Customer Reviews:
Great purchase.......2007-10-15
Haven't read it yet, but the the table of contents and a quick review confirm that this is serious and thorough material.
Pearson Explores Archetypes for Personal Growth.......2007-08-10
Carol Pearson, co-creator of the Pearson-Marr Archetypes Indicator, explores 12 archetypes "to help us find ourselves and transform our world." Transformation, in this case, seems to be an inner journey of revising our self-concept, deepening and enriching our ideas about others, and gaining new insights, rather than a program for material engagement with outer circumstances.
Purchaser can take the Heroic Myth Index (HMI; I am not sure how this differs from the PMAI, a proprietary instrument) to find out what archetypes are strongest in you. It is an interesting activity. The description of each archetypes tells about its spiritual journey. Self-growth exercises are proposed at the end of the chapter. As well, Pearson includes useful background information about achieving inner balance. The writing is sometimes a bit stodgy, and I prefer more examples. This is outweighed by Pearson's credentials as a professional whose research has contributed to our understanding and use of archetypes as tools for personal understanding and growth.
Bringing understanding and intention to relationships.......2007-01-29
It's easy to forget the good things and focus on the problems. This is a delightful book that reminds us to seek the best in each other and to live with the intention to create a great relationship.
An excellent (and enjoyable) guide to understanding and developing the archetypal energies in your life.......2007-01-19
This book is based on Carol Pearson's extensive study and experience of the archetypes (i.e. magician, lover, caregiver, warrior, fool, destroyer etc.) a little Jungian psychology and her personal and consulting experience. The reader can do a survey in the back to see which archetypes are most active in their life (I found the survey in the back to be fairly accurate) and then read about those archetypes, how they express and there's some guidance for the development of each archetype at the end of each chapter in the form of practical exercises. There's extensive examples and discussion of each archetype drawing from a number of perspectives and sources including popular culture, movies, other author's work and a discussion of the different levels of development of each archetype including the shadow side, addictions and compulsions of each.... some of which you may be (intimately) familiar with!
This book begins with some general discussion and background information, an outline of the Soul and the Self and how growing through the archetypes can be related to the hero's journey, which is then followed by an in depth discussion of each archetype. If you're interested in self development, you may try looking at doing some of the exercises around the archetypes you don't have much awareness or development in. Many people would find this quite challenging, for instance, for the person who takes themselves too seriously (I'm talking from experience here!) could spend a week taking nothing seriously and exploring the archetype of the fool, and how the expression and experience of that archetype can enhance one's life.
If you've read and enjoyed Pearson's other books or have an interest in archetypal energies, or just an interest in exploring your own character, then this is a great and easy place to start. This book also includes notes in the back with references for further study.
Pearson has made work with and the study of the archetypes her life work and you will learn much from a study of this and her other works.
An easy-to-read yet rigorous entry point into self analysis.......2000-01-23
As a software developer and mathematician presently in my early 60's, ever since I can remember I have always been long on technology and short on "people" knowledge Yet from my early adolescence I remember my dad telling me how important it is to know oneself. While I always agreed with this good advice, whenever I explored my soul, I seemed to fail to come up with meaningful, non-judgemental answers - possibly because my questions themselves were not thought provoking.
Enter Ms Peason and her "Heros Within" book. Her brilliant, accessible review of the 12 archetypes that define our personalities suddenly provided me with a new handle - a key to a better understanding of myself and others. What I particularly appreciated in her book was its combination of a rigurous, scientific treatment of the subject, couched in a language both accessible and devoid of academic circumlucutions. I would reccomend her book to anyone who wants to understand himself/herself better and/or redefine his/her professional and personal life.
Book Description
"A dear stream of practical knowledge with the mind change we need to save the life of our Mother Earth––and ourselves . . . This is a book for every person who loves this planet. Eagle Man shows us the joyful path home to our universal Mother."
埃ynthia Bend, Water Spirit Woman, co–author of Birth of a Modem Shaman
"A rich panorama of our native heritage which allows the seeker access to the heart of the Path of Beauty. Ed McGaa has walked this path so that all people may live in harmony."
埊amie Sams, Hancoka Olowanpi, author of Midnight Song: Quest for the Vanished Ones
"Ed McGaa is one of the first persons who can write about 0glala religion in the first person because he has lived it. For years anthropologists have hoped a Native American would portray that society from the inside out. Ed McGaa has. It's about time."
埗illiam K. Powers, author of 0glala Religion
"Fascinating as well as inspiring reading. Ed McGaa makes an excellent spiritual guide and intellectual teacher . . . The information stimulates the mind, the drawings delight the eye, and the ideas soothe the spirit."
埊ack Weatherford, author of Indian Givers
"Profound and insightful . . . Mother Earth Spirituality will be of great importance to those of us, both 'rainbow' and non–Indian people, who walk over land in search of a deeper spiritual life . . . For us, this book is an invaluable guide showing us how to do it."
埆red Alm Wolf, Ph.D., author of Taking the Quantum Leap
Customer Reviews:
The old Knowledge.......2007-05-15
If the human race could knoww the ancient knowledge it will be easy to live in peace, as a family between us as a real family and with respect to the Mother Nature, learning from Her EVERYTHING, specially, humility.
