Many Hands: New England's Magazine for Holistic Health
Sunday, June 01, 2008
The world through a dog's ear
As that often-misquoted line goes, music is supposed to soothe savage beasts - heck, even mildly irked ones. That's the premise behind "Through a Dog's Ear: Using Sound to Improve the Health & Behavior of Your Canine Companion" (Sounds True, $18.95), a book and starter CD that pays attention to an oft-overlooked canine sense.
We hear all about dogs as connoisseurs of scent - how their noses are a hundred times more sensitive than our sniffers, how they can identify all the individual ingredients in a bubbling pot of soup, from carrots to celery.
But when it comes to aural input, dogs can and do go into sensory overload. "They are instinctively tuned in to react to noises," explains veterinary neurologist Susan Wagner, who co-wrote the book with Joshua Leeds, an expert in psychoacoustics, or the study of the effects of music and sound on the human nervous system. They contend the cumulative effect of roaring leaf blowers, blaring plasma TVs and chirping cell phones is causing an uptick in physical and psychological problems in our dogs.
Conversely, they say, "intentional" music - purposefully created with lower tones, slower tempos, simplified structure and solo instruments - actually changes canine physiology, causing heart rates to drop, brain waves to calm and stress levels to plummet.
Research on the subject is spotty but interesting: In 2002, Belfast, Northern Ireland-based psychologist and animal behaviorist Deborah Wells studied the influence of human conversation, classical music, heavy metal music and pop music on dogs in animal shelters.
Dogs exposed to classical music spent more time resting than any other group and barked less. Not surprisingly, the heavy metal "agitated" the dogs, while human voices and pop music had no effect at all - perhaps, Wells posited, because dogs had been desensitized to those sounds.
Despite Wells' findings, not all classical music is Fido-friendly, Wagner warns. The more complicated the work, the more stimulus the dog has to orient to. "If you put on `The 1812 Overture,' that's potentially not going to be soothing."
Through her Web site, www.throughadogsear.com, Wagner markets CDs with dog-friendly music performed by Julliard-trained concert pianist Lisa Spector, among others. She says clinical trials showed that 70 percent of dogs in kennels and 85 percent of those in households exposed to such modified music showed reduced stress behavior, including thunderstorm trembling, excitement with visitors and separation anxiety.
Even if owners don't want to cue up special music for their hounds, at the very least they can be aware of the different sounds in their environment.
"Don't have the television blaring, especially if you're not watching it," Wagner advises, adding that owners who leave Animal Planet on to entertain their critters while they are at work may be doing more harm than good. "It might not be tuned into something calming ..." A better option is to tune the radio to a station you listen to often, which your animal likely associates with your presence.
Wagner encourages owners to take a "sonic inventory" of their household: Sit quietly for a half-hour with pen in hand, noting sounds inside and outside the home, from the churn of the dishwasher to the whoosh of passing traffic.
Notice your dog's reactions - or lack of them - to particular sounds, then rate them from 1 (least noticeable) to 10 (most disturbing), both from your perspective and what you can guess of the dog's.
The next step, of course, is to eliminate or otherwise mask the most disruptive noises -- or at the very least give your dog an escape route. "If you like a certain type of music, and your dog or cat hangs around, that's great," Wagner advises. "Just make sure they can leave."
As for cats, Wagner says the jury is out. Tests her group conducted on cats in a home setting were inconclusive: Some cats seemed more relaxed when exposed to the simplified music, but that could have been attributed to the fact that they were also old and sedentary.
"But we found it didn't agitate the cats," she says, so it might be worth a try in anxious kitties.
Denise Flaim writes about pets for Newsday.
Monday, March 03, 2008
A Tantra playbook
TANTRA FOR EROTIC EMPOWERMENT: THE KEY TO ENRICHING YOUR LIFE
Mark A. Michaels
and Patricia Johnson
(Paperback, Llewellyn)
OK, so you're probably wondering what the cover looks like. The cover, in fact, is very clever, with a sort of Adam and Eve and the Apple theme - not the kind of thing we should feature in a family-oriented magazine, but you'll get a chance to check it out when the book is released in April.
This book aims to demistify the Tantric tradition, and it succeeds in that regard by taking a workbook-like approach to the practice. It's not just about technique, either; this book offers generous selections of Tantric literature for reflection and meditation.
The authors, who are students of Bhakti Yoga, have been featured in a wide variety of forums, from Playboy's "Night Calls" to Rock Star magazine. If you've ever wanted to explore Tantra, but didn't know where to begin, you'll want to start with a copy of this book.
Briefly...
A number of interesting books roll across our desks but, given the limitations of space, we can't highlight all of them with individual stories. However, we hope from time to time to stop, take a breather, and catch up with some titles that you just might want to know about. Here are a few new ones that caught our attention in recent months:
Brad Swift sets out to tackle life's big questions in "Life on Purpose: Six Passages to An Inspired Life" (Hardcover, EliteBooks). He offers six steps aimed at helping readers bring clarity and success to their personal and professional lives, and provides advice on setting goals and identifying obstacles.
Carol Simontacchi has released an updated version of her 2000 book, "The Crazy Makers" (Paperback, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin), which takes a look at how food problems may be the cause of physical and mental health problems. This new edition features a chapter on autism. The book offers a primer and recipes to provide nutritional meals to avoid and counter negative health effects from manufactured food.
Want to change the world? "The Art of Conscious Creation" (Paperback, Elevate) by Jackie Lapin recommends starting with your own life. Lapin has some experience in this regard: She was one of the nation's first female sportscasters, and went on to form a PR firm specializing in sports, entertainment and special events. Her book features "25 Universal Guiding Principles" to create a more fulfilling life, with visualization techniques intended to get you started on a new path to greater happiness.
Holistic solutions for pets
NATURAL REMEDIES DOGS AND CATS WISH YOU KNEW
Dr. Viv Harris
(Paperback, Ulysses Press)
Viv Harris must be on to something. The cover of the New Zealand veterinarian's new book shows a dog and cat co-existing as peacefully as one could ever expect. In "Natural Remedies Dogs and Cats Wish You Knew," Harris explores a host of holistic health issues and natural cures for pets. Harris has been a veterinarian for more than 20 years, with a special focus on holistic care.
