Biography Books

This book helps see into the confused world of mental illness like no other. Wonderful & hopeful!

This is a book that not only educates but provides the reader with a new compassion for those who deal with mental illness. Ms. Schiller presents a very complete picture of the sufferings of the mentally ill. From her writing, I gained a new perspective- including greater compassion- for those who are victims of this awful illness. I have only the highest praise for her honesty, her insight and her struggle. She is to be highly commended. A definite read.

Primarily Lori Schiller and Amanda Bennett, but also Lori's family, Dr. Doller et al did an excellent work to open the window to the rest of us, socially acepted as "sane", to have a view into the mechanics of an actually "crazy" mind. I hadn't read a book like that for a long time, not a single sentence in this book is fluff! There is also an excellent movie in this book
~
Lori, sweetheart, you are brave!!! Not only for fighting your sickness to a manageable state yourself, but also for being bravely honest to narrate your inner world despite "the voices"
~
My son, also in his teens, started acting very weird and I thought he was just a spoiled brat, till my wife pointed out to me the obvious; "he wasn't OK" and he started to talk about "voices" and very similar things.
~
I didn't really know what to do (he came from overseas to live with me, so I basically didn't know him). I fell like I had gone to a foreign country and would see signs I could not really comprehend. Lori helped me understand things better. I found clear answers to some very concrete questions I had myself about clinical craze
~
Thank you Lori Schiller
~

This is a unique and beautiful book. Any person with interests in Psychiatry or Mental Health issues must read it. It's the first time I experienced what a schizophrenic felt first hand. A must-read!

Schiller writes grippingly and insightfully of her experience of schizophrenia including the "cold wet packs" of ice water soaked sheets used to restrain and calm her psychotic outbursts and her times in hospital "quiet rooms". The writing style is journalistic and factual when dealing with intense emotions and experiences. She is wonderfully descriptive in explaining the reality of her delusions and hallucinations, the experiences of pychotherapy, suicide attempts, cocaine use, psychiatric hospitals and half way houses. Eventually clozaril helped (with psychotherapy) to bring her back from the abyss of severely disabling schizophrenia. Her full diagnosis is "schizoaffective" disorder as her illness includes a bipolar disorder component. The accounts by Schiller, her family members, doctors and friends lend insight to the course of her disease especially as experienced by her family. I was particularly struck by her parents' progress from denial and resentment of both her diagnosis and her doctors to growing insight into schizophrenia and eventual recognition of the illness in their family history. While the multiple accounts make the narrative more difficult to follow they also add greatly to the story. Highly recommended!

As usual Shirley involves her efforts into the mysterious universe and its exciting ramifications, whether in the body or the heavens. She has done an exhausting and in depth job of researching matters that concern all of us as to outer space alien co-existence. The first part of the book explores the universe of the body and its needs. The second part of the book explores the possibility of the presence of beings from other solar systems that have been visiting us for many years or maybe milleniums. Her research into government cover ups on this issue makes for fascinating reading.

The book's subject matter has been pretty well covered by others. You either choose to believe Shirley or not (about the spiritual/ET, etc.)

I think she holds back a lot of what she has either experienced or is aware of. I've heard it expressed that she is very well connected in who she knows. I hope she has more books forthcoming as I am waiting for her to really rip loose.

She's a good writer and knows how to do page turners. I confess that while her movie/TV career may be of prime interest to some, it's the other aspects of her life and what she knows in that arena is why I read her books.

She has an interesting website for those who haven't noticed it yet.

Do not remember who was known for this comment, but "Being Happy is a woman's best cosmetic". Take a look at Shirley! Hope this has finally, at long last- made her critics take a step toward realizing she is not "out to lunch". A brave look at the place we live. Bravo Shirley

shirley mclaine writes another book about her life, interesting first half, second half full of aliens, if thats your cup of tea, by all means, buy it.

This is yet another wonderful book from an inspiration to us all. I also loved the video Out on a Limb and hope that they put it on a DVD soon.

I ordered two of these to share with my children. I have given another one as a gift. If you like history and have a desire to learn more about the Christian faith and the early church, I encourage you to read this book. I plan to read all of Chuck Swindoll's books in the Great Lives series.

The insight into the life of Jesus in this book is amazing. You can tell that Mr. Swindoll was writing with the blessing of God. I highly reccommend it and can't wait to read others in the series.

