Non-Magical Books you'd still reccomend
Just as a general conversation-starter, I wanted to propose this thread: books of a non-magic/mystic nature that are still useful to a practictioner of such techniques - history, science, psychology, medicine, for instance.
Ones that come to mind for me:
Maps of the Mind - Charles Hampden Turner - This compendium of psychology theories and their potential relations and similarities, really opened my eyes to different ways to concieve of the human mind, and finding relations among systems. Very influental in the way I think these days. Worth buying.
Biological Exhuberance - Bruce Bagemihl - A look at animal homosexuality and animal diversity. An odd title in this vein, but it was fascinating to read about sheer differences - and functions - of behavior. Made me re-examine how I think about sex and evolution.
Strange Relations - by Donna Kossy - A look at alternate theories of human origins. Fascinating on multiple levels, from how people think, to where ideas we see today come from.
"The Relaxation Response" - by Herbert Benson - A medical look at meditation and medical benefits. An odd, thin, kind of simplistic book, but it's a groundbreaker from 1975 and has had some influence on later thought. It's also quite simple and clear and sane. Unless you're really curious, get it from the library, it's a quick read.
Ones that come to mind for me:
Maps of the Mind - Charles Hampden Turner - This compendium of psychology theories and their potential relations and similarities, really opened my eyes to different ways to concieve of the human mind, and finding relations among systems. Very influental in the way I think these days. Worth buying.
Biological Exhuberance - Bruce Bagemihl - A look at animal homosexuality and animal diversity. An odd title in this vein, but it was fascinating to read about sheer differences - and functions - of behavior. Made me re-examine how I think about sex and evolution.
Strange Relations - by Donna Kossy - A look at alternate theories of human origins. Fascinating on multiple levels, from how people think, to where ideas we see today come from.
"The Relaxation Response" - by Herbert Benson - A medical look at meditation and medical benefits. An odd, thin, kind of simplistic book, but it's a groundbreaker from 1975 and has had some influence on later thought. It's also quite simple and clear and sane. Unless you're really curious, get it from the library, it's a quick read.
