Pretentious, self-absorbed new age babble
343924
Like many other reviewers, I too, found this book irritating and sometimes interesting.  No one can seem to decipher what her actual marital problems were--geez, a house in the country, a loving man who wants to start a family and a career in writing for a travel magazine- the author suffered terribly- I can see why she needed to split and "find herself".

One other reviewer wrote that the author totally ignored all the wonderful art and history in Rome and focused on the food, men,  wine and fine Italian lingerie instead. how banal!

Her time in India was excruciatingly boring (I had the flu, was off work and decided to keep reading anyway)... maybe she could have found God in NYC through some selfless service trying to help others rather than her excessive self absorbtion and indulgence in food, alcohol and buying fine Italian lingerie. And she's depressed because her adulterous relationship is ending?  Spare me...

Some of the characters and experiences sound as if they were specifically fabricated in order to write the book.  Ms. Gilbert frequently mentions how cute and attractive she still is and what exceptional people skills she possesses.

Has Ms. Gilbert ever thought of picking up a Bible? Praying a rosary? (It is Rome)...  You can pray anywhere you are at- God is not living specifically in India nor do you have to spend 6 hrs a day meditating to find him. You don't need a guru or to travel thousands of miles away to commune with God.  Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Light, not some Swami Rama woman who won't even let her "holy" name be devulged.

I can't believe this woman was paid a chunk of money to write this dribble! I don't find her to be godly or enlightened at all--just very self-absorbed and still in need of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
3157829
Just another  Transcendental Meditation (TM) advocacy pamphlet disguised as religious philosophy. What is contradictory about the TM advocates whether they are scientists or artists is the lack of imagination and "modernity" in what they write. For them it as if they are time travelers  from the 1970's.  We, the living, have moved on;  but the TM advocates linger in a thick soup of spiritual inertia. Where is the creativity and intelligence in their repetitive, dull pamphlets? That is what Maharishi promised: development of  both creativity and intelligence. His program was once called in fact The Science of Creative Intelligence. But not in this book. This book drones on and on with the same old video taped lecture drivel that we have all heard before...Dull very dull indeed.
4712350
This book is a random collection of contrived nonsense clearly meant to cater to a very gullible audience.  I find no value whatsoever within its ramblings and, if you are a thoughtful and critical person, neither will you.  I hate to crash this feel-good party that is clearly marketed towards the idiotic Baby Boomer "spiritual" crowd, but you can find more wortwhile life lessons by watching paint dry.  That so many people take the presumption at face value that the world is an inherently loving place and you can get all the blessings you want by just by believing in this drivel, is something that makes me very paranoid indeed.
3018573
I was very much looking forward to recieving this title from Amazon.com after reading the first few pages online. And, admittedly, I did like the first few chapters; however, the tone and style of presentation changed very quickly, and became almost smug and self-aggrandizing. The authors seemed far too pleased with themselves, and, by approximately the halfway point I felt as if I were reading some kind of bizzare Conservationist Manifesto. I like to think - as a self-appointed conservationist and vegan - that I try to mind Mother Nature and all living creatures, but after I finished reading this repetitive, pedantic bore, I lost the will to care. Maybe I am being too harsh, but this book seemed to peak in the first chapter; then, it became exasperatingly preachy and redundant. Others liked the book, and that's fine; But I was disappointed.
1226137
I bought this DVD thinking that it would be an intense yoga workout with a spiritual focus that I could use to start out my days on my off-days from working out at the gym.  What I found was an incredibly annoying new-age aerobics video which is highly reminiscent of some kind of cult.

I really really tried to be nice, but after 30 minutes of this video I had to take a break to write this review.

Way too "new-agey" like other comments have said.  Yes, I do feel better when I work out, mostly it is just physiological and neurological processes which accompany physical exertion not some kind of spiritual miracle which you have performed via dvd.

Personally, I would not be surprised if all the high-ratings for this video have actually been hypnotized and brainwashed by this video.

