Reviews and Recommendations   Medicinal Plants of North America By Jim Meuninck     Medicinal plants can offer a viable therapy for medical issues when traditional medicine is not an option. This book offers useful information on a wide range of plants. For example, pokeweed or poke salad is helpful in treating rheumatic or rheumatoid joints and helps to reduce eczema and swelling.  Many people are already familiar with Echinacea, which helps with colds, flu, and bronchitis, and witch hazel, which helps heal bruises and skin inflammations.  Evening primrose helps lower cholesterol. Cranberry can be used in treating urinary tract infections.  Overall, this is an easy-to-read and helpful book. --Mary Jo Cassara, Material Services Technician   Fearless Fourteen By Janet Evanovich      This is the fourteenth installment of Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.  This story follows Stephanie on a hunt for millions in stolen bank money that may or may not be buried in Morelli’s house.  On the side, of course, much more mayhem ensues.  Stephanie is babysitting a teenage cousin of Morelli’s who refers to himself as Zook, trying to find Zook’s mom who’s been kidnapped, and Stephanie and Lula have to fight off a monkey named Carl.  On top of that, Ranger, security expert and resident hunk, has asked Stephanie for a favor. While jumping in at #14 you’ll follow along fine with Stephanie and her motley crew, but to find out the funny history of Stephanie and her troop start with the first in the series: One for the money. --Marla Summers, Adult Services Librarian   The Writing Class By Jincy Willet      Amy Gallup is a self-proclaimed anti-social, has-been author who is teaching yet another adult education writing course to supplement her income. But something different happens with her newest group of students.  The entire class seems to “click” this time, responding to Amy and to each other.  The reclusive Amy finds herself experiencing a growing warmth toward members of the class. The only problem is that one of them is on an anonymous attack that quickly escalates from vicious, mean notes to murder. As the class draws closer together in the face of danger, they also find themselves dealing with the fact that one among them is a threat to all of them. For a book that is suspenseful, witty, and touching, choose this one. --Mary Garner, Adult Services Librarian   The Smoke Thief By Shana Abe     The year is 1751 and Clarissa Rue is in hiding. She is a master of disguise and uses it, along with her magical abilities, to steal jewels from the London rich. The London papers have dubbed her The Smoke Thief. Her exploits, however, have drawn the attention of the people she has been hiding from, the drakon; magical people who can turn into smoke and dragons. The drakon want this thief caught before their secrets are revealed. Christoff, the Alpha of the drakon, is being sent to London to catch the thief. Clarissa knows she’s in trouble when she sees Christoff—not only of getting caught, but of losing her heart to the only man she’s ever loved. This book is the first in the Drakon Trilogy.  The next two are The Dream Thief and Queen of Dragons. --Marla Summers, Adult Services Librarian    The Skin Gods By Richard Montanari     This novel follows Philadelphia homicide detectives Jessica Balzano and Kevin Byrne as they chase the chilling clues left by a madman nicknamed The Actor.  The Actor is splicing famous murder scenes from movies and adding his own real-life versions of the murders; the first clip found is added into the well-known shower scene from Hitchcock’s Psycho.  As more movies are found and the murders escalate, Balzano and Byrne wonder if they’ll capture The Actor in time before his next murder hits too close to home for one of the detectives.  This is a thrilling, suspenseful read with many twists to keep the reader guessing as to the identity of The Actor. This is the second novel by Montanari to feature detectives Balzano and Byrne.  The first is The Rosary Girls.  While reading The Rosary Girls first will give the reader more insight into the lives of Balzano and Byrne, it is not necessary to follow the plot of The Skin Gods. --Marla Summers, Adult Services Librarian    Loving Frank by Nancy Horan      If you like your romance with a strong historical background, this book satisfies on both levels. Ms. Horan’s journalistic background shines through, but she wisely elected to write fiction, permitting her to "fill in the blanks" about the personalities in this drama. And you don't have to know or care about architecture to get involved with these people. Readers familiar with Frank Lloyd Wright’s life will feel a sense of impending tragedy as the story unfolds. But all readers will find the strong characters engrossing. The story provides insight into the early twentieth century women’s movement and the conflicts it generated for intellectual women of that era. The main characters and their motivations remain mysterious. Were Frank and Mamah right or wrong to pursue their love at the sacrifice of their two families? And, even more intriguing, did he really love her? Or did Frank, a genius with an egotistical sense of entitlement, just grasp her as he did so many other attractive things? Ultimately they loved as we all do: through, and in spite of, imperfect personalities.  --Judy Pedersen, Adult Services Librarian   Lost in My Own Backyard by Tim Cahill     In Cahill’s love letter to Yellowstone National Park, our intrepid travel writer stays close to home.  Cahill lives just 50 miles north of the world’s first national park.  He has hiked the park for many years and in all seasons.  His exploration includes rambles, overnights, day hikes, and rugged back country treks.  He delves briefly into the history of the park, the geology that makes this site the largest location of geysers and hotpots on the planet, and wildlife that attracts visitors from all over the world.  I grew up about 100 miles from the park and didn’t realize how lucky I was until many years later.  Cahill reminded me of the great vistas, picturesque waterfalls, the biting horseflies, the city dwellers’ inane questions, and the crazy folks who try to put their kids on the backs of bears for photo ops!  At the end of the book, the author includes a recommended “Yellowstone bookshelf” of guides, maps, histories and photo journals. --David Black, Youth Services Librarian   Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri     This book is a great collection of eight short stories written by Jhumpa Lahiri. Like her last novel, Namesake, Unaccustomed Earth is a great read. She writes about successful immigrants, mostly from Eastern India, who gain material success but are internally still torn between conflicting cultures. The stories also portray the emotional struggles of the second generation Bengali Americans who are constantly trying to juggle between the Bengali culture of their parents and their own American experience. The stories are superbly narrated and any one who has left home and planted roots on new soil will feel connected to the characters. The short stories are poignant and have a common thread of developing romantic liasons while trying to conform with their more traditional upbringing. The final stories, a linked trilogy, involving Hema and Kaushik, was the most well written of them all. The stories are thoughtful and intelligent , on a subject the writer has first hand experience of, and is great read for the expatriate community. --Anna Kundu, Adult Services Library Assistant  Last Night at the Lobster  by Stewart O’Nan    If you have never worked at a restaurant, you’ll be amazed at all that goes on behind the scenes. And if you have, you may be nodding your head throughout this tale of the final day at a Red Lobster Restaurant that hasn’t made the numbers to stay open. More than just an insider’s view of the restaurant business, however, the novel takes you into the hearts and thoughts of Manny, the manager, and his few remaining workers. Manny’s personal relationship with each employee is colored and often conflicted by his need for acceptance, love, respect, and fairness. As you are pulled into the complexity of interrelationships among the crew, you’ll feel with them the poignancy of this, their last night together. --Mary Garner, Adult Services Librarian  The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence by Gavin De Becker   This book is about how to follow your instincts in recognizing a dangerous situation and how to survive a dangerous situation.  The author draws upon his own childhood experiences of violence and his career of counseling others on how to avoid violence.  De Becker has protected entertainers, given counseling to survivors, and given survival advice to government agencies. He gives tips and tells of warning signs to look for to avoid dangerous circumstances and dangerous people. This book is very good at making you aware of your own instincts of survival.  It tells you to follow that gut reaction to not get on that elevator alone with a strange man; to listen to the voice in your head telling you to go ahead and look behind you if you have the feeling that someone is following you.  De Becker wants each person, especially women, to understand that you are in charge of your own safety.  Your choices, not someone’s judgment of your choices, are what can and will protect you from a scary situation. --Marla Summers, Adult Services Librarian
Victory Conditions By Elizabeth Moon
This is the fifth installment in Elizabeth Moon’s Vatta’s War Series.  This book follows up on Ky Vatta’s attempts to stop the ruthless space pirate, Gammis Turek, from taking control of anymore star systems.  The story follows Ky as she heads up Space Defense Force, liberates the star systems that have already fallen to Turek, and in locating the many spies that Turek has implanted in various organizations.  Ky also has a personal mission in finding out who was behind the destruction of her family and their business.  She must now prepare for her most important battle, an all out attack from Turek as he attempts to take down a key star system in his quest for total domination. This is an action packed novel that leaps from space warfare to espionage.  I recommend starting with the first book in the Vatta’s War Series, Trading in Danger. --Marla Summers, Adult Services Librarian
