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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
One of the most profound books I have ever read. The book starts out strong from the very beginning. Once I started it, I could not put it down. It is definitely an emotional roller coaster, but leaves you feeling fulfilled and hopeful. I highly recommend it for anyone struggling with who they are and what they are meant to do in life...or for anyone just looking for an inspirational story.
The general message of the book (compassion for oneself and for others) was good. I was hoping for more insight on the mysteries of the brain and less memoir. But overall, it was worth the read. But it was hard to believe his memory was that impeccable.
This book is a gift to the world- I wish everyone would read it.
It came into my life exactly at the right time - but maybe it’s always exactly the right time to read this book.
I have been meditating for years- but this book took my meditation practice to a whole new level.
It also has helped me to open my heart- with real intent and purpose.
It came into my life exactly at the right time - but maybe it’s always exactly the right time to read this book.
I have been meditating for years- but this book took my meditation practice to a whole new level.
It also has helped me to open my heart- with real intent and purpose.
Back in college, one of the first people I met was a girl named Sarah. We met at orientation, but I left thinking that we would never be friends. Our personalities just seemed too different. She looked every bit the hippie, with long flowing skirts, healthy snacks, and a soft voice. Luckily, first impressions don’t often mean much, and we went on to become great friends. Today we live about an hour apart, and every so often the roommates and I drive over to visit or we host her at our apartment. She’s very much what I first imagined her to be – she eats vegan, loves nature, drinks organic tea, and has a thirst and love for traveling and cultures. She spent a couple of years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa. But what I most associate with her is her love of yoga. She recently went through training to become a yoga teacher, but her love for yoga has always been strong. During our visits, we inevitably end up trying to twist ourselves into pretzels as she looks on, correcting our forms and teaching us the meaning of “Namaste”.
Why do I bring this up in a review, you ask? Well, this book strongly reminded me of Sarah. While most people associate yoga with those seemingly impossible poses, a lot of yoga actually has to do with self-awareness and relaxation. Sarah always starts a session with us by having us relax our entire bodies, relax our minds, and open up our hearts. This brings about a quietness of the mind and a feeling of serenity that plays well into the other exercises. I may laugh and complain about yoga, but I’ve never left a session feeling anything other than content and at peace. Those relaxation techniques really work and are great on a daily basis to help cope with stress or get in touch with my inner self.
James Doty, author of Into the Magic Shop, learned these techniques as a young boy. He didn’t call them yoga, he never struck a pose or burned incense or balanced on one leg while stretching his arms toward the sky. Regardless, the effect was the same. Growing up in an unstable environment, living well under the poverty line, and dealing with stresses no kid should ever have to face, Doty was understandably angry. He often got into fights and had plenty of inner turmoil to grapple with when he was alone. He latched onto a magic kit he owned, learning how to create allusions and perform tricks that gave him a modicum of control.
One day while riding his bike around town, he discovered a small magic shop and decided to explore. The proprietor’s mother, in town for six weeks, was holding down the shop while her son ran errands. She must have sensed something special in Doty – she agreed to teach him a special kind of magic if he promised to come to the shop every day for two hours. The magic she taught him? Relaxation techniques. How to control his anger. How to open his heart. How to become self-aware. How to make goals and visualize success and envision a future he thought was beyond his grasp.
Doty went on to overcome many difficult obstacles in his quest to become a neurosurgeon. In medical school and after, he learned that those techniques from his youth actually had the power to change neural pathways, that by learning to control their stress reactions, patients could actually assume some measure of control over the body’s physiology. He also realized that those techniques actually improved his performance as a surgeon. Combined with compassion and tenacity, Doty brought hope to his patients and began to change the conversations regarding patient/doctor relationships .
Part memoir, part science, part self-improvement, Into the Magic Shop has the potential to be a useful tool for both doctors and those of us who could just use a little anger management or stress control in our daily lives. I was reminded a little bit of Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal, but Into the Magic Shop is a unique creation. And thanks to the generosity of the publisher, I get to give away a copy on the blog today (US residents only, unfortunately). Enter for your chance to win – maybe the tricks in the book can help bring peace to your own life. And for those of you naysayers, I dare you to at least give these techniques a try. After all, what’s the worst that could happen?
