5 comments about Story of Edgar Cayce: There Is a River.

1. Other than Emanuel Swedenborg, there are not many people who have as interesting a life story as Edgar Cayce. Both had conflicts between their religious upbringing and the "gift" they were given.
   
   Even today people still have a hard time with clairvoyance...imagine how hard it must have been to have published this book over 60 years ago.
   
   This is a great book about an ordinary guy with extraordinary abilities. The stories about some of his medical evaluations and treatments are not to be missed.



2. I've glanced at some of the other reviews, and I see that the book gets mixed reviews. I can only say what it did for me. It changed my life, because it shifted how I view life. It motivated me to read other books that further convinced me that Edgar Cayce was right on. Personally, I enjoyed reading the book. I don't read many books more than once, but I enjoyed re-reading this one. I saw in it a man of unwavering honesty and steadfast ethics. Because of this I found him to be exceptionally credible. This is why I was shaken from my comfortable 20-year mindset. This book gets my nod of approval.



3. Edgar Cayce is one of the most interesting people that I have ever read about. I have read many books on Edgar Cayce; "There Is A River" is by far the best book I have ever read on the life and times of this exordinary man and his phenomenal abilities. I highly recommend this book to all those who seek universal knowledge and enlightenment.



4. I was very disappointed in this book. After seeing the Edgar Cayce story on the History Channel, I was eager to learn more about Cayce. This book is nothing but Christian propaganda and a big waste of money. I learned more from the documentary on TV and various websites than from this book.



5. This is the first book on Edgar Cayce I read. It opened up a whole new, wonderful, and fascinating world for me.
   
   I loved to read of how Cayce, as a child, played with ghostly little children only he could see. Cayce must have been such a strange child, making his lean-to in the woods and reading his Bible all by himself. No wonder his extended family members called him, "Old Man."
   
   The book shows how difficult it must have been to be such an unusual person. It describes Edgar's fears that the information coming through him might hurt someone. I love the story of how he sat with his finger on a passage in the Bible in the dark until the sun came up. The words his finger pointed to were, "There is a River" from Psalm 46. As a result of reading the psalm, which describes God's strength in helping us, Cayce felt secure about using his special gifts to help others.
   
   Although I first read the book years ago (A.R.E. Press has reprinted a new edition), I still refer to it. My favorite part is the philosophy section at the back of the book which summarizes Cayce's trance source's understanding of who we really are and our place in the universe.
   
   If you look up Cayce's readings (available to members of Edgar Cayce's A.R.E. online), you'll discover some readings for Thomas Sugrue, the author of There is a River. The purpose of some of these Thomas Sugrue psychic readings appear to be to clarify concepts in the book. This means that concepts in the book were verified and clarified by Cayce's trance source.
   
   There are other Cayce biographies, all with their own merits. There is a River is a comprehensive, chronological biography. Edgar Cayce: The Sleeping Prophet describes Cayce through the topics of his readings, for example, a chapter on dream work. Edgar Cayce: Mystery Man of Miracles concentrates on Cayce's early years. [[ASIN:1573228966 Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet tells fascinating personal stories never before revealed about Cayce and the people around him.
   
   I keep two copies of There is a River--one for myself and one to lend.
   
   by Carol Chapman, photographer for Divine in Nature: With Quotes from Edgar Cayce and author of When We Were Gods: Insights on Atlantis, Past Lives, Angelic Beings of Light and Spiritual Awakening.

3 comments about Much Obliged, Jeeves.

1. Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (1881 to 1975) was a talented and prolific British comic writer of novels, short stories, plays, and musical comedies. He wrote 96 books, too many for most of us even to attempt to read from one author.
   
   The Jeeves and Wooster stories are among his most popular works. They are light reading and are purely fictional comedy - based on life in Britain around or before the WWI era. There are approximately 18 books in the Jeeves series plus some short stories. All the stories are narrated by the "the wealthy, scatterbrained" Bertie Wooster and feature his butler Jeeves as a steadying force.
   
   As pointed out by many others, "the plots are on the surface formulaic," but Wodehouse's genius lies in the ability to create a complicated web of characters and sub-plots that somehow have a happy ending. The plots often involve women, politics, and gambling. In many cases, a relative or a friend will create a situation which is inevitably solved through some unlikely and humorous set of events.
   
   Jeeves, the butler or valet, is the most intelligent character in the stories with a superior education and intellect, far ahead of Bertie and most of the others. He seems to be everywhere anticipating problems and providing solutions. These stories are referred to as the "Jeeves" works. Wodehouse has suggested that Jeeves was not completely fictional but was based on an actual butler called Eugene Robinson, who he employed for the purpose of study. According to the author, he extricated Wodehouse from a real-life predicament.
   
   In general, the books feature a humorous cast of characters with names that remind one of Dickens, such as Tuppy Glossop, Augustus (Gussie) Fink-Nottle, Bingo Little, Rev. Harold P. "Stinker" Pinker, Curate of Totleigh-in-the-Wold who plays rugby football, Freddie Widgeon, Harold Winship, who stands for parliament as the Conservative candidate in Market Snodsbury, Beefy Bingham, Parson in the East End, etc.
   
   This is a quick light read of a few hundred pages. I thought it was very entertaining and had many twists and turns - as Bertie extricates himself from a potentially bad marriage engagement.



2. P.G. Wodehouse was ninety years old when he published this, the second-to-last of the Bertie and Jeeves novels. Despite Wodehouse's advanced age, he managed to fill this book, also published as Jeeves and the Tie That Binds, with the sparkle and fun that characterizes all the Bertie and Jeeves novels.
   
