Comment on Jake Eagle’s book: Speak Love Not War

Might seem a lofty goal, but using the approach described in an autobiographical format makes it seem possible. Jake takes us through his approach to living in peace with himself and others by way of his reconnection with his brother. Both are adults at the time, with Jake's brother facing an irreversible medical condition. As they dialogue throughout the book, I came to see how language is more than simply a way to express fact, feelings, hopes, and dreams. Green Speak is going to have to grow on me as a term, but having now read many grounded examples of its use in Jake's book, I think that the way is clear to pick up a nuance in language that will bring closeness and connection with others in my life and keep me more honest about who I am, what I need, and how I get it. I recommend this book to anyone who is exploring a more positive way to be here on Earth with more humanity and awareness than they might have had before. Linda Compton, SPHR, HR Director

I enjoyed Jake Eagle's fresh approach, for a psychology book, with questions and answers in a dialogue format, explaining the philosophy behind Green Psychology, in a way that helps the lay person integrate the ideas one by one. I appreciated learning more about John and Joyce Weir, the founders of the approach.

The book, Speak Love Not War, is a conversation between Jake Eagle and his brother. This is an introduction to a philosophy and practice Jake Eagle calls, Green Psychology. I found the ideas refreshing and use the language skills in my life regularly. Using language this way allows me understanding of my responsibility and what I create in my life. Mostly, I stopped being a victim and empowered myself more deeply with the use of Green Psychology. I love having the book to refer to and have passed it on to several friends who also are deepening their experience of themselves through the learning they are discovering from reading this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in raising their consciousness and empowering themselves.

Through a fast-paced dialogue, Jake addresses a number of significant questions and topics that we all encounter, such as the meaning of life, clarifying what is it that we value most, how to relate to others in a way that expresses who we really are and what we want. The questions he asks and the answers he offers challenge our psyche and inspire us to learn a new way of communicating. He offers a fresh perspective on healthier ways to relate to others. Many of us spend our lives recounting or listening to a daily victim story. By altering our language and perspective through Green Speak and the principles of Green Psychology, we can learn to tell a different version of the same story that empowers us. If peace is what I value in myself and in the world, then this book is an excellent tool for taking responsibility for oneself and transformational shift.

I enjoyed the narrative style of this book. It reveals the basics of Green Psychology and emphasizes human individualization. It inspired my personal growth and improved my communication skills, especially at work. Excellent photos, too.

I am half way through Green Psychology, and as someone else said, I was somewhat off-put by the title because I felt it was using "green sell" to promote something that isn't green - until I began reading it! I hope others will take a look at what Jake provides in this book. I have never taken a course with Jake, have only begun to understand how green speak works through the book, and I can see how it can benefit all of us. It's not a natural way to speak and will take practice. It's opened my mind to a new way of looking at myself. I can hardly wait to share it with my friends who seek personal growth. The personal discussion between Jake and Tom, who, like me, did not understand green psychology, makes it easy to understand and put into practice. I highly recommend reading it!

What is it I want from reading a book? I want an experience, I want to know that the writer has given himself completely, I want to immerse myself and lose myself in the reading, and I want to change and expand myself as a result. Jake Eagle's book "Speak Love Not War" certainly brought all that to this reader. I have Jake writing how he lives. I often think "self-help" books suggest a way of living that the author doesn't truly invest in. Jake truly invests in Green Psychology and Green Speak and I have his relationships and life enriched as a result.

If we take full responsibility for ourselves, it starts with our words. I have the practice of Green Speak be a kinder and gentler approach. If we take responsibility for ourselves we can relate honestly with anyone and bring clarity to our interactions.

This is a wonderful book - one that you'll want to read over and over again!

Speak Love Not War uniquely combines philosophy, psychology and a personal insight to the deep personal relationships we strive to achieve in a practical communication application. The author uses a conversation with his brother to clearly connect our relationships, the way we interact with the world and a useful tool for clear internal/external communication (green speak).
I found the book to be interesting, insightful and practical in my day to day communications.

I have transformed my life with the practice of Green Psychology (GP) and Green Speak (GS). I say practice, because GS is available to us in every moment we communicate or form ideas. If we are talking to another, thinking, or even dreaming, we can use GS to be in the present moment, empower ourselves, and respect others.

As an engineer and public speaker I have made my professional relationships more productive and rewarding. My personal relationships have become more respectful, honoring, creative, and passionate. As a yoga instructor I made subtle shifts in the way I use language and am rewarding myself so much, and my students are revealing profoundly deeper experiences of themselves.

I participated in 7 GP workshops (Labs) before reading the book. I see the book as a fabulous introduction to the principals of GP and practice of GS, I am sure many will find new and healthier ways to relate simply from reading the book, and I know from experience that the benefits of GP and GS deepen with immersion in a Lab experience.

The concepts presented in this book can be applied to any teaching. I have done this with many things I studied in the past, and have integrating the previous teachings more deeply, found and felt much more than I did without having the GP orientation. This happens because of how Green Speak (green thinking) supports an internal experience.

