Audiobook Books

For those who are a fan of Beck's North Star book this is a continuation of her method. Contains excercises, case studies, commentary, and other tools from her Polaris Training. A serious read and good reference material for those seeking their sense of direction.

i notice many didn't care for this. it sounds like a follow up to North Star so if they haven't read that 1st....

I haven't read this - but North star SAVED MY LIFE. Also - i was in the place to change - i had hit rock bottom, THEN picked up the book. If you are already on your true path, you probably don't need Martha's kind of help. Lucky you!

In my review of North * i note the best part was the map of change and the "yes, changing will SUCK - but it can be ok!" - nice change from all the other help books that just tell you to manage better.

In saving my life, I have lost much. A marriage, a custom home, a cross country move, friends, health care providers, church, book club. But now, after 2 years - I think it will be worth it - i am much happier and getting healthier. But i am sooooo glad Martha warned me and helped me think it through properly - BEFORE I made risky choices!

I am in the midst of the most turbulent changes of my life. As I had been nearing some options for decisions, my body would become tight, pained, or just plain anxious. My mind wanted to go one way, and my spirit another. It just left me plain confused about what the heck was going on. I never watch Oprah anymore, but in looking at the schedule I decided to record one on the laws of attraction. This positive thinking has always bugged me because it seemed to cast blame if challenge happened in life like if a person got cancer, it must be something they thought of or did to create it. Martha Beck was on that show talking about Steering by Starlight. She is the first person who I have found who basically has had challenge in life and then reflected on ways to think to go through the process so that a person can see the value in the challenge. She embraces emotion and shows how to work with it. Steering by Starlight is amazing and has been heaven sent to me. It has been my user's manual for life challenge. She explains the dreams, coincidences, feelings, and conflicts that happen when a person is in the midst of their life falling apart. It is like advice from the really wise friend you have always wanted. I bought the CD and listen to it all the time as I drive. I have bought the book for four different friends. I cannot recommend this book enough.

I read it and did the exercises. It's one of those self help books where the author says one thing in one chapter and then unsays it later in another. If her advice doesn't work it's not her fault, it's yours. She doesn't agree with the "Secret's" premise that our thoughts become our reality which I give her credit for. But while all of this has made a nice career experience for her, it doesn't really help. We already know to think positive and keep going. It's murky enough so that you don't know for sure it's psychobabble until the end.

Excellent book with real life examples. I can relate to this book like few others. Martha Beck is fantastic at presenting what she knows, experiences and understands. This is beyond anything "The Secret" gives us.

All book orders with Amazon are always received in great shape and in a timely manner. I prefer to order through Amazon then the local bookstores.

and can't wait for the next one.
This is the first series he has ever really gotten into and enjoyed.
He flew through them and now is bummed because he has to wait for the next. He is 10 and in 5th grade.

This book is one in a series. I personally did not read the book, however, my son was not able to put the book down once he started reading.

I've read 1, 2 and now 3 and all are excellant. I can't wait to read the next book.

With 2 boys (ages 9 and 11), 3 big dogs, 2 geckos and a husband, there is usually a LOT of activity in my house. However, since my son discovered this series, things have gotten MUCH quieter! (If only I could teach my dogs to read!)

This series has captured my son's interest and imagination unlike any other fiction series with the exception of the Magic Treehouse books. He is an 11-year old and despite being considered AG in reading skills, he would rather eat liver than read novels. My son's fifth grade teacher got him interested in the first book. After that, he had to have the whole set. He read all four books in about 1.5 weeks time -- usually reading over 100 pages a day -- even on school nights.

He thought this book was the best though the ending definitely leaves you hanging -- and waiting for Book 5.

The things that he likes best about the series:

1. Percy is a regular kid just like him who has his struggles in school.
2. He loves the Greek Mythology tie-ins
3. He loves the writing style and humor of the author
4. The stories don't take place in ancient times -- rather uses ancient stories in modern times.

Now my problem is what to get him reading next. He isn't interested in Harry Potter or most of the other popular fantasy collections. If any one has a suggestion on other series with the above characteristics, please let me know -- I would be eternally grateful!

Having loved earlier books by Harris, I was really looking forward to this one. Alas, I should have heeded some of the reviews on this site!

The plot is vague and improbable, Harris' politics and hatred of Tony Blair seem to trump everything else, and the ending was downright silly. (Think an alphabet agency everybody loves to hate.)

I can only hope that he goes into a recovery program for his Blair Derangement Syndrome before he writes again.

