Humor Lightens Message of Self-Healing

Mitchell May is not your average New Age guru. Not only does he make fun of himself, and other granola heads, but he speaks frankly and honestly about the experiences that led him to become a healer--not your usual career choice. As a young man, May was in a devastating car accident that broke or shattered bones in more than 40 places. He was not expected to live, let alone walk, again.

A healer helped May to recover and then took him on as his apprentice. During the lecture, May plays the flute, teaches breathing exercises and offers solid advice regarding organic food and self-healing. The second half of the last tape is a meditation using visualization aimed at self-healing.

He wins admiration and credibility for merely mentioning his line of supplements in passing and not trying to sell them to us. Although he lectures for nearly eight hours, the time passes quickly, as May is a lively and engaging speaker. He is also extremely accessible. Expect to hear background noise, such as occasional coughing and laughter. Overall, however, the sound quality is above average.

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MARS AND VENUS STARTING OVER

by John Gray

Recorded Books

Unabridged nonfiction, six cassettes. Length: 8 hours, 45 minutes; $49 to purchase, $13.50 to rent; read by Simon Prebble. Available by calling (800) 638-1304.

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John Gray, bestselling author of “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus,” has now published several variations on that popular theme. Recorded Books, a rental company that releases only unabridged audios, has recently brought out Gray’s latest self-help book for those of us befuddled by the opposite sex. He discusses the different mind-set of men and women after a divorce or the death of a partner and offers concrete advice for mending a broken heart.

His approach is straightforward and his manner candid. Gray apparently understands the human psyche very well, as his advice is sensible, easy to follow and does not require much effort. It is not difficult spending nearly nine hours listening to Simon Prebble, who has a refined British accent and a comforting manner. He is just energetic enough to keep us interested but avoids vocal shenanigans that would be most out of place with such serious material.

Only one small complaint--on a couple of occasions the printed version might have been a more helpful reference, such as when Gray uses a specific format for solving a problem.