5 comments about Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets.

1. "Rogue sociologist" and author Sudhir Venkatesh is aptly described in GLFAD's foreword as "born with two abnormalities: an overdeveloped curiosity and an underdeveloped sense of fear." Both are evident in this impressive narrative of his extensive, nearly decade long doctorate research in sociology, conducted while embedded in the Chicago projects. Venkatesh unwittingly set the bar high: his home away from home, which he more or less stumbled upon while naively (yet purposely) straying far away from his University of Chicago on an ethnographer's quest, was Robert Taylor Homes, one of the nation's largest and most violent ghettoes. Not to mention the late 80s and early 90s marked a period especially tarnished by an epidemic of ruthless and widespread gang activity, not the least of which was due to the pervasive sale and abuse of the too-affordable crack cocaine. This story is as much about the projects and their interplay with the drug trade as it is about Chicago's street gangs.
   
   Venkatesh penetrated the inner circles and high ranks of the vicious, drug-dealing street gang the Black Kings by more or less going to places that he shouldn't have, and fraternizing with people he should have run from. Venkatesh seemed to avoid the gang's wrath through a combination of childlike naiveté and flattery; his access to main character and Black Kings leader J.T., for instance, was engendered by the latter's mistaking Venkatesh for his biographer. The gang also attempted to use "The Professor" to spread its propaganda, emphasizing how its money and security made the projects safer, and making sure Venkatesh took ample notes at events like community outreach programs, voter registration drives, and life-skills workshops. Fortunately for the GLFAD's readers, Venkatesh's curiosity extended to the gang's seedier side, and his descriptions of digging beneath the surface to witness beatings, shootings, and extortion make the story a page turner.
   
   That's not to say that Venkatesh didn't possess common sense and his wits about him, at least as he got older and wiser. He had a knack for knowing when to stop asking questions, and when not to get involved in the brutal mayhem around him (being an admitted coward works wonders that way, although Venkatesh second guessed a lot of his decisions not to at least try to involve the police). He made a great many alliances with gang leaders, community activists, squatters, cops, prostitutes, and garden variety hustlers, while never pitting them against one another- a balancing act that got more delicate the longer he stayed, especially as events like FBI raids and the planned demolition of the projects increased paranoia among Robert Taylor's residents.
   
   Venkatesh's relationship with J.T. is the best chronicled and most powerful of GLFAD. The gang leader is no clichéd thug with a heart of gold, and yet his positive contributions to his community are more evident than the often subtle influence of drugs. He was college educated, loved his extended family, was more honest than most about his role in the community, and worked hard at his illicit "profession." [GLFAD gets its title from J.T.'s handing over his responsibilities to Venkatesh for a day, after the latter questions how difficult his "work" really is.] J.T. craved legitimacy and waxed about how a drug economy was "useful for the community," by redistributing undesirable drug addicts' money into the hands of ordinary citizens through the gangs' philanthropic efforts. His relationship with Venkatesh was both intimate and instructional, and daresay, sweet at times (particularly at the story's end).
   
   Sadly, the uplifting messages are few, and a big theme of the book is how conventional sociology tools are ill-fitting to Robert Taylor Homes' hardships, and how Venkatesh's colleagues were (understandably) out of touch with the inner-city. The outlook on the projects' side wasn't any rosier: take home messages from the projects included (i) everyone is a hustler when you're facing extreme impoverished circumstances, with few exceptions; and (ii) a thirst for power trumps- although can coexist with- helping your fellow man. The sense of community was never as powerful in Robert Taylor as when in lockstep with lining the pockets of those extending a helping hand. No birthday party was assembled without drug money funding, soda kickbacks from local markets, and hired hot dog grilling duty; well-connected (and self-appointed) housing authorities assisted tenants for "consulting fees"; neighborhood meetings couldn't assemble without specious security detail and room fees. Ventakesh himself realized his complicity when it was pointed out to him that his research was a hustle, too: he exercised kindness and showed compassion to those in the ghetto, but his research and data were the ends justifying much of his means.



