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Centered Riding, by Sally Swift

For anyone interested in Centered Riding, this is the book!

You will find the book has staying power. It begins with an explanation of the four basics and proper body allignment and moves through topics such as rein contact, transitions, self carriage, lateral work, and jumping.

The beauty of this book is in the use of images backed up by explanations of skeletal and musculature structures of the horse and rider. The reason these images work is that they are in harmony with how our bodies work. When you imagine holding two birds softly in your hands, the bones of your forearm connect without torque to the reins -- providing the soft contact and allowing feel to develop. When you imagine your legs are mobile flippers, it allows the head of the femur and the greater trocanter to rotate and place your leg on the saddle without undue strain. When you imagine a funnel during your turns, you activate just the right amount of muscle to properly place hands and legs and guide the horse. So not only are you given a way of achieving what you want, you are given an explanation of why it works.

Another strong-point of this book is the sequence in which images and concepts are presented so that there is a continual progression. You are provided building blocks which you can use to make continual improvements. The four basics presented in the first chapter allow you to develop the proper body alignment; the proper body alignment allows you to develop the following seat; the following seat allows you establish soft rein contact and smooth transitions; these allow you to develop self carriage and progress to lateral work and jumping.

An added bonus, which you will discover some time later after having applied the techniques, is that they continually provide improvements and, as they do, the information in the book takes on deeper meaning. You may think you've gotten all you can out of an image, and then, hopefully not monthes later, but maybe monthes later, you suddenly realize, 'Aha! This is what I need!,' and it will work. And then other connections will start to happen, too.

It is a book you can continue to use for years.

Effective Horsemanship, by Noel Jackson

"A thorough, systematic and unusually clear explanation of the principles of modern horsemanship and their application to training for dressage, three-day events, jumping and polo."

Luckily, this was the first book I ever read on Horsemanship. I say this because, over time, I have found it to be a wonderful foundation. It is clear and comprehensive; it is logical and it is compassionate. Noel Jackson writes about artistic and athletic riding. Throughout the book you will see over and over words like: sensitivity, suppleness, balance, and freedom, and you will see that this writer is indeed interested in educating the horse to enjoy his riding experience, and that the education is done with love and respect.

In Effective Horsemanship, Noel Jackson covers the background of equitation, the education of the rider, the education of the horse, and specializations.

In the Education of the Rider, you are given a description of what you are about to achieve and then ways of achieving it.

He begins with the seat and promotes, as a result of having experienced several different seats, the Danloux seat. This could be also called the 'Balanced Seat.' It is one of the most comprehensive descriptions of a seat I have seen. Having been trained at the Equitation School, he suggests a range of exercises -- some of which are available to the average student, and some which are not.

I am perhaps grateful that I was not asked to become flexible and supple on a horse especially trained for bucking between the pillars! Although, at the same time, this knowledge of how great riders are made greatly raises my appreciation of what is achievable.

In his description of the Aids, he covers Natural Aids, Simple Reins and Reins of Opposition, Leg Aids, Harmony and Interdependence of the Aids, and Good Hands, and Equestrian Tact. It is a wonderfully direct and straight forward explanation of what the aids are and what their effects will be. The exercises he provides are wonderfully simple and educational.

He ends this section of Education of The Rider with a quiet paragraph about Learning to Apply the Aids. If you read quickly, you may not realize that he is letting you know you have years of experience to acquire before you proceed to the next section: The Education of the Horse.

"For novice riders, trained horses; for young horses, trained riders."

The Education of the Horse covers the Debourrage -- which he sums up as the domestication of the horse, building up his confidence, developing his physical condition: making the horse usable for ordinary purposes, and Dressage -- which requires greater fluidity of balance and accurate obedience.