I read this book shortly before going into the Peace Corps in 2006 and with a curosity that, as I saw the book on numerous bookshelves all over the world, seemed to always be present. For "Che haters" you'll hear many comments usually with the word "communist" included. The fact is he was anything but a communist. For those more enlightened, he represents an idealism and theory as put forth in "A Theory of Justice" by John Rawls. Anderson does well to document the hatred Che had for capitalism and the destruction it brought to the people of Central and South America. Anderson documents with clarity and compassion the man Che sought to be and the intellect he brought to his efforts to improve the life's of people all over the world through his vision of what it meant to be "a citizen of the world". Unfortunately uppper middle class and elite power structure, El Che was destined to failure and execution. Anderson goes into great detail the events subsequent to the conference Che, along with Castro and Kruschev, in Algiers when Che broke ranks with the communist ideology once and for all. Unfortunately his comments and actions were more or less the deciding events that determined his eventual fate. If you're interested reading a book that dispels many of the myths of the man, allows you to understand clearly where he was coming from as a revolutionary and what he hoped to accomplish, take some time and read this carefully.

i didn't read this because i have an affinity for or dislike of che. i just don't care one way or another. i'm the kind of person that he said he despised. i read this to fill in some historical gaps. it's the kind of history book that i love reading i.e. extremely long on primary (first hand) source material and short on author subjectivity; as verifiable as possible and without agenda.

the largest factor in the success of the Cuban revolution was that it was lead by the two most dangerous types of individual in the world; those being the brilliant totally unprincipled power-hungry charismatic politician (Fidel), and the brilliant charismatic radical idealist revolutionary (che). together they effected a quantum synergy that ultimately endangered the entire world. when Khrushchev withdrew the nuclear missles ...

"In an interview with Che a few weeks after the crisis, Sam Russell, a British correspondent for the socialist Daily Worker, found Guevara still fuming over the Soviet betrayal. Alternately puffing a cigar and taking blasts on his asthma inhaler, Guevara told Russell that if the missiles had been under Cuban control, they would have fired them off." page 545.

this is a great history book.

i love revolutionary people. with out them we would still be slaves. with out revolutionaries like malcom x or
martin l.king we might not have civil rights. this book will take you from before che was born all the way past his death covering every thing. this book is huge. it covers everything and includes a lot of great photos. i see a lot of people wearing his t-shirt in san diego but the people dont know who he is so thats what made me buy the book. he was a communist and nothing wrong with that. its just a form of gov. that he lived under and was his choice. just like americans.democracy is a form of gov. we live under and is our choice. do you hate poor communist who live on the streets? i dont. what about a person living under democracy who is poor living
on the streets. do you hate that person? no its silly. just because the governments dont like one another dont meant the people have to follow. so what im saying is whether che is communist or not i love him for what he fought for. many people stood up against america for its wrongs. so why not che guevara. america is wicked and is destructive world wide and he was there to try and stop etc. get the book its great.ALSO CHE BELIEVED IN THE BLACK CHRIST. SEE NOT ALL OF THE WORLD LOOKS AT JESUS AS A WHITE PERSON. IN SOUTH AMERICA WHERE HE IS FROM MOST PLACES LIKE GUATEMALA BELIEVE IN THE BLACK CHRIST AS HE DID AND I
THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING.

One of my favorite books. Doesn't fall prey to the halos of the commie left OR the devilhorns of the gusano right.

For detailed insight on the dynamics of the Cuban Revolution, the historical context, the complexity of events on an international scale, and Fidel Castro's strategic and political wizardry, look no further. This book is by far the best.

However, in depicting Che's "world" so brilliantly, and by dedicating a third of the book to his youth before the Cuban revolution, Anderson has had to forsake many details and, sadly, some intimacy. "The enormous gesture that was [Che's] life" (to quote the famous song) remains an... incomprehensible gesture. For that extra touch of colour and a more intimate portrait, I would recommend Paco Ignacio Taibo's "Ernesto Guevara, also Known as Che" (published in the same year). Not only does Taibo focus on Che the revolutionary, but also writes, essentially, through his protagonist's own writing. To quote Taibo, "Che's own words... There is no way to approximate that narrative tone, that incredible sincerity, and that caustic sense of humour."

Whilst Anderson dedicates many pages to Ernesto Guevara's fascinating youth, Taibo quickly gets to the Cuban Revolution. Every phase of Che Guevara's life as a revolutionary, including his two ill-fated ventures abroad, is covered in greater depth. Taibo's biography undoubtedly lacks the "scoops" contained in Anderson's book, as well as the vividly-described (and vital!) context; however, it is less "macho", and it offers a more profound portrayal of Che Guevara the man and thinker.

