Outstanding New Books for October

This month’s titles are all about becoming aware, releasing negativity, and embracing a more positive lifestyle. To understand more about yourself, the people around you, and how we all fit together, check out Shamanic Astrology to make sense of why we behave as we do, or Slow Sculpture for a science fiction approach to human (and extraterrestrial) interaction. Need to assertively yet respectfully confront a loved one about a delicate situation? Finding the Words will help you to find the right words. The Raw Food Lifestyle will give you something to gnaw on if you’re hungry for information about the health and healing aspects of the Raw Food Movement. Or perhaps your personal or professional space is littered with negative energy. Sweep it away with Spiritual Clearings. As you endeavor to become more aware, to let go of the negative, and to dwell in positivity this month, keep in mind the newest books that North Atlantic has to offer.

To order, please visit www.northatlanticbooks.com.

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Finding the Words: Candid Conversations with Loved Ones
By Susan Halpern

Finding the Words offers principles and practical suggestions for those moments in relationships when one wants to be kind but also must discuss a sensitive matter. In thoughtful prose, Susan Halpern explains how to communicate with care in order to strengthen and increase our loving connections. The principles provided in the book—speaking from the heart, stating intentions, and deep listening—enable readers to navigate difficult encounters.

Halpern draws on her years of experience as a psychotherapist, wife, and mother to suggest possible, scripted solutions and positive outcomes for a wide range of situations. An essential book for finding one’s way back to intimacy from conflict, nagging discomfort, and anger, Finding the Words teaches methods of responding, negotiating, and compromising. While there are numerous guides to relationships, no other book presents life situations—along with actual words that can be used to cope with them—with such vitality and wisdom.

$14.95 US/ $18.95 CAN
Trade Paperback
978-1-55643-838-7
248 pages; 5-1/2 x 8 1/2
On Sale October 6, 2009

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Spiritual Clearings: Sacred Practices to Release Negative Energy and Harmonize Your Life
By Diana Burney

A blend of spiritual and practical material, Spiritual Clearings offers a comprehensive checklist of circumstances that may require ritual clearing—whether the situation involves confronting illness, feeling “stuck” in life, having trouble selling a home, or high employee turnover. Diana Burney discusses different categories of energy, its presence in the invisible world, and the unseen influences or beings that may be drawn to discordant energy. Through spiritual clearings, Burney proposes, we can release our own negativity as well as guide unseen negative forces toward the light. The book’s clearing rituals include prayers that invoke the assistance of higher beings such as archangels and Ascended Masters, incantations and chants from different spiritual traditions, the visualization of divine light and the violet flame, and the expression of gratitude. Spiritual Clearings provides readers with a clear path to fulfilling their potential and creating a personal environment of confidence, creativity, love, and acceptance.

$16.95 US/$21 CAN
Trade Paperback
978-1-55643-815-8
184 pages; 6 x 9
On Sale October 13, 2009
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The Raw Food Lifestyle: The Philosophy and Nutrition behind Raw and Live Foods
By Ruthann Russo

Ruthann Russo has been a vegetarian and vegan for more than 20 years, and in 2007 became a passionate raw-food enthusiast. She brings that passion to the pages of this comprehensive introduction to raw and live food. In simple, encouraging language, she conveys a wealth of information, from the philosophy of raw-food nutrition, to how it affects the body, to how to transition from a regular diet to one that promotes physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

Using examples from her own life, Russo lays out a practical plan for making the switch that starts with realizing the need to change one’s diet (and health), and then stresses small dietary changes to discover what raw foods work, and assessing reactions. She profiles food preparation and supplements (superfoods, vitamins, green products), and emphasizes the spiritual aspects of the movement, exploring meditation, yoga, Buddhism, peacefulness, and fasting.

$16.95 US/$21 CAN
Trade Paperback
978-1-55643-837-0
256 pages; 6 x 9
On Sale October 20, 2009

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Shamanic Astrology: Understanding Your Spirit Animal Sign
By Lucy Harmer

In this thoughtful book, Lucy Harmer shows readers how to find their spirit animal. She provides detailed descriptions of the strengths and weaknesses of each of the twelve spirit animals—for example, falcon is enthusiastic and adventurous but can be impulsive and impatient, while deer is sociable and eloquent but can be lazy and superficial. Once readers determine their spirit animal, they can better understand their relationships with family, friends, and associates. Readers will be able to uncover the hidden treasures of their personalities and their secret talents, as well as the color, plant, and totem stone corresponding to each spirit animal. For readers who want to take shamanic astrology to the next level, the book includes the first complete lunar calendar for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres to help them determine their spirit animal rising sign and discover how the moon influences their daily life.

