Koncocoo

Best Agnosticism

Letter to a Christian Nation
In fact, it has been by no means uncommon for a child to be born into this world only to be patiently and lovingly reared by religious maniacs, who believe that the best way to keep the sun on its course or to ensure a rich harvest is to lead him by tender hand into a field or to a mountaintop and bury, butcher, or burn him alive as offering to an invisible God. Sam Harris is the author of the New York Times best seller, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason, which won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction.
Reviews
"Simple, brief."
"Challenging to the faithful masses to reevaluate their principles."
"I will, however, say that this book is powerful."
"If you care about truth, intellectual honesty, and reason, you MUST read this book!"
"A clear and concise account of the dangers of blind faith and its Dea stating affects on human societies throughout history of humankind."
"A committed Christian would I think find it an uncomfortable read as it would confront them with the fallacies of religion."
"Great read full of logical points that anyone with common sense can follow."
"Loved it!"
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Letter to a Christian Nation
In fact, it has been by no means uncommon for a child to be born into this world only to be patiently and lovingly reared by religious maniacs, who believe that the best way to keep the sun on its course or to ensure a rich harvest is to lead him by tender hand into a field or to a mountaintop and bury, butcher, or burn him alive as offering to an invisible God. — Wall Street Journal “I dare you to read this book...it will not leave you unchanged.
Reviews
"Simple, brief."
"Challenging to the faithful masses to reevaluate their principles."
"I will, however, say that this book is powerful."
"If you care about truth, intellectual honesty, and reason, you MUST read this book!"
"A clear and concise account of the dangers of blind faith and its Dea stating affects on human societies throughout history of humankind."
"A committed Christian would I think find it an uncomfortable read as it would confront them with the fallacies of religion."
"Great read full of logical points that anyone with common sense can follow."
"Loved it!"
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God: A Human History
Writing with all the verve and brilliance we have come to expect from his pen, Reza Aslan has once more produced a book that will prompt reflection and shatter assumptions.” —Bart D. Ehrman, author of How Jesus Became God “Reza Aslan offers so much to relish in his excellent ‘human history’ of God. This rewarding book is very ambitious in its scope, and it is thoroughly grounded in an impressive body of reading and research.” —Philip Jenkins, author of Crucible of Faith. “Breathtaking in its scope and controversial in its claims, God: A Human History shows how humans from time immemorial have made God in their own image, and argues that they should now stop.
Reviews
"Those who read the book seeking confirmation or disconfirmation of their own faith won't find either of these here (except in a brief conclusion plugging pantheism): it's simply a history of the concept of God as it has developed over the millennia, all the way from ancient cave paintings to the present. But in the text, we find Aslan calmly asserting (with no real evidence) that the well-known Breuil drawing often called "The Sorceror" was intended as the earliest known representation of God. at the end of this chapter he leaves all this scholarship behind (footnotes suddenly disappear) in favor of a speculative claim that this was due to the Babylonian captivity: Marduk's defeat of Yahweh gave rise to cognitive dissonance and made the Jews decide to go all the way and insist that Marduk didn't even exist."
"God-a human history takes on a topic of massive scope and brings information together from many different disciplines and puts it in a readable format. Very deep subject matters are covered such as whether or not the god concept developed in service of early beings or was it hard wired."
"The new book by Azlan, the author of Zealot, explores the "God gene," or the strong urge in us to find something to worship or at least deem more powerful and worthy than we are. The latter part of the book explores the Persian and Babylonian pantheons, the often capricious Greek gods, Egyptian deities, the beginnings of the three great monotheistic religions, and the sayings of Zoroaster and Rumi."
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Best Atheism

The God Delusion
A preeminent scientist -- and the world's most prominent atheist -- asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11. RICHARD DAWKINS taught zoology at the University of California at Berkeley and at Oxford University and is now the Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford, a position he has held since 1995.
Reviews
"More than just questioning the existence of God the books is about the devastating effects of religion throughout history and in our time as well."