Native American Paths to Healing.......2006-07-08
Eagle Man (Ed McGaa) shares his knowledge of Lakota Sioux spiritual practices as a way to include everyone who wants to heal our world. He calls those who revere Mother Earth and want to ensure her continuation, Rainbow People. He writes in an intimate way, as if talking with friends. He describes the meaning of the various rituals and myths and shares helpful information about how non-Native people may or may not participate. In addition to his personal journey and the sacred practices, he details techniques for building a sweat lodge, making a peace pipe and more. A fascinating book which has earned a place in my personal library.
Mother Earth Spirituality : Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves and Our World (Religion and Spirituality).......2006-06-30
Easy to read and understand. Very "down to earth". A guide book to preparing the necessary items and tools of the Native culture. Very well written.
Interested in Native American Spirituality.......2006-06-27
If you're interested in Native American Spirituality then I would read most all of Eagle Man's books. He provides great insight into the Native American beliefs and customs.Personally I believe his books should be used in high school and colleges to allow others the opportunity to understand our Native American Indian brothers and sisters.
A true classic.......2005-11-17
I read this book while spending the summer backpacking around the Rocky Mountains. Anything that you carry around in a backpack for that long has to be worth the weight and this one definitely was.
Thanks Eagle Man! :)
Book Description
Spiritual leader and peace activist John Dear guides readers on the path to finding peace within, and bringing harmony to a world torn by hatred and violence, through following in the footsteps of Jesus.
John Dear’s efforts on behalf of social justice and world peace have won him international admiration and spurred features in the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR’s All Things Considered, USA TODAY, and the National Catholic Reporter. Seen by many to be the spiritual heir to the Berrigan brothers, Dear believes that the key to the spiritual life is not just finding inner peace, but also bringing that peace to bear on the outside world. In his latest work, Dear uses the Gospel account of the Transfiguration, inviting readers to shape their lives along the story of Jesus and to continue his mission of love and peace. These practices have sustained him through his work with the homeless in Washington, D.C., and New York City, as a human-rights advocate in Northern Ireland and Iraq, and on his many missions for peace in war-torn places around the world. Dividing the lifelong pursuit of peace into three distinct parts—an inner journey, a public journey, and the journey of all humanity—he delves into the challenges of learning to love ourselves as we are, diffusing the hatred we feel toward others, and embracing the choice to live in peace.
Customer Reviews:
John Dear's guidelines for following the non-violent Jesus........2007-07-01
In following the non-violent Jesus it is helpful
and also very comforting to connect with those who have been traveling the
path for a long time and know it well. John Dear knows the way and
shares it with us in TRANSFIGURATION. He's been studying Jesus for
years and is convinced that Jesus is totally non-violent but never passive.
And so, John lives his life focused on fitting his life story into that of
Christ's. He invites us to do the same. He's a man of prayer and
contemplation and he publicly stands up for peace and justice and risks
arrest. He knows that Jesus does not bless war and nuclear weapons or
killing anyone for any reason. He knows that Jesus really did command
his followers to put down the sword and that he meant it.
Don't miss the opportunity to read TRANSFIGURATION and to reflect upon
the questions and comments John offers. Following his recommendations for studying Jesus' life, along with daily prayer and meditation, will surely lead to personal transfiguration and contribute to the transfiguration of the world.
Not for the faint of heart!.......2007-05-03
John Dear's book of Transfiguration is not for those faint of heart.
The chapters lead the reader up the mountain to "eavesdrop" on Jesus' encounter with Moses and Elijah. Like Peter, the reader cannot settle into comfort and ease. One is challenged to surrender to being disturbed by the God who speaks "cloud talk" and
desires us to listen to Jesus. John's words call us all to live a life of nonviolence through commitment to contemplative prayer. The book is interspersed with questions for personal reflection and steps for pondering one's journey on the road to nonviolence.
Encountering this book, you will never be the same if you are an "observer" of life.
John says it well when he writes: "To follow Jesus on the path of transfiguring nonviolence, we have to leave our lofty heights, comfortable safety, and private spiritualities and go with him down the mountain into the world of war, where we must confront the structures of violence head-on. The real discipleship journey beings now, after the Transfiguration, as we follow Jesus on the road to Jerusalem."
Review of John Dear's Transfiguration.......2007-05-03
Transfiguration
Transfiguration is the latest book from the Jesuit peace activist and spiritual leader John Dear. The entire book is a meditation on the story of the Transfiguration. It is a must read for all Christians, especially those involved in working for peace and justice.
Father Dear speaks of moments of transfiguration in our lives, times when we go up the mountain to be affirmed by the Father and come down ready to take up the cross and live the nonviolent Gospel of Jesus. Our lives are a walk with Jesus. Like Jesus, we proclaim nonviolent peace and justice. At times, we are affirmed and consoled by the Father, "You are my beloved son or daughter." The Father tells us to listen to Jesus.
When we listen to Jesus, we hear, "Love your enemies." "Love one another as I have loved you." "Put away your swords." "Pray for those who persecute you." "Feed the hungry. Give drink to the thirsty. Clothe the naked. Shelter the homeless. Care for the sick. Visit the imprisoned. Declare a year of jubilee for debt relief." When we listen to this and try to make it a reality in our lives and in our world, we take up our crosses, go forth from the mountain, and walk with Jesus to Jerusalem.
