Amazon.com
In The Four Agreements, Mexican shaman Miquel Ruiz built his teachings around four agreements: be impeccable with your word; don't take anything personally; don't make assumptions; always do your best. Now Ruiz offers readers a companion guide, making practical mysticism out of the ancient Toltec tradition. On the one hand this is an eloquent introduction to Toltec teachings, offering a fascinating discussion of how one's life is a dream (and a dream that's often dictated by others) and how "domestication" is the root of human suffering. On the other hand don Miquel has also written a Toltec self-help book, offering specific tools, exercises, and suggestions to help readers live their own dreams, become more attentive, and make conscious agreements with themselves. For readers who feel aligned with the Toltec tradition, this will certainly be a powerful ally as they begin the dream of transformation. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
The Four Agreements introduced a simple, but powerful code of conduct for attaining personal freedom and true happiness. Now The Four Agreements Companion Book takes you even further along the journey to recover the awareness and wisdom of your authentic self. This Companion Book is a must-read not only for those who enjoyed don Miguel's first book, but f or anyone who is ready to leave suffering behind, and to master the art of living in our natural state: happiness.
Customer Reviews:
The Four Agreements Companion Book : Using the Four Agreements to Master the Dream of Your Life.......2007-08-24
This DEElightful book clarifies everything in the "Four Agreements" book, simplifing and making it much easier to remember what was learned...
I can't say enough to entice the reader into having this companion book, it's a must have...Rob Ward
Overkill.......2007-07-02
While I absolutely love the four agreements and return to the original book often, I found the companion book to be completely unnecessary. The writing style was poor and rambled in circles, constantly repeating itself. There was no new information at all. I seemed to me to be a way to get a little more money out of the concept - shocking considering the author.
I did enjoy the last few pages of personal examples from people who had incorporated the four agreements into their lives.
If you have the four agreements original book, you don't need this one and if you don't then skip this one and get the original.
Live life by the 4 agreements.......2007-05-14
My life was simplified by reading this book. It is a daily guide for me and my children now. Ruiz is a healer and a spiritual guide. Recommended for all ages.
A Practical Guide to Help Us Decode Our Emotional Garbage.......2004-08-26
After reading The Four Agreements, I felt that it is great to learn the four agreements ¡V be impeccable with your word, don¡¦t take anything personally, don¡¦t make assumptions and always try your best. However, that book did not have enough practical ideas or skills to guide me decode our old agreements/emotional garbage, how to be aware and how to transform. This book has a practical guide to teach us how to live in the four agreements. It teaches us how to become aware and how to transform.
1. Bring the Awareness to Surface so We Can Let Go of the Parasites, the Old Agreement, the Judge, the Victim, the fear
2. How to transform by the second attention (become aware and not act on or judge too fast), action-reaction, attach-detach
Don Miguel Ruiz has a very playful style of writing when he was telling us the above skills. I think in essence, the above skills suggests us to slow down our thinking process to give us enough time to steer our feelings and actions to apply the four agreements and to enjoy life intensely within the moment. His dialogue about the four agreements and other people¡¦s stories about applying the four agreements give me hope that I can live my life with what he has suggested. The dialogue helps us to decode certain emotional garbage and the dialogue helps me to break the old agreements. It is definitely a must-read if you have read the four agreements. Again, reading is not enough. However, putting the new adopted philosophies into everyday¡¦s life is the way to turn the dream of hell to become the dream of heaven.
A Must Have!.......2003-01-17
Anyone who has read his first book will definitely want to read this one as well. This book actually helps the reader to implement the Four Agreements into daily life. Very insightful and I wish I had read it forty years ago!
Book Description
Maggie Taylor's digital photo collages have been described as a contemporary exploration of the Surrealist world view. In Taylor's strange, parallel universe, birds ride bicycles, ideas materialize in the shape of clouds, and wings sprout from the backs of prim Victorian women. Starting with objects that she finds on eBay, in flea markets, and in her own surroundings, Taylor then uses her flatbed scanner, Adobe Photoshop, and an Iris printer, to produce images of surprising beauty and emotional impact.
Adobe Photoshop Master Class: Maggie Taylor's Landscape of Dreams offers a close and richly illustrated examination of Taylor's practice, tracing her images from inspiration through execution. Taylor explains her influences, both in art and in her own life, and takes the reader inside the making of some of her intriguing, painterly work. Along the way, we hear from respected artists and critics familiar with Taylor's work, and from the artist herself, in conversation with the author.
Illustrated with more than 65 color plates, Landscape of Dreams is essential reading (and viewing) for all those interested in applying technology to a creative personal vision.
Customer Reviews:
Save your money.......2007-08-30
I used to appreciate Taylor's work because of those almost inert portraits, until I read that the only thing she does is buying old portraits on ebay or flea markets to scan them and add color and other stuff to create their "surreal" images, so I think today's critics really don't care much and celebrate almost everything even when is not an original work.
Besides that, the first half of the book is dedicated to interviewing a dozen of taylor's fans -including her husband- who leaves clear statement of how a great artist she is, and the second part features her work with maybe 3 examples of how she did them, in a very superficial way.
If you get this book based on the title, you will be very very disappointed, even more if you really think in what some people call 'art".
Maggie Taylor's Landcape of Dreams .......2007-02-11
I read this book from cover to cover and enjoyed every line. The book includes a short biography of Maggie Taylors life and how she came to be the great artist that she is today. This book also goes through her creative process and the steps she takes with Photoshop to achieve her photos. This book is inspirational and gives any photoshop artist a kick in the pants to creat their own works of art! AAA+++
Inspriational artist and technique.......2007-01-18
It's wonderful when an artist such as Maggie Taylor is, shares her mastery of techniques with us... thankyou for this book!
Sunshine over Maggie.......2006-11-28
I give this book three stars for an average rating mostly because the title is a misrepresentation. It is a very nice coffee table type art book with beautiful and thought provoking imagery created (mostly) in photoshop but it is not in any way, shape or form a "photoshop master class"!
While there is some exquisite imagery and artwork within, this book is written with much of the hyperbole of art criticism today i.e. "Isn't this artist wonderful and completely groundbreaking and influential, oh my!". This is not to say Maggie Taylor isn't a talented and provacative artist but I don't feel she is re-creating and re-directing the surrealist movement as we know it as this book might begin to lead one to believe.
The author, Amy Standen, writes much more about Maggie Taylor's life and inspirations than her actual work and even less about her creative process involving photoshop. There is one step-by-step tutorial (which is available as pdf dowload with a little searching on the internet, I had it before I bought the book, actually it's why I bought the book) and even then it assumes much about the knowledge of the reader. There are several in-process works which show images of each in various stages of completion but talks little about the down and dirty photoshop techniques used to create them.
I would have liked to seen much more in the way of tutorials and creative process in the literal sense. It's more than acceptable as an "art" book rather than a "photoshop master class" book but let's call it what it is...
Beautiful to look at.......2006-08-14
This is a beautiful book, with lovely pictures of Talyor's work. My only complaint is that "Master Class" is a bit misleading. Although I learned a lot about Ms Taylor, I hoped to learn a bit more of technique. I am still very glad that I purchased it, though. Her pictures are fascinating.
Book Description
Colette peters, the celebrated queen of the confectionary arts, unveils an inspiring resource for serious home bakers, professional chefs, and aficionados of Colette's incredible edible architecture. The ingenious cake decorator - whose miraculous and luscious concoctions have appeared everywhere from White House Christmases to royal weddings - presents a master class in cake design and decoration, alongside an all-new selection of her own cake designs. With Cakes to Dream On, Colette's inspired creations can now be rendered into show-stopping cakes of your own.
