Razi's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 06 May 2025 05:01:00 -0700 60 Razi's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Orlando 18839 Orlando 'The longest and most charming love letter in literature', playfully constructs the figure of Orlando as the fictional embodiment of Woolf's close friend and lover, Vita Sackville-West. Spanning three centuries, the novel opens as Orlando, a young nobleman in Elizabeth's England, awaits a visit from the Queen and traces his experience with first love as England under James I lies locked in the embrace of the Great Frost. At the midpoint of the novel, Orlando, now an ambassador in Constantinople, awakes to find that he is now a woman, and the novel indulges in farce and irony to consider the roles of women in the 18th and 19th centuries. As the novel ends in 1928, a year consonant with full suffrage for women. Orlando, now a wife and mother, stands poised at the brink of a future that holds new hope and promise for women.]]> 336 Virginia Woolf 0141184272 Razi 0 currently-reading 3.88 1928 Orlando
author: Virginia Woolf
name: Razi
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1928
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> <![CDATA[Falling in Love with Where You Are: A Year of Prose and Poetry on Radically Opening Up to the Pain and Joy of Life]]> 19139997 218 Jeff Foster 1908664398 Razi 0 to-read 4.36 2013 Falling in Love with Where You Are: A Year of Prose and Poetry on Radically Opening Up to the Pain and Joy of Life
author: Jeff Foster
name: Razi
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Deepest Acceptance: Radical Awakening in Ordinary Life]]> 15894632 288 Jeff Foster 1604078553 Razi 0 currently-reading 4.29 2012 The Deepest Acceptance: Radical Awakening in Ordinary Life
author: Jeff Foster
name: Razi
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> Hard Times 22364136 This is an alternate cover edition for ISBN 9780141439679.

'Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root everything else'

Coketown is dominated by the figure of Mr Thomas Gradgrind, school owner and model of Utilitarian success. Feeding both his pupils and his family with facts, he bans fancy and wonder from young minds. As a consequence his obedient daughter Louisa marries the loveless businessman and 'bully of humility' Mr Bounderby, and his son Tom rebels to become embroiled in gambling and robbery. And, as their fortunes cross with those of free-spirited circus girl Sissy Jupe and victimised weaver Stephen Blackpool, Gradgrind is eventually forced to recognise the value of the human heart in an age of materialism and machinery.

This edition of Hard Times is based on the text of the first volume publication of 1854. Kate Flint's introduction sheds light on the frequently overlooked character interplay in Dickens' great critique of Victorian industrial society.]]> 321 Charles Dickens Razi 4 3.42 1854 Hard Times
author: Charles Dickens
name: Razi
average rating: 3.42
book published: 1854
rating: 4
read at: 2012/06/30
date added: 2025/04/06
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]]> <![CDATA[The Full Moon Coffee Shop (The Full Moon Coffee Shop, #1)]]> 202468425 Translated from the Japanese bestseller, this charming and magical novel, inspired by the myth of cats returning favors to those who care for them, reminds us that it’s never too late to follow our stars.

In Japan cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they’ll one day return the favor. And if you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a glittering Kyoto moon. This particular coffee shop is like no other. It has no fixed location, no fixed hours, and seemingly appears at random to adrift young people at crucial junctions in their lives.

It’s also run by talking cats.

While customers at the Full Moon Coffee Shop partake in cakes, coffees, and teas, the cats also consult them on their star charts, offer cryptic wisdom, and let them know where their lives have veered off course—because every person who visits the shop has been feeling more than a little lost. And for a down-on-her-luck screenwriter, a romantically stuck movie director, a hopeful hairstylist, and a technologically challenged website designer, the feline guides will set them back on their fated paths. After all, there is a reason the shop appeared to each of them…]]> 240 Mai Mochizuki 0593726820 Razi 0 currently-reading 3.60 2020 The Full Moon Coffee Shop (The Full Moon Coffee Shop, #1)
author: Mai Mochizuki
name: Razi
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> The Neon Bible 54123 The Neon Bible tells the story of David, a young boy growing up in a small Southern town in the 1940s. David's voice is perfectly calibrated, disarmingly funny, sad, shrewd, gathering force from page to page with an emotional directness that never lapses into sentimentality. Through it we share his awkward, painful, universally recognizable encounter with first love, we participate in boy evangelist Bobbie Lee Taylor's revival, we meet the pious, bigoted townspeople. From the opening lines of The Neon Bible, David is fully alive, naive yet sharply observant, drawing us into his world through the sure artistry of John Kennedy Toole.


John Kennedy Toole, who won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for his best-selling comic masterpiece A Confederacy of Dunces, wrote The Neon Bible for a literary contest at the age of sixteen. The manuscript languished in a drawer and became the subject of a legal battle among Toole's heirs. It was only in 1989, thirty-five years after it was written and twenty years after Toole's suicide at thirty-one, that this amazingly accomplished and evocative novel was freed for publication.]]> 162 John Kennedy Toole 0802132073 Razi 4 A Confederacy of Dunces and I love it this way. Never thought Kennedy-Toole had another gem stashed away by the time he ended his own short, fruitful life. ]]> 3.74 1989 The Neon Bible
author: John Kennedy Toole
name: Razi
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1989
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/21
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I found it even better than his more famous novel. This is a serious book unlike A Confederacy of Dunces and I love it this way. Never thought Kennedy-Toole had another gem stashed away by the time he ended his own short, fruitful life.
]]> <![CDATA[Perdition, a play in two acts (Jerusalem studies series)]]> 8772574 0 jim-allen 0863721001 Razi 0 to-read 5.00 Perdition, a play in two acts (Jerusalem studies series)
author: jim-allen
name: Razi
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read
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]]> Demian 58735476 Listening Length = 5 hours and 46 minutes

Here is the dramatic story of young, docile Emil Sinclair's descent - led by precocious schoolmate Max Demian - into a secret and dangerous world of petty crime and revolt against convention and eventual awakening to selfhood. A brilliant psychological portrait of a troubled young man's quest for self-awareness, this coming-of-age novel achieved instant critical and popular acclaim upon its 1919 publication. A landmark in the history of 20th-century literature, it reflects the author's preoccupation with the duality of human nature and the pursuit of spiritual fulfillment.
©1925 Fischer Verlag; 1965 Harper and Row, Publishers, Incorporated; 1948 Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc. (Introduction) �2008 BBC Audiobooks America]]> Hermann Hesse Razi 4 4.19 1919 Demian
author: Hermann Hesse
name: Razi
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1919
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/02
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]]> <![CDATA[Food for Life: The New Science of Eating Well]]> 60764306 528 Tim Spector 1787334260 Razi 5 4.24 2022 Food for Life: The New Science of Eating Well
author: Tim Spector
name: Razi
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/26
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]]> <![CDATA[The World After Gaza: A Short History]]> 217453544 From one of our foremost public intellectuals, an essential reckoning with the war in Gaza that reframes our understanding of the ongoing conflict, its historical roots, and the fractured global response

The postwar global order was in many ways shaped in response to the Holocaust. That eventbecame the benchmark for atrocity, and, in the Western imagination, the paradigmatic genocide. Its memory orients so much of our thinking, and crucially, forms the basic justification for Israel’s right first to establish itself and then to defend itself. But in many parts of the world, ravaged by other conflicts and experiences of mass slaughter, the Holocaust’s singularity is not always taken for granted, even when its hideous atrocity is. Outside of the West, Pankaj Mishra argues, the dominant story of the twentieth century is that of decolonization.

The World After Gaza takes the current war, and the polarized reaction to it, as the starting point for a broad reevaluation of two competing narratives of the last the Global North’s triumphant account of victory over totalitarianism and the spread of liberal capitalism, and the Global South’s hopeful vision of racial equality and freedom from colonial rule. At a moment when the world’s balance of power is shifting, and the Global North no longer commands ultimate authority, it is critically important that we understand how and why the two halves of the world are failing to talk to each other.

As old touchstones and landmarks crumble, only a new history with a sharply different emphasis can reorient us to the world and worldviews now emerging into the light. In this concise, powerful, and pointed treatise, Mishra reckons with the fundamental questions posed by our present crisis � about whether some lives matter more than others, how identity is constructed, and what the role of the nation-state ought to be. The World After Gaza is an indispensable moral guide to our past, present, and future.]]> 300 Pankaj Mishra Razi 3 4.06 2025 The World After Gaza: A Short History
author: Pankaj Mishra
name: Razi
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/23
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]]> <![CDATA[Herman Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund: A Phenomenological View]]> 4199 Book by Digan, Kathleen E 85 Kathleen E. Digan 087700238X Razi 0 to-read 4.34 1976 Herman Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund: A Phenomenological View
author: Kathleen E. Digan
name: Razi
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1976
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: to-read
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]]> Hungry Ghosts 61109596 From an unforgettable new voice in Caribbean literature, a sweeping story of two families colliding in 1940s Trinidad--and a chilling mystery that shows how interconnected their lives truly are

Trinidad in the 1940s, nearing the end of American occupation and British colonialism. On a hill overlooking Bell Village sits the Changoor farm, where Dalton and Marlee Changoor live in luxury unrecognizable to those who reside in the farm's shadow. Down below is the Barrack, a ramshackle building of wood and tin, divided into rooms occupied by whole families. Among these families are the Saroops--Hans, Shweta, and their son, Krishna, all three born of the barracks. Theirs are hard lives of backbreaking work, grinding poverty, devotion to faith, and a battle against nature and a social structure designed to keep them where they are.

But when Dalton goes missing and Marlee's safety is compromised, farmhand Hans is lured by the promise of a handsome stipend to move to the farm as a watchman. As the mystery of Dalton's disappearance unfolds, the lives of the wealthy couple and those who live in the barracks below become insidiously entwined, their community changed forever and in shocking ways.

A searing and singular novel of religion, class, family, and historical violence, and rooted in Trinidad's wild pastoral landscape and inspired by oral storytelling traditions, Hungry Ghosts is deeply resonant of its time and place while evoking the roots and ripple effects of generational trauma and linked histories; the lingering resentments, sacrifices, and longings that alter destinies; and the consequences of powerlessness. Lyrically told and rendered with harrowing beauty, Hungry Ghosts is a stunning piece of storytelling and an affecting mystery, from a blazingly talented writer.]]> 336 Kevin Jared Hosein 0063213389 Razi 4 3.79 2023 Hungry Ghosts
author: Kevin Jared Hosein
name: Razi
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/13
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]]> Zeno's Conscience 84737 Zeno’s Conscience is a miracle of psychological realism.]]> 437 Italo Svevo 0375727760 Razi 4 3.90 1923 Zeno's Conscience
author: Italo Svevo
name: Razi
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1923
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[In Defense of Jung: Soul and Psyche in the 21st Century - Conference Recording (CD)]]> 25664977 7 James Hillman Razi 4 4.12 2005 In Defense of Jung: Soul and Psyche in the 21st Century - Conference Recording (CD)
author: James Hillman
name: Razi
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/04
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dangerous Mystic: Meister Eckhart's Path to the God Within]]> 35749435 Life and times of the 14th century German theologian Meister Eckhart, whose theory of a personal path to the divine inspired thinkers from Jean Paul Sartre to Thomas Merton, and most recently, Eckhart Tolle

Meister Eckhart was a medieval Christian mystic whose wisdom powerfully appeals to seekers seven centuries after his death. In the modern era, Eckhart's writings have struck a chord with thinkers as diverse as Heidegger, Merton, Sartre, John Paul II, and the current Dalai Lama. He is the inspiration for the bestselling New Age author Eckhart Tolle's pen name, and his fourteenth-century quotes have become an online sensation. Today a variety of Christians, as well as many Zen Buddhists, Sufi Muslims, Jewish Cabbalists, and various spiritual seekers, all claim Eckhart as their own. Meister Eckhart preached a personal, internal path to God at a time when the Church could not have been more hierarchical and ritualistic. Then and now, Eckhart's revolutionary method of direct access to ultimate reality offers a profoundly subjective approach that is at once intuitive and pragmatic, philosophical yet non-rational, and, above all, universally accessible. This "dangerous mystic's" teachings challenge the very nature of religion, yet the man himself never directly challenged the Church.

Eckhart was one of the most learned theologians of his day, but he was also a man of the world who had worked as an administrator for his religious order and taught for years at the University of Paris. His personal path from conventional friar to professor to lay preacher culminated in a spiritual philosophy that combined the teachings of an array of pagan and Christian writers, as well as Muslim and Jewish philosophers. His revolutionary decision to take his approach to the common people garnered him many enthusiastic followers as well as powerful enemies. After Eckhart's death and papal censure, many religious women and clerical supporters, known as the Friends of God, kept his legacy alive through the centuries, albeit underground until the master's dramatic rediscovery by modern Protestants and Catholics.

