The Power of Appreciation - Dr Noelle Nelson

Bought this book at the Mind Body Spirit Expo in Melbourne where we were exhibitors too and Dr Noelle Nelson signed my book. She's as lovely in person as her book is. It talks about practising appreciation as an attitude in one's life. Appreciation is a vibration, and it affects the way we experience our lives and our relationships, and is a powerful attractor. It also has physiological and biochemical effects on our brains and Dr Nelson also talks about Masaru Emoto's findings about water. The first half of the book is explanatory and the second half about applying appreciation in our everyday situations. It's a simple message which one might easily read & agree with but neglect to apply, but I've found that in applying the simple but powerful principles, my life has dramatically changed. It can be difficult to practice appreciation in the midst of anger or resentment, but that's when it's most needed and impactful.

Freakonomics - Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J.Dubner

Another book bought in transit Singapore, and read while on holiday in Bali. Interesting and easy to read. A "rogue economist" overturns a lot of generally accepted truths and reveals surprising information about many everyday issues, like crime rates, real estate sales and baby names!

Case Histories - Kate Atkinson

Bought this book while on in transit in Singapore - the book ended up very dog-eared by the time I'd taken it via Malaysia, back to Singapore, on to Bali then back to Australia! This is the first book I've read by the author, and I enjoyed it enough to want to read her other books. It's been just over a month now, and many books have been read in the meantime, but my recollection is that it was a bittersweet, funny and enjoyable story, a sort of detective story with a difference, peopled by interesting, quirky and very human characters. Good read!

Fragrant Rice - Janet de Neefe

I bought this at the author's stunningly beautiful restaurant "Indus" in Ubud, Bali because something about her story touched me. It was also a token of the beguiling beauty of Bali and my lovely time there. I found the first half of the book more interesting, as it was her story of falling in love with Bali as a teenager, then returning about a decade later when she met and fell in love with her husband, a Balinese. The part about when she first brought her husband-to-be to visit Australia, and her early experiences living in Bali, was funny and heartwarming. Mouthwatering and exotic recipes are generously detailed throughout the book, and the latter half describes the many wonderful ceremonies which are such an integral part of Balinese life.

The Long Hot Summer - Mary Moody

Mary Moody was previously better known as a gardening show presenter on Australian TV and for her gardening books! This is her third book about her life, which has captured Australians' emotions! In 'Au Revoir' she escaped to a 6 month sabbatical in beautiful rural France. In 'Last Tango in Toulouse' her world turned upside down. Now, continuing in her candid style, she bares all as her marriage faces its most intense challenge. After reading the first two, I wondered how the author would be able to continue to hold the reader's interest in the third book, but it was as absorbing and involving. I find her painful honesty refreshing and empathise with her as well as her husband.

The Path of Least Resistance - Robert Fritz

I first read this book in 1994 when my then boss David gave it to me, and was inspired to re-read it after recently reading The Magician's Way. I seldom underline the text in my books like I did with this. Reading it again, I was surprised that I agreed with the underlined bits - usually what I found important then is not as important now, because different aspects reveal themselves. It's a profound book - simple in its common sense, yet powerful in its message. It talks about the underlying structure in our life which determines the path of least resistance, leading to the results we experience. It's about getting this underlying structure right first, before we can go on to create what we want.

The Magician's Way - William Whitecloud

I enjoyed reading this book. Normally I find stories that have a message to teach quite contrived but this was absorbing, insightful, gave me some "aha's" and laughs. It's about getting out of your own way to allow the magic to manifest in your life, and it delivers precise "technology" to show you the way. It's well written and flows easily. Some of the concepts are based on Robert Fritz's The Path of Least Resistance, which inspired me to re-read the latter (above), but The Magician's Way gets the message across more enjoyably.