Reader Views

Out of the Woods: Healing from Lyme Disease and other Chronic Illness – Body, Mind & Spirit

Article first published as Book Review: Out of the Woods: Healing from Lyme Disease and other Chronic Illness by Katina I. Makris on Blogcritics.

When a healer and a health care columnist spends several years completely baffled and in absolute torment, chances are that her mysterious flu-like illness is something that is truly difficult to diagnose. It took Ms. Makris five years to receive a correct diagnosis, and a long time to even partially recover from it. Her journey is described beautifully in “Out of the Woods,” which encompasses both her memoirs and an eye-opening “Nuts and Bolts” section on signs, symptoms, and available treatments for Lyme disease.

There were many valuable lessons to be learned from this beautifully written book. Some were rather obvious ones about cherishing what we have, since it could so easily be gone the very next moment, the importance of having a good support system and the need to work with one’s doctor(s). Then there were those that should be obvious, but many times are not, like the importance of being persistent in trying to get your point across to the doctor when one does not feel that the real issue is being addressed. Nobody knows us better than we know ourselves, and nobody else can say with more certainty whether something is working for us or not. Perhaps the most important issue was the holistic view of treatments – it is vitally important that all facets of the issue are addressed adequately, since good results simply can not be achieved without proper balance. Many of us would do well to read – and reread – the section on importance of real, true rest to the healing process. It might sound limiting and difficult to achieve, but Ms. Makris illustrated really well how essential it was to her effort to get well again. And let’s not forget the “there are no coincidences” factor – if one even remotely believes that, one would be hard pressed to find a more fitting story to exemplify it.

I wish this book would have been published years ago, when several people close to me were diagnosed with Lyme disease. They were lucky to have at least received the correct diagnosis rather early, yet their recovery was difficult and very lengthy in each of the three cases that I know of. I am certain that quite a lot of the information from the Part Two of this book would have been a great help to them, and I am simply grateful that the book is available to anybody who needs it now.

“Out of the Woods” by Katina I. Makris should be required reading not only for patients struggling with the Lyme disease, or those who suspect that Lyme might be the cause of their problems, but also anybody who has been struggling with any debilitating chronic disease, as well as for those who provide care for such patients, regardless of whether they do it in a professional or amateur capacity. Ms. Makris’ descriptions of her struggles with even the simplest tasks were frighteningly eye-opening to me, and I can only hope they will make me more understanding and more tolerant in the future. Moreover, I greatly enjoyed Ms. Makris’ writing and her vivid descriptions of things, people, and events in her world. She made it come to life in full color.


Out of the Woods: Healing from Lyme Disease and other Chronic Illness – Body, Mind & Spirit
Katina I. Makris, CCH, CIH
Elite Books (2011)
ISBN 9781600700712
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (2/12)

Five Steps to Draw Closer to God

Article first published as Book Reivew: Five Steps to Draw Closer to God by Doranda Jacques on Blogcritics.

Doranda Jacques writes to encourage her readers to grow spiritually while they develop a deeper relationship with God in her book “Five Steps to Draw Closer to God.”

The book is made up of five chapters. Each chapter opens with a spectacular awe-inspiring color photo creating a sense of quiet and peace. This is followed with the introduction of practical key points which develop an important scriptural principle designed to nurture a unique concept of spiritual growth which will lead to a more meaningful understanding of the fullness of God’s love and purpose.

A summary of the key points of each chapter helps the reader assimilate the narrative as well as capsulizing the material for focus, application, and determining personal action steps. This is followed with a checklist to ensure that the steps are incorporated in daily practice and experience. Provision is made for recording personal notes. Selected scriptures are included to reinforce these truths. A thought-provoking prayer is provided for contemplation and reflection.

