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Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy
by SadhguruThought leader, visionary, philanthropist, mystic, and yogi Sadhguru presents Western readers with a time-tested path to achieving absolute well-being: the classical science of yoga.The practice of hatha yoga, as we commonly know it, is but one of eight branches of the body of knowledge that is yoga. In fact, yoga is a sophisticated system of self-empowerment that is capable of harnessing and activating inner energies in such a way that your body and mind function at their optimal capacity. It is a means to create inner situations exactly the way you want them, turning you into the architect of your own joy. A yogi lives life in this expansive state, and in this transformative book Sadhguru tells the story of his own awakening, from a boy with an unusual affinity for the natural world to a young daredevil who crossed the Indian continent on his motorcycle. He relates the moment of his enlightenment on a mountaintop in southern India, where time stood still and he emerged radically changed. Today, as the founder of Isha, an organization devoted to humanitarian causes, he lights the path for millions. The term guru, he notes, means "dispeller of darkness, someone who opens the door for you. . . . As a guru, I have no doctrine to teach, no philosophy to impart, no belief to propagate. And that is because the only solution for all the ills that plague humanity is self-transformation. Self-transformation means that nothing of the old remains. It is a dimensional shift in the way you perceive and experience life." The wisdom distilled in this accessible, profound, and engaging book offers readers time-tested tools that are fresh, alive, and radiantly new. Inner Engineering presents a revolutionary way of thinking about our agency and our humanity and the opportunity to achieve nothing less than a life of joy. Praise for Sadhguru and Inner Engineering "Contrarian and consistent, ancient and contemporary, Inner Engineering is a loving invitation to live our best lives and a profound reassurance of why and how we can."--Sir Ken Robinson, author of The Element, Finding Your Element, and Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative "I am inspired by Sadhguru's capacity for joy, his exuberance for life, and the depth and breadth of his curiosity and knowledge. His book is filled with moments of wonder, awe, and intellectual challenge. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in self-transformation."--Mark Hyman, M.D., director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, and New York Times bestselling author "Inner Engineering is a fascinating read of Sadhguru's insights and his teachings. If you are ready, it is a tool to help awaken your own inner intelligence, the ultimate and supreme genius that mirrors the wisdom of the cosmos."--Deepak ChopraFrom the Hardcover edition.
Inner Feng Shui
by Lillian TooThis extraordinary - and extremely helpful book - takes Feng Shui much further than it has ever been before. Bestselling author Lillian Too shows how you can use this ancient art to understand yourself better - and to accept what you find within. Using visualizations, mediations - as well as more conventional feng shui tips she explains how to deal with negative emotions (anger, doubt, fear etc) as well as attachments (obsessive love, addiction to money etc). Only by working yourself and your environment first can you then look outwards to help others - and look forward to the future.
The Inner Fix: Be Stronger, Happier and Braver.
by Persia Lawson Joey Bradford Addictive DaughterTHE INNER FIX is a unique and practical step-by-step programme to help you dramatically improve your relationships, feel more confident and satisfied with your work, confront your financial blocks and become the best version of yourself - both inside and out.With our lives being overrun by social media and celebrity culture, being twenty-something has become pretty complicated. Wanting things we can't afford, finding ourselves stuck in a job we don't enjoy, or still living at home with mum and dad, we reach for things to try to perk us up (sex, booze and drugs) - but eventually, they turn out to be the very things that bring us down.Having been caught in a cycle of self-destructive behaviour and come out the other side, Persia and Joey - friends, life coaches and founders of Addictive Daughter - colourfully chart their lives from childhood insecurities to adolescent obsessions. With tools and exercises to work through at your own pace, THE INNER FIX is guaranteed to teach you how to stop worrying and start living.'I love these two, they are the dream team to help you fall back in love with yourself.' - Madeleine Shaw'A guide on how to build a happy, purposeful life in uncertain times.' - Stylist
Inner Gardening: A Seasonal Path to Inner Peace
by Diane DreherWhether you're a first-time gardener or a veteran, you'll find something to inspire you in this beautifully written book that reveals the myriad ways in which working in a garden can enhance your life and deepen your connection to the world.Season by season, Diane Dreher leads you through a journey of peace and renewal. A monthly set of gardening tasks helps you plan, design, and care for your garden, along with illuminating details of gardening history, lore, and tradition. But here you'll also find ways to tend your own inner garden: how to plant seeds of ideas and dreams, weed out bad habits, and design new challenges one step at a time.Brimming with life-enhancing strategies and filled with words of wisdom that will invigorate your spirit, Inner Gardening is a book to treasure and use every day, indoors and out.
