health Books

This book was well researched and extremely well written. I love how the author presents a history in the hospitalization of modern birth and the detrimental effects. Why is modern medicine treating birth as an illness and not the normal physiological process that it is??? She also alludes to how birth violence equates to the oppression of women and ponders why none of the birth rights organizations are not interested in actual birth rights. They are only concerned with abortion rights, which seems counter intuitive. This author is bringing to light a very disturbing and on-going trend of violence against women (only happening in America) during birth. Please read this book!

I am the least crunchy person on the planet, but this book (among other things) convinced me to do what I could to go natural.

PROS:
1) The book accurately describes the infantilization of women in the OB office. I had a hard time believing this was accurate when I was reading the book, but meeting with the doctors was totally humiliating and horrible. MANY if not most treat you like a) an idiot with no reasoning facilities, b) a vessel for your baby and c) an obstacle. Be prepared. The book will prepare you to expect this and give you information necessary to be strong.

2) The book is fairly well-researched, and gives lots of facts, statistics, and best- and worst-case scenarios.

3) The book is relatively fair in terms of presenting some situations in which home birth turns gruesome.

4) The history section really gives you a sense for how things got this way. The author presents the information in a way that grounds the present in the past, which makes it pretty convincing. It doesn't sound all "I'm a hippie and doctors are the male establishment!" hysterical, it simply shows how at certain times in history it was in the best interest of different parties to change the birthing process in a way that led to how things are done now.

What I most liked about this was how it pointed up the dearth of actual scientific analysis backing up the current hospital MO.

CONS:
1) The writing style is a little sensationalistic and heavily anecdotal. This personalizes the information, but at the same time undermines the starkness of the data. Which is not to say the facts aren't there, but the anecdotes take up more room, so it's easy to lose data in the anecdotes. A more skeptical reader may be put off by the pages of emotional stories and thus not really SEE the facts also there.

2) I agree that the stuff at the end about abortion is extraneous. On the good side, I think it was useful to point out the failure of the women's movement to embrace mothers' and babies' rights, but on the down side, it might offend some friends of mom and baby rights. I'm totally pro-choice myself, but I didn't think it necessary to the main point of the book.

3) What could have replaced some of the anecdotes and pro-choice stuff? I would have prefered to see more suggestions for how to handle the facts on the ground. Most moms cannot afford to pay out of pocket, so I'd have liked to see suggestions of how to have a hospital birth and work around the system. All hospital births come with the posibility of being delivered by someone not amenable to your way of thinking (as the book states). So then what? How do you avoid getting on the clock? How do you talk to your doctor at your last OB appointment when they start talking about induction? How can you encourage your baby to come sooner so that induction is less likely? Etc.

For various reasons, I did not know until my third month that I was pg. I read this book right away, but when I finished, I was at my fourth month, and no other OB would take me, though I had DEFINITELY figured out that the OB I initially chose was a bad choice. So I had to manage the doctor. And it ended up having a happy ending, but with a lot more sturm und drang on the way than there needed to be. I figured out how to avoid making apointments and checkups by walking out without talking to the apointment desk, by rescheduling appointments at the last minute, by not answering the phone. Seriously. And just FYI, check around for the home remedy induction methods, e.g., oils, teas, etc. It really helped me to ripen so that, though genetically predisposed to long labors, my whole process lasted 3.5 hours. Much easier to have uninvasive delivery when it goes fast.

I figured out my own ways of avoiding intervention, but I would have really liked some information from the author on avoiding intervention when you have an invasive doctor.

End of the story though: this is a book that needed to be written, and is basically a necessity for any woman considering pg. Take the anecdotes for what they are, but make sure you read the facts and figures carefully, and pay particular attention to the history section. It will make you stronger.

Excellent review of current stats on maternity care in the US. Filled with research, yet it is an easy read. Every woman in America needs to read this book before making a decision on where and with whom she'll have her baby. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

"Pushed" is an alarming compilation of statistics and personal interviews about the status of birth in the United States. While the author does sensationalize some things to try to hit the point home, we see clearly here, how sick our birthing industry has become. The author points to threats of lawsuits and increasing insurance concerns that is driving the trend for more risky cesarean births in place of normal births. Certainly cesarean has its place in special situations, but more and more it has become the default for every case of even the slightest hint that there possibly could be a concern during birth. "Pushed" is an urgent call to look at how wrong we have it, as a whole. The trend towards cesarean births in a culture puts fear lawsuits ahead of good care for mothers and babies. The book is very well written.

