Economic-Life Books

Time and the Soul is not just a book, it is a deep meditation experience. Dr. Needleman is a wise, authentic guide calling us back to our lost Self, and suggesting practical ways to remember who we really are. I keep this book close by and when my spiritual quest feels a bit dry, I return here and find my inspiration renewed. This is the book I most often share with friends and family who are fellow seekers. Today, I am ordering five more copies.

Needleman's ideas, while simply stated, need to be pondered and re-read. This book is amazing. You may want to remove the jacket cover - I think it cheapens the book, and you'll notice the "...and how to get it back" portion of the title is nowhere else to be found. Obviously a marketing technique for the lowest common denominator. Needleman's rejection of time management techniques seems to prove to me that the tabloidesque cover was not his idea.

If you try to understand this book with your head, you will be torn into a million pieces. It is amazingly difficult to explain what this book is about... you should just know that if you read it, at some point something very strange happens to you... this something is very disturbing, but it is also very sweet. Take a chance and read it!

There were times when I had to just put this book down and breathe because of the truth in its pages. Needleman gets to the heart of "time and the soul." It is a short book and can be read quickly, but one reading will not suffice. An incredibly honest book.

I own all books written by Dr Peale. I read them over and over to see where I need improvements in my life.What a wonderful author! I wish more (help-yourself)books were so down to earth and optimistic.

If life has beaten you down, please order this book. It's like sitting down with a wise and kindly friend -- the kind of person who has a way of making us see ourselves and our situation (no matter what it may be) in a fresh and hopeful light. Norman Vincent Peale genuinely cared about his fellow human beings -- and tried to help them with simple, down-to-earth wisdom that has changed countless lives for the better. No matter where you are in life, or what has happened to you, this book can help

Dr. Peale talks about his internal struggle before he adopted the truths of "tough minded optimism." It was through observation that he discovered philosophy and generalizations didn't work in the real world of problems. The authentic faith as taught by Jesus Christ works! It doesn't ignore problems, it looks beyond them to solutions.

Odd that the same two philosophies that were around in the 1940s-1960s when Dr. Peale came to his conclusion are still in the arena today. Those of us who continue to benefit from Dr. Peale's excellent insight are grateful he made the right (and I mean that literally) choice. What he teaches works!

This book gives the account of Dr. Peale's conversion experience to a vital relationship with Jesus Christ. His wife led him to the Lord, even though he was already a Methodist pastor. Many people claim that he was New Age and an evil perpetrator of false religion. The truth is that he was a master at applying Christianity to real life situations, when others were only interested in doctrinal correctness.

This is a great book and the title says it all: you have to be and remain tough-minded to shield yourself from all the negativity around you. Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, if there be any virtue or praise, thing on these things. You are not going to help anybody if you have a sad, bad, negative attitude. The world needs radically consistent happy and positive optimistic people or we'll go down the tubes.

Have a happy day!

So you are looking for a career. Not just a job that you could care less about in the long run. I mean a real career. The position you have dreamed about, studied for, and want with all your heart. Well there are many other people out there that want the same position you do. You must put your best foot forward and make yourself stand out.

That is where this gem of a book comes in handy. This book takes you from the first step of deciding upon your career, to past the last step of landing a position and beginning your long climb up the corporate latter. Chapters one - eight help readers develop an idea of what career they wish to strive for. Then shows how to build a strong strategy, research for opportunities, create a resume that won't get passed over or filed and forgotten, and how to shine during interviews. Chapters nine - eleven give sound advice in what to do once you have been hired. Chances are that the position you get hired for is not the one you have dreamed of. It is simply the first step to the climb up the corporate latter so you may reach your coveted position. These last few chapters will show you how to get up those first few rungs faster than normal.

***** The person who gave me this book said that I would probably cruise through the book in an afternoon. After all, it is only 118 pages. I recall thinking to myself that it should not even take me that long to read it. WRONG! I found myself going back and rereading sections. I high lighted parts, took notes, and carried the book with me to work for a few days. Personally, I have been climbing the corporate latter for several years now and found lots of advice that I could immediately put to use.

Whether you are in high school, college, or been part of the work force for a few decades, this book is worth every cent you pay for it. (And costs much less than going to even one business seminar.) This little book is rock solid and highly recommended. *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

So you are looking for a career. Not just a job that you could care less about in the long run. I mean a real career. The position you have dreamed about, studied for, and want with all your heart. Well there are many other people out there that want the same position you do. You must put your best foot forward and make yourself stand out.

