Dan is funnier here than he is on the podcast. Doubly so if you know some of the dharma teachers he references like Kamala Master, Spring Washam, etc.
Will definitely check out his other books.
This is more memoir than neuroscience analysis, and that's not entirely a bad thing. Harris' journey from skeptic to curious about mediation or mindfulness to full-blown practitioner, told in amusingly sarcastic terms that counter expectations about the topic. It was alright.
I had this book on my to-read list for quite a while. I started this with a hesitation, thinking that I wasn't in the mood for another self help book. Instead, this was a amusing story following the author through his Buddhist journey. Plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. I think I'm 10% happier!
Interesting book, but you'll be better off doing some guided meditation yourself and figuring stuff out directly.
If you're looking for a how-to, probably not the book for you. However, gives an interesting insight into how Harris transformed (and is still transforming) his life. Lots of good information, and it's told in an engaging, approachable, and pretty funny style.
This is, fundamentally, a memoir documenting the problems Harris has had in his life and career and how meditation and buddhist principles have helped him deal with them. At no point does he make himself out to be any sort of expert, or even to have anything but the barest level of competence as a meditator. But he tried it, and he talked with a bunch of people more experienced with him, and he talked to a whole bunch of spiritual leaders, and in the end he's turned out to be a better person even if he's only taken the first couple of steps on his spiritual journey.
I quite enjoy Harris' skepticism at every point of this book. He goes on his first retreat practically on a whim expecting it to be awful, but he learns a lot. He expects his teachers to be a bunch of head-in-the-cloud yuppies …
This is, fundamentally, a memoir documenting the problems Harris has had in his life and career and how meditation and buddhist principles have helped him deal with them. At no point does he make himself out to be any sort of expert, or even to have anything but the barest level of competence as a meditator. But he tried it, and he talked with a bunch of people more experienced with him, and he talked to a whole bunch of spiritual leaders, and in the end he's turned out to be a better person even if he's only taken the first couple of steps on his spiritual journey.
I quite enjoy Harris' skepticism at every point of this book. He goes on his first retreat practically on a whim expecting it to be awful, but he learns a lot. He expects his teachers to be a bunch of head-in-the-cloud yuppies with no idea how to deal with the real world, but he gets little but actionable, practical advice. Hell, he spends a while talking about how weird people were for being so enamoured by the Dalai Lama, then he falls for him himself. Harris spends most of the book struggling with how to fit his life and his developing worldview together, and every time he thinks he's figured out what the core problem is he gets a bit of advice from a mentor that immediately reconciles the whole thing. It's kind of remarkable how he hasn't just gone all-in on buddhism considering how many of his inner demons have been calmed by a bit of mindful advice.
This book doesn't really try to sell you on meditation or mindfulness or anything, but considering how relatable most of Harris' problems are the benefits to everyone's everyday lives is evident anyways. It's about his personal journey, and his journey illustrates how most people's paths would be a bit clearer if they could sit with their thoughts for half an hour a day. It's written fantastically, always demonstrating why a viewpoint is better rather than trying to convince you.
Personally, I've been trying to maintain a meditation practice for quite a while now, so the book was little more than a good reminder that it's a good thing to do. His initial resistance to loving-kindness (metta) meditation was honestly a bit funny because I also went through the initial "this sounds stupid" phase before trying it and crying embarrassingly. Still, it was a great listen; good enough I might actually pick up a dead tree copy to keep on the shelf. Highly recommend.
A very interesting book. Its not a "self help" book, its more the story of Dan Harris who suffered a breakdown live on TV and then struggeld to find his way towards mindfulness and meditation. A very catching story, you almost can't stop reading. At the end there is an appendix with some basic instructions for meditation. I tried this out and it was a fascinating experience, making me much more relaxed just in 5 minutes. Highly recommended for all that suffer from the daily threadmill and the stress it creates.
A funny, instructional and convincing argument for introducing meditation into one's own life.
One of the great love stories of our time, by one of America's greatest authors.
Or a practical look at meditation and how it can fit into your life
One of those.
Solid read with ideas I will be going back to reference.
A clear and engaging story of a newsman's often reluctant secular meditation journey. In his quest to reduce his anxiety and understand his mind better, Dan Harris finds one after another prejudice and preconception questioned and readjusted as he comes to embrace what I'd call his version of a secular Buddhism. A good read for anyone curious about meditation but suspicious of the usual woo-woo elements, and motivational for those of us who maybe don't even mind the woo-woo but forget over and over just how beneficial a meditative practice can be.
That said, it's more a memoir than a how-to, and while I'd say he does a good job representing how meditation is a useful thing to do even if you don't want religion or spirituality and want to "remain effective" ... he's also not really someone I'd personally want to hang around with, and while expressing gratitude for …
A clear and engaging story of a newsman's often reluctant secular meditation journey. In his quest to reduce his anxiety and understand his mind better, Dan Harris finds one after another prejudice and preconception questioned and readjusted as he comes to embrace what I'd call his version of a secular Buddhism. A good read for anyone curious about meditation but suspicious of the usual woo-woo elements, and motivational for those of us who maybe don't even mind the woo-woo but forget over and over just how beneficial a meditative practice can be.
That said, it's more a memoir than a how-to, and while I'd say he does a good job representing how meditation is a useful thing to do even if you don't want religion or spirituality and want to "remain effective" ... he's also not really someone I'd personally want to hang around with, and while expressing gratitude for his connections and luck, one has to admit, he also seems a little sheltered in his privilege & access. I'm really glad meditation helped his life get better, and I hope his message helps reduce stress and suffering for many. But I have to narrow my eyes a little when after all this he's still expressing befuddlement at the end as to why some of the figures in this book wanted to talk to him, "be his friend," or otherwise help him. Um ... hello? You've been a significant media figure since you began this journey.
alternate book title: "Dan Harris on Dan Harris"