Additional features in the book include:

• Practical notes on being tested in the process of drawing closer to God
• Thoughts on evaluating yourself in the process
• A section for recording your personal reflections in journal form
• A clear presentation of the Gospel for those unsure of their relationship with God

The book is designed as a devotional study rather than a theological discourse, however, Doranda Jacques’ writing is Biblical based and are true to the scriptures. The format of Doranda Jacques’ “Five Steps to Draw Closer to God” provides for a concise, yet comprehensive, plan leading to a deeper relationship with God which can be adapted for inclusion with any existing plan of devotional reading or Bible study.


Five Steps to Draw Closer to God
Doranda Jacques
CreateSpace (2012)
ISBN 9781453816189
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (3/12)

Stumbling Into Infinity: An Ordinary Man In The Sphere Of Enlightenment

Article first published as Book Review: Stumbling Into Infinity: An Ordinary Man In The Sphere Of Enlightenment by Michael Fischman on Blogcritics.

In Michael Fischman’s book, “Stumbling Into Infinity: An Ordinary Man In The Sphere Of Enlightenment,” it becomes apparent that Fischman is neither ordinary nor stumbling. While he emphasizes that this is his personal story, he has adeptly written a debut nonfiction work that is multiple books at once, layered one beneath the other and bound together by everyman’s search for the answer to the question ‘Why am I here?’ Nearly all of us ask this question more than once in our lives, but Fischman is a man driven more intensely than most to find the answer. His passionate quest makes for an extraordinary memoir.

In the first chapter Fischman writes that his parents, perhaps to protect his innocence, had kept his grandfather’s death a secret from him. He recalls, “One night, when I was about three-years-old, while my parents and sister were asleep…I awoke before dawn and saw Grandpa. Transparent as a mist of smoke he stood still in our bedroom doorway… I didn’t know why he was there.” The author continues, “And it was many years before I realized that Grandpa’s death had coincided with the time of his mysterious visit. At age eight, alone in his Grandma’s hospital room, he saw her take her last breath. “I knew she was gone. I stood shaking, as though I’d been dipped in ice water. I’d seen death.”

Perhaps his early childhood experience with death, and physical abuse by his father, explains the author’s ever present concern with the meaning of life and living a better life. Or perhaps, as he speculates, you could blame it on growing up in the sixties and seventies. Whatever the reasons, Fischman remembers from his college experiences that “I was more interested in attaining a state of Nirvana and enlightenment that studying for my chemistry finals and graduating from college.” But like most Westerners, Fischman believed then that one should be independent minded and find their own way in spiritual matters. This first layer of the memoir continues to follow Fischman’s quest, ultimately leading the reader to his close friendship with one of the Eastern world’s great spiritual gurus and the assumption of the leadership of his U.S. organization.

The spiritual leader of whom Fischman became a devotee is His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the organization of which Fischman is currently president is the Art of Living Foundation in the U.S. In the second layer of the book the author shares his account of what led him to the Sri Sri (Shree Shree) and the Art of Living movement. “As someone who had an intimate seat at the beginning of a great spiritual movement, I wanted to convey some of the magic and mystery of those early years – little known stories, private moments with Sri Sri, and the extraordinary combination of wisdom and innocence I saw in him.”

It is the most tightly woven stories of the two men together personally that provide the most intriguing lessons for the reader. I was inspired by many of these small but insightful stories including one in which the guru explains to Fischman: “The Art of Living is being in service…If someone asks you, ‘Can you take some luggage in your car?’ and you say, ‘No, I have no room,’ and then you say, ‘Wait, wait let me see,’ this is not service. Saying ‘No’ immediately causes a block for them somewhere…It would be better the other way around, first say ‘Yes.’ Then, if there is some difficulty, say ‘No, sorry, I can’t do it.’ Do you see the difference? It shows that you are willing. And it is that willingness that creates harmony.”

“Stumbling Into Infinity” is a book that offers further evidence of the impact of the spiritual teachings of India on Western civilization. Through it, Michael Fischman and the ancient spiritualism of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar give the reader the opportunity to experience the model for the current “Life Coach” phenomenon in the U.S. This book clearly demonstrates that “old” wisdom offers relevant and empowering answers, based on self-reflection and service to others, to everyman’s questions: Who am I?,” “What am I doing here?,” and “Where am I going?”