One criticism I have regarding Anderson's book is that he opportunistically picks positive and negative points here and there in the name of "objectivity" (perhaps to make the book conveniently palatable to a wider - read "larger" - audience). In his selective choice of anecdotes he comes across as rather self-conscious and calculating. Conversely, Taibo (like Castaneda in "Companero", another well-known Che biography) writes more spontaneously: his objectivity is not contrived, and he is more interested in understanding Che Guevara, defects and all. But Taibo's book is by no means naïve or sentimental: he endeavours to portray Che Guevara as he would have been seen back then, rather than with today's condescending hindsight (which is what Anderson does).

Another criticism is that oddly, in Anderson's book, there seems to be an entire chunk missing on how the Cuban Missile crisis came about. Was it accidentally erased? And one passage bothered me; "Who was to blame for the shortages? The US trade embargo? The revolution's radicalization that caused the exodus of technicians and managers from the island? The incompetence of the revolution's leaders in attempting to convert a capitalist economy into a socialist one? Yes, all of these were contributing factors". Anderson, who otherwise dedicates so much time to the most intricate details, for some reason does not elaborate on this monumental statement.

Last but not least, the book has been poorly proofread. Spelling and syntax errors abound, some names are misspelled, and, in the final chapter, "Bolivia" has been mixed up with "Algeria". Given the high standard of writing, this is a terrible shame.

To conclude, both biographies are excellent, but only if both books are read. Without one another, they are flawed. Although the crucial details are similar, the authors' perspectives couldn't be more different. For this reason the books beautifully complement each other. Clearly, the many positive reviews for Anderson's book are based on the assumption that readers make that the autor has written "everything there is to know" about Che Guevara. This is not true of (and not possible in) any biography.

[For those interested in reading more, aside from Taibo's book, I would recommend Che Guevara's incredible Bolivian Diary. Castaneda's biography, "Companero" is wonderful: the author is an eminent historian and he provides a masterful analysis. The only pity is that it is less reader-friendly and should be read with some previous knowledge. The much-awaited "Evocacion" by Che's widow Aleida March has just been released (yet to be published in English) and I would recommend this mainly for the poignant farewell poem that Che wrote to her shortly before he died (I am sure his biographers would have loved to get their hands on this). A short but moving account written by Che - "La Piedra" (about his mother's death) - is now freely available on the internet.]

I found this book very interesting. I think the questions the author asks are important--especially in regard to the unquestioned fantasies so many people hold of a tyrannical father-god. I'm sorry to read other reviews in which the author is so severely castigated, simply for expressing his own experience and view.

you know those moments in life that are frustratingly awful but then you can laugh when you look back on them? This is Foreskins Lament. Auslander has the ability to look back and see the humour and how great to share it with us.

The curcumcision Dillema is at the beginging and end of this book, and I feel it is more of a construct to make the book into a package and not the heart and story of the book.

I do not know how it is interpreted by those who are far from this story in real life. For me, having gone to a yeshiva, I really sympathized and related and laughed out loud.

I would love to see or hear Ausalnder on a panel togheter with the author of Living the Bible. What a panel that would be!

...and indeed, he keeps you guessing. Well-written, heartbreaking. So amazing how he gets the reader to sympathize with his abusive father. I just have one critique, which is why I gave it four stars: How could someone raised ultra-Orthodox not know that a medical circumcision is "not kosher"? He participated in Blessing Bees, he can recite all 40 of the Forbidden Sabbath Activities, yet he doesn't realize that a circumcision is a ritual, complete with a *mohel* and blessings? C'mon...Sounds like selective amnesia to me, although who could blame him?

Auslander is incredibly funny in his "memoir". I originally came across him in a GQ article and had to read his other material. He provided some great points about God and "theological Abuse" in this book. His negative & nonstop thoughts are both hilarious and very universal. He is in constant fear of an angry God and his idiotic rambles and stupid stunts are only fodder for a great story.

I wanted to like this book. I heard an interview in which Auslander read the first page or so, and thought it sounded really funny. As someone that grew up in what was, at times, an overbearing religious environment and a semi-dysfunctional home, I was sure I could understand, and laugh along with him.

But my, oh my, Auslander is angry. Very, very angry. And more so than the humor, this is what permeated this book for me. In many places, it completely washed out the humor.

Don't get me wrong, he's a funny man and knows how to turn a phrase for comic effect. There were moments I really, really enjoyed, and even one or two that made me laugh out loud. (Who names their kid peace?)

