Religion Books

This book obviously already has plenty of praising views, but I read this book and found it so great that I can't live with myself if I don't write a review. Coming from a kid who grieved a traumatic death, this book *IS* the book to buy if you're grieving, want to understand death, or want to find a book to help out a confused friend (no matter what age) who's grieving. It's worth the price.

I am new to the genius of CS Lewis. I read the Narnia series as a kid, but have not read books for years, until recently. This book was deep, and full of the genius Lewis is known for. He expresses the pain of losing his wife, and the questions that those who mourn often work through, but are too guilty to express publically. The work is awesome, and may help some who are going through similar feelings of greif. Skip the aknowlegement at the beginning by Madeline Engle, I am not familiar with her writing, but have heard the name. I am surprised she was chosen to write the aknowlegement, but it is an amusing contrast to Lewis' intellect and spiritual understanding. The aknowlegement exudes an attitude of confidence in spiritual issues, yet reveals a cluelessness and spiritual blindess found largely in todays new age books. It does not belong in a CS Lewis book.

Although Lewis was, of course, a renowned and devout Christian, this book will speak to anyone who's lost someone with whom they shared real love. All of the questions, angers, and doubts that fill the mind during the numbing time following great loss are shared in the first person, generously, by Lewis. This is, I think, a beautiful, powerful, and deeply healing work.

This small book is a blessing to those who have experienced a deep and pressing grief. It shows a bit of the journey C.S. Lewis made through his grief experience. It was a brief, beautiful read.

Originally published under a pseudonym, this short book is a thoroughly reasoned but heart-felt analyzation of grief from the private writing journal of intellectual author and academia giant, C.S. Lewis. The object of his grief is the love of his life, his rare intellectual equal and friend whom he met later in life and fell deeply in love with, making her his wife.

Born Atheist, C.S. Lewis became a committed Christian, but spent part of his journalized pages in honest reflection of his anger at God and acknowledgement of fragile faith while in the throes of traumatic, life-altering grief. He boldly wonders and writes the thoughts and words most familiarly held at some point in the minds of others bereaved over their most beloved and cherished.

From page 23: "Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief. Apparently the faith - I thought it faith - which enables me to pray for the other dead has seemed strong only because I have never really cared, not desperately, whether they existed or not. Yet I thought I did."

After other thoughts about risks and beliefs, this is said, "And you will never discover how serious it was until the stakes are raised horribly high, until you find that you are playing not for counters or for sixpences but for every penny you have in the world. Nothing will shake a man - or at any rate a man like me - out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only under torture does he discover himself."

On page 25, C.S. sees the human side of grieving when others try to console him with spiritual avenues of comfort: "Talk to me about the truth of religion and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand."

The social leprosy of bereavement is also mentioned on a couple of pages, including this: "Perhaps the bereaved ought to be isolated in special settlements like lepers."

At the end, C.S. Lewis seems to reconcile himself to a conclusion about grieving: "For, as I have discovered, passionate grief does not link us with the dead but cuts us off from them," as he tries to go about cherishing his beloved's every memory with gladness, a smile and a laugh. Not for long, however, is this a workable plan as he writes the next day's journal entry more in line with the natural phases of grief: "An admirable programme. Unfortunately it can't be carried out. tonight al the hells of young grief have opened again; the mad words, the bitter resentment, the fluttering in the stomach, the nightmare unreality, the wallowed-in tears. For in grief nothing `stays put.' One keeps on emerging from a phase, but it always recurs. Round and round. Everything repeats. Am I going in circles, or dare I hope I am on a spiral?"

As do we all of bereavement ask ourselves when finding that as much as we try clawing our way up the spiral, we suddenly lose our grasp, totally at the mercy of our humanness and that quality that never dies - love.

Carl Sagan was a wonderful man, and was one of the first people to get me interested in science. In this book, he looks over claims of alien abduction, crop circles, visions, astrology, and other pseudoscientific claims. A great read.