   There is, of course, the usual cast. In addition to Bertie and Jeeves, Aunt Dahlia is present, as is her husband, Thomas Portarlington Travers. In addition, Roderick Spode (who is now Lord Sidcup), Madeline Bassett, Florence Craye, and Bingley, who filled in for Jeeves for a short time, join us from previous novels. A Bertie and Jeeves novel wouldn't be complete, of course, without an old school chum; in this case, it is Harold "Ginger" Winship, who is standing for the seat in the House of Commons for Market Snodsbury. Add in L.P. Runkle, Magnolia Glendennon, and Bertie's marvelous narration, and you have all the ingredients for a great Wodehouse farce, as Bertie preserves his bachelorhood and all else turns out for the best.



3. Much Obliged, Jeeves was the second Wodehouse book I read. While I enjoyed the almost short story styling of The Inimitable Jeeves, I thoroughly enjoyed the cohesiveness of Much Obliged. Much Obliged starts with Bertie being invited to visit his Aunt Dahlia in Market Snodsbury. An old pal of Bertie's by the name of Harold "Ginger" Winship is a candidate for Parliament in the Snodsbury election. By this time, even a relatively new fan of Wodehouse, such as I am, can tell that trouble is brewing on the horizon. Enter Jeeves and the Junior Ganymede club book. The Junior Ganymede is a club of butlers; each member is obliged to write about his employer in the club book. This is done so that anyone seeking employment with a gentleman may look him up in the club book and, thus, know what they're in for. Of course, Bertie has an unusually large section in the club book. However, much to Bertie's surprise, Ginger also has quite a few damning pages in the club book as well. When the club book is stolen by a unethical, as well as repulsive, character by the name of Bingley, Ginger's chance of winning the Snodsbury election becomes uncertain and the hilarity begins. Again, another great book that leaves the reader shouting, "Good show!"

5 comments about In My Own Way: An Autobiography.

1. Alan Watts' autobiography is an engaging read, and surprisingly easy going if you expected leaden profundity. He is also very funny, largely because he is quite unable to take himself too seriously.



2. 
   I saw Alan Watts speak at Oklahoma University. Dressed in a suit, he began by saying that he usually war robes but said that "I'd been told I was going somewhere called 'Norman' in 'Oklahoma.'" He'd given a speech the night before and the head of the philosophy department had presented him with a list of 13 logical objections to his speech. He thought that was pretty funny and didn't even bother to reply. I recall thinking how humiliated I would be if I'd been that guy.
   
   Watts was my first introduction to Asian thought. As Buddhism became popular in America I began reading other authors who seemed to take it more seriously. For years I thought of Watts as a lightweight. When I picked up one of his essays a couple years ago I began thinking that really, his gift was his light heart.
   
   He lived quite a life. He was born in Victorian England and he died in psychedelic America. He was a sharp observer of the world and understood both places very well. He was wise enough to avoid taking an ideological position on religion. He was a guy who was way out there living life just as it was. Anyone intersted in a breezy history of the counterculture will find this book a fascinating read.



3. If you have any interest in Alan Watt's writing, you will enjoy reading his autobiography. He is a great storyteller and this book contains some of this most funny stories. I found myself laughing out loud in many sections.
   
   One of the most memorable stories for me was his recounting of a game he used to play called, "you are the target." In this game, you shoot an arrow up in the air and measure how close it lands to you. This was done in the context of adolescent competition and Watts brings this spirit and fearlessness of youth alive.
   
   Alan Watts had a great sense of humor and was a deep thinker. He also had a gift for analogy and getting his points across with rich prose. This book represents some of his best writing in terms of vulnerability, openness and reflecting on his own life. It may or may not be very accurate, but it is certainly quite entertaining.
   
   I also found that this was a good book to get a sense of the context for various other books that Alan Watts wrote over the course of his life. I have found some to be better than others, but all of them to be useful in some ways.
   
   My favorite books by Alan Watts are the WAY OF ZEN, THE WISDOM OF INSECURITY and THE BOOK. Some of his later books, I found to be of lower quality, but he was in the zone when he wrote the three above. NATURE, MAN and WOMAN was also quite good and there is a lot of humor and deep insights throughout.



4. This is the finest autobiography I have read. Watts was a master of prose and many of the paragraphs in this work are memorable for their lyrical beauty. He was a very complex human being and does a frank job of highlighting his imperfections. Whatever missteps he took, though, he had a tremendous amount of wisdom to share.
   
   An added bonus to this book is that it gives the reader a vicarious introduction to many of the intellectual luminaries of the 20th century, many of whom were close friends of Watts.



5. Though I was skeptical when handed this book - I am neither into religion nor do I desire to have a hip-zen lifestyle in Southern California - I was immediately drawn in to the way this amazing man's life unfolded. Early on, he set out to be an independent intellectual, constantly learning and living in his "own way." He succeeded, in spite of the odds, on the terms that he set out for himself. This was deeply inspiring to me, and it turned out that despite the surface differences of interest, Alan Watts had a lot to say about the choices one makes in life and how to go about living.

   The book is also filled with details that are as fascinating as they are hilarious. A friend of his youth made a pilgrimage to a famous and ancient monastery, which he discovered was "an elaborate homosexual organization." Though he lacked a university degree, Watts was allowed to study at Northwestern, which he described as "the type of place where philosphers worked from 9 to 5." Later, in LA, he hung out with Aldous Huxley, experimenting with hallucinogens, beating drums all night long, and listening to the incredible rhythm of that brilliant man's speech, which he says arrested all conversation in entire restaurants. The list goes on and on.