Cakes to Dream On reveals the secrets to fashioning gorgeous and utterly distinctive cakes for all occasions - whether it's an opulent marriage reception (the majestic Ivory Wedding Cake) or a fanciful children's party (the whimsical Homage to Dr. Seuss). Colette presents designs for cake architecture ranging from the imperial splendor of Dolce de Medici, to the elegant grace of Bride's Vintage Cameo, to the topsy-turvy daydream of Mad Tea Party.
Colette begins with the foundations: she illuminates step by step the process of constructing a multitiered cake, from determining serving sizes and choosing appropriate cake pans to making fillings, and ultimately stacking layers so they don't tumble off the table. Cakes to Dream On also discloses insider tricks of the trade: Colette's easy-to-follow instructions in techniques such as sugarwork, gumpaste, brush embroidery, and piping will help readers recreate the spectacular effects of this singular confectioner's toolbox.
Bakers - and their enthusiastic audiences - will discover that these sensual masterpieces tantalize the palate as much as they do the eye. Colette's cake recipes include the Coco-Loco Cake, an alluring marriage of coconut and coffee; the Meringue Buttercream and its luscious lemon, raspberry, and mocha variants; and the ambrosial caramel-tinged Heavenly White Cake.
As breathtaking as Colette's cake works appear, her clear explanations of technique are meant to stimulate readers' creative instincts and give them ideas for crafting their own distinctive confections. With more than 150 dazzling full-color photographs illustrating both processes and finished presentations, and more detailed instruction than ever before, Cakes to Dream On will inspire readers to create their own mouthwatering masterpieces. Colette's master class is truly a launchpad for cake lovers' own confectionary visions.
Customer Reviews:
Colette is wonderful.......2007-09-03
I love all of Colette's books. I have been successful in recreating many of her wonderful designs. If you are looking for a decent instructive book on how to recreate special event cakes, buy any of her books.
Cake catalog.......2007-08-17
When I bought this book,I knew it would be very advanced,but I was very wrong. This book is a cake catalog of the things that Colette Peters can do. The pictures are great,and there are a lot of ideas,but very little explaining and how-to photos. I thought I would learn how to make crooked cakes,but it turns out I learned more from a blog than this book.If you want ideas,it's great,if you want directions,search somewhere else.
Absolute fun!.......2007-07-17
This book was a lot of fun and I received some great ideas. Really a great compliment to to Vondre and Andreaetta at Sell Cakes Like Crazy on the internet.
Great Book!.......2007-07-17
This is a great book and is a wonderful compliment to Vondre and Andreaetta at Sell Cakes Like Crazy and the information they provide!
great cake ideas!.......2007-06-18
this is a really fun book.
if you are looking for something unique in a cake, you should start looking here.
it gives great instructions on how to make the cakes. it's fun to just look at the pictures and dream as well.
check it out!
Amazon.com
History is sometimes made by seemingly insignificant moments that turn out to have been pivotal in hindsight--and sometimes what didn't happen proves to be as important as what did. One such moment came in the Florentine court of Cesare Borgia, when a civil servant named Niccolò Machiavelli recruited a local engineer named Leonardo da Vinci to devise a plan to change the course of the Arno River. Diverting that river, Machiavelli reasoned, would deprive Florence's enemy, the nearby city-state of Pisa, of a dependable water supply. It would also make the Arno River navigable for oceangoing vessels from the inland city of Florence, and as an added incentive, would help limit damage caused by the flood-prone Arno to the surrounding farmlands.
Machiavelli and da Vinci devised a hydrological plan for the river that was extraordinarily promising, at least on paper. The flood-prone Arno, however, made the task an impossible challenge. The pair's chances of success were further reduced by poor design, bad timing, and undisciplined workers. Their failure brought official disfavor on Machiavelli and da Vinci alike. Leonardo transferred his studio to Milan and then Rome, where he would produce remarkable work, while Machiavelli retreated from public life for a time and used his forced leisure to write The Prince. Roger Masters crafts an epic tale out of a historical footnote. Although some of his conclusions are speculative in regards to Niccolò's and Leonardo's relationship, readers will likely find his narrative persuasive and deeply informed.
Book Description
Few people know that Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli crossed paths when Leonardo worked -- ostensibly as an engineer, possibly as a spy -- in Cesare Borgia's court and Machiavelli was Florence's ambassador there. Soon thereafter, they formed a friendship and an alliance. Astonishingly, during the rich first decade of the sixteenth century, the pair joined together under the inspiration of one of Leonardo's most fantastic dreams: to build a system of canals that would make the Arno River navigable from Florence to the sea. Under Machiavelli's supervision, the Florentine government tried -- and ultimately failed -- to realize a portion of this plan in 1504.
The first canal in the scheme had a military purpose, to cut off the water supply of Pisa, Florence's enemy -- but that was only the beginning. Leonardo dreamed of irrigating the Arno valley and controlling its water in order to fill Florence's coffers with tax revenues. He and Machiavelli foresaw the day that Amerigo Vespucci and other explorers would be able to sail from the city center to the sea, to travel over new lands and enrich Florentine merchants. Had the taming of the Arno succeeded, Florence might have become the center of a great world power. Unfortunately, in one of history's most tantalizing might-have-beens, the plans for the Pisa diversion were altered by the engineer in charge, not enough workmen were hired, and the ditches were not dug deeply enough. Not long after a sudden flood destroyed some of the work, the project was abandoned.
It was one of a series of failures for Leonardo, who ultimately would depart Florence for Milan, Rome, and France, newly convinced that political power was essential for an engineer and artist to thrive. For Machiavelli it was another military failure in a roller-coaster political career. If the project had materialized, the Republic might never have been overthrown, and Machiavelli might not have fallen from power and been imprisoned.
Roger Masters's account of the friendship between two of history's greatest geniuses starts with this tale of a magnificent lost dream and spirals outward to the art, politics, intrigue, and sexual scandals of Florence. Leonardo's preoccupation with the Arno project explains many of the tantalizing mysteries of his work. It is the reason for the startling bird's-eye view of the valley in the background of the Mona Lisa; it is part and parcel of both his obsession, in the Notebooks, with understanding the dynamics of water, and his work on canals and swamp drainage in Milan, Rome, and France. As for Machiavelli, were it not for his time spent in prison, he might never have been compelled to write The Prince. Fortune Is a River is at once a study of genius and a rich and delightful introduction to the wonders of the Renaissance.
Customer Reviews:
Three Fascinating Figures........2006-08-12
Da Vinci, Borgia, and Machiavelli. Could there be more different and yet fascinating people? This book has some rich details, but came across more as a lecture than a true history. Its focus is on the joint attempt to divert the Arno river away from Florence's rival Pisa. The colorful complexities of life in Renaissance Italy was the main appeal. The author gives the reader a visual show of a turbulent and fascinating era.
A Renaissance Development Project.......2005-11-27
The archives of Western nations and modern ex-colonies are littered with records of utopian development schemes. Roger Masters shows that Renaissance Florence was truly modern, at least in its ability to devise idealistic projects designed to address political and environmental problems. From 1503-06 Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli had a mutual interest in changing the course of the Arno River to marginalize rival Pisa, reduce the hazards of periodic flooding and ensure Florentine economic dominance of Tuscany. This visionary scheme was problematic, perhaps hare-brained, because the Florentine Republic lacked the technology, manpower and financing to successfully divert a major river. The author fails to prove the collaboration of Leonardo and Machiavelli due to scanty sources; his arguments from negative evidence are plausible but not fully convincing. But he accomplishes the more modest goal of demonstrating convergence of their interests and outlook. Masters breaks new ground in bringing together some disparate but very important issues in early modern Italy, and the story itself is always engaging, at times scintillating. In showing two leading geniuses and their familiar city in an unexpected light, the Italian Renaissance once again appears fresh and exciting.
