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I love personal development books and I love fiction, but I have never before met a book that successfully combined the two. I've found most attempts at the combined genre of to be downright dreadful - trying so hard to cram the lessons into a flimsy story that they come across as preachy and heavy-handed.

When I learned that Gay Hendricks had begun a series of novels based on the principles he teaches in his non-fiction books, I was intrigued...and nervous. Hendricks' book Conscious Loving was a profoundly life-changing book for me. I learned so much about my sabotaging behavior in relationships, the reasons why they had come to be, and strategies for self-correction. I wanted desperately for his fiction to be just as revolutionary.

I am over the moon to report that The Rules of Ten series is exactly that. First and foremost, the books are telling compelling STORIES. And they are very cleverly weaved around a character who is constantly trying to find the balance between his deep spiritual beliefs and his real-world life - just like the rest of us.

Many self-help books teach their particular lessons and make it sound like when you adopt this practice, it will make a magical change in your life. What this character so brilliantly provides is the "after" - what happens when you're implementing the principles in your life, but still falling down and messing up and trying again.

Our hero is Tenzing Norbu (Ten for short, hence the title). He spent part of his childhood in a Buddhist monastery and then came to the United States and became an LAPD cop. When we meet him at the beginning of book one, he is making the decision to go out on his own as a private investigator.

Guns and spirituality. Violence and Buddhism. They aren't concepts that you would normally put in the same sentences, and yet these books incorporate both worlds in a way that is completely believable.

Each book has a lesson that Ten is struggling with throughout. In the second book it is the idea of looking for unconscious beliefs that keep him from seeing the truth. And while the theme plays out in both his personal and professional life, it never feels heavy-handed.

I met Hendrick's co-author, Tinker Lindsay, at a conference last fall, and I contacted her recently to tell her how much I'm loving the books. I said that the one thing I really wanted to know about is Ten's back story - his time in the monastery as a child. I was super excited when she replied that there is a novella coming this summer that will dig into exactly that time of his life.

I look forward to the coming chapters of the Tenzing Norbu story - both for the sheer fun of a great detective story, and for their ability to mirror the process of incorporating spiritual principles into every day life.

I am thrilled to say without reservation that I HIGHLY recommend these novels!

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Confession: I chose this book solely on its title. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but seriously - who doesn't want to read a book called "F It"?

Due to the craziness of the holidays, I read the book in two chunks of time. The first - before the holidays - I was really irritated by it. The writing was too jokey for my taste. It bothered me that there appeared to be two authors but only one of them had cover credit. And perhaps most troublesome was that the authors didn't have enough courage to actually spell out the word within the pages. I know why you would use asterisks on the cover, but by the 10th time I'd seen it within the context of the book, I really wanted them to have the courage of their convictions. I was convinced that there wasn't much to like about the book.

A few days ago I returned to the book and discovered that my attitude had changed. All of the above were still true, but this time I came at it with a different perspective. Specifically, I stopped letting the superficial stuff get in the way and I read the message. It's a solid message filled with solid metaphors and stories. And I'd say that's a great example of the "F It!" principle in action - letting myself see below the stuff that doesn't really matter and identify what is useful to me.

This book is best suited for people who are beginning their quest for spiritual healing. If you've spent some time on this path, you've probably already learned this material. But for newcomers - especially people who would identify themselves as perfectionists - this is a great entry point.

(Amazon wouldn't post this review with a reference to the printed title because it's "profane". For a book whose best selling point is its title, that's rather ironic!)

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FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

I was looking forward to loving this book, but it just didn't (you'll forgive the pun) "click" with me.

Physically it's a gorgeous book - the photos are rich and vibrant and it's printed on all glossy paper, which I find aesthetically pleasing.

The opening essay by Studna set me up for a book I really wanted to read - one about letting our most authentic selves see the light of day, and finding the beauty and wisdom in that. However after that great opening, the book was a collection of essays by various writers that I found quite uneven. I also thought that Studna's chapters weren't as compelling as his opening essay.

I also found it odd that the very first guest essay by Kenny Loggins - in which he mentions that he and Studna are good friends and they've done photo shoots together - wasn't accompanied by an image. In a book by a photographer that's about bringing inner beauty and love to the surface, I wanted there to be an image of each of the writers.

With all that said, I think there is value in the book for fans of Studna's work, as well as for people who are struggling with having their photo taken. As a casual reader who doesn't fully fit into either of those categories, though, I wasn't in the right place to make a heartfelt connection with this book.

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FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

Rita Gigante spent the first 16 years of her life in the dark about who and what her father was. But she knew enough to know that something was wrong. Panic attacks and obsessive compulsive traits haunted her days. When she finally learned the secret that her family had been keeping from her – that her father, Vincent Gigante, was the head of the five crime families in New York in the 80s – it was the start of a whole new chapter for her.

Gigante’s book is like three stories wrapped into one narrative. First, it’s the story of a young girl growing up in a deeply dysfunctional mob family. Second, it’s the story of a young woman struggling with her homosexuality in the face of a devoutly Catholic family. Third, it’s the story of a woman embracing her intuitive gifts to become a healer.

