A review by mxunsmiley
Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach

2.0

I did enjoy this book a lot, save for the maddening constant mentions of food, but I feel like it descends into incomprehensibility toward the end because of the more complex Buddhist ideas expressed. Obviously the Buddhist concepts are not the problems; it's more that I don't think that the author was able to convey them in a way that one who is not as knowledgeable or thoughtful about Buddhism may understand, especially with the paired guided meditations--good luck doing those if you have no idea what "Form is emptiness" truly means. Vagueness is something I find intolerable in everything I read, though, particularly in self-help books which have exercises that kind of entail understanding of the concepts behind them to practice them effectively.

I also thought the formula it utilized a bit tiresome after a while, with the author interweaving stories from her clients or people she met on meditation retreats throughout the book. It's tinged with the tone of a miracle cure. I do appreciate that she emphasized how she regularly struggles with abiding by radical acceptance, because it really isn't easy!