The book details natural treatments for common pet problems, including abscesses, allergies, arthritis, fleas, mange and vomiting, as well as behavioral problems. Got a cat who's been a little nervous lately? Try some chamomile, valerian and St. John's wort. How about the older dog suffering from arthritis? Give acupuncture, acupressure and massage a try; Devil Claw can also be useful as an anti-inflammatory. This book will help you start thinking about new ways to treat old problems.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Awaken the power of love
AWAKENING THROUGH LOVE: UNVEILING YOUR DEEPEST GOODNESS
John Makransky
(Paperback, Wisdom Publications)
The Beatles may have only scratched the surface with their song "All You Need Is Love." In his new book, "Awakening Through Love: Unveiling Your Deepest Goodness," John Makransky takes the concept one step further to explain in the best Buddhist tradition how everyone is interconnected. Simply put, he suggests that everything that is most important to everyone is dependent on love - including family and work relationships, community service and social action.
Makransky's beliefs are grounded in the Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. But if he has a particular knack for making it relevant to western life, it's because in addition to being a Buddhist lama, he is a professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology at Boston College. He is a student and colleague of best-selling author Lama Surya Das, who has been equally successful in applying the lessons of Buddhism to the fast-paced life in America.
Each chapter of the book includes a guided meditation. Whether you are new to Buddhism or have been practicing it for years, you'll find something useful in this book.
- Alan Lecker
Corinne West finds her second sight
SECOND SIGHT
Corinne West
(CD, Make Records)
Bluegrass music may span a wide range of emotions - from the joy of simple things to the elation of love and the heartbreak of hard times - but rarely does one associate "introspective" with this distinctly American genre.
Corinne West is changing that. On her second album, "Second Sight," West boldly takes bluegrass where it's never gone before with eminently listenable, toe-tapping tunes set to layered lyrics that are so refreshing that they can blow dust off your own unexamined mind.
So who is this talented new entry on the music scene? You might be surprised. While her music has the resonance of the Ozarks, she's a native Californian who learned about music at her grandfather's knee.
"My grandfather started taking me to honkytonks when I was 11 and taught me how to two-step," West recalls. "There were always big live country bands playing at the clubs. I would move across that dance floor following his lead, beneath the band and the colored lights in a swingin' sea of dancers.
"Grandpa always knew everyone in the club. The two-beat would start and he would hit the floor with whoever was ready to step. It was love and magic and I was with my champion."
So anxious was she to immerse herself in her own music and begin performing that she dropped out of school at 15 to tour the country. Her performances generated positive reviews and she was named a finalist in the Kerrville Folk Festival songwriting competition, gaining national exposure that led to her music being played on BBC radio and a subsequent tour of England and Ireland earlier this year.
On her second album, West teams with some top-notch musicians, including Mike Marshall, who has also collaborated with such artists as David Grisman and Bela Fleck, which accounts for a more complex sound of bluegrass with echoes of the Grateful Dead. West's voice is both soft and strong; the occasional quiver in her voice at times is reminiscent of Natalie Merchant, yet her style is distincly her own. Her lyrics are well-constructed and appealing. Whatever your tastes in music, you'll find something to like about Corinne West.
- Alan Lecker
Monday, September 03, 2007
How to make all the right moves
MUSCULAR RETRAINING FOR PAIN-FREE LIVING
Craig Williamson
(Paperback, Trumpeter Books)
Having advanced well through middle age, it never ceases to amaze me how the wrong move this way or that can send your body out of whack. More recently, several hours spent flying on a round trip between Massachusetts and Oregon convinced me beyond any doubt that airline seats - in coach at least - were never intended to be ergonomically correct. I barely unpacked my bags upon returning home before realizing that my back didn't feel quite right. It has taken several rounds of stretching and a renewed commitment to some basic exercises to get my back in manageable shape again.
OK, you would have thought by now that I would have learned that a dose of prevention can go a long way toward avoiding a world of pain. That's where Craig Williamson's new book, Muscular Retraining for Pain-Free Living,"; can be helpful.
Williamson is an occupational therapist who has spent 25 years helping people become free of the discomfort of tendonitis, lower back pain, and neck and shoulder tension.
So, can you really teach an old dog new tricks? Williamson acknowledges that "it generally takes adults longer to make neuromuscular changes than it does children, because an adult's muscle habits are much more ingrained."; At the same time, citing his experience working with people at both ends of the age spectrum, he observes that "age is not the determining factor here; rather, it's how in tune you are with your own movements.";
The book is divided into two parts. The first focuses on "the basics of body pain,"; including carriage, alignment and posture; movement patterns; and the body's tendency to absorb and feel the deleterious effects of stress and tension. The second part of the book offers easy-to-follow exercise routines accompanied by helpful illustrations.
Williamson has written a useful book that will appeal to anyone who wants to avoid some of the aches and pains of everyday living. A personal recommendation: Bring this book along with you if you plan to do any flying. Your back will appreciate it.
- Alan Lecker
A new twist on a traditional sound
SHANGHAI
12 Girls Band
(CD, Manhattan Records)
You may have seen the 12 Girls Band performing on PBS, or perhaps you caught their set during the Live Aid telecast. No question about it, this is a unique ensemble of young women from China who perform on ancient and traditional instruments. (There are actually 13 women in the group now, but they've decided to stick with their original name.) They are an elite set of performers, having been culled from China's most prestigious music academies and selected from over 4,000 contestants during auditions in 2001.
There aren't many bands that rely on a three-piped gourd flute or a single-stringed zither, nor are there many musicians who perform in the garb of the female ensembles that played in the royal courts of the Tang Dynasty. But it is readily apparent that this is no novelty group. They are remarkably proficient as musicians, and there is an undeniable warmth to their performances - whether they are playing traditional Chinese songs or classical music.
