Last year I used this book as a resource for a special high school art unit that I developed entitled "Sacred Circles." In addition to learning about circular artwork in various cultures and world religions, students used Judith's beautiful illustrations and step by step guides to create mandalas of their own. (...) This is a book that I still have available in my classroom and students continue to refer to it (independently!) to advance their drawing techniques. SO glad I bought this!

The beauty of the mandalas pictured in the book intimidated me because it had been so many years since I'd created any art. I didn't think I could do it. But I did it and I'm extremely grateful to Judith Cornell for writing this book. Working on the exercises at home, alone, is not the same experience as it would be in a group. The group can offer a creative support level that helps each individual surpass previous achievements. However, I'm so happy with the mandalas I created as a result of these exercises that I've put each one up on the wall. And, even more important, I've continued to draw. No more creative blocks for me!

Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing, by Judith Cornell, is absolutely the most incredibly beautiful book I've ever held in my hands. Holding and looking at it, even before reading, is like a sacred experience. Is it the beauty of the lay-out and illustrations? The very real spiritual impact of the mandalas presented, both historical and contemporary? A moment of healing even in the first moment's gasp of awe while browsing its pages? One even begins to caress its binding. One of my favorite activities now is to present it to friends and watch their faces--their eyes pop open, their jaws drop in amazement--and hear the quick intake of breath as its color begins to radiate into their awareness. Beyond the first impression, reading took me to awesome depths and insights regarding ultimate reality, syntheses I'd previously long puzzled. Don't miss this dazzling yet holy experience. Look, read, and practice the simple yet brilliant art-as-at-one-ment exercises for the depth of your life.

Cornell's well-structured course offers a satisfying combination of basics and exercises that serve to stimulate and encourage individual creativity. The instruction is suitable for beginners, but also has something to contribute for those whose study of art may be more advanced. Exercises guide the student through the basics of composition, painting, drawing, and creating with color pencils. Cornell's aim, however, goes beyond teaching the basics of art. The structure of the exercises includes meditation techniques designed to enhance creativity. Emphasis is placed on learning to use values from light to dark to create compositions that vibrate with light.

An outstanding book for young females contemplating what careers they might look forward to as they grow up. The story of one female olympian in the gold medal sport of softball. An outstanding epic of the life of a world-class athlete.

Judith Cornell has written a beautiful, many layered biography of Ammachi. It is an incredibly difficult task to convey the depth of Amma's mission with the words of a finite language, yet Judith has more than succeeded.

It is a blessing to know Amma, and a gift to know the life she lived before I was even born. For others and myself who were in India during the time that Judith was writing this book her offering also has the added gift of recounting what we all experienced. It is a rare blessing.

I am especially thankful that Judith wrote this book. It was very timely to retell Amma's life story and to place it within the context of our changing times (especially with what women have achieved and still must work to gain).

Amma is "Healing the Heart of the World" in giant acts, and also in reaching within the very core of each individual, healing the personal wounds and sufferings of this world.

In the wake of what we now face in our present world there are few books other than this one that have the power to bring insight and change on a global level.

I was on vacation in India for a month and I visited a niece of mine. While talking to her I heard the chanting of Bhajans from the neighborhood and I inquired as to what was going on. She reported that in the neighborhood was a house where the devotees of Mata Amritanandamayi gathered every week and prayed to her in front of a framed photograph of hers. I was curious and went in to ascertain it. There were about 50 men and women seated in front of her picture, chanting hymns. It was an eye-opening experience for me. Earlier in the week, I had passed through the front of the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Cochin and had heard from many about the facilities over there. Now, I decided to learn more about this person considered a saint in India.

