The Big Bang, the Buddha, and the Baby Boom: The Spiritual Experiments of My Generation

by Wes "Scoop" Nisker

Some deep alternative current has begun flowing out of the spiritual adventures and identity struggles of recent generations. Of course, we didn't create the conditions or questions of this new age; we got caught in them. The ground shifted, the old gods departed, the economic and political utopias crumbled, and the traditional answers were washed away. We didn't leave home; home left us.

How did a nice Jewish boy from Nebraska become a Buddhist in California?

Join Wes "Scoop" Nisker as he takes us on a hilarious, wild ride from West to East and back again in his quest for true self and enlightenment. Combining the best elements of memoir and social commentary, Nisker uses his own story to illuminate the Baby Boomers' roots of spiritual hunger in postwar America. His journey begins in middle America (Nebraska to be exact) in the middle of the twentieth century, travels through the heyday of the Beats and the Hippies, the birth of the modern environmental movement, and winds up in the current epicenter of Buddhism in the West--California.

Full of colorful and immediately recognizable figures of art, religion, and popular culture--from Alfred E. Newman to Allen Ginsberg--The Big Bang, the Buddha, and the Baby Boom is a guided tour of both the outer and inner move-ments that have culminated in the growing culture of Western Buddhism--a lasting, vivid picture of how the Baby Boom generation came to be identified with spiritual seeking, how they went about the search, what they have found and created, and what their true legacy is.

Genres: Buddhism, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Memoir, Religion

160 pages, ebook

First published March 1, 2003

Reviews

[Paul Kotheimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit tired of all the glorification the late 60s receive, and this book continues to pile it on. Of course, Nisker makes the clear point that most of the hippies later became the most greedy, destructive ***holes ever to grace the face of the planet. The message is to live more simply, I guess. I enjoyed this book and would especially recommend to someone who was new to eastern philosophies or the countercultures of the past 50 years, because a lot of the material is basic and covered elsewhere. I didn't like it as much as "Crazy Wisdom," by the same author, which was more a compendium of quotations from different Eastern and mystical traditions, and some cool commentary. This one was more of an autobiography along with summaries of the things the author has learned and the journeys he's taken. Also it's very easy to read.

[Milan De Roode · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spontaneously picked it up at a bookstore in SF, and it was actually one of the best reads I had this 2023! The 60’s always make for an amusing read, but Wes Nisker writes not only amusing, but also very clear and engaging. Fun read!

[Shine Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with a keen and brilliant intelligence, Nisker's social commentary and personal narrative blend seamlessly to call attention to what matters most in each of our lives now: connection. Connection to ourselves, and connection to life around us.

[Donna Weintraub · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romp through memory lane with all the political and social history along with the authors personal journey. I loved it.

[captain america · Rating 3 out of 5]

probably more enjoyable if you're a boomer since we never get tired of reading about how wonderful we were. by now every boomer thinks they were personally present for king, kennedy and kent state. bah, humbug.

i picked this up for the chapters on nisker's zen socialist platform which although it seems Swiftian is actually a great program for undoing how we've managed to fuck up the planet.

examples: the US resigns as a superpower, institutes disassembly lines to take apart machinery and roads & shovel the raw materials back into the earth, and peace corps workers from third world countries come here to teach us how to wash our clothes by beating them on river rocks. i'm all for it. seriously.

[Simona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another ex-hippie tells his story. This one is more political and environmental. He has a lot of great ideas on why we feel displaced in this country, how we can feel more connected, etc. Good view on what the boomers went through. The importance of spirituality and what happens in its absence. The relationship between modern science and the Western Spirituality Movement.