Winter 2012 Book & Video Preview

NEW RELEASES

Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in Without Going Crazy, by Janna Macy & Chris Johnstone (New World Library), 256 pages, $14.95.
The challenges we face can be difficult even to think about. Climate change, the depletion of oil, economic upheaval, and mass extinction together create a planetary emergency of overwhelming proportions. Active Hope shows us how to strengthen our capacity to face this crisis so that we can respond with unexpected resilience and creative power. Drawing on decades of teaching an empowerment approach known as the Work That Reconnects, the authors guide us through a transformational process informed by mythic journeys, modern psychology, spirituality, and holistic science. This process equips us with tools to face the mess we’re in and play our role in the collective transition, or Great Turning, to a life-sustaining society.

Advanced Hatha Yoga: Classic Methods of Physical Education and Concentration, by Shyam Sundar Goswami (Inner Traditions), 304 pages, $24.95.
The classic Hatha yoga manual for a strong, vital, beautiful body and a balanced, harmonious, happy mind includes instructions for many advanced Hatha yoga exercises to build strength, stamina, and good posture, the necessary basis for spiritual development. Based upon ancient Sanskrit works on yoga as well as thousands of years of oral teachings, this Hatha yoga classic moves beyond the introductory level of yoga and provides illustrated instructions for many advanced asanas and other yogic techniques to build strength, stamina, and good posture — a necessary prerequisite for spiritual development.

Birth, Death and the Afterlife: Remembering Who You Really Are, by Madonna J. Kettler, Ph.D., (Balboa Press), 267 pages, $18.99
In a world filled with food, booze and a gazillion other distractions, Birth, Death and the Afterlife offers innovative approaches to living fully, peacefully, and loving unconditionally. “A wonderful book, says Robert Peterson, author of Out of Body Experiences. “Very comfortable and very deep. It’s like having both your best friend and spiritual teacher sitting next to you on your couch, teaching you, reminding you of who you are and what’s important in your life.” Nancy Fischer, author of Choices: Escaping the Illusion of Being a Victim, says: “No matter where you are on your spiritual path, Birth, Death and the Afterlife meets you there and guides you to your next level of self-discovery. Designed for spiritual seekers of all types, it includes case studies and stories that awaken, enlighten and empower.”

Conscious Food: Sustainable Growing, Spiritual Eating, by Jim PathFinder Ewing (Nvnehi Awatisgi) (Findhorn Press), 192 pages, $16.95.
Rooted firmly in eco-spirituality, this analysis and guide to reconnecting with edible nature focuses on how modern people can regain Spirit in food individually and collectively. The author provides a background on the emergence of agriculture and the declining connection with food as society evolved, particularly during times of war, and scrutinizes today’s “conventional” farming that relies upon deadly toxins and unsustainable fossil fuels. The book outlines how modern people can avoid being victims of biocultural evolution–and the resultant entropy of declining global and personal health–and instead contribute to the movement toward mindful food choices and better world health, both physically and spiritually. The author discusses how society can nurture the unseen Spirit world that permeates plants through adopting nondenominational spiritual understandings, and includes how-to examples for growing organic food and fostering a supportive community and urban agriculture, as well as notes for expanded resources.

Dancing on a Stamp: A Perspective of Seeing the Whole, by Garnet Schulhauser (Ozark Mt. Publishing), 192 pages, $14.
Garnet Schulhauser, a retired corporate lawyer, had an experience that changed his life. His Spirit Guide appeared in the guise of a homeless man, and revealed answers to “the big questions.” This book describes that experience and reveals universal wisdom that will both delight and amaze New Thought readers. The shocking revelations of Albert (one of his Spirit Guides) flew in the face of everything that Christian holy men had been preaching for hundreds of years and provided refreshing new insights into the journey of the soul.

Fire in the Ashes: Twenty-five Years Among the Poorest Children in America, by Jonathan Kozol (Crown Publishers), 368 pages, $27.
In this powerful and culminating work about a group of inner-city children he has known for many years, Jonathan Kozol returns to the scene of his prize-winning books Rachel and Her Children and Amazing Grace, and to the children he has vividly portrayed, to share with us their fascinating journeys and unexpected victories as they grow into adulthood. For nearly fifty years Jonathan has pricked the conscience of his readers by laying bare the savage inequalities inflicted upon children for no reason but the accident of being born to poverty within a wealthy nation. A winner of the National Book Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, and countless other honors, he has persistently crossed the lines of class and race, first as a teacher, then as the author of tender and heart-breaking books about the children he has called “the outcasts of our nation’s ingenuity.” But Jonathan is not a distant and detached reporter. His own life has been radically transformed by the children who have trusted and befriended him. Never has this intimate acquaintance with his subjects been more apparent, or more stirring, than in Fire in the Ashes, as Jonathan tells the stories of young men and women who have come of age in one of the most destitute communities of the United States.