To be fair, if you read the horoscope on a daily basis, believe that "positive" thinking is scientifically valid, think that wishes are all you need, force yourself to smile in any situation, including but not limited to intense aerobics, worship all things hemp, hope that Vietnamese rice-paddy hats come into style, think organic food can actually save the world, and/or would have loved to drink the kool-aid, then this is your video.

On the other hand, if you are, like me, a rational, skeptical, appropriately cynical and emotionally-balanced human being, this is not the video for you.

Pros

I am sweating; it is an intense aerobic workout.

Cons

There is no warm-up at all; none, nothing, she just starts in the workout at a light pace and then speeds up quick. (and it is not easy)

Her constant talking is much more annoying than actually helpful or motivating

I literally got sick of her saying love, gratitude, and embrace so much I would have been grateful if there was a new-age practitioner nearby because I would have loved their stupid face to embrace my fist.

Hard to follow when you have to mute the video and say "jesus christ, shut the f@#% up with the bulls$%^!"

The chants are really really weird and creepy, alongside her mindless assistants chanting them over and over.  (Seriously, you want me to repeat these chants and be like those people?!)

I paid for it.
3308611
New-age, non-biblical, blasphemous, heresy, worse by far than "Catcher in the Rye", an insult to my spirit, I would recommend and refer potential buyers to buy this instead:  "Biblical Proof Animals Do Go To Heaven", by Steven H. Woodward
512981
Utter nonsense--the self-indulgent, narcissistic ramblings of a spoiled rich New Yorker. The novel is about a wealthy New York novelist in a failing marriage who can afford to pay for a nanny while she goes out to Israel to find herself, and also about a rich older man who decides to give away most of his money, though haphazardly, with no real defined moral purpose, just as, like, kind of an interesting thing to do. Spoiler alert! The big shocking "reveal" in this book is that Kafka in fact survived WWII, not to go on to do anything interesting, mind you, but just to become a gardener in Israel and later to cure the aforementioned novelist of her writer's block. Why this counts as a  revelation, or what this actually has to do with Kafka rather than with an emblem of Kafka as just a "famous Jewish writer everyone knows" is not clear to me. The most baffling and offensive thing about the book though is how the author treats the Israel-Palestine conflict. I'm not saying she needs to make some sort of political stand here--I realize this is a novel, not a political tract--but seriously, in this novel about contemporary, present-day Israel, the conflict is barely mentioned AT ALL, and when it is, it's treated as just sort of a minor annoyance and inconvenience for the wealthy New York novelist, just background noise that's juxtaposed occasionally with the New York novelist's tempestuous romantic life to heighten the drama. No matter which side you fall on, this seems pretty tone-deaf.

As someone who views Nicole Krauss as one of the more intelligent novelists out there, I found this all immensely frustrating and disappointing. Somehow, she managed to write an Israel/America novel that is actually just as bad as her ex-husband's (Jonathan Safran Foer's "Here I Am"). Well, maybe almost as bad. But I truly have no idea why she would write this--there are so, so many better books about Israel out there. Of late, I would recommend Joshua Cohen's "Moving Kings" in fiction, and Nathan Thrall's "The Only Language They Understand" in nonfiction. Also Ari Shavit's "My Promised Land" and Amos Oz's "A Tale of Love and Darkness". The author has mentioned several of these books in interviews, so I know she's read them. But how, in this day and age, she could read those books and still think that what the world needs is a story about an entirely un-self-aware, entitled American who goes to a conflict-ravaged country just to find herself and start a new romantic and professional chapter in her life is beyond me.
3931745
The book is OK. Gilbert is an utterly, utterly annoying narcissist with first world problems (namely, she wants a divorce) who then goes on a pre-paid trip to MeMeMe land. Coincidence that the names of the countries she visits all begin with "i" (Italy, India and Indonesia)?

