good books

[abacustranslation]

I would recommend "Abduction to the 9th Planet" It is a very good spiritual book, and a good read too

[Wally]

Book of Jeremiah

[Found Goat]

Cerebral cortex; cerebral hemispheres; cognitive therapy; frontal lobe; hippocampus; hypothalamus; limbic system; neurons; neurotransmitters; R-complex ... et al, and ad nauseum. That our modern-day academic and scientific culture is brain-centric is evident in much of its highbrow and technical jargon.

What a delightful read Paul Pearsall’s “The Heart’s Code” (1999) is!

Although its sub-theme has to do with heart transplants and some of the unusual effects these can have on recipients, primarily the book is filled with pondersome profundities that attempt to elevate readers to a higher level of love and human understanding. In that regard, “The Heart's Code” is exceptionally pithy – a monumental publication teeming with high-souled insights.

Primarily, it describes persons that have been positively transformed by their life-changing experience of having received a heart from a donor, but in the greater context it may apply to anyone of us willing to be uplifted and to live life in a more spiritually enlightened, heartfelt manner.

Such talk may sound like mushy gobbledegook when there is absolutely nothing of the sort, here. Moreover, as far as the more fantastical accounts that Mr. Pearsall relates involving the odd effects of some of these transplants (a few quite risible), the author cautions that his findings could be perceived by others as a means to treat this subject matter in a sensationalistic, tabloid-like style, whereas what he provides are the results of his own serious research.

Three things about heart transplants one learns that I personally found quite interesting...

- Recipients take time to acclimate to their new organ

- Many heart-transplant recipients experience dramatic changes in their personality, interests, tastes in food and clothing, and even dreams

- Remarkably, some heart-transplant recipients receive a whole new set of cellular memories

One may thus wonder whether heart-transplant recipients (the ones who experience profound changes in their being), somehow receive the essense, whether entirely or in part, of their donor?

No matter where you turn brain-centrism and cerebral-speak predominates discourse and within topics of educational discussion. I think of computers and other technological gadgetry which are products of cerebral doings and often designed for activities with the brain in mind. Even within mystical and arcane schools of learning, the mind (as in areas such as psychokinesis, telepathy, remote viewing) is treated as if more important than high-mindedness and humane sensitivities. It is what makes “The Heart’s Code” a truly fascinating and refreshing read in our primarily ego-driven age, in that it places its emphasis upon the figurative heart in a world that values ego and I.Q. above all else.

[Alexpizzoferro]

The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield and the follow on books are excellent.

[Alexpizzoferro]

I definately recommend them. Set in the style of an adventure.

[Alexpizzoferro]

I forgot to say the initial book was also made into a film. I recommend reading the book over watching the film, but both are excellent.

[SAT_7373]

Who will cry when you die

[Found Goat]

The Road To Character (2015) by David Brooks.

Here are just some of the positive terms either used throughout this one-of-a-kind literary masterpiece or that come to mind while reading it:

devotion
dignity
faithfulness
honesty
humility
integrity
kindness
modesty
self-respect

In this generally hard-hearted, self-indulgent age of ours, one seldom hears these beautiful words anymore.

The most remarkable thing about The Road To Character is that it hasn’t been written by a religious preacher nor some New Age guru but by a university professor, and a high-minded one at that: a man who knows the meaning of values and virtues and who sees a society, a world, for the most part, sorely lacking in these.

The Road To Character reads like a bible for the secular moralist. God and Christianity are occasionally mentioned in passing, but the book isn’t the least bit sermonizing in tone.

Mr. Brooks talks at some length on the matter of sin. Sin? Yes, *sin*. In these overall godless times, it has (as with the word *soul*) become one of those words bordering on linguistic extinction.

This exceptionally uplifting and refreshing read might be described as moral philosophy, an exceptional literary rarity brimming with page after page, paragraph after paragraph, and sentence after sentence of eloquently worded intellectual gems; a work teeming with profundities. The sagacious Mr. Brooks is a man of moral depth and there is such an abundance of well-stated pearls contained within this book that it had me reading it – in slow, lingering, meditative fashion – repeatedly.

The thematic crux here is that most people are focused on improving themselves on a superficial level and becoming a “success” by worldly standards, all the while neglecting to look after the inner state of their being. Really, how many people who’ve done well and have “made it,” say, in business or politics, and who perhaps have attained high positions, embody or are known to display the qualities highlighted above?

Where else might you find another book like this one? My guess is, hardly anywhere. It’s that unique. Indeed, if I were to make a Top Ten list of the most insightful books I’ve ever read, this title would not only make the cut, but be among the top three.

The Road To Character profiles eight historical figures known for their admirable magnanimity, and upstanding and honorable characters.

The meaning of what it is to be noble is discussed. One learns that being noble does not mean an aspiring to being perfect but rather an aspiring to learn from one’s past mistakes.

Morality. Mr. Brooks reflects upon morality at some length and how it means having a sense of right and wrong, a conscience, a clear understanding that it’s not all good.

In essence, being a person of character is certainly not about being priggish or puritanical. Rather, it’s about being high-minded, not self-righteous. It’s about striving after goodness, not perfectionism.

