January 2005
When I worked in institutional sales at Montgomery Securities, my job was to select the few best ideas from our numerous analysts and convince my clients, professional money managers, to buy those stocks. I learned that the critical elements in my making sales were conviction and perseverance. With that in mind, I am “going back to basics” here in 2005 and listing a few great books that I believe everyone ought to read. If any of you read any of these books on my recommendation, send me an email at leno@lisco.com and let me know which ones you liked best and why, and I will provide you with the another set of recommendations.

In the last two years I have read two books that have made it to my list of all-time favorites. Paul Brunton wrote A Search in Secret India in the early 1930’s. Brunton was an early pioneer among Western seekers going to India in search of those who had accomplished spiritual attainment. His writing is tight. His experiences are extraordinary. The book is a “page-turner” and chock full of spiritual insights and incredible accounts.

Recently I discovered The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot. Although it was published in 1993 it is timely and fresh in its insights and data. The book makes a very strong case for establishing a new paradigm of reality based on science and experiences. The book is fun and easy to read, is well researched and annotated, and will simply “blow your mind” while it expands your horizons.

If you like sports I have three picks for you. The Greatest Game Ever Played, by Mark Frost, is flat out the best historical book about golf ever written. Even if you are not a sports fan this will fascinate, thrill, and uplift you. Frost has just published The Grand Slam, the story of Bobby Jones. While not as good as his story about Francis Ouimet, it is still a must read for all golfers. It also has great insights into American history and culture during the 20’s and 30’s. If you are a baseball fan, and especially if you are a Red Sox fan, you will love Faithful, by Stewart O’Nan and Stephen King. O’Nan and King were commission by Scribner to do a diary of the Red season for 2004. They all hit the jackpot when the Sox had the greatest comeback in sports history and went on to win the World Series. I enjoyed the book almost more than the real deal. Certainly it was less tense for me.

The best fiction book I have read in the couple of years is The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Nighttime. The best work of fiction I reread is Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five. If you have never read it, or haven’t read it in twenty or thirty years, please read it. It is absolutely an incredible work. It’s lots of fun and makes some very profound observations about life and the nature of reality.

If you practice TM, or just want to access the timeless wisdom of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, I continue to recommend the two pamphlet-like compilations of his wisdom taken from lecture notes on early teacher-training courses. You will enjoy reading and re-reading The Power of Silence and Questions and Answers.

Finally, if you have an interest in Advaita, Wayne Liquorman’s new book, Never Mind is truly outstanding. I actually found it to give me greater insight than anything I have ever read by Ramesh Balsekar or Nisargadatta. And, if you have never read it, I agree with Tony, that Spiritual Enlightenment The Damnedest Thing is one of the best, most enjoyable and most illuminating books ever written.

I have more great recommendations in mind, but I think this is enough for the time being.

December 2004
One of the reasons that people still go to neighborhood bookstores is that they like to browse the shelves and often use the advice and insights of the proprietor and/or employees in selecting their purchases. We hope you will come to understand our personal preferences and use our selections to help find books that will excite, entertain and inform you.

My first selection for December is A Search in Secret India, by Paul Brunton. We have eagerly awaited delivery of the 40 copies we were finally able to obtain from India. This is an incredible period piece and the absolute classic story of one of the first Westerner’s to seek truth and teachers in India. It is incredibly well written and his encounters are world class.

My second selection for this month is The Greatest Game Ever Played, which has just been released in paperback. If you loved Seabiscuit, the book, you will probably love this story of a young man who turned the world of golf upside down in 1913. This book is not just for golfers. Please read Lee Silverstein’s review, as it really catches the mood and significance of this book. Every young person ought to read this book for inspiration and understanding.

Never Mind, by Wayne Liquorman is an absolute must read for anyone interested in Advaita. Somehow, for me, this book unlocked the puzzle and gave me insights and understandings about the teachings of Nisargadatta and Ramesh Balsekar that I was missing. Perhaps it is because Wayne is a sage who comes from a Western background similar to my own that I had so many “Aha!” experiences reading this book.

If you are looking for an exceptional holiday gift and a great gift for yourself, order Treasury of Spiritual Wisdom, a collection of 10,000 Inspirational Quotations compiled by Andy Zubko. It is an incredible compilation and a wonderful book to sit on your desk or in your library to pick up and peruse whenever you feel the need for insights and inspirations.  All the categories are covered, and Zubko has drawn from an incredibly wide range of sources. I will offer a money back guarantee on this one!! Happy Holidays!

November 2004
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, by Mark Haddon; Running on Empty, by Peter Peterson; The Odyssey of Enlightenment, by Berthold Madhukar Thompson and Power of Silence, (anthology of quotes by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi compiled by an unnamed TM teacher, and published by Zivot bez Stresa).