New live disc: There’s nothing quite like a band that exudes natural vibes and makes you want to move. Railroad Earth’s new double-live recording Elko will introduce you to tunes that have kept audiences of more than 400 shows spellbound and asking for more. Featuring acoustic guitars, violin, mandolin, banjo, dobro, flute, pennywhistle, saxophone, drums, hand percussion and upright bass on its recordings, Railroad Earth can chug all night. Its fans, known as “hobos,” tell you this groove is more than bluegrass, more than jam band. It’s pure delight.
New book to help you relax: Executive meditation coach Mark Thornton writes about a revolution-finding your deepest heart in everyday moments. In Meditation in a New York Minute: Super Calm for the Super Busy, Thornton demystifies meditation and makes it accessible to all. He presents his complete program for enjoying the many benefits of meditation – stress reduction, energy, intense mental clarity – in a New York minute. “If your life is moving at warp speed,” begins Thornton, “more than ever, you need to create calm quickly and profoundly.” Available at www.amazon.com or your local bookstore.
New audio course: Before the birth of the universe, there existed your “Original Face,” the limitless Self that has been present throughout the unfolding of inert matter into life – and that continues to dwell within us at every level of consciousness. Where is this grand evolution taking us – and how can each of us participate more fully in it? With Kosmic Consciousness, Ken Wilber invites you to find out. On his first-ever audio course (10 CDs at 12.5 hours, this legendary author pursues questions especially relevant to spiritual seekers: What are the most effective tools for “jumping” to the next level in your spiritual, creative and cognitive development? Does prayer work? Is subtle energy real and, if so, how do we harness it? Can we cultivate infinite love by loving one, finite person? What, exactly, does “kosmic consciousness” feel like? Here is one of the most significant thinkers of our time – spontaneous, passionate, irreverent – sharing a feast of ideas to inspire you on your evolution toward Kosmic Consciousness. Available at www.soundstrue.com
New groove: If you’re looking for some groovy, funky relaxing music then look no further. Buddha Lounge 4 is perfect background music for many occasions, including parties, yoga or just kicking back. This is the fourth in a very popular series of “chill-out lounge music,” compiled from the Gordon Bros. It features 13 tracks of hypnotic, sensual European favorites. Available at Amazon.com or your favorite place to buy music.
New history book: Thought your days of reading history were over the day you graduated from school? Do yourself a favor and rethink that. No one tells a story about presidents like Pulitzer-prize winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin. After writing about FDR, the Kennedys, and LBJ, she presents an incredible tale that seems to have been left out of the textbooks: the pre-Civil War political race for the Republican nomination for president in the election of 1860. Not only did Abraham Lincoln shock politicos across the nation by winning a bid in his own party for the highest office in the land – and then astonish them by defeating his Democratic opponent – he did the unthinkable: invite his opponents, all highly qualified men in their own right, to serve on his cabinet. Lincoln, it seems, was more concerned about getting the very best person for the job, rather than repaying favors to friends. Even though it’s just shy of 1,000 pages, Team of Rivals will more than hold your interest – and confirm why Honest Abe is a man this nation will never forget.