This is a great rebuttal to pseudoscience and superstition. Well-written and interesting. One of my favorites.

Carl Sagan was a great man and had a great way of explaining the awesomeness of the universe to the average man or woman. This book is like that. It allows us to understand logical, rational thaught which we sometimes allow ourselves to ignore.
At the very least it will teach you how to win an argument.

When I started reading this book, it seemed to go slow and I thought about giving up. But, as I went on, the relevance of what he wrote made more and more sense. When I was through, I was pleased that I had read it all the way through and now I am a much more critical thinker.

Taking a broad and accurate swipe at superstition and pseudo-science, Carl Sagan makes a compelling case for scientific thinking. Though Sagan was clearly preaching to the choir in my own case, I found his insights very valuable. Sagan obviously had done alot of thinking about the subject and first sought to understand why people believe implausible and unfalsifiable ideas, but also tries to explain science in the context of our every day lives.

Sagan asks the question of whether humans are simply not proned towards scientific thinking and to the belief in the supernatural. He then goes on to explain hunter-gatherer behavior from the perspective of science. He points out that the careful and learned observations made by bush hunters of game in Africa, utilize a scientific perspective, carefully examining tracks, understanding from past experiences when and where game are likely to be, etc. Science as Sagan explains it is reasoned thinking that results in success as a species. A scientific mind is what has led humans to dominate the planet.

Sagan also examines the nature of superstition and how easy it is for individuals to be sucked into this line of thinking. Dealing with the scary uncertainties in a dark, daunting, demon-haunted world, science is the candle which illuminates. To superstition, criticism is the enemy, but to science, it is the engine by which progress is made. Science is about asking the hard questions, not accepting explanations at face value.

I think any high school science teacher worth his/her salt, would require the reading of this great book and also require a book report on it. Sagan makes a strong case, that our very survival and prosperity are riding on the rejection of superstition and bringing scientific thinking back from the abyss our nation seems to be moving into. I wholeheartedly agree with his assessment.

After doing some research I found this version of the Bible highly recommended by others.

I purchased it and also find it good since it has a nice index with a right justified Table of Contents for easy searching.

It is pretty cool carrying the book on my Kindle. Very Nice !!

The NASB is one of my favorite translations, and I was very happy to suddenly see this in the Amazon Kindle store. I won't bother discussing any of the text, since there are plenty of reviews anywhere, so this is just geared towards the NASB on my Kindle.

The major worry I had was navigation. There is a main table of contents, which is a selectable list of books. When you choose the book you to which you want to want to jump, a sub-TOC appears, with the chapters of that book. Just select your chapter and you are there. On the not-so-positive side, typing "book chapter:verse" does not appear to work, but that's fairly minor.

It would be nice if there was an eventual edition with a built-in concordance, but I might be stretching my wish-list with that last one.

The greatest book ever written. Through it God directs my life and He is my strength and my Savior. God is Awesome and constant.

This review will simply address the mechanics of this version of the Holy Bible in regards to the Kindle. I will refrain from any comments regarding the nature of the translation, leaving that for those far more learned than myself.

I have downloaded several Kindle versions of the Holy Bible and have found this one to be the most well thought out in terms of Kindle navigation.

One of the few problems I have had with the Kindle is selecting specific lines of text with the cursor which moves up and down the right side of the reading pane. If the text is located in the center of the page (Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Kindle Edition by International Bible Society), or worse, justified left (Holy Bible, King James Version KJV Kindle Edition by Olive Tree Bible Software), then it is sometimes difficult to line up the cursor with the book you wish to jump to.

This is the first edition I've had experience with that justifies the Table of Contents to the right, next to the cursor, so it is easy to select a particular line. I also really like the fact that after selecting a particular book, you are immediately taken to a sub menu listing the individual chapters, also justified right.

The verse numbers are set slightly above the text when you actually reach text for continued simplicity in navigation.

