THE BIOLOGY OF TRANSCENDENCE, by Joseph Chilton Pierce

      The Biology of Transcendence is a knockout.   So what does it say.  Here is in a nutshell.  The heart puts out a strong electromagnetic field ( a torus) and this field is how we receive and process inputs and intelligence from the universe at large as well as transmit our own frequencies.  The heart also has as many neural cells as muscle cells.  These neural cells communicate with all the organs of the body and with our brain.  While meaning still has to process through the pre-frontal cortex, the heart is the receiver of information that is passed to the brain and the heart always knows best when we would consult with it. I can't do this book justice.  It provides stunning scientific data in proof of the supremacy of heart intelligence.  And this is just the background facts. 

What is so life-changing about the book is its discussion of how the process of 'enculturation', what society and our caregivers do to us when we are growing up, is what is responsible for the fact that we lose touch with our joy and our heart intelligence.  For example, did you know that tiny babies right after they are born cannot survive on their own. They rely on a mother's heartbeat ( a model) to set the pace.  Modeling throughout our infancy and childhood in genera, is how we each develop our habitual neural pathways that become automatic/unconscious by the time we reach adulthood.     The implications of the information in this book are far reaching.  A class should be made from the information in this book and all expecting parents forced to take the class.  This would result in a new society sans violence.  I can't convey how powerful the book is, the best I can do is strongly recommend for you to read it.

BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY, by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

One of the best business books I have read in years. Provides a full perspective of a systematic approach to strategy planning that creates a new 'blue ocean' (a runaway, profitable new market) for the company using this approach. The book walks you through the steps of how to analyze consumer buying motivations and then to create a new product or service that engages the non-participants - those that have historically stayed away from purchasing the goods or services of the market. The classic example is the Ford Model T. The additional gems in this book, in addition to the nicely structured HOW TO for how to re-invent your product or service, are the discussion of how to overcome internal resistance to new ways of doing things and the prophetic reminder that all industries change and that blue oceans eventually become "red oceans" (fiercely competitive markets). Hence the importance for businesses to have the ability to reinvent themselves. If you are a strategist at heart, you will love this book like I did.

THE CHINA STUDY, by T. Colin Campbell

This is the most impactful book I have read in the last 5 years. Deeply profound! For fear of waxing too long I will try to do the opposite and keep my comments very concise. 1) The China Study is the best case ever for a Plant and Whole Foods based diet. It goes beyond convincing, to indisputable in showing the connection between an animal and dairy foods based diet and the growth of the rate modern diseases in our society - Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Obesity and auto-immune conditions. 2) It explains almost too well, why nutrition as a huge factor in our health goes so almost unanimously unacknowledged. Our medical schools do not teach nutrition and our academia and policy making agencies are interwoven with the Food and Drug industry. I shall say no more. other than our world would change forever if everyone knew and understood the information that is shared in this book. Thank you, Dr. Campbell.

OUTLIERS, by Malcom Gladwell

Read Outliers end of last year - 2009. Did not like it as much as Gladwell's other book but still entertaining. I registered two key concepts from this book. One, is the old adage that practice practice practice is what makes for excellence. Gladwell focuses on the most successful individuals in sports, industry and the performing arts and establishes that talent alone does not propel one to stardom, it requires talent and thousands of hours of practice. Specifically, Gladwell sets 10,000 hours to be the magic number. The other key concept was that of fortuitous circumstance. In other words, at different times in history or even times of the year, the climate is most supportive of success in a specific endeavor. So, for example, the richest and best known business leaders in technology - Bill Gates, Bill Joy, Steve Jobs - all grew up around the same time period right at the dawn of desktop computing. Similarly, the law practice of Mergers and Acquisitions really mushroomed in the 70's and 80's and those attorneys that had labored in obscurity in this discipline suddenly claimed the limelight.

Ok, interesting stuff. My own conclusion, based on the ideas presented in this book is that the new area just expanding recently is the area of wellness. While there are a few big names, new esteemed companies and new stars should emerge over the next one or two decades, hopefully Dreamclinic among them. The book i itself gets 3.5 out of 5 for me.