Why do I bring this up in a review, you ask? Well, this book strongly reminded me of Sarah. While most people associate yoga with those seemingly impossible poses, a lot of yoga actually has to do with self-awareness and relaxation. Sarah always starts a session with us by having us relax our entire bodies, relax our minds, and open up our hearts. This brings about a quietness of the mind and a feeling of serenity that plays well into the other exercises. I may laugh and complain about yoga, but I’ve never left a session feeling anything other than content and at peace. Those relaxation techniques really work and are great on a daily basis to help cope with stress or get in touch with my inner self.
James Doty, author of Into the Magic Shop, learned these techniques as a young boy. He didn’t call them yoga, he never struck a pose or burned incense or balanced on one leg while stretching his arms toward the sky. Regardless, the effect was the same. Growing up in an unstable environment, living well under the poverty line, and dealing with stresses no kid should ever have to face, Doty was understandably angry. He often got into fights and had plenty of inner turmoil to grapple with when he was alone. He latched onto a magic kit he owned, learning how to create allusions and perform tricks that gave him a modicum of control.
One day while riding his bike around town, he discovered a small magic shop and decided to explore. The proprietor’s mother, in town for six weeks, was holding down the shop while her son ran errands. She must have sensed something special in Doty – she agreed to teach him a special kind of magic if he promised to come to the shop every day for two hours. The magic she taught him? Relaxation techniques. How to control his anger. How to open his heart. How to become self-aware. How to make goals and visualize success and envision a future he thought was beyond his grasp.
Doty went on to overcome many difficult obstacles in his quest to become a neurosurgeon. In medical school and after, he learned that those techniques from his youth actually had the power to change neural pathways, that by learning to control their stress reactions, patients could actually assume some measure of control over the body’s physiology. He also realized that those techniques actually improved his performance as a surgeon. Combined with compassion and tenacity, Doty brought hope to his patients and began to change the conversations regarding patient/doctor relationships .
Part memoir, part science, part self-improvement, Into the Magic Shop has the potential to be a useful tool for both doctors and those of us who could just use a little anger management or stress control in our daily lives. I was reminded a little bit of Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal, but Into the Magic Shop is a unique creation. And thanks to the generosity of the publisher, I get to give away a copy on the blog today (US residents only, unfortunately). Enter for your chance to win – maybe the tricks in the book can help bring peace to your own life. And for those of you naysayers, I dare you to at least give these techniques a try. After all, what’s the worst that could happen?
Bangtan recommended this book and anything that BTS loves, I love. Sorry don’t make the rules.
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
If you like manifestation and learning the power of the brain, this book is for you. I loved it so much. For some reason this book had me emotional throughout You will totally love Doty. It is such an easy read. Everything is detailed so well. I am a clinical psychologist, but almost changed it for neuropsychology. This book helped me fill my neuropsychology void.
My favorite quotes
"When our hearts are wounded that's when they opened."
"We can die a thousan times in this lifetime, and that is one of the greates gifts of being alive."
My favorite quotes
"When our hearts are wounded that's when they opened."
"We can die a thousan times in this lifetime, and that is one of the greates gifts of being alive."
emotional
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
I absolutely loved this book! Compare to all other mindfulness/ memoir books I’ve read so far, this is such a clever way to recount Dr. Doty’s life. I thought I was reading a fiction at first and even had to look up if this was indeed autobiography/nonfiction. I find it entertaining without feeling emotionally drained even with the recount of his traumatic and hopeless past. The book’s opening chapter immediately got my attention. Maybe it’s because it’s medicine related and I can still remember the details even after reading the book. I think it was just the right amount of attention grabber for me to keep on reading. This book was informative on the potentials and benefits of treating ourselves and others with kindness/compassion/empathy/love without it feeling so instructional. I felt that it mostly spelled out how these mental states have transformed Dr. Doty’s life. Although this book had emotional weights at times, I felt a sense of gratitude and relief that there are still people that is out there doing good things and giving back to the community in their own ways by transforming the way our mind works.