"Great research notes by Dawkins into the well-documented beliefs (and lack thereof) of our "founding fathers" and other luminaries of historical import."
"Richard Dawkins demonstrate brilliantly and in clear terms how religion rituals are time-consuming, wealth-consuming, hostility-provoking, fecundity-forfeiting, useless activities of superstitious peoples, especially in the United States of America where ignorant people believe that the world was created in seven days, ten thousand years ago."
"This book has actually inspired me to purchase an array of similar books."
"I can see how some people could (as has been done ad nauseam)) accuse the author of ranting about the topic, but then again it IS a divisive topic by it's very nature, and any believer would probably feel at least a minor sting to their pride when reading."
"It's quite a vulnerable thing to explore answers outside the bonds of religion, but Dawkins reveals answers and/or plausible explanations that satisfy beyond imagination."
"The most religious of us will benefit the most from this witty, science backed gut check."
"Awesome take on religion and how it affects people!"
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Best Hinduism

Be Here Now
“We’re talking about metamorphosis. We’re talking about going from a caterpillar to a butterfly. We’re talking about how to become a butterfly.” In March 1961, Professor Richard Alpert – later renamed Ram Dass – held appointments in four departments at Harvard University. With over 150 pages of metaphysical illustrations, practical advice on how to implement a yogic regiment, and a chapter dedicated to quotes and book recommendations, Be Here Now is sure to enrich your emotional, physical, and spiritual life. Magic Theatre. For madmen only. price of admission. your. mind Then you turn to the first page of the book, and you are suddenly sucked into the story of a Harvard psychiatrist who has reached the pinnacle of success, discovers the mind-expanding powers of acid, and ends up trooping through India with a 23-year-old holy man from Laguna Beach, California. Although he still can't resist CAPITAL LETTERS, he has done his homework, presenting a whole range of concepts and practices having to do with yoga postures, meditation, renunciation, dying, and sexual energy.
Reviews
"I was walking through a busy bookstore one day back in 2010, and I was staring at the Religion & Spirituality section for about 15 minutes not knowing where to begin. Some random guy came up, pulled Be Here Now off the shelf, handed it to me and simply said "This is a good place to start." He basically combines teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam in such a way that it blows your mind and helps you see how everything is connected."
"Beautiful book."
"The format makes it inviting to read a little at a time and then put it down and digest."
"I enjoyed reading this book, its a crazy story about the journey that Ram Dass went on to reach enlightenment."
"This is a beautifully bound book."
"Ram Das continues to be a big inspiration for me."
"Love love love."
"Most readable and accessible."
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Best Judaism

Man's Search for Meaning, Gift Edition
With a foreword by Harold S. Kushner, Frankl’s classic is presented here in an elegant new edition with endpapers, supplementary photographs, and several of Frankl’s previously unpublished letters, speeches, and essays. One of the classic psychiatric texts of our time, Man's Search for Meaning is a meditation on the irreducible gift of one's own counsel in the face of great suffering, as well as a reminder of the responsibility each of us owes in valuing the community of our humanity. "Dr. Frankl's words have a profoundly honest ring, for they rest on experiences too deep for deception… A gem of a dramatic narrative, focused upon the deepest of human problems." "An inspiring document of an amazing man who was able to garner some good from an experience so abysmally bad… Highly recommended."
Reviews
"Read this book, read this book."
"Those that had developed purpose and meaning to the harsh conditions got out of bed every morning to face another unbearable day."
"Profound insight."
"A little twist of ideas as to why some people survive the worst and why others don't survive medium bad."
"A nice read about the importance of finding meaning in your life."
"This is a great book from both the personal story aspect as well as for its philosophical aspects."
"A powerful book."
"This is a fantastic book for anyone interested in logotherapy, Positive thinking, or Holocaust survival stories."