What could have been if the Arno river was tamed!.......2004-10-15
This book has an interesting theme and is an original subject. I am notat all sure what Masters writes is true, since this history is very long ago, and the sources are not there. It seems probable that Machiavelli met and knew DaVinci. It seems clear that DaVinci tried to use the Arno initially to cut off the water for Pisa, and later to improve the commercial position of Florence and the city's boss Borgia. The book does show how DaVinci was ahead of his time in trying to damm and control a river.
This book drags at time and has lots of related material thrown in. I did learn a little more about the characters of Borgia, DaVinci, and Machiavelli. An alright read.
Fascinating study of little known details.......2004-09-20
This book is a fascinating study of some little known historical events. Even to those who have taken a keen interest in the life of Leonardo and/or Macchiavelli, there is plenty of obscure information to add to your body of knowledge. That is the main attraction of the book (apart from recounting its main event, the planned canal, of course), that it lingers over facts that other biographies largely ignore.
The anecdotes, trivial though some may think them, were a big bonus in my view - source material that is otherwise very hard to come by.
As icing to the cake, it is nicely written thus making it a pleasant read - a real page turner actually!
A fascinating collaboration.......2004-04-29
I have for some time been interested in the relationships between Leonardo Da Vinci, Machiavelli and Ceasare Borgia, and this work brings those characters to life in an enlightening and interesting interpretation of an historical event that resulted in a monumental failure. It illustrates the human side to genius and is a fascinating look at the politics of Florence and surrounding environs during the early 16th century. It is considerably more fun to read than most history books I have encountered. Thank you Dr. Masters.
Book Description
The Simplest Path, Step One: Free Your Mind delineates, in one slim volume, a complete system for achieving personal spiritual awakening, along with a straightforward, no-nonsense plan individuals and groups so enlightened can follow to awaken Humanity en masse and positively transform the world. This book contains keys to awakening. Awakening from our personal dream shatters the solid "box" of limitation memes have built around our lives, and frees us to fluidly craft our personalities, environments, relationships, careers, etc. as an artist paints a landscape or a sculptor teases form from formless clay. All of us awakening together from the shared dream of the planet will mark the birth of our species out of our current global nightmare of decline into a limitless future literally beyond our present ability to imagine, even in our "wildest dreams," indeed.
Customer Reviews:
Way Beyond "Socrates Revisited".......2007-08-22
After reading the commentary attached to the one star rating given by the young man from Texas, I feel compelled to step forward in defense of this very fine book. With only one exception, every point made in that negative review is simply wrong. Just not factually correct. The reviewer identifies himself as a young man (... "to my young mind"), and since all of his other Amazon reviews are of TV episodes on DVD, video games and rock music CDs I take him at his word. Well, I am an "old man," closing in on my sixty-third birthday, and I came to Mr. Casspriano's book after six decades of life experience, the last three of those decades a zealous practitioner of Zen Buddhism. I say this not to "brag," but simply to qualify myself as a reviewer before beginning.
I'll start where the one star reviewer closed his argument, with his statement that the simplest path reduces to two Socratic concepts: "Admit that you don't know anything" and "know yourself."
The first part is nominally true (the exception). Like Zen Buddhism, a central tenet of the simplest path is working to release the false notion we all hold that we know ourselves, other people, the world around us. But identifying and releasing our attachments to our illusions is a life's work, not some brash "I don't know nothin'!" as the young Texan seems to imply. Under normal circumstances, we go about our daily lives with no idea we are deluded about anything, as Maya (the illusion of the phenomenal world around and even inside us) is so convincing that most of us never even think to question its validity. Casspriano did not invent the notion of human beings being trapped in illusion, as this truth was known to the timeless authors of the Hindu Vedas and is central to all schools of Buddhism (not just Zen). But his scientific/spiritual exploration of the mechanism by which Maya ensnares our minds and can, with effort, be overcome is among the best "plain English" explanations of this process I have read. There is no "inscrutable mystery" in the simplest path (a criticism that has been accurately leveled toward Zen Buddhism, as a lot of Eastern thought truly does come off as "inscrutable" when translated into English and/or the metaphors of Western culture). Casspriano lays out in no-nonsense American English exactly what our brains are doing when they create the illusion we mistake for reality, then shows the reader in the same clear terms how to train his or her brain to break free of illusion and taste reality as-it-is. In just 216 pages, that is no mean feat. After thirty years of Zen practice and numerous kensho experiences (of varying depths and intensities), I can say from personal experience that Casspriano is correct. Enlightenment comes as the fruit of a long, incremental process of retraining the mind to touch reality in a new way, and the process described in the simplest path is the same as that followed in Zen practice, especially Rienzi Zen koan study (I'll have more to say about this in a later paragraph). Casspriano's approach and language is very different from traditional Zen (more "scientific," and no sitting meditation is required), which I think would appeal to Americans and other Westerners seeking to experience "awakening" without necessarily committing themselves to a religion like Buddhism, but the internal mental/spiritual process and final destination are the same.
"Know yourself," on the other hand, is not in this book at all, at least not in the way the young reviewer, or Socrates for that matter, uses the phrase. As in Buddhism, Casspriano takes pains to demonstrate that "self" is as much of an illusion as our misapprehension of the phenomenal world, and is a byproduct of exactly the same mind process that creates outer Maya. A core teaching of Buddhism is that our "self," our personality/ego, is nothing more than an aggregation of outside influences that cluster together in our minds like shiny stones gathered into a pile, and which we mistake not only for something "real," but tragically, for our essential selves. Yet this "pile" has nothing really to do with who we are at all. Buddhism teaches "no-self." Belief in the illusion of a unique and independent "self" is our greatest obstacle to enlightenment. Wasting time and energy getting to "know yourself" in the Western sense is foreign to Eastern thought. Casspriano again does a great job of translating the Buddhist concept of "no-self" into Western scientific/spiritual terminology. He shows the process by which our ego/personality aggregate "piles up," as well as how to take the pile down, stone by stone. Enlightenment is what the pile was covering up, and so it naturally appears as soon as the pile is removed - but oh how we cling to our personal pile of stones! "Self" is what we must trade for enlightenment, what must be surrendered, and Casspriano returns to this truth many times in the simplest path. My point is that the one star reviewer's reduction of the simplest path to "know yourself" has no basis at all in the actual book.
As to the book being "gimmicky": Yes, the words "The Simplest Path" recur frequently throughout the book, but not in reference to the book itself (at least that's not how I took it), but rather to the system of understanding the mind and working toward "awakening" Casspriano is describing - and it is a complete system that deserves to be considered as a whole, on its own. At times the repetition does have a feel of "branding" in the commercial sense, so I understand where the reviewer may have taken his impression. But the simplest path, while resonant with Zen Buddhism (and apparently, according to Casspriano, with the Toltec philosophy espoused by Carlos Castaneda, of which I have no personal knowledge, so I'll have to take the author's word for that) is far enough different that it needs its own "name" to set it apart from other schools of similar but not identical thought. The reviewer's criticism is like saying that every use of the term "Zen" in a book called "Zen Buddhism" should be taken as a reference to the book, and not to the larger practice of Zen Buddhism as a spiritual discipline that the book is describing. Casspriano's point in repeatedly linking The Simplest Path, Zen Buddhism and Toltec Shamanism throughout the book, at least as I understood it, is to highlight these three spiritual practices as related reliable paths through a dark forest of illusion, a forest in which many apparent (and more popular) paths, including most (all?) religious beliefs, actively vie to mislead travelers toward deeper ensnarement in the dream, rather than leading them toward "awakening."
