The Art of Nonfiction
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: The Meaning of Love by XTC
Topic: A Guide for Writers...


"...any peron who can speak English grammatically can learn to write nonfiction. Nonfiction writing is not difficult, though it is a technical skill. Its only difficulty pertains to a person's method of thinking or psycho-epistemology. What you need for nonfiction writing is what you need for life in general: an orderly method of thinking...writing is literally only the skill of putting down on paper a clear thought, in clear terms. Everything else, such as drama and "jazziness," is merely the trimmings."

Ayn Rand coined the term 'psycho-epistemology' to pertain not to the content of a man's ideas, but to his method of awareness.

What a joy to read of such an excellent and truly-needed concept, put into words. I can only wish THIS is what would be taught in school, but it isn't! I'm not even sure I can write my self-help book because of my rotten mind and lousy education!

School never gets out for me.

New Self-Help Book: Ayn Rand's The Art of Nonfiction
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: Every Day I Write The Book by Elvis Costello
Topic: A Guide for Writers...
By the way, I saw Elvis Costello last spring in concert in Denver. Was it ever fun. Opening act was Tift Merit. Can you consider a writer's guide a Self-Help book? Well, I'm going to use it as one. Ayn Rand is famous for writing, among other things, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. And guess what--I'm not that brainy--I couldn't get what she was saying. D'oh! Also, I found it intimidating that a woman would write so objectively and intellectually. I'm used to dealing in the realm of emotion. But hell, I'm almost 41 years old now, and it's time to grow some bigger huevos and more of a spine. One way I can do that is to stop being afraid to commit to my brain. All through my youthful years, my emotions have served me well. My intuition has kept me out of trouble a lot, and my empathy for others has made me less self-absorbed, able to focus on others for minutes at a time! Ayn Rand has a mind as big as a galaxy. She came up with objectivist philosophy: From Ayn Rand Institute And she had a long career, starting about 1936, until she died in 1982--the year I graduated from high school. In 1969 she gave an informal course on nonfiction to friends and associates. I aspire to writing a certain nonfiction, self-help book, so I am using The Art of Nonfiction as a template. I discovered this book by going to Borders, looking up "nonfiction writing" and getting this hit. What a miracle! See, intuition led me to go to Borders right then and look up this book! Though Ayn Rand will now be rolling over in her grave at the way I think...

A Message about World War Three
Mood:  d'oh
Now Playing: This Is It, by Kenny Loggins
Topic: Vital Concept For Today
Gary Zukav can show you how to negotiate the devastating terrain we find ourselves wandering through, as we face war. War makes so little sense in this time of devastation other than war. Here's how he characterizes his youthful state of mind before changing his life and aligning his life with his soul's purpose, and how he now sees the people his age who were protesting Vietnam. "I enjoyed my self-image while I was in the army because I saw myself as courageous and admirable. People who oppposed the war in Vietnam liked their self-images, too, because they also saw themselves as courageous and admirable. As individuals, we were at war for the same reasones--to feel valuable, worthy, and lovable--even though we appeared to be very different. I fought an enemy and they fought an enemy. I in-tended[sic] to win my war against a government, and they in-tended to win their war against a government... The anti-war movement was a war, just like mine, and as such, it did not reduce conflict in the world. For most, it increased it... Those who opposed the war in Vietnam without blame, without judgment, and with care for all involved did not contribute to war. Those who became angry, righteous, intolerant, and violent became what they opposed." This if from pp 146 and 147 of the book. I ellipsed out a lot of good stuff. This book is teaching me so much!!! I wanted to be a conservative on the war because I love my brother so much and I wanted to support him. I knew what the doves were saying, but I went on the conservative side because Bush is our president and it's just crappy to try and tear down everything if you don't like him. Our enemies love that some folks are doing that! However I don't want to be a part of partisan efforts. I want there to be authentic work done, with care to all involved. I swear it can happen. Both sides of the current political war are exerting what ability they have to manipulate and control the other side, that's all! Yes, I want women to stop aborting their own children in the womb. But do you know what I want to do even more? Address the conditions that make women seek sex instead of more healthy pursuits. That last wish seems as distant as the stars, but then the moon used to be unreachable once, much less mars.