They've produced a number of CDs and DVDs both here and in Asia. Their latest CD is a collection called Shanghai,"; and it's eminently listenable. There's a good mix of selections on this CD. What is curious, though, is the band's decision to include the theme from the movie "Titanic"; ("My Heart Will Go On";). Do we really need another version of the Titanic theme? Not that they don't do a fine job with it - they're just too talented to have to rely on schmaltz to boost their appeal with western audiences.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Living in the shadow of a dream
Michael Metelica and commune members outside the group's dormitory in Warwick in 1971.
FREE SPIRITS: THE BIRTH, LIFE & LOSS OF A NEW-AGE DREAM
Produced, written and directed by Bruce Geisler
(DVD, available from www.acornproductions.net)
For many of us, the 1960s still evokes patchouli-scented memories of a different era, a time of optimism and idealism. Things were going to be different; we were going to change the world. It may have been naive to assume that the rest of the world would sign on to this extreme makeover of Western civilization, yet there is still an endearing quality to the dreamy aspirations of the Sixties.
Bruce Geisler has captured the sights, sounds and sensations of the era, along with its hopes and disappointments, in his documentary, "Free Spirits: The Birth, Life & Loss of a New-Age Dream," which is now available on DVD. The movie tells the story of a commune - first known as the Brotherhood of the Spirit, and later as the Renaissance Community - that sprouted in western Massachusetts and gained national attention. Geisler, who teaches film production and screenwriting at the University of Massachusetts, lived at the commune for parts of four years in the 1970s.
Geisler has produced a vivid picture of the commune's rise and fall. The story revolves around the commune's leader, Michael Metelica, who became enamored of 1967's Summer of Love while living in California. He returned to Massachusetts in 1968, retreating to a treehouse he built in Leyden where he eventually came up with the idea of starting the Brotherhood of the Spirit commune.
The group was remarkably industrious and self-sufficient, purchasing land, developing housing for commune members, and starting businesses. Early on, Metelica relied on confrontational techniques as character-building exercises for the commune's members; as years passed, disenchantment set in as Metelica became increasingly autocratic. He also began investing most of his energy in his band, Spirit in Flesh, and while expecting commune members to live in spartan fashion, he spent lavishly on himself.
The group fractured even further as Metelica struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. He was forced off the commune in 1988, marking the start of the community's dissolution.
Before his death from colon cancer in 2003, Metelica reflected on his communal experiment in filmed interviews. In some of the documentary's most powerful moments, Geisler offers a compelling portrait of Metelica as a tormented man who can't completely come to grips with his own role in the disintegration of the commune. One senses that a dream has inexplicably slipped away - a feeling not unlike that gnawing nostalgia for the Sixties.
- Alan Lecker
What would the Buddha do?
BUDDHA IS AS BUDDHA DOES
Lama Surya Das
(Book, Harper San Francisco)
Lama Surya Das is one of the most accessible exponents of Buddhism. In his new book, "Buddha Is As Buddha Does," he sets out to explore the "ten original practices for enlightened living" based on the core teachings of Buddhism.
Surya Das, who has been dubbed the "American lama" by the Dalai Lama, has studied Buddhist thought for 35 years, many of them with the great masters of Asia. Yet, he has retained a remarkable feel for the challenges posed by Western society and the applicability of Buddhism in dealing with its distractions and pressures. A resident of Cambridge, Mass., he is the founder and spiritual director of the Dzogchen Foundation, and worked with the Dalai Lama to establish the Western Buddhist Teachers Network.
The 10 Buddhist practices discussed in the book are generosity; ethical self-discipline; patient forbearance; heroic effort; mindfulness and meditation; wisdom; skillful means; spiritual aspirations; high accomplishments; and awakened awareness. Surya Das demonstrates that these are not some distant concepts; rather, they are simple ideas with profound results.
- Alan Lecker
Thursday, March 01, 2007
A little more tea for the tillerman
An Other Cup
Yusuf (Cat Stevens)
(CD, Atlantic, $18.98)
Nearly three decades after walking away from a successful music career to study Islam, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens has returned with a remarkably strong album. Released under his adopted name of Yusuf Islam, the album ''An Other Cup'' is something of a long-overdue follow-up to ''Tea for the Tillerman,'' the breakthrough album released in 1970. His voice is a little huskier, but the musical sensibilities are the same.
The album opens with the lighthearted ''Midday'' and closes with the lush ''Green Fields, Golden Sands,'' but the most impassioned of the offerings is ''Beloved,'' his paean to Mohammad set against a melange of western and Persian voices and instruments. Hopefully, the wait won't be as long for his next album
Are you ready for a change of mind?
Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain
Sharon Begley (author)
Eliza Foss (narrator)
(Five-CD audiobook, Audio Renaissance, $29.95)
Much as physics has intersected with metaphysics in the study of Quantum physics, neuroscience is beginning to find common ground with Buddhism. In the process, we're discovering some amazing things about the brain.
Most notably, researchers are finding that a concerted change in thinking or thought patterns actually rewires the brain's neuro pathways, thereby locking in a positive outlook where pessimism once reigned.
Sharon Begley, a former science reporter for The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek, explores this topic in her five-CD audiobook, ''Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain.'' It is adapted from the book of the same name, which Begley released earlier this year.
The CD package also features a foreword by the Dalai Lama.
East meets West
Anand
Snatam Kaur
(CD, Spirit Voyage, $17.99)
This is Snatam Kaur's fifth album of devotional songs grounded in the Sikh tradition, and it's a gem. It's easy to discern the influences that guide her sweet voice across the seven tracks on this album - she studied under kirtan master Bhai Hari Singh in India, and her father managed the Grateful Dead.
Perhaps this accounts for her ability to merge the sounds of East and West so seamlessly. The rhythms are varied on this album, and the simple backup instrumentation provides a fine counterpoint to her appealing voice. Her music is at once transcendent and accessible.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Did vaccines cause autism?