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Best Islam

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity
A revised foreword and introduction A substantially extended epilogue that shares how Nabeel told his friend David of his decision to follow Christ, how his parents found out, and much more Expert contributions from scholars and ministry leaders on each section of the book, contributions previously included only in the ebook edition An appendix with a topical table of contents (for teaching from Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus ) An appendix tackling the objection that Ahmadi Muslims are not true Muslims And a sneak peek prologue from Nabeel’s forthcoming new book, No God but One: Allah or Jesus ? Nabeel Qureshi is a speaker with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
Reviews
"For myself, I was reliving the search I had pursued forty five years ago, when my embrace of existentialism had left me so empty and purposeless that I had to reconsider the claims of Christ, just in case they might be true. I found myself anticipating each next step in Nabeel's intellectual journey, as each critical aspect of the truth of Christianity was substantiated by his investigations. I even experienced to a degree Nabeel's family conflicts, though for me it was my mother's amazement and bitter disappointment with my choice after college of seminary instead of medical school."
"The dedication at the beginning of the book, read by the author himself, had me bawling like a baby. I was unaware of how much disagreement about doctrine that there is within different Muslim beliefs and Qureshi walks through them carefully and respectfully."
"I have to say that as a Christian, before reading this book, I had very little knowledge of the Muslim faith and how Muslim children are raised."
"Nabeel’s testimony, the description of his journey in life as a young Muslim and the crisis of faith he experienced all impacted me strongly."
"He pursues the documented evidence with the commitment that whatever he finds he will believe in the God that is truth - even if he finds that the teaching that was a part of his life since birth may or may not be truth."
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Best Religious Studies

The Trump Prophecies: The Astonishing True Story of the Man Who Saw Tomorrow... and What He Says Is Coming Next
When the prophecy later fell into the hands of New York Times bestsellers Don and Mary Colbert, God used this new team of passionate individuals to lead the nation into a fervent prayer chain that would accomplish one of the most incredible miracles our country has ever seen. In THE TRUMP PROPHECIES readers will discover: *How the Lord can and will use anyone regardless of education, background, or health to communicate His message to the Church of Christ. *What led to the miracle of the 2016 election, the role of we the people for the will of God in the future, and what the Body of Christ needs to do to keep His blessing on our nation. *How the enemy has utilized techniques of distraction to keep the Body's focus off of God and onto internal, demoralizing disputes and how this can be overcome. *Astounding, world-altering changes in our US government Mark sees on the horizon. *The positive message of hope and encouragement that points to fresh methods of spreading the Gospel to the lost.
Reviews
"I especially liked the part about her organizing a "telephone prayer chain" that would take place every day at 9 AM from Labor Day until election day. PS - I'm ready for the next 2 phases of the prophecies, which are (1) Some of these high-profile crooks (Obama, ALL 3 CLINTONS, Lynch, Rice, Comey, etc) going to jail, and (2) corrupt judges and justices being replaced by men & women of God. Can't wait for President Trump to appoint 4 more Supreme Court justices."
"While I knew about the prophecies, I was interested in hearing the background about the messenger."
"When I heard that Mark was publishing a book about his experience on receiving the Trump prophecy, the avid reader in me NEEDED to get my hands on it like now! I have never trusted YouTube prophets, but I make an exception for Mark Taylor because he truly did hear from God on April 28th, 2011."
"This was a book I walked around reading, and read through immediately."
"Thanks to both Mary Colbert and Mark Taylor for their transparency in sharing their journey."
"I read the news daily and watch God's prophecies unfold before my very eyes via Mark Taylor's book."
"Thouroughly enjoyed the book."