Anywho, the annoying author goes on a year-long trip to discover herself. She apparently discovers God and prays to the universe, while going on about her non-problems and all the things she's entitled to because she deserves it all. Whine, whine, whine.

I half read the book, half listened to the audiobook, which is even more annoying. Gilbert reads it herself, making the whole thing even more annoying and pretentious with her tone - though to be fair, I did see her TED talk, in which she is full-on, 100% pretentious like I didn't know was possible, so that might have magnified the written and verbal pretense I had already experienced.

Were there things I liked about the book? Yes. It's broken down very nicely and it flows well. She is funny at times. But as a real traveler, I'm extra annoyed at this book because apparently it's inspired many American women to get on a plane and sit around talking in a low growl/jaded voice about how cynical they've become about life and on and on, and how they're traveling to discover themselves. Barf. I've run into some of these women who, like Gilbert, apparently know squat about the places they're traveling to because that's totally irrelevant when the only sightseeing they're doing on these trips is that of the inside of their pretentious, narcissistic colons.
2687820
If you're looking for a pseudo-profound spiritual text flush with florid flotsam, then this word-salad work could be right up your alley.

The author of this text, steeped in Dowman-ized Dzogchen drivel and Kabbalah krappola, seeks to combine the two Dharmas into a mystical whole, and the resulting mishmash is, in a word, a Disaster.

This text, teeming with vacuous abstractions and head-shaking sentences, epitomizes pretentious prose. If Bon Jovi were to sing about it, the words would go: You gave mysticism a bad name.

Heres an example of the texts writing:

Contemplation mitigates its disruptions by returning them to the open continuum in which they arise. Immersing the maze of fixations within the continuous stream of pure possibility can liberate claustrophobic habits on contact. This releases billowing fields of poetic resonance that saturate the four corners of space, introducing the potential for a particularly vivid style of contemplation that works with the self-ornamenting openness of infinity. Pure poetic sensations shimmer beyond grasp, and cannot be reduced to either personal or impersonal terms. Within their shimmering an invitation into the essential nature of all phenomena opens through the sparkle of their ethereal fluttering.

Contradictions abound in the text. For example, the author writes, There is no such thing as space itself. Then elsewhere he writes, The wisdom of space is that its absolute nature is always inherent in its relative display. If there is no such thing as space, how can it have wisdom and an absolute nature?

The authors Kabbalistic descriptions are so far from reality, it boggles the mind. For example, regarding the sephirah Binah, he writes, The expanse of Binah, which is the basic space of all phenomena, is replete with the luminous crystalline dew of shefa. Binah, which correlates with the limiting and binding planet Saturn, has nothing whatsoever to do with the basic space of all phenomena, which is the Dzogchen definition of the Dharmadhatu, the Dharmakaya (timeless Awareness) as the spaceless, unborn, illimitable Context in which phenomena arise and pass away.

The author writes, There is nothing in mind but responsiveness. Au contraire, I say, for there is also mucho hokum to be found in the authors mind. So much so that, as I see it, one star is one too many for this text.
1122433
I could not even listen to this tape through the end...and not just because my ten year old daughter was sitting in the back seat of the car chanting "bla bla bla bla bla" in accompaniment to it.  The title  of this tape should be "Women Who Have Too Much Stuff and Nothing to  Whine About".  What a mishmosh of new age claptrap, spurious mythology  and quotations from everyone the "author" ever heard of this is.  The essential message of this tape (if there is one) could be boiled down  into three or four sentences...but then, Ms. Breathnach would not be able  to make loads of money from the silly women who not only buy it, but buy  into it as well.  Read in a breathless voice just oozing sincerity, Ms.  Breathnach's book made me want to chant "bla bla bla" right along  with my daughter.  If a ten year old girl can spot this phony a mile away,  where are all these women who believe in this garbage coming from?? Well,  if you feel a big hole in your well-padded life and are too  silly/shallow/lazy to figure out a way to fill it, this tape and the series  accompanying it is just right for you!!!
4380879
This is basically a very bland secondhand reiteration of the path to Truth through Self-Enquiry as taught by some of the great spiritual Masters such as Sri Ramana Maharshi snd Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Don't bother with this somewhat lacklustre rendition. Purchase instead the real gems from their original source such as&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/I-Am-That/dp/0893860468/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">I Am That</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-collected-works-of-Ramana-Maharshi/dp/B0006C256O/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The collected works of Ramana Maharshi</a>&nbsp;and be prepared to be truly inspired.

