The Revolution

The Revolution: A Manifesto
by Ron Paul (Author)

This Much Is True: You Have Been Lied To.

• The government is expanding.
  
• Taxes are increasing.
  
• More senseless wars are being planned.
  
• Inflation is ballooning.
  
• Our basic freedoms are disappearing.

The Founding Fathers didn't want any of this. In fact, they said so quite clearly in the Constitution of the United States of America. Unfortunately, that beautiful, ingenious, and revolutionary document is being ignored more and more in Washington. If we are to enjoy peace, freedom, and prosperity once again, we absolutely must return to the principles upon which America was founded. But finally, there is hope . . .

In THE REVOLUTION,Texas congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul has exposed the core truths behind everything threatening America, from the real reasons behind the collapse of the dollar and the looming financial crisis, to terrorism and the loss of our precious civil liberties. In this book, Ron Paul provides answers to questions that few even dare to ask.

Despite a media blackout, this septuagenarian physician-turned-congressman sparked a movement that has attracted a legion of young, dedicated, enthusiastic supporters . . . a phenomenon that has amazed veteran political observers and made more than one political rival envious. Candidates across America are already running as "Ron Paul Republicans."

"Dr. Paul cured my apathy," says a popular campaign sign. THE REVOLUTION may cure yours as well.

The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture
by Randy Pausch (Author), Jeffrey Zaslow (Author)

As you read "The Last Lecture," you realize this is a book not written just as another philosophically dense lecture series but it's coming from the heart, from Randy's own experience with terminal cancer and coming to terms with his own limited time on earth.

Knowing his time is limited, you sense an urgency in his message and at the same time what is the most important in life becomes defined through his words. All the things that we think need to be put off for later. All the dreams we have left as relics to be abandoned from our childhood, when you face your own mortality come to the foreground as the very essence of existence.

This is an unforgettable lecture that will change you and also touch you. "The Last Lecture" will be a great legacy for Randy on its own but even more he'll be remembered for personally touching so many people mentioned in this book.

"The Last Lecture" can make a difference in your life and you should definitely consider buying it.

Gorgeously Green

Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life
by Sophie Uliano (Author)

Are you confused by all the advice you hear and see daily on how to "go green"? Do you want to incorporate earth-friendly practices into your life, but you don't know where to start? Don't stress! Green guru Sophie Uliano has sorted through all the eco-info out there and put everything you need to know about living a green lifestyle right at your fingertips.

In Gorgeously Green, Sophie offers a simple eight-step program that is an easy and fun way to begin living an earth-friendly life. Each chapter covers topics from beauty to fitness, shopping to your kitchen—even your transportation. Whether it's finding the right lipstick, making dinner, buying gifts, or picking out a hot new outfit, finally, there is a book that tackles your daily eco-challenges with a take-charge plan. Just consider Sophie your go-to girl with all the eco-solutions. Find out how to:

• Green your entire beauty regime
• Detoxify your home
• Indulge in guilt-free shopping
• Adopt a home fitness routine
• Prepare eco-licious treats
• Give your kitchen a green makeover
• Become more aware of your impact on the earth

The book's dozens and dozens of eco-friendly tips, products, and practices combine to form a treasure trove of practical advice for every possible way to become stylishly green. Your questions about dressing, makeup, eating, shopping, cleaning, travel, and more are all answered right here.

Adopting a green lifestyle is among the most positive, forward-thinking, and personally fulfilling choices that anyone can make—and Gorgeously Green shows that it doesn't have to be tedious, time-consuming, or glamourless!

The Noble Wilds

The Noble Wilds
by The Supreme Master Ching Hai (Author)

Before reading The Noble Wilds, I did not have any respect to wild animals. However, the book, "The Noble Wilds," lets me understand more with different aspect. They are very noble. On the behalf of animal lovers, I sincerely thanks Supreme Master Ching for your noble work and your beautiful pictures to illustrate in your book. I really really appreciate very much. We love your noble ideas, and we love you too.

Human beings exhibit their humanitarian side most readily toward their animal companions including dogs and cats. But Master Ching Hai exhibits Her Love and Compassion towards all living beings including wildlife. Drawn from personal experience, the author shows how wildlife serves as mirrors through which we see ourselves. Wildlife has the same human qualities including feelings, emotions, understanding, protective love, and desire to live. Full of beautiful photos, wit and love this book is a must read for anyone interested in wildlife.

I think "Life is Love". The Life should also be protected. This is the only way to achieve a peace and happiness on the earth.

The author of "The Noble Wilds" shows us a correspondent love with the wild lives. This book makes us aware of an emotional aspect that they own.
That is a great suprise to us.

The author-Supreme Master Ching Hai-humanitarian, environmentalist, spirtual teacher, founded SMTV - the world's only 24 hour positive TV station, helped millions of people around the world, is humble not seeking fame, promotes peace, lives to help others, and teaches us that love is the most important thing in the world.

Escape

Escape
by Carolyn Jessop (Author), Laura Palmer (Author)

Jessop is frank (though not vulgar or graphic) in her discussions about sexuality within her plural marriage and well she needs to be, for sex plays a strange but crucial role in these marriages. Though the women generally hate their husbands, they still want to have sex with him--not for the sake of love or intimacy, but because sex is power. The wife who gains sexual favor with her husband is the wife who can use him to further her own desires. Often these desires pit her against the other wives. It is an odd situation where wives who hate their husband seek to have sex (which they hate) with their husband (whom they hate) so they can further their hate-filled plans towards each other. So much, then, for the idealized content of "sister wives" that the cult seeks to portray to the world.

