Appearance
In Secret Tibet (Mystic Travellers Series)
Well, after reading the book, I have the feeling that it is just another make-believe story; the author really stayed in Tibet??A better bet would be to read "A Journey to Lhasa" by Alexander David-Neel (ISBN: 080705903X). There's even a website devoted to her works... Other books by her concerning Tibet are also interesting.
In Secret Tibet (Mystic Travellers Series)
To begin, its obvious Mr. Illion never went to Tibet; there are *no* descriptions of specific places in Tibet. In fact, I think actual 'named' locations in Tibet are mentioned once or twice at most.Most of the descriptions of 'Tibet' are overly generic, and could probably have been culled from National Geographic articles. In addition, Mr. Illion has massive contempt for the Tibetan people, calling them 'gullible', 'stupid', 'unwashed' and so on throughout the book. He also harbors quite a grudge against the Lamas of Tibet, an interesting opinion in light of today's adoration with Tibetian Buddhism. I won't even go into his cover stories of losing his camera & staining his skin... its so much garbage it shouldn't even be dignified with an explanation.Here's what I think is really going on in this book. Mr. Illion was probably a 'mystic' back in Germany, making money on speeches & teaching other Germans. This book was most likely used to give him some credibility as a real mystic (he claims to meet Tibet's 'Enlightened Masters'), and bring in more money from his audiences.The book is garbage, and contains no information on Tibet pre Chinese invasion. All you will get out of this is 1930s New Age claptrap.. avoid it.
In Secret Tibet (Mystic Travellers Series)
Some years ago, I have read Illion's Darkness Over Tibet (Mystic Travellers Series) by Illion, Theodore published by Adventures Unlimited Press [ Paperback ], which seems to have conveyed the truth about the insidious side of spiritual pursuits. That book has brought me to re-think about such pursuits and never take anything at face value. So, earlier this year, I've had a chance to read "In Secret Tibet," which seemed to be about his so-called "experiences" in Tibet. To be honest, I have found this book to be entertaining yet interesting because it portrays the truth about "wise" people with a tendency to lull people for their own agendas.I do think that this book is considered to be fiction to some form, but then, oftentimes a fiction can contain the deepest of truths. It is what the reader learns from these books that seemed to be important, I think, in the mind of the author.This book is much to be recommended along with his other book, "Darkness Over Tibet."
In Secret Tibet (Mystic Travellers Series)
I made a BIG mistake getting this book. I've never read such a load of garbage about Tibet in my life. I doubt if the guy has ever even been there. It is full of pseudo-esoteric mysticism of the worst kind and gives no valuavle information on what Tibet was like before the Chinese occupation. It is an insult to Tibet and the intelligence of anyone interested in Tibetan history and the plight of the Tibetan people today. Avoid like the plague and put the money towards buying something more worthwhile and informative on the subject. I had it one star because there was no way of indicating how bad this book really is. Amazon should come up for a symbol that denotes 'crap', or some other negative colloquialism.
Gentle Birth Choices
I first read this book while I was still at peace with the idea of a hospital birth. At that time, I thought it was a good book but quite a tough read. Then when my personal circumstances changed, I began to question hospital birth. This book was invaluable in helping me switch to a birth center, ultimately experiencing a beautiful, gentle birth in water.
Gentle Birth Choices
When I was pregnant, I read many books, wanting to explore the many options that I had. I ultimately decided on birthing in a hospital, but with a doula and a midwife. While I knew that both would work to assist me in a natural birth, I still felt unsure of whether or not *I* could handle it. Often, pregnant women are told horror stories of the pain, of how most women are "screaming" for an epidural, of what can go wrong in labor. Very rarely are gentle, beautiful birthing stories told.For me, this is where this book comes in to play. I did not read this book looking for knowledge and factual information on birth, I'd already gleaned that from several other books. I read this book wondering if a gentle birth was truly attainable.I read this book a few weeks before my due date. After finishing it, I truly felt at peace with my body and with my decision to pursue a natural birth. Sure, I still had my doubts, but after reading about all the women who had NCB in many different settings, I felt strongly that I could do it. And a few weeks later, I DID. Once labor began, I probably forgot everything I read, but what I didn't forget was the sense that I was just one of many women who embarked on a journey toward a gentle birth, and that if other women could do it, SO COULD I. My memories of my son's birth are gentle and peaceful, most of it spent in the water with my midwife holding my hands and my doula massaging me through contractions. My only regret is not having my husband read this book, too, as I think he was more nervous than I was. The accompanying DVD is also something I found immensly helpful. Neither my husband nor I had ever seen birth, but this DVD gave us an idea of what to expect. While it helped to calm me, it really helped my husband when I was actually in labor because he knew that what was happening was normal and natural.Should this be the only book you read while pregnant? NO! But then, I don't think there is any one book that really covers every little piece of information about pregnancy. Do I think this is a book that should be read by every pregnant woman? Yes, I do. Perhaps if more women read this book, pregnant women would no longer be treated to horror stories about birth, and instead, would know that, in most cases, it can be a gentle, loving process.