Dangerous Mystic grounds Meister Eckhart in a world that is simultaneously familiar and alien. In the midst of this medieval society, a few decades before the Black Death, Eckhart boldly preached to captivated crowds a timeless method, a "wayless way," of directly experiencing the divine.]]> 384 Joel F. Harrington 1101981563 Razi 5 4.08 2018 Dangerous Mystic: Meister Eckhart's Path to the God Within
author: Joel F. Harrington
name: Razi
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
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]]> Fear and Trembling 24965
In Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard wanted to understand the anxiety that must have been present in Abraham when God commanded him to offer his son as a human sacrifice. Abraham had a choice to complete the task or to forget it. He resigned himself to the loss of his son, acting according to his faith. In other words, one must be willing to give up all his or her earthly possessions in infinite resignation and must also be willing to give up whatever it is that he or she loves more than God. Abraham had passed the test -- his love for God proved greater than anything else in him. And because a good and just Creator would not want a father to kill his son, God intervened at the last moment to prevent the sacrifice.]]> 152 Søren Kierkegaard 0143037579 Razi 0 to-read 4.02 1843 Fear and Trembling
author: Søren Kierkegaard
name: Razi
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1843
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Once and Future King 43545 639 T.H. White 0441627404 Razi 0 to-read 4.07 1958 The Once and Future King
author: T.H. White
name: Razi
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1958
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth]]> 579455 221 Robert A. Johnson 0062504312 Razi 4 4.30 1986 Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth
author: Robert A. Johnson
name: Razi
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1986
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/25
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]]> <![CDATA[Ego and Archetype: Individuation and the Religious Function of the Psyche]]> 180671
Edward F. Edinger, M.D., a founding member of the C.G. Jung Foundation for Analytical Psychology in New York, is the author of many books on Jungian psychology, including The Eternal Drama and Anatomy of the Psyche: Alchemical Symbolism in Psychotherapy.]]> 304 Edward F. Edinger Razi 5 4.33 1972 Ego and Archetype: Individuation and the Religious Function of the Psyche
author: Edward F. Edinger
name: Razi
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1972
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/25
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]]> <![CDATA[A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"]]> 845977 A Course in Miracles and her insights on the application of love in the search for inner peace.

Williamson reveals how we each can become a miracle worker by accepting God and by the expression of love in our daily lives. Whether psychic pain is in the area of relationships, career, or health, she shows us how love is a potent force, the key to inner peace, and how by practicing love we can make our own lives more fulfilling while creating a more peaceful and loving world for our children.]]> 300 Marianne Williamson 0060927488 Razi 5
"During their time together, they will go through whatever experiences provide them with their next lessons to be learned. When physical proximity no longer supports the highest level of teaching and learning between them, the assignment will call for physical separation. What then appears to be the end of the relationship however, is not really an end. Relationships are eternal. They are of the mind, not the body, since people are energy, not physical substance. Bodies joining may or may not denote real joining, since joining is of the mind." Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love
]]> 4.25 1992 A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"
author: Marianne Williamson
name: Razi
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1992
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/24
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves:
review:
This is the second time I finished this book in last 12 months and I will keep on reading it again and again. This is the sort of book that you should read whenever you need a better understanding of what is going on in your life:
"During their time together, they will go through whatever experiences provide them with their next lessons to be learned. When physical proximity no longer supports the highest level of teaching and learning between them, the assignment will call for physical separation. What then appears to be the end of the relationship however, is not really an end. Relationships are eternal. They are of the mind, not the body, since people are energy, not physical substance. Bodies joining may or may not denote real joining, since joining is of the mind." Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love

]]> <![CDATA[King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering Masculinity Through the Lens of Archetypal Psychology - A Journey into the Male Psyche and Its Four Essential Aspects]]> 91781 Moore and Gillette identify four archetypes of masculine energies from myth and literature: the Lover, brimming with vitality and sensitivity; the Magician, guider of the processes of inner and outer transformation; the selfless and wise King identified with Adam or primordial man; and the Warrior, whose energies often go awry in destructive activity. Dream analysis, meditation, Jungian "active imagination" and ritual processes are among the tools set forth in a clear, concise map to territories of masculine selfhood.]]> 180 Robert L. Moore 0062506064 Razi 5 Moore says that the four aspects of male psyche, King, Warrior, Magician and Lover are present in every man. In some men, one or more of these aspects is more developed than others. Our task is to utilise each energy as and when required.
King creates harmony and order through compassionate guidance and leadership. This is the "father" in every man.
Warrior is the aspect that helps men carve their way in the world, build a career, win in the battle for survival.
Magician is the learner and the interpreter of signs and symbols. He is the fountainhead of all knowledge.
Lover is the artist, the creative genius, the father as the begetter.
Our task in the Jungian journey towards "individuation" is to consciously develop all four energies and summon them consciously as and when required.
The shadow sides of these four elements show up when the warrior becomes the violent gangster, thug, when the King become tyrannical and abusive father/ boss, when the magician becomes the trickster and the lover becomes the philandering womaniser and eternal boy (poir).
These elements exist in both the genders and become dominant at different stages of life.
In a subsequent lecture Moore says that men start as warriors, become magicians when they learn about the world, then they become lovers towards their midlives and finally become Kings when armed with wisdom earned while going through previous three stages. In women the same four energies manifest but in different order. Women, according to Moore, start as lovers, become magicians, in their midlives they become warriors and finally become queens.]]> 4.12 1990 King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering Masculinity Through the Lens of Archetypal Psychology - A Journey into the Male Psyche and Its Four Essential Aspects
author: Robert L. Moore
name: Razi
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
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review:
Very easy to understand description of the different aspects of the male psychology from a neo-Jungian point of view. Rob Moore's lectures are also widely available on Youtube.
Moore says that the four aspects of male psyche, King, Warrior, Magician and Lover are present in every man. In some men, one or more of these aspects is more developed than others. Our task is to utilise each energy as and when required.
King creates harmony and order through compassionate guidance and leadership. This is the "father" in every man.
Warrior is the aspect that helps men carve their way in the world, build a career, win in the battle for survival.
Magician is the learner and the interpreter of signs and symbols. He is the fountainhead of all knowledge.
Lover is the artist, the creative genius, the father as the begetter.
Our task in the Jungian journey towards "individuation" is to consciously develop all four energies and summon them consciously as and when required.
The shadow sides of these four elements show up when the warrior becomes the violent gangster, thug, when the King become tyrannical and abusive father/ boss, when the magician becomes the trickster and the lover becomes the philandering womaniser and eternal boy (poir).
These elements exist in both the genders and become dominant at different stages of life.
In a subsequent lecture Moore says that men start as warriors, become magicians when they learn about the world, then they become lovers towards their midlives and finally become Kings when armed with wisdom earned while going through previous three stages. In women the same four energies manifest but in different order. Women, according to Moore, start as lovers, become magicians, in their midlives they become warriors and finally become queens.
]]> All the Lovers in the Night 59336625
As the long overdue change occurs, however, painful episodes from Fuyuko’s past surface and her behavior slips further and further beyond the pale. All the Lovers in the Night is acute and insightful, entertaining and engaging; it will make readers laugh, and it will make them cry, but it will also remind them, as only the best books do, that sometimes the pain is worth it.]]> 224 Mieko Kawakami 1609456998 Razi 3 3.70 2011 All the Lovers in the Night
author: Mieko Kawakami
name: Razi
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
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]]> <![CDATA[Criminalizing Dissent: The West Bows to Zionism]]> 25773148 26 Brandon Martinez Razi 0 to-read 4.38 2015 Criminalizing Dissent: The West Bows to Zionism
author: Brandon Martinez
name: Razi
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/22
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Origins and History of Consciousness]]> 129503 493 Erich Neumann 0691017611 Razi 0 to-read 4.30 1949 The Origins and History of Consciousness
author: Erich Neumann
name: Razi
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1949
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[You Are The One You've Been Waiting For: Bringing Courageous Love To Intimate Relationships]]> 6524831 Richard C. Schwartz Razi 4 4.40 2008 You Are The One You've Been Waiting For: Bringing Courageous Love To Intimate Relationships
author: Richard C. Schwartz
name: Razi
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/07
date added: 2024/12/07
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]]> <![CDATA[George Seferis: Collected Poems]]> 20727257
Translation and publishing of this book was made possible with the financial support of the Greek Ministry of Education and Religion, Civilization and Sports and EKEBI, the Greek National Center for the Book.]]> 253 George Seferis Razi 0 to-read 4.12 1969 George Seferis: Collected Poems
author: George Seferis
name: Razi
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1969
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Metamorphosis and Other Stories]]> 7723 The Metamorphosis,� a story that is both harrowing and amusing, and a landmark of modern literature.

Bringing together some of Kafka’s finest work, this collection demonstrates the richness and variety of the author’s artistry. �The Judgment,� which Kafka considered to be his decisive breakthrough, and �The Stoker,� which became the first chapter of his novel Amerika, are here included. These two, along with �The Metamorphosis,� form a suite of stories Kafka referred to as “The Sons,� and they collectively present a devastating portrait of the modern family.

Also included are �In the Penal Colony,� a story of a torture machine and its operators and victims, and �A Hunger Artist,� about the absurdity of an artist trying to communicate with a misunderstanding public. Kafka’s lucid, succinct writing chronicles the labyrinthine complexities, the futility-laden horror, and the stifling oppressiveness that permeate his vision of modern life.]]> 224 Franz Kafka 1593080298 Razi 5 4.08 1915 The Metamorphosis and Other Stories
author: Franz Kafka
name: Razi
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1915
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/11/18
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This is a prime example of the literature of "affect". Kafka is all about atmosphere and the feeling generated by his writing. He is astute, ironic and detached like Joyce's God, within and away from his creation, "paring his nails". I read The Metamorphoses 20 years ago and this re-reading brought back memories. Other stories had other peculiarities. I read "Amerika" a few years ago and had forgotten most of it but "The Stoker" reminded me of that book which I should re-read one of these days. 'The Hunger Artist' and 'A Report to the Academy' are hilarious. 'The Judgement' has typical Kafkaesque unexpected shocks and twists whereas 'The Penal Colony' is cold as the steel needles in the torture apparatus that it so vividly describes.
]]> <![CDATA[Loving Sylvia Plath: A Reclamation]]> 123979787 320 Emily Van Duyne 1324006978 Razi 0 to-read 4.24 2024 Loving Sylvia Plath: A Reclamation
author: Emily Van Duyne
name: Razi
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/16
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]]> When Nietzsche Wept 21031
Josef Breuer, one of the founding fathers of psychoanalysis, is at the height of his career. Friedrich Nietzsche, Europe's greatest philosopher, is on the brink of suicidal despair, unable to find a cure for the headaches and other ailments that plague him. When he agrees to treat Nietzsche with his experimental "talking cure", Breuer never expects that he, too, will find solace in their sessions. Only through facing his own inner demons can the gifted healer begin to help his patient.

In When Nietzsche Wept, Irvin Yalom blends fact and fiction, atmosphere and suspense to unfold an unforgettable story about the redemptive power of friendship.]]> 310 Irvin D. Yalom 0060748125 Razi 4 4.36 1992 When Nietzsche Wept
author: Irvin D. Yalom
name: Razi
average rating: 4.36
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/15
date added: 2024/11/16
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Map of Knowledge: How Classical Ideas Were Lost and Found: A History in Seven Cities]]> 41563262
In The Map of Knowledge Violet Moller traces the journey taken by the ideas of three of the greatest scientists of antiquity � Euclid, Galen and Ptolemy � through seven cities and over a thousand years. In it, we follow them from sixth-century Alexandria to ninth-century Baghdad, from Muslim Cordoba to Catholic Toledo, from Salerno’s medieval medical school to Palermo, capital of Sicily’s vibrant mix of cultures, and � finally � to Venice, where that great merchant city’s printing presses would enable Euclid’s geometry, Ptolemy’s system of the stars and Galen’s vast body of writings on medicine to spread even more widely.

In tracing these fragile strands of knowledge from century to century, from east to west and north to south, Moller also reveals the web of connections between the Islamic world and Christendom, connections that would both preserve and transform astronomy, mathematics and medicine from the early Middle Ages to the Renaissance.

Vividly told and with a dazzling cast of characters, The Map of Knowledge is an evocative, nuanced and vibrant account of our common intellectual heritage.

'An endlessly fascinating book, rich in detail, capacious and humane in vision.' Stephen Greenblatt, author of The How the World Became Modern]]> 304 Violet Moller 150982961X Razi 0 to-read 3.87 2019 The Map of Knowledge: How Classical Ideas Were Lost and Found: A History in Seven Cities
author: Violet Moller
name: Razi
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/13
shelves: to-read
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]]> Until August 199928404
Sitting alone beside the languorous blue waters of the lagoon, Ana Magdalena Bach contemplates the men at the hotel bar. She has been happily married for twenty-seven years and has no reason to escape the life she has made with her husband and children. And yet, every August, she travels by ferry here to the island where her mother is buried, and for one night takes a new lover.
Across sultry Caribbean evenings full of salsa and boleros, lotharios and conmen, Ana journeys further each year into the hinterland of her desire and the fear hidden in her heart.
Constantly surprising, joyously sensual, Until August is a profound meditation on freedom, regret, self-transformation, and the mysteries of love—an unexpected gift from one of the greatest writers the world has ever known.]]> 144 Gabriel García Márquez 0593801997 Razi 4 3.52 2024 Until August
author: Gabriel García Márquez
name: Razi
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/08
date added: 2024/11/08
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Be the Love You Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace, and Heal Your Relationships]]> 123279496 304 Nicole LePera 0063267748 Razi 4 3.88 2023 How to Be the Love You Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace, and Heal Your Relationships
author: Nicole LePera
name: Razi
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/08
date added: 2024/11/08
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hamlet's Mill: An Essay Investigating the Origins of Human Knowledge and Its Transmission Through Myth]]> 1439 450 Giorgio de Santillana 0879232153 Razi 4 4.22 1969 Hamlet's Mill: An Essay Investigating the Origins of Human Knowledge and Its Transmission Through Myth
author: Giorgio de Santillana
name: Razi
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1969
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/31
date added: 2024/10/31
shelves:
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]]> Bend Sinister 142529
The first novel Nabokov wrote while living in America and the most overtly political novel he ever wrote, Bend Sinister is a modern classic.While it is filled with veiled puns and characteristically delightful wordplay, it is, first and foremost, a haunting and compelling narrative about a civilized man caught in the tyranny of a police state. Professor Adam Krug, the country's foremost philosopher, offers the only hope of resistance to Paduk, dictator and leader of the Party of the Average Man.In a folly of bureaucratic bungling and ineptitude, the government attempts to co-opt Krug's support in order to validate the new regime.]]> 192 Vladimir Nabokov 0141185767 Razi 0 to-read 3.82 1947 Bend Sinister
author: Vladimir Nabokov
name: Razi
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1947
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/15
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]]> <![CDATA[The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization]]> 18915014 Completely Updated and Revised

This revised edition of Peter Senge’s bestselling classic, The Fifth Discipline, is based on fifteen years of experience in putting the book’s ideas into practice. As Senge makes clear, in the long run the only sustainable competitive advantage is your organization’s ability to learn faster than the competition. The leadership stories in the book demonstrate the many ways that the core ideas in The Fifth Discipline, many of which seemed radical when first published in 1990, have become deeply integrated into people’s ways of seeing the world and their managerial practices.

