Business has always been about listening to your head, taking risks, and being ruthless. We’ve all heard the phrase: “It’s not personal; it’s business”, but now it’s being challenged by Louis Bohtlingk’s new book Dare to Care: A Love-Based Foundation for Money and Finance. Mindful of the current economic climate, Cosimo has chosen Dare to Care as its November Book of the Month.

In this book, Bohtlingk has developed a collection of ideas and initiatives to change business. According to Bohtlingk, changing from a money-first to a care-first attitude, as the book suggests, will stimulate thoughts about our current monetary system and economy making them more functional overall. By offering a different way to run businesses and the financial world with his book Dare to Care: A Love-Based Foundation for Money and Finance, Bohtlingk hopes to change the world of finance as we know it.

The book promotes a vision for a love-based economy and a care-first world. With examples of businesses who work with models similar to his own, Bohtlingk proves how and why this vision could become a reality. His workable method has been developed to help corporations and companies change from their current financial plans, which, for many focus purely on profit, to a new economic outlook that focuses more on supporting each other. Dare to Care encourages readers to approach finance and economics from a new perspective, one which urges them to reorganize their own attitude towards money and empowers them to act and achieve a care-first worldview.

Louis Bohtlingk is a visionary who has worked as a counselor for more than 30 years. With his wife Sandra, he has created multiple platforms with which to address the money issues that individuals and companies experience. Louis is also the creator of the “Meeting the Mystery of Money” workshop, which has been held throughout the U.S., the U.K., and the Netherlands and helps individuals to reorganize their finances and lives with a care-first approach. You can learn more about the work Louis and Sandra do on their website, www.carefirstworld.com.

Louis Bohtlingk, author of Cosimo’s new book Dare to Care: A Love-Based Foundation for Money and Finance, is holding a book signing at the Java Dragon Coffee House in Charlottesville, Virginia from 5:00pm – 7:30pm on Friday November 11, 2011.

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Cosimo, Inc. would like to announce the launch of a new imprint under the services of CosimoB2B. Transitions, a Prague-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving journalism and news media in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, has published their first book, Classroom Struggles: Education Reporting and Analysis from Transitions, using CosimoB2B.

Classroom Struggles: Education Reporting and Analysis from Transitions is a collection of news and feature articles written by young journalists in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Russia. These regions are facing many roadblocks within their education systems and the articles in this book expose and discuss these roadblocks. This book is an ideal start for this new imprint venture as it fits closely with Cosimo’s ideals of informing and engaging readers about important current events and issues.

CosimoB2B offers publishing services to organizations, such as Transitions and also research institutes, think tanks, magazines and other institutions interested in setting up their own publishing company without having all the technical know-how or manpower in-house. These organizations have the opportunity to create imprints while CosimoB2B becomes the production, distribution and marketing departments for the imprint. Companies can take advantage of CosimoB2B’s experience with on-demand print technology and its expertise in designing and publishing books.

ABOUT TRANSITIONS
Transitions is a nonprofit organization established to strengthen the professionalism, independence and impact of the news media in the post-communist countries of Europe and the former Soviet Union. Based in Prague, the organization does this through a combination of journalism and media training programs, and the publication of Transitions Online (www.tol.org) magazine.

ABOUT CosimoB2B
CosimoB2B is the services unit of Cosimo, Inc. based in New York, a specialty publisher of books and publications that inspire, inform and engage readers. Cosimo’s mission is to create a smarter and more sustainable society by connecting people with valuable ideas.

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September is upon us, bringing with it back to school time, brilliant colors, and colder weather. Fall is a transitional season when people tend to leave the lazy, careless days of summer behind and buckle down into a more serious outlook. And from that serious outlook comes our new book of the month: Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse written by The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

The economic crisis in this country is no secret. There are constant reminders of the unemployment rate, houses are foreclosing faster than ever, and businesses are laying off, cutting back, and shutting down. Financial trouble is all around us, but how many actually know what started it all?

After a two year investigation by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation the report Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse details where the blame should be and why. This report, re-released by Cosimo, with a new foreword from the publisher, takes an in-depth look at Wall Street’s blame in the financial collapse. Outlining four very clear causes of the downturn: high risk mortgage loans, regulation failures, inaccurate AAA credit ratings, and investment bank abuses.