$16.95 US/$21 CAN
Trade Paperback
978-1-55643-826-4
264 pages; 6 x 9
On Sale October 20, 2009

Click HERE for the author’s website.

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Slow Sculpture: Volume XII: The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon
By Theodore Sturgeon

Theodore Sturgeon was a model for his friend Kurt Vonnegut’s legendary character Kilgore Trout, and his work was an acknowledged influence on important younger writers from Harlan Ellison and Robert Silverberg to Stephen King and Octavia Butler. His work has long been deeply appreciated for its sardonic sensibility, dazzling wordplay, conceptual brilliance, memorable characters, and relentless treatment of social issues. Sturgeon also authored several episodes of the original Star Trek TV series and originated the Vulcan phrase “Live long and prosper.”

The last in North Atlantic’s series reprinting Sturgeon’s complete short stories includes classic works such as the award-winning title story, which won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 1971, and “The [Widget], the [Wadget], and Boff,” a creative exploration of the human ability to achieve self-realization in response to crisis. The book includes a new Foreword, Story Notes, and a comprehensive index for the entire series.

$35 US/$43 CAN
Trade Paperback
978-1-55643-834-9
312 pages; 6 x 9
On Sale October 20, 2009

New Green Smoothie Recipes From Victoria Boutenko

Victoria Boutenko’s new book, Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Toward Natural Health, offers an easy solution to the common pandemic of consuming unbalanced meals for the sake of convenience—green smoothies! Boutenko, of the notorious Raw Family, offers some sound advice for people who are just starting out on a raw foods diet: “I don’t recommend switching to an all-raw diet overnight. Instead I recommend that beginners start adding one quart of green smoothie to their existing diet. After several weeks, they will notice that they will crave salads, fruit, and other healthier foods in place of processed, refined or other cooked foods.” Thanks for the words of wisdom, Victoria! Whether you’re a raw foodie, vegetarian, or omnivore, we dare you to take a proactive step towards the most nutrient-rich diet possible with green smoothies. Here are a few recipes to help spur your interest:

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I Can’t Believe It’s Green Smoothie
-Yields 2 quarts-
2 cups green chard
1–2 stalks celery
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 ripe pear
1 Pink Lady apple
1 cup water

Blend well!

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Original Raw Family Smoothie Improved
-Yields 2 quarts-
1 pint strawberries (fresh or frozen)
2 ripe bananas
½ avocado
2 cups water
4-6 leaves dinosaur kale

Blend well!

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Velvet Green Smoothie
-Yields 2 quarts-
1 bunch dandelion greens
1 bunch parsley
3 mangoes
3 cups water

Blend well!

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Enjoy, and please let us know how they turn out!

CLICK HERE to visit Victoria’s Green Smoothies blog.

CLICK HERE to visit the Raw Family website.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Green Smoothie Revolution.

Healthy Macrobiotic Kitchen: Corn, Asparagus, Tuna, Parsnip Fries, and Salad Recipe

To me, this photo speaks for itself. A simple and nutritious meal for one, the recipe can easily be multiplied to feed more mouths. Simon Brown recommends Corn, Asparagus, Tuna, Parsnip Fries, and Salad as a perfectly balanced macrobiotic lunch. From Macrobiotics for Life: A Practical Guide to Healing Body, Mind, and Heart (Summer 2009).

What is your ideal lunch? C’mon, impress us!

