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MY PIECE OF PEACE FACEBOOK PAGE This is my story of my journey through life to finding appreciation, contentment and peace through the teachings and Knowledge of Prem Rawat. In 1972, after returning to the UK from an overland trip to India, friends in Norwich told me about their teacher, then known as "Guru Maharaj Ji", who was just 14 at the time, and his "Knowledge". Despite being sceptical at first, I soon asked to be shown the four techniques that enabled one to look within inside and focus on the experience of peace and joy that can be found there. It was a life-changing experience for me . To this day I am grateful to Prem and continue to listen to his talks. |
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FREE PAPERBACK FOR UK READERS From Dot to Cleopatra FACEBOOK PAGE
A concise history of ancient Egypt complete with tables of the pharoahs. Publisher's comments: Alun Buffry's From Dot to Cleopatra takes out the confusion and presents the facts and the mystery in a plain-speaking guide which takes the reader from year dot before the beginning of recorded history to the time of Cleopatra's death. |
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AN ALLIANCE OF EYES FACEBOOK PAGE AN EXUBERANCE OF EMOTIVE EXPRESSIONS AND EXPERIENCES TO ENKINDLE EXISTENCE. A Collection of words by an alliance of authors and eyes. Includes words from Mars Bilters, Alun Buffry, Melisssa Doordaughter, Sarah Dougan aka Sarah Sativa, Ryan Kief, Simon King, Winston Matthews, Clara O'Donnell, Luke Richardson, Paul Roberts and Ali Taylor with sketches by Jacqui Malkin |
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THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A HAT Alun Buffry LIFE ON THE BRIM FACEBOOK PAGE Two books in one. The adventures of Myhat on the journey to India previously published in “All About My Hat The Hippy Trail 1972” have been described as humorous and educational, whilst “MyHat in Egypt Through the Eyes of a God” takes the reader through modern day tourism in Egypt to fantasy time travel and murder mystery in ancient Egypt. Now with 360 pages, the reader can enjoy the best of both. |
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BACK TO THE EAST FACEBOOK PAGE
I had wanted to go back the India
My next trip there was to be a holiday on the houseboats of Kashmir, In 1985, I made a two month journey around Northern India, Nepal and Kashmir with Lesley.
The following was written up from my notebooks from those times. Many of the descriptions of places, temples and such, have been copied from entries in my journals of the times which themselves were copied from pamphlets. However, I have also added up-to-date information from on-line, to make them more complete. |
If Only Suomi is a story of love through time. At first thought, the difference between past, present and future may seem obvious. The past has happened, the present is now and the future has yet to come. Second by second, our future becomes our past. That is if time is linear and we travel in a straight line. But what if we could travel in time, your past can become your future or your future can become your past? What if your future could become your past? What sort of paradox could we create? How careful would one have to be to avoid even wiping oneself out of time altogether? What if you went back in time and fell in love, then had to return to the present, leaving your love behind? What if you could travel back and change your past to change the present and your future or even to live your life a second time? This is a story of how the future changed the past, when Al from 2028 travels back to 1972, just for three days. This is a science fiction story and a romance, for Al falls in love in 1972 and then has to return to 2028 without his beloved Suomi. Will they ever meet again? Time can sometimes work wonders |
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A Commemorative Edition for the twentieth anniversary of the first time a cannabis-focused political party put candidates in a UK general election, the Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA). This book reproduces the LCA Manifesto, "Legalise and Utilise" which I first put together in 1999; also copies of many of the candidates' election fliers, local and Parliamentary, photos of activists, candidates and gatherings along with the document put together by the late Don Barnard and myself “Cannabis: Challenging the Criminal Justice System”, commonly known as "The Challenge" and correspondence between LCA and Government. and more. Personally I think it was a historical time that brought cannabis into both the public awareness and the Political arena. We gave out almost a million fliers, did a Party Broadcast on the TV in Wales in 2005 numerous press interviews and articles, spoke at the Oxford Union, colleges and even schools. The term “legalise cannabis” means to legalise the possession, cultivation and supply of cannabis. Sadly we have lost many since then, so let this also be a tribute to them: Michael Fell, Mick Pryce, Dave Woofer Barker, Levi McCarthy, Patrick Patman Denning, Lezley von Goetz, Eddie Ellison, Paul Fowler, Dottie Baldwin, Jackie Barnard, John Crome, Biz Ivol, Derrick Large, Grannie Pat Tabram, Stewart Talbot, Mark Palmer, Tom Hanson, Chris Baldwin, John Cripps, Joep Oomen, Don Barnard, Phil Stovell, Ivor Garfield, Colin Paisley, Frank Kirk, Howard Marks and Ann Clarke. |
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We The Undersigned (WTU) is a community group, all united in the shared belief in the most ancient, traditional and fundamental human right to be free to sow the seeds of the highly nutritious herb of the cannabis family, to care for and nurture, then harvest, prepare, medicate, enjoy and share, free from the fear of persecution, prosecution or prison for this fundamental health choice to manage our health, well-being and happiness with natural herbal cannabis, as Humanity has done so for millennia, until the lies of cannabis prohibition began in 1928. WTU supporters are uniting to raise legal challenge against the British Government for its misrepresentation of the truth and its denial of our fundamental human rights to freedom of consciousness, expression of identity, to peaceful beliefs and practices, to a private life, to pursue the best quality of life, well-being and happiness possible free from arbitrary interference from the State. No one will personally profit from this publication. This was published to raise essential campaign funds with all proceeds going to WTU campaign costs. |
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THE EFFIE ENIGMA, THE MOTHERLESS MOTHERS by Alun Buffry THE EFFIE ENIGMA FACEBOOK PAGE Alun Buffry, historian and scientist, takes us to the future when mankind reaches a pivot point. Using portable worm holes, mind download and Pure Information Clones, led by artificial super-intelligence, mankind is ready to colonise the galaxy. Now, after decades of sabotage against Project Outreach, ZX, FE and QT meet to uncover connections. When future and past become entangled, they face a quandary: should they risk their very existence to prevent the enslavement of humanity for ever or let be what will be?But who is Effie and what part did LSD play in this? |
DAMAGE AND HUMANITY FACEBOOK PAGE Damage and Humanity in Custody is a study and comparison of the prison "experience" as described by inmates of HMP Blantyre House compared with their experience in maximum security prisons, based on the responses of inmates to a survey created by Jim Semple, Governor of HMP Blantyre House in the mid 1990's. |
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I am no ordinary hat. I am able to see, hear, smell, feel and even taste through the senses of the person wearing me. In fact, I can pick up on their thoughts, memories, dreams and even fears. I watch, listen and remember.In 1989, I first travelled to Egypt on the head of Ed, accompanied by Ana; we made three journeys to that land.This is my tale of what happened as we travelled through space and time.Now I know that I am much more than a hat: I am a God, for I have seen the world through the eyes of the Divine.Let me tell you how that came to be. |
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Time for Cannabis FACEBOOK PAGE UNPUBLISHED BY FACEBOOK The author was arrested for cannabis and sent to prison for ten years. This book reflects his personal experience and serves as a valuable comparison of prison regimes, how prison can damage and how prison can repair. HMP Norwich, Cardiff, Whitemoor and Blantyre House 1991 to 1995. |
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ALL ABOUT MY HAT FACEBOOK PAGE An incredible journey in 1972, of a young man and his hat, "Myhat", from Thessalonki in Greece through Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India - and back to the UK, through poverty and illness, a journey not forgotten. Passing through Istanbul, Izmir, Ephesus (Efes), Antalya, Antakya, Aleppo, Deir el Zur, Qa'im, Baghdad, Tehran, Mashad, Herat, Kandahar, Kabul, Khyber Pass, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Amritsar, Delhi, Agra, Haridwar and Rishikesh - known now as "The Hippy Trail". |
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It was in Norwich prison whilst on remand in 1991 that Alun Buffry was approached by Jack Girling during a prison visit, and invited to help him and others form the Campaign to Legalise Cannabis International Association (CLCIA).In 1992, whilst on bail, the CLCIA was formed but it would not be until after Alun Buffry was released on parole in 1995, having served four-and-a-half years, that he started to dedicate himself to the cause of legalising the possession, cultivation and trade of cannabis in the UK.In the General Election of 1997, Howard Marks contested four seats on the single issue of cannabis. In 1999, the campaign registered as a political party in the UK under the name Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA).The LCA fought in over 80 elections including Parliamentary, local council and county councils, did numerous talks and interviews, gave oral evidence to the Home Affairs Committee and the Basque Government in Spain, debated at The Oxford Union and at universities, attended marches and rallies protests and picnics and produced the first and only Party Political Broadcast by a cannabis party, shown on TV in Wales in 2005.This is Alun Buffry's no-holds-barred story, from his prospective, detailing his own activities and those of others, over the period 1991 to 2011. |
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A Collection of pictures from the author's visits to places in Europe, Africa and Asia, since 1972 Personal memoir.
