Book Description
Leader. Protector. Friend. Lover.
God made you to be each of theseâ¦and much more. Stu Weber ’s bestseller, now revised throughout and refreshed with an attractive new look, paints a dramatic and compelling picture of balanced manhood according to God’s vision. Written in a warm, personal style, Weber presents the characteristics of tender warriorsâincluding learning to speak the language of women, watching out for what lies ahead, and keeping commitmentsâin an upfront, straightforward style that challenges readers to realize God’s plan for men.
{BANNER ACROSS TOP:}
More than 365,000 copies sold!
Some Things Are Worth Fighting For
Young men aspire to it. Women admire it. Yet the definition of manhood itself is obscured by a culture in moral free fall. This book cuts through the fog and defines a powerful blueprint for being the manâthe Tender Warriorâthat God desires for you and your family. You’ll discover that a Tender Warrior: watches out for what lies aheadâlike a wagon train scout; keeps his commitments, no matter how painful; has a tender heart beating beneath his armor; understands his responsibility to his wife, children, and friends; recognizes that he is âunder orders from higher headquarters.â
Stu Weber ’s now classic teaching on a man’s vigilance, staying power, and consideration for the women in his life will move you to pursue the man you were created to be.
Real Men Are Tender Warriors
âI drank Budweiser, smoked Marlboros, and chased womenâ¦. Tender Warrior sent me deeper into my heart and soul. When I finished it, I passed it on to a friend, who was supposed to give it back but passed it on to someone else. This book changed his life. It knocked down the walls around his heart. His response: âThe most important thing that has happened in my life started when you sent me that book.’â
âA reader
Story Behind the Book
((no story behind. Instead, endorsements)):
â Tender Warrior provides hope for men by challenging their assumptions and shaping their convictions. Read it. Devour it. Then live it. This is the time for real men to emerge.â
âDennis Rainey, executive director, FamilyLife
âIn a day when our culture is at once confused and concerned over gender identity, men everywhere would to do well to recalibrate their personal compasses by the biblical benchmarks found in Tender Warrior . I highly recommend this book!â
âDr. Bruce Wilkinson , New York Times bestselling author
Customer Reviews:
Required reading for husbands.......2007-07-03
Stu Weber takes off the gloves and gives it to you straight. If you're a husband and/or father, God's word has some things you need to know. Avoid making the common mistakes and get prepared for the challenges.
A needed wake up call .......2007-06-22
This book sat on my shelf for six years before I finally picked it up. I am sorry I waited so long. I could have avoided some heartache and the mistakes I made that caused them.
"Tender Warrior" is a biblical examination of what makes a man. Using scripture, experience, and anecdotes from his own life and the lives of other men Weber uncovers some truths that have been lost to men in our society over the past few decades. He paints in broad bushstrokes that may startle and rub some the wrong way, but keep reading. You will find valuable insights straight from the pages of the bible that will challenge you to look again at yourself and reevaluate how you are doing as a man. At the end of each chapter are reflection questions for individual and group study.
There is something for all men in this book, so read it whether you are married, single, nearing the end of your journey, or just starting out.
I think I will read this book again and find some men to read it with so we can hone each other into the men that God wants us to be.
Listen up guys!.......2006-12-17
I am knee-deep into reading this wonderful book. Men, Stu Weber is the kind of guy we all like to drink a brewskie with. And when a guy like that, a guy you respect, spends some time slapping you around and helping you "get-in-line", well... you listen. So, I'm reading and I'm learning. Plain & simple, this book has helped me to become a better man.
Oustanding! .......2004-12-15
This book should be mandatory reading to every Christian male. It should be given to every young man so that he starts off his walk right. One of the best books I've ever read. Ever since I first read this book, I've given and continue to give copies to every one who I think might read it. If you can, also try to order his other books. I especially like Spirit Warriors. Do yourself, your family, and your community a favor and order Stu Weber's books.
Excellent book on being a Christian father and husband.......2004-08-21
This is an excellent and inspiring book for all men who want to be what God has called them to be. I think most men know that we're not living up to all that we could or should be, but so many of us don't know what to do about it. We're not being "real men." So many of us didn't have good role models in our own fathers, and this book can help fill in the gaps. For example, I use this book when working with young men whose wives or (more often) girlfriends are pregnant at the Crisis Pregnancy Center where my wife and I volunteer.
Now, for those of you who may be thinking "Oh no, not another 'get naked and beat tribal drums' book," Weber discusses several of the "drum beating" types of books, fairly discussing their positive points but concluding that they fall way short of where they need to in their search for authentic manhood. To find what men are made to be, you have to go back to the Author himself: past one man's personal insights into himself, past ancient tribal customs, past the "old stories": to the original Author Himself. This is a very Biblically-based book, and Weber makes no apologies for that.
Weber divides manhood into four divisions, which he calls King, Warrior, Mentor, and Friend. This general theme is discussed in some other books on manhood (as Weber admits) but not as Biblically as Weber does it. For example, another book calls them "blueprints" of a man: Weber says he prefers to think of them as "fingerprints" of the man's Creator.
But Weber doesn't hang his entire book on these four (rather arbitrary) divisions. Weber then finds a common thread throughout all of them: Initiative. I think this idea of Initiative being the core of manhood was one of the most insightful single contributions Weber makes. To quote: "Just as a compass without a needle is not a compass, a man without Initiative is not a man." Perfect.
He also very clearly shows how Initiative is not equal to being Bossy. Taking Initiative means taking initiative in helping out around the house, in saying you're sorry, in asking your wife's help, in asking "what do my wife and kids need right now that I can help with?" It's about as far from bossy or (in the tiresome language of critics) "50's Ozzie and Harriet" as you can get.
Most of the rest of the book is spent working out how the four divisions of manhood and the central thread of Initiative applies to various situations and people in a man's life. The chapter "Does Anyone Here Speak 'Woman'?" is worth the price of the book.
I only have two very tiny negative comments about the book. First, the war-time metaphors and examples from Weber's own life as an Army Ranger won't appeal to everybody. For myself, I enjoyed reading them and they helped, but found it difficult to relate in a few cases because I my background isn't the same. One can't fault Weber that much, though: he simply wrote as who he is.
Second, I think this book would be best with an older, more mature man alongside a younger one. (I am working with two younger men right now.) It might not impact a young man as strongly if given to him if he is not able to have an older (or at least same maturity level) man come alongside him. The obvious solution: be that older man. Don't just give it to your kids: work through it with them, and encourage them to work with their friends.
I also bought the audio version of this book. I have two negative comments about the audio version. First, it's only available on cassette. I wanted to give somebody a copy of it, but he can only play CDs, so I had to buy it on cassette, rip it, and burn to CD. (Yes, I did this all legally.) That was a drag, and the resulting quality is rather low. Second, the audio version is not only shorter, but actually combines two chapters from the book (9 and 10). This makes it hard to track against the book. However, it is still a positive for those who are auditory learners and have more time to listen than to read. As most men probably fall into this category, I hope the publisher will consider bringing the audio version out on CD.
