Reading recommendations welcome here

[cal val]

Hi there...

I'm flying out Sunday and my "To Become a God..." book by Puett won't be arriving until about the 27th... while I'm gone. I'm going by a really good bookstore on my way home and want to pick something up for the trip. I have eclectic taste, and I'm thinking fiction for this trip. I could go with some really good gripping nonfiction too.

Any recommendations... beside the new Harry Potter... *grin*?

Love,

Val

 

[hmesker]

I have heard there is a book called Eye Dsjing or something like that, it seems to be pretty good reading on planes and people all over the world are reading it when they are on a journey. I think it is some sort of map - I don't know. Maybe the people at the bookstore can help you. It has about 64 chapters (funny....that's 8x8.....why would that be?), so that should keep you busy for a while.

Harmen.

 

[cal val]

LMAO Harmen...

That's pretty funny... and then rather thought provoking. I like it a lot. Of course, at least one version of the Eye Dsjing is going with me.

Loved your article about the woman in 44 btw. Between your reading and Richard Rutt's reading of the hexagram statement (he used healthy instead of strong), I'm thinking either she's a Mulan or 'even though she's healthy, do not marry her (because the omens say not to)'.

Thanks.

Love,

Val

 

[hmesker]

Hi Val,

I hope my silly reply does not keep others from telling their suggestions. I am glad you liked the article.

Have a good flight!

Best,

Harmen.

 

[jte]

J.R.R. Tolkein (of Lord of the Rings fame) wrote a novella "Smith of Wooton Major." It was interesting when I read it - although I have no illusions about Tolkein ever using the I Ching, the story had a strong, almost allegorical, resemblance to the way the I Ching can "open up" a mystical aspect of life that you perhaps weren't aware of.

So, worth checking out if you're in the mood for something different.

You certainly wouldn't find it in a bookstore as it's long out of print. But I'm sure tracking down a copy is well within the capabilities of any I Chinger worth their salt... ;-)

- Jeff

 

[hilary]

I don't know what you'd like reading... here's a mix..

Paolo Coelho, The Alchemist - doubtless you've already read it, but once more can't hurt.
Richard Adams, Watership Down. Very mythopoeic rabbits.
Joanne Harris, Chocolat
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The Mistress of Spices Strange and wonderful, not everyone would like it...

Harmen has the title wrong. It's called The Itching.

 

[hmesker]

Hi Hilary,

Thanks for correcting me. Isn't the subject of the book not the itching itself, but the scratching which it provokes? 64 ways of scratching?

Nah, couldn't be. Who would want to read a book about that? Who would want to write a book about that?

HM

 

[micheline]

Skinny Dip (novel on shelves now) is supposed to be a lot of fun and well worth the read. It is not serious reading mind you, just fun.
Anything by Elizabeth Berg is usually great.

 

[bradford_h]

For scratching where it feels good,
not where it looks the best

 

[jerryd]

When all els fails and there is no other alternative left you might try Samantha Power as a hard read to swollow, she wrote the Pulitzer Prize winner in 2003 called A Problem From Hell, you will never guess what this ones about.

May you wings never fail you,/ Grinns Friend,
Jerry

 

[cal val]

Thank you very much Jeff, Hilary, Micheline & Jerry...

The Puett book came in the mail Saturday... just in time... so I took that with me. Very interesting and thought provoking stuff.

I went to my local little branch of the library Saturday (I'm trying to segue from the book accumulating mode into the book recycling mode) searching for all the books recommended here and couldn't find even one of them. So... I made a 'wish'list and put them on hold... for transfer from one of the 68 other branches in the LA Public Library system.

The only one not in the entire LAPL system is "Skinny Dip," so I put one of Elizabeth Berg's others, "The Art of Mending," on hold instead... for now.

Love,

Val

 

[micheline]

Hi Val...Just so you know, Skinny Dip is not an Eliz Berg novel. Skinny Dip is a current bestseller and I overheard some women in the bookstore raving about it as "fun" and hilarious. Havent started it yet. It is by Carl Hiaasen. Sorry I wasnt clear!

Eliz Berg wrote many books....her "The Art Of Mending" gets some mixed reviews from even her diehard fans, some absolutely loved it, some were disappointed. The storyline is childhood abuse.

