across almost anything if you  say it the right way.  ( page 50)

I'll be honest, I didn't do the action step for this section.  Actually, it might be more correct to say that I didn't do it when I read the chapter.  I've been doing the second part of it for most of my life. To help you feel the difference in the energy that positivity and negativity can bring, Orloff asks you to stand in front of a mirror and say positive things to yourself about yourself and feel what that feels like. (This is actually a great exercise for any day.)  She then has you say negative things to yourself and feel and see how you change.  Like I said, I've been there and done that, and have no need to feel that again.  Personally, I would recommend doing it in the opposite order so you end feeling good about yourself.  I'm not a fan reciting meaningless affirmations. (Positive stuff that someone else says I should say even through I don't believe any of it.) Believe me, I've tried.  That type of therapy never worked.  But finding some little thing that is good and positive and reminding yourself of that frequently can work.  

In the final section of this chapter, Orloff addresses psychology.  To truly understand who we are and why we respond the way we do, we need to look at the people and situations that influenced us, both for good and for bad.  We inherit our virtues and our vices from our parents.  Here she has us list both the good and bad qualities we see in our parents, making them human, neither demons nor angels.  Then she has you take a close look at those lists.  Do you see yourself in any of those things?  If you are always criticizing, is that because it is how you want to be or because it is what you saw from a parent?  By viewing these traits from the outside, we can see which things from our parents we need to let go of, and which we need to embrace.  

"Who is reacting--me or my parents?" (page 59)

Wrapping up the chapter, Orloff reminds us of the awakening to consciousness that is the path to freedom.  

In all circumstances, make this your mantra: "I will keep moving toward the light, toward compassion." (page 59)

Compassion--for me, for who I used to be, for who I am becoming, for those I love, for those I don't understand, for those who seem to fight against me.  I can choose.  And I choose compassion.  

Questions for discussion or personal reflection:  

1.  Stress can contribute to hypertension, heart disease, some cancers, and depression.  What are you doing to help calm the physical responses of your body?

2.  What do you think about meditation?  Does the word itself turn you off?  Do you associate it with weird things you don't understand?  (Yes, at one point that was me).  

3.  Some people meditate through movement (dance, running, tai chi, yoga, etc.)  Some people meditate through prayer.  Some people meditate by spending quiet time in nature.  How do you meditate, or if you don't like that word, how do you calm and/or focus yourself?  

4.  How does your spirituality tie in to how you deal with emotions?  

5.  Talk to me about compassion and the place it has in your life.  Go here to read about a few things that I learned.  

6.  I believe in energy and that our energy can affect those around us.  What do you think?  How do you cultivate energy?

7.  For awhile (too long in fact) it was fashionable to blame all your problems on your parents.  I love that Orloff doesn't do that, focusing on both the good and bad that we can get from them.  She also emphasizes that although we are influenced by the way we were raised, we are not our parents, and we don't have to react in the same way.  We can choose.  What things about your parents have you chosen to emulate and which things have you chosen to move away from?  

Book Review: Not My Apocalypse

Not My Apocalypse by Devon Harnois

At first, you might think that this book is a lot like Percy Jackson and the Olympians.  Like Percy, Alex Holden is a demigod, the child of a god and a human.  Like Percy, Alex has anger management issues, and hangs out with a bunch of other demigods.  But that is where the similarities end.  

Although written as YA Fantasy, I'd be careful which young adults I recommended this to.  In addition to his temper problem, Alex also drops the f bomb a lot.  Granted, in the situations he finds himself in, it fits, but if that word offends you, skip this book.  One of the funniest parts of the book is when he is hanging out with Jesus (who goes by Joshua) and has to keep rephrasing his sentences to eliminate the swearing.  

Alex has a hard life, which is quite understandable considering the fact that he lives with his Satanist mother and stepfather, and Lucifer, his father, drops by occasionally to beat him.  Alex knows that he is the Antichrist and he understands the role he must play according to the prophecies, but he wants nothing of it.  In fact,  he and his demi-god friends save the world 3 times, twice preventing Ragnarok, and finally stopping Satan from destroying the world.  

One of the fascinating things about this book is the way the author pulls in the gods and legends of many different cultures.  You get a little bit of Norse mythology, the Greeks, the Egyptians, and the Christians.  Excalibur even makes an appearance, and when that sword has to be returned Japanese spirits make Alex a new sword of his own.  The gods cannot interfere with the workings of the other pantheons, but these rules do not apply to their demi-god children who use whatever tools then can acquire to save the world.  

