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10th out of 11 books
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Stretch: The Unlikely Making of a Yoga Dude
by
Neal Pollack (Goodreads Author)
The hilarious true account of an overweight, balding, skeptical guy's unexpected transformation into a healthy, blissful yoga fiend.
Neal Pollack was out of shape. The hair on his head was thinning and the hair on his face was pretentious--traits a "New York Times" critic gleefully pointed out while panning his second book. Combined with the predestined failure
...morePaperback, 320 pages
Published
by Harper Perennial
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I picked this up as a 99-cent eBook, so I figured I didn't have much to lose. Overall it's an enjoyable, light read, and I appreciated the author's point-of-view. I don't practice yoga but it intrigues me, certain aspects of it seem quite worthwhile but I feel like there's a lot of wacky stuff there too. The author makes a point to try to wade through the strange to find the gems of wisdom that are most relevant to him.
Starting off, it was hard to care about the author because h...more
Starting off, it was hard to care about the author because h...more
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Hilarious and unexpectedly moving book about a self-described "doughy 35ish white man" with skinny arms and a huge dose of self-pity named Neal Pollack -- he of a few momentarily fame-lofted books in the 20-aughts -- and his somewhat accidental stumbling into practicing yoga and finding a better place in his life. It's not really a memoir, not really a self-help book, most definitely NOT a how-to book on yoga practice, and there are a few too many excursions into chapters that read lik...more
Neal Pollack was a bad boy L.A. writer who was on a path of self destruction. Drinking too much, after a little success, spreading insults, generally misbehaving, he alienated his friends and colleagues. He was willing to try almost anything to get his life back on track. Enter Yoga-
Out of shape, and not really motivated yet, Neal struggled as he tried to master the positions. To his great surprise, he actually felt better. He took more and more classes, becoming rather fanatical about...more
Out of shape, and not really motivated yet, Neal struggled as he tried to master the positions. To his great surprise, he actually felt better. He took more and more classes, becoming rather fanatical about...more
Cynical hipster humor writer Pollack was one of the original McSweeney's crew and the author of the high-concept early-2000s book The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature: The Collected Writings of Neal Pollack. Angry, bratty, and "doughy," he ends up sort of accidentally falling in love with yoga during an early midlife crisis (he was 35)... only to really, truly get a lot out of it! This is his story. It's honest, accessible, and even (dare I say it?) tender at times. It's a...more
Although I hadn't read Pollack's previous novels I recognized him as a McSweeny's alum and with that knowledge knew that this was the kind of memoir I would appreciate. That coupled with the fact that I knew next to nothing about yoga made this a very interesting read for me. I come away from it with a new respect for yoga, which I had assumed was nothing more than an exercise regiment for people who liked eastern inspired motivational posters.
Reading this book I both deepened my kno...more
Reading this book I both deepened my kno...more
Neal Pollack and I don't speak the same language. He's a forty-year-old, baseball loving pothead and I'm a twenty something, bookish vegan. This made Stretch an odd read for me. (I don't think I understood more than one of his references. The one I did get referred to a Beck song. Mellow Gold is bridging the generation gap!) However, we share a love of yoga, and Pollack provides a great intro to yoga culture in the West.
This isn't a how-to guide or a self help book, making it valuable ...more
This isn't a how-to guide or a self help book, making it valuable ...more
Pollack details his yogic journey from skepticism to borderline evangelism with a great sense of humor, and like the best "sport" memoirs do, he makes it interesting to a person who has no idea what asanas are.
He finds himself searching for the right kind of practice and right kind of teacher that best suit his personality. For one thing, Pollack's still a stoner and a bit of pessimist, so anything too touchy-feely, straight edge, or activist has him rolling up his mat and ...more
He finds himself searching for the right kind of practice and right kind of teacher that best suit his personality. For one thing, Pollack's still a stoner and a bit of pessimist, so anything too touchy-feely, straight edge, or activist has him rolling up his mat and ...more
Neal Pollack is wickedly funny. His life finding yoga is more interesting and believable than many of the yoga “biographies” written by women. Yes, he was paid to explore the yoga a community but so was Elizabeth Gilbert for her Eat, Pray, Love, which I found less than enlightening. I enjoyed Pollack’s views of “gurus” and studios and the fact that he unabashedly named names. I’d even like an index to his travelogue of studios, teachers, and styles.