My favorite Berg novel was an old one, and not a bestseller..."The Pull of The Moon" ...the turn-of-life journeyings of a 50ish woman who needs to re-examine just about everything

Jerry D - NOw you got me curious.....I gotta find out what that Problem From Hell is....!

Great choices, Hilary...that last one is the only one I've missed. Sounds like my cup of tea.

Happy reading everyone!

 

[jerryd]

Micheline, it is a political ex-pose and very telling. Not a real fun read.

 

[hester]

I am reading the biography of Madame Curie by Eve Curie and I love it.

 

[cal val]

Hi Hilary...

Tell me... you wouldn't happen to be a 200-year-old alchemist by any chance... would you? The timing of your recommendation was impecable. I'll explain in a bit.

Several of the books that I put on hold (recommended above) at the library came into my local branch last week, and I picked them up Saturday. The first one I read was "The Alchemist" because I wanted to know why you thought I might have already read it. I hadn't, but I soon understood why one might think I had. WOW! I've been living it! I understand so much more now about what's been happening to me since reading it. It was a real turning point for me for a couple of reasons.

1. I'd found out about the emerald tablet doing some research trying to find answers to my emerald square/dexacant dream and mentioned it in the "Dreams and words, Part II..." thread http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/I_Ching_community/messages/48/690.html
but I couldn't really relate it to my dream. The emerald tablet DID, however, relate to my dream within the context of "The Alchemist".

2. The book was a well-timed omen... an important signpost on my path. I've been having dreams about a man I don't care to ever see again... Mr Park-in-front-of-my-apartment-and-make-hang-up-calls... and I haven't been very happy about it whenever I have them. But they occur at such times that make me wonder if I've been misreading the Yi all this time. Just a few days ago after posting here about my reincarnation/soulmate dream, I went to bed thinking about Arthur, my previous-life husband in the dream, and wanting to be with him in this life. That night I dreamt about Mr Pifomaamhuc. When I woke, I wasn't happy about dreaming about him and even more unhappy about the timing. But still the timing just helped magnify my doubts of my own understanding of where the force (the Soul of the World) has been leading me... to the point I started gearing myself up mentally to accepting seeing him again. It was difficult. There's a lot about him I didn't like... he was pretentious and power hungry... and he stalked me.

Then I read "The Alchemist" yesterday, and when I finished I thought... so I have to make a choice then... what my heart is saying... the man who instantly and consistently comes to mind whenever I want to share with someone? Or what my head is saying... the man I keep dreaming about? Er... KEPT dreaming about... past tense... I put a stop to it this morning... *grin* Then I quickly remembered what the book repeated... listen to your heart. And I knew at that instant and without doubt what my Personal Legend is... I know where the dexacant is, and I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the dreams of a man I neither like nor love were the Crystal Merchant speaking.

I recommend this book to EVERYONE... and especially to those who believed my series of dreams two years ago was some grandiose message. The men in grey, though they might show in some other guise, are available to anyone who has found their Personal Legend. I have. That's why they came to me... to help me on my journey. My Personal Legend is to reunite with my soulmate, and I know who he is. I just have to wait now for him to realize he's found his Personal Legend as well and to start listening to his heart rather than the Crystal Merchant.

Love,

Val

 

[cal val]

Hilary...

btw, I'd love to know which translation you read. I read the version below because it was illustrated by one of my favorite sci fi artists, Moebius, and it's a very good translation... very easy reading. Paulo Coelho worked with Alan Clarke.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/006019250X/qid=1123536164/sr=8-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-4267734-3486300?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

And thank you very very much for the recommendation. It was exactly what I needed.

Love,

Val

 

[hilary]

No, not a 200 year old alchemist. Possibly some kind of lollopy dog. Very pleased you enjoyed it!

I'll have to re-read the book myself: it's sitting on the top of the stack by my bedside, but I get sort-of distracted by highbrow stuff like Goethe and detective novels.

Oh - same translation. Is there more than one?

 

[cal val]

Hi Hilary...

There's this one that he translated himself... hardcover and paperback. It starts off exactly like the Illustrated version, so I don't imagine there's that much difference. It was Moebius' name that pulled me into the other version. If Moebius thought it good enough to illustrate then it had to be good.

hardcover: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0062502174/qid=1123541033/sr=8-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-4267734-3486300?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

paperback: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0062502182/qid=1123541033/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-4267734-3486300?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Love,

Val

PS. Loved the ending. Was expecting something like that, but loved it nonetheless.

