by Willy Norup ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2016
A unique, engaging problem-solver, although skeptics may see it as merely a novelty.
An unusual interpretation of the I Ching, devised to aid modern-day readers caring for loved ones.
The I Ching is an ancient book of divinations which provides spiritual guidance. According to pioneering psychologist Carl Jung, writes Norup (I Ching for Wise Living and Aging, 2015, etc.), it’s “based on the principle of synchronicity or meaningful coincidence.” To use the I Ching, one asks a question, tosses three coins six times, records the result in a particular manner, and then uses a “hexagram key” to locate the response that corresponds to those results. What distinguishes this book is the fact that Norup was inspired to write it with his daughter because they were caring for his wife, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Thus, the I Ching guidance here targets the special challenges of caregivers. The author urges readers to use this manual as a tool to address one question at a time, and as such, it’s quite ingenious; it’s divided into 64 “hexagrams,” each based on an ancient metaphor; for example, “Sun and rain from heaven create changes and nourish life on earth.” Every hexagram features a brief but meaningful section of text that offers contemporary guidance, followed by “Changing Lines” (featuring more detailed advice, such as “Hold fiercely to your vision and goals for your patient and yourself, and refuse to be sidetracked by what is not essential”), plus additional questions to think about. Generally, the hexagrams are positive and uplifting, but at times, they take on a note of caution. In “Resolving Conflict,” for instance, the text advises, “As a caregiver, try to avoid open confrontations.…Stay balanced, listen to your opponents, and try to find out what motivates them.…Listen with goodwill, and consciously look for something positive to emerge from the situation.” If read in sequence, the hexagrams largely offer well-crafted doses of common-sense wisdom. However, as the author points out, the purpose of the book is to offer counsel with regard to specific, not general, questions. Overall, this guide should provide solace and inspiration, particularly to caregivers who believe in its precepts.
A unique, engaging problem-solver, although skeptics may see it as merely a novelty.Pub Date: April 28, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9969061-2-8
Page Count: 236
Publisher: Norfam Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Willy Norup with Ulla Norup Milbrath
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis
by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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developed by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno
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by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno
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