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Best New Age & Spirituality

Medical Medium Thyroid Healing: The Truth behind Hashimoto's, Graves', Insomnia, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid Nodules & Epstein-Barr
Across age groups, from baby boomers and their parents to millennials and even children, more and more people—women especially—are hearing that their thyroids are to blame for their fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, memory issues, aches and pains, tingles and numbness, insomnia, hair loss, hot flashes, sensitivity to cold, constipation, bloating, anxiety, depression, heart palpitations, loss of libido, restless legs, and more. It’s something much more pervasive in the body, something invasive, that’s responsible for the laundry list of symptoms and conditions attributed to thyroid disease. Empowering readers to become their own thyroid experts, he explains in detail what the source problem really is, including what’s going on with inflammation, autoimmune disease, and dozens more symptoms and conditions, then offers a life-changing toolkit and many new recipes to rescue the thyroid and bring readers back to health and vitality. If you’ve struggled with any chronic health issue, you’re not alone—you are one among millions confronting the mysterious symptoms that medical communities have begun to connect with thyroid illness. We’ve already waited 100-plus years for real insights from medical communities into thyroid problems, and they haven’t come. ACHES AND PAINS ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE BRAIN FOG AND FOCUS CANCER EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS FATIGUE MONONUCLEOSIS FIBROMYALGIA AND CFS HAIR THINNING AND LOSS HASHIMOTO’S THYROIDITIS HEADACHES AND MIGRAINES HEART PALPITATIONS VERTIGO HYPERTHYROIDISM HYPOTHYROIDISM MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS MYSTERY WEIGHT GAIN SLEEP DISORDERS TINGLES AND NUMBNESS. “While there is most definitely an element of otherworldly mystery to the work he does, much of what Anthony William shines a spotlight on—particularly around autoimmune disease—feels inherently right and true. and star of Dawson’s Creek, and Kimberly Van Der Beek, public speaker and activist. “My family and friends have been the recipients of Anthony’s inspired gift of healing, and we’ve benefited more than I can express with rejuvenated physical and mental health.”. “Anthony William is one of those rare individuals who uses his gifts to help people rise up to meet their full potential by becoming their own best health advocates . Anthony William is the real deal, and the gravity of the information he shares through Spirit is priceless and empowering and much needed in this day and age!”. His book is truly ‘wisdom of the future,’ so already now, miraculously, we have the clear, accurate explanation of the many mysterious illnesses that the ancient Buddhist medical texts predicted would afflict us in this era when over-clever people have tampered with the elements of life in the pursuit of profit.”. — Robert Thurman, Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Columbia University; President, Tibet House US; best-selling author of Man of Peace, Love Your Enemies, and Inner Revolution; host of Bob Thurman Podcast. — David James Elliott, Camera Store, Scorpion, Trumbo, Mad Men, CSI: NY; star for ten years of CBS’s JAG. “Anthony William is the gifted Medical Medium who has very real and not-so-radical solutions to the mysterious conditions that affect us all in our modern world. I am beyond thrilled to know him personally and count him as a most valuable resource for my health protocols and those for my entire family.”. — Annabeth Gish, Halt and Catch Fire, Scandal, Pretty Little Liars, The West Wing, Mystic Pizza. “Anthony William has devoted his life to helping people with information that has truly made a substantial difference in the lives of many.”