AND THERE I WAS |
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My life, my writing, my famiy and my friends, written in gratitude to them all. Whether we laugh or whether we cry, the river of life goes rushing by,
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WORDS OF WEED AND WISDOM FACEBOOK PAGE
An Anthology by Alun Buffry, Clara O'Donell, Jezza Austin, Mars Bilters, Melissa Doordaughter, |
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An Anthology by Alun Buffry, Clara O'Donnell, Rocky van de Benderskum, Phil Monk, |
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My life from an early age to the date of writing (March 2021) with 274 pictures of people and places. As the Mind flies so the Bird walks to the mountain, OR Zen and the Art of Being Lazy Today, outside, the weather is hazy. | |
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OTHER BOOKS PUBLISHED BY ABEFREEPUBLISHING
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by STEVEN PANK (2024) Decades after American astronauts walked on the Moon, three more were sent. Their task was to explore for reserves of rare minerals with a view to mining. Their expedition was sponsored by a mining company. After they arrived they found much more than they were expecting, one of the greatest discoveries in the history of the Human Race. This is the story of their journey, return to Earth and what happened as a result.
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THE TEN POUND AUSTRALIAN POMMIE (2020) We were sailing on the £10 scheme, supported by the Australian government, as they were desperate to boost their population of Australia in the 60's. The "Ellinis" was full of immigrants, so much so, that men and women were separated, four men to a cabin and four women in other cabins. My husband was on a separate deck at the opposite side of the ship. |
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A STONE UNTURNED: Paperback by STEVE COOK (2022) A collection of poems from the life and times of Steve Cook along with a few sketches |
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FRAGMENTS OF HER STORY A collection of stories, letters, poetry about sexual abuse, confusion and healing |
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CREATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS (2020) A collection of sketches and photographs from the hand and the eye of Jacqui Malkin.Originally from Blackpool, where I completed a foundation course in art, I moved to leafy historical Norwich at nneteen. As a child, I loved Victorian fairy illustrations and myths and legends mixed with American comics. I would copy these pictures endlessly and being an only child I had the time. Whilst studying, I found Beardsley, Mucha, Botticelli, the pre Raphaelites to name a few. Out of the various styles I play with, fairies are requested from my friends more than anything. Contained in this book is a cross section of my work, including photographs. My father used to give me broken cameras to play with so I’ve always been intrigued by the hobby. If not for my friend Alun these images would remain unknown by all but a few. |
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BOOKS BY OTHERS RECOMMENDED BY ABEFREEPUBLISHING
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HEAR YOURSELF, HOW TO FIND PEACE IN A NOISY WORLD “Rawat’s deep wisdom is a breath of fresh air; Hear Yourself gives the gift of peace and gratitude in a time we sorely need it.”—Ian Morgan Cron, author of The Story of You and co-author of The Road Back to You “Hear Yourself invites us to take a journey from the outside world we live in everyday to the world of peace within us. I highly recommend this inspiring book to anyone ready to take that journey.”—Bill McCarthy, Founder and President of The Unity Foundation The renowned teacher and author of the internationally bestselling Peace Is Possible shows us how to quiet the noise of our busy lives to hear our own unique authentic voice—the source of peace. The cacophony of modern life can be deafening, leaving us feeling frazzled and uneasy. In this warm, wise book, Prem Rawat teaches us how to turn down the noise to “hear ourselves”—to listen to the subtle song of peace that sings inside each of us. Once we learn to truly “hear ourselves” and the voice of peace within, then we can hold on to that as we face all the noise of the world. The culmination of a lifetime of study, Hear Yourself lays out the crucial steps we can use to focus on the voice within. Take a walk in nature and listen for the sounds of harmony, Prem Rawat suggests, or set aside a few minutes each day to feel gratitude, which comes from the core of our being. He challenges us to embrace our thirst for peace and let go of expectations for how it should feel. With one straightforward yet deeply profound question, he helps us to focus—to be present: Am I conscious of where I am today and what I want to experience in this world?” If we allow ourselves to listen, what we hear is the extraordinary miracle of existence—an experience that transforms our relationship to life and everything in it. Packed with powerful insights and compelling stories, Hear Yourself introduces readers to an ancient line of practical wisdom that enlightens us to a simple way to listen. By doing so, Prem Rawat reveals, we can “profoundly change our understanding of ourselves, those around us, and our lives.” | |
THE GREATEST TRUTH OF ALL Prem Rawat recommends living in the "moment called now", because that is where peace can be found. In this book, his words, taken from 21 of his talks from around the world, help the reader to understand that human beings are designed to enjoy life. He believes that anyone can know joy, no-one is excluded from that chance. He makes his case with a poetic edge, using his own particular brand of humour and inspiration. | |
by PREM RAWAT Thoughts on happiness, success and relationships for a deeper understanding of life A calming collection of allegories, and illustrations from a world-renowned peace ambassador. Global peace ambassador Prem Rawat has spent his entire life travelling the world to deliver one timeless message: Peace is Possible. Conflict, he explains, takes place at three levels: between countries, between people, and finally within each of us as individuals. These levels are all interconnected. Hence the conflict that rages within a person will lead them to seek out conflict with another. Similarly, conflict between people of one nation is likely to result in conflict between many nations. So the first step to world peace is a simple one: we must first find peace within ourselves. Peace is Possible draws together age-old stories which, as they have been passed down over generations, inspired and transformed the lives of millions. From the power of adaptability, to the importance of trust, to the sticking-place of courage, these are the messages that will change the world. For good. | |
BE HERE NOW Beloved guru Ram Dass tells the story of his spiritual awakening and gives you the tools to take control of your life in this "counterculture bible" (The New York Times) featuring powerful guidance on yoga, meditation, and finding your true self. When Be Here Now was first published in 1971, it filled a deep spiritual emptiness, launched the ongoing mindfulness revolution, and established Ram Dass as perhaps the preeminent seeker of the twentieth century. Just ten years earlier, he was known as Professor Richard Alpert. He held appointments in four departments at Harvard University. He published books, drove a Mercedes and regularly vacationed in the Caribbean. By most societal standards, he had achieved great success. . . . And yet he couldn't escape the feeling that something was missing. Psilocybin and LSD changed that. During a period of experimentation, Alpert peeled away each layer of his identity, disassociating from himself as a professor, a social cosmopolite, and lastly, as a physical being. Fear turned into exaltation upon the realization that at his truest, he was just his inner-self: a luminous being that he could trust indefinitely and love infinitely. And thus, a spiritual journey commenced. Alpert headed to India where his guru renamed him Baba Ram Dass--"servant of God." He was introduced to mindful breathing exercises, hatha yoga, and Eastern philosophy. If he found himself reminiscing or planning, he was reminded to "Be Here Now." He started upon the path of enlightenment, and has been journeying along it ever since. Be Here Now is a vehicle for sharing the true message, and a guide to self-determination. |
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by C. G. JUNG (Commentary), RICHARD WILHELM (Translator) An ancient Taoist text rediscovered by Richard Wilhelm, who recognized it as essentially a practical guide to the integration of personality. First translated into German by sinologist Richard Wilhelm, a friend of Carl Jung, The Secret of the Golden Flower describes a straightforward and silent meditation method that has been characterized as "Zen with details." | |
THE FULL EXTENT: AN INQUIRY INTO REALITY AND DESTINY In the early 20th century, discoveries in quantum mechanics, specifically the double slit experiment, proved Consciousness is the ground of existence. This finding contradicted scientific materialism, which posited matter as foundational, with Consciousness resulting from physical nature; instead, physical nature results from Mind. Moreover, Consciousness was antecedently linked to a First Mind or God. Suddenly, our perception of reality was toppled as it became evident the universe is a mental and spiritual construction by a Divine Being. Obviously, this new understanding has huge implications for individuals and society. The Consciousness Paradigm, replacing physicalism with the primacy of Spirit, identifies Soul as the fundamental aspect of human existence. The Full Extent examines the physical realm and its immaterial base, the possibility of different levels of reality, the progression of knowledge, the management of destiny, an assessment of human survivability, our potential for the colonization of space, and the impact of potentially extraterrestrial and supernatural entities on our experience. Thus, humanity will be positioned within the objectives of the Creator, specifically Soul development through the technological and spiritual enhancements of human culture. The nature of reality and the true purpose of human existence will be revealed. | |
