The Book - Alan Watts

The Book

By Alan Watts

  • Release Date: 1972-09-12
  • Genre: Philosophy
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 253 Ratings

Description

A revelatory primer on what it means to be human and a mind-opening manual of initiation into the central mystery of existence, by “perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West" (Los Angeles Times).

At the root of human conflict is our fundamental misunderstanding of who we are. The illusion that we are isolated beings, unconnected to the rest of the universe, has led us to view the “outside” world with hostility, and has fueled our misuse of technology and our violent and hostile subjugation of the natural world. To help us understand that the self is in fact the root and ground of the universe, Alan Watts provides us with a much-needed answer to the problem of personal identity, distilling and adapting the Hindu philosophy of Vedanta.

Reviews

  • Not much here

    2
    By seamus310
    More of an angry old man’s rant into the wind than a compendium of eaten thoughts. Some ideas still apply to 2025 America but his fatalist attitude reminiscent of my grandfather has not come to fruition- we gradually grow more enlightened of our toxic materialism and junk values while our adolescent society struggles towards the adulthood of Europe and the grandparent-hood of the East. Skim this if needed but better to read an old Zen Master of the same era
  • A great read on what “I” really is

    5
    By Luke Fry
    Alan Watts never ceases to amaze me with his lectures, essays, and books. His combination of Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity, and general understanding of the eastern thought form his own beliefs, which some may agree with and some may not. He is able to combine all of these things into something relatively easy to understand for the average person, albeit he may use some unfamiliar sophisticated vocabulary. Another great read.
  • Alan Watts The Book

    5
    By Rain Control
    Great read!
  • You’re, IT.

    5
    By blisterinbiscuit
    I can not put to words how thought provoking and eye opening this book is. Buy it, read it, and then read it again.
  • Must read

    5
    By Dregs stray
    This book will change your entire perception on life
  • Just read it :)

    5
    By Crashessss
    It helped put things together that i failed to notice before. I feel less confused and more relaxed and for others it will completely change their lives all at once, it was not to much of a turn of events for myself because I had already heard a lot of his teachings, and even if you have heard him you still should to read this!