THE POWER OF TED, by David Emerald

I have met David, the author, in person and this book was given to me by him. I would like to think this is someone that will transition from acquaintance to friend. So there is some potential for bias. That said, I liked the book. TED stands for The Empowerment Dynamic btw and the Empowerment piece of the dynamic is when we are able to shift form an orientation that is focused on problems and on those people or things that are causing said problems, to an orientation of creativity. There is an old expression that wrapped inside every problem or challenge is a gift. The book, uses a parable style narration to edge its readers towards the recognition of gifts embedded in our life's challenges. There are other goodies as well.

My first impression was that the book was simplistic and I am not a huge fan of the parable method of storytelling (a classic in this genre is the Celestine Prophesy), but, in the end, the short and readable book was surprisingly effective in achieving its aims. I found myself returning to its key points and insights for weeks after and gaining clarity on difficult situations. To conclude this review, I would say "if you have people or situations in your life that make you mad or sad or angry or what have you, The Power of TED can be a powerful catalyst in transforming your perception and allowing you to gain a more productive and peaceful way of getting through."

HEATLHY AT 100, by John Robbins

A wonderful wonderful book. This one makes my short list of true Health and Wellness classics. It starts off by sharing details about the lifestyle and diet of some of the healthiest cultures on earth - the ones that are cancer-free, diabetes-free, etc... Then it talks about exercise, about the impact of companionship, our lifestyle and dietary habits and more. In the end an incredibily informative work with plenty of hard data and real science, but written in a very engaging way.
Why I was so taken with this book is that it made a strong impact. I really was fascinated by all the colorful evidence about Cancer being a desease of deficiency and this caused a shift in me to actually eat healthier, get exrecise and to eat smaller portions. I love all of John Robbins books and this one is a true classic!

ETERNAL LIFE AND HOW TO ENJOY IT, by Gordon Phinn

This is a relatively short and very readable book, lighthearted, playful even. Never mind that the book itself provides a light-speed journey through the Afterlife space - mainly the Astral plane, with some commentary about the Mental and Celestial planes. There are lots of stories about dis-incarnate souls and spirits and stories about recently departed that are clinging to the Physical. The one main premise that consistently comes through in this work is that what we think and what we believe while alive on Earth stays with us after death and furthermore, shapes our experience of the Astral. That is - we create with our thought. Literally. You can either see truth in this book or treat it as fiction with tales of adventures of a handful of souls. In either case the book is easy and pleasant to read. Worth picking up.

A NEW EARTH, AWAKENING TO YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE, by Eckhart Tolle

This book was tough. It was tough to keep reading. First, because Tolle has the propensity at times to get too abstract and second, because of the core message of the book which is --- EGO EGO EGO. Essentially this book is an exposition on the EGO. Tolle exposes the ego from all angles. What it's about, how it operates, how to spot it in others and in your own thinking or actions, how it works to keep us unhappy and how to try to take control to overcome the ego.

The actual prescription Tolle gives us to combat the Ego is "be conscious of your Breathing" and "Always Embrace the Present Moment," simple sounding but difficult to actually achieve. I doubt for most an immediate change will follow upon reading this book, but it does stay with you. What really registered for me, and still keeps coming to the forefront of my awareness a month after I have finished reading this work, is how to spot the ego in yourself. You know that ego is active whenever you identify with anything experiencing pride through it. Literally. When we think"I did this" or "I have that" or "I own this" and feel a sense of pride, this is temporary satisfaction that feeds the ego that is actually a false foundation for a sense of self. In the longterm such identification always robs us of joy. I don't want to go into much more detail beyond this and certainly there are other powerful lessons in the book. I don't particularly enjoy Tolle's writing but he is indeed at the forefront of our collective transformation of human consciousness.

SAVED BY THE LIGHT, by Dannion Brinkey

An easy to read first hand account from a man who was stuck by lightening, died, and then came back to tell us about it. It includes some information about about what Dannion experienced "After life" to be expected. Particularly fascinating is his description of his life review, where every life experienced is relived, but with emotions re-experienced not only for himself but all those impacted his actions. Profound!

In addition to coming back from death, Dannion also becomes highly psychic, able to thrust himself into the midst of another's life through mere physical contact. But what I enjoyed about this book more than anything, actually has nothing to do with the spiritual or the psychic realms; it is the fact that this book is also a book of incredible perseverance. Dannion's description of his physical state shortly following being struck by lightening is heart-wrenching. He talks of taking hours to move his body from one room to another. He talks about agonizing pain, as if being burnt from the inside. But he never gives up.

I found this book to be an easy read, never boring and at times profound and highly moving.