A View from the Cosmic Mirror: Reflections of the Self in Everyday Life

Gary Gemmill, Ph.D., & George Kraus, Ph.D.
Author House (2010)
ISBN 9781452032832
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (3/11)


Co-authors Gary Gemmill, Ph.D., and George Kraus, Ph.D., were definitely on the same page when they researched and wrote “A View from The Cosmic Mirror.” The book is based upon their shared perception that “Most of us would like to discover a more whole and complete self.” The authors contend that to do so, “we must clearly see the accurate reflection of ourselves in the people and objects around us.” Ultimately, they proclaim that we cannot truly know ourselves until we discover our unseen but true reflections in the cosmic mirror. The label, “The Cosmic Mirror,” might sound a bit ethereal, but selected multi-cultural quotations ranging from Buddha to the Bible clearly support the concept. For example, this quote from a Cheyenne tribal lesson – “The universe is the mirror of the people, and each person is a mirror to every other person.”

The book’s content is succinctly and logically presented in three sections: The Foundation of the Cosmic Mirror; Everyday Illustrations of the Cosmic Mirror; and, Reparation and Healing, consisting of the final four chapters which focus on summing up the book’s content and putting it all into practice. While such quotations can be powerful and inspiring, they do not provide us with a means to achieve any transformation and growth. The authors acknowledge this fact and include straightforward tools and interactive exercises to guide us. The language Dr. Gemmill and Dr. Kraus use, however, is not always straightforward. They are academicians, and while they made an obvious attempt to make their language accessible, this is not a book for individuals seeking a quick, how-to read on a complex subject.  
 
The publisher’s promotional text on the back cover of the book proclaims that this is “One of the most important books of our generation.” But increasingly, readers, with the “help” of Oprah and sixty-second, pop-book pundits, are deciding such matters, not writers, publishers and reviewers. “A View from The Cosmic Mirror” goes well beyond self-discovery and self-empowerment. I hope it finds a wide audience.  I believe that for many, it could be a life changing book.

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