Having finally gone off the deep end, Castaneda is less convincing than ever here, and more boring.

Even with the introduction of more cartoonish bad guys, there's no entertainment here, and certainly no insight.

But at least there are blobby spirit energies blooping around. ( )

In his first book, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, Castaneda, who was a graduate student in anthropology at the time, describes the lessons Don Juan taught him about shamanism and mysticism. His subsequent books, including The Eagle’s Gift, continue to take the reader through Castaneda’s spiritual journey. Castaneda presents his work as nonfiction, although Wikipedia describes the challenges that some anthropologists have made to his claims.

True or not, I liked The Teachings of Don Juan because I really connected to parts of it and felt like I got something out of it. That was not the case with this book. I had a lot of trouble understanding and paying attention to what was happening in the first two sections, although the third section was better. Maybe I would have gotten it more if I had read Castaneda’s books in the order he published them. I just never felt like this book “talked” to me, which is what a good book on any kind of religion or spirituality should do. ( )

This was he 6th of his books if I counted correctly. I am not going to make a full review until I have an opportunity to reread it. Like many others we went through a period where Castaneda affected our thinking and perhaps even our lives at some point in time. He made an important contribution to anthropology, mysticism, literature and spirituality. ( )

All books of Carlos Castaneda are very important to me. He (and his Don Juan), Vadim Zeland - writer from Russia, quantum physicist and Alexey Bachev - an unusual psychologist from Bulgaria, protagonist of my book Life Can Be a Miracle have shaped my way of thinking, perceiving, experiencing the reality. Very grateful for showing me the miraculous way of living!!!! ( )

Sixth installment of Castaneda's books purportedly detailing his new age spiritual journey as apprentice to Yaqui Indian sorceror Don Juan Matus, later revealed to be almost entirely ficticious ( )