• Make Your Place by Raleigh Briggs

    January 2014 Book of the Month More of a go-to rather than a read cover to cover (although I’ve totally read it cover to cover), Make Your Place: Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills is one of my favorite informational books on using natural products for health and cleaning. We think the back cover says it best; “Raleigh Briggs teaches us how to craft a sustainable domestic life outside of consumer consciousness. And it’s not as hard as we may think! This hand drawn book of charming tutorials is both fun and accessible. It’s full of simple skills that anyone can and should learn. From creating tinctures and salves, to concocting all-natural cleaners, to gardening basics, this book is great for anyone looking to live more simply and truly do it themselves.”

  • The Illustrated Light on Yoga by B. K. S. Iyengar

    December 2013 Book of the Month Happy 95th birthday to B.K.S. Iyengar! Let’s wrap up 2013 together with this one of a kind, comprehensive introduction to ancient aesthetics and philosophy of yoga. In The Illustrated Light on Yoga, Iyengar covers techniques, effects, hints and cautions of both āsana and prāṇāyāma (techniques for stilling the mind through breathing exercises). He also includes detailed description of over 50 key postures, a full glossary of yoga terms and a 35-week course progressing from beginner to intermediate level. Yoga every day!

  • Extraordinary Knowing by Elizabeth Lloyd Mayer

    November 2013 Book of the Month Lisby Mayor’s book, Extraordinary Knowing, opens with a spell-binding story about a lost harp, a disappointed child, a skeptical mother and the psychic who made sense of it all. The incredible experience recounted in the first pages of Mayor’s book completely shifted Mayor’s perceptions of the world around her. A well respected scientist, Lisby Mayor found herself in the unique position of feeling utterly confounded by the nature of her experience. For the first time in her life, there seemed to be no rational explanation for the events she witnessed. Lucky for us – her experience upended her perceptions of the world around her and shifted the focus of her research in profound ways. Perhaps, one of the most frustrating aspects of contemporary life is the slow pace at which science keeps…

  • Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

    October 2013 Book of the Month This could be fun! I’m only 15 pages into this book and it’s already hard to put down. If your looking for a philosophical dive into a grasping narrative then (so far) this is the book to open. Join us…

  • The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

    September 2013 Book of the Month I read The Celestine Prophecy during the first couple weeks of school in my first year at the College for Creative Studies. I had just moved to Detroit and I was enrolled in a Sociology class taught by Molly Beauregard. This is when Molly and I met for the first time (in this life). I’ll never forget the way she smiled with her hand resting on my book saying, “This is a very good book, one of my favorites.” This was actually the very first book I read on my not so declared at the time but ever present “spiritual quest”. And with that, I’ll leave you to the wild, wonderful and supremely suspenseful book that is, The Celestine Prophesy…might this be a coincidence?…

  • A Sacred Place to Dwell: Living with Reverence Upon the Earth by Henryk Skolimowski

     April 2013 Book of the Month Spring is in the air! I woke this morning to daffodils open to face the sun. When you live in Michigan this may be one of the happiest sights of the year. Which brings me to my book pick for the month of April: A Sacred Place to Dwell: Living with Reverence Upon the Earth. Written by Henryk Skolimowski, A Sacred Place to Dwell is a profoundly beautiful book that introduces the reader to a new branch of philosophy called eco-philosophy. Skolimowski passionately argues for a re-articulation of spirituality that recognizes how our individual lives affect other human beings and natural habitats. He asks the question: How do we infuse reverence into a world which is conceived of as a mere machine? He answers by stating that we should all view…