The Green Thoreau: America’s First Environmentalist on Technology, Possessions, Livelihood, and More, edited by Carol Spenard LaRusso (New World Library), 120 pages, $14.
Henry David Thoreau saw nature as teacher and companion, and many of his philosophies guide the contemporary environmental movement. What Thoreau wrote about simplicity, materialism, technology, and our troubled relationship with nature is perhaps even more relevant to our lives today than it was in the nineteenth century. In these pages, editor Carol Spenard LaRusso presents quotations by Thoreau on nature, technology, livelihood, living, possessions, time, diet and food, and aspiration. At turns passionate, funny, and profound, this collection serves as a compelling introduction — or vivid reminder — of why Thoreau is one of America’s iconoclastic greats.

How to Create Sacred Water: A Guide to Rituals and Practices, by Kathryn W. Ravenwood (Bear & Co.), 232 pages, $16.
A hands-on method to heal the waters of Gaia using powerful elixirs created with a sacred altar and consecrated crystals
• Reveals, step by step, the shamanic rituals and techniques to prepare crystal homeopathic elixirs to heal the waters of the Earth
• Explains how to create a sacred water altar in your home for elixir preparation as well as program the crystals used with healing intentions
• Includes shamanic journey meditations to connect with ancient water spirits and infuse your water-healing work with sacred intention
When Hurricane Floyd ravaged the North Carolina coast in 1999, Kathryn Ravenwood — living thousands of miles away in Seattle — was called by Spirit to help heal the toxic waters left behind. Combining her longtime devotion to sacred altars with her newfound connection to crystals, she developed a process to make crystal homeopathic elixirs to cleanse bodies of water both near and far.

The Keeper of the Diary, by Judith Diana Winston (Chewut Press), 498 pages, $24.95.
Circumstances force fashion photographer, Cassie, to take an unlikely assignment in Egypt, where a diary mysteriously appears in her camera case. Inextricably drawn to its content, she begins to discover a surprising connection to the diary’s writer. She doesn’t know whether or not to believe it, but if the diary is true, it means not only that its writer is in mortal danger but also our entire Planet. The discovery of the diary starts Cassie on a spiritual journey of adventure, intrigue and synchronicity, that takes her to many of the world’s most ancient and enigmatic Sacred Stone Sites, and leads her to uncover the Planet’s most primeval and powerful knowledge — including the surprising secret of her own past. The Keeper of the Diary demonstrates how invisible threads of energy can tie the past, present, and possibly even our future, together in a most deliberate way. It offers both an important warning for mankind and a profound vision for our future.

The Last Frontier: Exploring the Afterlife and Transforming Our Fear of Death, by Julie Assante (New World Library), 416 pages, $15.95.
Knowledge of the afterlife can trigger dazzling transformations in body, mind, and spirit. It unleashes our authentic selves, radically resets our values, and deepens our sense of life purpose. From it we discover that the real nature of the universe is the very essence of benevolence. In this comprehensive work, Julia Assante probes what happens when we die, approaching with scholarly precision historical and religious accounts, near-death experiences, and after-death communication. She then presents convincing evidence of discarnate existence and communication with the dead and offers practical ways to make contact with departed loved ones to heal and overcome guilt, fear, and grief.

The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money, and Miracles, by Marianne Williamson (HarperOne), 208 pages, $23.99.
In The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money, and Miracles the New York Times bestselling author Marianne Williamson provides a unique perspective on our financial condition through the lens of A Course in Miracles. She reveals a path to abundance by way of a powerful spiritual principle called the Law of Divine Compensation. The Law says that when we lack faith in our higher selves and focus on the negative, we create and perpetuate our own negative circumstances; conversely, when we have faith in God and in love and all that can go right in our lives, we open ourselves to receive the miracles the universe is holding for us. While millions have suffered heartbreaking and seemingly intractable financial woes, every one of us possesses the power to believe that something else is possible, that our destinies can change, that a miracle can happen. This simple shift in how we think can have a monumental effect on what happens next.