Inner Harmony: Achieving Physical, Mental and Emotional Well-Being
by Jan de VriesIn Inner Harmony Jan De Vries tells hoe we can achieve a harmonious balance between the three bodies of man-the physical, the mental and the emotional-to gain optimum health. Drawing on over forty years of experience spent dealing with patients who have lost their zest for life and joy of living he is able to refer to case histories and explain hoe the problems can be overcome. The twenty-two chapters in this book cover a wealth of information on how the reader can help himself through many differnt health comp-laints. The author refers throughout to dietary management and natural remedies to help resolve the health problems. Jan de Vries has pinpointed many typical complaits of today`s society with an under-standing that can only be ascribed to the vast experience and know-ledge that he has gained in treating thousands of people worldwide. Wtitten in an easy style, Inner Harmony contains a very positive approach to the problems prevalent worldwide in today`s society.
The Inner Life
by Hazrat Inayat KhanThe Indian Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927) was the first teacher to bring Sufism--Islamic mysticism--to the Western world. His teaching was noted for its stirring beauty and power, as well as for its applicability to all people, regardless of religious or philosophical background. This book gathers together three of Inayat Khan's most beloved essays on the spiritual life from among the fourteen volumes of his collected works:"The Inner Life": Inayat Kahn's sublime portrait of the person whose life is a radiant reflection of the Divine"Sufi Mysticism": in which the author identifies and shatters the common misconceptions about mysticism to reveal its true meaning"The Path of Initiation and Discipleship": What it means to set out on the spiritual path and how to find and maintain the right relationship with a teacher
Inner Mastery, Outer Impact: How Your Five Core Energies Hold the Key to Success
by Hitendra WadhwaIn our pursuit of success, we often struggle to balance the world's demands with our own dreams. Some of us pursue Outer Success, wanting to be liked and loved, supported and promoted. But in our quest for worldly glory, we may ignore the subtle stirring of our spirit, waking up one day to realize just how far we have drifted from our personal ideals. Others among us seek Inner Success, wanting the freedom to pursue our own calling. But in our quest to be true to ourselves, we may end up hurting, disappointing, or antagonizing others, straining relationships and being sidelined.It seems that our drives for Outer and Inner Success are destined to clash. But perhaps that's only because we've been searching for success in the wrong places. We can pursue from the place where our greatest potential is held, our Inner Core, by activating Five Core Energies: Purpose, Wisdom, Growth, Love, and Self-Realization.Through extensive scientific research and masterful storytelling about exemplary figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Theresa, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Nelson Mandela--and everyday heroes drawn from Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa's class at Columbia Business School and client workshops at Mentora Institute--readers arrive at timeless principles of success in life and leadership. Empowered by your Five Core Energies, you discover how to create outer impact from a place of inner mastery.With a PhD in Management Science from MIT and a lifelong study of the world's mystic traditions, Wadhwa brings a mathematician's rigor and a truth-seeker's spirit to some of today's most vexing questions about authenticity, success, leadership, and human potential. This book shows how by activating your Inner Core and expressing it in everything you do, you create the conditions where Inner Success and Outer Success can flourish in mutual harmony.
