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The Four-Day Win: End Your Diet War and Achieve Thinner Peace
by Martha BeckThe woman Psychology Today calls "the best-known life coach in America" shatters the myth that willpower is an effective weight-loss tool and introduces a revolutionary approach to lifetime leanness based on a series of "4-Day Wins" that work with any weight-loss program.Substitute a good habit for a bad one and stick to it for just 4 days, and it begins to feel normal. That's the surprising discovery that holds the key to lifetime weight control, according to life coach and New York Times best-selling author Martha Beck. Not a conventional diet or exercise program, The Four-Day Win combines evolutionary logic, psychology, and neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to restructure itself, which suggests ways to reshape our bodies) with strategies and success stories--plus large doses of humor and an insightful, straightforward approach to teach the principles required to reverse weight issues.Drawn from hundreds of hours interviewing weight losers--in both her discussions with private clients and her groundbreaking consulting work for Jenny Craig--Dr. Beck reveals: • Why willpower-based dieting is doomed to fail • How to step out of the conflict between the rule-making Commander (who bans all our favorite foods) and the rule-breaking Resistor (who gives in to cravings) and reach the Watcher, who is our happiest self • What the latest research into the mind-body connection reveals about how our emotions affect our eatingBreaking down the weight-loss marathon into 4-day intervals, Dr. Beck provides effective strategies for changing the behaviors that make us fat. And if there is a relapse, readers take comfort in knowing they are just 4 days from turning it around.
The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom
by Rod StrykerAccording to ancient Yogic tradition, your soul has four distinct desires:• The desire for purpose, the drive to become who you are meant to be• The desire for the means (money, security, health) to prosper in this world• The desire for pleasures like intimacy, beauty and love• The desire for spiritual fulfillment and lasting freedomLearning to honour these four desires is the key to happiness, and to a complete and balanced life. But how can you discern what will truly satisfy your desires? How can you increase your capacity to achieve them? What if your desires seem to conflict with one another? Is it really possible to live a spiritual life while also wanting material pleasures and success?For more than three decades, master teacher Rod Stryker has taught yoga in the context of its deepest philosophy. His course, called The Yoga of Fulfillment, has helped thousands recognise their soul's call to greatness and to achieve their dreams. Now, in this wise and richly practical book, he has distilled those broad teachings into a road map for becoming the person you were meant to be. It is filled with revealing true stories, provocative exercises and practices for unlocking your inner guidance. And even if you've never done a yoga pose, you can follow this step-by-step process to: • discover your soul's unique purpose – the one you came into this world to fulfill.• recognise the goal(s) you need to focus on at any given time and enliven your capacity to reach them. • overcome self-defeating ideas and behaviour.• recruit your deepest energies and strengthen your resolve to meet any challenge.• learn to live with joy at every stage of your growth.The Four Desires is nothing less than a complete path toward living your best life possible – a life that is rich in meaning and in means, a life that attracts and emanates happiness, a life that is your unique gift to yourself and the world.
The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom
by Rod Stryker"Desire is here to stay. The challenge we all face, and which I intend to guide you through, is to learn how to take into account the full measure of who you are and use the positive force of all four of your soul's desires to lead you to your best life."--Rod StrykerAccording to ancient Yogic tradition, your soul has four distinct desires: * The desire for purpose, the drive to become who you are meant to be* The desire for the means (money, security, health) to prosper in this world* The desire for pleasures like intimacy, beauty, and love* The desire for spiritual fulfillment and lasting freedom Learning to honor these four desires is the key to happiness, and to a complete and balanced life. But how can you discern what will truly satisfy your desires? How can you increase your capacity to achieve them? What if your desires seem to conflict with one another? Is it really possible to live a spiritual life while also wanting material pleasures and success?For more than three decades, master teacher Rod Stryker has taught yoga in the context of its deepest philosophy. His course, called The Yoga of FulfillmentTM, has helped thousands recognize their soul's call to greatness and to achieve their dreams. Now, in this wise and richly practical book, he has distilled those broad teachings into a roadmap for becoming the person you were meant to be. It is filled with revealing true stories, provocative exercises, and practices for unlocking your inner guidance. And even if you've never done a yoga pose, you can follow this step-by-step process to: * discover your soul's unique purpose--the one you came into this world to fulfill.* recognize the goal(s) you need to focus on at any given time and enliven your capacity to reach them. * overcome self-defeating ideas and behavior.* recruit your deepest energies and strengthen your resolve to meet any challenge.* learn to live with joy at every stage of your growth. The Four Desires is nothing less than a complete path toward living your best life possible--a life that is rich in meaning and in means, a life that attracts and emanates happiness, a life that is your unique gift to yourself and the world.From the Hardcover edition.
