Clarity Magazine recommends the following books and movies:
BOOKS
The Woman Who Changed Her Brain: And Other Inspiring Stories of Pioneering Brain Transformation
by Barbara Arrowsmith-Young and Norman Doidge, MD
This is the amazing story of how Barbara Arrowsmith-Young, by her iron will and determination, overcame severe disabilities and went on to become a leader in the field of cognitive education. Filled with riveting case histories of her more than thirty years work with both children and adults, The Woman Who Changed Her Brain is highly recommended for those challenged by learning disorders, brain trauma, ADD or strokes. Today, Barbara Arrowsmith-Young is the Director of Arrowsmith School and Arrowsmith Program.
The Essential Sri Anandamayi Ma: Life and Teaching of a 20th Century Indian Saint
by Joseph A. Fitzgerald
This inspired biography, based upon the author’s personal relationship with Sri Anandamayi Ma, offers us an engaging and sensitive portrait of the life and teachings of one of India’s most beloved saints, discussed by Paramhansa Yogananda in Autobiography of a Yogi. Through her wisdom, joy, and compassion, Sri Anandamayi Ma, has inspired millions worldwide as a 20th century example of the depth of India’s centuries-long spiritual tradition.
Return to Life
by Jim Tucker, MD
World renowned professor Dr. Jim Tucker has spent the last ten years meticulously documenting the stories of children who claim to have lived past lives. Using strict scientific methods, Tucker has found persuasive evidence that some children do, in fact, possess memories of past lives. Thought-provoking and captivating, Return to Life, is an important contribution to the growing body of scientific evidence showing that consciousness survives the body at death.
Professor Tucker ‘s first book, Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children’s Memories of Previous Lives, has been translated into ten languages.
The Man Nobody Knows
by Bruce Barton
In this 1925 bestseller, Bruce Barton provides us with a thought-provoking analogy of Jesus Christ as a smiling, divinely inspired CEO, who forged an organization that conquered the world. When published in 1925, The Man Nobody Knows topped the non-fiction bestseller list, and was one of the best-selling non-fiction books of the 20th century.
The great yoga master, Paramhansa Yogananda, highly recommended The Man Nobody Knows as the best modern book on Jesus.
Seven Storey Mountain
by Thomas Merton
The Seven Storey Mountain, the autobiography of Thomas Merton (1915-1968), is one of the most influential religious works of the twentieth century. It is the story of a brilliant and passionate young man whose search for peace and faith led him to convert to Catholicism at the age of twenty-six and to join a Trappist monastery—one of the most demanding of the Catholic monastic orders.
Merton wrote over sixty books and articles and, during last years of his life, became deeply interested in Eastern spirituality and in promoting East-West dialogue. In the half-century since its original publication, the Seven Storey Mountain has been published in over twenty languages.
E=mc2: A Biography of the World’s Most Famous Equation
by David Bodanis
In this well-written, easy-to-understand book, Bodanis gives us a lucid, interesting, and concise explanation of Einstein’s famous equation: E=mc2. In terms easily understood by the non-physicist, he lays out the origins of the most famous equation in history, and how it has come to inform our daily lives in such fields as medical technology, archeology, and electronics. An informative and often entertaining look at history and science.
MOVIES
Madagascar, 2005
This 2005 computer-animated comedy film tells the story of four Central Park Zoo animals – A lion, a zebra, a giraffe, and a hippo – who are unexpectedly shipped to Africa. When their ship capsizes in a storm leaving them stranded on the island of Madagascar, they learn first-hand what life can be like in the wild.
Outstanding animation and fun for the whole family, Madagascar won the 2006 Kids’ Choice Award for favorite animated movie.
Available: DVD; Rated PG
Tuesdays with Morrie, 1999
When Mitch Albom, a sportswriter for the Detroit Free Press, learns by chance that Morrie Schwartz, his old college professor, is battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease or ALS, he reconnects with his old mentor and they develop a lasting bond. Although successful in his career, Mitch discovers he still has much to learn.
This made-for-television movie, based on Albom’s international bestseller of the same name, is one of the best-selling memoirs of all time.
Available: DVD; Rated PG
A Tale of Two Cities, 1935
An adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1859 novel, this film is set in London and Paris during the French Revolution. It is the story of Sydney Carton, a disgraced lawyer, who sacrifices his life on behalf of his friends Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette, the woman they both love. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Film Editing.
Available: DVD; Not Rated
Children of Heaven, 1997
A surprise international success, Children of Heaven depicts a young Iranian boy who accidentally loses his sister’s shoes and must share his sneakers with her while each attends school at different times of the day. The boy eventually enters a foot race in hopes of winning a new pair of shoes.
Noted film critic Roger Ebert described this film as “very nearly a perfect movie for children.” Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1998, the film won the Grand Prix du Americas at the 1997 Montreal Film Festival.
Available: DVD; Rated PG
Lewis and Clark: The Journey, 1997
When Thomas Jefferson dispatched Lewis and Clark to find a water route across North America and to explore the uncharted West, they expected to encounter woolly mammoths, erupting volcanoes, and a mountain of pure salt. What they found was no less surprising. This film documents the 1804 Lewis and Clark Expedition and their momentous two and a half year journey across the United States. Although they failed to find the fabled Northwest Passage, they left a legacy of exploration and discovery that has become one of the greatest adventure stories in American history.
Available: DVD; Rated PG
The Day the Earth Stood Still, 1951
The main characters in this classic science fiction film, Klaatu and Gort, are members of an alien race of super-robot enforcers and galaxy peace-keepers. They have come to earth to deliver the message that earth dwellers must cease their violent behavior and learn to live peacefully — or risk being destroyed because a danger to the other planets in the galaxy. Made as a plea for international world peace, the film’s warnings about violence and nuclear confrontation are as relevant today as in 1951.
Well-received by critics, “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is widely regarded as one of the best films of 1951.
Available: DVD; Rated G
