By Susan Schenck 

The problem: our ego, often addicted to its most self-centered whims. The solution: meditation, which “gives us the space to see ourselves clearly and objectively, a place from which we can witness our own behavior and reduce the ego’s influence” (p. 10). Authors Ed and Deb Shapiro are highly qualified to write Be The Change: How Meditation Can Transform You and the World  (Sterling Ethos/ Nov 2009) to inspire us to meditate. The award-winning authors of 14 other books on meditation, they have taught this art at corporations as well as jails. The forewords are written by the His Holiness the Dalai Lama and also Robert Thurman (a professor of Indio-Tibetan studies at Columbia University).

This book can be used as a daily read to inspire you to meditate. What I especially love about it is that you can even randomly open the book to any page and read a contribution by one of the 108 other contributing authors to the book. (These range from one paragraph to a couple of pages.) Most of these authors are famous, and include spiritual teachers like Michael Bernard Beckwith, Ram Dass, Byron Katie, Andrew Cohen, and Gangaji; New Age authors such as Dan Millman, Jack Kornfield  and Marianne Williamson; musicians such as Gabrielle Roth; and even actresses such as Jane Fonda and Lindsay Wagner. If you don’t know who the person is, there is a brief bio of each contributor in the back.

The book is divided into four parts. Part I focuses on what meditation is (dissolving the ego, merging into oneness, becoming aware of the present, etc.) and why we need to meditate (ex: drug addiction, bad childhood, stress, etc). Part II discusses the transformation brought by meditation—how it helps in relationships, and how it increases the ability to forgive, as well as increasing kindness, compassion and love. Part III deals with how meditation affects the world and leads people to contemplative and political activism as well as right livelihood. (One of the contributors discusses how meditation helped him  start a tofu business that went from $500 to $295 million!) Finally, Part IV gives us the “how to” on meditation, with techniques under the umbrellas of sitting, sounding and moving meditations. Everyone is likely to find one or more of these modalities compatible with their temperament and lifestyle.

This is a great book to educate people on the power of meditation to transform lives, and inspire them along their journey. It is filled with many inspiring stories from the Shapiros as well as the contributing authors.

Ed and Deb Shapiro are authors of fifteen books on meditation, personal development, and social action.  The Shapiros have taught meditation and personal development for more than twenty-five years. You'll find the authors online at www.EdandDebShapiro.com.

Susan Schenck is author of The Live Food Factor

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