Customer Reviews

The Book of Sacred Stones: Fact and Fallacy in the Crystal World

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is definitely one of the best books I've read on the subject. Over the past few years my interest in gemstones has increased, leading me to further investigate the subject by purchasing various "New Age" books. I'm impressed by Ms. Walker's technical knowledge and clarification of the healing properties associated with individual stones. I also enjoyed reading about stones which are usually not even referred to in other books, such as labradorite, cinnabar, etc. The photographs are beautiful, which only enhance her work. I believe this book is an asset to anyone's collection who is genuinely interested in a truly fascinating topic.

This reader friendly book is a well researched and documented source for reliable gemological and mineralogical information, with an anthropological bent. It traces the relationship between mankind and gemstones. This passionate relationship is as old as the species itself. Barbara Walker chronicles many of the current metaphysical associations and claims attributed to stones that are supported with irresponsible New Age pseudoscience. She correctly explains many terms and concepts that have been misused and/or misstated in recent New Age literature. I found the book compelling!

Most informative book on crystals and gemstones I have found so far. The book is divided into sections which makes looking up information very easy. I would recommend to anyone studying the subject.

Ms. Walker has a great deal of working, technical knowledge of rocks and minerals, but she almost interrupts her clear descriptions of the minerals to tell the reader how stupid methphysicists are. My guess is she's locked into a particular religious dogma that doesn't allow for free thought. Hence, the title is misleading. That which is sacred to some is soundly mocked. At the same time, the information about the minerals is excellent and the photographs are beautiful. Guess it's true - that which we fear most in ourselves, we mock most in others. Maybe she's a closet shaman!

She hates Crystal healing. She goes to great lengths to prove and explain why it is all bunk . She details every spiritual and magical purpose a great many stones have ever been used for and therefore when you ignore her heavy handed diatribes this is a pretty good guide for crystal healers to use for finding stone properties. She is so eager to debunk crystal healing that her work inadvertantly validates it. I reccomend this book .
Its not a first book for an aspiring crystal healer but its a tangy addition to a crystal book library

This could have been a very excellent book but the author spends way too much time beating a dead horse. To her "facts" are only what can be measured by machine and everything else is "fallacy". While she is very knowledgable on the stones themselves, her debunking of the myths seems to center around information from questional books proporting to give the history of Atlantis and Mu. Information comming from a time before the discovery of modern medicine are also held up for ridicule. If the author had stuck with what she obviously knows and stayed off the editorial asides, this book would rate 5 stars.

Thanks for the "closit shaman" review. I would have passed on the book after reading the reviews about her efforts to debunk the higher spiritual properties of stones. As it is, I probably will now purchase a copy. Her view as expressed in you review reminds me of modern science in that they obviously have a great deal of information to offer but are still tied into the delusion of finite reality. I would probably call her a latent New Ager in this midsts of over kill. This personality sort are usually the first ones to step into the otherside and when they get there (suddenly open to the infinite universe) think that they have gone insane. Given that she hanngs out with a massive amount of crystal stones, when this one goes, she is going to go hard and heavy. I hope she has earned the priviledge of having good guides to help her out.