Archive for Book reviews
Letters to Mothers
That special day is coming up very soon.
The day in which we honour mothers around the world! (I’m looking forward to my special breakfast in bed, and lots of cuddles and handmade-with-love gifts and cards.)
If you’re a mum (or mom), or you have a mum, or you know a mum, you’ll want to check out a very, very special book called Mother Letters: Sharing the Mess and Glory.
It’s a compilation of letters from mothers, to other mothers.
I’m one of the contributors, so if you’re curious to see what I’ve written, you’ll need to grab yourself a copy! It’s an ebook, so you can instantly download it and start reading… and laughing, and crying.
And the story behind the book is also beautiful – check out ’Our Story’ over at the information page.
This book truly is a work of art, as is motherhood. Just look at this beautiful trailer:
So, if you know someone who would love this ebook, why not gift it as a gift this Mother’s Day? I know I will be. You can also download a gift card to add to a copy of a confirmation email. (And for a limited time, this amazing book is only US$6.99!)
Get Your Green On!
Mmm, looks good, doesn’t it?
This smoothie from a new book by a former client of mine, Kristine Miles. And I’d love to share the recipe with you!
(If you’re a subscriber to my ezine, you would have received this recipe in the March ezine – these are the sorts of goodies you receive as a subscriber! Simply leave your name and primary email in the box on the top right of this page.)
Here it is. It tastes as good as it looks:
Ingredients
- 1 mango
- greens (any dark leafy greens such as Swiss chard/silverbeet or spinach)
- 2 oranges
- 1 cup water
- passion fruit pulp, to top the finished smoothie
Method
- Peel and cube the mango , and place the flesh in a blender.
- Add the greens (if you’re new to greens, just use 1 cup’s worth – the smoothie in the photo uses 2 cups), and then the oranges (chopped) and water.
- Blend until smooth, and serve in a glass with the passion fruit pulp on top.
Kris has over 300 more green smoothies for you to try in The Green Smoothie Bible: 300 Delicious Recipes
There is a HEAP of super-clear, easy-to-read explanatory information, as well 300 recipes divided up by season or for particular health concerns. Kris is a physiotherapist on Victoria’s beautiful Phillip Island, and has been involved in the raw food and health movement for years.
She knows the health-giving powers of green smoothies, and she’s packed this highly accessible and inspirational book with ideas and wisdom to help you really enjoy these super-nutritious drinks.
Now, try the recipe and let me know what you think – leave a comment below!
Sugar, What is It Good For?
Guess what I’ve been reading lately? My latest bedside reading is this bold book – Sweet Poison, by Australian David Gillespie. It’s been out since 2008, but I heard about it on my recent summer holidays, through some friends who live in Queensland.
It’s been a riveting read. The author lost 40 kilos simply by cutting sugar (well, the fructose type of sugar) out of his diet.
In the world of ‘law of attraction’, it’s often said that if you believe something will or won’t harm you, then your belief will play itself out. So, if you don’t believe that sugar will make you fat, then you won’t get fat.
However, I beg to differ with this view. I believe that certain chemical reactions take place in the human body when we imbibe or ingest certain drinks or foods. Individual reactions will vary based upon a person’s biochemistry, but there are prevailing trends. We’re all human, after all, and are bound to react in similar ways to an oversupply of a certain toxin.
And so, with sugar, we now know that an oversupply of sugar does harm to the human body. You know it, and I know it!
This book, written by a layperson (ie, someone not in the medical or nutrition fields), explains WHY sugar is so bad for us, looking at trends in health over the past few hundred years (and with detail about the last 100 years).
David explains concepts in a clear and humorous way, although it may still take a bit of brainpower to get your head around some of the terminology.
If you know of someone who is carrying extra body weight, then tell them about this book. I’ve loved reading it because it reinforces much of what I believe about health, but I’ve also learned a few things! While my diet is pretty good, I know there are still a few areas for improvement.
Life can be all the sweeter when we look after ourselves!
PS Yep, fruit contains fructose, but its high fibre content prevents most people from overindulging in it. Soft drinks, however…
Reveal Your Naked Beauty for Good Vibrations!
I have a passion for personal development, and I usually have several books on the go at once (see this post for pic of just a few books that have appeared on my bedside table in recent times).
I just HAVE to tell you about this one – it’s a life-changer. The luscious e-book called Naked Beauty, by Shakaya Leone of Earth Empress, is an absolute gem.
