as mentioned in my recent post 'emergence', i mentioned that i'd been reading 'a couple of interesting self-help type books' and that i intended to write more on them. it's taken a little while, but here i am writing more.
first off was
The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz (i
mentioned this book briefly before). i've read this book twice in the last few months. the first time i found it to be a little too simplistic and repetitive, but liked the basic concepts it was putting forth. after returning from burning man, i realized that the book was calling for me to re-read it, as if there was more there than what i'd gotten out the first time.
i found the writing style much more approachable the second time through -- what i had previously found simple and repetitive i now found to be similar to teachings being passed down in an oral tradition -- as if don juan was writing the castaneda books instead of castaneda capturing and interpreting his words.
the root of the book is that we have made a million little implicit agreements over the years -- with ourselves and others around us -- that contribute to poor mental well-being (a shared waking dream of hell, mirroring the maya -- or illusion -- concept in Hinduism). by making these new four agreements (see the second link above for the precis versions), we become more conscious of our actions and are less likely to accept mental pollution from (or project onto) others.
it's an easy read -- one i suspect i'll keep tucking into periodically over the next months to keep the concepts fresh.
the second book is
The Road Less Traveled, by M. Scott Peck. check out the editorial reviews on the linked page (particularly the Publishers Weekly one) for a much better description of this book than i feel capable of writing right now. in short, he focuses on the concepts of (self-)discipline, love and grace, weaving in concepts of religion, god and the value of the psychotherapeutic process.
this was also a second-read -- but the first time was 20 years ago, the summer after i graduated from high school, at the recommendation of my senior AP English teacher. after re-reading this book so many years later, i'd love to know what she saw in me that made her recommend this.
it's a dense, challenging read. i suspect i may give it another skim in the near future, then follow on with the two sequels (in which he supposedly expands on some of the topics only briefly touched on in the first book, as well as updating earlier material based on years more of experience).
i recommend both of these book for anyone who wants to engage in a little reflection on their place in the world and how to make it better.
~s