He talks about psychology, physical development, and anatomy, as well as other 'non-riding' aspects of educating the horse. Even if you have no overt intentions of training any horses, I suggest you read these sections anyway. I was, again luckily, told the very first time that I got on a horse, that the rider either schools or un-schools every time they get on a horse. This sections will give you a much better idea of what influences you have and what you want to achieve, even in your daily riding on a trained horse. Yet again he provides clear and concise descriptions of what is to be achieved and then exercises for how to achieve the desired results. He also provides a programme of work which can be used as an outline.

In his sections on Specialisations, he yet again provides clear and concise direction and exercises for high level dressage, eventing, show jumping, and polo.

The amazing thing, which I had no way of knowing when I first read this book, is that so few of the topics he covers, which he takes as part and parcel of riding and horsemanship, would ever be addressed by the majority of horse instructors and enthusiasts I have met. If you really want to know what horsemanship is about, I highly recommend this book.

Think long and hard about what he writes. I have seen 'mutilations' of some of the techniques he describes. I do not know how that has happened -- perhaps someone saw or read something and thought they understood, but they didn't! Nowhere in this book will you read about forcing a horse. I feel that if you want to get it right, have a look here.

These books are absolutely delightful! as well as insightful. They have reassured me of many of the things I have observed in working with horses and help to find the kernel of truth that all horsemen are searching for.

True Unity Tom Dorrance

This book is a lot like coming home for me. It is comfortable and it's full of sense. It's not exactly logical, but I think that's because what he's writing about isn't something that's "logical." It's something that "is" -- and if you're quiet and observant, you'll get it. You'll get it because it's one of the "great truths" -- like gravity and other laws of nature. It is not arbitrary like the laws of man or the grammar of language. It is intrinsic, like pi is intrinsic to geometry. It's in there. And because it's in there, anyone who looks can find it. Which is what I just love about horses and riding. The rules aren't going to change tomorrow because some manager or supervisor or VP decided it was time to make a buck doing something else.

If, though, you're thinking 'no-way,' pull up a seat and cup of brew and sit down with this book. It'll be like having Tom Dorrance right there talking with you. And as he rambles along in an apparently non-directed way, you'll suddenly realize he's made a very important point. He didn't actually say, necessarily, what that point was, but you know it's in there, and he's waiting, patiently, for you to see what he's seen.

I can't really find a single 'DO' in this book, and yet, it seems to have the key to 'DO'ing everything. He writes about how he observes and how he feels and how things happen. He speaks of spirit and how horses do exactly whatever it is they think their riders want them to. He gives you a lot of information within which to put the context of horses and humans and how we interact.

It doesn't matter what you actually 'DO' with horses -- whether it's English or Western or work or pleasure or backyard pet. If you're around them, this book is all about understanding them and connecting with them and finding a togetherness. I think it's about finding joy.

Think Harmony With Horses Ray Hunt

Here's another wonderful book. It starts with:

"My belief in life is that we can all get along together if we try to understand one another. ... You can ask the horse to do your thing, but you ask him; ... You do not make anything happen, no more than you can make a friendship happen"

This is vitally important to understand.

Over and over and over this comes back to me. I don't know how many times and in how many ways I have seen 'trainers' pass off violence for education. Don't do it. Don't fall prey to it. It can be subtle, it can be obvious. It can be a slow transition or a fast transition. If you find yourself in the middle of it, get out. You will know, if the horse is having fits, something is wrong. The trainer has quit explaining and asking and starting punishing and demanding. He has crossed over. And it's going to backfire at some point. Even though there may be several people telling you, "this is the only way to get this done" -- "some parts of training are ugly" -- "it doesn't make sense to the horse, but they have to be made to understand," if you gut is telling you otherwise, listen to your gut.

