New Books | Fall 2018

Local Authors

The Soul’s Journey: Narayan’s Preparation for his Next Earthly Life by Warren King (Lanto Press), 216 pages — What happens before a soul is born?Are we mentored by teachers and masters who know our soul’s plan for the coming incarnation?  What will Narayan learn about The 5 Elements that make up his new physical body? This often humorous and enlightening tale reveals many astounding facts about Earth from the perspective of life-between-lives, and gives great hope for the future of our planet. An amazing adventure of a soul in heaven planning his next life on Earth. He learns from guides how to stay healthy while in embodiment. He chooses his parents and prepares them for his coming. He goes on adventures in higher and lower realms. The laws of the Universe are revealed in a thrilling story form.

New Books

The Art of Abundance: Ten Rules for a Prosperous Life, by Dennis Merritt Jones (Penguin Publishing), 288 pages — A life of wholeness and purpose are well within our reach–The Art of Abundance outlines ten rules, or practices, that lay the foundation for a life worth living. Whether we’re striving for a new job, a higher salary, or a stronger relationship, Dennis Merritt Jones explains in The Art of Abundance that we all essentially want the same things: freedom, inner peace, and a life filled with purpose and meaning. He shows that a life of wholeness and peaceful satisfaction is readily available to us–we just need the eyes to see it and the faith to claim it. The problem is that most people don’t know where to look for such a life. This book will help readers open their eyes to the limitless abundance that lies waiting just beyond their current belief system. In The Art of Abundance, Jones identifies ten rules, or practices that, when followed faithfully, lay the foundation for a life worth living. In order to make each rule as easy to apply as possible, Jones lays out the premise, the problem, the principle, the practice, and the payoff of each. These practices assist readers in creating a greater flow of goodness into their lives — in ways they may have never considered.

Before I Go: The Essential Guide to Creating a Good End of Life Plan, by Jane Duncan Rogers (Findhorn Press), 192 pages — Many people say “I wish I had known what they wanted” when their loved one has died. Too often, a person’s wishes for end-of-life care, and for after they have gone, have not been recorded. With this valuable guide, you can now begin to do this for yourself, so your relatives will be able to honor your wishes more easily, saving them unnecessary stress and upset at a potentially intense time. Before I Go addresses the emotional, spiritual, and practical aspects of end-of-life planning to help you make well-informed decisions about your end-of-life care and prepare well for your death. Jane Duncan Rogers guides you with equanimity, care, and humor through subjects such as how to have a conversation about dying, the impact of grief on relatives responsible for estate matters, DIY funerals and what that entails. She states clearly what you need to have in place to ensure the best end of life possible, helps you identify your values and beliefs in this area, and demonstrates which actions you then need to take, and when. With a full resource pack of essential information available to you, including guiding questions, exercises, and recording tools, as well as downloadable worksheets and supportive online courses, decision-making will be much easier and you will find relief and peace of mind knowing you have taken care of outstanding matters.

The Book of Beasties: Your A-to-Z Guide to the Illuminating Wisdom of Spirit Animals, by Sarah Bamford Seidelmann (Sounds True), 376 pages — The Book of Beasties invites you to explore why certain animals show up in your life–and what teachings they may be trying to share. Packed with information, illustrations, and traditional and modern insights into the unique qualities of different beasties, The Book of Beasties teaches you about: Guest Beasties: how certain beasties enter your life to give you messages or assistance you need just when you need them; Core Beasties: meet the guiding beasties who are your lifelong companions, friends, and helpers; Beastie Relationships: tips and techniques for deepening your relationship with beasties and becoming more receptive to their support; and Beasties A-Z: an expansive compendium of individual beasties and their unique qualities–including bats, wolves, elephants, salmon . . . even unicorns and dragons! “A message brought by a beastie may be about beauty or family or work,” teaches Sarah. “It might offer you guidance on a prickly problem. Or it might make you smile just when you need it.” Whether you’re a long-time shamanic practitioner or simply curious about what secret messages your favorite animal might have for you, The Book of Beasties is an ideal resource for discovering the wild and wonderful world of spirit animals.

