Book Description
Buddhist teacher and anthropologist Joan Halifax delves into "the fruitful darkness" — the shadow side of being, found in the root truths of Native religions, the fecundity of nature, and the stillness of meditation. In The Fruitful Darkness, a highly personal and insightful odyssey of the heart and mind, she encounters Tibetan Buddhist mediators, Mexican shamans, and Native American elders, among others. In rapt prose, she recounts her explorations — from Japanese Zen meditation to hallucinogenic plants, from the Dogon people of Mali to the Mayan rain forest. Grove Press is proud to reissue this important work by one of Buddhism's leading contemporary teachers.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best books I have ever read.......2007-09-12
(and I have read a lot of books!) I am on my second reading, and will soon reread a third time, slowly, taking notes and making my own commentary. Halifax's ability to combine a deep understanding of Buddhism, shamanism, deep ecology, the history of civilization, indigenous cultures is unparalleled - and her understanding is not academic, it has been gained through forty-plus years of experience. This is a book to read slowly, several times, meditating, pondering, and experiencing for oneself what Halifax so profoundly points to.
superb.......2007-02-18
Joan Halifax accomplishes the ultimate through this great book -- she transmits Buddhism through the heart.
Book Description
In Bath, England, good health is an ancient tradition and a booming business. One local font of wellness is the Sulis Clinic, where the rich come for rest, repair, and repasts of strictly organic–and not terribly pleasant–cuisine. World-famous cellist Sara Selkirk has come to Sulis to admit her former music teacher. The poor dear has fallen into decrepitude, and has lately been the unlikely suspect in the shocking murder in a local pub.
Distracted from her upcoming Dvorak performance in Salzburg, Sara begins to wonder if there isn’t an odd link between Sulis and the murder. But another death soon rocks Sara to her core, leading her to a choice she will regret–and a killer she can no longer avoid.…
Download Description
Brought up and educated in Scotland, Morag Joss departed for London to study singing at the Guildhall School of Music. Since then, she has worked in museums, galleries and higher education as a manager and lecturer. She now writes full-time and lives near Bath with her husband and daughter. She won the CWA Silver Dagger Award and is at work on her next novel of stand-alone suspense.
From the Paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
sour note.......2007-04-09
The Sara Selkirk series started out in a high note--an intelligent musician as the central character (so often, classical musicians are the villains in pedestrian mysteries)--and the first two books were interesting to read, set in Bath, and not about Jane Austen! But Sara's dithering, on-again, off-again relationship with the police detective is getting tiresome--they're not teenagers, after all. And her sexual stupidity in this third volume of the series is merely annoying, rather than sympathetic.
3 1/2 stars: an unexpectedly absorbing read.......2005-10-23
Somewhat to my surprise, I found myself being totally absorbed with "Fruitful Bodies" (the third Sara Selkirk mystery installment) -- this in spite of the fact that I did grow a little tired of Sara's and Andrew's continuing relationship problems, and even as I began to wonder, for a goodish chunk of the book if Andrew really was cut out to be a police detective! But in spite of this issues, "Fruitful Bodies" did keep me happily absorbed to the very end.
Much to her dismay and chagrin, Sara suddenly finds herself surrounded with sick people and to be unofficially in charge of them! It all begins when she notices her former music instructor, Joyce Cruikshank, almost incoherently drunk at one of her concerts. And when it turns out that Joyce has been evicted from her bedsit, Sara knows that she will have to assume the care for Joyce and to (at the very least) try and get her sorted out. A lucky break comes when Sara visits her best friend and fellow musician James Ballantyne at the Sulis Clinic (a private concern that's run on wholly on naturopathy and holistic lines, where those that can afford it retreat to for rest and special care). And when Sara realises that because the former music therapist had suddenly quit her job, and there is a job opening, she immediately thinks of Joyce. What a perfect place to put Joyce in: not only would she have a job and room and board (and be out of Sara's hair) but she would also be in a place where she would be able to get some treatment for her alcoholism. But when a rather horrific murder takes place at the Sulis that seems to have a tenuous connection to a murder enquiry that DCI Andrew Poole is conducting, Sara begins to wonder if placing both James and Joyce at the Sulis Clinic was a good idea after all...
