Recently in T'is Better To Give Than Receive Category

It's impossible to provide a definitive top 10 reading list, but these are the books, in no particular order, that inspired The Daily Mantra's writers over the past year.

• A History of Last Night's Dream by Roger Kamenetz
  Everyone from the biblical Joseph to Sigmund Freud needs to chillax more and think less about their dreams. At least, that's what author Kamenetz learned from his work with dream shamans. (Click HERE for Daily Mantra review)
  
  
• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
  This best seller inspired one of our writers to travel and another to get her meditation groove on. Who knows what it may inspire you to do.
  
  
• Dreaming True by Robert Moss
  It's not just science fiction; via dreams, Moss shows readers how to tap into the power of precognition. (Click HERE for Daily Mantra review.) We also loved The Three Only Things, by the same author, which turns readers on to the value of dreams, coincidence and imagination.
  
  
• Secrets of the Monarch by Allison DuBois
  The real life Medium who served as the inspiration behind Patricia Arquette's TV character uses life lessons culled from her extensive conversations with the dead to encourage her readers to live life to the max. (Click HERE for Daily Mantra review.)
  
  
• Big History by Cynthia Stokes Brown
  From the big bang and the formation of matter to the rise of agriculture and today's developed cultures in a mere 248 pages. After reading this book you'll come to the realization that Brown's holistic approach to humanity, politics, history and geography is the only way to tackle such big subjects.
  
  
• The Spiral Staircase by Karen Armstrong
  How a former nun and all round brilliant Brit became one of the foremost secular writers on religion: a beautiful book. (Click HERE for Daily Mantra review.)
  
  
• UnChristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons
  Someone once said "the truth shall set you free." During the research for this book, Kinnamen held up a mirror to organized religion. The reflection was not flattering. By laying out the unfiltered facts, Kinnemen underscores the need for progressive change, and points us towards the core truths we should be living, embodying, and celebrating. (Click HERE for the Daily Mantra's interview with the author.)
  
  
• The Kundalini Experience by Lee Sanella
  A book with a spine: the seminal tome explaining the experience of awakened Kundalini to the West. (Click HERE for Daily Mantra review.)
  
  
• A Voluptuous God by Robert V. Thompson
  Don't let the whole crucifixion thing fool you; the Christian God offers a good time. Just ask the Baptist minister who authored this book. (Click HERE for Daily Mantra review.)
  
  
• The Elements Of Organic Gardening by HRH The Prince of Wales
  Price Charles, who was born the same year as fellow environmentalist Al Gore, and is greatly respected by him, talks dirty, organically speaking. Whether you're a royalist or a republican, whether you have an acre or a plant pot to play with, this holistic approach to gardening, and ultimately life, makes for an invigorating philosophical read. (Click HERE for Daily Mantra review.)
  
  And finally, with full disclosure that this is by one of our own.....
  
  
• Echoes Across Time by Daily Mantra contributor Malayna Dawn
  For reincarnation buffs, dreamy Pisces and loyal Daily Mantra readers, a "spiritual adventure" and "feminist fairytale" that's right up our alley and is likely to resonate deeply with readers attuned to past-lives, dreaming or cross-cultural experience.
  

Contributors: Lael, Marisa, Leigh and Nicole


You might also like to check out our Top 10 DVDs and Top 10 Essential Listening List.

Short on time but still want to give something worthwhile? Why not give an insta-charity gift card from Tisbest.org. The cute and colorful cards are delivered by email, and start at just $10. You can also include a personal message with your gift card. What's great about TisBest is that the recipient chooses the ultimate destination for your donation (which also makes this a great gift for those you don't know well). The organization works with a slew of charities, from Action Against Hunger and the African Wildlife Foundation to UNICEF and the Young Women's Leadership Foundation.

All proceeds go to charity minus a $3.95 transaction fee (hence this is more economical for larger donations) and a 3% credit card processing fee, and 100% of the purchase price is tax deductible (which is important with tax season approaching). The gift card must be "spent" within three years of purchase, but at TisBest unlike Best Buy, all unredeemed funds go to charity rather than cooperate coffers, which is an important consideration since it's estimated that more than 10% of gift cards go unspent.

Music to inspire, create and make love to, these albums have been in heavy rotation in the Daily Mantra's life this year.

• 1 Giant Leap / 1 Giant Leap
  After receiving numerous, and quite justified, complaints about missing the 1 Giant Leap documentary off our DVD list, we’re making sure the accompanying soundtrack album is at the top on this one. The multi-media, audio/visual travelogue project features Baaba Maal, Robbie Williams, Michael Stipe (click HERE for music video), Michael Franti and Neneh Cherry, to name but a few, and packs more of the world than you ever thought possible onto one, very beautiful album.
  
  
• An Ancient Muse / Loreena McKennitt
  After the unexpected death of her fiancé in 1998, Canadian singer and harpist Loreena McKennitt withdrew from the limelight. A reflection on the Celtic singer’s extensive travels in the intervening years, Ancient Muse marked a highly anticipated return from her self-imposed exile and a venture into more wordly sounds.
  
