Master herbalist Ellen Evert Hopman presents a playful, informative book for young children between 5 and 10 years old. Sixty-seven herbs introduce themselves and their habitats ("We are ferns. We grow on the forest floor." "I am chamomile. My leaves are feathery and light green.").

The book is colorful, well designed and easy to use. Hopman has wisely limited the text to a few simple yet interesting basics so that little minds won't be overwhelmed. Close-up color photographs help children learn to identify plants, and a warning symbol accompanies all plants that are not safe to eat. Basic herbal skills are also addressed through an activity associated with each plant.

Hopper writes that she created this book to encourage wonder. Indeed, what child would not have fun while learning how to make such unique treats as maple syrup lemonade, candied violets and strawberry honey? Budding herbalists may even amaze their friends by noting that fresh blueberries can help cure mouth sores (especially good to know for kids with braces!) or that the sap of milkweed encourages warts to disappear. Not to mention the near-magical paradox that although touching stinging nettle will cause a sting, simply rinsing the leaves in cold water will make the sting disappear and, moreover, that a soothing wash for burns and itchy skin can actually be made from chopped nettle leaf.

It is encouraging that books such as this are introducing children to a deeper appreciation of plants, animals, and all the healing riches the natural world offers us free of charge. The earth supports us in so many ways. It is never too early to develop a sense of caring responsibility for our home.

As Hopper reminds us all, "Please remember to give thanks to our green sisters and brothers. Without plants we would have no food to eat, no medicine, no furniture or homes, no clothing, no air to breathe. We depend on them for our very lives and they need our help too."

~~~ Review by Dawn Baumann Brunke

Pagan Fleshworks
The Alchemy of Body Modification
By Maureen Mercury, Photos by Steve Haworth (Park Street Press, 2000, Softcover $19.95)

Although I was sent a review copy of this book by mistake, once I opened it, I had a difficult time putting it down. It was the photographs that first grabbed me: a young man with myriad piercings covering his ears, nose, eyebrows, lips, nipples and bellybutton, also completely 'illustrated' with tribal tattoos; a young woman (a model, in fact) who transformed herself into a cat, with leopard spot tattoos arching over shoulders and chest. And there are more -- many more variations of body modification than I ever imagined possible: pointed ears, split tongues, cautery brandings and a wide range of surgical implants, including captive bead rings (looking a bit like small, rounded horseshoes), horns (ranging from tiny bumps on the forehead to what look like actual horns about to erupt from the skin) and other metal shapes (bears, ankhs, beads, even a series of ridges termed bionic implants) inserted beneath the skin to show in relief. Other implants allow gemstones to be secured into the sternum, or, in the case of one man, metal spikes screwed directly onto the top of the head.

What is going on here? Close-up photographs by Steve Haworth (noted in the 1999 Guinness Book of World Records as the "Most Successful 3-Dimensional Artist" and creator of many of the body transformations in this book) are aesthetically intriguing, further pushing home the idea that what is actually happening with these individuals may be something much deeper than many of us (the uninitiated anyway) suspect.

In this collection of soul-transforming fleshwork stories, Maureen Mercury, a depth psychologist, is our able guide. As she sees it, body modifications have become the medium for a new type of initiation. Initiation into what is the question. On the surface, a tattoo or nose piercing may be a way of identifying with a group or asserting one's individuality. Beneath the surface, however, Mercury maintains that fleshworks are a vehicle through which people create their own symbolic meanings in order to feel a deeper sense of divinity within. As Mercury puts it, "Those who choose to modify their bodies cross a sensate threshold in addition to a psychological one, which places them within the ancient tradition of using the body as a vehicle for the search for ecstatic experience."

This is probably not a book for the physically squeamish and yet, for those who are interested and desire to probe deeper the mystery of body modification, it offers ample rewards. Mercury interweaves her knowledge of history, spirituality and rites of passage with true, personal stories. She is relentless in pursuing the gold, constantly digging beneath the surface to seek the mystery of the ritual process itself -- in this case, a portal to the psyche: a colorful, beaded, pierced or otherwise richly adorned opening that connects body and spirit.

~~~ Review by Dawn Baumann Brunke

Imagine leaving a self-help bookstore with your mind full of conflicting thoughts. Suddenly, you meet a beautiful, radiant woman who speaks to you as though she can read your thoughts. This happens twice to Carl Nassar.

The same woman later knocks on his door in the middle of the night. "Joy," Carl's earth spirit, visits him every Saturday thereafter, taking him on a journey of self-discovery and healing. Joy shows Carl how to use his breath to go inward and together they travel though the stars into past experiences. Each time Carl examines past decisions he has made -- especially during childhood -- and learns more about himself. He sees, for example, that he welcomed misery into his life as a helpful tool but now, instead of misery serving him, he has been serving it.

Carl learns that he is divine, though has up until now forgotten this. Free to choose joy rather than misery, Carl decides to go for joy and begins to build happiness-making skills one day at a time. To do this, he uses tools such as intention and persistence.

This book was enjoyable and easy to read. Readers who are looking for a new tool to add to their skills for living joyfully should find this book beneficial.

~~~ Review by Suzanne Walsh

Do you have a book to recommend? Would you like to write a guest book review? Please call or e-mail Dawn Brunke at (907) 373-4667 or brunke@matnet.com.