Ashtanga is not my yoga and wonder if...more
Ashtanga is not my yoga and wonder if...more
What an odd little book this is! Pollack is one of the ironically detached McSweeney's era writers, and it's really something to watch him struggle with his hipness and try to express some deep spiritual awakening. Ultimately, the ironic hipster dude gets the upper hand, and one's left wondering about what the transformation from stoner non-yoga guy to stoner yoga guy actually felt like. There aren't many clues here, just the evidence that his life is drastically different at the end, and not ju...more
I fell in love with this book within the first thirty pages. From his first classes with teachers that obviously shouldn't have been teaching, to his absolutely unrelenting descriptions of his struggles and insecurities I was totally drawn in. I loved seeing how someone so cynical and grumpy could grow so much from a yoga practice, and Pollack does a lovely job of describing his own growth without being high and mighty. To me, yoga is a highly sacred thing, and this book describes that. It also ...more
As a yoga teacher, I thought this book was hilarious. I checked it out from the library and kept putting off reading it in lieu of things I wanted to read more. Two days before it was due I started to read it because, well it was due in two days. I started it and read the first two hundred pages before moving from the couch. I laughed out loud, many times. It felt like a pretty good representation of many common misconceptions about yoga, and it was nice to see his journey through as he dec...more
Although there WERE times here that I laughed...AND LAUGHED out loud, and I liked his review of much of yoga, I got quite tired of Neal Pollack being 'witty' and I just did not 'groove' onto his drug habit. I actually didn't like the guy although I gather he's likable. I guess you have to know him to like him.
Yoga-wise, however, I liked the book enough. At first i thought I recommend it as a 'good read' but knowing my reading friends as I do...nah. Just one of my goofy, curious eB...more
Yoga-wise, however, I liked the book enough. At first i thought I recommend it as a 'good read' but knowing my reading friends as I do...nah. Just one of my goofy, curious eB...more
Yikes - couldn't believe I finished this one. I thought I would relate to an out of shape curmudgeon trying to get back into a healthier version of himself, but this dude made me want to avoid yoga, yoga classes and yoga people like the plague. His transformation seems slight and there wasn't really a damn thing that he described that sounds attractive or worth achieving. And his wife really needs to divorce him - he isn't kind to her at all. Didn't like this one.
I went to see Pollack at his reading at Tattered Cover and was immediately insulted by him as I walked in with my yoga bag. It was the sarcastic guy who wrote Alternadad, a book about hipster parenting. He grated my nerves, but I'm as much into yoga as he is so I gave it a chance. It was a good look at the world of asana. I liked the evolution of Pollack, but I still wish he would be less of a smart ass. Not the world I like being in.
Stretch: The Unlikely Making of a Yoga Dude is a sautéed mixture of booze, bitterness, balding hairlines, and the fat and aging body of a failed punk rocker/writer. Neal Pollack has simmered his story with pop culture, marijuana, family and various yoga tales to make a beautiful, flavorful, hot and luscious tale of one man’s pursuit of happiness. I’m no punk rocker (but oh, how I love the music!) or yoga geek, but I am an aging, balding (due to Hypothyroidism, not that you could tell) and slight...more
A book that made me want to practice more, which is definitely a good thing. A little heavy on the dude humor for my taste, but I can't say the cover led me to believe it'd be otherwise. All in all, an irreverant perspective on ever-expanding yoga culture, a bit of valuable background knowledge and philosophy, and a nice personal story of how yoga affected one person's life. Worth reading, even if that means skimming some parts.
