This deck is one of the most unusual I have worked with. Although the images are rooted in the Rider Waite deck, as are so many, the artwork is based on lino cuts, the resulting prints being later hand coloured, and this makes the bold yet subtle cards powerful and extraordinarily effective in use. The Hermit and The High Priestess are particularly evocative. Furthermore, this is a multi cultural deck with figures from a number of ethnic backgrounds and spiritual persuasions; one might expect this fact to make the cards less focused, but the opposite is the case, and this is in fact a very intuitive and reliable set to use. I'm not a fan of the booklets which accompany tarot decks, as they are often diffuse or else offer dire interpretations: however, the little book provided with this deck is easy to understand, offering wise and insightful meanings along with background information about the creators of the deck and the process employed to produce the images. All in all this is a delightful kit with cards which speak on a deep and intuitive level. I find them extremely easy to work with as well as being beautiful.
Elen Hawke, author of In The Circle, the Sacred Round and Praise to the Moon

I have this deck in addition to several others, and I have to say this is my favorite, although I probably use the Robin Wood deck most often, for practical, tangible matters. This deck is deeper, more symbolic, and a bit darker. The artwork reminds me of old-school comic book art (before the manga craze gave everyone huge eyes and spiky hair) with lots of black ink and bold but not cartoony colors.
The pictures have almost a visceral feel to them, and are quite expressive. This deck also stands out as a perfect alternative to the "goth" and "fluffy-bunny" extremes which seem to be popular in tarot decks lately. There is a mix of races, genders, ages, and cultures in this deck, sometimes even on the same card, but it's one of the few multi-cultural decks I've seen that doesn't seem fake or fluffy.

Some cards that really stood out are the Magician, which I like because it shows movement and action, which most other decks don't; and the Lovers, which in addition to being a very nice-looking card, shows a couple embracing in such a way that you can't really tell what gender either of them are. Could be a man and a woman, or two women, or two men, or two androgenous people. I think that this fits the card well, and also allows the reader to use whichever combination fits the reading best.

Overall, this is an excellent deck. It might not be the absolute best choice for a beginner (the Robin Wood deck would probably be better), but it's not too hard to understand, either. And if you're reading for someone else, they'll be impressed by the pictures too. Something about this deck just feels like a tarot deck should.

The World Spirit Tarot has to be one of the most invocative and beautiful decks I have seen. The artwork is very primitive, and multicultural. You will see hints of Cuban Santeria, Haitian Voudun, Indian Hindu, Native American Shamanism, and it goes on and on.

I use this deck for personal meditation, and can not wait to read it to my friends and family members. As a tarot collector, this has become one of my favorites. There are may decks with aswome art, or computerized images that wow you. This deck uses woodblock art to create the deck, and I hear it is a hard process. The art is excellent. If you like the Light and Shadow Tarot. You will love this one. I am not a big fan of Llewellyn publishing, but lately they have been publishing excellent decks. The World Spirit Tarot is destined to be a classic. I mean look at it; it's in the cards.

One of the major things that striked me about this book is Lauren's acknowledgement that the concept of human rights is not a completely Western creation. Traditions around the world, political, cultural, and religious, have stressed justice and equality.
Lauren's treatment of Human Rights is quite thorough. I have to commend him for the fact that he does not value judgements on any of the events he described. He acknowledges the mistakes made but does not dwell on them.
I also learned a lot of things about history that wasn't touched about in my history classes. I can say that I actually felt smarter reading this book. :)

The author Paul Gordon Lauren deserves kudos!! A very well written book on Human Rights Theory. A must for all those who seriously want to go into depth on this subject. The concept of Human Rights is not limited to the western world nor it is proper to say that it has arisen mainly from Europe, an idea which has been very well captured in this book.