THE WEB OF LIFE: A NEW SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF LIVING SYSTEMS The vitality and accessibility of Fritjof Capra's ideas have made him perhaps the most eloquent spokesperson of the latest findings emerging at the frontiers of scientific, social, and philosophical thought. In his international bestsellers The Tao of Physics and The Turning Point, he juxtaposed physics and mysticism to define a new vision of reality. In The Web of Life, Capra takes yet another giant step, setting forth a new scientific language to describe interrelationships and interdependence of psychological, biological, physical, social, and cultural phenomena--the "web of life." | |
THE TURNING POINT: SCIENCE, SOCIETY, AND THE RISING CULTURE
A compelling vision of a new reality, a reconciliation of science and the human spirit for a future that will work The dynamics underlying the major problems of our time--cancer, crime, pollution, nuclear power, inflation, the energy shortage--are all the same. We have reached a time of dramatic and potentially dangerous change, a turning point for the planet as a whole. We need a new vision of reality, one that allows the forces transforming our world to flow together as a positive movement for social change. Now distinguished scientist Fritjof Capra gives us that vision, a holistic paradigm of science and spirit. | |
THE TAO OF PHYSICS AN EXPLORATION OF THE PARALLELS BETWEEN MODERN PHYSICS AND EASTERN MYSTICISM A special edition of the "brilliant" best-selling classic on the paradoxes of modern physics and their relationship to concepts of Eastern mysticism (New York Magazine) The Tao of Physics brought the mystical implications of subatomic physics to popular consciousness for the very first time. Many books have been written in the ensuing years about the connections between quantum theory and the ideas of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism, but Fritjof Capra's text serves as the foundation on which the others have been built--and its wisdom has stood the test of time. Its publication in more than twenty-three languages stands as testimony to its universal applicability and its enduring significance. This special edition celebrates the thirty-fifth anniversary of this early Shambhala best seller that has gone on to become a true classic. It includes a fresh cover design and a new preface by the author reflecting on further discoveries and developments in the years since the book's original publication. "Physicists do not need mysticism," Dr. Capra says, "and mystics do not need physics, but humanity needs both." It is a message of timeless importance. | |
by DR JULIAN BARBOUR Time is an illusion. Although the laws of physics create a powerful impression that time is flowing, in fact there are only timeless 'nows'. In THE END OF TIME, the British theoretical physicist Julian Barbour describes the coming revolution in our understanding of the world: a quantum theory of the universe that brings together Einstein's general theory of relativity, which denies the existence of a unique time, and quantum mechanics, which demands one. Barbour believes that only the most radical of ideas can resolve the conflict between these two theories: that there is, quite literally, no time at all. This is the first full-length account of the crisis in our understanding that has enveloped quantum cosmology. Unifying thinking that has never been brought together before in a book for the general reader, Barbour reveals the true architecture of the universe and demonstrates how physics is coming up sharp against the extraordinary possibility that the sense of time passing emerges from a universe that is timeless. The heart of the book is the author's lucid description of how a world of stillness can appear to be teeming with motion: in this timeless world where all possible instants coexist, complex mathematical rules of quantum mechanics bind together a special selection of these instants in a coherent order that consciousness perceives as the flow of time. Finally, in a lucid and eloquent epilogue, the author speculates on the philosophical implications of his theory: Does free will exist? Is time travel possible? How did the universe begin? Where is heaven? Does the denial of time make life meaningless? Written with exceptional clarity and elegance, this profound and original work presents a dazzlingly powerful argument that all will be able to follow, but no-one with an interest in the workings of the universe will be able to ignore. |
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by BOB TOBEN and FRED ALAN WOLF
Captioned cartoon drawings offering an overview of universal order |
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by ROBERT PIRSIG AN INQUIRY INTO VALUES Robert M. Pirsig was born in 1928 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He holds degrees in chemistry, philosophy, and journalism and also studied Oriental philosophy at Benares Hindu University in India. He is the author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Lila. |
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THE I CHING OR BOOK OF CHANGES There is nothing the pen of Huxley touches which it does not illuminate, and as the record of a highly civilised, brilliantly articulate man under the influence of an astonishing drug, The Doors of Perception is a tour de force - Daily Telegraph You can look at Aldous Huxley and draw parallels with the Beatles: Crome Yellow and Those Barren Leaves were his breakthrough Merseybeat books, Point Counter Point was his 'Revolver', with The Doors of Perception his full-blown Sergeant Pepper trip. Like the Beatles, Huxley had so many ideas in his head that it was natural he would want to expand and experiment. What drugs provided for them both was not escape, but reevaluation - The Times "The I Ching", or "Book of Changes", a common source for both Confucianist and Taoist philosophy, is one of the first efforts of the human mind to place itself within the universe. It has exerted a living influence in China for 3,000 years, and interest in it rapidly spreads in the West. | |
BY DAVID KAISER In the 1970s, an eccentric group of physicists in Berkeley, California, banded together to explore the wilder side of science. Dubbing themselves the Fundamental Fysiks Group, they pursued an audacious, speculative approach to physics, studying quantum entanglement in terms of Eastern mysticism and psychic mind reading. As David Kaiser reveals, these unlikely heroes spun modern physics in a new direction, forcing mainstream physicists to pay attention to the strange but exciting underpinnings of quantum theory. | |
by Dr JOHN C LILLY John C Lilly is a pioneering explorer of that great and final undiscovered country - the mind. Journey with him in this engaging and thoroughly thought The book explores the question of consciousness and the inner world of the mind, refracted through the experience of Lilly himself in the 1960s using the drug LSD and, particularly, flotation tanks and isolation. It also examines Lilly's notion of self-metaprogramming as a means to shape and direct certain experiences and gain autonomy and mastery over the direction that they take One of the key insights put forward by Lilly is the view that "in the province of the mind, what is believed to be true is true or becomes true, within certain limits to be found experientially and experimentally. These limits are further beliefs to be transcended. In the province of the mind, there are no limits." In this context, Lilly draws a distinction between the limitless province of the mind and the realm of the body, in which there are limits that cannot be transcended | |
THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION: AND HEAVEN AND HELL Concise, evocative, wise and, above all, humane, The Doors of Perception is a masterpiece - Sunday Times There is nothing the pen of Huxley touches which it does not illuminate, and as the record of a highly civilised, brilliantly articulate man under the influence of an astonishing drug, The Doors of Perception is a tour de force - Daily Telegraph You can look at Aldous Huxley and draw parallels with the Beatles: Crome Yellow and Those Barren Leaves were his breakthrough Merseybeat books, Point Counter Point was his 'Revolver', with The Doors of Perception his full-blown Sergeant Pepper trip. Like the Beatles, Huxley had so many ideas in his head that it was natural he would want to expand and experiment. What drugs provided for them both was not escape, but reevaluation - The Times The Doors of Perception is a poignant book, partly because it reveals the human frailties and yearnings of a very cerebral writer - Financial Times | |
by GARY ZUKAV This is an account of the essential aspects of the new physics for those with little or no knowledge of mathematics or science. It describes current theories of quantum mechanics, Einstein's special and general theories of relativity and other speculations, alluding throughout to parallels with modern psychology and metaphorical abstractions to Buddhism and Taoism. The author has also written "The Seat of the Soul".
