By Abigail Lewis
When I was growing up, I loved to get lost in a good story, or pages of beautiful art, and there was invariably a special book among my Christmas gifts. I still take tremendous pleasure in books, and I’ve continued that treasured gifting tradition with my own family. Books can inspire, stimulate and open up new worlds. They also make wonderful presents that never, ever go out of style.
Net of Being
Alex Grey
Anyone who appreciates both art and altered states would be thrilled to receive this stunning book with not just a bazillion full-color plates but a number of open windows into the mind of the art’s creator. Grey’s work is designed to transport the viewer into states of ecstatic reverence for life, love and sacred universal interconnectedness. In chapters that include finding his lifemate (and book collaborator), cosmic creativity and the “networked self,” he shares intimate thoughts and visions that helped shape his images. At times mystical, erotic or anatomically correct, and always brilliantly colorful, Grey’s psychedelic art is not to be missed. In fact, some take it with them everywhere… in the form of body tattoos, photos of which are also included. (Inner Traditions)
The Painted Word
A Treasure Chest of Remarkable Words and Their Origins
Phil Cousineau
Ever wonder where words and sayings come from? In a world of acronyms and slang, their history is a joyous alternative to IMHOs and LOLs. For example, the word eavesdropper evolved in the 16th century to describe someone hiding under the eaves of the roof where the rain drips off, close to the building, so he could overhear without being detected. The word cad probably comes from cadaver, meaning a corpse, or a man who doesn’t act like a gentleman, a dead weight. These are just shorthand notes for Cousineau’s marvelous descriptions that any word-lover would be delighted to explore. Deepak Chopra describes Phil Cousineau as a word wizard and we have to agree. (Viva Editions)
… To Be Continued…
Reincarnation & the Purpose of Our Lives
Karen Berg
Sometimes people in our lives feel so familiar, it seems almost certain we’ve known them for centuries. Author Karen Berg assures us we have, that each of us is part of a circle that “continues to form our environment from one lifetime to the next.” Berg details her belief in the stages of evolution, assuring us that our particular challenges in life are an opportunity to make corrections for past life errors and will be good for our tikkun, Hebrew for “correction” (aka karma). Whether or not you agree with Berg’s theories about such things as the Luz bone (said to be the instrument in our bodies that connects us with the Light), guardian angels, soulmates or kabbalistic astrology, there is plenty to think about in this gentle exploration. (Kabbalah Publishing)
❋❋ If you liked this story you might also enjoy . . . ❋❋
~ Hot Off the Press August 2012
~ Books that Beckon Us into 2012
~ Books that Beckon: Yoga and Homeopathy
