A great book to learn about healing and channeling your energies in a more positive way. The book has many 'gems' in terms of ideas, thoughts, and basic healthly, positive principles of living -- for the novice to the expert person who is on a spiritual quest to a more fulfilling life. Buy it!

The colors & tones of this deck are SO different from any other products I have purchased/reviewed. A photo of the stone is imposed upon the painted artwork. The 6 stones unique to this set are: Earth Keeper crystal, iolite, apatite, shiva lingam, star quartz, & boulder opal. The division by elements/areas is similar to The Crystal Ally Cards & the Crystal Journey Cards, but is a completely "new" system of association. To my knowledge, there is no other deck so precisely built around a specific discipline. The skandhas are from sacred geometry: cube, icosahedron, (merkabah)star tetrahedron, octahedron & dodecahedron. The lotus blossom on each of the 8 cards per elemental "suit" are that chakra's color: red, orange, yellow, *emerald, *rose, blue, indigo, purple. (note: the heart chakra uses these 2*) There are 10 readings/layouts.

I love this book and card deck! Of all the books I've read about crystals, this is the most comprehensive book I've seen! The card deck is great for readings! This book links crystals to the metaphysical and physical parts of human beings in a way that makes so much sense. Now I really understand why crystals affect us.

And the cards are great! Whenever I get a cold or feel down about something, I just get out the deck of cards and give myself a reading from the "Jewels of the Lotus." The reading is always right on track - I come away with insights into the situation and then I make progress by using what I learned.

This is a long overdue book and card deck - it is definitely on my gift list for my favorite people!

-Gena Parkhurst Chicago, IL

Kate Maloy has the life I want to live. We have similar backgrounds, including age, gender, past marriages, Quakerism and more. So perhaps I should seek that life -- it's out there, she proves so in this book.

This is not a light or superficial book -- it is rich and shines with deep thoughts and reflection. She includes all the wrinkles, twists and lines that real life brings to us. In this book she shares the kinds of things you might think about, but not speak, the contents of a personal journal, introspective and quite true.

She has managed to make the most of her life, and this book is a wonder to read. Her writing style is one that invites the reader along, and I felt (as you probably will) as if this was part of a conversation with a close friend, part with myself, part simply a life viewed through a warm and inviting window.

She writes about so much, this book is incredibly full -- I'm not done yet reading it again and again.

A quote I love, "Long before I ever met Alan, I wondered if any man of my generation could love a woman his own age, could feel passion (and compassion) for her aging, vulnerable flesh, could open himself to a soul-deep love even as he himself loses muscle tone, stamina and hair -- could well and truly stand naked in front of another and not be ashamed. Now I know there is at least one such man on the planet."

Sigh. This Friend speaks for me.

An uplifting, warming reading for cool nights and warm days, too.

I'm not a Quaker and I've never attended a Meeting. Although I consider any religion that calls its practitioners Friends a step in the right direction, my motivations in reading SBN were strictly secular. I was first drawn to the book because I have enormous respect for the publisher. The cover also spoke to me. The simplicity and purity of it. A single stand of snow covered trees. And I've always been intrigued by bridges as metaphors, so the title was perfect. There's no doubt that SBN is a book of the spirit in the sense that it's a look at the effects of Quakerism in the writer's life. And this is a strong theme of the book. To say otherwise would be misleading and disingenuous. But the book is so much more than that, too generous with its reach, too honest in its outpouring of contemplations, too bighearted and open-minded to be pigeonholed as a theological dogmatic text. It is indeed a soulful book, but it offers its deep solitude, silence and solace to all. For some unknown reason I dipped into the book haphazardly, rather than reading it linearly, which did not ruin the experience for me. Covering a rapid and transitional year in her life, it alternates between journal-type entries and short and long meditations on all things human: emotions, food, television, our education system, everyday life, and even the internet, which becomes another form of metaphysical uplifting for the author. It turns out she's met her new husband on the web. Some of their communications back and forth, via re-mail, are included in the book. That atypical love story is just one of the truly fine, honest - and surprising - things that the author reflects on. They all conjoin into the story of a lifechange. An intelligent, quietly passionate, appealing, and insightful story of the process of continuing to make oneself a better person through faith in life and in each other.

