Rating: 
Summary: Three and a half stars
Review: A cute book with wonderful illustrations; unfortunately it seems like the author came up with a great idea (at least for light cocktail party conversation) but really had to reach for enough material to form a book. Better as a gift for a Wizard of Oz fan than for a Zen Buddhist...
Rating: 
Summary: Re-live Oz on a new level.
Review: A little book that is filled with the whole cosmos. Follow the yellow brick road to a higher consciousness. You'll know why The Wizard of Oz movie has remained your favorite all these years, after reading just a few pages of this book. It takes you way beyond the simple lesson "there's no place like home." Joey Green takes you over the rainbow with Dorothy to experience "satori", the Zen word for awakening.
Rating:
Summary: Running something that's in the ground into the ground.
Review: A very clever way to sell books, I must say. Taking a highly visible piece of art/detritus and magnifying it on a plate of steaming hotcakes where everything is simple as the syrup that drips over the side is poor taste. I found some interesting pieces of thought in the Scarecrow chapter other than that, he's reaching.
Rating: 
Summary: are you kidding me?
Review: An interesting idea behind the book... finding the spiritual connections and philosophy behind the story of the wizard of oz. The writing style of the book is poor, redundant, and not terribly smooth (inconsistent pronoun usage, repetitive sentence structure, etc.) The book has its glimmers of insight, but in general, I think it looks way too much into the Wizard of Oz- and that means a lot coming from someone who usually gives new-age, self-help, and spiritual books more credit than they probably deserve sometimes. The very basic connections between the Yellow Brick Road and intuition or following the true self, and the basic metaphors of each the scarecrow, lion, and tin man are backed by literary evidence and are argued logically... and I think these basic connections are compelling. Prevelant is the idea that each of the characters, whether his/her search is for brains, courage, a heart, or home, actually possesses these qualities already... it's just a matter of discovering this truth. Green also goes into the philosophy of love, intelligence, courage, and one's personal "home" or the self, and that too is interesting (but at times can be a stretch when relating it back to the story). The book sometimes takes great dives into detail, jumping to conclusions that are based 100% on speculation ... of the author, and not at all on a logical connection. An example you ask? Well, the Lion, while being primped at the Wash & Brush Up Co. in Emerald City, the author observes, gestures "with a decidedly limp wrist, possibly insinuating that his sexual orientation is a 'fate I don't deserve.'" The author continues to discuss the lion's inability to come out of the closet to come to terms with his true self, assuming that his limp wrist gesture and interest in fine fabrics means the he is gay. Frankly, I think the lion was just acting like a wealthy king. He also suggests Ms. Gulch is a "victim of her own repressed sexuality." To come to this conclusion would require pure speculation based upon [standards], and though the idea has good intentions, it actually weakens his overarching statement. The idea of the book was obviously very interesting to me, but ... the book has left me disappointed and unsatisfied. The kernels of truth in the book are cluttered by details that are not fully developed. But the pictures are cool, I guess.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: Joey Green has written an awesome book, filled with incredible insights about the Wizard of Oz. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves this movie. You'll discover a wealth of beautiful and enriching spiritual messages. Unbelieveable!
Rating:
Summary: Another Witty Volume from Joey Green
Review: Joey Green has written an emotionally affecting, yet frequently quite witty, analysis of THE WIZARD OF OZ. There are indications throughout that he does not take his premise entirely seriously -- but his volume works as a philosophical treatise, as movie criticism, as humor, and as self-help. The illustrations are gorgeous.
Rating: 
Summary: Zen Wisdom Can Be Found in The Wizard of Oz
Review: Joey Green is one of the most creative and diverse writers I've ever encountered and I was instantly struck by the passion he brought to this book. Through his eyes, the movie The Wizard of Oz is transformed into ten spiritual lessons that ring true for seekers. The result is The Zen of Oz, a book of pop-Zen at its very best, filled with the author's wit, insights, and unique perspective to be found nowhere else. And while I may be biased, I think the cover and interior full-color art are positively stunning--I'm proud to have it on my bookshelf.
Rating:
Summary: The low down on the hoe down.
Review: Just when you thought you had a firm grip on those psychological heroes from the cultural abyss, Green takes ahold of these sacred virginic icons and gives your life a run for its spiritual money. By examining our subconcious choices, Green drives us deep into the realites of exactly why those characters where who they were and why they preformed true to form. One word of caution though, If you always identified with the Masterful Wizard, you may be in for a shock to the proverbial system, finding out that he was nothing but a bully, equally as bad as the Wicked Witch. Myself, I always saw myself in the Scarecrow, a man made of straw. Regarded by few and respected by none, caught an eternal crossroads of life with an arm going in both directions - but feet - frozen by own indecision.Examining Karma can be a good thing and enlightening, done without the rote mental abberations that push us away from the tasks that usually have a positive and lasting effect on us. So, jump down off that cross, clock tower, wooden pole in corn feild, or where ever it is you find yourself unfortunately by choice and read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Never Let Those Ruby Slippers Off Your Feet!
Review: Of all the books I've written, this is my absolute favorite. Does the Wizard of Oz capture our hearts because the movie is filled with Zen wisdom? Is Glinda a Zen master? At the end of the movie, when Dorothy exclaims, "Oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home," is she actually, on a deeper level, sharing a key Zen principle? Is she really talking about being at home with herself, finding her inner spark, her Oneness with the cosmos? Discover how Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion let go of their conscious yearning for brains, heart, and courage, and how they free their minds to function spontaneously and in harmony with the creative intelligence of the universe. And find out how you too can put the Ten Spiritual Lessons from the Wizard of Oz to work for you.
Rating:
Summary: To the Young at Heart.
Review: On one of my recent journeys through the Land of Oz, the Ozarks, I visited with my friend Roger S. Baum, the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum-the author of the Wizard of Oz. I asked him what he thought about the theory of his great-grandfather being a Zen Master. He admitted he really didn't know. That he hadn't read The Zen of Oz. That it has been his experience that such things were only done by people that saw an opportunity to make money off Great Grandfather's work. After I explained the gist of Joey Green's premise I did notice a slow smile take over Roger's face. He was intrigued. Though he would not corroborate Joey's claims he did state that Great Grandfather would probably not turn over in his grave if he knew about The Zen of Oz. The one caveat Roger then mentioned was that first and foremost the Oz Series is a collection of fantasies for the young at heart. Meant to be taken with sincerity but not too seriously. The rest of our conversation was private.
As for me, I find The Zen of Oz quite clever and entertaining. It has added to my enjoyment of the classic movie. I see the movie in a whole new light. Almost as though I am seeing it for the first time. We are Dorothy. Prodigal sons and daughters venturing out into the world on our own only to find out that there is no place like home. That the Wizard can't really give us anything we don't already have. That there is an inner spark of the Divine within each of us. That the Yellow Brick Road is an inner path that leads to the great beyond and that each of us must make the journey for ourselves. To realize that no matter where we are we are already over the rainbow for we make the rainbow. That life is a great mystery and that we are the greatest mystery of all. That life is full of wonder and joy, as well as pain and sorrow. That as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience."
A personal thought that I would like to add to "The Zen of Oz." Totality, Toto, is a synergetic organic unity greater than one but less than two. The whole of ultimate reality is greater than the sum of its parts. We are not alone. Though there is more than one of us there is not a second. We are family and there is no place like home. And dogs really are man's best friend.
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