Get this book and read it. It will help you reaffirm that simple but vital thing: "You can ask the horse to do your thing, but you ask him ... You do not make anything happen, no more than you can make a friendship happen"

Resistance-Free Riding Richard Shrake

There is something wonderfully honest and straight-forward about this book. It reminds me of the readers from the '50's -- back when things were good and made sense, and of the advice my English teachers gave me about writing: pick a topic, lead up to the topic sentence in your opening paragraph, support your position with 3 things -- examples, history, opinions, whatever, provide a summary statement, and then take the reader back out to the world at large. (Of course, those of you who know the rules of grammar are screeching over that last sentence!) It has something to do with honoring and understanding the value of form and etiquette. And there's a lot to be said for this. A process provides a framework within which intangibles can be grasped. In this instance, the intangible is: And just HOW DO YOU GET total harmony, complete trust, and resistance-free riding?

Well, here's a way.

He has a wonderful way of providing examples from other walks of western life (as opposed to eastern life) to support the five elements of Resistance-free Riding, which leave you saying, 'Of course that makes sense.' So you agree with him -- a good tactic for getting across a point. It's not so nebulous or intangible as some other (equally wonderful!) books. And, he provides wonderful examples of how to implement the five keys. Then, he gives you information so you can tell if you've got it right or not.

He provides pictures and case histories. He highlights points by putting them in boxes with bold type. He covers Western Pleasure, Hunt-Seat Equitation, Reining, Cutting, Team Penning, Hunters & Jumpers, Trail Classes, Barrel Racing, and Team Roping, and he goes over equipment. He has gems of wisdom throughout. He is very thorough.

I just want to add this one caveat for all you folks who are left brained and looking for the 'recipe to success.' The reason all the right brain 'stuff' has gotten so popular is this: The answer can be right in front of your face, and you won't see it if you don't get it. Going through the motions doesn't mean you've 'got it.' Sometimes having the answer makes it even harder to 'get it' because half your brain is saying 'yeah, that's the ticket, that's the answer, that's what I'm doing, yeah, I'm doing great here, yeah' and meanwhile you're flopping around on the horses back like a fish beached on the sand. (I say this with all humility, because I've been there!) By all means, get this book and read it, BUT, remember these things: be honest with yourself and your horse. REALLY listen and feel and look for the feedback to make sure you've implemented what you want. AND, this is a process for opening up doors. Let those doors open up.

Horses Never Lie Mark Rashid

new edition

Don't Shoot the Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training
Karen Pryor

Whatever your walk in life, I recommend this book. It was so enlightening when I first read it, it was rather unsettling. I had been totally brainwashed/ lulled into thinking that being a human, I was operating by logic and reason. HA! Observing my co-workers in a new light soon proved me wrong. The majority of action by most people is on 'auto-pilot' -- and there are some very complicated behaviors that people can do that they are totally unaware of doing. These behaviors can seem incredibly intelligent, deliberate, and pre-meditated, and yet they are 'simply' complex behaviors that have been developed.

This book outlines 8 different methods for modifying behavior. They are effective. The trick is to figure out which one to use when, I admit, and perhaps that's what makes a good trainer.

Yes, there is this question of 'is it ethical to modify behavior?' Well, we do it all the time anyway. I think someone who is cognizant of what they are doing stands a chance of being more ethical. And more effective. Someone who isn't ethical wasn't ethical to begin with. If you were ethical yesterday, chances are you still are today and you still have those governing sets of rules to guide you.

No one questions whether it's ethical to train a dog to sit; no one questions whether it's ethical to have children that pick up the clothes they've just taken off. (as opposed to throwing them on the floor.) In fact, it could be argued that training a dog to sit and teaching a child to pick up their clothes can actually enhance the quality of life for the dog and the child. Their more pleasant behavior evokes more pleasant responses in the people around them, and so they are rewarded on a continual basis (as opposed to the hollering and nagging that can occur in the opposite situations.)

Another point brought home by this book is that random punishment and producing terrorists are linked. I think this is a strong argument for effective parenting and effective training.

If I seem to have strayed off of the 'trainer' aspect and onto the 'parent' aspect, I do apologize. In my mind there are great similarities. Poor training with a horse can result in a horse that is cantankerous and belligerent and sometimes downright dangerous. At the very least, it results in a sour horse that's tired of confusing messages and inconsistent responses from the trainer. Or a shut down horse. There are many dead-ends with bad training.