   Warmly recommended.

5 comments about Conversations of Socrates (Penguin Classics).

1. Nearly all those who studied Greek in high school were given a much distorted image of the Athenian (and certainly of the pedophilic Spartan) society. Who told us that the wealth of Athens was based on silver mines (the university city of Ioanina is still one of the world's biggest centers of the silver industry)? And who told us why Socrates was forced to commit suicide?
   One can find the answers on many questions about Greek society in Xenophon's works, the clever writer of `Hellenika' (`All Persians are educated to become a slave, except one').
   In his works about Socrates, Xenophon brushes a lively picture of the `real' Socrates and explains clearly his political views: 'Where offices were filled by men who satisfied the legal requirements, he considered the constitution to be an aristocracy; where they were filled in accordance with a property qualification, a plutocracy; where they were filled by anybody, a democracy.'
   Socrates was an anti-democrat and defended oligarchy is his teachings.
   What oligarchy really meant for the majority of the Athenians, one can also read in `Hellenika'. Describing the reign of the Thirty (comprising two uncles of Plato), Xenophon states: `The oligarchs went on a killing spree murdering all democratic opponents, more Athenians than all the Peloponnesians did in ten years of war ... when people could vote, it was in full view.'
   Xenophon explains one of the main reasons for oligarchic rule in his rhetoric question: `if people uses its superior power to enact measures against the propertied classes, will that be violence rather than law?'
   Socrates was a moderate anti-democrat, not as his pupil Plato who fulminated relentlessly against the democratic beast (Gerard Koolschijn). He respected the law: `He disobeyed the illegal orders of the Thirty on the ground that what he was ordered to do was illegal.'
   He also was a moderate in his personal life (`to need nothing is divine').
   
   Xenophon's works are key texts for understanding the ancient Greek society (daily life, morals, social issues, drink-parties, sex, politics). They are a must read for all those interested in human history and for all lovers of classical texts.



2. Perikles pushed Athens into risky power politics, those led into the Peloponnesi war (431-404 before Chr.). The second woman of Perikles, Aspasia, participated in the philosophical discussions of Socrates and became highly estimated by him. She was accused like Sokrates of being not as religious as they should be. Of course the boring-questioner Socrates became a feedback not only ironically (e.g. by the comedy poet Aristophanes) but also others with heavy rage: started by the government clique around President Perikles. To awaken the people from their sleep of propaganda-smeared opinions, - this had to provoke counter actions. In his defense speech at court Socrates didn't own much time. The limit was set by a pot of water, having a whole. The moment, all the water had run out, that was the very moment he had to stop his speech. The jury of 500 Athenians didn't like to listen at all - and they were happy, to bring that thing quickly to an end. The three prosecutors of Socrates by the way had been lynched a few weeks later. Probably the thoughts become accepted to which Socrates had wanted to inflame: "... perhaps you might possibly be offended, like the sleeping who are awakened, striking me, you might easily kill, then the rest of your lives you might continue sleeping..." - Socrates maintained his integrity as hero until the end. His radical critique of the Athenians fundamental values is the starting point of western philosophy, of the modern debate over civil disobedience (compare Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King Jr., Jane Fonda and so on...). Today it's still amusing to follow the way, how the master shredded the weaknesses in faulty arguments. Socrates had tried to make publicly, what later should be named as "try-and-error procedures of thinking". And he didn't allow the mighty ones to intimidate him. There are cultural fluctuations with regard to the allowance to think opposite. Jesus or Spartacus (or the American Socrates-scientist Vlastos, notified by the FBI and threatened with deportation to Canada because he didn't agree to the VietNam-war), Angela Davis, Sinead o'Connor or Michael Moore - they had their special versions of trouble. Today we don't need a death-sentence, there are smaller and more effective tricks, to produce a YES to nearly everything. So we still need such a hero of dissidence like Socrates - or should we stop thinking self-confidently? Nearly 500 years before Christ this Socrates gave an unforgettable sign of a solid character. He didn't beg the judge committee, to stop the death penalty, he didn't agree to accept exile - in the contrary he made a request for the highest honor in Athens at that time: the daily free meal-supply in the city hall. He was an ironic man and he knew, this request had been a little too much for the nervous jury ...



