Thirteen Virtues to a New Life: A Journey Around the Medicine Wheel by Ralph P. Brown (Tawennihake)

Published by BookSurge Publishing
Illustrations by Ralph P. Brown
Reviewed for Review the Book

A little book with large motivation, the tales told and lessons to be found in this book can propel us to our goals. As quoted in the beginning, "One man dreamed of becoming something. Another remained awake and became." Ralph Brown (Tawennihake) is of the Mohawk nation, his research has taken him through several nations, including Mohawk, Lakota, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Cherokee and Navajo, meeting with many storytellers and Medicine Men. He has collected some of these tales, some might call them morality tales, through his travels, and some of the interpretations found in this book

These tales are incorporated into the Thirteen Virtues of the Medicine Wheel. These are profound and mysterious until with patience the reader begins to "See" with new eyes, eagle eyes that are so clear and can see so many ways and so far, the need to passionately seek whatever their goals are. The book is written in such a manner that reading once you only see part of the whole. It should be read more than once to take the most from it. As mentioned, this is a small book, it does not require much time to read, but it needs to be reread to get the whole of the journey. These tales, or fables, are all representations, there are more ways than one to interpret them, but the author is very clear in describing how to perceive everything that is there. He does not tell you what you must see but provides guidelines to help you to perceive whatever the representations mean to you personally.

These are life lessons that most of us have heard in one form or another, but have we really understood them? Have we "Seen" everything there is to see and have we actively set a goal and gone after it? Or have we denied ourselves that goal by not perceiving the way to look at it, to achieve it. The book gives us the guidelines to finding that perception and obtaining our goals and regain balance in our lives. This book is entertaining, educational, and completely natural, not technical in any way. Life is natural. This book can help us retain or regain our connection with the natural world. Well-written, non-demanding, it is a book well worth reading.

Anatomy of Success: The Science of Inheriting Your Brain’s Wealth & Power While You’re Still Alive! by Saleem Bidaoui

I can not say enough about this marvelous book! By the time I had read half of it I was already changing my outlook on life. Saleem Bidaoui has a way with words that gives the reader the feeling he is talking to them directly. The book is in two parts, Part 1 dealing specifically with the physical and scientific makeup of the brain and how its network runs. This is important. Where many books will present very similar ideas toward positive thinking, rarely do we read about the brain itself. What is even more amazing is that it is fully understandable to anyone. I learned what part of my brain receives what part of my consciousness, more surprising in the presentation than what I would have thought.

There are many examples from his own life that allow a strong perception that this man knows what he is talking about because he has experienced it himself firsthand. The book flows beautifully and conversationally. It reads like a speech, and yet not like a lecture. There are many wonderful and sometimes witty quotes throughout the book and a couple of times I laughed out loud, not something you would normally expect from a book on psychological aspects. I reiterate, this book is phenomenal in reaching even a mind such as mine which has held on to too many negative feelings... until today!

Part 2 of the book gives the reader the means to turn the mind to positive. Unlearn the negative so to speak, focus on what you want out of life, whether riches, or just to be a happy, positive human being. For me as a senior citizen this will mean feeling fulfilled, being active, leaving the negative past behind and making new memories. These are some of the lessons learned. I would have read the book all in one go, it read so easily, but I often found myself reading some passages again just to bring them foremost to my goals. I enthusiastically recommend this book for everybody! Easy to understand, and by his own words "not a magic pill", it is an adventure in getting the most out of life, and I for one am looking forward to the ride of my life!