Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining - yes - depth - no
Review: Greatly entertaining book, which portrays the enlightened master as someone with normal human deficiencies, implying we all could be "one of them".
Apart from the entertainment value not much depth.
J McKenna sums it all up in one sentences: "Ask yourself what is true until you know." To make it entertaining he actually says: "Sit down, shut up and ask yourself what is true..."
Nothing greatly thought provoking in the book, really. If you look for that, your better off reading J Krishnamurti for example.
And the price? Too high.
Rating: 
Summary: Dont bother
Review: I bought this book last year thinking by all the positive reviews it would be really good.It is the first book in a very long time I have binned immediately. Full of contradictory beliefs, negativity and total ego.I can only recommend one book to buy this is one NOT to buy.How disappointing. Still it makes good money for someone !
Rating: 
Summary: Corrects many confusions about enlightenment
Review: I give this book 5 stars because it breaks so much new ground and smashes so many illusions.
It is perhaps convenient to believe that robotically following the instructions of a guru will produce enlightenment. When one
one is dutifully following intructions and not having a clue what enlightenment is but still expecting a successful result, that is a little foolish. Most spiritual teachers both refuse to say what enlightenment is and refuse to answer the question of whether they themselves are enlightened. Many will say that they are not enlightened and then without skipping a beat continue teaching about enlightenment. How refreshing it was to read Jed McKenna state that he is enlightened and that enlightenment is non-dual awareness. The question of what non-dual awareness is is much more approachable than the meaningless word "enlightenment". The weakness of the book is that after continually placing great emphasis on digging into the truth until we finally get to the answer, and also indicating that a number of his students have done just that, Mr.McKenna does not give any in depth examples of what that process might look like. He gives a wide variety of examples of how he answered questions that were posed to him or by him somewhat randomly to different people. In some cases the digging goes down three levels but it is not clear how an ongoing process of digging for the truth would work. What is needed is an in depth example that also makes it clear how to continue independently. If it can not be made clear how to continue independently, then something is wrong with the whole premise of the book.
Rating:
Summary: For Real
Review: I have read Spiritual Enlightenment The Damndest Thing.
The reading and the book I give five stars at least.
Jed is quite extraordinary. His grasp and breadth outstanding.
However I have a query and a suspicion.
Does he really exist as a person outside the book?
Is this a work of fiction?
Does such a man exist in Iowa?
Can one contact him?
If so, how?
Rating: 
Summary: Enlightenment 101
Review: I'll admit, Jed McKenna's book is an unexpected source of lessons about enlightenment, coming as it does from someone who sounds pretty ordinary and claims to live in a farmhouse in rural Iowa. We don't learn anything about Jed's actual background or how he pays the bills at the farmhouse, but we get lots of dialog between Jed and would-be disciples who want to "wake up" and be enlightened like Jed, who gather at his house hoping to get on a track to enlightenment. Jed has no spiritual goodies to dispense, no feel-good peak experiences to lead us to, he just hammers home that enlightenment is a state of being which, once achieved, does not go away. Enlightened persons cannot go back. They exist in a condition of "nonduality" that means they are no longer stuck in a role like the rest of us. They have discarded the character they used to be. I found his use of the expression "awake" (enlightened persons are "awake" and the rest of us are "asleep") interesting since it is the same expression used by Gurdjieff and expounded in the works based on his teachings by P.D. Ouspensky. I read Ouspensky's book In Search of the Miraculous and was quickly lost in a maze of obscure concepts. But I was intrigued by the idea that most of us go through life "asleep" and that there are ways to "wake up." I once found a copy of Ouspenky's The Fourth Way at a used book sale and brought it home thinking I'd persevere through it and get some illumination on how to wake up. A short time with the book revealed it to be even more obscure than my first attempt at understanding Gurdjieff. So the book went into the bin to be resold on Amazon. Someone else bought it and is probably now scratching their head at the difficult ideas within. But you won't find any difficult ideas in Jed's book. At least not in the same way as with Gurdjieff. Jed lays it all out in a series of conversations, many involving analogies that you can follow quite easily. The hard part is actually becoming enlightened and Jed is not encouraging about the prospects for success. Getting there is painful, as we see as one of Jed's seekers gets to the First Step at the end of the book. By showing us a cast of characters trying to learn from him, Jed leads us gently through what enlightenment is not and guides those who want to go there to what it is. After reading this book, I'm not sure I want to go there, even though I'd like to "wake up." Jed's explanations are simple, but what he expects you to do to achieve enlightenment is not.
Rating:
Summary: Fresh View of Realization Process
Review: It's hard to explain how profound an impact Jed's writting has had on me. I can't recall a book that does such a straight forward job of pointing out what appears a critical difference between the realization of truth and the multiplicity of self perpetuating spiritual practices. Actually I can't think of a book that comes close. This book slaps you in the face and then points the way, over and over. Of course, the way Jed points to (the "First Step") is further explained as quite uninviting for virtually all who think they are going down the glorious road of "Enlightenment" as a personal adventure of discovery or self-evolution. The "road" to truth realization means the end of everything you believe you are, everything that you are, everything. Jed writes about waking up for grown ups. And it ain't pretty. One could criticize the publishers overkill advertising in the book, or some of Jed's descriptions and scenarios, but don't get confused: here lies a message you may never see anywhere else.