For me, this is the best set-up for Kindle versions of Holy Scripture and after a little practice, I have been able to look up verses faster than I am able to do with an actual book.

I specifically recommend this version for those looking for a "Kindle Friendly" version of the Holy Bible and especially to those who are looking for a NASB version.

Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible (NASB) After searching you can't really identify where you are in the bible (what book?) Must scroll to the nearest book beginning

My daughter needed this book for school. I came in a timely fashion and great condition. Price unbeatable.

I first read this book in college many years ago as I was working on my degree in psychology. An excerpt from it is in John McCain's autobiographical book, Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir. I was glad to be reminded of this book which I had not read in years. I found my old copy on the shelf but I am also glad to learn it is still available.

The comparison between Frankl and McCain as prisoners is striking. Both of them emphasize the basic human need for meaning and purpose. Both share incredible horrors of prison camp as well as the human ability to look beyond present circumstances, to keep the horrid memories from continuing as sources of torture years after the actual experiences.
We can apply this ability to many of the unfortunate experiences in our lives. It is not only an attitude of forgive and forget, it is the need to keep the horrors or smaller angers from continuing to torment us.

It is more than a little frightening that there are people who deny that the Holocaust even happened. I hope you read Frankl's book. Fully grasp the reality of his day and apply it to today's needs and problems.

This is a wonderful book to read merely because of it's main message. Read it and find out the meaning of the title.

I bought this book because I was searching for yet another book on workplace bullying and another book came up in my search based on Frankl's book. I read the customer reviews on that book and one reviewer said something to the effect of, "If you want to read a book based on Viktor Frankl's opinion of how to get along at a bad work environment (like a Nazi death camp), why don't you just read Frankl's book?" So, that's where I started. I read it. Twice. Then I got out my computer and typed in passages that had meaning to me so I could re-read them during difficult times. I compressed the entire book down to about 10 pages, single spaced. I must admit that I consider myself a negative, often depressed sort of person, mostly because my work situation is so demoralizing. I was amazed by Frankl's coping mechanisms on how to get along in a difficult situation; every day meant multiple incidents of having to choose the correct path to avoid death or worse, making the choice to give up on your own life (suicide). He went through 5 years of that and lived to tell about it. It is a must read for everyone, particularly when you are having the hardest time of your life. I could tell that if I had read it as a college student, it wouldn't have the same meaning as now, when I am 50 and have had many ups and downs. I see everything at such a deeper level and appreciated this book so much more than I would have if I were younger. Briefly, the lessons in the book written 50 years ago still apply today. Here they are: Let luck be your guide. It's not what you know, it's who you know. Network with the equivalent of a one-step-up lateral (not your own) middle manager and they will help you when they can. Schmooze. Be kind to others. Don't complain, it doesn't help. You can't fix, deal with or appeal to a sadist, so don't try. Avoid sadists at all costs. Keep your mouth shut unless asked for your opinion and then be short and to the point. Praise, even when praise isn't deserved. Keep criticisms to yourself. Be inconspicuous. Work hard for the sake of doing a good job. Fantasize for escape. Everything can be taken away from you except for your past, so relish in it. When something good happens to you, write it down (keep a gratitude journal). Don't do anything that compromises your own values so you won't have regrets. Be careful who you abuse today because tomorrow they may be your master. You are not your job, your title or your position. You are a unique person loved by others. The only thing in life that really matters is the people you love and the people who love and need you. Love shared is eternal. Treat everyone with respect. The meaning of life is not what life can do for you, but what life expects of you; how you make the world a better place with your presence. The purpose of life is not happiness. The purpose of life is discovering what you can contribute to it. Save a slice of bread (or whatever is the only material thing that matters to you when there is nothing left) for later when you are really depressed and it's the only thing left that can get you through that difficult moment. (For me it's chocolate and a dark beer at the same time.) Apathy is the signaling of the beginning of the end of one's life. Everyone that you respect and look up to has human failings. Even tough guys cry. Suffering without purpose is meaningless. The larger the suffering, the bigger the lesson. There's lots more in the book for you to discover and it's an easy read.