Living The Journey: Using the Journey Method to Heal Your Life and Set Yourself Free, by Brandon Bays, Patricia Kendall, Ph.D., and Lesley Strutt, Ph.D. (Atria Books), 271 pages, $14.
The Journey inspired people worldwide to follow Brandon Bays’s teachings in an effort to achieve healthful, more fulfilling lives. In 1992, Bays was diagnosed with a basketball-sized tumor in her uterus and refused surgery. Catapulted into a remarkable, soul-searching, and ultimately freeing healing journey, six and a half weeks later, she was pronounced completely tumor free. The Journey outlined practical steps for ordinary people to take toward a path of healing. Now, Living The Journey is an opportunity for those seeking wellness to learn from the many people who have successfully integrated The Journey into their lives. Sixteen contributors tell remarkable stories of profound healing — of overcoming post-traumatic stress disorder and depression; ridding the body of cancer and chronic pain; clearing addictions; and transforming devastating grief into peace, all through the measured steps of The Journey Method.

The Magic of Awareness, by Anam Thubten (Snow Lion Publications), 160 pages, $16.95.
The paradox of awareness is very profound and yet very simple. It can’t be described because it has no objective qualities and no limitation. Sometimes it comes naturally to the surface when we are fully in the present moment and no longer lost in thought or mental projections. Pure consciousness is neither high nor low, neither pleasant nor unpleasant, neither good nor bad. No matter where we are, no matter what we are doing, we always have an immediate access to that inner stillness. It can be experienced in an instant in all circumstances once we know how to pay attention to it. It is utterly peaceful and it is also insightful, so it sees through all illusions. Whenever there is a moment of being deluded, we can use that moment to practice settling in the very perfect sphere of the Buddha mind without trying to change anything. When we reside in that liberated mind, we find the very thing we have been seeking all along.

Making Miracles — Create New Realities for Your Life and Our World, by Lynn Woodland (Namaste Publishing) 198 pages, $16.95.
Grounded in science and metaphysics, Making Miracles: Create New Realities for Your Life and Our World invites readers to bypass notions of a fixed reality and the presumed boundaries of space and time (boundaries that science is showing to be permeable beyond our wildest imaginings) to create the life they long for, and at the same time reach out in loving compassion to every other reader, wherever they happen to be in space/time. The book discusses in 30 simple yet detailed chapters everything readers will want to know about how to create miracles in their lives. Every segment of the book builds upon the next, beginning with the introduction. Each chapter ends with an exercise and/or an experiment in miracle-making. The exercises prepare the reader for the experiments, while the experiments take the reader beyond time and space into uncharted territory to see what is possible. A companion CD of these exercises and experiments, read by the author, is available to readers through the book publisher’s website.

Mandan Dreams, by Cedric Red Feather (Galde Press), 182 pages, 14.95.
The oral histories, prophecies, and traditions of the Mandans are presented by an authentic waxikena, or Turtle Priest. Each chapter focuses on one specific aspect of Mandan life: the fast, sweat lodge, sun dance, and Okipa ceremony are discussed thoroughly. Cedric also offers the open and honest (and even humorous) account of his own personal spiritual journey, coming to terms with his birthright as a Mandan waxikena.

A Message of Hope from the Angels, by Lorna Byrne (Atria Books), 184 pages, $18.
“These days I see a lot of angels holding lights in front of people, helping to encourage them,” says author Lorna Byrne. “These are difficult and challenging times, but I see so much to be hopeful about and in this book I pass on these messages of hope.” Lorna Byrne sees angels with as much clarity as the rest of us see people, and she speaks to them every day. In A Message of Hope from the Angels, Lorna gives us the comfort of knowing that no matter how alone we might feel, we always have a guardian angel by our side to support us. In this inspiring and uplifting book, Lorna reveals how we can call on the help of our angels to carry us through the challenges that we all inevitably face, including loneliness, depression, stress, financial strain, heartbreak, the death of a loved one, or feeling inadequate as a parent. No matter what obstacles we face, we can call on this support to make our lives happier and more fulfilling.