But I guess I was expecting something more like David Sedaris -- a man who really knows how to make the most of a screwed up and depressing situation.

Foreskin's Lament just left me uncomfortable, and possibly worried about Shalom's blood pressure. You just can't hang on to anger like that, can you?

This book wasn't what I expected from the title -- it was more about Esme educating the school and administrators than about her getting "broken in." All the same, I loved her creativity and enthusiasm, and the way she shared her shortcomings as well as her successes made the book even more inspiring.

The book was short, concise, easy to read, and fun. It should be required reading for all teachers and parents. Esme Codell is the teacher you wish your kids would have.

Excellent Book! I read it all in one sitting. I enjoyed it so much I bought a copy for my sister. Good advice and it will have you laughing aloud.

"Educating Esme" is a great book for any new or perspective teacher. She uses humor to demonstrate the struggles of a first year teacher, and yet the book isn't entirely about those struggles. It also includes some cute anecdotes about the little things that make you want to be a teacher and some great classroom ideas! This book is a great read if you want to be inspired as a teacher!

This book is a great book for anyone looking at the teaching profession. I used it in an education introduction class and it is very insightful as well as just a great read. This is a real life personal experience in the first year of teaching for Esme, and shows the good and the bad of teaching as well as effective and ineffective teaching strategies. Great for education, thought, or just enjoyment!

Things have fallen to a very low level indeed when the best an institution has going for it is a single star. Think of a ballet company, a baseball team, or even a corporation. What would it be like if only of person in the group was doing a good job? This is the premise of Esme's memoir. "Look at me! I'm edumacating 'em!" Mind you, this has been a trend in American education now for some thirty years. These earnest Antioch College types with zebra leotards and high-top tennis shoes want to dance on their desks. It's the Robin Williams to-the-rescue syndrome. Meanwhile the schools fall apart: there is no discipline, no curriculum, no learning. Ms Esme's is a name-caller, whose deepest insight is that her principal is "homophobic." Of course. But she'll straighten them all out with her philosophy of inclusion and her love of diversity. The career teachers are dismissed by these walk-through reformers as standing in the way of change, with the result that most inner-schools are revolving doors of "burned-out" do-gooders who take Fridays off to recharge their batteries. After two years they hit the road and tell everyone they miss the kids. How long can a society survive such an assault?

I read this trite bit of pseudo lit in less than thirty minutes and came away feeling as if I had just survived a poor attempt at being brainwashed. G. Robert James has managed to fill a hundred or so pages with un-detailed, un-supported and un-ending streams of partisan cheerleading masked as a biography. This is nothing more than propaganda in hard cover and I, for one, ain't drinking the kool-aid. This "book" (for lack of a better term) provides absolutely no new information and seems to be culled from items picked up from the Alaskan governor's own press department. The writer of this tripe offers no critical insight and presents absolutley no substantial data on Mrs. Palin (just what are the exact names of the colleges she attended? What was her G.P.A.? What people specifically inspired her while growing up? How does she define the separation of church and state? Why does she believe Capitalism is a better form of economic organization than Communism?) If I wanted to injest pablum, I'd read one of those glossies at the supermarket checkout counter!

Finally, a book that comes out and gives us the personal story about Sarah Palin and puts her story in the context of this election. At last, I can hear the truth behind the rhetoric that the biased media throws our way on a daily basis. This book is jammed pack with heartfelt stories about the woman behind the political candidacy as well as documented information behind the landslide of partial truths being served up at a rapid pace.

G. Robert James has done a fantastic job at personalizing this amazing, courageous woman. Before reading his book, I was intrigued by Sarah Palin but now I am in awe of her. If you want to finally read the facts and not just the blitz of negativity the left-wing continues to spew, buy this book. You won't regret it! It is short and to the point. You can read it in 30 minutes or less. And what is 30 minutes to learn the truth about a viable candidate in inarguably the most important election this nation has ever faced.

Although this small book is not a biography in the normal sense of the word it does give the reader a quick overview of Governor Palin and the impact she is having on the 2008 Presidential election. It highlights her political accomplishments in Alaska and explores her personal and political history. I believe it is an attempt by the author to help the reader to understand the sociological factors that shaped Palin's personality and her political philosophy. I found it to be a quick, interesting and informative read. I highly recommend this book as a way toward acquiring a more balanced insight into this amazing woman.