This book is incredibly inspiring, both from a theoretical and practical perspective. I highly recommend it for anyone who is in an "existential vacuum" as Frankl says, or for anyone who just wants to get more ideas about what the "meaning of life" might be.

The book is not only very well laid out and well written, but the content is rich. I highly recommend perusing it with a pen at hand to mark a response to a lot of his statements, then re-reading your own comments with his text... I think you'll learn a lot about yourself that way.

"Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible." ~ Viktor Frankl from "Man's Search for Meaning"

Viktor Frankl. He's unquestionably one of my heroes and this book is a must read (or re-read as the case may be). If you don't have it yet, it's time to get it. It's impossible to be a serious student of life and not soak up as much Frankl as you can.

The man survived the horrors of Nazi concentration camps and, from that pain, brought the world his "Logotherapy"--a philosophy based on the fundamental precept that we have ultimate responsibility for choosing our responses to any given challenge AND equally powerful responsibility to determine how we will give ourselves to the world and create a truly meaningful life.

This book openend my eyes to the plight of the persecuted Christians in China and all over the world. It gave me a new appreciation for the freedoms we have as Americans.

THIS book is SOOOO Good.. its one of the Best Books EVER. I Was in YWAM and they made me read it.. And I Did NOT want to FINISH IT.. i wanted this book to last Forever.. its That Good. His True to life Stories are Inspring and Amazing!. Will Motivate you to Seek after God all the More.

I loved what Brother Yun said when he said "Chinese Christians are persecuted by beatings and execution and Western Christians are persecuted by slander." The book really make you look at your walk with Christ. The book was well written and keep my attention.

A little over a year ago, I read Randy Alcorn's novel, "Safely Home." And it was based on Chinese Christians and the persecution they might go through in China. And my first thought was how rough that has to really be. Being a master storyteller, Randy Alcorn barely scratched the surface, and he could've really gone deep. After my dad read "Safely Home," he found this book, "The Heavenly Man," and basically told me, "You've got to read this! This is amazing!" If you think you're some kind of victim just because you've been made fun of for your Christian faith, wake up! Christians like Brother Yun know something about suffering, and how to rejoice in the process. HUH? Read on!

And this really is nothing short of amazing. Brother Yun started preaching at the age of 16. Like in Alcorn's book, there are church house meetings. And the Chinese government hates Christians, and has ways of dealing with them. So for those of us who have these ideas of being a simple POW with just a few beatings, it goes a lot further than that. The torture that Brother Yun suffered is nuts! And this guy can rejoice and witness to his cell mates about the glory of God. Seeing miracles, and experiencing them, and you'd have to be crazy not to believe in God.

Yun makes it clear that when we are in God's will, God has us exactly where He wants us. It is a reminder to stay in the will of God and to keep focused on the reward God has for us. And being in God's will means to be ready for everything God has for us here on Earth. That means that we'll probably do some suffering, and that we will bear our own cross.

Would anybody line up for the testimony of Brother Yun? All I can say is WOW! This is an amazing life. A true eye opener!

After reading this book you'll understand why some believe that Asia may become the next center of Christianity. With the West becoming more secular and morally bankrupt, God is moving in China to spread the Gospel. Who would have thought that Korea, formerly a primarily Buddhist country, would become a Christian nation that sends out multitudes of missionaries? In the same way, God is using the Chinese house churches to spread the Gospel not only throughout China but also throughout the rest of Asia and beyond. The story of Brother Yun shows how the Gospel began to grow in China under persecution. This is inspiring and motivating. However, it was hard to relate the sold-out Christianity of the Chinese house churches to the soft, laissez-faire Christianity we know in the West. May God bring revival not only throughout Asia but also to the West.

