The Fertile Female: How the Power of Longing for a Child Can Save Your Life and Change the World

The Fertile Female: How the Power of Longing for a Child Can Save Your Life and Change the World
Average customer rating:

Wonderful Book

A must have book!

This book changed my life - I'm Pregnant!!!

Unique and powerful approach to infertility, a must-read

It works!

The Fertile Female: How the Power of Longing for a Child Can Save Your Life and Change the World
Julia Indichova
Manufacturer: Adell Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Pregnancy & Childbirth | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Fertility | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Inconceivable: A Woman's Triumph over Despair and Statistics

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Spirit Babies: How to Communicate with the Child You're Meant to Have

ASIN: 0966007875
Release Date: 2007-04-01

Product Description

Written by an author whose expertise grew from an extensive counseling practice as well as personal experience. The Fertile Female offers a hope-filled view of reproductive difficulties, with a deeper understanding of the often-confusing messages of mind-body and alternative medicine. With an engaging mix of passion and humor the book initiates a public debate on the politics of infertility and its effect on our health care system. Includes practice exercises and a section on dietary recommendations, complete with recipes.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Book.......2007-06-18

If I could only buy one book to help me through my struggles with infertility - it would be this book. Julia's focus is on the mental and spiritual aspects of conceiving. She offers wisdom that comes from her own experience. She is light years ahead of other fertility practioners. I used her book as a guide through my own journey with trying to conceive.
I married 2 months shy of my 40th birthday. We started trying to conceive on our honeymoon. I became pregnant 3 times. All 3 pregnancies ended in miscarriage. I found Julia's first book 'Inconceivable' after my 1st miscarriage. I eventually attended her workshop in Woodstock and purchased her 2nd book -'Fertile Female'. I loved her 1st book, but this book was like medicine for my soul. I really needed a book that dealt with the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of trying to conceive. A few months after reading her 2nd book, (and 8 months after attending her workshop) I conceived my baby. I am 37 weeks pregnant. I turned 44 in May and this will be our 1st child. Her book gave me the tools and the belief that birthing a healthy baby IS POSSIBLE. I love her work and believe that her approach to infertility issues makes so much sense.

A must have book!.......2007-05-01

Words cannot adequately explain how I feel about Julia Indichova's latest book, the Fertile Female. It has become a permanent fixture on my nightstand. I find that it contains wonderful advice not only for those trying to conceive but for anyone who would like to birth an idea, a creation or just a better life for themselves. I became a true Julia Indichova fan after having read her first book, Inconceivable, too many times to count promptly following my "diagnosis" of premature ovarian failure. That first book gave me hope and courage to face the task I had at hand -- improving the quality of my life despite the dire predictions -- which served me immensely upon becoming pregnant a few months later. Now facing life with a toddler, I have found the Fertile Female wonderfully empowering as it contains the general message that one can improve one's life not only despite a difficulty but because of the difficulty. The Fertile Female is an amazing collection of all of Ms. Indichova's "tools" on how we can change ourselves not only by what we do physically to our bodies but also by how we think as well; in other words, the "tools" teach you how to live life in a productive and fulfulling manner. Bottom line, I cannot recommend this book enough!

This book changed my life - I'm Pregnant!!!.......2007-04-25

I can't say enough about Julia Indichova, her workshop, THIS WONDERFUL BOOK, and also her first book: Inconceivable: A Woman's Triumph over Despair and Statistics!! My husband and I tried to conceive for over 2.5 years. After 10 months of trying on our own, we met with fertility experts. After several rounds of fertility treatments (including multiple rounds of INVITRO) we were pretty much told that egg donor was our best option. We even met with an adoption counselor last week. The process took such a toll on us. We were beaten down. Then, something led me to Julia's website: FertileHeart.com There I found her first book (Inconceiveable), which led me to attend one of her workshops and ultimately to read her latest book (The Fertile Female). I am a true believer!! I attended Julia's workshop (where she reviews all of the techniques from her book) in Woodstock, NY on April 1st, 2007. I left there so uplifted and revived. My husband and really felt that we could have a biological child. I was so happy that following week, during my OVULATION, and I KNOW that it made a difference. I stand her today PREGNANT!!!! Following the workshop and reading her book, I practiced Julia's techniques on a daily basis. So did my husband. I literally got pregnant that following week!! It truly works! Julia is brilliant. She has developed an easy to follow plan that revives you and helps you in all aspects of your life. I can't say enough! I want to scream to all of the doctors who saw me as a statistic.... I AM PREGNANT!!!! YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK and follow Julia's techniques! Our dreams have come true. I will continue to use Julia's techniques throughtout my pregnancy and for the rest of my life. Stop reading all of those boring, hard-to-follow technical books and stop listening to all the gloom and doom...THIS IS A MUST READ! I purchased over 20 fertility books by so called experts that were hard to follow. This book was so enjoyable to read (Julia has an awesome sense of humor), easy to follow...and magically...it worked! It can for you too! I also recommend going to fertileheart.com and getting Julia's imagery CD and the best thing would be, after reading this book, attend her workshop! Remember, we are all amazing humans who have the power to make our dreams come true! Listen to your heart, find out what it is you want and believe it will happen. I am living proof! PS - I have purchased over 100 books from Amazon and have NEVER felt compelled to do a review before this! Best Wishes! [...]