2. I really enjoyed this book a lot. It's not a ton of climactic, over the top stuff, but it kept me interested throughout. I'm not a reader (more of a tv person unfortunately for my weakening brain) but I read this book in a couple of days, and I can't even remember the last time it took me less than 2 weeks to finish a book. It almost made me want to go to a ghetto (there are plenty near where I live) and hang out to see what the people are like, but I don't think it would be as easy for a woman to do as it was for a man (few things are, I guess). Anyway, I enjoyed this book a lot because it really gives you some insight into why rich people get richer and poor people get poorer. Sad but so obviously true.



3. This is a fascinating book about a sociology student doing research in a low-income project in Chicago to find out how it feels to be black and poor and how they survive. He started with a questionnaire, but after getting laughed at and challenged to hang out with the people and see how things are, he abandons his questionnaires and hangs out with a gang for several years. This is non-fiction, based on actual experiences of the author who also talked to others in the community to find out their view of the gang and how they live. The funniest part was when J.T., the gang leader let the author be the gang leader for a day so he would find it wasn't at all as easy as he thought and his respect and admiration for J.T. increased. It was surprising to see that the gang was actually a well-run drug business. It's primary purpose was selling cocaine and keeping "peace" in the neighborhood, not fighting with other gangs or stirring up trouble. Whenever there was a fight or someone would get hurt, no one ever called the cops. They'd call on the gang members for help instead. No ambulance would go to the projects.
   
   It gives insight into the role gangs play in the neighborhood, how community leaders cooperate with the gangs, how hopeless some peoples' lives can be and the ineffectiveness of the police and government agencies. I recommend it to anyone who wants to see how life in the low-income projects is, at least in some places. Very educational and a good read!



4. Under the pretense that he was writing the gang leaders biography, the author was able to get firsthand research about the gang itself. It was very fascinating to see how organized gangs can be, and how "important" they can be to their communities. But I felt disgust at the authors admiration and respect for the gang and its leader. As I read the book I quickly came to realize how naive the author is...



5. If you are interested in Gangs, Chicago, or Sociology this is a must have book! Great Book!

5 comments about The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness.

1. This was a great story of one womans struggle with coming to terms with mental illness and trying to maintain her life. It was both encouraging that she was able to finally overcome the illness to create a successful career and personal life, and at the same time discouraging that it took her over 15 years of struggle and denial to do so.



2. I was so moved by Dr. Saks story, I couldn't put this book down. She is so brave to write her life's story and risk so much. Despite all her challenges, she is extremely accomplished as well as hopeful, courageous, honest, resilient, sensitive and generous. She exposes the mental health system in this country and compares it to England's. Every word in the book is meaningful. Dr Saks tells the story in a clear, precise, and simple to understand way. I found Elyn an inspirational role model. I have recommended this book to many relatives and friends. I even bought it as a gift for close relatives. I hope one day to meet her.



3. It is impossible to overpraise this book, which is the only book I know of that takes you deep into the torments of the schizophrenic mind. What's astonishing about it is simply that Elyn Saks wrote it...and wrote it so engagingly and compelling. It staggers the imagination that she has achieved what she has given the colossal difficulties presented by her illness. There have been lots of books, as Saks points out near the end of hers, about mental illness, especially by mentally ill patients, but most of these have been by depressives and bipolar patients. These are mood disorders, but schizophrenia, as she so powerfully shows us, is a thought disorder which impairs the cognitive abilities of the brain and which substitutes a delusional world for the "reality" most of us experience. Damn I hope more and more people read this so that we might better understand the dark recesses of madness that threaten to engulf those afflicted with this terrible illness. This book is one for the ages. It belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in the capabilities of the human mind.



4. This book is absolutely excellent to get a good "inside" view of what it is like to experience the confusion and depth of schizophrenia. Added to its value is the fact that the author, who is shizophrenic, is an accomplished author in professional journals, and has earned a law degree at a prestigious university and an advanced degree in psychology as well! I admire her courage and willingness to speak out and share her personal experiences that so many have stigmatized. Kudos!



