Today marks the first Tuesday of the Month of December 2012, and again, we are fortunate to have a book review from Laura Mueller about a nonfiction book she recently read and found interesting and useful. Here are Laura’s comments about: Monkey Business.
Heather’s achievement is to adopt us all as playful pets – a process that gives us insights into the mystery of primate motivation and makes us privy to their ways of doing business.
Early in the book, I found this insight – about nonlinear thinking and actions that create meditative rhythm, and connect to deeper thinking – especially interesting.
Among the monkeys described in this book, we meet Oogie, a fifteen-year-old cinnamon capuchin monkey who is diabetic and blind in one eye. She enjoys being sung to, danced with, and tickled by her favorite people. In a particularly touching story, we find that Oogie was rescued and now resides at Frisky’s Wildlife and Primate Sanctuary, Inc., in Woodstock, MD. The Sanctuary is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by Colleen Layton-Robbins and Scott Robbins. Since 1970 Colleen has given a second chance at life to injured, orphaned, abandoned wild animals and exotic pet give-ups, thanks to good-hearted volunteers and donations.
The Robbins are people Heather acknowledges as “Lamed-Vovniks” from Jewish folklore. She sees them as two of the thirty-six anonymous saints who work at humble trades and pass unnoticed, not knowing what only God knows: that the world continues to exist because they respond to the suffering of others, which matters to them and touches them deeply. You can learn more and support the sanctuary at
http://www.friskys.org/index_rollover.htm
Wandell’s examples, using observations of primates, generates motivation from deep within us to de-clutter a closet, a desk or a room — and she concludes the chapter with ways to go about looking at our own space and how we use it. Other chapters look at “movement, metaphors, and gardens and space” – also using observations of primates and how they deal with the complexity of their environment. Each chapter features a monkey coach demonstrating its lesson, followed by a weekly practice and selected print and online resources to deepen our understanding and connection. All in all – this is interesting and shows us the many ways we can include these ideas that are “primate based” into our own daily lives, whether in business or personal activities.
Now all stray papers in my home office space have been thrown away, or put away in files, or marked for their next move. During “de-clutter” week, I woke up one morning contemplating the phrase “Moving Gratitude.” I choose to experience myself throughout the day as “Gratitude in Motion.” Emotion becomes “G-Motion.” Gratitude clears away seeds of upset, moves into seedy spaces, and nourishes the growth of happiness!
Heather Wandell, M.A., CLL 410-465-7302 www.anotherwaytoseeit.com
REMEMBER – YOU’RE INVITED –
to send me your thoughts about what you’ve read and want to share and I’ll plan to post it on the first Tuesday of each month. I’m looking for a January post, so here’s what you do:
Write a couple of paragraphs if you would like to talk about a book. Don’t worry about being particularly academic. This is not intended to be a formal review, unless you really long to write one, and in any case – write what you wish from your own impressions and reactions. Then send an email to me. I will collect these, edit a bit, if necessary, before posting your comments on the first Tuesday of the month under the title: READERS TALK – Books.email: janbowmanwriter@gmail.com
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