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SUPERNATURE In this classic study of the supernatural, Lyall Watson challenges scientific orthodoxy by applying new criteria to the investigation of the unknown. Probing the 'soft edges' of science, Watson dispenses with the distinction between the natural and the supernatural and focuses on supernature; those phenomena that are not wholly paranormal, but which are not classified as natural occurrences according to traditional science. | |
THE DICE MAN The cult classic that can still change your life… Let the dice decide! This is the philosophy that changes the life of bored psychiatrist Luke Rhinehart – and in some ways changes the world as well. Because once you hand over your life to the dice, anything can happen. Entertaining, humorous, scary, shocking, subversive, The Dice Man is one of the cult bestsellers of our time. | |
BY GENVILLE WHITTAKER For Christ's sake - pressing the refresh button on the life of Jesus' presents Christ as someone completely different from the familiar figure we are used to. This Jesus did not perform miracles, did not walk on water, and did not rise from the dead. But what he did do was something much more significant: he was able to lead people into a experience of the place where he said God lived, inside each person. Recent scholarship into early Christianity has caused a ferment of new ideas and theories, but now it has run out of steam, because this one hidden ingredient has not been recognized, let alone understood. In uncovering this new understanding, 'For Christ's Sake' is possibly the most controversial book about Jesus ever written. Beside its central theme, ‘For Christ’s Sake – pressing the refresh button on the life of Jesus’ demonstrates how the original view of Jesus’ work and teachings, unquestionably accepted by his disciples, flourished for several generations until weakened by its growing distance from the teacher and persecuted by the new church, it faded from view. It looks at the relationship of Jesus with his disciples, especially Mary Magdalene, casting new light on the possibility that she was his partner. It considers the role of John the Baptist as Jesus’ mentor and forerunner, and, after the crucifixion, how Paul continued the ‘inner experience’ teaching while laying the foundations for the new ‘church’. The book examines the Dead Sea Scrolls and finds uncanny similarities, not previously brought to public attention, between the beliefs and practices they reveal and those of Jesus and early Christianity. And we compare Jesus with teachers from other traditions, including Buddha, Krishna and Lao Tzu, suggesting that they all taught variations of the same theme. The Gnostic gospels are surveyed, to see how later generations of followers of the inner experience of Jesus tried, and eventually failed, to maintain the flame of the original teaching. Finally the book considers the role of religion in today's world, and assesses how the time might be right for a 'new Christianity' to emerge, devoid of miraculous content but with a more authentic understanding of Jesus' message. Reviews so far from the worlds of journalism, academia and literature have called 'For Christ's Sake' 'fascinating', 'exciting', 'compulsive', 'persuasive' and 'thought-provoking', with an 'easy-read lightness of tone'. |
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by HENRY LINCOLN, MICHAEL BAIGENT, RICHARD LEIGH A nineteenth century French priest discovers something in his mountain village at the foot of The Pyrenees which enables him to amass and spend a fortune of millions of pounds. The tale seems to begin with buried treasure and then turns into an unprecedented historical detective story - a modern Grail quest leading back through cryptically coded parchments, secret societies, the Knights Templar, the Cathar heretics of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and a dynasty of obscure French kings deposed more than 1,300 years ago. The author's conclusions are persuasive: at the core is not material riches but a secret - a secret of explosive and controversial proportions, which radiates out from the little Pyrenees village all the way to contemporary politics and the entire edifice of the Christian faith. It involves nothing less than... the Holy Grail. |
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by HENRY LINCOLN, MICHAEL BAIGENT, RICHARD LEIGH The startling, frighteningly convincing sequel to The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail that reveals the very nature of the Messianic Legacy. After the shocking revelations of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail the authors, in their quest to determine the discrepancies between early and modern 'Christian' thought, found that they were forced to ask such questions as:
*Was there more than one Christ? The Messianic Legacy offers enthralling new investigations into the shadowy society of the 'Prieure de Sion' - 'The Guardians of the Holy Grail' - as the authors discover the murky world of politics, finance, freemasonry, and religion that exists beneath the most solid and conservative seeming of European institutions: the Church. The ominous global conspiracy of disinformations they uncovered ensures that The Messianic Legacy us an up-to-the-minute thriller and a work of biblical detection that is even more significant than The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. |
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THE PRIEST’S FINAL LEGACY THAT UNVEILS THE LOCATION OF HIS TERRIFYING DISCOVERY< by ANDRÉ DOUZET In 1916, Berenger Sauniere, the enigmatic priest of the French village of Rennes-le-Chateau, created his ultimate clue: he went to great expense to create a model of a region said to be the Calvary Mount, indicating the 'Tomb of Jesus'. But the region on the model does not resemble the actual lay-out of Jerusalem. Did Sauniere leave a clue as to the true location of his treasure? And what is that treasure? After years of research, Andre Douzet discovered this model, never collected from the model maker by Sauniere, who had died just before the model's completion. Backed by evidence showing correspondence between Sauniere and the model maker, Douzet also reveals much new evidence, including the revelation that Sauniere spent large amounts of time and money in the city of Lyons, often on exotic and high tech photographic instruments. And for the first time, it is shown Sauniere met some very interesting people from esoteric, in particular Martinist, circles in Lyons. This body of evidence for the first time demonstrates there is indeed a true mystery surrounding this village priest -- a theory widely speculated on so far by others authors, but seldom if ever backed by evidence.The model is the only real clue Sauniere left behind as to the nature and location of his treasure -- and is unveiled in this book, which includes pictures and detailed drawings of the model, among many other things. It also reveals the location of the region where Sauniere had located his treasure...and where Douzet himself has so far recovered large quantities of precious and semi-precious materials. Above all, Douzet demonstrates that grounds of Perillos not so much hold a 'treasure' (though present), but rather a 'secret', and that this secret was the true importance of Sauniere's mystery; a secret that is said to be of vital importance -- and terrifying force.
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by RICHARD HOLLOWAY If the use of God in a moral debate raises more problems than it solves, is it better to leave God out of the argument altogether and find strong human reasons for the rules we live by? Godless Morality is a refreshing, courageous and human-centred justification for contemporary morality. |
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by HONOVICH, NANCY Mummies, pyramids, pharaohs, King Tut! Kids everywhere are fascinated by the wonders of ancient Egypt and this colourful reference book is jam-packed with 1,000 fascinating facts. From the Great Pyramid and the Valley of the Kings to the Nile River and Cleopatra, discover all you have ever wanted to know about this ancient civilization. Unearth ancient hieroglyphs and their meanings; find out what was in King Tut's tomb; and get insights about the science of mummification. Learn about ancient Egyptian gods and famous pharaohs, and follow Egypt's battles for power in the world. After this deep dive into Egyptology, you'll be able to dazzle your friends and family with your newfound knowledge. |
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(FULL-COLOR TRAVEL GUIDE) Whether you want to cruise the Nile, explore the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, or see the Pyramids of Giza, the local Fodor’s travel experts in Egypt are here to help! Fodor’s Essential Egypt guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos. |
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RAJASTHAN, MUMBAI & KERALA: (FULL-COLOR TRAVEL GUIDE) Written by locals, Fodor’s Essential India is the perfect guidebook for those looking for insider tips to make the most out their visit to Delhi, Mumbai, and beyond. Complete with detailed maps and concise descriptions, this India travel guide will help you plan your trip with ease. India is a country of vibrant and enticing contrasts: exquisite palaces are juxtaposed against simple temples, and modern high-tech industry coexists with ancient customs and rituals. There's much to see and do in this vast and geographically diverse country, and Fodor's Essential India covers the must-see sights better than anyone else. Fodor’s Essential India Includes: UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE: India is changing rapidly, and this fully updated guide includes the best new hotels, restaurants, and more in its vibrant cities and stunning countryside, from Delhi and Rajasthan to Mumbai, Kerala and Goa. ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE: A spectacular color photo guide captures the ultimate unmissable experiences and attractions throughout India to inspire you. |