Stumbling Into Infinity: An Ordinary Man In The Sphere Of Enlightenment
Michael Fischman
Morgan James Publishing (2010)
ISBN 9781600376481
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (1/12)

Philosophy: Structuralism for Unity: Visions of Truth for Justice and Success

Article first published as Book Review: Philosophy: Structuralism for Unity: Visions of Truth for Justice and Success by Ronnie Lee on Blogcritics.

Prolific self-published author Ronnie Lee has recently released his tenth book presenting his philosophical thinking. Titled “Philosophy: Structuralism for Unity,” this book, like his others, is a tome. Over the course of 821 pages, Lee offers an expanse of thoughts that at their core form the foundation of his writings in general. The writings in this volume specifically address society and law, business and responsibility, politics, war, religion and morality, philosophy and existentialism, and life and unity. With regard to these fundaments, the book is in essence a one volume encyclopedia of Lee’s philosophy, and as such, is both a reference book and a collection of philosophical poetry and prose.

It is important for readers who are unfamiliar with Lee’s other books to be aware that the author’s preferred writing style is free form poetry. He has honed his content framework and creative writing device to a very sharp edge. Consider, from Chapter 6, Philosophy and Existentialism, an excerpt from the poem entitled The Mind: “The mind is the end result, Of what you have been through. This creates your psychological loops, That are often entangled, In happiness and sadness loops, Hope and despair loops, And success and failure loops.” Some might perceive this style to be cutting edge, while others will perhaps regard it as a bit of a gimmicky way to slice and dice sometimes deep content into small bites. But whether it is either of these or both, my perception is that stylistically, what the author is trying to communicate is more approachable and easier to grasp as a result.

And it seems to me that what Ronnie Lee is trying to say, between the lines of his philosophy in this book, is simply this: we are overwhelmed with information resulting in confusion and conflict; we can change this if we create “structure and unity in what we are told, and what we take in. Love, security and justice will follow in greater measure when there is a solid, coherent foundation to build on.”

In my opinion, “Philosophy: Structuralism for Unity” is best described as a philosophical grand unified theory in Lee’s search for an elusive Philosophy of Everything. Considering the scope of the fundamentals that Lee covers the book is surprisingly concise and coherent. Most importantly, the author speaks clearly, and with one consistent voice.

Ronnie Lee’s “Philosophy: Structuralism for Unity” may appear daunting at first glance. And I believe that if a reader attempts to read it straight through, it will indeed lead to philosophy overload. But if read at one’s leisure, at their own space, this book just may become a touchstone over time for many who are seeking clarity and hope in their lives. For me it would be a comforting book to have on the shelf.


Philosophy: Structuralism for Unity: Visions of Truth for Justice and Success
Ronnie Lee
Outskirts Press (2011)
ISBN 9781432771836
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (1/12)

Life, It’s a Beautiful Thing

Any parent who had to bury their child hopes that their memory will live on in the hearts and minds of others.  Author Laura Schaufel has ensured her deceased son is remembered with the publication of her book, “Life, It’s a Beautiful Thing.”  Within its pages, she shares heartfelt recollections of his life as well as her own and the strong faith that saw her through it all.

Schaufel writes with a vivid passion; she sets the mood and puts the reader into the story with her beautiful imagery.  This is what I liked best about the book.  Whether it was the cold winter night of her birth in Pennsylvania or a summer afternoon in California, you felt like you were experiencing the situation right alongside her.  The chapters serve as individual stories, centering on a specific memory or progression of a situation.  However, they didn’t always feel like they were in the right order and gave the book an ‘un-chronological’ feel.  For example, by the end of the third chapter (page 19) she was recounting the tragic death of her son, Craig, in 2010.  However, she begins the next chapter by jumping back to 1986.  The rest of the book continues in settings where Craig is still alive.