Escape and its description of life within plural marriage shows that marriage--marriage as given to us in the Bible--serves as protection for women. When people ignore biblically-ordained marriage, women immediately lose the protection it affords. They quickly become subservient to men. The women always lose out.

Perhaps the most shocking thing to remember while reading the book is that it takes place in twenty-first century America. This is not fundamentalist Islam in the Middle East; this is not the earliest days of Mormonism. This is happening in the very heart of America--women are treated like cattle, used to breed children and bought, sold and traded like so many goods. In America. It is almost unbelievable.

While the FLDS is hardly an accurate representation of average religion and bears little resemblance to Christianity or even to Mormonism, this portrayal is increasingly what people think of when they think about religion. More and more people are becoming convinced that all religion tends towards extremism and a book like this may just fuel those fires. "Escape" is awful to read, but it is written well and is for some reason quite fascinating.

A New Earth

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61)
by Eckhart Tolle (Author)

I have always been interested in books about spiritual themes. I have loved Tolstoy, Joseph Campbell, Thich Nhat Hanh, Henry Nouen, Emerson, Thoreau, and many other enlightened writers and poets. I have been through Catholic, Quaker, Presbyterian and Buddhist phases. There are things I love about all these traditions. I have always wanted grasp the deeper truth behind them that would illustrate the unity behind all these seemingly disparate traditions.
I think that in this book Eckhart Tolle has done an amazing job of putting the core of spirituality into contemporary terms.

I liked his book The Power of Now but I think that he has refined the clarity of his message even further here. I hope that those who need to put down Oprah and don't want anyone to talk about spiritual subjects in nonbiblical, nonsectarian language will not stop people who are really looking for realistic and helpful insights into living an enlightened life. Take wisdom where you find it.

A new earth is the best I've read, ever. I'm a huge Tolle fan, and I think this is his best book yet. I've also signed up for the Oprah/Tolle webcast. While I'm not a huge fan of Oprah's interviewing style (she interrupts a lot!), it's so exciting that millions of people have access to these concepts.
They're simple, yet so simple we usually miss them.
Tolle is an incredible interpreter, very skilled at pointing the way to the power we possess inside us.

I can't recommend a new earth enough. Also, if you like Tolle and want to REALLY GET what he's saying, with no interruptions, rent The Flowering of Human Consciousness from Netflix, or wherever you can find it.

The Miracle at Speedy Motors

The Miracle at Speedy Motors: The New Novel in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series
by Alexander Mccall Smith (Author)

Fans of Alexander McCall Smith's 'Ladies Detective Agency' series are sure to enjoy this latest offering. I just love the series. The author has a talent for making you feel right at home in Gabarone, Botswana, with Mma Ramotswe, Mr J.L.P. Matekoni, Mma Makutsi and the other colourful characters in the novels. Crossing continents is not a problem as McCall Smith brings these characters to life in a wonderfully vivid way.

With touches of understated comic irony, the books are a delightful light-hearted read. Watch out for the moral elements - Mma Ramotswe spends a lot of her time philosophizing on life, and the good old days in particular when morals were better, young people were more polite, there was more respect in society and, of course, there were more 'traditionally built' women too!... but her moments of reflection just add to the charm of this series!

In 'The Miracle at Speedy Motors', Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi (newly promoted to 'Associate' Detective (!) have some serious detective work to deal with, including a nasty piece of malicious mail directed at the agency ("Fat Lady Watch Out"!)and a lady who has requested that the detectives find her some relatives... Mr J.L.B. Matekoni is hoping for a miracle for Motholeli; Mma Makutsi has some life crises of her own - should she tell her fiance about the fiasco with the bed?; Will Mma Makutsi and young Charlie, the apprentice finally see eye-to-eye?!; and we hear a bit more about Mma Ramotswe and Mr J. L. B. Matekoni's fostered children, Motholeli and Puso, in this book too. All-in-all you'll find here a few delightful hours of pure light-hearted entertainment.

Hold Tight

Hold Tight
by Harlan Coben (Author)

How far would you go to protect your child? How well do you know your children? When they go out in the world, should you let them go with a smile on your face or should you hold tight? What should you do if your child becomes moody and withdrawn as has Spencer Hill, sixteen-year-old son of Mike and Tia Baye? Now factor in that Spencer's best friend has committed suicide. Add in the fact that Spencer spends most of his time in his room on his computer, while his grades are going south. And can you blame his parents for wondering why he quit the hockey team?

Mike and Tia maybe over react a bit as they start spying on Spencer. They track his movements through the GPS system in his cellphone. They install spy ware on his computer so the can monitor every website he visits and monitor his e-mail too. They can't help themselves. They should know better, he's a doctor, after all. She's a lawyer. But they do it anyway.

Harlan Coben holds nothing back in his latest offering. This is high caliber suspense, gut-wrenching drama, and engrossing mystery all rolled into one. Coben brings the thriller genre full force into suburbia and gives us an eye-opening glance into the very real dangers that threaten families in our society.

