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pastaylor's review against another edition
3.0
Let me start with this: if you are looking for an introduction to the dharma or Buddhism, or the twelve steps, or punk rock philosophy, or how to combine all three, this is not that book. It is not meant to be that book. Like it says, it is a memoir, and as the title suggests, it is inspired by Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums, which was also a memoir about a lost young man searching for something more.
Also, this book is not well written. I don't mean that to be a hater, but to be honest. I've seen Noah interviewed and watched videos of him speaking, so I know that he is an intelligent person who is a good public speaker and who has some sound ideas. Not much of that comes across in this book. It is written in the vernacular and from the perspective of a Santa Cruz punk/spiritualist, so is full of words like "bummer" and "funky" and every curse word you could imagine.
There is a frustrating lack of self-reflection in the book, which is surprising given that it is a memoir that is all about his voyage to discover his true self. He's suicidal at 5, getting high at six, and clearly comes from a chaotic home life, but there is zero analysis of that. His dad is a meditation teacher and yet he is a total hot mess for the first twenty years of his life, and there is no analysis of that. Did his broken home life, his mother's mental instability, and her rotating cast of drug-abusing, sometimes violent boyfriends contribute to Noah's rebellion? Probably, but he never draws the lines.
He trades drugs for religion, on an endless, restless quest to find himself in whatever mish-mash of spirituality he can put together. Buddhism? Sure, why not? Hinduism? Sounds cool! Sufisim? yeah, sure, whatever! I get it, but at the same time I was a little put off how he and his friends seemed to swap faiths and deities like they were leather jackets.
His explanation of punk rock also never quite clicked with me - he's angry at society for being fucked up and materialistic and oppressive, but it never seems to go beyond "the squares are all lame!"
Still, I enjoyed the book, mostly because I'm from the area he grew up in, and I was on the outskirts of the scene he was part of. I knew the violent punk kids, and I knew the older surfer gurus. It's an interesting tale of someone trying to find their way out of addiction and redeem themselves, and for that it is worth reading.
Also, this book is not well written. I don't mean that to be a hater, but to be honest. I've seen Noah interviewed and watched videos of him speaking, so I know that he is an intelligent person who is a good public speaker and who has some sound ideas. Not much of that comes across in this book. It is written in the vernacular and from the perspective of a Santa Cruz punk/spiritualist, so is full of words like "bummer" and "funky" and every curse word you could imagine.
There is a frustrating lack of self-reflection in the book, which is surprising given that it is a memoir that is all about his voyage to discover his true self. He's suicidal at 5, getting high at six, and clearly comes from a chaotic home life, but there is zero analysis of that. His dad is a meditation teacher and yet he is a total hot mess for the first twenty years of his life, and there is no analysis of that. Did his broken home life, his mother's mental instability, and her rotating cast of drug-abusing, sometimes violent boyfriends contribute to Noah's rebellion? Probably, but he never draws the lines.
He trades drugs for religion, on an endless, restless quest to find himself in whatever mish-mash of spirituality he can put together. Buddhism? Sure, why not? Hinduism? Sounds cool! Sufisim? yeah, sure, whatever! I get it, but at the same time I was a little put off how he and his friends seemed to swap faiths and deities like they were leather jackets.
His explanation of punk rock also never quite clicked with me - he's angry at society for being fucked up and materialistic and oppressive, but it never seems to go beyond "the squares are all lame!"
Still, I enjoyed the book, mostly because I'm from the area he grew up in, and I was on the outskirts of the scene he was part of. I knew the violent punk kids, and I knew the older surfer gurus. It's an interesting tale of someone trying to find their way out of addiction and redeem themselves, and for that it is worth reading.
rosarachel's review against another edition
3.0
Somewhat disappointing - Levine is a much better speaker than he is writer - but still a valuable contribution to literature of addiction, recovery and spirituality.
jexjthomas's review against another edition
1.0
A major disappointment. While I am inspired by the movement that Levine's book gave birth to, and the renewed interest in Buddhism by a new generation--influenced not by hippie-dippie New Age BS but a revolutionary quest for liberation--I can't help but find Levine himself to be much other than a self-congratulatory son of privlege who seems to be talking about his interest in Buddhism only to talk about himself, rather than using his experiences as an example and a way to talk about the dhamma.
It's too bad that a book that should expose young people to ideas they may have never considered, and show them that there is a path out of suffering, is more likely to turn them off since Levine is such a pompous jerk.
It's too bad that a book that should expose young people to ideas they may have never considered, and show them that there is a path out of suffering, is more likely to turn them off since Levine is such a pompous jerk.
johannacarpio's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
book was great at first, but then seemed to be very repetitive of information and just dragged on
smoralesjr's review against another edition
3.0
There were parts of this book which resonated for me and even parts which didn't but still felt useful but overall I only thought this book was OK. I don't think he really accomplishes the synthesis of Buddhism and punk he points to, but perhaps that's a task for a different book. The major downside of the book is the fact that the writing is so terrible. It feels like something a middle school student would write.
nashiraprime's review against another edition
4.0
Hacer una crítica o reseña de las memorias de Noah Levine requiere abandonar todas las preconcepciones que tenemos del estilo, el ritmo, incluso la edición.
