In this book, Grand Master Ilchi Lee explains the philosophy and goals of the Dahn Yoga system that he created in 1985 in Korea under the name of “Dahn Hak” (the study of energy) which began with one student in a park and now has 150 centers in the US and 600 worldwide. Dr. Lee revived a 5,000-year-old Korean tradition of humanitarianism to help the world today, one individual at a time.

“Brain Wave Vibration” teaches us to understand our brains in a powerful way that is new to most people. This is an important book both for Dahn Yoga students and for anyone who wants to gain greater physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.

Mainstream medicine relies on drugs and surgery and alternative medicine uses a less invasive approach with supplements, herbs, nutrition, acupuncture, etc. However, neither teaches people the importance of the mind/body connection and the correct use of our brains which Ilchi Lee shows through Dahn Yoga to be the key to health, happiness, and peace.

Dahn Yoga is a multi-faceted system that includes daily classes, healing sessions, workshops, special classes, a martial arts program, a youth program, a healer school, etc. All of these reflect the philosophy expressed in the letters “HSP” which are on Dahn Yoga uniforms. They stand for “Health, Smile, Peace” and represent physical, emotional, and spiritual health. As individuals achieve these goals, they create healthier families, communities, and nations — a saner, healthier world.

Dahn Yoga teaches us to take care of our bodies, to “play well with others”, to value the Earth which is our common source of identity, and to connect to the universal energy in which we are all one. Dr. Lee’s ultimate goal is to create millions of enlightened people to help save the planet at this time when life on Earth is threatened because of misguided thinking.

The value of Dahn Yoga is immediately apparent, but its true profundity takes time to grasp. When I joined Dahn Yoga in September, 2006, I was impressed by the simplicity and effectiveness of the classes, the power of the healing sessions, the warm sense of community, and the number of books and CDs by Dr. Lee. The classes are not difficult, but the exercises quickly enhance flexibility and strength because they are based on a deep understanding of the energy systems of the body.

However, it was not until July, 2008 when I did the 3-day Liver Cleanse fast at the Dahn Yoga resort in upstate New York that I began to understand more fully what makes Dahn Yoga so special. The headmaster at my center in Manhattan recommended the Liver Cleanse because I had had a pain in the liver for several months. The fasting program provided an opportunity to change eating patterns, to address emotional issues, and to learn more about the mind/body connection. After the fast, the pain disappeared.

I was impressed that Dahn Yoga has a resort in such a healing setting in the Catskills — and similar resorts in Canada, Arizona, and Korea. I also gained a deeper appreciation of the value of the mind/body connection. After the fast, I read “Brain Wave Vibration” and re-read Dr. Lee’s “Human Technology” book Human Technology: A Toolkit For Authentic Living. I highly recommend both. They can change your life and change the world.

The book commences with a feast organized by Ahasuerus, initially for his court and dignitaries and afterwards for all inhabitants of Shushan. Ahasuerus orders his wife Vashti to display her beauty before the guests. She refuses, and the King’s advisors warn that, if unpunished, her actions would inspire other wives to disobey their husbands. Ahasuerus removes her as queen. (Jews believe that she was executed, He then orders all young women to be presented to him, so he can choose a new queen to replace Vashti. One of these is Esther, who was orphaned at a young age and is being fostered by her uncle Mordechai.’
(Summary by Wikipedia)

• ebible e-text
• Wikipedia - American Standard Version
• Wikipedia - Book of Esther
• LibriVox’s Book of Esther Internet Archive page
• Zip file of the entire book (16.9MB)

Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe moved to California from Massachusetts during the Gold Rush of the mid-1800’s. During her travels, Louise was offered the opportunity to write for The Herald about her travel adventures. It was at this point that Louise chose the name ‘Shirley’ as her pen name. Dame Shirley wrote a series of 23 letters to her sister Mary Jane (also known as Molly) in Massachusetts in 1851 and 1852. The ‘Shirley Letters’, as the collected whole later became known, gave true accounts of life in two gold mining camps on the Feather River in the 1850s. She described these camps in Northern California with vividness in portraying the wildness of Gold Rush life. The letters give detailed accounts of the vast and beautiful landscape that was the background to the hustle and bustle of mining life. Louise’s perspective as a woman provided a contrast to the typically all-male mining camps that she occupied. The letters were later published in the Pioneer, a California literary magazine based out of San Francisco. (from Wikipedia)

• Gutenberg e-text
• Wikipedia - Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe
• LibriVox’s The Shirley Letters from California Mines in 1851-52 Internet Archive page
• Zip file of the entire book - 176.7MB

Der Waldteufel erschien 1898 im Rahmen der 5 Hefte umfassenden Serie ‘Aus allen Welttheilen’, wobei jedes Heft eine abgeschlossene Geschichte ist. Robert Kraft schrieb hier in Ich-Form aus dem Leben eines fiktiven deutsch-amerikanischen Reporters, des Grafen Leo von Hagen. Die Kurz-Serie erschien im Münchmeyer Verlag. (Summary by Wassermann)

• Wikipedia - Robert Kraft (1869 - 1916)
• LibriVox’s Der Waldteufel Internet Archive page
• Zip file of the entire book 31.2 MB

LibriVox’s Short Story Collection 033: a collection of 10 short works of fiction in the public domain read by a group of LibriVox members.

• LibriVox’s Short Story Collection. Vol 033 Internet Archive page
• Zip file of the entire book (73.2M}

Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution is a book by Peter Kropotkin on the subject of mutual aid, written while he was living in exile in England. It was first published by William Heinemann in London in October 1902. The individual chapters had originally been published in 1890-96 as a series of essays in the British monthly literary magazine, Nineteenth Century.

Written partly in response to Social Darwinism and in particular to Thomas H. Huxley’s Nineteenth Century essay, The Struggle for Existence, Kropotkin’s book drew on his experiences in scientific expeditions in Siberia to illustrate the phenomenon of cooperation. After examining the evidence of cooperation in nonhuman animals, ’savages,’ ‘barbarians,’ in medieval cities, and in modern times, he concludes that cooperation and mutual aid are as important in the evolution of the species as competition and mutual strife, if not more so. (Summary by Wikipedia)

• Gutenberg e-text #4341
• Wikipedia - Peter Kropotkin
• Wikipedia - Mutual Aid: A Factor f Evolution
• LibriVox’s Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution Internet Archive page
• Zip file of the entire book (272.8 mb)

Ron Suskind writes in this book that the White House ordered the CIA to forge a back dated, handwritten letter from the head of Iraqi intelligence to Saddam Hussein.

The White House denies all of this.

The author also claims that the Bush administration had information from a top Iraqi intelligence official “that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq - intelligence they received in plenty of time to stop an invasion.”

The author goes on to say, “The White House had concocted a fake letter from Habbush to Saddam, backdated to July 1, 2001,” Suskind writes. “It said that 9/11 ringleader Mohammad Atta had actually trained for his mission in Iraq - thus showing, finally, that there was an operational link between Saddam and al Qaeda, something the Vice President’s Office had been pressing CIA to prove since 9/11 as a justification to invade Iraq. There is no link.”

This is a very fascinating book. While the author has been accused of being a “gutter journalist”, one wonders if there is truth to this.

Suskind writes that the forgery “operation created by the White House and passed to the CIA seems inconsistent with” a statute saying the CIA may not conduct covert operations “intended to influence United States political processes, public opinion, policies or media.”

From 1993 to 2000, Mr. Suskind was the senior national affairs writer for the Wall Street Journal. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 1995.

I found the writing excellent and the reporting effective. It seemed the author did a good deal of background work and made every effort to check his information.

Highly recommended.