5. When I was a Medical Student, I met patients with variety of psychiatric disorders. This book has given me perspective that I didn't get then. I am really glad I read this book.
   
   I wish the author had made the book even more personal with family pictures or pictures from her childhood.

5 comments about Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition: My Life with Autism.

1. Dr. Grandin lectures on animal husbandry as well as autism. I've seen her speak in person. She's a very interesting individual. Her way of speaking comes through in the book. She writes very well for the layman.
   
   She covers her career, her interests, and her autism. If you are interested in animal husbandry, interesting women, autism, then this is a good book. If you have autistic kids and feel really under it, its very reassuring to see how this one autistic person has done very well for herself, thanks to early intervention by her parents as well as determination and intelligence on her part.
   
   I also like her personally, because I have had mixed feelings about being an omnivore and am glad she's out there making the experience of animals in our food production a lot less harrowing.



2. Excellent book and tool for those dealing with adult Asperger's. Until reading this book, there was no pragmatic connection with my brother, 53 years old, who has been isolated from family all his life due to his inability to see cause and effect. Visiting with psychologists in his early years did nothing to help parents understand his lack of emotional ties or connectivity to anything. He was labeled as very intelligent in certain fields (science, telecommunications, automotive knowledge)but had no common sense and kept repeating same mistakes over and over.
   
   He was incarcerated for 17 years for sexual abuse of a female girlfriend and we could not understand how he failed to get parole or help while in prison while some of those serving time for far worse crimes, including murder, were paroled after only half the time. We now know that sensory problems and being able to "go with the flow" in the prison system kept him incarcerated to serve his entire sentence.
   
   Luckily, family was able to run across articles about Asperger's and did research on it concluding that so many adults such as my brother had not been identified with this symptom. We are much more successful with dealing with him after reading Temple Grandin's book and have pegged her thinking to be very similar to my brother's--he also thinks in pictures but could not describe it and frequently did not know what we were talking about since he was unable to feel emotions as related by Ms. Grandin. He has read her book also and is reading it a second time. It has given the family insight into our brother's condition for the first time in 53 years and we are so very thankful for this book.



3. A friend recommendeded this book for me. I hesitated for a while before buying it - but once picked up I can't put it down. The book brings me to scope of thinkings that is beyond my imagination. I can't wait to recommend this book to my friends even before I have finished it for the first time. I've now re-read this for two to three times, and each time my mind was further enlightened. Sometimes I give away books after reading but this will be a copy I will keep and read over and over again.



4. Fascinating insight into the autistic mind and the different ways of being human. Also provides insights into how more "normal" minds work by contrast. Highly recommended.



5. Temple Grandin's book is amazing! I can barely wrap my mind around some of the things she says, but I really learned a lot about autism. I highly recommend this book to everyone - not just someone researching autism - but everyone. Our whole book group loved it.

5 comments about LSD: My Problem Child.

1. Clears up a lot of the misconceptions. Got book through drug legalization lobby I give money to. What a Brilliant guy!!



2. There are a few books in the world that are touchstones for our psyches. This is one of them. It should be read by all young people coming of age, regardless of their position on the use of mind altering substances. It should be re-read every 10 years or so as they mature and their world view evolves. For those experienced with exploring internal frontiers it should be checked in with every 10 years or so as well. In just 209 pages of straight forward text some of the fundamental first principles of reality, and our relationship to it, are spilled out onto us without the need for preaching, screeching, moralizing, or deciphering obscure philosophical and scientific texts.
   
   It should be read by every political leader in the world, and you won't find too many people who'd disagree with that!



3. I first read this book when it was first published, maybe 25 years ago. The book still holds up well all these years later, as it is a calm, rational history from the Center of the Cyclone (if I might borrow the title from Dr. John Lilly). Clearly, Dr. Hoffman was no stranger to realms of what many these days call entheogens, often experimenting himself with other "new" substances he discovered in other organic plants that found their way to him as a result of his monumental inadvertant destiny in "discovering" LSD. While some of the other substances he writes on were very new at the time, and therefore might read a little dated, on the whole, there is no one better qualified or in a better position to tackle such a significant topic.