This is a great book for anyone interested in meditation. Since mindfulness is at the core of meditation this book helps to explain not only what mindfulness is but how to put it into practice by making mindfulness part of ones daily life. A gem of a book. khudos to Thich Nhat Hanh.

Interesting, easy to read and follow the author. Didn't agree with everything, but overall it's alright. I had to read it for a class.
Book received as described by the seller.

Thich Nhat Hanh wrote "The Miracle of Mindfulness" in 1974 to help the politically-neutral aid workers in Vietnam deal with the trauma of war and the challenges of their work. The book is a remarkable reminder of the power we have to be effective, and that power is rooted in our willingness to bring attention to exactly where we are.

What I really appreciate about this book is that it is about "Engaged Buddhism." In this school, awareness is not just something you gain sitting still in meditation. Rather Hahn emphasizes that awareness can also be gleaned and expressed when you get to work in your life!

If what you seek is practical enlightenment, I suggest you read any of Ariel and Shya Kanes' books: Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation,How To Create a Magical Relationship,Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. Like Hahn, the Kanes support their readers in gaining and utilizing awareness in a way that is clearly effective, both personally and globally!

This author has a unique ability to boil down a concept to a simple easily understood recipe that most people can quickly grasp. He has written a Manual on Mindfulness meditation in a 148 page back pocket sized book. It contains picturesque examples and a choice of a variety of exercises that the reader can use to enjoy life in the moment and appreciate the interrelationship of all things.

Nhat Hanh's Mindfulness exercises teach us to become aware of the miracle of life. We do not think of things as being good or bad, we simply observe them as they are breathing, observing, appreciating, and letting thoughts pass. We practice and live our life in mindfulness of and the interrelationship to all things. When we eat a tangerine, for example, we do so thinking and enjoying exactly what we are doing in the moment. Our mind is not on what we will do when we are finished with the task at hand or day dreaming about something else. We feel the texture of the tangerine as we peel it. We note the spray and fragrance that the fruit releases during the process. We taste each juicy bite and enjoy the succulent fruit being thoroughly chewed and swallowed in the moment. We take the time to pause and think of the mother of the fruit, the tree and how the flowers and leafs are bathed by the sun and rain. We imagine the bee's pollinating the flowery tree. We appreciate tree roots roll receiving and transmitting the earth's nourishment and the rains moisture.

In addition to awakening us to what is, Hanh teaches us to liberate our hearts and minds from incorrect thinking and to have compassion for those not yet awakened to truth.

This is a lovely book with many practical tips on meditating.

My particular favourite is the reference to 'washing the dishes to wash the dishes' - the idea of living in the present and enjoying tasks that we all want to put off. By focusing on the job in hand and not ruminating or thinking about what we are going to do next, Hanh rewards the reader with very simple but profound advice. - my dishes have never been cleaner and my mind is certainly less cluttered as a result!

The author provides a very deep discussion about
Jesus Christ on a cosmic or spiritual level.
This persona portrays Christ as a spiritual leader
who embraces everyone on a humanitarian level.

The idea of a New World is presented. Such an idealistic
place is devoid of war and strife. The human body itself
will be transformed into the highest state of health
and psychic contentment.

Certain paths are a fast track to heaven. For instance,
the Path of Devotion is prayer-centered. The Path of
Service deals with charity, almsgiving, altruism and
humility. The Path of Contemplation deals with a formal
retreat monastically speaking.

Christ is pictured as a sketchy character historically.
The power lies in Christ as a theological creation for
the ages.

Deepak Chopra explores the 3 dimensions of Jesus that leads us to our own individual spiritual path and ultimately to the collective consciousness.

We are not to enter the spiritual dimension only for our own sake; this would be self-centered and egoistic but to re-connect with our inner self so that we may inter-connect with one another. This is not only a personal journey but a social journey.

The spiritual goal is to become one in unity with all of creation and become co-creators for a better world for all beings.