Father Dear reminds us that we must be prayerful people. We must contemplate the nonviolent teachings of Jesus every day. Contemplation is not the prayer of the Pharisees--words piled upon words. It is resting in the presence of God and listening to what God is telling us. Action without contemplation is futile. I pray daily for a more peaceful heart because I really need one and that is where it all really begins. I cannot make my heart more peaceful. Only Jesus can gift me with a peaceful heart.
He also reminds us that Jesus was nonviolent but not passive. Jesus actively resisted the evil of the empire and the Temple cult that surrounded him and oppressed him and his fellow Jews. He willingly absorbed the evil of crucifixion rather than retaliate in violence. He showed us that the only way to true peace and justice is by the suffering of the cross. We take up our crosses when we enter into the suffering of the poor and oppressed, the victims of all the structural violence in our world.
One of the main points I got from my first reading of the book (I will ponder this book many times!) is that we must let go of fear as we come down from the moments of transfiguration to work for peace and justice. In 2005, Father Dear personally taught me to let go of fear and cross the line at the Nevada Test Site to protest nuclear proliferation on the sixtieth anniversary of Hiroshima. I will never forget the moment when I walked into the barb wire holding area. Father Dear immediately came up to me and asked me, "Are you doing all right?" He is a powerful activist and a very sensitive, compassionate man. More recently, while I was reading the book, I let go of fear and signed up for a study mission to Israel and Palestine which now has been postponed. But, I will go. In the meantime, I am going to Ireland and to Northern Ireland this summer in order to study peacemaking there.
I also learned from the book that life is a series of transfigurations. That is what energizes us for our work. Each transfiguration brings us to a deeper awareness of the nonviolent Jesus. I am retired now and my wife and I spend a lot of our time working for peace and justice.
I fondly recall the moments of transfiguration in my life where the Father encouraged me to follow his nonviolent Son--a retreat at Agnes Scott College with Father Emmanuel Charles McCarthy over twenty years ago, a retreat with Father John Dear at Kirkridge Retreat Center, and a retreat with Father Daniel Berrigan and Elizabeth McAllister also at Kirkridge. These gentle giants proclaim the nonviolence of Jesus to a world and a country that wants to have nothing to do with what they are proclaiming. However, they have taught me that being faithful to nonviolence is what it is all about. We live with hope beyond hope that Jesus will transform us and our world into the New Heaven and New Earth as promised.
I encourage you to read and reread the book. The Questions for Reflection that are scattered throughout the book give readers ample opportunity to contemplate the truth of Jesus' nonviolence and apply it to their own lives.
As Christians, our "weapons" are the towel and the bowl. We are to wash one another's feet. We are to serve not be served. We are to love one another as Jesus has loved us. We are to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors.
J. Patrick Mahon, Ph.D.
Transforming reading.......2007-04-16
John Dear does not just write a book-he lives what he writes Has the gift of urging us to do the same. He hits the mark for me. Contemplation in action, a burning desire to live the life of one who is Peace. Thank you.
Jane
John Read is a Great Spiritual Writer.......2007-04-02
When you read John Read, you are reminded of the "madness" of Saint Francis of Assisi and all those powerless holy men and women who believe that Jesus always sides with the poor, the marginalized, the outcast, the "wrong" people. Unlike many arrogant and self-righteous "Christians" of our times who claim they know that Jesus supports war and the persecution of "immoral" people, John Dear insists that Jesus' love is all-inclusive and peaceful. Against the many Christian "prophets" who in their own TV programs support those powerful politicians who are pro-war and pro-capital punishment, John Dear reminds us that to follow Jesus means to question the numerous forms of violence that dominate our times. Dear's "insanity" is like opening a window and smell some fresh air. I highly recommend that you read this and all the other books written by John Dear.
Amazon.com
Jungian analyst Jean Bolen hit the big time in the early 1980s with one of the first New Age publishing successes, Goddesses in Everywoman. Every woman in America seemed engrossed with identifying her goddess and using the archetypes of the Greek pantheon to guide her out of the patriarchal system to greater self-knowledge and self-esteem. Bolen again hangs a lantern aloft for feminists and lovers of light everywhere with this slim volume. Though only 87 pages, The Millionth Circle has the potential to become the latest bible for the Jungian/feminist/evolution-of-consciousness movement (remember Women Who Run with the Wolves?). The premise is based on Ken Keyes Jr.'s "Hundredth Monkey" theory: that a behavioral change in a growing number of individuals will reach critical mass, and the entire population's consciousness will leap forward to embrace the new behavior as if by magic. Bolen's version is this: form consensus-based, peace-loving circles of support, and one day the millionth circle could alter the psyche of the human race. Written in free verse from chapter 3 on, The Millionth Circle is a dandy manual for creating women's circles, which Bolen hopes will one day save the world. --P. Randall Cohan
Book Description
Having searched for years for a book to recommend while leading women's circles, Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen decided to write her own. In The Millionth Circle, she explains how to form a circle, with whom, and how to anticipate and resolve conflicts as they arise. Written in poetic language that invites readers to use intuition and draw upon their own insights, The Millionth Circle is designed to be the tool and inspiration for women to create new circles or deepen and transform existing ones into vehicles of societal and psychospiritual change. A combination of vision and how-to, it is Dr. Bolen's most activist work to date.