Unique and powerful approach to infertility, a must-read.......2007-04-19

In the midst of my own struggle with infertility, I luckily came across Julia Indichova's first book, Inconceivable. Her story of hope touched me like no other and allowed me to discover the author's support circles, workshops and website community which I have found to be an invaluable resource on this difficult journey. I highly recommend her second book, The Fertile Female to anyone, male or female, who is struggling with infertility. This book provides hands-on techniques for practicing what Julia calls her "Fertile Heart" tools. Incorporating these tools into my daily life has transformed me mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. While there are many tools regarding diet, exercise and relaxation, the most valuable and unique tools are the mind-body imagery and body talk tools. Deep within each of us who travel on this confusing, often scary journey through infertility, there exists a powerful and magnificent life force that is yearning to be heard. We can tap into this force more easily by listening to our bodies and connecting with our true self. The Fertile Heart tools exist to help us to this, and I am so grateful to have found them. Inconceivable: A Woman's Triumph over Despair and Statistics

It works!.......2007-04-18

Reading Julia's first book INCONCEIVABLE was a breakthrough. She lives in a higher world and yet she is down to earth and accessible communicating emotions, creativity and fertility. In THE FERTILE FEMALE, she shares her wisdom about taking any challenge and difficulty that shows up in our paths as a gift brought to us to enhance our lives and make this a better world. Besides, she conceives a variety of tools that helped her, and many other women, including me, to overcome "infertility", be it physical, emotional, social or creative. One of my favorite chapters, called "The Authority Invested in You", advocates one's faith and trust in oneself by learning how to listen to your heart, to listen to yourself, instead of listening to all the external voices telling us that we are just a statistic number. Highly inspirational and practical book since it offers exercises and tools to travel with during your journey. Try it. It works.

Longing for Daddy: Healing from the Pain of an Absent or Emotionally Distant Father

Average customer rating:

Sad surprise
When you can't change the past ... all you can do is move forward
Loved it and shared with others
Simple...
Longing for MY MONEY BACK !

Longing for Daddy: Healing from the Pain of an Absent or Emotionally Distant Father
Monique Robinson
Manufacturer: WaterBrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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A Dad-Shaped Hole in My Heart
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Accessories:

philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer
Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 1578566878
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Book Description

Where Was Daddy When You Needed Him?

The absence of fathers is an epidemic plaguing our society, affecting families from every corner of our world and from all walks of life. Whether our fathers left us entirely during our childhood or were physically present but emotionally distant, those who missed out on an affirming, intimate father-love continue to experience the devastating consequences of that loss.

• Are you angry at the world and don’t know why?
• Do you inadvertently sabotage relationships or smother those closest to you?
• Do you rarely take risks or step out on faith?
• Is there an undercurrent of anxiety in most tasks you perform?
• Do you struggle to connect with God?
• Do you have little or no self-confidence–or minimal self-worth?

For women who answer yes to these questions, the common denominator is often an absent father. Far too many daughters have been stripped of a healthy relationship with their earthly dad. But real healing is within your reach.

Discover how the absence of your father has impacted your entire life–your attitude, your actions, your beliefs, your decisions, and your identity–and learn how you can stop resulting negative behaviors, beak free, and experience a confidence-building, empowering love that will heal your hurts and fulfill your deepest longings.

Customer Reviews:

Sad surprise.......2007-07-13

I dont have anything against religious books, but this one is written with a lack of reallity towards abset fatherhood.

I just got to read a few (awfull) pages, I wouldnt look for answers in this book.

When you can't change the past ... all you can do is move forward.......2007-03-05

You can't rewrite the past or cause your father to be anything other than he is. The only thing you can do is find a way to get the need met that was sorely lacking in your growing up. This book is very much written for those of a Christian perspective and concentrates on the relationship with God the father as a healing one. If you agree with the religious undertones, then this book can help you. I would also caution those who were emotionally scarred by an absent father to get psychological counselling from a licensed therapist trained in abandonment issues. Healing the spirit and the mind is critical and Robinson's book is very strong on soul work.

Fathers matter and sadly not all girls get this benefit of an emotionally loving dad. No matter what the reasons for a father hunger .... there is hope and healing for those committed to turning it all around. You will never get back those years the way you want. You can only consciously learn the tools to cultivate the confidence in another way. Only you can heal you.

