With a forward by his holiness, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Glenn Mullin's The Fourteen Dalai Lamas: A Sacred Legacy Of Reincarnation showcases the sacred mythology associated with six hundred years of the Dalai Lamas who stood as the principal spiritual leaders of Central Asia. here is to be found a magnificently presented spiritual and political history of these amazing men who stood as gurus and spiritual advisors to Mongolian Khans and Chinese emperors, as well as the millions of peoples inhabiting the dozens Central Asian kingdoms spread over more than half a millennium. The Fourteen Dalai Lamas is an essential, core addition to any personal, academic, or community library collection on Buddhist history, beliefs, and biographies.

Glenn Mullin has written several books on Tibetan Buddhism, biographies of several Dalai Lamas, has been trained in Tibetan Buddhism by many senior spiritual masters and has known the current 14th Dalai Lama since the 1970's. With this as a basis he has produced the first history of the Dalai Lamas, in terms of them as an institution, as a beacon of spiritual leadership as well as showing the unique personalities of the Dalai Lamas and their close associates. This remarkable work should be of interest to anyone who likes a great story, whether they are Buddhists or not, religious or not. It shows a view of Tibetan history from the political intrigues of medieval Asia, the Great Game of Britain and Russia, to the genocide of Tibetans and their culture at the hands of the Communist Chinese. Its a fascinating look at one of the world's great spiritual traditions. It provides insight into one of the world's great tragedies - the refusal of the Chinese government to allow the Tibetan people their right to self determination. And it shows that the Dalai Lama is a not only a supreme credit to the Tibetan Race - but to the Human Race.

This easy to read reference on aromatherapy contains easy to follow recipes for mixing oils for all types of situations. My book has become an invaluable reference in the world of alternative medicines.

If you are a beginner in Aromatherapy - this is for you

If you have been using oils for a few years or more - this is for you

This book is fantastic. It covers a lot of ground. Going from ways to use it for women, men and your children - to ways to use it for your animals, keep insects away, in the locker room (gyms), perfumes, first aid, cooking and much more.

Unfortunately for me I found it frustrating at first though because I could not get a lot of the oils easily in my country or some of the ingredients she uses in recipes. But if you are really interested in this, then you simply find a way around it.

I use this one as my main bible, with backups from the internet and other books/courses.

Her other books are good too, e.g. Fragrant Mind (though this one is definitely a step upwards - I do not feel it is a book for beginners, more for practitioners and experienced users)

This was my first book when I started using essential oils, and I still refer to it today many years on. Enjoy!

This is a first novel by Valerie Anand concerning the period shortly before the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is an extraordinary read! A little known period in England history is unveiled here. In 1036 one of the most hideous, bloody massacres that ever took place was in Gildenford, England, now known as Guildford. Six hundred followers of Alfred Atheling, the younger brother of Edward the Confessor were slaughtered near the town of Gildenford. What is not commonly known, however, is that Earl Godwin of Wessex was thought to be involved.

The period covered here is mainly the reign of Edward the Confessor, not of Cnut, nor of Harold, son of Godwin. They are major characters in their own right, however, not in this novel, but are still background players to Brand Woodcutter who serves Earl Godwin and later on Edward. All of this is seen through his eyes, from belonging to a larger than life family of the Godwins, to realizing his part in the betrayal of Alfred Atheling, to his service of Edward, and finally his becoming William, Duke of Normandy's man. William's part is just beginning in this book but will continue in later novels.

This was one of the best books I have read! I never even realized that this period in history existed. I still like Earl Godwin, however, I can see that he is not perfect and by no means a saint as many other novels I have read would make you believe. It was a real eye-opener to a obscure time in history. This book stands well on its own, but I can hardly wait to read "Norman Pretender" and "The Disputed Crown" by Valerie Anand. Sadly, they are all out of print but are well the search!

This is such a great wonderful book. It is about the regins of King Cnut, Harold I, Hardicanute, and Edward the Confessor. At the center of all the action is Earl Godwin and his fascinating, well-fleshed family members: Gytha, Harold, Swegyn, and Edith. A must-read for anyone interested in pre-Conquest England.

Sexy, absorbing and insightful, Valerie Martin's novel The Great Divorce (following her acclaimed Mary Reilly), explores the struggle for power between men and women, nature and civilization, in three mesmerizing tales of very different women whose lives are unraveling.

Ellen Clayton, the vet at the New Orleans Zoo, tries to hold on after her faithless husband of 20 years leaves her for his young secretary. Camille, lonely and depressed, looks after the big cats at the zoo and fantasizes about relationships with sexually and emotionally abusive men.