The wonderful thing about "Fruitful Bodies" is that it is a well written mystery novel with some nicely realised character portrayals. The not so wonderful part is that it takes a while for the pace to pick up -- for more than half the book, the novel remains stuck on the relationship problems that Sara and Andrew suffer and the initial murder enquiry that Andrew is conducting, and which seems to go no where for quite a while. (Which of course leads me to my other point of wondering if Andrew really had it in him to be a police detective, because he really flounders for more than half the book and makes some really bad mistakes in the investigation.) Fortunately, the pace does pick up once the second murder takes place. The other problem I had (and a spoiler alert here) was that Sara commits a sexual indiscretion towards the end of the book because she's feeling devastated. I don't think that I'm that much of prude (OK perhaps I am) but I couldn't help but feel disappointed with her behaviour. But then I have never been completely comfortable with the manner in which Sara frequently conducts herself anyway. In spite of it all though, disappointments and everything, I will admit that unlike "Fearful Symmetry," "Fruitful Bodies" was a truly absorbing book, and is a testament to Morag Joss' excellent writing style.
terrific psychological thriller .......2005-07-26
In Bath, internationally renowned cellist Sara Selkirk plays Dvorek on stage when she notices in the audience the pink suit. Her first cello teacher Professor Cruikshank, who tutored her back in the late 1970s at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, is attending her performance. Afterward Sara obtains work and treatment for her alcoholic ailing pedagogue as a musical therapist at the renowned Sulis Clinic run by Dr Golightly.
While she helps her former instructor, her beloved Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Poole has rid himself of his disaffected ex-wife Valerie, but that fails to improve his relationship with Sara. Andrew explains that regardless of where their romance goes, he must put his kids' needs before their desires. She may detest that, but Sara knows he is right.
When a Japanese tourist dies in an apparent homicide, nebulous links surface to the Sulis Clinic but especially to Professor Cruikshank. Besides insuring that her mentor is doing okay, Sara needs to prove that the professor had nothing to do with the murder that Andrew also investigates even as he asks her to stay out of it. A second homicide confirms her belief that all is not well at Sulis and she plans to insure that the killer pays the piper.
The third Sara Selkirk amateur sleuth tale (see FUNERAL MUSIC and HALF BROKEN THINGS) is a terrific psychological thriller that grips readers from the opening note until the final coda is played. The story line is filled with several twists that will catch the audience unaware, but like it predecessors stupendous Sara is the star performer who turns the tale into a virtuoso concerto worth reading.
Harriet Klausner
Customer Reviews:
Amazing.......2006-01-23
It is amazing that this book has never been reviewed (2006). I bought the hardback in 1993 and I still consider it one of my most favorite books ever. It is thoughtful and very well written. It gave me a very good introduction to deep ecology and shamanism. I consider it a must read for those interested in the subject.
Average customer rating:
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Fruitful Bodies
Morag Joss
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Action & Adventure
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0340768037 |
Book Description
The ideas of theoretician Marvin Minsky and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin are brought together in a work in which Minsky's theory of "society of the mind" is inverted into the author's theory of the "mind of society," giving a new and firm basis to the Teilhardian idea of Noosphere. Provencal's theory also allows unsuspected transdisciplinary regularities between several scientific domains, including physics, biology, and anthropology. This book aims to show that a very special type of global, planetary consciousness is emerging and to better explain the way in which human ideas constitute a global, auto-organizing system.
Customer Reviews:
A simple and effective techniques.......2007-08-01
The author develops a graded system of simple meditation techniques starting from Chanting/japa, breath watch to more esoteric methods and a clear discussion on Kundalini yoga.Though cheifly drawn from traditional Hindu methods, the author has included a few Buddhist meditation methods like 'metta" meditation.There is a chapter of Frequently asked questions and sections to reduce stress and improve general well being..In all this is an effective book in the best traditions of Hindu /Eastern schools of meditation.
Average customer rating:
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Fruitful Bodies
Morag Joss
Manufacturer: New English Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000MPR9N4 |
Customer Reviews:
One Last Bite.......2005-11-08
I've been through two thirteen-volume vampire series from White Wolf, as well as a slew of shorter stories, and I think I may have finally reached the saturation point. The core problem is that long series are of unpredictable quality even when they are the work of one writer. With White Wolf, using a multitude of writers, the reason for a particular volume may be completely different. The narrative advances by fits and starts - sometimes the story is important, and sometimes it's the political record.
The Dark Ages series started out with the sack of Constantinople and, at first follows a group of vampires across Europe as some seek for a return to the dream that was Byzantium, and others struggle for simple survival. Gradually the story shifts to Paris and the Magdeburg as vampire princes seize the opportunity to become great rulers. And now we are come to what will come to be modern Romania, the ancestral home of the Tsimisce and what has cone before is overthrown.