I also thought the front and back cover made the book misleading in a sense.  On the back, Schaufel describes standing in the hospital room while her son fought for his life while the front cover depicts a young, grade-school-aged boy playing.  It gave me the impression that I would be reading about a mother having to endure the loss of a child at this age.  Upon reading, however, I learned that Craig was in his early 50s when he passed.  Death is heartbreaking at any age and I was greatly relieved that the author was able to see her child grow into a man and that he was able to live a good portion of his life before his untimely departure.  Yet, if I was a mother who had lost a young child and was hoping to read the wisdom of a mother who had also gone through these circumstances, I would feel misled by the book’s cover.

“Life, It’s a Beautiful Thing” was written to be a legacy of sorts, Schaufel’s heritage for her family.  Yet, there are no pictures other than one single photograph of Craig as an adult.  The stock images used didn’t seem appropriate for such personal recollections and warm stories.  With descriptions so detailed and delightful, the included images took away from the reader’s experience instead of adding to it.  I would have loved to see Craig as a child.  Or is the child depicted on the front cover Craig?  The inside cover doesn’t specify.  I would have also loved to see the author pictured in one of her settings – a Pennsylvania coal town or as a young mother.  Pictures from a stock photo company just don’t do her book justice.

The conclusion of “Life, It’s a Beautiful Thing” contains various scripture, advice on prayer, the Ten Commandments, The Apostles’ Creed, and other Christian writings.  I thought the inclusion of three different versions of The Lord’s Prayer (New King James Version, King James Version, and New International Version) were unnecessary, though; one would have served as sufficient.  Schaufel further adds several pages of short prayers that address certain requests, such as prayers for afflictions, healing, intercessory, and more to strengthen faith and one’s personal relationship with God.

Life, It’s a Beautiful Thing
Laura Schaufel
AuthorHouse (2011)
ISBN 9781463440411
Reviewed by Vicki Liston for Reader Views (12/11)

While I Was Learning to Become God

“While I Was Learning to Become God” is an autobiographical account of Columbian Sybil Vaughan’s life, as dictated to author Roxana Jones.  Vaughan, already on her deathbed, recounts her life to Jones so that others may learn of her extraordinary experiences.  These experiences range from ‘normal’ to tragic to even difficult to believe.

Vaughan begins life on the small Caribbean island of San Andrés.  After struggling with a life-threatening illness at the tender age of three, she slowly learns that life – and people – don’t always measure up to what you’d like them to be.  Even with comfortable living arrangements, multiple college degrees, and high paying jobs, Jones fought with the nagging feeling that there was always something more out there just beyond her reach.  And ‘one more degree’ or ‘one more accomplishment’ didn’t get her any closer to that elusive happiness.  Enduring emotional and psychological abuse from man after man, she finds the acceptance and love she so badly craved from angels and other spirit guides as well as within herself before leaving this life in the most unusual of ways.

“While I Was Learning to Become God” would be a fascinating read for those interested in inner discovery, miracles, angels, and finding the divine within.  There are some very minor editing errors and I thought the major sections should have had some smaller breakdowns – something more pronounced than simply starting a new page with no indication of time past or new location.  I would have also loved to see some pictures of Vaughan through the years – to put a face with the story; I’m guessing that the young girl on the cover is her but it isn’t clear if the picture is of her or of the author.  The story flowed well so I have no complaints.

“While I Was Learning to Become God” is a heartbreaking read from beginning to end as Vaughan obviously endured a lifetime of sadness.  Jones’ narration is both passionate and reflective of her subject’s frustration and agony.  I especially like how Jones intermingles her own recounting with quotes from Vaughan herself, as indicated in italics.  This gave a nice switch in voice and brought a deeply personal feel to the text.  Jones also succeeds in conveying intense emotion to her readers; I sympathized with Vaughan and felt a connection to her the same way I’d feel about a friend falling back into a bad relationship over and over again.  While I do not share the same beliefs as Vaughan and had a hard time accepting some of the experiences she describes, I could still respect her desperate need for an outside entity’s love and acceptance and her use of supernatural beings to help guide her way.  In the end, Sybil Vaughan found the peace she ached for and made a profound impact on Roxana Jones’ life.

