Intriguing view of dreams
580955
In Always Dreaming, David L. Rivinus presents, through massive amounts of study and careful thought, an analytical presentation upon a dense subject nearly impossible to universalize due to the paradox of its very nature. Human dreams are fascinating to me, and I wanted to read Always Dreaming because I loved the Christopher Nolan movie Inception, to which some of the concepts (as per my interpretation of them) in Always Dreaming may hint at the outlandish nature of the movie being closer to fact than fiction. Always Dreaming seeks to provide a dreamer with relevance, both literal and metaphorical through the careful sorting of their own dreams, as well as attempting to decipher the meaning of external events and real-life experiences, as many dreams are the echoes of poignant wishes and buried aspirations, bundled up in quizzical packages. I do question the pragmatism of following ones bliss but I enjoyed the illustrations as Always Dreaming balances the tone of a technical textbook with the more relatable memoir writing of a personal quest for information.
1521702
"Book of Dreams" captured my attention from the moment I opened it.  Davis intertwines current world events in political and econonmic arenas, along with more personal issues like dream interpretation and the challenge of moving forward in life despite loss and pain.  Everyone will find some aspect of this book with which they can relate, but the ending is unexpected and challenges readers to ask questions about what the future holds both for the main character in this series, Dr. Elena Burroughs, and for themselves in the present world.

This book was provided to me by the publisher at no cost but I was not required to write a positive review.  What I have shared is my own opinion.
4328997
Dreamy and complex. The characters and images are extraordinary yet human in the space of hope and living dreams. Thoroughly enjoyed.
2695450
The story line in this novel is one of the most creative ones Ive ever seen, and for that reason I loved it. A Chicago neurologist going through mid-life crisis goes on a quest to find eternal bliss in the most unconventional way. A combination of dream analysis, fragmented self-analysis, and vacillation between reality and fantasy, the book is well written, the characters are interesting, and the story is intriguing.
3436605
In a time when so many Americans are attempting to understand Islamic cultures and recent history of this part of the world, Buchan offers a personal, dreamlike interpretation. The book is difficult to read at times unless one remembers that it is a deeply introspective dream- indeed a nightmare!- without the lucidity of a step by step chronology. The personal trials of one young American who is enchanted by this culture has a rhythm that is similar to the sound of the flute against the heavy drum beat of history in the background.
The book is sprinkled throughout with lines of poetry from former centuries that is still vital, living and reverberating in the thought processes of the people. There was a sense of poetry used like hip-hop verses are now-to express a deep poignancy of culture and belief system unlike any that most Westerners understand.
I also had a sense of the writing being like a Persian minature, a central "picture" with myriad details drawing the reader into and out of the scene.
For me, this category of literature is extremely exciting. As we are exposed to more and more books written about or by authors outside Western culture, our opinions on what is happening in the political world can only become more humanitarian, more understanding and, hopefully, decisions will be made more intelligently.
Compare the Iranian general with the character in "House of Sand and Fog" the relationship in "Nino and Ali" and the characters in "Flesh, Blood and Bone", the interaction of cultures in "Balzac and the little Chinese seanstress", the class system in "A Fine Balance", "Caucasia" multiracial interactions in the US, "Yo!", "Anil's Ghost", etc..
Wow, what exciting times for literature!
1661061
There are profound truths that do not lend themselves to sophisticated language.  This book takes you on a journey, one that is dreamlike.  It is a lovely dream, one in which each reader will find his or her own truth.
3046280
This book conceptualizes that not only do our dreams tell us about ourselves and the conflicts going on in our life, but so do the events that happen from day to day. The author turns the events or conflicts of your life into symbols and analyzes them as you would a dream. He then makes the point that the goings on of our lives are not just random acts of the universe, but are happening because of where we, ourselves, are at.

It is always very interesting to read perspectives like this and get your brain working in a way it wouldnt normally function. We as a people have always looked upon our dreams as though they might be telling us something about ourselves. We have people that interpret dreams or we spend all our hours googling what does this stand for in a dream on the internet to see what we might be missing. This book shows a whole new way of thinking where we can expand the knowledge of ourselves by looking at our waking moments as well. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about people and about themselves.
3250863
This book was so interesting to me because it has all these interconnected characters and it switches back and forth between the past and today. The book is interesting because you are able to learn how and why the characters are what they are and understand how their past shaped them into the people they are now. I enjoyed the way the author portrayed the characters as having many different facets of their personality some good and some bad but not really black and white, they were flawed individuals and that made me feel more engaged in the writing. The best part of the book is the  imagery you become immersed in while reading. It created very clear pictures in my head and it was really interesting to be able to see and feel the things that were being described because the imagagery was so vivid.
598032
Really enjoyed it, made me think about what is real and what is not and how important it is to fantasize and dream.
1544258
An interesting collection of poetry and stories that make you feel like you're in a dream-like state. This is exactly how I felt when watching the movie Spirited Away. I think certain books need a re-read and this is certainly one of them, because the work created here is multi-layered, you will literally need to read between the lines. Recommended.
2434090
Albeit at moments a bit confusing, was also compelling enough to read in one sitting.  I have often seen people "differently" but this gives insight a whole new meaning.  Genuinely intriguing and falling "asleep" and dreaming may never be the same.
3027443
I purchased Dream Stories because the sample chapters intrigued me. Once I bought it, I found myself reading it instead of doing the list of activities planned for the day. Interesting, insightful, and useful, this book helps readers learn how to use their dreams to understand themselves better, to appreciate synchronicity or seeming 'coincidence', and to become acquainted with the healing power of dreams.
1634890
The Twelve Dreams of Laima is a dreamy, mystical odyssey through history, told though the lives of twelve different people. All but one are incarnations, previous lives of the same man, Art Zemaitis - a professor of history with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. His quest for insights into history leads him from America, back to his native Lithuania, on a folklore research project to interview that handful of rural elderly who retain some knowledge of the old ways. He finds the old woman named Laima, living in an ancient old-growth forest in a tiny wattle and daub hut.  Who is she what is she to Art? That she is someone of significance and possesses mysterious powers is plain - what connection does she have to him, personally?