"For scholars of international human rights, it is difficult to imagine a finer gift on the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights than this study of the Declaration's complex and far-reaching impact. Paul Gordon Lauren has skillfully combined a detailed history of the legal documents with the political, philosophical, and social contexts in which they developed. He has further enriched his study with the personal visions of leading individuals so that the story comes alive, unfolding with a human drama supported by meticulous scholarly research." -- American Historical Review

One of the most touching and beautiful stories I have ever read! A little girl loses the father she so deeply loves, but never forgets the important lessons he taught her or the love he had for her. Her dream is to go to school, but her family can't buy her a coat. Finally, kind friends of her mama help make her a coat out of quilt pieces. Her excitement at wearing her new coat to school and sharing it with her new friends quickly changes to sadness when she is taunted by her playmates. But she remembers her father's lessons and his love and helps her friends come to see how special her coat is--to ALL of them! This story is part of the reading series I teach from and when I read it for the first time last year, my class was staring at me in amazement as I sobbed my way through the end! I had to get a copy for myself and my little girl!

I must confess, I was not prepared to read my 5 year old a book on death...and I was a little shocked to find out during my first time reading it to her (I guess I should have pre-read it). Even so, I loved it, and so did she! This story deals with the sorrow of death and the humiliation of poverty in a real and positive way, without being sentimental. It is beautiful to see a child come up with a loving solution to her problems.

I am adding this book to my collection of favorite children's books. I'm storing them up for grandchildren (when they come along). This story teaches a humbling lesson about making judgments without all the facts. It's touching and the illustrations are beauitiful.

What a refreshing, beautiful book. The essays within are full of powerful and rich personality, which serves to give a full sensory perception of the places of which they write. There is an abandon and adventurous spirit that blows through the pages and inspires the reader not just to travel, but to really experience the places one goes, even close to home.

This book was perfectly conceived and executed. These 24 smart stories by 12 smart women cover the whole tonal range -- funny, poignant, gut-wrenching, beautiful, thoughtful, irreverant, wonderfully sappy... And the publishing concept itself was brilliant, a clever way to crack a difficult market: strength in numbers, taking power into their own hands...in retrospect it seems so obvious, but I'm sure that two years ago these women had little idea how brilliant they were being... I'm 50 years old now, and anyone who has reached my stage of geezerhood knows the value of having even one good solid friend. I attended a salon event these women put on in San Francisco recently, and I mentioned to one of them just how great I thought it would be to have twelve friends as tight as they seem to be. Her response: "Well, now you do!" And that is the feeling that one comes away with after reading their book: Twelve new friends.

"Stories Of World Travel" by the Wild Writing Women is the best and most entertaining travel book that I have read. Each chapter is a stand-alone story of an exotic adventure written by experienced authors and travelers. The "Spirits of Scotland" story by Cathleen Miller had a most surprising twist on a honeymoon adventure. I recommend the book highly.

This book is a must for those times you don't know what to say and you want to be there for your family and friends. The authors give real, practical, down-to-earth help for those times you really need it. I highly recommend this book!

I have read this book and more people need to read it. Most people do not know what to do or say when someone is hurting. They just ignore the person or even avoid the person with a problem and that really hurts. This book gives many practical ideas for helping others. My experience in loss has been very traumatic, but I have learned to help myself it helps to reach out to people who are hurting and I feel like I can deal better with my own grief. Lauren you are so special and you have helped me more than you will ever know, Love Esther

Every home should have a copy of this book on the shelf. It has the perfect solution to every difficult situation. When you need to help someone -- whatever difficulty that person is facing is covered in The Art of Helping. It is easy to use as s resource for suggestions on what to say and do when someone you care about is in need. The suggestions are deeply pertinent and truly wise.

The Covered Smile, by Sonja Lauren-

I read this book in two days, I could not put it down. It is a story of survival and triumph of the human spirit over poverty, neglect and pain. As a counselor, it brought home to me just how much impact we can have on a child's life for better or for worse.

It's difficult to imagine this story occurring in late 20th century America, but it is not that uncommon. Sonja Lauren is one of the rare victims who has the strength and talent to shed light on the results of child physical and emotional neglect in hopes that fewer children will have to suffer as she did. Sonja's tale of overcoming a horrendous childhood in a dysfunctional family will shock you and then warm your heart. Her persistence and insistence in being a good mother herself, despite her own physical problems, offer hope and inspiration to all readers. Despite her trials, Sonja has recovered and forgiven, and her spirit has triumphed. Read her story, learn her lessons, and share her elation.