This was Jesus' message 2000 years ago. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is the Word made flesh.

Other books for your consideration:

Jesus Before Christianity by Albert Nolan
A Life of Jesusby Shusaku Endo
Joshua: A Parable for Today[[ASIN:0824519868 by Joseph Girzone
Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular Worldby Henri J Nouwen

Third Jesus was thought provoking. Good historical research? No. A threat to Christianity? Hardly. A definitive interpretation of the meaning of the life of Jesus of Nazareth? Certainly not. It does however, give the author's interpretation of some aspects of the life of Jesus as reported in the New Testament. Anyone, including the many bloggers here, who purports to know beyond a shadow of a doubt and with total objectivity who a man who lived over 2,000 years ago was, how he lived each moment, and what that man's exact thoughts were is kidding herself. We cannot say for certain who the person Jesus was or what his life meant. His existence (finite, infinite, or both) has meant a lot to very many people. His life has been interpreted many times in many ways. Chopra, an author who makes a living giving his opinion, explains his own interpretation in Third Jesus. Neither Third Jesus nor Chopra are a threat to Jesus or Christianity. Neither are they definitive explanations for how existence works. If you are of a mind to ponder Chopra's take on Jesus, then Third Jesus is a fun interesting read. If you are not, simply don't read it or stop at the point you no longer enjoy it. Both the glowing reviews and the venomous ones are disturbing for what they imply about the writers. Third Jesus is a philosphical opinion. If you have trouble understanding that, read the Bible and try to do some objective, factual research on Jesus, the Christian church, the origin of the Bible, world history, etc., etc., and form your own opinion. Third Jesus may be thought-provoking but is unlikely to bring anyone to enlightenment or to threaten God, whatever you conceive God to be. I liked the book on CD. I listened to it a couple of times in rapid succession to keep me alert on a long car ride alone. I bought it primarily because I've read some other Chopra books and they always seemed to make me feel good and assume a more positive outlook. For me, Third Jesus is the equivalent of watching someone smile - it makes you more likely to smile yourself - nothing more. Chopra's book got me to think about Jesus and God and that nearly always brightens my day.

This book seems well written and it resonates well with me. Aside from what has been taught by religious doctrine and supported by many scriptures, Deepak talks about what he believes Jesus really meant when he said many of the things we remember and quote all the time. At 234 pages + index, the book is broken down into plain language, so it is easy to understand the opinions expressed by the writer. Copyright is 2008, so it is freshly written.

The Third Jesus indicates that there are 3 Jesus(es), the first being the historical Jesus of 2000 years ago. This is the Jesus whose teachings are the foundation of Christianity as thought and as theology. The second Jesus is the Son of God, who embodied an institutional religion, with its specific dogma, priesthood, and millions of devout believers. The third Jesus is the Cosmic Christ, a term being used often these days. The writer refers to the Cosmic Christ as the Jesus who embraces ALL humanity, not just those covered by the church built in his name. As a spiritual guide, the Cosmic Christ speaks to all who will listen, to help them access the God within and as a personal experience (without the middle man). This is the Christ who helps us to attain enlightenment or God-consciousness, or grace, as some call it. This book is dedicated to the Irish Christian Brothers in India who introduced Deepak to Jesus when he was a little boy.

Much of the book looks at sayings attributed to Jesus with an eye on the analysis of what he may have REALLY meant. For example, "you have been taught an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say don't resist evil. If someone hits you, let him hit you twice . . ."(Matthew 5:38-42) Many of us want revenge for the evil doers, but Jesus would have us "resist not evil" and forgive them. Did Jesus not submit himself to unjust trial, persecution, torture, and a horrible agonizing death? And what did he say on the cross? (Hint: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.") (Come on now--how many people do you know that would be screaming and cursing out the maggot-infested dogs to their last breath? But FORGIVE THEM? that takes somebody really special.) Anyway, the author tells us that when we live in a higher state of consciousness/awareness/vibration, "evil" does not hang around as it does when you are more susceptible to it. In other words, when you learn to find the peace within yourself, and NOT attach yourself to revenge or righteous indignation, you master anger and evil begins to release its hold on you. (and I thoroughly agree) Deepak goes to explain a great deal more on the subject.