Can’t See the Wood for the Trees?: Landscaping Your Life to Get Back on Track, by Alison Smith (Findhorn Press), 208 pages — If you can’t see the wood for the trees, feel like a fish out of water, or are going around in circles, we’ve got good news for you: that saying is also a clue to where you’ll find the solution. Yes, you read right — you can use the language you’re using to describe the stuck situation to discover the solution. It’s not even the language as much as the landscape contained within your description of the situation that can give you pointers. As Alison Smith explains, “If a picture paints a thousand words, then a metaphor paints a thousand pictures. In other words, the metaphor in the saying you’re using will provide a million words that will undoubtedly have the solution contained within them.” That’s what this book is all about — taking these sayings that you’re using to describe being stuck and using them to get unstuck again. The language you apply provides clues to how you perceive the current situation. Subconsciously, you know the solution. Exploring the metaphors contained within your language allows your subconscious to communicate to your conscious awareness more easily. The metaphor reduces resistance and the barriers we put up to change. It’s as if we enjoy exploring the metaphor and forget what it means in reality, and before we know it, we have a metaphorical solution that we cannot help but translate into real life.

Creator and Creators: Co-Creation With Nature — A Synthesis Of Spiritual Philosophy And Science, by Roza and Margarita Riaikkenen (Axis Mundi Books), 224 pages — Creator and Creators starts from the point of Nothing/Everything and the cosmic Rhythm, and gradually includes and explains the esoteric and exoteric mechanisms that lead to manifestation of life as we know it. Through an analysis of personal experience and the synthesis of spiritual philosophy and modern discoveries in cosmology, quantum physics, and the holographic mechanisms of genetics and neurophysiology Creator and Creators develops a new definition of Matter and new explanations of the nature of Time, Gravitational Waves, and Dark Energy. The book also solves the argument between the creationists and evolutionists by providing a cyclic theory of Creation and Evolution.

The Devoted: A Novel, by Blair Hurley (W.W. Norton & Co.), 320 pages — A spellbinding confession of what it means to abandon one life for another, The Devoted asks what it takes, and what you’ll sacrifice, to find enlightenment.Nicole Hennessy’s life revolves around her Zen practice at the Boston Zendo, seeking solace in the tenets of Buddhism to the chagrin of her Irish Catholic family. After a decade of grueling spiritual practice under her Master’s tutelage, living on a shoestring budget as a shop clerk, Nicole has become dangerously entangled with her mentor. As Nicole confronts her past — a drug-fueled year spent fleeing her family’s loaded silences and guilt-laden “Our Fathers” — and reinvents herself in New York City, her Master’s intoxicating voice pursues her, an electrifying whisper on the other end of the phone. Somehow, he knows everything.In deft, soaring prose that bristles with psychological and erotic tension, Blair Hurley crafts a thrilling exploration of Nicole’s ecstatic quest for spirituality.

Dispatches from the Sweet Life: One Family, Five Acres, and a Community’s Quest to Reinvent the World, by William Powers (New World Library), 304 pages, on sale September 4 — Many fantasize about dramatically changing their lives — living in accordance with their ideals rather than the exigencies of job, bills, and possessions. William Powers actually does it. In his book Twelve by Twelve, Powers lived in an off-grid tiny house in rural North Carolina. In New Slow City, he and his wife, Melissa, inhabited a Manhattan micro-apartment in search of slow in the fastest city in the world. Here, the couple, with baby in tow, search for balance, community, and happiness in a small town in Bolivia. They build an adobe house, plant a prolific orchard and organic garden, and weave their life into a community of permaculturists, bio-builders, artists, and creative businesspeople. Can this Transition Town succeed in the face of encroaching North American capitalism, and can Powers and the other settlers find the balance they’re seeking? Dispatches from the Sweet Life is compelling, sobering, thought-provoking, and, no matter the outcome, inspiring.

Ecovillages around the World: 20 Regenerative Designs for Sustainable Communities, by Frederica Miller (Findhorn Press), 176 pages — In 2015, the United Nations introduced 17 sustainable development goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. Aligning perfectly with the practices of ecovillages around the world, these initiatives show that ecovillages and sustainable communities are leading by example as we move into a future focused on partnership, environmental protection, prosperity, and peace for all life and the planet we live on. Offering a visual tribute to the work ecovillages do to alleviate climate change, social conflict, and environmental damage, including more than 300 full-color photographs, maps, and diagrams, this beautiful book highlights 20 best practice designs from ecovillages around the world to show how we can live lightly on the planet no matter where on earth we live, in all climate zones and cultures. It demonstrates how ecovillages have already achieved the climate goals all of us are now striving toward through practical lifestyle changes that promote peaceful and joyful coexistence both among people and between people and nature. Far from being only aesthetic choices, these changes give an increased quality of life, healthy homes, delicious organic food, playful interdependence, a new spiritual connection to our living planet, and much more. Through their regenerative, sustainable, and peace-promoting practices, ecovillages continue the culture of traditional village living in a modern way that addresses the critical challenges of our time.

