Four Reviews Coming in Publishers Weekly on Monday, May 28

-- Publishers Weekly, 5/16/2007

The Bone Gatherers: The Lost Worlds of Early Christian Women
Nicola Denzey. Beacon, $27.95 (272p) ISBN 978-0-8070-1308-3

In late antiquity, pious Christian women buried the remains of saints and martyrs, sometimes on land the women themselves owned. The legends of these "bone gatherers" launch Denzey's investigation into the experiences of third- and fourth-century Roman women based on the complex visual and archeological evidence they left behind in the city's catacombs. Denzey, a lecturer at Harvard University, uses a technique "akin to feminist midrash" to decipher what these women's lives were really like as the feminine ideal shifted from pagan Rome's devoted wives to Catholic Christianity's virgin martyrs. Sometimes delving into the macabre, the author probes into the meanings revealed by underground burial spaces and wall paintings that reflect women's presence. The study concludes with an analysis of Pope Damasus's impact in the fourth century: a "stunning masculinization of Rome's sacred space," the privatization of women's roles, and the end of the female tradition of bone gathering. Although the book's black-and-white photographs are sparse and hard to decipher, Denzey's prose paints vivid pictures of the sites she visits. Some readers may find her imaginative interpretations of the visual evidence too speculative, but her densely layered inquiry is always insightful and sometimes quite haunting. (Aug.)

Pure Magic: A Complete Course in Spellcasting
Judika Illes. Red Wheel/Weiser, $16.95 paper (304p) ISBN 978-1-57863-391-3

While millions have been drawn into the magical worlds of Harry Potter, Charmed, and Sabrina, how many have realized that the art of spellcasting should not be considered out of reach? Enter Illes (The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells) who provides an elegantly written introduction to the magical arts. In recent years there have been scores of Wicca and witchcraft books published for "beginners," but Illes distinguishes hers by summoning a broad spectrum of traditions rather than restricting it to one culture, such as Celtic, or one instrument, as in candle magic. Illes sees magic as the birthright of every daughter and son of Earth. She writes, "Magic in its purest form consists of a dialogue between Earth and yourself… whereby you are able to express your desires, receive and recognize a response and are then able to make your wishes and desires come true." The first half of the book imparts an overview of the magical arts, with a particular focus on how animals, spirits, dreams, and the four elements are harnessed. The second half offers dozens of spells, many quite simple, to help achieve various practical goals. Many will find this new book to be a fine place to start their magical journey. (Aug.)

Hullabaloo: Discovering Glory in Everyday Life
Timothy Paul Jones. Cook Communications, $11.99 paper (192p) ISBN 978-0-7814-4483-5

"Hullaballoo" is a quirky word, and this is an equally quirky book, full of Jones's wit, sarcasm and humorous stories. It's also deeply serious as it reveals the oft-forgotten Christian truth that the craving of the soul for the glory of God is "already embedded in the hullabaloo of your present life." Glory, he says, was there all along; it's hullabaloo—"the ordinary stuff of life"—that gets in the way. Jones (Misquoting Truth) writes as a musician, dividing his book into three movements that each open with a poetic recitative. Chapters include a play list with music from U2, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and others, all available for download from Jones's Web site. The melody of this book is clear: "God designed this glory to be poured into you." The harmony of how we find that glory—by cultivating imagination, relinquishing control, expressing gratitude, and walking in company with others—is a vital undercurrent. Jones offers counterpoint by describing how glory can be found in the "if only's," right in the middle of interruptions and even darkness. This is a well-written and much-needed book for evangelical Christians searching for God amid life. Study guide included. (Aug.)

Everyday Herbs in Spiritual Life: A Guide to Many Practices
Michael J. Caduto. SkyLight Paths, $16.99 (176p) ISBN 978-1-59473-174-7

Caduto, a storyteller, accomplished author, and Aesop Prize winner, reminds readers that Eastern and Western medicine grew in large part out of a relationship to healing properties found in the natural world, and offers this book to help us remember this powerful spiritual connection to "a gift from the Creator." Caduto's passion for the power of herbs is brightly reflected in his thorough, well-researched, engaging multi-cultural volume. In seven chapters exploring healing; aesthetics and virtue; meals and rituals; the balance of life; the sacred cosmos; meditation; and practical tips, Caduto seemingly explores every pistil, stem, blossom, and more of the herbal world. Arcane facts about Egyptian embalming rest comfortably alongside advice on growing and harvesting herbs. Herbal experts will treasure the extensive spiritual application contexts, and beginners will find comfort in the cultivation basics. Especially soothing and bonding are the Islamic connections summoning the exquisite, sumptuous gardens of the Middle East. Each chapter has more than a handful of activities, ceremonies, and projects. Some, such as "Bathing Balms" and "Valentine's Day Cards" seem overly simplistic, but ultimately they recall the sweet elemental connection among aspects of the living world. (Aug.)

A Starred Review Coming in PW on Monday, May 28:

The Integral Vision: A Very Short Introduction to the Revolutionary Integral Approach to Life, God, the Universe and Everything
Ken Wilber. Shambhala, $15.95 (224p) ISBN 978-1-59030-475-4

Philosopher, psychologist, and mystic Wilber (A Brief History of Everything) delivers on the subtitle's far-reaching promise. In a scant 200+ pages chock full of handsome illustrations and spare, Zen-like diagrams and tables, he forges ahead on his established path, posing, "What if we attempted to find the critically essential keys to human growth, based on the sum total of human knowledge now open to us?" His answer is a kind of meta-structure of human experience, and, more important, human potential. His Integral Map, or Integral Operating System (IOS), of "quadrants, levels, lines, states, and types" is drawn from developmental psychology, worldviews, multiple intelligences, gender studies, the nature of consciousness, etc. If this sounds heady and extremely ambitious, it is. Wilber asserts that the IOS approach to life permits all fields of endeavor at last to speak with one another in a common language. Clearly, however, spirituality dominates much of his thought. Not for the faint of brain, Wilber's work here is still accessible and at times surprisingly practical. Some language spirals up majestically recalling great Eastern texts. Reminiscent in spirit and watershed import of Ram Dass's Be Here Now, Wilber may well have created a popular classic for explorers on the frontiers of humanity. (Aug. 14)