from the Columbus Library. I liked the book cover but didn’t read the book. It follows what Anastasia says in the Ringing Cedars of Russia:

With irresistibly persuasive vigor, David Shenk debunks the long-standing notion of genetic “giftedness,” and presents dazzling new scientific research showing how greatness is in the reach of every individual.

DNA does not make us who we are. “Forget everything you think you know about genes, talent, and intelligence,” he writes. “In recent years, a mountain of scientific evidence has emerged suggesting a completely new paradigm: not talent scarcity, but latent talent abundance.”

Integrating cutting-edge research from a wide swath of disciplines—cognitive science, genetics, biology, child development—Shenk offers a highly optimistic new view of human potential. The problem isn’t our inadequate genetic assets, but our inability, so far, to tap into what we already have. IQ testing and widespread acceptance of “innate” abilities have created an unnecessarily pessimistic view of humanity—and fostered much misdirected public policy, especially in education.

The truth is much more exciting. Genes are not a “blueprint” that bless some with greatness and doom most of us to mediocrity or worse. Rather our individual destinies are a product of the complex interplay between genes and outside stimuli-a dynamic that we, as people and as parents, can influence.

This is a revolutionary and optimistic message. We are not prisoners of our DNA. We all have the potential for greatness.

“Our bodies serve as a tool for accomplishing spiritual missions. In order to carry out our mission, we need to release the warped feelings and emotions – fear and grief, sadness, suspicion, impatience, weaknesses, and apathy – that form a block between the spirit and the body.

“Such emotions become the cause of many of the symptoms that we experience. Our modern medicine is for the most part unable to deal with the roots of our illnesses, but this is an area where flower essence has proven to be effective. ”

Emoto froze flower essences to see what he would get. The snowflakes were beautiful like the flowers.

Page 61 – “Dr. Teruo Higa, a professor at Ryukyu University in Okinawa, has been striving to spread the use of a form of organic bacteria he developed called Effective Microorganism (EM). EM is a liquid formed from bacteria. It has been shown to be perfectly safe – even beneficial – for people and the environment. When EM is applied to soil, the result is a bountiful crop without the use of chemicals or synthetic fetilizers. When used to treat polluted water, the water becomes drinkable. It can even be used to treat the dioxin resulting from the burning of refuse.

I was glad I hadn’t bought the book. It tries to do too much on one book and doesn’t explain anything very well to be useful. But it had a few things I thought very good and useful.

Page 15 Displaying file extensions. – I hated that Windows XP and Vista hide file extensions. I didn’t know how to change it.

1. Open the file manager (My Computer in XP or Computer in Vista)
2. Choose Tools -> folder Options
3. Select the View tab
4. Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
5 Enable show the path and hidden folders.
6. Apply these changes to all the folders by clicking the apply to all folders button.
================
Pages 69-70
Code for definitions. Use like tables in the code.

defines the entire list. “dictionary list

defines each definition term

defines each definition data
==============
Page 336 Aptana editor is great for coding java and the program is free

“We don’t realize that controlling the ego through discipline is a lot simpler than trying to satisfy it all the time.”

“Silent power often requires the contrary approach. When others lean, step back; when they cry out, remain silent; when they run, you walk. Stay in control and exude stability…”

“Wu Wei is bing content with what you are, with who you are, and with what you have now…. When you’re balanced, the universe provides; more will always be there. But Wu Wei is the act of not pushing, not forcing.”

Short little book. Only 100 small pages. Excellent.

Story of growing up and feeling rejected because of his psychic abilities. How he embraced them as an adult and traveled to the UK to study at the Arthur Findlay College, an institution for psychic studies. Fun story to read.

Story about two friends both living with AIDS. One took his life and then started contacting the other. It is a story about the impact of AIDS on the gay community. A nice story to read. Positive and uplifting.

I thought the first chapter about the Ouija board was hilarious and was hoping the rest of the book would have funny stories. It didn’t. I didn’t finish the book. Wasn’t in the mood for seriousness. May read the rest of the book later.

I liked this book. The author had a near death experience and visited purgatory or hell until he tried a very lame prayer that pulled him out. The conversation with God that he had – has lessons for all of us:

Page 40 – “The two world wars of the twentieth century were not God’s will. Those wars were not inevitable or necessary. They happened not because God wanted them, but rahter because you wanted them so intensely that you got what you wanted. The two world wars could have been prevented and should never have happened, but there was a conscious desire by enough people wanting to dominate other people that God let you suffer the results fo your desire. God suffers every agony that people suffer during war.”

Page 41 – “God really meant it when you were told to not kill. And you have been ignoring and deceiving yourselves ever since.”

“… why then does God allow war to happen?…. If we desire to kill one another, God will not stop up.”

“Our purpose is to know and do God’s will in this life, and we do this when we love one another as God loves us. Every person without exception needs to be loved by us.”

Page 44 – “They said, ‘ There will be no more world wars.’”

The book says that the Cold War would end in a couple of years because God was changing the hearts of people.

THE FUTURE: There will be sickness but the treatment for disease will always be successful. The treatment will be prayer, touch, and meditation. People will grow only enough food for our needs. All the people of the world together will control the weather by collective will. Animals will live in harmony with us. People will be able to communicate telepathically. We won’t need technology. We will explore outer space telepathically. And it will come about IN TWO HUNDRED YEARS.

Page 47 – “The United States has been given more of everything than any coutnry in the history of the world, and it has failed to be generous with its gifts. If the United States continues to exploit the rest of the world by greedily consuming the world’s resources, it will have God’s blessing withdrawn. Your country will collapse economically, which will result in civil chaos. Because of the greedy nature of people, you will have people killing people for a cup of gasoline. The world will watch in horror as your coutnry is obliterated by strife. The rest of the world will not intervene because they have been victims of your exploitation. The will welcome the annihilation of such selfish people. The United States must change immediatly and become the teacher of goodness and generosity to the rest of the world.”

The author has much to say to us. His experience was life changing for him. Let’s hope we make it life changing for us, too.

A basic idea is developed by our scientists about what they wanted our prehistory to be. Then facts are found to support the idea but all the evidence that disproves it was ignored. Anyone who finds proof that the statis quo is wrong, looses his job, his funding, and cannot get published in the “accepted” scientific journals.

The Indians did not come across a “land bridge” from Asia. There were “tall people with beards” who inhabited parts of the Americas. The Indians did not slaughter the animals as the white man did with the buffalo. The dinosaurs did not walk into tar pits and get caught. Sedentary rock did not form the way we have been taught. Our radioactive dating methods are not accurate.