This collection of personal essays and stories by New York Times bestselling author and Toltec shaman don Jose Ruiz teach readers that, although the path of life is not always easy to navigate, there is always room for growth and transformation. Life is not always easy. Don Jose Ruiz understands that better than most. On his path to becoming the beloved spiritual teacher and shaman he is today, he experienced many of life's hardships. My Good Friend the Rattlesnake is a collection of deeply personal stories and essays that highlight life's ups and downs, sometimes-painful truths, and opportunities for growth and transformation. This new edition of My Good Friend the Rattlesnake has been updated and expanded for its tenth anniversary. Whether you are a long-time fan or new to don Jose Ruiz's teachings, you will find something to love inside.
Few understand the difficult work of overcoming trauma, abuse, and addiction better than don Jose Ruiz. In My Good Friend the Rattlesnake, Ruiz, now a bestselling author and spiritual teacher, reveals the dramatic twists and turns he experienced on his own path to personal freedom and inner transformation. Through this series of deeply intimate stories, Ruiz explains how he overcame his addiction to suffering and embraced a life of love, clarity, and self-awareness. In one example, he recounts his unexpected journey with temporary blindness, which paradoxically allowed him to see what truly mattered. In another, he celebrates individuality in spiritual practice, challenging the idea that it must look or sound a particular way to be authentic. Throughout, Ruiz incorporates the teachings of his father, don Miguel Ruiz (author of The Four Agreements). The lessons he shares are practical, profound, and accessible, making this book an essential companion for anyone seeking spiritual growth and emotional healing. Honest, vulnerable, and rich with exercises and meditations, My Good Friend the Rattlesnake redefines what it means to heal, grow, and live authentically.
Following the release of his mind-blowing first book, Playing with Fire, Theo Fleury joins forces with world-renowned therapist Kim Barthel in a new book, Conversations with a Rattlesnake, coming out November 2014. The book is a raw and honest conversation, loaded with personal insights and cutting-edge information about healing from trauma and abuse. Fleury calls Barthel the "Wayne Gretzky of therapy" and within their emotionally safe relationship he bares his soul so that others can learn from his mistakes, triumphs and new learnings. Fleury's story will inspire not only those overcoming their own trauma but friends, parents, teachers, coaches, therapists and health practitioners--anyone who is in the critical position of supporting someone who needs to share their own story. Co-author Kim Barthel provides an in-depth explanation of early childhood attachment and addiction that ties into the reasoning behind our behaviours and the science of how our brains work. Barthel explains how understanding groundbreaking scientific and psychological research can eliminate the unnecessary and damaging shame that so often accompanies abuse and trauma. Her dialogue with Fleury illuminates self-awareness, mindfulness and the power of relationships. Fleury's life experiences and Barthel's informed interpretation combine to provide a unique look at the healing process that is easy to read, entertaining and transformational.
Jason Steadman is a thirty-year-old sales executive living in Boston and working for an electronics giant, a competitor to Sony and Panasonic. He's a witty, charismatic guy who's well liked at the office, but he lacks the "killer instinct" necessary to move up the corporate ladder. To the chagrin of his ambitious wife, it looks as if his career has hit a ceiling. Jason's been sidelined. But all that will change one evening when Jason meets Kurt Semko, a former Special Forces officer just back from Iraq. Looking for a decent pitcher for the company softball team, Jason gets Kurt, who was once drafted by the majors, a job in Corporate Security. Soon, good things start to happen for Jason—and bad things start to happen to Jason's rivals. His career suddenly takes off. He's an overnight success. Only too late does Jason discover that his friend Kurt has been secretly paving his path to the top by the most "efficient"—and ruthless— means available. After all, as Kurt says, "Business is war, right?" But when Jason tries to put a stop to it, he finds that his new best friend has become the most dangerous enemy imaginable. And now it's far more than just his career that lies in the balance. A riveting tale of ambition, intrigue, and the price of success, Killer Instinct is Joseph Finder at his best. *San Francisco Chronicle ** Pittsburgh Post Gazette
In early Irish society there existed an honoured group of people called the "Filid." They preserved the native stories and they were learned in the magical arts. It is within this ancient tradition that Ella Young (1867-1956) lived her unique and creative life. In the late 1800s Ella began to gather the old tales that had been handed down from family to family for centuries. She lived among the rural folk in the West of Ireland and in the hills south of Dublin. As part of her devotion to Irish culture she learned Gaelic and, as a major contributor to the Celtic Revival, she taught classes in the language and the myths. Ella's spirituality reached deep into the land and into the heart of ancient Ireland. Others have called her a seeress, a druidess, or a witch - the magical name she gave herself was "Airmid" - the goddess of healing who drew her powers from the fertile green earth. She knew first-hand about the faery folk of Ireland - she heard their music and listened to their stories. Ella was truly blessed - for her life flowed in harmony with her beliefs, her nationalism, and her career as an author and lecturer. This new collection of her writings, edited and introduced by John Matthews and Denise Sallee, is a deeply magical and evocative tribute to Ella's many gifts, featuring some of the best of her poetry and mythical storytelling.
