Inspiration Books

WOW, this is a great book. I really love the colorful, handwritten style. It has really inspired me too. I love this one so much I bought several other SARK books

Add this to your SARK collection even though there is repetition here. Some things just deserve repeating.

i can't believe that this book has been out long enough to be renewed! with the extra pages and it being all in color...it's fantastic! thank you again sark!

Wow! I loved the first copy she wrote and Sark has outdone herself again! Creativity is where it is at. Dream your dreams and they do come true. An inspiring mind elevator!

I'm a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan so I cannot really give a very objective view.... but I really liked the book and is EXACTLY what I want to read on a Lazy Sunday!

This is great anytime---you can pick up and read any or all quickly and have fun!!

This collection is the best from Watterson. 5 stars. Calvin and Hobbes are great in this one.

What a treat, 126 large pages of Calvin and Hobbes comic strips in full-color. Having this book means being able to read and re-read your favorites. There are even a couple I'd like to frame and look at every day.
Bill Watterson does such a great job getting inside a kid's head and what a kid. Calvin's active imagination creates imaginary worlds, monsters under the bed, and bedevils his parents and Susie who lives down the street.
Hobbes comes alive when he's alone with Calvin, but reverts to a stuffed tiger when others are present. Their conversations are inventive, philosophical, and sometimes just silly. It's great fun!

This collection takes place mostly in summer/fall and the theme is around lazy days and Sundays as well. My favourite panel in this collection is when Susie and Calvin are playing house and begins: S: "Darlinggg, I'm home! And I brought a surprise!" C: "Let's hope it's a divorce!" I still go off into spurts of laughter at that one... **LOL** Enjoy (in full page and full colour) the adventures of Spaceman Spiff to a max here. There is also a lot of "pouncing" which I thought would have been more appropriate in Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat but....nevertheless 5 stars for a great strip that never gets tired!

Our spiritual paths are wrought and forged from the crucibles of our lives; however, the wonderful thing is that there are also more innocuous reformations for that as well-books, movies, music, people, etc. Everything in life we experience is a rendering for our soul and our spiritual path. As we become conscious of this it is more congruously applicable. For the reason why I have decided to sojourn with that topic is due to the devastating feedback this book has received. It is not that the book should receive five stars or one, the issue is that if you feel that this book is resonant with your soul do not allow the reviews to obviate you from that position. Spirituality is the individual pursuit for one to understand the essences of life, it is not like religion, there is no solidarity.

For me this book was extremely thought provoking, I have thirty pages of notes subsequent to my reading. While I disagree with Zukav on about seventy percent of the book, merely reading it caused me to scribe my own interpretations of the topics that of which I disagreed. Unfortunately, my cerebral spam filter did not allow much of the book to be applied to my base program. I often times found myself pondering, in opposition, more than reading. I drifted off far more than I have with any other book and was "literaturally" placed in a comatose state much of the time. It was indeed, at times, strenuous to overcome the extreme disparity of ideologies between Zukav and me.

Now, I will delve into my severe disagreements:

- I disagreed emphatically with his interpretations of karma and reincarnation, and at times they were quite odious to me. His rendering of how a new life will pay the karmic ancestral debt of its previous life is not something I can fathom. For I feel that we "reap what we sow" in life whether we realize it or not. This may sound repugnant to the previous sentence, but I personally do not believe in karma.

- There was reference that a drunk driver being judged and sentenced is acceptable, but individuals who beat you nearly to death and are not prosecuted is non-judgmental good karma. If that makes any sense at all please further elaborate or correct me if I am wrong.

- I thought his coin of marriage as a "spiritual partnership" was a derivative of spiritual ingenuity and I now refer to it as that, but I found myself disgusted by some of his perceptions of what constitutes that. Specifically, I will refer to the last paragraph on page 125 and its culmination on page 126. To sum up his ignorant ramblings there, he basically says that it is ok for those two individuals to get a divorce, separate after six months or twenty years because the soul knows what it needs and that is acceptable. To me this is a New Age advocacy for promiscuity (which is a sad misrepresentation for the rest of us that are of New Age Spirituality), a dissolution of the concept of marriage and morally disingenuous and insolvent. Personally, if your love cannot bound you with your spiritual partner for longer than six months or twenty years then you have chosen the wrong individual.