Way Off the Road by Bill Geist
Who needs fiction when you can find real people in real places that are as interesting, appealing, and as off-the-wall as any made-up characters? Bill Geist has a knack for finding the unusual and the unique among people and their endeavors, and he relates their stories with an understated humor that will keep you amused with each page you turn. Check out this book to learn about Nederland, Colorado, where Frozen Dead Guy Day is celebrated, or Wilson, North Carolina, where the city attempts to enforce its legislation against trashy porch furniture. Or join the author as he flies in a four-seater plane, brand new in 1949, with the oldest licensed pilot in America, 92-year-old Hal Wright . . . and lives to tell about it. For great adventures in small towns, don’t miss this book. --Mary Garner, Adult Services Librarian
Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
If this book were fiction, you’d think it an implausible tale. But it is a true account that weaves together the lives of a homeless African-American who trusted no one, a millionaire “WASP” who betrayed a sacred trust, and a woman whose love knew no bounds. The first man never had a bed on which to rest, except during his stints in prison, but he eventually finds himself living in the Belo mansion in Dallas. The second, a well-heeled art dealer, gives up the greatest deal of his career. And the woman is led by visions and the voices of angels to create new life in broken hearts. This book is all the more interesting because it takes place in Dallas and Fort Worth, and you’ll recognize many of the places where the story unfolds. If you want to be inspired by the selfless love of a couple who had everything and the wisdom of a man who never learned how to read, do not miss this book. --Mary Garner, Adult Services Librarian
Rethinking Thin by Gina Kolata
Rethinking Thin is a book about weight loss that doesn’t offer advice on what to eat, how to exercise, or any other ways to change the figures on the scale. Instead, it is a look at the myriad concerns, research, and motives directed at an overweight nation with an obsession for thinness.    A large part of the book is devoted to various studies on weight control and the controversies regarding methodology and results. The author also looks at conflicting scientific opinions on the health risk involved in being overweight, at the role of genetics in body size, the correlation of psychological factors and weight, and more in an interesting, readable style. Personal interviews with a group of dieters throughout the two-year span of a weight-loss research project add a very human, emotional element to the book. --Mary Garner, Adult Services Librarian
The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
The author recounts the remarkable journey of his mother, a Jewish woman, born in Poland, who grew up in the anti-Semitic atmosphere of a small town in Virginia. When she left home as a teenager and married a black man, becoming Mrs. Ruch McBride, she was declared “dead” by her family. Widowed before her eighth child was a year old,she married again, and bore four more mixed-race children before her second husband died. Penniless and the victim of distrust and hatred from both black and whites, Ruth McBride Jordan survived by focusing on two things: education and religion. Although most waking moments were devoted to providing the means of survival for her family, Ruth nonetheless relentlessly drove her kids to get the best education they could, by whatever means available. Amazingly, every one of her 12 children graduated from college, of whom three became doctors and another six earned master’s degrees.    Life in this family was chaotic, dramatic, painful, with outbreaks of rebellion and victories of loyalty and self-sacrifice. This book captures your attention from beginning to end, and you will not forget its illustration of the power of a mother’s love and determination. --Mary Garner, Adult Services Librarian
Carved in Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife by  Cathryn Jakobson Ramin
Have you ever been unable to recall the name belonging to a familiar face or forgotten what you were looking for when you entered a room? Do you wonder if your forgetfulness is the beginning of Alzheimer’s or just a result of stress? .Or is it simply part of the aging process? Author Cathryn Jakobson Ramin investigates all these possibilities, as well as the theories, resources, and treatments for the “brain lapses” that plague almost everyone at times.    Readers interested in seeking early diagnosis, preventative measures, or treatment will find lots to choose from, ranging from diet plans, genetic studies, natural and pharmaceutical remedies, mental exercises, clinical treatment, and surgical procedures. At times, the reading can get a little tedious with more details about synapses, hippocampi, and neurogenesis than your frontal lobe may care to hold. However, even the more technical material is presented in a very understandable manner. If nothing else, the reader will find comfort in knowing he is not alone—the author provides plenty of antidotal evidence that memory mess-ups are common. In fact, you might start feeling pretty good about your memory after reading some of the experiences reported in the book. That is, if you can remember them. --Mary Garner, Adult Services Librarian