Juxtaposed with the contemporary stories of Ellen and Camille is the gothic tale of Elisabeth Boyer, the Catwoman, a Creole beauty in antebellum New Orleans who was hanged for murdering her sadistic husband.

Martin fuses these stories of betrayal into a compelling narrative about human nature, passion and animal instinct, evoking the New Orleans of both centuries with equal clarity.

Imaginative and profound, The Great Divorce is a great read that tackles important issues without sentimentality. Despite the inherent sadness and futility that Ellen, Camille and Elisabeth confront, the novel offers a note of hope. 'I think,' Ellen tells her daughter when a young jaguar at the zoo survives an illness, 'this time we win.'

Why isn't Valerie Martin better known? Her work is absolutely dazzling. "The Great Divorce" manages to sustain a level of enjoyably creepy menace from first page to last. It weaves together the stories of three couples, all of whom end up parted in different ways. Each of these stories symbolizes the conflict between man and nature, and each gives us a preview of a different resolution to that conflict. We can part from nature amicably, we can kill it with our indifference to it, or we can be killed by its vengeance against us. This may sound heavy-handed in my telling of it, but it is far from heavy-handed in Martin's telling. The book is a work of gothic fiction, of horror fiction, of historical fiction, as well as a penetrating study of the way we live today. Martin evokes the steamy milieu of pre-Civil War New Orleans as beautifully and as convincingly as she evokes the Crescent City of today. Her language is sinuous and seductive. It has the sleek, sudden power of a jungle cat. And her storytelling skills are masterful. It is shameful that this beautiful book is already out of print. Do yourself a favor and find a used copy. You won't regret it.

I am a young dancer and both my teacher and I have benfited from this book. Not only does it have certain tips, but it teaches dancers about their main asset.... their bodies. The portion about the pelvis not only helped my placement, but everything else benefited from that. My turns were better and so were my balances.

A well written guide for danceing correctly. The only problem with it is that it is not written for convience or quick reference. Inside Ballet Technique is what every dancer and teacher should know. Buy it, read it and share it

This is another one of the American Girls Short Stories series about Josefina Montoya, a nine-year-old girl living in the New Mexico of 1824. In this book, when Josefina and her father journey up to the mountains to visit one of the rancho's shepherds and his grandson, they discover a recent illness has left him blind. In spite of Josefina's pleading, her father decides to retire the shepherd. But, on their way home, Josefina and her father are caught in a sudden storm, and he is injured. Can Josefina save the day?

The final chapter of this book looks at shepherding in 1824, and gives directions for making a mini rug (it looks quite fun and easy, and my daughter and I are going to make one). As always, Jean-Paul Tibbles has produced some excellent illustrations that add a great deal to this already excellent book. My daughter and I both highly enjoyed this book, and we recommend it to you.

"Josefina's Song" is the third Josefina short story that was published, but it is set just before the book "Josefina Saves the Day". In "Josefina's Song", Josefina is allowed to join her Papa on a trip to the local mountains. They are going to visit the shepherd and his son who spend most of the year with the herd of sheep on the more abundant grazing land found in the mountains. When they arrive at their camp, they realize that the shepherd has become blind from a fever, and his nine year old son watches the sheep. Even though the shepherd proves himself capable around the camp, Papa is still worried for his safety. Papa offers to house them comfortably in town, but Josefina boldly speaks up for them, jeopardizing her own trip to Santa Fe that same summer. On their way home, a summer storm hits and Papa is injured when his frightened horse rears at lightning and bolts. Brave Josefina leads her Papa on her own horse back to the shepards camp, until men from home discover the runaway horse and rescue them in the morning. During the night, Josefina sings in her beautiful voice to the shepherd's flute playing. When she runs out of songs she knows, she sings her feelings about her journey, her outspokenness, the storm, Papa's accident and about the care the shepherd gives them. The next day, the abilities of the shepherd and his son are re-evaluated.

Josefina's Theater Kit contains the ingredients to create a short play about Josefina. The play is titled "Josefina's Gift". Each of the five acts in the play are based on the book "Happy Birthday, Josefina!" Josefina believes that she may want to be a healer like her Tia Magdalena until she accidently breaks one of Tia Magdalena's priceless jars while cleaning, and then runs home. Tia Dolores helps Josefina take responsibility for her actions, and get a second chance to have Tia Magdalena teach her about being a healer. Her lesson on herbs with Tia Magdalena, and her confidence in herself give her the chance to save her friend, Marianna, from a snake bite.