Customer Reviews:
Small, but packed with information.......2007-08-12
Might just be the push folks need to step out in faith and create their own circle.
Has a very "step by step" feel for those who have not experienced dwelling in a circle before.
Amazing, Creative and Inspiriting.......2007-06-09
My cousin recommended this book to me and was currently in a circle of her own. I attened it as a guest and as amazed by how I was in a room of 12 women I did not know but I felt completely comfortable and did feel like I was being judged or my wardrobe or weight picked apart. Then I started to realize how cut off woman and men are from each other...we get so lost in comparing ourselves and feeling so isolated and becoming so fake that we dont know who we really are inside and our minds become so clouded and we can't make the right decisions.
After reading this book, only took me 45 min! It reads like a poem so you use the creative side of the brain and it gave me a lot of insights and ideas and I have started my own circle! I was amazed when I sent out the first email 10 of 12 people responded within the first 15 mins! It makes you think of things differently and the exercises and intentions of the book really make a difference!
Enjoy!
small but "meaty".......2006-07-31
This is a small book which one might be tempted to race through, given its size... Do not be fooled! It is a very "meaty" (substantial) book, filled with wisdom and insight and useful information. I would suggest it be taken in little "bites," so as to properly digest all the nutrients it has to offer. It is something that one can use as a concise guide, to be referred to time & time again, and to be held up as a shining example of the strength and healing power of women's circles. A true gem. Blessings, All.
Broad application for the concepts of The Millionth Circle.......2003-03-12
Working as I do in the corporate environment, I have used the principles contained in this concise book to create healthy alternatives to the typical hierarchical meeting. One does not have to have a background in women's spirituality to understand its premise or its practical application in many settings. As businesses of all sizes seek to move beyond traditional organizational forms, the book provides the outline of how furture organizations can work NOW.
A Wonderful Introduction to Circles.......2003-01-31
This is a very good read if you know nothing about circles. It can be read in a couple of hours and covers the explanation of circles, the do's and dont's. And for me, the book stirred an interest to learn more.
Yes, there are books that tell you a lot more about circles, but if you've just heard about the idea this is the book to read.
Jean gives circle information in an easy to understand format and portrays her enthusiasm about creating the Millionth Circle.
I've recommended this book to all of my friends.
Book Description
From the bestselling author and renowned mindfulness teacher, scientist, and educator. . .a guide to living a meaningful life.This follow-up to the widely praised national bestseller Wherever You Go, There You Are is yet another revolutionary offering from Jon Kabat-Zinn, showing readers how the power of mindfulness can bring radical change to their lives.In the national bestseller Wherever You Go, There You Are, Jon Kabat-Zinn struck a chord in contemporary society that continues to reverberate to this day. It has been embraced by politicians, business leaders, and celebrities and endures as a classic with readers. In his groundbreaking new book, Dr. Kabat-Zinn teaches us how to harness the power of mindfulness to effect profound change in our personal lives and in the world.As stress continues to exact a toll on everyday life, people are increasingly turning to ancient, meditative methods, which have been tested by science, to relieve the ill effects and become more focused, healthy, and proactive. Kabat-Zinn has been for decades at the forefront of this mind/body movement and the revolution in medicine and health care it has spawned, demystifying it and bringing it into the mainstream. In Coming to Our Senses, he shares how every human has the capacity to mobilize deep, innate resources for continual learning, growing, healing, and transformation through mindfulness.Woven into eight parts, Coming to Our Senses uses anecdotes and stories from Kabat-Zinn's own life experiences and work in his clinic to illustrate healing possibilities. At its core, the book offers remarkable insight into how to use the five senses -- touch, hearing, sight, taste, and smell, plus awareness itself -- as a path to a healthier, saner, and more meaningful life.This is the definitive book for our time on the connection between mindfulness, health, and our physical and spiritual well-being.
Customer Reviews:
Good....but a little redundant.......2007-07-05
I love Jon Kabat-Zinn's work.....and this book is certainly worth getting and reading. However, it is quite long and some of the sections didn't seem to add anything useful. On the other hand, some of the sections were amazing and worth reading more than once. If you like Jon Kabat-Zinn's other writings (e.g., wherever you go there you are, full catastrophe living) you will probably be happy with this book as well.
A few good observations, but mostly new age rubbish .......2007-01-30
After seeing Jon Kabat-Zinn on McLaughlin's One-on-One I was intrigued and decided to buy this book. I was sorely disappointed. He makes some good observations (e.g. about ADD and the 24/7 lifestyle), but offers solutions based only on far-eastern philosophies (yoga, meditation, etc). Not what I expected. I would not recommend this book to devout Christians or Muslims. Better stick with the Bible or the Koran, or the writings of accomplished Biblical or Koranic scholars.
Kabat-Zinn does not have the answers to the world's problems........2007-01-05
Kabat-Zinn, to his misfortune, is like many people who gain a bit of fame for doing one thing well: they come to believe that that they can do many things well and, worse yet, that they have the solutions to the world's problems. Almost always, that solution is dependent upon people behaving or doing what they do.
