LibraryThing Local

STEVE BERGSMAN: PASSPORT TO EXOTIC REAL ESTATE 2pm For many Americans, buying a second home in desirable vacation areas in the U.S. has become nearly impossible. Increasingly, many are turning to more affordable regions overseas. Some stay close—Mexico or Canada—while others are more adventurous, ... (more)looking to parts of Central America, the Caribbean, and Pacific Islands. In Passport to Exotic Real Estate: Buying U.S. And Foreign Property In Breath-Taking, Beautiful, Faraway Lands, real estate expert and travel writer Steve Bergsman offers advice on the benefits and challenges of buying overseas property, including whether or not foreigners can legally own property, tax implications, availability of beachfront land, market trends, investment security, local regulations, and much more. With Bergsman’s guidance, readers will be fully prepared to overcome the obstacles of overseas property ownership and discover the benefits of living or vacationing abroad.

Shantiananda will give an overview of the Kriya Yoga techniques that will integrate your body, mind, and spirit through postures, breathing, and meditation.

Join us for a night of music-making! We gather in a circle and take turns sharing any song you'd like to do. Feel free to bring song sheets so others can follow along, or we'll just pick it up as we go. If you don't play and instrument but like to sing, come on down and we'll do our best to accompany ... (more)you. The emphasis is socializing, connecting, making music, and having fun!

This entertaining and inspirational movie based on the best-sellers "You Can Heal Your Life" and "Heal Your Body" by Louise Hay is hosted by Marci Cagen. The film gives inspirational and penetrating insight into Louise's fascinating personal story and shows her views on self-esteem, abundance, and the ... (more)metaphysical causes behind physical and emotional ailments. It also reveals how you can apply these concepts to your own emotional, spiritual and professional life. Join Lousie Hay and other luminaries in the field of self-help, healing and spirituality in her new movie release You Can Heal Your Life. Experience first hand takes on creating success, happiness, and the myriad ways in which you can heal your own life. You'll view other gripping first-hand accounts from others who have been positively affected by Louise's work. Following the movie, there will be an interactive study group and a sharing of experiences.

This is an opportunity to receive and give a reiki session so you can practice what you have learned.

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras are the foundation of yoga philosophy and no yoga practice is complete without a study of this essential text. Written as four chapters or books, each deals with another level one will encounter on their yogic path to enlightenment. Over 40 English translations of Patanjali's ... (more)sutras exist today. Bring along your favorite version and join Jenni Goodall for an open discussion and comparison. This group will meet the 2nd Tuesday of each month starting in September and finishing in December.

MARK STARR, MD: HYPOTHYROIDISM TYPE 2 7pm Dr. Mark Starr, who recently opened a pain and sports medicine clinic in Paradise Valley, has written a clear explanation of why so many people are suffering from hypothyroidism, despite "normal" blood tests that throw their doctors off track. Hypothyroidism ... (more)Type 2: The Epidemic brings together overwhelming evidence of the inadequacy of laboratory testing used to diagnose hypothyroidism, as well as its treatment. Dr. Starr speaks to lay people and doctors alike about his in-depth research and discusses how environmental toxins can interfere with thyroid hormones. FREE.

MODERN FICTION BOOKGROUP 7:15 pm Cane River by Lalita Tademy. More info: gaisford@cox.net.

JESSE VENTURA: DON'T START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME! 7pm Former Minnesota governor, professional wrestler, and Navy SEAL Jesse Ventura visits with his latest book, Don't Start the Revolution Without Me!, in which he discusses what's wrong with the Democrats, the Republicans, and politics in America. ... (more)Ventura pulls no punches in discussing our corrupt two-party system, the disastrous war in Iraq, and what he suspects really happened on September 11. He provides personal insights into the Clinton and Bush presidencies, and elaborates on the ways in which third parties are rendered impotent by the country's two dominant parties. He reveals the illegal role of the CIA in states like Minnesota, sensitive and up-to-date information on the Blackwater security firm, the story of the American spies who shadowed him on a trade mission to Cuba, and what Fidel Castro told him about who really assassinated President John F. Kennedy. This unique political memoir is a must-read for anyone concerned about the direction that America will take in 2008.