Inner Mastery, Outer Impact: How Your Five Core Energies Hold the Key to Success
by Hitendra WadhwaBased on his highly popular Columbia Business School course "Personal Leadership & Success", Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa shares key principles for how to pursue success by letting your true self shine through in everything you do.In our pursuit of success, we often struggle to balance the world's demands with our own dreams. Some of us pursue Outer Success, wanting to be liked and loved, supported and promoted. But in our quest for worldly glory, we may ignore the subtle stirring of our spirit, waking up one day to realize just how far we have drifted from our personal ideals. Others among us seek Inner Success, wanting the freedom to pursue our own calling. But in our quest to be true to ourselves, we may end up hurting, disappointing, or antagonizing others, straining relationships and being sidelined.It seems that our drives for Outer and Inner Success are destined to clash. But perhaps that's only because we've been searching for success in the wrong places. We can pursue from the place where our greatest potential is held, our Inner Core, by activating Five Core Energies: Purpose, Wisdom, Growth, Love, and Self-Realization.Through extensive scientific research and masterful storytelling about exemplary figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Theresa, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Nelson Mandela--and everyday heroes drawn from Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa's class at Columbia Business School and client workshops at Mentora Institute--readers arrive at timeless principles of success in life and leadership. Empowered by your Five Core Energies, you discover how to create outer impact from a place of inner mastery.With a PhD in Management Science from MIT and a lifelong study of the world's mystic traditions, Wadhwa brings a mathematician's rigor and a truth-seeker's spirit to some of today's most vexing questions about authenticity, success, leadership, and human potential. This book shows how by activating your Inner Core and expressing it in everything you do, you create the conditions where Inner Success and Outer Success can flourish in mutual harmony.(P)2022 Hachette Audio
Inner Navigation
by Erik JonssonA fascinating investigation of how we navigate the physical world, "Inner Imagination is a lively, engaging account of subconscious map-making. Why are we so often disoriented when we come up from the subway? Do we really walk in circles when we lose our bearings in the wilderness?How -- and why -- do we get lost at all? In this surprising, stimulating book, Erik Jonsson, a Swedish-born engineer who has spent a lifetime exploring navigation over every terrain, from the crowded cities of Europe to the emptiness of the desert, gives readers extraordinary new insights into the human way-finding system. Written for the non-scientist, "Inner Navigation" explains the astonishing array of physical and psychological cues the brain uses to situate us in space and build its "cognitive maps" -- the subconscious maps it employs to organize landmarks. Humans, Jonsson explains, also possess an intuitive direction frame -- an internal compass -- that keeps these maps oriented (when it functions properly) and a dead-reckoning system that constantly updates our location on the map as we move through the world.
Inner Paths to Outer Space: Journeys to Alien Worlds through Psychedelics and Other Spiritual Technologies
by Ede Frecska Luis Eduardo Luna Rick Strassman Slawek WojtowiczAn investigation into experiences of other realms of existence and contact with otherworldly beings • Examines how contact with alien life-forms can be obtained through the “inner space” dimensions of our minds • Presents evidence that other worlds experienced through consciousness-altering technologies are often as real as those perceived with our five senses • Correlates science fiction’s imaginal realms with psychedelic research For thousands of years, voyagers of inner space--spiritual seekers, shamans, and psychoactive drug users--have returned from their inner imaginal travels reporting encounters with alien intelligences. Inner Paths to Outer Space presents an innovative examination of how we can reach these other dimensions of existence and contact otherworldly beings. Based on their more than 60 combined years of research into the function of the brain, the authors reveal how psychoactive substances such as DMT allow the brain to bypass our five basic senses to unlock a multidimensional realm of existence where otherworldly communication occurs. They contend that our centuries-old search for alien life-forms has been misdirected and that the alien worlds reflected in visionary science fiction actually mirror the inner space world of our minds. The authors show that these “alien” worlds encountered through altered states of human awareness, either through the use of psychedelics or other methods, possess a sense of reality as great as, or greater than, those of the ordinary awareness perceived by our five senses.