This book is full of scriptures and passages and what Deepak believes to be the intended message of Jesus for each one, and for ALL people of all beliefs. Some of the many concepts addressed are: The Golden Rule, Karma (reeping and sowing), praying with faith, why you should pray if God already knows what you want, being in a state of higher awareness/consciousness at the soul level, judgement, materialism, etc. The book addresses common arguments of who the "real" Jesus is and the pros and cons of each (to help you consider the possibilities so you can make up your own mind). (Remember that about 313 AD, Emporer Constantine officially adopted Christianity but then banned many religious documents, such as the Gospel of Thomas. Now why would he go and do such a thing?)

The book includes a section on contemplation, similar to meditation, explaining what contemplation is and providing some scriptures to practice this deeper form of thinking with, where you go within yourself to seek a deeper meaning.

I met Deepak in the early 1990s at a Satellite television studio in Washington DC. He was doing a presentation on one of his earlier works and I was fortunate to be able to speak with him personally for a few minutes. Although I was not at the stage of awareness that I am now, I certainly sensed something very special about this man--a sort of knowledgeable peace. He was a pleasure to listen to and speak with. Today he is the author of over 50 books, translated into more than 35 languages. He has some excellent material out there on spirituality topics. One of my favorites is his 2-CD gold cover chakra balancing CD (check my other reviews for more info on that one.) I believe the man to be a well-educated spiritual being in human form.

I highly recommend this book and certainly agree with what I've read in it. I do not believe the concepts should be earth-shattering to anyone. Most likely, you know these things already, at your soul consciousness level if not at your conscious awareness level, but sometimes we need to be reminded. This would be a good book to share with friends and to re-read every so often. I do not believe bible-readers would be offended by its contents. It just encourages people to look more within themselves for deeper meaning and to hold others in love in your heart--complicated concepts broken down for easy reading. Remember that Jesus said to love one another.

Approximately 2/3rds through the book are "15 Steps to God-Consciousness: Lessons and Exercises". An example is #8 "resist not evil". Applying the Teaching: explains that it means overcoming evil without resisting it (and more detail). An exercise follows, explaining how to practice the concept by making a perception change. It involves facing your fears and hidden feelings. Evil has power over you ONLY WHEN YOU GIVE IT POWER. (This concept alone is priceless, once you really get it.)

Throughout the book, there are a lot of comments similar to ". . .as you progress on the spiritual path, you begin to see/feel/experience X/Y/Z, etc." I have personally experienced many of these, as he says them to be true. Some examples: as you begin to achieve a higher level of consciousness: you feel more secure and positive about yourself, you exist in peace with others, you drop the habits of criticizing and complaining, life is no longer a competition "me" against "them", obsessive and compulsive thoughts lose their grip, negative thoughts are replaced by positive ones, you improve the atmosphere around you (by your presence), and many many more. (Personally, I have found it EXTREMELY difficult to be around negative people or people who disrespect others or themselves.)

What I like most about any book that Deepak writes is his depth of wisdom and his committment to living a contemplative life. One clear sign of this wisdom is his appreciation and agility in being able to contemplate his subject from multiple points of view. Thus, whatever he concludes is born out of this desire for a deep and broad understanding...an intuition to the wholeness of Spirit.

I was raised Catholic, well educated and inspired by the story of God, Paradise, Jesus and his profound love and sacrifice for all Being. A few priests and nuns were also inspiring. Yet for myself and many other baby boomers, the religious culture of our time barely registered on any scale of true Love, Peace or Wisdom. Far more important than what we are told to believe when we are young and open is the energy signature of the environment in which the teaching happens. Unfortunately, our modern Western model of a sane and loving world viewed from within our organized religions offers very little for those of us with precocious natures. We need more than platitudes, dogmas, rules of engagement sourced in fear and hypocracies that anyone with a modicum of insight can plainly see.

