Book Review: Ask and It Is Given

Every spiritual or personal growth book I’ve read contains one or more concepts that I don’t fully agree with.  Ask and It Is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks is no different.  This book is advertised as the “Teachings of Abraham,” which is the name used by a “family of Non-Physical Beings” who are communicating with us through Esther Hicks.  I have difficulty wholeheartedly embracing the idea of channeling, but I don’t completely reject the possibility either.  So my reservations about that particular aspect can be temporarily set aside, allowing me to consider the other information in the book with an open mind.

Another troublesome assertion, which I think other people will also have a problem accepting, is that each person has absolute creative control of their lives.   Doubts about this claim are harder to ignore because there seems to be so much “proof” that we can’t control everything that happens to us.  And wishing it was true is not the same as believing it.  Perhaps the best one can achieve is to agree that we have creative control over part of our lives, and it’s probably more than we realize.  If you can accept that, then I think you will find information of value in this book.

As implied by the title, Ask and It Is Given is about the “Law of Attraction.”  If you’re interested in the topic, there are many good books about it, so it’s probably just a matter of finding the one that you can best relate to.  What I like about this particular book is the clarity of the writing and depth of the explanation about how the Law of Attraction (or LOA) works.  It’s one those concepts that’s incredibly simple on the surface, yet has many challenging subtleties when you try to apply it.  So generally, the  better you understand the process, the more effectively you can use it.

Most books about the LOA will essentially tell you the same thing about how it works.  It has three simple steps to it.  1)  You ask.  2)  The answer is given.  3)  This answer must be received.  Variations book-to-book are a result of what parts they focus on most and how they suggest you implement it.  This book focuses on the first and third steps—that is, the process of asking and the process of receiving, because the second step is the action taken by the Non-Physical Universe.

There were many important points covered in the book, but for me, the most valuable information was the comprehensive explanations about the role emotions play in relation to the LOA and exactly how to use them as a guidance system.  Emotions help you clarify what you want, and then, if you can hold your focus on the positive feeling of having what you want (rather than the negative feeling of lacking what you want), you create the “vibrational match” to what you want, which allows you to receive it.  Emotions also help you identify any resistant thoughts or beliefs you have to receiving what you want.

A particularly valuable insight was that our thoughts create most of our emotions.  I sort of knew this, but I didn’t really know it.  Not deep down where it counts.  And if we become more aware of the specific thoughts that are creating negative emotions, we have new options.  We may not be able to control our emotions directly, but we can choose better feeling thoughts—thoughts that provide a small measure of relief from any unhappiness we’re feeling, thoughts that move us in the direction of feeling happier.  And by continuing this process of choosing thoughts that make us feel just a little bit better than before, we can slowly work our way out of even the darkest of places.

The first 40% of the book explained the LOA and how it works, and the last 60% presented 22 processes you can use to help you apply it.  There’s no particular order that they have to be done in, nor do you need to do them all.  You pick ones that appeal to you or that relate to something you would like to work on.  And there’s enough variety for everyone, whether you’re into list-making or meditation, whether you want to work on money issues or simply feeling happier.

There were several of these processes that I was immediately attracted to.  I especially liked “Wouldn’t It Be Nice If…?” because I’ve always enjoyed daydreaming.  The “Place Mat Process” also appealed to me.  With this one you make a couple of “to-do” lists—one for yourself and one for the Universe.  Naturally, I gave all the hard jobs to the Universe.  And how could I resist “Scripting” where you pretend you’re a writer and everything happens exactly as you write it.  I’m already pretending to be a writer, so all I have to do is jot down some of my daydreams to master that one.  Of course, the one that I really should do before any of the others is “The Process of Clearing Clutter for Clarity.”

Overall, Ask and It Is Given did an excellent job of explaining the Law of Attraction and how it works in a way that made sense to me.  I’m the sort of person who has to understand something in order to effectively apply it.  A book that says, “It’ll work even if you don’t understand it, so just do it.” does not work for me.  I need one that explains things in depth, clearly and logically.  Then maybe, just maybe, I can use the information.  Although it’s too soon to evaluate the true impact or usefulness of the material (partly because I still have some questions and reservations about the LOA), this book was well worth reading.

Esther and Jerry Hicks have also written The Law of Attraction, which might be a good alternate choice for some people.  It focuses exclusively on explaining the LOA without including the 22 implementation processes that are in Ask and It Is Given.  I haven’t read that one yet, but I do plan on doing so to see if it adds anything to my understanding of the concept.

10 Classic Novels To Read Before 2013

One of my summer projects has been to put together a list of ten classic novels that I have always wanted to read (or reread in some cases) and read them before the end of the year. I looked at a lot of lists already compiled on the internet – the Top 100 Classic Novels You Must Read If You Want To Be Considered At Least Halfway Well-Read – you’ve no doubt seen them. These lists are all very different, depending on who is putting them together.  Three of these very good lists can be found here and here and here.

