His brutal honesty is refreshing and I'm sure his book will be written with the same energy that I've been fortunate to experien
933678
I'm excited to read this. Keenan has been a consultant for my organization (within Verizon) for the last 18 months and has been crucial to some pivotal changes as well as my personal development. His brutal honesty is refreshing and I'm sure his book will be written with the same energy that I've been fortunate to experience first hand.
2484068
I have to give credit to Eric on this one, it's an engaging read that absolutely floored me. The content was about as raw and real as it gets.  I love a guy who tells it like it is... and Metawhore tells it like it is from start to finish.

He goes deep into the psychology of a male who loves women, and is obsessed with self improvement... something I can relate to on every level.

However, there is a reason this book didn't get five stars... and that's the writing.

For someone who has supposedly worked on his mastery of the English language, the writing simply isn't up to par.  I suppose you shouldn't expect much from a non-author who doesn't hire a ghost writer,but it detracts from the book nonetheless.

I could have forgiven the writing and still given it five stars if not for one more factor... the poems. Every time I came across one I had to take myself out of the story and ask myself: How the hell does he think these are actually good?

I respect someone's right to self expression, but if you're going to include a poem because you think it adds something to your book... you should at the very least test it out by getting some honest feedback from people who won't beat around the bush.  In case you think I'm exaggerating about these poems, here's an example straight from the book, this poem was included non-ironically:

THE LORD WILL SAVE, YOU MY BROTHER,
CAN'T YOU SEE!

THE LORD WILL SAVE YOU, MY BROTHER,
JUST LIKE ME.

THE LORD WILL SAVE YOU, MY BROTHER,
SO LET IT BE...

THE LORD WILL SAVE YOU MY BROTHER, BUT FIRST:
SEND YOUR FRANKLINS TO ME.

The book is full of examples of poems like this that have a good message... but are just so badly written that they detract and pull you out of the story.

I feel like I've said too much negative now, so let's give some more positives:

1. I like the way he drifts in and out of narrative and advice for how to live your life, I never get bored on one part because he has a good idea of pacing and knows when to switch from one to the other.
2. His life is REALLY interesting.  Not because he went on some epic journey, but just because he had some really cool and unique experiences.
3. He gives some really great advice. I feel like this book has helped me evolve my thinking.
3182734
I found Faith Interrupted to be a refreshingly honest examination of one's life - past, present and what may lay ahead. I myself am just a bit too young to have had friends or immediate family drafted into the Vietnam War - the backdrop to a good part of the book.  Lax's decision to seek CO status and all that entailed was fascinating to me as was the contrast it painted to his early years as a church acolyte.
As life proceeds, his faithful convictions, for a number of reasons explained, begin to quiver and then evaporate.  His story includes a parallel figure - a good friend in college turned warrior extraordinaire turned Bishop - and their separate but intertwined journeys provide a richness of the human experience that Lax conveys in a down to earth, approachable way. Lax, witty and unapologetic, gives us where he is today and how he got here. I could feel his sadness(disappointment?) that he didn't end up at another point - one with faith. Yet another reader may take away something different. Which is why I found this book to be particularly satisfying; nothing is neatly tied up in a bow at the end. No exclamations of 'I was lost and now I am found!'  Or, 'I was once naive and malleable and now I know better'. Rather, it is messy and nuanced, filled with compassion and honest intention to figure it all out - eventually. He repeatedly goes back to the one Christian tenant which he still firmly holds on to; 'God is Love' and it is apparent and wonderful to read about a life so clearly guided by that light.
In closing, my favorite chapter is the last one; that's the one I believe I will go back to time and time again - when my own stagnation and sense of loss need a muse - not a professor with the answer, but someone else who is still willing to look under the rocks - just in case.
2096050
It's refreshing to see someone with character like Mr. Brooks his writing has honesty and character that we have to little off.
843811
He has opened my eyes and heart so many times and each time I listen to his stuff, it is all brand new.
2136517
Page after page Joyous and Free in Spite of Myself  creates for the reader an experience of survival and transcendence - survival and transcendence from inner negative forces that can destroy us all if we let them.  Because of that, for me reading it was an ongoing experience of joy and freedom even while experiencing the author's intensely, starkly clear writing about his monumental struggles with his life-destroying inner forces, "voices" - only because I knew it is a story of survival and transcendence all along.  Reading of his times of personal courage and of his responding positively to even subtle glimmers of hope inspires more courage in me and more willingness to respond positively to even slight hope.  All this leads me into more joy in living in spite of painfully negative inner "voices" that can, if I let them, drag me down.
I can only recommend everyone read this book because I believe most of us, like myself, can gratefully benefit from whatever assists us in our struggles with inner negativities that would bleed us dry of our rightful inheritance to joy in life.  By the way, Joyous and Free in Spite of Myself, is written in a  profoundly, extremely energetic style like no other book I have ever encountered.  Don't miss the unique experience that awaits you in this book like none other.
2043462
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.  Rob's voice and personality resonate throughout and he writes with a conversational style and transparency that leaves you with a genuine idea of who he is as a person.  The title is fitting in that the stories he chooses for his autobiography are entertaining but also reflective and the reader is given the gift of insight into lessons he has learned from his successes and failures. I am glad I purchased this on my Kindle and I blasted through it in just a few days. Good stuff.
91120
I expected Jim  to be honest and challenging and he was just that and more.
4831307
Tony has penned an honest, no-holds-barred, account of what obedience can mean as a Christian seeks to really trust in God for both providence and salvation. Hes a great communicator  this book sparkles with charm and his nice self-effacing writing style, but his conclusions are brutally honest. Im thankful that such a successful career man, whose busy triumphs mean he doesnt have to spend time sharing, has invested in this disarming testimony. Im proud to say that I know Tony, and publicly thank him for offering a glimpse of how God has honored his life choices.
1211265
I just finished this book and loved it.  Picked it up at my local library and it was exactly what I didn't know I needed.  Brutally honest but thoroughly engaging, I couldn't stop reading. Now I've subscribed to his reading list and can't wait for the next book. This one's a keeper.
1850140
The author covers a supremely painful experience with emotional depth and honesty. I great look forward to the next book.
478407
I loved this book. The writer is so rigorously honest, I was in his corner from the get-go. He cracked me up writing on the details of his materialism like about his previous home located within a prestigious gated community of mansions and within this gated community, there was an even more refined inner link of bigger more impressive homes with bigger garages and perfect views of the golf course. You wanted to get into the inner link! I wasn't laughing at him, but at our common and absurd human desire to have more, more, more and surpass the Joneses.

