Eve and the Choice Made in Eden by Beverly Campbell
Is the way that women evaluate their own worth affected still by the biblical story of Mother Eve? Author Beverly Campbell suggests, “In much of the literature and in most of the histories referring to women there is an undercurrent of apology, as though there is something not quite ‘all right’ about being a woman. In looking for the source of this unease, I came to recognize that it could be traced to accounts of the Creation and to the ever-prevalent and negative characterizations of Eve.”
She writes of three levels from which the story of Eden must be viewed: as historical fact, as a series of symbols and metaphors, and as a place for a beginning our own search for spiritual understanding and relevance in life. This compelling book may change forever your perception of our first parents and the choice they made.
From the reviews:
“Have you ever considered how greatly your general feelings about yourself (if you are a woman) and the female gender are influenced by the story of the Creation and the generally acknowledged opinions about Mother Eve?
The more I thought about this, I found myself agreeing with a statement from the Washington Post quoted in this book: “The story of Eve in the book of Genesis has had a more profoundly negative impact on women throughout history than any other.”
This book explores the story and language of the Creation in great depth and brings to light the reality that women are a vital and wonderful part of the plan of God from the beginning. It shows that Eve’s choice was not a sin, but a transgression and more than that, that is was a choice between obeying a lesser and temporary commandment and obeying the greater and eternal commandent to multiply and replenish the earth. This book explains and enforces over and over the strong and capable partner that Eve was to her husband Adam and that we still have that role to fulfill ourselves.”
“I believe this should be required reading for everyone. This book confirms what I’ve always believed, but didn’t know how to articulate. Women are strong, equal, necessary companions with men. Not subordinates. The priesthood is a power divined for both men AND women to partake of. The plan of happiness was not designed to put women in an inferior role to men, but rather to put men and women on equal ground, albeit with different missions that TOGETHER can be fulfilled.”
“My book group read this book at the first of the year. The library had 16 copies and half a dozen holds so I had to go buy my own copy and I’m glad that I did. This book is a must read for every woman on the planet! It can change the way women feel about themselves. The research of Beverly Campell in writing this book was amazing…she sited scriptures, and prophets, and used experts to better define Hebrew words to give us a better understanding of what actually happened in the Garden of Eden and the amazing – very equal – very aware – role that Eve played in bringing to past the coming of humankind to the Earth. It’s a short book and a fast read, however, I will be reading it again to really grasp all the truths revealed in the book. The amazing part about it, was that there was nothing new in this book. I have known the truths in this book all my life and before I came to this Earth, and as I read this book the Spirit spoke to me and in my mind I said, “Yes, I knew that.”
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When Souls Had Wings: Pre-Mortal Existence in Western Thought by Terryl Givens
Abstract
When Souls Had Wings represents the first attempt to trace a history of “pre-heaven,” the idea that the human soul (or spirit) had an existence prior to its mortal birth. Philosophers from Plato through Leibniz and Kant to J. E. M. McTaggart, thinkers in Jewish and Christian traditions, and poets from the seventeenth century to Robert Frost have propounded a transcendent realm peopled by the souls of humans yet unborn.
This book documents the presence of this idea historically and investigates its meaning for those who embrace it, the reasons for its prevalence, the literary, cultural, ideological, and theological functions that is has served, and the reasons for its demise or disappearance at various times in Western history.
Preexistence, or pre-mortal existence, has been invoked to explain the human yearning for transcendence and the sublime, as well as the sensation of alienation and the indelible sadness of human existence. Preexistence has been invoked to account for why we know what we should not know, and to account for the unevenly distributed pain and suffering that are humanity’s common lot. The idea suggests a reason for uncannily instantaneous bonds between friends and between lovers, and many philosophers have found in premortality the precondition for a genuinely free will.
The impressive scope of the intellectual work it does, and the pantheon of thinkers who have appealed to its explanatory power, explain the resilience of an idea that at last receives here its own historical treatment.
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| The Nature Keepers (Bestow) by J.S. Kirkland
Summary: The Nature Keepers, who govern the natural world, are deeply divided in their intentions towards our world and are embroiled in a bitter conflict that threatens the future of all humankind. Six young people, previously unaware of their extraordinary family legacy, discover they have been bestowed with gifts of profound meaning and power—vital to defending humankind. They accept the call to crossover to the world of the Nature Keepers to join forces in the fight against menacing rivals—who were once friends and allies. Share in their heart-breaking defeats and exhilarating triumphs as these young people test their courage against all odds and prevail, having acquired strengths they never knew they had, wisdom beyond their years, and an understanding of true love and individual destiny.