Robert Harris' novels have always been well-written, well-researched and very exciting. But this one isn't. The story is implausible, the charcters wooden, and every scene is cliched. I have read all his other books and they have been superb, I can only hope that this one is a glitch, and that subsequent books will be back to his usual standard.

A ghostwriter, and narrator of this novel, is called on to write the memoirs of recent retired British Prime Minister, Adam Lang. However, he soon finds that the previous ghostwriter, who was in the process of writing Lang's memoirs, died in mysterious circumstances. To make matters even more complicated, while the ghostwriter is visiting the Langs in Martha's Vineyard, New England, to discuss the book, he (Lang) is accused of war crimes, by the International Court of Justice.

I found this novel an enjoyable read. It is pretty obvious from the start, who Adam Lang, and his wife, Ruth are based on. This made the storyline that much more interesting, and there are few moments that nearly had me laughing out loud.

There is, also, good plot to go along with the humourous bits, as the ghostwriter digs deeper into both Lang's background, and the previous ghostwriter's strange death. I found this book both thought provoking and a page turner.

Good vacation reading but not quite as rivetting as I'd expected. I was more than half way into it before the plot really began to be interesting. A good bundle of plot twists towards the end but I don't find that Robert Harris is able to hold the reader's interest as much as Lee Child, for example. I think Mr Harris should stick to the historical novel genre, where period detail helps make up for flat spots in the plot.

The book was a quick and easy read. I needed a break from the serial killer genre and the 450+ page filler novels that seem all too prevalent today, and this book was a pleasant change. If you can stay away from making too many political inferences, you can enjoy the story for its own merit. Good pace, and the descriptive settings put you right there with the characters that Harris develops. A nice "surprise" ending ties everything together. Overall, I found it to be a crisp read, and a good way to spend a rainy afternoon.

This is a useful tool for beginning work of journeying. This is a skill I already possess, but the details are good to remember. It is through and directional without being dogmatic. If you are wanting to learn how to begin practicing the ancient spiritual practice of journeying for your own enlightenment, this is good. It will not tell you how to become a shaman, as that takes years of study and one must have a teacher. This practice will lay the foundation and let you begin to see what is possible for yourself, and then, perhaps, you will or will not want to seek further training.

and what i mean by that is: if you are unfamiliar with shamanism or know it only from a technical, readerly aspect, this would certainly be a good choice. if you already have her SEEING IN THE DARK cassettes, there will be some repetition. and then if you have some of her books, again, it will be info you are familiar with. this CD though does have a 12-minute drumming track...of course, you may rather get a drumming-only cd or tape from harner or martin duffy (ireland) and then get sandra's cassettes. so, that's the deal. fish around. but for the price amazon has this, it is a worthy gift for someone you think would get something from this practice. another thing is sandra's voice. it is earthy, natural and calming but in a grounding, not flighty way. and her drumming/rattling is nice. it works. ok, one other thing. other fine scholar-practitioners of cultural (and not "core") shamanism like christian ratsch (Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas) believe that this fundamentally recent wave of Core journeying is NOT effective. he is not too fond of harner and co. but i think what sandra is offering IS genuine...and she obviously HAS the gift...but many perhaps DO need entheogenic propulsion in addition to drumming etc. to each his own. some of us can function in both of those dynamics. i think too many shy away from the psychoactively charged realms...and TOO MANY spend too much time and rely on peyote/DMT/nutmeg/etc too much. so there. find YOUR balance. all said, this is a fine CD and intro. like it says, this IS "The Beginner's Guide"...

I was highly impressed with insights and suggestions on this recording. One can put only so much information on one CD and for what you can learn and experience as a newcomer to Shamanic journeying in a little bit more than ONE HOUR, I have found this CD awesome.

I particularly liked suggestions relating how to ask good questions and set an intent for a journey. One particular suggestion would apply to any form of divination.

For example, if you ask your spirit helper (power animal, etc.) "Should I marry so and so?", the spirit helper may say "Sure, go ahead". Then when you get married to that person, you find out that the marriage was a complete disaster and start to wonder about the effectiveness of Shamanic journeying.

Sandra points out that spirit helpers view everything as a "learning experience", so the most appropriate question would be "What will I learn if I marry so and so?" The answer may be "betrayal" and you may decide that you don't really care much to learn about betrayal, to which your spirit helper answers, "OK, then, don't marry that person".

The quality of the questions we ask greatly influences the quality of helpful information we get.

This CD has contains about one hour of information consisting of introduction to shamanic journeying and a lot of good key points for successful journeying and then about 10 minutes or drumming and rattling for the actual journeying experience. I think it is a wonderful gift for someone who wants to get a taste of shamanic journeying.

great cd-I liked that it broke up the chapters and left the journey track at the end. the information is very easy to understand. I really like Sandra Ingermans work. She gives you all the info you need to start taking journey's with confidence. the journey drumming is great. In fantasy I wish the drumming track could have been an hour long. but for beginning it is fine. I would recommend the cd to any one wanting to learn about Shamanism.

