A review by marisa_n
The Untethered Soul, by Michael A. Singer
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
This book is neither helpful nor enjoyable to read.
At the beginning of the book, the author talks about our annoying inner voice that never shuts up, makes little sense, and disturbs our inner peace... and then he proceeds to let his inner voice write the entire book. It read like a stream of consciousness. It was vague, contradictory, repetitive, and arrogant.
The author's inability to concisely make his point highlights his lack of knowledge on the subject. The structure was a mess. There was no credible research cited. There was no thoughtful analysis of spiritual theories. The content consisted of vague ramblings about happiness and countless examples of how "you" would react in various situations. He says so much without really saying anything at all. I was left with the impression that he had nothing to say, but a word count to fill. The whole thing screams of a privileged white man pretending to be a spiritual guru.
Although there were a few valuable reminders, they were largely obscured by the filler. Moreover, the "insights" were not actionable. For example, he claims people need to "let go" of previous experiences that are taking us out of the present moment (and let them all go, all at once, because doing it one at a time is too slow), but provides no actionable advice on how to do so.
The useful tidbits (in the first 1/3 of the book):
At the beginning of the book, the author talks about our annoying inner voice that never shuts up, makes little sense, and disturbs our inner peace... and then he proceeds to let his inner voice write the entire book. It read like a stream of consciousness. It was vague, contradictory, repetitive, and arrogant.
The author's inability to concisely make his point highlights his lack of knowledge on the subject. The structure was a mess. There was no credible research cited. There was no thoughtful analysis of spiritual theories. The content consisted of vague ramblings about happiness and countless examples of how "you" would react in various situations. He says so much without really saying anything at all. I was left with the impression that he had nothing to say, but a word count to fill. The whole thing screams of a privileged white man pretending to be a spiritual guru.
Although there were a few valuable reminders, they were largely obscured by the filler. Moreover, the "insights" were not actionable. For example, he claims people need to "let go" of previous experiences that are taking us out of the present moment (and let them all go, all at once, because doing it one at a time is too slow), but provides no actionable advice on how to do so.
The useful tidbits (in the first 1/3 of the book):
- Your thoughts don't define you. Step back and listen to what your inner voice is saying. Learn to quiet it so you can live in the present.
- Your past experiences can negatively influence your current behavior. When this occurs, don't try to push down those bad feelings/ memories, but embrace them.