Still Hangin' With Gary Zukav
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash
Topic: Gary Zukav
I only talk about Gary and not about Linda because I think the book is in Gary's voice. I hope Linda wouldn't feel slighted, I just don't have a fix on who she is, other than his partner.

I'm reading about authentic power. Now, the word 'authentic' has become one of those self-help buzz words, along with 'abundance' and 'toxic,' etc. I have found them to be irritations in many cases. To call someone a toxic person belies all that we are learning about self-empowerment, and I thank Oprah to stop using it.

But this term 'authentic power' resonates within me because I often, often feel powerless.

Gary characterizes what is commonly considered to be "power" as things like this:

Good looks
Money
Possessions
Job status
Athletic ability
Intelligence

The nature of these things is that some of us have them, others don't, we all dream of having those qualities, and many of us just aren't going to succeed in that arena. These are winner/loser kinds of things. Plus, if you have any of them, they can be taken away. They are a foundation of sand in the realm of personal worth.

Authentic power is, in essence, having what you need in life, and appreciating what you've got.

He talks about how some authentically powerful moments in life come from the grace of God or nature. *God is not his term--it's mine* For example, I know nursing a baby is such a time, when the mother and the baby are in perfect coexistence. She lives to suckle the baby, and the baby is able to get exactly what it needs. Other examples are when we're with friends, and when we're sitting at the side of someone we love who's dying. I haven't experienced hanging out with friends and being happy in a long time, and I've never sat with the dying.

Authentic power, having what you need and it being enough, stems from harmony between your soul and your outer life. Then, other people's personalities don't impinge, and there is no fear or longing or pain too great to get in the way.

With authentic power, you can become a fine vehicle to bring about the kind of goodness we are born to bring.

Now, I'm more than halfway through the book and I'm going to have to exercise what I'm learning. I feel fear and I am going to challenge that fear.

Self-help books are great aids when they're guides to doing things you were starting on yourself anyway. They speed things along. What a great form of communication!

My unwitting guest Self-Help Book Believer, Mike Wallace!
Now Playing: As Tears Go By
Topic: Depression
Mike Wallace in WSJ Opinion Journalhttp://www.opinionjournal.com/weekend/fivebest/?id=110007379

FIVE BEST
Books About Depression

BY MIKE WALLACE
Saturday, October 8, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT

1. "How You Can Survive When They're Depressed" by Ann Sheffield (Harmony Books, 1998).

I was first hit with depression more than 20 years ago during the time of a highly publicized libel trial against CBS, which happily ended in our favor. (I was hit again about 12 years ago, when I turned 75 and figured that I didn't really need the Zoloft I'd been told to stay on for the rest of my life.) One of the first books I read back in the 1980s was Ann Sheffield's, aimed at helping the friends and family of depressives. I was lower than a snake's belly, and my wife, Mary, was suffering because of it. Ms. Sheffield describes, stage by stage, how depressives affect others around them. The wife of one depressed man told her: "At night I take my book into another room so as not to have to look at him reading the same Tom Clancy thriller over and over. . . . I hate being home with him because I really hate looking at him."

2. "More Than Moody" by Harold Koplewicz, M.D. (G.P. Putnam's, 2002).

The author, a leading child psychiatrist, provides advice on treating depression in the young, drawing on anecdotes from his practice. One of the great strengths of this work is the sustained view of some of the patients. One of them recalls the day he was so overwhelmed with life that he lay down in the middle of a road "hoping someone wouldn't see me and run over me." A car came, the driver got out and the would-be suicide apologized. The patient gleaned from this event, at least, that he wanted someone else to do the job.

3. "The Peace of Mind Prescription" by Dennis Charney, M.D., and Charles Nemeroff, M.D. (Houghton-Mifflin, 2004).