The Four Dignities: The Spiritual Practice of Walking, Standing, Sitting, and Lying Down
by Cain CarrollOffering a fresh perspective on immediate presence and embodied spiritual practice, The Four Dignities shows how the mindful cultivation of the four essential postures - walking, standing, sitting, and lying down - are the basis for a formal practice to develop greater vitality and spiritual awakening. The author reveals the subtle inner nuances of the four traditional meditations, and shows how they can be practiced as a unified system. Readers are given a profound understanding of correct posture, alignment, breathing, and attention, and the author explains the philosophical basis for the practice, offering a pathway toward realizing profound spiritual and energetic transformation. This accessible yet profound study will be an invaluable resource for students and practitioners of yoga, taiji, qigong, and meditation, as well as spiritual seekers, and anyone interested in Eastern philosophy or the study of movement.
The Four Dragons: Clearing the Meridians and Awakening the Spine in Nei Gong
by Damo Mitchell Ole SaetherWithin the context of a larger discussion of Dao Yin, Damo Mitchell teaches and explains the Dragon Dao Yin exercises, a set of four short sequences designed to work with the subtle energies of the spine and lead pathogenic energies out of the body. More 'Yang' in nature than Qi Gong, Dao Yin focuses on outwards movements and strong internal cleansing. The book highlights this important distinction and covers the theory, history and development of Dao Yin exercises, as well as the relationship between Chinese medical theory and Dao Yin training. One chapter is devoted to problems related to stagnation and the flow of Qi, and explains the different causes and forms of stagnation. Later chapters look at breathing patterns and the extension of Yi, opening the joints, and rotating the bones and spine. Damo Mitchell also discusses stillness as the source of movement, the philosophical significance of the Dragon and the pearl, and the means of hardwiring Dao Yin exercises into the energetic body. Central to the discussion is the concept of the spine, and how to wake it up. For the first time in the English language, the Dragon exercises - Awakening, Swimming, Soaring and Drunken - are described in detail, with photographs and step-by-step instructions on each of the exercises as individual therapeutic exercises and as a form.
The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer and Visionary
by Angeles ArrienA leading expert on native spirituality and shamanism reveals the four archetypal principles of the Native American medicine wheel and how they can lead us to a higher spirituality and a better world.
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
by Sayadaw U Silanada Ruth-Inge Heinze Larry RosenbergAn absolute essential of Buddhist thought and practice. In addition to practitioners of Insight meditation, those who engage in other meditation forms such as dzogchen, mahamudra, and zazen will find that The Four Foundation of Mindfulness provides new means of understanding how to approach and deepen their own practices. The entire Great Discourse is included here, coupled with a beautifully clear commentary from the great scholar-yogi, Venerable U Silananda.
The Four Gifts
by Joseph BradleyBy all rights, Father Joseph Bradley should be dead. If past usage of beer, marijuana, and cocaine didn't do the trick, then certainly heart failure should have. Instead, by the grace of God, he is alive, clean, sober, and a functioning Catholic priest with another man's heart beating in his chest. But it came at a huge cost. While Joe was in his late teens, his father died suddenly. The loss was devastating and Joe's emotional desolation found escapist bliss in a beer bottle and cocaine vial, and he pledged irrevocable devotion to both. The slide into the abyss was ugly, and Joe finally sought help because there was nowhere else to go--which led him to serve others as a Catholic priest. The day of Joe's ordination, an old friend came to the mass and announced for all to hear, "Well, now I can say I've seen a miracle." Joe functioned for fifteen years as a sober priest before his heart gave out from the same heart disease that killed his father. But another miracle came his way, and he was blessed with a new heart--a gracious gift from a family during the most painful moment of their lives. Joe has been granted the blessing of four gifts: faith, sobriety, a new heart, and a fulfilling ministry. As Father Joe says, "Gratitude inspired this book. I owe it to people who helped rescue me from alcohol and drugs, and I owe it to my heart donor for giving me yet another chance at life."