That is where this gem of a book comes in handy. This book takes you from the first step of deciding upon your career, to past the last step of landing a position and beginning your long climb up the corporate latter. Chapters one - eight help readers develop an idea of what career they wish to strive for. Then shows how to build a strong strategy, research for opportunities, create a resume that won't get passed over or filed and forgotten, and how to shine during interviews. Chapters nine - eleven give sound advice in what to do once you have been hired. Chances are that the position you get hired for is not the one you have dreamed of. It is simply the first step to the climb up the corporate latter so you may reach your coveted position. These last few chapters will show you how to get up those first few rungs faster than normal.

***** The person who gave me this book said that I would probably cruise through the book in an afternoon. After all, it is only 118 pages. I recall thinking to myself that it should not even take me that long to read it. WRONG! I found myself going back and rereading sections. I high lighted parts, took notes, and carried the book with me to work for a few days. Personally, I have been climbing the corporate latter for several years now and found lots of advice that I could immediately put to use.

Whether you are in high school, college, or been part of the work force for a few decades, this book is worth every cent you pay for it. (And costs much less than going to even one business seminar.) This little book is rock solid and highly recommended. *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This book is an insightful and interesting guide into corporate America and the evolution of jobs in this country. The author's insightful look into finding a job is very helpful, especially for those new to business careers. Going hand in hand are the author's tips for getting and keeping jobs, which are perfect for those seeking new careers. The author's passion for this topic is evident and the look into the workings of office politics is very good. Also, I thought it was good that he addressed recruiters and headhunters as well as pointing out that job-related print ads are a very small part of what's offered and that often the best jobs are never advertised. This book is well thought out, with a good easy-to-read structure and very thorough in content.

Newly-minted college graduates and inexperienced business professionals new to the sometimes tricky world of white collar treachery are well advised to consider this "candid guide to a career in business," author Del Casino's instructional primer to many of the trial-and-error pains inherent along the unescorted path of the daily grind.

Del Casino, a veteran consultant, advisor, and principal in the investment management business, launches into several inspiring to-the-point rants along the way, crossing such territory as: "Taking Stock of Yourself," "Interviews," "Evaluating Offers," Lessons to Learn" and "Manage Your Career."

This is a powerful, effective, and at times brutally frank crash course in all the workplace necessities that cannot necessarily be found in any textbook. It is probably the most no-nonsense guide to business careers I've ever read and its organization and style make it an easy and enjoyable read.

This is a great book on fine tuning your inner gut sense in life. Like Choquette says ... whales have sonar ... birds have radar ... and people have their sixth sense ... this book is very helpful for those trained out of their inner trusting whether by environment or early childhood experiences. Packed with real life stories to build your reservoir of trust in your own gut sense!

Sonia Choquette's 'The Psychic Pathway' was introduced to me in 1996. I read her work, went to a few workshops in Chicago, and continued to follow her newer material when she began working with Hay House. This is probably one of the last of her great writings. Sadly, Choquette's woo-woo has gotten out of hand. The gift that brought her public recognition isn't what it used to be after this book was released. Now she is all about channeled guides and other far out theories ... no longer sounding like the self that got her where she is today. Sure a writer adapts but Trust Your Vibes is a fantastic last look at the real Sonia before her soul teaching turned into more of keeping up her game than being of service. This happened to other great psychics .... the fame and fortune they craved resulted in loss of accuracy in the end. Get this book and savor the final authenticity of Sonia before she went woo-woo overload and claimed past lives as a rock star on Saturn. I kid you not she said this on her radio show so the evidence is out there.

By the way .... Choquette's Ph.D. is from the American Institute of Holistic Theology in Alabama, an unaccredited institution. It is not 100% clear that she graduated or left with papers from the University of Denver or the Sorbonne (these two are accredited) but I may be wrong. So ... if anything in her book feels off ... don't mistrust your own vibes about Sonia's guidance just because of her "Ph.D.".

Choquette studied religion at Denver so I will also leave you with this given she refers to herself as being raised Catholic and one who prays the rosary:

1 Timothy 4:1 (New International Version)
1The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

2 Corinthians 11:14-15 (New International Version)
14And no wonder, for the Dark One himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

Leviticus 19:31 (New International Version)
31 " 'Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.

