World Peace (1957)

From World Peace, by Swami Sivananda, publ. 1957:
Only removal of ignorance can stop all future wars and dissensions. Spiritual culture, ethical education, measures that are best calculated to instill love and a sense of unity in men and women can prevent nations from resorting to war.  If all people begin to practice kindness and mercy, [...]

Iran Awakening, by Shirin Ebadi

Iran Awakening, by Shirin Ebadi
Nobel Peace Laureate (2003) Shirin Ebadi has written a riveting account of her life in Iran, from her childhood (when the Shah was installed by the CIA), to the revolution that brought the Ayatollah to power, and onward to current circumstances in her country.  As a judge, then a lawyer, Ebadi’s [...]

Christmas Thoughts

The Women’s Insitutute (WI) published a small book in 2007, Practical Know-how at Christmas. Along with the hints, they included some timeless quotations about the holiday. Here are some of them:
Oh, for the good old days when people would stop Christmas shopping when they ran out of money.  (Anonymous)
Life is much like Christmas — you [...]

Village Life: Miss Read’s People and Places

©RKSilipo. All rights reserved.
Summer is less than a month away, so I go to my book shelves and check that Miss Read is where I think she is, ready for my annual visits to Fairacre and Thrush Green. I re-visit Caxley as well, but not quite as often.
I love these books and cannot recommend [...]

Good Dog, Carl – A Canine Babysitter with Lots of Stories to Tell

©2008,Ramona K Silipo. All rights reserved.
Good Dog Carl is the first in the series of Carl books by Alexadra Day, based on her own experiences with her dog. In this story, we meet The Mother who is seen only fleetingly, because the protagonist of these books is a cuddly, paternal Rottweiler, and his sidekick is [...]

David and the Phoenix – Great Summer Read for Pre-teens

©RKSilipo. All rights reserved.
At age ten I read a book about a beautiful, multi-coloured, giant bird and a boy named David. They talked together a lot, and they went on adventures. That story stayed with me for fifty years.
So I decided to try to find the book, just to have it in my library [...]

Forgiveness – A Skill That Can Be Learned

©2008 Ramona K. Silipo. All rights reserved.
FORGIVE FOR GOOD, by Fred Luskin, subtitled, ‘A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness,’ is a striking combination research report, case study and handbook. The material is groundbreaking, fascinating and instantly accessible.
In the courses he teaches, Fred Luskin, Ph.D., Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project, is absolutely [...]

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day.

The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, with gorgeous illustrations by William Nicholson, can truly wear the designation, A Modern Classic. First published in 1922, the original edition is now available again from Doubleday, in their “A Book for Young Readers” series. It’s also available in paperback and in various editions with more contemporary art. I [...]