The Inner Power of Stillness: A practical guide for therapists and practitioners
by Alexander Filmer-Lorch Margaret Anne Gill Caroline BarrowThe Inner Power of Stillness is not just another book about therapeutic presence, mindfulness and meditation. It explores and highlights the next evolutionary step, leading us beyond the already well-researched teachings of these topics, by looking at the multidimensional scale of stillness from an entirely different point of view.The focal point is the inner development by therapists, practitioners and teachers of the mainly dormant potential of stillness and the storage capacity of stillness-stimulus and imprints in our tissue/fascia, as well as their benefits, use and application in a treatment or teaching environment.The Inner Power of Stillness endeavours to illuminate the lost value of stillness for the therapist and practitioner both as a person and as a professional. The authors anchor the possibility of this inner evolution of the power of stillness to the latest research into tissue and cell memory.They introduce the concept of a potential new modality called 'stillness-memory', and build upon this new understanding a logical and practical framework in which science and philosophy truly inform each other.This opens up access to a much larger scale of new ideas and possibilities which, providing the transformative teachings they embody are put into practice, carry the potential for practitioners to be the best person and the best professional they can be, without compromising their own overall health and wellbeing.In-depth knowledge of how to arrive at this promising new modality, as well as how to apply it in everyday work and life, is at the heart of the book. It covers topics such as working from your inner power of stillness, the insightful self and, most importantly, the practitioner's toolkit.Some thought-provoking themes that might be of great value to therapists, teachers and practitioners who intend to dedicate some of their time to working for the greater good can be found at the end of the book, where consideration is given to a universal view of compassion and the solace that stillness can bring to people who are nearing the end of their life and final departure.The book concludes with a philosophical note acknowledging the timeless nature of ancient wisdom, and the ever more important relevance and role of the philosopher in our modern world today.The Inner Power of Stillness is a comprehensive guide for people working with people. It provides practical knowledge that will revolutionise the way practitioners help others:Working from a greater perspective, being aware of the whole as well as the parts, and responding to the cause and not only the effect.Working from an internal place of stillness.Innovative and practical exercises and techniques to dissolve friction/struggles in sustaining a state of authentic therapeutic presence, mindfulness and meditation.Simple exercises to help clients build long-term memory of stillness as a foundation for successful mindfulness and meditation practice.Includes Forewords from John Matthew Upledger, Lauren Walker and Charles Ridley
The Inner Reality
by Paul BruntonFirst published in the 1930s, this remarkable book skillfully interweaves the teachings of two great religious figures: Jesus and Krishna. Identifying a common current running through both Christianity and Hinduism, Brunton argues that an "inner reality" or "kingdom of heaven" can be found within each of us. Defining religion as, simply, the practice of binding oneself with divinity, he prepares readers for a quest leading to mystical communion and the realization of one's highest spiritual potential. Centrally important to success in this inner adventure is meditation--properly practiced according to one's life situation. Brunton carefully explains this inward process, the essential experiential shifts that occur as meditation deepens, and the signs of success for each stage. To "be still" connects us with the liberating forces of the Overself, and even a brief period of quiet can yield tremendous results. Brunton emphasizes a life balance that considers the needs of the whole person. He points out common errors of spiritual seekers and the dangers of occultism. Through unfolding the initiatory teachings hidden within the Lord's Prayer, the Gospel of St. John, and the Seven Beatitudes as well as the teachings of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, he skillfully maps a journey into our rich interior world. With his grounded and practical knowledge of the world's spiritual traditions, Paul Brunton is a trusted guide in this great inner adventure. This new edition has been updated to incorporate the author's final revisions and includes an introduction by the Paul Brunton Philosophic Foundation.
The Inner Sky: The Dynamic New Astrology for Everyone
by Steven ForrestThe Stars are only the beginning. Here is your guide to the universe of potential within us all.