In Hold Tight we are effectively thrown into the middle of every parent's worst nightmare and what a scary and sobering experience it is. As always Coben's writing proves to be second to none as he effectively weaves several story lines together and somehow manages to link them all together without ever revealing where the story is heading. Coben's fans will also enjoy some character cameos from his last novel, The Woods. Hold Tight can certainly be read as a stand alone title, but I highly recommend readers pick up a copy of The Woods to get the full effect of both stories.

Ladies of Liberty

Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation
by Cokie Roberts (Author)

While I know a little bit about US history, Roberts' new book contains material that is a revelation. The letters of former First Ladies and other women who were on the scene at the founding of our nation provides the primary source material. Their takes from yesteryear on topics as diverse as infant mortality, foreign policy, and event hats (!) gives a new and much-needed perspective on life and culture in early America.

While women are obviously and profoundly influential on historical events in America, Roberts had to closely study their correspondences to learn how. (In other words, "traditional" histories aren't helpful in this regard.) While perusing the letters of an age gone by, the author shows her eye for the telling (and juicy) anecdote, and she does an excellent and witty job of putting these words from yesteryear into context for the contemporary reader.

In Founding Mothers, Cokie Roberts paid homage to the heroic women whose patriotism and sacrifice helped create a new nation. Now the number one New York Times bestselling author and renowned political commentator—praised in USA Today as a "custodian of time-honored values"—continues the story of early America's influential women with Ladies of Liberty. In her "delightfully intimate and confiding" style (Publishers Weekly), Roberts presents a colorful blend of biographical portraits and behind-the-scenes vignettes chronicling women's public roles and private responsibilities.

Recounted with the insight and humor of an expert storyteller and drawing on personal correspondence, private journals, and other primary sources—many of them previously unpublished—Roberts brings to life the extraordinary accomplishments of women who laid the groundwork for a better society. Almost every quotation here is written by a woman, to a woman, or about a woman. From first ladies to freethinkers, educators to explorers, this exceptional group includes Abigail Adams, Margaret Bayard Smith, Martha Jefferson, Dolley Madison, Elizabeth Monroe, Louisa Catherine Adams, Eliza Hamilton, Theodosia Burr, Rebecca Gratz, Louisa Livingston, Rosalie Calvert, Sacajawea, and others. In a much-needed addition to the shelves of Founding Father literature, Roberts sheds new light on the generation of heroines, reformers, and visionaries who helped shape our nation, giving these ladies of liberty the recognition they so greatly deserve.

Where Are You Now?

Where Are You Now?: A Novel
by Mary Higgins Clark (Author)

Years ago, a college student named Charles ("Mack") MacKenzie walked out of his life for no apparent reason. Since then, once a year, he calls his mother to assure her that he's all right, and to ask her not to look for him. Now, Mack's younger sister, Carolyn, has decided to find him. Her search uncovers a lot of old secrets among the people closest to her, and someone is trying to prevent Carolyn from solving the mystery behind her brother's disappearance--by any means necessary....

Once again, Mary Higgins Clark has provided us with a sleek, fascinating thriller that builds to a terrific payoff. There's a good reason for her 30-year reign as America's "Queen of Suspense," and WHERE ARE YOU NOW? is ample proof of her extraordinary talent. Recommended.

Mary Higgins Clark, America's Queen of Suspense, hasn't lost her touch. In Where Are You Now? she writes a chilling tale of a psychopath stalking his prey on the streets of Manhattan near the SoHo night clubs.

Four women are missing and presumed dead. Also missing for the past ten years, but presumed alive, is Charles "Mack" MacKenzie, Jr., who calls his mother once a year on Mother's Day, telling her he is OK and not to search for him.

Mack's sister Carolyn is frustrated that the NYPD and a private investigator, in spite of their intense efforts, have been unable to solve the mystery of Mack's disappearance. She resolves to find him, and, of course, by doing so, puts her own life in jeopardy.

Is Mack still alive, and if so, what kind of trouble is he in? Is he the serial killer? If not, then who is? And what is Mack's motive for dropping out of sight?

Scattering red herrings along the path, Clark leads us to suspect various candidates as being the shadowy predator of young women. We begin to wonder whom can we trust?

Clark's writing is crisp and clear. Although surprising, the plot resolution is convincing and satisfying; the veteran author ties together all the loose ends. And, as always, her work is admirably clean, without obscenity or profanity.

The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture
by Randy Pausch (Author), Jeffrey Zaslow (Author)

What comes through clearly in Randy Pausch's little book is that he's a guy who's incredibly decent and loving. He writes warmly of his childhood and his parents; he assures us that he's achieved just about every goal he dreamed of as a youth; he appears to be a good and dedicated teacher; he loves his wife and kids; and even when he assures us that he, like everyone else, has personality issues that need working on--he is, he tells us, a "recovering jerk"--his admitted foibles seem pretty tame. Pausch is Joe Everyperson.

I think that's the value of his Last Lecture. Pausch clearly isn't of a philosophical bent of mind. If you pick up his book looking for profound existential discussions about human frailty and mortality (as, I confess, I did), you're not going to find them. I've no doubt that, since the onslaught of his illness, he and his wife Jai have endured despairing dark nights of the soul, paralyzing bouts of panic, and heart-pounding rage against the dying of the light. But except for very rare intimations, Pausch draws a veil over such episodes, and instead offers a mixture of autobiographical reflections and homespun tips on making the most of life (such as managing time, re-thinking priorities, and learning to listen to others). As he tells us, his final lecture to us is about life more than death.