I'm Kate Maloy's ex-husband. She speaks about me in her good book, A Stone Bridge North, anonymously, because she was considerate enough to try to protect the guilty.

Because I figure in her book, but not in especially complementary terms, I figure that potential buyers or readers of her book might be interested in my take on it.

It's a captivating story of emotional venture and spiritual adventure, with author-centered but gifted, exquisite reflections on the meaning of the struggle - in terms with which anyone can empathize - to enrich a life, a marriage, a sense of self, one's soul.

It's also a guarranteed page-turner, a compelling story of the roles of reflective struggle and the mystery of grace in amazing turns of life.

The story of how Kate found the wonderful man who became her soul-mate and new husband is, simply, amazing by any standard.

Any person who ever wondered how - by concerted effort or by gentle grace - life can, indeed, take magnificent turns needs to read this book. And take heart.

There seems to be a lot of debate going on in the previous reviews over whether or not Stone Soup is feminist. My opinion: of course it is! And it's quite refreshing to see a comic strip that isn't afraid to be. Better yet, the strip is never preachy and, unlike Foxtrot (to which it gets compared frequently), it's almost always funny. I've also seen a lot of comparisons to For Better or for Worse (helped along perhaps by the fact that Lynn Johnston wrote the introduction to this collection) which I find closer to the truth. The big difference there is that unlike FBoFW, Stone Soup is almost never sentimental. Eliot always finds a way to squeeze a laugh out of good times and bad, without dwelling on her storylines or overdeveloping them. While her focus may be on single mothers, her humor is accessible to one and all. And of course, it helps that Val and the gang always manage to keep their sanity intact at the end of each story!

How completely, utterly *refreshing* to read a comic strip where the female characters don't value themselves based on their waist measurements, their spendthrift shopping habits, or by how men see them. How wonderful and hilarious to see a comic-strip Mom who's got better things to do than become the family doormat -- Val's no-nonsense dealings with the kids is a refreshing change from the usual Mommy-clean-my-mess (from husband as well as kids) in most family comic strips. Of course STONE SOUP is feminist (Oh! I just said the "f" word!) -- it dares to presume that female characters can carry a comic strip all by themselves, and be funny and interesting in and of themselves, and that families come in all shapes and sizes. Naturally it's taken years for Eliot to come out with a *second* collection of these wonderful strips while the bulimia manual CATHY and the formulaic mommy-doormat FOXTROT are on their umpteenth releases -- some people are just so *threatened* by real women, aren't they?

Someone below called this a feminist comic strip but I think that's misleading, especially given the current difficulties in just defining that word. Yes, it happens to have several female characters, and yes it's not a stereotypical mom-dad-dog-2.4-kids-wagon-picket-fence family, BUT: This strip is about all of us, everyone of every sex and age and family style, and it's enjoyable to (and enjoyed by) a wide range of people -- even ordinary traditional people and even (gasp) men! My husband loves it, my 60-something dad loves it, and so on. I think the publisher's blurb on the back of the second Stone Soup collection ("You Can't Say Boobs On Sunday") got it right: "Anyone who's ever had a family, been in a family, or known a family seems to love Stone Soup. ... Readers see themselves and their families in Stone Soup, and they love it." That goes for people who don't consider themselves family-oriented, and for people who do.

Everyone I've known who's read any Stone Soup has enjoyed it and wound up quoting or passing around some of the strips.

Recommended reading for everyone except total grumps, I say.

This book is perfect for a weekend read. This book is captivating, suspesnfull & touchingly sexy. I literally could not put it down and highly recommend it for anyone who loves the Saprano's. I felt myself wanting to estimate the next move of the characters. I felt swept away in between the pages and could not wait to get to the next sentance. This book grabs you and sweeps you away in to the slightly disfunctional lives of the characters. The suspense from page to page is always gratifying. For a first time published author, it was a fantastic expierence for myself. Like a good movie, you walk away feeling the emotions of each role played. If a movie or book can get to you this way, it is worth your while to read.