- Should psychologist stop working? Zukav believes so, he says the issues that the psychologist work with are merely karmic debts and issues of an individual's past life. Should we not try to help them with the issues that they have? Are we not here to help, aid and guide each other?

- I also disagree with his theories that we escalate through species as we reincarnate and his perceptions of the elements of the soul vs. personality.

In closing on my disagreements I will say that I have found throughout the book that it has been proliferate on any given topic that what I agree with is contiguous to what I disagree with. Whether it be neighboring sentences, paragraphs or even chapters. This book was the first that I have ever experienced this very confusing paradigm. Overall, the vast disparity has given me the opportunity to further define my opinions and ideology on subjects that I had not yet given much thought to.

While I have found much of the book devoid of any possibility of resonance with my soul I have found a few things:

- The chapters of "Intention I" and "Relationships" were, for the most part, applicable to the way I feel and at times stimulated a state of spiritual euphoria.

- Inverting the pyramid to represent the calibration of life down to the soul elicited much enlightenment for me. Especially, being a conspiracy theory reader, seeing the pyramid used to represent the Caste System and the hierarchy of Earth so often. If this is a coin manifested by Zukav I do not know, but it was the first time that I have come across this representation.

- There was one quote extracted from the book that I was attuned to: "So powerful is the energy of the soul....In the creation of the personality, the soul calibrates itself, to take on the human experience."

In the end, the best books on spirituality that I have read are the ones written by the lesser known writers. Is it that the National Best Seller writers have just become avaricious and negate that very diagnoses? At times the unknown writers have a view that is not tainted by gold, and, at least by my perception, their writings are not commensurate to the National Best Seller writers-in a good way.

I found this book to be THE leapboard into spiritual understanding and empowerment. For me, Seat of the Soul is written in more of a philosophical and scientific language that I understand.
If one is to look at most of the books on these topics we would see that they are all speaking to the same ideas and philosophies. Just as we are all very different and yet the same, so are these books.
I would recommened reading this book as well as The power of now and A new earth.

This is a very special book, as are all of Gary Zukav. He has a unique perspective about life and how to live it. It will benefit anyone who choses to read it. Pass it on if you do purchase and read it. This book can help anyone who reads it.

This author offers a challenging overview "what is this all about?" without the religious dogma, allowing the individual time to make space in their own lives for other possibilites in spiritual choices.

The book was delivered in a timely manner and in GREAT condition.
Thank you.

Should be read along with Whack on the side of your head by the same author.

I was a huge fan of von Oech's "A Whack in the Side of the Head." That is why I was bitterly disappointed by "A Kick in the Seat of the Pants." It is ironic that a book about creativity is almost a carbon copy of its predecessor. "A Kick.." has at least 50 percent of the text and cartoons from "A Whack." I feel robbed, as this book is little more than a revised edition of "A Whack."

If you already read "A Whack" and feel like you are experiencing deja vu while reading "A Kick", you are not alone. This book is a rip-off. How would you like to pay to see "The Empire Strikes Back," only to find that half of the movie is footage from "Star Wars?'" Shame on von Oech and the publisher for tricking me, and shame on me for being duped. Anyone who enjoyed this book either failed to read "A Whack on the Side of the Head" or has extremely short term memory.

I came to this precious book in the 3M Library in Caracas while I was working there, the funny thing is that there was the most un-creative work enviroment I ever seen in my life!!

This book was the kick-off that got me to exercice my creative gears.. the clasification of subject themes by hardware/ software proved to be invaluable in my later marketing career.

I would recommended to all, specially those who think they are as creative as the need to be.

I first came across Roger Von Oech when I was a trainer - training other leaders - in a worldwide youth organisation. The ability to think outside the square is important in any lifepath and Von Oech is easy to dip in and out of to get prompted in another direction when life the way ahead looks too narrow.