. Through Anthony’s work, I realized the residual Epstein-Barr left over from a childhood illness was sabotaging my health years later. “In this world of confusion, with constant noise in the health and wellness field, I rely on Anthony’s profound authenticity. “My recovery from a traumatic spinal crisis several years ago had been steady, but I was still experiencing muscle weakness, a tapped-out nervous system, as well as extra weight. A dear friend called me one evening and strongly recommended I read the book Medical Medium by Anthony William. My weight has dropped healthily, I can enjoy bike-riding and yoga, I’m back in the gym, I have steady energy, and I sleep deeply. Nothing made this fact so clear to me as seeing him work with an old friend who had been struggling for years with illness, brain fog, and fatigue. “Twelve hours after receiving a heaping dose of self-confidence masterfully administered by Anthony, the persistent ringing in my ears of the last year . — Mike Dooley, New York Times best-selling author of From Deep Space with Love and Infinite Possibilities, scribe of Notes from the Universe. “Anthony William is the Edgar Cayce of our time, reading the body with outstanding precision and insight. — Ann Louise Gittleman, New York Times best-selling author of over 30 books on health and healing and creator of the highly popular Fat Flush detox and diet plan. Some of Anthony’s clients spent over $1 million seeking help for their ‘mystery illness’ until they finally discovered him.”. — Richard Sollazzo, M.D., New York board-certified oncologist, hematologist, nutritionist, and anti-aging expert and author of Balance Your Health. This kind, sweet, hilarious, self-effacing, and generous man—also so ‘otherworldly’ and so extraordinarily gifted, with an ability that defies how we see the world—has shocked even me, a medium! — Caroline Leavitt, New York Times best-selling author of The Kids’ Family Tree Book, Cruel Beautiful World, Is This Tomorrow, and Pictures of You. Holding my head heavy in my hands, sobbing uncontrollably at the kitchen table, not knowing which way to turn, I realized I had finally hit a wall. Through the streaming tears and heaving sobs, I whispered what I vowed never to do: ‘I give up.’ I have nothing left in knowing what is next, I pleaded to the darkness. Since then, it had been five months of consistent doctor visits, herbs and supplements, acupuncture and energetic healing work, hypnotherapy and homeopathy, psychology, medical tests and procedures, paperwork and phone calls, lab tests and consultations, medicine and vitamins, more tests, and numerous ER visits in snowstorms—all leading to a dead end and no hope in sight, with my son’s condition only slowly worsening over time. I was exhausted physically and emotionally, broken down by the relentlessness of my son’s undiagnosable stomach pain and no hope for healing. “Leaving a medical office one day, pushing my son in a wheelchair (because it was now too painful and tiring for him to walk much) down the long corridor of the medical center from which we had spent many, many hours over many months, my ten-year-old son looked up at me and said, ‘They aren’t on our side, Mom.’. “Then, the answer to my prayer arrived through a text from my mother explaining she had found someone who I should check out named Anthony William. Anthony William knew what was ailing my son within the first three minutes of our phone conversation, explaining that Calvin had a mutated shingles virus inflaming his vagus nerve. This explained the nerve pain and the lack of physical evidence in any blood work or other existing diagnostic tools. He was available to me when I needed him for follow-up calls (even in the middle of the night), emotional support, and as my cheerleader to keep me going as Calvin recovered. “It is clear how deeply committed Anthony is to his work in serving others in order that they may have the possibility to lead healthy, vibrant lives. “In 2015, my previously healthy five-year-old daughter started to develop neurological issues such as wobbly legs, frequent falls, an inability to walk when going from sitting to standing, general weakness, and decreased strength. Being a nurse for ten years and my medical community not providing me answers about why my daughter was getting worse was a hard pill to swallow. After visiting multiple doctors in several different states without any answers except ‘asthma’ and medications to treat the asthmatic symptoms, I was fortunate enough to have a session with Anthony William where he gave me specific information about the source of my son’s problems as well as holistic ways in which to repair them. It is hard to express the gratitude I feel toward Anthony William for his invaluable insight that directly led to my son’s amazing recovery into the teenager I always hoped he could be—active, healthy, happy, and enjoying life with a smile on his face and boundless energy!”.