Review is by Ramiel Nagel author of Healing Our Children: Because Your New Baby Matters! Sacred Wisdom for Preconception, Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting (ages 0-6) & Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition (First Edition)

If you're pregnant and can only read one book about childbirth, it should be this one. Written in an engaging but pragmatic journalistic style, this is a fabulously researched look at what has gone wrong in hospital delivery rooms, leading to a 33 percent C-section rate in America today.

Due to the amazing reviews (49 positive ones mainly at 5 starts) I thought this might be an interesting and useful work. What I didn't spot from the reviews is that this book is really aimed at the New Age market and not at healers. Despite the small size of the book, not all of the pages have text on both sides and a number of pages only have one or two paragraphs on each. Yet it still makes space for charms, divination and wands.

I knew it wasn't going to be what I had hoped for, when I opened it at random and discovered that there was an entry for baldness for which the recommended herb was Don (sic) Quai. The author then noted you could get this mix of herbs (ingredients unspecified) at an internet site. Whether this is just a commercial mixture that has taken it's name as a play on the name of the herb Dong/Dang quai, I have no idea. One listed herbal strategy, to stop anxiety or fear, was to "carry" a mixture of nettle and yarrow! She talks of gumplant and I have no idea which plant she might mean - I suspect you won't be surprised at this point that there are no latin binomials used. There weren't even any usage notes on any of the plants (except relating to pregnancy) - such as hops being contraindicated for people with depressive tendencies or that St. John's Wort (author: please note it is not "worth" but "wort" which is an Anglo-Saxon word for plant I believe) is likely to interact with many of the pharmaceutical medications which people may take. Hypericum is a fantastic herb but you need to know when it's OK to take it.

The most disturbing page for me was one on 'flying ointment'. The author notes it should only be used by the experienced herbalists/witches and was for external use but people may consider themselves experienced witches and have no idea about the ingredients. The two ingredients in this receipe that concerned me were the foxglove and aconite. Aconite (or Monkshood/Wolfsbane) is a restricted herb in the UK and can only be used externally. Even then I was taught that this herb, Aconitum napellus, should only be used in a 1:10 strength tincture and only comprise a maximum 1.3% of any final ointment. It is well absorbed and should not be used on unbroken skin. But that page lists no quantities, proportions, strengths or caveats (apart from the one about experience) for this mixture. Aconite was even listed first! One of the active alkaloids in this plant is known to first stimulate then paralyse the central nervous system. Medicinally it was used for neuralgia. Other physiological effects include tachycardia and hypertension. I was taught that just 3mg of the active alkaloid, found within this plant, was enough to kill a horse. Even if digitalis does act as an antidote to aconite poisoning, I have no idea what the absorption rate through the skin is as foxglove is banned in the UK (not even a Schedule III herb) so there's not a lot of modern information available for herbalist's use. That receipe left me absolutely speechless.

I would suggest for interested witches that they ensure they get a better primary reference to work from if they love herbs. I would personally suggest, as user-friendly, accessible and reliable works though not restricted to just these, are works like the Holistic Herbal by David Hoffman, anything by Jekka McVicar (good for growing tips), Rosemary Gladstar, Michael or Lesley Tierra or Susun Weed. The last author may well have a sympathetic world view with the pagan community too. Mrs Grieve is good but is almost a hundred years old and is missing modern research (her style suggests she would have included such information if it had been available to her at the time).

I can't comment on the wiccan or essential oil aspects but, purely from the material on herbs, I think this is awful. Don't get caught like I did!

This is a "meaning of" and "how to" book for those who have questions concerning essential oils & herbs and their folklore, secrets, meanings, and effects . There are precise directions and warnings concerning specific oils and herbs. This wouldn't necessarily be the best starter book for someone who is new to oils and herbs, but it certainly is a good addition to any herbalist library. It is easy to read and makes a great reference book.

