Likely to be controversial and at the very least provocative, Mariana Caplan's Do You Need a Guru: Understanding the Student-Teacher Relationship in an Era of False Prophets is an invaluable resource for any spiritual seeker who is considering or who is already involved in a guru-disciple relationship. In fact, if you have been outright opposed to such an arrangement, you may find this book an eye-opener. Yes, we have seen many scandals on the spiritual scene, many abuses of power, but we Westerners have also been enculturated to protect our independence and individualism at all costs, perhaps causing us to miss out on one of the most transformational relationships of our lives.

Weaving together her personal journey, extensive knowledge of psychological projection and power dynamics from her years as a psychotherapist, and interviews with teachers and students alike, Caplan makes the case for having a guru, emphasizing that the greatest benefits come from engaging the relationship as a conscious disciple. Her finely tuned discrimination continues to feed me as it did with her Halfway up the Mountain: The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment. She tends to pose questions for the reader to consider, rather than revealing black and white or even gray answers. I was initially concerned that her anecdotes about her early encounters with New Age shamans, wannabe gurus, etc., would be distracting. Ultimately, however, I found these sections of the book to be refreshingly honest, poignant, funny and all too familiar!

While she never lets spiritual teachers off the hook with respect to their own integrity and their immense responsibility in shepherding their students through the labyrinths of the path, she insists that the more responsibility we as students take in selecting and relating, committing and surrendering to our teachers, the greater and richer our spiritual progress. Reading this book gave me a whole new embodied sense of how conscious surrender to the teacher could be an act of maturity, integrity and great strength, rather than a replay of childhood patterning around authority figures. At the same time, she never suggests that this path is easy or without its dangers, but for me she also fueled a yearning that makes a "safe" life feel like a death sentence! Warning: Read this book at your own risk-it's hot!

Likely to be controversial and at the very least provocative, Mariana Caplan's Do You Need a Guru: Understanding the Student-Teacher Relationship in an Era of False Prophets is an invaluable resource for any spiritual seeker who is considering or who is already involved in a guru-disciple relationship. In fact, if you have been outright opposed to such an arrangement, you may find this book an eye-opener. Yes, we have seen many scandals on the spiritual scene, many abuses of power, but we Westerners have also been enculturated to protect our independence and individualism at all costs, perhaps causing us to miss out on one of the most transformational relationships of our lives.

Weaving together her personal journey, extensive knowledge of psychological projection and power dynamics from her years as a psychotherapist, and interviews with teachers and students alike, Caplan makes the case for having a guru, emphasizing that the greatest benefits come from engaging the relationship as a conscious disciple. Her finely tuned discrimination continues to feed me as it did with her Halfway up the Mountain: The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment. She tends to pose questions for the reader to consider, rather than revealing black and white or even gray answers. I was initially concerned that her anecdotes about her early encounters with New Age shamans, wannabe gurus, etc., would be distracting. Ultimately, however, I found these sections of the book to be refreshingly honest, poignant, funny and all too familiar!

While she never lets spiritual teachers off the hook with respect to their own integrity and their immense responsibility in shepherding their students through the labyrinths of the path, she insists that the more responsibility we as students take in selecting and relating, committing and surrendering to our teachers, the greater and richer our spiritual progress. Reading this book gave me a whole new embodied sense of how conscious surrender to the teacher could be an act of maturity, integrity and great strength, rather than a replay of childhood patterning around authority figures. At the same time, she never suggests that this path is easy or without its dangers, but for me she also fueled a yearning that makes a "safe" life feel like a death sentence! Warning: Read this book at your own risk-it's hot!

The topic of this book is the guru: what is a guru and are they necessary for spiritual growth? Dr. Caplan takes the reader through a detailed and careful examination of these questions, using examples from her own life with her guru and from interviews with numerous contemporary spiritual leaders that are considered gurus. She explores these examples with admirable honesty, giving equal time to the negative as well as the positive aspects of the guru-disciple relationship.

Her point is to offer a model of a mature, responsible approach to the guru-disciple relationship, that she names "Conscious Discipleship". Her position is that if both the teacher and the student approach the relationship with careful, responsible, mature attention, then it can be a deeply rewarding and important one.

Dr. Caplan's writing style is excellent. She writes with depth, and warmth, and just the right touch of humor to avoid taking the topic too seriously.