As the main focus of the book, the first thread is both the most compelling and the most successful. The second and third issues are an integral part of the story, but they get a little less air time and are thus somewhat less satisfying – I was left with the feeling that there were some important things that were being glossed over. However, given that the material is highly personal, potentially inflammatory, and (given the names involved) very public, it’s not something I can find any fault with.

As a tale of pain, recovery and redemption, I highly recommend this book.

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FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

As a fan of both smart reality television and behind-the-scenes stories, I was excited to dig into Dianne Burnett's story about the creation of "Survivor" and her marriage to producer-extraordinaire Mark Burnett. I wasn't disappointed!

The book effectively mixes personal memoir with the origin story of one of the best reality shows out there. When watching the show, it's easy to forget how many people and how much work goes into creating the "castaway" experience. Reading the book reminds us about the real people who are living real lives behind the scenes.

As a personal memoir, it's not particularly deep (Burnett includes a lot of stories with a cursory sentence or two about what they meant to her or how she felt about them), but the overall point is clear - it is the story of how she gave up her own dreams and goals in service to someone else's dreams and goals. The fact that she can recognize and discuss it so clearly is a great service to other women who are looking for their own way forward.

While I don't subscribe to the theory that "money is evil" or that power is necessarily corrosive, this is also an excellent character study in what money and power will do to someone when they're not prepared for it.

Overall, I give it an enthusiastic thumbs up!

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FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

When I ordered this book, I was curious to see how it approached the idea of sex. Which word of its title would it focus on: "sex" or "naturally"? Would it provide exercises and techniques, or health information?

I was pleasantly surprised to find that it covers the subject in a comprehensive way – there are sections on hormonal balance, acupressure, healthy eating, as well a section on erotic massage. I like that it views sex as a holistic experience that is affected by all aspects of our selves: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

At the moment, I find this book most useful as a resource, rather than a sit-down-and-read-it-cover-to-cover. There were sections that I was drawn to read and take information from, others that felt like they weren’t applicable to me at the moment. However, I can imagine times earlier in my life when I had a lot of questions about sex and performance, and at that time I probably would have read it cover to cover. For that reason I think it will be helpful to people at many stages of their sexual experience.

One thing that I particularly appreciate is a suggested eating plan for 21 days to help get the body into top shape for sexual activity. It sounds pretty yummy and I’m thinking of trying it!

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FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Karen Noe's book "Through The Eyes Of Another." I knew it had something to do with letter writing and healing, and being a writer in the field of personal development, that seemed like a pretty good bet to me!

The book turns out to be an approachable guide to healing relationships through the process of writing letters. Noe describes several different kinds of letter writing, including a gratitude letter, a letter sent in forgiveness of another, and a letter asking forgiveness from another.

What I particularly appreciate about Noe's approach is that this is about SELF healing. The healing comes from the exercise of writing, not the response of the recipient. In fact, she says several times that it's not even necessary to send the letter once it has been written - writing it is enough to change the dynamic of the relationship. She also encourages the reader to write letters to people who have died, reminding us that healing and closure are not limited to people we can see and talk to.

What didn't work for me about this book is that Noe seems to have merged two books in one. On one hand, she's talking about writing letters to heal relationships. On the other, she's talking about messages from the "other side" that have come to her and her clients. I would have preferred that she stick to the letter writing concept and leave out the appendix of stories - they didn't seem in keeping with the rest of the book.

With that issue aside, Noe has created a terrific structure for releasing old relationship issues. The exercises are easy and unintimidating. She also includes her personal tales of letter writing (including a wonderful story about writing letters to her own children) which make the whole thing feel even more doable.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

I’ve been collecting Gregg Braden’s books for the last couple of years. I know he has something really important to share. And yet, every time I consider reading one of them, I … don’t. I’m totally intimidated by what I think will be difficult material that’s way over my head, so I don’t even crack the front covers.

When I discovered that Braden had written a novel to illustrate the principles through a story, I figured THIS IS IT! This is my chance to dive in without an assumption that it will be too difficult for me.

The novel is short – only about 100 pages, so it’s a very fast read. It centers on the story of a set of twins who have always had an unbreakable connection. In the novel they are a world apart from each other and their connection is tested when one brother has a frightening vision about the other . A science teacher plays the role of mentor, standing in for Braden and explaining the concepts of “The uni-verse. The poetry of oneness.”

As a novel, it’s got some problems – because it’s so short, the narrative feels both thin and forced at times. As an explication of the scientific and spiritual concepts Braden works with, it’s also less than perfect – there’s not enough space to fully explore them. I have a feeling this book would be a lot more successful as a standalone piece if it were 200 or 250 pages.

However… When it comes right down to it, the book was very successful in the one thing that really matters – I now want to read Braden’s work more fully. This book is an appetizer. A teaser. A “trial size” that convinces you that you want to get the full product. In that way, this book works exceptionally well. And for that reason, I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants an introduction to Braden’s work.