In summary: get this book, read it, highlight it, re-read it, work through it with your friends. And watch God turn you into the man you know you were created to be.
Book Description
The Simplest Path, Step One: Free Your Mind delineates, in one slim volume, a complete system for achieving personal spiritual awakening, along with a straightforward, no-nonsense plan individuals and groups so enlightened can follow to awaken Humanity en masse and positively transform the world. This book contains keys to awakening. Awakening from our personal dream shatters the solid "box" of limitation memes have built around our lives, and frees us to fluidly craft our personalities, environments, relationships, careers, etc. as an artist paints a landscape or a sculptor teases form from formless clay. All of us awakening together from the shared dream of the planet will mark the birth of our species out of our current global nightmare of decline into a limitless future literally beyond our present ability to imagine, even in our "wildest dreams," indeed.
Customer Reviews:
Way Beyond "Socrates Revisited".......2007-08-22
After reading the commentary attached to the one star rating given by the young man from Texas, I feel compelled to step forward in defense of this very fine book. With only one exception, every point made in that negative review is simply wrong. Just not factually correct. The reviewer identifies himself as a young man (... "to my young mind"), and since all of his other Amazon reviews are of TV episodes on DVD, video games and rock music CDs I take him at his word. Well, I am an "old man," closing in on my sixty-third birthday, and I came to Mr. Casspriano's book after six decades of life experience, the last three of those decades a zealous practitioner of Zen Buddhism. I say this not to "brag," but simply to qualify myself as a reviewer before beginning.
I'll start where the one star reviewer closed his argument, with his statement that the simplest path reduces to two Socratic concepts: "Admit that you don't know anything" and "know yourself."
The first part is nominally true (the exception). Like Zen Buddhism, a central tenet of the simplest path is working to release the false notion we all hold that we know ourselves, other people, the world around us. But identifying and releasing our attachments to our illusions is a life's work, not some brash "I don't know nothin'!" as the young Texan seems to imply. Under normal circumstances, we go about our daily lives with no idea we are deluded about anything, as Maya (the illusion of the phenomenal world around and even inside us) is so convincing that most of us never even think to question its validity. Casspriano did not invent the notion of human beings being trapped in illusion, as this truth was known to the timeless authors of the Hindu Vedas and is central to all schools of Buddhism (not just Zen). But his scientific/spiritual exploration of the mechanism by which Maya ensnares our minds and can, with effort, be overcome is among the best "plain English" explanations of this process I have read. There is no "inscrutable mystery" in the simplest path (a criticism that has been accurately leveled toward Zen Buddhism, as a lot of Eastern thought truly does come off as "inscrutable" when translated into English and/or the metaphors of Western culture). Casspriano lays out in no-nonsense American English exactly what our brains are doing when they create the illusion we mistake for reality, then shows the reader in the same clear terms how to train his or her brain to break free of illusion and taste reality as-it-is. In just 216 pages, that is no mean feat. After thirty years of Zen practice and numerous kensho experiences (of varying depths and intensities), I can say from personal experience that Casspriano is correct. Enlightenment comes as the fruit of a long, incremental process of retraining the mind to touch reality in a new way, and the process described in the simplest path is the same as that followed in Zen practice, especially Rienzi Zen koan study (I'll have more to say about this in a later paragraph). Casspriano's approach and language is very different from traditional Zen (more "scientific," and no sitting meditation is required), which I think would appeal to Americans and other Westerners seeking to experience "awakening" without necessarily committing themselves to a religion like Buddhism, but the internal mental/spiritual process and final destination are the same.
"Know yourself," on the other hand, is not in this book at all, at least not in the way the young reviewer, or Socrates for that matter, uses the phrase. As in Buddhism, Casspriano takes pains to demonstrate that "self" is as much of an illusion as our misapprehension of the phenomenal world, and is a byproduct of exactly the same mind process that creates outer Maya. A core teaching of Buddhism is that our "self," our personality/ego, is nothing more than an aggregation of outside influences that cluster together in our minds like shiny stones gathered into a pile, and which we mistake not only for something "real," but tragically, for our essential selves. Yet this "pile" has nothing really to do with who we are at all. Buddhism teaches "no-self." Belief in the illusion of a unique and independent "self" is our greatest obstacle to enlightenment. Wasting time and energy getting to "know yourself" in the Western sense is foreign to Eastern thought. Casspriano again does a great job of translating the Buddhist concept of "no-self" into Western scientific/spiritual terminology. He shows the process by which our ego/personality aggregate "piles up," as well as how to take the pile down, stone by stone. Enlightenment is what the pile was covering up, and so it naturally appears as soon as the pile is removed - but oh how we cling to our personal pile of stones! "Self" is what we must trade for enlightenment, what must be surrendered, and Casspriano returns to this truth many times in the simplest path. My point is that the one star reviewer's reduction of the simplest path to "know yourself" has no basis at all in the actual book.
As to the book being "gimmicky": Yes, the words "The Simplest Path" recur frequently throughout the book, but not in reference to the book itself (at least that's not how I took it), but rather to the system of understanding the mind and working toward "awakening" Casspriano is describing - and it is a complete system that deserves to be considered as a whole, on its own. At times the repetition does have a feel of "branding" in the commercial sense, so I understand where the reviewer may have taken his impression. But the simplest path, while resonant with Zen Buddhism (and apparently, according to Casspriano, with the Toltec philosophy espoused by Carlos Castaneda, of which I have no personal knowledge, so I'll have to take the author's word for that) is far enough different that it needs its own "name" to set it apart from other schools of similar but not identical thought. The reviewer's criticism is like saying that every use of the term "Zen" in a book called "Zen Buddhism" should be taken as a reference to the book, and not to the larger practice of Zen Buddhism as a spiritual discipline that the book is describing. Casspriano's point in repeatedly linking The Simplest Path, Zen Buddhism and Toltec Shamanism throughout the book, at least as I understood it, is to highlight these three spiritual practices as related reliable paths through a dark forest of illusion, a forest in which many apparent (and more popular) paths, including most (all?) religious beliefs, actively vie to mislead travelers toward deeper ensnarement in the dream, rather than leading them toward "awakening."
