Books have perhaps been my greatest teachers, friends, inspirations and companions. The right one comes at the right time out of the woodwork as it were. It is truly fascinating. Sometimes, a book comes but I am not ready and it waits patiently on my shelf. Sometimes, it pops out of a friend’s shelf as I help her clear her clutter. And sometimes it doesn’t want to be read for years, almost like a reluctant friend.

Some that have touched me in the recent and not so recent past:

– Open Secret – Tony Parsons
Sublime, Simple, Profound, Non-dual. I have returned to this 48 pager often and much. I have also quoted it in some of my blogs about it (See ‘Heal or Awaken’) and shared it with many.

– A thousand names for joy – Byron Katie
I was reading this sitting next to my dad in the US in the hospital during his last days. And then during the last days of my marriage. Without a shade of doubt amongst the very best. It transported me from illusion to reality, from struggle to profound acceptance (very different from resignation) and taught me how to let go. To see that life is indeed wise, even when it seems otherwise.

– The Breakthrough Experience- John Demartini
Demartini has a way and a method of penetrating into painful and joyful reality till all that is left is love which simply embraces it all. He effortlessly and authentically talks of real life instances of profound transformation like a woman who was raped several times seeing the divine in such a beastly act. And ending up being grateful to the rapists! Sounds crazy but you must read it.

– Books I have loved – Osho
What a amazing list. Many of them were a part of my list and some will soon become. He has a light, humorous and audacious style. Some of the books that were on my and his list are- Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach; The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran; Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu (esp 2 renditions)

– Tao of Leadership – John Heider
This book was gifted to me by some very dear friends at XLRI (B-school) on my birthdate in 1990. And it popped out of the shelf in 1997 just when I needed it. And since then it has been my ‘bible’ or ‘gita’ in my work. The program, ‘Tao of Facilitation’ a very central expression of my life purpose is inspired by this.

– The 10 second Miracle – Gay Hendricks
A simple and beautiful book on how to see and enable magic in relationships. Its like Vipassana in relationships! He says there are many 10 second windows of opportunity in the day, which should we notice and make some simple shifts, we experience miracles.

– The Song of the Bird – Anthony Demello
Anthony is completely awesome. Another realised soul. This is a collection of short illuminating stories from various mystical traditions- sufi, jewish, hindu, zen etc. – which educate, inspire and above all awaken. He has also written ‘One minute nonsense’ and ‘One minute wisdom’ – all absolutely must reads!

Some I must just list and write about later 😉

– The Cluetrain Manifesto- Rick Levine et al – how Internet is a inner net! and enabling an inner revolution
– Coaching With Spirit – Teri-E Belf
– Walk Out, Walk on- Margaret Wheatley & Debbie Frieze in which my dear friend Manish Jain figures significantly.
– Tao of Healing- Haven Trevino
– Astrology for the Soul- Jan Spiller
– Firms of Endearment- Raj Sisodia et al

and lots more. At least 60! But I need to go for my morning walk after many months! So this will get expanded later! Enjoy checking these out on http://www.amazon.com and order them from http://www.flipkart.com if in India. You may get glimpses on google books~