This book is great - until recently we had a copy in our local library and I borrowed it avidly. Unfortunately it disappeared and I now own my own copy of both this and A WHACK ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD : How You Can Be More Creative. I highly recommend them both.

I am a raving fan of Roger von Oech's creative work as embodied in his books & card decks, namely:

Books:

- A Whack on the Side of the Head;
- A Kick in the Seat of the Pants;
- Expect the Unexpected;

Card Decks:

- Creative Whack Pack;
- Innovative Whack Pack;
- Ancient Whacks of Heraclitus;

I have used all his creativity stuff ever since I started my own strategy consulting (& book store) business in late 1991.

From my personal & professional experience, I would like to say that the entire collection of Roger von Oech's creative work has been designed to serve three strategic purposes:

- understanding - & removing - your mental blocks;
- breaking your habitual patterns;
- shifting your focus & changing your paradigms;

As a matter of fact, once you appreciate & commit to these three strategic purposes in your life, you will soon realise that there is nothing in this world to stop you from getting rid of old ideas & getting new & fresh ideas.

Allow me to quote Edward de Bono: "...the mind is habitually uncreative - it is usually preoccupied with organising masses of incoming data into convenient patterns. Once this pattern is established, then the mind tends to rely upon that pattern in future situations, in order to facilitate decision making & action in an otherwise complex world..." (The Use of Lateral Thinking).

Breaking old habitual patterns is definitely the first & foremost priority in your journey to creativity!

Once your shift your focus, you begin to change your paradigms or the way you look at the world around you. Always remember this: Your brain follows the direction of your dominant thought. Once you focus on something, that thing becomes the foreground. Everything else around it will fall into the background. Most opportunties are unfortunately hidden in the background. The moment you begin to shift your focus, you are pushing the 'foreground' into the 'background', & pulling the 'background' into the 'foreground'. Get it?

'A Whack on the Side of the Head' will help you to break through your mental blocks. They will open up your mind for innovation. This book is filled with provocative puzzles, exercises, stories & helpful tips.

'A Kick in the Seat of the Pants' takes you on a guided tour through the four stereotype roles of the creative process - Explorer, Artist, Judge & Warrior. Understanding - & applying - these roles will fire up your personal & professional creativity. Tactically, they will change your mental focus as you change to play each of the four roles. I would like to add one more role from what I have learned from the Japanese creativity experts: Antique Dealer. This singular role will allow you to combine all the four roles into one.

'Expect the Unexpected' uses thirty of Heraclitus' (the world's first creativity master) epigrams as creative springboards. It has intriguing questions designed to topple old habits of thought & fire up your imagination.

All the three card decks are basically extensions of the three books, to allow convenient usage during brainstorming sessions.

From my strategy consulting experience, these three card desks have proven to be inexhaustible sources of inspirations.

In fact, the 'Innovative Whack Pack' combines the creative power of both the 'Creative Whacks' & 'Ancient Whacks of Heraclitus'.

I strongly urge readers to seriously consider having the entire collection of Roger von Oech's creative work added to your Creativity & Innovation Library, & all the three card decks placed permanently on your desk top at all times.

I have purchased many of Mary Engelbreit's calendars for gifts and this is the best one she has put out

I've been ordering Mary's desk calendar for the past seven years. The main reason for this is the large "month at a glance" section in the beginning of the calendar--sort of a mini wall calendar included just before the day-to-day section. I write a LOT in the little boxes for each date of each month, and it keeps me prepped for what's going on all month.

My 2009 edition just arrived and the "month at a glance" section is not included this year. I was surprised. Instead, new sections were added at the end for "Babysitters" and "Children's Friends."

The 2009 edition is cheerful, friendly, and colorful, but I'm going to have to buy another desk calendar to keep my "month at a glance" items clear.

If you have ever kept a visual journal or are thinking of starting one this book is a real inspiration

This was seriously a huge disappointment. I was hoping to see interesting art journal pages, but instead I found uninspiring, un-interesting journal pages. If you want to see what other average (mostly non-artistic) peoples' art journals look like, then read this book. But if you want to look at cool, exciting, interesting, artistic pages, then keep on looking...you won't want to see these more than once. I read this book once and immediately knew I would never look at it again. It's going on eBay sometime soon.