Reviews
"Reading Anthony William's books and using the treasure trove of information contained within is the single most impactful thing I have ever done in my life, and for my health and well-being. I have healed illnesses that all the doctors could do is shrug their shoulders and hand me pills, along with the statement, "There's nothing we can really do for you". Anthony William is the only person who has ever given any true answers, and any infmation that actually helped me to heal the ROOT cause of my illnesses. That's the short version of my story - this information works because it is true, pure and untampered with. If you want the long version of my story, it's below: I have about a page of diagnoses that it took years of searching to get before I finally found Anthony William's book. I'll list some of them: Fibromyalgia, Mast Cell Activation Disorder, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Hypothyroid, PCOS, Migraines, PTSD, Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Dysautonomia/POTS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Sleep Apnea,....there are more diagnoses, but that's enough, you get the picture, right? I was homebound for almost a year because I was essentially allergic to the world and would react to all kinds of things wherever I went. I was unable to prepare food, or do dishes or laundry or keep my house clean. I had homeschooled my son and was unable to do that anymore - the only time I left my house was for doctors' appointments, and I had to always be driven by my husband because I had lost the ability to drive a car. I had less than zero energy, I felt horrible all the time, I was in terrible all over body pain and had crazy brain fog. I ate what I believed to be SO cleanly - all organic, grassfed, free-range meats and eggs, no grains or dairy, no nightshades, autoimmune paleo, low FODMAP. But he also worked 40 hours a week, took care of our son, made our food, did all of the grocery shopping and other errands, took care of the house and 1.5 acre yard, was getting our house ready to sell - I had zero idea how I was going to do this cleanse, how I could possibly pull it off with no energy to make any food. My energy was highest (I use that term very loosely) in the morning, so okay, let's see if I can manage to make some celery juice. At the time I only had a Vitamix, no juicer, so I used that and a tiny bit of water to blend the celery, then strained it through a nut milk bag. And still surprisingly, I had enough energy that day to make myself a morning smoothie after the celery juice. It went on like that as I did the cleanse - by Day 3 I began to blog it, because it was a freaking miracle happening to me, I couldn't believe it. But I got into the groove eventually, and the last week of the cleanse I did add in cooked potato to slow down the detox a bit. One day I realized I'd forgotten to call in my Low Dose Naltrexone prescription, because I no longer needed it to take the edge off the pain! My EDS symptoms like constant subluxations and pain - G. O. N. E. I can hardly believe how much has healed. My rosacea is healing, a raised mole I had completely disappeared, and listen, my friends, this is not just me I am talking about - I am by no means an anomaly here. I"m happy to answer any real questions you have about this work, but if you're on the fence and wondering if you should buy this (and the other two books) and if you can heal?"
"When it comes to my health, I always want to know and heal the ROOT cause of a problem. Since finding Anthony William and the Medical Medium books 6 months ago, I’ve had thousands of “Aha!” moments, moments when I both realized the accurate root cause of a health struggle or repeated symptom, and exactly what I can do to heal it myself, and in the most efficient way possible. Since finding these books, I’ve experienced better and better health every month. I haven’t finished it yet, so I’ll update the review soon, but already this book has masive amounts of new empowering, clear, and accurate information on the why and how of so many symptoms/illnesses, and what the heck to do for outstanding health and freedom from disease and health challenges. It also has more in-depth healing protocols (with new 90-day healing plans), it addresses how to adjust if you are sensitive to detoxing too fast, and wonderful recipes for making delicious healing foods for the whole family."
"There was a unique ignition of my soul that happened when I suddenly encountered illness- a dormant part of me started waking up. It takes a LOT of courage to follow what you feel in your heart is the right thing, despite the opinions/beliefs of all we have been spoon-fed about “health”. I guess I share all this because I hope everyone takes advantage of the gift that is being given to us on this planet right now."
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Best Occult & Paranormal

The Secret
By applying the knowledge of The Secret, they bring to light compelling stories of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcoming obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible. Supporters will hail this New Age self-help book on the law of attraction as a groundbreaking and life-changing work, finding validation in its thesis that one's positive thoughts are powerful magnets that attract wealth, health, happiness... and did we mention wealth?
Reviews
"When I first began to read this book I honestly thought it was a crock and a waste of my time and money. When I initially disagreed with one of the authors viewpoint with in the book and scrutinized another's personal life through research I was almost stop reading, but I decided to continue reading anyway. As the book unraveled and began to reveal "The Secret," and how to apply it into my life immediately, I allowed myself to be open in receiving whatever insight I could in order to help me overcome several difficulties in my life and achieve a better quality of life overall. This is a life changing book and I see why it has sold millions and millions of copies around the world."