Rating:
Summary: Get Real!
Review: Jed McKenna's writing reminds me of the cowboy western genre - it's lean, mean and tough - but don't quote me yet WiseFools Press - and 100% fiction! Just like the legendary gunslingers and frontiers-men that roamed the outlands. It's easy to talk but not so easy to walk that talk - and no-one has seen McKenna walk, talk or even breathe. It's here that McKenna lets himself down and catapults his book into the realm of fiction and fantasy. Does McKenna skydive? Does he even mountain bike? Ah, such heroic feats - and riveting fiction. Better go read Andrew Cohen, John de Ruiter, Gangaji, Dave Oshana and even the Pope - at least they exist.
Rating:
Summary: just south of Iowa
Review: Just finished SE:TDT for the second time, and these thoughts come: What if Jed McKenna isn't a guy at all? What if Jed McKenna is actually a woman? After all, if a person wanted to write under an assumed name, wouldn't that just be the perfect way to throw us all off track?... a woman writing very cleverly and convincingly as if she were a man? It's certainly been done before. And boy, did I have a good laugh while pondering that.
But actually, I don't give a hoot whether JMcK is a man or a woman. And I don't care if the seemingly autobiographical presentation is fiction or not. And I don't care if s/he really lives in Iowa, (although it sure would be nice if this part of the Midwest weren't such a desert when it comes to those who are spiritually insightful). Really the bottom line for me is that I'm just glad s/he wrote the book.
You see, it is the delusion, the dream, the nightmare... that is what I've always found to be a seriously scary thing. Can you just imagine?... Here you are living for years amongst hoards of "straw dogs" who actually think they are real. They're the ones in charge of keeping the mad delusions raging in full form. And their life's goal is to try their very best to convince you too. And if somebody doesn't come along to tell you why you feel like you got off on the wrong planet, you end up very heavily medicated and in the psych ward.
And in regard to the Truth... well finally finding someone who tells the Truth, (even if it's a disguised someone who feels a need to stay in hiding), that's very soothing indeed... very healing. (Although I do imagine that the "straw dogs" would feel very differenlty about it.)
Feeling so, so very grateful to JMcK for telling the Truth no matter who or where s/he really is. It's really kinda nice to figure out that I'm not as crazy as I always thought. And just tremendously glad that now IT finally all makes sense.
Rating:
Summary: The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
Review: Spiritual Enlightenment- The Damnedest Thing
Author: Jed McKenna A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This book is more about getting to that First Step than the rest of the journey. Once you've begun there's no stopping or turning back... Author Jed McKenna may be one of the few truly enlightened individuals on this planet.
In a simplistic, honest style, the author writes of caterpillars and butterflies, mysticism and ignorance and of the final awakening. We learn a little about his life, his loves and his discovery of truth. This delightful, potent and evocative book will take you from believing, to doubt and disillusionment, and back to belief again in a most unexpected way.
Jed McKenna takes a brilliant spotlight and exposes much of the spiritual enlightenment business for what is really is: illusion and window dressing. This book cuts to the chase of real truth. Mr. McKenna calls the antics of spiritual enlightenment bull-. After reading this book, this reviewer happens to agree with him one hundred percent. Truth can only be one thing-true.
Truth, not the spiritual pursuit, not the theatrics and props and not spiritual leader imitation is the real destination for millions of seekers. If you have the courage to take an honest look at everything you have been told, everything you believe, everything you are and incinerate it in the flames of truth, you may be a candidate for real, honest spiritual enlightenment. This book will do just that; so you decide - stay with the illusion or face the only real truth; just remember--sometimes the truth hurts.
Unorthodox, unique and honest teachings of enlightenment, mysticism and recognizing ego fill this book. The approach is humorous, critical and straightforward. People deeply embroiled in the props, rituals and behaviors of enlightenment will find this book disturbing. Those whose eyes and minds are wide open will find this book to be the best thing they have read in years. The poetry of the author scattered throughout the book provide the reader with an excellent insight into the author's psyche.
Millions and millions of dollars have been made selling spiritual enlightenment. Do yourself a favor. Make your final purchase of enlightened material and buy this book. It may be the last money you will spend in your pursuit. Bravo Jed McKenna, at last the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God !
Spiritual Enlightenment-The Damnedest Thing is an excellent wake up call. Shirley Roe
Rating:
Summary: You can't get there from here
Review: The authors of this book (whoever they may be) invite us to write something that is True. OK, I'll bite. But the fact is that the word True is already one word too many, just like the concept of unity, as opposed to duality, is also one concept too many. There is absolutely nothing you can think, say or write that is not unadulterated illusion and total baggage. Best to leave the paper blank. However since I have betrayed the blank page already, in for a penny, in for a pound. If you really want a first class illusion of a nothing man you really can't go past U G Krishnamurti himself. If words are anything to go by, and they aren't, he is much closer to an honest man than Jed McKenna. He puts his money where his mouth should be. U G's words can be had for free by all and sundry because he knows that they have absolutely no value to anyone for anything on this subject and plainly says so. Jed is kind of trying to say the same thing in a rambling way that reminds me of what a somewhat lightweight, tame, sanitised, bland and hesitant version of U G might be, so I looked for U G's books in the bibliography but just found a blank. Hmm! apparently you can't get there from here.
| 