Shakaya was my special teleseminar guest last month, and on the call we spoke about this book, and a program she’s created called The Beauty Cleanse.
We spoke about how important it is to look after yourself; in fact, to treat yourself as an empress. Doing so not only honours the Source that created you, but it FEELS GOOD, and while the latter is good enough reason on its own, the act of feeling good helps you attract the good things of life! The law of attraction responds to high-vibrational beings.
There are heaps of mindset approaches you can take to attract whatever it is that you want, but if your physical being isn’t honoured, you won’t attract as easily, and you won’t enjoy it as much anyway! Can you imagine really enjoying the riches of life if you’re feeling sick, tired, run-down, ugly, overwhelmed and run dry? What would be the point?
I can’t stop flicking through this book (I printed it out and put in a binder). The design is beautiful, the words speak to your soul, and the advice – if you apply it – really works! Shakaya speaks of really loving and honouring our body-temples and our souls, and includes heaps of natural beauty recipes that you can make at home – I love the Aphrodite Opal Emulsion (a beautiful moisturiser for cold weather) and the Priestess Peppermint Foot Treatment. Don’t you just love the delicious-sounding names?
Listen fellow Sistar, do yourself a huge favour and invest in Shakaya’s book. It’s only US$29.98 and is available for instant download, so you can start applying its heartfelt and transformational wisdom straight away. Are you ready for that? (In other words, are you ready to say ’yes’ to life?)
Click here to invest in yourself.
PS I’m an affiliate of Shakaya’s, so if you purchase her exceptional Naked Beauty e-book, I will receive a commission – but I only ever recommend products and services that I truly believe in, so you can be assured that the quality of this product is, quite simply, top-notch!
Win This Book!
A little while ago, I ordered a copy of this book from Amazon, but I accidentally (or was it divine intervention?) ordered two copies.
Which means that I can now share the love with one lucky blog reader. Below is my review of the book – if you like the sound of it, I’d love for you to enter the competition to win a copy. To enter, simply leave a comment in the comments section below, letting me know why you’d like to win a copy of the book. I will choose the winner next week! (Entries close Friday 8 April at 5pm Australian EST/8am UK/3am US EDT.) Good luck!
I love it when medical doctors go rogue.
Dr Weil is such a doctor. Conventionally trained, he later researched alternative therapies, and is now known as one of the world’s pre-eminent medical authorities on natural medicine and healing.
This fantastic book, called Spontaneous Healing: How to Discover and Enhance Your Body’s Natural Ability to Maintain and Heal Itself
Filled with stories of seeming miracles, whereby people have cured themselves of illnesses using the power of their thoughts (ignoring the pessimistic statements they may have received from doctors) or by listening to their instincts and applying natural remedies to their conditions, this book will definitely give hope to those who feel doomed to a life of illness and pain.
Dr Weil discusses the nature of a healing diet, the importance of reducing toxins in your environment, the use of tonics, the need for the right types of activity and rest, and how important it is to include mind and spirit in the cure of physical ailments. I believe there’s certainly a place for modern conventional medicine (such as in cases of trauma or emergency – Lord knows I was grateful for my back operation in 2007), but Dr Weil proves that a natural approach has tremendous results for treating chronic illness and disease.
Although some of the book’s food recommendations are a little out of date (it was originally written in 1995), there is no disputing that this is an authoritative, inspiring text written from the heart.
If you’re currently unwell – or just feel in less than optimum health – I’d highly recommend that you grab yourself a copy of this enlightening book.
(If you’re the lucky winner, I’ll notify you by email.)
Australian Style
A couple of months ago, I reviewed a book called Flowers by Tricia Guild, which was the second in my trilogy of book reviews that celebrated the completion of my website (well, phase one of my website!).
So now it’s time for book number three. As with the other two books (including the first, French Essence), this book reminds me to seek out and foster beauty in my life. I hope these reviews have inspired you to do the same in your own life, to allow beauty in and to let yourself enjoy all the gorgeous things and experiences that life has to offer. Doing so makes you a vibrational match with experiences that are beautiful to you, and brings more of those into your world. Don’t you just love that?
The theme of Australian Style, by Melissa Penfold and Jenny Tabakoff, is ‘living well’ – but don’t worry, despite the title, you don’t need to be Australian to appreciate this sumptuous book, with its soft-matte pages, classic fonts and judiciously placed, understated photographs.
