VB

I wasn't really sure what to make of this book. Either it was just a bunch of mumbo jumbo or it was a work of genius. I probably fell somewhere in the middle after giving it some studied thought. It is a book with the subject of meditation but most of us have a preconceived or experienced notion of what meditation is about. This author stirs things up a bit and adds some offbeat and insightful looks into what it may really be about.

He spends a lot of time making his case about what mediation show more is trying to be and not so much on technique. He talks a lot about our talking mind which he claims is not really us but a voice that often leads us astray in analyzing the past or contemplating the future. He makes it clear that the here and now is all that really mattters. He opens the door to his here and now with his concept of LFL for look, feel, listen. And it is pretty persuasive. He also debunks the value of the closed eye empty mind approach to traditional meditation.

On balance the concepets he brings forth I did feel had merit and opened up a whole new way to look at the process of meditation and what it can and cannot do for us. One approach that leads us down a different path. show less

While the author has done some good research and has referenced good sources, I found some of the author's claims that mental illness and wars are attributed to the default mode network (or automatic negative thoughts) to be outlandish/bridge too far. The author has pages of quotes from reputable authors/philosophers such as Eckhart Tolle, Mo Gawdat but purports the DMN practices address a good many societal ills, a bridge too far. I would stick with the original authors rather than this show more volume. I found the fact that author uses the concepts of "mindfulness" and "meditation" interchangeably, confusing. Furthermore, the author has a tendency to treat the reader with condescension throughout the book (using different fonts/text formatting etc. to highlight concepts already introduced). show less

This book is a big read and a lot to get through, so I haven't completed it yet, but I am learning SO much about the human mind and the function of the brain that I didn't know before.
The best part is that the author really breaks down the mechanics in easy-to-digest language and visuals. I am not left looking for definitions of highly academic words that nobody knows; instead, I can read and ingest the information easily.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about show more the function of the human brain! show less

Lots of good recourses and links some good points as well. I had a lot of what i felt were filler pages of full sized quotes but they were there to reflect on so its likely easier without distraction of other text.

While i know he said he was essentially playing hard ball with hard hitting facts it did come off a bit as talking down on the reader or taunting a kid with a 'dangerous item' and honestly felt a lot like a research guide book. Which isn't a bad thing and honestly likely intended show more with how its set up.

It does provide links to alternate sources and videos which may be hard to type from a physical book it does make it easier as a digital book. I did not go through a majority of the links only a few and they do make up a large portion of the end of the book . Was expecting more of a collection of practices that is more reader friendly ( and by that i mean doesn't require a ton of outside other author sources which is heavily leaned on to give us background for what is being talked about) I may revisit in the future to dive deeper into the various resources

TLDR
Not bad just not what i expected. Its an interesting reading topic to be sure but i wasn't expecting to have to read it like I'm formulating a college final paper. Great Guide on the subject and a good place for resources on the mater. show less