Audiobook Books

This CD set is taken from a series of classes given by Pema Chodron to help us to understand that we can have some control over the thoughts and emotions that enter our minds. Although meditation is the primary tool used by Buddhists to be become of aware of and work with thoughts and emotions, the information given by Pema Chodron is not specific to meditation. We all have trouble dealing with our emotions at times, and these teachings help us to see what it is that we are dealing with and offers advise on how to deal with our emotions. I don't meditate, but I found the information to be very useful and I believe it can be of benefit to everyone. Pema Chodron speaks in a very accessable manner and uses stories and humor to illustrate her teachings, making it very easy to listen to these CD's. I can't imagine that anyone would not appreciate hearing them--I've listened to them several times. I highly recommend this set.

Perhaps the title doesn't exactly describe Pema's discussion topics but nevertheless what she talks about it well worth it!! Pema's insights and her ability to explain them in simple Western ways makes her a gem. The practices and teachings discussed in "Getting Unstuck" will stick with me forever and ever. They are very meaningful, helpful, realistic, understandable and practical.
If you are looking for a fresh way to examine why you do the things you do (over and over again), this Pema seminar is for you!

This is very worthwhile if you are struggling to break free of self-limiting habitual thoughts and actions. It's not cure, but it's a process.

I have not opened it yet. I did not realize I was buying a CD; I wanted the book. Is there a possibility of replacing my upopened CD with a book?

Getting Unstuck is helpful and I know I will be listening to the thoughts over and over. Nancy

I believe in the CIA they refer to such obscure people as "Ghosts", what the alphabet media has presented is just that, a ghost, nothing of substance, all smoke and mirrors. But a VERY fear inspiring ghost.

I bought this book because the author said he stands behind the end notes. The end notes were so weak, I returned the book without getting to the first chapter.
I think the author should stand in front of his end notes so he lessens his exposure to methane gas.

America does't need a Community Oganizer the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton as POTUS!

Obam-Ah can take his Black Liberation Theolgy back to Trinity were hating Whitey and hating America is cool.

I'm not particularly an Obama fan but I do want CHANGE...I was looking for a thoughtful, objective account...but this book was ridiculously written for political smear purposes...What a waste!!!

The strategist for Obama, David Axelrod has worked for communist newspapers from his youth until he started his consulting business that specializes in electing minority candidates in white areas. Obama belongs to the Kuo tribe of Kenya and has helped with money and daily phone calls to get Raila Odinga selected as Prime Minister who has promised Islam that he will institute Sharia Islamic Law in two Kenyan provinces. In what maybe our future when Obama loses the election, Odinga supporters in Islamic areas burned down and killed Christian churches and clergy so to stop the rioting Odinga was appointed Prime Minister. Obama had a Muslim father and a Muslim step father as his mother married twice. His dad was married to several women at same time and committed suicide by becoming an alcoholic which resulted in his death in an accident he caused. Obama believes in infanticide with partial birth abortions and is very pro-abortion. Book summarizes all currently known incidents and comments rather dispassionately but overall Obama is not a pretty picture and dangerous to the welfare and security of the United States of America.

I am new to Louise Hay starting with her You Can Heal Your Life Book. I read that gave it to my daughter to read. I saw this CD and bought it because of the subliminal side. I listen to it work and again when I go to sleep. My 10 year old son listens to it with me and now can't wait to go to sleep so he can play this CD. It's actually very sweet!!!!! I feel alot calmer now and my hair trigger temper has been calmed significantly. I can see a change in my son's behavior as well and I truly am thankful for that. I say buy it, and try it. I'm so glad I did.

One Day She'll Darken: The Mysterious Beginnings of Fauna Hodel
LOUISE HAY'S WORK...HELPED ME HEAL MY INNER WOUNDED CHILD in the 80's...TO THIS DAY..WHEN I NEED TO SURRENDER MY FEARS...I PUT ON HER MEDITATION TAPES....HER VOICE..HER WISDOM..CALMS ME...AND PUTS ME RIGHT BACK ON TRACK...

I just got this yesterday and have listened to it twice so I can't speak on it's effectiveness but I can say, however, that it's hard to believe that there are messages on this tape. The music is really cheesy and so I can't give it fiver stars, but it's all you can hear. So, at least it lives up to it's advert. I found the side where she speaks the affirmations to be too much, but the side where it's the music is very palatable.

This cd is a must these days. We tend to put ourselves down, sometimes without even knowing it. This cd will put you back on track with loving affirmations and truthful statements about our true selves. Try it! You can lay down put the cd on listne and relax. It can be considered a self love meditation!