Within the United States and throughout the world, there is an abundance of rhetoric about the importance of education. The idea that education is vitally important seems obvious. However, often missing in the rhetoric is a true appreciation of the depth and complexity of what it actually means to be "educated." How does education happen? The Ethics Class offers no clear cut answers. What it does offer is an open-ended exploration of this depth and complexity through conversation, poetry, and metaphor. It is simply one possible exploration. Topics include, among others: responsibility, character, indoctrination, acting vs. being, emotion, spirituality, relationship, and rationality. At this moment in human history basic questions about humanity and the state of the world seem particularly poignant. Addressing these questions intelligently may be necessary for all of our survival. The Ethics Class ponders what it might mean to "intelligently address."
Example in this ebook Between the 10th and 13th centuries Civilisation withdrew from Egypt and Syria, rested for a little space at Constantinople, and then passed away to the western climes of Europe. From that period these climes have been the grand laboratory in which Civilisation has wrought out refinement in every art and every science, and whence it has diffused its benefits over the earth. It has taught commerce to plough the waves of every sea with the adventurous keel; it has enabled handfuls of disciplined warriors to subdue the mighty armaments of oriental princes; and its daring sons have planted its banners amidst the eternal ice of the poles. It has cut down the primitive forests of America; carried trade into the interior of Africa; annihilated time and distance by the aid of steam; and now contemplates how to force a passage through Suez and Panama. The bounties of Civilisation are at present almost everywhere recognised. Nevertheless, for centuries has Civilisation established, and for centuries will it maintain, its headquarters in the great cities of Western Europe: and with Civilisation does Vice go hand-in-hand. Amongst these cities there is one in which contrasts of a strange nature exist. The most unbounded wealth is the neighbour of the most hideous poverty; the most gorgeous pomp is placed in strong relief by the most deplorable squalor; the most seducing luxury is only separated by a narrow wall from the most appalling misery. The crumbs which fall from the tables of the rich would appear delicious viands to starving millions; and yet those millions obtain them not! In that city there are in all districts five prominent buildings: the church, in which the pious pray; the gin-palace, to which the wretched poor resort to drown their sorrows; the pawnbroker's, where miserable creatures pledge their raiment, and their children's raiment, even unto the last rag, to obtain the means of purchasing food, and—alas! too often—intoxicating drink; the prison, where the victims of a vitiated condition of society expiate the crimes to which they have been driven by starvation and despair; and the workhouse, to which the destitute, the aged, and the friendless hasten to lay down their aching heads—and die! And, congregated together in one district of this city, in an assemblage of palaces, whence emanate by night the delicious sounds of music; within whose walls the foot treads upon rich carpets; whose sideboards are covered with plate; whose cellars contain the choicest nectar of the temperate and torrid zones; and whose inmates recline beneath velvet canopies, feast at each meal upon the collated produce of four worlds, and scarcely have to breathe a wish before they find it gratified. Alas! how appalling are these contrasts! And, as if to hide its infamy from the face of heaven, this city wears upon its brow an everlasting cloud, which even the fresh fan of the morning fails to disperse for a single hour each day! And in one delicious spot of that mighty city—whose thousand towers point upwards, from horizon to horizon, as an index of its boundless magnitude—stands the dwelling of one before whom all knees bow, and towards whose royal footstool none dares approach save with downcast eyes and subdued voice. The entire world showers its bounties upon the head of that favoured mortal; a nation of millions does homage to the throne whereon that being is exalted. The dominion of this personage so supremely blest extends over an empire on which the sun never sets—an empire greater than Jenghiz Khan achieved or Mohammed conquered. This is the parent of a mighty nation; and yet around that parent's seat the children crave for bread! To be continue in this ebook
The Adventures of Jake Hawks by Jake Hawks Jake Hawks knows Bigfoot are real. He’s been reading about them for years. When he and some friends encounter some strange things in the woods on a fishing trip, Jake knows the time has come for him to prove the existence of Bigfoot once and for all. Will Hawks be able to assemble a team of outdoorsmen capable of snaring a Bigfoot in the back country? Will Hawks be able to finance his expedition? Read on to see what happens when theories are tested in the wild.
In 'Lady Mary and Her Nurse; Or, A Peep into the Canadian Forest' by Catharine Parr Strickland Traill, readers are taken on a journey through the lush and untamed Canadian wilderness. Written in a captivating and descriptive style, Traill paints a vivid picture of the natural surroundings and the challenges faced by the protagonists. This work falls within the genre of early Canadian literature, showcasing the author's deep connection to the land and her keen observational skills. The narrative is both educational and entertaining, offering insights into not only the flora and fauna of Canada but also the customs and way of life of the people who inhabit it. Catharine Parr Strickland Traill, a pioneering settler in Canada, drew from her own experiences living in the wilderness to write this book. Her background as an avid naturalist and keen observer of her surroundings is evident in the detailed descriptions found throughout the story. Traill's passion for the Canadian landscape shines through in her writing, making 'Lady Mary and Her Nurse' a valuable contribution to early Canadian literature. For readers interested in early Canadian literature, nature writing, or historical fiction, 'Lady Mary and Her Nurse; Or, A Peep into the Canadian Forest' is a must-read. Traill's skillful storytelling and intimate knowledge of the Canadian wilderness make this book both informative and engaging, offering a unique glimpse into the beauty and challenges of life in the Canadian forest.
