Healing Self, Healing Earth / Awakening Presence, Power, and Passion / Roy Holman - Book Review

“This book offers practical and essential tips for living life and being fully human. It is a guidebook for healing and maintaining the body, transforming and integrating the emotions, calming and clearing the mind, and awakening one’s deepest spiritual presence.” So starts this invaluable guide to how to regain tranquility amidst the turbulence of our modern-day existence.

Healing Self, Healing Earth (Holman Health Connections; ISBN: 978-0-615-29882-5) is a workbook for self-healing. Each section is followed by Practice Points and a Contemplation. The Practice Points are suggestions for incorporating the subject into your daily life. The Contemplation is for those who can spare the time to consider the relevance of the topic to the way in which you live your life. As each section consists of about three or four pages on a specific aspect of being, I recommend that you read one each morning when you awake. When you have a chance, write the Practice Points out in the form of a note that you keep with you all day. Then, in the evening, when you possibly have a little more time, consider the Contemplation for the day. After a month of doing so, you are likely to notice a considerable difference in how you view both yourself and others around you. Each day’s reading starts and ends with a brief, but insightful, quotation from one of a wide range of experts in the art of healing (too many to mention here, but glance through a copy when you are next in a bookstore and you’ll see what I mean).

Holman’s style is accessible and flowing, very easy on both the mind and the spirit. He has emerged from a somewhat checkered career, in which he played, among a multiplicity of roles, a “hippie-rebel” and a “beer drinking-softball enthusiast”, to become the yoga, meditation, and healing instructor that he is today. In addition to his own insights, and his forays into a number of spiritual texts, relating to holistic health, he backs up his teachings with numerous notes, containing references to a multiplicity of works on the theme of self-healing. Holman is wonderfully inspiring and wholesome in his approach, strengthening and restoring one’s belief in the potential of humankind to restore sanity and sanctity to this planet of ours. In short, this is a singularly well-informed work, which I do not hesitate to recommend to anyone who cares about their own well-being, as well as that of those around them.  

[My thanks go to renowned online publisher, Norm Goldman, for his inclusion of this review on his http://www.BookPleasures.com website.]   

Full / Kendal Finley Privette - Book Review

Torn between the poignant dilemma of:

if I’ve lost, I’ve disappointed chris

if I’ve gained, I’ve disappointed ed

(“Damned”), Kendal Privette anguishes through her state of anorexia in this collection of tormented free verse, spanning three years. Though the book is dedicated to her husband, Chris, the text reveals an ongoing battle with ed (the persona assumed by her eating disorder). All her relationships and activities are disrupted by ed, who is a compelling force from whom she is unable to escape.

The poems and lines in Full (lulu.com; ISBN-10: 0557083532; ISBN-13: 978-0557083534) are short, fragmented, fractious and fractured, as is Kendal’s thinking. Robbed of her ability to appreciate her full self-worth as an educator, she is equally unable to savor the beauty of her surroundings. Each poem starts with a statement of her weight, which looms in omnipotent presence, as an ever-present menace.

Kendal is possessed by an inability to actualize herself fully as a woman, as, restrained by her illness, she is unable to allow herself to appreciate those activities in which other women delight. Visiting a mall (“The Mall”) merely serves only to remind her of her own inadequacies in relation to other women, whom she sees as her polar opposites:

There are young women.

I’m not young anymore.

There are old women.

I fear age.

However, such poems form only the first half of the book, which Kendal terms “Slipping”. The second half she calls “Freedom”. Reaching the nadir of her self-destruction in “Kiss of Death”, Kendal seeks help. Being diagnosed with anorexia, under medical guidance she is able to start responding to the encouragement of those who love her. But the journey back is painful…

When visiting a restaurant (“Applebee’s”) with her husband, she feels repelled by offerings specifically designed to set the average patron’s taste buds aquiver:

 Grilled chicken drizzled with zesty lime sauce,

topped with Mexi-ranch and Jack-cheddar sauces,

served with crisp tortilla strips,

seasoned rice, and pico de gallo.

Looking around her at the other patrons, she sees that she is surrounded by obesity. However, even here Kendal’s ability actually to see those around her at all is an indication of the start of her recovery, marking a move away from the utter introspection of the first half of her journey to self-discovery.

 Whereas before Kendal thought of herself as a total outsider, her gradual recovery from ED alerts her (in “Fitting In”) to the fact that

They are the happy people.

And I don’t even come close to fitting in.