The Inner Smile: Increasing Chi through the Cultivation of Joy
by Mantak ChiaA guide to the foundational practice of “smiling to the organs” to promote deep relaxation and internal health • Presents exercises that dissolve the physical and mental tensions that can cause energy blockages and unhealthy chi flow • Shows how to recognize illness at its inception on the organ level and how to balance the emotions to heal it The Inner Smile is a practice that focuses gratitude and joy on the internal organs to resolve the physical and mental tensions that can lead to illness. In Taoism negative emotions--anger, sadness, depression, fear, and worry--are seen as low-grade energy that causes chronic disease and steals our major life force by creating energy blockages. Master Mantak Chia shows that the internal awareness produced by the simple yet powerful Inner Smile meditation practice flushes the organs of poisonous negative energy that may be blocking chi energy flow in order to nourish the entire body. Just as a genuine outer smile transmits positive energy and has the power to warm and heal, an inner smile produces a high grade of energy that promotes powerful internal healing, deep relaxation, happiness, and longevity. Smiling to the organs and thanking them for the work they do helps to reawaken the intelligence of the body, which, once activated, can dissipate emotional imbalances and inner disharmony before serious illness manifests.
The Inner Structure of Tai Chi: Mastering the Classic Forms of Tai Chi Chi Kung
by Juan Li Mantak ChiaExplores the deep, internal work necessary for the effective practice of tai chi• Reveals the Taoist principles that gave birth to the Yang-style tai chi forms• Shows how tai chi can circulate powerful healing energies through the bodyTaoist adepts developed tai chi as both a martial art and a way to cultivate their physical body, energy body, and spirit body. Like all Taoist exercises, its main purpose is to form a connection to the basic energy that is the foundation of all life: chi. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, tai chi was considered a secret practice that was passed down only within a closely knit structure of family and loyal disciples. Despite its widespread growth in popularity as a martial art and health exercise, many of its underlying internal practices remain unknown.The Inner Structure of Tai Chi explores the deep, internal work necessary for the effective practice of tai chi. Designed for practitioners at every level, the book contains step-by-step illustrated instructions for mastering the 13 forms of early Yang-style tai chi, also known as Tai Chi Chi Kung. The authors demonstrate the relationship of the inner structure of tai chi to the absorption, transformation, and circulation of the three forces that animate all life--the Universal force, the Cosmic force, and the Earth force--revealing the principles and practices necessary to receive the full spectrum of physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits that tai chi can bring.
The Inner Tarot: How to Use the Tarot for Healing and Illuminating the Wisdom Within
by Kate Van HornFeaturing illustrations from the Rider-Waite deckTarot has an uncanny knack for illuminating what already exists in our energies, bodies, and intuitions. When harnessed, it can serve as a helpful tool for empowered healing. Like the 78 cards, the journey of self-inquiry and personal healing is cyclical. We come to understand ourselves in periods of adversity, reflect and celebrate in periods of light, and have opportunities to be curious and explore the liminal space between trial and error. The Inner Tarot isn't just a book about how to read the cards, it's a guidebook for those ready to embark on a healing journey and who are seeking tools to help them foster their intuition and connect to their sense of purpose. Just like a deck of tarot cards, the book is divided into two parts. Part 1 is a primer, offering high-level information for readers on what tarot cards are, their history, how to read them with confidence, as well as reading as a ritual. Part 2 will guide the reader through individual card interpretations as well as thought-provoking, heart-opening exercises intended to facilitate healing and teach resilience. This book not only teaches the fundamentals of how to read the cards, but also how the cards can support readers in their healing. Readers will have a new approach to self-inquiry, find a new depth in their experience, pride for their personal story, and an empowered approach to their communication.
The Inner Tradition of Yoga: A Guide to Yoga Philosophy for the Contemporary Practitioner
by Michael StoneA wise, accesible guide that makes the spiritual and ethical teachings of the yogic tradition immediately relatable to our practice on the mat--and in our everyday relationships and activities. Now revised and updated.“There is no daily practice without some formal training; and there is no deep spiritual training without the mess of relational life. The two are one,” says Michael Stone. This wise, accessible guide—now revised and updated—makes the spiritual and ethical teachings of the yogic tradition immediately relatable to our practice on the mat and in our everyday relationships and activities. Stone draws from numerous disciplines—including Buddhism and psychotherapy—to provide an in-depth, completely clear explanation of yogic philosophy, along with teachings on how to work with the conditions of our life and fully appreciate yoga as a practice of being intimate with moment-to-moment reality.
