The Reviews For The Dance Of The Chi

Today, I heard from a reader of The Dance of the Chi.  

“I must confess that I am struggling with the book. This is to say that I am not at a  stage where I am capable of understanding many of these matters. Much you write about is way outside my terms of reference to start with, but also the journal form of the book, by its nature, skips from one deep topic to another, which makes it hard for me to deal with. I really don't want to put other, more able (sic), readers off and I do find much of it fascinating, so no need to publish this. Just saying, that's all.”

I replied:

“Thanks for the feedback. It is what it is. :)
Everyone holds a space in the jigsaw of life. Feedback is feedback.

The Optometrist who happens to be of the Christian faith and who impressed me with his personality and intelligence got a free copy.

The way he looks at me and talks to me after reading the book tells me he thinks I'm crazy.

So ya, I understand it's different strokes for different folks. Hehe.

We only have to connect with our own kind of weird.”

He immediately shot back:
“Having said all that this morning, there's lots which is very clear and really helpful to me. Your section on EFAW, for example and so I'll press on. Thanks for the opportunity!” (sic)

See what I mean?

Feedback is feedback.

It’s fascinating to me how readers decide what to address in their reviews from the over 300 pages in paperback and whatever the Location counts on eBook. I am a slow reader and I find it incredible that someone can read The Dance of the Chi in less than a week. A friend even said she read all of it in two days! I suppose not everyone will read the book in its entirety and some will flip through the pages according to their personal inclinations and interests and then if they leave a review, the review would be based on the parts of the book that were actually read.

I'm on record for saying I'm not for editing the reviews of my book(s) as I find I can take a lot from the comments that are left by readers, be they, friends or strangers. So far four reviews have been published and they are as different as the individuals are different. This has inspired me to blog about the reviews I've received. Until now, no reviewer has shared their thoughts about  ‘My EFAW Theory’ and ‘My Outer Space Experience.’ I'm curious why no one has found those chapters worthy of a mention in their reviews. Still, I am grateful for any review as reviews do help to garner more interest in the book(s). I would like to take the opportunity here to thank the readers of The Dance of the Chi for their thoughtful reviews.

If I am the one writing the review, I would not like to be told what to write or to be told to write something that the author would approve of. I believe we have to be fair to both the author and the potential buyer. Imagine writing to help the author at the expense of the reader? That would not be a good thing IMO. I take the reviews as they come. One of these days, if I should get an unpleasant and negative review, I shall have to take from that as well. Experiences are meant to be what they are. Alan Watts, the philosopher, said: Wanting a positive experience is a negative experience. Accepting a negative experience is a positive experience. Unless the reviews are left by haters and trolls up to no good, I can't complain about the reviews I have. They are all meant to be helpful and they are, each in their own way. I am grateful that my readers take the time to leave a review.

When I read books, I tend to put myself in the mind of the authors. I try to feel whatever they are feeling and experience whatever they are experiencing. When I can’t wrap my mind around the mind of the author is when I can’t read a book.  So it’s fair game if someone can’t read my book(s). I find that people who purchase a book are more likely to read as much of the book as possible as they don’t wish to waste their money. Purchasers are also more likely to be able to appreciate the contents as they know what kinds of books they want to invest in. This is the reason I don’t care to give my books away for free. I need to target my audience and the best way to do that, it seems to me, is for them to actually buy the book.

As my book reviews go, most reviews have the effect of making me reflect on the readers’ reading experience. Each reviewer is likely to say something that would make me sit up with alertness and attention. It doesn’t go unnoticed by me that the reviewers are, in effect, complimenting how I managed to "put my sh*t together (tao-gether)" in order to publish the books. It occurred to me that because everyone has problems and obstacles in life, the people who succeed at their creative projects are the ones who could manage to get it together despite or in spite the obstacles along their path. That's just what the books were/are—getting my act together. That’s the reason Zig Ziglar said: What you get by achieving your goals is not nearly as important as what you become by achieving your goals.

The last twenty-one years (three Uranus cycles) for me was "do or die" time. The next seven years will be more or less the same. The next seven years of challenges and stress can be the best of times and the worst of times. My projects are how I create meaning/purpose/direction for my life and how I channel my energy, intent, and angst. We need to stay in the higher vibrations and my projects aid me to do that in a big way.

I’ve covered what the writing and publishing process do to add to the quality of my being. I’ve covered what the reviews do for me. Another huge bonus of being in this industry is the friendships and interactions with fellow writers and editors who cross my path. It's a treat to be exchanging with fellow writers who appreciate the need to be clear in the expression of complex and abstract ideas. It is a pleasure to exchange and interact with people who as a result of being who they are, force me to uplevel and improve my game. There is so much to learn and I learn something new every day.

A reviewer called my attention to my arms. He wondered about the significance of my arms. When playing Taiji, my arms in an extended posture would be the physical expression of me in the moment of an expanded mode of being. This is then followed by a contracted physical expression of me in the moment of a contracted mode of being. The "expanded mode" is the one that allows me to reach out to others and make the connections. The contracted mode is when I need my solitude.  Some teachers in the energy arts say (each in their own way), the arms are the physical expression of energy flow and vibrations that is expressed by the spirit via the body. I imagine the arms are also the body part with the most concentration of "intent." We express a lot of intent with our arms. I can't imagine what it's like for the Thalidomide babies who have to live their whole lives without arms. And what of those who lose their arms at some point in their lives? They would have to develop "alternate arms" of expressing energy flow and patterns.

It's no surprise that writers tend to be the ones to write the better reviews because they have the analytical discipline, training, and their way with words, to begin with. Even when writers are not impressed with what they are reading, they can still dig deep to leave a kind and/or encouraging word for the author. I reiterate reviews reveal as much about the reviewers as they do the books they review. 

When indie authors publish, we have no idea who would be drawn to read our work. Whether the book is a free reading or a purchased reading, the writer and reader would have to be connected on some level or else, of the millions of authors (and even more books) out there, why would anyone read one author and not another?

It's all good. Again, I thank my readers for taking the time to read me and I'm grateful for the friendships and mostly positive reviews.