false 10 50 47 true 5998509 read 2 true 3174509 currently-reading 1 true 3174508 to-read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79812068 The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite (Hardcover) by David A. Kessler
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79221371 to: Tao / Tao: Los Tres Tesoros / The Three Treasures (Paperback) by Osho
"I'm not teaching you anything. I'm simply destroying your questions." -Osho

<3 ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79137106 to: Surprised by God: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Religion (Hardcover) by Danya Ruttenberg
As I read "Surprised by God," I kept thinking, "how useful!" Ruttenberg touches a lot of important bases in this memoir, which documents her journey from staunchly atheist punk Ivy Leaguer to San Franciscan Dot Com decadent to observant Jew. When I say "useful," I mean that I can recommend this to people interested in the following topics, all of which Ruttenberg astutely reflects upon from personal experience:

-How a highly intelligent atheist can become an active participant in organized religion, without fear, social pressure, escapism, or a vision of the Virgin in a tuna sandwich being the causes.
-The adjustment process of transitioning from East Coaster to West Coaster.
-The progressive nerd mecca by the bay, its clever, snappy residents, and how (and why) someone can fall in and out of love with both of them.
-The process of shifting from a secular life to a spiritually oriented one, and how this often impacts friendships, family, lifestyle, etc.
-The value of a daily spiritual practice involving both prayer and meditation.
-The importance of having spiritual teachers.
-How a religion like Judaism can be a profound avenue for a contemporary spiritual aspirant.

See? Them's a lot of bases.

I docked this book a star because Ruttenberg loses sight of the memoir aspect in the last 30 or so pages and starts generally rambling about the nature of religion, community, God and Judaism, which wasn't very interesting, inspiring, or original. What Ruttenberg does well (in the rest of the book), as the clearly thoughtful person that she is, is demonstrate for readers the intellectual side of her journey from atheist onward. Her method, which at times almost reads like a college essay, is helpful in showing the rational aspect of her process - in fact, sometimes I felt like an underlying, possibly unconsciously placed theme of the book was "rational people can be religious - I am not irrational," almost like a letter to her sixteen year old self. When Ruttenberg does that, the book is great and relatable.

I docked the book another star because of the writing, which I thought was weak. I was surprised to learn that Ruttenberg is a professional writer. She uses a lot of unnecessary qualifiers, like "an utterly blank canvas," which is a pet peeve of mine. She also vacillates between quirky hip and Serious Author mode, which was a little distracting.

All that said, I would recommend this book...to Phoebe Weiss. =P ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76429661 to: Half/Life: Jew-Ish Tales from Interfaith Homes (Paperback) by Laurel Snyder
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72601843 to: Jewish Dharma: A Guide to the Practice of Judaism and Zen (Hardcover) by Brenda Shoshanna
I highly recommend Jewish Dharma to people of Jewish descent/upbringing who currently practice Yoga or Buddhism and are curious about integrating those practices with Judaism. Or, for people interested in how JuBus manage to fit the two pieces together without having their heads explode. There's lots of strong, introductory material about Zen and a guilt-free, contemporary framing of Jewish teachings (this ain't your nana's Judaism! and yet, it is Judaism).

My main criticism of the book is that the editing wasn't sharp enough. There were a few glaring typos, and I felt like Dr. Shoshanna was too didactic in the last third - not enough anecdotes, which were what appealed to me most in the early sections of the book, when it felt somewhat like a memoir. I would have rated this higher if it weren't for those hiccups. Also, one sort of odd piece is that Shoshanna is semi-Orthodox in her Judaism, which is not what I personally associate with the JuBu movement. I think that makes her book more compelling, and her story more unique. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70281548 to: Zen Judaism: For You, A Little Enlightenment (Hardcover) by David M. Bader
Zen Judaism is a hysterical little treat, and FYI it incorporates Taoism, too. This book of aphorisms is like the Tao Te Ching written by a Jewish grandfather. Oy!

Some highlights:
"To practice Zen and the art of Jewish motorcycle maintenance, do the following: Get rid of the motorcycle. What were you thinking?"

"Don't be a backseat driver. Instead, quietly recite mantras of protection. For example:'you're going to get us all killed.'"

"Enlightenment is a sudden, wordless understanding. Stop telling everyone already."

"Be aware of your body. Be aware of your perceptions. Keep in mind that not every physical sensation is a symptom of a terminal illness."

Ha! I'm probably giving it to my mother this holiday season, and if you know any Jubus, this could be a fun gift to give them. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68593421 to: Yoga: The Science of the Soul (Paperback) by Osho
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67952054 to: The Dhammapada: The way of the Buddha : this is the path to the ultimate truth (Hardcover Boxed Set) by Osho
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65469492 to: The Path of Love (Paperback) by Osho
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64798783 to: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at Work: Simple Ways to Minimize Stress and Conflict While Bringing Out the Best in Yourself and Others (Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Series) by Richard Carlson
]]>