Book Review: The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents

THE SEVEN SPIRITUAL LAWS FOR PARENTS
by Deepak Chopra

I am one of the few people who has not read Chopra yet. Frankly, having worked in a library I avoided a lot of the "mainstream" self help type books because of the type of people who were usually checking them out. You might know the type: Oprah followers who check out every book she mentions, but rarely show any evidence that these books impacted their lives.





And you know what? Who am I to judge? I never really knew these people. So, I realized that avoiding these books was an injustice to myself as much as it was an injustice to judge these people I do not know.

So, now I am working hard at finding peace and happiness. Part of that is not judging so much. Another part is learning and Chopra seems to be a great place to start.

This book is my first foray into Chopra and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is not a long book, and most parents will probably relate when I say that was a blessing. I have no time to read thick volumes on parenting.

The "laws" are simple and relatively easy to follow. He includes things like, Everything is Possible, Go with the Flow, and Enjoy the Journey.  And he also set out easy ways to show these laws to your children each day in a natural way. It is about demonstrating though your own behaviors what is expected rather than a Do as I say, Not as I Do environment, which is so easy to fall into. It will take some practice to implement them into daily life, but they won't take extra time from your day.

My only issue with this book, and it is based on my circumstances rather than the information, is that I share custody of my children with their father. The book is so easy to implement when you do one law per day, but when you don't have your kids every day that complicates things. In addition to that I worry about how to implement these things when they will not be reflected in my girl's other home. As I said, though, that is a personal issue.

I have decide to purchase this book, which is a big deal for me. I try to cut down the clutter and not own books unless I know I will open them up again and again. This is one I will refer to regularly because I feel the message is well worth it. And with some study I am sure I can implement them into our half week with the kids.

Book Review: A Casual Vacancy

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was very skeptical about this book. In my house we are HUGE HP fans and I just couldn't wrap my mind around her writing a contemporary adult novel. Still, curiosity got the better of me so when I saw it available at my local library I decided to give it a shot.

First of all, it is NOT a book for kids. In fact, having worked at a YA librarian, tend to think that even older teens and possibly 20-somethings, might not get the full effect of this novel. And anyone under 16, even a mature child, probably shouldn't read this. (I only write this disclaimer because I have heard some parents have let their kids read this one.)

That said, i can tell you that this is a very well written, deep thinking, entertaining, and dare I say profound? book. If you do not already know this Rowling spent many years on the brink of poverty and receiving government help. As a single mother who has also been in this situation I found her observations of life on state assistance and the support or judgments of others. And that is the crux of this book.

It takes place in small town England where a sudden death opens a spot on the local counsel. This normally ho-hum village is suddenly in a bit of a political battle now, with the main issue being whether or not to continue funding some government funded housing that sits on the border of their village and a larger town and also whether they should end a lease on a building that houses a drug rehab facility. These issues end up exposing more than just political views as scandals are unearthed and emotions hit boiling points. Everyone in town, from teenager to retiree, is caught up in the turmoil and discover that their lives are not so simple even in this small village.

Rowling's characters are amazingly fleshed out and she expresses the opinions and views of every person, no matter what their motivation, so authentically. The settling is so well defined that, even as an American, I felt like I was part of the village myself.

It is a long read, so make sure you have the time to devote to it, but this book is worth the time.

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