Loved it and shared with others.......2007-01-21

I think that this book was great for me. God showed me that I was hurting because I didn't know my father, and it was time to take some steps in the right direction to work through issues. I never thought that my anger, insecurities and more were impacted because of a lack of a father image in my life. I'm not blaming my father, but knowing that it wasn't "just the way God created me" opened my eyes and allowed me to work with Him to correct the problem. I was so blessed I shared with another friend and she loved it too. I don't think we realize how much our parents impact our lives, our beliefs, and so much more about us.

Simple... .......2006-11-06

This book is simplistic. If you already know in your heart that God is your Father and that He is who you need to look to when you miss your earthly dad, then you already know the theme of this book. If you know you need to forgive your dad for his sins against you in order to heal, then you have no need of this book. A pamphlet size would have covered the topic just fine.

As a student of psychology, I was surprised at Monique's assumptions. One shocking example is on page 38 when she asks the reader to pray for God to erase the memories of your past. She says, "...erasing a memory is easy stuff for God." I agree that God can do ANYTHING but He won't always erase a memory. He can give us peace and strength to forgive but those painful memories our dad's have given us all too often continue to linger despite those honest prayers.

In another example of faulty assumptions, she suggests that some dad's are silently sorry for their sins and need forgiveness. Through forgiveness, reconciliation can be made and a new relationship can begin. This may be true in some cases but she doesn't present the flipside. What if your dad ISN'T sorry? What if that relationship, despite MY forgiving, is never going to be restored the way I wish it could be? What if we have to deal with a painful, life long rejection if we confront our fathers about the pain? This is just one instance of many where Monique seems to have neglected looking at some painful realities. Even though I wish there was, there is no easy formula. I am surprised that someone with a degree in Biblical counseling can be this naive.

Overall, the book is very basic and overspiritualizes the issue. Like I mentioned earlier, if you already know God is your Healer and your Helper, you've already mastered the content of this book.

Longing for MY MONEY BACK !.......2006-07-03

I was expecting at least a little meat, and all that I got was some bones.
If you are Fundamentalist Christian, then you will be singing the praises! This is YOUR book!
If you are looking for intellectual discourse on the topic, forget it. This book will be a total waste of your time! This one does not deserve even a star.
I did learn a valuable lesson by ordering this book...READ the Amazon reviews BEFORE you buy!
I'm not Longing for Daddy, I'm longing for my MONEY BACK !

After the Apple: Women in the Bible: WOMEN IN THE BIBLE - TIMELESS STORIES OF LOVE, LUST, AND LONGING

Average customer rating:

After the Apple
Like a Textbook
Insights into little-discussed stories
Thoroughly Modern Women of The Tanakh
Clearly written and thought provoking

After the Apple: Women in the Bible: WOMEN IN THE BIBLE - TIMELESS STORIES OF LOVE, LUST, AND LONGING
Naomi H Rosenblatt
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Women in History | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1401359809

Book Description

In a powerful blend of history, psychology, and storytelling, Naomi Rosenblatt reinterprets the stories of the women of the Old Testament. Through her lens, we view these women with a new understanding, marveling at the very modern dilemmas and problems they confronted. Women everywhere will recognize their own struggles to love, to mother, to succeed in relationships, and to survive their way through a complicated world.

Customer Reviews:

After the Apple.......2007-07-01

I loved this book.It was wonderful,I higly recommend this book to scholars of the Divine Feminine and Biblical Scholarship.This gives the women of the Bible a wonderful overview.It is a positive and humanizing way to look at the Matriarchs of the Jewish Faith and Christian as well.Angela Miller.

Like a Textbook.......2007-04-08

I was so excited to read this after seeing the author on television. I thought it would be similar to THE RED TENT which I highly recommend. However, AFTER THE APPLE reads like a textbook and is not compelling. It would be a good book for religious school or studies although it is not an interesting read. I had to put it down, unfinished, which I rarely do.

Insights into little-discussed stories.......2007-03-27

Rosenblatt, whose earlier book I have also read, can always be relied upon to provide a new perspective on the Bible's oft-told stories. This book, which adopts a feminist perspective, is quite strong and thoughtful. Rosenblatt's retellings of lesser-known stories such as that of Judah and Tamar, or that of David and Abigail, have considerable force. It had been a long time since I had looked at the Abigail tale, and Rosenblatt added a great deal to my understanding.

Some of the discussions of the well-known stories (Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca) will not seem new to people who know those stories well, but this book is well worth reading.

Thoroughly Modern Women of The Tanakh.......2007-01-19

Rosenblatt's exquisite, readable little book shines yet another light on the timelessness of the ancient texts upon which she draws. Some will no doubt disagree with the "feminist revision" they'll see in this modern look at famaliar stories. Others will quote passages and say, "I told you so." So, what else is new? Thousands of years of study, debate, dispute, and even violence have not yet yielded a single, uniform interpretation for either The Tanakh or its Christian and Muslim counterparts. Why should this overview of Biblical heroines be any different? Rosenblatt adds her fresh, powerful voice to the ongoing, ageless dialogue. Read this book; love it; hate it; share it; think about it; talk about it, but don't ignore it. You deserve the best, and Rosenblatt delivers.