THIS BOOK SHOULD BE MADE INTO A MOVIE AND HOPE IT WILL. I ALMOST CALLED IN SICK TO WORK SO I COULD STAY HOME AND FINISH READING IT. HOPE TO SEE MORE FROM THE SAME AUTHOR SOON.

I can't beleive this is the authors first book. I couldn't put it down. It's exciting, it's romantic, it has it all. ... the author did an outstanding job in developing the characters. I'm eagerly awaiting her next book!

Sara, teaches how to turn your life from a Stone to a Gem. She motivates you to get rid of the debris in your life by coming out of the the Rock Pile and surrounding yourself with other Gems.

She tells about how she sat back and let God control her life. Sara Freeman Smith, is truly a GEM. A must read book!!!

After reading this powerful book,I was inspired, motivated and empowered, to seek my true God given purpose. This book offers practical and simple tools to aid in finding direction in every area of one's life.

Great job!!

As a writer and inspirational speaker, I can honestly say that this book inspired and motivated me! Sarah Freeman Smith does what few writers have the courage to do....she lets us see her as a person, not as a critical expert sitting up on a throne. After only a few pages, I found myself in awe of Sarah's life story. If anyone can tell us how to turn dull lives of stone into shimmering gems, it's Sarah. I put her in the league with Iyanla Van Zandt and Jewel Diamond Taylor!

Full of casual sex and violence, this is a salacious account of life on the road with the Rolling Stones. Greenfield excels at nailing personalities and describing the fishbowl the band lived in. The Stones begin the tour in a vulnerable state of mind, scared that their glory days are behind them. Their braggadocio picks up considerably as the tour progresses. Near the end we have 16 year old girls doing "favors", beatings are given to anyone who steps out of line, groupies being filmed "in action" (despite Bill Wyman's 10 yr old kid hanging around!) for that infamous tour movie who's title I can't even mention here. Plenty of cruel nihilism. Oh well, I didn't read this expecting a nursery rhyme! This book delivers, warts and all.

I read this book in one go. Once I started, I just could not put it down. Besides giving the reader a great inside look behind the scene of the 1972 tour madness of the Rolling Stones, the author also provieds us with an excellent snapshot of the political and social situation in the USA during the early seventies. Of course, you get all the juicy details of groupies, drugs and playboy bunnies - but you also get a feel for how depressing at times the isolation of a major tour can be. You should definitely buy this book, if you love Rock'n'Roll, no matter if you are a Rolling Stones fan or not !

I think I know this book by heart. I can still recite the tour cities and dates. And... ahem, ahem, I really believe the reason they got Keith out of jail in Warwick, RI was not because of "the show must go on" (please!), but because Keith would've started heroin withdrawl. Get it?

For all of the Ratmouse's criticisms and scepticism (as I have stated- I am here to collect bad reviews and undermine the human race), I will hand it the humans for one thing- writing and publishing this book. Here we enter a fascinating branch of Islam- the Sufi realm of mysticism where a loving heart and selflessness are guiding principles. In the past I have drawn attention to Islam's general construct, then to the Koran's most hostile verses. Now I would like to complete this look at Islam by recommending this book. The only call to arms someone like Bin Laden might find in this book is the call to open one's arms and accept people of all races, religions, ethnicities and creeds with a loving heart. Author Kabir Helminski has here provided a kind of spiritual Jihad where loving one's neighbors is the meaning of enlightenment and life. But this book is so much more- it takes one through levels of development, like the unpeeling of an onion, until only the ocean of happy compassion remains. Not saying that the RatMouse now has a little halo over his grimy ears, but he certainly now tries to learn from the words of wisdom presented in this majestic tome. Allah, with a loving heart, is great.