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Rescuers are looking for survivors at the scene of a train wreck in Eastern India, when a page fluttering in the wind captures the attention of the rescuer to a badly injured Ashok. Few years later, Ashok, now doing his PhD in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the proud father of baby boy Gogol,namesake of the author whose book saved Ashok’s life in the train wreck. The book Namesake narrates the story  of Ashok and his wife Ashima as they raise their son Gogol and daughter Sonia trying to find a delicate balance between their Indian roots and their present American dreams. Gogol, always teased by his peers about his name, grows up and changes his name to Nikhil. Ashok dies leaving behind a homesick Ashima and a guilt stricken son.   This book is a great read, focusing  on the love, sometimes frayed but always powerful, between immigrant parents and their American children, showing why, in this case, they clash and why they  finally come together. --Anna Kundu,Adult Services Library Assistant
Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for you Through the Secrets of Personality Type by Paul D. Tieger
When Richard N. Bolles, author of the wildly successful and ubiquitous job-hunting guide, What Color is Your Parachute, gives your book the thumbs up, you’ve probably done a pretty good job with it.  In the case of the newly revised, Do What You Are, authors Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger have not only written a neat, accessible career guide, they’ve managed to combine it with a basic, easy-to-understand personality profile as well. Do What You Are emphasizes the importance of choosing a career that is compatible with one’s personality type.  The bulk of the book is dedicated to explaining the sixteen personality types, as well as their different strengths and short-comings. Armed with this self-awareness, the reader is then introduced to a list of careers that people who share his or her type enjoy. Still, it’s safe to say that the Tiegers haven’t reinvented the wheel.  Most of what they’ve included in this, their fourth edition, has been covered by other authors.  Furthermore, the scientific reliability of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the personality evaluation on which the book is based, has been brought into question.  However, what the authors have categorically managed to do is provide a valuable tool to thousands of job seekers who search for work that is compatible with their sense of self. --Adult Services Staff
World War Z  by Max Brooks
Max Brooks takes the zombie threat seriously and has a gift for making readers do the same.  In his previous book, The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From The Living Dead, Brooks played the straight man, exhaustively detailing what measures humankind needs to take to stay alive when the undead rise (which they surely will). In his latest book, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, the worldwide conflict between man and zombie is ten years concluded and Brooks records the accounts of people who narrowly – and in some cases miraculously – escaped the flesh eaters. Those who are expecting a reprieve from Brooks’ now-characteristic deadpan examination of the zombie menace will be disappointed.  Brooks infuses the stories of survivors with such convincing detail that his horror-filled scenario seems disturbingly credible. But it’s not all blood and guts.  World War Z concludes on a relatively hopeful note – humanity did, after all win the war.  Broooks convincingly allows his characters to move from reflecting on the dark despair of a zombie-filled dystopia to a present in which they quietly nurse a cautious optimism.  It is a credit to the author that, by the end of the book, the reader cares enough to take the journey with them. --Adult Services Staff
In the Name of Honor  by Mukhtar Mai
In the Name of Honor is the powerful and inspirational biography of a courageous Pakistani peasant woman from a Punjab village, whose personal tragedy shook the world, made international headlines and rallied human rights organizations across the globe. In 2006, the heroine in this story, Mukhtar Mai, was celebrated by Time magazine as one of the "top 100 most influential people in the world". Mukhtar Mai relates her personal story in compelling detail, describing the events leading up to and subsequent to her appalling gang rape, which was ordered by a local clan, as compensation for transgressions allegedly committed by her brother. "Crimes of honor" such as these invoke the principle of "an eye for an eye"----and women pay the heaviest price in this country. The meticulously documented events in this story have created unprecedented political controversy for the Pakistani government which has reportedly tried to muzzle this incredulous story. Distinguished as a beacon of hope for oppressed women around the world, Mukhtar Mai is leading a global revolution against illiteracy and the repression of women with an insistence on justice and education. This narrative is not a case of plain rape, but a gripping story of true acts of terrorism and gender apartheid. This is a "must-read" for international awareness. --Georgette Kinson, Adult Services Assistant