3. Perikles pushed Athens into risky power politics, those led into the Peloponnesi war (431-404 before Chr.). The second woman of Perikles, Aspasia, participated in the philosophical discussions of Socrates and became highly estimated by him. She was accused like Sokrates of being not as religious as they should be. Of course the boring-questioner Socrates became a feedback not only ironically (e.g. by the comedy poet Aristophanes) but also others with heavy rage: started by the government clique around President Perikles. To awaken the people from their sleep of propaganda-smeared opinions, - this had to provoke counter actions. In his defense speech at court Socrates didn't own much time. The limit was set by a pot of water, having a whole. The moment, all the water had run out, that was the very moment he had to stop his speech. The jury of 500 Athenians didn't like to listen at all - and they were happy, to bring that thing quickly to an end. The three prosecutors of Socrates by the way had been lynched a few weeks later. Probably the thoughts become accepted to which Socrates had wanted to inflame: "... perhaps you might possibly be offended, like the sleeping who are awakened, striking me, you might easily kill, then the rest of your lives you might continue sleeping..." - Socrates maintained his integrity as hero until the end. His radical critique of the Athenians fundamental values is the starting point of western philosophy, of the modern debate over civil disobedience (compare Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King Jr., Jane Fonda and so on...). Today it's still amusing to follow the way, how the master shredded the weaknesses in faulty arguments. Socrates had tried to make publicly, what later should be named as "try-and-error procedures of thinking". And he didn't allow the mighty ones to intimidate him. There are cultural fluctuations with regard to the allowance to think opposite. Jesus or Spartacus (or the American Socrates-scientist Vlastos, notified by the FBI and threatened with deportation to Canada because he didn't agree to the VietNam-war), Angela Davis, Sinead o'Connor or Michael Moore - they had their special versions of trouble. Today we don't need a death-sentence, there are smaller and more effective tricks, to produce a YES to nearly everything. So we still need such a hero of dissidence like Socrates - or should we stop thinking self-confidently? Nearly 500 years before Christ this Socrates gave an unforgettable sign of a solid character. He didn't beg the judge committee, to stop the death penalty, he didn't agree to accept exile - in the contrary he made a request for the highest honor in Athens at that time: the daily free meal-supply in the city hall. He was an ironic man and he knew, this request had been a little too much for the nervous jury ...



4. Very few extant works remain on the life of Socrates: mainly the works of Xenophon and Plato. In "Conversations of Socrates" Xenophon writes extensively on the philosophical thought of the master in a forthright and simple manner. Xenophon has not always been praised for his writing style but he covers the Socratic principles thoroughly. The subjects aren't organized particularly well with examples of Socrates' views on certain virtues scattered throughout the text. Nevertheless, since Socrates didn't write his own thoughts we are very fortunate that we have these works.

   Xenophon divided his works into four books: Socrates' Defense; Memoirs of Socrates; the Dinner-Party; and the Estate-Manager. Xenophon writes in the second and third person so that we "hear" the Socratic Method throughout the text. We see how Socrates used questions of his followers to teach them to think. His method thoroughly flushed out the truth and often revealed the flaws in the arguments his opponents and followers made.

   I thoroughly enjoyed reading Xenophon. One could almost imagine being right there with the master as he shredded the weaknesses in faulty arguments and uncovered hidden truths. His opinions on virtues may be dated to Twentieth Century people but one must remember that it was largely his teachings that had such a great influence on Western thought and ideas.




5. While not as competent a writer as Plato, Xenophon's 'Socrates' is the historically more accurate (I refer to the chapter of Memoirs in this book.)The Dinner-Party was my favorite dialogue, there are also several brilliant vignettes throughout the memoir chapter. This is not to say that it doesn't 'drag' in parts, it does. The Estate-Manager, which is the last dialogue, terribly weighs down this volume; there Socrates is more a bystander than participant.

   But I give this 5 stars, as its an indespensible volume for the Socratic enthusiast.

No comments about Germaine de Stael and Benjamin Constant: A Dual Biography.

5 comments about Opening the Dragon Gate: The Making of a Modern Taoist Wizard.

1. Amazing story.Hard to put book away.Truly inspirational.This is not book for beginner on Path of Tao.Greatly recommended for those seriously studying Qigong Meditation or Taoism .One of most influential books had joy to read



2. This book is the best book out there, that explain how to get the highest in Chi Kung in Taoism, I had read the book in Spanish and is so beautiful and good. Let me just say that are you interesting about the history of one of the highest Master in Taoism and student training in Chi Kung, this is the best book I know, and the one I recommend you to read! I look forth, for the other books of Master Wang Liping! Thank you very much for this book!



3. This was an exciting look into the life and training of a Taoist master in China living through the Communist Revolution. While offering a compelling tale of cultivation and growth, this book also gives the reader insight into the practice and attainment of Way. It allowed me to reflect upon my own life and inner journey and gain new perspectives for my own qi gong practice. I was truly humbled and inspired.
   
   If you practice any type of inner art or are interested in doing so, this is a great book to read.



4. This was a very good perspective on Taoist miracle working. It briefly mentions many techniques, without explaining them, so this is not a manual for learning Taoism. Some of it is unbelievable, but as a story it is excellent. It mentions many books, mostly from the last thousand years. It provokes the reader into more study.



5. Great disservices to people whom are searching for information and enlightenment on Taoism. The authors used a map of china and a few books on Taoism to take the reader on an almost 300 page fairy tale coated to read like a biography. The characters shift personality quicker than a chameleon does color. I think there is a story in the book but the contrived situations get in the way.

5 comments about Nietzsche: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions).

1. When I bought this book I expected a brief introduction into the Philosophy of Neitzsche. Instead, I got a brief intro into Neitzsche the man. Sure he is an interesting character, but Tanner spends more time framing Nietzsche psychologically and gushing over his writing style than talking about his contributions to philosophy. He spends more time talking about Neitzsche's works then what they are actually about.
   
   This would be a great book if you were already familiar with Nietzsche's works and wanted some insight to his motivations. For a beginner, I suggest you look elsewhere. Finally, the author often presents philosophical terminology without explanation and uses vocabulary beyond the scope of the casual reader. While some of it makes sense in context, I often had to use a dictionary despite six years of college education.



2. This is a superb introduction to Nietzsche, one that goes beyond a recitation of works and main points, although it contains that aspect, also. Tanner knows Nietzsche from the ground up, and he has produced an overview and evaluation that is at once sympathetic and tough-minded. For example, there are many who claim that 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' is Nietzche's greatest book; Tanner explains why it isn't, by a long shot.
   
