What I've Always Known: Living in Full Awareness of the Earth

Book Description

“There’s a war going on. A war against the earth, against mother earth. I wonder whose side you on?” So says Clayton Tommy, Salish teacher and mentor, to Tom Harmer, his apprentice in the old ways of the native peoples of the American Northwest, and the even more ancient ways of nature.

What I’ve Always Known is Harmer’s wondrous memoir of his pursuit of the answer to that question. Roaming the mountains and forests with Clayton, Harmer is guided along the arduous and perilous road of “self-training,” as he learns how to interpret his dreams, participate in sweatlodges and healing ceremonies, track and hunt deer, deal with raw fear, and—Clayton’s own personal gift—foretell, and even influence, the weather. By journey’s end he realizes that the legacy he has received is the knowledge of how to live in a way that benefits and serves the earth and all the creatures who call it home.

Customer Reviews:

A Powerful and Honest Work.......2006-09-02

Tom Harmer's work What I've Always Known: Living in Full Awareness of the Earth, is a deeply powerful and honest autobiography that resonates with emotion and strength. The author offers a beautifully written and personally rigorous response to the question "whose side are you on?" - the side of Earth and all its wisdom, or the side of shallowness, greed and disconnection. Harmer's time with the Salish people of the Washington/Canadian border is one of working, sweating and living towards an embodied and holistic response to this question - which may be, in fact, the only real question there is. Harmer's tone is respectful, introspective, honest, and real, and he has a knack for writing beautiful prose with a strong current of authenticity. I have not yet read Harmer's previous work, Going Native, that is a precursor to this one, but I intend to. Even without the previous book, however, What I've Always Known stands by itself as a strikingly meaningful work. I recommend this book to all who are seeking to live in full awareness of the earth, that we may all become truly awake and alive at some point and be able to answer the ultimate question - "whose side are you on?"

A gift to read - .......2006-03-07

I devoured this book, along with Tom's other book, Going Native, feeling like I've felt a soul brother. Tom's gifted writing and descriptions of the mountains and forests where he lived, and his clear memories of his altered states while in sweatlodge and out on "mission" questing for the "power" -- all of these captured me as if I was alongside of him experiencing it with him. More importantly, his realizations and the teachings of his Okadogan elders echo those of my Cherokee teacher's words.

Tom humbly shares his struggles with his inner demons. His willingness to walk a path of courage with his teachers and the native ways that they taught him was exceptional. Not many of us who grew up in the cities and suburbs would have the courage to walk the mountains or be on a 10 day sweatlodge walking naked in the snow as Tom did. We're so accustomed to our comforts. Yet Tom revealed his journey and proved that it is only by letting ourselves go into the wild that the wild will crack us open to reveal our true selves and relationship with Earth Mother. Powerful.

I felt like I was curling up in the arms of Earth Mother reading his book/s and they grounded me in my similar path to wake up and be alive on this amazing planet with our four-legged and winged and standing people friends.

Thank you, Tom for your honesty and willingness to share your stories with us so that we can also learn to walk the way of the Earth and be on her side ever more with the wisdom you share in your book/s.

a review.......2005-12-09

The Book starts with Tom on a short walk that turns into a near death experience. Within in minutes of dying, Tom comes to his senses when a special power contacts him and guides him along on what to do if he wants to survive. Tom eventually quits his office job. He seeks advice from Okanogan Indian elder, Clayton Tommy Jr. He tells Clayton about the strange power that contacted him. Clayton tutors him in the Okanogan Indian ways. Tom learns something new every day from Clayton. Tom has dreams and learns that they are signs from a higher power. Clayton explains it isn't normal for white people to be this in tune with nature. Tom's powers lead him and Clayton on adventures through Washington. The book ends with Tom about to go "walkabout" to gain understanding of his powers.
"What I've Always Known" would be interesting to some one fond of the outdoors. The book talks about hunting fishing and wildlife. His spiritual guide Clayton Tommy guides him to find his Indian powers and embarks on about all sorts of outdoor adventures.
I found the book to be very interesting and hard to put down at times. Parts of the book can be dull when Tom listens to Clayton Talk. I wanted to hear more about Tom and Claytons journeys through the wildlife.
I found this book to be enjoyable. Tom seems like he would be an interesting person to meet. The book appealed to me because I love the outdoors. It was well written and easy to read. I was able to get a feel of all the characters language. Tom captured how the Indians talked very well. I could hear their voices in my head as I was reading. I felt like I was watching a movie at times; he was pretty descriptive and I really enjoyed that element.

