Leigh reviewed on 5/4/2018 + 378 more book reviews

Some books are meant to be read during a certain time in one's life. I think this is one of them. Like Catcher in the Rye and A Separate Peace, the lessons in this one are best absorbed by the late-teen/early 20's set, impressionable times when one is finding oneself apart from a familial group. This is mindfulness, straight up, and the author does it in a more cartoonish way than Thich Nhat Hanh.

Embarrassingly, this book reminded me of my own "enlightenment" during college, which I thought was unique to me. How proud I was to proclaim it to all the unwashed who would listen: you follow society's rules, you do what others tell you, you don't listen to the light within yourself, you follow the paths others make for you rather than blaze your own, you need to open your mind and accept (not listen to, mind you) other ideas! Ugh. So invariably and unwittingly conformist. Not a single soul walking around campus didn't feel the same way. So, this was kind of dripping with naïve self-righteousness for me.

*****spoiler*****
I don't believe a word of Millman's story about Socrates leaping onto buildings or singlehandedly fighting off three young attackers with knives. I also don't believe that Millman willed him back into life with some kind of tangible light inside of him. So much of what he said was just ridiculous.
*****end spoiler*****

The juvenile style of the writing was nothing short of torture to me. This book may change lives but it will be by default, at a time when your life is most probably going to change, anyway.

I give it two stars and not one because despite the discomfort, it was good to be reminded of the optimism and sheer stupidity of my youth. That's still part of me; although, I'd hate myself now. I'm one of those middle-aged, jaded folks I pitied. Now it's the other way around. Don't think for a second I'm missing the irony there.

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