SHOOT EM UP: THE TRUTH ABOUT VACCINES
(DVD, $19.95)
The cover of ''Shoot Em Up'' is the picture of innocence, a young boy in an oversize cowboy hat, but this DVD about the potential health threats from mercury in childhood vaccines is deadly serious. It concerns a dramatic rise in reported autism cases that coincided with the use of a preservative called thimerosal - manufactured from mercury, a known neurotoxin - in childhood vaccines.
Shoot Em Up may be a low-budget documentary, but it doesn't skimp on details, pulling together some of the best research available on the thimerosal-autism controversy. ''I cried when I first heard about the many disorders linked to vaccinations,'' said filmmaker Judy Apicella. ''Until I began to discover the dangers associated with vaccines I was sure I would vaccinate my child.''
Nonetheless, Apicella says the movie is not intended to scare parents out of getting their children vaccinated. Rather, she says she wants to provide parents with all the facts and allow them to decide what is best for their children. ''I want parents to have the right to choose,'' she explains.
Autism is a developmental disability that usually shows up in the first three years of life. The neurological disorder impairs communication skills and the ability to socially interact.
This is what we know about the history of thimerosal and autism: Thimerosal was first added to infant vaccines in 1931. Twelve years later, doctors diagnosed the first cases of autism among 11 children, who were born in the months after thimerosal was added to vaccines. In 1991, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the federal Food and Drug Administration recommended an increase in the number of vaccines given to young children - including a shot that is administered within hours of birth. Significantly, the shots with thimerosal contain mercury far in excess of federal safety levels. Infants are considered more at risk from thimerosal because their blood-brain barrier has not fully developed.
Before 1991, one in 2,500 children were diagnosed with autism. The autism rate now stands at 1 in 166 children. The medical establishment has long argued that the rise in autism cases resulted from better detection. At the same time, the federal government and pharmaceutical companies have expressed concern about the potential liability that could result from studies linking thimerosal to autism. While pharmaceutical companies have been phasing out thimerosal in childhood vaccines, the chemical is still being used in other shots.
''Shoot Em Up'' is powerful and disturbing. Apicella has put together a compelling case that seems to point to decades of medical negligence at the expense of generations of children. For more information, or to purchase the movie, visit www.shootemupthe documentary.com.
o Alan Lecker
Searching for happiness
POWER, FREEDOM AND GRACE
DEEPAK CHOPRA
(Amber-Allen Publishing, $18.95)
Deepak Chopra has become a leading figure in the alternative health movement, giving people a new way to think about the mind-body connection. In ''Power, Freedom and Grace,'' a distillation of his lectures over the years, Chopra offers an easy-to-read guide to finding inner happiness.
The book is best summed up by the subtitle, ''Living from the Source of Lasting Happiness.'' Infused with the ancient Indian tradition of Vedanta, the book cautions against searching for happiness in the illusion of the material world. The only path to long-lasting happiness, Chopra writes, begins with the recognition that joy is the basic nature of the self.
This is a thought-provoking book that's a pleasure to read.
o Alan Lecker
A book worth keeping within arm's reach
THE FROZEN SHOULDER WORKBOOK''
CLAIR DAVIES
(New Harbinger Publications, $18.95)
This book IS A MUST if you have what I had, a shoulder full of pain and restricted motion. I tried supplements, I tried physical therapy, I tried massage. They all worked to improve my shoulder (especially the massage), but what I learned in the pages of The Frozen Shoulder Workbook by Clair Davies, NCTMB, fixed the problem - and it didn't take long at all. Within a few hours of following some of the suggestions in the book, the range of motion increased to near normal and I was pain-free.
The book is very clinical in the beginning - and I thought for a bit that I was in over my head (pun intended, of course) with content aimed at a medical professional, but once past the underpinnings of how the shoulder works (it's the most complicated joint) and what can go wrong (lots of things), I reached the practical guide to self-diagnosis and remediation. From then on, it was smooth sailing.
If your doctor has told you that you have adhesive capsulitis, bicipial tendinitis, impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tendinitis (that's what mine told me), shoulder arthritis, subacromial bursitis or if your shoulder is bothering you, do yourself a favor. Buy this book. (You can borrow mine, too, now that my shoulder is back to normal).
o Paris Finley
Friday, September 01, 2006
A lesson about forgiving
THE BUDDHA AND THE TERRORIST
SATISH KUMAR
(Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, $14.95)
Satish Kumar's ''The Buddha and the Terrorist'' offers a new take on an old parable. Kumar, a former Jain monk and the editor of Resurgence Magazine, breathes new life into the story of Angulimana, a seemingly unredeemable wild man with a passion for killing and terrorizing a small community. His name translates into ''neckless of fingers'' because he has a nasty habit of removing digits from his victims and stringing them around his neck. The Buddha, who sets off for a community of disciples, must pass through the forest where Angulimana takes refuge between his killing sprees. The Buddha is unafraid, even in the face of possible death at the hands of Angulimana. Through understanding and compassion, the Buddha helps Angulimana to see beyond his anger and suffering. Angulimana is transformed into ''Ahimsaka,'' or The Nonviolent One, and accompanies the Buddha on his path to enlightenment. That's not the end of the story, though. We see how others view the former Angulimana and how they, too, find a way toward forgiveness. This is a timeless tale about the power of compassion.
Walking in a Master's path
WALKING MEDITATION
NGUYEN ANH-HUONG & THICH NHAT HANH
(DVD, CD and Book, Sounds True, $24.95)
''JALA''
SHIVE REA
(CD, Sounds True, $16.98)
Sounds True, an audio, video and music publishing company based in Boulder, Colo., hits the mark with two new releases: ''Walking Meditation,'' a DVD, CD and book package featuring Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, and ''Jala,'' a musical adventure from yoga instructor Shiva Rea.