4. an elegant and substantive discourse on the curious ways in which science has coalesced with spirituality through the last several decades. This man's mind is truly unique and his monumental discoveries, combined with his spectacular longevity and health, command respect.
   
   Publish a great book and give all the proceeds to a worthwhile cause: you cannot go wrong here.



5. I havent started reading this book yet. But i was looking for it for a few years. glad to see its back in print

5 comments about Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness.

1. I can't thank William Styron enough for this book. Suffering from depression myself, I had days in which I was counting breaths just to make it through the day. This book got me through another day in the darkest of places.



2. This is the best book I have ever read on depression. I have read and re read it several times. The fact that Styron is such a good writer is what makes this so informative. And as someone else pointed out the fact that the book is small and short helps also. It is beautifully written. I always recommend it to anyone suffering from depression. I am sad to say I recently read somewhere that near the end of his life Styron's depression returned. He had not been cured of his depression. It just lifted for a time. I like that he explains how drugs did not help him but made his depression worse. By getting off the drugs he began to get better on his own. Everyone is different but not everybody needs drugs. I also recently read that depression is anger turned inward. Knowing that I suggest getting a punching bag and hanging it in the back yeard and hitting it hard everyday.
   Seriously I got a great deal of comfort from A DARKNESS VISIBLE. It is worth noting that Styron's depression hit him after he quit drinking alcohol after a lifetime of abusing alcohol.
   Seems to me that doctors should always recommend this book to their patients suffering from depression. The book offers hope to those afflicted by depression.



3. As someone who's survived the storms of depression, Styron gives a commendable account of this devastating illness. For those fortunate souls who have not struggled with the 'cancer of mental diseases', Styron's account is the best yet given. His tone, jaded by the relentless malaise, carry the genuine despondence of a genteel perceptive spirit who has made it : "I felt myself no longer a husk but a body with some of the body's sweet juices stirring again. I had my first dream in many months, confused but to this day imperishable, with a flute in it somewhere, and a wild goose, and a dancing girl."



4. This autobiography of William Styron dives into his own experience with severe depression. Although he was winning critical acclaim as an author, he went further and further into depression to the point of hopelessness and suicide. The book gives a great account of his personal experience and how he was able to recover and find happiness in his life again. Very interesting to hear about a much overlooked disease from the viewpoint of someone who has been there.



5. This portrayal is of a depression that is clearly the result of alcoholism (long term effects and then withdrawal) followed by drug abuse--a temporary depression that has a clear cause, and a clear remedy. Not a typical case of clinical depression, not a good representation of the "disease" (his term, incorrectly used here in my opinion). When he checks himself into a hospital (his psychiatrist does not feel this is necessary, but the psychiatrist, in Styron's eyes, is a moron), the adorably incompetent but well-meaning staff of therapists take him off the pills he has been eating like candy (not as prescribed) and...wow, he gets better! Imagine that. Then he has the audacity to conclude that if people with depression would just wait it out, they will eventually feel better...he feels he can conclude this because he has BEEN there, If only all of the famous artists who have committed suicide (he brings them up a lot) had just waited it out and taken a vacation at an expensive funny farm, they'd be here today (he claims that it was the "getting away" that cured him, not the actual therapy--which he mocks--or the cessation of his drug abuse). It really worries me that people with depression or their loved ones may turn to this book to gain insight. I believe his experience of pain was authentic and it is a worthy subject for a book but, again, this is an example of a temporary depression with a distinct cause, not the illness of clinical depression. It is irresponsible to represent it as such. The author clearly romanticizes the illness and wants to be part of this club of "creatives" (he brings up the "artiste" thing many times). Well, lots of people get depressed, some of them are going to be famous, some of them are going to be creative, most of them will not have the energy for that...it's not a club. Most people with depression, if it lasts, as it does for many, can barely get out of bed and go to their job as a waitress or accountant or take care of their kids, let alone write a library of award winning novels, have two homes, a perfect wife, and travel the world. Again, I am not saying he did not suffer, I am just saying it is irresponsible to frame his depression as he does in this book. I am really surprised at how this book has been embraced. And I haven't even mentioned the corny, over-blown, flowery style that weighs the book down and feels so terribly dated for a book written in the nineties...I'm glad this book seems to be helpful to some people, but I worry that it is detrimental to many others.