This is a very interesting piece, and an even better conversation piece. Leave it out at a party for your friends and family to view and then discuss. My girlfriend has a couple pages in this book. T.Z. Take a look!
Enjoy!

After seeing the film doc I was excited to order the book to see many other entries that were made in the many journals.
A simple little image book...lovely, I was surprised by the added feature of stitching on many pages...really made it feel like more of a homemade piece.

If you're in to visual journals, buy this book! (It's priced way under value too.) Love it! So many ideas form so many people.

Thanks "some guy"!

A wonderful book for those who think they have nothing to say, be it written or visual. All beginner journalist should take a good look at this book and take heart that you too can add to the conversation of art.
If you wanted to say something to yourself and didn't know where to start, a journal is a great place to begin. You can look at this book and think, this is just someone elses ramblings, but it is the structure of someones unique thoughts on paper. Jump around inside 1000 Journals Project and elevate your own mind. Grab a pen, paint, crayons, whatever, and using this book start on your own journey. Many happy enteries.

I have been following Mike Dooley' writings for awhile now, and find them very enlightening. A much more positive way to approach life, and actually attain the things you want to bring into your experience. You'll have a new outlook, as well a quite a few laughs. Keep up the good work, Mike!

This is such an intriguing set of CD's. The things that Mike introduces and the way he guides you in teaching yourself focus is amazing. I gained so much from listening the first time around and was absolutely amazed that I was learning even more the second time around. It is such a crucial learning tool after watching the DVD "The Secret". After reading listening to these things I was amazed when I was actually able to see how I had already been using the information in my life. (maybe not the way I wanted to but I could see it) I was able to see how I had made certain circumstances take place, wow was that a discovery!!!

Leveraging the Universe and Engaging the Magic is wonderful easy listening of serious and important life tools. Mike has a great sense of humour that makes his message easy to digest and implement.

This book will open you to the possibilities that thoughts become things and it will give you a glimpse into the law of attraction. I listened over and over and this book was a large stepping stone in my spiritual journey. I am truly thankful that it came to me at the proper time when I needed it most. That's how it works!

I do not usually take the time or effort to write reviews, but I feel that listening to Mike Dooley will make a lot of sense to a lot of you who have been looking for answers. Really great!!!

Seems as though Wayne just randomly pieced together this CD. ABSOLUTELY nothing like the book which I value beyond words.

The hardcopy version of this book was the very first book I read in the spiritual growth category. To this day, nearly two decades later, I still look back on it as a pivotal, life-changing work. The chapter on "Forgiveness" in particular is the best content regarding that subject that I have ever come across. For this reason and more, I include "You'll See It When You Believe It" as a "must-read" in the recommended reading list included within my own book.

I have actually been through a long period of spiritual chaos. I have owned this book in the past. I also owned many other books that are of this kind. I thought that this book would be helpful because it was written by a psychologist. This book is actually useless. The best thing to do in times of turmoil is to keep things SIMPLY. That is the best solution. Think in a positive way but not to the extreme end that is advocated in all these self improvement books which are actually self DESTRUCTION books.
For those who question my opinion, I have been severely depressed for over 6 years. I stop being depressed back in 2003. I am currently a psychology major. REAL psychology books are VERY different from these SHAM books.
I hope my review have helped someone. If you have books like this, you should throw them away.

This book will change your life. It spooked me, but the changes I did allow have lasted almost 20 years. Even I still can't believe what the power of thought could do. Some are simple things; I ALWAYS get a great parking space, but that's an inconsequential thing. I realized I had and was able to stop an addictive behavior. But the spookiest thing, which doctors say cannot happen, was I cured a disease; scared me and I never did it again. I had plantars warts and when I was ready for them to be gone, with my entire mind and heart I insisted that they stop and they were gone the next day, plus they have never come back. "Spontaneous remission" is the term doctors use, but they really don't think it can happen. I just nod my head in amazement. Thank you Dr Dyer.