Thich Nhat Hanh is a writer and peace activist whose gentle message of Buddhism has touched readers around the world. The DVD offers an incredible opportunity to see and hear Thich Nhat Hanh as he lectures on the practice of walking meditation, an exercise in mindfulness that can set the tone for right thinking throughout your entire day. The CD features Nguyen Anh-Huong, an associate and former student of Thich Nhat Hanh, offering instructions on walking meditation. It's worth the price of admission just to experience these two masters in action.
''Jala'' is the soundtrack from yoga instructor Shiva Rea's instructional DVD ''Fluid Power: White Motion.'' It's an excellent compilation of songs that flow together to form an exotic soundscape.
The songs are written and performed by various artists, and they span a wide range of styles. It's an enjoyable experience - from the opening sounds of an ocean's waves, to the thumping percussion beats, to the melodic vocals, to the nimbly fingered guitar solos - and an appealing reflection of Shiva Rea's world. Her instructional yoga workout videos are also available through Sounds True.
The Sounds True catalog offers releases that explore spiritual traditions, health and healing, meditation, psychology, creativity and other topics.
The company was founded in 1985 by Tami Simon with a mission dedicated to disseminating spiritual wisdom. The. company's Web site, www.soundstrue.com, features over 600 titles, including books by such authors as Clarissa Pinkola Estￇs, Thich Nhat Hanh, Huston Smith, Julia Cameron, Jack Kornfield, Alice Walker, Ram Dass, Marion Woodman, Jean Shinoda Bolen and Caroline Myss.
'Squeaky-Deakey' and other songs for you dog
SONGS TO MAKE DOGS HAPPY
KIM OGDEN-AVRUTIK
(CD, Laurel Canyon Animal Company, $14.95)
We're learning more and more about the way dogs think and behave, thanks in large part to Cesar Millan, who has demonstrated the effectiveness of confident and assertive body language as a training tool on his National Geographic Channel show, ''Dog Whisperer.''
But can we speak to dogs on a metaphysical level? Kim Ogden-Avrutik, who holds a doctorate in public health, believes we can tap into the spiritual essence of animals, and even entertain them.
Ogden-Avrutik, who describes herself as an animal communicator, has released a CD, ''Songs to Make Dogs Happy,'' through the Laurel Canyon Animal Company. She says the tunes have been tested on ''focus groups'' filled with all sorts of canines, who are reported to have responded positively to the music.
The music, indeed, is upbeat and likable. The titles include ''Squeaky-Deakey,'' ''You're a Good Dog,'' ''Scratch My Back,'' ''I Love Food,'' ''Adventure Dog,'' and ''My Bed.''
My own focus group - composed of a 3-year-old Weimaraner and 11-year-old German shorthair pointer - produced interesting results. The Weimaraner was particularly fascinated by the sound effects of ''Squeaky-Deakey,'' her head tilted and ears raised in front of the stereo speakers. The pointer left the room midway through the CD - she can be a little fickle anyway - but happily returned to the strains of ''Cookie.''
So ''Songs to Make Dogs Happy'' gets two paws up from my pack.
You might want to add this one to your list of Christmas presents for friends with fury friends.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Road map for vegetarians
HEALTHY HIGHWAYS, THE TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING.
NIKKI AND DAVID GOLDBECK
(Ceres Press, pap. $18.95)
It's that time a year when a lot of us will be hitting the roads to go on vacation and for vegetarians, that can be a particular challenge in terms of finding an adequate place to eat. Nikki and David Goldbeck have provided a suitable road map with their latest book, ''Healthy Highways.'' Their book is chock full of health-oriented eateries across the country_ a total of 1,900 restaurants and natural food stores - with maps and driving directions. Say, for instance, you're driving through Nebraska, somewhere south of Omaha. You can motor into the downtown Omaha and have a bite to eat at McFoster's Natural Kind Cafe, which not only features a ''view of the spectacular Gold Coast neighborhood,'' but also offers 10 percent discounts to anyone who brings in a container for a takeout meal. According to the Goldbecks, ''by following the book's maps and going from listing to listing, travelers can construct their own healthy food chain.'' This book is a welcome companion for any weary vegetarian traveler who will testify about the challenge of hunting and pecking for food on the road.
A survival guide for everyday headaches
JUST ADD BUDDHA!
FRANZ METCALF
(Ulysses Press, pap., $11.95)
In a world where the song ''Bad Day'' passes for feel-good music, the timing is perfect for Franz Metcalf's book, ''Just Add Buddha!'' The book offers quick snippets of Buddha thought as ''solutions for hellish bosses, traffic jams, stubborn spouses, and other annoyances of everyday life.'' In his introduction, Metcalf writes: ''Rather than revealing how to get to nirvana in eight easy jhanas, this book is all about getting through the day a little bit happier.'' It can work, he says, for beginners or advanced students of Buddhism. This is a perfect book to keep in your desk at work or in the glove box of your car. I particularly liked his suggestions for dealing with traffic jams, an experience Metcalf recommends viewing as being ''a monk in your own little meditation cell.'' ''You know how you always wish you had just a few minutes to calm down and think about things? These are your minutes. Use them!'' This book is the perfect antidote to a busy world, with solutions for all forms of everyday irritations. So you had a bad day? Just Add Buddha!
Musical mantras
SHIVA MACHINE
GIRISH
(CD, Spirit Voyage Music, $17.99)
Welcome to the new frontier of audio devotionals. On the CD ''Shiva Machine,'' percussionist Girish performs 10 songs whose roots are in Sanskrit mantras but whose sounds and rhythms are decidedly modern. There is a mix of styles and influences, including folk, rock and jazz, as well as forays into funk - all of it reflective of Girish's own spiritual odyssey. Having developed a fascination with drums as a teenager, Girish explored pop, rock, jazz and orchestra before entering college, where he found himself gravitating toward Eastern philosophy. He spent five years as a Hindu monk in at an ashram in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains before leaving for New York City to study tabla. He eventually made his way to the West Coast, where he studied under tabla master Swapan at the Ali Akbar School of Music in Marin County, Calif. Girish seeks to evoke the power of Sanskrit mantras through his music, and he succeeds on ''Shiva Machine.'' ''Chanting gives you a chance to move out of your conceptual mind into knowing, into direct experience,'' Girish says. For anyone in pursuit or enlightment, ''Shiva Machines'' offers some good tunes for the ride.