SimplyThe Best.......2005-05-16

A lucidly written, easily followed Tale that, while essentially didactic in nature, has none of the cloying foppery and greasey psuedo-mysticism that most other books of the genre display. It is totally free of stilted diction, vaugue allusions, self importance. This book is a recounting of one man's rediscovering of "What I Have Always Known" (the 'Realm of the Spirit', for lack of a better expression), and it is so well written that the reader can easily suppose that some of the magic that Tom finds along the way rises up out of the pages to shimmer before the eyes of the reader, beckoning.

Which side you on?.......2005-01-04

The information and guidance about how to live with the awareness of the Earth is often not easily accessible to us Westerners, or is set within New Age paradigms that for most are difficult to stomach. This is where Harmer's book comes in... it is based on the truth of one man's personal experience with an old indigenous medicine person. Yet, Harmer is no Castaneda and his teacher is no imaginary Yaqui sorcerer ... rather, we get so see life among present day Okanogan Salish in the American Northwest; Harmer learns from them as the Indians themselves have been learning from the time immemorial: little by little, in bits and pieces. He is taught by his Salish mentors to observe nature, his dreams, and to integrate his lifetime experiences and traumas so as to increase his ability to perceive and act in the world. I know of few books where the simplicity, pragmatism, reverence for nature and power that native peoples possess and wield has been demonstrated so effectively.

There is much anthropology on Northwestern Indians, the Salish, Kwakiutl, the Tlingit.... a lot of academic crap, and very little about their real-time knowledge, wisdom and power. This book closes the gap & I recommed it highly, especially if you want to learn about native American dreaming practices, exorcism, spirits and, above all, about how to develop and practice perception skills and awareness.

Above all, the book lays out quite starkly the choice each of us has to make for ourselves...do we serve the planet or its destroyers. As Clayton Woods, Tom's Salish mentor asks: "Which side you on"?

Book Description

In Rick Steves' Germany, Austria & Switzerland 2001, Rick weeds through the endless possibilities each country offers and gives you his personal recommendations in an honest and entertaining style. He highlights the best local sights and activities, friendly places to eat and sleep, suggested day plans and itineraries that mix the famous and not-so-famous, and clear transportation instructions that make it easy to get anywhere by car, train, or foot. Chapters include Munich, Bavaria, the Rhine Valley, Berlin, Vienna, Salzburg, Gimmelwald, and Prague. "The book is designed for travelers with little time and money who want to get the most out of their travels. It is honest and frank about likes and dislikes (as in 'try this, but don't bother with that')."-Swiss American Review

Customer Reviews:

More to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.......2001-09-19

Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
Rick Steves

I like Rick Steves' travel philosophy, which is basically not to stay in hotels, pack a lunch, and travel frugally. There is some good information in this book. It helped us several times on a trip to Germany and Austria.

The coverage about the Mittelrhein is informative. I liked Steves' map of the castles between Koblenz and Bingen. Largely due to his coverage of the town of Bacharach, we spent two nights there. We were not alone. I actually saw a tourist walking down the street with a copy of this book in his hand. One place offering lodging had a sign out front about being mentioned in this book. Despite these things, Bacharach is a charming town, where one can walk everywhere or take a boat to the next town. The town is surrounded by vineyards, and the local wine that can be tried in several establishments in town is exceptionally good.

In Rothenburg, Steve's book came in handy late one afternoon, upon arriving after the tourist office had closed. Being in a walled city as evening approaches with no prospect of a place to stay can be a little traumatic. We studied the book, bought a city map, and navigated the twisting medieval streets to a place mentioned. We got a room. The host was a pleasant elderly gentleman, who offered a good room at a reasonable price.

Moving on to Salzburg, Austria, Steves' book failed us somewhat. We got caught in a lot of traffic, could not find the accommodation area he described, although stopping to ask several times, eventually gave up in frustration, and went to Berchtesgaden, Germany, not too far away. The book had very little information on Berchtesgaden although there were many charming places to stay there and in other smaller towns along the way. The country inn where we stayed was very pleasant. There were some great views of the mountains from the grounds. The Berchtesgaden area is truly beautiful, but one would not have known this from Steves' book.

I do give Rick Steves credit for directing us to the town of Reutte in Tyrol. The cozy farmhouse where we stayed in Ehenbickl, an adjacent town, had been in the owners' family for 700 years. The hospitality was second to none. Reutte is situated on the Lech River about a twenty-minute drive from Neuschwanstein, perhaps the most touristy place in Germany.

On the whole, this book by Rick Steves was quite helpful to us. However, his coverage is somewhat hit or miss. He does cover many interesting places to visit. However, he leaves just as many out and skips over others. Berchtesgaden would be a case in point. He also dismisses the city of Heidelberg, one of the most beautiful cities in Germany in a few sentences as being too tourist-oriented. This is ironic because Rothenburg, though worth a trip, is about as oriented to tourism as a town can be.