Sonja Lauren has a well-written memoir that moves through the details of her childhood neglect and informs the reader about the dangers of parental ignorance with every sentence. She writes about dental neglect, a problem few of us imagine. As the child who lived it and the adult who tells it, she shows courage, honesty, and perserverance. I'm sure THE COVERED SMILE will touch the lives of many and be a strong voice for children. This book will make a difference.

What a cute story! Charlie is in charge of little sister Lola and decides to play a trick on her. With Charlie giving silly names to foods that Lola claims she doesn't like, Lola plays along and tastes foods she has insisted she will never, ever eat. My 6-1/2 year old loves this book; it's a bit too old for my almost 3-year old.

What I like best about this book are the real photographs of the foods (peas, carrots, fish sticks, etc.) that are incorporated into the fun cartoon illustrations.

This is a engaging, slightly offbeat story which makes it stand out from the zillions of other children's books out there.

"I have this little sister, Lola. She is small and very funny" These opening lines set the sweet and gentle tone for a tale about two sisters. One (Lola) with a very long list of foods she will not eat, and the other (Charlie) with the task of feeding dinner to her fussy little sister.

It could be a recipe for disaster -- I'm certain this situation would have played out quite differently with me and MY little sister -- but Charlie's creativity and sense of fun save the day.

My seven-year old fussy eater nearly fell out of his chair laughing when we read this book. He clearly identified with, and enjoyed, Lola and her reasoning (for example, peas are "too small" and "too green"). While I'm pretty sure my son will not change his eating habits because of this story, it did give him a sense that he is not alone in the world with his funky tastes while reinforcing the idea that his tastes may change.

Great story, cute illustrations, good lesson.

Thanks to the mealtime antics of Charlie and Lola, my kids now ask every day if they can eat carrots, tomatoes, potatoes and peas. It's magic!

The books' pictures, typesetting and storyline are all fantastic, whether you are a child or adult. This and 'My Uncle is a Hunkle', also by Lauren Child, became instant favourites with the pre-schoolers and the adults the minute they entered our house.

I sent this as a gift, and I think its a poor choice to buy someone else other then yourself. I Think its one of those things your intended recpient would see at your house, on your coffee tabel and request to borrow but to send something called "life" as if they didnt' have one, was prob not the best choice I made. I am hoping though she'll let me borrow it now. Its a beautiful book with alot of great ideas for surviving trama and refocusing energy into new relms.

I am a Metaphysician and an avid Law of Attraction (LOA) worker. One of my favorite things to do is continuously reveal to myself *evidence* of how Great Things Really Are. Lauren's book is an SPARKLING JEWEL! I totally adore how she has collected quotes & passages from throughout the ages from a huge assortment of Wise Voices and I definitely appreciate her research format of actually citing her sources (so often missing or incomplete in others' works). Her material is accurate, timely, and perfectly applicable - especially so in our current world situation. Read this book and drink from the Well of Wellbeingness. Your soul will thank you, your heart will rejoice, and your mind will have something very tangible to work with. The best part? You'll discover that your Sacred Imagination is finally free to do its thing: Make YOUR Personal Universe/Reality Delicously FUN! This is THE BOOK to savor for Deliberate Creators Everywhere :) I cannot say enough Good Things about this wonderful work. Lauren, you've made Life Easier and that's Really Fantastic!

I have not been the same since I read this book. Lauren takes a lot of metaphysical teachings and puts them all together in one easy to read book, with practical applications. It's just amazing! I think that anyone who reads this book, and is serious about loving life and living life to it's fullest will find this "THE ONE" to get them on their way. Once you are on your way, if you falter, you can always go back through the book and re-apply it to new situations that come up. It will never be outdated.

I'm a beginning gardener and live in Colorado. Springer and Proctor's book has inspired me and given me reams of useful information to improve my garden. I may not be ready to plant thousands of plants a year as they do, but their short essays have given me the ideas and information to focus on bit by bit. The photos, mostly of Springer's foothills garden and Proctor's city garden, are beautiful and excellent as plant combination possibilities. I can't recommend this book enough, particularly for Western gardeners.

Passionate Gardening, specifically the photos and text contributed by Lauren Springer, is the best single source of inspiration for gardeners in the Rocky Mountain states. Though Lauren's solo work, Undaunted Garden, is perhaps more comprehensive and detailed, Passionate Gardening has dazzling photos of her current garden and is a blueprint for a spectacular success in difficult climates.

