"Karma" is in our vocabulary, but do we really know what it means?

The word is everywhere--not just in alternative spirituality, and among Hindus and Buddhists, but in news reports, ads, sitcoms, sports columns, and the everyday conversations of people who wouldn't know the Upanishads from Us Magazine. Stephen Colbert invokes the term on TV and Taylor Swift summons it in song.

This book chronicles the origin and evolution of karmic theory and describes how the concept came to the West. It explains exactly what karma means--and, crucially, what it doesn't mean--then shows how to apply karmically sound ethical principles to relationships, life decisions, health, death, and all aspects of self-development. "We're always planting karmic seeds," writes Philip Goldberg. Our task is to "choose the right seeds and plant them skillfully, in the right way, at the right time, under the right conditions."

Karma is a profoundly useful idea, and Karmic Relief is a profoundly useful book. It offers a blueprint for building a fulfilling life and a way to reconcile some of life's most vexing conundrums.

Karmic Relief: Harnessing the Laws of Cause and Effect for a Joyful, Meaningful Life; Philip Goldberg; Monkfish Book Publishing; Paperback; 208 pages; $22.99

Philip Goldberg grew up in Brooklyn and moved to Los Angeles like the Dodgers before him. A professional writer for 45 years, he is author or coauthor of numerous books, all but one nonfiction. He is also a skilled public speaker, meditation teacher, and ordained Interfaith Minister. He leads tours to India and cohosts the popular podcast Spirit Matters. His 2010 book, American Veda, which chronicles the impact of India's spiritual teachings on the West, was named one of the top 10 Religion books of the year by Huffington Post and Library Journal. That was followed in 2018 by a biography: The Life of Yogananda: The Story of the Yogi Who Became the First Modern Guru. Website: www.philipgoldberg.com. His current book, Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times is the #1 New Release in 3 Amazon categories.