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by CARRIE EVANS By the age of eight Carrie Evans had lived in eight different places in the UK. The various schools she attended were not always happy places and some of her teachers, if not actually psychotic, verged on the unstable and sadistic. Although it came as no surprise to those who knew her that she later chose a peripatetic lifestyle, it did puzzle some when she chose to make her living by peddling the present perfect in overseas language schools. Beginning in the sultry, restrictive atmosphere of the Arabian desert in the UAE, Carrie bites the bullet to take advantage of a teaching job with a decent salary for once – but a despotic boss. Valiantly focussing on the positive aspects of her life there, she casts her mind back to happier days of childhood and candidly recalls her development as a language teacher. She reminisces about the places and people she met along the way, pondering her sojourns in far-flung corners of the globe. A thoroughly enjoyable read that romps along from continent to continent, this beautifully written memoir is akin to an enormous postcard from the jaunt of a life. The Fun We Had is a tsunami of incident, gossip, and character vignettes, an exploration of other cultures sure to entertain anyone with a fascination for human quirks and foibles. |
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by CHRIS NATION “Would they even let me into law school if I’d done time for smuggling opium?” In September 1972, Chris Nation set out with two friends on the Overland (aka, the Hippie Trail) from Amsterdam to Goa in their newly purchased, rechristened VW van, Starship Chaos. Drugs and naïveté fuelled their journey with hilarious misadventures and calamity. Robberies, accidents, and disease dogged the trio, every step of the way. At the end of July 1973, the 22-year-old found himself alone but much wiser—an old road warrior dispensing advice to the next batch of young hippie travellers. Starship Chaos is a record not only of what happened on the trip, and the people and places he encountered along the way, but also of the memories, feelings, and observations of a young Canadian member of the '70s counterculture. From his silver-spoon upbringing in Westmount, Montreal, Canada, to his near-destitute existence abroad, this gap-year, coming-of-age trip forced Chris to adjust his lens on life, shaping his personal philosophies and his future career as a lawyer. Starship Chaos marks a special time in world travel and geopolitical history. By 1979, owing to revolutions, wars, and border closures, a traveller could no longer make this trek through Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia. Starship Chaos will be of interest to readers of personal travel memoirs, especially to baby boomers, as well as anyone interested in the hippie movement. People feeling at odds in our over-commercialized, first-world culture while other people in the world are suffering may particularly find themselves reflected in these pages. |
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by ATHENA MARINI Poetry contains the quietness and concentration of the one who writes it. It is a shared personal moment that often expresses deep feeling and this is transferred to the reader. It comes from the heart and as I heard someone say on World Poetry Day in Athens, ?Poetry comes in through the same door that prayer does.? -Athena Marini Much of the poetry in this book came out during a six-week period where the author isolated myself for 6 weeks. It was a difficult period in which she experienced much grief and all the gamut of emotions that go with it. It was during the end of this time when some healing had occurred, that a lot of this poetry came out. Her poetry has a spiritual theme as it has arisen from her personal effort to walk the inner path with all its inspirational interludes and experiences but also the frustrations of trying to balance the inner needs in a world where the externals demand our attention most of the time. |
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by STEVE WALKER Take a Transit Minibus, a full-sized roof-rack loaded with camping equipment, 14 passengers, plus a driver armed with road maps of Europe, Asia and Africa and you have a phenomenon that was to be a character-forming and life-changing experience for a generation of travellers. That phenomenon was “overland”. For the first time, young people had an affordable way to travel in the relative safety of a group to what, for many, had previously been inaccessible, and possibly dangerous, places. Overland brought together larger-than-life characters, involved some epic journeys and created unforgettable memories. The late 60s and early 70s was a period of Woodstock, peace, love and flower power – and a feeling of freedom was in the air. The fruits of the post-war baby boom were discovering and celebrating this new-found freedom and the time was ripe for this travel phenomenon to take off. This is a story of how a broken relationship and the urge to break out led the author, in his early twenties and raised on an Essex council estate in the 50s/60s, to take his first trip abroad as a passenger on an overland trip to Morocco in September 1969, (he admits to being so naïve at the time that he thought Morocco was somewhere in the South of France), encountering an individual who happened to be a master at concocting a cock-and-bull story which eventually landed him a job as an overland driver. He suddenly found himself inducted into the University of Life, spending the next four years on a hectic, challenging and adventurous journey across three continents, travelling extensively through Europe, Asia, India and Africa; watching the sunrise over Mount Everest, driving overnight through winter blizzards in the Anatolian mountains of Eastern Turkey and waking in the Sahara just before dawn in a complete sound vacuum. Along the way, he met some amazing, interesting and colourful characters and made lifelong friendships – and went ten-pin bowling with the Prince of Afghanistan! |
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A MODERN INTERPRETATION OF AN ANCIENT SYSTEM OF MEDICINE by BARBARA VAN SCHAIK THE NATURE OF LIFE is a new interpretation of the traditional teachings of Tibetan Medicine for today’s lifestyles.Tibetan Medicine rests on the 3-Humoural Theory - Earth, Fire and Air - which governs each of us. Here the subject has been updated and expanded in a way which makes it more accessible and in order to discover to which Nature (or Humour) the reader belongs, there is a Quiz.The basis of Tibetan Medicine is the 3-way approach of Diet, Lifestyle and Behaviour. Such advice was traditionally given along with the physical medicine of powders and pills. Along with these, new chapters covering such subjects as Personality, Appearance, General Health, Best/Worst Environment, Treatments and Therapies, plus Interiors/Room Scenting for each Nature have been developed based on the Author’s extensive study and research of the subject. There is a list of European medicinal herbs, which best approximate those used in Tibetan Medicine and are widely available.Appendices 1-4 detail traditional Tibetan Medicines and Practices and ‘Where to find more information on Tibetan Medicine’ lists websites around the world where interested persons can find a Tibetan practitioner, or order Tibetan herbal medicines.
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by BARBARA VAN SCHAIK Bhutan - a trek to one of the high-level lakes, and a sacred mountain where unexpected developments change the lives of those involved forever. Suzanne Fisher, a research assistant at a London University, is left broken-hearted when a long-term relationship with a colleague ends. She decides on a whim to visit her cousin Julia in Thimphu. She learns that a trek to a high-altitude lake, the Lake of Blue Heaven, and the Silver Mountain, sacred to the Bhutanese, is planned. Joining them on the trek are Oliver Byrne, a controversial war correspondent to whom she takes an instant dislike, and a glamorous Westernised Rinpoche. Lucy and Dan, young people working in Bhutan, Martin and Sarah, old friends of Robert’s and John, the Rinpoche’s attendant, make up the group. The evening before departure she discovers that the sacred mountain holds a dark secret. After the first night at a monastery in the mountains strange things begin to happen. There is a dreadful event and in the aftermath come consequences which change the lives of those involved forever. The novel is set against the buildings and landscapes of the Thimphu and Paro valleys which are well-known to the author who lived in Bhutan for four years.
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by BARBARA VAN SCHAIK There was a time when we were all in love with Kathmandu. That time varied from person to person, the time they were there. For many it was early, the beginning of the ‘70’s, not long after the ‘hidden valley’ decided to be hidden no longer, and admitted the first foreigners. Some, very few, were there at that beginning in the 60’s, and it’s not difficult to imagine the paradise they must have found then, unaffected by any kind of modern intrusion, truly gates opening to the forbidden land – a sense conveyed so well by the writer Han Suyin in her (for me) unforgettable 1958 novel ‘The Mountain is Young’. She was amongst a group of the very first foreigners invited for the coronation of King Mahendra (1956) which she describes in the novel.”For three months from April 2018, we returned for the first time in thirty years, to the place we love most in the world – Nepal. What we found had changed, but our feelings had not. This is an account, in images and words, of our return.
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by LEX NEAL Axel is an eighteen-year-old Vietnam Vet in pursuit of his dream of being a musician songwriter, arriving on a Malibu beach with nothing but his guitar. His story is a tribute to those magical times when dreams interfaced effortlessly with reality, and heaven comes to earth with trouble attached. Lex Neale is an independent Integral Theorist and a member of the Integral Research Center. After taking a B.Sc. in Zoology at London University he became involved in consciousness studies, traveling the world to develop his thesis that the origin of Life is Consciousness. In India he became a practitioner of Prem Rawat's "Knowledge of the Self," and enjoys an ongoing affiliation with The Prem Rawat Foundation. As well as a scientist and inventor, he is also an artist and musician. He lives with his family in the beautiful redwood forests of northern California.
