Religion and Spiritual Books Review

Supporters will hail this New Age self-help book on the law of attraction as a groundbreaking and life-changing work, finding validation in its thesis that one's positive thoughts are powerful magnets that attract wealth, health, happiness... and did we mention wealth? Detractors will be appalled by this as well as when the book argues that fleeting negative thoughts are powerful enough to create terminal illness, poverty and even widespread disasters. The audio version of this controversial book, read by Byrne and contributing authors such as John Gray and Neale Donald Walsch, is uneven at best. The cheesy, obvious sound effects will not do much to add intellectual respectability to a work that has been widely denounced as pseudoscience. Mostly, this audio is hampered by its confusing and disjointed organization-techniques that worked reasonably well in the print version and the movie, such as cutting every few seconds from one enthusiastic expert to another, make for a choppy and somewhat bewildering listening experience. The gentle cadences of Rhonda Byrne's breathy, Aussie-infused voice are certainly the best part of the audio, but her material is scarce and provides mostly connective tissue between the testimonials. See details 

In recent years, mainstream Americans have begun to come around to meditation in a big way-and scientific studies are suggesting that the physical and mental benefits are solid and real. But to many, it remains something mystical and inaccessible...and spiritually-oriented tomes on the market don't do much to make it easier.

As interest in meditation continues to grow, this book offers a simple, no-nonsense program to help beginners experience reduced stress and increased focus in only eight minutes a day. Designed by meditation expert and bestselling author Victor Davich, this program teaches the basic principles of meditation while clearing up the misconceptions and myths that too often get in the way. See details

Zen Master Sahn is the well-known director of the Kuan Um School of Zen. Active as a teacher in the West for 30 years, Sahn originally wrote this text in the 1970s, as a guide for students with an interest in the fundamentals of Buddhists teaching from a Zen perspective. Much of the Zen teaching with which Westerners are familiar has come from Japanese lineage, but this work has a fresh, Korean Zen slant. For an introductory text, however, Walpola Rahula's classic What the Buddha Taught (Grove, 1987) is probably better. A large part of this volume is given to transcriptions of talks, resulting in repetition and a lack of focus. Viewed as one person's heartfelt expression of his understanding of the teachings, however, this has much to offer. Recommended for academic and public libraries with extensive collections in the areas of Buddhism and Zen. See details

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CHAKRA SYSTEM?
Many people focus on a single chakra - like the Crown Chakra for Spirituality, the Brow Chakra for Psychic Powers, the Heart Chakra for Universal Love, the Solar Plexus for Power (especially for those into the martial arts) and so on - each chakra's special attribute. And some people try to repress the 'lower' chakras as morally bad. BUT the real importance is to understand the chakras as The Energy System of the entire Mind/Body/Spirit Complex... See details

Today, countless Christians throughout the world are plagued by unexplained poverty, calamities, and a variety of adverse circumstances. Their lives are tragically filled with heartache and desperation as they continuously struggle against overpowering temptation, physical and mental illness, and a myriad of catastrophic events. Usually they are unaware that their plight is the result of an unbroken curse that has been placed upon them and perhaps upon their families. This book will show you the necessary biblical steps to recognize, prevent, and break every type of curse. See details

The Book of Mormon is the doctrinal centerpiece of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, along with its incomparable spiritual message, The Book of Mormon contains a wealth of literary forms and figures of speech containing dozens of literary patterns. The book's authors, particularly Nephi and and Mormon, used language that is poetic, symbolic, and beautiful.

In this monumental work, Dr. James Duke shows how The Book of Mormon has many links to Hebrew literature and culture, such as the use of parallelism and chiasmus, and how it meets the standard of great literature. See details

A fully illustrated Kama Sutra from the extraordinary and rare art collection of Lance Dane

The first complete translation to illustrate all 64 sexual postures described in the Kama Sutra. Includes 269 rare images. Composed by one of the world's foremost scholars of the Kama Sutra and Indian art

The erotic sentiments described in the Hindu love classic the Kama Sutra constitute the most famous work on sex ever created. Written almost 2,000 years ago, the Kama Sutra deals with all aspects of sexual life, including the principles and techniques of sexual pleasure and how to best achieve ecstatic expression of life's beauty.

In this complete and illustrated guide Lance Dane accompanies the Kama Sutra text with 269 illustrations and great works of art that encompass coins, palm leaf manuscripts, sculptures, ancient toys, jewelry, architecture, ivory combs, birch bark, cloth, paintings, frescoes, and scrolls. Gathered from museums and private collections around the worlds as well as the author's own collection of over 300,000 photographs these rare images clearly illustrate all 64 sexual positions and the erotic instructions set forth in the Kama Sutra. The result is a dazzling and sensuous reading experience through which the teachings of the Kama Sutra spring to life. See details