With the gloriously tranquil days of summer behind us, we can no longer ignore the harsh reality of our Country’s financial situation. It’s necessary for us to take a look at the causes. Where are the flaws that allowed this to happen? Can we prevent further damage? And where do we go from here? Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse, can help lead us to the answers.

THE U.S. SENATE PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS (PSI) is a bi-partisan team of senators that deals with Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and is currently headed by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK). Formerly known as the Committee on Government Operations, PSI is the oldest subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

Read Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse for more about Wall Street’s role in our country’s Financial Crisis and an in-depth look at the flaws that allowed this to happen.

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This week at The Institute of Noetic Sciences’ 14th annual conference, Psychic Exploration: A Challenge for Science, a re-released book published by Cosimo, will be presented. This book compliments the conference topics as a primer on psychic research, life’s purpose, and the meaning of the universe. Originally published in 1974, this book is a landmark anthology of nearly thirty chapters on every area of psychic research. It is finally available again.

This conference will feature many interesting speakers including Edgar Mitchell, apollo 14 astronaut and creator of this book. Additionally, alternative medicine guru Deepak Chopra, IONS President and CEO Marilyn Schlitz, Rupert Sheldrake biologist and author of Morphic Resonance, Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy, Brian Swimme graduate professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies, Rachel Naomi Remen clinician, master storyteller, and bestselling author, and University of Colorado Professor of Nursing Jean Watson.

Join these knowledgeable speakers from Wednesday July 20 to Saturday July 24 on Westin Market Street in San Francisco, CA, as they present an interesting array of topics. Enjoy the musical celebrations and the supportive community as you’re introduced to a fresh perspective on the world. There is so much to gain, not only from attending this insightful conference but also from reading Psychic Exploration: A Challenge for Science.

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Tonight, Ab Kuijer will be meeting with the Dutch Young Professionals, media correspondents, and social media at The Netherland Club of New York to discuss his new book, Think Small, Grow Big, A Social Media Survival Guide for the Marketing Professional. He’ll be discussing the book and his tried-and-true methods for using non-traditional marketing methods to help companies grow BIG over dinner and drinks tonight. You can read more about the event at the Netherlands Club website.

Stay tuned for more events and announcements concerning this ground-breaking media book!

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Danny Schechter, author of the Cosimo Book Plunder, The Crime of Our Time released a new blog post at the beginning of this month about the goings-on in Libya, Wisconsin, and of course, Wall Street. You can read all about it on Danny’s blog.

If you like reading about the financial crisis, you can also check out the new Cosimo Book, which will be released at the beginning of April, The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, the official government report from the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, with a Foreword by Danny Schechter. Keep an eye out on the Cosimo blog for updates.

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After many requests for its re-appearance, The Joy of Family Rituals, by author and spiritual guide Barbara Biziou has been released in paperback by Cosimo Books. This book, a wonderful complement to The Joy of Ritual, is a recipe book for families wishing to participate in rituals as part of everyday routine to make their lives more fruitful and enriching. It describes the tools you need to perform rituals for small and big events that occur as families grow: ingredients are given special, sacred meaning and families can adapt Barbara Biziou’s advice to their own needs and traditions.

Biziou, an internationally acclaimed teacher of spirituality, life coach to women, men and corporate clients, and a frequent media guest, is passionate about helping people to live the life of their dreams. She has had an auspicious start to the new year, appearing in a New York Times article, “Searching for the Soul to Cleanse It.” This article not only brought attention to Biziou’s practice and teachings, but also to the importance of ritual itself.

The work of Barbara Biziou, including The Joy of Family Rituals, has received positive feedback and wide praise from various corners:

“Rituals make our lives work. The Joy of Family Rituals makes our family rituals work in a smooth, beautiful, and perfect way.” —Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of the #1 New York Times bestseller Chicken Soup for the Soul series

“Barbara Biziou’s book is brilliant, inspiring, and comforting […] It’s like having your own fairy godmother in the attic weaving your family’s personal, magical golden cloth out of the straw of ordinary life.” —Hal and Sidra Stone, authors of Partnering: A New Kind of Relationship

“Reading The Joy of Family Rituals is like having a wise best friend to turn to for reassurance during troubled times or for thoughtful advice when you want to celebrate life’s great evens with style and flair.” —Marjabelle Young Stewart, America’s most published etiquette educator and author of Commonsense Etiquette

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BARBARA BIZIOU is an internationally acclaimed teacher of practical spirituality and global rituals. She is a life coach, voice dialogue facilitator, inter-faith minister, and motivational speaker. She has appeared on the Hallmark Channel, on radio, online with Beliefnet.com, Oprah.com and in print media including The Daily News and The New York Times. She has lectured and taught around the world and has authored two books: The Joy of Ritual and The Joy of Family Rituals (both available from Cosimo Books). Barbara Biziou resides in New York. You can visit her online at www.joyofritual.com.