So, you're not a trainer, you say? If you ride, I disagree. A wonderful piece of advice I was given about the 3rd time I was on a horse is: When you ride a horse, you are either training or un-training. This is the long and the short of it. Horses are incredibly sensitive and they are ON the whole time, whether we are or not. As a rider, we really have to be ON, too.

After reading this book you will have a much greater understanding of the responsibility a rider assumes whenever they are on a horse. It is not the time for outbursts or strength contests or high reasoning. (This is not to say horse's don't reason!) Because of the species differences, we are bridging the gap through body language (again, this isn't to say there's not another way, but most folks are relying on body language!) and we are reduced to simple communications of 'yes' & 'no.' We have to illicit from the horse a desire to guess -- that means no terrorist actions on our part, thank you, so that we can then say 'yes' and provide rewards.

Good luck and enjoy!

Kinship with All Life
J. Allen Boone

This was my first book on 'interspecies' communication. I happened upon it around 1984 or so. At the time it seemed wonderfully romantic, yet entirely unattainable, for me to be able to commune with animals directly. Yes, I grew up with cats and dreamed of riding horses, but at the age of 23 or so, I hadn't as yet 'heard' any animal speak. It seemed patently obvious there was intelligence at work, yet the link was not yet made.

I have since learned that the first step to allowing something like this to happen is to believe that maybe it can. Then when it happens, you can recognize it. (Because, you see, the animals are communicating with us all the time, or at least until they give up on us. The patient ones continue trying to get through!) After reading this book I felt much more comfortable that I wasn't too far out on a limb, and that the way to engender the communication is one within everyone's means, including mine.

This is a wonderful, feel good book filled with hope and optimism.

The Man Who Listens to Horses Monty Roberts

I have two overwhelming responses to this book: What a life, and Thank God he lived through it!

After reading this book and applying some 'Equus,' I found my horses to be a bit relieved. It is as if I stopped talking with 'that strange accent' and finally got the local dialect down. For what it's worth, I think I had pretty good 'gut instinct', but if I had had to tell someone everything I was going by, I wouldn't have been able to. That's because I'm relying on 'information' that not everyone has access to. Also, I occasionly was second guessing myself, because I wasn't 100% sure of what 'information' I was getting. This book makes it at once clear and simple to understand, because it keeps things in the physical plane.

The basic premise that horses communicate with body language sets us up to then ask: 'and what is that language?' Once the movement and the meaning are put together, then we can understand what is going on with them. This is what makes it easy to procede. The horse swivels his ears and moves his head and jaw and basically says 'yeah, I got this part. I understand you won't eat me and I'm in sync with you.' As long as you've got that message, and it's very clear to see it once you know what you're looking for as it's described very nicely in the book, you can go ahead.

A lot of problems arise, I think, because the horse has gotten it and then some, and yet the human has continued to demand 'obedience' in some fashion, and then perhaps thrown in some 'punishment' because they don't see any 'obedience,' and the horse decided 'these humans, they're not very fair. I did what I was asked to do, and now I'm in pain.'

I don't recall Monty Roberts saying that, per se, but he does describe the 'breaking' methods his father used. From what I've read, his father wasn't particularly more cruel and unusual than other trainers of the day, but they definitely weren't tuned into the horse. The horses were basically screaming, 'I get it, I get it' and it really didn't matter.

Speaking of the father, the author's personal life was pretty horrible, in my view. I have found that people who survive horrible lives often have incredible gifts. From my experience, I find it ironic that the very gift his father was so afraid of (again, my opinion) was the very one he was helping to cultivate in his son by virtue of the way he treated him. From what I've read in the book, the sensitivity that Monty Roberts utilizes is very much grounded in reality. It does not rely on gut instinct or fuzzy feelings or hunches. It relies very much on what the horse physically does. And this is the beauty of it.