Despite some shortcomings, Rick Steves' book is still a good travel book.My advice, however, would be not to bind yourself to it, like the tourist I saw in Bacharach. Use the Internet to locate places to stay in the German speaking world and send e-mail to make reservations. In local inns and farmhouses, you will not have to give a credit card number. They will actually trust you. Austria has exceptional web pages. There one can find some of the most serene, beautiful farmhouse accommodations, at inexpensive prices, in Europe. Gute Reise! (Have a nice trip.)

Not for travellers on a shoestring budget!.......2001-02-06

Somehow I get the feeling that Rick Steve's core audience is a practical, middle aged, fairly well-to do kind of a person who is looking for a no-hassle guide for a short vacation. If you're that person, then this is the book for you! But, if you will be spending an extended amount of time abroad, planning your own route or destination, or looking to travel as cheaply as you can- this is NOT the book for you. There is not much suggested in way of variety as far as hotels and eating goes (and most of it is not inexpensive) and most of the destinations are "popular" vacation fare. Travellers with more imagination and a sense of spontenaiety will find a Lonely Planet guide much more helpful.

Steves' offers a good compass to European vacationers.......2001-01-20

PROs: Rick Steves packs this travel guide with useful and accurate information, honest opinions, travel inspiration, and enjoyable writing. It is easy and entertaining to read - chock full of Steves' (sometimes corny) humor. I can pick it up and read it again and again, and each time I feel the adventurer within is ready for another. For anyone planning a European vacation, Steves' guides are a necessity. With his guidance on travel tips as well as the "nitty gritty", your dreams of a fantastic vacation can easily be a reality.

CONs: Because of its honest & opinionated nature, this book is not as comprehensive as others. It is a wonderful vacation guide; however if you are going to be spending a great deal of time in Europe (i.e. on an exchange program) it is wise to purchase an accompanying book to guide you through the destinations that Steves does not cover in this guide. (I have found the Lonely Planet series to be excellent.) And don't skimp... as Steves himself says, "guidebooks are $15.oo tools for $3,000.oo experiences."

I highly recommend this book as a compass for all European vacations. Bon Voyage!

Don't forget to pack Rick Steves in the suitcase.......2000-11-26

Packing Rick Steves into the backpack is typically a good idea before flying to Europe. His off-the-beaten-path approach is an excellent way to feel more like a temporary local than a tourbus tourist. Thanks to Rick, my mother and I slept beneath feather down comforters in a 500-year-old guesthouse in Rothenberg, chatted with a local winemaker in the Rhine Valley about the eis wine his family has been making for 400 years and much more. However, readers looking for the perfect backdoor experience must remember that any town recommended by Rick Steves is destined to become flooded by scores of Rick Steves readers. To avoid this, we took another of Rick's suggestions by traveling deep into the off season. Overall, this is a gem of a book filled with solid advice written in a laid back style even if the maps leave a bit to be desired. To have the most of the book, however, I would again follow Rick's advice by taking the best of his suggestions, but leaving the door open to discover new back doors as well.

A wonderful vacation guide!.......2000-07-16

We used Rick's advice to enjoy Germany and Austria. We followed his advice on the best places to see within our time and were never dissappointed. My sister who lives in Germany even loved his book and learned of some new places to visit! One stop we made that was missing in his book and should be included was the overnight at the Fernsteineese Schloss in the Alps in Austria. This is a castle built in 1100 and you get to stay overnight in it and enjoy a wonderful 5 course meal....with a beautiful view.

Book Description

In the high-school-girl pecking order, doll-faced Shawna’s the queen, dragging Gloria along as her lady-in-waiting no matter what Gloria wants. Scheming Shawna has it all worked out: she’ll be the first to have a boyfriend, and Gloria will have to wait for her best friend to find her someone to date. They even play games with Barbies to reinforce Shawna’s iron rule over her friend. But as ninth grade begins, things take a surprising shift. It’s Gloria who catches the eye of Marc, the hottest boy in the class. She quickly discovers how difficult it is to juggle a jealous friend and a romance with a fast guy like Marc — especially with complicating factors like Marc’s creepy best friend, Hamish. This lively novel by an award-winning writer deals with common adolescent issues: love, boyfriends who want more than the girl is willing to give, loyalty, school, and popularity. Compellingly narrated by the title character, What Gloria Wants captures the heady world of high school and a girl trying to survive it with humor and candor.

Customer Reviews:

What Gloria Wants.......2005-09-16

Great book, dealing a lot with the realities of your early highschool- even giving a good idea of your junior high- years. Dealing with things like, "Making a name for yourself", staying in control, not sitting alone at lunch, how we're all shallow on some level, and what it's like to fall in love; plus the complications it carries.

I love the fact that the highschoolers play with barbies. It really brings out the fact that we all have our dirty little secrets; no matter who 'popular' we are ;).

