Recovering The Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing” Vol. II, No.3, July 2010

ISBN978-1-61599-048=1

A feel good read!

I found this book to be a wonderful potpourri of articles and subjects. “Recovering Thy Self” is a quarterly journal that explores various themes through essays, poetry, opinion, and sharing of self. The writings come from authors from all four corners of the world. This book has stories from various authors dealing with personal growth, relationship and family, trauma recovery, living with disabilities, short fiction, travel interviews, substance abuse, addiction, and recovery. The articles pertain to personal struggles …accepted, dealt with, and overcome. It shares the personal side of each author in very deep and meaningful ways. Some authors write of their own struggles, bringing a wonderful perspective to the subject, while others reflect on the struggles of others. This book incorporates their own personal journey and growth in a concise, well written fashion.  I enjoyed the reflective aspect it brought. Each subject brings another level of depth and acknowledgement that we all have our own journey. The book is well designed and arranged so you can easily move from story to story. You can also read through it selecting topic, by topic of interest to you.  Looking at the lives of others allows us to better look at ourselves. This book fosters human compassion and love. A wide variety of fact, fiction and emotion is available on every page.  You can learn how to better understand and prevent spousal arguments to understanding how disasters lift the human spirit. Learn how assisting in the Katrina disaster changed eh life of one of the volunteers. Remarkable. Looking at the lives and problems of others truly helps us look at ourselves. It helps us find feelings, create opinions and reach deeper in to our own souls and lives. This book makes you feel more human, a kindred spirit of sorts. Sharing these pages lifts the human spirit and helps us better relate to one another. Healing brings hope and he who has hope has everything. This is a fun read that restores faith, especially in these hard, emotional and economic times. The authors are not only from around the world but encompass a wide spectrum of age groups and backgrounds. These are not only professional writers and therapists, but are written by just regular folks as well. This book brings human element for front and center. It’s refreshing to have a resource to share and discuss with friends. I am looking forward to the next issue.

I received a complimentary review copy.