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November/December 2006 Conscious Media
Reviews

Reader’s Choice Reviews

Join the Reader's Choice Club and review books and CDs for New Connexion. The products you review are yours to keep-our way of saying thanks for volunteering and providing this valuable service. The club meets bimonthly to share insights on books and CDs reviewed. Email editor@newconnexion.net for details.

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The Buddha at War: Peaceful Heart, Courageous Action in Troubled Times,
Robert Sachs, Watkins Publishing Group, 2006, $14.95

According to The Buddha at War, Buddhist masters say that we are in a Dark Age, a time of super bureaucracies designed to rein in the radicals, and suppress and dominate the populace in order to provide a sense of stability for the fearful. For readers expecting to find only messages of peace, author Robert Sachs may offer some surprises when he writes that Buddhism does not shy away from conflict or war, but rather conducts necessary wars with respect and compassion. The Buddha at War offers pragmatic steps to cope with troubled times. Based on Tibetan Buddhist principles, the book is unique in that it merges Buddhist teachings with political action. The author urges us to "become as bold as bodhisattvas in the jungle of poisonous plants."

-- Julia Ingram

 Editor’s Choice

Plant Spirit Shamanism: Traditional Techniques for Healing the Soul
Ross Heaven and Howard G. Charing, Destiny Books, 2006, $16.95

Plant Spirit Shamanism explores the use of one of the major allies of shamans for healing, seeing, dreaming, and empowerment -- plant spirits. After observing great similarities in the use of plants among shamans throughout the world, they discovered the reason behind these practices. Rather than dealing with the medical properties of the plants or specific healing techniques, shamans commune with the spirits of the plants themselves. A practical and useful guide for healing on a deeper level, using Mother Nature's power.

-- Vicky Thompson

Spreading Wings
Lynda Cole and Jan Michael Looking Wolf, www.lyndacole.com, 2006, $16

Spreading Wings takes your heart on a journey. Silver and Native American flutes lend a lyrical voice, touching and soothing your soul. Ambient and yet jazzy, this peaceful flowing music is like walking through an inner garden filled with rhythmic heartbeats. This CD is perfect for meditating, yoga or relaxing with friends.

-- Vicky Thompson

Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls?
Norman Golb, Scribner, 1995, $22

Since their discovery in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls have intrigued scholars. Norman Golb takes you on a journey back in time to unravel the origin and meaning of the scrolls. He challenges the traditional belief that all the writings belonged to one desert-dwelling sect. He argues instead that the scrolls were written by different groups in ancient Judaism and smuggled out of the libraries in Jerusalem before the Roman attack in A.D. 70.

Throughout the book, Golb alludes to the significance of these scrolls to the evolution of Judaism and Christianity. This theme serves as an absolutely fascinating conclusion. By shedding new light on the period between the writings of the Old and New Testaments, this book contains a fresh interpretation of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity. Packed with footnotes, endnotes, maps and illustrations, Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls? is a challenging and yet breathtaking book to read.

-- Helen Geoffre

Journalution
Sandy Grason, New World Library, 2005, $14.95

A comforting friend,Sandy Grason soothes our writing fears. I have shelves full of half-empty journals. They're not failures but steps on your journey. What if someone sees what I've written? So what? Burn the pages, or in getting to know and love all aspects of yourself, embrace these scary private thoughts. I have no time; journaling is just another item on my to-do list. So what if you don't touch a page for days, weeks, months? Continue striving to find your voice, one 10-minute exercise at a time.

Grason has a lofty goal: "I had a vision to inspire millions of people to journal as a tool to heal and to manifest their dreams." And then? To change the world, one personal Journalution at a time, as we remember our dreams and live up to them when opportunities present. Journaling brings us back to the place where the dreams first whispered to us.

Journalution will inspire you - whether you are a novice at penning or someone who knows how to mine the depths. Exercises abound to cleanse and release, to vision and hope, and to channel the messages of your soul. Share on-line musings at www.Journalution.com.

-- Lorelynn Mirage Cardo

Your Inner Pharmacy: Taking Back Our Wellness
Robert Blaich, Beyond Words Publishing, 2006, $19.95

One third of the U.S. population is afflicted by chronic illnesses, including heartburn, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis and asthma. Dr. Blaich challenges us to look at both our lifestyle choices and the missing pieces in our health care that affect such illnesses. He promises that with only five hours per week, we can shift our bodies back into natural self-healing processes. With detailed case histories, he makes a persuasive case for investing as much money and effort in our own bodies as we put into maintaining our vehicles. With chapters on what holistic healthcare looks like in real life and how to eat, play and think yourself to health, he entices the reader to make changes that will have long-lasting positive effects. I would recommend this both for the novice who has not checked into alternative healthcare, and for the intermediate reader who has gone to alternative practitioners but could use help putting it all together.

-- Cathy McGuire

Space Between the Stars: My Journey to an Open Heart
Deborah Santana, Ballantine Books, 2005, $14.95

This intensely personal memoir about growth, redemption and liberation is written by Deborah Santana, a woman living in the shadow of her famous musician husband, Carlos Santana. The author's coming of age was in the 60s among famous people. However this is no thin tale of gossip or name dropping. At heart this is a story of spiritual awakening and a 30-year journey of marriage, business partnership and discovery with Carlos. The story of a daughter, sister, lover, wife, mother, businesswoman, poet, world traveler and spiritual seeker, it also is a tale of balancing the passion of love, spirit, family and work without losing your soul in the process. It illustrates her belief that "learning can come from good and bad experiences" such as suffering infidelity, trying recreational drugs, getting a college education, marrying Carlos, establishing a charity and managing the Santana band. Her insight into her life's lessons rings true with candor and vulnerability, making it a jewel of a book.

-- Angelica Williams

Awakening: A Daily Guide to Conscious Living
Shakti Gawain, New World Library, 2006, $14.00

In this wonderful collection of daily meditations and affirmations, best-selling author, Shakti Gawain presents a daily dose of inspiration and a guide to developing deeper awareness. These meditations and affirmations are organized thematically around the calendar seasons and while life affirming, they also challenge us to find inner balance and value our disowned selves. With the many life challenges we face, we are at an advantage when we bring our lives into wholeness and alignment with universal truths. This book will assist you in facing such challenges and help you to develop greater awareness and inner strength.

-- Maya Gable