The Adventures of Reddy Fox is another in the series of children’s stories by conservationist Thornton W. Burgess. In this story, Reddy and Granny Fox must outsmart Farmer Brown’s Boy who is out to get Reddy for stealing his pet chicken. Along the way, Reddy encounters many of the citizens of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest and with him we learn little lessons about life such as: the perils of being a show off; the importance of using all of one’s senses; that it is a fine thing to show sympathy and kindness to others - even our enemies; and that the value of a grandmother’s wisdom is inestimable.

We also learn that after you’ve stolen a boy’s pet chicken and he is coming your way with a gun, a shovel and a hound dog, it may be time to beat a hasty retreat.
(Summary by John Lieder)

• Gutenberg e-text
• Wikipedia - Thornton W. Burgess
• LibriVox’s The Adventures of Reddy Fox Internet Archive page
• Zip file of the entire book 47.2MB

Georgia, 3rd: The Bradt Travel Guide by Tim Burford

Like all the Brandt guides I’ve used, this one provides a wealth of background and planning information for a country with few other comprehensive resources for travelers. Tim Burford writes with clarity and color, making the text a pleasure to read. While no guide can capture every point of interest for every traveler, the Brandt guides always help me find the path to discovering my special places and moments, and the guide to Georgia is no exception.

As with any guide, travelers need to remember that conditions can alter radically in developing countries between the time information for the guide is collected and the time of one’s visit.

Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) by Richard Plunkett and Tom Masters

The Caucasian countries probably constitute the last bastion of the enigmatic destinations in the world and are shrouded in rumors & unclear doubts. The time trusted Lonely Planet is your only hope and probably the only guide that’ll help you plan and execute your trip. I recently came back from a short trip to Georgia and found the information remarkably accurate and undoubtedly useful. It’ll serve as your lifeline whilst in the Caucasus.
I’ve seen some dismal review comments and whilst I respect other people’s opinions, I cannot help wonder what (else) were travelers expecting? A street-by-street guide with illustrated pictures will take away all the enigmatic charm and adventure that the Caucasian countries have to offer. A trip that is planned to perfection is usually not much fun. However, the hospitality of the wonderful people and the overwhelming beauty of the country will supersede your dependence on the guide.

The Russian Adoption Handbook: How to Adopt from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova by John H. Maclean

I originally got this book from a local library along with 5 or 6 others on international adoption. I am set on adopting from Russia as I am actually from there (lived there until I was 20), and am fully bi-lingual. I read the other books first and returned them to the library quickly. And then I started reading this book. I realized right away that I would have to get my own copy of it.
I am actually going through the process independently, without an agency, and I don’t think I would be able to do it without this book. I cannot believe how familiar the author is with regional offices, hotels, embassies. It’s like he’s worked as a facilitator in several regions before writing this.
There are some misspellings and typos in the book, and please don’t learn Russian from it (just common sense, really - I didn’t learn my English from a Russian :)) ), but if you want to understand exactly how your adoption process is going, buy this book. It is a reference to be used and consulted again and again throughout the process.
The book also has chapters on some former USSR republics, so if you’re adopting from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan and such, this is also very helpful.

Personal Adventures and Excursions in Georgia, Circassia, and Russia: Volume 2 by George Poulett Cameron

This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1845 edition by Henry Colburn, London.

Reviving Greater Russia: The Future of Russia’s Borders and Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhastan, Moldova by Herman Pirchner Jr.

In December 2001, a new Russian law laying the basis for the peaceful territorial expansion of the Russian Federation went into effect. The entire country of Belarus-as well as parts of Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine-are the most likely candidates to join Russia. Should this largely ethnically-based expansion occur, Russia would grow by more than 20 million people, and the resultant rise in Russian nationalism might encourage further Russian territorial ambitions-especially those directed at Ukraine. Even if Russian expansion stops with all, or part, of these territories, however, it could breathe new life into the ethnically based border problems of other countries. Co-published with the American Foreign Policy Council.

