We've had another guest review from one of the fabulous members of our JCU community! Dr Ro Hill has sent us a parcel of mini-reviews for books she read during February for our Reading Challenge.
Remember, we love getting your reviews, so please share them with us at library@jcu.edu.au. Please keep in mind that we prefer reviews for books that can be borrowed from a library in our region (especially if it's ours).
Ro Hill read I heard the owl call my name, by Margaret Craven, Emotions revealed and The Face of Man, by Paul Ekman, and Mindfulness with Breathing A Manual for Serious Beginners, by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu.
For February I chose “understanding emotions” as the topic for the fact/fiction challenge. I read a fiction (I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven); two books of “fact” (Emotions Revealed and The Face of Man by Paul Ekman); and one religious treatise (Mindfulness with Breathing AManual for Serious Beginners by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu).
Remember, we love getting your reviews, so please share them with us at library@jcu.edu.au. Please keep in mind that we prefer reviews for books that can be borrowed from a library in our region (especially if it's ours).
Ro Hill read I heard the owl call my name, by Margaret Craven, Emotions revealed and The Face of Man, by Paul Ekman, and Mindfulness with Breathing A Manual for Serious Beginners, by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu.
For February I chose “understanding emotions” as the topic for the fact/fiction challenge. I read a fiction (I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven); two books of “fact” (Emotions Revealed and The Face of Man by Paul Ekman); and one religious treatise (Mindfulness with Breathing AManual for Serious Beginners by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu).
So which is best for understanding emotions? All have
strengths and weaknesses! OK, no surprises there. Margaret Craven’s
wonderful book evokes deep understanding of a First Nations community in
British Columbia just when the residential schools tragedy (Canada’s equivalent
of the Stolen Generations) is in full swing. The beauty and wonder of the Tsawataineuk Tribe’s traditions of spiritual practices to care for emotions (and celebrate good times!) are counter-posed with the missionary’s (the
central figure of the book) practical assistance with hospitals etc. The book
is more hopeful for a reader now when we know the central message – that the
Indian’s way of life is over – has turned out to be wrong…
Paul Ekman’s Emotions Revealed takes you into a rigorous
reductionist treatment of how the lips are pressed together when someone is
angry and pulled backward towards the ears when fear is raging. It’s actually
pretty interesting and helpful for people like me who are often challenged to
understand how others are feeling. I’ve been practising more awareness of
“seeing” people’s faces and using his ideas to better interpret emotions –
definitely helpful. The Faces of Man is a collection of photographs from his
field work with the Fore people back in 1967 which is/was the basis of the
“proof” that emotions are expressed the same way in all cultures. Wonderful
photos but terrible ethics...oh dear. The Fore don’t get a say at all.
The Buddhist book on Mindfulness is all about how meditation
can help you understand and regulate your own emotions. A practical guide with
four stages, and four steps in each stage. Pretty good for pragmatic
Westerners but probably not as useful as all the free tools available from the Centre
for Mindfulness at the Uni of San Diego.
I realised I missed the Australian author this month… so
will try to find two for March.
Thanks!
Cheers
Ro
I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven (810 CRAV 1C IHE), and Emotions Revealed (152.4 EKM) and The Face of Man (152.4 EKM T2), by Paul Ekman are available in our library.
Mindfulness with Breathing A Manual for Serious Beginners, by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu is available from a small number of libraries listed in Trove. It may be obtained using an Interlibrary Loan, if you wish to read it (fees apply), or you can purchase a copy from a number of online stores.
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