This book is not about the meditative strategies that made Kabat-Zinn justifiably famous in some circles. Rather, "Coming To Our Senses" is a confused, disjointed, rambling, disconnected and amazingly naive and ignorant treatise on how the world will be saved if only everyone could be induced to meditate.
Tell that to those pleasant folks who are beheading people because they don't share their ideas. Or to the punks on the street who take what they want with whatever violence they deem appropriate. Tell that to the smarmy politicians and others who feast on the taxpayer's money.
Kabat-Zinn should have stuck to helping people use mindfulness (his term of art for meditation) to help them overcome stress.
Kabat-Zinn displays amazing levels of naivete, ignorance and gullibility in these pages when he leaves his area of expertise. He leaves no doubt that he is a child of the 1960s. This is apparent in his endless litany of common left-wing political nostrums.
Kabat-Zinn's writing style in this work is absolutely awful. I counted 97 words in one sentence and it was not an exception. In many ways it seems that Kabat-Zinn is imitating --- poorly --- Joyce and Proust. One chapter is devoted to a description of the descent of the author's father into Alzheimer's. It is, in its own way, moving, but has nothing to do with meditation.
Kabat-Zinn seems to think that like Barbara Streisand and Sean Penn, that he has something to say not merely on the state of the world but about how humankind can save itself. This is the kind of senseless monologue that you would expect to see as a self-published work from a vanity press.
I simply cannot overstress how awful "Coming To Our Senses" is. If you want to learn about meditation, Kabat-Zinn's earlier works are far, far better. If you want New Age nonsense, then you might find this wretched work satisfying.
Jerry
The Tree of Mindfulness.......2007-01-04
In this book, Kabat-Zinn takes the time and space to discuss not just a leaf or a branch, but the roots, trunk, and branches of mindfulness meditation. While many recent works on meditation or Buddhism are really extended essays exploring a single concept or practice, this work stands out as a comprehensive engagement with and discussion, evaluation and integration of mindfulness meditation practice. The author speaks from the perspective of one well acquainted with the whole tree, and integrates the practices and insights of mindfulness meditation into the entire scope of life, not merely the meditation cushion or the yoga mat.
I restrained myself and read only a chapter or two per day, allowing my mind the time and space to make connections between the ideas Kabat-Zinn presents and the varied elements of my experience. Doing so enriched my own meditation practice significantly and strengthened my resolve and ability to articulate meditation concepts to others.
Not a very good audio book.......2007-01-03
This refers to the AUDIO book, not the book itself:
What the author is teaching here, is an important subject, and if you find yourself drawn to mindfulness or mindful meditation, I would suggest reading some books by Thich Nhat Hanh ("The Miracle of Mindfulness" and others) or Joseph Golstein or Sharon Salzberg ("Insight Meditation" and others).
Nothing against Jon Kabat-Zinn, but to my mind, he is not a very good communicator, and this audio-book spoken by him makes this all too obvious. He writes in a very complex way, using many adjectives and phrases, and long sentences (kine of like this one) that seem to me to be the writings of someone trying to impress someone.
On the other hand, Thich Nhat Hanh, whose first language is Vietnamese, writes in a much more clear and simple way, which allows one to appreciate the subject matter as opposed to finding it difficult to understand. If anything, Thich Nhat Hanh's writing style is overly simplified, as if he were talking to people who have trouble understanding what they read. So maybe you might like something in-between the two, such as Jack Kornfield's books or Joseph Golstein's.
Don't get me wrong, this book will teach you about mindfulness, and for that I applaud it. And maybe his style appeals to many people - perhaps it appeals to the intellectual, college professor or scientific types (I'm just guessing). But it does not appeal to me, at all. To me, his writing style is like a sophomore writing student trying to impress his professor that he knows how to use a lot of flowery, descriptive language. But I prefer the direct and simple approach for a non-fiction book like this. Maybe the author should try fiction...
All in all, this is not a bad audio/ book. That's why I gave it 3 stars. It does have a lot of information that is useful and interesting, and if it wasn't for the style in which it is written (spoken), I think I would have liked it much better.
All I'm really saying is, check it out before ordering it here. You may find other books that are written better and other audio books that sound better. (I wonder why this book does not have the "Look Inside" feature that most others do.)
I do think that this book would be more enjoyable to read, as opposed to listening to. Something about his sentence structure does not flow in an audio book.
Average customer rating:
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Becoming True to Ourselves: Cultural Decolonization and National Identity in the Literature of the Portuguese-Speaking World (Contributions to the Study of World Literature)
Maria Luisa Nunes
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 0313257264 |
Book Description
Becoming True to Ourselves is a penetrating exploration of literary strategies of decolonization in the Portuguese-speaking world. Divided into three parts, the analysis centers on an examination of the Portuguese, Brazilian, and African colonial experiences as viewed through the eyes of native contemporary writers over a 100-year span. This examination enables the author to uncover the fundamental relationship between cultural decolonization and national identity and reveals an unusually vital literary tradition that both reinforces and helps impel these nation's drives toward cultural, political, and economic independence.
