Cor

Well, well. What a story. Is it all true? I am convinced that the author is truthful and has descibed his life as he truly experienced it. But I dont know if this is an objective truth.

Much of his story tracks with what other swamis have written. And after reading a few books on this subject, I have started to wonder about the way of life they describe - much of it must be true?

I found the first part of the book a little hard to enjoy (this is where an audio books helps, since it takes no effort to keep listening, even if it is less interesting). The language was too flowery and, sorry to say, boring. But after that part of the book is done, the rest is mostly fascinating.

Having completed the book and having re-listened to many parts, my understanding and admiration of this way of life and the persons that follow it has much increased. It is not at all like the religion many of us (in the west) are exposed to through the media, or our local churches/mosques/temples. IMO much more honest and principled that many religious practioners.

It has also helped me understand India much better. In the west we are raised with Socrates, Plato and Aristotle's way of looking at life. In India people grow up with stories like this (Bhagavad Gita and the Vedas). Hence a much different outlook on life.

If you are interested in such subjects, you must read this book.

Interesting concept to make a current hot topic into a book where the various angles are examined with dignity, without the hyped-up arguments you hear in today's media. Although at times a little slow and ponderous, overall quite well done. I think I'll read it again, just to get all the nuances of the ideas presented.

The book was quite good. Interesting subject, the story seemed well researched and therefore very plausible.

But, this is one of the few times I have been very disappointed with the reader of an Audible book. It was read in a monotone, almost computer like way, lacking any kind of understanding of what was being read. Especially dialogues were very difficult to follow. My apologies to the reader, but it just was very distracting.

I enjoyed the first in this series, but this book was too "preachy" in places. Instead of allowing the story to bring out the problems with our society (as viewed by some of the main characters), the author inserted long descriptions and monologues that are more like propaganda than story telling.
All the same these books did a good job of taking current technology and plausibly projecting where it could lead.

So your parents are bank robbers; okay, an interesting starting point. But not enough to create a story around - at least not in this book. The listener is expected to believe that the boy can remember the minutest details after 50 years. And then the details don't add up to anything. The only reason I listened to the whole book is because the reader is good and keeps you hoping something interesting is around the corner. But there is not.

Nice story, well read, but the boy's life was not all that interesting. And in the end i was left thinking, why did i read this? No conclusion, nothing gained, nothing learned. Like watching water boil.

The story takes you on a pretty wild ride. From the common place to the outrageous. And I went along with most of it. Pretty entertaining and enjoyable to listen to.

Good story, interesting observations, full of surprises, kept me interested right up to the end, but ... the end was disappointing, it seemed like a cop-out

This is book has interesting stories and I love physics, but .... the reader is rushing through the material, not even pausing between chapters. It's all strung together in one long torrent of words. Pretty tough to follow. And even tougher to understand the physics. Sometimes you need time to absorb some of the more difficult facts, but the reader never lets up. Too bad.

I have read Michael Pollan's other book, the Omnivore's Dilemma, so I was somewhat familiar with the subject matter. But this book makes it personal. Eating is such an important thing, yet we spend so little time thinking about it. I am sure that if we all followed just some of his common sense approach to nourishment, we'd all be much healthier. This is not a book about diets or fads or denying yourself the pleasures of food. This is a book to teach you how to eat - because as a culture, we have forgotten how. We spend so much time watching TV or driving to/from work or aimlessly surfing the net - spend some time reading this book and you (and your family) will be the better for it.

Quite an interesting story about how this person hacked into so many systems and how vulnerable these systems are - probably even today. What is most remarkable though is the author's complete lack of contrition. He broke the law, invaded people's privacy, lied all the time, hurt his family time and time again, and yet he is surprised when a fried "betrays" him. He never reaches a point where he examines his own actions or motives in any meaningful way. He comes across as a completely self absorbed and self centered person.