This cd is very calming, affirming, and sleep-inducing! It truly helps to bring peace and is what I have to come to expect from Louise L. Hay.

Worthwhile investment!

this is a fabulous set. i've only just borrowed it from my neighbor, but i don't know how i'm ever going to give it back. i've already listened to two of the CD's twice, but all four are wonderful. i believe it was in the third one that i 'woke up' for a few brief and wonderous moments. eckhart was talking about rolling up the scroll on which you have writen your life story...and so i did. it didn't last long, but it was the best i've ever felt. it was as if nothing would ever bother me again. i was unbotherable :) my mind was completely silent.

lovely.

I love this cd. I would have given it 5 stars for content but the recording isn't great in the beginning. If you like Eckhart then this will be a nice addition as he uses a lot of humor at this retreat and it made me laugh at the folly of us all in everyday life. But, if you are only going to buy one cd, then buy the cd of his book "A NEW EARTH". So much more information.

I am so glad I bought this book. The DVD's and book are so clarifying and powerful. If you wonder about how your life could be better. If you find yourself worrying about past or future events. This book is for you. It's transformative. It's a spa for the mind.

Filled with a lot of great insights, as I've come to expect and enjoy from Eckhart Tolle. But what I really loved about this particular audio set was hearing what an incredibly playful sense of humor Eckhart has and that made listening to this Audio goldmine of self awareness all the more enjoyable. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Good stuff. great thoughts. something we all need to take the time to reflect upon not thinking about.

I thank my teacher friends, who gave me this phenomenal recording as a retirement gift. From the first sound of the music and sound effects, through the incredible narration, to the comprehensibility (thanks to the NIV version), I am mesmerized. I have read the Bible a number of times, but I have never experienced it until now. I thought the readers were going to be identified, but I'm glad they were not because as I listened they became the people from the Bible, not actors. I greatly appreciate the attempts at pronouncing some of those names that I don't think anybody really knows how to pronounce, particularly given the way we spell and pronounce some of our children's names these days. A stellar project.

This is a wonderful way to hear the Bible in a manner that allows it to come alive. I have heard some other audio versions of the Bible and they always sounded boring. This one makes the Bible sound like what it really is EXCITING!

My shipment came right on time and was in perfect condition. All the CD's were present in the case with no scrates or marks. Listening to the audio Bible has been awsome for me, it's helped me read along some of the books I find difficult and long. Am a single mom of two and it's the audio Bible has been a perfect away for me to spend time in the word.

If you want a good audio Bible for either your home or your Church for Bible studies this is the complete audio Bible for you "Inspired by the Bible Experience" is the one that you should have cause it has great audio effects as well as a wonderful script and great actors playing the parts the best way they know how. also if you use this for a Bible study this will be a good way to tell the story so they can really get the feel of what the bible is really about. So I highly recommend "Inspired by the Bible experience"

This was a wonderful collection!! I travel a lot and have listened to the Bible on CD before but this is a classic...it is so well acted out that I have cried, laughed but mostly pondered the messages. Talk about making "it real"! Nothing takes the place of reading the Word for yourself but this is excellent...I strongly recommend it.

I ordered Harry Potter and the Half-blood prince CD audio book, narrated by Jim Dale. I received a cd with "all the harry potter books", instead.
Not at all happy -

I absolutely love this book. It is incredible. I read it the first time and thought it was good, but the second time was amazing. I am really looking forward to the movie!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall:
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2.5 stars -- The story is weak exposition (for the most part) filling in holes in the plot / milieu that needed to be filled before the conclusion of the series to satisfy the Harry Potter fan base. The concept of Horcruxes is not new to the fantasy setting (many authors have used them before with wide circulation in the D&D realm for Liches). The death of Dumbledore is expected not the exact method of it. The milieu is getting dark but does not quite feel right for where I would have taken the story.

Characters:
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The use of the Pensieve for background development is a nice trick but seems to be used a bit much in the story. You could have just had Dumbledore explain things which would have worked just a well. The background of Tom Riddle is interesting but you quickly see how evil he is...did not need to belabour it as much as was done. Harry is growing a bit but is still emotionally stunted compared to the other characters; I am not sure why this annoys me so much when I reading the books. I guess I would like to see the characters learn from their mistakes instead of repeating them all the time.

Ron and Hermeine are clearly going to work out in the next book as are Ginny and Harry.