I read this book because I know the author.  I've read chapters of her other works in the writer's group that I used to attend.  Although her work is a little more edgy that what I usually read, it is also wickedly funny in places and very interesting.  I love seeing little bits of her personality coming through in the writing.  Most importantly, I want to read the next book in the trilogy.  (As you know, my two big criteria for judging a book are 1.  Does it keep me interested? and 2.  Do I want to read more about these characters?)

Book Review: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

I broke one of my rules in reading this book (and the book that precedes it).

Never read a book that is part of a series or trilogy until all the books are done and you can read them one after the other.  

I think that my biggest criticism of the book would not be an issue if I had read A Discovery of Witches  recently and hadn't read 40,000 other things in between the two books.  As I writer, I know that one of the hardest things to do when writing a sequel is to remind readers of all the important information from the first book without sounding like you are trying to remind them.  Harkness does get the reminders in there, but like I said, it's been awhile since I've read the first book, so those little hints weren't enough to bring back all the detail from the first book that I wanted and needed.

Overall, I found the book fascinating.  How could it not be?  It has all the elements of my favorite stories--spies, history, magic, even a little science.  Diana (a historian and witch who doesn't know how to use her powers) and her husband Matthew(a vampire and geneticist) go back in time to Elizabethan London in search of a book that holds the secrets of the creatures (vampires, witches, daemons) and may be the key to discovering how they were created and why they are now dying out.  In addition to the dangers of the possibility of changing the past and thereby changing the future, they must deal with dangers from other creatures and the fact that in both times, their marriage is a violation of an ancient agreement.

But they are not without allies.  They travel to a time and place where Matthew lived, so his friends and associates (all the big names of the Elizabethan era, and in this book, many of them vampires or daemons as well) form a circle of trusted companions.  I was excited to see John Dee in this, but disappointed that he didn't have a larger role.  Shakespeare's role is also minor, but he does get the last scene of the book.

The author, a professor of history herself, weaves an intricate tale, leaving the reader (or at least this nerdy reader) wondering how much is history and how much is fiction.  Luckily, at the end of the book is a list of all the characters with the names marked that have been acknowledged by historians.  It tells you who was real, but not how much of what they did in this book is actual history.  I guess that is what google is for.

My favorite part of the book is when Diana is meeting with the witches of the city and learning about her magic and witchcraft.  I found it interesting that Diana noticed that although she had been taught that the craft was more important than inherent magic, these women focused on the elemental magic within them. I also loved that Diana's familiar is a fire drake.  I also found familiars to be different in this book that what I had encountered in other books.  Another thing to look up more information on.

My second favorite part was when Diana was spending time with Mary Sidney working in her alchemy lab.  I love these portrayals of strong women from a time when many women were not allowed much freedom.

Was this an absolutely amazing, can't put it down book?  No.  Was it good enough that I'm annoyed that I can't just jump right into the next book.  Yes, especially since we're back in the present time and DNA will be playing a big part again, I hope.

Book Group: Emotional Freedom Chapter 1

This chapter is still pretty much introductory material.  The author present a little more detail about why we should want to find emotional freedom.  And once again, she emphasizes that it is about helping our love to evolve.  It's also about connecting to who we really are inside.

She shares stories, including one about her own experiences as a patient in a mental hospital.  In another story, she tells us of learning to trust her intuition.  She had been in a session with a patient and had a feeling that the women would attempt suicide.  Because there were no other indications beyond her own feelings that this was the case, she ignored it, and the woman did try to take her own life.  From this, Orloff learned that she had to trust her intuition, even if it seemed contrary to everything else.

Orloff tells of her experiences of finding a spiritual teacher, and finding her own voice and power.

The chapter wraps up with an emotional freedom test that allows you to assess how you are doing right now, and a short and very careful discussion of how men and women generally respond differently.  Any discussion of differences between men and women has the potential to blow up in your face, but I felt like she did a great job here of explaining general tendencies and the fact that these tendencies occur with "many (but not all) women" and "many (but not all) men".