  
• Colour The Small One / Sia
  The Daily Mantra has a preview of copy of Sia's excellent new album, Some People Have Real Problems, which is set for release on Jan 8th 2008, but for now fans of the bluesy, sometimes Zero 7 songstress will have to make do with Color The Small One, which rose to prominence after the breathtaking track "Breathe" was chosen as the soundtrack to Six Feet Under's long drive into the sunset.
  
  
• Conjure One / Conjure One
  Woefully ignored when it was released, the self-titled debut from Conjure One (aka B.C. born ex-Frontline Assembly member Rhys Fulber) features one of the most stunning vocal performance ever from Sinéad O' Connor on the impassioned “Tears From The Moon.” The follow up album, Extraordinary Ways, is also well worth a spin.
  
  
• Ultimate Kylie / Kylie Minogue
  Since Kylie Minogue's post-cancer comeback album X has yet to be released here in the U.S., check out this double CD hits collection which boasts everything from the highly infectious worldwide smash "Cant' Get You Out Of My Head" to the lesser known, but equally worthy, "Where The Wild Roses Grow," an unexpected, yet delightful, collaboration with Nick Cave. The soundtrack of a survivor.
  
  
• The Mating Game / Bitter Sweet
  You may not have heard of the band, but you'll have heard their super-sexy, laid-back, lush grooves promoting everything from ABC's Samantha Who to Victoria Secret's undies and Korbel's bubbles. Sex sells, and this is nothing short of aural Viagra.
  
  
• Alright Still / Lilly Allen
  Like the song says, "it makes me smile, makes me smile." Let's just hope she avoids the tabloid attention-grabbing pitfalls of her position and gets back to the music in 2008. The U.S. has Britney and the U.K. has Amy as their uncrowned drama queens, and neither country needs another. Allen should just stick to making us "Smile" with her bittersweet, and very funny songs.
  
  
• Rock Paper Scissors / Michael Brook
  The third Canadian to make our list, producer and musician Michael Brook is not only famous for inventing the infinite guitar used by U2's The Edge, but also for composing the score for the Al Gore documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Rock Paper Scissors, Brook's most recent solo album, is a cerebral ambient soundtrack for life.
  
  
• Live At Grand Performances / Dakah Hip-Hop Orchestra
  LA's Dakah Hip-Hop Orchestra have picked up the baton and brushed off Parliament's Funkadelic classic Vietnam-era peace anthem "Come In Out Of The Rain," making it more relevant than ever. "When will the people start getting together, learning to live, and love one another..."
  
  
• Sounds Eclectic: The Covers Project / Various
  Radio-freedom fighters KCRW raid their audio vaults, bringing together a collection of classic covers recorded live in their Santa Monica basement Morning Becomes Eclectic studios. Sia makes The Pretender's "I Go To Sleep" her own, K.D. Lang comes over all spiritual with "Hallelujah," and The Magic Numbers do something completely 'out there' with their cover of Beyonce's hit song "Crazy In Love."
  

Take the weight off a stressed friend or loved ones shoulders by providing them with access to a personal assistant whenever they need it. You'll be amazed at how economical it can be. Web based concierge company Ask Sunday has a team of personal assistants that are accessible online and by phone 24 /7. The rules are simple: each request can take no longer than 30 minutes, and must be something that can be accomplished by phone or online. They can make appointments, reservations and travel arrangements, book theater tickets, send gifts and flowers, give directions and do all kinds of research. They'll even wait on hold for tech support or a customer service representative, and patch you in when they've reached a human being. Membership, either for yourself or as a gift, starts at just $29 a month and provides 30 requests a month, with additional requests costing just $2 each. Gift Memberships can be activated at any time within 12 months of the date of receipt.

This is such a hectic time of year that we could all use a voucher for some pampering and relaxation. SpaFinder.com makes the gift of such indulgence easy, offering gift certificates starting at $50 that are accepted at over 4,000 locations worldwide. What's more, they can be bundled with goodies such as an elegant "Reflect" melanoma awareness bracelet (for an additional $4.95), a cosmetic purse ($10), a box of Harry & David chocolates ($15), or a super-Zen Japanese candle and rock garden ($17) to make your present extra-special. As a bonus for late shoppers, Spafinder will also send an elegant e-card so you can let the recipient know your gift is on its way. Spafinder gift cards can be ordered online or by calling 866-546-0610.

Landfills were made for these three choice gift ideas (well someone's got to keep them in business).

Freudian Slippers (24.95)

Courtesy of The Unemployed Philosophers' Guild, these make the perfect Christmas gift for f#%k-ups everywhere. Why settle for a few minutes in a psychiatrist's couch when you can spend the rest of your life walking in Sigmund Freud's shoes for a fraction of the price!

Customer review: "It's easier to put on slippers than carpet the world."

Mankini ($18.99)

This exercise apparel will give the man in your life a unique sense of freedom while swimming or doing yoga. Made from 100% lime-green spandex, that'll be around on this earth long after he's gone (no matter how much yoga he does), these official Borat mankini thongs make a big statement, and come in an easy-to-buy 'one size fits all.'