 She also starts to question her perceptions of others:

Are they really as pure as I think,

or have they searched for truth

and found it as hideous as I have found mine?

 And so, she starts to perceive the truth and, once again, to assert balance in her own life.

This collection of poetry is riveting in its intensity, providing insight into the mind of one who has to penetrate the depths of her self-induced anguish in order to recover a full and balanced image of self. Full has the potential to give hope and to restore a sense of worth to all those impacted on by an eating disorder. In brief, it is a journal of recovery, written in free verse form.

[My thanks go to renowned online publisher, Norm Goldman, for his inclusion of this review on his http://www.BookPleasures.com website.]   

Christian Encounters: Isaac Newton / Mitch Stokes - Book Review

One of a series of books on leading Christian figures, Christian Encounters: Isaac Newton (Thomas Nelson Publishers; ISBN: 978-1-59555-303-4; Christian Encounters Series) discusses the philosophy, life and times of this eminent inventor, astronomer, physicist, and philosopher. In addition to exploring Newton’s extensive writings on faith, he also shows how Newton used his grasp on theology to explain the scientific world.

Stokes includes fairly extensive quotes from Newton’s leading biographers, William Stukeley and Frank Manuel, as well as excerpts from the philosopher’s own writing. Of particular interest to me, as a retired librarian, was Stokes’ description of the importance of Newton’s notebooks, which he kept throughout his life, and which revealed “an almost obsessive organizing tendency” (nowadays such a tendency might, quite likely, be regarded as leanings towards OCD).

Starting with a lively description of Newton’s childhood and background, Stokes goes on to explain how he narrowly escaped being forced to follow in his father’s footsteps as a gentleman farmer. Instead, albeit grudgingly, he was allowed to take up more academic pursuits at Trinity College in Cambridge. Stokes disputes the claims made by “Freudians and other sensationalists” that sexual frustration was the primary motivator of Newton’s intense study and contemplation, stating that “there’s little to support it”.

Stokes’ style, though informed and informative, is never dull and prosaic. Apart from the biography being rooted in academically sound research (as can be seen in the annotations to all 15 chapters), Stokes makes Newton’s life and times accessible and interesting to the contemporary reader. He is able to discuss the leading philosophical debates of the day in such terms that even those who know little of philosophy are easily able to understand the gist of his argument. The non-polemical narrative is straightforward and objective, taking into account Newton’s own Christian orientation, without assuming that the reader is necessarily of the same persuasion.

Stokes allows his own authorial voice to emerge in such pithy sayings as “Good metaphors can outstrip literal descriptions”, before explaining Francis Bacon’s metaphor of God having written two books, Scripture and Nature, with the study of either leading to His glorification. Stokes not only refers to the metaphors of others, but also, when the situation suits, constructs his own in order to explain a particular concept. For instance, in partial explanation of the problem that was experienced during Galileo’s time in explaining the phenomenon of motion, Stokes urges the reader: “Imagine a movie of an object flying through the air—a cat, perhaps. The more frames per second we have, the more of the cat’s moments we capture, the more data we have. But if we wanted information about the cat at a moment in between any two of the frames, we would be forced to guess or approximate based on the frames before and after the missing moment.”

Mitch Stokes, the author of Christian Encounters: Isaac Newton, is a Fellow of Philosophy at New St. Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho. After receiving his Ph.D. in philosophy from Notre Dame under the direction of Alvin Plantinga and Peter van Inwagen, Stokes also earned an M.A. in religion from Yale under the direction of Nicholas Wolterstorff.

[My thanks go to renowned online publisher, Norm Goldman, for his inclusion of this review on his http://www.BookPleasures.com website.]   

101 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go / Susan van Allen - Book Review

This cornucopia of Italian delights titillates the senses and entices the imagination.. Occasionally fringing on the irreverent (who else but Susan van Allen would dream of calling the Blessed Virgin Mary the BVM, for instance – only kidding, grrll!), and bordering on the erotic (as in Susan’s description of The Capitoline Venus attempting to cover her “Cupid’s cloister”), Susan’s selective guide to Italian beauty and beauties scampers through both urban and rural landscape with exuberant glee.