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
In his latest book, The God Delusion, world-renowned British evolutionary biologist, author and enthusiastic atheist Richard Dawkins traces the arc of religious-oriented aggression – from the Crusades to 9/11 – and determines that all religious belief, no matter how personal, is both delusional and perilous. Dawkins begins by circling the wagons around atheism. In four "consciousness-raising" declarations, he defends non-belief as evidence of a healthy, intelligent and independent mind. Had he chosen to stay on this path The God Delusion may have been a welcome addition to the socio-religious debate. But Dawkins’ coherent defense of atheism quickly devolves into a slanderous rant – one that indicts both religious moderates and dogged fundamentalists alike. The tragedy in this book lies in its rigidity. Dawkins laments the fact that Southern slave-owners used religion to justify their pro-slavery position, but refuses to acknowledge that enslaved African-Americans and abolitionists used religion to bolster their arguments against human bondage. Indeed, Dawkins’ rejection of religion as anything but a tool of oppression or opiate of the masses is the major irredeemable flaw of the book. It is not enough that Richard Dawkins is himself an atheist. He wants everyone else to be one too. Dawkins comes across as intolerant and unyielding – an absolutism that is usually the terrain of the very zealots whom he derides. --Adult Services Staff
Ladies Coupe by Anita Nair
This is a delightful and thought provoking novel that is about  six women travelling in Ladies Coupe of a train in southern India . During their journey together in the confines of the Coupe, they narrate their life experiences. The central character is Akhila who becomes the  matriarch of her family after her fathers demise. She is a single woman who wants to find out if her life has been complete without a man .   This novel has an universal appeal as women face similar dilemmas in the relationships that we establish during our journey in this world. -- Anna Kundu,Adult Services Library Assistant
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
This non-fiction work is almost novel-like in its account of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and of two men in particular, one who built the fair and one who quietly wreaked havoc throughout.  Larson’s work alternates between the stories of Daniel Burnham, a successful Chicago architect who led the design and construction of the fair that put Chicago on the map, and H.H. Holmes, a self-proclaimed doctor who moved to town at the fair’s inception and quietly began killing innocent people.  The book is a fascinating profile of two men, both amazing visionaries but with very different applications and results.  While Burnham struggles to build a spectacular fair that will top the 1889 Parisian exposition, Holmes has great success with his various business endeavors.  Burnham faces setbacks from other architects, assorted bureaucrats, and some nasty Chicago weather, while Holmes’s charm is dazzling enough to keep people from seeing his true nature as a fraud, cheat, and murderer.  Theirs are two separate stories, yet Larson weaves them together in the common setting of Chicago, a struggling Midwestern city searching for worldwide approval.  It’s an intriguing look at the history of a city and it is interesting to learn of all the everyday things that were born at the Chicago world’s fair.  Larson’s research is meticulous and his account is accurate—all quotations come directly from letters, articles, or other source documents.  Overall, The Devil in the White City is quite an achievement in conveying historical non-fiction material in a compelling way. --Jenny Muscarella, Secretary, Friends of the Frisco Public Library
Dark Celebration: A Carpathian Reunion by Christine Feehan
Fans of Christine Feehan’s vampire romances will love Dark Celebration: A Carpathian Reunion.  Feehan brings back all of her favorite characters in this Christmas romance.  Carpathians from around the world, weary from battling vampires, the loss of their women and children, and their own encroaching darkness return to their homeland deep in the Carpathian Mountains.  The books characters and the reader will share a joyous reunion with old and new friends.  Feehan updates readers on the couples featured in her previous novels and gives hints about future couples and new enemies.  Fans will be delighted with this book as readers are given a glimpse of the Carpathian society not seen in previous novels.  For dessert lovers Feehan has included several “dark” recipes which include decadent chocolates, pastries and other goodies. “Feehan revolutionized the modern vampire romance.  I’ve been a fan of Christine Feehan since her first Carpathian novel, Dark Prince.  I was delighted with the concept of each chapter touching on the lives of previous characters.  It was like having a visit with old friends.” -- Adult Services Staff