I want to say a word about koan study in Rienzi Zen and how it relates to the simplest path. Koans are those quirky Zen sayings and stories like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" or "what was your original face before you (or your parents) were born?" that have no rational answer, and which Zen students turn and turn in their minds like the tumblers of a combination lock until their imprisoned psyches "explode" in a "super-rational" experience of reality beyond the illusion ("irrational" would be the wrong term, as that implies "nonsense"). That "super-rational" vision of reality is called "kensho." I have experienced it myself, more than once in my lifetime. I have come to think of Casspriano's "Key Questions" in the second half of the simplest path, especially the later seven of the ten, as "cultural koans" designed to trigger "collective kensho" for the whole human race at once. Like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?", unflinching consideration of the value of human life, of how our beliefs about the future shape the present, of the true origin and destiny of life on Earth, etc., especially as seen through the lens of Casspriano's "Key Question Technique," reveals that none of these questions have rational answers, yet all require our active and immediate response. Successful resolution of these larger riddles that impact everyone will require us all to eventually "explode" into reality, together, in a "super-rational" way. We'll have to break through the illusion and wake up together, as one (which has been the goal of Mahayana Buddhism, of which Zen is a sect, since around 200 BCE). That is the "Planetary Awakening" addressed in this book, and I believe Casspriano's "Key Questions" are a concrete step in that direction. I'm glad I spent my fifteen dollars.
This is my "old man" take on the simplest path, having encountered it after 30 years of Zen Buddhist practice (I'm not veering off my chosen path here, just bowing respectfully in passing toward Casspriano's). From a Buddhist perspective, the simplest path is true Dharma, though I do not get the impression from reading his book that Vincent Casspriano is himself a Buddhist or a follower of any religion. That to my mind makes his book all the more interesting.
True, but gimmicky.......2007-08-09
Casspriano's book is scientifically and philosophically sound as best as my young mind can tell, but I don't recommend this book. Its scattered with numerous pages of advertising about how his "program" works and how it compares to other religions and spiritual movements. Why must this author physically write out "The Simplest Path" in reference to his book every other page, and talk about his second volume? Perhaps because he's not out for pure truth, but for our money.
All this book comes down to after you strip away the nonsense is two things. First, admit that you don't truly know anything. Second, know yourself. Do those two things (they essentially both mean to question EVERYTHING), and you'll have Casspriano's "Planetary Awakening," with 15 bucks still in your pocket. And you'll be following the fundamental truths already said by Socrates.. so do yourself a favor and pick up Plato's "Apology" and read up on the Socratic dialogue on how to live a good life. And don't stop there, because you can't be sure he's right.
And I have 10 bucks that says these other couple of reviews were written by the book publisher. In any case, ignore the hype.
A Unique and Inspiring Wake-up Call.......2007-05-15
This is one of the most clear-headed books I've read in years on the subject of real, nitty gritty, get your hands dirty spiritual development (as opposed to the fru fru New Age variety). So much of what passes for "spirituality" in our time amounts to some author, celebrity, priest, philosopher or self-appointed guru telling us what to "believe," sight unseen, if we want to reach heaven, attain enlightenment, achieve "ascension," etc. Casspriano takes an at times startling opposite approach. For Casspriano, such unquestioned/unquestionable beliefs are not only NOT the path to spiritual awakening, they represent the chief obstacle blocking our realization of higher consciousness. And it's not just religious beliefs ("faith") he's talking about, but all our beliefs about reality, especially those that enclose our thinking in "boxes" that limit our freedom to find solutions to real-world threats like Peak Oil, overpopulation, Global Warming, etc. Though much of the book focuses on individual enlightenment, for Casspriano, these larger planetary issues are "spiritual," as well. Whether the issue is our personal inability to find happiness or Humanity's collective rush toward physical extinction, the cause is the same - our wrong-headed beliefs about what's real. The solution is the same, as well - continuous, deep questioning. Using Richard Dawkins' concept of "memes" as a central metaphor, Casspriano first breaks down the basic process of belief, showing the mechanism in our brains by which beliefs misdirect and control our psyches, then he walks the reader through an exploration of a series of ten "anti-meme questions" aimed at breaking down the walls of our mental "boxes" and setting our minds free. With each question, he supplies an exercise designed to allow the reader to attain a personal taste of reality "beyond the box," especially as flavored by that chapter's "Key Question." For the most part, this formula works very well (with a few rare moments of over-exuberance on the author's part, as already described in other reviews, though as a card carrying vegan environmentalist, I can't say I particularly minded), delivering a cumulative series of death-blows to some of the most basic "pillars" of our present human consensus reality. Beyond the walls those pillars supported lies real reality, where we are all interconnected and interdependent, and, in Casspriano's view, mutually destined for greatness, if we can just wake up and grab the reins of our runaway culture in time. This is not a book for spiritual "feel gooders" seeking soft assurances that they're perfect just they way they are and everything's going to be all right, no matter what. This is a wake up call, a tool kit and a concrete action plan for becoming individually enlightened and collectively saving the world, all rolled up into one. That, I think, is a cause well-worthy of exuberance.
Challenge Consensus Reality!.......2007-05-10
This is a thoughtful book that addresses how we may go about developing a process to question our everyday consensus reality. I suppose if I have learned anything in 49 years of life, it is that all personal and social problems stem from our fundamental views on the nature of reality itself. Vincent Casspriano uses the concept of a "meme" as a fundamental unit of ideas, assumptions, etc. that often block our understanding of reality itself. One such meme, for example, may be that we have to "fight for our freedom" or the world's a "fearful" place and hence, we have to be ready to kill to protect ourselves. I suppose you could also use the word "paradigm" here as well, but the essential point of this book is that we "unconsciously" function in our life with many limited points of view that block our ability to solve problems on both a personal and a social basis.
While Vince Casspriano is to be congradulated for producing a book that presents both a methodology and a motivation for personal transformation, there are a few pitfalls here that the potential reader should be aware of before tackling this material. The author has some rather strong views on fossil fuel consumption, meet consumption, and the role of humans in the cycle of procreation. While I generally agree with his analysis on fossil fuel consumtion and meat consumption (as I have viewed large tracks of deforrested grazing land in developing countries), these viewpoints can distract the reader from the essential point here which is to rigourously question consensus reality. Since I am single, and have no motivation to have children, I definitely disagree with his views on the necessity of human procreation on this planet, but here again, it is important to extract the essential meaning rather than get caught in the specific political/social debates that these issues may spawn.
If you are serious about personal transformation with the potential for changing our global consciousness, than this book can be an invaluable tool. I do agree with the Author that a world population of "high functioning" people can resolve every planetary problem we face today. As we systematically question our consensus reality, we will see our problems in new ways, and with this new perspective, problems can often be quickly resolved or transcended.
A Simple Cure For What's "Eating Us".......2006-11-13
I considered titling this review, "Stop Whining, Wake Up and Get Busy Saving the World," but decided "Eating Us" would be more attention-grabbing - which matters because I believe Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" is an important book, and I want to do whatever I can to draw your attention to it. Pick the title you like best. Both very fittingly describe what you will find within the pages of this remarkable new release from New Paradigm Press.