5 comments about Memories, Dreams, Reflections.

1. "Memories, Dreams, Reflections" is the most insightful autobiography of Carl G. Jung's life and his humble experiences. I have read his other works, including Man and His Symbols and Dreams, and never fully understand them until I read this last book of his to which brings it all together in terms of his scientific approach. This 400-page book is a window into his inner world, and it is such a remarkable read.
   
   In this book, Jung revealed much wisdom and insights from his early years up to his remainder of his life. One even can learn about oneself from his life. It is very much worth reading. It is both fascinating and inspiring.
   
   My favorite line of Jung from this book:
   
   "As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being."



2. Wow!
   
   I've always admired Carl Gustav Jung, and this book, a biography of his inner life, has helped me to understand him much better. It was fascinating to read about his boyhood, his adolescence, his days as a student, his time as a doctor (most all of his adult life) and his travels. And the best part was the insights he shared about his inner life.
   
   Perhaps the biggest surprise in reading this book was the extent to which I identified with him. As a child I had a rich imagination and sometimes thought that I was some kind of an odd-wad. And like Jung, not only did I have trouble with algebra when I was in junior high, I also, like Jung, had thought it was a plot! It was nice to find out that a highly intelligent person like Jung had experienced many just-like-it-only-different events as I had.
   
   The biggest thing I appreciate about Carl Jung is his attitude towards the individual. I think he has one of the best treatments of individualism that I've read. The "individuating" process he outlines will make us better members of the community. Like Jung, I have always felt that the community is only as healthy as the individuals in it.
   
   I continue to learn about his approach to dreams and to learn new insights from this book. It's very much worth reading.



3. As much as I would have liked to learn about Jung's life I just couldn' finish this book. Jung comes across as so incredibly self-absorbed - it's only me, I, me, I and me again. He writes hundreds of pages about his most detailed inner experiences, yet there is not a single word about his relationship to his wife, children and mistresses. If I hadn't known that he was married with five children I would have assumed he was a complete hermit. Loving relationships seem to have meant nothing to this man. I honestly wonder how he could have been a good therapist. I also wonder why so many women have followed his teachings when quite obviously he held them in such low regard. I only hope that the reality was better than this book makes him out to be.



4. This book is sublime, a GEM. In his subjective view of the world -"with half closed eyes and somewhat closed ears, to see and hear the form and voice of being" he arrived at an inspiring insight about life: supreme meaning of being can consist only in the fact that is,not that it is not or is no longer; nature, the mystery of love, the psyche, life, human beings, a state of lively contemplation of images is divinity unfolded (the greatest of miracles)-being conscious of this can come to you not through emptiness, imagelessneess or wanting to be freed from nature or yourself.
   Here's a passage of the book that reflects the quintessence of his wisdom:
   No language is adequate for this paradox. Whatever one can say, no words reflect the whole; for only the whole is meaningful...love "bears all things" and "endures all things". These words say all there is to be said; nothing can be added to them. For we are in the deepest sense the victims and the instruments of cosmogonic "love"- a unified and undivided whole. Being a part man cannot grasp the whole. He is at its mercy. He may assent to it, or rebel against it; but he is always caught by it and enclosed within it. He is dependent upon it and is sustained by it. Love is his light and his darkness, whose end he cannot see. "Love ceases not"-whether he speaks with the "tongue of angels", or with scientific exactitude traces the life cell down to its uttermost source. Man can try to name love, showering upon it all the names at his command, and still he will involve himself in endless self-deceptions. If he possesses a grain of wisdom, he will lay down his arms and name the unknown by the more unknown- ignotum per ignotius-that is, by God. That is a confession of his subjection, his imperfection, and his dependence; but at the same time a testimony to his freedom to choose between truth and error.
   If we understand and feel that here in this life we already have a link with the infinite, desires and attitudes change.