1 Timothy 4:1 (New International Version)
1The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

2 Corinthians 2:11 (New International Version)
11in order that the Dark One might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (New International Version)
10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in [a] the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.

1 Peter 1:13 (New International Version)
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.


**** Does the Pope know that Sonia claimed in her own autobiography to have been taught by Jesus Christ himself to be psychic in a past life? Perhaps she should cannonize her right now!******

"If you're ready to stop struggling with fear and doubt about your job and want to flow joyfully with the creative and unlimited forces of the universe; use all your natural resources; reclaim your power as a six-sensory, intuitively guided, creative soul; and truly succeed-then open your mind and let's begin." - From the book

Renowned psychic and six-sensory author Sonia Choquette introduces 29 strategies for activating, sharpening, and mastering intuition on the job in her book Trust Your Vibes at Work, and Let Them Work for You. Divided into three parts, Trust Your Vibes at Work shows you how to tap into body awareness, increase six-sensory sensitivity especially under pressure, organize intuitive awareness, invite opportunities, engage creativity, welcome feedback and collaboration, contribute with enthusiasm, and follow your vibes to a satisfying, prosperous professional life.

Problems with work and career are universal, with individuals often complaining of boredom, tension between co-workers and management, low pay, and general job dissatisfaction. As a professional intuitive consultant and teacher, Choquette has counseled thousands of people from all over the world, many seeking insight and resolution for job difficulties.

As with her previous book Trust Your Vibes, Choquette writes in a practical, engaging style, equipping employers, employees, and the self-employed with crucial strategies for navigating the workplace as a six-sensory person. Using personal and client anecdotes, the author demonstrates the high cost of not trusting vibes-and the amazing things that can happen when you do. She also provides handy lists to reinforce each intuitive strategy. For example, under Strategy #10 Take a Risk, Choquette gives six ways to prepare for risks as you pursue your dream job:

1. Make a plan.
2. Save money if you can.
3. Make certain that your talents match your desires.
4. Get emotionally ready by creating opportunities to take little leaps of faith.
5. Look forward with enthusiasm to your new adventure, and talk about it with excitement rather than dread.
6. Take small steps, and don't overshoot your goal.

Choquette also sums up each six-sensory strategy with a "bottom line". Here are a few additional strategies and bottom lines from Trust Your Vibes at Work:

Strategy #1 Set Your Intention. Bottom Line: Positively visualize your day before it begins.

Strategy #4 Stimulate Your Creativity. Bottom Line: Lighten up and be playful.

Strategy #15 Have the Courage to Stand Alone. Bottom Line: Stick to your gut feelings and convictions.

Strategy #19 Make No Assumptions. Bottom Line: Never assume that you know anyone completely.

Strategy #21 Work With the Right People. Bottom Line: Make sure "the shoe fits", then sleep on it.

Strategy #26 Claim Your Space. Bottom Line: Strengthen your boundaries.

Choquette stresses the importance of remembering what inspires and excites on the way to our "dream job", as well as how to make the most of any employment situation. Whether treating the workspace as sacred, asking for help, grounding our energy, forgiving others, or employing bad-vibe busters, Trust Your Vibes at Work includes the necessary tools for an empowered, joyful, creative and productive work experience.

As one who is self-employed as a free-lance writer and professional intuitive, I had wondered if Trust Your Vibes at Work would contain relevant information for me since I work from home. I was thrilled to discover that this book shares important ways for discerning, decoding, and trusting intuitive information, especially as it relates to work ethics, expectations, reading people, and personal and vocational satisfaction.

Interestingly, many of my clients also express job dissatisfaction--and I'm sure this is true for most professional intuitives. I'll be sure to recommend this enlightening book to each of them as they seek career direction and work advice!

(P.S. I consider Trust Your Vibes at Work to be one of the best books of 2005--and believe me, I encounter, read, and review many books in a year's time!)

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)

This is an excellent book that provides easy tools to help you improve your "gut instincts." It is particularly helpful to business people making decisions as we do in the Private Equity business. When we invest capital in a business we use every bit of information we can in order to make the right investment decisions. The information available from the "sixth sense" is potentially the most valuable information we can tap.