While I Was Learning to Become God
Roxana Jones
Balboa Press (2011)
ISBN 9781452532578
Reviewed by Vicki Landes for Reader Views (6/11)

Kilimanjaro and Beyond: A Life-Changing Journey

Reading “Kilimanjaro and Beyond, A Life Changing Journey,” provided me with further confirmation of something I already have come to firmly believe: there are two periods in a person’s life when they are most likely to feel compelled to make a difference in the world: when they are young and inexperienced; and when they are experienced and begin contemplating the meaning of their life. At age 60, accountant Barry Finlay made his own life-changing experience that drew on both the exuberance of his youth and the wisdom of his experience. He committed himself completely and simultaneously to self-discovery, and to selflessly raising funds for clean water and other resources for school children in Tanzania. He chose to do this by climbing to the peak of Kilimanjaro. His climbing companion was a fellow accountant – and his son - Chris, whose journal excerpts appear extensively throughout the book they co-authored to document their journey.

The Finlay’s book is divided into three content compartments: Finlay’s upbringing on the rural Canadian prairies, the impact of his childhood on the person he became, and its connections to what he observes in Tanzania; the planning, conditioning and climb of Kilimanjaro; and, reflections on making a difference in the lives of others. The book reads like a journal and the writing is warm, familiar and humorous. The Finlay’s are not creative non-fiction writers, so there is not the often romanticized writing one finds in many books which speak to the mystique and spiritualism of the world’s iconic mountains. There is, however, a thorough layman’s accounting of the extensive details of all phases of these incredible journeys.

No less inspiring for some readers than the story of the climb and descent of the mountain, will be the feelings of exhilaration and inspiration Finlay describes during his visit to the teachers and children at the Tanzanian school he has committed to support. His thoughts and feelings are an example of a growing movement among “ordinary people” in the world who are coming to the realization that the can, even individually, make the world better.

Barry Finlay and his son Chris have clearly made a big difference in the world. Their book, “Kilimanjaro and Beyond, A Life-Changing Journey,” will challenge all who read it to consider how they too can make a difference, not only for others, but for themselves as well. I was personally inspired by one of Barry Finlay’s closing thoughts: “Having had the opportunity to observe others make do with what they have, I am more convinced than ever that we should take the time to make a difference in our own lives so that we can enjoy everything we have for a long, long time.”

Kilimanjaro and Beyond: A Life-Changing Journey
Barry Finlay with Chris Finlay
Dog Ear Publishing (2011)
ISBN 9781457503924
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (11/11)

101 Reasons to Live

“101 Reasons to Live” by Loretta Faith Harris is an interactive journal designed to help the reader to think about her purpose in life despite the ups and downs of everyday life.  The author states in the beginning, without being specific, that she has had many difficulties in life that she has overcome.  Her desire in life is to help others through tough times, too, and realize their purposes for living through self-reflection.

The reasons are alphabetized, which makes organization streamlined.  There are two pages for writing one can use for each “reason for living.”  The one or two word reasons for living are used in sentences at the bottom of the first page to cause the readers to ponder the meaning for them.  The second journal page has a quote or question related to the reason.  For example, reason to live number 98, “Volunteer.  Volunteering your time is the best way to say, ‘I care.’  How much of your time is dedicated to helping others?”

I think the premise of this book is terrific- learning to rise above adversity by seeking the fulfillment of your destiny no matter what bumps life may give you.   The author’s heart is in the right place.  However, I was very confused throughout much of the book and had to go back and reread the premise and introduction.  The title is “101 Reasons to Live” and many of the reasons just didn’t seem to make sense to me.  For example, reason number 63, “Obey.  Be willing to obey the advice provided throughout life’s journey.  Obedience produces success.”  Whose advice am I to obey?  Friends?  Family?  God?  And what if it’s bad advice?  How does that make “Obey” a reason to live?  Another example is reason 45, “Have joy.  You made it this far.  The least you can do is have joy!  Are you living out each day filled with joy?”  My question is, what if a reader is reading this book because of the title, “101 Reasons to Live” and reads this reason, “Have joy.”  How does a person just “have joy” when they are really in the depths of despair?  That is way too simplistic.