Book Description
A practical and inspirational guide to connecting personal and social transformation By the time Donald Rothberg was in his early twenties, he knew he had two vocations. He wanted to dedicate himself to justice and social change, and he wanted to commit himself to exploring the depths of human consciousness-to an awakening of our deeper spiritual nature. It has been his life's work, as an activist, organizer, writer, and teacher, to bring these two paths together and to reveal how deeply they require one another. The Engaged Spiritual Life is the fruit of this work. Skillfully weaving together basic spiritual teachings, real-life examples, social context, and exercises, Rothberg provides a clear, thorough, and compelling guide for those interested in connecting inner and outer transformation. At the core of the book are ten spiritual principles and associated practices that will enable readers to engage all the parts of their lives-whether personal, interpersonal, or political-into a seamless whole.
Customer Reviews:
Handbook for a Spiritual Life.......2006-11-18
This book is definitely one of the most important books I have read in my life. Its a practical guide to transformation on the personal, relational, and collective levels. Its unbelievably comprehansive and well thought out. Im always very excited to find books that involve practical aspects that I can immediately apply to my life; this ceratinly is that type of book. The author is extremely well informed, well read, and highly educated in his field. The Engaged Spiritual Life is definitely a book that should be added to your collection and used on a daily basis if you desire to live a spiritual life and act as a catalyst for Universal Transformation. Highly recommended as a text for a spiritual life.
A classic in the field.......2006-10-11
Donald Rothberg has done a great service in filling a sorely needed gapin this field. This is a deep and considered work. It could only have been written by a mature spiritual practitioner, with years of practice and activism behind him, and, also a great scholarly mind. One often comes across spiritual books which seem to have been a response to the opportunity to get a message out on another front, a book for the sake of a book. In Rothberg's case, however, one is in the presence of a true writer and scholar. When reading this book you can guess that years of wise attention have been invested in it. You sense that each word is carefully chosen. The chapter titles have clearly been thought about, and to list them gives a good overall perspective of the breadth of issues and material covered: Connecting Inner and Outer transformation; Establishing the conditions for Safety Near and Far: Ethical practice; Mindfulness in action; Clarifying and setting intentions; Opening to Suffering, Opening to compassion; By taking care of myself I take care of the world; Not knowing but keeping going; Interdependence; Transforming Anger; Acting with equanimity; Committed Action, not-attachment to the outcome.
In each of the ten chapters Rothberg identifies a guiding principle, linked with specific practices, for connecting the spiritual and the social. The practices are applied to three domains, namely the individual, the relational, and the collective. And, though one senses that Rothberg may be on a "side", there are methods here which seem to transcend the dead end knee-jerk arguments that characterise the divided world of politics these days. Rothberg invokes the great tradition of peacemakers like Gandhi and King who would wish to turn their enemies into friends.
The book manages to correct the sometimes overly individualist reception of Buddhism and other traditions new to the west, and also corrects the overly external orientated perspective of social activism. It is a highly challenging work, from the wake up calls to ethical behaviour and mindfulness in daily life, to the deep work on the often neglected area of emotions. And despite the high aspirations and idealism of the work, Rothberg exhibits and models a certain inspiring humility. He is not a know-it-all theorist but clearly one who has learnt from painful trial and error on the coalface. The quality of this work also reflects well on the Buddhist movement in america, which seems to be working hard in its second generation to integrate eastern wisdom with uniquely western circumstances and culture. The contributions of Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Sylvia Boorstein, Sharon Salzberg and others also reflect this deep intermingling, and indeed, new birth of wisdom for new times.
This is a grounded and practical book. It is a support to anyone on any spiritual path that includes social justice. Personally, I find it an encouragement both to engage in spiritual practice and to renew my activism. It is a packed offering. It will be revisited like a bountiful well. It will go down as a classic in the field.
Book Description
Listen to a short interview with Joan Shelley Rubin
Host: Chris Gondek | Producer: Heron & Crane
In the years between 1880 and 1950, Americans recited poetry at family gatherings, school assemblies, church services, camp outings, and civic affairs. As they did so, they invested poems--and the figure of the poet--with the beliefs, values, and emotions that they experienced in those settings.
Reciting a poem together with others joined the individual to the community in a special and memorable way. In a strikingly original and rich portrait of the uses of verse in America, Joan Shelley Rubin shows how the sites and practices of reciting poetry influenced readers' lives and helped them to find meaning in a poet's words.
Emphasizing the cultural circumstances that influenced the production and reception of poets and poetry in this country, Rubin recovers the experiences of ordinary people reading poems in public places. We see the recent immigrant seeking acceptance, the schoolchild eager to be integrated into the class, the mourner sharing grief at a funeral, the grandparent trying to bridge the generation gap--all instances of readers remaking texts to meet social and personal needs. Preserving the moral, romantic, and sentimental legacies of the nineteenth century, the act of reading poems offered cultural continuity, spiritual comfort, and pleasure.
Songs of Ourselves is a unique history of literary texts as lived experience. By blurring the boundaries between "high" and "popular" poetry as well as between modern and traditional, it creates a fuller, more democratic way of studying our poetic language and ourselves.
Amazon.com
The study of gay and lesbian history has, during the past two decades, grown enormously. Early work such as Jonathan Katz's 1978 Gay American History and Allen Bérubé's 1990 titleComing Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War Two have paved the way for more historically detailed work. Creating a Place For Ourselves is a fine anthology of 11 essays that detail the formation of specific queer communities across a wide historical and geographic span including Buffalo, New York, in the 1940s; Washington, D.C. in the 1950s; and Philadelphia in the early 1970s. While the essays are by academics, they are accessible, readable, and highly informative.