 

[cal val]

Hi Jeff...

I read "Smith of Wooton Major" yesterday and enjoyed it very much. It was very interesting and seemed to be a rather overt metaphor for self-aware of sorts in that Smith penetrates deeper and deeper into the interior of Faery with each journey... and that one finally meets the sovereign by gentle penetration into the interior.

Passing the key to Faery (the star) on to the third generation was something that resonated for me with my experience as a grandparent.

Interesting that you find an allegory between this book and the I Ching. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

Love,

Val

 

[jte]

Hi, Val -

Well, the main allegorical aspect of it was simply the main plot - as this guy is exposed to something larger than himself that's "out there" and that most others seem simply unaware of.

I use the Yi, am exposed to sychronicity and the seeming existence of an intelligence greater than myself that's apparently somehow embedded in reality itself, and most people seem to be unaware of it. So, there's a kind of parallel to Smith's experience.

That was the main thing. Some other aspects of the plot enhanced the impression: the random selection of Smith as a child (viz the random method of using the Yi). The powerful yet ultimately generous and benevolent King who "stays behind the scenes" most of the time - reminding me a lot of the Yi's "personality". The dangers - there are dangers in experiencing what the Yi, has to offer - I've occasionally found myself having to cling quite tightly to sanity. The star, which seems allegorical for the wisdom the Yi helps pass on to us.

So the plot + all those little details + the slow "contemplative" pace and tone of the story just sort of add up to this allegorical impression for me. But of course, ultimately it's just an impression.

- Jeff

 

[yly2pg1]

Jte,

I feel the same about your experience.

One thing about 'synchronicity', i come to realize it is coined as Yun4 in Chinese. Things like "bad things happen in three", is perhaps a typical situation of bad Yun4. You can find a person's Yun4 in a day, a month, a year ... and even a cycle of 12 years.

 

[yly2pg1]

On earth reality, our genetic coding is deciding our natural day to day interaction with the happenings in our environment and surroundings. However, the "Ring" does keep our past memories and our past experience in a unique format. In fact the Ring is, (by a certain universal laws) dictated, passed down and built around our past actions, habits, experience, beliefs etc etc (in our past and previous life). So, you can find a whole spectrum of various human behaviour and characteristic, due to upbringing factors as well as genetical factors).

 

[cal val]

Jeff...

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I'm still pondering the symbolism of the 24 Feast. I think it's very important to the bigger message.

Love,

Val

 

[midaughter]

Daughter of the Desert bio of Gretrude Bell

Renowned as the Uncrowned Queen of Iraq, Gertrude Bell was once the most powerful woman in the British Empire

Adventurer, archaeologist and Arabist, Gertrude Bell was a counselor to kings and prime ministers; a colleague of Winston Churchill and Lloyd George; a crony of T.E. Lawrence and St. John Philby, and an intimate of Arab sheiks.

"Few such moments of exhilaration can come as that which stands at the threshold of wild travel," she once wrote. And travel she did. In Switzerland the brilliant and bold Victorian climbed unexplored icy peaks, in Turkey she visited remote ruins, in Mesopotamia she studied Arabic and rode sidesaddle across the Arabian Desert, venturing where few Westerners had dared go. The Arabs pronounced her a "daughter of the desert."

In World War I, Bell became a vital source of information to the British. She "had mapped uncharted sands, noting the location of water wells and railway lines," writes author Janet Wallach. "Furthermore, she could fathom who would be friends and who would be foes of the British." As a result, she was the only woman drafted as an intelligence agent in the Arab Bureau in Cairo.

Bell's firsthand knowledge of Iraq and Persia continued to be invaluable during the postwar years. When Winston Churchill was made Colonial Secretary in 1921, he summoned his greatest experts on the Middle East to a conference in Egypt to determine the future of Mesopotamia. He invited 39 men and one woman--Gertrude Bell. She was instrumental in determining the borders of the new nation of Iraq and in choosing its first ruler, Prince Faisal. For years she was his closest personal and political adviser, a position that earned her the title of "Uncrowned Queen of Iraq."

"I don't care to be in London much," she once wrote. "I like Baghdad, and I like Iraq. It's the real East, and it is stirring; things are happening here, and the romance of it all touches me and absorbs me."





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