I think that Ms. Harris has positive reasons for living, too, such as reason 91, “Teach” where she makes you question how you can teach someone else a life lesson you have learned (thus, using your own experiences to help others) and reason 94, “Travel” where she asks us to travel outside our comfort zone as we seek meaning for life.

Overall “101 Reasons to Live” causes self-reflection upon the part of the reader to consider what her own reasons for living are.  I love the blank pages in the back that allow the reader to write down these personal reasons.  But titling the book “101 Reasons to Live” is a bit confusing as many reasons don’t seem to answer that question.  I saw the book more as moments of reflection that help to clarify the important things in life.

101 Reasons to Live
Loretta Faith Harris
Children’s Heart Publishing (2011)
ISBN 9780978668174
Reviewed by Marissa Libbit for Reader Views (9/11)

Are We Our Past Lives?: Soul Patterns in Personalities and Relationships

As a Psychologist and college professor I get many questions about reincarnation, especially from my students at a Christian college. Although many do not believe in past lives, Marie Gates has provided her own research and thoughts on this topic. Through her writing, she will get you to have second thoughts about what you believe.

Gates has done much research over the years on her own past lives and karma. Her extraordinary way with words describe in detail how she discovered these past lives and what her feelings were at the time of discovery. She is enthusiastic about her theory and supports it through research from individuals like Edgar Cayce, and the use of Harmonic Vibrational Therapy (HVT). In addition she gives great detailed information about HVT.

She states “Who are we and why? Don’t most of us think of this? Do you have vivid dreams of people that have made an impact on your life?” She goes on to quote Sylvia Browne, “Almost everything about us in rooted in a past life.”

In “Are We Our Past Lives?,” Marie Gates discusses negative karma, emotional challenges and the roles we play. Her book is very informative. You will need to read this slowly, jot down notes or questions and do some research of your own. After reading this book, you might be undecided as to what you believe - some of us are on the fence.  Ms. Gates’ information, research and excellent writing skills will give you food for thought - this is a journey all should take.

Are We Our Past Lives?: Soul Patterns in Personalities and Relationships
Marie Gates
CreateSpace (2010)
ISBN 9781452867731
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (7/11)

Beyond the Myth: How to Live the Life You Desire

“Beyond the Myth,” is an incredible gem of a book.  Based on the premise that you can live the life you desire by using the Law of Attraction, the book contains beautiful and inspiring pictures, quotes from famous people from different ages and all walks of life, and the author’s own personal experience of waking up to this life changing realization.
          
While the focus is on the idea of using positive thoughts to create the life that you want, there is also mention of the fact that negative thoughts can also bring us what we do not want, because our focus on the negative can also create undesired physical manifestations.  The author gently guides us into the principles that will help us create the life that we want. These principles include Desire, Visualization, Gratitude, Belief and Faith.  Offering simple, easy-to-follow advice on how to utilize these principles kept me from feeling overwhelmed.  Instead, they seem so easy, I feel truly empowered in knowing that the Law of Attraction will work for me, and those who read this book.

After soaking up the wisdom contained in these beautiful pages, I truly feel that it was the Law of Attraction that placed this book into my hands, and with gratitude I will read it over and over, so that I don’t forget the truth. I recommend going through the pages and reading the quotes that overlay the beautiful pictures first, before you start reading the other pages so that they don’t distract you when you are ready to sit down and get to work.  I highly recommend that you buy at least two “Beyond the Myth” books, one for yourself, and at least one to give as a gift for others.

Beyond the Myth: How to Live the Life You Desire
Maria T. Holmes
Get Published (2011)
ISBN 9780983094616
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/11)