Lin-Liu's style of writing is so easy and inviting. I hope she writes more about travel in China and does a cookbook from her school.

Wow. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I'm absolutely blown away and agree with a previous reviewer that it was hard to put this book down; there were several times when people on the train looked at me while I cackled or exclaimed aloud at what I was reading. Jen Lin-Liu is amazingly straightforward and puts it all out there - some shockers in here! She makes no excuses about her experiences or her own thoughts/actions and poses some interesting, thought-provoking questions.

Her journey is clearly beyond geographic - it's a mix of culinary, cultural, and personal growth. Her description of the different cuisine and her relentless pursuit of their origins translates into her quest for her own identity. The food she discovers and describes had my mouth watering! As a Chinese-American, I find she's hit the nail on the head on many of the personal issues I've worked through as well. It was refreshing (and comforting) to see her journey and they way she went through self-discovery.

I totally want to go enroll in her cooking school myself! And who is this mysterious Craig who has stolen away her heart?! Congratulations to you both and I hope to see more from Jen Lin-Liu!

This book will be enjoyed by anyone who likes to eat. It's a must for anyone who likes to cook, and an absolute must for anyone who wants to enhance the insight gained by reading travel guides before (or after) traveling to China.
The author's writing style places her sitting in your living room, telling you about her adventures!
Gotta run, I've got more Chinese food cooking to try!

Satisfying book that is as much about Beijing as cooking; it captures a sort of mix of optimism and sadness that is contemporary Beijing, through Lin-Liu's writing you really see the city as it is today; especially vibrant if you've lived here for any time.

Jen runs a small cooking school in Beijing where you can learn to cook some of these recipes.

The characters, especially Chairman Wang, grow on you; I also liked the brief appearance of Allison Moore.

Once I starting reading this book, I couldn't put it down. It is the story about a Chinese-American who goes to China on a Fulbright scholarship as part of her journalism career and ends up riding her bike down a narrow street to take cooking classes. The story (both humorous and touching) is told through her quest to learn about authentic Chinese cuisine both past and present, home cooking and high end restaurants. One of the many compelling things about the book are the Chinese people we are privileged to meet. It is a very personal portrait of Chinese people of all ages and classes. One memorable moment is when Chairman Wang finally tells about the Cultural Revolution and how it affected her and the people around her. It is heartbreaking to hear about it, but amazing to see how the Chinese people survived and continued their lives. And of course there are the mouth watering recipes peppered through out the book -- favorite recipes from people the author meets along the way -- Beijing-Style Noodles, "The Best" Mapo Tofu, Tea-Infused Eggs, Smashed Cucumbers, Drunken Chicken, Lamb-and-Pumpkin Dumpling Filling -- the list goes on and on. The recipes are why I bought the book, but got so much more. This is a book that I will keep, cherish and use as a cookbook forever.

Have only read a small amount so far, but already would rate it very good and something all americans should read.

It's a shame that the public has to dig for the truth rather than rely on the press to be honest, but that's the situation. If you really want to know what was going on rather than buy into the juvenile theory that this was somehow all about W's oil buddies, this is a great start.

This is an important book that every American should read. Gen Sada is an amazing man, an eye-witness in Saddam's regime who lived to tell about it and claims to have actually seen WMD with his own eyes. Fascinating!

I enjoyed the information in the book. Poorly written but never the less informative

Finally, the inside scoop! Questions of WMD answered! Why isn't this information made more readily available to the American People? This is a story of one man's faith and honesty in the worst of situations! You want to know the truth? Read this book!!

The writer keeps you captivated. She exposes her sex life and that of her parent.

This book was fascinating. It conformed with many of my own observations of behavior and activities of staff and lay-persons in Malibu and Montana during the 'shelter cycle'. I'm still wondering about some of the reasons for staff and lay behavior during the decline period, between 1992 through 1998, and would have liked to see more about that period, as well. (In particular, I have questions about the 'Karmic Readings' in public -- I avoided them.) That is probably a subject that needs to be presented by a different author, as Erin was not actively involved at that time. I had the interesting task of working for the Summit Beacon International book distributorship as the Accounts Receivable collections agent in 1996-97, where I was accidentally recognized as 'Staff' for a period of time.... (but there are no accidents with the Masters, right?). I know a fellow that was acting as a nanny for Mother's youngest son during her declining period, between 1997-1999. He wouldn't say much about the situation with Mrs. Prophet during this period, but it didn't sound like it was a very pleasant experience.