Rochelle Moore's work is so different and so exact. I found this book great to work with and use it regularly. It is the type of book that you can refer back to over and over again. Wonderful author and so original

This is a fantastic introduction to the ancient art of Aromatherapy & Herbalism:

Essential oils are so powerful and the author shows (with great ease) how to treat everyday illness from dandruff, flu - to anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks.

The alphabetical listing is excellent and user-friendly.

Herbs: Not many people are comfortable using herbs as they are not sure on how to use them to ulitize their power. Once again, Rochelle Moore shows how to use herbs to treat physical and mental illness with great ease.

I am a herbalist and have practiced since birth as both my parents lived an alternative lifestyle. I do not often buy books and must say, this book is so easy for even the discerning.

In this introduction to the ancient ways Rochelle can and DOES teach her readers how to tap into our ancient knowledge and achieve success.

Not only A HANDY GUIDE (Aromatherapy & Herbalism) is a breakthrough for those who want to start to help themselves during everyday illnesses.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and, even as a herb user on a regular basis, I learned so much about essential oils and their strength.

I really enjoyed and actively partook in these ancient remedies and had a great time using them. it is a book that will use over and over and I cant quite place it (its unique) in the sense that it is a great step for beginners AND for those who have only tried one or the other (essential oils or herbs) - recommended

I am learning so much about how essential oils and herbs can help to alleviate everyday aches and pains and also how to use them for headaches, stress, anxiety and so much more.
Very easy to use book and I am enjoying trying out the different recipies

This is a great book. I've used previous editions, but the editing and change in text formatting make this edition more user friendly. It is complete and references ways to explore the techniques described. Perhaps the editors could make parts of it avaiable in an MP3 format.

Excellent workbook with many exercises to help teach us how to relax & reduce stress. In this day and age everyone could benefit from this workbook.

An excellent reference book which has worked well for me. It is a professional approach to learning to cope with stress and some of the adverse effects of drugs. It is in constant use, and I have recommended it to friends.

For anyone who has stress- and who doesn't ? - this is a must read. This book gives detailed descriptions but best of all - real help. Example- in so many books I read " breath deeply'. This book gives detailed descriptions how to breath deeply

This workbook is excellent- specific easily understood instructions for different methods of relaxation: you will find something that will work for you: this is important because some workbooks are "one size fits all" and may not be helpful for everyone.

I have Reactive Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondolitis, and am HLA B-27 positive. My mother also has an auto-immune disease and several known food allergies. We both decided to try the juice fast and food reintroduction techniques found in the book. In short, The fast has helped reduce a lot of my mother's pain, but none of mine.

Overall, I think the ideas presented in the book are worth a try. I have heard several people state that approximately 30% of arthritis cases are caused, or at least worsened, by food allergies and sensitivities. In those cases, the arthritis can be cured by performing a juice fast and food reintroduction. The fast includes completely eliminating all foods, avoiding all other inputs - medication, alcohol, and smoking for example, and using enemas to clean out any trace food particles.

The book was easy to read and consistently provided footnotes to Allan's research and suggested reading. My issue with the book is the following:
Allan repeats some information ad nauseum, often at the expense of providing more detailed information elsewhere. I would have liked the sections on the actual fast and food reintroduction to be greatly expanded. For example, it is not sufficient to just say 'begin self-administered enemas and continue until regular bowel movements occur after the test is done'.

Also I feel that Allan gave a far-too-simple explanation of food reintroduction, and in some cases even contradicted herself. For example she states that when reintroducing food only test one food a day, then later says to test one new food every 24-36 hours, then in her sample guide to reintroducing food she says to introduce 2 foods on the same day (apple and a lettuce salad). There is no explanation why this example breaks her previous reintroduction strategy. The final complaint that I have is that much of the stylistic writing and font choice is unprofessional at best, repetitive and gratuitous at worst. All of these problems could have been solved by using a mainstream publishing company and editor, but I am sure no mainstream company would have published this book! That said, I do think that this book is worth purchasing if you have an auto-immune disease and are willing to work hard to solve it! Even though it didn't work for me, it may work for you.