Like the book "Trust Your Vibes" ... this is applied to the world of work. Surprise surprise ... the mind knows far less than your vibes. Many stories exist of people who picked a job that looked and sounded good even perfect but felt awful vibes-wise. The world of work is changing fast and our minds can only take us so far. Our vibes though can take us beyond the realm of intellect. Your vibes will warn you when something is off and can easily avert disaster than the rational mind may not ever see. If you recall those times in your life when something just felt wrong ... and you didn't know why ... look back and see if you eventually discovered that you were bang on in your assessments. Trust Your Vibes at Work is a companion to keep you safe and not sorry in making critical career decisions.

Like many of Choquette's other books, this also has stories of people who trusted their vibes. Sometimes the best thing to do is go on faith. It is not easy but just knowing how it worked out for others makes a difference. Go with good vibes if you want to get good results. Vibes aren't emotions, they are senses, and usually your body is a good measure. If you walk into an interview and feel off it is a signal. Test what you pick up but gut instinct that is instant has often a very high accuracy.

Choquette has mastered the art of teaching people to get out of their heads and into their hearts. She also promotes trusting our inner sensory system. Both of these are radical concepts to the heady world of intellect and factionist sentiment but when the left and right brain work in harmony ... one is often much better off.

One major theme I got from the book was to go to the warmth... and trust it will all work out no matter what. You may have to build this trust gradually but remember ... the body doesn't lie ... and the best place to work if often where you feel jazzed up. When it flows beautifully it is a signal that you are on path.

If you find yourself in a career transition consider working the steps in this book along with Now What by Laura Berman Fortgang or The Authentic Career from Maggie Craddock.

This is a must read for anyone interested in the future of business.

Upsizing seems more a visionary work to me than one to read to find out the environmental consequences of human industrialization (See review below). Pauli presents a vision for an economically viable world where there's ZERO pollution, and offers a number of real-world experiments that seem so far to have worked. However, the path he encourages won't be an easy one -- it requires systematically rethinking what industry is, how it works, and how it fits into our world. Upsizing begins to construct an argument for why we should do this and shows how the rethought world might look.

Basically, Pauli is making a case for turning all industrial waste toward productive purposes. Our current processes, for instance, to make paper result in a huge loss of productivity when waste wood products -- which could be turned to other uses -- are burned or disposed of such that they are lost forever.

While the ideas in this book are incredibly exciting, the delivery seemed to me a bit rough. While competently presented, as an argument this book seems a little bit disparate and untamed, and its style is a bit flat, if not boring. Still, kudos to Pauli for writing it. His is an exciting vision, and I only hope his projects get the press and consideration they deserve. I'm giving it four stars because of the extraordinary ideas: more people should know about how we can make our waste productive.

Pauli has succeeded in doing a rare thing indeed...that of demonstrating how the environment and the economy can complement each other to create synergies! All this in the context of protecting and preserving our environment for current and future generations.

The book is well written and supported by solid facts and well-developed case studies. It serves as a guide post for people of all walks of life, including CEOs, entrepreneurs, environmentalist and public servants, who want to act or promote action that will help reduce, even eliminate waste, while stimulating economic development. More importantly, this book gives hope that we can adopt ways of doing business that reduce the negative impacts on our environment.

This is an excellent book for anyone who's interested in the environmental consequences of human industrialization and development. I had never heard of the author or his organization (ZERI: Zero Emissions Research Institute), but it's all described in this book, and it's a fascinating proposition.

At first I was a little worried that this book would be a little boring, but it's succinct and well-written. You'll think that the proposals are impossible or unattainable, but the author backs them up at the end with real-world implementations that are successful.

I recommend this book for the CEO of any manufacturing company. The concepts presented in this book will show you how to expand your product offering, minimize environmental impact, and make more money all at the same time.

In the years that pass and as your body gets more out of shape, Dr. Mcgannon offers clear insite on changing behavior patterns that make your life better. We all make choices and following his advice was the best thing I have ever done. Juliet Mcgannon is a jewel herself with her knowledge on excersize and fitness. RH

If you are a typical busy executive (or non-executive and travelling more than a couple of times a month, this is a must. Dr McGannon uses the story of how one executive manages to survive a heart attack on a business trip in the far east to tell in an engaging and humorous way how you can improve your fitness and physical stamina without missing out on the fun side of life. He shows how you can change your diet to be more healthy and still manage to attend all of those important business dinners. He shows how you do not have to travel with a huge exercise kit if you want to keep fit on the road. (Actually the average hotel room has all you need and it does not take a lot of time.) Most importantly he shows how all of these can be integrated into a good lifestyle which does not prevent you from following that punishing schedule that you have to keep. After reading it I lost over 10Kg, significantly lowered my blood pressure and improved my fitness. I have bought lots of copies of this for the folks that I work with. Inturn, they have all bought copies for their own staff.