I have selected three short quotations to explore in this review that I think best summarize Casspriano's overall message:
From Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":
"Right now, this very moment, you are asleep... Even if you are reading these words in broad daylight - sitting at your desk or beside the kitchen table, your feet firmly planted on the floor, eyes open, senses alert, feeling the weight of this book in your hands as sounds of life rise and fall rhythmically around you - you are deeply asleep, and dreaming furiously"
Now, the idea that Humans are sleeping, and must therefore "awaken," is by no means unique to Casspriano's "Simplest Path" spiritual system, being the root observation underlying pretty much all Eastern religion, and a lot of Western Occultism and New Age metaphysics, as well. In fairness, Casspriano makes no claim to this as an original insight, openly supporting his assessment of the human predicament with quotations taken from Animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. He then flows seamlessly into a list of complementary illustrations from the secular realms of Quantum Physics, brain/consciousness research, and most to-the-point, the study of memes and memetics, ala Evolutionary Biologist and world's best-known cheerleader for scientific atheism, Richard Dawkins.
If you've never heard of memes or memetics, a quick Google of those terms will reveal hundreds of serious, information-rich websites devoted to this now thirty-year old science. In a nutshell, a "meme" is a sort of contagious thought-form that spreads between people by way of imitation. Obvious memes in our environment include advertising jingles, fads and fashions, etc. Casspriano somewhat radically extends the concept to include just about everything that makes up the contents of our individual brains and shared human culture. While he resists redefining the word "meme" wholesale, he decidedly expands its definition to make memes and "memeplexes" (what you get when a number of memes band together into an organic, relational unit, like a religion or cultural or political movement) the basic, fundamental building blocks of everything we habitually label "real..."
And then he demonstrates, in at times excruciating detail, the complete emptiness of the "apparent-reality" that is a byproduct of memetic activity in our brains. What we call "real" is not real at all. It's an illusion spun up by our memes. And our memes are not original to us. They are "viral invaders" assailing our minds from without. Worse - and, while even this thought is not wholly unique to Casspriano, he certainly gives it his own very effective spin - memes are by no means mere passive beliefs or simple "harmless ideas." They are, Casspriano believes, actively predatory psychic parasites whose survival depends on our buying into the illusions they create in our minds. Think of illusion (Samsara, Maya, etc.) as a web we're caught in. Memes are the spider. We are the fly. Gotcha.
One thing I like very much about Casspriano's book is that he never asks us to take anything on faith, least of all this rather ugly depiction of the human psychic/spiritual condition. He not only challenges readers to test his hypothesis firsthand in order to experience what is real and true for ourselves, he spends a large chunk of the book outlining specific exercises anyone can do to escape memetic interference and personally experience reality as-it-is. The exercises in Part II of the book are powerful medicine... But this is a digression, so let me return to the point.
Memes are the spider, and we are the fly. A better metaphor might be that memes are the farmer, and we are the cow. Domesticated and docile, we allow memes to milk us daily, to extract from our minds the potent human psychic energy which, if reclaimed by us and put to proper human use, would quickly and positively transform our lives and our world. This transformation is awakening, ascension, enlightenment, metanoia, the Buddha-like change of consciousness most religions and spiritual systems on Earth hint at, but few ever actually deliver to followers. In this analysis, Casspriano's "Simplest Path" is very much in line with Gurdjieff's "Fourth Way," Carlos Castaneda's Toltec sorcery, and a few other well known spiritual practices inhabiting a somewhat darker, though perhaps more realistic corner of the New Age. But unlike most of those other systems, Casspriano's prescription for escaping illusion and awakening to reality is remarkably, well... simple.
From Chapter Three, "Waking Up":
"The simple truth is that we are sleeping because we lack sufficient energy to wake up."
And later in the same chapter:
"The real work that brings about awakening, rather than merely granting the external appearance of "being spiritual," while actually embroiling us ever more deeply in the dream, is a rigorous, daily commitment to the identification and elimination of every self-serving belief from which our personal dream-lives are constructed."
For "belief" in the quotation above, read "meme/memeplex." Casspriano certainly does, treating the terms as largely interchangeable. In the end, this genuinely simple - at least in the sense of being uncomplicated and pragmatic - spiritual practice amounts to discovering reality as-it-actually-is less by searching for a glimpse beyond the illusion, than by systematically withdrawing our participation in, and identification with, the dream. When we disentangle our psyches from memetic illusion, only reality remains. We don't have to chase it; to a meme-free mind, reality just appears. This is "Satori" in Zen Buddhism. This is "stopping the world" in the Toltec sorcery of Castaneda and others. Casspriano's genius lies in his talent for exposing the core mechanism behind such complex and often inscrutable spiritual systems, and for putting into plain language clear instructions for unraveling the dream and achieving personal awakening. The virus-like process by which memes take over and control our human minds, as described by Casspriano is, to my mind, very complicated (but well worth struggling through). What is genuinely simple about "The Simplest Path," however, is Casspriano's prescription for breaking those bonds, once you've made the effort to understand how they are created and maintained. For Casspriano, remaining a victim of spiritual sleep and energetic exploitation by memes is a complex activity in which we unconsciously invest enormous amounts of psychic energy every day of our lives. Awakening is the product of a simple act of withdrawing that investment, which automatically re-energizes of our minds and lives. Or as Casspriano cleverly phrases it when closing Chapter Three, "Waking Up":
"Unweave the tapestry of the dream, and awakening happens."
Anyone can do this. Spiritual awakening, in Casspriano's view, may be hard work, but it is not complicated work. The path to enlightenment is really rather shockingly simple. Fall out of love with the dream. Reclaim your psychic energy. Wake up to reality.
The ten "Key Questions" Casspriano explores in the second section of the book are designed to put the theory laid out in Part I to practical and immediate use. Essentially, I think Casspriano sees these ten issues - why we treat enlightenment as an "airy-fairy" ideal instead of a measurable transformation of brain functioning, the excuses we make for avoiding personal responsibility and integrity along the lines of Castaneda's "impeccability," the fallacy of belief in a "separate self," etc. - as pillars of both our personal and collective human dreams. They are by no means an exhaustive listing of the memes twisting our minds. But they are primary keystones on which layers upon layers of the grand illusion are built. Topple these ten baseline pillars and the larger structure crumbles.