The authors cover a huge range of topics in this compact hardback, talking about personal style (and how you have to be authentic with this – I couldn’t agree more!), dressing well, being assertive, having beautiful manners, hosting (or, rather, hostessing) with panache, being feminine, having a brilliant career, taking care of your money, shopping for quality, choosing winning gifts, ‘pulling a house together’ (think order, cleanliness etc) and decorating your home.
I love that the focus really is on quality, authenticity and consideration for yourself and others, and that many of the ideas in this book rely on creativity and forethought rather than spending wads of cash. That’s also my philosophy, although I also agree with Melissa and Jenny that sometimes you do need to spend a little more to buy quality – but this always works out to be better value in the long run (think of bath towels, and how much longer good-quality towels last…).
In the ‘How to Decorate’ chapter, I love that they say the following about lighting your home:
Don’t light up your house like a football stadium. The right lighting can make Godzilla look like a raving Delilah, but architects, electricians and designers usually get it wrong. They love sowing in strips of halogen downlights – great for reading the fine print, but they’ll make you feel it’s time for everyone to have a shot of Botox. Lighting is all about creating atmosphere…Choose lights that make everyone look beautiful – seductive even.
I remember reading a great 1960s book from the library many, many years ago that spoke about lighting your home in a way that’s flattering to you and your guests, without harsh downlighting and instead with soft lighting behind, etc. Yes, it sounded a little bit vain, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made – we look after ourselves in other ways, why not create a beautiful, welcoming (and flattering!) home by focusing on details like soft, appropriately placed lighting? God really is in the details, and I love that Australian Style encourages us to slow down, reflect and make conscious choices about how we live.
I don’t always agree with the authors’ opinions in the ‘manners’ chapter, but I guess sometimes these things are subjective! I’d view this book as an inspirational guide rather than feeling that you should slavishly follow its suggestions – but most of the book’s suggestions are very good indeed.
A book like this can give you confidence, if you feel that you need a lift in the style stakes. The universe loves confidence and certainty, and if you foster
these traits you’ll also give off a real sense of clarity – if you focus on what you truly love, and on the things, people and experiences that lift your spirits, you’ll be rewarded with more of the same!
If you’d like to purchase this very special book, head here.
Well, my dear friend, this was the final of my website-completion-reward books. Of course, it isn’t the end of my book reviewing – any time I find a gorgeous, uplifting book to share with you, I’ll post a review as soon as I can.
Tell me, have you read this book? If so, what do you think of it? Or, do you have a strong opinion about personal style? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Just leave a comment below!
Flowers by Tricia Guild
A little earlier this month, I reviewed a book called French Essence.
Now, it’s time for book number two on my ‘website-completion-rewards’ booklist. Another gorgeous tome to savour, and to remind me that I am creating a beautiful life for myself. Make sure that you, too, put yourself in this ‘feeling state’ often – appreciating the beauty in your life now, and the beauty of the life you want to live, makes you a vibrational match to the things that you love and appreciate, and the universe can’t help but bring more of those things into your existence!
If you love gorgeous flowers as much as I do, you will adore English designer Tricia Guild’s book called Tricia Guild: Flowers
Talk about colour. Talk about vibrant colour. Tricia Guild has never been one to shirk from colour (bit of an understatement, there), and in this book it absolutely pops off the pages. The energy of the flowers is palpable, done justice by the photography of James Merrell. The text was written by Tricia in collaboration with Elspeth Thompson, a favourite writer of mine who, sadly, died earlier this year. I can see Elspeth’s touch throughout the whole book.
The paper in this book is also amazing – all pages are thick, but some are matte, some are glossy, and some are almost see-through (I just saw Tricia’s Pattern book at a bookshop this morning, and it had the same mix of papers within it, too). I love rubbing the paper (or ‘stock’, as we call it in publishing!) between my fingers as I turn each page. Mmmm…
But it’s not just a sumptuous coffee-table book – it’s full of inspirational descriptions, allowing us a glimpse into Tricia’s rhythm of life, and into her approach to design. At the back of the book she also includes a practical section called ‘Working with Flowers’, which gives advice on caring for, conditioning and arranging flowers.
I love this quote from Tricia:
‘I find that flowers I’ve grown myself have a radiance and aura about them that is quite unlike those bought in the shops. If you have the space, grow your favourite flowers in abundance, so you won’t feel bad about leaving a space in the border when you pick.’