Book Description
Creating a Place For Ourselves is a groundbreaking collection of essays that examines gay life in the United States before Stonewall and the gay liberation movement. Along with examining areas with large gay communities such as New York, San Francisco and Fire Island, the contributors also consider the thriving gay populations in cities like Detroit, Buffalo, Washington, D.C., Birmingham and Flint, demonstrating that gay communities are truly everywhere.
Creating A Place For Ourselves contains rich oral history about lesbian, gay and bisexual life in pre-Stonewall Amerca: Allen Drexel considers the lives of gay men on Chicago's South Side through the lens of "Finnie's Balls," an annual Halloween extravaganza in the 1950s which drew thousands of spectators and participants, including many Black working-class gays. Roey Thorpe explores the development of white lesbian life in Post-World War II Detroit, tracing the changing nature and clientele of several of the city's lesbian bars; Marc Stein looks at how lesbian and gay politics arose in Philadelphia, and how activists relied on languages of nationalism, patriotism and citizenship to further their political aims; and Tim Retzloff examines how the manufacturing plants of Flint, Michigan produced the very product that helped to establish a gay nightlife in the 1950s--the automobile. He argues that because of the city's geographic dispersal, the automobile was necessary for transportation as well as served as an important space for same-sex encounters.
Using oral history and rich narrative voices,
Creating a Place For Ourselves brings to life the vibrant lesbian, gay and bisexual communities that existed all across America in the days before Stonewall.
Contributors: Brett Beemyn, Nan Alamilla Boyd, George Chauncey, Madeline Davis, Allen Drexel, John Howard, David Johnson, Liz Kennedy, Joan Nestle, Esther Newton, Tim Retzloff, Marc Stein, Roey Thorpe.
Customer Reviews:
inspiring chapters despite unmet goals.......2005-05-13
This anthology has multiple purposes. They want to continue George Chauncey's assertion that pre-Stonewall life was not terrible across the board. They have two further projects. First, the contributors want to show that gay and lesbian culture existed and flourished outside of just NYC and CA. Additionally, they want to show that the intersections of race, class, and gender played a powerful role in setting the parameters for this historic gay life.
This book is well-written. I felt more and more empowered as a gay person as I finished each chapter. Though no author quotes Michel Foucault here (as most gay and lesbian studies authors do), his idea that powerlessness is never absolute plays itself out here. This book documents gay and lesbian craftiness. If you want to make private gay space at a time when homosexuality is illegal, place straight patrons at the front of clubs and gay patrons at the back. Hire door managers and bartenders that have no problems excluding or kicking out homophobes. If you can't have openly gay dancing, let customers know about private after-parties where such dancing will be allowed. If you can't be openly gay at home, split an apartment with other gay guys where you all agree that you can bring guys for action.
As necessary and idealistic as Beemyn's goals are, this book fails to meet those goals in several ways. This book starts by saying, "We need to go beyond canonical gay historians like Chauncey, Newton, and Davis/Kennedy." However, all those authors have chapters in this book. Further, other authors quote from their famous books consistently. It is surprising that John D'Emilio does not have a contribution here. However, he was working on Bayard Rustin's autobiography at the time.
The chapters move beyond NYC and SF. As a Chicagoan and a person who knows about Illinois' strong history in gay rights, I was pleased to see two chapters about my hometown. Still, though Beemyn asserts that gay men and lesbians live everywhere, the action in these chapters usually point to big cities. Maybe all gay people do not move to NYC and SF. However, if they move to Chicago, Detroit, Philly, and Washington, D.C., they are finding the next best things. Chauncey's and D'Emilio's ideas about seeking more gays and more anonymity still ring true.
This book has more information on gay men than on lesbians. However, lesbians are represented, admirably. There are also wonderful coverage of black gay men and lesbians. Beemyn states that race, class, and gender cannot be dropped from this analysis. Still, I wish he would point out that many advocates of "race, class, and gender" coverage purposely exclude "sexuality" and are very heterosexist, if not blatantly homophobic. Beemyn could have mentioned that the contributors are taking the higher road when others have not. Most of the authors acknowledge that white, middle-class, gay men had options and choices that people of color, women, and the poor could never have. Still, this book often focuses on rich, gay, white men in bringing up race, class, and gender. If "race, class, and gender" promotions don't encourage cover diversity, then what is the point?
Beemyn is a well-known bisexual activist. Thus, while his own chapter mentions an interviewee that sought male and female partners, other contributors do not mention actual bisexuals. Thus, while the word bisexual comes up in this book often, it doesn't really alter the focus on monosexual gay men and lesbians. This is well-meaning inclusion, but still superficial.
Some readers may not like the focus on bars and drag performances, but hey, that's the way it was. This book gives scant mention to cruisy areas and John Boswell and others would say those are important sites of gay contact. This book may be trying to be more respectable than the actual history makers were themselves.
Lord Alfred Douglas said homosexuality is "the love that dare not speak its name." However, the authors prove here that gay men and lesbians have been speaking up and enjoying themselves for decades and all over the United States. While the book does have its limitations, I applaud the editor for amassing those scant academic studies out there in this area.
