Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Short and quick to read. Not much happened in it. It was mainly two amateur pilots talking, one messiah teaching another one to be a messiah. The message was basically that anyone can be a messiah if you see that everything is an illusion, and you can do whatever you want to do, even if it hurts someone, because if someone is hurt, it’s their choice to be hurt (91, 107-108, 143, 157, 168). Mind over matter. It had a lighthearted joking feel to it of serious things; it reminded me of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s writing (author of 1960s books Slaughterhouse 5 and Cat’s Cradle). This book was written in the 70s, so that could be why. The 70s and late 60s were all about that permissive, laissez faire attitude.
A lot of stuff in here reminded me of “The Lost Teachings of Atlantis” by Jon Peniel:
One character calling another “ascended master” (88).
“Like attracts like. Cosmic law” (89).
Visualizations: “If you want to be with what you’re magnetizing, you have to put yourself in the picture, too” (152).
Interesting things:
“The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly” (177).
“You don’t tell the quality of a master by the size of his crowds” (189).
“Here is a test to find whether your mission earth is finished: If you’re alive, it isn’t” (159).
The book’s explanation for why we exist: we want entertainment and learning (105). But in order to exist, we must pay the admission fee which is believing in the reality of space and time, which are illusions (109). We control our own lives, even the unhappy things in them (110).
God/“the Is” is simultaneously perfect and changing, but is indifferent and unknowing of our lives (112).
“Hold some problem in your mind, then open any book handy and see what it tells you” (62). Kind of like using the I Ching. Christians think that God sends them messages if they open a random page of the Bible. I’m agnostic about these things.
I’m trying to do affirmations, but my critical thinking skills tell me that the message in this book is obviously false. It says if you get rid of the assumption that a wall is there, you can walk through it (118, 123, 131). Yet how many times do people mistakenly bump into a wall because they weren’t paying attention? Those people were not anticipating the wall being in that precise spot, which is why their hand or foot accidentally hit it. But the physical reality of the wall remains even if their mind didn’t anticipate it being there. Therefore, you can’t just imagine a wall not there and make it disappear. Also, babies have no preconceived notions/expectations about things, but if they touch a hot stove and think it won’t hurt them, they still get hurt. Reality trumps thoughts. Only with practice can a person try to block out the pain or ignore it. But this practice is like brainwashing yourself, not bringing yourself to a more natural, pure state.
For a novel more like the adventures of a reluctant messiah, check out “Mij’s Testament: El Fib” by Gail O. Dellslee.
For a novel more like the adventures of a reluctant messiah, check out “Mij’s Testament: El Fib” by Gail O. Dellslee.
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder
Another great inspirational book by Richard Bach. I read a few pages every night, savouring the wisdom and spirituality...something to think about in my dreams!
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It was a great quick read. I think there is a lot to get out of it if you choose to.
This book is the one book I swear by. I have read it multiple times and I learn something new each time I read it.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Reading it first, I was not quite sure if I understood it. I was a bit closed off at first, though the first chapter enraptured me. But then I felt distanced from the book, oddly enough; however, I decided to finish it because I knew that I was still in love with the diction and the lessons being taught -even though some were too obscure to understand. Once I got back into the groove, I finished half the book in one sitting -given introspection time- and I finished the book with a deeper understanding of what I've always believed: this life is a route defined by our thoughts, our choices, our circumstances, and us. This book is definitely worth a read.
Rating: 4.5, since halves can't be given I rounded down.
Rating: 4.5, since halves can't be given I rounded down.
A short meditation on spirituality and how we're all our own saviors. Love, love, love this book.