The Fall, by Steve Taylor (Iff Books), 360 pages — A new edition of Steve Taylor’s bestselling classic, in which the author provides an afterword, including research developments that have occurred since the book was first published in 2005. Eckhart Tolle writes, “An important and fascinating book about the origin, history and impending demise of the ego — humanity’s collective dysfunction. The Fall is highly readable and enlightening, as the author’s acute mind is at all times imbued with the higher faculty of spiritual awareness.” The author says of this new edition: “The book’s reception has justified my faith in it. It has sold consistently well in the UK and US, and has been translated into several languages. Even now, I regularly receive appreciative e-mails from readers, telling me that the book has changed their lives, made them understand the human race better, and made them feel more optimistic about the future. I never expected that the book would have such an impact — although deep down, I sensed that I was ‘on to something’ and was delivering a message that needed to be heard.”

Forgiveness Made Easy: The Revolutionary Guide to Moving Beyond Your Past and Truly Letting Go, by Barbara J. Hunt (Barbara J. Hunt), 204 pages — The product of thousands of hours of research and practice by coach and forgiveness specialist, Barbara J. Hunt, Forgiveness Made Easy: The Revolutionary Guide to Moving Beyond Your Past and Truly Letting Go equips readers with a transformative relationship skill they have likely overlooked — how to forgive. Highly practical and non-religious, Hunt’s wealth of experience in authentic forgiveness now helps people deal with the everyday grudges and grievances that lead to stress in almost all relationships, as well as resolve past difficulties so they can truly move on and find happiness through the unique benefits forgiveness affords. One critic recently wrote, “This book is literally life changing. It is not the most comfortable of reads, but it is probably the most important book you will ever read.” Barbara J. Hunt sums her passion up perfectly when she says, “…just as Bill Gates had a vision of a computer on every desk, I have a vision of forgiveness in every heart. I believe that forgiveness, one heart at a time has the greatest potential to create a world at peace.” In her new book, Hunt helps anyone not only discover the truly life-changing benefits of learning to authentically forgive, but walks them through a step-by-step journey to this most vital of transitions.

Handbook of Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda: An Integrated Practice of Ancient Healing Traditions, by Bridgette Shea L.Ac., MAcOM (Healing Arts Press), 384 pages — Chinese medicine and Ayurveda are two of the oldest healing systems in use today. Each is a complete art, in and of itself, and has profoundly contributed to the health and well-being of millions of people around the world. Drawing on their shared roots and spiritual principles, Bridgette Shea, L.Ac., MAcOM, shows how these two practices integrate seamlessly, with the two traditions’ individual strengths harmonizing to form a practical basis for prevention, wellness, detoxification, and treatment. The author explains the foundational principles of both Chinese medicine and Ayurveda in detail, providing the reader with a working understanding of both disciplines. She examines shared concepts such as qi and prana, meridians and nadis, and energy centers and chakras. She explores the strengths of each practice, such as the clinical efficiency of diagnosis and the use of acupuncture for pain relief, improving fertility, and stress reduction in Chinese medicine and the dietary, detoxification, and spiritual guidance of Ayurveda, including the detox branch of Ayurveda known as Panchakarma. Moving beyond theory into practical application, she explores the Elements, known as the Five Phases and the Panchamahabhutas, and how they affect our well-being. She provides tools for self-assessment including a primer on tongue diagnosis and a mental, emotional, and physical constitutional questionnaire. Offering treatment and prevention strategies that draw from both disciplines, she encourages the reader to implement an integrated practice of these two systems in daily life or clinical practice. She details breathing exercises, dietary regimens, herbal recommendations, and guides for detoxification, including safe and gentle home cleanses, all rooted in the holistic synergy between Ayurveda and Chinese medicine.

The Heart of the Shaman: Stories and Practices of the Luminous Warrior, by Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D. (Hay House), 192 pages — The Heart of the Shaman will take you on a journey into the sacred world of the shaman, through stories, dreams, and ancient rites. In his latest book, Alberto Villoldo sets his focus on the dreaming and time-travel practices of the medicine men and women of the Andes and Amazon, whose wisdom radically changed his worldview. Villoldo shares some of their time-honored teachings that emphasize the sacred dream: an ephemeral, yet powerful vision that has the potential to guide us to our purpose and show us our place in the universe. The practices in this book will help you forge a sacred dream for yourself. They will help you craft a destiny infused with courage, and driven by vision. You’ll be invited to follow the footsteps of the luminous warrior and learn how to break out of the three nightmares surrounding love, death, and safety that have held you captive, and transform them into the experience of timeless freedom, known as the Primordial Light. This creative power exercised by shamans will lead you to create beauty and healing, and dream a new world into being. When you transform these dreams and accept that life is ever changing, that your mortality is a given, and that no one except you can free you from fear — the chaos in your life turns to order, and beauty prevails. “Wake up from the slumber you are living in, and dream with your eyes open so that all the possibilities of the future are available to you.”

