"Beauty itself is but the sensible image of the Infinite."–Francis Bacon
"The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow
An American professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, Pausch became famous after giving an upbeat lecture titled "The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" after learning he had pancreatic cancer and had three to six months of good health left. His last lecture was extra-special, as it was conceived after he learned that his previously known pancreatic cancer was terminal. But the lecture he gave wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.After the success of his lecture, he co-authored the book "The Last Lecture" on the same theme of enjoying every moment in your life. –ACTUAL ORIGINAL FILMED LECTURE BY DR. PAUSCH CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE
"Man's Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl
Published in 1946, "Man's Search for Meaning" was written by Viktor Frankl about his experience as an Auschwitz concentration camp inmate during WWII.
Filled with a rich understanding of the psychological experiences of his fellow inmates, Frankl ruminates on the meaning of life, and how every society has decent and indecent human beings.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, "To Kill A Mockingbird" is set in Maycomb, Alabama during the Depression and follows the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, the trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman, and the mysterious character Boo Radley. Despite its serious themes of rape, racial inequality, and gender roles, Lee's story is renowned for its warmth and humor.– MADE INTO A FILM
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Originally published in French as "Le Petit Prince," this novella tells the story of pilot who crashes his plane in the Sahara desert and is greeted by a young boy who claims to be from a different planet. As the pilot repairs his plane, he learns the life of "the little prince" who yearns to return to his home planet. Though told as a children's story, "The Little Prince" is one of the most poignant and profound books in French literature. –MADE INTO A FILM
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Full of intrigue, love, fight scenes, and social satire, "The Count of Monte Cristo" is one of the best revenge books ever written.
It follows Edmond Dantès, a young sailor in 19th century France who is falsely accused of being a Bonapartist traitor and imprisoned for six years. After acquiring a secret fortune from a fellow prisoner, he remakes himself and sets out to find — and repay — everyone in his old life. –MADE INTO A FILM
Dear Success Seeker: Wisdom from Outstanding Women
by Michele Wright, PhD.
Joan Holman had been contacted by the author who wanted to feature Joan as one of the women in her book. Then Joan was engaged by the author as a book development consultant for this collection of inspirational letters written by women history makers and celebrities including Gayle King, Shirley Jones, Della Reese, Ruby Dee, Mo'Nique, Phylicia Rashad, Rosa Parks, Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Nobel Prize winner Rosalyn S. Yalow, New York Times bestselling author Joyce Meyer, and entertainer Patti LaBelle and many others. Joan secured a large number of noteworthy women in the book and her strategic involvement in the project was instrumental in securing Simon & Schuster as the publisher.
Think And Grow Rich: A Black Choice
by Dennis Kimbro and Napoleon Hill
Joan Holman has been involved in preserving legacies and documenting the lives and lessons of noteworthy individuals for over 20 years. She is the Creator and Producer of the award-winning PBS television program THE LEGACY OF ACHIEVEMENT: LIVES & LESSONS OF GREAT ACHIEVERS. The program, which was hosted by Dr. Dennis Kimbro, co-author with Napoleon Hill of the book Think And Grow Rich: A Black Choice, has been featured in Success Magazine, and was a PBS Pledge Drive Special.
Hands that Touch, Hands that Heal by Joan Holman
The biography of acclaimed massage pioneer Sister Rosalind Gefre, who has been featured in Time Magazine and on the Joan Rivers Television Show and in media worldwide.
Sister Rosalind trained over 10,000 in massage therapy and made massage respectable during a time when massage was associated with seedy massage parlors.
The Hero's Journey: Life's Great Adventure
"Why study The Hero's Journey? Why learn a pattern that dates from before recorded history? The answer is simple: we should study it because it's the pattern of human experience, of our experience, and we will live it for the rest of our lives. In a sense, every challenge or change we face in life is a Journey: every love found, every love lost, every birth or death, every move to a new job, school or city: every situation which confronts us with something new or which forces us to re-evaluate our thinking, behavior or perspective. The Hero’s Journey is a process of self-discovery and self-integration, of maintaining balance and harmony in our lives. As with any process of growth and change, a journey can be confusing and painful, but it brings opportunities to develop confidence, perspective and understanding. Understanding the Journey pattern can help us understand the literature us read, the movies us see, and the experiences which shape your life. By recognizing the Journey's stages and how they function, we will develop a sense of the flow of our own experience and be better able to make decisions and solve problems. More importantly, we will begin to recognize our own points of passage and respect the significance they have for us.”
Hero's Journey DVD at Amazon (with Joseph Campbell) "Joseph Campbell, author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, a scholar who achieved legendary status as an explicator of myths, is reverently profiled in this documentary that encompasses his long life and career.Campbell has many interesting philosophies. One of these ideas which he portrayed in the video was that human beings should listen to the inner-voice.”
The Hero with A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. "Joseph Campbell's classic cross-cultural study of the hero's journey has inspired millions and opened up new areas of research and exploration. Originally published in 1949, the book hit the New York Times best-seller list in 1988 when it became the subject of The Power of Myth, a PBS television special. The first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, the book creates a roadmap for navigating the frustrating path of contemporary life. Examining heroic myths in the light of modern psychology, it considers not only the patterns and stages of mythology but also its relevance to our lives today--and to the life of any person seeking a fully realized existence.”
The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler.
"The Writer's Journey sets forth archetypes common in what Vogler calls "the hero's journey," the mythic structure that he claims all stories follow.”
Vogler asserts that "all stories consist of a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and movies."
Saved by the Light by Dannion Brinkley. "On September 17,1975, after being electrocuted by a bolt of lightning, Dannion Brinkley died. When he revived twenty-eight minutes later in a morgue, he had the story of a lifetime to tell - a profoundly moving account of what happened to him during his near-death experience. It is a tale of a dark tunnel, a crystal city, and a "cathedral of knowledge" where thirteen angels shared with him 117 revelations about the future-95 of which have already come true. Even he now possesses the ability to read minds, no one believed his story of the spiritual transformation that changed his life- except others who had died and come back. A second near-death experience reunited him with with his angelic instructors. This time,they revealed that he was to use his new psychic gifts to help the dying. Since then, he has dedicated his life to working with the sick and elderly, and sharing his fantastic story with people everywhere. Dramatic and inspiring, Saved By the Light is an exciting look at the fascinating mysteries of life and death."