Or, perhaps, come full circle. Prince Jurgen's off-hand gift of the Archbishop of Nod's sleeping body lures Myca Vykos, an elder Tsimisce into a quest that seems to interest Malachite of Constantinople as well. Malachite seeks the Dracon, one of the three founders of the vampire Dream. Are Nikita and the Dracon the same? Is anyone what they seem to be? Coming at the end this volume should bear some answers, but it raises as many questions as it solves.
Myrabda Kalis does a good job of recreating the culture of the Tzimisce - wizards of flesh - and making Myka Vykos and his friends strong, interesting characters. This is a truly Gothic novel and a real example of story telling. Unfortunately I was hoping for a bit more insight into the entire Vampire story and that is yet to come. Thirteen volumes before the Masquerade, and 13 after - but we have yet to see the birth of the Masquerade itself.
Average customer rating:
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Dark Ages Clan Novel Series: Nosferatu, Assamite, Cappadocian, Setite, Lasombra, Ravnos, Malkavian, Brujah, Toreador, Gangrel, Tremure, Ventrue and Tzimisce (set of 13 books)
Janet Trautvetter ,
Andrew Bates ,
Stefan Petrucha ,
David Niall Wilson ,
Sarah Roark ,
Kathleen Ryan ,
Gherbod Fleming ,
Ellen Porter Kiley ,
Myranda Kalis , and
Tim Waggoner and Matthew McFarland
Manufacturer: White Wolf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000OIYKN6 |
Product Description
The complete series of 13 novels, sold as a set.
Book Description
Do you hunger for skills to improve the quality of your relationships, to deepen your sense of personal empowerment or to simply communicate more effectively? Unfortunately, for centuries our culture has taught us to think and speak in ways that can actually perpetuate conflict, internal pain and even violence. Nonviolent Communication partners practical skills with a powerful consciousness and vocabulary to help you get what you want peacefully.
In this internationally acclaimed text, Marshall Rosenberg offers insightful stories, anecdotes, practical exercises and role-plays that will dramatically change your approach to communication for the better. Discover how the language you use can strengthen your relationships, build trust, prevent conflicts and heal pain. Revolutionary, yet simple, NVC offers you the most effective tools to reduce violence and create peace in your life—one interaction at a time.
Over 150,000 copies sold and now available in 20 languages around the world. More than 250,000 people each year from all walks of life are learning these life-changing skills.
Customer Reviews:
Kathryn Mayton, The Work and NVC forever.......2007-10-02
I love NVC. I teach at a community college and used it in a class for Adult High School and also taught it to staff. I felt unsure of myself and thought it would be better to train to do this in person with Marshall. However, insecure or not, Marshall's techniques DO work with anyone in my life, when I use them. One idea of Marshall's was adopted by a fellow teacher in her classes with great success. A former teenage student came to me and said she wanted to be able to talk to everyone in her life like this, but she can't because no one she knows talks this way and they'll think she's nuts. sigh. I also taught Byron Katie's "The Work" and think these two things have a lot in common and could be used together with great success.
Marshall's book is easy to read, understand, and apply, although as I said, the application is not the way we do it normally. I used exercises in my class from companion books based on Marshall's work like, "The Compassionate Classroom" and got so much from them as well. Other books written by Marshall, specifically, "Speak Peace in a World of Conflict" and "Life-Enriching Education" need fresh examples and material. I do so wish that schools would adopt Marshall's NVC. I wanted my daughter to have an experience in school of being listened to with empathy, but it rarely happens. sigh.
These books on NVC would be so helpful to anyone who is tired of complaining about relationships that don't work and wants to create an alternative. Go for it!
Insightful and delightfully straightforward.......2007-09-17
This is one of those books that's potentially life-changing. Its conclusions, exercises, and recommendations are delightfully simple, and in some ways even obvious - except - the obvious isn't always so obvious, is it?
One example that really struck home for me was the concept of positive feedback. Instead of just giving someone a compliment - "Wow, great work!" or "I really appreciate your help" - say specifically what was great about it or what you appreciated. "Without your help in the yard last weekend, I wouldn't have been able to get the fruit trees pruned in time to get all the branches out for curbside pickup. I really want to thank you for helping me meet that deadline."