I wish there were more examples in this book of the various horses he's worked with, if only so that I could live through them. I think there are so few because it really is pretty straight forward. Sooo -- my plan is to get to see him in person somehow! I've heard he teaches in England and is also currently doing a tour throughout the US. If you haven't got access to either of those venues, I highly recommend this book.

Riding Logic Wilhelm Mueseler

This was the second book I ever read on riding, and as such is somewhat of a foundation. I also originally learnt to ride under an instructor who was very much in resonance with this book.

What I liked about the book when I first got it is that he breaks things down into bit size chunks. He has sections on 'training of the rider', 'educating the horse', and then 'lessons.' He also has a section 'further training of the horse' for eventing and endurance type activities and a section on 'tackle.'

I am happy to see that 'training of the rider' comes first. (A lot of people seem to think they know how to ride and it's the horse that needs to learn how to move!) Training of the rider is chunked down to three things: Seat, Feeling, and Influence. Each of these are then chunked down -- ie seat is acheived by balance, suppleness, and the ability to follow the horses motion, and each of those topics are addressed.

In 'the lessons,' the best pictures of lateral work are given. I say this, because for some reason it has become fashionable in this area to ride these movements other than how they are described in this book. I feel this is a grave error. I have seen horses popping shoulders, going stiff, and, in a variety of ways, off balance and off the aids. While I (naturally) suggest using Centered Riding techniques to initiate the lateral work, my measure of 'arrival' is harmony with the horse and the keeping of shoulders parallel to shoulders and hips parallel to hips and movement in the direction I wish to go. One thing I do different is to keep my vertical center perhaps more upright.

For the goal oriented person I was, his statment of 'On a suitable, quiet horse any normal person should be able to move about fairly decently at the three gaits after thirty lessons' was very comforting. I felt I certainly qualified as 'normal!'

He provides insights such as: "'The horse assumes the position which his rider assumes.' The reverse of this sentence, 'the rider must assume the position of his horse,' also is true for the seat and the behaviour of the rider in all turns, side movements, changes of direction, and at the canter. This reciprocal action, resulting from a feel of coordination between rider and horse, is the source of all harmony."

In many instances, he does seem to contradict this, and yet I think it really boils down to a matter of language. There is this a catch 22 in much of riding -- how will I know I've arrived? you'll just know! He gives plenty of description so that you'll know when you've arrived, but like many books and riding instruction in general, the map to get there seems to be a bit unclear.

For all of that, I still think this is an excellent book for the thinking rider.

An Illustrated Guide to Dressage Jennie Loriston-Clarke and Carol Wicken

This is a handsome book; a pretty book. It is visually very pleasing. The pleasure comes from many things. There is the pleasure of the format - large black and white photos with succinct text to describe what is going on in the photos. There is the pleasure of the horses - Dutch Gold, Dutch Courage, and Catherston Dutch Bid. They are healthy, well-muscled, beautifully balanced athletes that float across the pages. And there is the pleasure of magnitude - picture after picture after picture of beauty and balance and suppleness. There are photos for every movement required in the tests as of 1987. In 'Chapter 3: Paces', walk, trot, and canter are shown working, collected, and extended; there are photos of free walk, halt, and rein-back. In 'Chapter 4: Dressage Movements,' there are photos of turn on the forehand, leg-yielding, shoulder-in, travers, renvers, half-pass, counter-canter, flying changes and one tempes, pirouettes, piaffe, and passage. These photos of the movements are taken from above (so you can see if the horse bends its spine!) and from in front. They are put together in collages of movement and sequences of movement. You can see how the horses are positioned and how the rider is positioned.

I like the honesty and straight-fowardness of this book. (O, I'm sure, they probably picked the best pictures, but BOY, they are GOOD!) It is unpretentious and un-egotistical. (I love looking at Jennies face in the photos. If there is anything that tells you what is going on, it is the expressions of horse and riders.) These photos are art in and of theirself and they depict art. I have a cup of good coffee here (Ethiopian Horar Horse, I believe), and it's hard to write this, because I'd rather be flipping through the pages and vicariously riding these beautiful mounts! And, I may also say, I'm protective of this book. This book has not been out to the barn, as many of my other books have. It doesn't have smudges on it or grass bits between the pages or tattered corners. This is not from lack of use. It is out of respect.