How I Found God in Everyone and Everywhere: An Anthology of Spiritual Memoirs, by Andrew M. Davis (Monkfish Books), 240 pages — Much can be gained from trailing the spiritual narratives of those who have traveled ahead of us, for the God they have found, we may never have considered. How I Found God in Everyone and Everywhere captures for a general audience the spiritual shift away from popular notions of a God “up there” and “out there” and toward immanent and inclusive understandings of a God in our very midst. It’s built around the fascinating personal journeys of a close-knit group of prominent contributors, leaders including Deepak Chopra, Richard Rohr, Rupert Sheldrake, Matthew Fox, Cynthia Bourgeault, Ilia Delio, Keith Ward and others. As these diverse spiritual memoirs testify, for many today, the spiritual journey has lead to the discovery of a divine reality that, it turns out, we already inhabit, one that encompasses us all. Sometimes called “panentheism,” this relational and participatory vision is allowing for a “return to God after God” and thus a continuation of the spiritual journey. This God is not found in some people and some places, but in everyone and everywhere.

It’s Grief: The Dance of Self-Discovery through Trauma and Loss, by Edy Nathan (As I Am Press), 288 pages — In a culture that does its best to run away from grief whenever possible even though grief is an inevitable part of life and loss, Edy Nathan provides a practical, sensitive guide to surmounting the pain and regaining your soul. An experienced grief therapist, Nathan is author of the newly published It’s Grief: The Dance of Self-Discovery Through Trauma and Loss. The book unravels the complex world of grief and helps to transform the dark mystery into one of life’s most important teachers. While other therapists emphasize universal quick fixes to get over it, Nathan says it doesn’t work that way. Like a fingerprint, everyone’s experience of trauma, abuse, or the loss of a loved one is unique, and in truth, you never really get over the resulting grief but learn to integrate it into your life. To that end, Nathan offers a comprehensive toolbox to aid the process and you can take what you need. She speaks candidly from her own personal experiences as one who has danced with grief in many forms from a young age. Her ideas are not theoretical!

John E. Fetzer and the Quest for the New Age, by Brian C. Wilson (Wayne State University Press), 344 pages — John E. Fetzer and the Quest for the New Age follows the spiritual sojourn of John E. Fetzer, a Michigan business tycoon. Born in 1901 and living most of his life in Kalamazoo, Fetzer parlayed his first radio station into extensive holdings in broadcasting and other enterprises, leading to his sole ownership of the Detroit Tigers in 1961. By the time he died in 1991, Fetzer had been listed in Forbes magazine as one of the four hundred wealthiest people in America. And yet, business success was never enough for Fetzer–his deep spiritual yearnings led him from the Christianity of his youth to a restless exploration of metaphysical religions and movements ranging from Spiritualism, Theosophy, Freemasonry, UFOology, and parapsychology, all the way to the New Age as it blossomed in the 1980s. Author Brian C. Wilson demonstrates how Fetzer’s quest mirrored those of thousands of Americans who sought new ways of thinking and being in the ever-changing spiritual movements of the 20th century. Over his lifetime, Fetzer’s worldview continuously evolved, combining and recombining elements from dozens of traditions in a process he called “freedom of the spirit.” John E. Fetzer and the Quest for the New Age offers a window into the rich and complex history of metaphysical religions in the Midwest and the United States at large. It will be read with interest by those wishing to learn more about this enigmatic Michigan figure, as well as those looking for an engaging introduction into America’s rapidly shifting spiritual landscape.

Let Go of Emotional Overeating and Love Your Food: A Five-Point Plan for Success, by Arlene B. Englander (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers), 184 pages — Let Go of Emotional Overeating and Love Your Food is for anyone who would like to eat whatever they like, yet stop just at the point of satisfaction without overeating. Written by a Columbia University trained psychotherapist and former emotional overeater, Let Go of Emotional Overeating and Love Your Food offers psychologically sound techniques for recognizing the symptoms of emotional overeating and methods for addressing it in ways that are both effective and enjoyable. Readers will learn how to become aware of the difference between eating in a healthy way and eating emotionally — neither to satisfy hunger, nor for enjoyment, but in a desperate attempt to distract oneself from painful thoughts and feelings. Diets don’t work for people who eat through their emotions. Instead, learning to recognize the stressors that lead to emotional eating and to address those tensions through other methods besides eating is the goal. When we handle stress well away from the table, we’re free to relax and really savor our food when we choose to eat. Proven techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are presented in an innovative, easy-to-remember way. Learning to eat mindfully, for health and enjoyment, becomes the goal, and Arlene Englander walks readers through table techniques designed to make mindful eating easier, habitual, and ultimately second-nature.