I want to say a word about koan study in Rienzi Zen and how it relates to the simplest path. Koans are those quirky Zen sayings and stories like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" or "what was your original face before you (or your parents) were born?" that have no rational answer, and which Zen students turn and turn in their minds like the tumblers of a combination lock until their imprisoned psyches "explode" in a "super-rational" experience of reality beyond the illusion ("irrational" would be the wrong term, as that implies "nonsense"). That "super-rational" vision of reality is called "kensho." I have experienced it myself, more than once in my lifetime. I have come to think of Casspriano's "Key Questions" in the second half of the simplest path, especially the later seven of the ten, as "cultural koans" designed to trigger "collective kensho" for the whole human race at once. Like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?", unflinching consideration of the value of human life, of how our beliefs about the future shape the present, of the true origin and destiny of life on Earth, etc., especially as seen through the lens of Casspriano's "Key Question Technique," reveals that none of these questions have rational answers, yet all require our active and immediate response. Successful resolution of these larger riddles that impact everyone will require us all to eventually "explode" into reality, together, in a "super-rational" way. We'll have to break through the illusion and wake up together, as one (which has been the goal of Mahayana Buddhism, of which Zen is a sect, since around 200 BCE). That is the "Planetary Awakening" addressed in this book, and I believe Casspriano's "Key Questions" are a concrete step in that direction. I'm glad I spent my fifteen dollars.
This is my "old man" take on the simplest path, having encountered it after 30 years of Zen Buddhist practice (I'm not veering off my chosen path here, just bowing respectfully in passing toward Casspriano's). From a Buddhist perspective, the simplest path is true Dharma, though I do not get the impression from reading his book that Vincent Casspriano is himself a Buddhist or a follower of any religion. That to my mind makes his book all the more interesting.
True, but gimmicky.......2007-08-09
Casspriano's book is scientifically and philosophically sound as best as my young mind can tell, but I don't recommend this book. Its scattered with numerous pages of advertising about how his "program" works and how it compares to other religions and spiritual movements. Why must this author physically write out "The Simplest Path" in reference to his book every other page, and talk about his second volume? Perhaps because he's not out for pure truth, but for our money.
All this book comes down to after you strip away the nonsense is two things. First, admit that you don't truly know anything. Second, know yourself. Do those two things (they essentially both mean to question EVERYTHING), and you'll have Casspriano's "Planetary Awakening," with 15 bucks still in your pocket. And you'll be following the fundamental truths already said by Socrates.. so do yourself a favor and pick up Plato's "Apology" and read up on the Socratic dialogue on how to live a good life. And don't stop there, because you can't be sure he's right.
And I have 10 bucks that says these other couple of reviews were written by the book publisher. In any case, ignore the hype.
A Unique and Inspiring Wake-up Call.......2007-05-15
This is one of the most clear-headed books I've read in years on the subject of real, nitty gritty, get your hands dirty spiritual development (as opposed to the fru fru New Age variety). So much of what passes for "spirituality" in our time amounts to some author, celebrity, priest, philosopher or self-appointed guru telling us what to "believe," sight unseen, if we want to reach heaven, attain enlightenment, achieve "ascension," etc. Casspriano takes an at times startling opposite approach. For Casspriano, such unquestioned/unquestionable beliefs are not only NOT the path to spiritual awakening, they represent the chief obstacle blocking our realization of higher consciousness. And it's not just religious beliefs ("faith") he's talking about, but all our beliefs about reality, especially those that enclose our thinking in "boxes" that limit our freedom to find solutions to real-world threats like Peak Oil, overpopulation, Global Warming, etc. Though much of the book focuses on individual enlightenment, for Casspriano, these larger planetary issues are "spiritual," as well. Whether the issue is our personal inability to find happiness or Humanity's collective rush toward physical extinction, the cause is the same - our wrong-headed beliefs about what's real. The solution is the same, as well - continuous, deep questioning. Using Richard Dawkins' concept of "memes" as a central metaphor, Casspriano first breaks down the basic process of belief, showing the mechanism in our brains by which beliefs misdirect and control our psyches, then he walks the reader through an exploration of a series of ten "anti-meme questions" aimed at breaking down the walls of our mental "boxes" and setting our minds free. With each question, he supplies an exercise designed to allow the reader to attain a personal taste of reality "beyond the box," especially as flavored by that chapter's "Key Question." For the most part, this formula works very well (with a few rare moments of over-exuberance on the author's part, as already described in other reviews, though as a card carrying vegan environmentalist, I can't say I particularly minded), delivering a cumulative series of death-blows to some of the most basic "pillars" of our present human consensus reality. Beyond the walls those pillars supported lies real reality, where we are all interconnected and interdependent, and, in Casspriano's view, mutually destined for greatness, if we can just wake up and grab the reins of our runaway culture in time. This is not a book for spiritual "feel gooders" seeking soft assurances that they're perfect just they way they are and everything's going to be all right, no matter what. This is a wake up call, a tool kit and a concrete action plan for becoming individually enlightened and collectively saving the world, all rolled up into one. That, I think, is a cause well-worthy of exuberance.
Challenge Consensus Reality!.......2007-05-10
This is a thoughtful book that addresses how we may go about developing a process to question our everyday consensus reality. I suppose if I have learned anything in 49 years of life, it is that all personal and social problems stem from our fundamental views on the nature of reality itself. Vincent Casspriano uses the concept of a "meme" as a fundamental unit of ideas, assumptions, etc. that often block our understanding of reality itself. One such meme, for example, may be that we have to "fight for our freedom" or the world's a "fearful" place and hence, we have to be ready to kill to protect ourselves. I suppose you could also use the word "paradigm" here as well, but the essential point of this book is that we "unconsciously" function in our life with many limited points of view that block our ability to solve problems on both a personal and a social basis.
While Vince Casspriano is to be congradulated for producing a book that presents both a methodology and a motivation for personal transformation, there are a few pitfalls here that the potential reader should be aware of before tackling this material. The author has some rather strong views on fossil fuel consumption, meet consumption, and the role of humans in the cycle of procreation. While I generally agree with his analysis on fossil fuel consumtion and meat consumption (as I have viewed large tracks of deforrested grazing land in developing countries), these viewpoints can distract the reader from the essential point here which is to rigourously question consensus reality. Since I am single, and have no motivation to have children, I definitely disagree with his views on the necessity of human procreation on this planet, but here again, it is important to extract the essential meaning rather than get caught in the specific political/social debates that these issues may spawn.
If you are serious about personal transformation with the potential for changing our global consciousness, than this book can be an invaluable tool. I do agree with the Author that a world population of "high functioning" people can resolve every planetary problem we face today. As we systematically question our consensus reality, we will see our problems in new ways, and with this new perspective, problems can often be quickly resolved or transcended.
A Simple Cure For What's "Eating Us".......2006-11-13
I considered titling this review, "Stop Whining, Wake Up and Get Busy Saving the World," but decided "Eating Us" would be more attention-grabbing - which matters because I believe Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" is an important book, and I want to do whatever I can to draw your attention to it. Pick the title you like best. Both very fittingly describe what you will find within the pages of this remarkable new release from New Paradigm Press.
I have selected three short quotations to explore in this review that I think best summarize Casspriano's overall message:
From Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":
"Right now, this very moment, you are asleep... Even if you are reading these words in broad daylight - sitting at your desk or beside the kitchen table, your feet firmly planted on the floor, eyes open, senses alert, feeling the weight of this book in your hands as sounds of life rise and fall rhythmically around you - you are deeply asleep, and dreaming furiously"
Now, the idea that Humans are sleeping, and must therefore "awaken," is by no means unique to Casspriano's "Simplest Path" spiritual system, being the root observation underlying pretty much all Eastern religion, and a lot of Western Occultism and New Age metaphysics, as well. In fairness, Casspriano makes no claim to this as an original insight, openly supporting his assessment of the human predicament with quotations taken from Animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. He then flows seamlessly into a list of complementary illustrations from the secular realms of Quantum Physics, brain/consciousness research, and most to-the-point, the study of memes and memetics, ala Evolutionary Biologist and world's best-known cheerleader for scientific atheism, Richard Dawkins.
