Buddhism for Busy People

By: David Michie

Narrated by: Nicholas Bell

Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

The best-selling introduction to Buddhism. Every once in a while you come across an extraordinary book with the power to change your life. Buddhism For Busy People is one such book.

What does it take to be happy? We've all asked ourselves this question at some point, but few of us have found the path to lasting fulfillment.

David Michie thought he had achieved his life's goals - the high level job, the expensive city apartment, the luxury car, great holidays...but a small voice was telling him he wasn't really happy. A chance remark from a naturopath sent him to his local Buddhist centre. There, he began the most important journey of his life.

In this simple, beautifully written book, David Michie opens the door to the core teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. With wry, self-deprecating humour, he shows us how he began to incorporate Buddhist practices into his daily life. He explains how he came to understand the difference between the temporary pleasures of ordinary life, and the profound sense of well-being and heart-felt serenity that comes from connecting with our inner nature.

Please note: new audio was uploaded for this product on June 4th 2019 - additional meditations are now included at the end of the audiobook.

©2008 David Michie (P)2008 Bolinda Publishing

Dipping your toe into meditation? Buy this...

Author David Michie had a great job with work he loved, a beautiful wife and happy marriage, a London flat in an up-and-coming area, a sexy German car and a salary to match--in other words, he had it all.

Why then, he wondered, was he not happy?

Thus began Michie's exploration into the world of meditation, living a mindful life, and getting more out of each day by doing less. He writes eloguently of his search for meaning in a busy life. And how to not have such a busy life.

If you have been thinking about exploring the world of meditatin and what it can do for you, this is an excellent introduction, written by a witty, articulate and very humble guy.

Good narration, too, by Mr. Bell.

An Interesting Intro

I found that this was a good intro to the principles of Buddhism. I listened to it on audio, and the narration was good as well.

I liked that in addition to presenting the Buddhist principles, the author illustrated how he applied those principles to his own life. There were also instructions on how to meditate; I thought it was a fairly easy and straightforward process, but apparently there is a lot more to it than I had initially thought.

I found some "gems" of wisdom that I think may be useful. Some of the concepts I thought were important to me were: you don't have to change the world, but rather, how you perceived the world; that action is more important than belief, as it only matters what we do; and the explanation of the "self" and "other" divide. I imagine that others will find other concepts interesting to them, but I think most people could get something out of this.

I was particularly struck by his discussion of past lives. While I personally don't believe in that, his explanation made me think. He states that many people don't believe in past lives because you can't remember them; however, you also don't remember your birth, but that happened. For some reason, this really struck a chord with me and made perfect sense. I haven't changed my views on past lives, but I believe I am more open minded about it and other things now.

great, great, great!!!!!

I am sure I will listen to this a few more times! It is well narrated and provides the basic tenants of Buddhism in easy to comprehend terms. Love the stories that are used as examples of principles. Truly glad I listened. Looking for more to listen to on the subject.

Great introduction

This book will get you started and leaves you hungry for more. well written and easy to grasp.

Snoozer...

What did you like best about Buddhism for Busy People? What did you like least?

The cover.

Would you be willing to try another book from David Michie? Why or why not?

Sure.

Any additional comments?

Some books grab you and hold your interest, others don't. This one didn't.

Delivered on the Title...plus some Nonsense

What did you like best about Buddhism for Busy People? What did you like least?

This book delivered on the title. I'm a "busy person" from the U.S.A...I was looking for a distillation of the key concepts of Buddhism for a Westerner, and that's what I found here. I could relate to his stories about achieving what he thought would make him happy, but finding he was still the same person, regardless of his success or failures on those achievements. Much of what he discusses is related to tried-and-true Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which he acknowledges to his credit. However, he completely lost me when he started talking about past-lives regression and, no kidding, even mentioned "ghosts". While this may be legitimate Buddhism, to a modern intellect, this just sounds plain silly, and (I claim) is totally unnecessary to the understanding and practice.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Buddhism for Busy People?

On the plus side: stories I could relate about the propensity to believe the Next Big Thing (promotion, raise, romantic partner) will make you happy, understanding why it consistently doesn't, then offering a solution.

What does Nicholas Bell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I felt that the reader captured the author's voice very well.

Could you see Buddhism for Busy People being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I would love to see someone make a good film about meditation, but I can't imagine how that would work out.

Any additional comments?

To my Humanist friends: This is worth a listen for a practical messages and information. Just mentally edit out the past-lives silliness ;)

Good Introduction to Buddhism

Would you consider the audio edition of Buddhism for Busy People to be better than the print version?

This sort of material is usually a little dry so the audio book was a perfect solution.The narrator has a light and animated voice which is easy to listen to when the material is a bit slow. However, the author does have a good number of anecdotes to illustrate his points which always helps.

Wow. Great book!

Practical Buddhist wisdom interspersed with interesting life stories. I've listened to and read a number of other Buddhism books. This one is tied for #1. The cadence of the book for me was neither rushed or slow. The author's points are clear and well made. The content is well structured.

The narration was well done. Intonation was dynamic without being overly dramatic. I can honestly say that this is the first audiobook I've heard where I've not been annoyed at some point by the narration.

The story underlying the book- that of the author's journey from a stressed PR guy through self-employment to published author was interesting IMHO. The story didn't focus on the achievements themselves but were used to educate in the same way as his older friend with cancer and a poor career choice was: illustrating alternate perspectives and responses. I had no sense of a 'look what I did! how awesome am I!?'. That is somewhat surprising in retrospect, given the achievements themselves.

The moderation was also nice. The author didn't drop all of his material wealth (and actually argues against it) nor celebrating achievements. Believing instead that more good can be done from positions of relative wealth and power than those of a penniless man without influence. The middle road seems far more achievable to me than a more spartan existence and sounds like a still worthwhile goal for those starting out. To me this is one of the key strengths of this book. Your life doesn't have to be taken over or radically change to begin.


All in all, definitely worth the buy.

So very relatable and humorous

I loved this book. I came away hopeful that even an African westerner like me who feels so very far from the roots of Buddhism can still practice the core aspects and grow in compassion and enlightenment. Even more that I might be a source of inspiration to others in time to find more peace seems a priceless gift.

Great read, easy to follow,

Would you try another book from David Michie and/or Nicholas Bell?

yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of Buddhism for Busy People?

the content was easy to follow in mostly laypersons terms.

Do you think Buddhism for Busy People needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No but the Dalli Lama's cat books would be nice to have in audio format