Casspriano explores some "Keys" more successfully than others. One downside to the book is that, especially in the "Keys," Casspriano's own memetic prejudices shine at times rather glaringly through, as when, in his discussion of the American "What Would Jesus Do?" religious fad, he characterizes the Evangelical Christian purveyors of WWJD as, "ultra-conservative, right wing ideologues." Even should the reader personally agree with such pronouncements, its hard to resist thinking, "Hey Vince! Your memes are showing!" But where he nails his point, Casspriano's prose can be downright inspiring, as with the "Key" cosmological study "Is Earth the Center of the Universe?," which explores the gap between what we know, scientifically, about the Universe and what our daily choices and behavior says we really believe, about the cosmos and about ourselves. His closing "Key" "Are We Alone?" so poetically frames the true stakes of our global human predicament - species survival VS extinction - that its hard to imagine anyone keeping their gaze glued squarely to their own self-involved navel in the wake of reading it. Of course we are not alone. There are six and a half billion of us on Planet Earth, and whether we awaken to what's best in us or follow our darkest drives over History's cliff into oblivion, we do so as one. One planet, one fate.
This notion of "oneness" and of a common, intertwined human spiritual and biological destiny is a core theme in The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND that sets it apart from any spiritual book in recent memory. My final quotation from the book returns us to the opening lines of Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":
"We are all aware of the challenges facing us as we enter together into the 21st Century:
· World oil supplies are running out.
· Global warming is transforming the Earth into a steamy greenhouse.
· Even as our technology connects the world, ideological extremism, terrorism and militarism divide us as never before.
· Headlines bombard us with news of war, famine, pestilence and death until we feel overwhelmed and unable to respond.
· Time is running out..."
Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Transformation, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" does not offer easy escape from these very pressing real-world human ills, but rather, a down to Earth, workable prescription for their cure. Yes, we must awaken as individuals, and, rest assured, "The Simplest Path" shows spiritual seekers exactly how to do that. But a prime message of "The Simplest Path" is that, for personal awakening to have meaning, it must occur within the context of a complete re-visioning of global culture, and a mass wrenching away of the wheel of History from the control of viral memes, that we might create a common cosmic human destiny worthy of our highest potential as a species.
Now that's a meme worth feeding.
Average customer rating:
- The Dream Warrior
- A very good book
- Dream Warrior is a Dream to Read.
- Excellent. Conway pulls you in and you WANT to stay!
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Dream Warrior: Book One of the Dream Warrior Trilogy (Dream Warrior)
D.J. Conway
Manufacturer: Llewellyn Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Soothslayer: A Magickal Fantasy (Dream Warrior)
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The Seer and the Sword
ASIN: 1567181694 |
Customer Reviews:
The Dream Warrior.......2005-05-28
I finished this book recently, and although it is not one of the best fantasy books I have read, it was pretty good.
Corri, a thief in Hadliden, is being forced to marry the master thief, a disgusting man named Grimmel. She would rather do anything than marry him, but is locked in her room so she can't run away. A mysterious sorcerer uses magic to let her escape and then they ride off together. Later she discovers that the sorcerer's name is Imandoff. He speaks of some debt towards her, but isn't clear as to what it is. Fearful of pursuit by Grimmel's assassins, they head to the mountains.
Soon, they meet the Tuonela warrior woman, Takra, and decide to journey together for a bit. They have some adventures in the valley of shadows, and Corri is almost caught by one of Grimmel's men. However, they manage to escape. After more journeying and wandering, during which Corri realizes that having friends can be a good thing, they arrive at the Tuonela gathering place. One of the Shakkas (like priestesses) declares Corri the Dream Warrior, though she doesn't really know what this means. There is also a geas on her, which is a sort of spell to guide her life. There she also meets one of Takra's kinsmen, Tirkul.
After saving Tirkul's sister from a flood, he asks her to marry him in the Tuonela way. Corri needs more time to think, and decides to wait. I thought this part needed work. You don't just meet someone and fall in love two days later! Corri leaves the camp when she feels she is endangering the Tuonela. Takra goes with her and after more journeying and narrow escapes, they finally have a battle with Corri's father.
Corri's father is one of the ancient people that came from the stars. He want's to use the dark magic to gain control over all of Sar Akka. Corri decides she needs to fight him. At this point, Tirkul reenters the scene to help. Corri winds up destroying her father's star ship, which is a serious blow. However, she cannot kill him. After the battle, she realizes she really does love Tirkul, and here the book ends. Of course it is a trilogy, so it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger without a real resolution.
My main criticisms are that the relationships were too quickly developed and slightly unreal. For example, Imandoff and Takra at the end. Where did that come from? The only other thing is that the plot was a little hard to follow. They had all of these adventures, but they don't seem that important and one is kind of hard to tell from another. So it was good, but not great. However, I think it is sadly overlooked.
A very good book.......2004-07-07
I recently finished reading it for the second time and ordered it's sequels. It's a must read for fantasy fans, especially those that like books with strong female characters.
Dream Warrior is a Dream to Read........2000-01-12
This novel is compelling to the last page. Those who look into reading it should know that there are two more books added on to this volume. Readers will find that the text is simple to understand and is a great read for rainy days. It is a great addition to the realm of Fantasy literature.
Excellent. Conway pulls you in and you WANT to stay!.......1998-12-01
Dream Warrior is an excellent novel. You get pulled into the story and you really care how it turns out. D. J. Conway has the ability to keep you reading - whether it's research books or a novel.
Book Description
Strange & Prophetic Dreams of the Indian People. This is a touching story of a great grandmother instilling the Indian spirit in her great grandson. It gives guidelines for a glorious future: 'We have had enough now of talk. Let there be deeds.'
Customer Reviews:
Dated.......2007-10-04
Warriors of the Rainbow: Strange and Prophetic Dreams of the Indians
by William Willoya, Vinson Brown . 1962
This book shows its age, very dated material and not coherent.
Tries hard to blend Christianity, Buddhism, Dreams and Native Folklore; the end result is an unpalatable mess. The Buddhist prophesy of Matreya is still 2400 years away... so author/s could be a-waiting for a long time. Hard to believe authors that scatter sources and paste Christian passages ad hock. ** 2 Stars.
Black Elk Speaks is so much better.
When Lionel Little eagle says it's Life Changing, he's right.......2007-06-25
This book is the center of a very personal story. I read it and found it remarkable in its philosophy, the way it examines Indigenous religions without lending itself to New Age or Plastic Shaman nonsense. Vinson Brown had an accurate and insightful comprehension of the theology of the holy men he lived with, such as Frank Fools Crow and others. At times in his life, Indian holy people would set their own pipes aside at ceremonies when Vinson's was unbundled, in reverent deference to his authenticity. I found myself urgently wanting to know more. Years ago, I did something bizarre--I called the publisher and asked how to speak with Vinson Brown. I was told that he had passed away about a week or so earlier. I was discouraged until they told me that his son-in-law, a wonderful Miq'mak Indian man, was tyhere and would I like to speak with him? That man was Lionel Pinn Little Eagle, and he became one of my dearest friends. I illustrated Lionel's book, Greengrass Pipe Dancers, and Lionel was one of my groomsmen and conducted the sweatlodge ceremony for me before my wedding 11 years ago.