This cd is simply fantastic! The instructions are easy to follow! Everyone can benefit from listening to this soothing cd - you do not need to be a type A stressball before ordering it. The results are immediate and are significant!

I had the opportunity to listen to this CD for an opinion while it was still in the process of completion.

I really didn't think that any relaxation CD will have an immidiate effect on me. But to my surprise the method and the soothing voice of the narrator proved otherwise.

After about 30 minutes of following the instructions I felt so light and stress free finding myself crying of joy and relaxation.

I shared my expetional experience with friends and to this day I can not believe that this relaxation method worked so amazingly for me getting rid of my stress.

It seems that most people I know are suffering from some form of stress related medical problem and I am not an exception. I found this relaxation CD extremely well done and therapeutic. The segments of this CD - breathing exercises, progressive relaxation, visualization, coping induction and walking relaxation on one CD - make a valuable set of choices. Voices of the facilitator (s) are soothing and not distracting. I highly recommend this CD. I would be willing to give this CD as a gift to people I care about. Nazila Evans, DNS, RN

The book is an easy read. The quick chapters make it easy to follow. Pretty standard stuff, nothing that sets this book apart from many others. My only concern was the use of a Christian to take the role of the current Iranian President to bring about the "end of the world" by attacking/destroying either Israel or Iran. Author obviously has some personal religious issues that he uses this novel to display. Unfortunate that once again the media, in this case, this book, are used to disparage religious beliefs. Sure there are zealots on both sides. But to make it the main focus of a book. Personally, I was offended.

Lefties will love this book. The main hero character is a Peace Corps type who represents everything good in the world. Along with a (wouldn't you know) Swiss police official who is also good and of high moral values, try to thwart the villains who are of course nutballs that head the CIA and the evil of all evils, the head of military intelligence. Reich also drags Christian Religion into the mix as of course part of one of the villain's mental make up. If you are like me and tired of liberals portraying America in a bad light then don't bother with this book.

I will first comment on the book's entertainment value and then on some aspects of the plot bearing on a serious, imminent national-security issue. If revelation of plot details will cause you distress, do not read any further.

I liked Reich's debut novel, `Numbered Account', and since then have enjoyed every one of his books. The present title is easily the most memorable. In its genre I think it far surpasses anything that, say, Ludlum ever did. There are some good unexpected plot twists. I found the characters and dialogue to be for the most part plausible and engaging. Note the impressive array of authors willing to be quoted by name on the dust jacket - unusual for a book of this nature.

I just have one problem. In the book, one of the evil conspiracies (there are several) has to do with provoking Israel to attack Iran in order to destroy its nuclear capabilities. Now it just so happens that, in reality, an actual conspiracy may be underway this very minute to accomplish that very same end - an attack on Iran -- in the not too distant future. The problem is that while Reich makes ingenious use of the very real tensions with Iran in the real world, readers not familiar with the Middle East may come away confused about what is happening between Iran, Israel, and the United States. As a novelist Reich is of course free to a certain extent to distort history or current events in order to entertain us. The problem is that entertainment does not always bring enlightenment, though sometimes does bring its opposite. Notwithstanding that the book is obvious fiction, and not intended as political commentary, many readers may wind up misled concerning the very serious issue of attacking Iran. Right here, right now, any confusion about the reasoning behind such an attack, or who exactly is pushing for it, is not a good thing. Let me explain.

In the book the two major conspirators are the head of CIA operations, Lafever, and the head of the intelligence arm of the Pentagon, Austen. They are operating against each other. Austen is an extreme Christian Zionist, a believer in `end times' whose goal is to cause `Armageddon' to occur, by fixing things so that Israel attacks Iran and Iran then reacts by launching a nuclear attack on Israel, to which the US will respond by destroying the entire Middle East (well, except for Jerusalem). The character of Austen was clearly inspired by the real-life individual William G. "Jerry" Boykin, a retired Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence in the Pentagon, a born-again Christian who has cast the "war on terror" in apocalyptic terms. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_G._Boykin)

How will Israel be induced to attack Iran? By (1) the US covertly providing Iran with the materials for production of enriched uranium required to build nuclear weapons; (2) making sure the Israelis find out; (3) arranging for the destruction of an EL-AL plane as it lands in Zurich, to give Israel the immediate provocation it would need to launch the attack; (4) providing Iran with cruise missiles capable of long-range delivery of their brand-new warheads, to be used to counter-attack Israel; and finally (5) keeping Israel ignorant of the fact that Iran could actually counter-attack.