The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
Nicholas Sparks works his magic once again with the inspiring story of Wilson Lewis, the son-in-law of the timeless romantics Noah and Alli from Sparks’ The Notebook.  When Wilson forgets the 29th anniversary of his marriage to Jane, he is forced into the realization that the passion has long since died in their marriage and that his wife may no longer love him.  Committing himself to winning back the heart of his beloved bride, Wilson embarks upon a year long program to rekindle their passion.  However it is not until his oldest daughter schedules her upcoming wedding on her parents’ 30th anniversary that Wilson truly becomes the romantic husband Jane desires.  Peppered with flashbacks to Wilson and Jane’s courtship, and spiced with advice from the aging Noah, Wilson’s journey will delight romantics of all ages. --Michelle Ekrut, Adult Services Library Assistant
The Yellow-lighted Bookshop     by  Lewis Buzbee
If your heartbeat quickens and your hands perspire every time you walk into a new bookstore or library then you'll find an ardent sympathizer in Lewis Buzbee. In The Lighted Bookshop, novelist Buzbee (After the Gold Rush, Fliegelman's Desire) gives a concise history of bookselling and a heartfelt tribute to the joy of books and reading. Before moving to full-time writing Buzbee spent years as an independent bookstore worker and publisher's rep in California. Along the way he learned to love every manner of bookshop from the quirky mom-and-pop to the big chain store. He saves his greatest admiration for the famous bookshops like Shakespeare and Co. in Paris and City Lights in San Francisco whose owners  championed and published controversial authors such as James Joyce and Allen Ginsberg. Buzbee has done his research as well, laying out the 3,000-plus year history of bookselling and publishing like a practiced historian who clearly adores his subject. After reading this book you'll want to pass it along to fellow book lovers so they can share Buzbee's literate compassion for the printed word. --Gary Werchan, Library Systems Coordinator
Judge and Jury by James Patterson
Nick Pellisante, FBI Agent, and Andie DeGrasse, divorcee single mom, combine forces to find love and revenge during a mafia crime boss trial---Great Escape Reading!!   Nick, closing in on the notorious mob boss ‘The Electrician’, vows the Electrician’s next move will be to a jail cell.  Andie becomes a juror for the trial of Mafia Don Dominic Cavello.  The case would be open-and-shut, but the legal system fails.  Nick and Andie are the ones left to seek justice by taking matters into their own hands.  Co-authors James Patterson and Andrew Gross have written an easy read---fast paced and full of action.  I devoured this page-turner in a few days’ time, and then quickly passed it on to all my friends. --Adult Services Staff
The Will Eisner Companion  by  N. C. ChristopherCouch
Arguably one of the greatest artists in the comics industry, the late Will Eisner brought the term “graphic novel” into the consciousness of the mainstream media by producing some of the most original stories and artwork ever seen in the medium. “The Will Eisner Companion” gives a fair overview of Eisner’s sixty year career with generous samples of his work throughout. This book is for anyone who is interested in learning about a true pioneer in the world of sequential art. --John McNaughton, Adult Services Librarian
Confessions of an ugly stepsister     by Gregory Maguire
Glass slippers, pumpkin coaches, and cuddly fairy godmothers are nowhere to be found in Maguire’s rich retelling of Cinderella.   Set in 17th century Holland, Maguire presents the classic fairytale through the eyes of the youngest stepsister, Iris, whose plain countenance does not diminish her keen intellect.  After her mother marries the father of the unearthly beauty Clara, Iris is thrown into a world of lies and intrigue, where the upcoming ball all but disappears behind the social and relational struggles of the characters.  While the destiny of Clara, the Cinderling, follows as expected, Maguire’s novel questions the perils of extreme beauty and what it means to be truly beautiful.  A definite read for those who loved “once upon a time” as a child, but yearn for a more sophisticated and thought-provoking “ever after.” --Michelle Ekrut, Adult Services Library Assistant
Inspiration Your True Calling by Wayne Dyer
Wayne Dyer, author of The Power of Intention, returns with another uplifting read about achieving one’s goals through spirituality and meditation.  In this particular outing, Dyer focuses on finding one’s inspiration and the discipline to put inspiration into practice in everyday life.  Dyer tells stories from his own experience to illustrate his points and offers tips on getting the most out of meditation.  The most amazing story in the book is the one that explains the picture of Dyer and the butterfly on the cover.  This book will appeal not only to Dyer fans, but to mystics and new age spiritualists as well.  --Lori Carson, Adult Services Librarian