I own a nursery and I am a garden designer. I see many projects that are appropriate for xeric or rock garden applications. Whenever I show the customer Passionate Gardening, the response is universally, "I want to make my garden as beautiful as that one." Lauren introduces us to plants that are hardly household names (yet), and teaches us specifically, practically and clearly how to use them. Lonicera korolkowiii 'Floribunda'
may not be known to you, but you will have no doubt how to use it when you finish this book. And since that is one of the few blue leaved deciduous shrubs, you may very well have the perfect place for it in your landscape.

There is no better read than her books for those of us in cold and dry climates, and even a southern Florida subtropical gardener could glean important ideas about approaching design and color/texture combinations. Enjoy!

A gardening book which can be read on many levels. There is an incredible amount of information, but it can be digested in manageable bites. Short essays on many subjects. But. . best of all, the book gives you hope that you, too, can create and maintain a wonderful, yet personal garden. This one spent the winter on my night stand!

Secrets of a Perfect Night is the best collection of short romance stories I've read so far.
Stephanie Laurens tells the tale of a rake with a scandalous reputation who finds his life of endless conquests and aimless amusements dissatisfying. He decides to go back to his ancestral estate and start anew. On the way there he gets caught in a snowstorm and seeks shelter at a nearby cottage where to his surprise he finds a young girl, now a woman, that he once seduced and whose heart he broke.
I had read one book by this author before that I didn't enjoy at all so this was a delightful surprise for me and I will be looking for more of her books.

Victoria Alexander's story deals with two young people in love who plan to elope to avoid the wrath of the girl's father. The treacherous father already knows of their plans and hatches an evil scheme that tears the lovers apart.
I felt this story was the weakest of the bunch. I've never read this author before and while the story was well written. The
plot, which starts out nicely, quickly becomes too convoluted and ridiculous to be believed.

Rachel Gibson's contemporary story is the best of the bunch. She tells the story of high school sweethearts brought back together at their ten year reunion. I will not go further into it except to say that the dialogue sizzles and the characters are compelling and completely believable. The story is one that most of us have dreamed of: to attend our high school reunions and knock the socks off every person there. This is another excellent story form the very talented Ms. Gibson.

I give Ms. Lauren's story 5 stars. Alexander's story 2 stars and Gibson's 10 stars! Highly recommended

If you love romantic anthologies then this one is for you. Let's be realistic - most anything that includes a Stephanie Laurens story is going to be great and this one is no exception. Her entrancing tale of rediscovered love is a perfect example of her amazing talent when it comes to blending sensuality and humor. I was less impressed with Victoria Alexander's tale of misunderstandings and rekindled romance - it was considerably more downbeat than the other two, although on its own probably would have been wonderful. Rachel Gibson's contemporary love story is a delight - for all those women who have dreamed of knocking the socks off their high school buddies at a reunion. This book is a great summer read, and the pleasure of anthologies is to be able to put them down and get a little work done in between stories!

The title, SECRETS OF A PERFECT NIGHT, gets you from the start. And the names of the three romantic writers involved help it along. The good thing about a book of novellas is that you can read one whole story at one sitting, and get that satisfied, complete feeling.

SCANDALOUS LORD DERE, is the tale of a young man who wants to leave his well-deserved rakish reputation as "master seducer" and go back to his quiet country home and the girl he left behind. The problem is that he left eight years ago and all indications are that things have changed dramatically. If winning it all back is even possible, it certainly won't be easy. The "master seducer" will have to use all that he has.

THE LAST LOVE LETTER is the story of both selfish and well-intentioned motives gone awry. A couple who've declared their love against the wishes of their parents plan to run away together one night, but they don't make the last-minute connection. Ten years pass before they both receive a letter that lets them know what actually happened that night, and how neither of them was to blame. Now, has too much time passed to rekindle feeling which never really died?

NOW AND FOREVER is a modern story of a high school reunion and of seeing the one who got away and how much they've changed. It's the reopening of possibilities. It's the time to aplolgize and get on (or get it on) with their lives.