3 X 5's: Index Card Wisdom from Best of Books

AZAR Rivera Sun (2018).  The Lost Heir Sun earned a BA in dance and studied writing before becoming the author of several books, many of which have the theme of peace-making.  This book is the 2nd in a series of books about "The Way Between" with the main character of AriAra, the lost heir of two peoples (the desert people--the king being her father, and the city people--the queen being her mother, tragically murdered at the time of AriAra's birth). The Way Between is a philosophy of nonviolence and peace called Azar, sitting between Attar, the way of war embodied by warriors, and Anar the gentle way embodied by the Fanten mountain people and some of the monks at the monastery where AriaAra grew up as a shepherdess and student. Some of the practical lessons from the book include: sing your song of life...a person with a song is never lost...the world can be changed by a song simple actions by 1,000's of people can prevent conflict and war the way between, Azar, refuse...

TO LOVE Mary Balogh (2016) . Someone to Love Balogh, as of 2016, wrote over 100 books, 30 of which were on the New York Times bestseller list. All of her novels have happy endings and involve a great deal of character development and dialogue. This is the story of Anna Snow, later Anastasia Westcott, and still later the Duchess of Netherby, and her relationship with Avery Archer, the Duke of Netherby. I love the way the duke uses creative and imaginative language to respond to questions and comments...reminds me of what i strive for in conversation, to use the other person's metaphors and frame of reference to create imaginative responses that delight and support. Listen for the metaphors (signs/symbols/ideas) that people use when they speak...see if you can respond using the same metaphor in a way that encourages, supports, and delights the other.

PERELANDRA Machaelle Small Wright (1997, rev). Behaving As If the God                                                                             In All Life Mattered. Wright has no formal educational credentials. She is a self-taught naturalist who works directly with nature intelligences and has authored several books outlining her personal history and methods. About 2/3's of this book is autobiographical...there is much hardship and tragedy but she views these events positively, as preparation for her work with energy, forces, and sports of nature...co-creating with them on a 45 acre nature research center called Perelandra (named after the colony planet in the C. S. Lewis space fiction book). Only the last 30 pages of the book reveal "how to" practices...sh...

OUT OF BODY Robert Monroe (1977). Journey's Out of the Body Monroe earned his BA in 1937 and was a successful small business owner before experimenting with out of body journeys and publishing his first book, J ourney's Out of the Body , as part of a trilogy. The second book in the trilogy is Far Journeys (1985) and his final book is Ultimate Journey (1994). His work extended to founding the Monroe Institute  designed to "explore human consciousness," which is still in operation as of 2025. In 1977, there was not a great deal of research available on out of body experiences, so Monroe conducted his own experiments on himself which are detailed in the book. Over 5k out of body experiments are conducted over a 12 year period, portions of which are quoted in the book. Monroe's journalistic observational perspective is refreshing...he provides much detail, examines counter explanations (e.g., at first he thought he was "going crazy" and sought medical and ...

CHILDREN'S PICTURE  BOOKS Thomas Wartenberg (2013). A Sneetch is a Sneetch and                                                         Other Philosophical Discoveries:                                                         Finding Wisdom in Children's Literature. Wartenberg is a professor of philosophy and the author of 13 books.  Children's picture books raise philosophical questions that can be discussed and debated for fun and enjoyment. 16 picture books, one per chapter, provide links to larger philosophical issues and suggest questions to start a conversation with children...excellent references, resources, and glossary. Among my favorit...