nerdyrev's review
5.0
This is absolutely fantastic on awareness and being alive. You will have to be in a mood to read it as the language flows like a song at times. It can get a bit out there at moments, but if you are in that mood, this is the book for you.
maryesthernev's review
4.0
This book started out interesting and insightful but by the end turned bizarre and incoherent. I can’t imagine a situation I would recommend this book to anyone.
I was deeply impressed by how creative and well done this book (more specifically audiobook) was done from an artistic perspective. Gungor is an exceptional creative however he has a few fringe ideas that are a little too “out there” for me to get on board with.
I was deeply impressed by how creative and well done this book (more specifically audiobook) was done from an artistic perspective. Gungor is an exceptional creative however he has a few fringe ideas that are a little too “out there” for me to get on board with.
joshperna's review against another edition
3.0
"Our meaning-making stories are fundamentally tied to our sense of identity... We may love our saviors and revolutionaries in the rear-view mirror, but tend to nail them to crosses when they show up in the present because messing with our stories is messing with us."
In this niche book for a niche audience, Gungor is taking the new age spiritual ideologies of thinkers such as Ram Dass and Alan Watts and contextualizing them for the Christian/ post-Christian audience that he has accrued. (Many of these ideas center around the idea of letting go of the separation between god and everything else and, as Gungor predicts in the book itself, people from Christian traditions tend to find that to be heretical.)
This is an interesting blend of autobiography, parable, and philosophizing. The lines often blur between those genres. Many of Gungor's points resonate deeply with me, many of them seem too anecdotal in their reference for me to connect with them. Some of the language is inspired, some of it seems contrived. His passages on myth and cultural meta-story are the ones that stimulated me the most.
In summary, I definitely don't envy those who write about philosophy and theology. Language is so subjective and low-fidelity and filled with baggage, it must be a nightmare trying to translate these abstract concepts into words.
In this niche book for a niche audience, Gungor is taking the new age spiritual ideologies of thinkers such as Ram Dass and Alan Watts and contextualizing them for the Christian/ post-Christian audience that he has accrued. (Many of these ideas center around the idea of letting go of the separation between god and everything else and, as Gungor predicts in the book itself, people from Christian traditions tend to find that to be heretical.)
This is an interesting blend of autobiography, parable, and philosophizing. The lines often blur between those genres. Many of Gungor's points resonate deeply with me, many of them seem too anecdotal in their reference for me to connect with them. Some of the language is inspired, some of it seems contrived. His passages on myth and cultural meta-story are the ones that stimulated me the most.
In summary, I definitely don't envy those who write about philosophy and theology. Language is so subjective and low-fidelity and filled with baggage, it must be a nightmare trying to translate these abstract concepts into words.
john_hewitt's review
4.0
'THIS' excels when Gungor is telling his own story, but becomes longwinded at times when he gets deep into his main points. Nevertheless, it has some really beautiful sections and I found it a compelling read. Pretty interesting to read this right after Pete Holmes' 'Comedy Sex God', as they are very similar. Holmes is funnier, Gungor is more philosophical, but they both have a massive crush on Ram Dass.
acastorino's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful and real. Gungor's anti-story storytelling is incredible. I'll come back to this book many times.
creating_kelly's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book by a great man. Full review is up on the blog!
https://oflifeandlemonade.com/2019/07/08/this-book-review/
https://oflifeandlemonade.com/2019/07/08/this-book-review/
jeenwheetson's review against another edition
5.0
This book is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read. It made me so happy to be alive. Sometimes it told me things I already knew, but in a way that made me want to sing. And other times it said things I never would have imagined but maybe also have always known. I want to read it forever.
danocrates66's review
4.0
This book really resonated with me because the author's spiritual evolution closely matches that of my own. By primarily relating life experiences (rather than offering platitudes), Gungor reveals how his own journey went from Christian to atheist to a largely Buddhist perspective. The latter reflected in the fact that the sections are titled after the four noble truths of Buddhism.
The upshot of Gungor's book is in realizing that the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and the universe around us are just that - stories. Knowing that THIS, that is, whatever is happening at the present moment of experience - both good and bad, both positive and negative - is all there is and is perfect just as it is, is the essence of living the "spiritual" life.
Highly recommended for anyone.
The upshot of Gungor's book is in realizing that the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and the universe around us are just that - stories. Knowing that THIS, that is, whatever is happening at the present moment of experience - both good and bad, both positive and negative - is all there is and is perfect just as it is, is the essence of living the "spiritual" life.
Highly recommended for anyone.