Review: Mother Stella by Ryan Baxter

A spiritual guide known as Mother Stella is the fascinating focus of Ryan Baxter’s thoughtful examination of her life and legacy.
As outlined extensively in Baxter’s lively chronicle, Stella was born in Iceland during the Great Depression. Her family lived in respectable poverty, with fresh flowing water available, but no indoor plumbing and no electricity. As WWII heated up, British forces and then American took control of their territory and occupied Reykjavik. Stella was old enough to remember the bounty of the American soldiers in Christmas gifts and candy. She married an American and immigrated to the US, winding up […]



In Dharma: For Awakening and Social Change by author Maetreyii Ma Nolan, the most pressing issues facing the world today are paired with a spiritual approach and an eye-opening philosophy about personal evolution and balance.

When writer, gardener, and Buddhist practitioner Cheryl Wilfong was diagnosed with breast cancer, she wouldn’t “fight” her illness, as so many urged her to do. She would experience it, “not wishing for anything different than what Life was delivering.” This is the inspiring message in her unique and poignant health guide, Breast Cancer Meets Mindfulness: Surrendering to Life.
Basing his advice on the Eastern philosophy of the Tao Te Ching, counselor Chris L. McClish presents an appealing guide to self-help psychology in Accepting Life on Life’s Terms: Taoist Psychology for Uncertain Times.