This is only one of the truly meaningful ways that Nonviolent Communication can help you make a difference in your relationships with others and can help you really get your requests and needs *heard,* *understood,* and *acted on* by others. Highly recommended!
Harmony in Life.......2007-09-14
Life and self matter. This book is similar to Dr. Phil McGraw, however it's easier to read and quicker to understand
fantastic book.......2007-08-26
year old We are using this book with our 8 year old and 13 year old daughters to great sucess. Also my wife and myself find it great to use between ourselves, My wife is a teacher and this is the style her new school is using starting this year, we highly recomend this book and any of the authers material if you are interested in a different and sucessful way to communicate and BE HEARD
< without too much resistance.
Non-Violent Communication : A revolutionary investment for self growth.......2007-08-06
I find this book quite interesting. This book covers a technique of expressing the genuine feeling without accusing others. I felt inspired to communicate as I discovered that the apparent conflict between my need for authenticity & Non-violence has been resolved. I am grateful to Marshall Rosenberg for stimulating this new realiztion which is taking me to a more fulfilling plane in terms of both giving & receiving in my personal life.
Average customer rating:
- Healthy cooking for life
- Excellent cookbook!
- PART II OF THE PERFECT COOKBOOK
- Satisfied Fan
- no confidence
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Sugar Bust for Life!...With the Brennans, Part II : Cookbook and Companion Guide
Ellen C. Brennan , and
Theodore M. Brennan
Manufacturer: Shamrock Publishing Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Diabetic & Sugar-Free
| Special Diet
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Low Fat
| Special Diet
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Diets
| Diets & Weight Loss
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Low Carb
| Diets
| Diets & Weight Loss
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Low Carbohydrate
| Special Conditions
| Diets & Weight Loss
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Low Sugar
| Special Conditions
| Diets & Weight Loss
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Low-Fat Diet
| Special Conditions
| Diets & Weight Loss
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
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Sugar Bust for Life!... With the Brennans: Cookbook and Companion Guide
-
The New Sugar Busters!
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Sugar Busters! Quick & Easy Cookbook
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The New Sugar Busters!(r) Shopper's Guide
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Play Your Carbs Right!...With The Brennans
Accessories:
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Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor
ASIN: 0966351924 |
Book Description
Lose weight, be healthy, and enjoy the delicious dining made possible with SUGAR BUST FOR LIFE! ...WITH THE BRENNANS PART II. Ellen and Ted Brennan's most recent cookbook and companion guide is their response to the many Sugar Busters dieters in need of additional recipes and helpful information initially found in their original, best-selling SUGAR BUST FOR LIFE! The new PART II includes over 300 brand-new low sugar recipes, easy one-dish meals, an updated shopper's brand name guide, new menus, extensive wine list, tips for success and more.
SUGAR BUST FOR LIFE! ... WITH THE BRENNANS PART II is the answer to less than satisfying meals and restrictive low calorie diets that for some people even create a fear of food. Such deprivation is not good for your well-being. You will learn to enjoy eating and still be healthy as you SUGAR BUST FOR LIFE! ... WITH THE BRENNANS throughout the new millennium. This new way of life will help you lose weight and keep it off without feeling hungry or craving food for long periods of time.
In SUGAR BUST FOR LIFE! ... WITH THE BRENNANS PART II, Ellen and Ted Brennan have blended quality and taste in recipes that are lacking in unhealthy, high glycemic carbohydrates, such as bananas, beets, carrots, potatoes, refined sugar, flour, pastas, etc. Excessive consumption of such high glycemic carbohydrates can affect the immune system and create the risk for disease. SUGAR BUST FOR LIFE! ... WITH THE BRENNANS PART II can improve cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, digestive disorders, help attain that desired weight while diminishing the symptoms of diabetes and restoring strength and stamina. In their new cookbook and companion guide, you will learn to cook healthfully while still satisfying the most discriminating palates.
Ellen and Ted, surrounded by dining opportunities, understand the challenge of a Sugar Busters lifestyle and have wisely adjusted their eating habits to maintain their good health. They have taken the guesswork out of making wise choices without relying on counting calories or fat grams.
You will discover a new way to eat right while eating well. SUGAR BUST FOR LIFE! ...WITH THE BRENNANS PART II unfolds an easy road to a healthful life for you.