I don't know what I would do withoutthis book, I own a lot of the books on the subject and this is a must have in my opinion

At age 30, after being a college athlete and in "perfect" health, my daughter was diagnosed with RA. We were devastated!! Two years later, she was on Enbrel, methotrexate and other meds for her condition--things looked pretty hopeless. After much research into the disease, we decided we wouldn't just sit around and let the disease take it's course. Researching on Amazon's site, we came across Barbara's book and thought it sounded too good to be true! After all, the rheumatologists were telling us there was no cure. We had nothing to lose but the price of the book, a little time and effort--but we had everything to gain if it did indeed work.

One year ago, we started with the fast that Barbara recommends and we were absolutely shocked with what happened. After 5 days, my daughter was completely without pain, swelling or any sign of RA. We were ecstatic!! Now, the problem was sustaining it! This proved to be the most difficult of the equation. We enlisted the help of a PA who was open to a different approach to the disease and (as Barbara suggested) was able to get food sensitivities completed. Remarkably, the list was extensive, but corn wasn't on it!! My daughter undertook a rotational diet and added many supplements to her daily diet. After a period of six months, she was able to come off Enbrel and methotrexate, but not all of her meds. However, though it is slow,we continue to make progress. This disease didn't happen overnight and will not be stopped overnight.

I believe we couldn't have done this without Barbara's guidance. Her book became our source of strength when we thought about giving up. It was precise, thorough, informative and most importantly--certain this could be done.

There are four other books which we have used in this journey. One, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, is also a must read. Three others, Probiotics Revolution, Children With Starving Brains and Healing the New Childhood Epidemics, are based on the theory of disease being gut related. The latter three books are significant in that they give good recommendations for nutrients to combat inflammation of the gut, which appears to play a large part in RA.

Book was very organized and as a result was clear. The format of explanation and then giving a plan of action was excellent. The only thing it needed to be a 5 Star was a little more humor.

This author has figured out what causes many cases of arthritis. I have osteoarthritis and have been following her recommendations for about a month now. I can already tell a difference in the way I feel. If I cheat, I can really tell the difference the next day. I recommend this book.

Dr. Reiss is a pioneer in the field of hormone balance for women. THis book is really every women's best friend when trying to understand the complicated effects of hormone imbalance. But even better than that, he tells you exactly what to do to make it better! This book stands the test of time and should be a continous reference and reminder for each one of us.

I found this book to be highly informative and detailed. Most doctors do not go into this kind of detail or they don't know enough about hormones. My doctor is limited to only the what pharmaceutical companies tell them. I highly recommend this book to any female premenopausal, menopausal or postmenopausal.

This book saved my life, that's how bad my hot flashes, insomnia, mood swing & fatige were... made worse by a woman internist who wanted to put me on high blood pressure medicine (my BP is normal) or a male gyn/ob who told me my symptoms were 'normal' and they'd be 'gone in 10 years' & then offered anti-depressants. Instead, I demanded bioidentical hormones, showed him the author's (board certified gyn) chapters on how to tell your MD what blood tests you need, then with the help of my compounding pharmacy, he was able to write a prescription for tri-est gel (which is covered by insurance) & progesterone caps and within 24 hours, my mood swings vanished, the hot flashes stopped, I was able to sleep, the mental fogginess went away & I was my happy self again. OTC DHEA (every AM) also helped. I've recommended this book to many women. Menopause is a hormone deficiency & there's no reason it shouldn't be treated as one... the problem is, US MDs don't study this in AMA run medical schools. Bioidientical hormones have been studied in Europe & Canada for decades & are being studied in Japan. Since Big Pharma controls/funds research in the US, and bioidenticals can't be patented, there's no research in US medical schools because there's no money to be made from it. As someone who was unable to tolerate Fosamax, my bone density scans showed a 3.3% increase in bone density after 3 months on bioidenticals, DHEA, liquid calcium & 1000 IU of vitamin D. The bone density specialist did a dance & asked me for the name of this book.

This book was recommended by my longevity physician, and I can understand why. It is a great guide to anyone using or considering natural hormone replacement therapy (which is a gift from God and Nature by the way...) This publication is not just about menopause, it is about female (and male) hormones across the lifespan. It helps you to self regulate by learning your own symptoms. And at these prices, everyone should have a copy in the family medical library!