The Inner Tradition of Yoga: A Guide to Yoga Philosophy for the Contemporary Practitioner
by Michael Stone Richard FreemanThere is more to the tradition of yoga than toning and strengthening. At the root, there is a vast and intriguing philosophy that teaches the ethics of nonviolence, patience, honesty, and respect. Michael Stone provides an in-depth explanation of ancient Indian yogic philosophy along with teachings on how to bring our understanding of yoga theory to deeper levels through our practice on the mat--and through our relationships with others.
The Inner Tradition of Yoga: A Guide to Yoga Philosophy for the Contemporary Practitioner
by Michael Stone Richard FreemanThere is more to the tradition of yoga than toning and strengthening. At the root, there is a vast and intriguing philosophy that teaches the ethics of nonviolence, patience, honesty, and respect. Michael Stone provides an in-depth explanation of ancient Indian yogic philosophy along with teachings on how to bring our understanding of yoga theory to deeper levels through our practice on the mat--and through our relationships with others.
Inner Tranquility
by Darren MainGoing beyond a basic overview to explain how and why meditation works, this manual provides clear instruction on how to create a daily meditation practice, emphasizing how important it is-especially for Westerners who are not used to being still-to sit correctly. By using contemporary examples from his own practice and more than a decade of teaching various meditation techniques, the information is presented in a modern way that is easy to understand, fun, and attainable. Perfect for both novice and seasoned practitioners, these simple techniques help deepen the practice and explore the physical, psychological, and emotional benefits of daily meditation.
The Inner West
by Jay KinneyThe founder of the influential Gnosis magazine collects essays by some of today's finest spiritual writers to explore the West's magical and esoteric traditions. Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, Gnosticism, The Knights Templar . . . Even before the success of The Da Vinci Code, many readers knew of these and other aspects of Western esoterica. But few understand their true meaning. In The Inner West, more than twenty essays by seventeen leading authors shine a light on some of the most mysterious and closely held aspects of the Western tradition. Its authors bring to life the symbolist and occult philosophies that populate the history and beliefs of the Western way. These same philosophies-which include variants of Christian and Jewish mysticism, and the teachings of figures like Rudolf Steiner and G. I. Gurdjieff-can present a deep and different spiritual path for today's seekers. Spiritual seekers have often looked to the East for inspiration and guidance. Yet increasing numbers of people are discovering that many helpful wisdom traditions have existed right here in the West. With the Kabbalah and Tarot cards more popular than ever, and alternative spirituality from Wicca to Sufism gaining a new audience, The Inner West is a timely book for this expanding audience
Inner Witch: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Craft
by Gabriela HerstikThe ultimate guide to witchcraft for every woman craving a connection to something bigger, using the tools of tarot, astrology, and crystals to discover her best self.In these uncertain times, witchcraft, astrology, tarot, crystals, and similar practices are seeing a massive resurgence, especially among young women, as part of their self-care and mindfulness routines. Gabriela helps readers take back their power while connecting to something larger than themselves. She covers: * Witchcraft as a feminist call to action * Fashion magick * Spells for self-love * Cleansing your space * Holidays of the witch * How to create a spellbook / grimoire * Witchcraft as self-careWhether the reader is looking to connect with her green thumb, banish negative energies, balance her chakras, energetically fight the patriarchy, or revitalize her sense of self, Inner Witch has something to offer. After all, empowered women run the world--and the ones who do are usually witches.