Corn, Asparagus, Tuna, Parsnip Fries, and Salad

1⁄2 to 1 ear of corn on the cob (depends how hungry you are)
1⁄4 piece of umeboshi*
2 to 4 asparagus tips
1 parsnip, around 6 inches long, cut into large matchsticks
Olive oil for frying
1 to 2 tablespoons of rice or chickpea flour (or you can use any other flour you have on hand)
Sea salt (to taste)
A 3– to 4–inch piece of fresh, preferably line-caught, tuna
3 to 4 tablespoons unhulled sesame seeds (either brown or black)
Pea-sized portion of mustard (English, French, or any other good-quality, sugar- and additive-free mustard that you enjoy)
2 to 4 radishes thinly sliced
A few fresh lettuce leaves
Sesame or sunflower oil for seasoning (optional)
Cress for garnishing (optional)

Pour water into a pot big enough to give the corn plenty of room. Bring to a boil over a medium to high flame and cook the corn for around 5 to 10 minutes. Take it out, let it cool for a few minutes (or until it’s cool enough to handle) and then gently and lovingly rub the umeboshi all over it. Put it on your plate.

Use the same water to quickly blanch the asparagus for one minute (or, for a change, you could place a bamboo steamer on top of the pot and steam the asparagus for a couple of minutes). Take asparagus out and leave it to cool, or rinse it under cold water to stop it from cooking further.

Boil the parsnip matchsticks for about 5 minutes. Take them out and dry them with an unbleached paper towel or a cotton kitchen towel.

Heat up some olive oil in a skillet (you can use a bit more oil than usual, as parsnip absorbs more than most other vegetables). Combine the flour and salt, and roll each piece of parsnip in the mixture. Fry for a few minutes, turning so the parsnips get lovely golden color on all sides.

Place them on your plate next to the corn.

Switch the flame off and swipe the skillet with a clean paper towel—make sure you have plenty of paper so you don’t burn your fingers—to clean up any bits left from the parsnip. Alternatively, you could either get another skillet (if you have one) or give the one you used for the parsnip a quick wash, taking every precaution not to burn your hands.

Bring the clean skillet back onto the stove, pour in some olive oil, and heat it up. Put the sesame seeds into a flat dish and gently press each side of the tuna into them. Fry for a minute or so on each side, making sure that the middle remains raw. Take it out and put on the plate. Put mustard on top of the tuna (you can gently smear it over the surface if you’d like). Add the lettuce leaves, and place radish and asparagus on top. You can season the salad if you wish. However, both the tuna and the parsnips are quite rich, so it is nice to have something unseasoned and fresh-tasting as a contrast.

* umeboshi=pickled plums

I hope you’re all as inspired as I am! I encourage you to share your cooking adventures, from mishaps to accomplishments, and from one healthy kitchen to the next.

Expect to Eat, Learn, and Create: New Books in August!

Here they are, the books that are bound to take you to a whole new realm of being. Get ready to encounter the prowess of psychoactive plants, the harmful effects of eating modern processed foods, the magnitude of love throughout the afterlife, and the shattering of traditional religious beliefs. Don’t merely anticipate the complexity of these titles; rather take a step back and simply expect to eat well, learn an age-old trick, and create a new self.

To order, please visit www.northatlanticbooks.com

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Pharmako/Poeia: Plant Powers, Poisons, and Herbcraft
By Dale Pendell

This is the first volume of North Atlantic Books’ hardcover edition of Dale Pendell’s Pharmako trilogy, an encyclopedic study of the history and uses of psychoactive plants and related synthetics. The books form an interrelated suite of works that provide the reader with a unique, reliable, and often personal immersion in this medically, culturally, and spiritually fascinating subject. All three books are beautifully designed and illustrated, and are written with unparalleled authority, erudition, playfulness, and range.

Pharmako/Poeia: Plant Powers, Poisons, and Herbcraft focuses on familiar psychoactive plant-derived substances and related synthetics, ranging from the licit (tobacco, alcohol) to the illicit (cannabis, opium) and the exotic (absinthe, salvia divinorum, nitrous oxide). Each substance is explored in detail, not only with information on its history, pharmacology, preparation, and cultural and esoteric correspondences, but also the subtleties of each plant’s effect on consciousness in a way that only poets can do. The whole concoction is sprinkled with abundant quotations from famous writers, creating a literary brew as intoxicating as its subject.

$35.00
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-887-5
304 pages; 7 x 9 ¼

On Sale August 3, 2009

Click HERE for the author’s website.
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Pharmako/Dynamis: Stimulating Plants, Potions, and Herbcraft
By Dale Pendell

Pharmako/Dynamis: Stimulating Plants, Potions, and Herbcraft, the second volume of the Pharmako trilogy, focuses on stimulants (including coffee, tea, chocolate, and coca and its derivatives) and empathogens (notably Ecstasy). Each substance is explored in detail, not only with information on its history, pharmacology, preparation, and cultural and esoteric correspondences, but also the subtleties of each plant’s effect on consciousness in a way that only poets can do. The whole concoction is sprinkled with abundant quotations from famous writers, creating a literary brew as intoxicating as its subject.