My list was taken partially from the lists I saw, and partly from the book, Write Like the Masters by William Cane, which instructs that there is a lot to be learned (and imitated) by examining authors such as Hemingway, Margaret Mitchell, George Orwell, etc.

My list doesn’t include a Hemingway novel, alas, but ten was the limit I set for myself, so ten it will be. We can’t include everyone. The value of the Ten Classic Novels List is entirely arbitrary. It’s a list of classics which I felt readers of this blog and readers of mostly women’s fiction would appreciate.

Nearly every list contains a few works that I know I should read, but don’t. Ulysses for example, Don Quixote, Catch-22 and Lolita, for some reason don’t hold much appeal for me. I could be wrong about these works though, that has been known to happen.

Drumroll!!

Image courtesy of Photobucket

The Ten Classic Novels List:

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I’m reading this now, 150 pages into it. Hooked! I know I’m hooked when I steal a few moments to read a page or two while the corn is steaming. First published in 1957, Rand’s fourth and last novel, it was her longest and the one she considered to be the best of all her fiction works. Her “baby”. It contains elements of mystery and science fiction and Rand’s stand on Objectivism.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Every list needs at least one Russian novel. The moral dilemma and subsequent mental anguish of Taskolnikov, who kills an unscrupulous pawnbroker for cash and tells himself that with the money he will perform good deeds to counterbalance the crime. He believes he is capable of murder, that he has a right to do it, and that he should do it but eventually he becomes more unsure and is consumed by guilt and longs to confess.

1984 by George Orwell. Orwell, provoked by the totalitarian system, wrote about it in the story of Winston Smith, trapped in a political nightmare and in a desperate struggle to free himself from a controlling, evil state. Everyone surrounding Smith has been brainwashed by The Party, whose objective is to control people. He rebels against The Party and trusts no one. The concept of “doublespeak” was documented here, euphemisms and watered-down phrases which consoled the citizens.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Published in 1939, this novel takes place during the Great Depression. It is the story of the Joads, who are a family of tenant farmers driven from their home in Oklahoma by economic hardship due to changes in financial and agricultural industries, and drought. Because of their hopeless situation, they sought jobs, land, dignity and a future, and set out on the road to California, only to finally realize that it may not be the windfall for which they had hoped.

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Of course, everyone knows what this book is about. But did you know that Mitchell was considered a master of internal monologue and that what is so captivating about the novel is the heroine’s voice? I read this many years ago (more than I care to say) and now I would like to reread it with the eye or a writer, because for sure, Ms. Mitchell was doing something very right when she created one of the best-selling books in the world.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Jay Gatsby wants one thing, to be reunited with Daisy Buchannan, who is the love he lost five years earlier. His quest for Daisy leads him from poverty to wealth, and eventually wins her back. Unfortunately Daisy is married to someone else. It is a tragic novel, and is noted for the unique way Fitzgerald captured the privileged cross-section of society, during the Roaring Twenties.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Published in 1960, this novel was successful immediately and won the Pulitzer Prize. It deals with serious issues of rape and racial inequality. Atticus Finch, who is appointed by the court to defend Tom Robinson, an African-American man accused of raping a white woman, is considered a “racial hero.” The novel deals with the issues of class and gender roles in the American deep south.

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. This is one I’m not too sure about but it’s been so widely read and highly touted that I figured it must be one of those books that you don’t expect to like, but do. It seems like it will be somewhat grim, from the description, but is the story of the cycle of success and failure in one family. It gives the reader a very good idea of what life in China was like at that time and deals with themes such as women’s rights, class conflict, moral values, and the importance of family.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Published in 1847, this novel was a little ahead of its time, described as an “influential feminist text” because of the strong female character. Told in the first person, the novel gives the reader a true and complete exploration of Jane’s inner feelings and conflicts. Told in five stages, from a difficult childhood through her eventual marriage to the love of her life, Mr. Rochester.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. This is Jane Austen’s first work published under the pseudonym “A Lady,” It was published in 1811 and, next to P & P, is probably the most widely-read of her novels. This is the story of the life and times of the Dashwood sisters, who are left in reduced circumstances after their father dies and the estate passes to their half-brother, John. They are forced to take up residence in a meager cottage where they experience romance and heartbreak.

One addition: Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) was one of the best novels I’ve ever read. I didn’t include it though, because I read it recently and this is a “to-read” list. Read the Oprah pick version, it has the best translators.

If you decide to read any of these, happy classic novel reading!