I believe that Deepak is more credible than most spiritual teachers in that he appears truly interested in your spiritual unfolding and fulfillment. He is also wise enough to perceive that there are significant resistences and challenges to the heightening of the human awareness of the Christ Consciousness or any enlightened state of being. Deepak has clearly brought Jesus into his own unfolding through his research, contemplation and sharing. Yes...this book is Deepak's interpretation of the meaning and purpose of the Jesus story, the Jesus life and Christ Consciousness. He writes it as he sees and intuits it. I for one, simply resonate with his insight and inspiration. He offers many practical ways that every lover of Jesus can explore their own state of consciousness in a context inspired by Jesus himself, as far as we can know him from the past. No one can make dogma (past) out of wisdom or love (Presence). All Truth is alive and flowing throughout each moment of life and the form of life changes as we unfold. Anyone who is willing to inspire and add to this unfoldment has my deepest admiration for their efforts. I can also consciously appreciate the sign of our times that is found in the merging of the spiritual wisdoms from East and West. Common sense should never go unnoticed. The Third Jesus has added to my appreciation and love for the Spirit we call Jesus. For this I am deeply grateful.

Sundance Burke, Author Free Spirit: A Guide to Enlightened Being

This is a well needed book in todays society. I being raised by older parents sure benifitted from it. I am listening to it over and over to get it into my making. And really all it is is common sense. KAren

This book helped me to see that implementing scripture pricipals into parenting makes life so much easier. It was encouranging and convicting at the same time. First got it from the library and then had to buy it so I could reference it over and over.

This is another one of those books that I borrowed and read first. It was so good that I went back and bought a copy for myself for reference. The good doctors Thompson and Cloud give a very good framework for raising useful and productive adults. If you don't want to raise large children, this is the book for you. What I found particularly useful, coming from a fairly disfunctional family, was the amount of space devoted to empathy. If you have been disciplined harshly and unfairly, it can be hard to know how to discipline with kindness. This book devotes a fair amount of space to making your discipline empathetic so that your child understands that the discipline is neccesary, but that it isn't something you are doing just to make him/her miserable. They really help you to always keep the goal in front of yourself and your child, that is: the adult you want them to become, not the child they are now.

We got this to use as a study book for a church small group. It has been very practical and helpful, but the chapters sometimes seem long. However, the methods suggested are very proactive and easy to implement in any household.

I wish someone had loved me enough to give this to me at my baby shower. This is a great book and wonderfully easy to read. OK maybe the baby shower is a bit early, but I would definitely recommend it for parents of toddlers and older. I ordered a copy for my best friend. I had always heard about respecting your kids so they'll respect you, but never the real "how to's". This book gives what you need.

I have read this book many, many times. The only things about it that I don't like are all the references to growth it contains. The dustcover has so many references to growth it sickens me, but Warren probably didn't write that and the publishers know who will be reading.

The book is great at helping a church ask questions that need to be asked and helping a church to find a paradigm that would be pleasing to God. Regardless of what type of church you are in this book will be of some benefit to you. If you've got a problem with the paradigm of being purpose driven then you've got a problem with scripture.

I enjoyed this book better than the Purpose Driven Life. Good sound strategies or a seeker service style program.

This is an excellent text for any phase of church management. I kept trying to find areas to disagree with and I found none!

I read this book over a decade ago. It literally changed how I, a pastor, now "do church." The church I serve has been transformed and now is a joyful, healthy place to be. We are impacting our community for Christ and seeing lives changed. Warren's concepts are simple yet profound.

I purchased these for my Graceful Ladies Bible Study group, at their request. We haven't begun, yet, but we are anxious to get started.