$35.00
Hard Cover
978-1-55643-888-2
304 pages; 7 x 9 ¼

On Sale August 3, 2009

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Pharmako/Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path
By Dale Pendell

Pharmako/Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path, the third and final volume of the Pharmako trilogy, focuses on plant-based and derivative psychedelic “teachers” (including ayahuasca, peyote, LSD, and DMT) and on the “poison path” of substances such as belladonna, ketamine, and ibogaine. Each substance is explored in detail, not only with information on its history, pharmacology, preparation, and cultural and esoteric correspondences, but also the subtleties of each plant’s effect on consciousness in a way that only poets can do. The whole concoction is sprinkled with abundant quotations from famous writers, creating a literary brew as intoxicating as its subject.

$35.00
Hard Cover
978-1-55643-889-9
398 pages; 7 x 9 ¼

On Sale August 3, 2009
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The Challenge of Islam: The Prophetic Tradition
By Norman O. Brown

The Challenge of Islam: The Prophetic Tradition is an enlightening set of lectures given by Norman O. Brown, exploring a wide-ranging array of topics concerning Islam. Brown reveals the overlooked relationship between Islam and early Christianity, exploring Islam’s relation to, and revision of, the Christian tradition, the literary innovation of the Qu’ran, the nature of revolutionary and political Islam, and the vision of a world civilization. Throughout these lectures, Brown seeks to educate the reader on misunderstood areas of Islam, including the split between the Sunni and Shi’ite sects and Islam’s exemplification of the broad themes of art and imagination in human life. The author’s world-historical perspective of religion and tradition gives readers a crucial alternative to the divisive “clash of civilizations” view that paints Islam as at odds with the West. He exposes the unifying strands between Islam and early Judeo-Christian doctrine, showing that Islam is in fact a genuine part of “Western” tradition, and more importantly, part of a global tradition that embraces us all.

$14.95
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-802-8
164 pages; 6 x 9

On Sale August 4, 2009
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Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Toward Natural Health
By Victoria Boutenko

Thanks to processed and fast foods, being overworked, and feeling stressed while eating on the fly, it is increasingly difficult for most of us to eat anywhere near a balanced diet. We may not be obviously sick, but may suffer from lack of focus, insomnia, sluggishness, or any host of symptoms caused by nutritional deficiency. Green Smoothie Revolution takes aim at this silent epidemic by restoring balance to our diets. Combining nutrition and know-how with recipes that pack a powerhouse punch, Victoria Boutenko reintroduces long neglected fruits, vegetables, and greens in the most persuasive style for our busy lives: with fast prep and delicious results. Featuring 150 recipes, Green Smoothie Revolution offers both simplicity (4 ripe pears, 1 bunch parsley, 2 cups water; blend well) and enough variety to keep taste buds happy and nutrients coming from a wealth of options.

$14.95
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-812-7
184 pages; 6 x 9

On Sale August 4, 2009

Click HERE for the author’s website.
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Macrobiotics for Life: A Practical Guide to Healing for Body, Mind, and Heart
By Simon Brown

Macrobiotics for Life presents a complete, holistic approach to health that can be applied to the body, mind, and soul. Combining the concept of a healthy, natural-foods lifestyle with a philosophy of self-love, macrobiotic expert Simon Brown explains how food, exercise, and bodywork can create greater physical health. Written in an accessible, easy-to-understand style, the book takes readers through simple steps beginning with thought, exercise, and diet, and shows how to bring macrobiotic practice into everyday life. Topics include healing the mind (letting go of assumptions and judgments), healing the heart (listening to one’s emotions), and healing the body (caring for one’s skin, energizing one’s organs, and creating a healthy digestive system). Brown offers extensive information about macrobiotic foods— tips for eating out, saving time in the kitchen, dealing with food cravings—and a variety of menu plans to help readers get started.