In the 'Chapter 2: General Principles of Training,' there is a beautifully condensed rendition of what we want in a horse, and also what we don't want! It is as if the authors decided to describe dressage in 'ten words or less' and came up with two and a half pages. A very neat and tidy thing. The appendix contains diagrams of dressage arenas and various shool figures to prompt creative (and correct!) riding.

This is a book I am very happy to have gotten.

Creative Horsemanship,
Training Strategies For Dressage Riders ,
The Athletic Development of the Dressage Horse ,
Charles DeKunffy

What strikes me about Charles De Kunffy is a true love of horses and an ability to approach each horse with tact. The activity of 'Dressage' becomes an art form of beauty and refinement. Riding becomes sculpture in motion. Movements become steps along a journey of evolution.

Riding Towards the Light goes to the heart and soul of riding. Captured in this book is a description of the drive that all true equestrians share. Beneath (or behind) the wisecracks of 'I have a job to support my habit' is the desire and drive of the creative effort that all artists are subject too. Paul Belasik shares his journey and the yearning that has kept him going. In so doing, he exposes at once humility and greatness and inspires the rest of us to keep going, too.

Exploring Dressage Technique is for the hard core purist. To me it is exciting and illuminating; for some it may be just so much in-depth mind-bending stuff. What I like about it is that it explores how to achieve the highest of the dressage art form -- how horse conformation, temperament, and training create various results. And from that, how to avoid the results you don't want. This is way beyond "I just want to walk, trot, & canter on a trail ride." This is about how to make contact with the bit from the very beginning so that when you get piaffe and passage, you can achieve it.

The Songs of the Horses was an odd concept for me... It was like, "what?  what has this got to do with riding?"  This is more about the philosophy of what are we hoping to achieve with horses.  I found, though, that his stories have stayed with me over the years, like puzzles waiting for a solution to arrive.  What are we really wanting out of riding?  out of ourselves?  out of our horses?

Dressage for the 21st Century is a full training program at home and stands as one of the 'great' books on training -- along with Riding Logic by William Wilhelm Mueseler, Effective Horseman by Noel Jackson, My Horses, My Teachers by Reiner Klimke, and by Alois Podysky. 

The Alexander Technique
F. Mattias Alexander

"You can do what I do, if you do what I did."

This book is a bit of a riot. There is very much about it a time traveling aspect. This work is the essential writings of F. Matthias Alexander, and there is no softening of the frank and abrupt way in which the material is presented.

It is for this reason that reading this book is also invaluable, for it is the work of F. Matthias Alexander himself.

I think it is worth reading and pondering and reflecting.

The Alexander Technique Workbook
Richard Brennan

Within this workbook, the Alexandar Technique is presented concisely and palatably. The axioms of Alexander Technique are explained fully and sucinctly. This book is, if you will, a translation.

I find this book very correct and it satisfies my need to present information correctly and methodically. (This doesn't translate into dully!) There is a scaffolding of information that must occur -- the foundation must be laid before the walls are put up and the roof tacked on. The order is important for the unfolding of the information to make sense. This order is followed and the information does unfold in a sensical and practical manner. It can be applied and used.

I found particularly help the diagrams. Both the diagrams of poor posture and of good. One sees the ramifications of slumping, and how the bones become jumbled inside, scrunching into each other and skewing sideways. It is enough to inspire one to sit up.

The Alexander Technique
Judith Leibowistz & Bill Connington

I got this book primarily for the Leibowitz Procedures outlined in the back. These procedures were developed by Judith Leibowitz to satisfy the need to teach Alexander Technique to large groups of people. They also translate well to the printed book, and from there to the average living room.

