Adult Winners

Children's Winners

GRAND PRIZE
Artistic Design
Business
Ecology/Environment
Health & Healing
Memoir/Personal Journey
Parenting
Self-Help/Psychology
Social Change
Spirituality
Small Press

* GRAND PRIZE winner *

The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life

 by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books)

 In his most ambitious and significant book to date, Dr. Chopra leads us on a treasure hunt into the mystery of our wholeness. Referencing the realities of quantum physics and cellular biology along with contemporary and traditional spiritual wisdom, he identifies and poses answers to the big questions at the very heart of identity.  The clues he scatters along the way in the form of exercises and observations help us access greater freedom, awareness, and creative power, and lead us on a path to the very threshold of enlightened understanding.

To Life in the Small Corners
by Carol Scribner (Butterfly Productions)

Photographer Carol Scribner artfully and respectfully dips into the lives of traditional people in ten African and Asian countries. Through their faces, handicrafts, clothing, and daily patterns of existence her photographs and simple text reveal glimpses of the faith and beauty that nourish these people, as well as of the connectedness they feel between generations and with the earth. Her book is imbued throughout with a spirit of homage for traditional ways of life and with the message, “We all must share this precious planet.” Proceeds go to the TurtleWill Foundation, which helps traditional peoples retain elements of their cultures and preserve their dignity.

Cause for Success: 10 Companies that Put Profits Second and Came Out First
by Christine Arena (New World Library)

There is hardly a wasted word in this succinct homage to ten corporate exemplars who prove that “conscious business” is not an oxymoron. These high-purpose companies are changing the face – and the principles – of standard business practice with a diversity of commitments to ethics, partnership, economic justice, environmental wisdom, and service to a greater good. In a world of rampant corporate malfeasance, it’s heartening to know that companies with a soul do exist, and are thriving because of it.

Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time by David Johnston and Kim Master (New Society Publishers)

The ultimate walk-your-talk book, Green Remodeling marries conscience and application with the skill of a master craftsman. Nearly 400 pages of basic principles, practical advice, and old-fashioned encouragement give everyone from novices to experienced nail bashers all they need to turn their home into a healthy and energy-wise palace. For anyone looking for a way to make a difference in the world, they will do no better than this earth-friendly how-to, printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga: A Practical Guide to Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit
by Deepak Chopra and David Simon (John Wiley & Sons)

This holistic approach to yoga provides a multi-layered philosophical context for a practice that nurtures spirit and mind as much as body. The authors summarize yoga’s theoretical underpinnings in the teachings of Patanjali and the ninth-century sage Adi Shankara, and apply Chopra’s Seven Spiritual Laws of Success to yogic principles. They conclude by combining asanas and the Spiritual Laws into a single practice offering a deeper level of engagement for anyone engaged in this healing art.

At Hell’s Gate: A Soldier’s Journey from War to Peace
by Claude Anshin Thomas (Shambhala)

A decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, Thomas couldn’t shake the scars that followed him home or the culture of blame that met him, and his life spun out of control. Refusing to submit, his search for answers led him to Thich Nhat Hahn and Buddhism, and from there to his ordination as a Zen monk and teacher. This book is the deeply moving story of his return from the brink, his triumph over violence, and the healing of his heart.

Keepers of the Children: Native American Wisdom and Parenting by Laura M. Ramirez (Walk in Peace Productions)

Ramirez’s spirited and practical approach to parenting draws significantly from the values represented by her marriage into a family of mixed indigenous heritage as well as the timeless wisdom of far-flung tradition-based communities. Using a frame story involving a hypothetical Native American family, Ramirez describes the path of parenting from the first dream about a coming child through key child-rearing issues including self-discipline, conflict resolution, and the nature of identity. Of special note are Ramirez’s insights concerning the spiritual development of a child who is “dreaming himself awake.”

Trusting Yourself
by M. J. Ryan, Broadway Books

This gracefully written guide finds effectiveness in its easy style and straightforwardness. Without resorting to a 30-day regimen, one-size-fits-all prescription, or 12-step program, Ryan hones in on a core issue for living more consciously—self-trust. In short conversational essays, she shares insights about what it means to trust our individual uniqueness and how to refine our ability to listen to and believe in ourselves. Ryan delivers a wealth of usable wisdom and guidance with the gentle sensibility of a trusted friend or counselor

The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear
ed. by Paul Rogat Loeb (Basic Books)

This inspiring anthology reminds us that the future is constantly being created by the decisions we make, and the courage we show, in the here and now. The nearly 50 pieces cross a wide spectrum of emotion and experience, from essays on peace and calls for defiance to heartbreaking tales of loss and redemption. What ties them together is a common thread: a belief in the basic goodness and tenacity of the human spirit.

