One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land

Author: Priscilla Shirer
Publisher: B&H Books
Price: $14.99

Reviewed by: Olivia Worobec

The Bible says abundant life can be ours. However, many of us don't understand what exactly that means and are confused about how to obtain it.

Author Priscilla Shirer wants us to break out of the ordinary, to have the confidence to face life with “spiritual stamina” and grab hold of the fullness and prosperity that God offers and receive blessings that really matter.

In using the example of the Israelites' trek through the desert to the Promised Land, Shirer draws on the parallels between their journey and the journey of every Christian ever since. Broken up into three parts – Deliverance, Development and Destiny – One in a Million is written in a conversational tone that is both explanatory and illustrative.

No matter the path, we can follow God with bold faith because He is there every step of the way. Good living ultimately opens the door to fulfillment and God moving on our behalf in miraculous and unexpected ways.

Selected Passage: “That's why I'm glad God didn't promise the Israelites a land flowing with nothing but milk – just as I'm glad Jesus didn't stop short in John 10:10 by merely saying, 'I came that they may have life.' Life is good, just like milk is good. But the life Jesus came to give is a whole lot more than good. It's not just the good life; it's the great life, the kind of life He intends for us to experience 'abundantly'.”

Happy Days, Healthy Living: From Sit-Com Teen to the Health-Food Scene

by Cathy Silver
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Price: $18.95

Reviewed by: Olivia Worobec

Cathy Silvers is most known to audiences as “Jenny Piccolo” on television's Happy Days, but now she is doing something to make sure our days stay happy by speaking on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

Her book is divided into distinguishing parts of her life.

i) There are passages on growing up, with plenty of stories on Cathy's father (Phil Silvers, the famous entertainer and comedy actor), along with how the influence of show business, the experience of public speaking in school competitions, and her talent led her to win a role on Happy Days, becoming a successful actress in Hollywood right off the bat.

ii) There is Cathy's adult life: going to college, getting married, projects she took on (such as helping the homeless in form of fundraising when she was living in Washington, D.C.), having kids, a health scare, and how she was led from being a “fast food mom” to changing her lifestyle for the better.

iii) The end features insight from leaders in healthy living – from the fields of nutrition, beauty, health, and environment.

Forewards by Garry Marshall (creator and executive producer of Happy Days) and Ron Howard (Happy Days, now a famous Hollywood director), and other passages by former co-stars (Erin Moran, Marion Ross, and Henry Winkler), give a nice inside perspective of their experiences with Cathy. All mention her unrelenting energy and charisma.

We always hear about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. This book takes it even further, revealing facts that most individuals aren't aware of and would be shocked to hear. It shakes the reader out of their reverie to realize their lifestyle and diet is not good for them. Even more importantly, it inspires thinking for the better – helping to conduce real change.

Breakfasts with Archangel Shecky: And His Infallible, Irrefutable, Unassailable, One-Size-Fits-All Secrets of Success

by Gene Perret (2008)
Publisher: Quill Driver Books
Price: $19.95

Reviewed by: Brandee Cote

Who doesn’t love a good success story? Written by three-time Emmy Award winner, Gene Perret, this hilarious portrayal of a guardian angel attempting to turn a Philadelphia wannabe comedian into an entertainment star is hard to put down.

“Is Shecky really an angelic visitor from the other side? Or is he just a blowhard deadbeat who’s trying to con a few free drinks and a meal or two from a kid who wants desperately to make it in the comedy profession? Well, that’s part of the mystery that makes this tale so captivating.”

This book is a light-hearted, fun read that will have you applying Archangel Shecky’s advice to your chosen goals!

Improving Intimacy: 10 Powerful Strategies; A Spiritual Approach

by Tom O'Connell (1993)

Publisher: Sanctuary Unlimited

Price: $7.00

Reviewed by: Jeff deViller

Trapped in a cycle of bad relationships? Or just looking to strengthen your current relationship? Tom O’Connell’s Improving Intimacy may be the book for you. Broken up into 30 manageable sections with a strong spiritual backbone, this book offers the common sense insight needed to take any relationship to a spiritually stronger level.

Through a spiritual lens, the first half of Improving Intimacy successfully deconstructs infatuation, intimacy, and romantic love. The second half provides 10 strategies to help the “intimacy addict” overcome the shortcomings of these relationships. The goal is to relate to one’s partner in a loving and caring way. From “learning to listen” to “becoming who you are”, these common sense strategies provide a clear direction for readers looking for insight into developing a strong foundation in their relationships.

This 40 page book was developed into a course called "Creating Healthy Relationships" at Cape Cod Community College. Tom O’Connell also offers retreats and presents lectures based on the book. With such success, Improving Intimacy is clearly a book that will strengthen any reader’s relationship.

Adventures of Faith: On Learning to Walk on Water

by Faith Annette Sand (2009)

Publisher: Hope Publishing House

Price: $15.00

Reviewed by: Margaret Reid

...beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord save me" (Matthew 14:30).

Our lives are often dominated by worries and fears - whether they be health fears, money worries, marital problems, etc. - and we want to cry out "Lord save me".

This author, a mother of ten children, four stepchildren and seventeen grandchildren, spent many years living in Brazil before returning to the U.S.

In spite of her experiences, and because of her walk with the Lord, she is able to give the reader some insight into the faith needed to shun fears and learn to "walk on water".

Prayers: A Communion with Our Creator

by Deepak Chopra (2001)

Publisher: Amber-Allen Publishing, Inc.

Price: $12.95

Reviewed by: Margaret Reid

“Prayer is a communion of the human with the divine” states the author of this book. Eight topics related to prayer are expanded upon, each dealing with a different aspect of prayer e.g. truth, forgiveness, love, gratitude, etc. In each chapter the topic is developed and the chapter ends with a related prayer which helps focus our thoughts.

This book would be useful as a guide to praying and would undoubtedly expand our ideas about how to pray, as the author uses a combination of Christian awareness and ancient wisdom.

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

by Don Miguel Ruiz (1997)

Publisher: Amber-Allen Publishing, Inc.

Price: $12.95

Reviewed by: Eleanor Johnston

Remember the novels of Carlos Castaneda in the 1970’s? They taught the traditions of the shamanic Toltec religion that flourished inMexico and the southwestern states before the arrival of the Europeans. Like other early American traditions, the Toltec features trickster figures, spiritual wisdom and ecstatic transformations. This book summarizes Toltec beliefs--think Castaneda without plot or peyote.

For today’s North Americans to appreciate this book, it is presented in a self-help style with New Age-style countercultural aphorisms organized in an accessible, elegant format. The Four Agreements are: ”Be Impeccable With Your Word,” “Don’t Take Anything Personally,” “Don’t Make Assumptions,” and “Always Do Your Best.” By focusing on and striving toward these practices, promises the book, the reader can lead a happy, God-filled life.

Readers who look beyond Christian orthodoxy can hope that the Toltec, like the many other religions threatened by Western secular culture, survives into the future. Reading it is like reading a book by the Dalai Lama, a manuscript of ancient Norse sayings, or a collection of Taoist proverbs. Could it be that, if we look back far enough in comparing all the world’s ancient religions, we will find a shared theology, a common wisdom, a saving mysticism?