Running With the Big Dogs

Last spring, I went to a writer’s conference. Being a writer, I thought it was about time I met some of my fellow authors and shared some thoughts and ideas. It was a state writers group that, I found out later, split from the state Romance Writers Association because they felt that more than just romance writers should be invited. That sounded good to me, because although I wrote romance, I also wrote other things. So I paid my money and drove down.

This particular groups’ past connection to the RWA was very apparent from the word go. My goodie bag, for instance, held several paperback romances, a beefcake calendar from Ellora’s Cave, and an emergency condom attached to a keychain. There were several panels, most but not all devoted to romance writing in some form of the other, and the keynote speaker was Larissa Ione, who I’d heard of, naturally, but never read. The event was held in a very nice hotel with big conference rooms. Lunch was hot pasta followed by a coffee and dessert buffet, and there was a very chi-chi cocktail hour, complete with full bar and hot and cold tidbits, after the conference was over. I ended up standing next to Larissa Ione, sipping a post-conference martini and talking about cheese and crackers.

Finally, I was at the Cool Kids Table.

Did I share thoughts and ideas? Well, not so much. There were no panels or discussions about self-publishing. The authors who were honored for publishing their first books had all signed with a Big 6 publisher, and they would not put “Author” on my name tag because although I had two books out, since they were self-pubbed, they apparently didn’t count.

I did meet some lovely women, and made a few good contacts. In fact, the folks doing my website sat with me when I was having a ‘between workshops’ martini. The YA panel was fun, and I got to spend the day out of the house. So I chalked it up as a good day.

But last month, I went to another writer’s conference. At Hunter College in NYC. I took an early bus into the city (one of the many perks of living in New Jersey), then a cab uptown. The minute I stepped through security, I knew this was going to be a whole different ballgame.

Hunter College is not a nice hotel with spacious conference rooms. It’s a small, private college, with walls a familiar institutional green. When I checked in, my name tag said “Dee Ernst, Author”. I still have it, of course. There were no goodie bags, just a folder with a timetable and brief bios of all the panelists. There was also coffee and bagels on a folding table if you were hungry.

My first panel – held in a classroom, where we all sat at standard chair/desks, was on Independent Publishing, and there was actually a real person from Amazon on the panel, alongside a self-pubbed author, a guy from Kirkus Reviews, and a few other people who told us all why self-publishing was the wave of the future, and why getting in on the ground floor was key. They didn’t have any new information, but it was nice to know they were real pros.

The first keynote speaker was Colson Whitehead, who I also heard of but never read. But after his speech, which was charming and funny, I vowed to read every single thing he ever wrote.

My next panel was on Self Publishing. It was scheduled the same time as the Thriller/Mystery panel, and I was torn. I don’t write that sort of thing, but Lee Child and Harlan Coban were on the panel, and I was really tempted to just sit and listen for the fun of it. Luckily, as I passed through a lobby, I got a look at both gentlemen, holding court with some people I didn’t know. Lee Child, by the way, looks even hotter in person than he does on the back covers of his books. I stood there long enough for the testosterone to wash over me, and went on my way.

This panel was also packed. There was a lot of great information. There are no silver bullets, they said. It’s all about writing, editing, good cover, good blurb, social networking…no new information, but it was nice to know they were real pros.

Lunch, on the rooftop cafeteria, was a brown bag special. I had ham. The keynote speakers there were Mary Higgins Clark and her daughter, Carol. These ladies I knew. And read. They were charming, informative, and totally worth the price of admission.

Next came the Fiction panel that was the main reason I was there in the first place. Susan Isaacs was on the panel. I love Susan Isaacs. I entered the room, pulled out my hardcover copy of ‘Compromising Positions’ that I’d been carrying around all day, and asked if she would sign it. The woman standing next to her, Julia Glass, laughed and said “Look at that antique!” Ms. Isaac smiled, looked at my name tag, and asked me if I was related to ‘Max’ as she signed. I said no, thanked her without jumping up and down and squealing with delight, and sat back to hear her and Julia, as well as five other seasoned, amazing writers talk about what they do and why they do it.

Finally, there was the Humor Panel. I write funny, so I figured this was going to be the real topper for me. It wasn’t. The writers were all pretty dry and talked about how humor had to come from pain or anger. I should have been disappointed, but Malachy McCourt sat next to me, so it didn’t matter.

On the way downtown, after a glass or two of wine back in the cafeteria (which is what Hunter College calls a cocktail hour), I stopped at the Magnolia Bakery and spent $25.00 on cupcakes. Great way to end the day.

There’s a Self-Publishing Expo this fall I’ll probably attend, because I love any excuse to take the bus into NYC. I may go back to the local group’s conference because, even though I’m just a self-pubbed gal, I have probably sold more books than half of those people, and it might be fun to mention it at that cocktail hour. And Hunter College is now on my list of absolutes.

Especially if Susan Isaacs comes back.

Or Lee Child.