In The Fifth Discipline, Senge describes how companies can rid themselves of the learning “disabilities� that threaten their productivity and success by adopting the strategies of learning organizations—ones in which new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, collective aspiration is set free, and people are continually learning how to create results they truly desire.

The updated and revised Currency edition of this business classic contains over one hundred pages of new material based on interviews with dozens of practitioners at companies like BP, Unilever, Intel, Ford, HP, Saudi Aramco, and organizations like Roca, Oxfam, and The World Bank. It features a new Foreword about the success Peter Senge has achieved with learning organizations since the book’s inception, as well as new chapters on Impetus (getting started), Strategies, Leaders� New Work, Systems Citizens, and Frontiers for the Future.

Mastering the disciplines Senge outlines in the book

� Reignite the spark of genuine learning driven by people focused on what truly matters to them
� Bridge teamwork into macro-creativity
� Free you of confining assumptions and mindsets
� Teach you to see the forest and the trees
� End the struggle between work and personal time


From the Trade Paperback edition.]]> 565 Peter M. Senge 0307477649 Razi 4 4.15 1990 The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization
author: Peter M. Senge
name: Razi
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1990
rating: 4
read at: 2012/05/28
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sodom and Gomorrah (In Search of Lost Time #4)]]> 8433521 Since the original, prewar translation there has been no completely new rendering of the French original into English. This translation brings to the fore a more sharply engaged, comic and lucid Proust. IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME is one of the greatest, most enjoyable reading experiences in any language. As the great story unfolds from its magical opening scenes to its devastating end, it is the Penguin Proust that makes Proust accessible to a new generation.


Each book is translated by a different, superb translator working under the general editorship of Professor Christopher Prendergast.

]]> 576 Marcel Proust 0141956755 Razi 4 4.38 1922 Sodom and Gomorrah (In Search of Lost Time #4)
author: Marcel Proust
name: Razi
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1922
rating: 4
read at: 2015/10/12
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves:
review:
This one would test your patience like nothing else since the Book of Numbers in Old Testament. Our narrator has grown up and following flowers and bees, he famously ends up discovering a homosexual encounter involving one of the major characters. The dominant theme of this volume is homosexuality as the name suggests but along side homosexuality the themes of scholarship, place names and the ever-present depiction of social encounters are consistently shown. The style is as consitently good in the fourth volume as it was in the first three and then there is something in this volume that other three did not, could not have: a twist in the plot in the very last line which left me exclaiming aloud, "You what?"
]]> <![CDATA[Does Capitalism Have a Future?]]> 18877271 Does Capitalism Have a Future? , a global quintet of distinguished scholars cut their way through to the question of whether our capitalist system can survive in the medium run. Despite the current gloom, conventional wisdom still assumes that there is no real alternative to capitalism. The authors argue that this generalization is a mistaken outgrowth of the optimistic nineteenth-century claim that human history ascends through stages to an enlightened equilibrium of liberal capitalism. All major historical systems have broken down in the end, and in the modern epoch several cataclysmic events-notably the French revolution, World War I, and the collapse of the Soviet bloc-came to pass when contemporary political elites failed to calculate the consequences of the processes they presumed to govern. At present, none of our governing elites and very few intellectuals can fathom a systemic collapse in the coming decades. While the book's contributors arrive at different conclusions, they are in constant dialogue with one another, and they construct a relatively seamless-if open-ended-whole. Written by five of world's most respected scholars of global historical trends, this ambitious book asks the most important of are we on the cusp of a radical world historical shift?]]> 208 Immanuel Wallerstein 0199330875 Razi 4 3.85 2013 Does Capitalism Have a Future?
author: Immanuel Wallerstein
name: Razi
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2017/02/13
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Islam and Early Modern English Literature: The Politics of Romance from Spenser to Milton (Early Modern Cultural Studies 1500�1700)]]> 2618750 248 Benedict S. Robinson 1403977933 Razi 0 to-read 4.00 2007 Islam and Early Modern English Literature: The Politics of Romance from Spenser to Milton (Early Modern Cultural Studies 1500–1700)
author: Benedict S. Robinson
name: Razi
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ratf**ked: The True Story Behind The Secret Plan To Steal America's Democracy]]> 30364340 The explosive account of how Republican legislators and political operatives fundamentally rigged our American democracy through redistricting.


With Barack Obama’s historic election in 2008, pundits proclaimed the Republicans as dead as the Whigs of yesteryear. Yet even as Democrats swooned, a small cadre of Republican operatives, including Karl Rove, Ed Gillespie, and Chris Jankowski began plotting their comeback with a simple yet ingenious plan. These men had devised a way to take a tradition of dirty tricks—known to political insiders as “ratf**king”—to a whole new, unprecedented level. Flooding state races with a gold rush of dark money made possible by Citizens United, the Republicans reshaped state legislatures, where the power to redistrict is held. Reconstructing this never- told-before story, David Daley examines the far-reaching effects of this so-called REDMAP program, which has radically altered America’s electoral map and created a firewall in the House, insulating the party and its wealthy donors from popular democracy. Ratf**ked pulls back the curtain on one of the greatest heists in American political history.]]> 323 David Daley 1631491636 Razi 0 to-read 4.23 2016 Ratf**ked: The True Story Behind The Secret Plan To Steal America's Democracy
author: David Daley
name: Razi
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Karitas Untitled 60033114
Growing up on a farm in early twentieth-century rural Iceland, Karitas Jónsdóttir, one of six siblings, yearns for a new life. An artist, Karitas has a powerful calling and is determined to never let go of her true being, one unsuited for the conventional. But she is powerless against the fateful turns of real life and all its expectations of women. Pulled back time and again by design and by chance to the Icelandic countryside—as dutiful daughter, loving mother, and fisherman’s wife—she struggles to thrive, to be what she was meant to be.

Spanning decades and set against a breathtaking historical canvas, Karitas Untitled, an award-winning classic of Icelandic literature, is a complex and immersive portrait of an artist’s conflict with love, family, nature, and a country unaccustomed to an untraditional woman—but most of all, with herself and the creative instincts she has no choice but to follow.]]> 415 Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir 1542027063 Razi 4 4.09 2004 Karitas Untitled
author: Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir
name: Razi
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/21
date added: 2024/09/21
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy]]> 77920462 Arthur Ross Book Award, Council on Foreign Relations, Bronze Medal
Shortlisted for the Lionel Gelber Prize
A Responsible Statecraft best foreign policy book of 2023

A deeply researched investigation that reveals how the United States is like a spider at the heart of an international web of surveillance and control, which it weaves in the form of globe-spanning networks such as fiber optic cables and obscure payment systems

America’s security state first started to weaponize these channels after 9/11, when they seemed like necessities to combat terrorism—but now they’re a matter of course. Multinational companies like AT&T and Citicorp build hubs, which they use to make money, but which the government can also deploy as choke points. Today’s headlines about trade wars, sanctions, and technology disputes are merely tremors hinting at far greater seismic shifts beneath the surface.

Slowly but surely, Washington has turned the most vital pathways of the world economy into tools of domination over foreign businesses and countries, whether they are rivals or allies, allowing the U.S. to maintain global supremacy. In the process, we have sleepwalked into a new struggle for empire. Using true stories, field-defining findings, and original reporting, Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman show how the most ordinary aspects of the post–Cold War economy have become realms of subterfuge and coercion, and what we must do to ensure that this new arms race doesn’t spiral out of control.]]> 288 Henry Farrell 1250840554 Razi 0 to-read 4.01 2023 Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy
author: Henry Farrell
name: Razi
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> To the Lighthouse 59716
As time winds its way through their lives, the Ramsays face, alone and simultaneously, the greatest of human challenges and its greatest triumph—the human capacity for change.]]> 209 Virginia Woolf Razi 0 re-reading 3.81 1927 To the Lighthouse
author: Virginia Woolf
name: Razi
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1927
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/05
shelves: re-reading
review:

]]> Born of No Woman: A Novel 57345155 Light in August, a young woman's journals divulge the horrible secrets of a wealthy family in late nineteenth-century rural France. Before he is called to bless the body of a woman at the nearby asylum, Father Gabriel receives a strange, troubling confession: hidden under her dress he will find the notebooks that contain Rose's harrowing story. At fourteen years old, Rose is sold to a rich man by her father, a farmer unable to support her and her three younger sisters. Traded for a handful of coins, she becomes the property of the master and is taken away without warning to her new home. This isolated manor that seems like a castle to Rose, with the master's formidable mother and his absent wife, immediately provokes a sense of unease. Rose soon becomes caught in their perverse web, unsure of how to escape and whom she can trust. The English-language debut of critically acclaimed author Franck Bouysse, this exquisitely written novel is both a keen commentary on class and a chilling horror story. Deftly navigating the complexities of desire, abuse, compassion, and resilience, he has created a timeless portrait of human nature left to fester unseen.]]> 368 Franck Bouysse 1635420229 Razi 4 3.96 2019 Born of No Woman: A Novel
author: Franck Bouysse
name: Razi
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/20
date added: 2024/08/20
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review:

]]> Martyr! 139400713 A newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a remarkable search for a family secret that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum. Electrifying, funny, and wholly original, Martyr! heralds the arrival of an essential new voice in contemporary fiction.

Cyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of the Persian Gulf in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying, and toward his mother, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed.

Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others.]]> 331 Kaveh Akbar 0593537610 Razi 3 4.22 2024 Martyr!
author: Kaveh Akbar
name: Razi
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/18
date added: 2024/08/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Capital: A Critique of Political Economy Volume 1]]> 325785 Capital, one of Marx's major and most influential works, was the product of thirty years close study of the capitalist mode of production in England, the most advanced industrial society of his day. This new translation of Volume One, the only volume to be completed and edited by Marx himself, avoids some of the mistakes that have marred earlier versions and seeks to do justice to the literary qualities of the work. The introduction is by Ernest Mandel, author of Late Capitalism, one of the only comprehensive attempts to develop the theoretical legacy of Capital.]]> 1152 Karl Marx 0140445684 Razi 5 The Condition of the Working Class in England]]> 4.28 1867 Capital: A Critique of Political Economy Volume 1
author: Karl Marx
name: Razi
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1867
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
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Very accessible and surprisingly so as I was scared by the writings of Marx's followers among the postmodernist theorists. This book starts with very basic concepts in classical Economics and moves on to more complex issues like alieanation, productivity, surplus labour and capital accumulation. It is dauntingly long but a very rewarding read. At times he makes you feel as if you were still reading Engles The Condition of the Working Class in England
]]> <![CDATA[The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh, #1-4)]]> 99110
Gorgeous watercolor illustrations from Ernest H. Shepard appear in all their glory. With beautiful colors and simple lines, these images hold their own as classics. The tales, filled with superb story lines and lessons, will continue to capture the hearts of new generations.]]> 557 A.A. Milne 0525467262 Razi 5 4.48 1926 The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh, #1-4)
author: A.A. Milne
name: Razi
average rating: 4.48
book published: 1926
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
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]]> <![CDATA[The Complete Sonnets and Poems]]> 42051 768 William Shakespeare 019281933X Razi 4 4.42 The Complete Sonnets and Poems
author: William Shakespeare
name: Razi
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/08/07
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]]> The Call of Cthulhu 15730101 The Call of Cthulhu is a harrowing tale of the weakness of the human mind when confronted by powers and intelligences from beyond our world.]]> 43 H.P. Lovecraft Razi 4 3.97 1928 The Call of Cthulhu
author: H.P. Lovecraft
name: Razi
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1928
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
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]]> <![CDATA[Lysistrata / The Acharnians / The Clouds]]> 1565 256 Aristophanes 0140442871 Razi 4 4.15 -423 Lysistrata / The Acharnians / The Clouds
author: Aristophanes
name: Razi
average rating: 4.15
book published: -423
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Captive / The Fugitive (In Search of Lost Time, #5-6)]]> 863622 The Captive and The Fugitive - contained in this volume, Proust's narrator is living in his mother's apartment in Paris with his lover, Albertine. However, this is far from an idyllic state of affairs. His obsessive love for her means that their relationship is shadowed by jealousy and headed for tragedy.]]> 814 Marcel Proust 0099362619 Razi 4 Swann's Way reaches new heights here. 'Marcel in Love' could be an alternative title but 'The Captive' is far better because till the very end nobody knows who is the captive and who the captor, not even the narrator himself. At time this narrative becomes too slow by even Proustian standards. Still it is a very, very good book about obsession, control, desire and jealousy along with, by now familiar themes, of societal caricature and manners. ]]> 4.40 1923 The Captive / The Fugitive (In Search of Lost Time, #5-6)
author: Marcel Proust
name: Razi
average rating: 4.40
book published: 1923
rating: 4
read at: 2016/04/28
date added: 2024/07/23
shelves:
review:
A usual Proustian affair: meandering descriptions, deep psychological insights and the obsessive protagonist whose need to love and be loved that we first saw in the episode depicting his mother's absence at bedtime at the beginning of Swann's Way reaches new heights here. 'Marcel in Love' could be an alternative title but 'The Captive' is far better because till the very end nobody knows who is the captive and who the captor, not even the narrator himself. At time this narrative becomes too slow by even Proustian standards. Still it is a very, very good book about obsession, control, desire and jealousy along with, by now familiar themes, of societal caricature and manners.
]]> The Histories 831106 336 Tacitus 0140441506 Razi 0 to-read 4.14 The Histories
author: Tacitus
name: Razi
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/20
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]]> <![CDATA[In Search of Wisdom: A Monk, a Philosopher, and a Psychiatrist on What Matters Most]]> 35718222 In Search of Wisdom Highlights� Discovering our deepest aspirations� The friend or impostor?� Learning to live with the full spectrum of our emotions� The art of listening•The burden or idol?� Suffering and its origins� The joy of altruism� The school of simplicity•Guilt and forgiveness� True freedom� Daily practice]]> 333 Matthieu Ricard Razi 4 acquire 4.17 2018 In Search of Wisdom: A Monk, a Philosopher, and a Psychiatrist on What Matters Most
author: Matthieu Ricard
name: Razi
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/18
date added: 2024/06/19
shelves: acquire
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World]]> 164247647 Totem and Taboo, the subtext Girard refutes with polemic daring, vast erudition, and a persuasiveness that leaves the reader compelled to respond, one way or another.

This is the single fullest summation of Girard's ideas to date, the book by which they will stand or fall. In a dialogue with two psychiatrists (Jean-Michel Oughourlian and Guy Lefort), Girard probes an encyclopedic array of topics, ranging across the entire spectrum of anthropology, psychoanalysis, and cultural production.

Girard's point o departure is what he calls 'mimesis,' the conflict that arises when human rivals compete to differentiate themselves from each other, yet succeed only in becoming more and more alike. At certain points in the life of a society, according to Girard, this mimetic conflict erupts into a crisis in which all difference dissolves in indiscriminate violence. In primitive societies, such crises were resolved by the 'scapegoating mechanism,' in which the community, en masse, turned on an unpremeditated victim. The repression of this collective murder and its repetition in ritual sacrifice then formed the foundations of both religion and the restored social order.

How does Christianity, at once the most 'sacrificial' of religions and a faith with a non-violent ideology, fit into this scheme? Girard grants Freud's point, in Totem and Taboo, that Christianity is similar to primitive religion, but only to refute Freud—if Christ is sacrificed, Girard argues, it is not because God willed it, but because human beings wanted it.

The book is not merely, or perhaps not mainly, biblical exegesis, for within its scope fall some of the most vexing problems of social history—the paradox that violence has social efficacy, the function of the scapegoat, the mechanism of anti-semitism.]]> René Girard Razi 5
René Girard's "Things Hidden Since the Beginning of Time" is not a book for the faint of heart. It's a heady cocktail of anthropological, literary, and religious analysis, shaken over ice with a generous twist of human violence. Published in 1978, it remains a cornerstone of Girard's mimetic theory, proposing that violence and scapegoating lie at the very root of human society and myth.

The book takes the form of a conversation between Girard and two psychiatrists, Jean-Michel Oughourlian and Guy Lefort. This engaging format allows Girard to dissect his complex ideas through dialogue, revealing layers of his theory with each exchange. His prose, though dense at times, is peppered with sharp insights that pierce through the veil of conventional human narratives.

At the heart of Girard's thesis lies the concept of "mimetic desire": "to desire what another desires". This seemingly innocuous observation explodes outwards, illuminating the seed of conflict within human interaction. When desire becomes mimetic, it becomes insatiable, leading to rivalry, envy, and ultimately, violence. As Girard puts it, "The moment man sees another man enjoying himself, he wants what the other man has ... He can't bear the other man's satisfaction"

In this mimetic cauldron, the "scapegoat" emerges as a precarious solution. Through collective violence, a victim is ostracized and blamed for the group's mimetic anxieties. This act, Girard argues, temporarily unites the community and restores social order, albeit at a horrific cost. "Sacrifice," he posits, "is not an attempt to appease a capricious god ... but a means of masking and purging the violence that has risen from an internal cause."

Girard backs his claims with an impressive breadth of references, encompassing ancient myths, Biblical texts, and modern literature. He deconstructs Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, revealing the mimetic web of desire and violence that ensnares the characters. He delves into the Gospels, arguing that Jesus exposes the scapegoat mechanism and offers a path towards non-violent resolution.

Girard forces us to confront the dark, primal undercurrents of human behaviour. He throws uncomfortable light on our insatiable desires, our penchant for victim blaming, and the fragility of social order. While his conclusions may be debated, the questions he raises resonate deeply.

Girard states, "If we can find a nonviolent answer to this fundamental problem of mimicry ... then a future opens before us which can be called, without irony, the Kingdom of Man." In this call for a future beyond violence, Girard offers a glimmer of hope amidst the shadows he exposes.

This book is not for everyone. But for those willing to grapple with the unpalatable truths of our existence, "Things Hidden Since the Beginning of Time" offers an unforgettable, albeit unsettling, intellectual journey. It is a work that demands deep engagement, leaving the reader forever changed by its stark revelations.

In conclusion, René Girard's "Things Hidden Since the Beginning of Time" is a challenging yet essential read for anyone interested in the dark underbelly of human behaviour. While its claims may be controversial, its insights into the mechanisms of violence, desire, and the scapegoat remain deeply relevant in our world today. When desire for external niceties is unrestrained (consumerism) internal darkness is a necessary outcome that leads to frustration, need for fulfilment (addiction, patriotism, bigotry) which, in its turn leads to violence which needs a scapegoat to satisfy its own demands. Greed leads to violence which leads to scapegoating and violence is satisfied through violence though this is a temporary solution and since the root-cause (greed/ consumerism/ mimetic desire) is not addressed, the solution (scapegoating) stems violence only in the short-term. The cyclical nature of greed and violence keep repeating themselves. So, if you dare to peer into the abyss, open this book and prepare to have your perceptions irreversibly shattered.]]> 5.00 1978 Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World
author: René Girard
name: Razi
average rating: 5.00
book published: 1978
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/27
date added: 2024/06/13
shelves:
review:
I grew up on Derrida and deconstruction and though I had heard about "mimetic desire" during my studies, I had not investigated this strand of the late 20th Century French thought.

René Girard's "Things Hidden Since the Beginning of Time" is not a book for the faint of heart. It's a heady cocktail of anthropological, literary, and religious analysis, shaken over ice with a generous twist of human violence. Published in 1978, it remains a cornerstone of Girard's mimetic theory, proposing that violence and scapegoating lie at the very root of human society and myth.

The book takes the form of a conversation between Girard and two psychiatrists, Jean-Michel Oughourlian and Guy Lefort. This engaging format allows Girard to dissect his complex ideas through dialogue, revealing layers of his theory with each exchange. His prose, though dense at times, is peppered with sharp insights that pierce through the veil of conventional human narratives.

At the heart of Girard's thesis lies the concept of "mimetic desire": "to desire what another desires". This seemingly innocuous observation explodes outwards, illuminating the seed of conflict within human interaction. When desire becomes mimetic, it becomes insatiable, leading to rivalry, envy, and ultimately, violence. As Girard puts it, "The moment man sees another man enjoying himself, he wants what the other man has ... He can't bear the other man's satisfaction"

In this mimetic cauldron, the "scapegoat" emerges as a precarious solution. Through collective violence, a victim is ostracized and blamed for the group's mimetic anxieties. This act, Girard argues, temporarily unites the community and restores social order, albeit at a horrific cost. "Sacrifice," he posits, "is not an attempt to appease a capricious god ... but a means of masking and purging the violence that has risen from an internal cause."

Girard backs his claims with an impressive breadth of references, encompassing ancient myths, Biblical texts, and modern literature. He deconstructs Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, revealing the mimetic web of desire and violence that ensnares the characters. He delves into the Gospels, arguing that Jesus exposes the scapegoat mechanism and offers a path towards non-violent resolution.

Girard forces us to confront the dark, primal undercurrents of human behaviour. He throws uncomfortable light on our insatiable desires, our penchant for victim blaming, and the fragility of social order. While his conclusions may be debated, the questions he raises resonate deeply.

Girard states, "If we can find a nonviolent answer to this fundamental problem of mimicry ... then a future opens before us which can be called, without irony, the Kingdom of Man." In this call for a future beyond violence, Girard offers a glimmer of hope amidst the shadows he exposes.

This book is not for everyone. But for those willing to grapple with the unpalatable truths of our existence, "Things Hidden Since the Beginning of Time" offers an unforgettable, albeit unsettling, intellectual journey. It is a work that demands deep engagement, leaving the reader forever changed by its stark revelations.

In conclusion, René Girard's "Things Hidden Since the Beginning of Time" is a challenging yet essential read for anyone interested in the dark underbelly of human behaviour. While its claims may be controversial, its insights into the mechanisms of violence, desire, and the scapegoat remain deeply relevant in our world today. When desire for external niceties is unrestrained (consumerism) internal darkness is a necessary outcome that leads to frustration, need for fulfilment (addiction, patriotism, bigotry) which, in its turn leads to violence which needs a scapegoat to satisfy its own demands. Greed leads to violence which leads to scapegoating and violence is satisfied through violence though this is a temporary solution and since the root-cause (greed/ consumerism/ mimetic desire) is not addressed, the solution (scapegoating) stems violence only in the short-term. The cyclical nature of greed and violence keep repeating themselves. So, if you dare to peer into the abyss, open this book and prepare to have your perceptions irreversibly shattered.
]]> <![CDATA[The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient]]> 43726564 Ancient Stoic insights combined with modern psychological research help us overcome—and even benefit from—everyday obstacles.

Some people bounce back in response to setbacks; others break. We often think that these responses are hardwired, but fortunately this is not the case. Philosopher William B. Irvine combines key lessons from the ancient Stoics� thinkers including Marcus Aurelius and Seneca—with modern psychological techniques such as anchoring and framing to develop a surprisingly simple strategy for dealing with life’s unpleasant surprises. These include minor setbacks like being caught in a traffic jam or having a flight cancelled, as well as major setbacks, like those experienced by physicist Stephen Hawking, who slowly lost the ability to move, and surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost an arm to a shark.

By using the updated Stoic strategy, we can transform life’s setbacks into opportunities for becoming calmer, tougher, and more resilient. The Stoic Challenge is a practical guide to using centuries- old wisdom to help us better cope with the stresses of modern living.]]> 192 William B. Irvine 0393652491 Razi 4 3.70 2019 The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient
author: William B. Irvine
name: Razi
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2019
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/06/12
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]]> Ideas 1474783 Edmund Husserl 0020659105 Razi 0 to-read 4.09 1913 Ideas
author: Edmund Husserl
name: Razi
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1913
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life]]> 357464 Writing Down The Bones, teaches a methodof writing that can take you beyond craft to thetrue source of creative power: The mind that is"raw, full of energy, alive andhungry."



Here is compassionate, practical, and oftenhumorous advice about how to find time to write,how to discover your personal style, how to makesentences come alive, and how to overcomeprocrastination and writer's block -- including more thanthirty provocative "Try this" exercises toget your pen moving.



And here alsois a larger vision of the writer's task:balancing daily responsibilities with a commitment towriting; knowing when to take risks as a writer and ahuman being; coming to terms with success andfailure and loss; and learning self-acceptance -- bothin life and art.



