The book my wife-in-law, Carol Kline, just spent the last two years of her life writing with Marci Shimoff is finally launching today! It’s after 11:00 and even though I’m sneezing, coughing, blowing all kinds of disgusting stuff out of my nose, and should be dragging my suffering carcass off to bed, I HAD to write a quick CONGRATULATIONS CAROL!!!!!! You totally rock, girl!
(BTW, yes. She’s the wife of my ex-husband. She’s also the co-mother of our children and…after all the years of blood, sweat and tears it took to raise the Wild Things…a dear, DEAR friend.)
I just got an email from her and Love For No Reason is currently sitting at #9 on the Amazon best seller list and #3 on the New York Times!! (Marci worked her butt off on the marketing end of things and she’s a powerhouse. NOT to be denied! Wow.) Carol gave me an advanced copy for Christmas a few weeks ago, so when I say that the book is a great and worthwhile read, I speak from first hand experience. It’s all about cultivating a state of unconditional love in oneself that can stand against virtually anything the world throws at you. It’s simple but incredibly profound, and just reading it gave me a badly needed lift.
I can’t believe how far away I’ve gotten away from even thinking about trying to live with some degree of unconditional love. I used to strive for it regularly through meditation and all kinds of spiritual practice but over the last five years have fallen off the wagon into some lazy habits. It was something of a shock when I did the initial exercise in the book and discovered I am now almost nil for “love for no reason,” living mostly in “love for good reasons”, but still harboring a (very difficult to look at) amount of “love for bad reasons” too. It was kind of a wake up call.
It feels great to immerse in some knowledge again that’s cultivating the highest.
Anyway, if you’re interested in reading more about it, go here: http://www.TheLoveBook.com. It has links to both Amazon and Barnes and Noble there if you’re seized by an urge that just can’t be denied.
And just one more time for the road: GOOD ON YOU CAROL! We’re all so proud of you for pulling yet another one out of your hat. Great job!
Update: I forgot. Here’s Carol’s biography. I’m just SO proud of her!
Carol Kline is the co-author with Marci Shimoff of Love for No Reason: 7 Steps to Creating a Life of Unconditional Love and Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out. She also co-authored five books–with over 5 million sold–in the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, including Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover’s Soul, and the #1 New York Times best-selling Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul 2. She is also the coauthor of The Ultimate Dog Lover and The Ultimate Cat Lover. In 2006, she co-wrote You’ve Got to Read this Book: 55 People Tell the Story of the Book that Changed Their Life with Jack Canfield and Gay Hendricks.
A freelance writer/editor for over thirty years, Carol, who has a B.A. in literature, specializes in narrative non-fiction and self-help. Carol is also a speaker, self-esteem facilitator, and animal welfare advocate. In addition, she has taught stress-management systems to the general public since 1975. At present, she is at work on several writing projects on a variety of topics.
The Odd and Unmentionable 
Good morning,
If I read this book, will I still get to keep my road rage? 🙂 (I’m writting the book on hate for no reason) But really, you are so right…the world seems to fill our gardens with weeds, without books and teachers like this to keep it healthy and weed free.
This was a great write-up and would have made a great forward for Carol’s book! Kind of like Marci in word form.
Thanks!
Cal
Hate for no reason? Howard would love that one. You are too outrageous!
Your wife-in-law is lucky to have you as an inlaw! I usually avoid self-help books like the plague, but I may have to check this one out.
We’re both lucky! It’s a relationship forged in the fires let me tell you, but one of my sweetest. She’s an amazing woman and a powerful animal advocate. She ran a shelter back in Iowa for years and we’ve shared dogs as well as children. As you can tell, I love her. 🙂
good luck to carol!
and as for DEPARTURES
I so wanted to see it when it was on in the cinema but missed it
on your recomendation, I will buy it on dvd
have a nice week
jx
With your love of movies I wondered if you’d seen it. Let me know what you think!