If you've never heard of memes or memetics, a quick Google of those terms will reveal hundreds of serious, information-rich websites devoted to this now thirty-year old science. In a nutshell, a "meme" is a sort of contagious thought-form that spreads between people by way of imitation. Obvious memes in our environment include advertising jingles, fads and fashions, etc. Casspriano somewhat radically extends the concept to include just about everything that makes up the contents of our individual brains and shared human culture. While he resists redefining the word "meme" wholesale, he decidedly expands its definition to make memes and "memeplexes" (what you get when a number of memes band together into an organic, relational unit, like a religion or cultural or political movement) the basic, fundamental building blocks of everything we habitually label "real..."
And then he demonstrates, in at times excruciating detail, the complete emptiness of the "apparent-reality" that is a byproduct of memetic activity in our brains. What we call "real" is not real at all. It's an illusion spun up by our memes. And our memes are not original to us. They are "viral invaders" assailing our minds from without. Worse - and, while even this thought is not wholly unique to Casspriano, he certainly gives it his own very effective spin - memes are by no means mere passive beliefs or simple "harmless ideas." They are, Casspriano believes, actively predatory psychic parasites whose survival depends on our buying into the illusions they create in our minds. Think of illusion (Samsara, Maya, etc.) as a web we're caught in. Memes are the spider. We are the fly. Gotcha.
One thing I like very much about Casspriano's book is that he never asks us to take anything on faith, least of all this rather ugly depiction of the human psychic/spiritual condition. He not only challenges readers to test his hypothesis firsthand in order to experience what is real and true for ourselves, he spends a large chunk of the book outlining specific exercises anyone can do to escape memetic interference and personally experience reality as-it-is. The exercises in Part II of the book are powerful medicine... But this is a digression, so let me return to the point.
Memes are the spider, and we are the fly. A better metaphor might be that memes are the farmer, and we are the cow. Domesticated and docile, we allow memes to milk us daily, to extract from our minds the potent human psychic energy which, if reclaimed by us and put to proper human use, would quickly and positively transform our lives and our world. This transformation is awakening, ascension, enlightenment, metanoia, the Buddha-like change of consciousness most religions and spiritual systems on Earth hint at, but few ever actually deliver to followers. In this analysis, Casspriano's "Simplest Path" is very much in line with Gurdjieff's "Fourth Way," Carlos Castaneda's Toltec sorcery, and a few other well known spiritual practices inhabiting a somewhat darker, though perhaps more realistic corner of the New Age. But unlike most of those other systems, Casspriano's prescription for escaping illusion and awakening to reality is remarkably, well... simple.
From Chapter Three, "Waking Up":
"The simple truth is that we are sleeping because we lack sufficient energy to wake up."
And later in the same chapter:
"The real work that brings about awakening, rather than merely granting the external appearance of "being spiritual," while actually embroiling us ever more deeply in the dream, is a rigorous, daily commitment to the identification and elimination of every self-serving belief from which our personal dream-lives are constructed."
For "belief" in the quotation above, read "meme/memeplex." Casspriano certainly does, treating the terms as largely interchangeable. In the end, this genuinely simple - at least in the sense of being uncomplicated and pragmatic - spiritual practice amounts to discovering reality as-it-actually-is less by searching for a glimpse beyond the illusion, than by systematically withdrawing our participation in, and identification with, the dream. When we disentangle our psyches from memetic illusion, only reality remains. We don't have to chase it; to a meme-free mind, reality just appears. This is "Satori" in Zen Buddhism. This is "stopping the world" in the Toltec sorcery of Castaneda and others. Casspriano's genius lies in his talent for exposing the core mechanism behind such complex and often inscrutable spiritual systems, and for putting into plain language clear instructions for unraveling the dream and achieving personal awakening. The virus-like process by which memes take over and control our human minds, as described by Casspriano is, to my mind, very complicated (but well worth struggling through). What is genuinely simple about "The Simplest Path," however, is Casspriano's prescription for breaking those bonds, once you've made the effort to understand how they are created and maintained. For Casspriano, remaining a victim of spiritual sleep and energetic exploitation by memes is a complex activity in which we unconsciously invest enormous amounts of psychic energy every day of our lives. Awakening is the product of a simple act of withdrawing that investment, which automatically re-energizes of our minds and lives. Or as Casspriano cleverly phrases it when closing Chapter Three, "Waking Up":
"Unweave the tapestry of the dream, and awakening happens."
Anyone can do this. Spiritual awakening, in Casspriano's view, may be hard work, but it is not complicated work. The path to enlightenment is really rather shockingly simple. Fall out of love with the dream. Reclaim your psychic energy. Wake up to reality.
The ten "Key Questions" Casspriano explores in the second section of the book are designed to put the theory laid out in Part I to practical and immediate use. Essentially, I think Casspriano sees these ten issues - why we treat enlightenment as an "airy-fairy" ideal instead of a measurable transformation of brain functioning, the excuses we make for avoiding personal responsibility and integrity along the lines of Castaneda's "impeccability," the fallacy of belief in a "separate self," etc. - as pillars of both our personal and collective human dreams. They are by no means an exhaustive listing of the memes twisting our minds. But they are primary keystones on which layers upon layers of the grand illusion are built. Topple these ten baseline pillars and the larger structure crumbles.
Casspriano explores some "Keys" more successfully than others. One downside to the book is that, especially in the "Keys," Casspriano's own memetic prejudices shine at times rather glaringly through, as when, in his discussion of the American "What Would Jesus Do?" religious fad, he characterizes the Evangelical Christian purveyors of WWJD as, "ultra-conservative, right wing ideologues." Even should the reader personally agree with such pronouncements, its hard to resist thinking, "Hey Vince! Your memes are showing!" But where he nails his point, Casspriano's prose can be downright inspiring, as with the "Key" cosmological study "Is Earth the Center of the Universe?," which explores the gap between what we know, scientifically, about the Universe and what our daily choices and behavior says we really believe, about the cosmos and about ourselves. His closing "Key" "Are We Alone?" so poetically frames the true stakes of our global human predicament - species survival VS extinction - that its hard to imagine anyone keeping their gaze glued squarely to their own self-involved navel in the wake of reading it. Of course we are not alone. There are six and a half billion of us on Planet Earth, and whether we awaken to what's best in us or follow our darkest drives over History's cliff into oblivion, we do so as one. One planet, one fate.
This notion of "oneness" and of a common, intertwined human spiritual and biological destiny is a core theme in The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND that sets it apart from any spiritual book in recent memory. My final quotation from the book returns us to the opening lines of Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":
"We are all aware of the challenges facing us as we enter together into the 21st Century:
· World oil supplies are running out.
· Global warming is transforming the Earth into a steamy greenhouse.
· Even as our technology connects the world, ideological extremism, terrorism and militarism divide us as never before.
· Headlines bombard us with news of war, famine, pestilence and death until we feel overwhelmed and unable to respond.
· Time is running out..."
Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Transformation, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" does not offer easy escape from these very pressing real-world human ills, but rather, a down to Earth, workable prescription for their cure. Yes, we must awaken as individuals, and, rest assured, "The Simplest Path" shows spiritual seekers exactly how to do that. But a prime message of "The Simplest Path" is that, for personal awakening to have meaning, it must occur within the context of a complete re-visioning of global culture, and a mass wrenching away of the wheel of History from the control of viral memes, that we might create a common cosmic human destiny worthy of our highest potential as a species.