And why is Mr. Puff awarding himself 5 stars on this and all his other books on Amazon.com?
2138638
I admit it, I only read 20 pages of this tripe.  And only because I am constantly vigilant of new  (incredibly) Pseudo-science books foisted upon the masses.  I certainly didn't contribute to Mr. Zukav's coffers, thats for  darn sure.  It is a sad commentary on American culture that ANYone, let  alone thousands of people could derive any pleasure, knowledge, or  entertainment from this useless anti-science drivel.  Books like this harm  society in many ways.  It gives laypeople the feeling that they are now  armed with certain knowledge about certain disciplines which, in painful  reality, they are very, VERY misinformed.  Oprah is the most powerful agent  of this ever expanding group of morons who believe, via Zukav,  "nice" people are more evolved than, "mean" people.  Or  that strange school of anti science that somehow justifies and mutates  Quantum Physics into a feel good new age cult of happiness.  Folks, Science  is Science.  It is based upon repeatedly tested LAWS.  Zukav, Chopra, and  their ilk, do more harm than any perceived good, and its about time America  stopped becoming the laughingstock of the free world and buying into this  ridiculous garbage.
1396393
Bascially here we've got yet another self-styled "guru" who writes a chatty, mediocre book and sells it as the new rescue from doom/depression/whatever, here specifically for homosexual men. (Another one of those is this AskAngelo guy with his "Straight Acting" book.)

Already after the first pages I was annoyed by the strange, overdone style of writing and the authors pompous declarations of his faith ("The Lord! The Lord!!!"). That he declares himself as a thinker but then spreads faulty research about the "feminine" behaviour of same-sex attracted men in childhood made me think of him as stupid and superficial, to be honest. His own "feminine" behaviour in childhood is imho due to his too-close relationship with his mother and sisters, since there was no father present. He still seems to be absolutely devoted to his mother and in fact views her as some kind of surrogate partner/therapist, a very self-inhibiting type of relationship which he does not reflect upon at all.

The first half of the book is a lot of vain rambling about his difficult childhood and the ever-present, crushing homophobia he survived. As with the whole book, it's better to just browse through it.

The next part is about why some homosexual men fall into the trap of being flamboyant queens, here he analysed that well (wrong role models, internalised stereotypes, overidentification with "being gay", low self-esteem etc.). His advice to get rid of this is more about mannerisms, though, it was interesting to read, but just on the level of "Don't wear this, don't move your hands that way, don't gossip and bitch". Also his advice about how to find a good relationship was itself not bad (first of all, work on yourself etc.), but again just basic stuff.

In the end, there is good groundwork in the book about how to avoid silly stereotypical gay men and not to be like them, but it's all not developed further and fleshed out. I had the impression the author wrote this book just to congratulate himself and show off what a great guy he ain't. His self-reflection leaves a bit to be desired, too, also about the strange way his family deals with his relationship. Sometimes he himself comes across as downright bitchy and vain.

Really interesting, though, was that he himself mentions he's not into anal intercourse. This is just mentioned, although it would be so important, he does not dig deeper into the physical and psychological issues of anal intercourse and alternatives like the Frot/C2C movement, whose websites you should really check out imho.