Clearly written and thought provoking.......2006-08-30

I had been looking for a book presenting Bible stories in an accessible way. While the focus is narrowed to the stories of women, I got far more than access to Bible stories with "After the Apple".

I liked that Rosenblatt explained how concepts originated. For instance, the word commonly translated as "rib" (Adam's) technically means side. I also liked that she put stories from the different Bible chapters together. For instance she tells how how David grew from the lyre playing shephard boy who slew Goliath to being a King.

In Sunday School we drew pictures of Jacob's ladder. We learned about the beauty of David's "royal city" and sang about it. We did NOT learn about Jacob's concubines nor of David ignoring his daughter's rape by his son. With no paternal protection, she could have been stoned were it not for another brother who had a moral sense and or cared about her. In the end, David moarns for this son... not the fate of the daughter.

The Bible's world is very disturbing. Death by stoning for rumored infractions is a threat for all, especially women. The masses most likely lived on subsistence diets. It seems to be a Darwinian world and the male id, among the elite, appears to be unrestrained.

Other than the Queen of Sheba (somewhat), the women cited in this book are immortalized in the Bible for their sexual interactions (whether in marital or union or not) with men. It makes you weep for all the other women who did not/could not approach the palace, a sheltering tent or even a smile. What of the homely/ugly, the unsponsored, the sick? The presumably better lives of these few women cited causes one to wonder about the foundations of this society.

Rosenblatt gives these stories a very sympathetic treatment. They add to the understanding of history and ourselves.

I give this book 5 stars because so much complex material is digested for lay people like me to understand it. I cannot say I enjoyed it because there was too much repression and pain in the lives of these (few) heroines. Empathy among the characters, particularly the men to the women, is rare.

The inspiration for me is not in the stories but in how far societies of the world have progressed since this time.

Average customer rating:

Journey to Sobriety: Journey to God the Mother
10 plus ***
Along on someone else's journey
The True Hero(ine)'s Jouney Told in Her own Words
Mothering Understanding

Longing for Darkness
China Galland
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Comparative Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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Goddesses | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0140121846

Book Description

With this book, China Galland brought increased attention to the spiritual traditions of the Black Madonna and other cross-cultural expressions of the feminine divine. The popularity of recent works by authors like Sue Monk Kidd and Kathleen Norris have only increased readers' fascination. Now with a new introduction by the author, Longing for Darkness explores Galland's spellbinding and deeply personal journey from New Mexico through Nepal, India, Switzerland, France, the former Yugoslavia, and Poland—places where such figures as Tara, the female Buddha of the Tibetan tradition, and the Black Madonna are venerated today.

Customer Reviews:

Journey to Sobriety: Journey to God the Mother.......2007-07-15

Journey to Sobriety: Journey to God the Mother

China Galland is a writer, a mother of three, an alcoholic and a pilgrim, and "Longing for Darkness" is an account of her pilgrimage toward wholeness and healing.

This book is firstly an account of China Galland's spiritual journey toward sobriety. Secondly it is an account of her journey to and through Buddhism, of both Tibetan and Zen flavors, to the recovery of her own Catholic spiritual heritage, abandoned in the wake of patriarchal authoritarianism and misogyny, only to discover through the former's female deity, Tara, the strong, resilient, resisting feminine spirit inspiring the Black Madonnas of her own ancestry, blending the two traditions.

China Galland found a spirituality that satisfied her longing for the female face of God. "Longing For Darkness" is an absolutely compelling work, impossible to set down once one has begun the journey with the author. Her complete honesty about her inner being, her wllingness to place herself in a position of total vulnerability, to live in the moment, makes this book unique. Wherever the author journeys - whether to the Shrines of the Black Madonna in Poland, Switzerland, and southern France or to the temples of the Green and White Taras in Himalayan fastnesses or to the Temples of Kali, the Black Mother, in Delhi, she encounters people of deep faith and learns from every tradition, discovering that all of these variant images of God the Mother are but collateral descendents of a common ancestor and synthesizing her own way, a path strewn with flowers but without a name.

Though this is by no means a scholarly work on the historical derivations of the Maternal God (nor does it wish to be), it does provide a large amount of useful and interesting data, elaborating the dynamic interchanges between East and West since ancientmost times. Could Tara, Durga, Kali and the Blessed Virgin Mary and the host of Mother Gods of pre-Christian Europe all trace their ancestry to Astar/Astarte/Ishtar of ancient Persia, and could she herself be but a later manifestation of Isis, the black Mother God of the ancient Egyptians?