Now that's a meme worth feeding.
Book Description
Out of the fantasies that enriched an often reclusive life, the enigmatic American artist Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) created a world of enchantment with his famed shadow boxes and collages. Using common objects like glasses, marbles, and mirrors, Cornell's work evokes the strangeness of the familiar and the odd familiarity of the strange.
Respected art historian and friend of the artist Diane Waldman probes the elusive imagery that marks Cornell's work. Interviews with Cornell and his family and access to the artist's papers inform her text. This richly illustrated book, now available in paperback, is one of the few to cover his entire career.
Customer Reviews:
a wonderfu book.......2007-10-09
Joseph Cornell's work is beautiful. It's a pity that he is such a poorly-known artist but as the author suggests perhaps he was born a few decades too late or his art was a few decades too early. He has certainly missed out on his rightful place in most books on Surrealist art. This book is very-well presented - a photograph or two of Cornell's work on almost every page and text not only explaining the inspiration and the work process behind the assemblages but also conveying the quirky nature of the artist. If Joseph Cornell showed little humour as a person then there is plenty of it to be found in his work (e.g., lobster ballet box). This art book is so well-written and interesting that it can be read from cover to cover in one day. There is something new to be found in the photographs every time.
Restoration of a Worthy Magnum Opus.......2006-03-01
Fortunate is the arts library to have the restored and embellished 1977 monograph on the life and work of American artist Joseph Cornell, an artist whose importance not only to the craft of assemblage but to the history of American art continues to grow as the years pass. Author Diane Waldman initially based her monograph on extensive interviews with Cornell and his confreres in preparing the 1967 retrospective of Cornell's art for the Guggenheim Museum. And fine though that now extinct monograph was, it was important to update it with the added information gleaned from the 1978 gift of the bulk of Cornell's archives donated by the heirs of Cornell to the Smithsonian Museum, forming the Joseph Cornell Study Center in Washington, DC.
But enough of background. Waldman the writer and historian presents here one of the more sensitive tributes to Joseph Cornell in print. Included in this rather brief book are over forty color plates of many of Cornell's greatest works. The color reproductions and photography of these basically three-dimensional works is outstanding and allows the viewer to pause with each work, enhance the visual appreciation with the accompanying writing by the author, and then return once again to the biographical data of a man at odds with conformity and with somewhat fractured social graces.
Joseph Cornell was a unique artist and one whose impact on all forms of art (especially the eventual 'installation art' phase) is yearly more appreciated. This fine book is as sound a source of information on his life and works as any of the now many volumes on the shelves. Highly Recommended to both the novice and the expert. Grady Harp, February 06
An Excellent Primer On Cornell and His Work.......2002-11-15
Finally, a beautiful, comprehensive book about Joseph Cornell and his work. Diane Waldman knew Cornell intimately ever since she was an art student (and through doing gallery shows for him), and this affinity shows; this is ultimately a book of love and tribute to a friend.
The biographical material is excellent. Most fascinating segments deal with Cornell's stranger sides, such as when at his brother Robert's funeral, Joseph put a sheet over his head and laughed, creeping everyone out, and explained it was only a side joke that Robert would have understood. Cornell was terribly timid in front of women (particularly the ones he fancied) and had a complete dependence on his mother (he died months after she did). Waldman probes these and other significant personal issues (such as his association with Surrealism, and how the younger artists that have passed through him have influenced his work) and examines how they factored in Cornell's art. The book is generous with illustrations - Waldman supports her points with not only Cornell's work, but with other artists that were influential to him.
However, it is the lonely and telling poetry of Cornell's work that is the heart of this book. The boxes that Waldman chooses to include are presented intelligently, and beautifully. The innocence and nostalgia of each box is lovingly portrayed. The Medici series - Cornell's especially heartbreakingly beautiful and mysteriously passionate work - is presented perfectly by Waldman with thoughtful commentary and context, capturing in full its yearning and ardor. Waldman has given us a book that speaks eloquently about why Cornell is an artists people will remember for generations hereafter.
Customer Reviews:
The Master of Lucid Dreams.......2006-08-22
Olga Kharitidis' writing keeps one informed on the reality of Lucid Dreams, and the effect they can have as keys in our lives. Her Journey, and those she helped with this knowledge, made me look at dreams in a totally new and productive way.
A deep introduction to other perspectives on healing trauma.......2006-05-24
Ancient cultures viewed pain and trauma as part of the tapestry of life, the obstacles we must face, and lessons in growth if we choose them to be. In the Western world, despite all the trapping of comfort and wealth, Westerners have the highest rates of clinical depression and mood disorders. Though the statistic is subject to debate, it is a clue that material possessions do not make life any easier when dealing with pain. This book provides a detailed explanation of how this pain can be healed from a different vantage point - that of the indigenous practices of ancient shamans. A way out of pain is not denial but harnessing the energy into something that in the ends, fosters positive growth.
Excellent description of the world that lies beyond life.......2006-01-31
This book is not correctly titled as it does not teach you how to be conscious in our dreams. It is about the help that a lucid dreaming master, who lives in Uzbekistan, gives to the author using this technique. This book is the most vivid book that I have come across that describes life after death and the possible consequences of our life to our life after death and therefore reinforces the importance of living our life in order to meet death as enlightened and aware that we can possibly be. His reference to the Book of Revelations being the "christian book of the dead" is intriguing and may offer an explanation for its inclusion in the New Testament. This book is written just as well as her first autobiography which is also a 'can't put it down' quality read.
First Time in Samarkand.......2005-09-21
For those interested in a personal experiencing of central Asian knowledge to an uninitiate, this is an excellent first book. The writer carries her story along in such a gripping fashion the book reads almost like a thriller. It may become necessary to dismantle an important, heavily relied-upon personal conviction that is inaccurate, but such dismantling can be confusing and one might need a guide. The writer of this book was lucky enough to find one, the reader is lucky enough to find her story of it.
What does this have to do with lucid dreams?.......2004-12-19
I was disappointed in "The Master of Lucid Dreams." While the story was entertaining and had some interesting psychological theories about dealing with trauma, the connection to lucid dreams was tenuous. The author and her teacher frequently discuss the important of conscious dreaming, but they provide no information on how to achieve it. Go ahead and get this book if you're interested in healing trauma, but don't bother if you want practical information on lucid dreams.
Average customer rating:
- How to achieve your destiny through positive emotions
- Great resource for changing the way you think
- Be Creative With Your Destiny
- Very Good
- Create a more Joyful Life
|
Your Destiny Switch: Master Your Key Emotions, and Attract the Life of Your Dreams
Peggy McColl
Manufacturer: Hay House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Motivational | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Personal Transformation | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Emotions | By Topic | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Walsch, Neale Donald | ( W ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1401912362 |
Book Description
Your Destiny Switch isn’t just another self-help book. It’s a powerful concept and process that can consciously and creatively transform your life. You could call it a paradigm shift in creative consciousness, a shift that speaks to your demand for a richer and more experiential engagement in your quest for growth. More than a book, Your Destiny Switch allows you to balance your key emotions in order to reach your destiny.
Peggy McColl supports this work with a wealth of reference materials that provide an abundance of valuable and usable life-changing tools: state-shifters, the scale of human emotions, performance indicators, measurement tools, and a daily and weekly destiny planner. This book will help you understand your own creative power by way of your emotions and, more important, show you how to use this power to create desired results by tapping into a powerful energy source within.