Pausch's ability to hang onto the everyday, to the ordinary aspects of life even as his own draws to an end, is both the book's strength and its weakness. It's a strength in that it spotlights human courage and compassion, and in this regard The Last Lecture is an inspirational success. But one also senses that Pausch's insistence on staying on the surface of things might suggest a deep resistance to the unsettling fact that the surface of things is inexorably slipping away from him. One can talk candidly about one's death without having come to terms with the reality of what one's saying.

Tweak

Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines
by Nic Sheff (Author)

Nic Sheff was drunk for the first time at age eleven. In the years that followed, he would regularly smoke pot, do cocaine and Ecstasy, and develop addictions to crystal meth and heroin. Even so, he felt like he would always be able to quit and put his life together whenever he needed to. It took a violent relapse one summer in California to convince him otherwise. In a voice that is raw and honest, Nic spares no detail in telling us the compelling, heartbreaking, and true story of his relapse and the road to recovery. As we watch Nic plunge the mental and physical depths of drug addiction, he paints a picture for us of a person at odds with his past, with his family, with his substances, and with himself. It's a harrowing portrait -- but not one without hope.

"Tweak" is much easier to understand if you read the author's father's book, also recently published, called "Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction" by David Sheff. By reading his father's account of the same time, you understand from a parent's perspective just what is going on with Nic Sheff. You understand how brilliant and talented Nic is (he will not tell you this in his book) and you understand what this novel explores---his descent into methamphetamine addiction, how he lived for many years, how he squandered his potential by avoiding dealing with life, and the consequences in his life and in the lives of those he loves. Once you know more about who the young author is, you can appreciate his book so very, very much more.

The author is honest and transparent about the life he has lived as an addict, and the book is worth reading for this alone. Not many of us who haven't been through it can imagine what an average day is like for a meth addict, and this book shows us that. The insight this book truly gives you is what goes on inside an addict's mind, and how an addict views life and circumstances---very differently from a non-addict. Many of the terms may be confusing to those of us unfamiliar with drug culture (for example, "tweak", "rig", "push off") but again, they are explained in his father's book "Beautiful Boy".

So, read "Beautiful Boy" first from the parental perspective---don't miss it---and then, if you are still intrigued, as I was, follow up with "Tweak" and venture more deeply into the mind and life of the addict---who eventually becomes a likable person to the reader, not just an intensely selfish and initially totally unlikable addict. The author is courageous in sharing his life so openly in this book. I think it will make an impression upon you and leave you with a read you will not soon forget.

Escape

Escape
by Carolyn Jessop (Author), Laura Palmer (Author)

Escape is undoubtedly one of the most bizarre memoirs you are ever likely to read. It is small wonder that it quickly made its mark on the New York Times list of bestsellers. Written by Carolyn Jessop, a woman who was born into the Fundamentalist Lattery Day Saints (FLDS), the book describes what it is like to live as part of this cult which is distinctive primarily for its beliefs about polygamy. The FLDS, which emerged in the 1930s as a fundamentalist offshoot of the Mormon church, holds that God has ordained polygamy and not only that, but that it is a requirement for anyone who wishes to attain the highest level of heaven. Most men eventually have at least three wives, with more prominent members of the cult holding far more than that. Some of the leaders are believed to have fifty, sixty, or even one hundred wives. Women are generally placed with husbands at the whim of the cult's leader (who claims to receive divine guidance about which women belong with certain men). There are around 10,000 adherents to this cult living in the United States today.

Jessop was born into a family that eventually had two wives but one that, compared to others in the community, seemed almost normal. When she was just eighteen, though, she was assigned to become the fourth wife of a fifty-five year old man. While she was married to him he added two more wives and later went on to add five or six more. Through fifteen years of marriage, Jessop gave birth to eight children. Through her marriage she suffered constant abuse at the hands of her husband, his other wives, and other members of the community. Though for much of her life she believed the claims of the FLDS religion, she eventually began to see through its hypocrisy and decided that, for the good of herself and her children, she would need to escape from it.

Escape from FLDS is not easy. Their tight-knit communities have immense power and wealth. Even the local police officers are members of the cult and will not support a wife who seeks to emancipate herself or her family. Until Jessop, no woman had managed to escape the clutches of the cult with all of her children. Jessop, though, ran from the cult and fought against it in the courts, eventually winning full custody of her eight children. This was no small victory. In fact, it was worth telling in a book.

The Shack

The Shack
by William P. Young (Author)

Reading "The Shack" was like a breath of fresh air. "Mack's" conversations with God were a confirmation to me of what I've experienced of God's kind of love as I've chosen to participate with Him in the process of exposing my own selfishness, lack of love and very bad and wrong beliefs and attitudes. I could do this because God did His part in wooing me with His lack of condemnation, His willingness to accept me as I am, and showing me how He loves. I've worked for many years with the deeply wounded.