The play is for six characters (five females, one male role for Papa). It comes with four script booklets, a directors guide, and a poster to announce your performance. The scripts contain stage directions: an excellent practice for reading materials written in different formats. The directors guide contains information about the directors job, stage directions, costuming, stage sets, and how to put on the play. All of the materials are detailed and user friendly. Motivated actors could make this into a production worthy of inviting the neighborhood over, or even a talent show entry.

This is a fun-to-preform play, with scripts, tips, and more!

This is another one of the American Girls Short Stories series about Josefina Montoya, a nine-year-old girl living in the New Mexico of 1824. When Josefina's grandparents arrive with her aunt Dolores, Josefina finds herself suddenly torn. She had always been her grandmother's favorite, and mainly because she reminded her so much of her dead mother, a fact that Josefina had always been proud of. But now, she is getting older and is beginning to grow in directions her mother never had, a fact that her grandmother finds disappointing. What can Josefina do?

The final chapter of this book is a fascinating look at women's rights in 1824, both in Mexico and in the United States. (Plus there are directions for making apple empanditas, and delicious apple tart!) And, as always, Jean-Paul Tibbles' illustrations are excellent, and help to make this a truly wonderful book.

This is an excellent story, and a wonderful addition to the Josefina stories. My daughter and I both enjoyed the story for itself, and I like the lesson it taught, both for children and the ones who love them. My daughter and I both highly recommend this book.

"Just Josefina" is the most recently published (and fourth) short story about Josefina. "Just Josefina" fits between the books "Meet Josefina" and "Josefina Learns a Lesson". Josefina's grandparents have brought Tia (Aunt) Dolores to stay with Josefina's family and to visit. Josefina and her sisters greet their grandparents with respect, and then Josefina helps Abuelita freshen up after her journey. It is clear that Abuelita holds a special place in her heart for Josefina. It is also clear that Abueblita expects Josefina to be a quiet, well mannered girl who follows the rules of conduct, even when her sisters don't.

Josefina is torn between wanting to please her Abuelita and wanting to be herself. At a party, Tia Dolores plays her piano while the friends and neighbors dance. She urges Josefina to show them the new dance that she has learned, but Josefina is too young to dance in front of others. Abuelita is shocked at Tia Dolores's suggestion, and claims that Josefina is too shy. But dance is exactly what Josefina wants to do, and ends up doing, to Abuelita's disapproval.

Then, her skirt button pops. Abuelita had given the skirt to Josefina because it was the skirt of Josefina's deceased mother, and Abuelita's oldest daughter. Josefina tries to give Abuelita the skirt back, because, like Abuelita's image of Josefina as being shy and obedient like her Mama, it just didn't fit. In the end, the skirt button can be adjusted to fit, just like how Abuelita sees Josefina can be changed to accept Josefina as "Just Josefina".

This book is my favorite out of the Josefina short stories because of the clear, dignified portrayal of Abuelita as a traditional Spanish matron. I also enjoyed this book because Josefina learns that she can communicate who she is without compromising her relationship with her grandmother.

This delightful cookbook is part of the American Girls Pastimes series, and focuses on the sort of recipes that would have been used during the time of Kirsten Larson, 1854. The book begins with some historical notes on pioneer kitchens and eating, and includes a short prayer in Swedish (which my eleven-year-old daughter is trying to memorize). Then the book launches into the recipes. First comes breakfast with homemade sausage patties, hard-boiled eggs (and how to serve), Swedish rice porridge, round rye bread (all hand made), homemade butter, and ginger cookies. Next comes dinner with baked ham slice, Swedish potatoes (better than scalloped potatoes!), cabbage and apple salad, fruit soup, and Swedish almond rusks. Then comes favorite foods, which includes potato soup, Swedish meatballs, fresh applesause, Swedish pancakes, St. Lucia buns, and Pepparkakor cookies (ginger cookies, a traditional Christmas treat, but good anytime). The final chapter is on planning a pioneer party.

This is a very good recipe book. The recipes in here are all easily within the ability of a youngster who is guided by an adult with even moderate experience in the kitchen; no special tools are need. My daughter already made the Swedish pancakes (yum!), and is planning a Swedish meal (at which she'll recite the prayer). I can't wait.

This is a very nice book, an excellent recipe book, and an excellent addition to your Kirsten library.

The recipes are wonderful, and the history is easy to take in. I learned quite a bit from this book without any suffering. There are lots of pictures, including photos. This is my kind of cookbook! I intend to buy the other cookbooks in this series.

I really enjoyed this book. It was sweet and funny and very heartwarming. This may be sold as a children's book, but I think it is for anyone who loves dogs. Fun story and the pictures are a scream.

This book is tons of fun and has a great message about kindness to animals. It's good for kids or adults and will be a big hit with any animal lover. The photos of the dogs are a hoot!