   Nietzsche's works are complex and unsystematic, his themes are many and sometimes mixed together without warning, and he changed his mind about some of his crucial early concepts and positions later on. All of that makes a short summary and evaluation a very difficult thing to pull off, but Tanner has done it better than anyone. Tanner has also written the introductions to many of the Penguin editions of Nietzche's works. Highest recommendation.



3. I picked this book up, because I'm interested in getting a high level overview of Nietzsche. The title read Very Short Introduction, so I assumed it would be a great starting point to figure out if I would want to dive into some of Nietzsche complete works and study him over time. Now, I'm not an English major, but I do hold a Masters degree, so I am educated. I found this book terrible in communicating its point. Yes, Tanner has a wonderful command of the English language, but does his book really need to require a dictionary to read? It's almost as if he ran it through a software thesaurus that converted every word to the most obscure word he could possibly use. Yes, Mr. Tanner your language is impressive, but if the average reader, like me, can't understand you then what's the point? Keep it simple; always use the simplest most widely used words to communicate the point. Anything else is just egotistical in my opinion.



4. Nietzche is indeed a rather interesting philosopher however I feel after reading this book that I still do not know much about his philosophy. I can contrast this to the outstanding VSI book on Kant from which I think I learned a great deal. The author has the tendency to write very obscurely which is not a good thing for these kind of books which are written about authors or subject matter that often considered obscure to begin with. I think one would do a lot better just to pick up one of Nietzche's books and have a go at it.



5. In his opening chapter Tanner claims that Nietzsche has been appropriated by the most diverse groups. Neitzsche Tanner claims is the most written about philosopher in the world today. He claims that he has been the patron saint of post- modernists and deconstructionists, structuralists and other academic schools of reading texts. He mentions but does not dwell upon the evil and horrible misreading of Nietzsche made by the Nazis. Neitzsche Tanner seems to say has been adopted by all kinds of different people and schools all of whom put his work to use for their own purposes.
   In this regard Tanner points out the negative influence of the publication of Nietzsche's notebooks and journals. He claims that often these were half- baked ideas and not what Nietzsche would have necessarily presented to the public. He points out how careful Nietzsche was in polishing , and even rewriting whole works. And he claims that the published writings are far superior in their style and quality of thought than the notebooks.
   In contradiction to this it seems to me that none of Nietzche's major ideas, not the will-to -power, not the 'eternal recurrence' and certainly not the ' ubermensch superman idea ' are of positive value to mankind today. I would even maintain that his telling insight into the cultural state of Europe in which the West seemed at his time to lose the meaningfulness given by a felt presence of the Divine ,is not a final definition even for the old continent. So too his critique of Christianity , his contempt for the idea of Christian equality seems to me to not be of any real positive human value.
   It seems to me that the religious and philosophical problems facing Mankind today , including the problems created by Mankind's unending usurpation of Divine powers have no real answer in Nietzsche. Our world in which we are the threshhold of ' enhanced human beings' ' cloning ' ' two hundred year life spans' ' possible nuclear destruction' is not really the one that Nietzsche lived in. In this regard it seems to me it is not Nietzsche alone among the great philosophers in not really addressing the kind of unprecedented Reality mankind is confronted by today.
   Therefore however dramatic and powerful many of his ideas might seem the best reading of him is as a kind of inspired literary master, a maker of philosophical fictions, a most brilliant aphoristic stylist, a man of extraordinary intelligence and humor but not a thinker who really can address the questions facing Mankind today for tomorrow.

5 comments about Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley.

1. Lawrence Sutin gives a thorough look into the life of Aleister Crowley, who was dubbed "the wickedest man alive." Mr. Sutin portrays Crowley with an honest, and open mind, giving the reader a complete and very real idea of who this man was.
   Crowley was an interesting man to read about. He was an apiring poet, a very skilled chess player and mountain climber. He published many books on "magick", as he called it. Magick was what he was most well remembered for, dedicating most of his life to this calling. His first introduction to magick was through the "Order of the Golden Dawn," an organization who's members at the time included many contemporary poets and artists.
   Crowley would eventually break away from the Golden Dawn, and start his own philosophy of sorts called "Thelema," (the greek word for "will") which is still being practiced and studied to this day.
   Crowley studied buddhism and tantra, incorporating them into "Thelema, along with what he learned from the Golden Dawn. His use of drugs was well known, and documented in his book, "Diary of a Drug Fiend." He used some drugs for spiritual purposes, but later fell deep into opium addiction.
   All in all, Crowley's life was filled with accomplishments more so than failures. It's a shame that he got more recognition in death, than in life. His books sell much more today than they ever did in his day. At least he left a legacy behind. A legacy that will "endure to the end," much like his magick name, "Perdurabo."



2. It's fascinating, and detailed as far as his rituals and philosophy. But the "Confessions" are much more fun. Also, he covers Crowley in Mexico very briefly, whereas AC has much to say about it in his book. Still, I liked it.



3. headbangers this is the reason why you all bang your head in the name of the devil this is the reason you fornicate and do drugs. you wanna proper introduction to magic, the occult, prophecy, drugs, satan, promiscous sex, and demons you should check it out but be warned you'll never be the same after you explore the dark truths bad things have been known to happwen and changes in your morals are sure to follow.