Snape is done very well in the book. The death scene of Dumbledore is done very well with great impact. The depth of Snape character is unmatched by the other characters in the entire story. The underdog role of Snape in the face of constant social pressure and potential lethalness is very well done (inserting a bit from the last book). The anger and betrayal felt in the death scene when Snape kills Dumbledore is well engineered and affective.

Draco: His true character is demonstrated -- a wuss. He is all talk and no show. I know JKR is going for redemption for him but he could really have had it. Draco only realizes the implications of his actions late in the book and could done many things about it.

Dumbledore: Many things are annoying about him in this book. The trying to make up for lost time with Harry is done pourly and ineffectively. It would have been much easier to actually tell Harry things..but wait you can not do that as Harry has not learned to block out the Dark Lord as people have been trying to get to do that for three books but he is too proud / self-important to do it.

Plot:
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The plot is terribly weak. Dumbledore's death is needed to advance the plot. I must give credit to JKR for setting up the last book well in HBP. She has done a very good job of laying out the plot many books ago and utilizing the plot hooks through the books. The unfortunately part is that you have to read some slow scenes that in hind sight could have been removed.

The Horcruxes are over used in my mind. Also, it should be nearly impossible to find them regardless of how much you have insight into the Dark Lord's mind. A smart wizard would have taken much stronger methods of protection and obfuscation for the objects.

Actions:
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The action is lacking up until the end of the book. The Death Eater raid on Hogworts is done fairly well. However, I still do not understand why the "good guys" are not killing the Death Eaters outright. There are many opportunities to do so. It is a war; war is a terrible thing with terrible costs. If the point is to show that violence and killing is bad, why not show the change in a beloved character after the battle where the character killed / executed a stunned Death Eater. If you are going for dark in the story/setting, the rounding up and killing of the captured Death Eaters would drive the point home very easily.

American GIs were forced to kill or be killed in WWII. When they came home, they did not discuss the fighting, horror and death but rather they did their best to celebrate life and build a better life for their families. It was their personal sacrifice that led to their ability to achieve so much; the strongest people are forged in the hottest crucibles.

Action:
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It is fairly weak until the climax.

Prose:
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It is on par with the prior books -- aka not evolving much.

Summary:
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Overall: 2.5 stars
Characters: 2.5 - 3 stars
Plot: 1.5 - 2 stars
Action: 2 stars until the end 3.5 - 4 stars (Dumbledores death is well done)
Prose: 3 stars

WOW, she really did a great job of getting everyone fired up for book 7. The ending was torture. I don't know if that makes me happy or really angry. I find myself continually amazed at how she created all this in her head and if she knew how things would turn out from the very start.

In the Sixth installment of JK Rowlings Harry Potter series, "The Half-blood Prince", she continues the thrill ride. As yet another year passes for Harry Potter, of all the changes that have come to him, the trials, difficulties, and changes, this year will bring some of the most ardent yet.

Pro. Dumbledore begins to teach Harry himself, but these private lessons held in the Master's Office are not the lessons that he is use to. The two takes a 'stroll down memory lane' as it were, reviewing key memories that Dumbledore has managed to collect concerning Voldemort's past and his rise to power. Together they learn the secret to Voldemort's seeming indestructibility, and devise plans to end the Dark Lord, once and for all.

This is the most compelling of the Harry Potter series yet, the heat begins to get cranked a little higher, and the pressure goes up on Harry and his friends. The mystery of the "Half-Blood Prince" keeps you guessing right up until the end.

****WARNING, THE REST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!!****

It was hard reading the end of this book, for somehow I had managed to avoid hearing details of those last few chapters before reading them. Reading that ending, was one of the hardest things I've read I think. Rowlings really makes you feel you know these characters, not just Harry and his close friends, but Dumbledore and the other major characters as well. Standing on the top of that tower, watching helplessly along side Harry as he watches the murder of his mentor, hero, and friend, is nearly heartbreaking.

I highly recommend this story for anyone who is a Harry Potter fan, or just a general fantasy fan(though I suggest reading the first 5 first if you haven't).

RD Williams, author of "The Lost Gate"

Pema Chodron explains the Buddhist philosophy in this as well as her many other CDs in a clear, relevant manner with just the right touch of humor relating to the human condition. She has mastered the philosophy, yet her modesty lets the listener know that she has been where we listeners often are. Easier to absorb than reading, for me, and a lot more fun. A great way to clear the mind at night when trying to get negative thoughts out of my head and helpful to prepare for sleep. I actually fall asleep with the headphones on and hope that perhaps my subconscious is learning her explanations of various instructions. Super for the novice or the more advanced student.