THE JOY OF FAMILY RITUALS
Cosimo Books, December 2010
Body, Mind & Spirit/ Spirituality
ISBN 978-1-61640-467-3
Paperback, 180 pages, $15.95 / £10.99

ABOUT COSIMO BOOKS
Cosimo Books, based in New York, is an imprint of Cosimo, Inc., a specialty publisher of books and publications that inspire, inform and engage readers. Cosimo’s mission is to offer unique books to niche audiences around the world.

Always available at online bookstores. Visit www.cosimobooks.com

BE INSPIRED, BE INFORMED

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City Critic Journalist Ariel Kaminer (for the New York Times) was skeptical about cleansing rituals for the new year. OK, she still is. But she did consult Cosimo author Barbara Biziou in her quest for spiritual purity for 2011. In her NYT article, Ms. Kaminer goes through her process of learning and attempting ritual, including the process Barbara Biziou takes her through. In any case, it’s an interesting article for skeptics and believers alike, and it should give you a good idea of what to expect when you go for a consultation or attempt a ritual of your own.

Below, Barbara explains the Winter Solstice Celebration and talks a bit about her new book, The Joy of Family Rituals.

You can find out more about Barbara Biziou and her workshops at joyofritual.com, and you can follow her profile on Twitter at @BarbaraBiziou

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Just last week, Cosimo released a brand new paperback version of The Joy of Family Rituals by Barbara Biziou. This wonderful complement to The Joy of Ritual is a recipe book for families wishing to participate in rituals as part of everyday life to make their lives more fruitful and enriching. It describes the tools you need to perform rituals for small and big events that occur as families grow: ingredients are given special, sacred meaning and families can adapt Biziou’s advice to their own needs and traditions.

The importance of rituals is emphasized in the “Ritual Reality” sections, which give true-life stories of families that have benefited from performing rituals at momentous and everyday events. This book is ideal for any family wishing to grow closer together and create a bond that will last a lifetime.

Beliefnet.com recently wrote an article about the book, including an interview with Ms. Biziou herself. An excerpt is included below, and you can read the whole article here:

Why are family rituals so important?
To me family ritual is the anchor that really holds the family together, the glue. One of my inspirations for writing The Joy of Family Ritual is what I have sadly noticed in families who do not share special rituals: they often lack a deep connection, don’t have a rewarding family support system and the children are feeling very alienated. Modern life is moving too fast for people. Everyone has such a tight schedule that unless you make room for structured family rituals you can easily go for weeks, or even months, without truly connecting to one another.

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Last week Cosimo unveiled a brand-new book, Cloud-Clad Angel, Selected Poems, A Bilingual English and Serbian Edition. It is rare when we publish poetry in our Cosimo Books collection, an imprint dedicated to publishing new works, often of social, economical, or environmental significance. In the case of this extraordinary author, however, we felt that readers around the world deserved to read her beautiful, award-winning poetry. Vera Srbinovic has authored more than 21 books of poetry and won two awards for her poetry. This collection of selected poems includes poetry from many of her other books as well as an introduction by Dr. Drashko Redjep, a leading Serbian writer and literary critic. Below is an excerpt from the book:

WHEN YOU FALL SILENT

by Vera Srbinović

When you sing a song, the stars begin to twinkle
Groves that knew you start to tremble
When you say the words, the zephyrs shudder,
They quiet down and hide from shame
And when you fall silent, so do the does
Flowers close so that they don’t rouse you from
your sleep
When you sing a song, the trees sing along
The blue mermaids start humming with the sea,
Forest spirits dance around
The body quivers, joyous from the sound,
But when you fall silent, all dies away
Fires burning in the distance start to fade.

You can pick up your own copy today with this and many more poems at The Cosimo Bookstore and other online retailers!

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