Beautifully illustrated with works of religious art from the world's diverse faiths, this book offers a colorful smorgasboard of spiritual symbols for those who seek understanding of truths that elude literal explanation. Because this "smorgasboard" offers just a taste of each spiritual tradition, it is not "food for the soul," but rather a feast for the eyes, and perhaps an appetizer to stimulate readers to delve more deeply into one of the many topics presented. Jane Hope is concerned with the "loss of the soul" or "ennui" being experienced by so many in Western society, where "the world is seen as separate from the individual self." She believes that "through the various manifestations of faith - vision, symbol, ritual, discipline - we may still grasp the archetypal reality that underlies all experience." Her book proffers a ring of keys to this reality. It is up to us to choose a key, if we haven't already, and turn it in the lock. -Emily L. VanLaeys, author of DREAM WEAVING: USING DREAM GUIDANCE TO CREATE LIFE'S TAPESTRY

I teach comparative religions to intelligent, educated adults who are exploring their own spiritual paths. This book provides an overview of the ways in which different peoples have expressed their own answers to life's basic questions. The organization of the book is unique, giving the reader an opportunity to explore each topic as treated by a number of wisdom traditions. A perfect introduction to comparative religion study.

THIS IS A WONDERFUL BOOK!!!!!!! I am impressed at both the quality of the illustrations, artwork, and photographs and the simplicity in which the material is presented. This is NOT a scholarly discussion of comparative religion. Rather, it is a peaceful journey, pleasing to the eyes, easy on the mind, and regenerating to the soul. I am a student of religious studies and would recommend this to anyone, regardless of their knowledge and scholarship (or lack thereof) in comparative religion. It is not going to provide a learned scholar with any new insights but it just might be the ticket to getting someone to begin a journey using Houston Smith's "Illustrated World Religions" or Joseph Campbell's "Power of Myth".

This book is a true value... Well written and very informative... I would recommend this to a friend... With this book you can learn all that you need to know to begin practicing meditation effectively regardless of your spritual beliefs or religious affiliation...

When I was 20 years old I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumetoid Arthritis. A rare form of arthritis (1 in 60,000) that begins in childhood. In a matter of 2 months I saw 5 different doctors, and went from a perfectly healthy college student to someone who could hardly stand up long enough to brush my teeth. I tried everything medication wise and found no true results. Then my mom found this book. I read it and bought the cookbook too. I found that changing my diet worked. Dr. Dong explains how our diets and lifestyles affect us and how to adjust them for better health. It's especially good because Dr. Dong has experienced exactly what he writes about and you can tell.

I thought this was a more of a Question / Answer Journal. Like the book asked you how you maybe felt when he asked you to mary him or how you felt buying your dress...etc. It is just blank Pages...for that I could have bought a Blank Journal. Not a very good description in the review section.

I gave this book to my sister when she got engaged. She used it to record her thoughts and feelings for the whole year leading up to the wedding. She loved it, and now she has a keepsake to share with her kids some day. This is a terrific gift!

Dr. Seligman has become well known for his work on optimism (i.e., Learned Optimism). But this edited collection of essays and his Positive Psychology movement in general, do not show a very sophisticated understanding of psychological research and theory on pessimism. This edited volume can be compared directly with: Optimism & Pessimism: Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice, Edited by Edward C. Chang. I find Chang's book to be more scholarly, better balanced, and thus more informative. Unrealistic optimism is no adequate replacement for the authenticity of anxiety and worry or the adaptive value of constructive pessimism.

Martin Seligman is really worth of this book. He speaks now about positive psychology after 100 years of negative psychology. Essential to positive psychology are concepts of optimism and hope. Without these human beings would have perished. Essays have been written by leading authorities in this area. Language is clear and the chapters can be understood by laymen. Health, family and therapy related research is discussed in the book. The style is quite free and personal comments are included. I recommend this book for those who have some basic knowledge in psychology.