With hope that this material reaches many leaders and teachers of all sorts.

The first sentence of this book is a heart felt offer of a gift. A gift that offers an approach that will lead to a peaceful coexistence within oneself and with others that we relate to. Speak Love Not War beautifully delivers this gift through personal and radically honest conversations between Jake and his brother Tom.

The intimacy of the relationship between the brothers tugs at my heart and the depth and potential value of Green Psychology speaks to my soul. Through these conversations, and considerate use of language, Jake is able to create a clear method by which we can all enrich our relationships and free ourselves from self-created limitations and blame.

Jake Eagle's book offers easy to understand tools anyone can use to better the way they speak and interact with other. As a teacher, I find the language and tools of Green Speak a valuable form of communication to help my students understand the tremendous power in taking responsibility for their actions through language. Speak Love, Not War is packed with such insight and wisdom for humanity and our relationship with each other, it should be required reading for every high school student.

I pride myself on my son's accomplishment in writing the book "speak love not war" I find it sensitive, moving and knowledgeable and truly helpful in understanding "green speak". It was difficult as a mom to read about the deaths in my family but i found that the book helped me understand life and death and my present relationship to them. Aside from my personal reaction i do think this practice can lead to a "kinder and saner" world.

The concept of Green Psychology (GP) is about a very different level of relating and communicating...a way of self-responsibility unlike anything I have ever experienced. Speak Love Not War brings the principles and practice of GP out of the lab environment (a place were those as practitioners can "experiment" with new ways of being) into the world of a greater audience.

I have been practicing GP and the language component, Green Speak for over two years now. Here's what GP has done for me over the last two years:
I relate to the world around me with a completely different perspective...I'm more mature, confident and aware.
I actively look for ways to grow myself and open myself up to ideas, concepts, and people.
I have learned to accept the many diverse parts of me and understand that I have only just begun to explore the person that I am meant to be.
I look for ways to renew myself - i.e. being easier on myself and setting better boundaries in way I relate with my partner, my son & my community.

These are a few examples of how I have begun to shift myself in the world. I read and re-read this book as a work of study.

In a world teaming with self-help books, Speak Love Not War, opens up the possibility of a way of living that is accessible for every man, women and child (yes, even our children can practice GP).
I recommend this read to anyone looking for a richer, fuller way of being.

Thanks Jake.

As a younger brother (in a family of two siblings) I strongly identify with Jake's powerful dialog betweem himself and his brother in dealing with life's issues, including death. I emoted myself many times as I read Jake's book.

Language is our prime means to know others. In Green Psychology, Jake makes clear that we can only reveal ourselves and know others only to the extent that they reveal themselves. Green Speak clearly puts responsibility on us. Nothing can make me mad, only I can choose to make myself mad.

The tenents of Green Psychology show us healthy ways of relating to others and ourselves. A boon to personal relationships, self development and global responsibility.

Sometimes a book can captivate by sharing a deeply felt and vividly rendered personal story, other times by enlightening us with profound but practical guidance for life. "Speak Love Not War" has both, a rare achievement indeed. Read it. Be moved and be made better. What more could you ask for?

What a great book! Jake Eagle wrote a beautiful, clear, and engaging conversation that resonates with each of us. His views, observations, and thorough study simplify that which some think takes years of therapy for those who are interested in knowing themselves rather than spending a lifetime filled with distractions. Eagle lays out for the reader the steps necessary for peeling back the numerous layers we hide under. His explanations present constant "aha" moments. He clearly explains why we react to certain situations stating that each individual has their own uniqueness. Because of his extensive study, he explains how having clear boundaries and taking responsibility for ourselves can help us relate honestly with everyone we encounter. He gives us common-sense tools to recreate and readjust our thinking in a sincere and tender context. His focus on linguistics helps us rewire our every day language. We learn how changing the way we respond and taking responsibility for ourselves brings ease and clarity to life. A great read and one of those books you'll want to keep!

What an incredible book...Since reading Boomeritus many years ago I have wondered at what could promote individual and cultural development, which is critical right now...to prevent ecological self-destruction along with seemingly meaningless wars. What could move us towards a more world centric view?

This book and Green Psychology is the answer. It also provides an elegant and paradoxical antidote to the most debilitating scourge of development....narcissism...Read it!

With this book Speak Love Not War, Jake Eagle has found a way to cross the time/age barrier with an intelligent, interesting, sound, and above all, a useful philosophy. It is an invitation to everyone to own their own feelings while understanding others, with acceptance and without criticism. His psychology of Green Speak, starting with No Praise, No Blame, was as startling as looking in a mirror and truly seeing who you really are. Most interesting to me now, at age 83, is looking back over many years and seeing myself as a whole person, and using Jake's language to live in the present, and enjoy it. It's a great book, so simple and so true, thank you Jake.