The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness
by Rhonda V. MageeAn essential mindfulness and compassion-based approach to confront racial injustice and work towards healing Law professor and mindfulness practitioner Rhonda Magee shows that the work of racial justice begins with ourselves. When conflict and division are everyday realities, our instincts tell us to close ranks, to find the safety of our own tribe, and to blame others. The practice of embodied mindfulness--paying attention to our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations in an open, nonjudgmental way--increases our emotional resilience, helps us to recognize our unconscious bias, and gives us the space to become less reactive and to choose how we respond to injustice.For victims of injustice, embodied mindfulness calms our fears and helps us to exercise self-compassion. Magee shows us how to slow down and reflect on microaggressions--to hold them with some objectivity and distance--rather than bury unpleasant experiences so they have a cumulative effect over time. She helps us develop the capacity to address the fears and anxieties that would otherwise lead us to re-create patterns of separation and division.It is only by healing from injustices and dissolving our personal barriers to connection that we develop the ability to view others with compassion and to live in community with people of vastly different backgrounds and viewpoints. Incorporating mindfulness exercises, research, and Magee's hard-won insights, The Inner Work of Racial Justice offers a road map to a more peaceful world.
Innocent Bystanders: Developing Countries and the War on Drugs
by Norman Loayza Philip KeeferThe drug policies of wealthy consuming countries emphasize criminalization, interdiction, and eradication. Such extreme responses to social challenges risk unintended, costly consequences. The evidence presented in this volume is that these consequences are high in the case of current drug policies, particularly for poor transit and producer countries. These costs include the deaths of thousands in the conflict between drug cartels and security forces, political instability, and the infiltration of criminal elements into governments, on the one hand; and increased narcotics use in countries that would not otherwise have been targeted by drug suppliers. Despite such costs, extreme policies could be worthwhile if their benefits were significantly higher than those of more moderate, less costly policies. The authors review the evidence on the benefits of current policies and find that they are clouded in uncertainty: eradication appears to have no permanent effect on supply; the evidence on criminalization does not exclude either the possibility that its effects on drug consumption are low, or that they are high. Uncertainty over benefits and the high costs of current policies relative to alternatives justifies greater emphasis on lower cost policies and more conscientious and better-funded efforts to assess the benefits of all policies.
Innovations in HIV Prevention Research and Practice through Community Engagement
by Scott D. RhodesHIV continues to be a profound challenge facing communities nationally and internationally. Until a vaccine or a cure is found, prevention remains a most crucial line of defense. However, the successes made to reduce exposure and transmission have not benefited all communities equally. HIV continues to affect vulnerable communities, and HIV-related health disparities are growing. The work documented in Innovations in HIV Prevention Research and Practice through Community Engagement spotlights the effectiveness of community involvement to reduce HIV infections in the United States. This timely resource introduces the concepts of community engagement, partnership, and community-based participatory research (CBPR). Contributors provide detailed examples of these concepts in which diverse research partners blend their unique insights and skills to arrive at an authentic understanding of phenomena and inform the translation of best practices and processes to enhance equity in HIV prevention and treatment. Equitable interactive collaboration is central to these efforts, in which community members and representatives from organizations, the scientific and medical sectors, and other relevant agencies nurture long-term health improvement through sustained teamwork. Challenges and barriers to effective engagement are identified, as are characteristics of successful partnerships. Included in the book: Details of a multigenerational HIV prevention intervention in a rural southeastern community. The challenges and successes of developing, implementing, and evaluating an intervention for higher-risk predominately heterosexual black men in college. The history of gay community involvement in HIV prevention and its contributions to the theory and current practice of engagement. Next steps in the integration of HIV-related policy change and research. Community engagement within American Indian communities. Keys to sustaining a CBPR partnership to prevent HIV within ethnic, sexual, and gender minority communities. Innovations in HIV Prevention Research and Practice through Community Engagement offers researchers and practitioners in public health, community health, and medicine guidance on community engagement that is both inspiring and realistic. "Community engagement and knowledge continue to be essential to prevent HIV infections. This book is a compilation of the state-of-the-science of engagement and delves deeper into the meaning and utilization of community-based participatory research, with implications that reach beyond the HIV epidemic to public health and medicine in general. " - Laura C. Leviton, PhD, Senior Advisor for Evaluation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, NJ