Customer review: "Excellent fit and it sure is eye-catching. I wore this while teaching a lifeguard pool safety course at the park district and had a blast. Be careful with tan lines on this one."

Big Ox Canned Oxygen ($9.99 for a 3.5 gram can)

Help a friend stockpile some of the world's natural resources, while wasting yet more, with Big Ox's canned oxygen. It comes in flavors such a Citrus Blast, Mountain Mint, Polar Rush, and Tropical Breeze, so you can smell the great outdoors without bothering to get out in it.

Customer review: "Hey I tried this stuff from a convention in St.Louis and was skeptic... Was I wrong! It actually works, I can't explain it. It doesn't seem that oxygen in a can would be much better than what we breathe, but I could breathe unbelievable in my race and my recovery time was much quicker.

The good intentions of our previous gift suggestions may make the soul feel warm and fuzzy, but the body might need something a little more material to keep the winter chills out. Send the gift of comfort and joy with PajamaGram’s delightful gift sets. They have a large range of cute sleepware for under $50, such as the 100% cotton ‘Christmas Chaos’ PJs pictured here, which cost just $39.95.

All womens' pajamas come packaged in a stylish periwinkle organza hatbox, and come with a “Do Not Disturb” sign, a lavender-scented sachet, and a personalized gift card. PajamaGram, a sister company to the popular Vermont Teddy Bear Company, also deliver a satisfaction promise with their products, so gifts can easily be returned or exchanged. Order online by 2 p.m. EST on Saturday, December 22nd for guaranteed delivery by Christmas.

Buy them for a friend or rent them for yourself, either way these DVDs are guaranteed to entertain, inform and enlighten.

• An Inconvenient Truth
  You can't argue with the Nobel committee's good taste.
  
  
• Who Killed the Electric Car?
  More joyously ironic to watch now Toyota has sold it's millionth hybrid, and GM has been forced to rejoin the green wagon.
  
  
• The Secret
  If Oprah's powers of attraction do the same for Obama as they did for this film, we'll see our first black president come 2008 (as long as all the votes are counted this time around). Opinion polls say they're not working so well. Perhaps she should dust up by watching this movie again.
  
  
• The Fog of War
  The point of history is that you learn from the mistakes of the past. The problem is you need leaders who paid attention during their history lessons.
  
  
• Sicko
  Skip the first 10 minutes, which are too grim for words, and enjoy the pleasure and pain of the remainder of Moore's ode to national healthcare.
  
  
• Idiocracy
  A smart, frightening, funny, and frighteningly funny look at our coke-swilling, burger-munching, Fox "news" watching, dumbass leader-following future.
  
  
• The Blue Planet - Seas of Life
  When the BBC showed the first episode of this beautifully shot documentary series in the U.K. a nation was converted to the cause of ocean conservation overnight.
  
  
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  Don't Panic. Those looking for the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything, need look no further.
  
  
• Rome - The Complete First Season
  All the intrigue of Dynasty but with togas instead of shoulder pads, and more sex (the Romans knew a thing or two about how to do decent sex scenes). A BBC/HBO gem that reminds us that great empires come and go.
  
  
• Gattaca
  The right to privacy is something worth fighting for. Watch it and you'll get the terrifying implications of what's happening now.
  

Gifts From Causes offer the perfect presents for avid Facebookers with too much worldly stuff. The program allows you to buy a virtual gift icon, which the recipient can proudly display on their Facebook profile, and make a charitable donation to a cool cause. All proceeds (minus a credit card transaction fee) will go to your chosen non-profit.

A $10 soccer ball icon sends funds to love.futbol, a non-profit that makes soccer fields for children in impoverished communities worldwide, and is the perfect gift for a soccer-mad Facebooker. A $15 super-cute teddy bear icon provides a real life cuddly companion to comfort a sick child at the Children's National Medical Center. $20 buys a flock of chicks to help a family in the developing world via the Heifer Project. A $50 virtual puppy will pay for the Humane Society to rescue a dog, and $200 will buy an OLPC laptop computer to educate a child in the developing world.

The Daily Mantra has caught the Facebook bug, so buddy up to us by clicking HERE.

Carbon offsetting is the environmental equivalent of going to confessional. Obviously it's much better not to have sinned in the first place, but, if you do, a few Hail Mary's can certainly help atone for your misdeeds, taking the weight of the sin off your soul.

Terra Pass offsets the damage of your CO2-squandering misdemeanors, by funding planet-positive projects (such as wind farms) on your behalf. Their eco credentials are regularly audited by the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions, so you know your green guilt money is in goods hands.

You can give the gift of a guilt-free 2008 with Terra Pass' themed gift certificates. Their annual Road TerraPass promises a year of carbon balanced driving. Prices start from $29.95 to offset low mileage hybrid drivers, to $79.95 for high mileage drivers of large cars or trucks. Other options include the Flight Offset pass (ranging from $9.95 for a "puddle jumper" to $1,749.95 for the serious "aviator") and the Home Energy pass (ranging from $29.94 for a small home to $139.72 for a mansion dweller).