Customer Reviews:
How to achieve your destiny through positive emotions.......2007-09-08
The authors concept of achieving your destiny is first through identifying what it is that you truly desire, then to create very positive affirmations in words and through acting it out if possible (like visiting the type of house you would like to own). You journey toward them ever day through positive emotions. She gives you many to choose from, you are suppose to pick out the 4 most powerfule ones for you and place them on the top of either a drawn set of 4 switches or buy a real dimmer switch and place the four positive emotions on the top switches and there negative counterparts on the bottom of the switches. You are to review how you felt daily and move the switches up or down based on your feelings. The goal is to eventually max out the switches toward there top due to a learned focus toward positive emotion. If your goal is to feel more love, love would be on the top of the switch and hate would be on the bottom, each day as you felt more love for others you would slide your switch upward. Positive emotions to choose from are calm, confidence, faith, kindness, trust, curiosity, worthiness, inspiration, motivation, and wonder. I really liked the authors premise of how we attract people and circumstances to ourselves based on our emotions, it is an interesting concept to the law of attraction. It works!!!
Great resource for changing the way you think.......2007-09-06
Peggy has created a great resource for changing the way you think. She offers the critical reminders that your emotions guide your destiny, and that you have at your constant disposal an array of powerful tools to impact them. Sound content coupled with good examples and practical processes make this book an effective tool for anyone wanting to improve the way they use their mind to purposely define their life.
Be Creative With Your Destiny.......2007-09-03
"Your Destiny Switch: Master the Key to your Emotions and Attract the Life of your Dreams" by Peggy McColl is a most delightful book about a paradigm shift in co-creating with the Universe, and thereby manifesting a richer and more experiential practice of intentional living and higher consciousness.
Highly recommended!
My most recent best find in New Age novels where the main character embarks on a metaphysically spiritual healing journey is...
Nexus: A Neo Novel
Very Good.......2007-08-26
This was a good reminder of what most of us already know. If you don't know about keeping emotions in check then this is a must read. Very informative.
Create a more Joyful Life.......2007-08-23
Wonderful and helpful book. Should be highly recommended to people of all ages, especially young people!
Book Description
Irina Tweedie's unique account of the slow and painful grinding down of the personality at the hands of a Sufi Master. This diary spans five years, making up an amazing record of spiritual transformation. From a psychological perspective, this diary maps the process of ego dissolution, gradually unveiling the oneness and love that reside beneath the surface of the personality. Mrs. Tweedie is the first Western woman to be trained in this ancient yogic lineage.
Customer Reviews:
Deep.......2007-08-11
Full of fire. Sure not for the light hearted seeker. Helpful to all those that feel challenged in similar ways. As it is autobiographic and personal, readers will find themselves in the book 100% or be turned off by her struggles. I benefited much by reading it. Although lengthy at times, it is honest and straight forward.
So what I've been waiting for.......2007-01-11
I heard about this book 2 years ago and couldn't find the book at Barnes and Noble and came to Amazon. I love this book. It's huge, and gives the info I need to know, about an experience that is so personal and vital.
Thank you Amazon for having this book!!
daughter of fire.......2005-02-22
I read the book...I understand that the author did not have any informations in the beginning as what the Sufi system was. But this diary was written for the author not the reader.In order to write a book for the outside world ( was it?),more informations about the Sufi system should have been given, even if not in details as I agree...some privacy should be onored. BUT
It seems to me that the book is a countinuous lament about the pain the author felt during her training.Yes pain IS part of the process but the again continuous'repetition' of words and facts are useless and almost annoying.
Finally part 2 is much better.
TRUTH CAN BE PAINFUL.......2005-02-16
I strongly disagree with the reviewer that says this is spiritual abuse. What a small price Irina paid for her enlightenment. Her Guru's ignoring Irina and a few times appearing sharp with her are a small price to pay. If I could find a Shaikh like this who would help me, I would be overjoyed (eternally). This is a book I will read for the rest of my life. Thank you Irina
Review Interview.......2004-12-29
The original version of the book was shortened by the publisher as it was considered too long. This is why there are two books: the shorter, first published The Chasm of Fire (1979), and this one, more complete Daughter of Fire (1986).
Irina Tweedie's story takes the mystery out of a Sufi master and pupil situation and tells what love is like in practice.
Reijo: How was it possible for Irina Tweedie to go to India and stay about one and a half years with a teacher, who totally rejected her and whose family also showed her their rejection?
Agnes: Love is not simply being lovely! I am not talking about love in personal relationships. The love of Guruji towards Irina Tweedie was impersonal, what you (as a Gurdjieffian) would call "Conscious Love". Impersonal is not the right word in the sense that this love comes to you through a person and his/her personal expressions. It leads to the source of love in yourself.
Reshad Feild: "Do not look for love - look for the source of love!" A teacher leads the pupil to the source and that is what Irina Tweedie experienced.
Reijo: How about Irina then? She was 52, totally rejected, gave away all she had - how could she go on?
Agnes: A teacher holds the pupil and nourishes the intention. Irina's intention was to find the truth. This clear intention was the hook where she was hanging. This would not have been possible without a total commitment, unconditional and demanded by the teacher. For her there was no way to go back.
Her story reminds me of Odysseus, who let himself be tied to the mast of a ship and in full senses went through the temptations. To quote Reshad again: "Come with both hands, not one hand behind your back."
Reijo: What you are saying is that Guruji was totally in control of the situation?
Agnes: No, what was happening to Irina was not in his control. He was connected to a place in himself and through that he received an impulse of what to do in the various situations. To be conscious does not mean that we have life under control.
Reijo: In other words, because he was "present" he could influence the situation.
Agnes: Not only that. He was, and a teacher is, connected with the creation that takes place every moment new. He could get the fresh impulse that is needed out of the present moment and DO what is necessary.
Reijo: Yet there was to my disappointment no final exchange between Irina Tweedie and Guruji about the method. He never told clearly what he was doing with her.
Agnes: In my view what he said could not have been stated in a clearer way! He gave her the essence of the teaching; everything else came to Irina through her experiences and through her understanding of them. She was prepared to find her own method, which was needed in London and not in India, in her time, in her place in Europe.
The essence of the teaching can only be understood through experience. The method can be copied, but the ability can only grow in oneself.
A real teacher lets the ability to grow and does not allow the pupil to become a copy.
Reijo: In any spiritual way there are three main stages: identity, direction and commitment. Irina found her identity to be nothing, her direction was her intention towards the truth and her commitment was without any conditions. It sound hard!
Agnes: But she had an insurance: a spider's thread coming out of the blue sky to which she could hang on to!
Her book is about the way to the source of love. On my way I experienced the pure love of a teacher clearest and strongest when Reshad Feild was shouting to me in front of a group of 80 people. I don't know what he shouted about, but I remember the strong, pure love. Nobody understood why I kept coming back to him and looked him up as he only immediately started to shout again.
Book Description
His name is Charles Render, and he is a psychoanalyst, and a mechanic of dreams. A Shaper. In a warm womb of metal, his patients dream their neuroses, while Render, intricately connected to their brains, dreams with them, makes delicate adjustments, and ultimately explains and heals.
Her name is Eileen Shallot, a resident in psychiatry. She wants desperately to become a Shaper, though she has been blind from birth.
Together, they will explore the depths of the human mind -- and the terrors that lurk therein.
Customer Reviews:
Dream on.......2007-01-05
Robert Zelazny wasn't quite in top form in "Dream Master," a rather jumbled SF novel that delves into the human mind. Zelazny writes with his usual minimalist poetry, but the finale and characters are definitely lacking. It's a nice read, but far from Zelazny's best.
Charles Render is a neuroparticipant therapist -- he taps into his patients' dreams and analyzes them to tell them what their undisclosed problems are. For example, he finds out that one man imagines enemies because the alternative is being ignored. His own problems go un-dealt with -- the death of his wife in a car crash, which has left him with some lingering guilt issues.
