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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
Many reviews I read prior told me to listen to his lectures instead, and while the book The Book is great, he has an amazing cadence and humor that can’t be captured through his writing. I’m glad to have the information for reference, and I’m happy to have read it.
My first exposure to the wonders and full of humor world of Alan Watts. Really changed my outlook on how i saw the world. From this book, i got my mantra i set for this year. 'All is an extension of me.' Amazing book, definitely a should read. I LOVE YOUR LAUGH ALAN WATTS.
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
This is simultaneously the best and worst book I’ve ever read; Taoists who beat the drum of duality should be proud.
Without ever outright saying so, it is clear that Alan Watts believes Western culture’s natural progression has perverted our ability to truly acknowledge our humanity; our ego, ever inflated by human nature, has inhibited our ability to FEEL our human nature.
Watts, self-admittedly in vain, attempts to explain the metaphysics of being with the physical, invoking weakly defined references to science and mathematics to strengthen the philosophical arguments he makes. But he’s like a shitty Bill Nye when he does this. These rambling passages oscillate between being oh so fucking boring to woefully unconvincing due to how closely they seem to neighbor pseudo-science.
Even still, this is Alan Watts, and ya boy still has some philosophical gems to drop.
I’m in a place right now where I feel especially persuaded by a philosophy that teaches understanding through accepting that one can't understand, feeling at one with the self by letting go, and coming to terms with the essence of everything as everything. There’s a certain peacefulness to this line of thinking, and when Watts puts his Taoism hat on, he’s brilliant.
But he needs to leave the science to the scientists.
Without ever outright saying so, it is clear that Alan Watts believes Western culture’s natural progression has perverted our ability to truly acknowledge our humanity; our ego, ever inflated by human nature, has inhibited our ability to FEEL our human nature.
Watts, self-admittedly in vain, attempts to explain the metaphysics of being with the physical, invoking weakly defined references to science and mathematics to strengthen the philosophical arguments he makes. But he’s like a shitty Bill Nye when he does this. These rambling passages oscillate between being oh so fucking boring to woefully unconvincing due to how closely they seem to neighbor pseudo-science.
Even still, this is Alan Watts, and ya boy still has some philosophical gems to drop.
I’m in a place right now where I feel especially persuaded by a philosophy that teaches understanding through accepting that one can't understand, feeling at one with the self by letting go, and coming to terms with the essence of everything as everything. There’s a certain peacefulness to this line of thinking, and when Watts puts his Taoism hat on, he’s brilliant.
But he needs to leave the science to the scientists.
Almost immediately prior to reading this, I listened to Alan Watts' audio lectures compiled under the title You're It! It's the audio Yin to The Book's yang—they cover virtually the exact same ground with the exact same analogies. For what it's worth, I prefer listening to Watts to reading him given the chance. Still, I was just as thrilled and inspired to encounter these ideas again in this format. Watts comes across as a sort of pantheist, Eastern-inspired Chesterton here—always churning out just the perfect turn of phrase, the ideal analogy, or jolt of wit to drive his points about life, the universe, and everything home.
reflective
slow-paced
Favorite quote - “Self-knowledge leads to wonder, and wonder to curiosity and investigation, so that nothing interests people more than people, even if only one’s own person. Every intelligent individual wants to know what makes him tick, and yet is at once fascinated and frustrated by the fact that oneself is the most difficult of all things to know. For the human organism is, apparently, the most complex of all organisms, and while one has the advantage of knowing one’s own organism so intimately—from the inside—there is also the disadvantage of being so close to it that one can never quite get at it. Nothing so eludes conscious inspection as consciousness itself. This is why the root of consciousness has been called, paradoxically, the unconscious.”
Some parts of the book are extremely quotable and make you think, think WELL! However for the most part this feels like a diary at best - a rambling of sorts of so many thoughts. Couldnt get through the entire book sadly!
I had wanted to read this for the longest time. I discovered Alan Watts through a friend a couple of years ago. I bought the Out of Your Mind audiobook and fell in love with it right away. I was hence already familiar with Watts' ideas but reading them was almost a whole new experience.
I was impressed how relevant this book still is today even though it was written in the 60s. Some parts might seem a bit outdated but I think reading anything by Alan Watts can be a life-changing and mind-boggling experience. Watts' style might take some getting used to but it didn't bother me. What I love most about Alan Watts is his sense of humour and that he refuses to take himself too seriously.
I was impressed how relevant this book still is today even though it was written in the 60s. Some parts might seem a bit outdated but I think reading anything by Alan Watts can be a life-changing and mind-boggling experience. Watts' style might take some getting used to but it didn't bother me. What I love most about Alan Watts is his sense of humour and that he refuses to take himself too seriously.
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
WELL. Yep. Honestly philosophy is hard and life is weird. probably gonna read this again sometime BUT for now, i like how Watts writes. He makes things simple and easy to chew (as easy as this sort of subject matter can be) it’s not over dense or confusing (like how i find lots of philosophy soz not soz)
do i know who i am? no
is that important? maybe
should i read this book again? definitely
do i know who i am? no
is that important? maybe
should i read this book again? definitely