It is a possible, if not probable, thesis, but that is not the point of this book. Its work is not the elaboration of her Divine ancestry, but of her availability and her universality. There is a wonderful Sanskrit hymn translated in "Longing for the Darkness," which I quote here:

"Alas I do not know either the mystical word or the mystical diagram, nor do I know the songs of praise to thee, nor how to meditate upon thee nor how to welcome thee, nor how to inform thee of my distress. But this much I know, oh Mother: that to take refuge in thee is to destory all my miseries."

I have no wish to take the author to task for leaving undone something she's not undertaken to do, but I would have loved to have read something in this work dealing with the many images of the Dark Mother existing in various Afro-American traditions, particularly the treatment of Ezili Danto (or Danto, as she is more commonly known in the Voodoo/Voudoun tradition) whose ancestry is directly traceable to the Madonna of Czestochowa; indeed, the image of Danto re-presents exactly the two scratches on the face of the Polish icon left from a vandal's sword attack in 1430 and in Haiti attributed to Ezili's battles with her rival deity, Freda.

10 plus ***.......2006-04-22

china is the way i always considered mary a friend but from way back china guided me back from way back and beyond i'am very grateful .thanks great read it was hard to put down.

Along on someone else's journey.......2005-07-04

If you are looking for scholarly answers to the possible connection between the Black Madonnas of Europe and the Tibetan Tara and Indian Kali, this book will probably frustrate you. Galland's approach is to take us along for the ride as she explores both psychologically and physically the places of the Dark Mother. Not exactly travel writing, and not exactly spiritual memoir, her book combines some of both styles. Sometimes you may wish she spent less time describing the flowers on her walks and the twists and turns of her own anxieties and questioning. But she is a more or less pleasant travel companion, so if you want to cover the same ground, this is not a bad book.

What I enjoyed most was her description of an annual pilgrimage in Poland from all parts of the country to the shrine of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa. Who knew that a million people spend two weeks every year walking, praying, singing and camping as they return to the Madonna who represents their nation? Who remembered that Lech Walesa was inspired by this Madonna and that Solidarity banners were flown by these pilgrims in spite of being illegal. I was inspired to recall that a non-violent spiritual movement is what brought freedom to Poland.

I also took comfort in the fact that after abandoning her devout Catholicism and practicing first in the Zen tradition and then the Tibetan tradition, China Galland found herself also drawn to re-integrate her own spiritual heritage. Her experiences in Poland and Medjorge Yugoslavia are as important as her visits with the Dalai Lama and Tara initiations.

Though the book is a bit dated, most of the issues she raises continue to be relevant. I read this to help me understand The Secret Life of Bees better as a teacher, and it certainly does that. I wonder if Sue Monk Kidd may have read it too.

The True Hero(ine)'s Jouney Told in Her own Words.......2004-11-08

If you are aware that you are on a personal journey, then it will touch you that China Galland shared hers with us. This book allows the reader to accompany her on this journey that spans more than a decade through many continents and countries on a quest.

China Galland tells us the story of her recovery and reveals herself in a very human, intimate way.

I have never read anything like it. It inspired me as I struggle through some of the most difficult parts of my journey. Sometimes we find that things are the hardest right before we have a breakthrough, when we are on the verge of something. . . Like the expression, "it is always darkest before dawn".

Next, I will re-read Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist.

This is not for the faint-of-heart, cultureless, or close-minded.

Enjoy!!!

Mothering Understanding.......2004-01-16

Longing For Darkness is a beautiful, thoughtful pilgrimage to and communion with the dark, feminine facets of that which is divine. Within the pages of her book, China Galland bravely explores the depths of forgiveness, faith, devotion, loss, love and longing; a journey spanning the globe and the soul.

At the Root of This Longing: Reconciling a Spiritual Hunger and a Feminist Thirst

Average customer rating:

Like Finding a Kindred Spirit in a Slightly Unexpected Place
Couldn't get past the first few chapters.......
Transformational
Essential
Highly Recommended

At the Root of This Longing: Reconciling a Spiritual Hunger and a Feminist Thirst
Carol L. Flinders
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Feminist Theory | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 006251315X

Amazon.com

Many feminists have been skeptical about traditional spirituality, and their mistrust has not been entirely unfounded. The forms of self-sacrifice often required by the spiritual life--including silence and suppression of desire--are conditions that have been imposed on women for centuries. But, as Carol Lee Flinders makes clear, spirituality and feminism do not have to be diametrically opposed. Drawing on Western and Eastern spiritual traditions, Flinders traces her own developing awareness of the "mutual necessity" of the two disciplines and makes provocative suggestions about the potential of a feminist movement guided by spiritual principles.

Book Description

In At the Root of This Longing, Flinders identifies the four key points at which the paths of spirituality and feminism seem to collide - vowing silence vs. finding voice, relinquishing ego vs. establishing `self', resisting desire vs. reclaiming the body, and enclosure vs. freedom - and sets out to discover not only the sources of these conflicts, but how they can be reconciled.With a sense of urgency brought on by events in her own life, Flinders deals with the alienation that women have experienced not only from themselves and each other, but from the sacred. She finds inspiration in the story of fourteenth-century mystic Julian of Norwich and her direct experience of God, in India's legendary Draupadi, who would not allow a brutal physical assault to damage her sense of personal power, as well as in Flinders's own experiences as a meditation teacher and practitioner. Flinders reveals that spirituality and feminism are not mutually exclusive at all but very much require one another.