The Four Global Truths
by Darrin DrdaWith the planet increasingly threatened with catastrophe and perhaps even collapse, many seekers are looking to past, proven models to create meaningful change in their lives. One such model is Buddhism's Four Noble Truths: the reality of suffering, the root cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path to the end of suffering. This fresh, timely book taps and modifies that ancient wisdom to address the pressing environmental and spiritual crises facing us. In The Four Global Truths, author Darrin Drda contends that as global temperatures rise and natural systems decline, humanity is forced to confront the destructiveness of unfettered material progress and mechanistic thinking. He posits a more enlightened worldview that honors the interdependence of all forms of life and aspects of reality, a concept increasingly see as a practical and compassionate approach to averting disaster. Writing in a warm, open style recalling that of Eckhart Tolle in The New Earth, Drda integrates elements of Western philosophy, transpersonal psychology, deep ecology, modern cosmology, and quantum physics to get at the heart of worldwide ecological suffering. In the process he encourages a responsible and joyful--and ultimately healing--participation in this critical moment in life.About the Imprint: EVOLVER EDITIONS promotes a new counterculture that recognizes humanity's visionary potential and takes tangible, pragmatic steps to realize it. EVOLVER EDITIONS explores the dynamics of personal, collective, and global change from a wide range of perspectives. EVOLVER EDITIONS is an imprint of North Atlantic Books and is produced in collaboration with Evolver, LLC.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Four Keys to the Natural Anabolic State: The Pathway to Health, Fitness, Faith, and a Huge Competitive Edge
by William G. AlstonThis book reveals a stunning thread of scientific data that points the way to the natural anabolic state--a biochemical condition wherein body fat is metabolized, muscle tissue is built, strength and speed are increased, mental acuity is enhanced, and the
Four-Legged Therapy: How fur, scales and feathers can make life worth living
by Department Store for the MindA WORDLESS LISTENER, A REASON TO GO OUTSIDE, AN INTENSE SURGE OF JOY...What healthy habits can we learn from our fluffy, scaly and, let's face it, stinky companions? Is it just the companionship and love or is there more to it?Discover the myriad ways in which our pets and other animals can help us feel more present and connected in our lives, how they literally save lives and also make life more worth living. From the 'hensioners' who look after ex-battery chickens to 'goat club', dogs who listen to children learning to read and Mitzpah the collie who just knows how to make people smile. There is a world of therapy out there, waiting to sit on your lap.
Four-Legged Therapy: How fur, scales and feathers can make life worth living
by Dept LtdFour- Legged Therapy is a delightfully illustrated collection of ten stories that recognise the therapeutic value of having animals in our lives. A charming exploration of how pets can support our minds and bodies in everyday life. From grumpy cats, fat dogs and muddy ducks to goats in a classroom and rescue-hens in a care home, this book recognises animals as the unsung heroes that save lives and make life worth living. Animals offer companionship, love and fun. They teach us the gift of kindness and acceptance. They can connect us to the world, slow down time and sharpen our senses in a kind of informal meditation. They can be good listeners, offering reassurance and devotion that steadies our self-esteem. They ask us for routine and consistency, to show a kind of resilience that is good for us."Your dog's utter faith in your humanity will make you feel like more and more of a human, every day"- Caroline O'Donoghue, author of 'Promising Young Women', shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards writing about the joy of unconditional from her Jack-Russell terrier, Sylvie. "I feel as if I've been permitted a glimpse into the wonder at the very heart of life, led there by my dog" - Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, author of Things My Dog Has Taught Me: About being a better human.
The Four Levels Of Healing: A Guide To Balancing The Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, And Physical Aspects Of Life
by Shakti GawainIn this profoundly exciting and challenging time, individuals may find they are involved in a difficult yet fascinating learning process -- both their personal evolution and the evolution of human consciousness. In this book, best-selling author Shakti Gawain describes the four levels of human existence -- spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical -- and explains the importance of developing all four. She also provides the meditations and exercises readers need to begin their own healing journeys.
