Rating: 
Summary: you are responsible for who you are
Review: In the seven years since reading this book, I've always considered it one of the best that could be written about its subject. Dr Peck emphasizes RESPONSIBILITY for one's own development, for the care of those we love, and for the outcome of the community we live in. We are generally responsible for our outlook and should not blame our genes, our neighbors, or our environment for any misfortunes we endure. On the other hand, we do not create our good fortunes, and should instead be grateful for the GRACE we are given at each instant of our lives.
Rating: 
Summary: A good book for the young...
Review: It has been many years since I read this book and reread it. There are definitely some truly wonderful tools, which I have kept with me ever since I read the first line of the book... Life is difficult. As soon as one reflects on this fact and accepts it, it really isn't so difficult any more... Of course I now realize-after having gone through some very painful experiences since I first read those lines-that this is an over-simplification. Life can and does throw some serious curve balls that really knock the wind right out of you! Realizing and understanding that life is difficult, is not enough of a tool to get you through loosing someone to death... Because there are all kinds of disturbing and hellish emotions that go along with loosing someone that you love so very much. For anyone who was raised with any kind of a religious background, this book does not provide enough reasons as to why we feel the way we do about life's circumstances and our own roles here on earth. The messages that many-if not most of us have been given as children-from our parents and mentors can be quite confusing and contradictory. These messages stay with us, and as twisted as some of them may be, influence many of our decisions and keep us spinning within that vicious sphere. If you have bought this book or are thinking of reading it, I say, go ahead and read it. It probably will give you some insight and some good tips on coping with life. But if you are seriously searching and trying to change your life, I would strongly recommend The New Dance of Christ by Anthony T Massimini. The New Dance of Christ is a wonderfully, insightful book which will really blow your mind! I do wish that the title were different though. I consider myself a Recovering Catholic and no longer even consider myself a Christian. If it weren't for a friend of mine recommending this book to me, I would not have picked it up because of the title. But don't be swayed by the title! Because even if you don't agree with all of the theories of Massimini, you can't help but be intrigued, fascinated and even altered by his words and facts... Whether you are a Christian, Buddhist, or even an atheist, this book will unlock something inside of you that was there all along but blocked and un-nurtured.
Rating:
Summary: an owner's manual for the glove-compartment of the soul!
Review: It's now creeping up on 25 years since this book first came out, but the subtitle still seems as valid as it would have been then... a NEW psychology of love, traditional values and spiritual growth. Because Peck speaks so deeply of the needs and longings that cut to the very fundamental elements of human nature, a post-millennial reader (perhaps as yet unborn in the 70's) can still find Peck's "new" insights relevant and even revolutionary. So many of the truths found here along The Road Less Travelled are timelessly true. For instance, how "timely" would be a new worldwide appreciation of Peck's definition of love, which is "the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth." The pages that follow that definition, along with his explanation of how "falling in love is invariably temporary" are in themselves worth the purchase of the book. What kind of reader will NOT like this book? My answer would be, one who needs to think simplistically, and is in denial of the paradox that makes up nearly every day of normal adult life. This reader needs a formula, tends to think one-dimensionally... perhaps when he reads the opening sentence "Life is difficult" this type of person will think "Really? I had no idea!" What kind of reader WILL like this book? One that knows his present day problems may require something beyond "that one thing Grandpa once told me" and someone who is willing to be attentive, to learn, to think multidimensionally. Rather than ramming his head into the sand, this person will respond to the opening sentence "Life is difficult" with something like "No kidding! Tell me about it!" The Road Less Travelled will not disappoint this second type of reader.