His life growing up in India was interesting and again I identified with the combination of wonder at the world, love from his mother and sisters, and abuse from his father. The way he decides to get into medicine was kind of cool.

His near-death description of being out of his body in surgery and then on the other side was fascinating, including two reincarnation flashbacks and forgiveness from those he harmed in those lives. I've never seen that - closure with a past life - in other NDE's.

I loved also his hanging with who he believed to be Jesus, which was a little strange for him since he was Hindu. His wife also cracked me up when he told her about seeing Jesus. She said something like, What about the 50,000 gods and goddesses? Must be a feature of the religion of their upbringing.

I appreciated the difficulties Dr. Parti dealt with on changing his life when he came back. He and his wife didn't want the neighbors to think they'd lost status by putting their house up for sale and moving to a smaller one in the outer link of the gated community. Again, I was smiling inside reading that. It's easy for us to say, Who cares what people think?!?! But they'd lived that kind of life for years and years. I can imagine it was hard to let go in spite of the spiritual experience.

I was surprised and delighted to see Dr. Parti was into Bill Wilson and the steps of A.A., too. I have no idea if he ever was in the program, but he clearly knows the details of Bill Wilson's life (he had an amazing spiritual experience that jump-started the program) and the principles of A.A.

This is one of my favorite NDE memoirs. I read avidly from beginning to end and didn't skim a single paragraph, which I find myself doing too frequently lately. Right on, Dr. Parti! Keep spreading the word and teaching others how to heal themselves.
2609898
There is some familiar ground covered here, but not so much that it felt like a retread, only enough for people who are unfamiliar with who he is to be brought up to speed.  It was pretty much exactly what I had hoped for and expected.  The only downside, as it is with most audio books, is it's not read by the author.  Other than that, I thought Shawn gave a very honest, often very specific and introspective account of how he went from growing up in a nominal Catholic family, to for all intents and purposes, Catholic in name only, to both his and he's wife's conversions to Christianity.  I've watched all the WWE produced stuff on Shawn, as well as read his other book, and even seen a RF video shoot interview with Shawn, and this is a fabulous addition if you share Shawn's world view, which I do.  He addresses a lot of specifics troubles he had trying to navigate through the landmines of life as a celebrity in a business that is often viewed as low brow entertainment.  I was very happy to hear how well thought out his decisions were and that he was sincere with God as his primary focus in his decision making.
3581464
What a refreshing jolt of hard truth , be ready to get a blunt and honest evaluation to today's issues from a Christian perspective....
2730692
This was my first exposure to this brilliant and authentic man. His honesty is refreshing and I can honestly say that listening to this has changed my perception of many things. He is the wisdom and life experience the younger generation needs to hear.

Presented in a Q&A dialogue, he speaks from the heart on everything from depression to education to spiritual life. I am in the process of listening to it again because I am certain there is more to learn the second time around. It is so powerful that I have recommended it to all of my friends, including my pastor.
1192974
This book has challenged me to think and broaden my horizons in many new ways. I am so glad I bought it, the honesty it embraces is refreshing and enlightening. The great people he writes about are surely ones to emulate, because they have all made the world a better place, impacting the lives of thousands, if not millions of people for the good of all.
2549115
I haven't read the book, but I saw the piece that he added on Reddit from /r/writingprompts, and I can imagine this book will be just as incredible