This is as much a general history of 20th-Century medicine as it is an autobiography of this respected researcher. Thomas reveals nooks and crannies of the medical profession — and of New York City — which might otherwise go unknown. [New York: Penguin]

Jerusalem, sobering in its antiquity, holy to a fourth of the world’s population, stands in stubborn enigma against the folds of the Judean desert. The jacket marks this as a “travel” book, but the label falls short of the truth. Thubron paints Jerusalem, past and present (circa 1968), in bold, sweeping strokes and sudden filigrees of anecdotal detail. The overall theme is the balance between what is real in Jerusalem, and what lies projected upon it by the hope of at least three religions. The New Jerusalem, symbol of release for suffering Humanity, lies somehow embryonic within the alleyways and agonized stones of this city. Thubron searches for the font of this holiness through the ruins, markets, shrines, and caves of the city, and through the millennia which drowse heavily upon it. He shares his observations with the poetry of an enchanted outsider, neither believing nor cynical, but seeking only to elicit the mystery of Jerusalem from the ravages of so much humanity. [New York: Penguin Books]

In the spirit of Oliver Sacks, Siegel draws on his reasearch as a neuropsychiatrist to relate these “Clinical Tales of Hallucination.” The case studies include experiences with visionary drugs, dreams, imaginary companions, and life-threatening crises. They are quite engaging, even if spruced up a bit for the sake of a good story. While leaving room for speculation about the mysteries of the human mind, Siegel’s psychiatric background compels him to overemphasize the unreality of hallucinations. His quick distinction between “false” and “real” impressions would no doubt exasperate philosophers of consciousness, but then he doesn’t go as far as to deny that hallucinations can serve a definite, even positive purpose. In the end, he neither dismisses nor sympathizes, but tends to leave the ‘meaning’ of the tales provocative and open-ended. [New York: Penguin]

These “tales of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi” are all delivered in the suitably rabbinical form of the parable. Either told by or involving Rabbi Zalman and his band of Hasids, the stories illustrate specific ethical and spiritual principles with clarity and wit. It’s pretty dense with Yiddish and Hebrew terms, but I found the glossary useful in decrypting the more esoteric goings-on. Will no doubt repay later re-reading. [Nevada City, CA: Gateways]

This book was given to me by my grandmother, a friend of the author. Subtitled “A Guide for the New Jewish Spirit,” it is a practical discussion of bringing Jewish tradition into union with modern lifestyles and spiritual needs. Although somewhat atypical for my current reading regimen, I found Zalman’s words to be straightforward, non-dogmatic, and eminently wise. He speaks from the standpoint of the Jewish experience, but his teachings embrace the common elements across many spiritual and mystical traditions, and so provide a suitably pluralistic and progressive basis for ‘right living’ in the modern world. [New York: Bantam]