Salida Book Review

Dark Nights of the Soul: A Guide to Finding Your Way Through Life's Ordeals, by Thomas Moore, HC from Gotham Books, ISBN 1592400671. Every human journey is filled with emotional tunnels: loss, death, illness, aging, disappointment. Society tends to view these low points as obstacles to be overcome as quickly as possible. But Thomas Moore's experience as a psychoanalyst has taught him to honor such times as periods of incubation, opportunities to delve into the soul's deepest needs and discover healing, understanding and meaning. Here he presents "the dark night of the soul" not as the enemy, but as friend and guide.

Hafiz: The Mystic Poets (The Mystic Poets Series), with a Preface by Andrew Harvey, HC from Jewish Lights Publishing, ISBN 1594730091. Each compact volume in the Mystic Poets series includes a brief introduction to the poet's time and place, a summary of the poet's major themes, essential poems, and a preface by a contemporary spiritual writer. Hafiz is Persia's greatest poet; sales of his work in Iran today are only surpassed by the Qur'an itself. His probing and joyful verse speaks to people of all backgrounds who long to taste and feel divine love and experience harmony with all living things.

The All-Natural Cardio Cure: A Drug-Free Cholesterol and Cardiac Inflammation Reduction Program, by Allan Magaziner, TPB from Avery Publishing Group, ISBN 1583331794. A diagnosis of high cholesterol comes with warnings about the danger of heart disease - and a lifelong dependence on prescription drugs, particularly statins. But high cholesterol is only one of many risk factors for heart disease, and surgery or drugs may not be the safest or most successful options. In this book, the founder of the Magaziner Center for Wellness and Anti-Aging Medicine guides readers to eliminate or reduce dependence on drugs and create a personal plan for heart health.

Field Guide to Produce: How to Identify, Select, and Prepare Virtually Every Fruit and Vegetable at the Market, by Aliza Green. Produce: It's not just apples and oranges anymore. Today's supermarket shelves are stocked with strange, exotic, and delightful items such as quince, jicama, kumquats, amaranth, yuzus, and wing beans. But you don't need a degree in botany to make sense of it all -- just carry along Field Guide to Produce! This practical guide to the world's most popular fruits and vegetables features more than 200 full-color photographs -- plus detailed descriptions, selection tips, and guidelines on peeling, blanching, cooking, and eating. Award-winning chef Aliza Green describes everything you're likely to find at your local grocery store and farmer's market -- from common cabbages and coconuts to more adventurous fare like chayote and cherimoya. Grocery shopping -- and dinner -- will never be the same again!

Deep Listeners: Music, Emotion, and Trancing, by Judith Becker, (TPB + CD) from Indiana University Press, ISBN 0253216729. A professor of Ethnomusicology brings together scientific and cultural approaches to conclude that people who experience deep emotions when listening to music are akin to those who go into trance during religious rituals. Using new discoveries in the fields of neuroscience and biology, she outlines an emotion-based theory of trance using examples from Southeast Asian and American music. The book includes a companion CD and a 16-page color photo insert vividly documenting the global experience of "deep listening."

Prayers and Meditations of the Quero Apache, by Maria Yraceburu. Teaches the traditional Quero Apache meditative practice of entering the silence--a combination of prayer, meditation, and breathwork--as a path to spiritual healing and enlightenment.
• Contains 24 prayer wheels from the Quero Apache tradition.
• Offers easy-to-follow instructions for how to conduct the practice.
• Provides rare insights into the spiritual philosophies and rituals of the Quero Apache.
• Written by a living descendant of Apache prophet Nochaydelklinne.

The Quero Apache Snake Clan, or Tlish Diyan, center their spiritual practice on the daily ceremony of Doowaa-gon'ch-aada, "entering the silence." A combination of meditation, breathwork, and prayer, Doowaa-gon'ch-aada offers an experiential connection to All That Is from the Earth-based spiritual traditions of indigenous America. When performed properly, this ritual becomes a path to self-realization and transcendence.

Prayers and Meditations of the Quero Apache explains how to establish a personal practice. In addition to 24 prayer wheels, easy-to-follow instructions for the ritual, and accompanying pieces of inspirational artwork, the book includes a rare overview of the spiritual philosophies of the Quero Apache. The author incorporates her own stories and essays into the text in order to share the wisdom she has gained as daughter of the Tlish Diyan, granddaughter and apprentice of Apache holy man Ten Bears, and descendant of the prophet Nochaydelklinne.

The Encyclopedia of Thai Massage: A Complete Guide to Traditional Thai Massage Therapy and Acupressure, by Pierce Salguero. Findhorn Press. TPB. Thai massage is an increasingly popular healing modality, and many American and European massage schools offer at least introductory, if not more, courses to their students these days. Drawing from Thai history, cultural studies, Buddhist religion, and yogic practices, as well as a modern understanding of anatomy and physiology, this book finally bridges the gap between the theory and practice of Thai massage. This book is unique, in that it presents this form of bodywork as it is understood in Thailand—as a therapeutic medical science. For the first time, the history, spiritual traditions, and ethical codes of Thai medicine are presented in full alongside the most detailed analysis of each particular step in the Thai massage routine. Examples of therapeutic routines to treat specific disorders are discussed; a complete section is dedicated on the main energy meridians and diagrams of acupressure points. This book is written in an engaging, informal style, with numerous photographs and diagrams that illustrate the techniques used.