5. Jung's work is often difficult to read. This is an excellent introduction to his thinking, and a fine outline of his life. Man and his Symbols is also a good intro to Jungian thought.
   
   However, over long, somewhat pompous comments are really not appropriate. Jungians would call this inflation.

5 comments about Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital.

1. I am in a book club called WOBL (WOMEN OF BRYANT LAKE)We were lucky enough to have our host get a conference call with the author, Dr. Heidi Squier Kraft. After reading her book I was so moved by her experiences over in Iraq, it's a book that I feel every US citizen should read. She gives the reader a chance to understand first hand what the soldiers are experiencing and how she helps them work through their losses and fears. It is such a heart felt book from a mother/lieutenant commander who has to leave her two young children to help these men and women through life and death situations on the combat field. I can not say enough about this book, I highly recommend it!



2. As a fellow military psychologist, I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Kraft's account of her deployment experiences. This is not a manual for the treatment of combat stress, and is not intended to be such. It lends humanity to those of us in a helping profession working in an environment that can create some superhuman expectations. I read it easily in an afternoon and recommend that anyone who wants some insight into military psychology do the same.



3. I want to thank Dr. Kraft for her book "Rule Number Two". My son joined the Marines last fall and graduated on December 7TH. Ooh-Rah! He has always wanted to join the Marines. My brother was a Marine and served two tours in Vietnam . I was only about 4 years old when he was there and I still remember my mom crying at the airport. I also remember her setting a place at the holiday tables as a gesture of remembrance for my brother. This place setting she said, 'Was for all of us to remember where our brother is and to remember all the soldiers who are not at their family's holiday table.' Never did I ever think I would set a Marine place setting at my holdiay table, but I did these past holidays. As a mother, I want Dr. Kraft to know that it eases my heart to know that there are people like you dedicated to my son. It makes me feel calmer knowing that he has a place to turn to when he needs the support. Your book provides the support and comfort of what is real! I encourage all who have a family member serving for our country to read Dr. Kraft's book. It will allow you the window into their lives as they serve and help you understand their emotional returns to home'. This book is for all who care about our men and women serving now and for all our veterans.



4. Dr. Kraft has written an excellent and moving account of her experiences in Iraq. It is also a testament to the struggle of many working mothers, whether service members or not. As a psychologist (also woman and mother) in private practice with a largely military population, I recognized a similar thread in the many horror stories I have heard from active duty and family member clients alike. By writing from her perspective, we are able to gain a unique window into the clinician's world, many of us are not otherwise able to share. It is a part of the Iraq War story that needs to be told. In response to the reviews of some others: this is not a graduate school textbook and has not been presented as such. It would be inappropriate to review it for its ability to instruct on psychotherapy techniques for trauma and there are other excellent publications designed for that purpose. Rather, it is one person's account of what it was like to be on the ground, as a professional, a service member, and as a human. Dr. Kraft's skill and expertise as a therapist are revealed repeatedly throughout the pages. She is someone I am honored to call a colleague in the field of mental health, and I thank her and her family for their service and sacrifice.



5. I read RULE NUMBER TWO last weekend and could not put it down. I can't thank Dr. Kraft enough for sharing her very personal story. At first I was expecting stories of her patients from a clinician's point of view. Her account of what she experienced gave me so much more. I am a clinical social worker working in a community college counseling center, where we are seeing many OEF/OIF veterans as they return to our school and our community. The more we can know first hand about their experiences the more we can help and support them. This book has been so helpful to that purpose. After reading the book, I went back to amazon.com and ordered several more copies to share with my colleagues, friends and family.

5 comments about The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life.

1. that money had less power over your life? Thsi book is a certain guide to breaking emotional and metal molds in one of life's touchiest areas. Lynne Twist's exploration of the spiritual side of money adn wealth is a heartening introduction to a way of thinking that can change the way the world does business. Her insights are that powerful.



