John of God By Heather Cumming and Karen Leffler

Published by Atria Books

John of God will move you, inspire you and take you further along your own path of healing. John Teixeira de Faria, also known as John of God (or Medium Joao), is a healer, medium and channeler who lives in Abadiana, Brazil. Part of what is so remarkable about Medium Joao is that he channels entities from a huge “collective” of healing entities or spirits that incarnate through him to perform the healings while he remains in a trance state. Over a career spanning nearly 50 years, and most of the globe, he has performed over 8,000,000 healings in this manner. This book, John of God, is the first authorized biography (including permission from the entities) to tell his story, show photos of the entities' energies and describe the nature of his healings.

Medium Joao's story is fascinating, and Heather Cumming does a masterful job of interviewing him, his wife and family, friends and several people who have received healings. Simply reading the book activates the heart – you will be swept along by the biography of John of God and captivated by the stories of miraculous healings he has effected. This is a book of hope – for you, for me, for all of mankind and the planet – it does not get any better than this!

Reviewed by Cheryl Shainmark. For a more extensive review, visit www.MerlianNews.com.

The Language of Miracles: A Celebrated Psychic Teaches You to Talk to Animals By Amelia Kinkade

Published by New World Library

You are sitting and reading a magazine. Your dog comes over, sits down beside you and stares into your eyes. You know that she just went out, so it is not that. You look back into her eyes and wonder, “What are you thinking? What is it you are trying to tell me?” Your dog keeps staring at you and you know that there is something on her mind. Do you wish you could find out?

You can. In The Language of Miracles, Amelia Kinkade shares techniques, tools and exercises for developing your ability to communicate with animals. It is not unusual for our human minds to think that this is a little far fetched, but Kinkade discusses how animals already are masters of intuitive communication and that our ability to do this has been suppressed by modern culture and reliance upon verbal communication.

Kinkade relates amazing stories from experiences that she and her students have had with animal communication. It does not matter if the pet is a goldfish, a parrot or a cat, all animals have stories to tell. They can tell us if they are ill, what is bothering them, if we need to be warned about something and much more. In fact, after reading this book, you will realize that animals can carry on complete conversations with us, if we just listen. Kinkade shows us how.

Filled with surprising and heart-warming stories, The Language of Miracles inspires us to sit down with the animals of our lives and explore the unspoken world between us.

Reviewed by Dennis Ehren, DC, director of Ehren Chiropractic & Wellness Center. He can be reached at (216) 221-9990.

Falling into the Arms of God: Meditations With Teresa of Avila By Megan Don

Published by New World Library

Falling into the Arms of God: Meditations with Teresa of Avila is authored by New Zealand born Megan Don who was deeply involved with the Catholic Carmelite Order of which St. Teresa of Avila was also a member. Don's book is a “reflective interpretation relevant to our 21st century psychology and spirituality” based on St. Teresa's guidebook to inner self-guidance, The Inner Castle.

Divided into the Seven Dwellings of St. Teresa's guidebook, this book includes more than 65 meditative passages of mystical theology, each beginning with a life story or reflection on life from St. Teresa. Don then continues to equate St. Teresa's life to the struggles of the 21st century, ending each short chapter with a specific meditation based on that chapter's topic. More often than not the meditations are powerful enough to lead the reader right into the next reflection and into deeper contemplation which St. Teresa believed were not just for nuns and monks but open to all people.

Falling into the Arms of God has been designed to be read either daily by one person, weekly in a study group or on an as-needed basis using the categorized table of contents. For those wishing to read this book in a study group, Don, who currently is a spiritual counselor and teacher, offers her expertise in leading retreats related to this book. Don can be contacted via www.teresaofavilaretreats.com.

Reviewed by Benjamin Szweda, who can be contacted at writerfeedback.bjs@mac.com.

The World's Religions By Huston Smith

Published by HarperCollins

Religious history authority Huston Smith is the author of The World's Religions, a comprehensive guide to the large and small faiths of our world. While previously used as a university textbook, this book is far from dryly written. The unbiased facts of this book flow in an intriguing story form – the story of the ages. Each chapter of The World's Religions, written from the perspective of a Western author, is broken down into understandable steps ranging from an explanation of the religion's background all the way to the ultimate goal of that faith.

Throughout the book Smith makes comparisons between religions while always keeping his Western ideals in sight and explaining how someone with similar ideals would react to the beliefs and practices of each different religion. Smith ends each chapter with information on additional readings and where to look if you are interested in learning more about either a little-known cult or a well-known religion.

Whether you want to learn more about the background of your own faith or simply want to supplement your study of religions, Smith's book is a great resource for you as “there is the possibility that we might learn from” the other faiths of our world.

Reviewed by Benjamin Szweda, who can be contacted at writerfeedback.bjs@mac.com.