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by GIUSEPPE ALBERO My new, unconventional life started on a hot and sunny South Italian day in 1972. Until then I'd been an average, restless, and dissatisfied young Neapolitan. That fateful day, in the morning, my whole world changed. I was trying to follow a lecture at the University of Naples. The antique hall was packed. Standing sweaty and confused way back behind a thick crowd of allegedly eager learners, I could not understand a word of what the lecturer was saying. I felt anxious and frustrated. I wanted to leave that antique hall and breathe some fresh air, but I did not have the courage to do so. Then, all of a sudden, I asked myself a question I'd never asked myself before. Did I have to do what I was doing? Did I have to do what I was being told I had to do? The answer that came forth from who knows where was so loud and clear it blew me away. I didn't have to! I was free to choose the way I wanted to live, and what I really wanted to do was travel to faraway lands; explore the world; live the life of a true adventurer. As a consequence, a few weeks later I left Naples, and a long journey began. It wasn't easy. My parents could not understand why I was giving up what they'd been fighting for all their life; I had no precise answers to give them, and the consequences, at times, were rather ugly. While on the road, when I needed to earn some money, I worked doing whatever job was available wherever I happened to be. I was a waiter in a fancy hotel, an offset printer operator in a plastic containers factory, an apprentice cook in a famous Swiss restaurant, a language teacher in Japan, a candle maker in Goa, a silversmith, and more. I was married; divorced, and had a number of meaningful relationships, some of which eventually went quite sour. My son, Siddhartha, was born in Goa in 1981, and in 1986, in Goa as well, my daughter Aisha. At present I reside in a relatively peaceful small village in South India, and aside from writing and hoping that some day sweating over a keyboard will pay off, what I do very seriously nowadays is my best to stay out of troubles.
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by Mrs FRANCESCA SHARMAN BLAND The adventure story of a young Australian couple who venture off on a journey in the guise of their honeymoon that takes them on a six month journey through China, Tibet, Nepal and India. In 1986 Tibet had only just opened its doors to the rest of the world but China’s political dominance over the Autonomous Region of Tibet and denial of its independence meant that Tibet was more accessible from its border with western China. The couple face unusual challenges as they travel over one of the highest passes in the Himalayan mountains from the Tibetan Plateau into Nepal then onto India. The protagonist tells the story of the difficulties faced on the road less travelled and the extraordinary characters they meet along the way together with her evocations of life in China post the Cultural Revolution and the countries bordering the Himalaya in a naive era before extensive tourism was shaped by the computer age that changed the world forever.
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KATHMANDU AND BEYOND WITH A VAN A MAN AND NO PLAN by PATRICIA NOBLE SULLIVAN As they drove through the hot flat Iraqi desert, Patricia looked over at her husband. He was guzzling water; sweat was running down his neck; the outside temperature was way over 100; and their 1963 VW camper van had no air conditioning. “Yikes,” she thought. “This is not how I pictured our honeymoon.” It was August of 1966. They had gone to Europe the previous summer after their wedding, and that trip had stretched into a two-year adventure that took them around the world on a bare-bones budget. In those days with no mobile phones, no Internet, and limited maps, they were out of contact with family for months at a time while dodging a cholera epidemic in Iraq, staying in a palace in Pakistan, meeting with a maharaja in India, and floating on a barge down the Mekong River in Laos. The journey had become a way of life as they found themselves drawn into a culture of international overland travel.
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BY COACH, BUS AND TRAIN! by SIMON SHARPE The Hippie Trail, that long land route to India that was a rite of passage for so many western hippies and other young adventurers from the 1950s to 1979. Simon Sharpe was a young adventurer and travelled the route in the summer of 1974 on a small budget and solo. One year later he sat down to record his extraordinary travels before memory faded. He bring us his descriptive memories of the countries, cheap hotels, the food, the cultural divides, the local people and the western adventurers for whom this was a significant part of their youth experience. Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and on to India, Simon's travelogue is full of anecdotes and sharp observations of the people he met. Simon also includes stories of adventurers from his own family history in India and Afghanistan to create a fascinating refection on his own motives for travelling. He asks the awkward question; to what extent freedom-loving western youth, travelling through those Muslim countries may have inadvertently changed the politics of the region and helped bring in strictly observant Islamic governments?
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by ROBERT H HEINLEIN The original uncut edition of STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND by Hugo Award winner Robert A Heinlein - one of the most beloved, celebrated science-fiction novels of all time. Epic, ambitious and entertaining, STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND caused controversy and uproar when it was first published and is still topical and challenging today. | |
THERE AND BACK AND BACK AGAIN The memoires of Lorraine Valentine. I was brought up in a land where you could smell the heat in your nostrils, where the air resounded with the sound of the cicadas, first one chittering sound and then joined by thousands drumming out their beat. The crickets “crick crick” chirruping, grasshoppers, iridescent beetles whirling by. The sky was hot and blue, sometimes with a morning mist that would be burnt off by the fierce sun. We ran barefoot, sometimes catching a cicada, bright green with their three glowing spots between their wide spaced eyes. On our front wall tiny skinks would run or sun themselves and sometimes Mum would catch a baby one, not much more than an inch long, bright eyes and beating heart. Born in Australia in 1945, descended from English and Chinese, I spent my life living there and in the UK and travelled there and back and back again. This is my story from memories of those days. |
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by ASTA GRAY In 1967 Asta lives in Sydney's Kings Cross, famous for strip clubs, gambling dens, artists and beatniks. After a failed relationship she drops out of her office job, joins a band led by an Aborigine rock musician and is introduced to LSD by a mysterious older man at a teenage party. When she meets her new partner Dennis, they decide to seek ‘spiritual enlightenment’ in India. They hitchhike to Darwin through the crocodile-infested Kimberley in Western Australia. Working various jobs along the way, they save enough money for their trip and head to India on the cheap. What begins as a hilarious adventure soon reveals the First Noble Truth of the Buddha – ‘existence is suffering’. As they trek through Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey and Europe to the UK, Asta's inner journey of discovery and healing forms an essential counterpoint to the physical challenge of travelling rough on the Hippie Trail.
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by SHELLEY BUCK EAST: A Woman on the Road to Kathmandu. Inspired by a book purchased at Fred and Pat Cody's legendary bookstore on Berkeley's Telegraph Avenue, Shelley Buck took off alone in 1972 on a journey she hoped would take her overland to India and Nepal by public transit. East chronicles that journey and Shelley's emergence into adulthood along the way. | |
THE EMPEROR WEARS NO CLOTHES THE OFFICIAL 14TH EDITION from Herer Media &publishing. In this thoroughly researched, scrupulously annotated and shockingly provocative book you'll learn: * How and why cannabis prohibition began and what that has meant to America. * All the uses of hemp as medicine, food, fuel, fiber, paper and as a plastic replacement. * The straight dope on marijuana smoking and the effects on the human body. * Who profits from the prohibition and criminalization of cannabis. * What you can do to speed up legalization and profit from the coming changes. Once again includes Jack's original research in the back.As the most popular book about Cannabis/Hemp in history, The Emperor Wears No Clothes is required reading for anyone interested in how this plant can heal themselves, their families and the planet. |
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by DERVIA MURPHY Shortly after her tenth birthday, Dervla Murphy decided to cycle to India. Almost 20 years later, she set out to achieve her ambition. Her epic journey began during the coldest winter in memory, taking her through Europe, Persia, Afghanistan, over the Himalayas to Pakistan, and into India. This captivating account--Murphy's first--is an enchantment that holds the reader to the final page. | |
by PAUL BRUNTON He found many marvelous things...But now and then a man of real spirituality set his feet on the way that finally led him to what he had looked and hoped for.' New York Times Book Review The late Paul Brunton was one of the twentieth century's greatest explorers of and writers on the spiritual traditions of the East. A Search in Secret India is the story of Paul Brunton's journey around India, living among yogis, mystics and gurus, some of whom he found convincing, others not. He finally finds the peace and tranquility which come with self-knowledge when he meets and studies with the great sage Sri Ramana Maharish |