Rebecca Rule is coming to town for two events today. The first is a workshop at Kennett entitled, “Reading to Write: The NH Literary Landscape: Writers You Know and Some You Might Not.” Rule, who has written more than 650 book columns for the Concord Monitor and other papers – and hosts the NH ... (more)Authors Series on NHPTV -- will talk about some of her favorite New Hampshire writers and ask participants to do the same. The group will read excerpts from poems, stories, novels, and children's books to identify some strong New Hampshire voices and discuss how bringing these voices into the classroom shows that good writing lives close to home. This program, presented through a new partnership between the Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Humanities Council, is open to the public but preregistration is requested by calling 323-7302.

SCI-FI FANTASY BOOKGROUP 7pm Bill the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison. More info: WhereAreMyKeys@gmail.com.

In 2001 out of his undergraduate work at ASU, Greg Peterson created a new concept called the Urban Farm, a real world environmental showcase home in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona. Utilizing his extensive background to develop an innovative holistic home site, The Urban Farm (http://www.urbanfarm.org/) ... (more)features an entirely edible 1/3 acre farm/yard, rainwater and greywater harvesting, solar applications along with extensive use of reclaimed and recycled building materials. The site is opened periodically throughout the year for the public to experience, taking with them some of the principles presented. The Urban Farm offers classes, lectures and tours throughout the year. Greg Peterson is a writer, teacher and lecturer on many aspects of sustainability. His passion is to present the concepts so that the receiver can conceptualize and implement the technology into their own space. He is currently a contributing writer for Phoenix Magazine, Edible Phoenix and is a primary writer and host for the new television show Smart Spaces: Inside & Out http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/watch . You can also check out Greg's blog at http://www.yourguidetogreen.com/TheUrbanFarm. Greg has owned several businesses in his life and has an extensive background in the world of technology having run a computer training and software development company from 1986 to 2003.

This 3 hour workshop includes the best of both worlds in Grief Counseling and Healing. Psychotherapist Cindy E Barg, M.Ed., and Psychic Medium Holly L. Matthews are combining forces to give a full gamut approach in healing and coping with death through meditation, group exercises, discussion and instruction. ... (more)You will find yourself surrounded by loving individuals who understand firsthand how grief can consume one’s life and you will leave uplifted and inspired with a new resolve to gently move forward.

Is your life wonderful? What stops you from manifesting your dreams and goals? Could you be subconsciously sabotaging yourself? Listen to Daniel Oromaner, Clinical Hypnotherapist and find out! www.InnerPowerHypnosis.com.

BEYOND HEAL YOUR LIFE. During this class, you will embark upon a treasure hunt. Each old, negative pattern in our lives is only something to be examined and then released. Beneath each pattern is a storehouse of treasure within. Come discover your gold! You CAN create good health, find your own freedom, ... (more)and fill your life with love! Healing takes place on many different levels, and through this workshop you will discover the areas that are in need of healing. You will learn the mental cause for each physical ailment that exists and the thought patterns that create dis-ease. Plus, you will learn to use affirmative therapy in your daily life to create new and wonderful positive solutions. You will also be given new tools and direction to begin the healing process. You will leave knowing the steps to take to begin to forgive and heal yourself. This class will be life-changing! Please bring a notebook or journal and a pen to write with.

