Travelers, spiritualists, and historians will likely enjoy this LA survey.
A tour through the ethereal side of Los Angeles.
Auman’s book takes readers on a free-wheeling tour of New Age and other spiritual sites in and around LA, which some people consider to be a center of spirit energy. The book also features landmarks of traditional religions, such as the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, and sacred monuments of Native American peoples. Auman, a fine storyteller, will engage readers with her accounts of historical events, urban legends, and longtime mysteries—among them, the monthlong disappearance of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the Foursquare Church. The guide also includes a smattering of homes and haunts of the famous, including those of the late bestselling author Carlos Castaneda. The author takes occasional detours to places with only tangential ties to spiritualism, including restaurants, bookstores, and an apartment building, but most have an otherworldly air to them, such as the Inn of the Seventh Ray in Topanga, a vegan-friendly gourmet restaurant and shop. A few others, such as Canter’s Deli, seem to have been included only because they are popular with celebrities, which seems digressive. Still, some sites are so far off the beaten path they may even surprise longtime Angelenos, and all feature detailed descriptions with often stunning photographs, some full-page. Many of the latter show majestic, architecturally interesting churches, missions, and temples with blooming gardens. The startling Templo Santa Muerte, for instance, features a mural of an oversized hooded skeleton head surrounded by candles and celestial images. Auman often shows respect for the belief systems she mentions, but a few chapter titles, such as “Spirituality in a Speedo,” seem less reverent. Overall, the author’s deep knowledge of LA’s spiritual landscape and you-are-there writing style make this an engaging and informative read.
Travelers, spiritualists, and historians will likely enjoy this LA survey.Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-945085-09-3
Page Count: 264
Publisher: Green Tara Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.
All right, all right, all right: The affable, laconic actor delivers a combination of memoir and self-help book.
“This is an approach book,” writes McConaughey, adding that it contains “philosophies that can be objectively understood, and if you choose, subjectively adopted, by either changing your reality, or changing how you see it. This is a playbook, based on adventures in my life.” Some of those philosophies come in the form of apothegms: “When you can design your own weather, blow in the breeze”; “Simplify, focus, conserve to liberate.” Others come in the form of sometimes rambling stories that never take the shortest route from point A to point B, as when he recounts a dream-spurred, challenging visit to the Malian musician Ali Farka Touré, who offered a significant lesson in how disagreement can be expressed politely and without rancor. Fans of McConaughey will enjoy his memories—which line up squarely with other accounts in Melissa Maerz’s recent oral history, Alright, Alright, Alright—of his debut in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, to which he contributed not just that signature phrase, but also a kind of too-cool-for-school hipness that dissolves a bit upon realizing that he’s an older guy on the prowl for teenage girls. McConaughey’s prep to settle into the role of Wooderson involved inhabiting the mind of a dude who digs cars, rock ’n’ roll, and “chicks,” and he ran with it, reminding readers that the film originally had only three scripted scenes for his character. The lesson: “Do one thing well, then another. Once, then once more.” It’s clear that the author is a thoughtful man, even an intellectual of sorts, though without the earnestness of Ethan Hawke or James Franco. Though some of the sentiments are greeting card–ish, this book is entertaining and full of good lessons.
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-13913-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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