Reading through this book helped me to situate the phenomenon of Mata Amritanandamayi. No doubt the book is trying to depict in an objective light this charismatic woman, Amma (Mother) as she is understood and looked upon by thousands of her devotees. As a miracle healer, prophet and mystic she has established her fame. Her world tours have attracted attention to herself as an incarnation of the Divine Mother. By now she has grown into a big institution worthy of attention by the world. Judith Cornell by this book is presenting her along with her ideas and gifts to the western world. She tries to bring in personages familiar to the American readers, like Padre Pio, Bede Griffiths and C G Jung in relating to the ideas and message of this Hindu saint. She also refers to the black Madonna and the Christian understanding of Virgin Mary the Mother of God. The Catholic and Orthodox Christian belief in the Blessed Mother is very different from the concept of the Divine feminine found in Hinduism, though there are some comparisons possible. What Cornell ends up doing is to bring the East and West closer. The story of the rise of Sudhamani, an ordinary girl from the family of a poor fishermen couple on the coast of Kollam, India to the world renowned Mata Amritanandamayi is fascinating. Her story is told as it is known and spoken of around her birthplace, by her family members and her devotees around the world. Her ideas are presented in simple words, understandable to the ordinary folks, though they are typically Hindu in their perspective. The Hindu pantheon could absorb any number of seers and sages as incarnations of the Divine. So there are repeated mentions of Buddha and Jesus Christ in the book.

I found this a valuable book, useful for anyone who wants to know more about the saints and sages of the land of India. It gives one a somewhat objective look at the phenomenon of Mata Amritanandamayi along with her humble past, her mystic experiences and her compassion for the poor; it provides one the opportunity to hear the various opinions of many of her devotees deeply touched by her. All these contribute to the immense popularity of this saint of today, whose activities in favor of the poor are widely recognized.

This book is an excellent introduction to Ammachi's life - especially for a Westerner. For those who already know Amma, the offical biography by Amma's senior disciple might be better.

This book also touches upon the fact that downfall of Indian civilization occurred at the hands of unfriendly external cultures. Notably Arabs from the present-day Afghanistan and later from European Colonials (please note - I draw a distinction between a European and a racist European colonial).

Even a strong economy like America's will collapse if it comes under sustained terrorist attacks over a period of 100 years or more. In a similar fashion the reason for economic depravation of India was not mismanagement by Indians (as another reviewer has written) but sustained attacks on India by violent and unfriendly cultures. A person who wins a war and kills thousands of people cannot be stamped culturally superior to the person who lost the war (on contrary, the more violent and brutal a culture is, more likely it is to go on a successful rampage).

Lastly, one must note in Vedic culture there was no place for skin color and such nonsense. Most of India's ancient saints were black in color (from the description written by their followers).

Casteism was a social order, not a hardened discriminatory practice. In fact the sage who compiled Vedas and wrote Mahabharata - Veda Vyasa - was born to a fisherwoman and not of high caste. Another example is Valmiki - the sage poet who wrote Ramayana - he was a hunter who lived near a forest, but who undertook great penance and became a sage. Through ages Indians and people who respect Indic culture have revered them.

The hardened casteism came about because of external influences in later periods, even then brahmins have never burnt lower-castes or people of other religion at stakes as has happened elsewhere.

This book presents a sophisticated dialogue between several prominant feminist theorists in academia today. While reading, however, I kept thinking that they just may have missed the mark. The book was intended to be a dialogue debating and unpacking many of the contemorary dilemmas in feminism today. However, I found this dialogue to be so personal and sometimes catty that I began to wonder what the point was. I liked Drucilla Cornell's essay on how to "do" ethical feminism because it dealt with tangible, workable issues in feminism. I found that many of the other essays smacked of metaphysical arguements that I just couldn't apply to my life or my own work in feminism. For example, there was a lengthy arguement over whether feminism is postmodern. While reading this banter I had the distinct feeling that it was becoming a linguistic, not a theoretical arguement. Also, throughout the book, obscure examples were used and not explained and I was left feeling inadequate and confused. This book is an excellent resource for those who are accomplished in feminist studies and who are interested in the personal relationships feminist theorists. It is imperative that those reading this collection have a strong base in feminist theory and a dictionary in tow. I felt about this book the way I feel about most contemporary feminist theory; that it is a lot of talk and no action, that it is inaccesible, written for the privileged. I am often saddened that such talent can be so misdirected and wasted on intra-babble within academia instead of trying to reach women and men that feminism should really be for.