WildMind will change your way of writing. Itmay also change your life.]]> 238 Natalie Goldberg 0553347756 Razi 4 4.13 1990 Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life
author: Natalie Goldberg
name: Razi
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1990
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/09
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]]> <![CDATA[Breakfast with Seneca: A Stoic Guide to the Art of Living]]> 56769533 288 David Fideler 039353166X Razi 5 4.24 2021 Breakfast with Seneca: A Stoic Guide to the Art of Living
author: David Fideler
name: Razi
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2021
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth]]> 347852 The Road Less Traveled. In the era of I'm OK, You're OK, Peck was courageous enough to suggest that "life is difficult" and personal growth is a "complex, arduous and lifelong task." His willingness to expose his own life stories as well as to share the intimate stories of his anonymous therapy clients creates a compelling and heartfelt narrative.]]> 320 M. Scott Peck Razi 0 to-read 4.07 1978 The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth
author: M. Scott Peck
name: Razi
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1978
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]]> <![CDATA[Blake, Jung & the Collective Unconscious: The Conflict Between Reason & Imagination (Jung on the Hudson)]]> 698081 272 June K. Singer 0892540516 Razi 0 to-read 4.27 1970 Blake, Jung & the Collective Unconscious: The Conflict Between Reason & Imagination (Jung on the Hudson)
author: June K. Singer
name: Razi
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1970
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]]> What Life Should Mean to You 10816048 Book by Adler, Alfred 300 Alfred Adler 0399502459 Razi 4 3.77 1933 What Life Should Mean to You
author: Alfred Adler
name: Razi
average rating: 3.77
book published: 1933
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/05/16
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]]> <![CDATA[The Way Forward (The Inward Trilogy)]]> 100697520
In these rapidly changing times, it is more important than ever to know ourselves well and fully, even and especially in the face of turmoil. The Way Forward encourages readers to connect more deeply to their intuition, using it to remain focused and grounded amidst a world in constant flux.

In his latest collection of poetry and short prose, Yung Pueblo offers clear strategies for managing the unknown, inhabiting your personal power, and bringing your truest, healthiest self to relationships. Progressing naturally from both Inward and Clarity & Connection , The Way Forward is exactly that­­—an inspired beginning.]]> 240 Yung Pueblo 1524874833 Razi 4 4.38 The Way Forward (The Inward Trilogy)
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]]> No Longer Human 194746 No Longer Human, this leading postwar Japanese writer's second novel, tells the poignant and fascinating story of a young man who is caught between the breakup of the traditions of a northern Japanese aristocratic family and the impact of Western ideas. In consequence, he feels himself "disqualified from being human" (a literal translation of the Japanese title).

Donald Keene, who translated this and Dazai's first novel, The Setting Sun, has said of the author's work: "His world � suggests Chekhov or possibly postwar France, � but there is a Japanese sensibility in the choice and presentation of the material. A Dazai novel is at once immediately intelligible in Western terms and quite unlike any Western book." His writing is in some ways reminiscent of Rimbaud, while he himself has often been called a forerunner of Yukio Mishima.

Cover painting by Noe Nojechowiz, from the collection of John and Barbara Duncan; design by Gertrude Huston]]> 176 Osamu Dazai Razi 3 Notes from the Underground, Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf and Huysman's Against Nature. I really wanted to enjoy it. Maybe I am getting too old for angst-filled writings of this type. I used to really enjoy this genre.]]> 3.99 1948 No Longer Human
author: Osamu Dazai
name: Razi
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1948
rating: 3
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I don't know why but I couldn't get into this one. Maybe my expectations were too high after reading Dostoevsky's Notes from the Underground, Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf and Huysman's Against Nature. I really wanted to enjoy it. Maybe I am getting too old for angst-filled writings of this type. I used to really enjoy this genre.
]]> <![CDATA[How to Read Literature Like a Professor]]> 39933 While many books can be enjoyed for their basic stories, there are often deeper meanings interwoven in these literary texts...

How to Read Literature Like a Professor helps us to discover those hidden truths by looking at literature with the eyes—and the literary codes—of the ultimate professional reader: the college professor.

What does it mean when a fictional hero takes a journey? Shares a meal? Gets drenched in a sudden rain shower? Often, there is much more going on in a novel or poem than is readily visible on the surface � a symbol, maybe, that remains elusive, or an unexpected twist on a character � and there's that sneaking suspicion that the deeper meaning of a literary text keeps escaping you.

In this practical and amusing guide to literature, Thomas C. Foster shows how easy and gratifying it is to unlock those hidden truths, and to discover a world where a road leads to a quest; a shared meal may signify a communion; and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just rain. Ranging from major themes to literary models, narrative devices and form, How to Read Like a Professor is the perfect companion for making your reading experience more enriching, satisfying and fun.]]> 314 Thomas C. Foster 006000942X Razi 4 3.57 2003 How to Read Literature Like a Professor
author: Thomas C. Foster
name: Razi
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2003
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]]> <![CDATA[Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World]]> 30823520 Totem and Taboo, the subtext Girard refutes with polemic daring, vast erudition, and a persuasiveness that leaves the reader compelled to respond, one way or another.

This is the single fullest summation of Girard's ideas to date, the book by which they will stand or fall. In a dialogue with two psychiatrists (Jean-Michel Oughourlian and Guy Lefort), Girard probes an encyclopedic array of topics, ranging across the entire spectrum of anthropology, psychoanalysis, and cultural production.

Girard's point o departure is what he calls 'mimesis,' the conflict that arises when human rivals compete to differentiate themselves from each other, yet succeed only in becoming more and more alike. At certain points in the life of a society, according to Girard, this mimetic conflict erupts into a crisis in which all difference dissolves in indiscriminate violence. In primitive societies, such crises were resolved by the 'scapegoating mechanism,' in which the community, en masse, turned on an unpremeditated victim. The repression of this collective murder and its repetition in ritual sacrifice then formed the foundations of both religion and the restored social order.

How does Christianity, at once the most 'sacrificial' of religions and a faith with a non-violent ideology, fit into this scheme? Girard grants Freud's point, in Totem and Taboo, that Christianity is similar to primitive religion, but only to refute Freud—if Christ is sacrificed, Girard argues, it is not because God willed it, but because human beings wanted it.

The book is not merely, or perhaps not mainly, biblical exegesis, for within its scope fall some of the most vexing problems of social history—the paradox that violence has social efficacy, the function of the scapegoat, the mechanism of anti-semitism.]]> 463 René Girard Razi 5 4.35 1978 Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World
author: René Girard
name: Razi
average rating: 4.35
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]]> <![CDATA[The Ecstasy of Surrender: 12 Surprising Ways Letting Go Can Empower Your Life]]> 18166856 The art of letting go, Dr. Judith Orloff explains, is the secret key to manifesting power and success in all areas of life, including work, relationships, sexuality, radiant aging, and health and healing. In our superconnected world where emails and text messages constantly interrupt us, it’s easier to let go than you think. Once embraced, surrendering removes roadblocks and the exhaustion that comes from “trying too hard”—and it helps you achieve goals more effortlessly and brings ongoing happiness.
With her stunning gift for storytelling coupled with her unique, results-oriented approach to physical, emotional, and spiritual health—marrying neuroscience, psychiatry, intuitive medicine, energy techniques, and more—Judith provides a powerful, practical, and accessible map for anyone who is longing to be happier but who feels stuck, burned-out, tense, worried, or afraid to let go.]]> 432 Judith Orloff 0307338207 Razi 4 3.80 2014 The Ecstasy of Surrender: 12 Surprising Ways Letting Go Can Empower Your Life
author: Judith Orloff
name: Razi
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2014
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius]]> 50484473 From the bestselling authors of The Daily Stoic comes an inspiring guide to the lives of the Stoics, and what the ancients can teach us about happiness, success, resilience and virtue.

Nearly 2,300 years after a ruined merchant named Zeno first established a school on the Stoa Poikile of Athens, Stoicism has found a new audience among those who seek greatness, from athletes to politicians and everyone in between. It's no wonder; the philosophy and its embrace of self-mastery, virtue, and indifference to that which we cannot control is as urgent today as it was in the chaos of the Roman Empire. In Lives of the Stoics, Holiday and Hanselman present the fascinating lives of the men and women who strove to live by the timeless Stoic virtues of Courage. Justice. Temperance. Wisdom. Organized in digestible, mini-biographies of all the well-known--and not so well-known--Stoics, this book vividly brings home what Stoicism was like for the people who loved it and lived it, dusting off powerful lessons to be learned from their struggles and successes. More than a mere history book, every example in these pages, from Epictetus to Marcus Aurelius--slaves to emperors--is designed to help the reader apply philosophy in their own lives. Holiday and Hanselman unveil the core values and ideas that unite figures from Seneca to Cato to Cicero across the centuries. Among them are the idea that self-rule is the greatest empire, that character is fate; how Stoics benefit from preparing not only for success, but failure; and learn to love, not merely accept, the hand they are dealt in life. A treasure of valuable insights and stories, this book can be visited again and again by any reader in search of inspiration from the past.]]> 352 Ryan Holiday 052554187X Razi 4 4.00 2020 Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius
author: Ryan Holiday
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average rating: 4.00
book published: 2020
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]]> <![CDATA[The Reality Slap: Finding Peace and Fulfillment When Life Hurts]]> 12832583

The Reality Slap offers a four-part path for healing from crises based on acceptance and commitment therapy. In these pages, you will learn how to:


� Find peace in the midst of your pain

� Rediscover calm in the midst of chaos

� Turn difficult emotions into wisdom and compassion

� Find fulfillment, even when you can’t get what you want

� Heal your wounds and emerge stronger than before


Unlike some self-help books that claim you can have everything you ever wanted in life, if you only put your mind to it, this book claims that you can't have everything in life. The hard truth of this world is that we are all going to experience disappointment, frustration, failure, loss, rejection, illness, injury, aging, and death at some point. However, in spite of all this, you can still lead a rich and rewarding life. Let this book be your guide.]]> 208 Russ Harris 160882280X Razi 4 4.09 2011 The Reality Slap: Finding Peace and Fulfillment When Life Hurts
author: Russ Harris
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average rating: 4.09
book published: 2011
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]]> <![CDATA[How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life]]> 31423245 In the tradition of How to Live and How Proust Can Change Your Life, a philosopher asks how ancient Stoicism can help us flourish today

Whenever we worry about what to eat, how to love, or simply how to be happy, we are worrying about how to lead a good life. No goal is more elusive. In How to Be a Stoic, philosopher Massimo Pigliucci offers Stoicism, the ancient philosophy that inspired the great emperor Marcus Aurelius, as the best way to attain it. Stoicism is a pragmatic philosophy that focuses our attention on what is possible and gives us perspective on what is unimportant. By understanding Stoicism, we can learn to answer crucial questions: Should we get married or divorced? How should we handle our money in a world nearly destroyed by a financial crisis? How can we survive great personal tragedy? Whoever we are, Stoicism has something for us–and How to Be a Stoic is the essential guide.]]> 288 Massimo Pigliucci 0465097952 Razi 4 4.01 2017 How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life
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]]> <![CDATA[How to Be Nice to Yourself: The Everyday Guide to Self-Compassion: Effective Strategies to Increase Self-Love and Acceptance]]> 46025526
Today’s the day to start loving yourself. How to Be Nice to Yourself makes it simple to start practicing self compassion with a wide variety of techniques and strategies that anyone can learn.

Filled with easy-to-use advice drawn from a variety of sources—including meditation, mindfulness, and acceptance and commitment therapy—this book will help you find the right way to start feeling good about yourself.

How to Be Nice to The Everyday Guide to Self Compassion

Proven Strategies—Learn a variety of ways to practice self compassion daily—with meditations, writing exercises, and more.Practical Advice—Bring self compassion to your thoughts, emotions, and actions with exercises that can easily be applied to your daily life.Personalized Approach—Customize your self compassion practice with a personalized plan based on what matters to you and the kind of changes you want to see. Start loving yourself with the techniques that work best for you. You’ll discover them in How to be Nice to The Everyday Guide to Self Compassion.]]> 172 Laura Silberstein-Tirch 1641522623 Razi 4 3.59 How to Be Nice to Yourself: The Everyday Guide to Self-Compassion: Effective Strategies to Increase Self-Love and Acceptance
author: Laura Silberstein-Tirch
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]]> <![CDATA[Mother Night: Myths, Stories, and Teachings for Learning to See in the Dark]]> 7641026 Women Who Run With the Wolves. This six-session learning event invites us to tap the generative power of the goodness of the core self that is, all creativity and understanding that lies out of sight in darkness often called the unconscious. Throughout 11 hours of teaching stories, you'll hear 12 stories and myths told here for the first time.]]> 0 Clarissa Pinkola Estés 1591799155 Razi 4 4.57 2010 Mother Night: Myths, Stories, and Teachings for Learning to See in the Dark
author: Clarissa Pinkola Estés
name: Razi
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2010
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Careless People: Murder, Mayhem, and the Invention of The Great Gatsby]]> 18079759 Tracing the genesis of a masterpiece, a Fitzgerald scholar follows the novelist as he begins work on The Great Gatsby. The autumn of 1922 found F. Scott Fitzgerald at the height of his fame, days from turning twenty-six years old, and returning to New York for the publication of his fourth book, Tales of the Jazz Age. A spokesman for America’s carefree younger generation, Fitzgerald found a home in the glamorous and reckless streets of New York. Here, in the final incredible months of 1922, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald drank and quarreled and partied amid financial scandals, literary milestones, car crashes, and celebrity disgraces.

Yet the Fitzgeralds� triumphant return to New York coincided with another event: the discovery of a brutal double murder in nearby New Jersey, a crime made all the more horrible by the farce of a police investigation—which failed to accomplish anything beyond generating enormous publicity for the newfound celebrity participants. Proclaimed the "crime of the decade" even as its proceedings dragged on for years, the Mills-Hall murder has been wholly forgotten today. But the enormous impact of this bizarre crime can still be felt in The Great Gatsby, a novel Fitzgerald began planning that autumn of 1922 and whose plot he ultimately set within that fateful year.