The Mystic Cookbook: The Secret Alchemy of Food, by Denise Linn & Meadow Linn (Hay House), 312 pages, $19.95.
Provocative and insightful, this eclectic, inspiring, and beautiful book will open your eyes to the remarkable link between nourishment and spiritual awakening. Filled with ancient wisdom, practical advice, personal anecdotes, vibrant ceremonies, and original dishes lavishly illustrated with color photographs, The Mystic Cookbook brings to life a wealth of recipes and a myriad of experiences from places as far-reaching as Mexico, Italy, Vietnam, France, North Africa, and India — as well as from mystical, legendary, and mythic realms. You’ll also discover how to increase the vibration of the food you eat to heighten conscious awareness; use food to open your chakras; trigger past-life memories with aroma; invite fairies and angels for dinner; travel through time and space from the comfort of your dining table; create feasts to activate abundance, success, and love…plus much more! In Denise Linn and Meadow Linn’s extraordinary book, learn little-known secrets about the food you eat and how it can mystically transform your life!

Mystic Witness: Healing Ourselves and the Earth through Active Mysticism, by Larry Alboher, D.C. (Mystic Vision Press), 304 pages, $16.95.
Mystic Witness is a journey into the miraculous world of active mysticism, which contains remarkable capacities to help heal the Earth and her inhabitants from traumas, such as wars and natural disasters. Historically protected by secrecy and on the verge of extinction, this ancient wisdom is now being revealed through powerful experiences narrated by the student of a unique spiritual mentor, don Pablo. Don Pablo’s teachings blend sacred knowledge from a vanished mystical lineage — once deeply rooted in Central Europe — with ancient spiritual traditions found in the Peruvian Andes and Southern Mexico, and are free of cultural and religious tethers. Mystic Witness strips away the shroud of mystery to reveal the profound human relationship with nature and spirit that demonstrates how we may begin to reverse our dangerous mistreatment of the planet.

The Nature of Risk: Are You a Bear, a Squirrel, a Turtle, or a Fox? by David X Martin (CreateSpace), 86 pages, $14.95.
The Nature of Risk is a short, beautifully illustrated and easy-to-understand book written to help readers face one of modern life’s most important and difficult tasks — confronting risk. Free of complicated theories or formulas, The Nature of Risk relies instead on a simple story featuring a cast of familiar, forest-dwelling animals, each of which embodies a different approach to risk management. At least one of these approaches will seem familiar to every reader — whether they knew they had an approach to risk management or not. Then, as the story unfolds, the strengths and weaknesses of each approach will be revealed through a series of “natural” tests. Finally, at the conclusion of the story, readers will come to a short review section designed to help them frame their first attempts at managing risk–with or without professional help.

The New Game of Life and How to Play It, by Florence Scovel Shinn (Beyond Words/Atria Books), 256 pages, $15.
The game of life is a game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds, and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy. Florence Scovel Shinn, a prominent and provocative twentieth-century leader of the New Thought movement, was known for her sage guidance on prosperity, intuition, relationships, and fulfillment. Shinn’s distinct philosophy and practical approach included enlightening affirmations, timeless anecdotes, and action-based advice that are still relevant for the fast-paced world of today. In addition to Shinn’s original writings, The New Game of Life features Dr. Ruth L. Miller’s contemporary translations as well as additional exercises and summaries to fully engage a new generation of thinkers.

Return of Love to Planet Earth: Memoir of a Reluctant Visionary, by Nina Brown (Cauda Pavonis), 388 pages, $19.95.
Nina Brown’s illuminating narrative, Return of Love to Planet Earth: Memoir of a Reluctant Visionary, describes her voyage as she ascends to the highest frequencies of love using the secrets of S.T.A.R.: surrender, trust, allow, and receive. Her ten-year alchemical journey illustrates for each one of us the simple, yet challenging, path to our own spiritual ascent. At once a remarkable memoir and an inspiring guide, this book provides: The truth about triple dates–01/01/01 to 12/12/12–and their role in humanity’s ascension; Diverse theories about changes in human consciousness and how to welcome them ; A comprehensive glossary of esoteric terms such as “ascended masters,” “crystalline grid,” and “DNA recoding”; and Information on how to embrace our inherent divinity and consciously enter the Age of the Golden Dolphins.

Sit a Bit: 5-Minute Meditations for Greater Health, Harmony and Happiness, by Victor M. Parachin (Ozark Mt. Publishing), 96 pages, $10.
Meditation is fun. Meditation is easy. Meditation is good for you. This is the essential guide to practicing meditation. In this book you will find 5-minute meditations and methods that can truly transform your life. You can do them right in your own home, at work, even on a train, bus or subway while on your daily commute. All it takes is 5 minutes — and an open mind. With them you will lower stress, increase peace, deepen concentration and live a life of health, harmony and happiness.

Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language & Charisma, by Patti Wood (New World Library), 280 pages, $14.95.
From business meetings to social events to first dates to job interviews, we all encounter new people every day. Our ability to read body cues and convey the right first impression drives the success and quality of our personal and professional lives. Body language expert Patti Wood, a sought-after consultant and speaker to Fortune 500 companies, helps businesses and individuals stand out, create profitable relationships, and thrive in competitive circumstances. Now she brings that knowledge to our daily lives, offering practical and proven guidance on accurately interpreting body cues and creating impressions both in person and digitally. In Snap, you’ll learn how to: use your voice and body language to convey confidence and charisma, authenticity and authority; immediately discern people’s hidden agendas; make the best impressions via email, phone, video conferencing, and social networks; and convey and interpret signals of likability, power, credibility, and attractiveness.

Solar Revolution: Why Mankind is on the Cusp of an Evolutionary Leap, by Dieter Broers (Evolver Editions), 248 pages, $16.95.
Does the sun have the power to transform humankind? In Solar Revolution, German biophysicist Dieter Broers makes a compelling case, pointing to a wealth of scientific evidence that shows a remarkable correlation between increases in solar activity and advances in our creative, mental, and spiritual abilities. We are in the midst of a dramatic rise in solar disturbances, which have the ability to affect Earth in alarming ways, disrupting the geomagnetic field, knocking out entire power grids, and influencing the development of organisms and the ecology as a whole. Remarkably, solar activity is predicted to peak toward the end of 2012 — the same time the Mayans predicted the end of days. But Broers — who has for decades been studying the effect of electromagnetic fields on biological systems — sees the coming shift not as an apocalypse, but as the dawn of a new age.

NEW VIDEO

Decoding Deepak, starring Deepak Chopra and Gotham Chopra, directed by Gotham Chopra (SNAG Films), 75 minutes, $14.99.
Journalist and filmmaker Gotham Chopra spends a year traveling the world decoding his father Deepak Chopra, resolving the spiritual icon he is to the world vs. the real man known to his family. What starts as an intimate biopic becomes a deeper plunge into the meaning of identity itself. Filmmaker and journalist Gotham Chopra embarks on a year-long road trip with his father Deepak Chopra in an attempt to resolve the spiritual icon he is to the world vs. the real man known to his family. From devoted disciples that range from Lady Gaga to lost souls searching for themselves in the red rock deserts of Sedona, Gotham begins to paint a raw portrait of his dad that only a son can. The film travels across the planet chronicling colorful Deepak activities – from a traditional monk ordainment in Thailand to a literal decoding of ancient family registers in rural India. On the homefront, Gotham also takes a closer look at the expansive spiritual empire his father has built over his 25 year career that initially was conceived out of Deepak’s own deep personal and spiritual dissatisfaction, and a decidedly non-spiritual (and boozy) origin. Ultimately what emerges is a picture of a Deepak that while reminiscent of other popularized Indian gurus, is more dad than demigod. Full of flaws, foils, intelligence, and irreverence, the decoded Deepak uncovered by his son’s honest scrutiny of him is a symbol of a world searching for answers in the most unlikely places and a deeper plunge into the meaning of identity itself.

Life of My Time, starring Michael Monroe, directed by Michael Monroe and Debra Mueller, 105 minutes, $20 ($5 shipping), available at www.michaelmonroemusic.com.
Noted singer-songwriter Michael Monroe from the North Shore received a Fellowship Grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council to create a DVD featuring recent concert footage as well as his of his band from the ’80s. The film visits with Gunflint Trail luthier David Seaton, who built all Monroe’s guitars, two of which are made from 200-year-old wood recycled from the bottom of Lake Superior and are true works of art. Monroe also talks from his Log Cabin about his good fortune of following his musical passions over forty years, which includes performances in U.S. Virgin Islands, a hiatus in India where he found inspiration and new instruments, and about his collaborations with National Geographic Photographer Jim Brandenburg leading to his soundtrack for Brandenburg’s “Chased By The Light” documentary seen on PBS. Life of My Time includes footage from the Minnesota Zoo, the Lake Harriet Bandshell and scenes from his Log Cabin Concerts, where he invited the public into his Grand Marais home for more than seven years.