Customer Reviews:

Like Finding a Kindred Spirit in a Slightly Unexpected Place.......2005-12-31

This book called out to me from the shelf of my local bookstore and it was as if I knew Flinders and she knew me.

Perhaps we are both "Upper Middle Class Female Would Be Mystics" as another reviewer seemed to spitefully proclaim - more importantly, Flinders was able to see into the heart of women who before may not have been opened for viewing, so to speak.

I was especially taken with the segments on St. Clare of Assissi, someone new to me - a female compatriot of St. Francis of Assissi. How wondrous is this!

The book launched me on a full scale investigation of St. Clare, who I prefer to refer to as "Chiara" - her name in Italian.

The book is lushly written, poetic yet friendly in tone. Highly recommended and will return repeatedly.

Couldn't get past the first few chapters..............2004-05-18

The author is certainly writing for a target audience.......as one other reviewer said, white, upper-middle-class, female would-be mystics. I found the stories of life on the commune mind-numbing (then again, I was born in Berkeley in 1970, so that hippie commune kumbayah stuff reminds me of eating carob when I was a kid) and the rest of what I did manage to read alienating.......zzzzzzzzzzzz.......I am not saying this is a bad book at all, just that it's focus was so narrow that it completely lost my interest. The language was so fuzzy and woo-woo that it just irritated my Gen X (for lack of a better word) postpunk sensibility. It's a shame, too, as I was really looking forward to this book and hoping it would assist me in reconciling my own struggle between feminism and spirituality. C'est la vie.

Transformational.......2001-12-15

This book is critical for women and feminist men alike. All will walk away re-examining their own views and values. A particular idea that is staying with me (on this reading) is the idea of "retreat > magnification > transformation." The book itself provides such an experience by allowing the reader to go within his or her own thoughts on the two themes, putting a magnifying glass to literature, sociology, history, and the writer's own history to illuminate the topics, thus creating the opportunity to transform or critically change one's one view of the Journey. As suggested on the back cover, I am recommending it to all I know and encouraging a local discussion group.

Essential.......2001-01-25

This book was profoundly useful in helping me reclaim my spirituality after having left the church in anger years ago. Ms. Flinders identifies elements essential in helping women find their wholeness. The book is written clearly and beautifully. I recommend it whole-heartedly.

Highly Recommended.......2000-05-16

This book was excellent and thought-provoking. The topics raised are pertinent to every woman who values her spiritual and feminist sides. Dr. Flinders examines disparate issues which are troubling to many women. She does this in a way that is meant not so much to solve the issues but simply to raise them as subjects to be examined and brought to the light of day. I have recommended this book to many people and will continue to do so. This is a wonderful book!

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If you love books, you'll love this one!
Absolutely Unforgetable
Bibliomaniacs Unite!
Longing For More
i am not gay.

Literacy and Longing in L.A.
Jennifer Kaufman , and Karen Mack
Manufacturer: Delacorte Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0385340176
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Book Description

Some women shop. Some eat. Dora cures the blues by bingeing on books—reading one after another, from Flaubert to bodice rippers, for hours and days on end. In this wickedly funny and sexy literary debut, we meet the beguiling, beautiful Dora, whose unique voice combines a wry wit and vulnerability as she navigates the road between reality and fiction.

Dora, named after Eudora Welty, is an indiscriminate book junkie whose life has fallen apart—her career, her marriage, and finally her self-esteem. All she has left is her love of literature, and the book benders she relied on as a child. Ever since her larger-than-life father wandered away and her book-loving, alcoholic mother was left with two young daughters, Dora and her sister, Virginia, have clung to each other, enduring a childhood filled with literary pilgrimages instead of summer vacations. Somewhere along the way Virginia made the leap into the real world. But Dora isn’t quite there yet. Now she’s coping with a painful separation from her husband, scraping the bottom of a dwindling inheritance, and attracted to a seductive book-seller who seems to embody all that literature has to offer—intelligent ideas, romance, and an escape from her problems.

Joining Dora in her odyssey is an elderly society hair-brusher, a heartbroken young girl, a hilarious off-the-wall female teamster, and Dora’s mother, now on the wagon, trying to make amends. Along the way Dora faces some powerful choices. Between two irresistible men. Between idleness and work. And most of all between the joy of well-chosen words and the untidiness of real people and real life.