Customer Reviews:
Healthy cooking for life.......2006-08-31
If you're looking for a guide for healthier eating and cooking, this is for you. Not only are the recipes easy and tasty, but the guidelines are informative and easy to follow. The pounds will shed without feeling hungry. The first 2 weeks were the most difficult as I cut down on all the sugar. I have more energy and it feels great to lose weight without sacrificing great tasting food!
Excellent cookbook!.......2006-07-17
If you have decided to life the Sugar Busters! lifestyle, Sugar Bust for Life! with the Brennans is a must. Both cookbooks, Part 1 and Part 2 make following this diet much easier. With so many delicious recipes to choose from, you won't get bored. All of the recipes call for common ingredients that most people will already have in their pantry, or will be very easy to find in your local grocery store. Part 2 is my favorite of the two cookbooks, though I am glad I have both.
My only complaint about the 2 cookbooks is that the authors did not include nutrition information. It would be nice to know how many calories, carbs, sugar grams, fat, and protein grams are in each serving.
Sugar Busters will be a way of life for my family from now on. Within 6 weeks of starting the "diet" my husband lost 15 pounds (really without trying too hard). He was never hungry. More importantly than the weight loss his cholesterol dropped from 281 to 202; his triglycerides dropped from a scary 1164 to 230; and his glucose dropped from 142 to 106. All within 6 weeks, and NO medication!! We hope that given a few more months, and some exercise he can get his numbers even lower.
PART II OF THE PERFECT COOKBOOK.......2003-02-02
I couldn't have been happier with the "original" Sugar Bust For Life!...With The Brennans. The minute I realized that a Part II had been published, I had to own it! These simple recipes are so delicious that when my husband and I sit down to eat dinner, we oftentimes forget we're on a diet. That is really why these books have become part of our lives. I especially recommend Part I and Part II to anyone who maintains a low-carbohydrate regime - but truly - to anyone who enjoys cooking and eating fabulous food!
Satisfied Fan.......2003-01-31
I have been following the suggestions and recipes in Sugar Bust for Life! ... with the Brennans ... with amazing, satisfying results. When I started this review, I noticed the Trussville, AL review. No where in Part II do I find a recipe for the Double Chocolate Brownie Supreme, so I went back to Part I and found the recipe there. I decided to try it again before continuing my review and it was delicious. Whatever that reader found lacking obviously has been corrected in the book. I wonder if the reviewer tried to contact the Brennans. I regret that the Trussville review may deter others from beginning a very healthy and satisfying eating lifestyle. I have found only helpful information and great recipes in both of the books, Part I and Part II. I have recently purchased Play Your Carbs Right! ... with The Brennans. This book also is a great help because it keeps me in line with carbohydrates, serving size, and includes even more simple,satisfying and delicious recipes! Thank you, Brennans
no confidence.......2003-01-25
I purchased the Sugar Bust for Life Cookbook and Companion Guide. When I attempted to try my first recipe (Double Chocolate Brownie Supreme - page 288) I discovered it filled with errors and omissions. Salt called for in directions was not mentioned in ingredient list. Cream Cheese and extracts listed in ingredients were not listed in directions. No cooking time was given. How can I have confidence in a cookbook when the first recipe I wanted to use is incorrect? In the front of the book it says that "Sir Speedy" did the typing for the book. Apparently he did it a little too speedily. I would be interested to know if there is a corrected issue available - that I don't have to purchase. It should be made available free of charge.
Books:
- The Inquisitor: A Medical Thriller
- The Perfumed Sleeve: A Novel (Sano Ichiro Novels)
- The Pilgrim of Hate: The Tenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
- The Rasputin Relic
- The Rose Rent (Brother Cadfael Mysteries)
- The Runaway Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel
- The Singing Sands
- The Skull Mantra (Inspector Shan Tao Yun)
- The Tainted Relic: An Historical Mystery
- The Vanished Hands (Javier Falcon Thrillers)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Hood Rat
- Girls Night In
- Branching Processes with Biological Applications
- Breast Cancer and Iodine : How to Prevent and How to Survive Breast Cancer
- Designing for a Digital World
- History: Fiction or Science
- End of the Spear
- The Paradox of Contemporary Architecture
- City in the Sky: The Rise and Fall of the World Trade Center
- The Far Field: A Novel of Ceylon
Shamanic Voices: A Survey of Visionary Narratives (Arkana)
The Fruitful Darkness: Reconnecting With the Body of the Earth
Buddhist Acts of Compassion
Traveling Between the Worlds: Conversations With Contemporary Shamans
Liberating Rites:: Understanding the Transformative Power of Ritual