The Knowing Heart: A Sufi Path Of Transformation is Kabir Helminski's latest contribution to the growing body of Sufi literature and reveals that in Sufi tradition and belief the human heart is more than just a fanciful metaphor, but an objective organ of intuition and perception able to perceive the beauty and meaning in life. Every human heart has the innate capacity and the destiny to bring the spiritual qualities of the world of divinity reality into the human world of appearances. Kabir Helminski presents the Sufi way as a practical spirituality suitable for all cultures and times. The Knowing Heart also offers insights into contemporary life and how to experience a new sense of self, transform relationships, and enhance creativity, all while learning how to meet and master the spiritual challenges of the times and realizing our own "sacred humanness". The Knowing Heart is a very highly recommended addition to personal and academic Sufi studies reading lists and library collections.

The Knowing Heart: A Sufi Path Of Transformation presents the Sufi way as a practical spirituality suitable for all cultures and times as Kabir Helminski offers insights relevant to life in today's modern, technology oriented, rapidly evolving, fast-paced and complex world. In cultivating a "knowing heart" the reader will learn to experience a renewed sense of self, transform his or her relationships, enhance creative capacity, and learn to meet the spiritual challenges so pervasive to our time. The Knowing Heart is enthusiastically recommended for students of Eastern philosopher in general, and the Sufi belief system in particular.

Stone Soup for the World is a set of 100 stories about compassion and volunteerism. From the intro by Colin Powell to the story of Ms.Larned's young brother, the whole book was a joy to read. I especially loved the Nelson Mandela and Paul Newman stories. This book has stirred me to be a better person and to help others. I recently walked in honor of my aunt who passed away from cancer and raised money doing it. It felt good just as these stories felt good. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to people from 9 to 99.

service throughout the day, throughout the month, throughout the year....100 stories of giving...the notes at the end of each story to jump into service in your community are a link to giving. .My favorite story was Christmas in April---I must admit I cheered for Frances as she conquered the steps--I read later that she and the writer are enthusiastic pen pals...what inspiration. Thank you to the 100 stone soup writers. You gave me a taste of who inspires you.

......one of the chapters in this book, these stories reflect movements that we should let sweep the nation!!!! Read and be inspired...told simply, the 90+ writers for this book brought these community heroes home....

The Stone War takes place in the New York City of the
near future. An unexpected disaster strikes the city,
causing chaos. An architect, hitherto an "ordinary guy",
takes charge of an effort to rebuild in the midst of
devastation and ghoulish obstacles. This book is very well-written. Its pacing and narrative resembles a golden age
hard sci fi future history novel, but its plot devices and themes combine elements of fantasy, horror and heroic symbolism to achieve a work that is satisfying both as sci fi/fantasy and as sophisticated fiction. The story becomes utterly believable despite the most fantastic plot. Ms. Robins should be very proud of this effort. I recommend this as an excellent read.

While all good novels need an engaging plot and 3-D characters, a really good science fiction novel also contains an IDEA that traditional fiction could not as well illustrate. This novel does that, by making real and manifest the horrific consequences of putting our fears and anger into boxes -- of keeping ourselves boxed up. And what makes this story especially compelling, is that its hero survives on multiple levels by refusing to be boxed in. While near-future NYC residents live with gated city blocks and armed guards at every corner, he roams the streets, connecting with the city and its inhabitants. When the psychic fears of all the city burst loose to wreck havoc, his band of survivors win out by refusing to sit behind their defense walls. And in the end, he grows by learning to connect emotionally with his fellow survivors. NET, this story succeeds on many levels -- as an adventure-survival story; as a science fiction novel; and as an exploration of the dangers of disconnecting, and the joys of connecting, with our fellow human beings.

Madeleine E. Robins' book "The Stone War" is truly a show of modern magic. Mrs. Robins' wonderful style brings her characters to life. Her interpretation of near-future New York is realistic and believable. She gives you just enough information about the city's demise to let you guess the anwser along with the charecters. I would recommend "The Stone War" to anyone looking for a modern fantasy. It truly is a work of magic.