Others' reviews of books I recommend
Anatomy of the Spirit,
review by Amazon.com
What sets Anatomy of the Spirit apart is Carolyn Myss's ability to
blend diverse religious and spiritual beliefs into a succinct discussion of
health and human anatomy. For example, when describing the seven energy fields
of the human body, she fuses Christian sacraments with Hindu chakras and the
Kabbalah's Tree of Life. Fortunately, Myss is a skilled writer as well as
researcher, able to ground her extensive spiritual and religious discussions by
using real-life stories and a tight writing style. Those who are squeamish with
the notion of biography affecting biology will find this book a struggle (in one
chapter, Myss links pancreatic cancer with a man's refusal to unburden his life
and start fulfilling his dreams). Many, however, hail Myss for creating a
valuable contribution to the ongoing exploration of spirituality and health. --Gail
Hudson
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Atlas Shrugged, review by Ingram
The story of a man who said he would stop the motor of the world--and
did. This novel is the setting for the author's philosophy of Objectivism.
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Way of the Peaceful Warrior, review
by Amazon.com
During his junior year at the University of California, Dan Millman first
stumbled upon his mentor (nicknamed Socrates) at an all-night gas station. At
the time, Millman hoped to become a world-champion gymnast. "To survive the
lessons ahead, you're going to need far more energy than ever before,"
Socrates warned him that night. "You must cleanse your body of tension,
free your mind of stagnant knowledge, and open your heart to the energy of true
emotion." From there, the unpredictable Socrates proceeded to teach Millman
the "way of the peaceful warrior." At first Socrates shattered every
preconceived notion that Millman had about academics, athletics, and
achievement. But eventually Millman stopped resisting the lessons, and began to
try on a whole new ideology--one that valued being conscious over being smart,
and strength in spirit over strength in body. Although the character of the
cigarette-smoking Socrates seems like a fictional, modern-day Merlin, Millman
asserts that he is based on an actual person. Certain male readers especially
appreciate the coming-of-age theme, the haunting love story with the elusive
woman Joy, and the challenging of Western beliefs about masculine power and
success. --Gail Hudson
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Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior, review by Connecting Link, Issue 17Buy it at Why do I like Amazon.com?
Anthem, review by All-American
Books, New Rochelle, NY
Reading this inspired story is a rewarding and satisfying experience
which no American should deny himself.
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Anatomy of the Spirit, review by
Kirkus Reviews
Pert, a self-described ``catalyst in the mindbodyspirit revolution in
modern medical science,'' and once a chief of brain chemistry at the NIH, freely
intermingles vibrant stories of her professional and personal life with her
theories about neuropeptides. Currently a research professor at Georgetown
Medical Center in Washington, Pert may be best known as one of the scientists on
Bill Moyers's PBS series Healing and the Mind. In the early 1970s, she made a
name for herself with her key role in discovering the brain's opiate receptors.
For the next decade, however, owing to her protests over her exclusion from the
prestigious Lasker Award, her reputation among scientists was more that of
feminist troublemaker than pathfinder. Certainly the picture she draws here of
the science establishment would seem to suggest a world of aggressive, even
ruthless, alpha males fighting for the top prize. She also traces her own
evolution from competitive bench scientist to explorer of personal healing
modalities. The death of her father, the end of her marriage, her resignation
from the NIH, her embracing of the Christian faith, and her discovery of the
healing power of dreams--all were, she says, life-shaping events. Pert also
explains her theory that neuropeptides and their receptors are the biochemicals
of emotions, carrying information in a vast network linking the material world
of molecules with the nonmaterial world of the psyche. Her views on mind-body
cellular communication mesh well with the concepts of energy held by many
alternative therapies, and she is now, not surprisingly, a popular lecturer on
the wellness circuit. Her final chapter describes an eight-part program for a
healthy lifestyle, and she has appended an extensive list of alternative
medicine resources. Strong scientific support for the mind-body school of
medicine, sure to rankle those alpha males back in the labs. (Author tour) -- Copyright
©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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