Time after time, I have witnessed God revealing Himself and His kind of love to them in their healing process very much the same way Mack was healed as described in "The Shack". I'm sure those who want to keep God in their box of human limitations and understanding will have a very difficult time believing that this is truly the God who makes Himself known to us through His Word, as well as by His Spirit through our human spirit, or that He would actually have conversations with us like He had with Mack. What an awesome God He/She is.

Why is it that we humans think we have all the answers about who, what, and where God is? Perhaps that is one of the most blasphemous mistakes we can make--labeling and defining the God above all gods. With that said, why would anyone be upset when new descriptions and definitions and understandings are given to God? One of the things we do know is that we don't know all about God.

This book, The Shack, disrupts all we have learned about God and suggests new ideas about God--what a healthy thing to do. Anything that might expand our concept of God is healthy and healing. I believe that is why so many people have found this book so refreshing to their faith. If people find new meaning in Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit because of this book, don't condemn it--praise it. Do we have all the answers? I think not. Let's reach outside the box. That is what the author Young has done, and I think he has done a good job of it. There is a section in the book on judging. Maybe we should all go read that part again. As Tita used to say, "Everyone to their own religion, and God will take care of us all in the end."

The Noble Wilds

The Noble Wilds
by The Supreme Master Ching Hai (Author)

With a rhythmic, meditative tone, the words of The Noble Wilds flow gracefully along the pages, complemented by the luminous photos of God s creations in nature. Turning the pages, one is transported to Amoura, the place where the lady lives and is visited by cherished beings of the wild. The lady is none other than Supreme Master Ching Hai, and The Noble Wilds is yet another of Her simple but deeply touching gifts.

Written, photographed and compiled personally by Master, this precious gem opens the door to a world of unique beauty. Here, the reader can witness firsthand the noble spirit and dedication of our co-inhabitants whose homes are under the open sky the swan, the goose, the squirrel, the beaver and even a tiny garden snail. Although generally shy of humans, these animals allow themselves to be photographed, and indeed can even be seen eagerly approaching the lady s gentle offering of favorite foods. The love conveyed is unlike any other full of dignity and grace, yet as deep and enduring as the eternal. All books are printed by ''Soy Ink for Environmental protection''. Such ink is not only nontoxic but also very helpful for environment of the mother earth which is an good example of ''time to act''....

The Noble Wilds is so beautiful and touch me deeply. Let me understand the animals are so noble, compassionate and sensitive like us. We should love them and live with them peacefuly and harmoniously in this planet. Thank to the auther to share with us this heavenly gift.

The Power of Now

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
by Eckhart Tolle (Author)

I picked up "The Power of Now" in the "New Age" section of the bookstore. I was determined to make the reading about "spirituality" a short episode in my life... and I was probably right, as far as the reading goes, that is.

I got the book and continued reading at home, and, as I often do with study guides and textbooks, started underlining what seemed most important. Soon it became harder to separate the important from the unimportant, because it all seemed important! Then, I stopped, put down the pencil and said: "Wow!"

Where did this book come from? Why aren't we hearing about it on CNN? Reading it felt strange at first, as it demanded my total attention: either I was drawn deep into it, or not at all. Do you like to eat while reading? Well, this book will make you feel ridiculous if you try to eat and read at the same time!

The book showed me that I have a pretty thick mold of the mind to break through, and it took me very far on the first day, even farther after that. The message went beyond what I would probably recognize on my own. After all, I was (and still am but to a lesser degree) one of those constant thinkers who mistakenly believe that it's good to think all the time but almost never stop to see, hear and feel the essence of being. Although the message in the book seems familiar and simple, in the end it provided exhaustive answers to the few questions that I had and also those that I wouldn't have thought of before. Amazingly, it also managed not to raise new ones. What it did was grab me by lapels and put me into the present moment. Over and over again, it told me what it means, how to enter it, offered a few different methods, and suggested that with practice many opportunities exist to enter it.

Another point is that once I finished the book, its message lingered (may I say "in my mind" here?). The author's obvious and at the same time subtly effective, repetitive approach somehow kept reassuring me that I was absorbing and remembering the material. The text never strayed far from the core of the message, which seemed to stick with vivid clarity.

I soon began to practice shifting myself into this state of intense concentration, and it feels strange and alluring at the same time, this detachment from the mind. At first, I could only do it while being completely relaxed, just before falling asleep. Later, it became easier to do along with other daily activities. Don't worry; you will not get hit by a truck while crossing the street and trying to focus into the Now! Also, the people at work will not laugh at you because you look weird trying to focus, but they may notice a difference in you: that you are relaxed, focused and less confrontational (because you are surrendered to the present moment). The most immediate effect for me was that focusing into the present moment helped me communicate better. I began to listen more intensely, meaningfully and less judgmentally than before.

However, I feel that this is only the tip of an iceberg. Trying to be in the Now has inspired me more than any miracle. At the same time, it's clear that learning to live in the Now is a skill, and like any skill it can be enhanced with practice. The more you work at it, the better and more natural you get doing it.

In short, I don't need to search for the truth anymore. I got lucky on the first try, by becoming a little curious with the book that seemed unassuming and light in physical weight. Thank you, Eckhart. NOW, I can be at peace, knowing how much I can look forward to in this life, and beyond.