Then he meets Eileen Shallot, who wants the same kind of job he has. The problem is: she's been blind all her life, and no therapist of that kind has ever been blind because they get overwhelmed by the dreams. But he agrees to help Eileen gradually -- by letting her see through his eyes.
"Dream Master" was once a short story, and was expanded dramatically to make it into this novella. It's definitely a mixed blessing -- on one hand, Zelazny has plenty of room to paint strange dreamscapes and weird twists of the imagination. On the other, "Master" is definitely padded.
So long as "Master" sticks close to the interactions between Charles and Eileen, the story stays solid and sleek. But there are also a lot of scenes that do nothing except distract, like anything involving Jill DeVille (Charles' bland girlfriend) or the talking doggie.
Certainly Zelazny takes an unconventional and interesting idea -- psychotherapy using a "dream machine" -- and manages to wring a whole book out of that sole idea. His sparse prose really blossoms in the dream sequences, becoming lusher and stranger. They're not terribly strange as dreams usually are, but they're definitely interesting.
Charles isn't a terribly likable protagonist; he's a bit of a know-it-all. Okay, he's a doctor, but his condescension towards his patients comes across as arrogance. Eileen seems a little more likable, with her obsession with overcoming her disabilities. The other characters -- Charles' son and Jill -- are pretty much nonentities.
"Dream Master" makes up for lackluster characters with Zelazny's imagination and excellent prose. Just don't expect him to be in top form in this dreamy scifi exploration.
Muddled Dream.......2004-11-08
Zelazny's prose is in fine form here and he displays a myriad of interesting ideas quite well. In fact some of the background filling in of the world is more interesting than the plot. In particular the mutated dog and his relationship with normal dogs and human society.
Prose aside, Zelazny manages to be at once all too clever and heavy handed. Calling the Dream Master "Render" and having his female patient be named "Eileen Shallot". Other references to classic myth abound as if Zelazny is telling the reader "Oh, aren't I/We so smart, catch the symbolism and foreshadowing here??"
The plot is fairly simplistic, and the ending heavily foreshadowed. For all that it still managed to get me a little engaged even though it was obvious how it was going to happen. Unfortunately, virtually all the characters are unlikeable, from Render, to Shallot, to his girlfriend DeVille and in particular his son as well as Shallot's dog.
Several interesting plot threads are developed and just left hanging. As this was an expansion of a short-story why not flesh out those plot threads. What's with Render's suicide obsession, and the suicides we see of people in the society? What's wrong with the mutated dog, why does he run off and torment normal dogs, is this normal or is the dog as broken as his Mistress?
The quality of writing and the ideas though save this from being a poor novel and pull it into the firmly average bracket. Zelazny fans, or those into novels of dreaming such as Lathe of Heaven may wish to give this a look.
Master of the Dream Castle.......2004-09-11
Ideas have always been the movers and shakers of science fiction. But because of this, all too often other aspects of good literature have been ignored or given short shrift by all too many authors. Zelazny does not fall into this trap.
The driving idea behind this book is the ability, with the help of some fancy technology, of a trained neuroparticipant therapist to directly monitor and control his patient's dreams. There is a downside to this: the therapist had better be very emotionally stable himself, else he runs the risk of having the patient take control and impress his thoughts and emotional problems on the therapist. Zelazny takes this basic concept and wraps it first in truly excellent prose; much of this work reads almost like a prose poem. He adds two strong characters, Charles Render, the therapist, and Eileen Shallot, a blind-from-birth woman who wants to be a therapist herself, but must first get over the problem of how to deal with the sights and visions that her future patients will have. Render (and I believe the name is significant, though this is a literary device Zelazny did not normally use) is a tightly controlled person, carefully bulwarking his emotional walls from the pain of the death of his wife and driven to over-protect his brilliant son. Though repeatedly warned of the dangers, he finds the challenge of introducing Eileen to the world of sight irresistible. Thus the stage is set for a trip through the world of dreams, dreams that are perhaps both simpler and more comprehensible than the garden variety most people have, but described with such excellence that it is almost like seeing a sequence of pictures, watercolors and oils in vivid colors.
The side characters also have important roles to play, from Eileen's talking seeing-eye dog to Render's nominal current love interest, Jill DeVille. Their actions precipitate the final action of the story, and indicate that the story is both carefully plotted and has a thematic depth that can only be seen when the play of irony surrounding these events and the careful allusions to certain legendary characters is carefully examined.
This story was originally published in slightly shorter form as "He Who Shapes", which took the Nebula award for best novella in 1965. With this expanded form, I think the final irony is more sharply defined, his main characters better fleshed out, but perhaps there are places where some unnecessary verbiage has been added. I would be hard pressed to declare which version is better.
The idea is only the kernel. Roger's layers of wrapping with all the elements of good storytelling is what makes this story a worthwhile read.
--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)
"Dream" on.......2004-05-23
Robert Zelazny wasn't quite in top form in "Dream Master," a rather jumbled SF novel that delves into the human mind. Zelazny writes with his usual minimalist poetry, but the finale and characters are definitely lacking. It's a nice read, but far from Zelazny's best.
Charles Render is a neuroparticipant therapist -- he taps into his patients' dreams and analyzes them to tell them what their undisclosed problems are. For example, he finds out that one man imagines enemies because the alternative is being ignored. His own problems go un-dealt with -- the death of his wife in a car crash, which has left him with some lingering guilt issues.
Then he meets Eileen Shallot, who wants the same kind of job he has. The problem is: she's been blind all her life, and no therapist of that kind has ever been blind because they get overwhelmed by the dreams. But he agrees to help Eileen gradually -- by letting her see through his eyes.
"Dream Master" was once a short story, and was expanded dramatically to make it into this novella. It's definitely a mixed blessing -- on one hand, Zelazny has plenty of room to paint strange dreamscapes and weird twists of the imagination. On the other, "Master" is definitely padded.
So long as "Master" sticks close to the interactions between Charles and Eileen, the story stays solid and sleek. But there are also a lot of scenes that do nothing except distract, like anything involving Jill DeVille (Charles' bland girlfriend) or the talking doggie.
Certainly Zelazny takes an unconventional and interesting idea -- psychotherapy using a "dream machine" -- and manages to wring a whole book out of that sole idea. His sparse prose really blossoms in the dream sequences, becoming lusher and stranger. They're not terribly strange as dreams usually are, but they're definitely interesting.
Charles isn't a terribly likable protagonist; he's a bit of a know-it-all. Okay, he's a doctor, but his condescension towards his patients comes across as arrogance. Eileen seems a little more likable, with her obsession with overcoming her disabilities. The other characters -- Charles' son and Jill -- are pretty much nonentities.
"Dream Master" makes up for lackluster characters with Zelazny's imagination and excellent prose. Just don't expect him to be in top form in this dreamy scifi exploration.
Zelazny, the dream master.......2003-03-06
First let me start off by saying that I am a huge Zelazny fan and that would most likely make me extremely biased. But I also like Shakespeare, Fitzgerald, and Lovecraft - so I think I can be fairly open-minded and am somewhat well-rounded. Contrary to most of the reviews on this book, I thought that 'The Dream Master' was very very good. True the characters could've been deeper, but Zelazny's writing style is captivating in and of itself. There is so much happening in this novel and is at the same time almost without purpose. This, I would say, is a novel for the Zelazny fan who has already read (and liked) his Amber Series and 'Lord of Light' (also check out 'Night in Lonesome October' for a new avenue of Zelazny thought) - because I think that this novel is more like 'basking in the sunlight' of the style of a truely ingenious writer. So in that respect it succeeds and if you appreciate a writer's style and ability to interest (even without a major plot!) then you would probably enjoy this one.
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