This book came into my life at a pivotal point. My life had changed and I was determined to do something different with this change. I could only loosely define what I wanted to change....I wanted to have 'healthy relationships'. With the practice of Green Psychology I now know what that means for me and what I need to do to make that happen. The five principles that create the foundation of Green Psychology provide the framework to contribute to a kinder, gentler, saner world. The concept of taking full responsibility for my emotional footprint, wisely using my personal energy, renewing & sustaining myself through the choices I make...these plus the other two principles are profound when applied to how I want to do myself. I honor the work Jake & Hannah Eagle do. As a citizen of the world, I am grateful for their contribution and practice to Speak Love Not War.

This is a great read. Particularly , if you're interested in learning about what it takes to live fully, assume complete accountability for your actions, reactions, and well-being. Through an intimate dialogue with his ailing brother, Jake explains Green Psychology in a very accessible manner. In his conversations with his brother, I clearly appreciate the idiom - "you are what you say." Jake describes Green Psychology in everyday language, and demonstrates how our everyday use of language can cause us to disassociate ourselves from owning our own reactions and feelings. I find his connections between semantics and sanity come from a similar linage as Korzybski's Science and Sanity, however, Speak Love Not War takes another step toward clarifying just how our talk affects what we experience; and how we say it affects the way we relate to others and to the world. Hence why the subtitle of his book is An Introduction to "Green" Psychology because it's not just a book about how to improve yourself, but how to save ourselves as a species.

There are very, very few books that I think merit occupying a long-term place on my bedside table. I have yet to read "Speak Love..." beginning to end, but instead have skimmed. Have paused on many a page to read a single thought or passage or exchange with Tom. I then stop right there, and simply lie back and rest with the thought. Absorb it. Internalize it. Make it relevant to me in my life. Occasionally share it with my partner. More importantly, I find myself consciously altering my approach to people or problems. I may never simply sit down to read it, front-to-back. It may for me to be enough to simply be with a simple randomly found thought and see where it takes me. Jake's book is a pretty good handbook on how to be truly responsible for one's life and experience of it in a way that brings peacefulness, mindfulness, fulfillment and satisfaction. I think it will be on my bedside table for quite a while. Thanks, Jake. (And pass on my thanks to Tom, please.)

As co founder of Green Psychology, I am truly grateful for this long awaited and remarkable book, which shares a philosophy, a practice, and a way of life. As Jakes' wife, I would like to share that this practice has altered our relationship in profound ways. What we learned from the Weirs changed our lives forever. We learned to live without ever feeling criticized, or needing to criticize others. We no longer fight to be right; instead we accept and respect our differences. When we, as a couple, struggle... instead of turning away from each other, we now turn toward one another to create deeper intimacy. With this practice, we free ourselves to live true to our own values, not by the dictates of others in our lives, or others in our heads.

In this paradigm we come to fully understand that our individual views and perceptions are unique. We are never talking about the same world, only our version of the world. None of us are talking about the same person, only our perception of the person.

Even I, who have read this book many times, find I connect to a deeper part of myself each time I read it. I thank my lucky stars for our timely connection with the Weirs, for our own insight to follow what they had to offer, and for Jakes' ability to articulate the wisdom in this book.

Jake, I was very happy to receive your book today. Thanks so much for sending it. I reminded myself as I read of how much I appreciate who you are, what you’ve accomplished and what you have been through in recent years. It was touching for me to reconnect with your work, which will always be among the most influential forces in my life.

Best,
Mike

I wanted to let you know how much I move myself with your book.
I recognized myself in the pages and peacefully and gratefully I connect with myself, opening me to explore a deeper part of my journey.
I am also realizing how much I empower myself when I read me out loud in the company of my partner. Every night, we share a chapter together before putting ourselves to sleep, sometimes, we meditate and relax ourselves in the silence of the night after hearing the last words, some another times we want to share our internal procesing, so we talk about the experiences that makes us resonate from the paragraph read, opening ourselves to new tools of self discovery.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to make myself a part of you through the book.
(and for including me with the quote on the back of it).
May your giving of your knowledge and experience be the channel for other's motivation to continue their spiritual growth.

There are many great philosophers and teachers out there but the way Jake Eagle connected this book with his personal journey made it so delicious to read. He wrote this book as a conversation with his brother and personalized it so beautifully that it brought realness and relevance to the movement of Green Psychology. As you read this book you will not only learn the theory of Green Psychology but you will see how Green Speak (the language of Green Psychology) transforms relationships right before your eyes. What a precious, graceful way to teach the essence of Green Speak.

I engaged myself so deeply in the teachings and in the closeness I felt to Jake and to his journey that I continued reading until I was done. I couldn't put it down and finished it in one day. The book has taken the work of Green Psychology to the next level and makes it so approachable and understandable. This book is truly life changing.

I recommend this book for those who are ready to truly embrace their zest for life. The teachings of Green Speak are about taking full responsibility for ourselves and our actions and it all starts with our use of language. May you enjoy this book and may it bring exponential growth to your life as it has for me.