Rating:
Summary: The Uber-Self-Help Book
Review: M. Scott Peck's brilliant description of the human condition is the uber-self-help book. If you want to know why the world today (and twenty some-odd years ago when the book was written) is awash with narcisists, liers, responsibility shirkers, loveless relationships, and instant gratification consumers, this is the book for you. And yes, you will find that you exhibit some symptoms of every problem he describes. But how do we combat our own weakness? He explains all. As Dr. Peck says (paraphrased), "Why do people lie? To avoid pain." Simply stated and direct, he writes with a style that exposes the elephant in the room. Every person owes it to themselves to read this book and look in the mirror. This book is not a substitute for therapy, or a spiritual guide. This book is an eye opener, to show you the way towards a healthy mind and spirit...hence the title. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The Uber-Self-Help Book
Review: M. Scott Peck's brilliant description of the human condition is the uber-self-help book. If you want to know why the world today (and twenty some-odd years ago when the book was written) is awash with narcisists, liers, responsibility shirkers, loveless relationships, and instant gratification consumers, this is the book for you. And yes, you will find that you exhibit some symptoms of every problem he describes. But how do we combat our own weakness? He explains all. As Dr. Peck says (paraphrased), "Why do people lie? To avoid pain." Simply stated and direct, he writes with a style that exposes the elephant in the room. Every person owes it to themselves to read this book and look in the mirror. This book is not a substitute for therapy, or a spiritual guide. This book is an eye opener, to show you the way towards a healthy mind and spirit...hence the title. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Bestseller for a reason
Review: Many generation X'ers have never heard of "The Road Less Traveled", written in 1979. It is unfortunate that the book has not continued to stay on the best-seller list, for it is very deserving of the position. By looking at the table of contents, you would think that the content of the book would be a self-help mish-mosh of random truths that are meant to uplift the mind and soul with no apparent connection or relation to one another. However, this book flows beautifully and logically. This book, as catch phrase as this sounds, changed my life. It made me think and live differenly. It helped me improve my own character, love others more, and get a more balanced view of life. I wish everyone had a chance - no, the opportunity - to read this book. It is, without a doubt, the most helpful book I have ever read, next to the Holy Bible.
Rating:
Summary: Bestseller for a reason
Review: Many generation X'ers have never heard of "The Road Less Traveled", written in 1979. It is unfortunate that the book has not continued to stay on the best-seller list, for it is very deserving of the position. By looking at the table of contents, you would think that the content of the book would be a self-help mish-mosh of random truths that are meant to uplift the mind and soul with no apparent connection or relation to one another. However, this book flows beautifully and logically. This book, as catch phrase as this sounds, changed my life. It made me think and live differenly. It helped me improve my own character, love others more, and get a more balanced view of life. I wish everyone had a chance - no, the opportunity - to read this book. It is, without a doubt, the most helpful book I have ever read, next to the Holy Bible.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have ever read
Review: Never have I read a book that speaks so much truth. Peck, even though a watered down version of other psychologists, understands the human mind like no other. He is an amazing author.
Rating:
Summary: Life changing insights
Review: Not an easy reading but worth every second and all the effort that you put in it. This is a book about living, but it is about living in a way that sets you apart. It is about Life. Everything and anything that is life.. love, relationships, solving problems, dealing with pain, growing, religion, discipline and the challenges of doing all of that in our limited lifetimes. They're all things that we take for granted, they're all things that we usually 'do' without thinking about them. 'The Road Less Traveled' forces you to think about them in ways that you have not done before. Scott Peck combines years of psychotherapy with a natural writing style that attracts the reader and challenges his/her mind. It is not the writing style that makes the book difficult reading, but the continuous challenge to you mind and to your preconceived ideas. Peck demands that you examine your mind, your feelings and your heart deeply and objectively. Most of us find that difficult. Peck comes across his book as a warm and sensitive person and he makes you feel at ease instantly... What else would you expect from whose opening sentence is "Life is difficult." !
Rating:
Summary: This Book Could Change Your Life!
Review: One dismal day, while wallowing in the depths of despair, I came upon a wonderful saviour: "The Road Less Travelled" by M. Scott Peck. This is the only comprehensive and thought provoking psychology of love, life, and spiritualism I've ever encountered. Every other book I've ever read on the subject has been completely irrational, preachy, unwavering, or worse. M. Scott Peck has struck a delicate balance between guiding the reader and letting the reader guide herself. The concepts covered in this book ring true universally, and the exploration of self that is the result of having read this book is nothing short of spectacular. A must-read
| 