Overall, I liked this book, but I felt that it fell short during the final third of the story. Pollack obviously undergoes a transformation, but I think he leaves the "Why?" and "How?" questions unanswered. I was left feeling like a lot of things didn't make sense, largely because the explanation of his motivations fell short.
I still would recommend the book to people who enjoy practicing yoga and those who have been tempted. It's a fun read, I just wish that I l...more
I still would recommend the book to people who enjoy practicing yoga and those who have been tempted. It's a fun read, I just wish that I l...more
The first few pages in the book were fine, describing the author's experience in a drop-in yoga class (although it certainly bore no resemblance to MY yoga class), but as the book proceeded it was clear that this was just not someone I wanted to know better with a lifestyle I didn't care for, seemingly seen through an endless haze of pot. I lasted through another chapter, but I didn't finish it.
A decent read if you're a dude who is kinda into yoga. Laugh out loud funny in some parts but very whiny and long-winded in others. Somehow it balances out to a fairly enjoyable read that isn't going to blow yr. mind but is worth the effort. OK, effort is the wrong word. The literary equivalent of an affordable slice of vegetarian pizza.
OK, I confess, I totally was in tears laughing about Neal Pollack farting in yoga. I think I was expecting the whole book to be that hilarious (uh.. am I secretly a 12 year old boy?) but it turns out to be not only a very funny account of Pollack's own yoga experience, but also a very thoughtful and accurate account of contemporary yoga culture peppered with highlights in yoga history and philosophy. Highly recommended reading for yoga scenesters.
I loved it. The guy seems like a bit of an ass, but he acknowledges that. His experiences with the yoga world (in California, no less) are frank and entertaining. I found it as a 99 cent special on my Nook and it was a fun diversion at the end of summer. Made me appreciate my cozy T-burg Yoga Loft even more.
Stumbled upon this one requesting excercise books for Paul. Author is funny, intelligent, and does he know it! Interesting memoir of a california yoga dude, and how yoga brainwashes him / changes his perspective on a lot of things. Irreverent, can't decide to hate him or like him for his obnoxiousness.
This was an entertaining story of a jerk who finds yoga. I really didn't like the guy, but I enjoyed going along on his journey. As one who has gone through two yoga teacher training programs it was interesting to read this guy's perspective and take on things. I do also appreciate his irreverence.
I loved this book. Pollack is not afraid to overshare, with great results. I found myself saying "hell yeah!" aloud during his passages on Yoga Thailand and Wanderlust. I was happy to read about a pop culture satirist finding his way through the yoga market BS to find truth for himself.
Neal Pollack is a very clever writer, but his style grates on my after awhile. Stretch started as a magazine piece and that may be the problem. I bet I'd like him better in small doses. One of his other books is about his adventures in fatherhood and I may give that a try in a few month.
This book is irreverent and at times juvenile, along with occasional moments of profundity sprinkled with humor. You don't have to be a yogi to appreciate Pollack's odyssey, but it sure helps if you want to revel in the yoga world gossip.
I made the mistake of reading this book on the plane. I laughed so hard tears were rolling down my cheeks - I was sure the attendants were going to think I was having a seizure of alert TSA. very funny, gently aspirational.
I found this book to be highly entertaining, but if you dont do yoga you could probably skip it. I really must learn more about this Bikram Cult and I just finished reading a book by the jivamukti founder. It did motivate me to get my butt to yoga more than usual while reading it.
Not a very interesting book. I was expecting it to be a lot funnier and kept reading along in that hope. And sadly was disappointing. Also, I suffer from a disorder which makes me finish books even if I don't like them!
A hilarious account of an out of shape 30-something man's foray into the "strange and circuslike" world of yoga. It's not just fluff, though, there was also quite a bit of insight into why we practice these poses.
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Neal Pollack is an American satirist, novelist, short story writer, memoirist, and journalist. He lives in Los Angeles, California. Pollack has written five books: The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature, Never Mind the Pollacks, Beneath the Axis of Evil, Alternadad, and Stretch. His next book,Jewball, a novel about Jewish basketball players in the 1930s, will be published in the fall o...more
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