Apparently unbeknownst to the Pentagon, Lafever and the CIA are aware of the conspiracy. Lafever acts to stop it, but only up to a point. He sends someone to kill the chief conspirators, but plans to allow the Israeli airliner to be shot down, to ensure that the Pentagon looks bad once they are `caught in the act' by the CIA, who will then win their political battle for the President's favor.

So there are two groups of bad guys and they are both agents of the United States. In the plot of `Rules of Deception', although Austen and Lafever are clearly intended to be seen for what they are - evil rogues - at least it cannot be said that America is failing to make its power felt around the world.

Israel on the other hand, as portrayed in the `Rules of Deception', is just caught in the middle, a passive agent, hardly any sort of conspirator, but rather the victim of conspirators. There are several scenes depicting meetings among the major Israeli actors including the prime minister and the head of Mossad, as they discuss how to deal with the discovery that Iran is on the verge of having nuclear weapons. I.e., whether and how to attack Iran. The author's depiction of these discussions clearly intends to be sympathetic, and it is noteworthy that there are no such scenes portraying the counterpart Iranian discussions or the American ones either, for that matter. Ironically, some of the Israeli dialogue is embarrassingly stupid, e.g., with the head of Mossad having to ask his subordinate what `dual-use goods' means (p. 152).

Iran also is portrayed as a victim, in part, insofar as it is manipulated by the American conspirators. However, Reich wants to have it both ways. He has the Israelis present their view that Iran is led by a madman who wishes to destroy Israel: "The president of Iran is a believer in the apocalyptic end times as stated in the Koran. He sees it as his personal mission to hasten the return of the twelfth Imam, known as the Mahdi.... It's written that his return will be preceded by a confrontation between the forces of good and evil that will see a period of prolonged warfare.... First, though, he has to destroy Israel." (p. 153) Ironically, just like Austen the Pentagon conspirator, the president of Iran - Ahmadinejad (unnamed in the book) - is apparently a crazy apocalypticist.

It seems that Reich is strongly sympathetic to this claim, pushed in the real world by Israel and its U.S. supporters, which seeks to justify an attack by the notion that, should Iran ever come to possess nuclear weapons, it would use them to - quoting Ahmadinejad -- "wipe Israel off the map". While much of the background plot in `Rules of Deception' is outlandish, here is one element which intersects with reality. To be sure, if Israel ever does attack Iran, it will not be because it was tricked into doing so by rogue elements within the United States. Rather the opposite. It will be because Israel refuses to tolerate Iranian possession of nuclear weapons, and because it succeeded in pressuring the United States into supporting an attack, via the argument that Iran is not a `rational actor'.

It is indisputable that Israel will not tolerate any Middle Eastern nation having nuclear weapons -- aside from itself of course, for which it is willing to make an exception. But here is one thing that is very much in dispute: are the Iranian leaders really crazy apocalypticists, and did Ahmadinejad really say he wanted to "wipe Israel off the map"? No to both, in my opinion, although I cannot justify it here. On the former, read Scott Ritter's `Target Iran' and decide for yourself. Ritter states: `Iran's threats to Israel today are purely rhetorical. Iran poses no direct threat to Israeli security that warrants any form of preemptive military action, especially when it comes to Iran's nuclear program'. (p. 207) On what Ahmadinejad did or did not say about `wipe Israel off the map', google away and be happy.

It is also indisputable that Israel has been pressuring the United States to attack Iran or else help Israel do so. See Ritter again, chapter one, `A Crisis Made in Israel'.

The sad fact is that, as I am writing this 30 days before the presidential election, an attack against Iran is a real possibility. Israel has been clamoring for it, and the Israeli lobby, in the widest sense of that term, has been actively promoting it within the U.S. government and media. The timing right now may be critical, because with Obama poised to win the election, the Israelis must feel that they will lose the opportunity unless they act soon. It is certain that no such attack can occur without the collusion and foreknowledge of the United States. But is the current Bush regime willing to go along? So far, the answer seems to be No. The grownups in the administration seem to recognize that, given the quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran's non-negligible military strength, and the certainty that oil prices would soar unimaginably higher, an attack on Iran would be a monumental folly. And now with the financial-system meltdown underway, it seems impossible to imagine any scenario where the United States accedes to Israel's wishes to attack Iran. Let us pray that this analysis is correct.

