Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #92307 in Books
• Published on: 2004-05-06
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Houston, who has written widely in the field of New Age spirituality (Jump Time: Living in the Future Tense) and who once spiritually advised Hillary Clinton draws here on her relationship with dogs to advance a vision of mysticism. Citing the work of Evelyn Underhill, Houston sees the mystic path in eight stages: awakening, purification, illumination, voices and visions, contemplation and introversion, ecstasy and rapture, the dark night of the soul and union with what she calls the One Reality. She provides examples of how her experience of each stage was guided by a dog who lived with her. Chickie, a mix of Welsh Corgi and bearded collie, was Houston's first dog, and she credits Chickie with teaching her "to be alert to both the seen and unseen, the heard and unheard." She explains how the three Airedales she owned at various times all tried to overreach themselves-a quality that Houston believes guided their voices to her, as well as visions. During periods of depression, Houston's bond with her dogs helped her believe that she would recover and evolve. While some readers may prickle at Houston's effusive New Age talk, the author's fans, as well as dog lovers, will relate to and enjoy her descriptions of meditative and spiritual practices that are enhanced by a connection to animals. Color photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Jean Houston is a scholar and researcher in latent human capacities, past president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology, and the author of seventeen books including such best sellers as Search for the Beloved, The Possible Human, A Mythic Life, A Passion for the Possible, and, most recently, Jump Time. She lives in Ashland, Oregon.

Customer Reviews

soul reacher
Being a believer already that there is more to dogs then meets the naked eye, this book grabbed me by the heart and made me revisit each dog that has ever been in my life. I recommend this book to anyone who is open to learning about themselves and their canine friends.

Beyond what I hoped for
I bought this book two days before I found the perfect dog at the local animal shelter. I started reading and I cried over the front of the book that tells the story of the man meeting at the gates of Heaven and asking for his faithful companion to enter with him. My dog jumped on the sofa next to me and licked my tears. I haven't been the same since. I can't recommend this book enough.

Amazing woman
This book could be life-changing for those people who believe that animals have powers beyond the simple realm of their daily reality. I was most impressed with her writing, her worldly experiences and her genuineness. I actually went on her website and listened to a conference she had that had been taped. WOW. This is one dynamic human being with a heart as big as Texas. I love dogs--always have--and she captures something about them that even I hadn't given them credit for. It's definitely not an easy read, however and you must pause, put the book down and reflect on her ideas.