Customer Reviews:

If you love books, you'll love this one!.......2007-09-26

I have to join my voice to the chorus of those who found this novel very entertaining. It's all about a woman named Dora who is in the throes of an emotional crisis and, as she has all her life, she finds solace in books -- lots and lots of books (and plenty of wine). Even the boyfriend she takes up with is found at a bookstore and works at the bookstore. As it turns out, he's not the perfect read but neither is Dora who is full of her own emotonal pitfalls. She sometimes reminded me of the female equivalent of the character Larry David plays on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." But do I love Dora? Yes.

This book is so well-written and witty it's hard to believe it was written by two authors. They fill their novel with funny quotes about books and a guide to the books mentioned at the end. A book lover's fantasy, this book is.

Shameless plug time: Tacoma Confidential: A True Story of Murder, Suicide, and a Police Chief's Secret Life (48 Hours Mystery)Nightmare in Napa: The Wine Country Murders (48 Hours Mystery)

Absolutely Unforgetable.......2007-08-28

*Sold under the title "Book Lover" in Australia*

I bought this novel on a whim from a newsagent while waiting for a hair appointment. The simple cover and large type attracted my tired mind after slogging through hours of textbook reading the day before. My mistake was to leave "Book Lover" sitting on my self collecting dust for a few months before I ever noticed it again. I'm sure glad I did.

"Book Lover" is not only witty and fun to read, it's relatable. I ended up identifying with the healing act of buying a book and jealous of Dora's "book binges" and carefree lifestyle. Oh, to have the time and money to live like that...

The language used by Kaufman and Mack made the read all the more enjoyable for me as I read the same patterns on the pages that I think with. Although I didn't understand many of the literary references (I'm not as well read as all that), the handy Book List in the back of the book is definitely a brilliant addition for future experimenting.

I highly recommend Book Lover to anyone with even the slightest love of reading. You won't be sorry.

Bibliomaniacs Unite!.......2007-07-12

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about a woman who thoroughly enjoys book, perhaps too much. Dora is such an original heroine that I found myself totally identifying with her, which is a rare feat! If you've ever been called a "booknerd" or a "bibliomaniac" you will find Dora utterly engaging. The way she wallows in books the way alcholics wallow in wine is charming, going on binges where she shuts herself off from the world and loses herself in the fictional lives of others. I think it speaks to the need to read in order to identify with other souls.
The supporting characters were all fully realized and the plot was constant enough to keep me up, turning pages well after I should have turned out the light.
If I could find one flaw it would be the quick demise of Lorraine, whom the reader never gets to meet, which bothered me a lot. The whole drug addicted mother who dies of an overdose seemed to satisfy the writers desire to get some grit in the story and I thought it too convenient and trite.
A great debut!

Longing For More.......2007-07-11

I'm still not sure why LITERACY AND LONGING IN L.A. was marketed as "Chic Lit" since the themes, characters, and attitudes go far beyond such a pejorative labeling, plus this "Dude" enjoyed the book immensely. The characters and situations are reminiscent of perhaps Dickens or Fitzgerald and could have been, if either had spent any time in today's Los Angeles.

The dual authorship of Kaufman and Mack is intriguing and kept me wondering who contributed what and how much? I was absolutely convinced that at least one of them had more than a limited tenure in Los Angeles with the quip about nobody goes to Glendale.

The story itself is fast-paced yet with a comfortable tempo and the "weird" characters were a joy to get to know. It is a sign of creative excellence when the "by all indications normal" main character can be described by so many reviewers as quirky, insecure, paranoid, unexpected, bright, funny, witty, fresh, original, snobbish, etc. It has been some time since I laughed out loud so consistently while reading.

Finally, the literary references and epigraphs are well matched to the plot and I found the allusions to great works stirred memories and reminded me of how much is still to be read and re-read.

i am not gay........2007-07-03

nothing wrong with your average gay man, i'm sure. i am just not one of them (average or extraordinary). i could easily be mistaken for one here, though: calling myself fluffy, the human being, and reviewing a book that swings toward the chick lit side of entertainment. oh yes i could. but it was the bibliomania thread in this narrative that caught my eye and got me to read the thing. i so seldom get to hear any book talk, that, being a book fanatic, i am a sucker for books about books. the fact that it appeared to be pure chick lit did give me pause before buying it, but i'm glad i did. it was a purely enjoyable book. and if you are a woman and a bibliomaniac, then this will be just the thing for you. but you are not primarily the person that i'm targeting with this review. the person i am reaching out to here is the 280 pound truck driver with hair all over his back and a terrible meth addiction (that's right, buddy; i am talking to you!). give this a try. i am macho (almost), and found this book to be delightful. plunge into chick lit and expand your life. my vision of the world grows bigger all the time, and this book helped that expansion. if michael connelly's harry bosch novels are dude lit, & this is chick lit, then i'll take this. it doesn't take itself so seriously (and therefor is not as silly as the oh so manly harry bosch books). anyway, i've got a life to get back to. i'm not even sure what i've been saying (one too many beers). nice book. i got that across, right?

