The Black and White Book: Two Sides to Every Story

By R.P. Moore

Book Overview

A collection of stories addressing all aspects of life contrast negativity and hatred against positive attitudes and profound love. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 074341814X
• ISBN13: 9780743418140
• Release Date: May 2001
• Publisher: Atria
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.8" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Gift

This book belongs right at home in our discussion of gender and polarities, for it's about polarization and getting beyond it. It's a little less of a content-filled book than a single idea that is reiterated over and over again in different ways. But with repetition the idea is only given more strength. The idea is a gimmick. Every page of the book is black on one side with white writing and white on the other with black writing. On the black pages are printed examples of negative thoughts and negative experiences and negative assessments of events. On the white pages opposite are printed the positive take on those same thoughts, experiences or assessments of events. The back cover provides an excellent example. On the top half of the cover, in white on black, are the sentences: "This book is filled with negativity. It might make you angry. Some stories may stop you in your tracks. This book is rude. This book is not funny. It may hit too close to home. How could you think of owning this book?" On the bottom half, in black on white, are the cognate sentences: "This book sees the good. It will probably make you happy. Some stories will give you strength. This book respects you. This book will crack you up. It may be what you've been waiting to read. How could you think of not owning this book?" While it sounds like this could get old, it doesn't. The examples are varied and the flips from negative to positive come in sometimes surprising ways. All the polarities are there just so we can overcome them and rise to a higher perspective. This insight is specified in the last paragraph of the introduction: "Acceptance is the single greatest concept I have ever incorporated into my life. Without it, I could not have authored this book. I at last accept my anger and my darkness, your fear and your hatred. I have found that it's only the resistance that makes these human conditions so painful." The punch line, by the way, is the author's acknowledgement of his bout with AIDS. A wonderful book for a gift. Nice reading matter to leave in the bathroom. A marvelous declaration of an insight we all need to get over and over again because as the last sentence of the book says, "It has been my experience that the more darkness I encounter, the greater my capacity for light. Ugliness turns to beauty. The negative with the positive. Up, down. Black and white. And so it goes" Reviewed by Toby Johnson in White Crane Journal #50

This book blew me AWAY!

This books just blew my mind. This book gave me such perspective on things and i would recommend it to anyone who wants to see the light as well as the dark!!!!

To each PERSPECTIVE is own

This book BLEW ME AWAY. It's still weighing heavily on my mind and heart right now, as I recall the feeling I had as I flipped every page in deep anticipation. This book is about acceptance. About embracing darkness, but being willing to see the light. It's about fear and love...and which do you choose to live in? The author, at one point, suggests that if you are angry, then be angry. Well, I'm angry. I'm angry that my mother found this book tucked far back in the bookstore, scrunched inbetween a bunch of self-help schmuck. This book deserves a much better place on the shelves; at the front of the store where raw light can glaze it from the windows. Where one and all can discover it. This is not a book that can be categorized. It's topic is not self-help, nor motivational. It is UNIVERSAL. There is a definite message, but only if you're willing to see it. R.P. Moore - whoever you are (and you keep us guessing), wherever you are, whatever you are....THANK YOU.

A REALLY dark book with some REALLY bright light!

This is the coolest book. You know how so many philosphy and self-help books sound like we're living in some magical world where everything is supposed to be perfect? This is the most honest book I've ever seen in its league because it doesn't ignore the dark side of life. In the end, though, it always shows a different way of looking at things. Whatever you're going through, this book lets you be angry, sad, disgusted -- then it's there for you when you feel happy and okay with everything. Words can't describe the way this book makes you feel. Five thumbs up.