Sin. Sin is often thought of as being strictly existing within the context and domain of religion and the various theologies associated with it. Many people associate sin with ecclesiastical control and the suppression of natural urges. Although the word is infrequently used nowadays by non-religious folks, sin, as the author explains, still exists, as it always has and likely always will.

On the matter of do-goodism, for sure selfishness and sloth are to be criticized, but becoming a person of character, as the book discusses, is primarily a quiet, patient, and highly private affair, with the subsequent motivation to help others stemming from the heart and not with the intent of drawing attention to oneself. On this note as well, what Mr. Brooks says of altruism is that it may not always be motivated by true selflessness; that performing good works, when not done humbly and with a sense of genuine self-effacement, can also be a form of ego-stroking, whether publicity is sought after or not.

It’s mentioned also, how another term for self-repression (considered by many to carry a negative connotation) could be self-restraint; how performing manual labor and chores needn’t be considered lowly forms of work; how important it is for people to have a sense of direction and purpose in their lives outside of their occupations or professions; and how structure and order provides a sense of meaning in one’s life.

It could be said that The Road To Character is truly evolutionary ... in that it deals with the evolution of one’s personal character on a spiritual level.

Originally Posted by Found Goat

The Road To Character (2015) by David Brooks.

Here are just some of the positive terms either used throughout this one-of-a-kind literary masterpiece or that come to mind while reading it:

devotion
dignity
faithfulness
honesty
humility
integrity
kindness
modesty
self-respect

In this generally hard-hearted, self-indulgent age of ours, one seldom hears these beautiful words anymore.

The most remarkable thing about The Road To Character is that it hasn’t been written by a religious preacher nor some New Age guru but by a university professor, and a high-minded one at that: a man who knows the meaning of values and virtues and who sees a society, a world, for the most part, sorely lacking in these.

The Road To Character reads like a bible for the secular moralist. God and Christianity are occasionally mentioned in passing, but the book isn’t the least bit sermonizing in tone.

Mr. Brooks talks at some length on the matter of sin. Sin? Yes, *sin*. In these overall godless times, it has (as with the word *soul*) become one of those words bordering on linguistic extinction.

This exceptionally uplifting and refreshing read might be described as moral philosophy, an exceptional literary rarity brimming with page after page, paragraph after paragraph, and sentence after sentence of eloquently worded intellectual gems; a work teeming with profundities. The sagacious Mr. Brooks is a man of moral depth and there is such an abundance of well-stated pearls contained within this book that it had me reading it – in slow, lingering, meditative fashion – repeatedly.

The thematic crux here is that most people are focused on improving themselves on a superficial level and becoming a “success” by worldly standards, all the while neglecting to look after the inner state of their being. Really, how many people who’ve done well and have “made it,” say, in business or politics, and who perhaps have attained high positions, embody or are known to display the qualities highlighted above?

Where else might you find another book like this one? My guess is, hardly anywhere. It’s that unique. Indeed, if I were to make a Top Ten list of the most insightful books I’ve ever read, this title would not only make the cut, but be among the top three.

The Road To Character profiles eight historical figures known for their admirable magnanimity, and upstanding and honorable characters.

The meaning of what it is to be noble is discussed. One learns that being noble does not mean an aspiring to being perfect but rather an aspiring to learn from one’s past mistakes.

Morality. Mr. Brooks reflects upon morality at some length and how it means having a sense of right and wrong, a conscience, a clear understanding that it’s not all good.

In essence, being a person of character is certainly not about being priggish or puritanical. Rather, it’s about being high-minded, not self-righteous. It’s about striving after goodness, not perfectionism.

Sin. Sin is often thought of as being strictly existing within the context and domain of religion and the various theologies associated with it. Many people associate sin with ecclesiastical control and the suppression of natural urges. Although the word is infrequently used nowadays by non-religious folks, sin, as the author explains, still exists, as it always has and likely always will.

On the matter of do-goodism, for sure selfishness and sloth are to be criticized, but becoming a person of character, as the book discusses, is primarily a quiet, patient, and highly private affair, with the subsequent motivation to help others stemming from the heart and not with the intent of drawing attention to oneself. On this note as well, what Mr. Brooks says of altruism is that it may not always be motivated by true selflessness; that performing good works, when not done humbly and with a sense of genuine self-effacement, can also be a form of ego-stroking, whether publicity is sought after or not.

It’s mentioned also, how another term for self-repression (considered by many to carry a negative connotation) could be self-restraint; how performing manual labor and chores needn’t be considered lowly forms of work; how important it is for people to have a sense of direction and purpose in their lives outside of their occupations or professions; and how structure and order provides a sense of meaning in one’s life.

It could be said that The Road To Character is truly evolutionary ... in that it deals with the evolution of one’s personal character on a spiritual level.

Thank you. Btw your linguistic skills are exemplary

Jl

[jojobean]

Originally Posted by Alexpizzoferro

The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield and the follow on books are excellent.

I loved this book. I want to read it again, and I also have the 10th insight, that oddly enough, I never read...