Unaccustomed Earth

Unaccustomed Earth
by Jhumpa Lahiri (Author)

With UNACCUSTOMED EARTH, Jhumpa Lahiri can lay claim with good reason to being the finest short story writer in America today. This book, her second collection of short stories with the full-length novel THE NAMESAKE sandwiched between, is a masterful collection of affecting tales about family life and individual self-discovery. While Lahiri's focus is relentlessly drawn toward what might be termed the "Bengali-American experience," her stories express rich underlying elements of universality, allowing them to transcend the mere "new American immigrant" genre. She shows yet again that she is a marvelous craftswoman of the short story art form and its language (words, imagery, and symbolism).

UNACCUSTOMED EARTH is eight stories, divided into two sections. The first section contains five distinct short stories, beginning with the near-novella length title story that is certainly the collection's finest. In that piece, a daughter of Indian descent, Ruma, welcomes her unexpectedly widowered father with trepidation to her new home in Seattle. Ruma is married to a Caucasian named Adam, and they have a young son named Akash. In every respect the young family is a model of mixed marriage and, in Ruma's case, full cultural assimilation. Nevertheless, her father's visit promises to force Ruma to confront the inevitable fissures that appear between first and second generation immigrant families. Travel to new countries or settling into new lands, postcards of foreign places, the soil in gardening, and measurement of distances all serve in symbolic support to the story's title, but it is a simple misplaced and unmailed postcard that pulls everything together into a poignant ending.

Lahiri's other four stories in the first section have similar themes. In "Hell-Heaven," a young woman recalls her childhood when a fellow Bengali became a family friend and part of her (and, surprisingly, her mother's) life. In "A Choice of Accommodation," (another title laden with multiple meanings), a middle-aged, mixed marriage couple (Amit and Megan) rediscover themselves and a bit of their previously unstated history during a friend's wedding held at Amit's old boarding school. In "Only Goodness," a model Bengali daughter named Sudha, married and a new mother, tries to cope with her younger brother Rahul's alcoholic failings and her likely role in making him what he has become. Of all the characters in this book, it is Rahul who comes across most powerfully.

There is nothing flashy about author Jhumpa Lahiri's writing. It's simply true. She writes flawlessly about secrets held close, about heartbreak and regret. At the end of each of these quiet stories, you feel an emotional wallop.

The characters invariably include a person or persons of Indian descent -- usually a Bengali. I was unfamiliar with Indian culture when I began reading Unaccustomed Earth, but it didn't hurt my enjoyment or understanding. The stories are universal. You only need to be human to relate to the characters and their situations.

The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture
by Randy Pausch (Author), Jeffrey Zaslow (Author)

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."
--Randy Pausch

A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

The Secret

The Secret
by Rhonda Byrne (Author)

The book assumes that everyone who wants to can access good feelings at a moments notice and encourages you to shun people who don't fit your physical or emotional ideal. For many people, especially those from emotionally or financially impoverished backgrounds, feelings of abundance and self-worth can be impossible to access. A few years ago I encountered a book by the social psychologist William Swann. His studies on the affect that self-esteem has on what you attract into your life make very interesting reading that is closely related to the topics discussed here. While forgetting the past is not that hard, creating a feeling that you didn't have while growing up is nearly impossible for most people. Yes, we do hear of rags to riches stories, but they almost always involve a pivotal personal encounter.

The secret helped me tremendously, it's basically thinking positive. Whatever you choose to think you shall bring upon yourself. An example could be with a young man wanting to talk to a gorgeous girl, if he THINKS positive and that he has confidence it will reflect in his actions and he can have anyone he wants. Whereas if he thinks negatively he will attract negative objects and reations. This book he me significantly.

Perhaps there is a reason that this information has been kept a secret for so long. Maybe that reason is that too many people would have used the knowledge to abandon the sick, dying, and less fortunate and spend their time generating new toys and bigger and bigger houses. Religion has often existed to remind people that they should be grateful for not having adversity. If you can wish it away, why bother with those who can't? This whole scenario reminds me of the creation story told by the psychic, Edgar Cayce, many decades ago. He said that man was an angel who created matter as a plaything and became encased in it because he forgot his divinity. I see no spiritual problem with having it all, but that can and should include kindness and compassion toward everyone.

Mistaken Identity

Mistaken Identity : Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
by Don & Susie Van Ryn (Author), Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak (Author), Mark Tabb (Contributor)

If you can think what is the most outrageous unbelievable story you heard in your lifetime, it has to be this, the daughter you buried is not yours, and the injured daughter you nursed for five weeks was not yours. Although tragedies often evolve into miracles, this combination was never meant to be.

After a tragic accident on an Indiana highway, two blond girls of similar features were mistaken for one another. Whitney Cerak lived but was comatose, while Laura Van Ryn actually died, but was sent to the hospital to be treated. Misidentification! It was a result coroner's carelessness, and with that, unimaginable consequences upon two families.

Mistaken Identity, written with help of author Mark Tabb, starts with the section about the events of discovery, on the Cerak's part, that their daughter may be alive. Then, the story begins and reveals extensive detail of care by the Van Ryns who believed their daughter was alive, but was hurt badly. This is simple and non-pretentious writing, because it is merely your average God-loving families with deep religious faith.