2. I will keep this very brief as I don't want to waste your time like the way I wasted mine by reading this book.
   Key Points of the author:
   - Align your transactions with your morals
   - Scarcity is not real. Believe in sufficiency
   - Focus on the qualitative aspects of life, like relationships
   
   That is pretty much it. The book is a VERY touchy-feely book filled with her real life examples of volunteering with Third World countries and how deep down in peoples' souls is where fulfillment lies, not in materialistic goods. Some of the things she says and suggests borders on socialist doctrine.
   
   If you are looking for a way to better understand yourself, happiness, and the role money plays, I suggest you look into the field of positive psychology. Money has diminishing marginal returns...in other words, the guy who earns $500,000 is not 10X happier than the guy who earns $50,000. With that said, remove yourself from the rat race, be content with the things around you, don't focus so much on tomorrow, and dedicate yourself (career/volunteer) to something you believe in. That simple equation is more valid and will transform your life more than this entire book.



3. Lynne Twist has written a very inspiring book that can totally tranform one's relationship with money and self.



4. This wokderful lady adds the spirt to the money. She has accomplished much in the world, so this is not a "how to" book that is for the purpose of making money for the writer, but one whom I know lives the life and walks the talk.



5. I enjoyed the book and recommended it to friends. Lynn Twist offers up lots of food for thought on ways to view money and how to spend money so that it makes a difference in the world.

1 comments about Man's Search For Meaning.

1. This is a must read for all those "woe is me" people always complaining about everything. Man's Search for Meaning will enlighten you to what "having a bad day" really means. I applaud Viktor Frankl for his inner strength to survive such an ordeal and come away with such dignity and inner peace.

5 comments about Secrets of the Talking Jaguar.

1. If you liked Don Jaun, this is for you. A total fabrication. Even the references to geographic locations are wrong. A literary mess on top of that. Enough New Age drivel to go around. It will appeal to the same touristas that crowd Solala. No resposible anthropologist would touch this.



2. Martin Prechtel paints a magic world that we all at some points of the book wish we could live in. But I feel that the book is far from in the truth as any sci-fi book I have read in the past. The book outlays personal Spirits and ways in which we can find our indigenous soul. I worry that in Martin Prechtels search he lost sight of what he was looking for.
   If you are looking for a book that will through you into a vivid world of imagination and full of exciting metaphors and mental illustrations this is the book for you.
   However if the book details the beliefs of the Tzutujil people correctly I seriously doubt the fact of him publicizing about them. I find the book is in the wrong genre and if you want to know about the Tzutujil/Mayan people then read something else.



3. Martin is a great storyteller and transmitter of wisdom. I could not put this book down.



4. This book is such a pleasure to read and reread.... lots of food for thought about modern culture and alternative ways of living, about aging, about wisdom, about Mayan culture, and about seeing the challenges of life in humorous ways!



5. I give this book as a gift to everyone I know who has read Marlo Morgan's appalling book of lies about the Australian aborigines. Here is a story that actually HAPPENED, has none of the racial arrogance of many "new age" books where some rich whitey goes off and lives "with" the natives and grants them recognition. (Morgan's 'Mutant Message Downunder" has made +100 million, even though the woman made the whole thing up, stole a whole lot of religious symbols out of some anthropology journal that shouldn't have published them in the first place, stole the end sequence from a film called "Quigley Downunder", wrote absolutely absurd and stupid things about the Australian landscape and when the real aborigines demanded that she stop spreading lies and saying they want to die out and are no longer real aborigines, and to stop pretending she is the true guardian of their culture, she admitted the fraud, but her publishers sheltered her and told her to keep going.)
   
   Prechtel's mother was a native american, and he suffered being brought up on a reservation. This book is a solid dose of reality, not sugarcoated with esoteric fantasy, but full of reality. Grief and beauty are in western culture (he says) seen as a side show attraction, but actually they are the right and left hand of the goddess of life.
   
   It is really one of the most beautiful books I have ever read.