Dr. McGannon uses a unique format (the book is written like a novel) to illustrate a number of ways to improve personal fitness and quality of life (e.g. nutrition, exercise, focus, confidence). I met Michael recently at INSEAD in France, where he is based, and found him incredibly inspiring, yet with a down to earth and practical tool. The keys are in lowering body fat, "bad cholesterol", blood pressure, and he gives excellent guides in the book, which is an easy read. A great book

As one who normally avoids "self-help" books, the title amused me enough to pick this book up from the sale bin - despite not being a business-jock. Expecting yet another business adaptation of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" or Musashi's "The Book of Five Rings" I was relieved to find a wealth of useful information on all aspects of health (mind, body & spirit). And best of all, from a medical doctor (not some self-styled health guru with the latest fad).

This has become my "bible" of the best medically sound advice to (getting &) staying fit, healthy and sane. It's all here : human psysiology and how nutrition works, fitness advice: from hotel circuits to yoga and stress-coping techniques(effective worrying!).

Armed with this knowledge about yourself, the next medical check-up you go for should be the most cost-effective you've ever had!

I love, love, love this book. I usually can't get into non-fiction books, but this one was a pure joy to read. I was actually sad when I finished. What a fascinating journey back in time. Just a note: the footnotes are the best part. They are full of the most interesting factoids about what really went on in the typical middle-class Victorian's life. Judith Flanders has a wonderful wry sense of sarcastic humor that shines through in her writing, and I found myself laughing many times throughout this book. Makes you glad you live in modern times, but glad you can have an armchair journey back to get a glimpse of what life must have been like back then. It's made me appreciate what I have now so much more, and also to realize why we do things today the way that we do, and where those customs and traditions came from originally.

My only criticism would be that this isn't a totally objective look at Victorian life - it is all tinged with Ms Flanders' personality and judgments, and her feminist leanings quickly become obvious throughout the beginning of the book. Now, I'm all for women's rights and all that, being a woman myself, but it got a bit tiring after a while to be reminded, YET again, of how hard life was for women in that era. One other little criticism is that the introductory chapter is a bit slow - don't give up! The rest of the book picks up the pace quite considerably. It's definitely worth it! It's changed my view of my own life in today's world, and been a wonderful, and fascinating journey back over a hundred years ago, from the safety and comfort of my rather cushy 21st century existence. I didn't want it to end, even though it removed my rose-tinted glasses of "charming" Victoriana entirely!

Like a well-run Victorian home, Judith Flanders has carefully placed each aspect of Victorian life in it's "proper place" with this thoroughly engaging book. Dedicating an entire chapter to each room of the 19th century Victorian English home(Nursery, Scullery, Kitchen,Bathroom, Parlour, Sickroom and so on), Flanders uses each room as a case-study of Victorian English life, from birth to death (and everything in-between). Flander's book draws you in to the era completely with an unromanticized glimpse into the life of average Victorians-not just the wealthy-and through a copious use of contemporary material(e.g. letters, newspapers, advertisements, diaries andliterature). All of this lends an authenticity that at times proves disarming...The details of laundry-day and the immense work involved in basic housekeeping and meal preparation are utterly amazing! After finishing "The Victorian House", I stood in awe of my household appliances and remembered the adage, "The Good Old Days...Are Now".

This is a wonderful survey of British social history in the 1800s - how people actually lived their lives day to day. Drawing from every possible historical source, the author describes what life was like for well-to-do Brits in the Victorian era, with a particular emphasis on London. Her theme is to take the reader through an upper-crust house room by room: One chapter on the kitchen, one on the scullery, one on the parlour, and so on. I found it utterly fascinating.