The friendship in the book between Gloria and Shana is heartbreakingly realistic. Sometimes there is a girl who is in control of her best friend, even when the other girl won't openly admit it. Gloria wants a boyfriend and a bestfriend, and the author touches base with the suject tenderly.

A fast paced read full of detail and reality-- and romance! I'd recommend it for anyone 12+ (except for this 12 and 13 year olds who have REALLY over protective parents, like my friend.)

Are we keeping up with what consumers want?: An article from: Automatic Merchandiser

Average customer rating:

Are we keeping up with what consumers want?: An article from: Automatic Merchandiser
Gloria Cosby
Manufacturer: Cygnus Business Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Automatic Merchandiser, published by Cygnus Business Media on November 1, 1999. The length of the article is 521 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Are we keeping up with what consumers want?
Author: Gloria Cosby
Publication: Automatic Merchandiser (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 1999
Publisher: Cygnus Business Media
Volume: 41 Issue: 11 Page: 6

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Our most complete understanding of hormone receptor signaling may be exemplified in a family of hormones and receptors known as the cytokine superfamily. This volume is devoted to describing members of this hormone/receptor family from their molecular structures to their physiological effects. These hormones are not only biologically fascinating, but are also tremendously useful medicines.
The first three chapters review the basic events in binding and signaling. The remaining papers present the cellular biology and physiological processes controlled by these hormones and receptors.

Advances in Protein Chemistry, Volume 52: Cytokines (Advances in Protein Chemistry)

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Advances in Protein Chemistry, Volume 52: Cytokines (Advances in Protein Chemistry)
Frederic M. Richards
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHE6MW

Book Description

Volume 1 of an important foundation work of modern physics. Brings to final form Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism and rigorously derives his general equations of field theory.

Customer Reviews:

Back to the 19th Century.......2005-10-12

It's reading such a book we can understand how powerfull was the 19th Century scientific thought. Maxwell, was a genius as was Newton and Einstein, his book is didactic and clear. A must have.

This book is the fountainhead of physics.......2005-03-12

I suggest that some reviewers miss the significance of Maxwell's book Electricity and Magnetism.

First, it introduced "Dimensional Analysis" which is the standard against which ALL physics models must be tested.

Equations are maths.
Units are politics.
Dimensional Analysis is physics.
( If a model doesn't fit Maxwell's Dimensions, it is not correct.)

Secondly, Maxwell established the framework for Quantum Mechanics when he showed that statistics, rather than two-body math, is required to model multi-body systems.

Thirdly, Maxwell established the framework for modern atomic theory by postulating dimensionless points, and assembling the
points into atoms, molecules, and larger structures, while leaving room for finer complex assembles of points such as quarks and neutrinos.

Fourthly, Maxwell laid the ground work for the Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac distributions, which are slight modifications of Maxwell's distribution to account for the separation of matter into two classes, bosons and fermions.

Fifthly, Einstein's much touted paper on Brownian movement is a variation of Maxwell's more comprehensive treatment of the
velocity distribution of particles.

Just as most historians parrot Herodotus, most physicists parrot Maxwell, but none come close to the masters.
Maxwell was the fountainhead of modern physics, and this book is his best.

Good stuff.......2004-04-07

There's alot of interesting stuff here. Very informative about history yes, but it is still probably the best text on eletromagnetic theory. There is some advanced math in here. I only read part of it for a research project(its huge). From this(and the equation contained within) came the basis for all of modern physics. Maxwell's equations are inconsistent in some ways with classical mechanics. To compensate, physicists had to create relatvity and quantum mechanics. Maxwell's work was not all new stuff. He took other people's theories and summed them up in his book. He then predicted the existence of EM waves and such .

A classic that still is worth reading.......2004-01-31

Whenever I teach a course which touches on electric or magnetic phenomena I find myself going through this book. It works well with the early chapters of Jackson, in particular, and Smythe. Maxwell knew the subject thoroughly, up to the 1870s (and much of this material has since dropped out of courses and almost out of memory), his thinking was both profound and clear, and he may well be the best writer on physics in the English language. His proofs are economical and elegant. Oh yes - this book is still a good reference for the treatment of spherical harmonics and multipole expansions in Cartesian coordinates.

Electricity & Magnetism defined mathematically.......2001-12-15

The book in my opinion coming from a calculus III student is very rigorous and one needs to have a firm foundation on Mathematics I would say about calc III or better to even try to read this book. So far I have just started but every page is exciting because he goes into a deep explanation of what is happening and going on physically and mathematically. Not to mentioned his work is very organized.

A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, 2 Vols in 1

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A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, 2 Vols in 1

Manufacturer: Dover, New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I9JTV4

A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, Vol 1 Only (of 2)

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A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, Vol 1 Only (of 2)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, Oxford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I9F2YW

Average customer rating:
Surprised By Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis
Terry Lindvall
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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