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by ERIK NEWBY A classic of travel writing, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush is Eric Newby’s iconic account of his journey through one of the most remote and beautiful wildernesses on earth. It was 1956, and Eric Newby was earning an improbable living in the chaotic family business of London haute couture. Pining for adventure, Newby sent his friend Hugh Carless the now-famous cable – CAN YOU TRAVEL NURISTAN JUNE? – setting in motion a legendary journey from Mayfair to Afghanistan, and the mountains of the Hindu Kush, north-east of Kabul. Inexperienced and ill prepared (their preparations involved nothing more than some tips from a Welsh waitress), the amateurish rogues embark on a month of adventure and hardship in one of the most beautiful wildernesses on earth – a journey that adventurers with more experience and sense may never have undertaken. With good humour, sharp wit and keen observation, the charming narrative style of A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush would soon crystallise Newby's reputation as one of the greatest travel writers of all time. One of the greatest travel classics from one of Britain's best-loved travel writers, this edition includes new photographs, an epilogue from Newby's travelling companion, Hugh Carless, and a prologue from one of Newby's greatest proponents, Evelyn Waugh. | |
by LINDA BANANA Lee Diana Habash's diplomat husband has died, leaving her richer and hornier than expected. Among the coconut palms, she meets Rod, retired London villain, and embarks upon a stormy and steamy love affair. Goa is a state in social, political and sectarian upheaval. There are demonstrations against the building of the Konkan railway, based on the fear that it will bring undesirables into the area. The Noble Order of Buffaloes are objecting to the liberalisation of Goa's annual carnival. The Hindu festival of Shivaratri is about to turn nasty. Against Rod's wishes, Lee supports her landlord's daughter in a bid to become Carnival Queen, with explosive consequences. |
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by ED KRIEGE Growing up “middle-class” in a small, rural midwestern town in the fifties and sixties, the most Ed could look forward to was a comfortable, quiet life ensconced from the world at large. But then came a transformational event that would forever change the trajectory of his life and take him on adventures–both inside and out–that he never could have imagined. This is a story in four acts–a small-town baby boomer raised in a troubled blended family; a “mescamorphosis” that would shake Ed from his slumber and take him far outside his comfort zone; an eventual emergence onto the world stage to participate in the creation of “practical magic;” and finally, a period to connect the dots…and create new ones. |
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by MRS EMANUELA COOPER Although they hardly know each other, Maria and Franca are both afraid to go to India alone, so the odd couple set off on the journey of their dreams… and nightmares. Maria is searching for herself and, ideally, the love of her life; Franca is seeking the buzz with any type of drug she can lay her hands on. India is ready and waiting for them. Travelling through the chaos and the magic of India, meeting its people and their ancient wisdom, the landscapes, smells, perfumes, sounds and many gods, they make unforgettable friends and come into contact with a new way of looking at life.There, in the swirling magic of the land, they will both find a lot more than they had bargained for and realize that for everything there is a price to pay.Will they rise to the challenge and grow, or lose themselves and fall?A story of love, friendship, experiments with drugs, naivety and deception, an inner journey of discovery of the infinite potential of human nature, but above all India and Buddhism.Fascinating, intriguing, deep and at the same time light and fun, an original story that grabs you from start to finish and leaves you feeling richer! |
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by NOOR MOHAMMED KHAN Adventure and forbidden romance in Pakistan among the Pathan people. This riveting memoir, a travelogue extraordinaire, starts with visits to Hira Mandi, the infamous red-light district in the old city of Lahore, to evening prayers in the Shrine of Data Baba and the majestic Badshahi Mosque.It mainly deals with the author's relationship with a Pathan courtesan and her family, and a five month horse expedition though the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and Himalayan Mountains from Peshawar to Chitral, Kalash (Kafiristan), Gilgit, Kaghan Valley, and Kashmir.Finally, the relationship causes him to be kidnaped to Bajaur (Tribal Territory), where he finds himself ten miles off the paved road in a mud fort, near the Afghan border, tied to a cot with her.It describes life in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan, and life within Pathan society, with great passionate intimacy.There are some interesting diversions in Dubai (staying with Waziri taxi drivers) and in Thailand.Lavishly illustrated with over 100 stunning photos. |
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by PAUL BENHAIM
IN THIS BOOK, YOU WILL LEARN
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by ROBERT SHEA AND ROBERT ANTON WILSON It was a deadly mistake. Joseph Malik, editor of a radical magazine, has snooped into rumours about an ancient secret society that turned out to be still alive and kicking. Now his offices have been bombed, he's gone missing, and the case has landed in the lap of a tough, cynical, streetwise New York detective. Saul Goodman knows he's stumbled onto something big - but even he can't guess how far into the pinnacles of power this conspiracy of evil has penetrated. Brimming with sex and violence - in and out of time and space - the three books of The Illuminatus! Trilogy are only partly works of the imagination. They tackle all the important cover-ups of our time - from who really shot the Kennedys to why there's a pyramid on the one-dollar bill - and suggest a truly mind-blowing reality.
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by RYAN KEITH BUTLER The truth about a plant in poems. These poems will go through your emotions as they take you on a journey. Mostly about cannabis the rest is about life and the world we live in with some impressive AI art and a look at where humanity is heading. |
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Edited by ILANA CROME, DAVID NUTT, ALEX STEVENS For half a century the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 has dominated ill-conceived approaches to the prohibition of drugs and the criminalisation of many offenders. Wilful blindness to scientific facts has distorted the dispensation of justice, prevented lifesaving investigation, sidelined critics and thwarted advocates of politically inconvenient drugs law reform. This once in an epoch review by experts from a range of disciplines shows how lawmakers and the media have ignored the scientific evidence to sustain badly founded rhetoric in favour of blanket bans, punishment and the marginalisation of opponents. Countless individuals (including the vulnerable, deprived, addicted and mentally ill) have therefore suffered unnecessarily. This, the most comprehensive critique of the 1971 Act yet, rests on the combined learning of leading medical, scientific, psychiatric, academic, legal, drug safety and other specialists to provide sound reasons to re-think half a century of bad law. | |
THE GOOD LORD WILLING AND THE CREEK DON'T RISE: PENTIMENTO MEMORIES OF MOM AND ME The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise: Pentimento Memories of Mom and Me traces the trials, tribulations, and unbreakable bond of two Pacific Northwest characters. Kay Schlinkman grows up on the banks of the Columbia River in the 1930s and 1940s. She overcomes a small logging town's ostracism in the late 1950s for her divorce, excommunication by the Catholic Church for remarrying, severe criticism and rejection for defending her son's refusal to go to war, and the burden of paying off her second husband's gambling debts. In her forties, she becomes a licensed pilot and flies two summers as a forest fire spotter. After a second divorce in her fifties, she takes night classes to become qualified as a legal secretary and continues to work until she's seventy-eight. After an idyllic childhood in the redwoods and a rebellious adolescence following his parents' divorce, Robert Norris enters the Air Force, becomes a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, is court-martialed and goes to military prison, embraces the counterculture upon release, wanders the world in search of his identity, and eventually lands in Japan, where he finds his niche as a university professor, spends two years as the dean of students, and retires as professor emeritus. Despite their separation by the expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Robert and Kay maintain a lifelong commitment of love, respect, and support that enriches both their lives. Kay visits Japan eight times. Robert, his wife, and Kay journey to Ireland to trace her father's roots. The Good Lord Willing provides a heart-warming example of how far a mother and son can go in maintaining their bond against great odds. A must read for all mothers and sons, and for those who've wondered what the road less traveled would've been like, had they taken that first step. |
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EYE ON THE HILL - HORSE TRAVELS IN BRITAIN This is one of the most captivating books in modern equestrian literature. It is poetry, set to the sound of a horse's gentle clip-clop. It is a tale of the gradual uncovering of the secrets of back country Britain. "Eye on the Hill" is much more than just a recollection of this noted traveller's thousand mile journey around England, Wales and Scotland. Barnes is possessed with the critical eye of the travelling poet. He sees the England he loves threatened by the spectre of an ever more aggressive industrialized society. The author turned Long Rider warns about the loss of Britain's horse trails and the need to preserve the country's endangered equestrian culture. Not since William Cobbett rode the back roads of England, has a man noted with such vigour what's right and wrong with his country from horseback. Not since George Borrow cantered with the gypsies has anyone told the tales of the nomads such as Richard Barnes has done. | |
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A SCALLYWAG The Life and Times of a Scallywag is an autobiography by the flamboyant Sidney (Siddy) James Carter.It tells of his exploits as a child on the streets and in the fields of the infamous Cray area of north Kent, through his brief school years and onto his chosen profession, one of the most notorious cat burglars in Britain.The book is brilliantly funny, heartbreakingly sad in places and features some colourful characters from The Crays and surrounding areas. His family features of course, through the good times and bad. This book is also somewhat of a history lesson of what life was like in the Crays during the 40's, 50's and 60's.Young Steak and Kidney (Sidney) went from skint to having so much money he didn't know what to do with it, but he learnt very quickly. His nickname around the Crays was "Champagne Sid", when he drank, everybody drank, life was one long party.Ultimately he got his collar felt, more than once, but his tales of escape and evasion will bring a smile to your face.It is written in the style of Sid himself, plenty of Cockney Slang and plenty of local dialect spoken by the travelling community. You will have to look past the odd grammatical error as well, but when a story is this good, it's more than worth it. |