I am writing this review after seeing "The Secret" on DVD and browsing that book. I remembered reading those exact same concepts (which work, by the way) in many of Wayne Dyers books. In my opinion Dyer far surpasses all the other gurus for a couple of reasons.

First of all, his perspective focuses on giving out or sending out love, practicing forgiveness and of course visualizing to manifest rather than just this "genie granting wishes" attitude that I find so offensive in other law of attraction oriented works.

Dyer explains the whole process and leaves you with a very good feeling, not a cheesy, warm fuzzy feeling or a quick fix but a genuine "aha" type of feeling.

Also, he presents the material with careful thought and sincerity, and many many detailed examples. What you won't find are the many insults to one's intelligence in the form of a book cover designed to look like some stupid ancient scroll, no ridiculous marketing campaign, and none of the pretentiousness of the others who claim the info is somehow secret. It's not. Dyer also has the decency and the confidence to not present the concepts as if they were given to him by some bizarre spirit guide, which I vehemently do not believe it.

For anyone who needs a reminder on how to live a meaningful life, this quick, fun read provides the basics. Rabbi Friedman speaks to all of us - this is not a religious book, but a spiritual one - in a simple, uplifting, inspiring manner.

A terrific book for young people looking for direction.

In a couple of words this is one of the best books ever written!! I have used the lessons from this book in my life many times and I plan to keep doing that.. Read it and you will thank me!!

Enjoy
Moe

I love this book! Clear and concise, Rabbi Friedman lays down a compelling argument, not only that comic books can be a valuable reference for lessons in life, but that one needn't be talented, smart, or extraordinary in any way in order to achieve goals and inspire others.
With a telling style and subtle (mostly) humor, Rabbi Friedman ennumerates the many personal and interpersonal struggles that we encounter within our everyday lives, and how we can overcome them.
Read it, and be prepared to feel invigorated in yourself!

This slim, unassuming volume packs a major spiritual punch. Cary Friedman, never conceding to the darker forces of either the self-help or comic genre, offers a genuinely unique and sorely-needed take on the true meaning of heroism. Drawing inspiration from his clearly sincere enthusiasm for the Batman character, Friedman provides pragmatic yet profound suggestions for true life transformation. Fans of comics will love this book, but even those who have never picked up a comic book in their lives will find it deeply wise and (not insignificantly), very entertaining. An absolute must-read for all!!

Hear an interview with Wisdom from the Bat Cave author Rabbi Cary Friedman on The Book of Life podcast's September 2007 episode "Seeing Through New Eyes," at www.bookoflifepodcast.com!

I've scuffled through many books that promise to teach you how be psychic--from Psychic Development For Begginers, to Edgar Cayce's Awakening Your Psychic Powers-- but this one is by far at the top of my list. It's straight to the point and practical. Whats more important is that you can tell the information is genuine and that the author knows his stuff. Some of the techniques I was already familiar with, such as the Eastern method of using the breath to increase psychic energy and the visualization technique to open each of the chakras. Avoid the new age hogwash out there and get this!

All I can say is WOW. John Holland is my new favorite Psychic author. The man writes in a style that is very easy to comprehend, and the techniques he teaches are simple and actually FUN to practice. But most importantly to me, THEY PRODUCE RESULTS! This is a must have manual for anyone looking to develope their psychic gifts IMHO.

Awesome Book! 5+ stars!