Review
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Kirkus Reviews
In this debut Young Adult fantasy novel, a group of cousins carry on a family legacy of battling evil in a fantastic kingdom. Eighteen-year-old Tyler Scott awakens during the night as an intense storm rages outside. He’s been having a recurring dream about sea horse–like creatures pulling a giant sailing ship through blue fog. He saw the same ship in real life while he was looking through his father’s powerful telescope. It turns out that his dad, professor Caleb Scott, knows all about the mysterious Blue Galleon. Twenty-one years ago, he and his siblings, Ella and Remy, traveled in it to the realm of Turena, the home of the Nature Keepers, who govern the powers of life and death on Earth. There, they fought for the Light Keepers against the Dark Keepers. A generation later, the Light Keepers need more help from the Scott family, which includes Tyler; his 15-year-old sister, Samara; and their cousins, Cyrus (17), Mantha (15), Maggie (10), and Noah (8). The six kids, along with Abigail, Caleb’s departmental assistant, travel to Turena on the Blue Galleon. Each carries a powerful artifact, such as Mantha’s Waterstone Ring, which can turn her invisible. Queen Alexandra enlists the clan to retrieve the Scepter of Light from the lair of the evil Barrell, who’s closer than ever to creating lasting darkness. For this series opener, Kirkland presents an engaging, structured world for young nature enthusiasts to explore. Real-life astronomical facts (about the blue-moon phenomenon, for example) accompany striking fantasy tableaux, including the Sea of Clouds, where “jellyfish floated into the sky like translucent, pastel-colored balloons, their tentacles fluttering like silk ribbons.” The tale’s central message that “the actions of humans can also influence Nature” is an important one for young readers to grasp. Kirkland’s large cast never feels like a faceless squad because the author fleshes out everyone carefully—from Markis, Keeper of the Light, to Baybourn, queen of the wasp warriors. Well-crafted relationships between characters and the seeding of important concepts throughout should win over fantasy fans looking for a fresh series. A boisterous, environmentally savvy adventure.
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More at: https://booklife.com/project/bestow-32215
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| Girls Like Us
Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon–and the Journey of a Generation
A groundbreaking and irresistible biography of three of America’s most important musical artists—Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon—charts their lives as women at a magical moment in time.
Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon remain among the most enduring and important women in popular music. Each woman is distinct. Carole King is the product of outer-borough, middle-class New York City; Joni Mitchell is a granddaughter of Canadian farmers; and Carly Simon is a child of the Manhattan intellectual upper crust. They collectively represent, in their lives and their songs, a great swath of American girls who came of age in the late 1960s. Their stories trace the arc of the now mythic sixties generation—female version—but in a bracingly specific and deeply recalled way, far from cliché. The history of the women of that generation has never been written—until now, through their resonant lives and emblematic songs.
Filled with the voices of many dozens of these women’s intimates, who are speaking in these pages for the first time, this alternating biography reads like a novel—except it’s all true, and the heroines are famous and beloved. Sheila Weller captures the character of each woman and gives a balanced portrayal enriched by a wealth of new information.
Girls Like Us is an epic treatment of midcentury women who dared to break tradition and become what none had been before them—confessors in song, rock superstars, and adventurers of heart and soul.
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Do Nothing: How To Break Away From Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving
We work feverishly to make ourselves happy. So why are we so miserable? This manifesto helps us break free of our unhealthy devotion to efficiency and shows us how to reclaim our time and humanity with a little more leisure.
Despite our constant search for new ways to “hack” our bodies and minds for peak performance, human beings are working more instead of less, living harder not smarter, and becoming more lonely and anxious. We strive for the absolute best in every aspect of our lives, ignoring what we do well naturally, and reaching for a bar that keeps rising higher and higher.
Why do we measure our time in terms of efficiency instead of meaning?
Why can’t we just take a break?
In Do Nothing, award-winning journalist Celeste Headlee illuminates a new path ahead, seeking to institute a global shift in our thinking so we can stop sabotaging our well-being, put work aside, and start living instead of doing.
As it turns out, we’re searching for external solutions to an internal problem. We won’t find what we’re searching for in punishing diets or productivity apps.
Celeste’s strategies will allow you to regain control over your life and break your addiction to false efficiency. You’ll learn how to increase your time perception to determine how your hours are being spent, invest in quality idle time, and focus on end goals instead of mean goals. It’s time to reverse the trend that’s making us all sadder, sicker, and less productive, and return to a way of life that allows us to thrive.
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