The Tao Te Ching was written 2,500 years ago, making it perhaps the oldest book still in print. Its longevity is due to the power and simplicity of its message. Come to know more of its simple power and allow that to transform your life.The Tao Te Ching has always had the power to transform the reader, but the reader must first be able to understand the underlying message. Phrased, as it was, by its ancient Chinese author, the language and imagery were products of that far off time...

Anger is part of the ancient arsenal of survival instincts that we inherited from our evolutionary past. Our ancestral environment was a dangerous place in which people struggled to survive and anger got us ready to fight for our lives.In your world today, are there still dangers lurking around every corner and behind every bush? I hope not. More likely, you live in a more-or-less civilised society that has solved many of the challenges to survival that faced our ancestors. For man...

This eBook outlines the distilled essence of meditation practice. It is based on a broad study of the many meditation traditions that have grown up over time in different parts of the world.Once you know the essential basics, you can adapt the technique to suit your needs. Meditation is something that can be learned in a few minutes, but which can take a lifetime to perfect. The greater the truth, the more simply it can be expressed. Think of Einstein's E=mc2 (the energy contained i...

It is natural for people to shy away from the reality of death. After all, the fear of dying is the root fear of all fears. Yet this refusal to acknowledge the impermanence of our earthly existence creates a deep anxiety that inhibits a person's spiritual progress. Put another way, if we are to progress on the spiritual path, it is necessary to fully accept the impermanence of life and the certainty of death.The ego is terrified by the thought of death, since it knows that it will ...

Koans are a useful sign-post on the path to enlightenment. They reveal abstract Truth that cannot be expressed logically through presenting the reader with a paradox that can only be solved by shifting one's perspective.The venerable Koans of the past, those that have been handed down through the generations are expressed in archaic language. If you cannot enter into that archaic language the koan is unlikely to bring you much benefit.This book represents the Koans in moder...

Assertiveness is a zone on the spectrum of human behaviour that lies between Passivity and Aggression. This book shows you how to find that zone, that sweet-spot; not always an easy thing to do.Being Assertive is fundamentally about rights; yours and those of others and finding a balance between them. An aggressive person violates the rights of others, while the passive person violates their own. The assertive person finds a win-win way to balance these sometimes competing interest...

Genius is an often misunderstood though perennially interesting topic. Down through the ages, researchers have observed and studied the nature of genius in an effort to understand it. This book gives you the essence of that research. The material comes from across many cultures and historical periods. It is the lowest common denominator of this fascinating phenomenon, presented in plain English. The book explains the underlying nature of genius, charisma and leadership and gives you a seri...

It is a rare person in the world today who could not benefit with some help with improving their self-esteem. We are all imperfect, make mistakes, have problems. While it might seem that the people around you are doing so much better than you, the reality is that they are probably just as messed-up and confused.We cannot help but compare ourselves with the people around us. And in the media, we see idealised versions of perfect people. Despite putting on a brave face, most people j...

Going with the Flow is your guide for creating harmony in your life by bringing yourself into alignment with the forces of Nature that govern the world. It's good to know about them, because you can no more escape their influence than a swimmer in the ocean can avoid getting wet. Going with the flow is knowing that a vast river of energy flows through life and we are drawn along with it. Learning to swim in the direction that the energy is flowing is the key to creating a happier, more har...

The Enchiridion (Greek for Handbook, pronounced En-ky-ridion) of Epictetus is a favourite text of the Stoic school of philosophy. Compiled by Arrian, a former pupil around the time of Epictetus' death in 135 AD, this enduring text is a compilation of lecture notes based on Epictetus' lessons. It has long been considered an excellent manual of practical philosophy.Epictetus (55 – 135 AD) was born at Hierapolis in what is now Turkey. Sold to Epaphroditos, who was secretary to Emperor...

Desolation Row (released in August 1965 on the album Highway 61 Revisited) is not your average pop song. More like an epic poem set to music. Its epic-ness comes not from its relatively short length as epic poems go, but from the depth and breadth of its themes. It is very rare to find a song with such density of meaning. Most songs on the radio do not stray much past the theme of romantic love. As Douglas Adams observed in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy most (pop) songs are on the whole...

As English has evolved over the past 1,500 years, words that were once in common usage have slipped out of usage. Some are delightful, others not so much. This book blows the dust off a thousand delightful words, bringing them to a whole new audience. So if you enjoy words for their own sake, or if you are at all curious about how people talked and wrote when the world was a quite different place, then this book is for you.Ever since it emerged as a distinct language from the West ...