I am now a happy, WELL-RESTED 40 yr old due to this book (and another book: What your Dr may not tell you about PreMenopause) Both of these have saved my LIFE, most importantly my SLEEP!

For the past few years (after having a 3rd child) from age 37 onward, I could no longer fall deeply asleep, nor get REM/Delta SLEEP and NOTHING would work! (except Ambien)

Well now I've learned about natural Progesterone cream, and other helpful necessary hormones the body may need (and mine did): DHEA and Melatonin, I now use all three of those nearly every night at bedtime: One tiny dab of a natural progesterone cream, (2 sprays equal to 10 mg) of a DHEA spray called Biosom, and a half of a pill (1 mg or less) of Melatonin Plus by Schiff (Found at Sam's, it also contains Vit B6 and L-Theanine,also very important additions to helping Melatonin work).

NOW, I sleep like a baby, every night!
No more Ambien!:)

THIS regimen works for ME, PLEASE do NOT follow my steps WITHOUT checking with your doctor/Naturopath, FIRST!!!

Buy this book (and the other one I mentioned).

OB/GYN's disappointed me by recommending HRT or even hysterectomy, ALL because I simply had hormone-imbalance-related Insomnia and Adrenal fatigue.

The beauty of this book is that it reminds you that the making of bread is not rocket science. The author doesn't hit you over the head "shoulds" and "musts." Rather, he teaches you through recipe variations that there is a lot of room to make your own creations to your taste. There really is no bad bread (other than Wonderbread) -- there's just different bread.

The book is structured very well, with master recipes. The foundation of the book is the basic Tassajara yeasted bread. Once you've got that down, just as the author promises, everything else is really a variation on that.

I can't recmmoned this book highly enough. The "Tassajara Bread Book" rightly reclaims the art of making bread from the machine world of exact measurements and digital bread machines.

After reading all the positive reviews of this book I had high hopes. I've made a number of the recipes from this book and they have all produced mediocre results or been failures. This seems to be the fault of the recipes as I usually have great success with baking. I would recommend Beatrice Ojakangas's baking books as much better alternatives to this one.

This is an excellent book for those who wish to learn the ART of baking. For many, including myself, baking is a labor of love, and an expression of spirit.
Those who like clear-cut recipes may not be comfortable with this book as the recipes are interspersed with notes, drawings, etc, and the recipes require a bit of learning by doing.
I like that every step is paired with an explanation of why/what it does.
I received this book as a wedding gift, and I will definitely be passing this one along to others.

good god, i have tried to make bread periodically over the years only to end up with a heavy dense product that was never any good. if i had found this book back when i first tried making bread i would have been much better off. this book is excellent, i picked it up after watching the author's dvd how to cook your life and he explained things so well that i had to get it, and i was not disappointed. the book is incrediblely easy to follow though i recommend photo copying the instruction pages so you don't get the book goey like i did. but the bread turned out light and fluffy on the very first attempt and the flavor was great. i can't wait to bake my way through this book. and if you are like i was wanting to bake bread but intimidated by it. this is the book for you.

For years I have been intimidated by bread - previous attempts have been disasterous: I have baked loaves so dense they have their own gravitational field, or a bread-like substance somewhat akin to crackers lies in the bread pan. I had almost given up on it, until a friend handed me this book and said, "Don't be afraid of the bread - try this."

The recipies are simple, and the instructions are idiot-proof with diagrams on how to mix, knead and shape the dough. My first tenative attempts were not bad - certainly I have much more to learn and to tinker with, but Brown's clear instructions make the process remarkably easy. In addition to the "idiot-proofing" of bread making, the book has a wide variety of recipes for all kinds of bread: pastries, muffins, rolls, even dessert breads. It is not too much of a stretch to claim that for most of us, there is no need for any other books about making bread if you own _The Tassajara Bread Book_. If I can be successful using it, anybody can - therefore I strongly recommend it to anyone struggling with breadmaking.

Awesome Book. All the stories are so heart felt... Besides I love all Chicken Soup 4 The Soul books...