The Four-Pack Revolution: How You Can Aim Lower, Cheat on Your Diet, and Still Lose Weight and Keep It Off
by Ryan Parsons Chael SonnenNot everyone can achieve a six-pack like a fitness magazine cover model, but anyone can achieve a four-pack. By adjusting your expectations to attainable and healthy goals, you can achieve long-term and lasting fitness. Written by famed MMA fighter Chael Sonnen and MMA sports performance expert Ryan Parsons, The Four-Pack Revolution uses the latest science and motivational exercises to guide you on a journey toward a healthier and—just as importantly—more sustainable weight-loss program. Instead of a simplistic or one-concept gimmicky diet, The Four-Pack Revolution presents a total-life approach for attainable goals by:· Debunking the myths and revealing the science of weight loss· Arguing that “system resets” or breaking your diet can actually have health benefits· Presenting how to manage key hormones through diet· Designing intense, 10-minute workouts that are more effective than more time-consuming cardio workouts· Illustrating the healthy ratio of carbs, fat, protein and how to practice portion control· Sharing tips for maintaining a plan even while eating out· Providing a shopping list for a four-week meal planWith The Four-Pack Revolution, you can achieve a four-pack—while still enjoying life.
Four Quadrant Living: Making Healthy Living Your New Way of Life
by Dina ColmanLiving healthy doesn't need to be complicated. Four Quadrant Living shows readers how to take responsibility for their own health by providing logically organized and easily implemented ideas and suggestions for nourishing the "four quadrants" of our lives. The book includes ways to reduce stress, live mindfully, eat well, exercise more, sleep better, engage in healthy relationships, and detoxify environments. Many people worry about getting cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, or heart disease because it "runs in the family." This attitude encourages a passive, out-of-my-hands approach. Instead, Four Quadrant Living offers a new prescription for health, one that emphasizes positive steps readers can take to make healthy living a part of their daily routine. Four Quadrant Living provides simple, effective, and natural ways to help readers take control of their health so that they feel empowered, beat the odds, and live radiantly. We may be eating well and exercising, but we cannot truly be healthy if our mind is stressed, our relationships are toxic, and our world is sick. Every day we make choices that impact our health-the foods we eat, the products we use, the exercise we get, the stress we allow, the people we surround ourselves with, and the environment we live in. Four Quadrant Living guides readers to make healthy living a part of their daily lives, leading to abundant health, vitality, and happiness.
The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times
by Dr Anita L. SanchezIn The Four Sacred Gifts, visionary international business consultant Anita Sanchez, PhD, reveals the timely prophecy entrusted to her by a global collective of indigenous elders—four guiding gifts that &“will allow you to set yourself free to live your most successful life…learn how to forgive, to heal, to unite with all life, and to revitalize hope&” (Jack Canfield, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul).As we ride the powerful waves of change occurring in our economic, social, political, and physical environment, indigenous wisdom is needed—now more than ever—to guide us to inhabit the fullest and healthiest lives possible. The Four Sacred Gifts opens your mind and heart to an indigenous worldview that will ultimately free you from fear and empower you to find peace even in the conflicts of our tumultuous world. Based on a prophecy that is now coming true, this book reveals how our world depends on each of us discovering a interconnectedness to people, earth, and animals, in the awareness that we are &“all one relation.&” Within these pages, you will find deep wisdom of elders from all continents as they come together to give you four sacred gifts: the power to forgive the unforgivable, the power of unity, the power of healing, and the power of hope. These gifts will guide you to transformation, and support your journey to wholeness. By following the powerful principles, lessons, and tools found in this book, you will experience personal breakthroughs, become a force for conscious, societal evolution, and learn to live in deeper harmony with all of humanity.
The Four Things That Matter Most - 10th Anniversary Edition: A Book About Living
by Ira Byock&“This beautiful book, full of wisdom and warmth, teaches us how to protect and preserve our most valuable possessions—the relationships with those we love. It shows that the things that matter definitely aren&’t &‘things,&’ and how to empower your life in the right direction.&” —Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleFour simple phrases—&“Please forgive me,&” &“I forgive you,&” &“Thank you,&” and &“I love you&”—carry enormous power to mend and nurture our relationships and inner lives. These four phrases and the sentiments they convey provide a path to emotional wellbeing, guiding us through interpersonal difficulties to life with integrity and grace. Newly updated with stories from people who have turned to this life-altering book in their time of need, this motivational teaching about what really matters reminds us how we can honor each relationship every day. Dr. Ira Byock, an international leader in palliative care, explains how we can practice these life-affirming words in our day-to-day lives. Too often we assume that the people we love really know that we love them. Dr. Byock demonstrates the value of &“stating the obvious&” and provides practical insights into the benefits of letting go of old grudges and toxic emotions. His stories help us to forgive, appreciate, love, and celebrate one another and live life more fully. Using the Four Things in a wide range of life situations, we can experience emotional healing even in the wake of family strife, personal tragedy, divorce, or in the face of death. With practical wisdom and spiritual power, The Four Things That Matter Most gives us the language and guidance to honor and experience what really matters most in our lives every day.