I realize people are unlikely to find these details helpful in a book review, but it's seldom tjhat I am able to review a book in such a way that goes beyond an assessment of its scholarship and content, and remark on the personal impact it's had. Vinson Brown was on to something.
Life changing Book.......2007-03-11
Warriors of the Rainbow takes the reader on a wodnerful, deeply spiritual journey of learning and mystery. It touches on a wide varity of topics but is highlighted by some remarkable prophecy from a number of significant relgious leaders. It has obiviously been well-researched by Mr. Brown. This book should be on the shelf of any person who has ever ask themself, "What is this all about and how will it turn out"?
I highly recommend this book.
Must read.......2001-03-06
This is a book of stories and visions. It is a book of life and true spirituality and freedom. Anyone who considers themself to be one with the world or wishes to become so should read this book.
Average customer rating:
- If You Want a Book that SAYS something About Martial Arts...
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Warrior Dreams: The Martial Arts and the American Imagination
John J. Donohue
Manufacturer: Bergin & Garvey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Cultural | Anthropology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0897893468 |
Book Description
This is an analysis of the martial arts as socio-cultural and symbolic phenomena. As Americans search for a sense of purpose, belonging, and structure in life, they have chosen an Asian cultural tradition and changed it to suit the needs of contemporary American society. A brief historical summary of the development of martial arts in Japan sets the scene for the reinterpretation of the role of these arts by American mass media. Donohue, an anthropologist with a black belt in karate, explores the important role that the martial arts play in the American psyche. As a means of developing personal power, self-defense systems are aesthetic and spiritual practices as well as statements of urban paranoia reacting against street violence and life-threatening situations. Martial arts organizations are seen as symbolic vehicles for enmeshing participants in constellations of actions and philosophies that create a sense of self and community.
Customer Reviews:
If You Want a Book that SAYS something About Martial Arts..........2003-02-10
This volume goes far beyond the usual regurgitations we hear in the martial arts world. Author John J. Donohue takes what is perhaps the deepest look yet in print at how and why our society understands and perceives martial arts as it does. I will relate a few concepts here from each of the eight chapters of the book. The author's thoroughness and inclusiveness have made it impossible to touch on all of the topics which he connects connects in each chapter. The majority of the author's practical Martial arts studies have been in Japanese arts, so Japanese terminology is used in most circumstances (definitions offered, glossary in back too). This should not be construed as a bias _against_ non-Japanese arts, but instead as the author admission of the limitations of his own experience. It does not in my opinion, impact the ideas he imparts, which go beyond where an art may have originated and probe concepts most combative arts possess. Donohue manages to put concepts that we've known existed into words--and he does so skillfully.
In chapter 1, "A Warrior Dream", Donohue considers mysticism in the martial arts, writing, "An overly mystical approach to the martial arts is usually symptomatic of a lack of familiarity with them on the part of Western observers. (11)" He links the quest for self-definition to a sense of accomplishment through acquiring skill, and the exploration of the mystic. The second chapter, "Form and Function: Martial Systems in Cross-Cultural Perspective", Donohue examines combative and martial practices in cultural perspective. He takes for his examples among others, the expansion of the Zulu as a result of their innovative military system, Josephus remarks on the extensive training of Roman soldiers as cause for their success, and the tendancy to teach soldiers in modern military forces basic yet efficient training, touching on how technology has lessened the dependence on hand-to-hand skills for survival on the battlefield.
In the next chapter, "The Asian Martial Arts: Just So and Just-so Stories" Donohue shows that the ways in which martial arts are interpreted are the result of many factors. He offers a brief history which covers the development of martial arts in Japan and China, and then the relation between moral and mystical belief in martial arts, and prevailing religious/philosophical practices of the cultures in which they developed such as Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Discussed in-Depth are the notions of Ki, Haragei, and Mu-shin, etc... Chapter four "Martial skills, Marginality, and Moral Force: Mythic Dimensions in the image of the American Warrior" seeks to explain why martial arts are so popular with Americans, and how they fit into the myth of the rugged individual as competent fighter. He shows that most films which cater to this genera contain similar elements meant to suggest to the viewer the independence of their main characters. An interesting chart compares "Shane" with "Lethal Weapon" and "Above the Law".
"Training, Adaptation, and Elaboration: The American Dojo" is the fifth chapter, and deals with heirarchy, organization, rank, and structure...and the lack of those things in some cases. Chapter six, "Mystery and Mastery: The Added Dimension in the Martial Arts" concerns itself with the reliance on mystical and quasi-magical explanations of qualities such as Ki by many American martial artists, and how many prefer Asian combatives because they possess this dimension. Chapter Seven, "The Search for a Center" tackles the idea of conforming to the norms of the martial arts group in dress, behavior, and practice. The last Chapter, "Wave People", covers the diversity of meaning that can be found in the symbols of martial arts.
The insights offered by John Donohue in this book put my practice in a new perspective. There are different ways of seeing and experiencing martial arts that go beyond variations of style or nationalistic flavor. For a deeper understanding of what we're doing and why we're doing it, give this book a try.
Book Description
The historian and sociologist James William Gibson examines one of the legacies of America's defeat in Vietnam: a disturbing and reactionary consumer war culture at home. Notes, index.
Customer Reviews:
Erudite and entertaining.......2006-02-20
While I was expecting a somewhat dry, theoretical examination of masculinity in post-Vietnam America, Gibson writes with such grace and energy that it often reads like a work of fiction. Highly recommended.
Only part of the story........2005-10-27
Gibson takes easy shots at well worn targets in this book. The loss of male identity is better covered (and with more compassion) in Susan Faludi's Stiffed. He focuses his lens on the legions of Soldier of Fortune and Mack Bolan reading, inadequate, wanna-be warrior that fill our domestic violence shelters with their victims and our prisons with their bodies. These men are worthy of study, and frankly, in need of help. But this are the only example of modern masculine identity and "warrior-ship" that Gibson touches on.
This book lacks balance. Many of his points on the loss of male identity and the dark side of warrior culture are well made and accurate. However, he never acknowledges the fact that there are professional warriors out there who roll their eyes at Soldier of Fortune and don't jerk off to Sylvester Stallone movies. These would be the guys who would show up to get Gibson's ass out of a jam if he ever dials 911. They aren't perfect but they are necessary. Gibson recounts several conversations with marginal men, but I can't recall a single conversation with a "new warrior" who is a stable, quiet professional who functions in normal society and happens to be a solider, police officer, or similar. Indeed, if we listened only to Gibson, we would believe they don't exist.
This book would have benefited from mentioning the men out there who are doing work examining what is healthy and generative about the male warrior ethos. He gives a brief, dismissive mention to the whole Robert Bly, banging drums in the wilderness crowd, but there's much more to it than that. There are thousands of men out there who are taking a hard look at what it means to be a man these days. Apparently Gibson didn't talk to any of them either.