I purchased this book for my husband and he had written me several times quoting passages from it and told me he wished I had a copy so we could discuss it together. With that said, I purchased an additional copy and read it in one day. My son walked by and saw and me tearing up and asked what I was reading and I read him the except. We continued reading them together out loud. He too cried. It is an awesome and inspirational book that will make you laugh and cry. It created some bonding time with my son and opened up topics of conversation between my husband and me. Worth every penny and so much more!

I was searching to find a inspirational book for my dad whom recently was sent to prison. He said right away he loved the book and now it is being shared by all his friends in his unit. He cant get enough Chicken Soup books and wants more of them right away !!! 5 stars for sure

prisioners need to have something possitive to read. A bad attutude will carry to there life after they get out and on the other hand so will a possitive one. Smiles to all

Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul was suggested to me by a prisoner. Having worked in the California State Prison at San Quentin in the late 1960s and at other lockup facilities in California and Arizona, I am usually hesitant about inmate suggestions for my reading list. However, this book far exceeded my expectations. It is so powerful, I read only a few chapters at a time. The effect could be overwhelming. So turn off your speed-reading skills, resist any temptation to use this for bedtime reading and expect to get more than your money's worth

Product received in great shape. Very interesting recipes. Unable to use as much as I thought because the recipes have a high level of fat and due to heart problems I have been instructed to eat low fat. I will cook some of the recipes for my husband who is a regular "low carb" eater.

Every recipe that I have prepared from this book has been full of flavor and color! Don't let the Low-Carb title scare you off, this is a must have cookbook!

Dear George, I used to LOVE your food network show and have your first cookbook. I'll be getting this one too (and I see your SON Christian's name is on the cover -- my how he's grown)! The Food Network needs to get you back on there with all of the obesity problems today -- you and your family are living proof that your concept works. Enough of the Southern & hi-fat shows on there; FTVN, GET WITH THE PROGRAM!!!

Overall pretty great like his first cookbook but in this one unfortunately he seems to have fallen for the myth that fat is bad for you and there is a lot of low fat advice given that I wasn't expecting in a low carb cookbook. At least it doesn't usually affect the recipes and shows up as comments at the end suggesting ways to make the recipe "healthier". Hopefully George and his family will have read Gary Taubes book Good Calories, Bad Calories by the time they come up with their next cookbook. I just wanted to point out to people following a lowcarb diet that trying to simultaneously do low fat is unnecessarily complicated and counterproductive to weight loss.

This is a wonderful book with wonderful receipes, I thought I would never find anything that tasted good again when I quite sugar. Buy yes life does go on and food does taste good with out sugar. Praise God, wonderful book.

I like Steve Murray's books and DVD's because they are written by a man who truly believes in Reiki and what Reiki can do for everyone. Steve's introduction is quite honest and I know of others who share this philosophy and dedication to making Reiki affordable to people.

What these books and DVD's can give you is a working knowledge of how to draw the symbols and the process of attunements both receiving and giving. The pictures are very easy to follow and detail hand positions and how and where to draw the symbols for passing on attunements. As for the complaints for not having the traditional hand placements he clearly states the philosophy behind his reasons to give treatment to specific places of the body and why. This made sense to me and as I know every practitioner is not the same. Getting the traditional placements online is easy.

I also felt the attunement dvd's or video's Steve Murray has available are amazing. They are wonderful, life altering, and being absolutely blessed experience. Reiki is for everyone willing to learn and he provides it. Thanks for not coloring inside the lines.
Namaste.

In volume 3, a variety of new reiki aura attunements are presented. All attunements have photos and clear instruction. Auras are briefly discussed in the beginning and should one want more information on auras, a nice sized bibliography is included. I found this book to be exactly what the title says with no fluff. A very good reference book to have as one progresses through their Reiki journey.