The Structure of Soviet History: Essays and Documents by Ronald Grigor Suny

Suny seems to capture the essence of the Russian Revolution to a depth one would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. The progression of information is not completely linear but rather Suny captures events that occur simultaneously throughout Russia. This book covers the major details but also highlights on the every day lives of the people of Russia and the common attitude many of the different classes shared. If you’re going to study Russian history, this book is a must.

Doing Research: Methods of Inquiry for Conflict Analysis by Daniel Druckman

Doing Research is the most widely acclaimed book on research methods for conflict resolution students to appear in recent years. The book makes a unique contribution to the conflict resolution field by providing a comprehensive overview of the cutting edge methodological approaches in the field. The book provides a wonderfully rich array of ideas about ways to do research for both the scholar and practitioner–pracademic–enriching the analysis and practice in the conflict resolution field. The author of a diverse intellectual background and experiences bases his contribution to the course on conflict analysis and resolution theory, and empirical evidence experience. He makes a highly valuable contribution to applying multi-methods to concrete examples from the conflict resolution field.

A Companion to Political Geography (Blackwell Companions to Geography) by John Agnew, Katharyne Mitchell, and Gerard Toal

This book brings together some of the best writers currently working in political geography. It offers a wonderful array of challenging and provocative ideas. It pushes the boundaries of the subject by engaging with many of the key debates in contemporary social and political theory and research. Agnew, Mitchell and Toal are to be congratulated on setting an exciting and innovative agenda for the development of political geography in the future.

Russian Military Reform, 1992-2002 (Soviet (Russian) Military Experience) by Anne C. Aldis

we recommend this audiobook - very well

Halving Hunger: It Can Be Done (UN Millennium Project) by Pedro Sanchez, M. S. Swaminathan, Philip Dobie, and Nalan Yuksel

This book is the product of the UN Development Program Task Force on Hunger, headed by two very bright and extremely experienced people.

The book lists the costs of allowing hunger to persist, and the programs which have been successful at strikingly reducing it. If you want to know how to do it, here it is.

Halving Hunger demonstrates that there are no technical barriers to halving hunger, there is only the apathy of the peoples of the earth who don’t insist that their governments do the simple and cheap actions which would end it. They don’t press the point but as an American, I’m very saddened that we are the laggards by a long ways in keeping hunger in place.

Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia:A Legal Appraisal by Tim Potier

The Ghost of Freedom: A History of the Caucasus by Charles King

The Ghost of Freedom is a much needed book about a little known region. It’s ideal as an introduction to the Caucasus for the general reader who doesn’t know a lot about the area.
One minor complaint is I wish the author had included more history of the Caucasus before the Russian conquest of the early 19th century. It seems all books about the region take that event as their starting point.
But that’s a minor quibble. All in all a very informative book.

This is the official report, published nearly 11 months after the first and only atomic bombings in history (to date), of a group of military physicians and engineers who accompanied the initial contingent of U.S. soldiers into the destroyed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The report presents a clinical description of the devastation, loss of life and continued suffering of the survivors that resulted from the world’s first and only atomic bombings, to date. The appendix is an eyewitness account, contrasting vividly with the dispassionate sang-froid of the report itself, written by a German Jesuit priest who survived the blast at Hiroshima, and whose order assisted in rescue efforts following the catastrophic attack. This recording was completed on the 63rd anniversary of the events. (Summary by Dennis Sayers).

• Gutenberg e-text #685
• LibriVox’s The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki Internet Archive page
• Zip file of the entire book (102.8 mb)

Nesta coleção, a diversidade da literatura brasileira está representada em quinze contos, lidos com sotaques que também refletem a variedade da Língua Portuguesa.

LibriVox Collection of Brazilian Short Stories
The diversity of Brazilian literature is represented through the fifteen short stories in this collection, read by voices that also reflect the diversity of the Portuguese language.

• LibriVox’s Coleção LibriVox de Contos Brasileiros 001 Internet Archive page
• Zip file of the entire book 117MB