Reviewed by Angela Hutchinson

Spirit-Works.net

Author Bob Bloom’s spiritual odyssey has taken him to the glorious highs of the Universe-in-motion to the ever desolate dark night of the soul and has brought him to his current profession of Teacher. Humble and wise, Bloom’s written demeanor proves to endear the reader to his process of self actualization and spiritual discovery. Do not let this pint size composition fool you, it contains more Universal laws and sage advice than most 300 page how to books. Do you want to get down to the spiritual point? Then this is the quick read that you need.

Bloom presents "five spiritual solutions to life’s little problems" and empowers the individual to gain control of their emotional self and ride toward the path of love.

Not wanting to give away the intriguing theories of Bloom, suffice it to say, Taming the Tiger of Emotion is a great place to start your own odyssey. It relates to the common person who is willing to look for something more. I appreciate the compassion of the author toward the reader and his support in realizing we are all human and it’s not a matter of if we fall, but how we get back up. "Sometimes life hurts. We lose people we care about. Situations don’t turn out like we’d hoped. That’s all part of the program here on Earth. The key is, not how do I keep this from happening to me, rather, how quickly will I return to my practice when life gets the best of me? How quickly do I recover?"

This is a work of love and a work that wastes no time in teaching us all what life is about and how to hurdle the obstacles.

"The most powerful heart in the world isn’t the one that never hurts, it’s the one that hurts, heals, and opens up to love again."

Reviews by Michou Landon

I've found that most of the problems we face in life, and in the world..., aren't logistical problems. They're emotional," says Bob Bloom in his introduction. "The problem is not that ...things happen. The problem ...is how we respond to these events; and our responses are directly linked to our emotional attitude."

…this unimposing little book is so simply and personally written and offers such valuable insight and application tools, that the reader may be tempted to order a case as Christmas gifts for friends and incorrigible relatives.

There's nothing wrong with that, of course. It does, however, demonstrate exactly what the author wishes to illuminate: the near-undying tendency for the human ego to deflect and project, to focus on faulting and fixing externals (in ever more subtle and sophisticated ways), in order to avoid the truest and deepest aspects of spiritual maturity: to take responsibility and to forgive — genuinely, authentically and absolutely; and that is an inside job.

Graciela Scholander

Many good spiritual books offer advice on how to make life simpler or easier. Taming the Tiger of Emotion, by Bob Bloom, takes a different approach by showing how to make the most of life even with its challenges, disappointments, and pain. Bloom explains how to work towards spiritual maturity, which he equates to emotional self-mastery, in the midst of any circumstances or conditions, from broken marriages to illnesses to failed careers. He teaches how to live with adversity, something every human faces at one time or another, and how to let it work for us, not against us.

Bloom asserts that what we think of as bad things in our lives really are cosmic wake-up calls, opportunities to stop what we’re doing, listen inwardly, refocus on God—our source for answers—and be willing to consider new possibilities or try a new direction. In other words, those bad things aren’t there to punish us. They appear to give us a chance to try something else, learn something new about ourselves, and grow spiritually and emotionally in the process.

Bob Bloom’s Taming the Tiger of Emotion is a timely guide to creating more peaceful lives by learning how to shift perspectives. It’s an easy, enjoyable read. You’ll want to re-read this handbook several times to get the most out of it. If you’re looking for spiritual growth, emotional grounding, and clearer answers to life’s questions …this book will point you in the right direction.

Authors Note:

Taming the Tiger of Emotion was originally released under the title God’s Little Handbook for Humans. Although the name has been changed and the content expanded, the message remains the same.