Eleven Minutes : A Novel, by Paulo Coelho. A new, international bestseller by the author of The Alchemist tells the story of Maria, a young girl from a Brazilian village, whose first innocent brushes with love leave her heartbroken. At a tender age, she becomes convinced that she will never find true love, instead believing that "Love is a terrible thing that will make you suffer ..." A chance meeting in Rio takes her to Geneva, where she dreams of finding fame and fortune. Instead, she ends up working as a prostitute. In Geneva, Maria drifts further and further away from love as she develops a fascination with sex. Eventually, Maria's despairing view of love is put to the test when she meets a handsome young painter. In this odyssey of self-discovery, Maria has to choose between pursuing a path of darkness, sexual pleasure for its own sake, or risking everything to find her own "inner light" and the possibility of sacred sex, sex in the context of love. In this gripping and daring new novel, Paulo Coelho sensitively explores the sacred nature of sex and love and invites us to confront our own prejudices and demons and embrace our own "inner light."

The Retreat of the Elephants: An Environmental History of China, by Mark Elvin. HC. This is the first environmental history of China during the three thousand years for which there are written records. It is also a treasure trove of literary, political, aesthetic, scientific, and religious sources, that allow the reader direct access to the views and feelings of the Chinese people towards their environment and their landscape. Elvin chronicles the spread of the Chinese style of farming that eliminated the habitat of the elephants that populated the country alongside much of its original wildlife; the destruction of most of the forests; the impact of war on the environmental transformation of the landscape; and the re-engineering of the countryside through water-control systems, some of gigantic size. He documents the histories of three contrasting localities within China to show how ecological dynamics defined the lives of the inhabitants. And he shows that China in the eighteenth century, on the eve of the modern era, was probably more environmentally degraded than northwestern Europe around this time. Indispensable for its new perspective on long-term Chinese history and its explanation of the roots of China's present-day environmental crisis, this book opens a door into the Chinese past.

The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God, by Lee Strobel. Strobel, whose apologetics titles The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith have enjoyed strong popularity among evangelicals, approaches creation/evolution issues in the same simple and energetic style. The format will be familiar to readers of previous Case books: Strobel visits with scholars and researchers and works each interview into a topical outline. Although Strobel does not interview any "hostile" witnesses, he exposes readers to the work of some major origins researchers (including Jonathan Wells, Stephen Meyer and Michael Behe) and theistic philosophers (including William Lane Craig and J. P. Moreland). Strobel claims no expertise in science or metaphysics, but as an interviewer he makes this an asset, prodding his sources to translate jargon and provide illustrations for their arguments. At times, the interview format loses momentum as seams begin to show between interview recordings, rewrites, research notes and details imported from his subjects' CVs (here, Strobel's efforts at buffing his subjects' smart-guy credentials can become a little too intense). The most curious feature of the book—not uncommon in the origins literature but unusual in a work of Christian apologetics—is that biblical narratives and images of creation, and the significance of creation for Christian theology, receive such brief mention. Still, this solid introduction to the most important topics in origins debates is highly accessible and packs a good argumentative punch. -Publishers Weekly

Rover, Don't Roll over: Compassionate Training Guide for Dogs/People, by Jody Rosengarten, TPB from Ten Speed Press, ISBN 1580085644. Spoil your dog - but teach her to listen, too. This pro-dog, anti-dogma manual rejects the rigidity of traditional obedience classes in favor of kinder, gentler practices that encourage a dog's natural joie de vivre. Written for thinking dog lovers who want a well-behaved dog, but don't want to spend a lot of time getting there, it helps them understand what makes their companion tick and teaches proven yet flexible training methods that honor human and canine alike.

Garden Insects of North America : The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs, by Whitney Cranshaw. TPB. Garden Insects of North America is the most comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the common insects and mites affecting yard and garden plants in North America. In a manner no previous book has come close to achieving, through full-color photos and concise, clear, scientifically accurate text, it describes the vast majority of species associated with shade trees and shrubs, turfgrass, flowers and ornamental plants, vegetables, and fruits--1,420 of them, including crickets, katydids, fruit flies, mealybugs, moths, maggots, borers, aphids, ants, bees, and many, many more. For particularly abundant bugs adept at damaging garden plants, management tips are also included. Covering all of the continental United States and Canada, this is the definitive one-volume resource for amateur gardeners, insect lovers, and professional entomologists alike.

Encyclopedia of Water Garden Plants, by Greg Speichert, Sue Speichert. HC. Encyclopedia of Water Garden Plants is the definitive photographic reference to the full range of plants available to the water gardener. More than seven years in the making by the founding members of the American Water Gardening Society, this book promises to be the bible for the selection and cultivation of every water garden plant. This volume includes hundreds of water garden plants often overlooked in other books, such as marginal plants, floating plants, bog plants, and submerged plants. Of course, waterlilies and loutses are described in detail as well. The encyclopedia is unique in its thorough horticultural treatment of the plants described and pictured in these pages, offering complete information on hardiness, culture, propagation, and pests and diseases.

