Magic Carpet Flying - by Pamela Ryan (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Magic Carpet Flying traces psychologist Pamela Ryan's journey through her life's adventures, from the rapture of achievement to the personal anguish of loss.

Drawing on childhood lessons in rural Australia and later work in the Australian outback, Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world where she travelled to help others tackle the darkness of mental illness, suicide, and large-scale tragedy arising from terrorist attacks and natural disasters, Ryan reveals how she not only survived trauma but turned her journey into a "magic carpet ride."

Exploring what it is to "live truth," to "make ourselves up as we go along," to aim for the stars, and to become the "pilot in command" of our own destiny, Pamela Ryan's unforgettable journey in Magic Carpet Flying reveals what it means to be fully alive.

Review Quotes

"Pam Ryan is an exceptional and remarkable person with a combination of intelligence and empathy. She is a force for good in the advancement of humankind in a challenging world. As founder of Psychology Beyond Borders, aimed at reducing psychological suffering in many affected populations around the world, Pam demonstrates her deep understanding of the steps needed to ease trauma in people's lives."

Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister of Australia

"The words 'I don't know who I am until I see what I do' will stay with me forever. Learning to embrace the light and the dark, to touch the smooth and the rough, to fully appreciate one you must know the otherNPamela Ryan's important knowledge and wisdoms are told with such simple beauty. Life can be a carpet Nwe can be the magic!"

Gill Hicks, MBE, author, founder of M.A.D. for Peace, and survivor of terrorist bombings, London, July 2005

"This book shows us not only how to negotiate the inevitable bumps and troughs in life but also how to reach for the peaks. It reflects Pamela Ryan's experience of repeatedly turning improbable aspirations and unpromising circumstances into impressive achievements."

Sir Roger Jowell, social scientist and professor, London School of Economics, London

"Using her experiences from Australia to Texas and all over the world, Ryan explores her own personal journey as a gift to all of us. At times poignant, at times triumphant, her story is always inspiring. "

Betty Sue Flowers, former director Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, Emeritus Professor of English at University of Texas at Austin, poet, author, editor, and television host