January 2005
The New Year brings with it a time for resolution and a hope for betterment for the future. May you be prosperous in the relative while remaining centered in the infinite.

I have devoured many books over the past years and the ones I have picked to highlight this month have made a dramatic impact on my life.

If the following titles have not made their way into your personal library I would highly recommend to begin the new year by becoming acquainted with one or two of the following:

Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing, by Jed McKenna, is a must for any open-minded spiritual seeker. You may think Jed is crazy, egotistical, or just way out there but Jed will certainly get you to observe enlightenment in a different light.

Silence of the Heart, by Robert Adams, is a heartfelt cut to the bone book that should be in every spiritual aspirants library. Love and laughter flows effortlessly from this wonderful Advaita primer.

Cliff Walk, by Don J. Snyder. An intense memoir of a man forced into dramatic change… highlights man’s inability to control circumstances and teaches us to befriend the unexpected as a powerful venue for growth.

Martin Eden, by Jack London. My ultimate favorite novel… unlike any other of London’s works. An intensely personal story filled with passion. It is a book you will long remember, both a love story and journal of a man’s dramatic metamorphoses.

Cabbage and Roses is one of our favorite vegetarian comfort food recipe books.

Golden Rules of Vastu Shastra: Remedies and Solutions, by Suman Pandit, is a new book on vastu. It’s one of the few that offers rectification options.

The Reality of Time, by Fairfield author Janet Iris Sussman, is an intellectual look at the sacred dimension of existence, the body, and the inter-dimensional quality of time.

Hidden Treasure of Vastu Shilpa Shastra and Indian Traditions, by Derebail Muralidhar Rao, is back in stock after a few years of unavailability. It’s one of our best selling vastu books.

December 2004
This is a unique time of year. It can bring out the best or the worst in people.

If during this hectic time of stress we can stay centered and draw our attention to the silence that always resides within us, if we can focus beyond the superficial crassness

of recordings of dogs barking Jingle Bells or the latest pet rock fad gift syndrome, then the true gifts of this season are allowed to be brought to the surface of our lives. Our silence can then grow and we can again experience this special time with the childlike joy and innocence we thought we had lost.

In my chosen work I feel blessed: managing a book store every day can feel like Christmas when opening up boxes filled with fascinating books. Here now are a few titillating titles I have unpacked recently that could bring much joy to a special loved one this holiday.

OFFERINGS: Buddhist Wisdom for every day by Danielle and Oliver Follmi (official photographers of the Dalai Lama) is truly a beautiful gift book. The photos are outstanding and the Buddhist quotes perfectly complement each photographic image. This was our best selling holiday book last year. This book is filled with much spiritual depth. A great gift for both your Buddhist as well as Non Buddhist loved ones.

Mandala: Journey to the Center by Bailey Cunningham. Our latest book dealing with Mandalas (visual Mantras) shows the history and usage of the Mandala in both Eastern and Western traditions. It has over 400 breathtaking photographs and is one of the most comprehensive books dealing with this subject I have seen since Yantra by Madhu Khanna.

Reflections On The Nature of God by Michael Reagan. Photography of the Universe and our planet Earth that showcases the divine in its myriad forms which includes quotes from spiritual scriptures that cause the mind to stop and ponder the wonder of divinity. The photos are amazing… the quotes run the full spectrum from The Yoga Vasitha to the poetry of Rumi and the transcendental wisdom of Thoreau.

Unfinished Life by Mark Spragg.

Mark (a one time resident of Fairfield) is truly a gifted writer. His latest work is filled with poetic writing, characters that are truly alive and vivid, and a story line that completely grabs you. If someone on your gift list loves high quality fiction this would be a perfect gift. They will thank you as have many local customers thanked me for this recommendation. I feel Mark is on the verge of writing greatness.

November 2004
I have discovered hidden mysteries about my personal psyche through the lives of literary characters. My first recommendation is a book I just recently completed. THE CALL OF STORIES: Teaching and the Moral Imagination by Robert Coles deals with the influence fiction has had on the lives of students of all ages. it is an inspiring book. if reading is a passion for you then I highly recommend this book.

Mark Spragg’s memoirs WHERE RIVERS CHANGE DIRECTION is my second recommendation. It is one of the finest memoirs I have ever read. It concerns Marks’ life growing up in Wyoming. Mark’s words will knock you out. This book is a must for anyone who loves good writing. Mark’s latest book AN UNFINISHED LIFE is being released as a movie this fall starring Robert Redford.