PHILIP ROTH WEBCAST: INDIGNATION DAY 5-7:30pm Join us for this special evening—Indignation Day—as we show a live Webcast of Philip Roth being interviewed about his new novel, Indignation, by author Ben Taylor in New York City. This broadcast is being shown only at select bookstores across the country, ... (more)and Changing Hands is among the chosen few. Publishers Weekly has already hailed Indignation as brilliant and disconcerting ... a melancholy triumph and a cogent reflection on society in a time of war. Roth's 29th book tells the story of Marcus Messner, a studious, law-abiding youngster from Newark, New Jersey, who is beginning his sophomore year on the pastoral conservative campus of Ohio's Winesburg College in 1951, the second year of the Korean War. And why is he there instead of the local college where he originally enrolled? Because his father seems to have gone mad with fear of the dangers he sees lurking in every corner for his beloved boy. Marcus leaves his parents and, far from Newark, has to find his way amid the customs and constrictions of another American world. Forty-five signed first editions of Indignation will be available. Purchase your copy for $24.50 and you're automatically entered in a raffle for a signed first edition of Roth's bestselling novel The Plot Against America. (Winner must be present to claim prize.)

CONTEMPORARY WISDOM BOOKGROUP 7pm Seeking Enlightenment...Hat by Hat by Nevada Barr . More info: jraupp1@cox.net.

CRIME FICTION BOOKGROUP 7pm Shakedown by Charlie Stella. More info: r.a.schooler@att.net.

SPANISH BOOKGROUP 7pm El Tren Pasa Primero by Elena Poniatowska. More info: claudiani@cox.net.

ALISA VALDES-RODRIGUEZ: DIRTY GIRLS ON TOP 7pm With her sequel to The Dirty Girls Social Club, award-winning journalist Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez brings the dirty girls back—this time saucier and sexier than ever! Join Valdes-Rodriguez tonight as she visits with Dirty Girls on Top, which Entertainment ... (more)Weekly says "has Sex and the City written all over it—in sassy Spanglish. The six sucias return with hilarious and raunchy tales of Latina-tinged love, marriage, and sex told from each character's point of view."

"A hip, new-age fashion designer, Amer Atrash (PHILIPPE CALAND), left Lebanon in pursuit of the America Dream. Living in the fast lane and always just on the brink of success, something unexpected always seems to get in the way. In the weeks before the launch of his cutting-edge clothing brand, and on ... (more)the brink of major financial success, Amer finds himself in an all-too-familiar predicament when the rug is pulled from under his feet at the eleventh hour. Propelled into action, the hustler within is awakened, but he is met with a barrage of 'no's, and finds himself with his back against the wall. Neglected and confused, his wife Sherry (VIRGINIA MADSEN) decides that she "needs time to think". While burying himself in his work, Amer is haunted by the memories of an event that transpired years ago. Seeking his wife's solace, he confesses his dark secret to her, divulging the story of an unavoidable accident fifteen years earlier that left Phillip Blackman (FOREST WHITAKER) a paraplegic in a wheelchair. Amer further confesses that he believes that all of the pitfalls he has encountered in life since that night are directly linked to the curse and bad karma from his actions. Compassionate and understanding, Sherry encourages Amer to make amends.Setting out to find Phillip and reveal himself, Amer inadvertently encounters Phillip's beautiful wife, Kitty (MINNIE DRIVER), who sings at a local bar. Through their unusual interaction, she leads him to the man he seeks. Phillip has made the very best of his life and takes Amer on a spiritual journey, the goal of which to change Amer's state of mind and help bring him nearer to enlightenment. Through this life-altering encounter, Amer learns a new truth about that fateful night.

Voices of Faith is a resource book for all people. It holds true to the Arizona Interfaith Movement’s mission statement to tear down walls of ignorance and misunderstandings and to "build bridges of understanding, respect and support" for all people. Join several of the authors for discussion and ... (more)book signing.

This 2-hour yoga workshop will take students through various poses that often present alignment challenges. Instructors Ingrid Ortega and Jenni Goodall will conduct this workshop and assist students on a one-on-one basis with alignment issues and questions.