Ranging from the divine to the decadent, Susan’s romp through the Italian past and present in 101 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go (Travelers' Tales; ISBN:10: 193236165;  ISBN-13: 978-1932361650) has one hankering for more. The Divine: Goddesses, Saints, and the Blessed Virgin Mary takes one from the Campidoglio, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill to the Temple of Segesta in Sicily, by way of the artistic splendors of Florence, Tuscany, Venice, Padua, Naples, Campania and Palermo. In each, she focuses on the female, the envisioned and the immortal, as portrayed in key works of art. Instructive and elucidating, she entices one with succulent morsels of information about the work and the artist involved. Suggesting the best times at which to visit all the museums and galleries that she recommends, Susan also gives handy tips on how to plan one’s jaunts for the day, including visits to nearby parks and restaurants. She even manages to sneak in extra tidbits of recommended reading, not to mention a novice’s guide to mythology and Mary’s rites of passage.

 A little bit of history, a little bit of art… The second section of Susan’s 100 Places romps through the spacious ville, palazzo and an apartment, starting once more in Rome and ending in Sicily – an added bonus to her racy pace is the systematic way in which she unravels the labyrinthine. Her sense of enthrallment with her surroundings is intoxicating, as she seduces us into imagining the scenes of revelry and mayhem that permeated the past.

Susan van Allen appears not only to appreciate the intimacy of the boudoir, but also the graceful and cultivated structuring of the outdoors. Finding la dolce vita in the harmonious blend of greenery, sculpture, and fountains that typifies the finest in Italian landscape gardening, she explores gardens originating in the Renaissance and Baroque periods – not without a timely reminder that most gardens close down November to March, so best check ahead to avoid disappointment.

Susan then extends her delight in the outdoors to an overview of the finest of Italian beaches, while, on the way, introducing one to the niceties of beach etiquette regarding such key points, as topless bathing and clubbing. Mmm, and after indulging in all those sun-drenched days, what next but to explore the most refreshing and soothing of beauty treatments offered by leading spas (contact details provided)…

 The culinary delights of Italy await you next, as Susan encourages you to “pursue your passion for tasting by heading to the country and visiting a [woman-owned] winery” and to “indulge your tastebuds as you tune into delicious daily rhythms” of eating out at an urban caffè. Gelato, chocolate and wine are never too far from an Italian lover’s mind……and which woman does not love to shop…shoes, leather and paper ware, ceramics, jewelry, fragrances, lingerie, embroidery and lace…not to speak of shopping in Milan or at the antique markets, Susan explores them all.

Just in case you think that van Allen only indulges the feminine instinct of womankind, in her next section she counters by yielding to the wild buccaneering instinct that’s hidden deep within us all. In her section on active adventures, she introduces us to biking, hiking, skiing, boating, yoga and Pilates, Italian style.

Having worked up a sufficiently good appetite through adventuring abroad (pun intended), Susan brings us home with a flourish in her section on cooking classes. She equates taking a cooking class in Italy with “getting a backstage pass to the country’s soul”.

After cooking with Susan in Rome, Tuscany, Parma–Emilia-Romagna, Ravello, Campania and Calabria (don’t you just revel in rolling those names off your tongue?), you can learn any one of a vast range of Italian crafts and culture before being entertained at an array of cultural and sporting venues. Then, rounding it all off, she advocates reading about, and developing your own memories in, Italy.

100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go concludes with handy tips for Italian travel (though the entire work churns with such ideas…) and packing, a calendar (or should I say colander?) of holy days, and a detailed index. By this stage, if you are not fully replete and with your dates for your next Italian jaunt at least penciled in on your schedule, may the BVM come to your aid, sister…

[My thanks go to renowned online publisher, Norm Goldman, for his inclusion of this review on his http://www.BookPleasures.com website.]   

It Simply Must Be Said: A View of American Public Education from the Trenches of Teaching / Hank Warren - Book Review

In this thought-provoking work on the challenging environment of the public school in America, Hank Warren sets out to do the following: to separate the facts from the myths about teaching; to analyze the overwhelming differences between “educating” (teaching) and “education” (the entrenched bureaucracy); to examine crucial teaching, student and parenting issues; and to analyze the impact of legislation and case law decisions concerning children with disabilities on the school/learning environment.

Pivotal to It Simply Must Be Said: A View of American Public Education from the Trenches of Teaching (iUniverse; ISBN: 978-1-4401-3400-5) are his five core recommendations aimed at improving the American Public Education system. His recommendations consist of the following: (1) All who wish to call themselves “educators” must be actively teaching in some capacity. (Warren believes that all school administrators should be intimately involved with the teaching process, unlike at the present, when they seem divorced from the process.) (2) Get class sizes down to ten students working with a properly paid professional. (Unlike at the moment, when classes tend to be more than twice that size, and where teachers are having to take on extra jobs in order to supplement their income.) (3) Eliminate grade leveling. (Warren believes that “allowing each child to move through the prescribed curriculum at his or her own pace would provide the ultimate incentive for students to work harder and progress faster.”) (4) Allow students full access to college degree study at whatever point they qualify. (In other words, allow local community college credits to offset course requirements at four year colleges/universities.) (5) Develop a comprehensive, broad-based standard of evaluation that eliminates the use of letter grades entirely. (In this way, rote and relatively meaningless learning will be done away with.)

