Rating: 
Summary: Struck a chord with me
Review: The beginning of the book critiques the profitable guru/disciple game, yet the item proclaiming this is a commercial, for profit, book. What is stunning about that (at least to this reviewer) is the numerous positive "THIS IS IT" reviews garnered by the effort and not one pointing out this glaring irony.Though fairly well written, with a modicum of humor & somewhat entertaining, it is obvious the character of Jed McKenna is pure fiction making any claim of the character's enlightenment moot. The level of understanding of various religious/philosophical approaches is sophomoric & would not impress even an earnest first year spiritual seeker. He adores Zen which is, of course, the easiest philosophy to espouse without any understanding whatsoever as it defies definition. It's rather like saying "Ahhh....Bach" and looking rapturously skyward when queried about classical music rather then admit you know nothing about the subject.
It's also ironic that while decrying all spiritual disciplines practices, and paths to attain enlightenment, he then puts forth his own....autolysis. And then has the temerity to proclaim it's THE ONLY way. Please Spending money for this book merely proves out the cynicism Jed McKenna expounds; namely, that seekers will spend anything for any promise of enlightenment, no matter how dim. They'll even buy this book recounting it's wonders rather then admit (see?) their folly. Perhaps Jed McKenna is right on one score....we (the readers) ARE deluded and soundly asleep.
Rating:
Summary: this book
Review: This and several other books propelled me to the edge. Jed is cool. I don't consider what he does religious, just explaining what is, how he know's and came to know it. Slice through you, you have to do, but his tale's give you a direction. To sort things out, until you realize you don't sort. Anyway, that is my take as of now, 20 minutes from now it will be different. Peace you have already, so I'l just say later.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This is an excellent book on "enlightenment." Using down to earth language, the author sheds much needed light on what enlightenment is and isn't, and how one "gets it." Mr. McKenna points out that enlightenment is not never-ending bliss, or floating on cloud nine all day long, or even the much lauded "unity consciousness." You don't "achieve" it by meditating, or obeying the god or guru of your choice, or becoming a spiritual expert and/or religious synthesist, or by being a collector of ecstatic experiences. In fact, "you" can't do anything about it all. It's simply seeing the truth. It's about what the author refers to as truth realization, or my personal favorite terms for it, complete perception or unobstructed view. The only way to see clearly is to see past ego, and everything, and the author quite literally means EVERYTHING, that goes along with it. Unless you're truly ready to let go of EVERYTHING, then this book may confuse and/or infuriate you more than anything else. You may discover that enlightenment is not what you wanted after all. Which, as Mr. McKenna says, is just fine. There's also the very good chance that you are ready, and this book may be just what you need to take the plunge. It's for that reason that, despite the handful of small disagreement on "details" between myself and the author, I highly recommend this book.
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