A sly satire
SIDE EFFECTS
DIRECTED BY KATHLEEN SLATTERY-MOSCHKAU
(DVD, Hummingbird Pictures, $24.99)
''Side Effects'' is a sly satire that takes an unrelenting poke at the pharmaceutical industry. It's a clever approach to a topic that might otherwise have been rendered somewhat dry as a documentary. The movie focuses on pharmaceutical industry saleswoman Karly Hert, played with aplomb by Katherine Heigl, who stars in TV's ''Grey's Anatomy.'' After meeting ach Danner (Lucian McAfee), a disenchanted pharmaceutical salesman, Hert begins to open her eyes to the industry's profit motives and insensitivity to the needs of patients. The movie was directed by Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau, who was a pharmaceutical saleswoman herself for a decade, during which she documented incidents that were both amusing and troubling. This movie offers some bitter medicine for the pharmaceutical industry, but it goes down easy thanks to the director's light-hearted touch.
Listening to the way of nature
Marlow Shami
Nature's Way Meditations
MARLOW D.J. SHAMI
(CD, Natural Sense, $18)
The success of a guided meditation CD depends on the approach that's used and the ability of the narrator to connect with the listener. Marlow Shami's CD, ''Nature's Way Meditations,'' is successful on both counts. Shami offers a path to meditation that's easy to follow and her voice is smooth as silk. The CD features five tracks with specific lessons: ''Deep Peace,'' ''Opening to Nature's Heart,'' ''Natural Centering,'' ''Cultivating Your Healing Devotion,'' and ''Homecoming.'' The soft background music is provided ably by keyboardist Nancy Tucker.
Shami, who lives in Goshen, Mass., says the meditations will have a number of transformative effects, including ''expansion of compassion toward yourself and others, a sense of being part of something far larger than yourself, and perhaps recognizing this 'something' as a benevolentwitness and co-creator.'' She particularly recommends using the meditations as a vehicle to enjoy nature. The CD can by purchased or downloaded from the Web site www.anaturalsense.com.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Shaking things up in the kitchen
Going Wild in the Kitchen
Leslie Cerier
(Square One Publishers, pap. $16.95)
Leslie Cerier took a big, big chance asking me to review her cookbook, ''Going Wild in the Kitchen.'' Though I'm known more for fixing a computer now and then, I actually know my way around the kitchen pretty well. Leslie's book is good. Like lots of people, I find myself getting into a rut, fixing the same old thing. This is a book designed to shake that up. She does that a number of ways - introducing us to the lesser-knowns of our local markets, offering some innovative combinations - but mostly getting us to be more adventurous and risk-taking.
I liked that it's organized the way we think about cooking - in terms of side dishes, salads, main entrees; it's got all of the recipe on one page (I hate having to turn cookbook pages when my fingers are kitchen-messy); it breaks the ingredients out in shopping list format on the side of the page - easy to copy.
The three recipes I tried, carrot ginger soup, red peppers with lemon and garlic, and blueberry muffin cake, all worked to perfection. I'd like to see some suggestions for substitutes in some places - what if I'm not a watercress fan?
But the Mix and Match pages that begin each section of the book are worth the price of the book and then some. Yes, it's a vegetarian cookbook, and it's mostly vegan, but Leslie uses goat cheese in some recipes.Paris Finley is publisher of Many Hands.
Trapped inside a medical horror story
108 Days
Lisa Lindell
(March 5 Publishing, $32.00)
March 5, 2003, would be a day she would never forget. Lisa Lindell had no idea her life would change so significantly. She assumed her husband would be taken care of properly when he suffered a severe burn injury and was dispatched to a major metropolitan hospital.
She had no idea she was being sucked into a medical maelstrom.
It began when Lisa's husband, Curtis Lindell, was showered with sparks following an industrial electrical accident. In Houston, he is admitted to the burn unit at a major medical hospital with second- and third-degree burns covering 37 percent of his body. We're a ''world class facility'' she is told.
But her life is turned upside down. Following a critical error in the radiology department, Curtis begins a rapid downward spiral. Complications start piling up quickly, followed in short order by rampant infections and raging fevers.
Lisa sees that he is in trouble and watches helplessly as he drowns in the chaos that surrounds him: a revolving door of robotic medical attendants who are too busy to take care of the patient, physicians who have no time to be seen or heard, and a stream of harried bureaucratic hospital administrators who just don't seem to care that Curtis is dying. Nobody will listen. There is only one person available to help: Dawn Shelton, Lisa's sister, a nursing professional with 13 years experience, who finds herself suddenly thrust into the role of medical advocate and chief gladiator.
In her book, ''108 Days,'' Lisa Lindell tells the story of how Dawn and Lisa immerse themselves in the challenges they face and how they handle the terrifying realization that Curtis' life is in their hands.
Here is a harrowing, fast-paced, intense and riveting true story as her husband is bounced in and out of hospital rooms, and back and forth between doctors, burn rehabilitation therapy, intensive care, and nursing facilities.
Reviews
The Charm Carver
By David Shuch
(Integrative Arts Press, 2005, $20)
In his new book, ''The Charm Carver,'' Dr. David Shuch presents a charming story that seeks to impart a sense of heaven. The book offers 21 tales about a man named Simon the charm carver, and each one is a key to greater awareness on the quest for understanding and higher love.
A writer, dentist and student of the healing arts, Shuch has distilled the lessons learned serving patients for the past 22 years. According to Shuch, healing results from an inner alignment that opens a person to higher influences. A central theme is that of the ''inner wish,'' a kind of deep yearning for a life in tune with one's heart, mind and the universe, free of egotistical urges. Simon the charm carver teaches through examples and stories that to hold an inner wish takes a certain kind of strength; a strength that oftentimes our daily life simply drains away.