Victorian England is not exactly ancient history, yet it is amazing how different life was then, and how unpleasant (by our standards) life was even for the wealthy. For instance, people tolerated incredible filth. Even among the well-to-do, coal dust coated every interior surface, clothing was heavy and dirty, and baths were infrequent. London fogs were so thick that pedestrians would bump into things. Food was extremely bland even for the elite, and it was thought that feeding vegetables to children would stir up sexual interest. Most surprising of all, women rarely questioned their inferior status. It was generally accepted that women were mentally and physically weak, and women themselves seemed to accept this with little questioning. The amount of change during the last century, in both material and non-material ways, is mind-boggling.

Incidentally, this book appears to be identical to "Inside the Victorian Home" by the same author.

Although the fifty page intro was a bit sluggish, it fortunately did not represent the rest of the book. Flanders devotes a chapter to each room in the stereotypical Victorian house, plus one for The Street. Her research gives new meaning to the word "depth". She has mined non fiction, letters, fiction,and just about anything that could possibly add insight to life in that very rigid time. The result is a wealth of analysis, as well as wonderful trivia (People did not want newfangled toilets in their bathrooms because bathrooms were clean!). From the weight of women's clothing (37 pounds), to the ways households detected adulteration in their food, and the number of mail deliveries per day (10-12), The Victorian House is a treasure trove of information. The three sections of colour plates add visual evidence to Flanders' text, and the whole thing is remarkably focused trip through this world.

I have no reservations about recommending this book.

'Waiting For The Mountain To Move' is full of interesting and thought provoking. It is written in an easy to read format.

Jill Weeks
Author 'Where To Retire In Australia'

One of the easier to read books by Handy. Contains many interesting ideas presented in a easy to read and understand manner. Excellent.

I can't say enough about Charles Handy's many books, and this little gem is absolutely thrilling. Comprised of 65 stories of about 500 words each, Handy's eloquent style and a non-proselytized collection of Christian anecdotes make each story a beautiful experience. Core values with a deep, profound essence of faith. I hope more Americans become familiar with his tremendous work.

An excellent book to make you stop and think about the realities of work and life. Prof. Handy has put some very valuable truths in the short essays in the book. Some of the essays touch on spiritual issues and I endorse the truths he mentions! The essays are short and you could read them at the start of a long commute and ponder over the thoughts during the journey. Or are we do too busy to do that even? For those you have read Prof. Handy's other books, don't miss this one!

I got this book as a Kwanzaa gift from my aunt and at first, I didn't know what to expect. The title seemed a bit condescending and "Uncle Tom"-ish, and Wally Amos, the COOKIE GUY???? But since I am an open minded intellectual African, I read the book, to find that I could not put it down!

Amos, a brilliant entrepeneur, has succeeded because of his positive attitude and his joyous approach to life. He makes lemonade from life's lemons (or watermelons) and is so warm and wise, he reminds me of the village elders from Africa.

The book is filled with anecdotes and pearls of wisdom culled from his own experience, as well as the history of our people, and also from philosophers and writers as diverse as Confucius and Booker T.

I most strongly recommend this book to anyone, African or not, to lift their spirits and find a way to smile though adversity.

This is a great book that gives great advice about being an individual, working hard and about other aspects of life.

This is a charming, uplifting, extemely honest little book, full of nuggets of wisdom, and a glimpse into Amos' life. Measuring not much more than 5 x 7, it would make the perfect stocking stuffer, or gift for someone who needs some encouragement and a few positive thoughts.
Wally has been an adventurous soul, and has a wonderful, easy and humorous way with words. He's had his ups and downs, but has known how to get by with a fearless zest for living.

The layout is excellent, and unlike some books of this type, has no wasted space. Its 9 chapters are separated by choice quotes from wise folks like Confucius and Mark Twain, and a short "Wallymelon Lesson", like: "My experiences have shown me that life truly is a journey, and the less baggage we carry the easier the ride" (pg. 38).

I particularly liked the chapter that deals with the loss of his mother, "Gaining from Loss". It was tenderly written and quite moving. Though there's no new revelation in this book, it's an easy, refreshing read, like spoonfulls of cheer, with a lot of heart.
"...we are all strands in the tapestry of life. Whatever we do to the tapestry, we do to ourselves" (pg.83).

So many aspects to self-help. I haven't quit talking about this book since I read it 3 weeks ago. I have purchased 3 copies so far to hand out as presents. Everybody should read this no matter what your age, you will gain a positive insight. It was recommended to me by my therapist who has been passing the "word"of Watermelon Magic on to everyone who will listen. I will be giving this book as a present to everyone that I know who has a birthday this year or Christmas or just "because they need it". The only unfortunate thing is that it is not on audio tape for the blind. Work on that

the foreword by Henri Nouwen (13 pages long) is worth the price of this wonderful book.

