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September/October 2003 Conscious Media
Reviews

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The Millionaire Course - A Visionary Plan for Creating the Life of Your Dreams
By Marc Allen (New World Library, 2003 - $14.95)

I would love to recommend this book to all my clients. But I can’t.  Quite simply, it’s the title. 

As a SoulBiz Coach, I read a lot of these types of books. And, this one is by far, my favorite.  As a creative himself, Marc not only understands, but also lives the way of the artist.  Coupled with his mastery of business, the book is a great blend of literary and creative reference, down-home spirit wisdom and practical applications.  It is appropriate for new business owners as well as the seasoned entrepreneur who wants to reconnect with the spirit of their work.   

I have quoted him and integrated elements into my work more than any other reference of its type.  I rarely use affirmations, and yet those he incorporated into his book are powerful, simple and useable.  I liked the fast pace, the use of self-revealing story and periodic "wake up moments"- those new ways of thinking that instantly shift how I engage in the world.

And yet. I can’t bring myself to share a book with this title with my clients. I find myself saying, "I’ve just read this great book by Marc Allen," sheepishly revealing the book’s cover as I read a passage. You might say, but its just a title. But my sense is that Marc used this specific title to capitalize on the current uncertain economic climate that is heightening people’s panic to make more money.  And for that reason, I can’t fully get behind promoting the book.  If it were my copy, I’d cover it with a brown paper bag, and rewrite the subtitle and call the book: LifePassion- creating a thriving business with clarity, intention and purpose-full actions.  And, I’d invite my clients to write their own title as well. 

---Carolyn Campbell: carolyn@thecoresource.com or www.thecoresource.com

 

The Jesus Path by Vickie Thompson
Red Wheel/ Weiser, 2003 $16.95

Through "The Jesus Path" by Vickie Thompson we are able to get to know the man Jesus and walk with him through his journey of self awakening. Vickie says her book was a joy to write; she asked for God’s help and he sent it to her and us through these messages. She was inspired by the Master himself as he revealed his own awakening to her.

Her text gives us Jesus’ seven steps to divine awakening and assures us that we too can go through the process of remembering our "cosmic link with the universal world of God", but we must consciously choose to rediscover our divine path and work to achieve our goal. Vickie explains that the divine gives us the opportunity to experience the joy of remembering our oneness with the spirit rather then just be told how to reconnect with our higher-selves.

The book continues in detail to reveal Jesus’ seven steps to divine awakening using his words, experiences, and teaching to guide us to our own awakening. Vickie devotes an entire chapter to each step. Within the chapters are also stories to relate the process to our lives and affirmations, meditations and methods to apply the teachings.

Vickie’s book is a powerful instructional guide, she like many others has opened up to the voice of the divine and turned those messages into printed word. This is a truly motivating text. If you allow it "The Jesus Path" will not only lead you to a better connection with your spirit self it will also enhance your relationship with Jesus the man.

---Jude Norris

 

From Science to God: A Physicist’s Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness
By Peter Russell (New World Library, 2003, $19.95)

What does the speed of light have to do with the Koran, St. John and Aldous Huxley? Where does quantum physics meet the psychology of meditation? And if "I think, therefore I am," why can’t physics, chemistry or biology explain where human thought comes from?

From Science to God offers a crash course in the nature of reality. It is the story of Peter Russell's lifelong exploration into the nature of consciousness — how he went from being a strict atheist, studying mathematics and physics at Cambridge University, to realizing a profound personal synthesis of the mystical and scientific. Using his own tale of curiosity and exploration as the book’s backbone, Russell blends physics, psychology, and philosophy to reach a new worldview in which consciousness is a fundamental quality of creation. He shows how all the ingredients for this worldview are in place; nothing new needs to be discovered. We have only to put the pieces together and explore the new picture of reality that emerges.

From Science to God is as much a personal story of an open-minded skeptic as it is a tour de force of scientific and religious paradigm shifts. Russell takes us from Galileo’s den to the lecture halls of Cambridge where he studied with Stephen Hawking. "If you had asked me then if there was a God," says the best-selling author of his scientific beginnings, "I would have pointed to mathematics." But no matter what empirical truths science offered Russell, one thorny question remained: How can something as immaterial as consciousness, ever arise from something as unconscious as matter?

Integrating a deep knowledge of science with his own experiences of meditation, Russell arrives at a universe similar to that described by many mystics — one in which science and spirit no longer conflict. The bridge between them, he shows, is light. From Science to God invites us to cross that bridge to a radically different, and ultimately healing, view of ourselves and the universe — one in which God takes on new meaning, and spiritual practice a deeper significance.