The Life You Were Born to Live (Revised 25th Anniversary Edition): A Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose by Dan Millman (HJ Kramer), 504 pages — Bestselling author Dan Millman’s Life-Purpose system, a modern method of insight based on ancient wisdom, has helped hundreds of thousands of people find new meaning, purpose, and direction in their lives. This revised and updated 25th Anniversary Edition reveals an objective method to determine the life path of anyone born between 1750 and the present — including single-digit birth numbers for certain individuals born after the year 2000. Learn about: the strengths and challenges of each life path in areas of health, money and sexuality; key spiritual laws to overcome the hurdles on each life path; guidelines for finding a livelihood consistent with your drives and abilities; the hidden dynamics of your relationships; how to live in harmony with the nine-year cycles of your life; original insights into what makes a “master number” and why; new examples of well-known people on each life path; and how the author learned this system and why he chose to share it. Dan Millman, former world-champion gymnast, coach, martial arts teacher and college professor, is the author of 17 books published in 29 languages and shared across generations to millions of readers. His internationally bestselling book Way of the Peaceful Warrior was adapted to film in 2006. Dan speaks worldwide to people from all walks of life. He lives in New York City.

The Lost Art of Being, by Jacqui Macdonald (Matador Publishing Ltd.), 96 pages — The Lost Art of Being is a little book about doing less and being more. Capturing the wisdom of ancient sages on how to be happy and roll with the Universe, it applies these sacred secrets to our busy modern lives. Offering direct teachings illustrated by remarkable personal insights from the author’s own experiences, it encourages the reader to discover the immense power of slowing down, letting heart rule head, and remembering how just to be. It is based on the premise that as human beings, it is only when we look after both aspects of ourselves — human and being — that we can fully relax into our lives. It teaches us how to over-ride the mind to get in touch with our being and receive greater guidance from the universe. The author Jacqui Macdonald explains: “Most of us are ruled by a voice in our head that tells us we need to strive for bigger, better and more. When we believe this story, we lose sight of the fact that we already have a magical connection to the Universe that will provide everything we need for happiness and success. We become all human, no being. This is the source of all stress.”

Love Coming Home: Transform Your Environment. Transform Your Life, by Jennifer Adams (Beyond Words), 272 pages — Home is your base. Home is your sanctuary. It’s where your best life begins. This friendly guide will give you the tools and knowledge, and empower you to make wherever you live–be it rented, owned, or shared–a place where you will absolutely love coming home to. No matter how much or how little someone has at a given moment, we often hold the belief that our actual dream home will be a place we will eventually move to down the road once we’ve saved enough and worked hard enough to achieve it. We are all striving to discover that perfect place and rarely see the potential in the place we are living in right now. Jennifer Adams, designer and founder of the international home décor company Home by Jennifer Adams®, shares her insider secrets of how you don’t have to wait. Jennifer’s step-by-step, room-by-room, guidance will help you create a welcoming and functioning space that expresses your unique individuality throughout even the smallest to largest of floor plans. Your dwelling can become an environment that supports and inspires you, to be your perfect sanctuary, because home is where your best life begins!

Loving to the End…and On: A Guide to the Impossibly Possible, by Lynn B. Robinson, Ph.D. (Balboa Press), 132 pages — Dr. Robinson recognizes and encourages ways for anyone, everyone, to love beyond death in this well-researched, engaging, and compelling mix of personal narrative and forthright reporting on end-of-life care and mis-care. Helpful for both families and medical personnel, it is part instructive manual, part counselor, and part love story. Her book gently guides us through the sadness of departure toward opportunity and love. Never demanding readers believe in an afterlife, Robinson instead offers personal stories of death bed visions, after death communication, near death experiences, and end of life care. At bedside, a wife whose dying husbands spirit departs his body briefly goes with him. Having previously been unconvinced of an afterlife and somewhat in shock, she declares this single incredible event exceeds any and all of their considerable marital intimacy. A lucid, intelligent 98-year-old man is tragically confined to a psychiatric ward for evaluation of medicines prescribed by multiple physicians. Sent home weakened and changed, six months later his death is classified as failure to thrive. His story offers opportunity, hope, and love. Eight years after Robinson visits a friends death bed, her once skeptic friend visits during a dream and takes her to metaphysical night school where a powerful affirmation of love is delivered.This is a book about traversing the pleasures and pain of end-of-life care, about possibility. Best of all, it is about loves vital, enduring nature: a clarion call of loves never-ending power. As a comfort or guide, this is a book that family, friends, and medical practitioners will appreciate over and over again.

