One of the most prolific members on our list of "must read" authors is Peter McWilliams, the creator of the LIFE 101 series, which are self-published under Prelude Press (see Resources for contact information). Peter McWilliams has been writing about his passions since 1967 -- these include photography, computers, poetry, love, loss, depression, life threatening illness, negativity, wealth, figuring out and doing what you want, betrayal & brainwashing, and laws against consensual crimes -- hence, Life 101.

Each book includes plenty of Peter’s humorous, down-to-earth, eclectic brand of philosophy, quotes from everyone from Jesus to Anais Nin that illustrate and elucidate each point, and plenty of practical exercises to help you improve your life. Reading his books feels like sitting down with a friend who empathizes completely with all your problems and doubts and then gives you loving, non-judgmental advice, most of which includes looking within yourself for what you truly want rather than listening to anyone else’s take on the situation, including his! Not only has Peter lived the situations he writes about, he’s done extensive cross-cultural research on ways to deal with them (where does he find all those wonderful, perfectly relevant quotes?). And he’s accessible -- he has an 800 number for orders (1-800-LIFE-101), great discounts off store prices (since you’re ordering directly from the publisher), a Web Site, and an email address that he personally answers (we have the response to our email -- within 2 days mind you -- to prove it). As Peter puts it, "If you’re looking for serious, pedantic, didactic instruction, you will not find it here. I will -- with a light heart -- present hundreds of techniques and suggestions, and for each of them I make the same suggestion: Give it a try. If it works for you, fine -- use it; it’s yours. If it doesn’t work for you, let it go and try other things that may."

For many years Peter listed a co-author on his books -- John-Roger. As Peter explains in LIFE 102: What To Do When Your Guru Sues You, John Roger had nothing to do with writing or publishing those books other than brainwashing Peter into believing that he (J-R) had an unusually close, personal relationship with God and that Peter would die without him (literally -- contrary to medical evidence, he convinced Peter that he had AIDS). In gratitude for this "love and protection," Peter wrote and published the books, did seminars, and gave John-Rogers and his cult (the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, or MSIA) respectability and all the profits. Now that Peter has broken free of them and gotten help for the clinical depression he suffered from for most of his life, John-Roger is suing him for everything he’s got left and all future profits on the Life 101 series. Life 102 not only details this story, but discussed how people are brainwashed by themselves, society, their family and friends, and -- yes -- the occasional cult leader, and how to deprogram your own life.

The overview book of the Life 101 series is LIFE 101: Everything We Wish We Had Learned About Life In School -- But Didn’t. The idea behind LIFE 101 is that everything in life is for our upliftment, learning and growth -- including (and, perhaps especially) the "bad" stuff. It’s about "unraveling life’s ‘mysteries’ and discovering life’s ‘secrets’ (which are, in fact, neither mysterious nor secretive)" A companion book is The Portable LIFE 101, 179 essential excerpts plus 177 quotations from LIFE 101 -- think of it as the Cliff Notes to life.

Other books in the series include:

• DO IT! Let’s Get Off Our Buts, which concentrates on discovering your Big Dream(s) -- your heart’s desire, how to choose which dreams to pursue, and practical suggestions for achieving them and (more importantly) enjoying the pursuit and making life better for not only ourselves, but for everyone and everything around us.
• You Can’t Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought, which started out as notes for a presentation to people with AIDS, and grew into a book "for people with any life-threatening illness -- including life," as the subtitle reads. It’s a book for anyone afflicted with one of the primary diseases and luxuries of our time: negative thinking.
• WEALTH 101: Wealth Is Much More Than Money, which is not your typical book about money. First, it suggests that you really don’t need any more; that once the basic biological needs are met, enjoying life has very little to do with money. Then it tells you how to get more money. The main point is that wealth is enjoying what we already have, and that this appreciation makes getting more of what we want both easier and more enjoyable.
• LOVE 101: To Love Oneself is the Beginning of a Lifelong Romance, which asks the question, "if you were arrested for being kind to yourself, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" It debunks the myth that in order to be complete and fulfilled, you must find one "significant other" to love, who must in turn love you back with equal devotion till death do you part and challenges the taboo that it is somehow unwholesome to love yourself.

Other books by Peter McWilliams include:

• How to Survive the Loss of a Love, co-authored with Melba Colgrove, Ph.D., and Harold H. Bloomfield, M.D., a directly helpful guide to recovery from any loss of major change in life.
• How to Heal Depression, co-authored with Harold H. Bloomfield, M.D., which is brief, practical and to-the-point, since the last thing a person with depression wants or needs is an intricate tome filled with footnotes, citations and Latin. It includes quotes from around the world to "show that depression -- and the desire to heal it -- is a deeply human and universal experience."
• Ain’t Nobody’s Business If You Do: The Absurdity of Consensual Crimes in a Free Society, which makes the radical and simple proposal that the only reason to arrest someone is if they directly harm the person or property of another without their consent. This covers the Drug War, prostitution, sexuality & marriage, unconventional religion practices, unpopular political views, gambling, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the Bible, and all the wasted money and lives that result from the prosecution of consensual acts.
• I Marry You Because..., some of Peter’s poetry, along with and quotations from many other writers (a la the Life 101 series), on love and marriage.
• Come Love With Me & Be My Life: The Complete Romantic Poetry of Peter McWilliams. Touching, direct, emotional, and often funny -- like all of Peter’s work.
• PORTRAIT: A Book of Photographs. Peter’s first published collection of his photographs, focusing on portraits of people. More than thirty-five years of photography are represented in the more than 200 black & white and color photographs.
• The Personal Computer Book. The best-selling introductory guide to personal computers, completely revised for the 1990s. Includes chapters on personal computers in business, writing, desktop publishing, the home, and for the disabled.