---Miriam Knight

 

Divine Nature of Plants, by Laura Aversano
(Swan*Raven and Co., 2002, $26)

This book combines information on several different topics, seen through a lens of Native American spirituality. Written by a medical intuitive, this book primarily focuses on the spiritual and physical effects of specific plant energies on humans. The author divides the sections for each plant into basic meditations about them, their spiritual and emotional effects and their physical healing properties. Laura Aversano also describes, in her initial chapters, the Native American medicine wheel and some basics of Native American rituals related to plants and how to connect with plant energies. Ms. Aversano transmits this information with the hope that it will be used with the intent of preserving the sacredness of the plants.

This is an interesting little sourcebook on plants and their possible uses and connections in various forms of healing. I was a bit surprised that Ms. Aversano states that plants mean certain things to certain people and everyone should "go by their own beliefs," then goes on ahead to list the twenty or so plants and what she has channeled or found to be their helpful properties. It seemed a bit contradictory to me, though obviously, there are people who are not yet able or willing to assess what the plants might personally offer them. Another interesting thing I noted was that there were common uses of some herbs which were left out.

Other than these issues, I found this is a very interesting sourcebook for people interested in working with plants and reading more about how they might be incorporated into healing work. I would recommend it especially for those beginning a journey into studying herbs or branching out into different ways of accessing healing from the plant world.

--Alaina Zipp

 

Himalayan Dhaba, by Craig Danner
Plume Productions, 2003, $13.00

Picture a recently widowed young doctor who makes a permanent move to a remote village to minister to the sick. In this book, physician Mary Davis does has sold her possessions and moved to her late husband's favorite place. She arrives wrapped in a dark night of the soul, one year after her husband's death.

We walk with Mary as she struggles through her year's upheaval, facing challenges such as inadequate medical equipment and assistants, a lack of community and deep grief over the loss of her husband. This is accompanied by her inner existential and often anxiety-focused dialogue.

Written with minute detail, I found this book quite entertaining. I appreciated the realness of Mary's worries about the people not liking her, that they might have issues with her degree of medical expertise, and generally regretting and mulling over her life choices. This book takes us beautifully through the minds of several characters and would be a good fit for a philosopher or an armchair traveler looking for information on living in a country that goes beyond the normal "tourist" themes.

--- Alaina Zipp

 

Cd & Music Reviews

From Alan Peterson
alan@alanpeterson.net or www.alanpeterson.net

Antibalas:  "Talkatif"
New York City group Antibalas' CD, "Talkatif", is a mixture of great  sounds.  Spoon in a little Santana, a pinch of Crusaders, a hint of Bob Marley, shake in some Herbie Hancock to sweeten the pot, and you have only started simmering the stock of this boiling "afrobeat" brew.  Antibalas, which means "anti bullets" is a diverse fifteen member collective of accomplished musicians who keep the heat on from the powerful beginning cut "Gabe's New Joint" through the  final "n.e.s.t.a75". The rhythms are contagious, the organ and horns are  voracious, and the solos outrageous.  I think we all want a "World Without Fear" and know that "War is a Crime", and with song titles and music like this,  Antibalas will make you feel it right down to the soul.  Antibalas info: www.antibalas.com

Prem Joshua and Mnish Vyas: East-West-Alchemy Tour
I recently received a promotional CD from sitar master Prem Joshua and India tabla wizard Manish Vyas.  Their wonderful and lively music is a "fusion" of East and West with much of the rich middle Eastern type musical progressions one would expect to hear, but with a West style bounce to it that is both intriguing and satisfying.  In a word it rocks!  There is a bit of chanting, trance sounds, flute and a few things I still haven't figured out yet, all floating in and out of the great rhythm and Eastern melody laid down by these two exceptional musicians.  This CD was promoting the upcoming visit to Oregon of their East-Meets-West Alchemy Tour. If you miss these exceptional performers, two new CDs, "Dakini Lounge: Prem Joshua Remixed" and Manish Vyas' "Sattva", will be released by White Swan Records this fall.  Look for reviews of both CDs in this space soon!

 

[Prem Joshua and Manish Vyas will be giving concerts at 8pm at the "Talent Barn", 1828 Anderson Creek Rd., Talent, OR near Ashland, on Sept. 20 &21; tickets ($20) at Soundpeace, Ashland. On Sept. 23^rd they are at "The Music Stage", Portland Art Museum, 1119 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97205. Tickets at 8pm. Tickets at $20 from: www.communityboxoffice.net ; www.indogram.com/pdx/tickets or call Rita Soman: 503-667-5221.]