The Magic Ten and Beyond: Daily Spiritual Practice for Greater Peace and Well-Being, by Sharon Gannon (Penguin Publishing), 112 pages — From the co-founder of the yoga method that launched yoga into the mega-popular mind-body practice that it is today (the Jivamukti method), here is a simple guide to developing your own individualized daily spiritual practice for greater peace and well-being. This powerful little book from legendary yoga teacher Sharon Gannon shows readers how to design their very own daily spiritual practice, incorporating yoga poses and practices, meditation, blessings, and other spiritual practices, to begin one’s day in a positive and life-affirming place. While many people experience yoga only in yoga studios, Gannon explains that it is highly beneficial to have a private spiritual practice that can be done at home. Replete with how-to instructions on the ten simple yoga poses Gannon recommends readers do for health and flexibility, as well as guidance on meditation, blessings, and awareness exercises that can be added  to the mix, this book will help readers infuse their day with greater focus, compassion, and joyfulness.

The Meaning of Happiness: The Quest for Freedom of the Spirit in Modern Psychology and the Wisdom of the East, by Alan Watts (New World Library), 280 pages — Deep down, most people think that happiness comes from having or doing something. Here, in Alan Watts’s groundbreaking second book (originally published in 1940), he offers a more challenging thesis: authentic happiness comes from embracing life as a whole in all its contradictions and paradoxes, an attitude that Watts calls the “way of acceptance.” Drawing on Eastern philosophy, Western mysticism, and analytic psychology, Watts demonstrates that happiness comes from accepting both the outer world around us and the inner world inside us — the unconscious mind, with its irrational desires, lurking beyond the awareness of the ego. Although written early in his career, The Meaning of Happiness displays the hallmarks of his mature style: the crystal-clear writing, the homespun analogies, the dry wit, and the breadth of knowledge that made Alan Watts one of the most influential philosophers of his generation.

More Together Than Alone: Discovering the Power and Spirit of Community in Our Lives and in the World, by Mark Nepo (Atria Books), 352 pages — The #1 New York Times bestselling author and popular spiritual teacher presents a poignant and timely meditation on the importance of community, and demonstrates how we live more enriching lives by cultivating connectedness. At once a moving meditation and an empowering guide, More Together Than Alone is an compelling testament to the power of community and why it’s so essential in our lives, now more than ever. Mark Nepo draws from historical events, spiritual thought leaders, and the natural world to show how, in every generation, our tendency is to join together to accomplish our greatest achievements, from creating education to providing clean drinking water, and preserving the arts. Nepo’s historical snapshots, from ancient times to contemporary examples, show how community creates a light in the darkest of times, and gets to the heart of how we come together in varied and beautiful ways, whether forming resistance groups during the Holocaust or rebuilding after the nuclear devastation in Nagasaki. These inspiring stories teach us that even in the bleakest days, we have the power to create connections and draw strength from one another. Featuring thought-provoking analysis and practical takeaways, More Together Than Alone will help us inhabit a stronger sense of togetherness where we live and in the world so we can achieve our highest potential, as individuals, and as communities.

Natural Antibiotics and Antivirals: 18 Infection-Fighting Herbs and Essential Oils, by Christopher Vasey, N.D. (Healing Arts Press) 208 pages, on sale September 11 — Nature offers us many natural antibiotics from the plant kingdom that work powerfully against germs while also being gentle on the body. Knowledge of these safe and natural antibiotics and antivirals is more crucial now than ever as modern antibiotics become less and less effective due to the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant germs. Natural antibiotics even offer an opportunity to reverse antibiotic resistance by reducing the use of pharmaceutical antibiotics to only the most critical cases. In this practical guide, Christopher Vasey presents 18 of the most potent antibiotic and antiviral herbs from around the world and one beehive remedy, propolis. He details how to use them effectively as mother tinctures and essential oils as well as what illnesses each is best suited to treat. Drawing on the latest research, he explains how microbes can’t build resistance against these natural substances due to the many molecules in their make-up and their large spectrum of action in the body, which makes them effective against viruses as well. He reveals that, unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics and antivirals whose list of side effects grows in proportion to their strength, natural antibiotics generally lack any malignant side effects and have no adverse effects on non-targeted bacteria, such as intestinal flora. The author also includes information on probiotics to restore gut health after the use of pharmaceutical antibiotics, ways to strengthen your immune system and become less receptive to infections, and guidance on detox treatments to support the natural antibiotics as they work. He also provides an index of more than 50 common ailments and diseases with the most effective medicinal plants and essential oils to use in each case.