During his recounting of his trip to Gunsite shooting school, Gibson himself wallows in the uninitiated male's fascination with war. His masturbatory, guilty pleasure is almost embarrassing to read. One has to think maybe Gibson has some work to do in becoming comfortable with his own identity.
Gibson does present a more rational discussion about gun control than you will ever get from either HCI or the NRA. While he lingers on the power and destructiveness of "assault weapons" in loving, almost pornographic detail, he also acknowledges the fact that ordinary citizens lawfully use firearms to defend themselves thousands of times a year. This is a fact that likely to get him excoriated in certain circles. It's a shame that balance doesn't extend to the rest of the book.
I do have a certain respect for the fact that Gibson has obviously waded through hundreds of hours of bad action movies and thousands of pages of crap magazines and men's adventure books. Gibson does a good job of exposing a subculture that will doubtless be a revelation to readers who are at least middle class and educated.
Discussions of class are noticeably absent. It's doubtful that many Soldier Of Fortune subscribers or Mack Bolan aficionados teach or attend at Gibson's home at California State University. These pleasures are reserved for the legions of lower class hillbillies and inner city kids that we use to fill the ranks of our armed forces, and often police departments. Class is a key piece of the puzzle, but Gibson doesn't mention it.
While there's undoubtedly some connection between sex and violence in the particular pathologies Gibson is looking at, sometimes he reaches a little far. His claims that a mushroomed hollow point bullet looks just like a penis, inside the "vagina" of the wound channel in a block of ballistic test gelatin got a out loud laugh from me. I happen to be in possession of a penis and some expanded bullets, and I'm just not seeing the similarity. Sometimes a ballistic test is just a ballistic test.
Gibson missed a chance to write a balanced, thoughtful look at what it means to be a man these days. Instead he engages in hand-wringing of the "let's talk about how boys are bad" variety, which is bound to get him recognition in certain circles, but does nothing towards helping invent the new men, and the new warriors, that our society desperately needs.
A great book, one of my top 5.......2000-08-07
This is probably one of the best primer books for anyone interested in the sociological aspects of masculinity in America. It is an easy read with tons of examples from relatively recent media sources. It reads like a novel but has a lot more to say. Any one interested in violence in media should put this at the top of their to read list.
Disturbing is right!.......1999-12-23
This book was recommended to me in a politics chat room. When my friend described its topic with "paintball" "guns" "war movies" and "politics", I knew I had to read it (i had an interest in all of these things).
The book starts off describing how "New Warriors" (men with a "warrior" mentality in Post-Vietnam America) see and treat women/children/family, how they are effected by consumer culture of war/paramiltary books and movies, view guns.. paintball.
Presidents Nixon, Reagan, and Bush, along with Ollie North, Rambo, Charles Bronson, Chuck Norris all embrace or help create the New War. Mass murderers, assassins, and mercenaries are influenced by it as well.
I'd like to see Gibson tackle the topic again. 5 years later, we've got an enormous computer/video game warrior culture, where hundreds of thousands of young men spend hours each day blasting each other to bits on the Internet.
An intriguing study of a spooky subculture.......1999-03-06
This book is a natural page-turner which delves into the rise of a new "warrior cult" in the U.S. beginning in the mid-70's and gaining momentum in the 80's. Explores the (sometimes dangerous) sociological implications of this fascination with automatic weapons, camouflage clothing, violence, and the "lone warrior", although the author's reliance on Jungian and Freudian interpretations of this phenomenon goes a bit overboard at times. Nonetheless this is a valuable study overall. The assertion that this phenomenon is fulfilling a valid psychological need in its adherents, and suggestions of alternate ways of fulfilling these needs that do not glorify violence, should prove to be provocative and hopefully useful in working toward a less violent society.
Average customer rating:
- A zen experience
- A zen experience
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Warriors of Blood and Dream
Manufacturer: Avon Books (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Zelazny, Roger | ( Z ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Alternate History | Anthologies | Arthurian | Contemporary | Epic | General | Historical | History & Criticism | Magic & Wizards | Series
Anthologies | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Psychoshop
ASIN: 0380774224 |
Customer Reviews:
A zen experience.......2000-07-21
Anyone who loves short stories is forever in search of the perfect combination of stories in one volume; if you enjoy tales of martial artists put to tests of skill, this is an excellent choice. With a foreword and introductions by Zelazny himself, this book gives us glimpses into the minds of martial artists at the peak of their abilities - through the eyes of authors such as Jane Linskold, Michael Stackpole, Jeffrey A. Carver and others. Each author covers a different angle on the martial arts - from the gentle brush strokes of "The Seventh Martial Art" to a battle to the death in "Master of Misery" - with a pause for humorous reflection in "True Grits". The collection was ingeniously compiled by one of the greatest authors of our time, and I'd give it more stars if I could.
A zen experience.......2000-07-21
Anyone who loves short stories is forever in search of the perfect combination of stories in one volume; if you enjoy tales of martial artists put to tests of skill, this is an excellent choice. With a foreword and introductions by Zelazny himself, this book gives us glimpses into the minds of martial artists at the peak of their abilities - through the eyes of authors such as Jane Linskold, Michael Stackpole, Jeffrey A. Carver and others. Each author covers a different angle on the martial arts - from the gentle brush strokes of "The Seventh Martial Art" to a battle to the death in "Master of Misery" - with a pause for humorous reflection in "True Grits". The collection was ingeniously compiled by one of the greatest authors of our time, and I'd give it more stars if I could.
Book Description
Zen Entrepreneurship is a unique tale of spiritual awakening set in an unusual place: the business world. When Rizwan Virk was in his early 20's, starting a high tech business, he was exposed to a series of techniques to bring the magic and mystery of the "hidden worlds" into his work. This book chronicles his experiences, and brings those techniques to life to show each of us how to bridge this gap. Written by a successful entrepreneur, it is for those of us who feel a call to be more spiritual, but must live and work in the ordinary world everyday.
Customer Reviews:
Inspirational.......2007-02-23
This is a moving book, particularly if you are an entreprenuear and have suffered through the reflection, self-questioning, loving advice of friends and family, etc. The book allowed me to give myself permsission to view my current entreprenuerial journey as a consultant and developer of sustainable communities as a journey of self discovery. I knew this instinctively, that only by experiencing this journey could I offer authentic guidance to others on similar journeys, however, Virk's work helped me bring this into consciousness and not only accept, but to be inspired by it. The book is charming and easy to read. There are numerous typos, but the flow of the story more than makes up for it. I gave away a couple of copies of this book because I found it so helpful.