This is an advisory not a review. The content of these three CD's is excellent. When Pema speaks there is a continual popping-clicking sound which is not present when Robert Walker the reader speaks. This indicates to me a defect in the original recording, perhaps in her attached microphone. I'm surprised these weren't picked up by the sound technicians and the noises eliminated during the recording. These odd sounds exist through the entire recording and for me were disconcerting.
Listening to Pema speak I was getting annoyed by the strange crackling sounds when I realized she was discussing "bourgeois suffering"--those minor things that irritate all of us, traffic jams, rude people, not getting your correct seat in an airplane, etc. I laughed and finished all three CD's, crackling sounds and all. If odd noises like this bother you, be forewarned.

Good practical advice that allows you to get to know yourself. This CD helps you to practice spiritual principles in our daily lives. Loved it!

This recording is ok. I had not heard Pema speak before and she does have an engaging speakers voice. I was disappointed however as I did not realize this recording is mostly about interpreting verses from Shantideva's writings. I wanted more practical advice (from a buddhist perspective) on how to deal with anger. I don't believe this recording provided that. Would I buy it again knowing what I know now? No, there is not a lot of substance to it.

The entire book is wonderful -- after reading so many works (and listening to some talks) by noted teachers and other Buddhist practitioners about this or that element of the philosophy/faith, it's refreshing to just hear someone talk. That is, rather than innundating a lay listening like myself with this or that concept in Sanskrit or Pali and using confusing allegories that made perfect sense when they were related several thousand years ago, listening to the wonderful words of Pema Chodron is so nice.
Above all other teachers, she talks to me -- and the many thousands of others who listen to hear -- as if she were a friend. She tells me about her own experiences and then makes fun of herself and so I don't feel like she's someone above me, someone to work at trying to be. She just seems to be someone who is further along the same path I'm walking down.
The only reason that I have any problem with this audio book is that the idea of Shenpa in the book was still a little unclear to me after I had finished it. Although now I know that Shenpa is a bit ephemeral; this was never explained, clearly at least, in the book.

I had experimented with a small sample that is given by joining wayne dyer's mailing list and rush to buy the complete cd. it's a good practice and i recomend you giving it a chance. (If you fell the need to try it first just do what i did)

I have always liked to listen to Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, and found his positive and spiritual messages enlightening. However, I was very disappointed with this repording. I thought he would talk a bit about each of the 81 TAO affirmations. Instead, he read each one in his soothing voice while beautiful, relaxing music played, and then broke the spell with three loud and repeated chants. I found the chants so annoying that I could not absorb the affirmations. In fact, did not have time to absorb an affirmation before his chanting virtually destroyed their power. It was extremely difficult for me to listen to the entire CD for the actual content. I believe it would have been much more effective if Dr. Dyer had explained the chant-meditation method and provided an example of his TAO chant (one time) in the introduction at the beginning of the CD. Without the chants I believe the CD would be a wonderful tool for meditation. I still like Dr. Dyer's works, but will never buy another of his audio books that states it is a meditation.

rating less than a star, I like Dr. Dyer's reading material and lectures; however his voice on this CD is terrible, don't know if even the masters can meditate to that loud, off-key scarry sound of Tao he repeats.

Wayne Dyer's meditations create a sense of inner peace and contemplation. By pausing for a few minutes a day, I find that my productivity increases and my creativity flourishes. By clearing the mind and opening your spirit to divine wisdom, answers are discovered effortlessly and easily. I feel the difference when I use this CD and other CD's of Wayne Dyer or Jack Canfield and Deb Sandella.

I absolutely adore Dr. Dyer, and found the 81 principle of the TAO, unable to grasp, until I received this unabridged CD. The tenants are meant to be read one or perhaps two a day, and then to meditate on each. Dr. Dyer is truly a gift to us all, and I hope he is discovered by many. He speaks in plain english, and will explain anything difficult, again, in a way that we can all understand. I do suggest that you become familiar with Dr. Dyer's previous publications, prior to listening to this wonderful CD. God Bless you Dr. Dyer. You have given me the tools that have truly saved my life. I hope that many can benefit from Dr. Dyer's insight. I truly believe he was a gift from God to all. He trancends all religions and cultures.

