When I first went and grabbed How To Solve All Your Money Problems Forever by Victor Boc (paper, 3rd edition, $12.95, ISBN: 0-912937-31-9, Vorco Publishing), I had a funny feeling that it was the end of the line for me in terms of actually “shopping” at Iven’s office/review book store. Having recently been told by a real genuine honest to goodness guru that my spiritual work was to re-gain my financial independence in this lifetime, I lapped it up with great enthusiasm and gusto. Be forewarned, however. Buying this almost 20-year old classic might make you wealthy, healthy, and much wiser for the experience. I’ll never be without this book. It puts a sparkle in my day.

You’ve heard it a million times. The truth will set you free. Radical Honesty by Brad Blanton (paper, $12.95, ISBN: 0-440-50754-5, Dell Publishing) is God’s gift to the world of emotional, intellectual, sexual, and interpersonal freedom. Once you’ve tasted the freedom that only deep, heartfelt honesty brings, you’ll be handing out copies of Radical Honesty to all your friends like I’ve been doing. It has become one of my Bibles.

The best metaphysical books of the ‘90’s are always, I’m finding, written by women. Searching for Home by Laurellynn Martin (paper, $11.95, ISBN: 0-9620507-5-x, Cosmic Concepts) is a masterpiece of higher knowledge. It’s a near-death-experiencer book with the added benefit of Ms. Martin’s twelve years of ensuing chronic pain to keep her intensely on the path, searching for home, a resting place within herself, to free herself from her own assumptions. Having studied metaphysics all my life, I’ve never read anything more complete on the subject of meditation, death, love, God, and the meaning of life. Don’t let the goofy cover and the silly title fool you. This book is classic material and has become a fixture for me in my life and actually helped me through a crisis already!

When I was nursing my baby daughter seventeen years ago, I watched Son Rise, a made for TV movie, about a mom and dad who turned their autistic son into a boy genius by the miracle of time and attention and good, old-fashioned hard work and determination. Since then their son has enrolled in an Ivy League University, and his parents have written about ten books such as Happiness Is A Choice, and now their newest release, Out-Smarting Your Karma by Barry Neal Kaufman (paper, $9.95, ISBN:1-887254-04-8, The Option Institute). The format is quotations with line drawings filled with deep thought and eternal messages for us all. The fact that Barry Kaufman used to own a Long Island ad agency that promoted all the major movies of its day may have something to do with the fact that he’s hired Pauline Banducci, the most aggressive and obviously effective book publicist Iven’s had to try to get off the phone. Keep up the good work, Pauline. Iven deserves to be hassled! He says he’s busy but no one is exactly sure what he does, anyway. And your phone calls prompted him to FedEx your very well done press/media kit to me all the way in Los Angeles, which is very extravagant for Iven. A definite breakthrough.

But now I’m on my fifth favorite book and I’m worried that Iven won’t print this review, since he asked for only four book reviews from me this quarter. I’ll take the chance in spite of my worries because it’s a little journal book I can’t be without called Meditations for Women (Who May) Worry Too Much by Anne Wilson Schaef (paper, $12.00, ISBN: 0-345-39406-2, Ballantine), author of million-copy-seller Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much. She’s a hard-thinking woman and covers every worry I’ve ever had and reassures me on every one—except for my worries about Iven.

Bottom line: With this highly intense quality of books with me on a desert island I wouldn’t be on a desert island long. Oh, if I was, I’d soon be wealthy, in love, extremely happy and worry-free. Considering I’m new in town, I’ll definitely take my own advice and re-read them all repeatedly.