KIDS EVENT DRAGON DAY AND BRISINGR RELEASE PARTY 2pm Celebrate the release of Brisingr, the third book in Christopher Paolini's bestselling Inheritance Cycle, with a day of dangerous dragons and swashbuckling swords! Join us for face-painting, dragon decorating, a scaly Bearded Dragon exhibit with ... (more)the Phoenix Zoo, and, because every dragon rider must be suitably armed for clashes with rogues, a "Create Your Own Broadsword" activity. Also joining us are representatives from the Arizona Renaissance Festival and the Arizona Fencing Club with a demonstration of their fast and fierce fighting techniques. Please note: Christopher Paolini will not be present.

Now you see him, now your don't! This month we will be reading H.G. Well's classic science fiction novel, the Invisible Man and watching James Whale's B&W film version starring Claude Rains. After which will be discussing both the novel and the film!

SOCRATES CAFÉ 10:30am-Noon Join Socrates Cafe, a philosophical discussion group based on the book Socrates Café by Christopher Phillips. The group discusses questions about life, happiness, love, and beauty. More Info: Wendy at tantricdish@yahoo.com.

WORKSHOP: SOUND HEALING FOR YOUR CHAKRAS 4-5:30pm Sound healing pioneers Dean and Dudley Evenson draw from three decades of experience in this interactive workshop on sound healing principles and practices to enhance the chakras. Using music, toning, Tibetan bowls, and breath, you'll learn tools ... (more)and techniques to use for daily chakra enhancement. Cost: $20 Registration and pre-payment required at 480-730-0205.

SIGNING AND DINING: THE FORTUNE COOKIE CHRONICLES 6pm New York Times beat reporter Jennifer 8 Lee (yes, her middle name is 8) visits with her book, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, taking readers on a remarkable journey that is both foreign and familiar. Lee penetrates the Chinese food subculture ... (more)by traveling the globe in her quest to understand this ubiquitous cuisine and the people who prepare it. Her journey takes her to the hometown of General Tso (a military hero immortalized as much for his crunchy chicken as for his conquests), the surprising origin of the fortune cookie (it's not China), and to six continents in search for the world's greatest Chinese restaurant. The book also sparks debate as to who really invented chop suey and why exactly so many Jews love Chinese food—or as Lee puts it: "Why is chow mein the chosen food of the chosen people?" Please note: This is an offsite event at the Golden Buddha restaurant in Phoenix. Cost: $60 per person, includes drinks, appetizers, dinner buffet and one copy of the The Fortune Cookie Chronicles (Twelve, $24.99). COUPLES: $100 (1 book per couple). RSVP at 480-730-0205.

This interesting and practical class will teach how to use the essential oils for physical and emotional conditions to help clear yourself and bring peace of mind into your life. Come prepared to learn and have fun. Victoria uses the essential oils in her book "Ancient Secrets of Facial Rejuvenation" ... (more)and we will use the oils during this workshop.

JUNOT DIAZ: THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO 7pm Junot Diaz visits with his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd. From his home in New Jersey, where he lives ... (more)with his old-world mother and rebellious sister, Oscar dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the fukú—the curse that has haunted Oscar’s family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and ill-starred love. Oscar, still waiting for his first kiss, is just its most recent victim. Diaz immerses us in the tumultuous life of Oscar and the history of the family at large, rendering with genuine warmth and dazzling energy, humor, and insight the Dominican-American experience, and, ultimately, the endless human capacity to persevere in the face of heartbreak and loss. A true literary triumph (and Changing Hands staff selection for Best Novel of 2007), The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao confirms Junot Diaz as one of the best and most exciting voices of our time. Diaz is also author of the acclaimed story collection, Drown. His fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Paris Review, and Best American Short Stories. SEATING begins one hour before the event. Lettered tickets (free with book purchase) will be called alphabetically to fill seats and will also be used to form the booksigning line. Seating opens to the general public fifteen minutes before the event, so please arrive early, as space is limited.

