Inprint - New Books of interest

A fresh new year stretches before us calling us to lose weight, exercise more, organize, stop smoking, or whatever. This month's selection of books offers us insight and support in making the fundamental inner changes that are necessary for the external changes to stick. A few of them specifically address the issue that as we change ourselves, we change our world. Here's to a great year for all of us and a better world in which to live.

To Sing a New Song: A Breakthrough to a New Life, by Louann Stahl. (CeShore, $12.95, Paperback)
An endangered planet, war, poverty--why is the modern world fraught with so many problems? To Sing A New Song seeks an effective answer to this question as it explores how certain perceptions of reality have led the world into chaos and confusion. With a better "map of the territory," a greater understanding of the nature of reality in which we function, we can make choices that will lead us to a better future.

Led by the findings of quantum physics, chaos theory and both ancient and modern wisdom, a shift in consciousness is happening in the workplace, in personal relationships, in our global awareness, and especially in our religious and spiritual lives. In the apparent chaos of today lies the promise of a new harmony among all peoples that can awaken compassion for all, and establish God's kingdom on earth.

Igniting the Soul at Work: A Mandate for Mystics, by Robert Rabbin. (Hampton Roads, $15.95, Paperback)
This book, says the author, is about awareness, reality, and a true life--an authentic life of passion, pulse, and power; the kind of life that we enjoy during feasts of silence, the life of our greatest longing, the life of freedom and joy and courage, the life that thrills us and others by its sheer power, clarity, and majesty.

That sounds pretty good--for mystics living outside the world. But Robert Rabbin, noted business and creativity consultant to major corporations, says that we can have this wonderful state right in the middle of our job, at our workplace, today, and he shows us how in this remarkable blend of practical exercises and deep insight.

He teaches us how to bring our ignited soul to work and start to transform our institutions, organizations, and society at large, through what he calls transcendent leadership. Through stories, ruminations, and wit, Rabbin guides us through the exciting process of taking our "mountaintop knowing" and direct mystical experience of our spiritual center into our daily living and working. It is an inner travelogue that will appeal equally to the business person and poet as he shows us how to bring ourselves and the world of our making into accord with reality.

Everyday Adventures for the Soul by Jueli Gastwirth and Avram Davis, Ph.D. (New Harbinger Publications,$11.95, Paperback)
Everyday Adventures for the Soul teaches that living a more spiritual life does not mean that you have to become a scholar of exotic religious texts, take up residence in a monastery, or be able to perform "downward facing dog" without getting dizzy. Its authors claim that spirituality does not require a lot of time or tradition. They draw inspiration for their soul-reaching techniques from the ordinary and the commonplace. They show you how you can turn everyday activities and challenges in your life into opportunities to live more meaningful and whole-hearted lives. It is the daily attention to your spirit that makes for soulful living.

Each of the 52 sections of this companion offer practical ways to celebrate your spirit and enjoy a greater sense of inner balance. From "Look Them in the Eyes and Smile," to "How to Clean a Room," and "Shake Your Routines into the Present," each offers an easy-to-do activity that makes nourishing your soul a daily habit.

Wisdom Bowls: Overcoming Fear and Coming Home to Your Authentic Self, by Meredith Young-Sowers with introduction by Caroline Myss. (Stillpoint Publishing, $15.95, Paperback)

In Wisdom Bowls, intuitive healer and spiritual teacher Meredith Young-Sowers invites us to accompany her on a journey of sacred awakening to reclaim the seven spiritual qualities of wisdom, vision, joy, love, power, intimacy, and abundance found in our energy bowls.

Through stories from her own life and those of students and clients, we peer through the veils of our common human struggles to discover who we are at a soul level, healing the cracks and imperfections in our lives to release our deepest sorrows and recapture the dreams of our youth.

How to Live in the World and Still Be Happy by Hugh Prather. (Conari Press, $14.95, Paperback)
Is it realistic to live in the world and still be happy? Can we responsibly feel happy when millions of people are starving around the world, being killed in terrorist attacks, and dying from incurable diseases? Best-selling author, Hugh Prather, offers us a systematic and reliable program for uncovering the core to unhappiness and rediscovering how happiness is both tangible and necessary not only for personal well-being, but for a better world.

Organized by the core segments of life; work, love, money, things we own or don't own, and physical appearance, this book addresses the many worries we may have and how to effectively eliminate them in order to live a healthier and happier life.

"Is it possible to say, 'Nothing has to go right today' and still be happy? In fact it's the only way," states Prather. Because nothing is ever perfect and because our days are usually filled with little mishaps, we have to teach ourselves that the key to living happily is having a mind to. How to Live in the World and Still Be Happy outlines for us the key ingredients for taking the "misery" of everyday life and replacing it with the wonderful moments that make life worth living.