4. This book is certainly not for those who are merely curious or casually interested in Crowley. Let's be frank, Sutin's biography is not light reading by any means. He gives us nearly 500 pages of details; no fluff, no sensationalism, and very little speculation beyond that which is evident by actual facts. Because of this, Do What Thou Wilt will surely disappoint those who prefer to think that Crowley was a Satan-worshipping black magician, those who place him on a pedestal as a perfected spiritual master and those who are looking for juicy tales of sex, drugs, and blasphemy. But anyone who has read Crowley's autobiographical Confessions of Aleister Crowley should read Do What Thou Wilt to balance out Crowley's own one-sided version of his life. Also, those who are already familiar with Crowley's contributions to the study and practice of the occult and who are hungry for a thorough, detail-oriented study of his life would appreciate this book. At any rate, I would not recommend this as a Crowley bio for beginners.
   
   Sutin gives us a carefully researched book. He makes no claims without verifiable sources. Unlike any other bio (or auto-bio) I have encountered concerning Crowley, Sutin seems to have no agenda beyond telling us the story of his subjects life as well as can be gathered from the source material available (which he seems to have studied well). He also does a fine job of carefully and fairly pointing out inconsistencies and differing accounts from different sources (or sometimes from different works by Crowley himself). This is refreshing, as most writers on Crowley seem to want to condemn, apologize or praise Crowley.
   
   Sutin displays considerable insight when he makes his case for the subconscious motives behind Crowley's strong need to promulgate his new creed and religion, Thelema, how he sought all his life to transcend his deeply ingrained puritan sense of sin and guilt with regards to sex, and a few other aspects of his life. But Sutin does this with a cool, detached, non-judgmental and elegantly minimalist fashion. He tastefully points out a few connections between what must have been strong psychological imprints in Crowley's childhood and strong tendencies in his adult life and then lets readers think these out for themselves.
   
   Sutin makes it exhaustively clear that Crowley could often be petty, cruel, dishonest, egotistical to the point of megalomania, bigoted, sexist, boastful, obscene, conniving, and - in the latter half of his life - hopelessly addicted to cocaine and heroin and dependent on the generosity or gullibility others for money. Since Crowley himself downplayed these traits and because his auto-bio Confessions was written about halfway through his life, I again strongly suggest that one does not read Confessions without reading Do What Thou Wilt. Having reiterated that, I also suggest that one does not read Do What Thou Wilt without reading Crowley's Confessions, Isreal Regardies's Eye in the Triangle, or some other book that explains Crowley's magical practice, philosophy and Thelema because - and this is the main fault of Do What Thou Wilt - Sutin gives us almost no understanding of this.
   
   Because his magical philosophy and Thelema was central to his life, Sutin's book tells us only about half of what one needs to know in order to get a good understanding of Crowley. It is somewhat like telling the story of Einstein without telling us about the physics that occupied his genius or his revolutionary discoveries. Beyond a sentence here and there, the only passage in which Sutin does Crowley's life work justice is short enough to quote here. While mentioning that the famous occultist Dion Fortune acknowledged Crowley's great work, Sutin says that, "Fortune is correct in her judgment of Crowley's `contribution to occult literature.' Magick is a watershed in the history of that literature - the first work to strip the subject of its gothic trappings and bring it fully into the modern world. Its arguments are ruthlessly practical - assuming, of courses, that the reader will allow that there is such a thing as the `Great Work' that is attainable by human consciousness. There is, indeed, a religious belief at the heart of the book: a conviction that the life of fulfillment of the inmost spirit - the Will - is the highest form of life. Scoff at this and you not only scoff at Magick but at religion itself. Grant it as a nondenominational goal and Magick may have something to teach you. After all, the definition of `Magick' offered in the Introduction is catholic enough: `MAGICK is the Science and Art of Causing Change to occur in conformity with Will.' "
   
   Oddly, this passage displays one of the few places where Sutin directly gives us his own opinion when he could have discussed this more objectively in terms of the impact that this work had on students of the occult. Still, Sutin barely gives us an understanding of Crowley's work and how he is almost undeniably the single most important writer on occultism. Let's face it, if Crowley was merely a promising Cambridge chess champion, a minor poet and a man who came close to being the first to reach the peak of the world's third highest mountain (which would have made him placed him in the position of being the climber to have reached the highest peak ever before climbed) he would likely have been merely a footnote in the history of mountaineering and Sutin would almost surely not have written a book about him.
   
   But, to be fair, Sutin has given me what I was seeking when I bought this book; a more objective view of Crowley's life and (more importantly for me) details on his experimentation with drugs. Although, Sutin gives us very little understanding of what Crowley experienced with these substances (as he does with Crowley's experiences with magical and mystical practices) he does tell us what substances he experimented with, when, and in combination with what magical and mystical practices.
   
   Sutin gives us no real sense of Crowley's role as a pioneer in the re-emergence of psychedelics Western civilization. The short passage by Suster quoted above gives us a greater sense of Crowley's place in this re-emergence than Sutin does in his entire book. But then again, Suster does not tell us the details that Sutin does. Also, Sutin adequately shows us (through evidence, not opinion) Crowley's struggle over whether the use of consciousness-altering substances are legitimate or counterfeit aids in the exploration of the mind and spirit. He also shows us how in one account of a given event Crowley frankly admits the use of a particular drug in addition to a particular magical operation to gain entry into a particular "plane" or state of mind whereas in another account of the same event Crowley omits the fact that he used a drug without which the result would likely not have occurred at all.
   
