"Familiarizing myself with Doug’s work has brought about a lot of self-reflection. Urbanmonks Thinktank has shed light on the importance of emotional intelligence – the elaborate concept of how to process your emotions for rational decision-making. Urbanmonks Thinktank is at the forefront of this emerging field.

"This body of work has stimulated my interest to learn strategies on how to cope with the undulations of our journey through life. I am now aware that understanding my emotions is fundamental to success in my everyday life.

"Doug’s teachings show us that we are a product of our environment, and that it is important to diagnose certain influences within a culture rather than solely diagnosing ourselves as individuals. Once we come to this revelation, it is then that we can self-reflect to change our perception of the world, hopefully lessening our stresses and anxieties."
                          -Emily M, West Windsor, New Jersey

***

"Doug helped me greatly during an intense time of emotional turmoil.  He set up a support team for me of four very close friends, one of each who would call me every night, Monday through Thursday.  Doug was also on call for me as needed.  He understands anxiety and depression on a very deep level, and has the ability to help others come to terms with what is occurring in their lives.  He helped me to learn how to try to be constructive, not destructive, in thought and action.

"Thank you, Doug.  For giving to me a piece of you that helped me get through my rough time.  You are wise and thoughtful, and your good council could and should become essential to others as well."  
                        -Marie H, Harford, New York

***

"Doug’s books are a must-read. In just a few weeks of spending times with them, I saw an overall improvement in my thinking and understanding of the mind. Doug is able to take complex topics and put it into practical use. We need more educators in the world like Doug."
                       -Christopher C, Ft Lauderdale, Florida

***

"The mini wisdom books are great! Little drops of knowledge to remind us of the simple wisdoms that often get lost in the hectic ways of life. One quote read at the right moment can turn a bad day good, make a heavy heart light, and put the seemingly impossible within reach." 
                      -Lisa W, Albany, New York

"The books arrived literally on the day of the election.  The were a great consolation in the days that followed, collectively reassuring me that as the book of Ecclesiastes says, there's nothing new under the sun."   
                      -Michael S, Ithaca, New York

"Can’t stay asleep at night?   Turn on the light, select one of the Urbanmonks’ mini books and peace and calmness will envelop you.  Wisdom beats out worry, for sure." 
                      -Bernadette K, Queens, New York

***

"I have witnessed Doug's ability to work creatively and positively with a wide range of students. He is empathetic and works constructively with them both in group setting as well as individually. He is kind to students but also maintains as his objective that they learn the material in a manner that enables them to retain what they have accomplished."
                      -Robert Y, Austin, Texas

***

"Krisch's meditations can heal.  They are trance-like and therapeutic, moving the reader to experience the extraordinary in the ordinary.  I couldn't put them down."
                      -Dr. Douglas G, Ithaca, New York 

“The introduction to Prayers and Knives brought tears to my eyes.  Thank you for turning my attention to the mentors in my life.  As I read through the chapters I felt relieved, soothed, supported, shocked and ultimately awake and connected.”
                      -Nicole P, St. Louis, Missouri

“Your meditations were a welcome breath of sudden and complete quiet during a morning otherwise filled to the brim with lists and efficiency. I hurried all morning to do my reading, submit my assignment, clean the dishes, make my lunch, organize my papers… I rushed to the table with a cup of coffee and read this book,  Prayers and Knives and, breathlessly, time stopped. I devoured it.”
                      -Trish H, Eugene, Oregon

***

"Whether working with groups of school children or with inmates, mentoring one-on-one, or simply listening as a reliable friend, Doug taps into the wealth of our collective wisdom and compassion. 

"He is sincere and open to all walks of life. He cares, and is aware, about the ways we conduct our lives in the smallest and largest measures. Above all, Doug's discipline is love, and he works to show how acts of intention and kindness shape our communities and impacts our cultures and value systems. Doug's a humble humanist."
                     -Francis M, Middlebury, Vermont 

***

"I met Doug during a particularly hard time in my life. My mother had recently passed away and I was going through a difficult divorce.  His insight and perspective greatly helped me to begin the healing process. His words of wisdom continue to ring in my head whenever I start to slip back into my destructive mind state. Thank you my brother Doug!  God blessed me by putting you in my path."

                     -Ernie H, Portland, Oregon