Wisdom from the Monastery
A Program of Spiritual Healing
Peter Seewald
Life gets so hectic that sometimes the monastic life, preferably in a gracious building from, say, the 12th century, surrounded by peaceful gardens with no intruding decibels from traffic, telephones or air conditioners, starts to seem quite appealing. While it may be easier to be contemplative in such a setting, there is wisdom within monastery walls that is useful to the outside world. Featuring numerous daily exercises, advice and anecdotes, this compilation of words from monks and nuns who have chosen lives of renunciation and simplicity brings a calm perspective to such diverse endeavors as fasting for purification of the soul, moderation and orderliness. Even a brief read is enough to inspire a break for reflection. (North Atlantic Books)
The Spiritual Life of Water
Its Power and Purpose
Alick Bartholomew
As concerned Earth citizens hear daily reports of vanishing rivers, melting icebergs and irradiated spills, it is important that we reevaluate this precious gift with which we’ve been so careless. The book is a kind of water primer, covering everything from the energetics of water to specifics on dwindling sources, with the reminder that it is a sacred commodity, essential to our life. Bartholomew researches such water pioneers as Masaru Emoto and Viktor Schauberger, also delving into the memory of water, which, when you think about it is a critical element of recycling—the same water has been going back and forth between Earth and its atmosphere in various forms since the dawn of our existence. It’s enough to make us wonder: What would Jesus drink? (Park Street Press)
Zapped
Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn’t Be Your Alarm Clock . . .
Ann Louise Gittleman
The rest of this subtitle is “and 1,268 ways to outsmart the hazards of electronic pollution,” and the author, a long-time expert in the health field, has done exactly that: created a master plan to help us survive the fields of electricity in which we are immersed. Through research and anecdotes, Gittleman details the various hazards and what to do about them, but particularly interesting is the section on how it affects children. The dramatic increase in ADD has been ascribed to everything from vaccinations to junk food, and while they may play a part, it seems obvious after reading just a few paragraphs that electronic pollution may be a significant culprit. (Harper One) For more on this subject, see The Winter of Our Disconnect by Susan Maushart (Tarcher).
How Quantum Activism Can Save Civilization
A Few People Can Change Human Evolution
Amit Gotswami, PhD
In the big debate over science vs. religion, former physics professor Amit Gotswami has been an outspoken force in shifting the oppositional relationship to one that is inclusive. His earlier title, God Is Not Dead, used quantum physics to prove the existence of God (by that or any other name). This new offering applies the same kind of thinking to social activism. Using the power of quantum physics, he says, we can transform our social institutions and use power to serve rather than dominate and education to liberate rather than confine. Further, an overload of information, he tells us, is no more a guarantee of happiness than is a huge bank account. The author is a complex thinker so it won’t be a quick read, but this is an intriguing book for anyone interested in social change. (Hampton Roads)