"When I do my evening gratitude exercises, I feel like I am writing the most important chart of my life. And it helps to sleep better :). I also picked a special pen, and now the whole process becomes sacred."
"I like this little book a lot but i think i will be regifting it as reading pages of The Secret book on a daily basis is enough for me."
"mother-in-law loves the movie so we bought her the book for Christmas."
"An intriguing concept."
"This was a very interesting book I forced myself yo keep an open mind on the concepts."
"Love this gratitude journal!"
"Great read and useful ideas to try."
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Best Religious Worship & Devotion

Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence
Jesus Calling is a devotional filled with uniquely inspired treasures from heaven for every day of the year. “I’ve given this beautiful book to so many people I love, and I’ve come back to it myself again and again. “Jesus Calling has been such an inspirational tool in my daily walk with Jesus.
Reviews
"The scripture at the bottom of the page is already written out for you, you don't have to go searching unless you want to read it in a different version, which is good too."
"This is much nicer than the original version and has the scriptures quoted instead of just the references."
"I gave my last one away and ordered this one but it doesn't have the scripture references typed out like my last one."
"This Jesus Calling book is for anyone who needs that special reminder of God’s peace and grace in any situation that pops up or tries to linger in our lives."
"The only thing I hadn't noticed before I purchased it was that the scripture references aren't written out."
"Hi, I have purchased 5 copies for friends who love to read positive scriptures from the bible written in a personal way!"
"The words received by the author after she would pray and then wait and listen for the Lord's words."
"If you are looking for the perfect devotional this one is it."
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Best Other Religions, Practices & Sacred Texts

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)
In The Four Agreements, bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. She is the co-author, with don Miguel Ruiz, of six books in The Toltec Wisdom Series , creator of “The Four Agreements for a Better Life” online course, and editor of Deepak Chopra’s bestselling title, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success .
Reviews
"I am an undergrad student of philosophy and linguistics, a branch of the humanities. I also deeply love this series of books because of its obviousness and simplicity. There is a huge tradition of skepticism in linguistics, especially about how language is used in various cultures to create belief systems. A belief system is basically a set of instructions inside your brain based on language. These instructions help you navigate the stressful world around you so you can survive. We are psychologically wired to think our belief systems are accurate and experience deep stress if we find them to be inaccurate. You may not be surprised to find out that philosophy majors have not come up with answers to these questions because there is always a case where we are going to be wrong or have a counter argument. Much of the study of philosophy is the collection of vocabulary words to describe beliefs. They even have a mathematical component called propositional logic, where one takes sentences and reduces them to symbols and creates "proofs" but even prop-logic is under fire from academics for its complete inability to predict anything. I believe Miguel Ruiz must have taken a linguistics course as well--as his first agreement attests to the power of language. Both Saussure and Derrida (and many, many others) did work on how we form ideas in our heads based on language. The gist is this: we have something called a "symbol" in our brain which is composed of two parts: the word and the visual representation of the object (look up semiotics for further detail). These symbols are in our mind and work together to form meaning, then belief. If you really want a deeper understanding on how linguistics has saturated our belief systems I recommend reading some of their academic essays or get Rivkin and Ryan's literary theory books. To simplify: scientists and academics in the millions have tried and tried and tried to find "the true belief" for thousands, maybe tens of thousands of years and we have not yet arrived at any truth. The need to be right is so ingrained within us that we create a huge drama when someone contradicts our beliefs. - I take all gurus, religions, indictments and gossip with quite a high level of benevolent skepticism, which allows me to be free from the fear that goes along with these stories."