Warren’s approach in It Simply Must Be Said is sage and measured, being based on decades of teaching experience. To survive the public school system at all is admirable, given that so many of those who approach teaching with high ideals and unrealistic expectations crumble within what, in some cases, is a few hours. Warren speaks with passion and feeling, sharing his own experiences and frustrations with a system that desperately requires honing to the needs of the modern-day classroom. This work should be enlightening to parents and, hopefully, might even reach the ears of some education administrators. On the international front, I found striking similarities between the government school system in South Africa and that described in the pages of this book. It Simply Must Be Said has much to say to educators both in and outside of the United States, and is written in such an accessible style that it should have a wide following.

[My thanks go to renowned online publisher, Norm Goldman, for his inclusion of this review on his http://www.BookPleasures.com website.]   

Serket's Movies: Commentary and Trivia on 444 Movies / Cory Hamblin - Book Review

This directory of films (as such it is, though Hamblin makes no such claim) contains a mass of information on a wide array of films, much of which you will most likely not find in a conventional movie guide. But then you also will not find the usual extremely helpful indexes to actors and directors that you tend to get in the latter either. Also no cast listings. However, the movies are alphabetically arranged for easy access.

That said, if you consider to what extraordinary lengths Hamblin has gone to compile Serket's Movies: Commentary and Trivia on 444 Movies (Rosedog Books; ISBN: 978-1-4349-9605-3), which gives, for each of the 444 movies that it covers, a verbal rating, a brief description of the plot and two to three paragraphs of what Hamblin refers to as ‘trivia’ about the movie, you cannot but admire the zest and zeal of this young man. To gather this much knowledge you indubitably have to work very hard indeed, which augurs well for Hamblin’s future as a researcher (though he modestly claims at the moment to have a mere data-entry job). Given the amount of editing of academic scripts that I have done over the last five years (hundreds) of varying quality and merit, I would definitely say that Hamblin should consider applying for a job as a research assistant at any one of the multiplicity of higher education institutions in the good old US of A.

Admittedly, Hamblin’s work does have a few failings, in that I would have liked to have seen a more fluid approach to his writing (doffing my academic hat, and assuming that of a writer/reviewer once more). The facts that he shares with us about each movie, despite being extremely interesting, are not so evenly arranged that reading through such a commentary does not jar. You need to read a sentence, stop and consider, and then read the next, otherwise you might get lost somewhere along the way and start wondering where each commentary is heading. If he had clearly indicated his transition from one idea to the next by inserting a symbol between the relevant sentences, the text would read more fluidly. That way, he would also not have wasted much space, which is clearly at a priority in a work of this nature.

At the moment, this work is a handy 367 pages in length (excluding the three-page long Foreword, in which Hamblin reveals how he came to write the guide [interesting reading, so don’t miss]). He ends by listing the ten top-grossing movies since 1977, adjusted for ticket-price inflation, and the ten all-time top-selling DVDs. In short, provided that you regard this work as one to be kept alongside your conventional movie guide, you cannot lose and should really consider buying yourself a copy. (It makes for a worthwhile read by itself at some stage, too, which can’t really be said for such guides on the whole.)

[My thanks go to renowned online publisher, Norm Goldman, for his inclusion of this review on his http://www.BookPleasures.com website.]   

Out of the Box: The Mostly True Story of a Mysterious Man / Julie C. Morse - Book Review

The warmth and understanding that permeates from every page of Out of the Box: The Mostly True Story of a Mysterious Man, by Julie C. Morse (iUniverse; ISBN-13: 978-1-4697-5983-8) is enheartening. This  exciting account of travel in places as far flung as Greenland and Mombasa, Kenya should be enough to encourage any adventurous soul to dream of once more going abroad, whether in actual space and time, or in one’s imagination. Julie Morse’s creative first-person account tells of a young woman’s travels with her mysterious Uncle Bob Harris, an intrepid adventurer of note, who travelled the world for business, but who always took time out to keep in touch with Julianna in a pre-online social networking age by means of sundry postcards and souvenirs that he brought from abroad.