This book applies to everybody who is looking to stregthen his or her spirtuality. It looks at the Latin American version of Christianity which is a good reminder that there are more types of spirtualities than the American ones. It a good read, well written and it draws well on the scripture.

Gutierrez has written about "liberation theology" in layman's language. Not only is the book informative, it is a guide to personal spirituality.

After completing the book, I find it difficult to understand why "liberation theology" has been such a controversial topic within the political and church establishments for the past 30 years. Why had a US government study claimed "liberation theology" a greater threat to Latin America than communism? And why had the authorities in Rome silenced both Gutierrez and Boff for their positions on liberation theology?

We Drink from Our Own Wells is formated into three sections. The first section contains two chapters that define "new" spirituality as practiced among the poor in Latin America.

The second section is comprised of three chapters that focus on scripture; particularly the gospels of the evangelists and the epistles of Paul. Much attention is given to the social gospel of Christ. The concepts of flesh, spirit, and body are extensively discussed, as are the terms "discipleship" and "community".

The five chapters in the final section are summarized in Henri Nouwen's superbly written Forward: "...filled with deeply moving texts written by Christian men and women who have experienced persecution and suffering but have been witnesses to the living and hope-giving God in the midst of their sufferings."

The 202 pages include 33 pages of notes, 4 pages of scripture references (over 200 entries), a 15 page Forward written by Henri Nouwen, and a 5 page Preface by Gutierrez for the 20th Anniversay Edition.

The English language version of WE DRINK FROM OUR OWN WELLS is now over twenty years old. When it was first released, it did cause quite a bit of stir. Some read it simply because it was by Peruvian priest and theologian Gustavo Gutierrez. This was the time that Gutierrez and other Liberation Theologians were facing investigation by the Vatican. Some, like Leonardo Boff were silenced. Gutierrez' writings were not condemned on the whole, but there were questions regarding some of the particulars of his theological approach. The criticism was based on the seemingly sympathetic stance toward Marxism of some Liberation theologians. At the time Ronald Reagan was in the White House, Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of England, the Nuclear Arms race as escalating and it had been only three years since Archbishop Romero and the woman missionaries in El Salvador had been killed for being viewed as religious radicals. Today theologians like Gutierrez are seen as invigorating theology and reminding us of the Gospel's call to serve the poor, birth not that radical, but in the 1980's, this was controversial and many read it for the controversy alone. Others read it out of admiration for Gutierrez' earlier work A THEOLOGY OF LIBERATION. My guess is that whatever the reason, this book, like so many powerful works of faith, touched and hopefully changed the reader.

It seems that Gutierrez' purpose for writing this work is twofold. First, it is a defense of his principals of Liberation theology. Critics claimed Gutierrez' writings were Communism with a Christian slant. Gutierrez never refuted the charge of having Communistic leanings which would have taken away from what he was trying to accomplish. Instead he kept defending the rights of the poor and the call of Christ to serve the most vulnerable and stayed away from a debate which would have just been political. The result is this book. WE DRINK FROM OUR OWN WELLS presents a spiritual basis for Liberation Theology demonstrating that his beliefs are not based on anything other than the message of Jesus Christ. Gutierrez does what few theologians do, or at least do well. He not only presents the theology, he also presents the practical spiritual basis too.

While the book may be an attempt to connect the theories of Liberation Theology and spiritual practice, most readers of WE DRINK FROM OUR OWN WELLS probably discovered what makes the book so powerful. In an age when there is almost a disconnect between a person's spiritual life and all other aspects of life, Gutierrez reminds us that not only that we cannot hear the words of scripture and not be concerned for the poor and oppressed, but that our care and concern for others ought to lead us to prayer and God and our prayer ought to lead u to concern for others. He also reminds us of the importance of a communal aspect of the faith, highlighting for Catholics the centrality of the Eucharist. Gutierrez offers a lived rather than theoretical spirituality that can bring about change. It's also a challenging book for most Western readers and an empowering book for the poor and oppressed. Readers cannot help but see that the poor and marginalized have far more to offer us as far as knowing God is concerned than those of us who may be privileged have to offer them.