Careless People is a unique literary investigation: a gripping double narrative that combines a forensic search for clues to an unsolved crime and a quest for the roots of America’s best loved novel. Overturning much of the received wisdom of the period, Careless People blends biography and history with lost newspaper accounts, letters, and newly discovered archival materials. With great wit and insight, acclaimed scholar of American literature Sarah Churchwell reconstructs the events of that pivotal autumn, revealing in the process new ways of thinking about Fitzgerald’s masterpiece.

Interweaving the biographical story of the Fitzgeralds with the unfolding investigation into the murder of Hall and Mills, Careless People is a thrilling combination of literary history and murder mystery, a mesmerizing journey into the dark heart of Jazz Age America.]]> 399 Sarah Churchwell 1594204748 Razi 0 to-read 3.59 2013 Careless People: Murder, Mayhem, and the Invention of The Great Gatsby
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]]> <![CDATA[So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures]]> 20454072 The Great Gatsby?

Maureen Corrigan, the book critic for "Fresh Air" and a Gatsby lover extraordinaire, points out that while Gatsby may be the novel most Americans have read, it's also the ones most of us read too soon -- when we were "too young, too defensive emotionally, too ignorant about the life-deforming powers of regret" to really understand all that Fitzgerald was saying ("it's not the green light, stupid, it's Gatsby's reaching for it," as she puts it). No matter when or how recently you've read the novel, Corrigan offers a fresh perspective on what makes it so enduringly relevant and powerful. Drawing on her experience as a reader, lecturer, and critic, her book will be a rousing consideration of Gatsby: not just its literary achievements, but also its path to "classic" (its initial lukewarm reception has been a form of cold comfort to struggling novelists for decades), its under-acknowledged debt to hard-boiled crime fiction, its commentaries on race, class, and gender.

With rigor, wit, and an evangelistic persuasiveness, Corrigan will leave readers inspired to grab their old paperback copies of Gatsby and re-experience this great novel in an entirely new light.]]> 352 Maureen Corrigan 0316230073 Razi 5 4.03 2014 So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures
author: Maureen Corrigan
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average rating: 4.03
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]]> <![CDATA[The Ultimate Stoicism Collection Letters from a Stoic (All 124 Letters)]]> 58462655
The Ultimate Stoicism Collection includes:

Letters from a Stoic (All 124 Letters) was written by Seneca during his retirement and sent to his friend Lucilius Junior, a procurator of Sicily. Seneca's major contribution to Stoicism was to humanize a system that could appear cold and unrealistic. The letters reveal how far in advance of his time Seneca's ideas were, for example his disgust at the shows in the Roman arena or his criticism of the treatment of slaves.
Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy.
The Enchiridion is a collection of the most profound teachings of Epictetus who taught that philosophy is a way of life and not just a matter of theory. The Enchiridion is a canonical text of Stoic philosophy and contains all the fundamentals. Among them is the principle of not being concerned with that which is out of one’s control. Misfortune should not disturb the individual at all and should not be perceived negatively. Epictetus teaches that the only genuine value exists in virtuous action and accepting everything that happens in the world. He believed that one should do what is right and remain indifferent to criticism.
Of Peace of Mind is a dialogue written by Seneca the Younger during the years 49 to 62 AD. It concerns the state of mind of Seneca's friend Annaeus Serenus, and how to cure Serenus of anxiety, worry, and disgust with life.
Of Anger: With respect to the emotions, Seneca distinguishes between involuntary reactions and full-blown emotions, which involve assent and thus are voluntary. They are voluntary in the sense that assent is in the agent’s power. This is a key piece of Stoic doctrine - that whether we are foolish or wise, it is in our power to assent or not assent to impressions.
"Of Providence" is a short essay in the form of a dialogue in six brief sections, to deal with the problem of the coexistence of the Stoic design of providence with the evil in the world. The dialogue is opened by Lucilius complaining with his friend Seneca that adversities and misfortunes can happen to good men too. How can this fit with the goodness connected with the design of providence? Seneca answers according to the Stoic point of view.
The Discourses of Epictetus is a series of informal lectures, compiled by Seneca’s pupil Arrian. The Stoic emphasis on endurance, self-restraint, and the power of the will to withstand calamity could often appear cold and inhuman. Epictetus, however, offers the most humane interpretation of Stoic ideals by using humor, imaginary conversations, and homely comparisons to put his message across. It is a practical philosophy that directs students to focus attention on their opinions, anxieties, passions, and desires.
The Golden Sayings of Epictetus: In these aphorisms, the philosopher reflects on our mortality and the knowledge that we will suffer in this life. However, each of us has the choice to endure with dignity those setbacks that we cannot control, he contends. Acceptance is core in Stoic doctrine. The wisdom of Epictetus has its roots in Socrates, confirming that we get upset by our judgement’s of circumstances, not by the circumstance itself.
Fragments Attributed to Epictetus: Epictetus taught that philosophy is a way of life, not just a theoretical discipline. The idea that we should only focus our efforts on what is inside our sphere of choice and that we ought to train ourselves to be indifferent to what is outside that sphere is repeated throughout his Discourses and these Fragments. To Epictetus, all external events are beyond our control, and we should calmly accept whatever happens. However, individuals are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through self-discipline.
Lives of the Eminent Philosophers is devoted to the Stoics like Zeno of Citium, Ariston of Chios, Herillus, Dionysius the Renegade, Cleanthes, and Sphaerus.
Marcus Aurelius Biography covers the life, the times, and the philosophy of Marcus Aurelius (121-180). The 17th emperor of Rome preserved and protected the Empire, mainly by keeping the Parthians in the east and the northern barbarians at bay.
Public Domain (P)2020 Museum Audiobooks]]> Razi 5 4.33 The Ultimate Stoicism Collection Letters from a Stoic (All 124 Letters)
author: Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, John Lord
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]]> The Comfort Book 55825273 The new uplifting book from Matt Haig, the New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library, for anyone in search of hope, looking for a path to a more meaningful life, or in need of a little encouragement.

“It is a strange paradox, that many of the clearest, most comforting life lessons are learnt while we are at our lowest. But then we never think about food more than when we are hungry and we never think about life rafts more than when we are thrown overboard.�

The Comfort Book is Haig’s life raft: it’s a collection of notes, lists, and stories written over a span of several years that originally served as gentle reminders to Haig’s future self that things are not always as dark as they may seem. Incorporating a diverse array of sources from across the world, history, science, and his own experiences, Haig offers warmth and reassurance, reminding us to slow down and appreciate the beauty and unpredictability of existence.]]> 272 Matt Haig 0143136666 Razi 5 4.07 2021 The Comfort Book
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name: Razi
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2021
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Practicing Radical Honesty: How to Complete the Past, Live in the Present, and Build a Future with a Little Help from Your Friends]]> 551512
The book is divided into five sections:
1. True Individuality
2. Community and Compassion
3. Creating Your Own Destiny
4. How To Speak and Listen Your Projects Into Reality
5. Paradigms And Contexts: The Revolution of Consciousness as Political Change]]> 358 Brad Blanton 0963092197 Razi 4 3.73 2000 Practicing Radical Honesty: How to Complete the Past, Live in the Present, and Build a Future with a Little Help from Your Friends
author: Brad Blanton
name: Razi
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2000
rating: 4
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]]> Sufism: A Global History 14317797 288 Nile Green 1405157615 Razi 0 to-read 3.41 2012 Sufism: A Global History
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]]> Ten Myths About Israel 31171856
In this groundbreaking book, published on the fiftieth anniversary of the Occupation, the outspoken and radical Israeli historian Ilan Pappe examines the most contested ideas concerning the origins and identity of the contemporary state of Israel.

The “ten myths� that Pappe explores—repeated endlessly in the media, enforced by the military, accepted without question by the world’s governments—reinforce the regional status quo. He explores the claim that Palestine was an empty land at the time of the Balfour Declaration, as well as the formation of Zionism and its role in the early decades of nation building. He asks whether the Palestinians voluntarily left their homeland in 1948, and whether June 1967 was a war of “no choice.� Turning to the myths surrounding the failures of the Camp David Accords and the official reasons for the attacks on Gaza, Pappe explains why the two-state solution is no longer viable.]]> 192 Ilan Pappé 1786630192 Razi 0 to-read 4.39 2017 Ten Myths About Israel
author: Ilan Pappé
name: Razi
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress]]> 450534
When the Body Says No is an impressive contribution to research on the physiological connection between life's stresses and emotions and the body systems governing nerves, immune apparatus and hormones. With great compassion and erudition, Gabor Maté demystifies medical science and, as he did in Scattered Minds , invites us all to be our own health advocates.]]> 320 Gabor Maté 0676973124 Razi 0 to-read 4.21 2003 When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress
author: Gabor Maté
name: Razi
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[History of Edom and Khazaria by Lewis, Melchizedek Y. (1989) Paperback]]> 2082007 310 Melchizedek Y. Lewis 0966542606 Razi 0 to-read 4.22 1989 History of Edom and Khazaria by Lewis, Melchizedek Y. (1989) Paperback
author: Melchizedek Y. Lewis
name: Razi
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1989
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Getting Real: Ten Truth Skills You Need to Live an Authentic Life]]> 249721 224 Susan M. Campbell 0915811928 Razi 0 to-read 4.16 2001 Getting Real: Ten Truth Skills You Need to Live an Authentic Life
author: Susan M. Campbell
name: Razi
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[I love this version of myself that you brought out: a memoir of a broken heart]]> 205134066 296 Jaymen Chang Razi 0 to-read 4.27 I love this version of myself that you brought out: a memoir of a broken heart
author: Jaymen Chang
name: Razi
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> My Death 6218239
The narrator of Lisa Tuttle’s uncanny novella is a recent widow, a writer adrift. Not only has she lost her husband, but her muse seems to have deserted her altogether. Her agent summons her to Edinburgh to discuss her next book. What will she tell him? At once the answer comes to she will write the biography of Helen Ralston, best known, if at all, as the subject of W.E. Logan’s much-reproduced painting Circe , and the inspiration for his classic children’s book.

But Ralston was a novelist and artist in her own right, though her writing is no longer in print and her most storied painting too shocking, too powerful—malevolent even—to be shown in public. Over the months that follow, Ralston proves a reluctantly cooperative subject, even as her biographer uncovers eerie resonances between the older woman’s life and her own. Whose biography is she writing, really?]]> 93 Lisa Tuttle 1902880900 Razi 0 to-read 3.88 2004 My Death
author: Lisa Tuttle
name: Razi
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy]]> 5617966 A Guide to the Good Life, William B. Irvine plumbs the wisdom of Stoic philosophy, one of the most popular and successful schools of thought in ancient Rome, and shows how its insight and advice are still remarkably applicable to modern lives.
In A Guide to the Good Life, Irvine offers a refreshing presentation of Stoicism, showing how this ancient philosophy can still direct us toward a better life. Using the psychological insights and the practical techniques of the Stoics, Irvine offers a roadmap for anyone seeking to avoid the feelings of chronic dissatisfaction that plague so many of us. Irvine looks at various Stoic techniques for attaining tranquility and shows how to put these techniques to work in our own life. As he does so, he describes his own experiences practicing Stoicism and offers valuable first-hand advice for anyone wishing to live better by following in the footsteps of these ancient philosophers. Readers learn how to minimize worry, how to let go of the past and focus our efforts on the things we can control, and how to deal with insults, grief, old age, and the distracting temptations of fame and fortune. We learn from Marcus Aurelius the importance of prizing only things of true value, and from Epictetus we learn how to be more content with what we have.
Finally, A Guide to the Good Life shows readers how to become thoughtful observers of their own life. If we watch ourselves as we go about our daily business and later reflect on what we saw, we can better identify the sources of distress and eventually avoid that pain in our life. By doing this, the Stoics thought, we can hope to attain a truly joyful life.]]> 326 William B. Irvine 0195374614 Razi 0 to-read 4.18 2008 A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
author: William B. Irvine
name: Razi
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice]]> 402843
So begins this most beloved of all American Zen books. Seldom has such a small handful of words provided a teaching as rich as has this famous opening line. In a single stroke, the simple sentence cuts through the pervasive tendency students have of getting so close to Zen as to completely miss what it’s all about. An instant teaching on the first page. And that’s just the beginning.

In the forty years since its original publication, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind has become one of the great modern Zen classics, much beloved, much reread, and much recommended as the best first book to read on Zen. Suzuki Roshi presents the basics—from the details of posture and breathing in zazen to the perception of nonduality—in a way that is not only remarkably clear, but that also resonates with the joy of insight from the first to the last page. It’s a book to come back to time and time again as an inspiration to practice, and it is now available to a new generation of seekers in this fortieth anniversary edition, with a new afterword by Shunryu Suzuki’s biographer, David Chadwick.
]]> 138 Shunryu Suzuki 0834800799 Razi 5 So when you try hard to make your own way, you will help others, and you will be helped by others.
Before you make your own way you cannot help anyone, and no one can help you.�

Simple teachings in how to "be" without illusions, struggles, ambitions, judgements, attachments or even thoughts themselves. Very clear, very simple. Truly for the beginners, the only pre-requisite is curiosity and a willingness to learn.

