A credulity-straining account by a deeply grieved mother of her son's brief and troubled life on earth, his suicide, and his soul's happier existence in another dimension. Puryear, who with her husband runs a holistic center and church in Arizona called the Logos Center, is seriously into interpreting auras and channeling. She asserts that not only did her deceased 15-year-old son, Stephen, ask her to write this book, but he dictated a substantial portion of it. As she tells it, spirit guides conversed with her for years before her son's death; thus, her belief that Stephen carries on lengthy conversations with her is not surprising. As she describes her own unhappy life—she repeatedly married the wrong men, and she ignored the clues Stephen gave her that he was a boy in need of help—a picture emerges of a credulous, guilt-filled woman. The book's message, as expressed by Stephen ``from the other side,'' is that most suicides can be prevented if kids can be reached soon enough, relieved of peer pressure, helped to develop self- esteem, and put on the right diet. For a message from the spirit world, it sounds oddly mundane. An appendix contains excerpts from various sources on suicide prevention; a directory of resources for suicide survivors and those struggling with such problems as alcoholism, drug abuse, and eating disorders; and an extensive reading list on angels, reincarnation, suicide, love, diet, and allergies. The notion of communicating with one's deceased loved ones has long had appeal to many, and some bereaved parents may find this book persuasive and even helpful. Skeptics, however, are more likely to view it as the sad product of a New Age mother's remorse and unresolved grief.
Pub Date: March 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-671-53663-X
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Pocket
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1996
A readable, enjoyable, even believable book whose greatest value is the promotion of unbiased critical analysis.
Challenging evolution and creationism, Strickling concludes that Earth's past, including the creation of life, is largely shaped by the planet's history of catastrophic events.
The appearance of the word "unauthorized" often implies a bit of scandal can be found between a book's covers. Strickling's harsh handling of Darwin (and the corresponding "isms") satisfies in that regard, as he rails against the rigidity of an entrenched evolutionist establishment. Likewise, though much less disdainfully, the author refutes creationist viewpoints through his reasoned analysis. His critical investigation of these two conventional positions stimulates the reader to revisit the staunch doctrines of their science teachers and/or religious leaders. A well-organized, educated and compelling "unbiased examination" illustrates the supposed inaccuracies and shortcomings of both evolution and creationism, and encourages the reader to think open-mindedly. The latter two-thirds of the book, on the other hand, offer the newly open-minded reader something with which to fill the void: catastrophism. Strickling offers an unusual picture of Earth's history, from early formation to modern era, during which time the planet experienced several catastrophic events that induced the creation and development of life, and other times caused entire species to become extinct. These speculations upend prevailing beliefs about the geological timetable, Pangea, the origin of species, homo sapiens and so on. Not content with a thorough revision of the Earth's natural history, Strickling also applies his catastrophism model to ancient myths. From the great deluge and Noah's Ark, to the burning bush and the Arc of the Covenant, religious legends across the world are, sometimes tediously, linked to the planet’s tumultuous past. While Strickling attempts to methodically legitimize the catastrophism model, the argument apparently requires the reader to disregard the book's previously mentioned criticisms of science with regard to evolution. At times Strickling even seems to be demonstrating the fallacy of evolution by offering an equally plausible alternative–if it makes sense, why not make it true?
A readable, enjoyable, even believable book whose greatest value is the promotion of unbiased critical analysis.Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-60693-099-1
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A crash course in New Age spirituality–makes up in thoroughness what it lacks in originality.
An average man's meditation practice leads him to an intense spiritual awakening.
Although raised in a semi-religious Jewish household, Bruce never felt particularly spiritual until he underwent a midlife crisis, when he realized he lived solely for others and did little for himself. During this stressful period, the author began regularly meditating to ground himself and as a means to relax. This practice continued until one day Bruce meditated and felt a sudden, overwhelmingly blissful feeling that he had never experienced before. After meditating for longer periods and achieving the same result, Bruce began researching religious and New Age books in an attempt to discover what new power he had tapped into. Eventually Bruce identified this phenomenon as kundalini, a universal spiritual energy that "animates us as we live our lives on earth." Over time, Bruce underwent an irreversible spiritual awakening that left him with heightened empathy and awareness. Although this transformation led to some changes in his life, such as becoming a vegetarian, he maintains that the majority of his activities remained the same and that one can pursue spirituality within the constraints of normal society. Bruce offers articulate, encouraging guidelines for readers attempting the same transformation, complete with information on everything from chakras to shamanism to tips on meditation, which the author champions as a key tool to achieving awareness. Much of the advice consists of typical fare–behaving with compassion, avoiding negative media influences and releasing "ego-related" habits–but the book also touches on unusual topics such as transpersonal psychology and combining spirituality with therapy if facing depression. Readers unused to New Age philosophy may find all the talk of energy and the universe cheesy, but for the initiated, the book provides a thorough and intelligent overview of alternative spirituality, complete with a list of recommended reading.
A crash course in New Age spirituality–makes up in thoroughness what it lacks in originality.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4401-5678-6
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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