Este es un libro profundamente personal, honesto, íntimo, descarnado. El camino de Noah, un camino lleno de drogas, violencia y abandono, lo llevó muchas veces cerca de la muerte y del abismo de la indolencia y el cinismo. ¿Qué lo salvó? En términos de la narrativa interna, el karma. Su karma en interconexión con el de su padre, amigos, maestros y más personas en su vida. Su fe. Su deseo de dejar de sufrir.
La narración del audiolibro es realizada por el mismo Noah Levine, y aunque a veces falla en la entonación, no puedo dejar de pensar que si cualquier otra persona lo hubiese narrado, la experiencia sería totalmente diferente. Esta es una historia que debe ser escuchada como una enseñanza del propio Noah. Nos expone a su fragilidad y dolor en los momentos más duros de su vida para hacernos parte de su círculo, de su camino.
Dharma Punx es un libro muy valioso, sobre todo para quienes se sienten atrapados en una vida sin sentido; para quienes se sienten perdidos, desesperanzados; para quienes necesiten rehabilitarse de adicciones de cualquier tipo o de actos violentos, incluso criminales. Noah Levine no quiere presumir de haber salido adelante: quiere acompañarte, ser tu amigo y tu guía, si así lo deseas.
Este es un libro profundamente personal, honesto, íntimo, descarnado. El camino de Noah, un camino lleno de drogas, violencia y abandono, lo llevó muchas veces cerca de la muerte y del abismo de la indolencia y el cinismo. ¿Qué lo salvó? En términos de la narrativa interna, el karma. Su karma en interconexión con el de su padre, amigos, maestros y más personas en su vida. Su fe. Su deseo de dejar de sufrir.
La narración del audiolibro es realizada por el mismo Noah Levine, y aunque a veces falla en la entonación, no puedo dejar de pensar que si cualquier otra persona lo hubiese narrado, la experiencia sería totalmente diferente. Esta es una historia que debe ser escuchada como una enseñanza del propio Noah. Nos expone a su fragilidad y dolor en los momentos más duros de su vida para hacernos parte de su círculo, de su camino.
Dharma Punx es un libro muy valioso, sobre todo para quienes se sienten atrapados en una vida sin sentido; para quienes se sienten perdidos, desesperanzados; para quienes necesiten rehabilitarse de adicciones de cualquier tipo o de actos violentos, incluso criminales. Noah Levine no quiere presumir de haber salido adelante: quiere acompañarte, ser tu amigo y tu guía, si así lo deseas.
thuismuis's review against another edition
2.0
The first part of the book was really interesting, chronicling Levin's descent in substance-fueled rage. The second half though, it read like a series of one or two sentence diary entries. I'm glad this guy found a peace through meditation, but maaan. The last half of the book was so unengaging.
queerandweird's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
2.75
Accessible memoir of sober, Buddhist punk life from a white cishet male from an upper middle class southern Cali perspective. The writing is suspiciously detailed for a memoir, which makes me imagine he made a lot of details up - details that could easily have been omitted for less clutter in this story. Still a fun journey through the punk scene, Buddhist spirituality, ah and monasteries.
leilaniann's review against another edition
1.0
I read this book because a lot of the kids I work with have mentioned it as a book they enjoyed reading, especially while in prison. I figured it would be nice to be able to discuss it with them.
Unfortunately, this book is horrible. Noah comes off as vain, and even worse, incredibly boring. He never really goes in depth into much. It reads like a shitty romance novel, total brain candy.
Many things in this book left me seething, the worst of which was his stories of traveling with his Australian friend. First off, you go to seek spiritual enlightenment in the east and then sit on your ass all day with other white people who aren't from the country of which you are supposedly seeking enlightenment from. Why the hell did you bother traveling at all? If there was any honest evaluation of his privilege, I would cut him some slack. Yet he writes about his supposed meditative journeys without real self-reflection.
Reading this book would have been a total waste of time, however, it helped me realize that I have to work harder to get decent books into the hands of the kids at the drop-in!
Unfortunately, this book is horrible. Noah comes off as vain, and even worse, incredibly boring. He never really goes in depth into much. It reads like a shitty romance novel, total brain candy.
Many things in this book left me seething, the worst of which was his stories of traveling with his Australian friend. First off, you go to seek spiritual enlightenment in the east and then sit on your ass all day with other white people who aren't from the country of which you are supposedly seeking enlightenment from. Why the hell did you bother traveling at all? If there was any honest evaluation of his privilege, I would cut him some slack. Yet he writes about his supposed meditative journeys without real self-reflection.
Reading this book would have been a total waste of time, however, it helped me realize that I have to work harder to get decent books into the hands of the kids at the drop-in!