   Sutin also gives us what little there is to know regarding the legend that Crowley turned Aldous Huxley on to mescaline, resulting in Huxley's monumentally influential Doors of Perception. Sutin shows us how although it is possible that this could be so, there really is no evidence that this is the case. Crowley was experienced with peyote years before Huxley, the two men met once through a mutual acquaintance and that is about all we know for sure beyond the fact that if Crowley had turned Huxley on to peyote, both men would very likely have written about it at length. As Sutin shows in his book, Crowley merely noted in his diary that, "Huxley improves on acquaintance."
   
   Over the course of the book, we see that Crowley devolved from a young man with seemingly boundless enthusiasm to find truth and to gain new ground in consciousness, to build a sound body of knowledge Crowley called Scientific Illuminism ("The method of science, the aim of religion") with determination and perseverance (mirrored in his considerable achievements in the field of mountaineering and rugged hiking across thousands of miles in various parts of the world) to a derailed and self-deluded older man who spent the later half of his life preoccupied with sex and self-promotion and hampered by hard drug addiction and by poverty all the while attempting and failing to establish his new religion and to gain a large body of disciples. But then again, many of Crowley's best works were written during this period - perhaps this was a time when he was able to reflect upon and write about what he discovered earlier in life - and Sutin barely gives us any sense of this.
   
   In summary, Sutin's book is valuable in that it provides a good detailed and well researched biography of Crowley's mundane life but it tells us far too little about Crowley's spiritual, creative and intellectual pursuits. I would only recommend this book to those who are already well acquainted with Crowley's work and who are ready to tackle a long, dry, detailed biography on his all-too-human side.



5. I approached this book with little knowledge of the occult or of Aleister Crowley. I had previously read The Book of the Law, and was intrigued enough by its poetry, radical ideas, and mysterious conception that I wished to know more of the author.
   
   Lawrence Sutin does a splendid job at delving beyond the myths and legends of Crowley's life to reveal his humanity, with all accompanying flaws and strengths. He also presents Crowley's various beliefs and philosophies in an astute and evenhanded manner. Mr. Sutin is neither an apologist nor an ardent opponent of the Beast, but a thorough and incisive biographer who balances the varied aspects of Crowley's life.
   
   Sutin's writing style is fluid and articulate, and his subject is so fascinating that the reader can't help but be propelled through the book. I was continually compelled to discover what happened next, and left wanting to read more when the story was over.
   
   This isn't simply a book for occultists or Crowley devotees, but for anyone interested in cultural history. Love him or hate him, Crowley's continued influence and impact on Western society is undeniable.

5 comments about Autobiography of a Spiritually Incorrect Mystic.

1. I was unaware of all the controversy about this man, and I wish I still was naiive to it. I love osho's books they have helped me so much ...as a younger person, I didnt know about all the bad stuff, or Rajneeshpuram. This book doesnt go too far into THAT, which is good because his teachings were and still are so strong. Some say that this book left out a bunch of stuff ... maybe for good reason. Osho is to YOU what you want him to be. You dont have to wear marroon or orange clothing and go to retreats to experience Osho. Hes right here! OSHO-NEVER BORN NEVER DIED-ONLY VISITED THIS EARTH FROM 1931-1990. And I believe that Sheela poisoned him, she was the one to go to prison for her wrongdoings not Osho.. But maybe it was the government like he thought when he was in jail for 12 days and deported for no real reason. Regardless, he died at age 59. Left his body. Perhaps it was his time to leave that body and come back later on. I love tis book. I have disregarded all the bad stuff Ive read abou him, and focus only what he taught me (and continues to teach me) through his books and words. I wish I could have met him. Namaste.



2. The only thing incorrect about OSHO is that he could not have lived a hundred years. This book is a delightful and funny look into the early life of a spiritual rebel, even as a child. I see in OSHO the courage it took to ask the questions I never asked for fear of retribution or crusifiction. Reading his autobiography inspired me to "question my answers."
   Rahasya Poe, Lotus Guide Magazine, Chico, CA



3. Nice book only half is about is life which is suprising as he seemed to talk and do alot.



4. It is believed that the tribals lead a much better life than us educated, sophisticated, and evolved humans. Osho proves this in his biography. His quest for the ultimate truth, lead him to question not only established cult-typed religions but also ourselves in terms of psychology.
   
   For a moment, if seekers were to be stranded in an island and they knew nothing about religion, sex, luxury, philosophy then what would they do? One thing is sure, that their freedom of choice would not be limited by these norms and beliefs. In other words, they will be free than us living in advanced nations.
   
   Osho has achieved just that while living around dogmatic people like us. With his clarity of thought and analysis he has seeked his answers everywhere. Born as a Jain, he questioned not only his birth religion but also every school of thought, from Zarathustra to Zen.
   
   I loved reading this biography. It challenges people to look at their reactions to similar situations in their lives. What we have taken for granted, Osho has given a thought to it rationally!



5. I love this man. If he were still alive, and if I had a daughter, I would not trust him around her, and I would also not take anything he says too seriously. But that is sort of the point. Follow any teacher or master too closely and you will be disillusioned. This guy tells you where he found his keys to the kingdom, and his stories and message are all you need to find your own key. I really enjoy his books.

5 comments about All too Human.

1. In this moving look into the White House, Stephanopoulos carefully treads the line between worship for his idealized boss who embodied all the dreams and hopes Stephanopoulos had for his country, and distraught disappointment at the human flaws that caused this man to dally with a certain females and to lie to his aides about it. For Stephanopoulos, the crime here is not the actual act, but the fact that his boss let his people lie for him - without even realizing they were lying. This lack of trust and respect was crushing to the young idealist and it shows through in every page of the book. He mourns for what could have been, but wasn't; he hangs his head for the mistakes made by his "all too human" boss. He does not, however, descend into mudslinging - he obviously still adores his former boss, even if he did turn out to be a little less large than life.