''Touched by the Extraordinary: An Intuitive Psychologist Shares Insights, Lessons, and True Stories of Spirit and Love to Transform and Heal the Soul''
By Susan Apollon
(Matters of the Soul, 2005, $19.95)
Albert Einstein once said of miracles: ''There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.'' Intuitive psychologist and author Susan Apollon agrees, and has spent almost 20 years studying the nature of miracles and the conditions under which they occur.
In her book, ''Touched by the Extraordinary: An Intuitive Psychologist Shares Insights, Lessons, and True Stories of Spirit and Love to Transform and Heal the Soul,'' Apollon describes her clients' experiences, which range from angelic sightings to unexplained terminal disease healings, and says that studies in quantum physics suggest that anyone with the right mindset can live a life rich in miracles from the small to the momentous.
''Depression And Your Thyroid: What You Need to Know''
By Gary Ross, M.D., and Peter J. Bieling, Ph.D.
(New Harbinger Publications, 2006, $15.95)
The fact that thyroid health and psychological health are often linked would surprise most of the general public. But it is a fact that as a person develops a thyroid condition, he or she often becomes depressed.
''Depression and Your Thyroid'' offers an overview of what the medical community knows about dysfunctional thyroid. The book proposes a number of dietary and lifestyle changes, in addition to conventional medical treatment, to try to correct a thyroid condition. The book also guides readers through psychological strategies they can use to overcome the depression that results from a thyroid condition.
''Ginseng, the Divine Root: The Curious History of the Plant That Captivated the World.''
By David A. Taylor
(Algonquin Books, June 23, 2006, $23.95)
It inspired battles between France and England. It sparked a boom in Minnesota comparable to the California Gold Rush. And it was responsible for the rise of China's last great dynasty.
Why all this fuss over a root? Because ginseng really has earned its reputation as the King of Herbs. Its legendary healing powers are said to improve stamina, relieve stress, stimulate the immune system, enhance mental clarity, and restore well-being.
David A. Taylor sets out to track down this extraordinary and elusive plant in ''Ginseng, the Divine Root: The Curious History of the Plant That Captivated the World.''
CD
''One Life Versus Reincarnation''
''Self-Realization: The Inner and the Outer Path''
''Be a Smile Millionaire''
Paramahansa Yogananda
(Self-Realization Fellowship, CD set, $14 each)
Paramahansa Yogananda first brought his teachings on spirituality and yoga to the United States from India when he served as one of his country's delegates to a religious conference in Boston in 1920. That same year, he established the Self-Realization Fellowship to spread his lessons on kriya yoga. His earliest followers included horticulturist Luther Burbank, George Eastman (inventor of the Kodak camera) and conductor Leopold Stokowski. His ''Autobiography of a Yogi'' is considered a modern-era spiritual classic and has been translated into 18 languages. (When George Harrison visited President Ford at the White House during a U.S. concert tour in 1974, he presented the president with a copy of ''Autobiography of a Yogi.'') Long after Paramahansa Yogananda's death in 1952, the Self-Realization Fellowship has continued to disseminate his message. The organization has released three new CD sets of lectures by this gentle master. In ''One Life Versus Reincarnation,'' he explains how each soul is given innumerable opportunities for salvation. ''Self-Realization: The Inner and the Outer Path'' captures Paramahansa Yogananda speaking to an intimate gathering on Christmas Day 1950. In ''Be a Smile Millionaire,'' Paramahansa Yogananda imparts his lessons by drawing on many colorful stories from his own experiences.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
REVIEWS
What The Bleep Do We Know!? Discovering the Endless Possibilities For Altering Your Everyday Reality
by William Arntz, Betsy Chasse and Mark Vicente
Originally produced as an independent film that was part documentary, part narrative drama and part visual hallucinogen, What The ''Bleep'' Do We KInow!? is now a book from HCI Books, best-known for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
The book is many things. First it is about science. With the help of more than a dozen research and theoretical scientists, it takes you through the looking glass of quantum physics into a universe that is more bizarre and alive than ever imagined.
Then it takes you beyond, into the outer edges of our scientific knowledge of consciousness, perception, body chemistry and brain structure. What is a thought made of? What is reality made of? And most importantly, how does a thought change the nature of reality? This science leads not just to the material world, but deep into the realm of spirituality, personal choice and everyday decision-making.
What the Bleep Do We Know?! is not a book of definitive answers. It is a book of mind stretching questions. It is a book that shows you not the path, but the endless possibilities.
(HCI, November 2005, $26.95 -- Hardcover)
Solitude: A Return to the Self
by Anthony Storr
Originally published in 1988, Solitude challenges the psychological paradigm that ''interpersonal relationships of an intimate kind are the chief, if not the only, source of human happiness.'' Instead, Anthony Storr argues, solitude ranks alongside relationships in its impact of an individual's well-being and productivity, as well as on society's overall progress and health.
Citing numerous examples of brilliant scholars and artists - from Beethoven to Kant to Anne Sexton - Storr argues that solitary activity is essential to the creative process.
He cites celebrated children's author Beatrix Potter, who was never sent to school and whose childhood friends were mostly animals, produced a wealth of children's tales about the creatures she befriended. She continued to write and illustrate numerous successful children's books only up until the time of her marriage.
However, Storr stresses the importance of solitude not only for geniuses, but for the average person as well: ''Interests, whether in writing history, breeding carrier pigeons, speculating in stocks and shares, designing aircraft, playing the piano, or gardening, play a greater part in the economy of human happiness than modern psychoanalysts and their followers allow.''
(Published by Free Press, 2005, $14.00)
The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book: Everything You Need to Know to Put Your EQ to Work
By Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves
The basic idea in The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book is once you've reached a certain point, usually in childhood, you don't get any smarter at least in terms of IQ and your personality, barring some physical change to your brain.
That, say the authors, leaves emotional intelligence, how we understand ourselves and respond to others, as the sole determinant of personal and professional success that we can actually improve. And they have a plan.
