Conversations with God 1by Neale Donald Walsch
Conversations with God 2by Neale Donald Walsch
Conversations with God 3by Neale Donald Walsch
Friendship with Godby Neale Donald Walsch
Communion with Godby Neale Donald Walsch
The New Revelationsby Neale Donald Walsch
Tomorrow’s Godby Neale Donald Walsch
Home with Godby Neale Donald Walsch
The books have some serious weaknesses – most of the material that they present is not new but has been borrowed from various religions and philosophies, they only focus on the fundamentals and don’t really go into depth, and the later ones feature the author fielding unauthentic questions that I felt reduced the quality of the message.
Nevertheless, these books have had a definitive influence on my life and are responsible for a major shift in my path. The freedom with which they combine ideas from various sources without being tainted by their traditional dogma, the ease with which they weave them together into an internally consistent and unified whole, and the clarity with which they convey its message tower over any other text on the subject of spirituality that I’ve read.
Nevertheless, these books have had a definitive influence on my life and are responsible for a major shift in my path. The freedom with which they combine ideas from various sources without being tainted by their traditional dogma, the ease with which they weave them together into an internally consistent and unified whole, and the clarity with which they convey its message tower over any other text on the subject of spirituality that I’ve read.
Soulcraftby Bill Plotkin
Drawing on two decades of experience with guiding vision quests, Plotkin’s work is a reassuringly mature exploration of the crisis of meaning and purpose that is so prevalent in our society today. He combines the pioneering work of Carl Jung and other depth psychologists with initiation ceremonies of ancient tribal societies to forge soul-seeking spiritual practices suitable for the modern society. I have found his insights particularly rewarding because they naturally complement my work on deliberate living. On a more personal note, the book has shown me how moving poetry can be when read in the context in which it was written. It holds beauty that forever eluded me in the school classroom.
Jesus the Son of Manby Kahlil Gibran
Through a series of vignettes, Gibran portrays Jesus with all the richness of character nuances that he was bound to have, and that can easily be overlooked when approaching him as I suspect most people tend to do – with a narrow set of preconceived ideas of what he was like. It is a masterful exercise in examining the complexity of interactions between a spiritual teacher and the people whose lives he touches, and the diverse range of reactions that they can have to his message.
How to Know Godby Deepak Chopra
I have found the first two chapters too abstract to make use of, and the later discussion of paranormal phenomena much too brief compared to their treatment in other books, including some by the same author. However, the analysis of how different people relate to God that constitutes the core of the book more than makes up for these weaknesses. Its sweeping coverage is accompanied with rare depth of insight. No doubt, I admire the book partly because I can relate to some of the stages that the author describes and agree with his message – that preoccupation with the external world represents an early stage in our development, and that shifting our attention within holds the key to the fulfilment of our potential.
Other Ways of Knowingby John Broomfield
Original Wisdomby Robert Wolff
These books explore perspectives on life that are commonly held by people from other cultures. I feel that they occasionally grow overzealous in their criticism of the modern western civilisation, yet they still do a remarkable job of revealing just how conditioned our thinking has become by the subtle constraints imposed by our culture. Highly recommended for anyone who wishes to let go of cultural chauvinism and explore the knowledge and wisdom accumulated by other cultures, even, or perhaps particularly, the so-called primitive ones.
The Next Evolutionby Jack Reed
Deep Economyby Bill McKibben
Jack Reed and Bill McKibben act as harbingers of doom that is bound to befall our civilisation if it continues to dismantle the ecology that it depends on through a wide range of harmful economic and social practices. While inescapably sobering, their focus is not on how bad things are or might become, but on what can be done about it. They present detailed, carefully thought out alternatives whose implementation should not only make our society sustainable, but enable it to thrive in every respect.
Changes of Mindby Jenny Wade
Even though much of the academic jargon went over my head, the remaining text was still sufficiently substantial and lucid to transform the way I look at society. While the book is expansive in its scope – discussing consciousness from prenatal to after-death stages – what I appreciated the most about it was that it has clarified many of the observations that I’ve made about people. It has answered my questions about the difficulty of convincing people with logical arguments, their struggle to see beyond the present system, intolerance of alternative approaches, drivers of personal growth, and many others. Warmly recommended for anyone who wishes to understand how people and society function, particularly with the eye to improving it.
Nature and the Human Soulby Bill Plotkin
Another book on psychological development, but with a very different angle. Rather than preoccupy itself with describing how humans currently develop, it attempts to identify how they should optimally develop. Following on his work with soul initiation rites, Plotkin extends it into a complete model of human development, what he calls soulcentric as opposed to egocentric development that presently dominates our society. With painstaking attention to detail, he weaves together a multi-faceted story of repeated personal transformation – filled with danger, pain, promise and wonder – that later in life also serves to spark cultural renaissance. It is a way of living that undeniably surpasses what can commonly be found in the modern society, and perhaps the only one worthy of being called authentically human.
Learned Optimismby Martin Seligman
As someone affected by depression, the message of this book was a revolutionary find. It describes the effects that negative thinking can have on one’s life and explains how the practice of mindfulness, as adapted by modern psychology, can be used to overcome it. The author, known as the father of the new science of positive psychology, is careful to back up his arguments with findings from clinical research. The end result is a book that promises a permanent cure for self-defeating thoughts – even those with the power to bring on a full-blown depression – and that can be relied upon to deliver on its promise.
Parenting Beyond Beliefby Dale McGowan
Raising Freethinkersby Dale McGowan
While I don’t share the authors’ worldview, I cannot help but admire their willingness to raise their children with the goal of empowering them to make their own decisions in life, even when they differ from those of their parents, and even when they take them against the social grain. This is the healthiest approach to raising children that I’ve been able to find, for the children themselves, for those who raise them, and for the society as a whole. My only regret is that the books were written specifically for atheists. I consider their message much too important to be limited to a single segment of our society; it should be equally accessible to all.
From Doctor to Healerby Robbie Davis-Floyd & Gloria St. John
This book is a comprehensive treatise on the major medical paradigms – technocratic, humanistic and holistic – that can be found in the modern western society. It is intended as a critique of the technocratic paradigm and is therefore biased against it, but if read while being mindful of this bias, it can provide a wealth of useful information on the kinds of ways in which the common provision of medical care can be improved.
The magazines deal with a wide variety of topics – education, environment and spirituality, to name a few. They do so in ways that are uncompromisingly constructive and supportive of initiatives aimed at positive social change. This is a rare and praiseworthy trait among modern publications, which are mostly preoccupied with reporting on conflict and negativity.
This is the journal of Fellowship in Prayer. Their mission is “to encourage and support a spiritual orientation in life, to promote the practice of prayer, meditation, and service to others, and to help bring about a deeper spirit of unity among humankind.” It is the all-inclusive nature of their approach that I find particularly appealing. They give voice to a wide variety of spiritual traditions to promote a message aimed at peaceful and harmonious coexistence of them all.
© 2008-2010 Hrvoje Butkovic | All rights reserved.