“If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.”]]> 4.21 1970 Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice
author: Shunryu Suzuki
name: Razi
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1970
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/26
date added: 2024/03/26
shelves:
review:
“The best way is to understand yourself, and then you will understand everything.
So when you try hard to make your own way, you will help others, and you will be helped by others.
Before you make your own way you cannot help anyone, and no one can help you.�

Simple teachings in how to "be" without illusions, struggles, ambitions, judgements, attachments or even thoughts themselves. Very clear, very simple. Truly for the beginners, the only pre-requisite is curiosity and a willingness to learn.

“If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.�
]]> <![CDATA[You Are Not What You Think: The Egoless Path to Self-Esteem and Generous Love]]> 25241898 You and your ego: how to develop a healthy sense of self without becoming an egotist—and how to see through that sense of self for the happiness of yourself and others.


How can you build the healthy ego necessary to be effective in life—yet avoid the kind of egotism that makes people dislike you? Don't worry; Dave Richo has the answers. His new book shows you how to navigate the tricky waters between egotism and selflessness in a way that avoids both extremes and makes you much more effective and loving. The key is to acknowledge your ego and to be kind to it, before you ultimately learn to let it go.

As with all Dave's books, this one is full of examples from myth and religion, with plenty of exercises and practical advice.

“This well-written, easy-to-read book will give a wealth of practical advice on how to unhook and disentangle yourself from the myriad unhelpful thoughts, beliefs, self-judgments, and self-concepts that we often refer to as ‘ego.� If you want a healthier, happier, more compassionate relationship with yourself, this book is for you.”—Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living

“David Richo uses concepts from neuroscience, psychology, and Buddhism to show us how to make a friend of our ego, that oddly obstreperous, often tyrannical � but ultimately useful � chimera.� –Norman Fischer, author of Experience: on Thinking, Writing, Language and Religion, and What is Zen? Plain Talk for a Beginner’s Mind]]> 192 David Richo 1611802857 Razi 4 4.03 2015 You Are Not What You Think: The Egoless Path to Self-Esteem and Generous Love
author: David Richo
name: Razi
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/25
date added: 2024/03/26
shelves:
review:

]]> The Buddha: A Storied Life 146827061
In this book, twelve leading scholars of South Asian texts and traditions articulate the Buddha-life blueprint--the underlying and foundational pattern that holds the life story of a buddha together. They retell the episodes of Buddha Gautama's extended life story, while keeping in mind the cosmic, paradigmatic arc of his narrative. The contributors have dedicated their careers to exploring hagiographical materials, each applying their own methodological and theoretical interests to shed new light on the enduring story of Buddhism. Using multiple perspectives, voices, and sources, this volume underscores the multivalent centrality of this story. The book will be an invaluable resource to practicing Buddhists and students of Buddhist Studies to help them engage in the most foundational story of the tradition.]]> 280 Vanessa R. Sasson 0197649475 Razi 3 3.89 The Buddha: A Storied Life
author: Vanessa R. Sasson
name: Razi
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/23
date added: 2024/03/24
shelves:
review:
Quite a lot of jargon in Sanskrit, Pali and even Chinese languages in there. If you can deal with that then it is a good source of knowledge that covers diverse aspects of Buddha's life using different ancient sources. Obviously not for the beginners like me.
]]> <![CDATA[When Love Meets Fear: Becoming Defense-less and Resource-full]]> 671855
-- is written in a conversational tone, yet is informed by dozens of sources and years of professional experience

-- helps distinguish between neurotic fear and appropriate fear

-- integrates psychology with an ecumenical spirituality

-- includes affirmations, suggestions, and concrete actions]]> 228 David Richo 080913702X Razi 0 to-read 4.32 1997 When Love Meets Fear: Becoming Defense-less and Resource-full
author: David Richo
name: Razi
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism]]> 75560036
Capitalism is dead. Welcome to technofeudalism. The perfect Christmas gift for the political visionaries in your life.

In his boldest and most far-reaching book, the visionary economist and number-one bestselling author Yanis Varoufakis shows how the owners of big tech became the world's feudal overlords � replacing capitalism with a fundamentally new system that enslaves our minds, defies democracy and rewrite the rules of global power.

But as Varoufakis also reveals, technofeudalism contains new opportunities to thwart and overturn it, bringing into focus more clearly than ever the revolution we need to escape our digital prison.

‘An epochal, once-in-a-millennium shift . . . this isn't just new technology. This is the world grappling with an entirely new economic system and therefore political power� Observer

‘An urgent demand to seize the means of computation� CORY DOCTOROW

A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR]]> 224 Yanis Varoufakis Razi 5 4.03 2023 Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism
author: Yanis Varoufakis
name: Razi
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/03/22
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture]]> 58537332 In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, a groundbreaking investigation into the causes of illness, a bracing critique of how our society breeds disease, and a pathway to health and healing.

In this revolutionary book, renowned physician Gabor Maté eloquently dissects how in Western countries that pride themselves on their healthcare systems, chronic illness and general ill health are on the rise. Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug; more than half take two. In Canada, every fifth person has high blood pressure. In Europe, hypertension is diagnosed in more than 30 percent of the population. And everywhere, adolescent mental illness is on the rise. So what is really “normal� when it comes to health?

Over four decades of clinical experience, Maté has come to recognize the prevailing understanding of “normal� as false, neglecting the roles that trauma and stress, and the pressures of modern-day living, exert on our bodies and our minds at the expense of good health. For all our expertise and technological sophistication, Western medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how today’s culture stresses the body, burdens the immune system, and undermines emotional balance. Now Maté brings his perspective to the great untangling of common myths about what makes us sick, connects the dots between the maladies of individuals and the declining soundness of society—and offers a compassionate guide for health and healing. Co-written with his son Daniel, The Myth of Normal is Maté’s most ambitious and urgent book yet.]]> 576 Gabor Maté 0593083881 Razi 5 4.30 2022 The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture
author: Gabor Maté
name: Razi
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/19
date added: 2024/03/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered]]> 18290401 In his New York Times bestseller Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon showed readers how to unlock their creativity by “stealing� from the community of other movers and shakers. Now, in an even more forward-thinking and necessary book, he shows how to take that critical next step on a creative journey—getting known.

Show Your Work! is about why generosity trumps genius. It’s about getting findable, about using the network instead of wasting time “networking.� It’s not self-promotion, it’s self-discovery—let others into your process, then let them steal from you. Filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples, Show Your Work! offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, productive.

In chapters such as You Don’t Have to Be a Genius; Share Something Small Every Day; and Stick Around, Kleon creates a user’s manual for embracing the communal nature of creativity� what he calls the “ecology of talent.� From broader life lessons about work (you can’t find your voice if you don’t use it) to the etiquette of sharing—and the dangers of oversharing—to the practicalities of Internet life (build a good domain name; give credit when credit is due), it’s an inspiring manifesto for succeeding as any kind of artist or entrepreneur in the digital age.

]]> 215 Austin Kleon 076117897X Razi 0 to-read 4.09 2014 Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered
author: Austin Kleon
name: Razi
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[IntraConnected: MWe (Me + We) as the Integration of Self, Identity, and Belonging (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)]]> 56769542 336 Daniel J. Siegel 0393711692 Razi 4
Siegel is one among the long line of very, very intelligent people in our time who are saying everything that needs to be said but are ignored by those who rule this world and who manufacture our psyche through media-manipulation and propaganda. Never in the history of mankind was the truth so clearly visible and so vehemently ignored/denied. Our present social, economic and educational systems do not bode very well for the future of humanity. We are doing many things that are wrong and we are persisting in doing them in the face of overwhelming evidence to show the harm we are causing by persisting in our errors.

Siegel suggests a synergistic relation to the planet and our communities. A symbiotic contact with our human and environmental relationships wherein each supports and is supported by each. Community, family, nature, empathy, all that is bad for corporate profits is good for human well-being. All these things were supported by traditional social and tribal systems. We need to learn some humility and approach those traditions to learn the solution to our endemic problems of psycho/physical ailments. All that is well and good but where is the profit in all this? Is there a market for human compassion and connection?]]> 3.89 IntraConnected: MWe (Me + We) as the Integration of Self, Identity, and Belonging (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)
author: Daniel J. Siegel
name: Razi
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/17
date added: 2024/03/17
shelves:
review:
I finished it a few days ago but didn't know what to say about it. It really deserves 3 stars but the author intends well and the ambitions of this work are noble. It is just too long. All this could be said in a shorter book which would have attracted a wider readership and taken less time to read.

Siegel is one among the long line of very, very intelligent people in our time who are saying everything that needs to be said but are ignored by those who rule this world and who manufacture our psyche through media-manipulation and propaganda. Never in the history of mankind was the truth so clearly visible and so vehemently ignored/denied. Our present social, economic and educational systems do not bode very well for the future of humanity. We are doing many things that are wrong and we are persisting in doing them in the face of overwhelming evidence to show the harm we are causing by persisting in our errors.

Siegel suggests a synergistic relation to the planet and our communities. A symbiotic contact with our human and environmental relationships wherein each supports and is supported by each. Community, family, nature, empathy, all that is bad for corporate profits is good for human well-being. All these things were supported by traditional social and tribal systems. We need to learn some humility and approach those traditions to learn the solution to our endemic problems of psycho/physical ailments. All that is well and good but where is the profit in all this? Is there a market for human compassion and connection?
]]> <![CDATA[Love's Work: A Reckoning with Life]]> 759251 144 Gillian Rose 0805210784 Razi 0 to-read 3.98 1995 Love's Work: A Reckoning with Life
author: Gillian Rose
name: Razi
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World]]> 62790909 Bestselling journalist Antony Loewenstein uncovers the widespread commercialisation and brutal deployment globally of Israel’s occupation-enforcing technologies.

For more than 50 years, the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza has given the Israeli state invaluable experience in controlling an ‘enemy� population, the Palestinians. It’s here that they have perfected the architecture of control, using the occupied Palestinian territories as a testing ground for weaponry and surveillance technology that they then export around the world.

The Palestine Laboratory shows in depth and for the first time how Israel has become a leader in developing spying technology and defence hardware that fuels some of the globe’s most brutal conflicts � from the Pegasus software that hacked Jeff Bezos’s and Jamal Khashoggi’s phones, and the weapons sold to the Myanmar army that has murdered thousands of Rohingyas, to the drones being used by the European Union to monitor refugees in the Mediterranean who are left to drown.

In a global investigation that uncovers secret documents, based on revealing interviews and on-the-ground reporting, Antony Loewenstein shows how, as ethno-nationalism grows in the 21st century, Israel has built the ultimate tools for despots and democracies.]]> 320 Antony Loewenstein 1922310409 Razi 0 to-read 4.46 2023 The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World
author: Antony Loewenstein
name: Razi
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich]]> 17125 The only English translation authorized by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

First published in the Soviet journal Novy Mir in 1962, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich stands as a classic of contemporary literature. The story of labor-camp inmate Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, it graphically describes his struggle to maintain his dignity in the face of communist oppression. An unforgettable portrait of the entire world of Stalin's forced work camps, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is one of the most extraordinary literary documents to have emerged from the Soviet Union and confirms Solzhenitsyn's stature as "a literary genius whose talent matches that of Dosotevsky, Turgenev, Tolstoy"--Harrison Salisbury

This unexpurgated 1991 translation by H. T. Willetts is the only authorized edition available, and fully captures the power and beauty of the original Russian.]]> 182 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Razi 4 3.98 1962 One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
author: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
name: Razi
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1962
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/03/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation]]> 6315775 Mindsight allows you to make positive changes in your brain-and in your life.

- Is there a memory that torments you, or an irrational fear you can' t shake?
- Do you sometimes become unreasonably angry or upset and find it hard to calm down?
- Do you ever wonder why you can't stop behaving the way you do, no matter how hard you try?
- Are you and your child (or parent, partner, or boss) locked in a seemingly inevitable pattern of conflict?

What if you could escape traps like these and live a fuller, richer, happier life? This isn't mere speculation but the result of twenty-five years of careful hands-on clinical work by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. A Harvard-trained physician, Dr. Siegel is one of the revolutionary global innovators in the integration of brain science into the practice of psychotherapy. Using case histories from his practice, he shows how, by following the proper steps, nearly everyone can learn how to focus their attention on the internal world of the mind in a way that will literally change the wiring and architecture of their brain.

Through his synthesis of a broad range of scientific research with applications to everyday life, Dr. Siegel has developed novel approaches that have helped hundreds of patients heal themselves from painful events in the past and liberate themselves from obstacles blocking their happiness in the present. And now he has written the first book that will help all of us understand the potential we have to create our own lives. Showing us mindsight in action, Dr. Siegel describes

- a sixteen-year-old boy with bipolar disorder who uses meditation and other techniques instead of drugs to calm the emotional storms that made him suicidal
- a woman paralyzed by anxiety, who uses mindsight to discover, in an unconscious memory of a childhood accident, the source of her dread
- a physician-the author himself-who pays attention to his intuition, which he experiences as a "vague, uneasy feeling in my belly, a gnawing restlessness in my heart and my gut," and tracks down a patient who could have gone deaf because of an inaccurately written prescription for an ear infection
- a twelve-year-old girl with OCD who learns a meditation that is "like watching myself from outside myself" and, using a form of internal dialogue, is able to stop the compulsive behaviors that have been tormenting her

These and many other extraordinary stories illustrate how mindsight can help us master our emotions, heal our relationships, and reach our fullest potential.

