• The Book

  • On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are
  • By: Alan Watts
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (41 ratings)

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The Book  By  cover art

The Book

By: Alan Watts
Narrated by: John Lee
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Publisher's summary

A revelatory primer on what it means to be human and a mind-opening manual of initiation into the central mystery of existence, by “perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West" (Los Angeles Times).

At the root of human conflict is our fundamental misunderstanding of who we are. The illusion that we are isolated beings, unconnected to the rest of the universe, has led us to view the “outside” world with hostility, and has fueled our misuse of technology and our violent and hostile subjugation of the natural world. To help us understand that the self is in fact the root and ground of the universe, Alan Watts provides us with a much-needed answer to the problem of personal identity, distilling and adapting the Hindu philosophy of Vedanta.

©1966 Alan Watts (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West, Watts had the rare gift of ‘writing beautifully the unwritable.’”—Los Angeles Times

"[Watts is] the perfect guide for a course correction in life." —Deepak Chopra

What listeners say about The Book

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Another one of those Bedside Pickup Daily Books

Watts has created one of those valuable Reference Books whose role is to remind you to practice being who you are by telling you not to try so hard.

Don’t let yourself be put in a box by Parents, School. Corporation, or Society. Or even by his Books that you might have read.

This is the ultimate Zen or Tao “Bible”. Four Stars. **** It would have been Five but his teachings come at you so fast that you have to go back and hear them over and over.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Must read for everyone, everywhere

The clear and simple honesty combined with wit and wisdom. This book should be on all people’s reading list and especially those who profess to teach others anything.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Don't waste your time or money

If you are a fan of Alan Watts, and you have read his actual books, and listened to his lectures, there is nothing new in this short book. The narration is average at best, I say this because you can hear these same ideas presented by the man himself on YT for free! And let's face it, very few are as entertaining an captivating as Alan Watts himself.
Unfortunately this is not some hidden never before told insights from the charismatic philosopher priest. No, sadly it is just a blatant money grab with poorly rehashed ideas presented in a boring and uninspiring way.

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