The Pain Companion: Everyday Wisdom for Living With and Moving Beyond Chronic Pain, by Sarah Anne Shockley (New World Library), 192 pages — Where do you turn when medication and medical treatments do not relieve persistent, debilitating pain? What can you do when pain interferes with work, family, and social life and you no longer feel like the person you used to be? Relying on firsthand experience with severe nerve pain, author Sarah Anne Shockley accompanies you on your journey through pain and offers compassionate, practical advice to ease difficult emotions and address lifestyle challenges. Her approach helps reduce the toll that living in pain takes on relationships, self-image, and well-being while cultivating greater ease and resilience on a daily basis. Dozens of accessible, uplifting practices guide you every step of the way from a life overcome by pain to a life of greater comfort and peace. The Pain Companion also offers profound insights for medical practitioners and invaluable guidance for anyone who loves or cares for others in pain.

Pause, Breathe, Smile: Awakening Mindfulness When Meditation Is Not Enough, by Gary Gach (Sounds True), 216 pages — Pause . . . breathe . . . smile. Three small words, yet each contains a universe of wisdom. Let the title be your guide in this inspiring book on awakening to the full depths of mindful living. The Pause is about setting our intention before we think, speak, or act — the ethical dimension of mindfulness. When we Breathe, we unite mind, body, and spirit, making every moment an opportunity for meditation. With a Smile, we open to a wisdom beyond words. This simple trio will water your innate seeds of awakening to help you pave your own path to fulfillment and peace. Gary Gach is a writer, mystic and lifelong meditator who has engaged in many roles: actor, bookshop clerk, dishwasher, hospital admin, office temp, stevedore, teacher, and typographer. Lay-ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh in 2008, he has authored eight previous books including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Buddhism (Alpha, 2001). Gary lives in San Francisco.

Think! Think! Think!: The Law of Attraction for Kids, by Michael Detrick, illustrated by Dean Vigyikan (Balboa Press), 56 pages — The Law of Attraction is the idea that people have the ability to attract into their lives whatever they are focusing on. It uses the mind’s power to translate thoughts into reality. The theory is that, if one focuses on negative thoughts, they attract negativity and, if one thinks positively, they attract positivity and achieve goals. In Think! Think! Think!: The Law of Attraction for Kids, author Michael Detrick demonstrates the power of positive thinking, in a children’s book with vivid, colorful illustrations and a simple message. “As a parent and grandparent, I have always been aware of how difficult it is to teach or share ideas with children if you don’t have any teaching tools,” Detrick said. “After searching for a children’s book with inspirational and positive messages about the Law of Attraction and finding none that impressed me, I knew I had to create the tool I needed.” Detrick has a bachelor’s degree in Metaphysical Science and over 20 years’ experience working in nutrition and natural health. In his new book, Detrick’s main character tells the story of how he handles fearful emotions and negative thoughts, when confronted with “Wooly” the bully. As the character shifts his thoughts from fear and panic to powerful, positive thoughts, he is able to calm himself and deal with Wooly in a friendly, constructive way. “I have been a student and teacher of science-based, natural health and nutrition for over two decades,” Detrick said. “I have always been fascinated by the subject of how powerful our minds are and how thoughts relate to how our lives unfold.”

The Ultimate Guide to Chakras: The Beginner’s Guide to Balancing, Healing, and Unblocking Your Chakras for Health and Positive Energy, by Athena Perrakis, Ph.D. (Fair Winds Press), 208 pages, on sale September 11 — With The Ultimate Guide to Chakras, tune in to your chakras, the power centers connecting your physical body and the world of energy. Your chakras are the power centers that translate between the seen world of the physical body and the unseen world of energy. First discussed in ancient Hindu texts and studied for thousands of years in numerous spiritual traditions, including acupuncture, meditation, and yoga, chakras hold the key to our well-being. By tapping into the power of our chakras, we can live healthier, balanced, and more abundant lives. Athena Perrakis, leading metaphysical teacher and creator of the world’s largest online metaphysical resource website, SageGoddess.com, addresses the nine major chakras we can tap into to balance, heal, and manifest. This guide explains how and why different crystals, essential oils, and sacred plants help to support each chakra. Each chapter of The Ultimate Guide to Chakras includes magical exercises for accessing the energy of each chakra, including meditations, journal exercises, and working with goddesses and spirit guides. Readers will even learn how to create a dedicated chakra altar. Lavishly photographed and illustrated, this guide promises to be an essential volume for beginners and experienced energy workers alike.

Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying, by Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush (Sounds True), 240 pages, on sale September 4 — We all sit on the edge of a mystery. We have only known this life, so dying scares us — and we are all dying. But what if dying were perfectly safe? What would it look like if you could approach dying with curiosity and love, in service of other beings? What if dying were the ultimate spiritual practice? Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush began their friendship more than four decades ago at the foot of their guru, Neem Karoli Baba, also known as Maharaj-ji. He transmitted to them a simple philosophy: love everyone, tell the truth, and give up attachment to material things. After impacting millions of people through the years with these teachings, they have reunited once more with Walking Each Other Home to enlighten and engage readers on the spiritual opportunities within the dying process. They generously share intimate personal experiences and timeless practices, told with courage, humor, and heart, gently exploring every aspect of this journey. And, at 86 years old, Ram Dass reminds us, “This time we have a real deadline.” In Walking Each Other Home, readers will learn about: guidelines for being a “loving rock” for the dying, how to grieve fully and authentically, how to transform a fear of death, leaving a spiritual legacy, creating a sacred space for dying, and much more.

Your Brain Knows More Than You Think: The New Frontiers of Neuroplasticity, by Niels Birbaumer (Scribe Publications), 272 pages — Our brains are more powerful than we ever realized. Too often, we humans tend to assume that nature is fixed, immutable — and this tendency is particularly strong when we think about matters of the mind and behaviour. People just can’t change, we say, so they must somehow be prevented from becoming a burden on society or from hurting themselves and others. Neuroplasticity — the virtually limitless capacity of the brain to remould itself — turns these notions on their heads. Leading brain researcher Niels Birbaumer brings new hope to those suffering from depression, anxiety, ADHD, addiction, dementia, the effects of a stroke, or even the extremes of locked-in syndrome or psychopathy. Like the fathers and mothers of psychiatry, Birbaumer explores the sometimes-wild frontiers of a new way of thinking about our brains and behavior. Through actual cases from his research and practice, he shows how we can change through training alone, and without risky drugs. Open your mind to change.

Your Sacred Wealth Code: Unlock Your Soul Blueprint for Purpose & Prosperity, by Prema Lee Gurreri (Heart Drop Press), 282 pages — You have a unique internal design for wealth. This formula is encoded in your soul blueprint – and like your fingerprint, it’s unlike that of any other human being. It’s called your Sacred Wealth Code, and it is written in the universal language of purpose and prosperity. Are you ready to reveal your Sacred Wealth Code? It is a guide, playbook and journal all in one. It provides everything you need to discover, understand, embody and operate from your unique “sweet spot” of purpose and prosperity. Through information, stories, meditations and experiential Wealth Focus practices, you will undertake a journey to discover your soul blueprint and personal Wealth Code, and learn how to take daily inspired action to finally claim the abundance, prosperous life that is your birthright.

Your Sacred Wealth Code Oracle Cards: A Daily Practice to Unlock Your Soul Blueprint for Purpose & Prosperity, by Prema Lee Gurreri (Heart Drop Press), 86 pages — Discover your wealth archetypes and create your purpose and prosperity! You have a unique design and internal formula for attracting wealth. This formula is encoded in your soul blueprint and, like your fingerprints, that encoding is unlike that of any other human being. It s written in the universal language of purpose and prosperity, and it’s called your Sacred Wealth Code. This one-of-a-kind oracle deck is your gateway to exploring your connection with the Sacred Wealth Archetypes and connecting with your inner design for wealth. Whether as a companion to Prema Lee Gurreri’s #1 best-selling book, Your Sacred Wealth Code, or as a primary tool for meditation and alignment, this deck will help you dive deeper into your soul’s truth about wealth, success, and fulfillment! This deck of 23 gorgeously illustrated Sacred Wealth Archetype Cards comes with an enclosed 86 page guidebook. The guidebook provides an overview of your Sacred Wealth Code and how it works, how to use this deck, and detailed descriptions of all 23 Archetypes.