An engaging exploration for seekers of all stripes.
The product of a “strict Christian household” gone rogue interprets the Bible through a decidedly Eastern lens.
You might not know this, or even care to know this—but you are God. You might not feel that way sitting in your soul-sucking cubicle or digging that ditch, but you are divine, according to Yarnell’s take on the Bible. That idea is central to the author’s thesis as he endeavors to uplift the uninitiated with esoteric knowledge for the betterment of everyday life. “We are not ‘separate’ from anything—not from each other, not from nature, not from the world, not from distant stars with their own galaxies rotating around them,” he writes. Yarnell caps off each highly accessible chapter with an exercise or mediation that readers can put into practice right away. The good news, according the author, is that Christ is imagination, and we can use our imaginations to create our reality—hence the book’s provocative title. “Everything changes when you start creating reality with intent and with the awareness that you are God,” he asserts. The text is pretty much all peace and love, except when it comes to established Christian churches; Yarnell jeers what he calls “biblical misinterpretation[s] of the scriptures” and calls certain established church doctrines concerning the nature of Jesus “ludicrous.” The author finds the concepts of duality and separation between God and his creations as particularly damaging and detrimental to all of our lives. Those already familiar with some of the core tenets of Eastern religions and thought will find these ideas familiar, but others may see them as challenging. Overall, Yarnell’s tome is an upbeat affair that often feels like one-part self-help guide and one-part expedition into enigmatic cosmological truths. The King James Bible is referenced extensively, and many will no doubt find the author’s insights to be profound. “It works like this,” he states: “Have a clear intention of what you want, see it in your imagination, and try your best to feel the reality of it. Doing this lets you latch onto it in the quantum field with the lasso of faith.”
An engaging exploration for seekers of all stripes.Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2025
ISBN: 9781897238721
Page Count: 248
Publisher: Namaste Publishing
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A sweet final word from an actor who leaves a legacy of compassion and kindness.
The late actor offers a gentle guide for living with more purpose, love, and joy.
Mixing poetry, prescriptive challenges, and elements of memoir, Heche (1969-2022) delivers a narrative that is more encouraging workbook than life story. The author wants to share what she has discovered over the course of a life filled with abuse, advocacy, and uncanny turning points. Her greatest discovery? Love. “Open yourself up to love and transform kindness from a feeling you extend to those around you to actions that you perform for them,” she writes. “Only by caring can we open ourselves up to the universe, and only by opening up to the universe can we fully experience all the wonders that it holds, the greatest of which is love.” Throughout the occasionally overwrought text, Heche is heavy on the concept of care. She wants us to experience joy as she does, and she provides a road map for how to get there. Instead of slinking away from Hollywood and the ridicule that she endured there, Heche found the good and hung on, with Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford starring as particularly shining knights in her story. Some readers may dismiss this material as vapid Hollywood stuff, but Heche’s perspective is an empathetic blend of Buddhism (minimize suffering), dialectical behavioral therapy (tolerating distress), Christianity (do unto others), and pre-Socratic philosophy (sufficient reason). “You’re not out to change the whole world, but to increase the levels of love and kindness in the world, drop by drop,” she writes. “Over time, these actions wear away the coldness, hate, and indifference around us as surely as water slowly wearing away stone.” Readers grieving her loss will take solace knowing that she lived her love-filled life on her own terms. Heche’s business and podcast partner, Heather Duffy, writes the epilogue, closing the book on a life well lived.
A sweet final word from an actor who leaves a legacy of compassion and kindness.Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781627783316
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Viva Editions
Review Posted Online: Feb. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
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