A book as inspiring as it is informative, as practical as it is profound, Mindsight offers exciting new proof that we aren't hardwired to behave in certain ways, but instead have the ability to harness the power of our minds to resculpt the neural pathways of our brains in ways that will be life-transforming.]]> 336 Daniel J. Siegel 0553804707 Razi 5
In "Mindsight," Dr. Daniel Siegel proposes a new concept: the ability to see our own minds and the minds of others with clarity. He calls this ability "mindsight".

Siegel argues that mindsight is a skill we can develop, and that doing so can have a positive impact on our lives. By understanding how our brains work and how our thoughts and emotions influence each other, we can gain more control over our reactions and behaviors.

The book explores the science behind mindsight, drawing on neuroscience research to show how our brains are wired for connection and growth. Siegel also provides practical exercises to help readers develop their own mindsight.

Here are some key takeaways from "Mindsight":

Mindsight is a learnable skill:
We can all improve our ability to understand our own minds and the minds of others.

Mindsight can improve our relationships:
When we can see things from another person's perspective, it strengthens our connections.

Mindsight can help us heal:
By understanding our emotions, we can better manage them and cope with difficult situations.

Mindsight can change our brains:
The way we focus our attention can literally reshape the neural connections in our brains.

The book talks about the "Triangle of Well-being", i-e our physical brain, our psychological mind and our relationships with other people. An individual can be termed as healthy if all three aspects of this construct are looked after and stable. The damage to the physical brain can hurt the individual themselves and their relationships, so do the other two sides of the triangle. There can be no harmonious existence without the harmony between the brain, the psychological health and relational strength.

After discussing the effects of the damage to the physical brain, a damage that can be reversed through the brain's innate system of neuroplasticity, the conditions for a healthy mind are listed. A healthy mind is integrated. This is Jungian concept of complete understanding of the subconcious through the use of the conscious mind. Siegel states that the right side of the brain is developed in early childhood and hold the pre-verbal memories of senstations, feelings and early emotions. The left side of the brain is developed later, it works to understand concepts, language and analyse data. A bad early childhood experience can cause the right brain to shut down and the left brain to takeover, causing the development of the faculty to understand feelings and emotions to be stopped or stunted. This is a very interesting concept as the right side of the brain is where we learn to connect with the people around us at an instinctual level, where the messages of the mirror neurons are understood.

Relationships, the third side of the "Triangle of Well-being", are discussed in the light of Bowlby and Ainsworth's Attachement Theory. There is a lot of literature available on Attachment Theory but even in that respect, the best I have seen is in this book. There are a number of case-histories for each point made in the book. Mindsight, alongwith Levine's Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love is the best book on this subject that I have come accross.

Overall, "Mindsight" is a hopeful and empowering book that shows us how we can take charge of our mental well-being and build better lives for ourselves and those around us.]]> 4.11 2009 Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation
author: Daniel J. Siegel
name: Razi
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/06
date added: 2024/03/06
shelves:
review:
Too many 5 star books recently but this one has to be among the very best reads of mine in recent months.

In "Mindsight," Dr. Daniel Siegel proposes a new concept: the ability to see our own minds and the minds of others with clarity. He calls this ability "mindsight".

Siegel argues that mindsight is a skill we can develop, and that doing so can have a positive impact on our lives. By understanding how our brains work and how our thoughts and emotions influence each other, we can gain more control over our reactions and behaviors.

The book explores the science behind mindsight, drawing on neuroscience research to show how our brains are wired for connection and growth. Siegel also provides practical exercises to help readers develop their own mindsight.

Here are some key takeaways from "Mindsight":

Mindsight is a learnable skill:
We can all improve our ability to understand our own minds and the minds of others.

Mindsight can improve our relationships:
When we can see things from another person's perspective, it strengthens our connections.

Mindsight can help us heal:
By understanding our emotions, we can better manage them and cope with difficult situations.

Mindsight can change our brains:
The way we focus our attention can literally reshape the neural connections in our brains.

The book talks about the "Triangle of Well-being", i-e our physical brain, our psychological mind and our relationships with other people. An individual can be termed as healthy if all three aspects of this construct are looked after and stable. The damage to the physical brain can hurt the individual themselves and their relationships, so do the other two sides of the triangle. There can be no harmonious existence without the harmony between the brain, the psychological health and relational strength.

After discussing the effects of the damage to the physical brain, a damage that can be reversed through the brain's innate system of neuroplasticity, the conditions for a healthy mind are listed. A healthy mind is integrated. This is Jungian concept of complete understanding of the subconcious through the use of the conscious mind. Siegel states that the right side of the brain is developed in early childhood and hold the pre-verbal memories of senstations, feelings and early emotions. The left side of the brain is developed later, it works to understand concepts, language and analyse data. A bad early childhood experience can cause the right brain to shut down and the left brain to takeover, causing the development of the faculty to understand feelings and emotions to be stopped or stunted. This is a very interesting concept as the right side of the brain is where we learn to connect with the people around us at an instinctual level, where the messages of the mirror neurons are understood.

Relationships, the third side of the "Triangle of Well-being", are discussed in the light of Bowlby and Ainsworth's Attachement Theory. There is a lot of literature available on Attachment Theory but even in that respect, the best I have seen is in this book. There are a number of case-histories for each point made in the book. Mindsight, alongwith Levine's Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love is the best book on this subject that I have come accross.

Overall, "Mindsight" is a hopeful and empowering book that shows us how we can take charge of our mental well-being and build better lives for ourselves and those around us.
]]> <![CDATA[Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha]]> 173666 For many of us, feelings of deficiency are right around the corner. It doesn’t take much--just hearing of someone else’s accomplishments, being criticized, getting into an argument, making a mistake at work--to make us feel that we are not okay. Beginning to understand how our lives have become ensnared in this trance of unworthiness is our first step toward reconnecting with who we really are and what it means to live fully.
--from Radical Acceptance

Radical Acceptance

“Believing that something is wrong with us is a deep and tenacious suffering,� says Tara Brach at the start of this illuminating book. This suffering emerges in crippling self-judgments and conflicts in our relationships, in addictions and perfectionism, in loneliness and overwork--all the forces that keep our lives constricted and unfulfilled. Radical Acceptance offers a path to freedom, including the day-to-day practical guidance developed over Dr. Brach’s twenty years of work with therapy clients and Buddhist students.

Writing with great warmth and clarity, Tara Brach brings her teachings alive through personal stories and case histories, fresh interpretations of Buddhist tales, and guided meditations. Step by step, she leads us to trust our innate goodness, showing how we can develop the balance of clear-sightedness and compassion that is the essence of Radical Acceptance. Radical Acceptance does not mean self-indulgence or passivity. Instead it empowers genuine change: healing fear and shame and helping to build loving, authentic relationships. When we stop being at war with ourselves, we are free to live fully every precious moment of our lives.


From the Hardcover edition.]]> 333 Tara Brach Razi 5 4.15 2000 Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha
author: Tara Brach
name: Razi
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/03
date added: 2024/03/03
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]]> <![CDATA[Awaiting God: A New Translation of Attente de Dieu and Lettre a Un Religieux]]> 17335264 Awaiting God (218 pages) combines a fresh translation (by Weil scholar, Brad Jersak) of Simone Weil's Waiting for God and Letter to a Priest (Attente de Dieu and Lettre un Religieux) in one volume. These works are considered Weil's primary essays and letters.

In addition, Simone Weil's niece has contributed an introductory article entitled, Simone Weil and the Rabbi's: Compassion and Tsedekah, which puts Weil's relationship with Jewish thought into perspective. She includes source material from the Rabbis that put Weil (however reluctantly) in line with rabbinical thought throughout her major themes.

The book is the ideal English introduction to the works and thought of Simone Weil, including important preface material (by Jersak) on how to read her work, as well as her relationship to Roman Catholicism and Judaism.

Table of Contents
 � Translator's Preface
 � Introduction by Sylvie Weil

Part 1 � Essays 
 1. Reflections on the Right Use of School Studies 
 in View of the Love of God 
 2. The Love of God and Affliction 
 3. Forms of the Implicit Love of God 
 a. Love of Neighbor 
 b. Love of the Order of the World 
 c. Love of Religious Practices 
 d. Friendship 
 e. Implicit and Explicit Love
 4. Concerning the Our Father 

Part 2 � Letters 
 � Preface to her letters: Weil on Catholicism and Judaism 
 5. Hesitations Prior to Baptism
 6. Hesitations Prior to Baptism
 7. Departure from France
 8. Spiritual Autobiography
 9. Intellectual Vocation
10. Last Thoughts
11. Letter to a Priest

A clarification: This work is distinct from "Waiting for God". "Waiting for God" itself is a collection which includes all of the above essays and letters, except "Letter to a Priest", which is usually published separately.]]> 204 Simone Weil 1927512042 Razi 4 4.30 2012 Awaiting God: A New Translation of Attente de Dieu and Lettre a Un Religieux
author: Simone Weil
name: Razi
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/28
date added: 2024/02/29
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]]> The Ethics of Authenticity 37860
At the heart of the modern malaise, according to most accounts, is the notion of authenticity, of self-fulfillment, which seems to render ineffective the whole tradition of common values and social commitment. Though Taylor recognizes the dangers associated with modernity's drive toward self realization, he is not as quick as others to dismiss it. He calls for a freeze on cultural pessimism.

In a discussion of ideas and ideologies from Friedrich Nietzsche to Gail Sheehy, from Allan Bloom to Michel Foucault, Taylor sorts out the good from the harmful in the modern cultivation of an authentic self. He sets forth the entire network of thought and morals that link our quest for self-creation with our impulse toward self-fashioning, and shows how such efforts must be conducted against an existing set of rules, or a gridwork of moral measurement. Seen against this network, our modern preoccupations with expression, rights, and the subjectivity of human thought reveal themselves as assets, not liabilities.

By looking past simplistic, one-sided judgments of modern culture, by distinguishing the good and valuable from the socially and politically perilous, Taylor articulates the promise of our age. His bracing and provocative book gives voice to the challenge of modernity, and calls on all of us to answer it.]]> 152 Charles Margrave Taylor 0674268636 Razi 0 to-read 3.92 1991 The Ethics of Authenticity
author: Charles Margrave Taylor
name: Razi
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1991
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/02/25
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]]> Spellbound 60771423 Psychologist Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, reveals how to join forces with your unconscious to make better decisions, find more meaning in everyday life, and develop a richer, more balanced way of living.

The conscious mind, the part of your mental life you experience directly, is responsible for only a tiny sliver of what science says is going on inside your brain. Most of what you experience, your moods, and the things you like or dislike—most of who you are—comes from a much more mysterious part of your mind: the unconscious.

And to really understand the influences of the unconscious, says psychologist Daniel Z. Lieberman, coauthor of The Molecule of More, we need to look to something often considered science’s alter ego: magic. Drawing on the work of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, and with deep dives into what we can learn from ancient mystical traditions from alchemy to numerology to meditation, Spellbound weaves together ancient magical traditions, psychological research, and the latest neuroscientific discoveries, in order to bridge the gap between the conscious and unconscious mind.

Like it or not, your unconscious is currently the source of most of your choices. It’s the source of your passions, your energy, and your “gut instinct.� It can help you solve seemingly impossible problems with the gift of inspiration. But it’s not always working in your favor: The unconscious is wild and untamed, often leading us down self-destructive paths that leave us baffled by our own decisions. Spellbound helps you take a new path: one where you learn how to recognize the influences of the unconscious, and make it an ally in helping you become the person you were meant to be.

The human mind is perhaps the most mysterious thing in the universe. Science is only beginning to uncover its secrets, and some believe that we may never fully plumb its depths. But the ancient traditions of magic, traditions of understanding that have been built up over centuries, give us another window into the hidden facets of our humanity.

After all, as the visionary Arthur C. Clarke once said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”]]> 288 Daniel Z. Lieberman 1637741324 Razi 5
This book looks at various tools at our desposal while on this journey, tools which are created by the collective human wisdom: folk/fairy tales, myths, astrology, alchemy, numerology and tarot.

Very rewarding read.]]> 3.91 Spellbound
author: Daniel Z. Lieberman
name: Razi
average rating: 3.91
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/25
date added: 2024/02/25
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review:
C. G. Jung defined individuation, the therapeutic goal of analytical psychology belonging to the second half of life, as the process by which a person becomes a psychological individual, a separate indivisible unity or whole, recognizing his innermost uniqueness, and he identified this process with becoming one's own true self, claiming and taking up one's true place in the whole history of humanity (psychic memory).

This book looks at various tools at our desposal while on this journey, tools which are created by the collective human wisdom: folk/fairy tales, myths, astrology, alchemy, numerology and tarot.

Very rewarding read.
]]> <![CDATA[Daily Life in Turkmenbashy's Golden Age: A Methodologically Unsound Study of Interactions Between the Tribal Peoples of America and Turkmenistan]]> 9501986 256 Sam Tranum 1453855165 Razi 0 to-read, acquired 3.82 2009 Daily Life in Turkmenbashy's Golden Age: A Methodologically Unsound Study of Interactions Between the Tribal Peoples of America and Turkmenistan
author: Sam Tranum
name: Razi
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2009
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/02/17
shelves: to-read, acquired
review:

]]>