$18.95
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-786-1
392 pages; 7 x 9 ¼

On Sale August 4, 2009

Click HERE for the author’s website.
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Reunion on the Rainbow Bridge: My Parents’ Past Lives and the One They Shared with Me
By Sherri Defesche

In 1953, Sherri Defesche’s parents, Jim and Shirley Slover, were married in a hospital room just ten days after a car accident had left Shirley a paraplegic. What followed, despite the hardships they faced, was a 46-year love affair blessed with unconditional love, joy, and four happy children. When Shirley died in 1999, a grief-stricken Defesche began to explore her deepest beliefs about death, eventually discovering Eastern spiritual philosophies about the afterlife and the possibility of past lives. In this book, Defesche details her meeting with a past-life regression therapist, who helps her discover that her parents had been soul mates over more than 200 incarnations. From Lemurians living in paradise to Celtic children in Scotland, from a Chinese farming family to World War I heroes, her parents’ past lives provide the author with a sweeping historical context that helps her to understand the undying nature of her parents’ soul connection and love, and why human beings continue to incarnate across eons.

$16.95
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-265-9
256 pages; 6 x 9

On Sale August 25, 2009

Click HERE for the author’s website.
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Soulshaping: A Journey of Self-Creation
By Jeff Brown

Soulshaping is the memoir of an archetypal “male warrior”—a trial lawyer—who struggles to find his heart. Jeff Brown’s dramatic, often funny story takes readers through remarkably human experiences—emotional, physical, and economic—as he vividly recounts his troubled childhood, his success in apprenticing with Eddie Greenspan, Canada’s top criminal lawyer, and his ultimate decision to leave the law and begin an inner journey to discover his true self. As his story unfolds, readers are sure to recognize qualities in themselves that they are afraid to reveal in today’s chaotic and over-stimulated world. Brown helps readers understand that they are not alone. He shows that everyone’s seemingly isolated struggles are actually part of the greater human challenge to live a life that is soul-sourced and soul-driven. A journey of courageous self-creation, this book is for anyone who has heard a whisper of something truer calling out to them amid the distractions of modern life.

$15.95
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-810-3
212 pages; 6 x 9

On Sale August 25, 2009

Click HERE for the author’s website.

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Stones of the New Consciousness: Healing, Awakening and Co-creating with Crystals, Minerals and Gems
By Robert Simmons

Stones of the New Consciousness begins with a new approach to meditation with stones, and to the possibility of conscious relationship with the spiritual beings who express themselves in our world as crystals and minerals. This beautifully designed book examines the most important stones that help accelerate and enhance human evolution. The stones include Moldavite, the extraterrestrial amorphous crystal; Nuummite, the oldest gemstone on Earth; and Circle Stones, the highly energetic Flint found in crop circle formations. Author Robert Simmons includes historical and mythological references for each stone. Simmons presents practices for deepening one’s awareness of the stones’ gifts—from expanding one’s consciousness, to healing, to fulfilling one’s personal and collective destiny. While emphasizing direct contact with stones, the book also explores crystal energy tools, energy environments, and applications such as stone elixirs and essences that can aid anyone on a spiritual path.

$19.95
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-811-0
320 pages; 7 x 10 7/8

On Sale August 25, 2009
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The Way of Christ: The Gospel of John through the Unitive Lens
By Albert LaChance

In this provocative book, Albert LaChance approaches the Gospel of John from the perspective of Eastern mysticism, drawing on indigenous beliefs and ancient global spiritual traditions originating in the Middle East, India, and China. Through this expansive approach, the book attempts to understand John’s Gospel in its richest sense—as a guide to achieving the direct experience of a universal God. Throughout the book, LaChance returns to the Gospel’s Prologue and uses it as a framework for uncovering Jesus’s message about his own identity as the Son of God and his similarities to ancient Eastern mystics. The author also discusses themes woven throughout the Gospel of John that derive from Eastern religions and other indigenous spiritual practices: individual ego versus the essential self, separation versus union, and the earthly versus the heavenly. This important book delves into the mysteries of Christian understanding to unearth universal truths, defining the very essence of religious and spiritual experience.

$16.95
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-801-1
320 pages; 6 x 9

On Sale August 25, 2009

Click HERE for the author’s website.

Important Message from Sergei Boutenko

Check out this important message from one of our favorite North Atlantic Books authors—raw foodist Sergei Boutenko!

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Boutenko books!