The Four Thoughts That F*ck You Up ... and How to Fix Them: Rewire how you think in six weeks with REBT
by Daniel FryerWhatever life throws at you, learn to deal with it in a healthier and more rational way. When it comes to destructive emotions and unhelpful behaviours, you are your own worst enemy. Rather than people or situations driving you to depression, distraction or doughnuts, all too often it’s your own unhealthy beliefs and thought habits that hold you back and f**k everything up. But, what can you do about it?Highly Experienced REBT (Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy) psychotherapist Daniel Fryer can stop these thoughts from messing up your life using a simple but effective model. In The Four Thoughts that F**k You Up … And How to Fix Them he reveals the four unhealthy beliefs that hold you back (Dogmatic Demands, Dramas, I Can’t Copes and Pejorative Put-Downs) and shows you how to replace them with four healthy beliefs (Flexible Preferences, Perspectives, I Can Copes and Unconditional Acceptance) – in as little as six weeks. Yes, you read that right: Just six weeks to a new you.Developed in the mid-fifties by psychotherapist Albert Ellis, REBT is known as the first form of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). Not only is it an effective therapy, but it’s also an excellent philosophy for every day life. With this model, Daniel will help you identify a specific personal challenge and then reframe how you react to it, leading to a calmer, happier you. This approach is especially helpful if you struggle with stress, anxiety, depression, anger or self-doubt, or if you want to improve your relationships with family, colleagues and peers or, simply, yourself.When you free your mind from the thoughts that f**k you up, you’ll never look at anything the same way again. Want to get started?
Four Umbrellas: A Couple's Journey Into Young-Onset Alzheimer's
by June Hutton Tony WanlessA writing couple searches for answers when Alzheimer's causes one of them to lose the place where stories come from — memory. At the age of fifty-three, Tony walks away from a life of journalism and into an unknown future. June is forty-eight, a writer and teacher, and over the following decade watches as her husband changes — in interests, goals, and behaviour — until Tony has a fall, ending the life they had known. A diagnosis is seven years away, yet the signs of Alzheimer’s are all around. A suitcase Tony packs for a trip is jammed with four umbrellas, a visual symbol of cognitive looping. But how far back do these signs go? The couple starts probing the past and finding answers. This is not an old person’s disease.
The Four Ways to Wellbeing: Better Sleep. Less Stress. More Energy. Mood Boost.
by Nicola Elliott NEOMThe stunning book from wellbeing experts NEOM and discover the secrets to BETTER SLEEP. LESS STRESS. MORE ENERGY. MOOD BOOST.‘A bible of knowledge with lots of great advice’ Alesha Dixon‘An invaluable guide to holistic wellbeing’ Joshua Fletcher (@anxietyjosh) anxiety therapist and author************These are the four pillars of wellbeing and there is no one better placed to show you how to achieve each of them than Nicola Elliott, founder of NEOM.After eighteen years of building the UK's leading wellbeing business, Nicola has been there, done that and got the weighted blanket. In this beautifully illustrated guide, she combines her own no-nonsense advice with insights from experts on sleep, stress, energy and mood, so that you can find the solutions that work for you.Wellbeing starts with the little moments so whether you've got 30 seconds or 30 minutes, you will find simple tips and tricks that will suit your lifestyle and help you feel better than ever, the NEOM way.
Fourfold Path To Healing: Working with the Laws of Nutrition, Therapeutics, Movement and Meditation in the Art of Medicine
by Cowan Sally Fallon McmillanThe Fourfold Path to Healing merges the wisdom of traditional societies, the most modern findings of western medicine and the esoteric teaching of the ancients. The fourfold approach includes: Nutrition using nutrient-dense traditional foods; therapeutics through a wide range of nontoxic remedies; Movement to heal and strengthen the emotions; and medication to develop your powers of objective thought.
