Salzman tells us about his search for meaning and purpose in his life, engaging everything from cello, drugs, jazz, kung fu, chinese art, his parents and everything in between. A sweet story about how we try to figure out who we are, and where we inevitably end up.

The overall tone of this book is a little dry, a bit heavy, but an honest and true account of a boy's search for meaning in life through Chinese martial arts and philosophy, cello playing, and watching comets with his father. I think Mark Salzman's lesson learned is that there is no answer to life or its mystery, and maybe that's what the answer is after all. Even when he was sleeping in all day smoking pot I still felt for him as he struggled to come to terms with the fact that life has no quick solutions. ( )

A laugh out loud read from one of my favorite authors. Perhaps I found it so funny because much of Salzman's description of himself growing up reminded me of my older brother, but despite this the memoir is engaging and thoughtful, with a good bit of insight hidden in the humor. ( )

Anyone who has enjoyed Mark Salzman's book and subsequent film "Iron and Silk" will love the glimpse at Salzman's adolescence offered in "Lost in Place." This warm and honest introspective look at the author's childhood is charming and funny. The author's love of martial arts and all things Asian manifested itself early, and Salzman's accomplishments as an adult have blossomed from his early eccentricities. Salzman was a bizarre kid, and this fact makes for terrific storytelling (at one point, he attempted to become a Zen monk, living austerely in the basement of his family home). The author has a natural, easy-going writing style that is at the same time intelligent and concise. He admits to the stranger moments of his adolescence with grace and dignity, and treats his accomplishments humbly. "Growing Up Absurd" is such a terrific story - Salzman's early teen experiences make a case for the adage "from humble beginnings come great things!." With a childhood like this (weird as he was), it's easy to see how Salzman grew up to be a great writer and filmmaker. ( )

http://www.engel-cox.org/text/lost_in... ( )