As it turns out, she has the ability to grant him his deepest wish. "More than anything, I crave to know what it was like in times gone by." To his astonishment she calmly replies that she has the ability to help him do this, to embark on a voyage of discovery, of all his past lives.

Each chapter tells of one of those lives, hop-scotching across time and the new and old worlds, through lives that are sometimes happy, long and successful as their world counts such things, and sometimes short and ending suddenly in fire, violence and war. In several lives Art lived as a woman; a priestess of Cybele in ancient times, as a medieval woman accused of witchcraft and burned at stake, and in his most significant but shortest incarnation, a little girl in modern America. More usually he is a man and frequently a warrior or adventurer. Each of these chapter-episodes is a tiny, condensed novel to itself, reduced to it's essence of experience in a world quite violently different from each of the others - and yet each would make a satisfactory novel itself, expanded to full length. But that is not the authors' purpose. And Laima's purpose does not come clear, until the last of Art's lives is lived and ends - and that is a twist that the reader may not see coming.

Mr. Cross's prose is lyrical and precise, suitable to each character in his or her time and place. Any criticism I may make is limited to noting that that the transition as Art moves between his past lives  and his present one are sometimes awkwardly devised, as the narration jumping abruptly  between first person and third. This is especially noted in the first couple of pages - perhaps the first person narration was meant to be in italics?
1111318
Dreams have always fascinated me, as I believe they do most people. This is one of those books that's packed full of really cool information in just a few pages. It was a lot more interesting than those long, boring books full of one-size-fits-all symbols, where nothing seems to fit your particular dream. Even though it's a short read, you want to read it slowly so you can absorb all the material. It's not dry, far from it. I especially liked the chapter on Dreams and Symbols, which explains how various dream symbolism can have different meanings for people, depending on what their life experiences are. I'm looking forward to Kennedy's first Dream Club Mystery, Nightmares Can Be Murder, which sounds like a really neat take on the mysteries I enjoy reading. I highly recommend this author. She's on my list to buy by name alone.
3217814
This book is very nice. I really found it helpful. Despite the fact  couldn't get the real meaning to all my dreams from this book, but i most admit the author did great in putting some on this common dreams interpretation together. I a great start to understanding my dreams. There is so much more to really learn.
3940055
Supernatural, but not too unbelievable.  You always wonder if dreams are real, and this story shows you what it's like if they are
1641416
Have you ever solved a problem in your life through a dream or woken up and had the desire to go back to sleep to finish a dream. If you have a vivid dream world you will enjoy this unique approach to unraveling your dreams and learning from them.

Symbols will often appear in our dreams. In this book, a comprehensive thesaurus provides thousands of symbols and their meanings. Dreams will often have a major theme and unique illustrations show how selected dreams progress.

Julia and Derek Parker are best-selling authors and are recognized experts in the field of dream interpretation. In this book, they explain the mechanics of sleep and dreaming and explain how to deal with the problem of nightmares. There is advice on how to create your own personal dream notebook.

The nonsensical plots and characters in our dreams often can become more rational and sensible and comment on our problems and difficulties in life. The history of dreams is an interesting chapter and is well illustrated. The Mechanics of sleep tells of how we fall into a cycle of sleep. During sleep, we experience NREM an REM sleep and people need each type of sleep for various reasons.

So, if you have had a dream in which you saw mammals, reptiles, winged creatures, fish, fire, water, earth, air, weather, trees, flowers or plants this book seeks to tell you why. There are a variety of dreams which are interpreted throughout the book.

There is so much in this book, it is hard to even list all the dreams or symbols. What I was the most interested in was dreams of flying. Apparently they are extremely common. One time in a dream, I thought I had flown into the night sky. So, I went to page 147 to see why. They say that in life if you are trying to "rise above" something or trying to achieve a position or have high ambitions, that could be the reason.

What I loved even more than the actual interpretation was the Thesaurus in which you can look up the images you see in your dreams. I can't wait to go dream something so I can look up my dreams again. I think this should be by everyone's bedside so when they wake, they can look up the meaning of their dreams. If you have dreamed it, I bet it is in this complete compilation of dream meanings.

A fascinating subject and a look into the private world of dreams.

~The Rebecca Review