I wonder why the detractors to this book say that it is salacious? The information sounded pretty accurate to me, entirely within the range of standard human behavior and a reflection of what many families and couples experienced in relationship to the organizational tenants and discipline(s). Both my husband and I went through three levels of Summit University training, were involved in the "Helmet of Salvation" shelter [with Orlando!], worked in the potato and carrot fields, processed squash, spinach, turnips and other vegetables and meats in the canning barn, killed and gutted turkeys at the processing building, and sat through almost-daily church services and (of course!) all-day decree sessions during the Gun period. It was quite interesting, overall. I certainly appreciated Erin's comments about how some things are seen or recognized; angels, demons and what-not.

Some of the comparisons to other 'doomsday' group experiences was fascinating, and gave me some valuable information to contemplate. It will be interesting to see if Church Universal and Triumphant does indeed survive into the future, like the 7th Day Adventists, etc. The SDA groups have done a wonderful job of incorporating and supporting families in their organization, with an emphasis on schools for their children. I think this is one of the positive things that SDA does that effectively keeps their church vital, even though I don't exactly agree with their doctrine. Still, I respect the good they do as individuals and as a group for the communities where they reside.

This book is a heckuva read, especially for anyone who's lived with and studied with an apocalyptic religious group or under a charismatic church leader -- or even just tried to be completely devoted to a cause or submerged in a belief system. I also recommend "Shoes Outside the Door" by Michael Downing, about 'desire, devotion and excess' at the San Francisco Zen Center in the 1980's....there are many notable parallels, especially when it comes to the treatment of staff members as 'chelas'.

Tremendous reading. Seems some however need to move on through this old time piscean judgment and get on with this AGE!!! HELLO, so last age folks to judge in this unproductive way! It's a new Day and Erin Prophet has told her story and its wonderful! Bless her in the Great Light the Always WINS!

Sadly, although one may empathize with her difficulties, Erin seems to have missed the inspirational messages and experiences that have been enjoyed by thousands who felt the beautiful, peaceful, scintillating presence of Archangels and Ascended Masters through dictations given by Elizabeth Clare Prophet. One may get the impression that Erin reveals from the beginning that she does not seem to understand Elizabeth Clare Prophet's dictations from the Ascended Masters by referring to them as being channelled. In channelling, a person's consciousness leaves the body while a disembodied entity takes over and speaks. Elizabeth was trained and elevated by the ascended masters to their level of spirituality and she was fully conscious while taking messages.

Erin refers to the "hubristic title Pearls of Wisdom" as if the title is arrogant, yet this term has been used for many years for wise sayings. She wrote that she "bought into" her "Mother's vision derived from a philosophy of New Thought which influenced Christian Science". She also refers to her mother's teachings as coming from "Theosophy which cribbed from Buddhism, Hinduism, and Kabbalah" as if Theosophists pilfered from these instead of being an accepted organization based on ancient information. When she mentions church members not swearing and having "good vibes" during a traffic jam, it does not sound like a genuine compliment. She may write in an educated way, using terms such as "right of primogeniture" in reference to her brother, and lovely landscape descriptions, but the sardonic use of words such as "bought into", "hubristic", "cribbed" and "good vibes" set the tone.

Later on in the book one may get the definite impression, from her own words, she just does not understand the writings of the I AM activity, or the Rosicrucians. She wrote about music that was allowed, such as Sibelius and Beethoven; the reasons for listening to the inspired composers are given in David Tame's book The Secret Power of Music which is available on Amazon.

The purpose of "New Thought", as she calls it, is to individually learn the teachings of the Masters given in progressive revelation, not to criticize the messengers, their personal lives or give unkind physical descriptions. Her mother is not the first mother who has attempted to influence the choice of marriage partners.

She wrote about being human but many have experienced the purpose of this activity that is not to be good humans but to be good spiritual beings as demonstrated by the life and love of Jesus Christ and his respect for women and the Divine Mother, as revealed in the dictations given through Elizabeth Clare Prophet.

I finished this book in pretty much one sitting. It is very well written, Erin Prophet is a great writer. Even when she wrote letters and other things for the organization, her style was sober and to the point. It's an easy (juicy) read, especially for someone familiar with the story from the outside. I'm an ex member, fairly active in local study groups and teaching centers of the organization (as board member and volunteer).

It's clear the book was written without malice, and with complete honesty. It was confusing to me, a few times, when it doesn't follow the time line from the first to the last page, but rather by segment. I did get used to that though, and it does help understand the different segments of the author's experience.

A great book, highly recommended.