Emotional Intelligence is a much-bandied notion in the self-improvement realm that differs from some dodgier concepts at least in pedigree. It is rooted in what psychologist and educator E.L. Thorndike described as ''social intelligence,'' the skills that enable people of average intelligence to excel in life. Bradberry and Greaves both hold doctorates in industrial-organizational psychology. They claim that surveys of 500,000 people on the role of emotions in daily life have enabled them to hone EQ assessment to a 28-question online survey that can be completed in seven minutes. The survey itself is not in the book.
According to a review in The Washington Post, the question remains if there is anything to this claim, which is hard to say, based on the evidence. The authors view emotional intelligence as the product of two main skills: personal competence and social competence. The advice in the book about how to develop oneself in those areas seems above reproach but not especially novel. One example is the idea of ''leaning into discomfort'' - acknowledging and confronting your weaknesses - as the first step to improvement. The book is sketchy in a way that makes clear that the real goal is to get you to the authors' Web site, which offers a nominally free - you have to have a copy of the book - personal EQ assessment along with come-ons for workshops, videos and other merchandise.
(Fireside, $19.95)
The Autism Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Diagnosis, Treatment, Coping, and Healing
By Karen Siff Exkorn
Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the United States, with an estimated 1.5 million people afflicted. Yet when confronted with the diagnosis, parents are often unaware of one crucial fact: early diagnosis and informed decision-making are leading factors in improving a prognosis.
Now, with The Autism Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Diagnosis, Treatment, Coping, and Healing - From A Mother Whose Child Recovered parents are empowered with all the information they need to make critical, timely decisions that can change their child's life. The Autism Sourcebook is a highly practical guidebook and technical resource offering an invaluable message to readers: they are not alone.
When author Karen Siff Exkorn's son Jake was diagnosed with autism at age two, she found herself wading through hundreds of books and articles just to find the answers to basic questions: What is autism? Why does her son have it? Who are the right people to diagnose the condition? What treatments are available? Ultimately, her singular devotion to understanding autism helped lead to Jake's full recovery.
Siff Exkorn offers parents all the information she wished she'd had in the beginning. The Autism Sourcebook is an unparalleled resource encompassing diagnosis, treatment, coping, and healing.
Autism is also called Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD. It is considered a ''spectrum'' disorder because the condition ranges from mild to severe. No two children with ASDs are exactly alike, even if they are given the same diagnosis. Because there is no medical test for autism, a child's diagnosis is based on either the absence or presence of certain behaviors and skills. The book includes a checklist of possible early indicators of ASD, advises parents what to do if they suspect their child shows signs of autism, how to work with doctors and specialists. The book takes a thorough look at the latest research and theories and how early intervention is a crucial factor in effective treatment.
The book provides clear definitions of the five diagnostic sub-categories:
Autistic Disorder; Asperger's Disorder; Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD); Rhett's Disorder; Pervasive Development Disorder Not-Otherwise-Specified (PDD-NOS). Each is illustrated with easy-to-understand criteria and case studies.
Siff Exkorn explains how to ''work the system'' to get free treatment and educational services that parents may not know their children are legally entitled to. She also addresses what is foremost in parents' minds when beginning treatment: how to measure effectiveness, and what they can expect in terms of progress.
Siff Exkorn discusses the one major issue that most experts do not: the potentially devastating effect a diagnosis of ASD has on marriage, family, friendships, and work. Siff Exkorn gives advice to help readers manage their emotional struggle, so they can better help their children.
(ReganBooks; September, 2005)
What Your Doctor Hasn't Told You And Your Health Store Clerk Doesn't Want You to Know.
by Edward L. Schneider
Millions of Americans turn to alternative medicine to treat their chronic health problems when conventional medicine doesn't seem to work. Yet few doctors or health store clerks and alterative practitioners truly know what treatments are safe and effective. In What Your Doctor Hasn't Told You And Your Health Store Clerk Doesn't Want You to Know, author Edward Schneider, dean emeritus at the school of gerontology at the University of Southern California as well as a practicing clinician and leading researcher provides readers with a discerning guide to the myriad of alternative therapies that are available to treat the most common health issues.
Alternative therapies include supplements, herbs, homeopathy, cognitive behavior therapy, aromatherapy, acupuncture, biofeedback, meditation, yoga, and more.
Some of the common health issues Schneider covers are PMS, low libido, prostrate health, sleep problems, joint, back and neck pain, depression and anxiety.
In addition to often-expert advice, Dr. Schneider ends each chapter with his ''complete prescription'' for the best integrative therapy plan. This book should be on everyone's shelf as an authoritative guide that is essential for considering alterative medicine. This is the cold, hard facts!
(Avery/Penguin Group (USA); June 2006; $24.95),
Why Men Never Remember and Women Never Forget
by Marianne J. Legato
Men are different from women. You say you knew that. But if you truly understood and appreciated those differences, you might get along much better with members of the opposite sex, including your spouse, your son or daughter or colleagues at work. At least that's the theory promoted in this book by Marianne Legato, founder of the Partnership for Gender-Specific Medicine at Columbia University, according to a review in The Washington Post.
In the myriad differences in brain function now emerging across the range of human activity, from fighting (women stay angry longer than men because certain hormone levels take longer to return to normal) to making love (hormones impel men to resist post-coital cuddling), Legato sees potential for rapprochement, suggesting we can train ourselves to think more like the other side.
She readily acknowledges that her credentials are not as a brain specialist or a relationship expert, noting that she is a cardiologist and internist whose entree to this realm was through her pioneering work in gender-specific medicine.
The science is present, but not overwhelming, and the general tone is conversational in an ''Oprah'' sort of way. The book plays to both sides until midway, when in ''Legato's Laws for Improving Communication between the Sexes'' - the heart of the book - it lays bare its vaguely patronizing attitude toward men, giving advice to women that seems to presume men less capable of change.
On the other hand, a book that advises a woman not try to have a conversation with a guy while he's watching a ballgame, that she say what she means and that she resist using an argument as an excuse to revisit every grievance in the history of the relationship might help men, even if they don't read it.
(Rodale, $24.95)