At the time that I was first introduced to Alexander Technique there was one teacher sort of local -- an hour or so away. Since then I believe she has moved on and to my dismay I am now finding out that Alexander Technique is, locally, largely unknown. Thus, the benefit of finding a 'primer,' if you will.

Another aspect of this book I found initially interesting was a section on how to apply Alexander Technique to various activities -- like riding.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect, although it did not originally draw me, is the testimonials by people who have experienced Alexander Technique in their lives.

The Medium, the Mystic and the Physicist (the original)

Medium, the Mystic, and the Physicist; Toward a General Theory of the Paranormal -- Paperback
Lawrence Leshan

This was the gate through which streamed sanity. There are many things in this world for which science does not account and for which science subsequently ignores, shuns, or trivializes. I do not say this lightly, for I am from a scientific background. For science to have done this to me is for science to have failed me in areas where I do not need to have been failed, where I did not expect to be failed, where I did not want to be failed.

It is this sense of betrayal that this book assuaged. It looks at the 'paranormal' from a scientific point of view. What a concept. (Yes, this is a sore point for me! The scientists scoff and the mystics roll their eyes. It seems that neither is interested in scientifically proving the validity or invalidity of the paranormal. After years of trying to figure out how one could find criteria objective enough and plausible enough, I gave up when I realized the simple enormity of finding a large enough sampling size was beyond my capacity. That and the dawning realization it becomes an exercise in preaching to the converted.) Thank goodness none of this stopped Lawrence Leshan.

I do not know the author's history, so I do not know if the skepticism presented was of great depth or not. In any event, from scientific procedure, he distills out what is necessary for the medium and the mystic to operate. (The scientific procedure being to simply observe the reality of how the medium and the mystic operate, formulate a thesis, and then test the thesis.) He proceeds to test the theory by applying the method observed for creating mediumistic, mystic abilities on himself. And, what do you know, he does develop these abilities. (OK, argue whatever you want to: he was pre-disposed, he was hoodwinked, he's lying, he's deluded. If you want to convince me of that, follow the procedure yourself and then claim nothing has happened to you!)

For myself, I believe he is genuine and I believe he has really done the world a great service. I am often (perhaps ad nauseum) heard to say: "The only thing wrong with the placebo is we can't get it to work when we want it to. What it does is just fine." What is presented in these books is a way to get the placebo to work on a more regular basis.** And that would be a good thing for everyone. (OK, maybe not the pharmaceutical companies as they are today, but I bet they'd evolve into other markets.)

The reason I feel this work is genuine is that I have since followed my own journey into the 'paranormal' and I have found his work provided a good map. What he outlined, which I read 10 years or so before I accelerated my learning, served me well when I needed to apply it. When I read the book, I had begun to feel auras and have astral travels. This was unbidden. And a little bizarre. So yes, I was curious. I was curious because I wanted to know what was happening. Unfortunately, this was not something that was generally talked about at that time. The only resource I could find was this book.

If you're in a similar situation, or even if you're simply curious about how the world might improve, have a look.

** OK -- If you've done energy work, you can appreciate some humor in that statement. If not, let me explain. When doing energy work, when channeling information, when consulting the 'other side,' it is imperative that the Higher Intelligence of the universe be honored. This may not entail fixing whatever 'problem' exists. Usually, if the source of the 'problem' is discovered and addressed, the 'problem' will go away. But again, there is still the Higher Will in the mix. The benefit from the energy work done is proportional to the amount of guidance accepted from the Higher Will. The Higher Will prevails. If it is time for someone to go home, they will go home. No amount of energy work or medical science will change that.

Vibrational Medicine
Richard Gerber

This work covers several different types of vibrational healing: the holographic paradym, the chakra system, auras, essences, essential oils, crystals, Reiki, and more. The information is presented in a very factual manner and also includes research that has been done.

For the skeptic in all of us, this is a good book to read as it grounds the phenomena of energy work in the factual world of science.