Distinguished academics though the authors are, their book is easy to read, and it dispels some of depression's ghastly mysteries. For instance: Perplexed families of suicide victims look for reasons behind this apparently senseless act. "In truth," the authors explain, "most suicides are senseless"--suicide is the tragic final step in a long illness that robs its victims of meaning. They also provide exhaustive evaluations of various drugs and therapies. "The bottom line," the doctors say, "is that practically everyone can become tougher, more resilient, and less vulnerable to mood disorders or anxiety."

4. "Undercurrents: A Therapist's Reckoning With Her Own Depression" by Margaret Manning (HarperCollins, 1994).

Martha Manning, a practicing clinical psychologist, was herself struck by major depression and eventually resorted to electroshock therapy when other treatments failed. This book is her record of the journey--an honest, touching and, believe it or not, funny account of her descent into despair and her re-entry into life via electroshock. "It is," she writes of one low moment, "all I can do just to empty the dishwasher and sweep the floor." She dreads a haircut appointment that will force her into conversation. This book isn't only for those suffering from depression; it's for everyone who would value a story of human endurance and hope.

5. "Against Depression" by Peter D. Kramer (Viking, 2005).

Peter Kramer, the author of "Listening to Prozac," chronicles, with disapproval, the development of attitudes that portray depression as ennobling or "heroic." Melancholy, he notes, has been enshrined in the romantic imagination--witness the two great novels by men about women, "Anna Karenina" and "Madame Bovary," both of which end in the heroine's suicide. Such attitudes, he believes, and the prevalence of depression, have changed our culture, and not for the better. He considers depression an illness that must be fought. Toward that end, he provides breaking news from top research scientists about its causes and cures.

Mr. Wallace is a correspondent for CBS's "60 Minutes."

Symptoms of depression:

Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts
Restlessness, irritability
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain

This is from the NIMH website.

I know people who wouldn't ever go to a counsellor or seek medication. They seem to think it's shameful. I'd like everyone to know the real shame is in wasting time on misery, when you could get some care and feel balanced again!

The Worst Kind of Self-Help Books
Mood:  mischievious
Topic: Diet Books
They're so tempting, so lovely, such pretty colors!

And they promise heaven!

Who hasn't gone on a diet from a diet book? Ah...Now I will change. My ass will return to my pre-college size. All I have to do is follow this book!

Unlike some other self-help books that are just obviously not doable for your particular personality and circumstances, diet books seem like they'd work.

Okay, let's see: Fruit only on an empty stomach, preferably first thing in the morning. Then, non-fat, whole-grain carbohydrates and veggies in a meal. And only proteins, fats and veggies for the other kind of meal. Those are your well-designed meals for weight loss, hormonal balance, and non-stop deliciousness. The weight will melt off!

Do you know which diet book this came out of? Okay, I'll tell you: Sommercise.

www.FitnessWorkoutSt...
ages/0609800582h.jpg


If you are going on a diet from a book, this is really excellent. Much easier to follow than Weight Watchers, for example. I've done that one by actually joining. My friend Kelly and her husband used Sommercise and it worked for them.

Heck, it worked for me too! I did it for three weeks and lost a good five pounds, eating as much as I wanted.

I've discovered I really, really love carbs combined with fats. They rock. And I've gained back what I lost.

See, with my newfound understanding of intention, gained through Gary Zukav and Linda Francis, I realize that I truly am intending to lose weight, but another part of my personality doesn't care as much about my weight, as about feeling secure and loved, via oral gratification and a filled-up stomach.

It's fear, in other words, I'm suffering from. My particular personality treats fear with food. But eating brings my soul to more darkness. A diet book treats the external.

Diet books are the self-help panacea when you feel poorly about yourself and you happen to be overweight. They make you think you're doing something purposeful and relevant. Well, they are in a way. And God Bless those who succeed. If you succeed with a diet book in making permanent life changes, then they are the best kind of self-help book.

But if you undertake a contrived diet plan to avoid deeper issues, they're bad. They'll hold you hostage for years.

I love diet books anyway--they are beautiful.