The leading female protagonist is a composite creation of Morse and a few mentees who accompanied her uncle on certain of his travels abroad, ostensibly to set up contacts for his box and paper business, but perhaps for certain other more covert reasons as well, at which Morse only provides the occasional elusive hint. The use of such a central figure does much to facilitate the flow of the tale, which is accompanied by some intriguing black-and-white photographs taken in places as varied as Mt. Kilimanjaro and “somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.” 

Morse’s vibrant personality flows across the 140 pages of this travelogue come biography, confirming her writing skill that has seen her in the past contributing to the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times and Pioneer Press newspapers. But don't expect a dry, objective journalistic style from her―Morse’s tone is intimate and appealing, with an undertone of sauciness and naughtiness that inimitably draws one to be on her side. Not only does her uncle emerge as a wonderful raconteur and entrepreneur, but she also clearly has a personality that shines out above the rest.

Out of the Box: The Mostly True Story of a Mysterious Man has one automatically thinking of other great adventurers of the past, both male and female, so one can delight in associations and reminiscences as one reads through this uplifting and horizon-widening text. For any youngster who longs to travel abroad, or for those who remain spirited and adventurous at heart, Out of the Box should be enough to motivate you to travel further, both intellectually and physically, than you have ever before dared dream.

[My thanks go to renowned online publisher, Norm Goldman, for his inclusion of this review on his http://www.BookPleasures.com website.]       

Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of a World War II Special Agent / Kathryn J. Atwood - Book Review

The appeal of this gripping tale of the exploits of a leading member of the resistance movement in Occupied France during the World War II lies not only in the fast and fluent pace of the straightforward first-hand narrative itself, but in the valour and integrity of Pearl Witherington Cornioley, the memoirist, herself. At all times she is shown to have been a forthright and honest person, who was prepared to stick up for her principles, despite any opposition that she encountered.

In Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of a World War II Special Agent (Chicago Review Press; ISBN-13: 978-1-61374-487-1), Kathryn J. Atwood, the editor of this stirring memoir, has transformed the transcripts (published in French under the title Pauline) of numerous interviews that were conducted between the French journalist, Hervé Larroque, and Pearl, in the last decade of the 20th century, into a narrative account, by linking together common themes that emerged during the course of the interviews. The intention with the original Larroque manuscript was to inspire young people in difficult circumstances.

By keeping very much to the author’s own words and to her distinctive style of speaking, Atwood has succeeded in retaining the impetus of the original, while contextualising the whole, though providing valuable insights into where, and how, Pauline’s role in the war effort fitted into the overall picture of World War II, as it was waged on the European continent. This she has masterfully attained by starting each chapter with an explanation of the context within which the following action transpires. In this way, Atwood has helped to ensure that, even if a young reader has not previously been much aware of the resistance efforts that took place in Occupied France, they will definitely be able to follow the story with ease, making it all the easier for them to come to admire Pauline as an outstanding heroine of the last century.

Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of a World War II Special Agent includes both front and back matter that the reader is encouraged to see as an integral part of the text. The front matter consists of the “Editor’s Note” (in which Atwood explains both her own approach to the original source material, as well as Pauline’s somewhat reluctant approach to being interviewed) and a Preface by Hervé Larroque (who explains the importance of Pauline’s work, evincing great respect, not only for her personal courage and intelligence, but also for the longevity of her marriage to Henri Cornioley, which lasted over half a century). The back matter is of equal importance to the text as a whole, comprising, as it does, verbatim extracts from interviews with Henri (which reveal his humorous and compassionate character, and include valuable insights into Pearl’s own character), as well as several pages of notes on the text, a two-page bibliography, and a relatively detailed index.

The numerous black-and-white photographs of Pearl pre-, during and post-World War II (including an informal shot that was taken of her standing chatting with Queen Elizabeth II, on the former’s receipt of the Commander of the British Empire [CBE] in 2004), and the many clearly drawn maps of the areas in France where she was mainly active should also help to keep the reader’s unflagging attention.

Definitely recommended for all youngsters, no matter their gender, Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of a World War II Special Agent deserves a place in any school media resource center, and on the shelves of any young reader who loves a story of true-life adventure and heroism.

[My thanks go to renowned online publisher, Norm Goldman, for his inclusion of this review on his http://www.BookPleasures.com website.]    

Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue / Kathryn Atwood - Book Review

As Georges Loustaunau-Lacau, owner of the magazine L’ordre nationalremarked to Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, when asking her to organize a massive French spy network that later came to be known as Noah’s Ark, “Who will ever suspect a woman?” In fact, such underestimation of women’s ability helped to bring down the Nazi regime, as, especially at the start of World War II, the fascist supremacists overlooked what damage women could cause to their overwhelming militaristic might. That women made a major contribution to winning the War for the Allies is undeniable, and Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue (Chicago Review Press, Inc.; ISBN: 978-1-55652-961-0) explains how.

Kathryn Atwood proves herself to be a storyteller and historian of note, as she provides an overall account of the War, as it was waged on the Western Front, before giving a country-by-country overview of the progress and impact of the War, covering Germany, Poland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, and the United States. After contextualizing the setting that gave rise to the exploits of the heroines that Atwood describes in Women Heroes of World War II, the author describes the contribution made by each hero to the war effort. The strength and resilience of such well-known figures as Josephine Baker and Marlene Dietrich are paralleled with those of lesser-known women, who fought with as strong a will and determination to defy evil, no matter the odds. That they did so at great danger to life and limb is clearly shown, making them ideal role models for young and aspirant women who, although they might not have to fight against such horrors asKristallnacht (Crystal Night, or the Night of Broken Glass), nevertheless have frequently still to overcome social stereotyping and discrimination at school, college and beyond.       

Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue reads like a fast-paced and well-written action novel. In addition to being extremely well-researched and informative, because it presents a comprehensive picture of the War from ground level up, as well as providing an overview of the War at both national and international level, the work is ideal background reading for history learners, especially from middle school level up. The book is so exciting that it is sure to lure many a learner away from the Internet, which, as we all know, is not always the most reliable source of information for school and college projects. Even so, each chapter ends with a short bibliography listing a few books and websites to which students can turn if they wish to read further (and I can almost guarantee you, they will). Women Heroes of World War II is a memorable work that should find a home in all resource centers and libraries dedicated to serving the interests of the youth.  

[My thanks go to renowned online publisher, Norm Goldman, for his inclusion of this review on his http://www.BookPleasures.com website.]         

Relaxing into Meditation / Ngakma Nor’dzin - Book Review

Ngakma Nor’dzin’s training in meditation began three decades ago under the guidance of Tibetan teachers, culminating in her ordination into the non-monastic tradition of Nyingma Tibetan Buddhism. She is, in fact, the first Western woman to achieve such a distinction.  She and her husband, Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin Tridral, have run a local meditation group for more than twenty years. And this is how she starts Relaxing into Meditation (Aro Books Worldwide; ISBN: 978-1-898185-17-8)—with a meditation group. Her concern with bringing the presence of meditation to a wider audience is clear. She believes that “[i]f everyone meditated for a few minutes every day, the world would be a more peaceful and friendlier place”.

 Nor’dzin begins Relaxing into Meditation with relaxation and breathing techniques specifically aimed at creating relaxation of the body and calmness of mind before embarking on a description of meditation practices which may be more demanding. As she believes that it is preferable to have obtained some relief from pain before beginning meditation, she starts the book with relaxation techniques to allow us to arrive at a starting point for meditation. She advocates using an aural guided narration to facilitate one’s progress through the various exercises that she describes.

 Nor’dzin’s teaching background is clearly evident throughout the text in the systematic and logical way in which she presents her material. Each chapter starts with a description of the meditation group performing the activity which she then goes on to describe. Before explaining how to practice the technique, she discusses the importance and relevance of doing so. Nor’dzin also advises one on how to cope with any difficulties that one encounters with the exercise. Her years of experience with teaching others in small group settings, as well as individually, have enabled her to gain insight into what difficulties these might be, and she has evolved ways of dealing with any such problems, which she shares with us, her readers. Although she writes about a subject that others have been prone to mystify and deliberately, it often seems, obscure, she writes in such an accessible and approachable way that you are drawn to listen avidly to what she has to say. She is, in fact, overwhelmingly kind and gentle in her approach, so that, no matter your age or background, you are likely to be comforted and inspired by her work.

Relaxing into Meditation is well illustrated with line drawings throughout, and ends with a glossary, which expands on some of the more unusual terms to be found in the text, though such terms are relatively few, and an easy-to-read index. As someone who is only now, in her mid-fifties, starting to become more aware of how to treat herself and her own body with kindness, I can definitely recommend the timely wisdom of this book. No matter your age, do consider acquiring a copy for yourself—it should be well worth it.

[My thanks go to renowned online publisher, Norm Goldman, for his inclusion of this review on his http://www.BookPleasures.com website.]