What a fabulous idea – I had been planning on growing a thick wall of sweet peas for this upcoming summer, and with that quote, Tricia has inspired me to just go and do it. Keep your eyes on the Rich Radiant Real blog to follow my progress! (I might even try growing a few other favourite flowers…)
So, I closed the book, my head full of ideas and my spirit lifted. What a great reminder of how our immediate environment can have a huge impact on how we feel. Do you surround yourself with beauty?
If you’d like to purchase this very special book, head here:
US version: Flowers
UK version: Tricia Guild: Flowers
Now, book number three, which has been patiently waiting its turn, is in my sights….
French Essence
When I began work on my website earlier this year, I bought myself three gorgeous coffee-table-style books to read as a reward for finishing the site. Nothing like a little incentive, huh?!
Several months later, it’s time to come good on that promise to myself. (I’m rather proud of myself for holding out, for not devouring the books long ago.)
All three of the books that I purchased are special to me because they celebrate beauty and style, and their photos and written descriptions help remind me that I am creating a beautiful life for myself. Creating a beautiful life is something you can do for yourself, too – and it’s my mission to inspire you to take action towards that!
The first of the three books, French Essence: Ambience, Beauty and Style in Provence, was published last year, and was on my wishlist for quite a few months before I finally gave in to its irresistible allure.
Written by Australian expat Vicki Archer, French Essence provides an outsider-turned-insider’s celebratory view of life in Provence. As I mention in my blog posting entitled Things I Love, I adore ‘English- and French-style gardens, homes and architecture’ – and this book lets me fall into a world of beauty, French-style.
Having cherished Vicki’s first book, My French Life
I also love that it includes a sumptuous special section on Christmas – Christmas being another of my favourite ‘things’!
Sigh… I adore immersing myself in beauty. Do you? It makes my heart sing.
If you’d like to purchase this lovely book as a gift to yourself and to fire your inspiration, head here:
US version: French Essence: Ambience, Beauty, and Style in Provence
UK version: French Essence: Ambience, Beauty and Style in Provence
Now, time to absorb myself in book number two. Stay tuned.
PS Vicki also has a gorgeous French Essence blog – if you love Provence, head there now (to the blog, or to Provence, or to both!).
I’m Hungry, Let’s Grow It!
The advance copies of my third – and latest – book arrived in the mail yesterday, and I’m very excited! (If you’d like a bit more info about this book, click here.)
It’ll be in bookstores in Australia in September, so it will be fun heading to the bookstore with my girls, to giggle over it appearing on the shelves!
The Book of Awesome
Every now and then, a special book comes along, one that instantly lifts your spirits and makes you laugh out loud.
The Book of Awesome is definitely one of those books!
Based on the blog 1000awesomethings.com, and written by ‘regular guy’ Neil Pasricha, this recently published book is making people smile the world over. It’s been out since April in the US, but a few days ago was released in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
I love books that revel in the glorious, heartwarming, serendipitous things that we come across in our human experience – and that’s the essence of my philosophy here at Rich Radiant Real! Sometimes it’s great to have a reminder about things that make you feel good.
You’ve gotta read this book – here are some of my favourite ‘awesomes’ from within its pages:
- Remembering what movie that guy is from
- Celebrating your pet’s birthday even though they have no idea what’s going on
- That friendly nod between strangers out doing the same thing
- Finding out your birthday is on a Friday or Saturday this year (note from Joanne: that’s true for me this year! Although it’s also the day of our federal election, so I’ll have to leave my gift-filled, breakfast-in-bed tray to go vote, unless I get organised and do a postal vote!)
And my absolute favourite from this book (drum roll, please):
- Laughing so hard you make no sound at all
(note from Joanne: you KNOW what that’s like!)
There are a gazillion other ‘awesomes’ in this book – each one gets further explanation, and the descriptions are hilarious.
If you need a lift, and a darn good giggle, definitely get this book!
- US version: The Book of Awesome: Snow Days, Bakery Air, Finding Money in Your Pocket, and Other Simple, Brilliant Things
- UK version: The Book of Awesome
Totally awesome!
Joanne's coaching was exactly what I needed to help me focus my precious time and money on finding work and making money! What I like most about Joanne’s coaching is that it's gentle, supportive and empathetic, rather than pushy and 'ra-ra-ra'”
...if there’s something that you’ve been putting off doing, because it’s so big and overwhelming, then by coaching with Joanne you'll definitely find a way to do it, to finally reach your goal.”
Radiant 