With more than 700 beautiful color photos and helpful introductory chapters on pots, soils, and fertilizers, this volume is a one-stop reference for important information on and identification of hundreds of garden plants. Homeowners, keen gardeners, and water garden professionals will find the Speicherts' encyclopedia an indispensable resource for years to come.

The Prophecy of the Stones : A Novel, by Flavia Bujor. HC. NOW AVAILABLE - EUROPE'S LITERARY PRODIGY! Like many another 12-year-old, Flavia Bujor of Paris, France, decided to write a novel. Unlike most, she finished her book, passing each chapter around to family and friends for their feedback. One friend sent a chapter to a publisher and when Bujor was 14, the book was published. Prophecy of the Stones is the story of Opal, Amber and Jade, three 14-year-old girls who are chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, equipped only with magical stones, and of Joa, another girl who is hospitalized in a parallel world. The novel has made best-seller lists all over Europe, and is being released in the United States with an initial print run of 65,000 copies, translated by Linda Coverdale. Bujor, now 15, is at work on her second book.

The Sense of Being Stared At : And Other Unexplained Powers of the Human Mind, by Rupert Sheldrake. TPB. Most of us know it well--the almost physical sensation that we are the object of someone?s attention. Is the feeling all in our heads? What about related phenomena, such as telepathy and premonitions? Are they merely subjective beliefs? In The Sense of Being Stared At, renowned biologist Rupert Sheldrake explores the intricacies of the mind and discovers that our perceptive abilities are stronger than most of us could have imagined.

The Book of Ralph : A Fiction The Book of Ralph, a resonant tale of boys growing up together, reintroduces you to the Ralph you once knew. Suffused with wit and charm, this dazzling story draws readers inexorably into the lives and antics of Hank -- a good boy, a B+ student -- and his troublemaking classmate Ralph, who takes Hank to places he has never dreamed of -- places on the edge, sometimes, of genuine danger.

It is 1978 in Chicago. Hank wants eighth grade to be his big year to shine. But when Ralph starts acting as if he and Hank are best friends, things don't go quite according to plan -- in fact, Hank's special year spirals into an odyssey that is as frightening as it is hilarious, as poignant as it is bizarre.

Reluctant cohort though he may be, Hank none-theless joins forces with Ralph and his older cousins, Norm and Kenny, employees of the Tootsie Roll factory; together, they wreak havoc over Chicago's southwest side. For good or ill, Hank's right there by his side when, for instance, Ralph becomes a thug-for-hire and starts stalking a fellow eighth-grader with plans to bite off his ear (rate: $15.00). For his part, Ralph proves his loyalty in unexpected ways, including a show of solidarity with Hank's grandmother when she's hauled in for a series of shoe-store robberies. Through it all, in a year that sees the rise of Styx, Cheap Trick, and Kiss, Hank doesn't win the popularity or acclaim he'd hoped eighth grade would bring. But as the adult world seems increasingly opportunistic and indifferent, his alliance with Ralph offers him an escape, and even some wisdom. By the end of the school year, though, unanticipated events have altered the nature of their friendship, possibly forever.

John McNally, an award-winning author and an exciting new voice in fiction, presents a delightful, warm-hearted coming-of-age tale replete with the terrors and wonders of early adolescence. Hank and Ralph are an irresistible and entirely surprising blend of wise beyond their years and awestruck at the world made available to them as high school approaches. Beautiful in its plainspoken insight into the experience of teenage boys and all human beings, this story exquisitely renders those flashes of transcendence that can occur in everyday life.

As they seek to survive eighth grade, a bad economy, and threadbare family lives, Hank and Ralph give us a window into the ties that bind us together, hold us back, and sometimes redeem us.

Opening The Invitation : The Poem That Has Touched Lives Around the World, by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, HC from HarperCollins, ISBN 0060593229. Mountain Dreamer's beloved poem "The Invitation" is beautifully presented in this pocket-sized hardcover gift book, along with the author's reflections on the poem's origins and her story of its remarkable worldwide impact as it circled the globe on the Internet. Illustrated with striking ink drawings by Kathleen Edwards, this is the definitive edition of the signature poem that touched lives everywhere and made Mountain Dreamer a best-selling author.

Da Vinci Code Decoded: The Truth Behind the New York Times #1 Bestseller, by Martin Lunn, TPB from Disinformation Co., ISBN 0972952977. The Da Vinci Code is a publishing phenomenon, the most popular adult novel of the 21st century so far. But many scholars dispute author Dan Brown's claim that "all descriptions of documents and secret rituals are accurate." Now an expert historian reveals the truth behind Brown's research: the Catholic offshoot Opus Dei, the bloodline of Christ and King David, the secrets of the Holy Grail, the Knights Templar, the Priory of Sion, the Temple Church, Rosslyn Chapel and much more.