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Summary: Full of usable wisdom
Review: Those who buy this book while in the midst of some sort of life crisis hoping to glean a few easy skills to glide through a "difficult time" will undoubtably be disappointed. On a superficial level that is. In Pema Chodron's view (as is the Buddhist view in general, I suppose) life itself is a difficult time. No easy answers are available here, but plenty of accessible insight and life-shaking wisdom. Parts of this book hit me like a smack on the head, leaving me awestruck and able to say only "Oh!" For those of us muddling through with aspirations of doing so more gracefully, this book is invaluable.
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Summary: Everything one suffers is a lesson in wisdom and freedom.
Review: Pema Chodron's book, When Things Fall Apart, is the most valuable piece of wisdom I have seen in my 49 years. It is practical, hopeful, and affirming. It encourages one to rise above the drama of the present story and connect with all that is, with all who ARE. It reveals so beautifully that no one ever suffers anything alone, that though situations seem to end, they do not, that we are all connected, always. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a treasure!
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Summary: I love this book. Pure, simple, wisdom from the heart.
Review: This is the best of its kind I have found in the last 20 years. Brilliant. Simple. No wasted words. Pema Chodron is a VERY special person.
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Summary: beautiful, funny, centering
Review: "When Things Fall Apart" has helped me through a very difficult time in my life. Chodron talks (with humour) about the craziness of life, and how it is the FIGHTING of the craziness that makes us depressed/angry/upset. If we accept that we're human and we're not going to be perfect and happy all the time, then we find a place in our souls where we are OK with whatever feelings we have. I highly recommend reading this book, whether you're having a difficult time with your life right now or not. You will circle many paragraphs and make them your mottos for living your life. Peace.
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Summary: Not just for difficult times!
Review: A fabulous, must read book! Not just for hard times but a philosophy to live by! Go buy it today!
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Summary: Heart Advice for ANY time!
Review: This is the first time I have read any book on Bhuddist philosophy. I was quickly drawn in by Ms. Chodron's humor and candor about her own life. Everyone can find something in their lives that relates to this book. Reading a chapter a night was calming and centering. Great
Rating:
Summary: Totally relevent, warm and filled with insight.
Review: Pema is probably the best among the many people offering buddhist teachings in America today because her language is rooted in practical experience, humor and complete compassion for the realities of modern life. This book is full of warmth and brilliance. You'll read it over and over again
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Summary: Advice is not very useful
Review: This book caught my attention in a bookstore at a time when I was going through a lot of stress due to things "falling apart" in my life. Basically, I was in a situation where just nothing seemed to be going right. I bought this book and started reading it. It gets very quickly into the teachings of buddhism. The primary message that I got from the book was that of "letting go". Yes, this is one way of dealing with things when they get overwhelming. But there are other, far better ways, I think. This book is a valuable read for understanding buddhist philosophy. But, if you're looking for inspiration during trying times in your life, you'll have to look elsewhere--and there are plenty of such inspirational books. A good example of such a book is "Many Lives, Many Masters" by Brian Weiss. When one is going through difficult times, I don't think one should just give up and stop trying. But that is the recommendation of this book. Instead, I think one can change one's thoughts and one's expectations. But one should not stop making an effort altogether and just "let go" completely. The book's title is misleading; it won't really help someone whose life is falling apart. I know for sure that it didn't help me.
Rating:
Summary: Not just for difficult times
Review: This is a wonderful book for anyone, not just for those who feel that things are falling apart. It offers insight into accepting life just as it is, in this moment. The author shares her "wisdom mind" in this concise and compassionate book about finding peace within the fundamental groundlessness of life. I have read the book twice, and now I read a chapter here and there for refreshment and inspiration. Buy this book, and then buy one for someone you care about.
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Summary: overrated; a guide to inaction
Review: This book came highly recommended by a family friend, so I was surprised to find it bland, muddled, vague, and rambling.
The philosophy of total hopelessness and apathy Chodron offers up seems to me to be an impoverished distortion of the central Buddhist truths of impermanence and suffering. The book offers virtually no wisdom on the questions of how to live and act as a human being in the world. Her reduction of politics to a question of personal animosity is naive and dangerous. Her presentation of Buddhist concepts is imprecise, and her examples don't come alive for me.
For those hoping to find an inspiring presentation of Buddhist wisdom and its relevance to modern life, I recommend the writings of Stephen Batchelor, Jack Kornfeld, and Larry Rosenberg. Batchelor's "Buddhism Without Beliefs" is a marvel of clarity and truth. Also, the 'engaged buddhism' tradition begins to engage in questions of political commitment and human progress in much more sophisticated and useful ways than Chodron.
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