The Mind of the Soul: Responsible Choice by Gary Zukav
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: Brass In Pocket by Pretenders
Topic: Let's Talk Self-Help!
I've got brass in pocket
Got bottle
I'm gonna use it
Intention
I feel Inventive...

I love Chrissie Hynde as an artist. I'm a conservative but before I got this way, I was a fan of the Pretenders and still am. I think politically she's a nihilist, but for her alone, that's okay, I love her anyway and respect where she's coming from. Only her, not those guys who sing "Don't want to be an American Idiot." Green Day. Love their song writing, ashamed they're prolifigating this anti-American sentiment to an audience I think doesn't possess judgement or perspective. It's too bad.

Okay, here's my first blog entry about Self-Help books.
http://a1204.g.akamai.net/7/1204/1401/04010616011/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7250000/7252324.jpg
Do you read nonfiction and self-help? I'm addicted. I'm a fan of modern fiction too.

In nonfiction my current reading is very, very relevant to me. Not since Dr. Theodore I. Rubin's Compassion and Self-Hate have I come across such a spot-on self-help topic that I can use to change myself and mend some of my flaws, my erroneous zones.

Basics of The Mind of the Soul:

* We have chosen how we perceive ourselves. That's what we've chosen--it's not to be confused with our true being.

* We choose our behaviors. Some choices take us toward prisons, and others lead to liberation.

* Choices grow out of how we see ourselves. When you see your life as meaningful and view yourself as loving, compassionate, a creative spirit, you create those sorts of experiences for yourself.

* Nonphysical causes of physical effects are intentions.

* Your intentions are reflected back to you in physical effects. So, the more in tune and clear we are with our intentions, the more we can understand the physical effects we live in.

MAJOR ILLUSTRATION:

Both war and Anti-War people have this in common:

Disapproval of what someone is saying or doing;
Feeling shocked or hopeless;
Activism;
Consciousness of enemies, allies, villains;
Belief in righteousness.

What if, with renewed consciousness, we could produce much greater results than we ever dreamed of? What if our intention was not to stop some enemy, but to make sure the most liberating steps were taken?

Our consciousness informs our intentions, which inform our results. We have a devastating situation in the world.

ILLUSTRATION:

I am a white, middle-class, at-home mother. All my friends are the same. If my intention is to stay insulated from the fear I feel about becoming more engaged in the world, then I attract other similar people and we can go on being this way until kingdom-come.

Our attentions attract like-intentioned people.

ILLUSTRATION:

If I give to charity for the tax break, I attract others who give for similar reasons. That makes us pretty shallow, doesn't it? But if I give to charity for a cause I deeply believe in helping, that says something compeletely different and I will attract like-minded people.

Intention is more than will-power to carry out a goal. That's more like "ex-tention," or as Mr. Zukav says, "out-tention."

Intention is the Quality of Consciousness you bring to an action.

***That's what I have read up to so far. This book is so good for me.

In the past I kind of rejected Gary Zukav because of his views on marriage. He characterized a distinction between "new marriage" and "old marriage," saying that new marriage meant people agreeing to be together for as long as they are supporting one-another in spiritual growth.

I had a real problem with that, because you can just say, "My husband isn't helping me with my personal growth," and up and leave, can't you? Well, it's personal growth to love someone even when you can hardly stand them. I stick with the traditional definition of marriage, and think "new marriage" ought to be discussed at the outset, so you know where you stand if you aren't doing the "personal growth" thing well enough to suit your partner.

That being said, I think Gary Zukav is a genius in most ways. Went from being an angry, frightened warrior to a real human being and teacher.

So, hey--do you love Self-Help books? Why don't you write a review of a book you've found helpful? I don't really want to include criticisms just yet, because I don't know if criticism is that useful unless it can be logically and calmly done, with perspective. So please leave out the self-help books that don't do it for you.

Also, have you read this book? What did you think?

I welcome sincere commentary on my blog because I want it to be a good one.

Most of all, I want to hear from my fellow self-help junkies, okay? Good!