A must read, inspiring and insightful book!.......2006-05-07
This book was recommended at a leadership conference I attended. It's a quick read and quite inspiring. Riz narrates a fascinating account of his own personal journey to relate and bring together different spiritual concepts. While his journey centers on his business life, the concepts presented can apply to every aspect of one's life.
The book describes the convergence of the "hidden" and "real" worlds, showing the definite connection between dreams, events, people, and circumstances. It can seem random and unrelated, but it's all connected in a meaningful way. Riz demonstrates how this has occurred in his business life.
The book is very well written, and it's extremely impactful in a subtle way. Riz is not trying to preach a certain belief system or approach to life which I appreciate. What he does convey is to maintain awareness and take notice of what's going on around you. Connect the seemingly random dots, step back, and you may find that you've drawn a picture of something quite special that you never saw before.
THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ IN 2004!.......2004-10-23
This book is a wonderful -- and rare -- combination of business AND spirituality. Rizwan will keep you absorbed in his book as you laugh, learn and reflect.
It is a beautiful story to be enjoyed by an entrepreneur or aspiring entrepreneur who wants to further understand and explore his/her spiritual side while getting ahead in business.
I couldn't put the book down! It's a rare find and a must read!
I'll recommend this to my clients!.......2004-06-12
I met Riz in 2002, at Robert Moss's first Dream Teacher Training. I remember him for his energy, enthusiasm, and humor. His book enthralled me in part because I had met Riz, and his wonderful qualities come through loud and clear. But I am recommending the book primarily because of its genuine depictions of spiritual life in the workplace. The story follows Riz along what he calls the Path of the Career Warrior, from skeptic to brilliant dreamer.
Zen Entrepreneurship can be read on different levels. On one level is the happy story of Riz, the young computer grad, dreaming of a business of his own. He serendipitously found his way into a meditation class and a new way of life, while building an idea into a multi-million dollar company. The second level offers guidance on how to establish and grow a new business, addressing structural, financial and psychological issues in a way that could be helpful to any aspiring entrepreneur. But the third and most important level is the concept of bringing spiritual practice into the workplace, as Riz provides insight and instruction in meditation and dream work that can be useful regardless of a person's career direction.
"A Career Warrior is someone who can harmoniously bring the insights gained through spiritual practice into the every day world. And someone who can take the challenges and insights gained in the wonderful world of work with them into the hidden worlds." (p. 9).
"You are not looking to start their business, you are looking to start your own business. The lessons that you need are different than the lessons that those folks need. Starting a business is not simply a mechanical thing; it's part of your path to personal growth." (p. 37).
I could go on, quoting significant statements for some time, as each chapter contains choice tidbits to ponder and to practise. I have already begun sharing some of these wisdoms with my clients, including a workplace meditation in which the focus is not a mantra or a breathing technique but rather concentration on a task to the exclusion of everything that might intrude. Other tips have helped me focus my own intention and passion.
Riz finishes the book by sharing the dream which inspired him to write about spirituality in the workplace. He began that very night with an essay outlining the principles of what has since blossomed into this book. Since that beginning, he has continued to establish new technology companies, and to write and speak about the Path of the Career Warrior. On his web site, he announces his next endeavor, a book entitled, Dreaming a Business: Using Dreams, Visions, and Sychronicity in the Workplace. He is collecting stories now. If you hurry, there might be room for yours!
the wisdom of the man on the mountain.......2004-05-24
Are you aware of your `Warrior's Path?' Do you realize the lessons you are learning (your soul's development), and do you know what contribution you are here to make to the world (Your life's work)? Most of us catch glimpses of these things, clues from the spiritual world that we are on the right path, or not. Some of us know what path we are on, what we are there to do and what we are supposed to learn from it. But some of us have no clue and just walk along taking it as it comes.
How can you learn to understand the clues? How can you learn to focus on your true path? Sometimes it takes a teacher guiding us. And sometimes we learn that our life's purpose is to be the teacher. How does this relate to the business world? In "Zen Entrepreneurship," Rizwan Virk shares how he started a company when he was just 23 years old, and how he began his spiritual development, one goal feeding off the other.
Rizwan becomes the teacher in his publishing of this book. I suspect it is part of his life's purpose, sharing what he learned so that others may learn. I also suspect that he will gain more from this work than doing any other work in his life. Since we are speaking of a multi-million dollar business venture, that is saying a good deal.
Relaying his story of meeting with his teacher Ramaswami every month or so and sharing the lessons he learned, we are shown two paths. One deals with business lessons and successful entrepreneurship, and the other deals with spiritual awareness and growth. They both are one in the same though and prove that no matter what we think we are doing there is always a hidden lesson to be learned. One hand does wash the other but they both become clean.
The book is written as a story of interest. It shows the progress and growth of a business and a man. It is an interesting read that can be taken as lightly as a success story or it can be taken as a primer in your own development, complete with lessons and assignments that include watching some classic movies that prove a point or bring home a sentiment. It is a book that will likely be referred to time and time again.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is thinking of starting a business and also to people who have an interest in developing their spiritual side. You will come away with insight to yourself, guidance in learning your own particular lessons, and knowledge that you may not be able to acquire anywhere else save the mountaintops of the Himalayas. Rizwan has answered his call to share the knowledge; he has brought the wisdom of the man on the mountain right into your own hands. All you have to do to begin is read the book.
Review by Heather Froeschl of BookReview.com
Books:
- The Annotated Uncle Tom's Cabin
- The Atlantis Blueprint: Unlocking the Ancient Mysteries of a Long-Lost Civilization
- The Biggest Loser Cookbook: More Than 125 Healthy, Delicious Recipes Adapted from NBC's Hit Show
- The Burning Stone (Crown of Stars, Vol. 3)
- The Dream Thief
- The End of Days: Armageddon and Prophecies of the Return (The Earth Chronicles)
- The Enemy Within: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Schools, Faith, and Military
- The Good Spell Book: Love Charms, Magical Cures, and Other Practical Sorcery
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Oils in Aromatherapy and Herbalism (Illustrated Encyclopedia)
- The Mermaid Chair
Books Index
Books Home
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- Children's Ministry Resource Bible Helping Children Grow In The Light Of God's Word
- Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science
- Ike, 1890-1990: A Pictorial History
- Bizarre: The Complete Reprint of John Willie's Bizarre, Vols. 1-26
- Beauty and the Beast: The Coevolution of Plants and Animals
- Building Fascism, Communism, Liberal Democracy: Gaetano Ciocca-Architect, Inventor, Farmer, Writer,
Four Pillars of a Man's Heart: Bringing Strength into Balance
Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father's Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood
The Heart of a Tender Warrior: Becoming a Man of Purpose (Life Change Books)
Healing the Masculine Soul: God's Restoration of Men to Real Manhood
Point Man: How a Man Can Lead His Family