Connecting with the readers
As you read, you begin to really understand the two families, their feelings, fears, surprises, stamina, hope, faith, etc. And if you are unfamiliar with their dedicated passages, you too, can learn and be inspired. Read Laura's sister Lisa's amazing faithful internet blog for updates and then you have Susie Van Ryn's touching prayer journal. Learn about the emotional passages said during the Cerak funeral.

Compassionate People
You will learn the true compassion of strangers, the offering of the Samaritan house to the Van Ryns; the couple who owned the pizza shop and brought so much pizza and bottled water to ICU. You will hear how the Van Ryns were surprised their neighbors cut the grass while the family was bedside to Laura. You will learn how the Ceraks through their grief received so many flowers, food, cookies, notes, cards and how they sat and listened intently to each of many phone messages offering comfort.

False Parents
I had to laugh at what Don Van Ryn said when he learned that his Laura referred to them as false parents. With that, you feel compassion for this family as they wrestled with the phrase "false parents."

And then, share in the exchange of discovery that changed their lives, and the miracle of the Ceraks that could only be dreadful tragedy for the Van Ryns.

Mistaken Identity,This is a wonderful story that Hollywood could not have dreamed up! I have children, I feel for these amazing people, all of them.

Physics of the Impossible

Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel
by Michio Kaku (Author)

I think the biggest reason some people reject evolution is a lack of imagination. It's difficult for humans to picture the vast amount of time it takes for organisms to evolve. To speculate on the many mysteries of science takes a vivid imagination. Fortunately, author Michio Kaku has one. He brings a bright-eyed, gee-whiz sense of wonder to his subject, and his writing makes it contagious.

Kaku's passion is the impossible, and in this book he explores different kinds of impossibilities. Class I ideas -- -- force fields, invisibility, phasers and death stars, teleportation, telepathy, psychokinesis, robots, extraterrestrials and UFOs, starships, antimatter and anti-universes -- could come true within a hundred years. Class II impossibilities, such as travel faster than light, time travel and parallel universes, may be possible in the next millennium. Class III ideas, like perpetual motion machines and precognition, may never be possible, given the underlying science.

This is probably Dr. Kaku's best popular work since Hyperspace or Visions. Here is a wide range of scientific possibilities to be explored. Dr. Kaku's gift is to make modern physics comprehensible to those of us without a mathematical background. In this book he uses his gift to explain how the standard model and string field theory (which he is coauthor of) can be applied to contemplation of some of our most wildest scifi dreams. The chapters are short and easily read in short sittings, which lends well to a book that stretches the imagination so dramaticaly.

Dr. Kaku is also careful to remain objective in discussing different theoretical approaches which is an admirable feat given some of the topics ventured into in this book. If you enjoy cutting edge science, it doesn't get more cutting edge then this. Thank you Dr. Kaku for yet another wonderful journey.

The Miracle at Speedy Motors

The Miracle at Speedy Motors: The New Novel in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series
by Alexander Mccall Smith (Author)

In the latest installment of this infinitely enjoyable and best-selling series, Precious Ramotswe is doing what she does best--helping people with their problems and enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

Mma Ramotswe is busy investigating her latest case: a woman who is looking for her family. The problem is, the woman doesn't know her real name of whether any members of her family are now living. Meanwhile, Phuti Radiphuti has bought Mma Makutsi a glorious new bed. Unfortunately, it will inadvertently cause her several sleepless nights. And life is no less complicated at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, where Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni--Mma Ramotswe's estimable husband--has fallen under the sway of a doctor who has promised a miracle cure for his daughter's medical condition, which Mma Ramotswe finds hard to believe. But Precious Ramotswe deals with these difficulties with her usual grace and good humor, and in the end discovers that the biggest miracles in life are often the small ones.

Unconventional Success

Unconventional Success: A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment
by David F. Swensen (Author)

"Unconventional success" should be convential. The concepts of it, that is. But, with greedy mutual fund companies soaking millions of dollars out of millions of pockets, it isn't the case, and it won't be the case in the future.

I do agree that the far majority of mutual funds are not good.

This book will be most helpful to folks who understand the basics of mutual funds already. David Swenson has beaten the market consistently over the long-term. This gives him credibility that many others in finance lack. Also applicable is his lack of conflicting interests. This said, I still read everything with extreme caution. The Layman Effect.

Today there are over 12,000 mutual funds. Many cannot even beat the S & P 500. David Swenson has beaten it for twenty years. Swenson notes the mutual fund industry and its false advertising, hidden fees, and skewed statistics on past performance, which is often the primary pitch for present buyers.

Some points Swenson noted was that mutual fund companies are accountable - surprise - to shareholders. It's also a fact that funds with higher costs are highly correlated to poorer performance.

Mutual funds run by managers charge high fees. The Funds sold by stockbrokers charge even more. Add managers buying and selling stocks at a rapid turnover, which runs up the fund's brokerage expenses, and cost to investors. The median cost to investors in 2002 was 2.35 percent. What is forgotten? The upfront commission a broker may charge. These costs significantly eat into investment returns.

Sticking to the ole' fundamentals, the most important and easiest step, is to obtain info. and stats compared to a fund's index.

Swenson's major point of advice is to invest through non-profit companies. He mentions a well-known and consistent one.

These funds that are non-profit companies that focus on index funds consistently beat out other funds. This is obvious for tax reasons also, but Swenson also advises to put deferred (retirement) investments into these funds, allocating a particular percentage to U.S. stock, total international, real estate
and Treasury Bonds.