The Twelve Conditions of a Miracle: The Miracle Worker’s Handbook by Todd Michael (Tarcher/Penguin)

This fresh examination of a New Testament text asks “What if?” What if Matthew’s account of Jesus’ miracle of the loaves and fishes contained in it a meta-message revealing the conditions necessary to perform a miracle? Michaels dusts off the original New Testament Greek to conduct a phrase by phrase exploration of hypothetical shades of meaning in this sacred text. The result is this practical, accessible, and original meditation on the nature of miracles and their implication for spiritual growth.

Vegan World Fusion Cuisine by Mark Reinfeld and Bo Rinaldi (Thousand Petals Publishing)

Illustrated with an eclectic assortment of art, photographs, and quotes, this more-than-a-cookbook  is a beautifully packaged offering to those attempting to adopt a more conscious lifestyle. The book and its recipes originate from the Blossoming Lotus Café on Kaua’i, a gourmet vegan and live food restaurant whose mission is to provide a dining experience that is healing and nurturing both for the individual and the planet. In addition to the many inviting recipes, the book provides philosophical context for veganism and a resource guide of organizations working on vegan education, organic farming and permaculture, animal rights, and world hunger.

Fire Under the Moon
by Jane Howard Samuels (Eagle Cliff Books)

“Our story is not so different from many families’ stories,” says the author in her preface to this chronicle of the death of her brother. And she’s right that her account will resonate with familiarity for those families who have endured similar misfortune. What sets her story apart, however, is the telling. Samuels’ writer’s voice is clean and exquisitely tuned: personal without cloying sentimentality, honest without self-indulgence and deftly descriptive without dragging down the narrative. She negotiates the mine-filled terrain of the family memoir with insight and a light touch, creating in which readers will find and better understand themselves.

* GRAND PRIZE winner *

The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy
by T. A. Barron (Philomel).

Avalon’s physical “tree” represents a land hovering on the boundaries of dream and known geography--the territory of the vastly true. A blight threatens the land, and it is Barron’s sensitivity to environmental concerns that impels this intricate tale of uncertain identity, ambiguous prophecy, and looming disaster. Embodying faith in the coming generation, young heroes of both sexes undertake perilous quests in hope of serving the greater good. This utterly enthralling introduction to a planned trilogy teems with the values represented by the Nautilus Award, and David Elliot’s elegant design adds to the book’s enduring pleasure.

Tibetan Tales for Little Buddhas by Naomi C. Rose, forward by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Clear Light)

Three charmingly translated tales feature young Tibetans living in a remote mountainous region where their Buddhist philosophy permeates all of their experience. Balanced and magical at the same time, the tales teach compassionate responsibility for all of life-- including a yeti. The author’s vibrant acrylic and pastel illustrations richly reinforce simple yet profound teachings. As the Dalai Lama writes in the Foreword, this book “…will bring joy to readers young and old.”

I Came as a Stranger: The Underground Railroad
by Bryan Prince (Tundra Books)

What happened to former slaves who headed north during the time of the Civil War, escaping to Canada with the help of a hidden network of people? This eye-opening study of Canadian involvement in the Underground Railroad soberly recounts the difficulties of the displaced African-Americans and the racist attitudes of many Canadians. While Prince does not gloss over the irreparable losses of many of the people struggling to create a freer and fairer life, accounts of glorious reunions and triumph in the face of opposition help to validate ongoing today’s world.

The Privilege of Youth: A Teenager’s Story of Longing for Acceptance and Friendship
by Dave Pelzer (Dutton)

A gentle boy—greatly in need of adult friendship and guidance--faces the raging river separating childhood and adulthood. In this autobiographical account the author shows how a regular kid manages to navigate unfriendly waters and emerge honest and decent, despite an uncommonly difficult start in life. Pelzer’s ear for teenage dialogue heightens contemporary relevance for today’s teens, while the inner narrative voice of the adult Pelzer lends balance and a broader vision.