2. This book is interesting in two ways. The first is the rise of a working class immigrant's son to the position of political advisor of the world's most powerful statesman. The father of Stephanopoulos was an working class immigrant yet his son was able to become a Rhodes scholar and reach the position in politics he did. The American success story. It is also interesting, from a much more cynical perspective, in that Stephanopolous' political advice was all politically motivated and absolutely none (with emphasis on absolutely) had a basis in the actual non-political benefits or costs (or efficacy). Extremely cynical. One comes away wondering whether it is even possible for the political process to produce socially beneficial policies instead of just politically expediant solutions.



3. First, my standard disclaimer: I am a political moderate and social conservative. This book is an average look at what happens in political inner circles, specifically the Clinton white house. I was a little disappointed that Stephanopoulos did not take more risks to write about subjects that the general public did not already know. It seemed that much of the reason for the book was for the author to exonerate himself from any wrongdoing.



4. George Stephanopoulos' memoir of working in the White House during Bill Clinton's first term in office makes you feel like a fly on the wall of the Oval Office. Written in that hypersmart, jargon-fluent style familiar to "West Wing" viewers, "All Too Human" is an engaging, candid companion to readers of any political stripe, in part an impassioned defense of one of America's most infuriatingly bipolar personalities, in part a cautionary tale of power trumping principle.
   
   Among the best and brightest that made up Clinton's 1992 campaign staff, no one burned brighter than Stephanopoulos, a senior advisor to the President at the tender age of 31 whose charge included Congress (he formerly worked for House Majority Whip Dick Gephardt) and satisfying Clinton's critical liberal base.
   
   Stephanopoulos makes no bones about being a true believer. He likens his work with Clinton to being an altar boy for the Greek Orthodox priests of his youth. "It's Nazi time out there," Clinton explodes when the Republicans campaign against him in a special congressional election in Kentucky. Stephanopoulos seems on board with this Hitlerian characterization of the GOP.
   
   Yet Stephanopoulos' passion is tempered by a cool calculating side that finds much common ground with the president, too much, he comes to find. "The last temptation is the greatest treason/To do the right thing for the wrong reason," goes the Eliot verse Stephanopoulos keeps on his desk, in a cramped room he coveted for its proximity to the Oval Office. Even when he manages to get the president to save affirmative action or appease other liberal concerns, it all comes back to a base sort of pragmatism. Is Clinton doing it because it's the right thing to do, or for the political benefit? What about George?
   
   Stephanopoulos' candor is this book's greatest asset, candor about the calculating Clinton, his prickly wife Hillary, and especially himself. He recalls a moment in the first campaign when he caught himself telling a small child that her father is "a bad man" for lying about Clinton. Stephanopoulos wants us to see him, and his boss, as good people, but like the title suggests, with some intrinsic flaws.
   
   While the first half of the book is marginally more interesting as a whole, as the Clinton team finds their way into the White House amid bimbo eruptions and fights its own party to pass a budget through Congress, the second half has the book's most interesting figure, the one man Stephanopoulos paints in entirely black hues: Dick Morris.
   
   Morris could be a Dickens character, "a small sausage of a man encased in a green suit with wide lapels, a wide floral tie, and a wide-collared shirt." As unctuous as Uriah Heep, Morris twitters on about his access to the president, all the time sizing our narrator's back for a place to stick his knife. Stephanopoulos, who views Morris as nothing less than a Republican mole, does likewise.
   
   "I have no home. I have no one left to talk to," Morris tells Stephanopoulos at one point.
   
   Get a dog, Stephanopoulos finds himself wishing he had the nerve to reply.
   
   Morris has claimed Stephanopoulos misrepresented him, but I find the depiction very close to the bone from what I've seen of this fellow commentating on Fox News.
   
   There are flaws in the book, like Stephanopoulos' shorthand with the facts. He seems to assume the reader is as well-versed as he is about the Clinton years, which has him skirt over a lot of material or peripherally refer to things like Tammy Wynette being upset with the First Lady as if we all will know the rest of the story. There is also a fatal Yuppie self-absorption in how Stephanopoulos whines about his trials. A lot of people deal with mega-stress. Not so many have a movie actress ready to draw them a bath.
   
   But "All Too Human" is a good read, and buttressed by Bob Woodward's "The Agenda," one gets an immersive sense of life around Bill Clinton in his first term, a time of great possibilities, hopes, and, inevitably, more than a bit of frailty.



5. The subtitle of this wonderful memoir taught me more about politics in 400 pages than I'd learned in 40 years. A diehard liberal and a political fanatic, someone whose views would normally make me sneer and scoff, Stephanopolous paints a picture of the stresses, ins-and-outs, spin, activities and the vital scope of the world inside the Oval Office. Every newsworthy event or program is canvassed for its political ramafications; the very definition and refinement of the word "politics" is reinforced on every page; the mistakes that lead to triumphs, and the feel-good preparations that lead to disasters are all here in stark detail. Stephanopolous proves himself a very sensible man, and even his staunchly liberal views are sidenotes to the greater energies, arguments and preparations that occur inside the White House. I occasionally disliked S's speaking his own platform (which he did sparingly), or telling how political parties are constructed to blunt the other even when their plans are sensible, but all in all I learned more from this book about the workings inside the White House than from all my prior readings and public education.