I liked the emotional freedom test.  It consists of "20 questions for reflection." (I love that focus on reflection).  You respond to each question by checking Not true 0, Sometimes True 1, or Mostly True 2, and then adding them up to get your score.  It was interesting for me to see how much different my answers are now than they would have been 10 or 15 years ago.  I'm moving in the right direction.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.  Would you be more or less likely to trust a former mental patient as a dispenser of wisdom about emotions?   Why?

2.  How do you feel about intuition?  What does intuition mean to you?  Is intuition different from promptings from the Holy Ghost?  If so, how?  

3.  Who have been the spiritual teachers in your life?  Is there someone that you go to for guidance and instruction that is not part of your Sunday worship experience?  

4.  Are there areas in your life where you think you have found emotional freedom or are moving towards it?  Are there times that you still feel trapped by your emotions?  

Book Group: Emotional Freedom Introduction

In her introduction to Emotional Freedom, Judith Orloff defines emotional freedom by framing it in love and compassion, for ourselves and for others.  She had me right there.   Even if the "how to" of emotional freedom hadn't made sense to me, the focus on love and compassion did.  One of the other things I loved right away was that she didn't talk about eliminating negative emotions;  she talks about transforming them.  Think about that for a minute.  This isn't about making bad things go away; it's about taking something negative and transforming it into something better.  

Orloff then goes on to explain a little about her journey, and the way she approaches psychiatry. Dreams, intuition, energy, and traditional medicine all feed into her practice.  Our emotions change our energy, and that energy moves beyond us to influence others.  Your spirituality is also tied in with your emotions and energy.

It is impossible to grasp how we tick emotionally without a cosmic perspective; everything about us, including our biology, is an expression of the divine.  Seeing emotions as a training ground for the soul frames every victory over fear, anxiety, and resentment as a way to develop your spiritual muscles and be better able to love and cultivate goodness.  Anything that keeps you from your light distances your spiritual connection too.
(page 4)

Emotions as a training ground for the soul.  I love that!

She gives a brief outline of what she will cover in the book.  She also encourages readers to make small and simple changes.  Do little things that move you in the right direction.

Small changes.  I'm getting better at that, but it still needs work.  I'm going to move through these chapters at a pace of about one chapter a week, focusing on 1 or 2 small things the week after the post.  You don't have to follow any particular schedule.  Move at your own pace.  The posts will be here when you are ready to discuss or reflect.  And as always, you're free to comment on something in the posts, even if you haven't read yet.

Questions for discussion or personal reflection:

1.  What emotions are you interested in transforming?  

2.  What do you think about using dreams and intuition as sources of wisdom?  Is that completely natural to you, or does that feel like weirdo, out-there, crazy stuff?  (By the way, there is plenty of good advice from Western medicine and psychology in this book too, so if the other stuff is too much for you, you can still get something from the book.)

3.  How have your emotions affected your spirituality?  

4.  What did you like in this Introduction?  

5.  What things didn't sit well with you or bothered you?  

Book Review: Emotional Freedom

I am seriously in love with this book!  Emotional Freedom by Judith Orloff was the perfect book at the perfect time for me.  A friend had recommended another book by the same author, which I immediately added to my reading list.  But then I was at the airport and needed something to read, and this book was there, waiting for me.

Judith Orloff coined the term Energy Psychiatry to describe the kind of psychotherapy she does.  She takes the best of several different worlds and brings them together.  As she approaches what we often think of as negative emotions (fear, frustration and disappointment, loneliness, anxiety and worry, depression, jealousy and envy, and anger), rather than talking about getting rid of them or suppressing them, she teaches people to transform them.  She gives information and solid advice about how emotions affect us physically and what we can do about it from a medical standpoint (drugs, etc.).  But that isn't the end of it.  She also talks about how to deal with these emotions using  spiritual, energetic, and psychological tools.

I knew when I picked up the book that the real test of Orloff's approach would come in what she said in her chapter about depression.  I'm pleased to say that she passed with flying colors.  She acknowledges that feeling a little depressed and major depression are different things.  I've had too many people tell me that I just needed to think more positively and it would go away.  Even cognitive behavioral therapy can't fix everything on it's own.  She gives real tools, using medicine, spirituality, energy, and psychology together to tackle the problem.

I'm excited to explore these chapters again in the chapter by chapter book group posts.  I know that I've already forgotten much of what I found so enlightening in the first half of the book.  I am looking forward to applying her ideas to help me feel more empathy and compassion for those around me (and act accordingly) without being overwhelmed by the suffering of the world.