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FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY Is there something holding you back from becoming the person you want to be? Fear is all around us, from having a tricky talk with your boss to facing up to a problem at home. Everyone has worries and fears that can stop them progressing and reaching for the things that they really want in life. The simple, life-changing exercises in Feel the Fear & do it anyway will teach you how to turn anger into love and uncertainty into action. |
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MARIHUANA, THE FORBIDDEN MEDICINE Hardcover by LESTER GRINSPOON
For many centuries patients and physicians have found marihuana to be a highly effective medicine. This drug, outlawed for more than 50 years in the United States, provides relief from nausea, pain and muscle spasms, and alleviates symptoms of glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, migraine, and other debilitating ailments. Yet the US government grants only 12 patients in the entire country the right to use marihuana medically, and permits even that with great reluctance. In this book, Dr. Lester Grinspoon and James B. Bakalar draw on 20 years of research to describe the medical benefits of marihuana, explain why it has been forbidden, and argue that full legalization is necessary to make it available to all patients who need it. Much of the book consists of accounts written by patients (including one from famed scientist Stephen Jay Gould) that dramatically illustrate not only the relief provided by marihuana but also the unneccessary distress caused by the need to obtain it illegally. Grinspoon and Bakalar recount the long history of medical marihuana use, discuss the real (as opposed to fancied) potential health hazards of the drug, and analyze the social causes of the government's insistence on making outlaws of its medical users. They find that marihuana is a remarkably safe substance and that criminalizing its use is costly, ineffective and unfair. They conclude that legalizing it for medical purposes alone would be unworkable and that it must be given the same status as alcohol-legal, with appropriate limitations, for use by adults for any purpose. |
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MARIJUANA MYTHS, MARIJUANA FACTS: A REVIEW OF THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE |
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TO LIVE OUTSIDE THE LAW Operation Julie in 1977 remains Britain's biggest ever drugs bust. The work of eleven police forces, it resulted in the break-up of one of the largest LSD co-operatives in the world, the arrest of 120 people and, according to reports, the seizure of six million trips' worth of LSD crystal, valued at £100 million. Overnight, the price of a tab went from £1 to £5. This is the first insider account of how it felt to be caught up in - and by - Operation Julie. |
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THE HISTORIAN
Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters addressed ominously to 'My dear and unfortunate successor'. Her discovery plunges her into a world she never dreamed of - a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an evil hidden in the depths of history.
In those few quiet moments, she unwittingly assumes a quest she will discover is her birthright - a hunt for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the Dracula myth. Deciphering obscure signs and hidden texts, reading codes worked into the fabric of medieval monastic traditions, and evading terrifying adversaries, one woman comes ever closer to the secret of her own past and a confrontation with the very definition of evil. |
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MR NICE He was Britain's most wanted man. He spent seven years in America's toughest penitentiary. You'll like him. During the mid 1980s Howard Marks had forty three aliases, eighty nine phone lines and owned twenty five companies throughout the world. At the height of his career he was smuggling consignments of up to thirty tons of marijuana, and had contact with organisations as diverse as MI6, the CIA, the IRA and the Mafia. Following a worldwide operation by the Drug Enforcement Agency, he was arrested and sentenced to twenty-five years in prison at the Terre Haute Penitentiary, Indiana. He was released in April 1995 after serving seven years of his sentence. Told with humour, charm and candour, Mr Nice is his own extraordinary story. | |
Since the Stone Age, drugs have been sniffed to induce sleep, mixed to cure ills, swallowed to stimulate creativity, snorted to increase sexuality, popped for the hell of it and smoked to see God. Natural or synthesized, they have been smuggled for all kinds of reasons from saving the world to becoming stinking rich. Blamed for deaths, wars, suicides, collapses of governments, multiple crashes, individual crises, anarchy and chaos, they have also been praised for opening minds and expanding consciousness. Worshipped and demonised, venerated and chastised, force-fed and forbidden. Every society has had its intoxicant, be it sacrament or scourge. They have also become irreversibly interwoven with politics, sex, business, religion, and rock and roll, providing writers, whether emerging from the ancient classical world or the street laboratory of today, with both inspiration and challenge. An unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime trip, The Howard Marks Book of Dope Stories includes his favourite drugs writings from Alexander Dumas to Aleister Crowley via Hunter S. Thompson and Charles Baudelaire, as well as unpublished works and many new and compelling pieces from Mr Nice himself. |
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by HOWARD MARKS RIP Howard Marks was released from Terre Haute Penitentiary, Indiana in April 1995 after serving seven years of a twenty-five year sentence for marijuana smuggling. It was time for a change of career. So he wrote two best-selling books, became a sports writer and travel writer, stood as a parliamentary candidate in Norwich North, Norwich South, Southampton Test and Neath, applied to become the country's Drug Czar, and embarked on a long-running sell-out series of one man shows. While performing in his home town of Kenfig Hill, he fell among old friends who made extraordinary claims for Welsh culture (Was Elvis really Welsh? Was there really a tribe of Welsh-speaking Native Americans?) At the same time his elderly aunt told him of his outlaw ancestry: William Owen, the legendary Welsh smuggler (who had operated for some time in South America) and his great-great-grandfather Patrick McCarty, the half brother of Billy the Kid, who had joined Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in Patagonia. He decided to explore South America. His travels took him to Jamaica and Panama in the footsteps of the Welsh buccaneer Henry Morgan; he went to Brazil looking for groups of Welsh settlers so obscure he never found them (although he did succeed in finding his musical idol Jimmy Page); and he searched among the thriving Welsh community in Patagonia for signs of Billy the Kid's half brother. Richly comic and charged with the sense of adventure that would induce an Oxford graduate to become the world's most notorious marijuana smuggler, Señor Nice is the hugely entertaining sequel to Mr Nice. |
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by HOWARD MARKS RIP Howard Marks is the most famous drug smuggler of his age, and a hero to a generation. On his release from one of America's toughest prisons, Howard made a promise to himself to go straight. No more drugs, no more smuggling, no more fake passports. He would retire to a quiet life with his family in the Balearic Islands of Spain. It didn't quite work out that way. This was the mid-nineties, the height of the ecstasy and clubbing boom, and Ibiza was at the very centre of the vortex for the 'E generation'. Pills had taken the place of marijuana, Paul Oakenfold had replaced The Rolling Stones as the music of the masses, but some people are just born for life on the other side of the law. It wasn't long before Howard found himself trying pure ecstasy and rubbing shoulders with some of the king-pins of the pill trade. These included some of Britain's most notorious gangsters, who were laundering millions of pounds of gold stolen from the legendary Brink's-Mat bullion raid. As Britons descended on Ibiza ahead of one of the greatest summers of the nineties, Howard was preparing for his most outrageous operation yet. Incredibly funny, moving and scabrous, Howard Marks' Mr Smiley follows a journey to the heartland of the clubbing and British crime scene. It is also a fitting last word from one of Britain's best loved bad boys. |
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by AMBER MARKS For 40 years Howard Marks traversed the globe: an international businessman who became an inmate in America's toughest penitentiary before standing for election in the United Kingdom. Becoming Mr Nice reveals an extraordinary montage of previously unseen material from his roller-coaster life, interwoven with his daughter's incisively researched and deadpan commentary. It includes surveillance footage, intelligence reports, phone transcripts, the business cards and letterheads used as trading fronts, driving licences and passport applications in multiple identities, and cryptic faxes from the Far East. But more than that, it offers a vista onto his many and varied experiences and escapades, through notebooks, personal items and correspondence with the bizarre, wonderful, comic or downright suspicious characters who surrounded him. It includes extracts from a lavishly detailed and hitherto unpublished account of Howard's years on the run (written in confidence for the benefit of his otherwise baffled defence team) together with transcripts from his trial at the Old Bailey, in which he successfully claimed that his involvement in the biggest ever importation of cannabis into the United Kingdom was on behalf of the secret services. Peppered with comic observations from Howard's private letters, this book provides a uniquely personal insight into one of Britain's most remarkable characters. Becoming Mr Nice is the essential companion volume to Marks' million-copy-selling autobiography Mr Nice and a comprehensive, illustrated introduction to Howard Marks for a new generation. |