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par4dox's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent content I find very valuable and re-readable. Alan has a tremendously articulate way of making sublime, sometimes difficult concepts easy to digest and contemplate. Highly recommended for anyone looking to explore how zen philosophy and the timelessness of its messages are just as relevant now as they were in the beginning.
meredith_collins's review
5.0
Simultaneously challening and beautifully reassuring. I loved the conversational style as well.
mmazelli's review
4.0
Sometimes Watts rambles on and some of the sessions end abruptly without warning but overall he’s entertaining, offering nuggets of wisdom throughout these lectures.
reading_rainy's review
4.0
This is one of those audiobooks that you could listen to over and over again and hear something different every time.
emilyn's review
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.75
I took a lot of religious studies classes on Eastern religions in college, so not a lot new for me here. It was interesting from a cultural perspective to listen to these lectures given in the '60s and to hear how Watts described things using language and cultural references from that period.
sabrina_dunford's review
5.0
Deep and interesting ideas. You must have an open mind to listen to this audiobook, but if you do, I think you'll enjoy it.
thestarman's review against another edition
3.0
* Won in GR giveaway* If you're into Zen sayings, Buddhism, self-awareness, and esoteric ponderings, this is a gem of a book. The writing style is casual, as if you're listening to a kind and slightly teasing philosopher. And there's a reason it reads like this: it's a compilation of talks given by the late Alan Watts. There are no quizzes here, just Watts talking about things he finds interesting.
VERDICT: Not simple to rate. It starts off slow and languishes a bit in the middle, but the later parts were really interesting. Some of it was 2-stars for me, but there weresome several 4-5 star ideas here, and some fun Zen sayings/stories. If you like philosophy and are open-minded, you may like this book. I think it'd be a good gift for some of my more wacky (already semi-enlightened?) friends. Overall, it's at least 3 stars, maybe as high as 3.5.
ALSO CONSIDER: [b:The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom|6596|The Four Agreements A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom|Miguel Ruiz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348204644s/6596.jpg|376130]
and maybe (BIG maybe): [b:The Holographic Universe|319014|The Holographic Universe|Michael Talbot|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347752336s/319014.jpg|1842572]
VERDICT: Not simple to rate. It starts off slow and languishes a bit in the middle, but the later parts were really interesting. Some of it was 2-stars for me, but there were
ALSO CONSIDER: [b:The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom|6596|The Four Agreements A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom|Miguel Ruiz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348204644s/6596.jpg|376130]
and maybe (BIG maybe): [b:The Holographic Universe|319014|The Holographic Universe|Michael Talbot|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347752336s/319014.jpg|1842572]