HOLISTIC HEALING BOOKGROUP 7pm A Thousand Names for Joy by Byron Katie. More info: Rita at briohart@yahoo.com

TOM MOON: 1,000 RECORDINGS TO HEAR BEFORE YOU DIE 7pm Award-winning music journalist and NPR contributor Tom Moon takes you on the musical adventure of a lifetime. In 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, Moon recommends recordings guaranteed to give listeners the joy, the mystery, the revelation, ... (more)the sheer fun of great music. He draws from the diverse worlds of classical, jazz, rock, pop, blues, country, folk, musicals, hip-hop, world, opera, soundtracks, and more—all arranged alphabetically by artist to create unexpected juxtapositions that break down genre bias and broaden horizons. Event co-presented by Hoodlums Music and Movies, whose owner, Steve Wiley, leads the discussion in this interview-style Q&A event. Visit Hoodlums, our newest neighbor in the Tempe Square shopping center, online at www.hoodlumsmusic.com.

KEITH SWAIN: DYNAMIC DUOS 7pm Forget everything you've ever heard about gay dating. In Dynamic Duos: The Alpha Beta Key to Unlocking Success in Gay Relationships, psychotherapist Keith Swain offers his approach to finding and keeping love, and shows readers how to open the door to a new world of ... (more)hidden gay men—one of whom is Mr. Right! Based on new data from the National Survey of Male Relationships, Swain zeroes in on strategies that will work for you, spells out the eight early indicators of a gay couple on their way to successful lifelong marriage, and demonstrates how to write the perfect personal ad to attract your type.

Chakras are major energy centers that concentrate and distribute energy through our physical and energetic bodies. When your chakras are clear of blocked energy and in balance with all other chakras, you have better physical health, mental clarity and emotional wellbeing. In this 2-hour class, Dr Michelle ... (more)Hebert DC, CHT will teach you about the 7 major chakras and how a person might present (emotionally & physically) when each chakra is out of balance. You will then experience yogic and meditation techniques that will clean and brighten the energy of each chakra resulting in health & balance. To register please visit www.TransformationThroughLove.com and click on "Classes"

Learn the basics of wire wrapping to create beautiful jewelry pieces. This class teaches students how to use wire and beads to make delicate looking, yet durable pieces of jewelry. Each student will make a pair of earrings to take home with them. This technique can also be used to make bracelets, necklaces, ... (more)and anklets.

STEVE ALMOND: NOT THAT YOU ASKED 7pm Join certified Candyfreak and New York Times bestselling author Steve Almond as he reads assorted depravities from his new book of essays, Not That You Asked: Rants, Exploits, and Obsessions, then invites audience members to experience the unveiling of the official ... (more)"Booze Pig Truffle," as crafted by that fearless (and pickled) man of letters, Phoenix New Times' own Booze Pig, Colin Redding. Don't miss this evening of literary mouth-love and libidinal excess! SEATING begins one hour before the event. Lettered tickets (free with book purchase) will be called alphabetically to fill seats and will also be used to form the booksigning line. Seating opens to the general public fifteen minutes before the event, so please arrive early, as space is limited.

Event is free and open to the public.

Learn belly dance basics. This workshop will be followed by a 4-week class that will be held on Sundays in October from 11:00 - 12:00.

Experience a modified Kundalini Yoga Class and a Gong Meditation

TEEN EVENT: MARGOT McDONNELL: TORN TO PIECES 4pm Local author Margot McDonnell visits with her new teen novel Torn to Pieces. Seventeen-year-old Anne is used to her mother's quirky ways and erratic business trips, until one day when she doesn't return home. After receiving a letter from her mother ... (more)explaining why she has disappeared, Anne embarks on a journey of discovery into her mother's life, all while trying to hold on to the safety of her own.

"Spychips" takes readers into the frightening world of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), where tiny computer chips allow strangers to study your shopping habits, medical history, even pinpoint your physical location. Katherine will be here to inform us of this developing technology and the bigger ... (more)implications of privacy and civil liberties.