While I will not deny that this book is as fun of a read as any of the Potter's series, its weaknesses are hard to not recognize next to the other six novels. The novel sticks pretty closely to the formula of the Sorcerer's Stone. While it has all of the workings of a Rowling novel it does have a tendency to fall a little flat. The character of Professor Lockhart, while cute, pales in comparison to the other Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers (I'm excluding Quirrel from the Sorcerer's Stone because he is by far my least favorite). Also, this book seems less interested in furthering the story of Harry Potter unlike the remainder of the series. It is virtually a story within itself and could probably be skipped and the series would still be fully comprehensible. While I still give it four stars because it is an entertaining read, it does feel mainly to be a filler. It almost feels like Rowling was not quite sure where the series was going to go with this novel. The epic-ness of the story really begins with Prisoner of Azkaban and capitalizes in Goblet of Fire. Still worth reading but not nearly an signifcant as the remainder of the series.

I am quite pleased with this product. The quality of the sound and the packaging was wonderful. With this audio it has thrown me into the world of Harry Potter. It is as if I am there experiencing this every moment. I intend on purchasing each one of these so that I can escape the muggle world and leave my cares behind if only for a few moments

Harry continues his adventures as he learns more about his background. This is just as entertaining as the first novel, and was definitely able to keep my attention.

Summary: 3.5 to 4 stars
Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts is chronicled in the book. The adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermeine are documents for everyone's enjoyment. The book is a quick-read, enjoyable and a good follow-up to the first Harry Potter book. You can tell J. K. Rowling has created an interesting world that you want to know more about.

Setting:
The strength of the Harry Potter series is in the new fantasty world created by J. K. Rowling -- a twist on the normal and fey world...magically with humans and beasties vs. non-magical people. The book does an ok job of describing the world; the scene designers and artists for the movies have done a tremendous job of filling in this world. If you would not have the context of the movies, the books descriptions seem lacking to me.

Characters:
The character development is interesting and decently done through the mixture of the characters actions in a wide range of moral dilemnas and dangerous situations. The use of consequences for the characters actions is lightly done but it is nice to see that being done still.

Plot:
The plot is tight and well-thought out. The story is linear but it makes sense for the target age range for the books. Clearly, J. K. Rowling has developed a complex story line with this just being an element on the storyline -- the develop of background comes through.

Action:
The action is quick and to the point -- a nice feature for a book where you want to find out more about the setting as well as have the characters advance along in school to get more developed, more interesting/multi-faceted and see how the dynamics of various characters evolve.

Prose:
The prose style is clean, simple and effective. The simplicity vs the effectiveness of the prose shows a good command of the English language and a distinctive enjoyable style. It is not a great literary work by any stretch of the imagination but one does not expect that from this type of book.

Summary:
Setting: 3.5 to 4 stars -- I would give it 5 stars but only because of the world created and desribed in the movies but the book descriptions are thin and not well developed.
Plot: 4 stars -- good for a child's book
Characters: 3.5 stars
Action: 3 stars
Prose: 3 to 3.5 stars

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the adventure known as Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts. On a side note, do you ever wonder what is happening in the lives of the other students? How is it that only Harry, Ron and Hermoine notice the subplots? I wonder what life is like at Hogwarts for people outside of Harry's circle. Enough of that though. During Harry's first year, he learns about his past, starts playing Quidditch and develops an arch-enemy, Darco. After Harry's room is hexed in a Quidditch match, Harry and his friends begin to think Professor Snape is trying to steal what is being guarded by the school and kill Harry. But Harry and his friends are in for a surprise when they discover it is another professor who is attempting to steal the Sorceror's stone for Voldemort.

The second book begins much as the first, with Harry having to escape his muggle family to attend school. But Harry can't even make it to school without "borrowing" a flying car from Ron's family which lands him into trouble before the year even starts. Harry and his friends encounter a force that hates muggles, and must stop what is in the chamber of secrets before it kills. These books are entertaining and a pleasure to read. I recommend them to everybody.

I received this as a birthday gift. It is an amazing production! I listen to this set while I am getting dressed in the morning and it is so inspirational. I appreciate all of the artistry that went into creating this product. I highly recommend this to everyone.

This is the first time I have listened to the bible on cd and it is wonderful. I would definately suggest this to anyone. I often read along with the cd or sometimes listen alone. This has really helped me in my quest of reading the bible in a year. The voices and the added background sounds makes it seems alive. As you listen, you can almost picture the scenes.

The Word of Promise is very well done - worth every penny! I would recommend it to anyone interested in hearing the Word of God!

I was very disappointed. The characterizations at least in the Gospels are stiff religious sounding caricatures of real human beings. For example, Jesus sounds like he's anemic and depressed, unappealing and too wimpy to wield a hammer.

This is a well produced series that makes listening to the New Testament a lot like an old time radio program. Great 'theater of the mind' and very good for long drives, plane flights, etc.