Los Gatos Weekly-Times Photograph by George Sakkestad Los Gatan Diane Dreher appears at Borders in Old Town, where she'll discuss her book 'The Tao of Womanhood: Ten Lessons for Power and Peace.' East meets West in local author's book By Shari Kaplan Although she didn't choose to grow up as an Air Force brat, Los Gatan Diane Dreher wouldn't trade her wayfaring experience for a minute, seeing as how it influenced the course of her life. A fan of all things Asian, thanks to growing up in the Far East during a formative part of her life, Dreher has written several books that combine the ancient wisdom of Taoist philosophy and spirituality with modern issues that anyone in today's busy society can identify with. Her latest is The Tao of Womanhood: Ten Lessons for Power and Peace. On Dec. 10 at 7 p.m., Dreher will discuss and sign her book at Borders Books, Music & Cafe in the Old Town Shopping Center. The daughter of an Air Force colonel, Dreher lived in the Philippines when she was 10 and 11 years old. It was quite a culture shock compared with her previous home in Marin County. "I read somewhere that when girls are 10 or 11 they don't really know limits. The world is open. When I was 10, I was in that exploration stage," Dreher recalls. In addition to exploring towns and learning customs, Dreher became fascinated with Asian culture. A family friend who owned a Chinese restaurant and made frequent trips to the mainland for recipes and ingredients told her many stories of the country, as did Dreher's world-traveled father. She even painted ornate Chinese characters, though she had no idea what, if anything, she was "writing." "Asian culture seemed more balanced and serene than anything I'd known. There's something conducive to serenity and centeredness in Asian art and culture," she says. Many aspects attracted her, from the simple, uncluttered paintings to an uncluttered lifestyle that includes meditation, respecting nature and taking off one's shoes indoors. "I think every culture, at its origin, is aware of the cycles and forces of nature, but as we become more advanced, we move away from that, much to our detriment," she adds. Dreher never moved away from nature or from Asia's influence. Although a Santa Clara University English professor with bachelor's and master's degrees in English and comparative literature, and a doctoral degree in Renaissance literature, Dreher balances this "western" side with her more "eastern" one. She is also a licensed holistic health practitioner and spiritual counselor and is a certified massage therapist. Using the Tao Te Ching as a jumping-off point--the 2,000-year-old writings whose precepts guide people with ideas of harmony, communication, vision and renewal--Dreher wrote The Tao of Inner Peace in 1990 and The Tao of Personal Leadership in 1996. The new Tao of Womanhood is about personal balance and fulfillment in a world full of pressures and expectations. Balancing the yin of inner peace and the yang of personal power is one of the keys. "All of my books are about people knowing that their choices make a difference, and having an optimistic attitude. It's essential for women to define the priorities in their lives--even if that means saying yes to some things and no to others," she says. "Being conscious and aware of our choices and the patterns that are out there helps keep us from being reactive. Instead, we can be creative!" [ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, December 9, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.