Average customer rating:
- Not Impressed
- Good Science, poor Social Science and no psychology
- Inspiring! Great insight to the human mind
- Good topic, explores issues, but I do have a gripe
- Good book
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Why We Hate : Understanding, Curbing, and Eliminating Hate in Ourselves and Our World
Rush W. Dozier
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary
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Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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The Violence of Hate: Confronting Racism, Anti-Semitism, and Other Forms of Bigotry (2nd Edition)
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Hatred: The Psychological Descent into Violence
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Fear Itself: The Origin and Nature of the Powerful Emotion that Shapes Our Lives and Our World
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Prisoners of Hate: The Cognitive Basis of Anger, Hostility, and Violence
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Why We Hate
ASIN: 0809224836 |
Book Description
The science behind hate and a revolutionary program to combat it in our time
Why We Hate examines the biological origins and manifestations of this most toxic of human emotions and shows specific steps to take to combat it. Neuroscientists have discovered that hate is a primitive survival response that combines prejudice and extreme anger. These new findings provide fundamental insights into how hate affects human behavior. Based on these insights and on extensive scientific research in fields ranging from anthropology to zoology, Why We Hate presents readers with a comprehensive nine-step strategy for controlling and eliminating hate.
Customer Reviews:
Not Impressed.......2007-05-08
I started this book with hopes of making a good psychology presentation. This book has some points that are very good, especially the areas with the biology of hate. But the rest of the book is filled with tangents that make little to no connection to the topic of hate. How does cromagnon (sp?) art tell us about hate? I still dont know.
Don't read it especially if you are looking for a psychology book.
Good Science, poor Social Science and no psychology.......2003-07-28
Mr. Dozier shows a flair for taking a little science, which is good, and carrying it as far away from America's door steps as he can (which is bad). His recitation of some of the most recent discoveries in neuro-biology are impressive except they lack a mature psychologist perspective and it avoids the best laboratory of all for demonstrating the truth of his theories: the U.S. And here I do not mean just the likes of Timothy McVeigh and other U.S. nut cases.
Were Mr. Dozier to have used just a little psychological insight, and even a smattering of political science he would have no doubt noticed that U.S. culture is and always has been a fine laboratory specimen of a culture of hate at work and at play everyday. Here we have as much hate as as any country still in existence. We have racism against blacks that is still disgraceful. We have sexism, homophobia, and anti-semitism, yet Mr. Dozier studiously avoided these in favor of discussing Islamic Jihads, Osama bin Laden and such. This approach is likely to sell books, but how intellectually honest an effort is it, really? We had hate long before Osama and the Jihads, or didn't we?
Somehow, Mr. Dozier managed to seek far away examples in the Middle East, and elsewhere rather than right here at home. In skilfully omitting the U.S. among his examples he missed an important opportunity to use his fine research as a vehicle not just to sell books, but also to help heal this nation we all love so dearly. Nevertheless buy the book it is worth reading.
Inspiring! Great insight to the human mind.......2003-02-01
This book is a great read. The author does a great job of uncovering the mechanism behind the human tendency to steoreotype about a person, a group of people and oneself. The book is extremely well written and well researched. The author describe hatred as a complex emotion created by an imbalance between different parts of the brain leading to, among other things, racism, sexism, and phobia. The book help answers lot of questions, I had, for example, how the brain process violence in the media or whether there is a connection between intolerance and lack of self-esteem, etc. The author provides biological, cultural and social conditions, that lead to hatred, dehumanizing of another person/group and eventually acts of violence (e.g. war, crime, etc). The examples include many types of violent acts, from honor killings to Timothy McVeigh and from serial homicide to depression induced suicide. Familiar headlines help the reader follow the rather unique and complex description of the human brain. The book also makes a convincing case of why raising gender rights will help to curb hatred in the world. Towards the end of the book, the author cites examples of society where hatred is uncommon and provides strategy to elimiate hatred.
Important takeaway: Hate is extraordinarily difficult and dangerous to overcome but peace cannot be maintained without addressing the problem of hatred.
I can't wait to read Dozier other book, Fear Itself.
Good topic, explores issues, but I do have a gripe.......2003-01-09
This book tries to explain why people varying from Osama Bin Ladin to Dylan Klebold lack all empathy for their victims, and why they hate. It is also about why we hate. The author looks at neurobiology, psychology and history.
I do have somewhat of a gripe with some of his history though. He treats the Arab-Israel conflict as a sort of feud, and thats not what it is. A peace-loving country can be surrounded by neighbors who use violence to destroy it, and so it must use violence to defend itself. It doesn't take two to make war, it just takes one aggressor, and one country that refuses to be a victim. For instance, the US didn't invade Afghanistan because it hated Afghans, or Moslems. It invaded largely to defend itself, and after the invasion we learned just how extensive the Al Queda training camps were and how they saw our cities as their targets.
Talking about "cycles of violence" doesn't make sense in this type of context. Rush Dozier does not regard the US action against the Taliban as a feud or cycle of violence, which is good, but he does view the Israel situation that way, which is bad.
Good book.......2002-12-03
I like that way that the author explains the biological reasons for hate and the ways that hate can be reduced and avoided by training and education. I particularly like the way that the author excludes any religious angles, and sticks to the science of the matter.
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