"Both are based on the philosophy of the Toltec, ancient people of southern Mexico who were known as women and men of knowledge. The author at times anticipates such problems on the part of the reader, and is indeed accurate in that regard. The Toltecs were not a race or tribe, or nation, but scientists and artists formed to explore and conserve the spiritual knowledge and practices of the “ancient ones”. The Toltec recognize that some 3000 years ago a human studying to be a medicine man woke to the realization that everything is made of light and that all that exists is one living being, and that light is the messenger of life because it is alive and contains all information. As children we believe what adults say, especially our parents, and our world becomes a dream, a reality built on symbols from others, not the silent feelings and observations that we experienced as infants. We live in a dream ruled by fear and filled with emotions of anger, jealousy, envy and hate. To escape our dream of hell, we must break the old agreements that are fear based and reclaim our personal power. The author suggests four basic agreements that you must make with yourself to reclaim your own power and find a heaven on earth, a life of joy and fulfillment. He feels that a sin is anything that goes against yourself, and being impeccable is not gong against yourself, taking responsibility for your actions, but not judging or blaming. He feels that gossip is the worst form of black magic, for it is judgmental language about others, even those we do not know. He gives the simple example of a child being told by her mother to shut up her singing because her voice was “ugly”. These are the type of agreements that we make in life that are harmful and destructive, that lead us into our dream of hell. And as you use such words, first by expressing love for yourself, you break all the many agreements that make you suffer, and begin to build your own dream of heaven on earth. Couldn’t someone’s anger be about us if our word was less than impeccable, but instead filled with the black magic mentioned by the author? I raise these questions in my mind because at times, as I read through this, it sounds as if one can “get a pass” for less than sterling behavior because he need not take others reactions personally. (True sadness from the passing of a child or similar “objective” tragedy is hard to relate to assumptions or taking things personally) I have found that people often assume my meaning, and sometimes take offense at something that was never intended to harm. I don’t know exactly why we are afraid to ask for clarification, maybe it roots back to those days when we were reluctant to ask questions in school. I think these two agreements about taking things personally and making assumptions are really part of a self centeredness that “it is all about me”. In fact it is really important to realize that it isn’t always about you, especially when the assumptions made generally do assume so and lead to taking things personally. Not making assumptions would seem to be one of the easier agreements to live up to, as it only involves a little bit of inquiry. I see his book as being primarily focused on reaching an internal contentment and happiness, not on navigating one’s way through the world at large. I just find a bit of a contrast between the focus of this work and something like “Falling Upward” by Richard Rohr where he acknowledges the need to survive in the competitive world as a means of gaining some level of confidence before, in the second half of life, we are able to discard much of the baggage of the first half and seek out a more personal and spiritual contentment. All see Western culture as imposing and espousing a very competitive, win/loose guilt ridden mentality. Such mentality may or may not be necessary for the struggles that we face, but, all my readings seem to agree that at some point our thoughts need to focus on attaining a more peaceful and inclusive level of spiritual contentment. By merely listening you show respect for the other person’s dream, for the reality he or she has created. The first Four Agreements taught us that out symbols are not the truth, and that many of these symbols–our entire symbology as he calls it- are lies that lead us to blame and shame and guilt, to a living hell. It is a war against that part of our mind that makes all the choices that guide us into our personal hell. It is that point where we come back to our real state, our divine self, where we fell a communion of love with everything in existence. We experience what he refers to as a resurrection, and it allows us to be wild and free like a child, except that we have freedom with wisdom instead of innocence. These books express a philosophy couched in rather mystical terms–in dreams and symbols, attention and awareness. I think he feels that a concept like goodness is also a truth that is intrinsically recognized and internal, and not a product of a value system that is imposed on us by others. But, at least to me, he doesn’t recognize such conditioning as being a necessary part of that portion of our lives when we must learn to cope in our world. The striking thing, as I read numerous books and other writings, and watch speeches, is the basic consistency in the message of oneness and the need to abandon, at least temporarily, much of what we have “learned” in order to open our minds, or perhaps clear our minds, so that we can receive the gift of interconnectedness."
"The Four Agreements are: - Be Impeccable With Your Words. - Don't Take Anything Personally. - Don't Make Assumptions. - Always Do Your Best. -When he says be Impeccable With Your Word, he means you should always speak,with integrity. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering. - when he says Don't Make Assumptions, he means you must find the the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want."
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