All in all, I just flipped the book through and read the smart comments here and there which are hidden underneath all the chatter. Much better books written by homosexuel men for homosexual men are "A Place at the Table" by Bruce Bawer and "Androphilia" by Jack Donovan. They really achieve what Setfrey only tries and fail at, although Donovan has turned into a Nazi now, put superficially. Genereally, if you have troubles with your self-esteem, books aimed generally at men can be more helpful, too, the ones by Charlie Valentino are good for example or "No More Mr Nice Guy". Also, general books about emotional abuse or childhood trauma can help you much more, if you have to deal with that.
2490403
Predictable new age circular self-help, where you are deemed weak if you seek to better yourself, and ostracized if you dont. I had read the first 50 or so pages before I attended an event seminar by the authors, oddly filled mostly by people who already work with them. Concepts in the book were introduced & discussed. Came across as huckster-ish & cult-esque. Tried to continue reading, but... No thanks! Too similar to 1970s large group awareness training predecesdors like EST, Lifespring, NXIVM, etc. Same song, different power couple.
3461740
I must admit, I went into this with some excitement, not knowing what to expect, but entertaining hopes of insightful interviews with astute intellectuals - in a word, I wanted to be enlightened as to what exactly the "secret of the universe" was, in their opinion.

As one might infer from my solitary apportioned star, I was greatly displeased, not only by the ideas being advocated, but by those who were advocating them. What chagrined me most was the smug satisfaction of these select people - each of them entirely convinced that they have unlocked the recondite key to the universe when really they're just reiterating the most basic maxims about positive thinking, but with a zealous, cocksure slant, as though such an affectation might make what they're proposing seem more palatable or plausible. They affirm that anything is possible simply by filtering out the negative thoughts - hell,  just loll on your chair, imagine driving that car, and, soon, magically, it will be yours - no labour required. Maybe I'm oversimplifying a trifle, but no wonder.

I must ask, why are each of the proponents eminently detestable? Has an overexertion of delusional positiveness rendered them so? I think it's very likely.

One thing that especially vexed me was this: the woman at the start asserts that most of the great genuises were advocators of this secret "Law of Attraction" - yet, well, they weren't. It's rather a foul ruse. Perhaps if these people were less smug, maybe if they conceded that their ideas were disputable, then I would be slightly less appalled.

Oh, and the acting was execrable, too.
1921400
I seriously could not finish this book. I gave 2 stars because there is some Buddhist content in this book.

 I have been studying Buddhism for over 5 years and I have never read something so judgmental and cynical in my life. The interpretation of Buddhism by  Dzongsar  is as pestering  as an unhappy  wife.

 I am sure that some readers would love to read on "how tragic life is" and "how the world is doomed". But if you want to do that, just turn the TV in CNN and you might get information without personal opinions.
This book  is purely opinion based, rarely his statements are supported by facts or Buddhism history.

He nags about American culture, Confucius and even Theodore Roosevelt. But he does tell the story of our prince Siddhartha.

Here are some of his "delightful words"

"This planet earth that you are sitting on right now as you read this book will eventually become as lifeless as mars- if it`s not shattered by a meteor first."
 ( uau, I hope I can live until tomorrow)

"Your sweet little -behaved kids can grow up into cocaine-snorting thugs who bring home all kinds of lovers. The straightest parents in the world produce some of the most flamboyant homosexuals, just as some of the most laid-back hippies end up with neoconservative children."
( humnn...so let us all give up in trying to educate our children and just hand them some white powder . "flamboyant homosexuals"? A little Prejudice there Dzongsar?)
Buddhism is about contentment, acceptance, awareness and compassion.

 If you want to read about that try Thich Nhat Hanh and our Holiness Dalai Lama books. These are truly Faithfull to Buddhism concepts and easy language.
If you are a mother try Sarah Napthali, she is amazing and enthusiastic. Good peaceful literature for mothers.
3846555
Google "Pretendian" and "Plastic Shaman". If these concepts make any sense, you can get a good laugh out of how gullible and meaningless people's lives have become that they have to buy self help, new age garbage like this.