Important to note is that Swenson has so much experience and knowledge that us "laymen" can just cover the basics of his advice, especially when looking at the ways to hedge, yet also gain. The concept of "rebalancing" may make many laymen nervous.

This book can help people. With so many people in mutuals and 401Ks, people need all the help and education they can get.

The Spontaneous Healing of Belief

The Spontaneous Healing of Belief: Shattering the Paradigm of False Limits
by Gregg Braden (Author)

What would it mean to discover that everything from the DNA of life, to the future of our world, is based upon a simple Reality Code—one that we can change and upgrade by choice? New revelations in physics and biology suggest that we’re about to find out!

A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that our universe works like a Consciousness Computer. Rather than the number codes of typical software, our Consciousness Computer uses a language that we all have, yet are only beginning to understand. Life’s reality code is based in the language of human emotion and focused belief. Knowing that belief is our reality-maker, the way we think of ourselves and our world is now more important than ever!
For us to change the beliefs that have led to war, disease, and the failed careers and relationships of our past we need a reason to see things differently. Our ancestors used miracles to change what they believed. Today we use science.

The Spontaneous Healing of Belief offers us both: the miracles that open the door to a powerful new way of seeing the world, and the science that tells us why the miracles are possible, revealing: why we are not limited by the “laws” of physics and biology as we know them today
Once we become aware of the paradigm-shattering discoveries and true-life miracles, we must think of ourselves differently. And that difference is where the spontaneous healing of belief begins.

Home

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years
by Julie Andrews (Author)

Since her first appearance on screen in Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews has played a series of memorable roles that have endeared her to generations. But she has never told the story of her life before fame. Until now.

In Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, Julie takes her readers on a warm, moving, and often humorous journey from a difficult upbringing in war-torn Britain to the brink of international stardom in America. Her memoir begins in 1935, when Julie was born to an aspiring vaudevillian mother and a teacher father, and takes readers to 1962, when Walt Disney himself saw her on Broadway and cast her as the world's most famous nanny.

Along the way, she weathered the London Blitz of World War II; her parents' painful divorce; her mother's turbulent second marriage to Canadian tenor Ted Andrews, and a childhood spent on radio, in music halls, and giving concert performances all over England. Julie's professional career began at the age of twelve, and in 1948 she became the youngest solo performer ever to participate in a Royal Command Performance before the Queen. When only eighteen, she left home for the United States to make her Broadway debut in The Boy Friend, and thus began her meteoric rise to stardom.

Home is filled with numerous anecdotes, including stories of performing in My Fair Lady with Rex Harrison on Broadway and in the West End, and in Camelot with Richard Burton on Broadway; her first marriage to famed set and costume designer Tony Walton, culminating with the birth of their daughter, Emma; and the call from Hollywood and what lay beyond.

Julie Andrews' career has flourished over seven decades. From her legendary Broadway performances, to her roles in such iconic films as The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hawaii, 10, and The Princess Diaries, to her award-winning television appearances, multiple album releases, concert tours, international humanitarian work, best-selling children's books, and championship of literacy, Julie's influence spans generations. Today, she lives with her husband of thirty-eight years, the acclaimed writer/director Blake Edwards; they have five children and seven grandchildren.

Featuring over fifty personal photos, many never before seen, this is the personal memoir Julie Andrews' audiences have been waiting for.

The Bin Ladens

The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century
by Steve Coll (Author)

n While America Aged, bestselling author Roger Lowenstein explains how corporations and governments ran up ruinous pension and health-care promises to workers—promises that are now coming due and that will hit America like a tsunami if nothing is done.

Negotiating high benefits means gambling with future finances—and when the farm gets sold out from underneath major corporations or public institutions, it affects all of us, and in ways we might not imagine. With his trademark narrative panache, Lowenstein unravels the truth about how pensions work in America and illuminates the impending crisis. While America Aged is comprised of three fascinating case studies— each an object lesson and a compelling historical saga. The first goes back to the early days of the United Auto Workers and its crusading leader, Walter Reuther, to tell the story of how pensions and health-care obligations destroyed the American auto industry, in particular General Motors.

The Bin ladens, Lowenstein then shifts the scene to New York City to tell the story of the rise of public pensions and public sector unions through the vehicle of the Communist-led Transport Workers Union. Once again, justifiable benefits were followed by outrageous ones, such as the right to retire at age fifty. The saga reached a dramatic climax in 2005, when workers responded to proposed pension cutbacks with a massive strike that brought New York’s subways and buses to a screeching halt days before Christmas.

In the concluding episode, Lowenstein visits a metropolis even more reckless in doling out benefits—San Diego. Desperate not to impose higher taxes, city officials in this highly conservative enclave cut a series of deals with unions to short-change the retirement system and use pension funds to run the city. A massive scandal ensued—two mayors resigned, officials were indicted, and San Diego lost its bond rating. Lowenstein warns that the pension wars that erupted in Detroit, New York City, and San Diego are only the first. But he also recognizes that workers are entitled to decent security in their retirement—a critical problem as the country ages. While America Aged explains how we came to this crisis, and it also proposes a way out. Arming readers with knowledge of the consequences of doing nothing, While America Aged, first and foremost, a call to action.