Remains To Be Seen
By Christopher Taylor / $16.95

It’s really hard to find music that actually has a message behind it. So when I picked up Christopher Taylor’s CD Remains To Be Seen, I was immediately impressed with the fact that this guy is actually singing about things that are happening in my life. I think it’s the fact that Taylor is singing about experiences that he’s had in his own life and reflections about the world surrounding him that make it worthwhile. Some of his songs, like The Hum and Oudman, are just fun beats that kept my head bobbing while at work.

What makes Taylor’s music different from everything else you’ll hear is the fact that while there are definitely some rarely heard instruments like the pennywhistle, e-bow, and balalaika, the sound and rhythm of the music still have a contemporary feel. It’s hard to find the balance between experimenting with instruments and just creating noise and sounding cheesy, and Taylor’s CD does a good job of keeping that balance. The reason I’d keep listening to this CD is because while the music is great, Taylor’s ethereal voice is infused very well with his background singers, creating some amazing harmonies that set a serene setting, whether you’re using the CD to help you relax or if you just want to listen to something positive while you’re at work. My favorite song is Fate, because it’s got an intense message. Here’s a sample of the lyrics: Sometimes I question/ Just what there is to lose;/ I realize that it’s way too much/ And I’m back to see it through. Definitely pick up this CD if you’re feeling like you need something relaxing but with a funky beat! – AV

www.organicallygrownmusic.com

Think of an Elephant: Combining Science and Spirituality
By Paul Bailey / $14.95

Imagine if your point of view was more than just your point of view, and that it actually influenced the way the world and universe around us function. Paul Bailey’s new book, Think of An Elephant, asks us to look at the world with a fresh perspective and begins to explain how our observations – the way we look and think about things – can actually influence what’s around us. Bailey uses the example of scientists who set about to discover what would happen to all matter at the end of time by throwing an elephant into a cosmic black hole, and at the end of the test, they discover that the elephant’s fate was completely dependant on the position of the observer.

With other anecdotes and in depth research from over 16 years of traveling the world and speaking with experts, Bailey tries to explain to his readers how we are connected with everything by the mind, and that the power of our perception actually has its own power, thus eliminating the belief and fear that we are alone and have no power as an individual. What I found interesting about this book was that while it’s got a lot of claims that haven’t been made before, there’s a list of 150 articles and books and 300 endnotes to support the belief that the mind does affect matter. And with topics like why depression is a world-wide problem, what science and spirituality have in common, and understanding that one’s health can be influenced by thought, this is no light read. If you aren’t familiar with the fundamentals of physics, the debate about mind over matter, or about the controversial relationship between science and spirituality, this is a great way to catch up on what people have been debating about. This book is good for filling in the gaps of the debate between science and spirituality, or it can be used to simply enlighten you on how just a thought can make a difference in your life, the lives of those around you, and the world surrounding you. – AV www.sterlingpublishing.com www.amazon.com