“This is Your Brain on Music: Understanding a Human Obsession” by Daniel J. Levitin

"In this groundbreaking union of art and science, rocker-turned-neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explores the connection between music—its performance, its composition, how we listen to it, why we enjoy it—and the human brain. Taking on prominent thinkers who argue that music is nothing more than an evolutionary accident, Levitin poses that music is fundamental to our species, perhaps even more so than language. Drawing on the latest research and on musical examples ranging from Mozart to Duke Ellington to Van Halen, he reveals: • How composers produce some of the most pleasurable effects of listening to music by exploiting the way our brains make sense of the world • Why we are so emotionally attached to the music...>>

“Smile of the Universe: Miracles in an Age of Disbelief” by Michael Grosso

"Why Is the Universe Smiling? The word miracle is rooted in a Sanskrit syllable smi, from which we get the English word smile. So a miracle refers to a smile induced by certain sensations of awe, beauty, and wonder. Humans have always had extraordinary experiences, often called miracles. An account of reported miraculous phenomena, Smile of the Universe takes us beyond conventional religion and science to explore the outer reaches of human potential. Grounded in true stories and matters of fact, Michael Grosso argues for the reality of a great Mind and for the human ability to communicate with that Mind. In an age of disbelief, it presents a fact-based template for experimental spirituality and...>>

“The Mercury Formula: Three Steps to Self-Transformation” by J.R. Sedivy

"Through the ages, diverse spiritual and mystic traditions have developed pathways to wisdom and inner power based on universal spiritual laws. These esoteric truths were historically kept as closely guarded secrets, accessible only to a select few initiates through lifetimes of disciplined study. Many of these concepts have recently become widely known and accepted in spiritual circles. However, outside of an established spiritual tradition many experience the path to spiritual power and purpose to be truly labyrinthine. The Mercury Formula reformulates the old mystery school wisdom into a concise, practical manual that not only explains the spiritual truths, but offers a clear and precise formula for intense and rapid personal discovery and transformation—ideal for those...>>

“Sight Beyond Sight: The Mythology, Methodology and Utility of the Higher Self” by Stephen James Wakefield

"What is the Higher Self? It is many different things to many different people, and appears in forms throughout mythology, mysticism, magic, philosophy and psychology. The Higher Self as it is most commonly recognised is that ‘spark’ of otherness within us that connects us with all of existence and the Absolute or God from which we emanated. The Higher Self speaks to us of cosmic interconnectedness and the divine. It suggests the underlying unity of all creation, and to integrate it into our conscious life is to open up endless possibilities such as epiphany and spiritual insight, extra sensory perception in the form of precognition, visionary dreams and astral projection, as well as instances of...>>

“The Life and Legend of Nicholas Flamel: Discoverer of the Philosopher’s Stone?” by Simon Webb

"Though he features in the first of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, Nicholas Flamel was a real person who lived in medieval Paris. Simon Webb's new book attempts to reconstruct his life, and also looks into the legends that have attached to his name over the centuries. Was he an alchemist, could he make gold from mercury, and are Nicholas and his wife Perenelle still alive after over six hundred years?"...>>