Visions and Longings: Medieval Women Mystics

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A Wonderfull Story

Visions and Longings: Medieval Women Mystics
Monica Furlong
Manufacturer: Shambhala
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Mysticism | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Women | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Devotionals | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1570623147
Release Date: 1997-04-15

Book Description

The women mystics of medieval Europe represent the very first feminine voices heard in a world where women were nearly silent. As such, they are striking and unusual, strange, powerful and urgent. Monica Furlong uses key selections from among these women's own writings and writings about them by their contemporaries, along with her own assessment of them, to open up their contributions to a wide popular audience. The eleven women represented in this anthology were housewives, visionaries, abbesses, beguines, recluses, and nuns who wrote between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. They include: Héloise, the scholar and abbess, whose letters to Abelard are treasure of medieval literature Hildegard of Bingen, the visionary Rhineland nun Clare of Assisi, the close friend of Saint Francis and founder of the Poor Clares Catherine of Siena, an influential spiritual counselor whose book, Dialogue, consists of a debate between herself and God Julian of Norwich, the English hermitess who spent the greater part of her life meditating on and coming to understand the striking visions she received as a young woman and many others

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderfull Story.......2000-09-08

I really like this book beacause I love midevil times. I enjoyed reading about how the women in this book fought for what they wanted. They showed a huge amount of charector and bravery to stand out and fight. I enjoyed the plot of the story and reading about how these women would not give up. This is a great book and I really enjoyed reading it.

Secret Longings of the Heart: Overcoming Deep Disappointment and Unfulfilled Expectations (Wisdom for Women)

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Great!
YOU CAN TRIUMPH OVER LIFE'S DISAPPOINTMENTS!

Secret Longings of the Heart: Overcoming Deep Disappointment and Unfulfilled Expectations (Wisdom for Women)
Carol Kent
Manufacturer: Navpress Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Six Steps to Clarify Your Calling

ASIN: 1576833607

Book Description

Here is a rich encounter with the hidden desires of women today-the passions that determine lifestyle, behavior, and attitudes-and how these relate to serving and loving God.

Customer Reviews:

Great!.......2007-05-30

This book really ministered to me. It was the first book I've completely finished in a long time. I would recommend this to women, who have dealt with many disappointments in life, that can stunt your growth. This book exposed the lies we tend to believe and the strongholds that can develop. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and recommended it to all my friends.

Alicia Watson

YOU CAN TRIUMPH OVER LIFE'S DISAPPOINTMENTS!.......1999-04-21

Every Christian woman can identify with this Carol Kent book. It lets us admit that life isn't perfect and gives positive, practical and scriptural advice for facing those disappointments. Kent first invites us to explore our deepest longings and recognize where the reality of life has fallen short of our expectations. She then encourages us not to lose hope or become embittered, but rather to take positive action by teaching how to run those unfulfilled longings through a scripturally based values grid. "By acknowledging and evaluating our passions, we can discover how to lead a much more honest, focused, fulfilling and purposeful life--a life based on eternal values." (Kent, 1990) I highly recommend the book and also the study guide for small group use.

Average customer rating:

Remarkable book

Fierce Longing : Women and Infertility
Ruth H Judy
Manufacturer: R S H J Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0970268807

Book Description

This book addresses the many issues facing women who are having difficulty creating their family by conceiving and bearing a child. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 26 women, Fierce Longing explores women's psychological, physical, and spiritual nature, her family and larger community, and the decisions and healing that can and do occur at various stages throughout her journey through infertility. Several perspectives are used to look at these areas. The first examines the role crises play in each person's life, both generally and specifically with infertility. The second perspective addresses infertility through mythology, using it to broaden our understanding of what happens when our old identity is insufficient and a new one must be forged. Women's voices provide the third perspective as women share their differing life stories and resolutions through rich antidotal material from the interviews.

Customer Reviews:

Remarkable book.......2002-02-24

In this remarkable book, Dr. Ruth Judy explores the soulful stories of those who have longed to give birth, their struggles to let go of this deep heart's desire and to find courage to embrace what life brings. Ruth offers a community of support to those who are meeting this challenge, as well as to their families and friends. All their experiences, both conscious and unconscious, result in a birth of emotional and spiritual courage. This is a wonderful book for anyone searching for deep spiritual meaning or resolution of conflict, especially in oneself.
Pat Luce, MA, Co-President of the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, mother of five children (two adopted) and author of "Where East Meets West, A Story of Healing and Hope."

Ministry to Muslim Women: Longing to Call Them Sisters

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Ministry to Muslim Women: Longing to Call Them Sisters

Manufacturer: William Carey Library Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Islam | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Touching the Soul of Islam: Sharing the Gospel in Muslim Cultures

ASIN: 0878083383

Book Description

Edited by Fran Love and Jeleta Eckheart, this book is a compilation of real-life experiences by women actively involved in reaching Muslim women for Christ. These articles approach the question of the gospel and Islam from a female perspective.

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