I absolutely love this book!John Holland is amazing in which the manner that he teaches everything regarding our abilities comprehensively yet thoroughly!He doesn't leave anything out or leave one wondering..ok what now?He covers every conceivable psychic ability with such simplicity yet great technique.This is one guide that will NOT disappoint you whatsoever,no matter where you are in your abilities..John covers everything such as;
1:What does it mean to be psychic,psychic abilities and intuition,importance of learning equipment and preparing yourself to begin.
2:Clairsentience,clairaudience,clairvoyance.3:What is meditation,Relaxing the body&mind,Active meditation,Accessing your higher mind.4:Breath awareness,The complete breath,Mindfulness of breathing,Psychic breathing techniques.5:What is an aura,developing auric vision,Aura colors&their meaning,Sensing the Aura,Strengthening the aura.6:What are the Chakras,The seven energy centers,Chakra workouts,Raising the Power.7:Decision making,Psychometry,Energy scanning,Your psychic time.
Such compelling and indepth teachings here in this book that I could NOT put it down this summer until i had taken it all in..the book truly resonated with me and the added bonus is the Delicious CD that is attached to inside back of this book-I love,love the relaxation very healing meditation that John takes you through as well as the 2nd part of this CD where John guides you through your Chakras in opening and closing them and creating pyschic protection<<<I highly recommend this book and CD to all that are just discovering or are intermediate in their abilities as well as the Most advanced!

P.S.To a previous reviewer-John's accent isn't a Brooklyn one,it's a Boston one,I know as I grew up in Mass! But reside in a heavenly paradise not too far!Away from the hustle n bustle of the big cities of Massachusetts.

This book had alot of the background info. on chakras, and auras etc. But was not extreamly useful in opening up the psychic within.

John is a psychic-medium who has been lecturing, demonstrating and giving readings for over 15 years. He helps people connect with loved ones who have crossed over and assists others to become more aware of their psychic abilities.

This is a book with a meditation CD included, and what a nice gift to yourself or for someone else, especially someone on the path. There are 4 tracks in this CD; 2 are just some quick info, and 2 are meditations. These meditations are very similar to those on his separately selling CD "Healing Relaxation & Opening Your Psychic Awareness". I had a very positive experience the very first time I used that CD. It was truly wonderful.

The Book:
First of all, John tells us we are all born psychic or intuitive, but many of us choose to hide it. We are taught quickly as children that those things are just our imagination. This book is about bringing out those traits which you already have. (Now, if you don't believe that, it's OK. Can you just open your mind to the possibility for a minute and stay with me? If there is a chance, would you like to be more "tuned in"? If so, read on.) Now, John's not the only person who is out there saying we all have these abilities either. There are many.

John suggests you read the entire book before using the CD, so you will better understand. The book is not very big, so it won't take too long. I don't have a ruler handy, it's about 5" x 6" (almost square) and has 160 pages. It is clearly written in simple language and it includes exercises to enhance your development, as well as positive affirmations. Topics in the book include: 1) What "psychic" means 2) Psychic strengths--clairsentience, clairvoyance, and clairaudience 3) Meditation 4) Psychic breathing techniques 5) Auras 6) Chakras 7) Psychic tools--decision-making, psychometry, energy scanning, and [taking] your psychic time [centering yourself].

The CD:
The CD is a wee bit over 53 minutes long and has 4 tracks.
Track 1: intro-- :35
Track 2: Healing meditation - 20:15
Track 3: General info - 2:05
Track 4: Psychic awareness meditation: -- 31:19

This set is just wonderful and I think you will be very pleased with it. One word of caution, and John mentions this on either this CD or my other one: psychic opening also opens you to being more emotional. You probably should be in a comfortable place in your life [emotionally] before you start opening psychic connectivity. (So, like if somebody screams, that might be like nails on a chalkboard to you. You might see a dead animal in the road and start crying because you feel the pain the animal felt when it died---and so on, until you get used to the change in your vibration. I remember even reading a story on the internet about a child being hurt and just cried so bad for about 15 minutes. The story didn't have a lot of detail but somehow, I think I felt the child's pain. (I wish somebody had told me about this sensitivity thing earlier. I spent a couple of months wondering what was going on.) Sorry if it sounds squirrely. After all, maybe it's just our imagination???)

Update: May, 2008. Just saw John in person at a conference in Hershey, PA. He was absolutely wonderful. He provided a lot of useful information. He also did several readings and he had several people in tears with the information he "read" from their deceased friends/relatives/etc. (Tears are good, folks.) I think he really helped some people address some guilt they had stuffed inside themselves for who knows how many years. John was knowledgeable, funny, and very natural. He was very comfortable to talk to. In other words, he was not uppity. And I believe without a doubt that he is a 100% genuine psychic medium.