This is an intriguing and thought provoking contribution to a difficult topic. It is very well worth reading. I highly recommend it.

I'm a medical student whose school uses Bates' guide... I must say that this book FAR surpasses Bates. Not only is the information complete, but the pictures and "jewels" it presents are wonderful. This is also better than the Schwartz (which I own also). If I could choose all over which book to buy of the three, I would DEFINITELY buy this one.

Excellent book, superior picture and graphic, good explanations, If you want to buy an excellent book of semiology...here it is. The CD bring usefull information, and friendly interface for students. A recomendation for the Authors could be insert video of each maneuver and sign, as well as clinical interviews of each capital syndrome.

More explanations, more detail, even more color than its rival (Bates). However, lacking in the area of psychiatric diagnosis, which would have been immensely useful in the evaluation of "Robin of Lockslay"...

Though well written, this is NOT a history of the ostrich, but rather an autobiography of a man who grew up within view of the ostrich industry in his native South Africa, and then was able to run across them and write about them later in life.

There is really nothing new in this book with regards to the history of the ostrich, and the author indeed had nothing to do with the industry at all - at any point in his life.

If you are buying this book for insights into the history of this magnificent bird in food, fashion and fortune, then you will be disappointed to be sure.

Nice story of Nixon's life, well written, and only occasionally pedantic; however a history of the ostrich this is not.

You don't need to know much more than the biological name of the common ostrich to know that this is a weird bird. Sparrow camel!, what is that? Obviously the ornithologists who discovered the bird were confused about it; as confused, perhaps as the ostrich sometimes looks with it's blank, non-blinking stare. Have you ever seen one up close? The term 'bird brain' is appropriate.

This is all rather unkind, and in fact, unfair to the ostrich. A bird rumored to be so dumb that it supposedly sticks it's head into the sand when threatened; actually we are the dummies if we believe this bit of folklore - it's a myth. The ostrich is in fact remarkably well adapted to it's environment - the savannas of Eastern and Southern Africa, and has had a close association with man for the better part of a century, providing us with food and making fortunes for us.

It is this relationship between man and ostrich that Mr Nixon explores in DREAMBIRDS, specifically his remembrances of the bird from his childhood in South Africa. A town called Oudtshoorn, near where he grew up, was, before WWI, the capital of the worldwide ostrich feather industry. In its heyday it supplied 100,000 tons of plumes to the fashion centers of Europe. The town was then known as the Jerusalem of Africa - a consequence of the large resident community of jewish feather merchants.

That's about all the history there is though. The book is a more a biography, and the ostrich is the common theme, the link between Nixons early youth in South Africa and his adult life in his adopted home - the US. We run into the bird at the ostrich races in Chandler, Arizona and again at various ranches throughout the Southwest. It's not only places, but people that are mentioned. There are some interesting characters involved in the ostrich business. One of the central people in the book is Mr Nixons father, and we are treated to a bit of reminiscing about the relationship between father and son. DREAMBIRDS is a well written and humorous look at this "gawky, boneheaded creature"; gladly it's light on the father and son dynamic, but sadly it's also light on the development and history of the industry. For lovers of birds and biographies.

This brilliant attempt to unite the disparate elements of a life should be read by anyone whose adult and childhood selves are split across continents as well as time.

From the reviews of previous readers, I know this book is full of lies. There is no more to be said!

hello, sister girl we are a church of dedicated members. now before you decided to write this book you should have called Daddy madison to get the full facts.

For a lover of history that is interested in getting little known references about Daddy Grace I think Mr. Davis' book points you in the right direction. I was once a member of the United House of Prayer for All People for 14 years and unfortunately I didn't get a chance to see Daddy Grace. He died three years before I was born. Nevertheless the wonder about Bishop Grace thrived within me because of the stories my grandmothers told me. My grandmothers were loyal members of Bishop's Grace's church, joining in the early days, and filled my head with stories. They loved Daddy Grace. To be honest, when you interview members of the United House of Prayer for All People you get a one sided view, filled with legends about Bishop Grace. Mr. Davis' book lays out straightforward resources that examine the cult's founder. I didn't know there were so many articles, books, and dissertations written about Daddy Grace. What an interesting character in history he was. Thanks Mr. Davis.