My review for VOL. 3 will read close to that of VOL. 1 & 2 - as I had the same wonderful experience reading this book as I did the others: In my 10 years of non-stop study in the healing energy arts, especially Reiki - these books are the best I've read. Steve's approach is open, honest and straight to the point. Sure with different Reiki teachers you are going to get some different minor points here and there. This is the nature of Reiki at it's core anyway. We are all connected to this great source of healing energy, and we all have a different use and way of reaching for it. The good part is simply to take that reach. Steve's entire course is hand crafted to spell out the knowledge and give the guidance needed to heal yourself and others. This guide enhances the personal healing approach to better Reiki usage by us all. Without healing within, we cannot heal with-out. I felt so "self empowered" after reading this book. And isn't that the point of Reiki? To feel your own life enhanced and heal? I highly and with pride say to each and everyone of you, take the chance to read his work - you only have healing growth to achieve! Only YOU can stand in the way of what his books and Dvd's have to offer. And I say that because I stood in my own way for years and years - so glad I finally opened my heart & mind and moved out of my own way!

Empowering!!
I am by nature open minded but cautious. I read Steve's website top to bottom and was inspired by the truth as I read it. It resonated with something deep inside me. I was very drawn to his openness and perspectives on Reiki and decided that this was the right path to follow. I have not been disappointed at all!! Very congruent in all his writing and his mission statement.
His DVD's and books empower you on whatever level you are interested in learning. He is a true teacher. You can read it, see it and feel the energy.
Thank you so much Steve for all your insightful information and for sharing all your knowledge with everyone in an affordable way. This was a smart investment for me. I am truly grateful and much more knowledgeable.

I was already a Reiki Master, and purchased Steve Murray's, Reiki Ultimate Guide, Ultimate Guide Vol. 2, Vol. 3, and Vol. 4, along with the DVD attunements for each. The attunements were very powerful, and the energy flow is no doubt stronger. This program has to be the most convent, and realistic way to get started in the Reiki healing practice. I have tried several other Reiki programs in the past, and Steve Murrays Reiki Ultimate Guides, are the very best I have found yet. You will not be disappointed.
D. White

I have to say, the many good reviews got me excited to buy this book. I read most of it when I first got it (excluding the history of hypnosis at the end), and was very inspired about the author's talk about success and dreams.

The scripts he provides for deepeners are good, and his body progressive relaxation one is okay as well (it's just very long) but what bothered me the most was the lack of depth regarding creation of your own scripts.

His process includes thinking of outcomes, gathering the reasons why you want the outcomes, and then coming up with the steps to achieve that outcome. This is all okay, but what do you do after? He doesn't tell you how to organize the details or give you various techniques to make your script even more effective (except about "day dreaming" which you discover by reading his other specific scripts). He just tells you to look at his other ones, and if you still have trouble, ask a professional.

He only has 4 specific scripts, and the book is quite small. The layout of the cover and of the pages inside are very basic. I'm not sure if it should really be 20 dollars (probably better at 10).

Overall, it's a good book for beginners, but if you've already read other hypnosis books then all you'll really get from this inspiration and some nice deepener scripts.

[...]As for the content... Well, about all I can say is there is some. Probably less than you'd find on a decent website about hypnosis. The introduction is a pep talk, telling us how great hypnosis is. Then comes the single induction script, then a few odds and ends and a couple of scripts for specific issues, before a section on the history of hypnosis, obviously included as padding.

Reading this book tends to raise more questions than it answers. The less enquiring mind may find that this is all they need to know to achieve success with hypnosis. However, those who want to truly understand how and why hypnosis works, in order to apply it most successfully, will find little of value here. Similarly, those with complicated or persistent issues, will not find any detailed information on how to deal with them.

This book covers many specific areas of self-change and personal development. And as it covers all of the basics, it means that this title is beneficial for anyone.

"Things should be as simple as they need to be, and not simpler." This book took me only a few minutes to read, but the knowledge in it will last a lifetime. Mr. MacKenzie talks about self-change in the most quick, simple, succinct and ingenious way I ever read. (And I've read a lot...) And I have no complaints about his delivery of the subject matter, either. The way he uses language and metaphors shows that he isn't just a hypnosis/NLP expert on paper, he really is. And that's a beautiful thing. So, obligatorily, yet totallly encouragingly. Buy and read this book.

Captain Josh.

I've read many self hypnosis books and this is the first to explain it so clearly with such practicle directions as to actually get me to make a self hypnosis tape and get something accomplished!