The Fourteen Holy Helpers: Invocations for Healing and Protection
by Christiane Stamm• Shares modern updated versions of the medieval prayers of the Holy Helpers, one prayer for each of the 14 saints and one prayer to call on all of them together • Explains how, even though these 14 saints are connected to Catholic belief, they are universal in their powers of assistance and will come to the aid of anyone who calls on them • Recommends a healing stone to enhance the effect of each prayer and explains how to use the prayers to create protective amulets for you and your home and write a letter of invocation for love and success The art of invocation--calling on spirits and higher forces for assistance--has been practiced in folk magic traditions for centuries, with roots going back to early pagan and shamanic times. Called on for more than 1,000 years, the Fourteen Holy Helpers are a group of Catholic saints venerated together because their intercession has been shown to be particularly effective in difficult times. Although they are part of the Christian tradition, these spiritual helpers are universal in their powers of assistance and will come to the aid of anyone who calls on them. In this guide to invoking the Fourteen Holy Helpers, Christiane Stamm presents modern updated versions of the medieval prayers of the Holy Helpers, which were transmitted to her directly from the spirit world. She explains how, even though these 14 saints are connected to Catholic belief, their invoked powers connect to the original energies dwelling within humans and the Earth and calling on them works as a form of natural magic. She shares short biographies of each saint and details how to access their powers of healing and protection through writing out and reciting their specific prayers during the full moon. The author shares 15 prayers--one for each Holy Helper, used to support healing for specific ailments or issues, and one prayer that is especially powerful because it calls on all 14 Helpers together. For each prayer she recommends a healing stone that can be added to further enhance the effect. The author also explains how to use the prayers to create protective amulets for you and your home and write a letter of invocation for love and success. Offering a step-by-step method to call for spiritual assistance, this book helps us realize the profound power of prayer and belief and reveals how magic still exists in our modern world.
Fourth Down And Inches: Concussions And Football's Make-or-break Moment
by Carla Killough McclaffertyAward-winning author Carla Killough McClafferty takes readers on a bone-crunching journey from football's origins to the latest research on concussion and traumatic brain injuries in the sport.
The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and RestoringYour Vitality
by Kimberly Ann JohnsonA guide to help support women through post-partum healing on the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual levels.This holistic guide offers practical advice to support women through postpartum healing on the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual levels—and provides women with a roadmap to this very important transition that can last from a few months to a few years.Kimberly Ann Johnson draws from her vast professional experience as a doula, postpartum consultant, yoga teacher, body worker, and women’s health care advocate, and from the healing traditions of Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and herbalism—as well as her own personal experience—to cover • how you can prepare your body for birth; • how you can organize yourself and your household for the best possible transition to motherhood; • simple practices and home remedies to facilitate healing and restore energy; • how to strengthen relationships and aid the return to sex; • learning to exercise safely postpartum; • carrying your baby with comfort; • exploring the complex and often conflicting emotions that arise postpartum; • and much more.
Fourth Uncle in the Mountain: A Memoir of a Barefoot Doctor in Vietnam
by Marjorie Pivar Quang Van NguyenSet during the French and American wars, Fourth Uncle in the Mountain is a true story about an orphan, Quang Van Nguyen, who is adopted by a sixty-four year old monk, Thau, who carries great responsibility for his people as a barefoot doctor. Thau manages, against all odds to raise his son to follow in his footsteps and in doing so, saves his son, as well as a part of Vietnam's esoteric knowledge from the Vietnam holocaust. <p><p> Thau is wanted by the French regime, and occasionally must flee into the jungle, where he is perfectly at home living among the animals. Thau is not the average monk; he practices an ancient lineage of Chinese medicine and uses magic to protect animals and help people. <p><p> As wise and resourceful as Thau is, he meets his match in his mischievous son. Quang is more interested in learning Cambodian sorcery and martial arts than in developing his skills and wisdom according to his father's plan. <p><p> Fourth Uncle in the Mountain is an odyssey of a single-father folk hero and his foundling son in a land ravaged by the atrocities of war. It is a classic story, complete with humor, tragedy, and insight from a country where ghosts and magic are real.