I hadn't read a Christopher Reich novel in a while and this one quickly reminded me as to what an entertaining and accomplished writer he is. The story quickly drags you inside the covers of the book and keeps things churning as Jonathan Ransom is drawn deeper and deeper into a mystery that was not of his making.

Things are seldom what they seem in this story of intrigue and mystery and sorting out the threats and the realities is as challenging to the reader as it is to him.

You will have a difficult time putting this one down. The Rules of Deception is a keeper.

Jonathan Ransom is devastated when his wife Emma is killed in an accident while they are climbing in the Swiss Alps. He has little time to mourn however, because shortly after her death he receives a mysterious package in the mail which was intended for his wife. Along with Emma's best friend Simone, he attempts to trace the origin and the meaning of the package. In the process he becomes embroiled in an international conspiracy, and in his pursuit of answers he becomes a suspect.

Though this story has a lot of potential, in some ways it is poorly executed. The pacing is inconsistent. The first half of the book contains lengthy chapters that each feature a different set of characters. I found myself confused about who everyone was and what they had to do with anything. At the halfway point of the book. Reich abruptly shifts to Patterson-style chapters of a few pages in length. Also, the plot twists get more outrageous; if not for Reich's fine writing (which is considerably elevated above others in the spy genre) some would have been laughable.

Also, there are some loose ends that never get tied up. For example, the book opens with a butterfly fluttering around what may be a nuclear test site. There are descriptions of shady butterfly-pin-wearing men whose motives are not understood. Even the cover art features a butterfly. After the first couple of pages the author's interest in butterflies apparently becomes extinct, and after finishing the book I still was not clear about what was up with the butterflies.

Usually movie adaptations of books are disappointing, but this book could make a movie that is better than its source material. The characters of Ransom and Simone are likable, and the action scenes which take place across the globe would play well on the big screen. Hopefully whoever does the screen adaptation can fix some of Reich's mistakes.

this tape is really good it will show you how to tap into spirit,also loads tips to protect,very helpful together with another book
[the calling of your true self]both these mediums, are so helpful in these books and tapes,both enlightened mediums which will teach you a lot, and also make you think, buy these, and you will, believe me change your outlook

I had high hopes for these tapes. I am very pleased to say that I am not disappointed. John Edwards provides fantastic excerises. I have noticed a huge increase in activity since starting these meditations.

I am also very pleased with the laid back nature Mr. Edwards takes with his discussions. His humor and realistic approaches to meditations give you a different insight. Anyone looking to unlock their own abilities should give these tapes a try.

If you think you're going to become a psychic because of this CD, forget it. John even tells you that you won't. There's a lengthy very strange meditation on it to "hopefully" unleash your psychic potential but I found it bizarre. Just meditate and pray your favorite prayers and if you're more psychic than others, you may increase your awareness. At the very least, you'll relax. No need to travel to a place that holds your third eye, and some other things (as in the meditation). Love John. Disliked this CD.

I found this CD to be very helpful. John gives lots of background information about meditation, angels and spirit guides, what to do and what not to worry about. He takes you step-by-step through several different meditations, 1 at a beginners level and 1 at an advanced level. I use it often and find it very relaxing.

This is good stuff. John talks fast but clear and crams a
a lot of information into these two discs. But, these two
discs are also included in the Developing your own Psychic
Powers 6 disc set. No need to buy both.

This is an exciting mix of the modern world with an ancient and other-world battle of good versus evil. The six members of the "circle" were a different combination, yet they all fit together quite well. As these characters moved through time and worlds, the author used the characters' strengths and weaknesses to perfection in their own personal battles as well as in the battle of mankind.

My eight year old daughter loves these stories and has collected the whole set. She is now quite an authority on Greek legends and listening to them has increased her vocabulary enormously. They are well presented and very entertaining. Great for a long journey.

I bought the Tales of the Greek Legends for my children when they were only 5 and 7. They are now 14 and 16 and they still love these stories. I highly recommend this version of the Greek Myths.

Kinsey Milhone could be a relative. The Alphabet Murder series is outstanding. I have read and heard them all. Never been disappointed.

Amazon is great, easy ordering, quick turnaround, and great merchandise. What more can you ask for?
As for the quality of this particular item I cannot give first hand. I bought it as a gift, but I have heard NO complaints. The packaging was impeccable and money value great. I am sure it is of the same high quality as all the things I purchase form Amazon or it's convenient marketplace. Thumbs up from this happy shopper.

I drive 35-45 minutes each way to work. The news is too depressing. I found these mysteries to be an enjoyable diversion. Not too deep, but good mysteries. Following a single character through three mysteries makes her a friend on my otherwise lonely drives. I have now gone through 9 such mysteries. Enjoy!