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 enlarge | Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Publisher: Viking
Category: EBooks
List Price: $15.00
Buy New: $8.50
You Save: $6.50 (43%)
Rating:  1757 reviews
Sales Rank: 71
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.4
ASIN: B000PDYVVG
Publication Date: April 11, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 3 Cheers for Self-Discovery December 22, 2008
23 out of 27 found this review helpful
I bought this book on the recommendation of a lady friend of mine, and soon found myself captivated by Elizabeth Gilbert's story. The book chronicles the most challenging period of her life- from her divorce through a heartening odyssey of self discovery. When she stops trying to fix herself and adopts a strategy of going for her life full out, she discovers the peace and satisfaction that had eluded her for so long. Really inspirational! If your life is in transition, you'll find this a great read.
If this kind of transformational thinking clicks with you, you should read Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life, by Ariel and Shya Kane. This powerful little book is a reliable short-cut to enlightenment, with loads of common sense that cuts through the psychological mumbo-jumbo I find in so many books in this genre. The Kanes prove that being present is the key to seeing your life change in an instant. One of the most down-to-earth and helpful books I've read in years.
 Interesting December 21, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia is very easy to read. I'm sure lots of women need to find themselves in this unsure world. It's definitely interesting to a point. If you are one having trouble finding yourself I suggest you find your way to a book entitled "The Enlightenment, What God Told Me After One Million Prayers: A Message for Everyone" by John H. Eagan. You won't have to travel to Indonesia to find the answer.
 Eat Pray Love December 21, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
A good read. The first section "Eat" is a little disappointing, but Pray, Love make up for any disappointment.
 one of the worst books I have ever read. December 20, 2008
5 out of 8 found this review helpful
Seriously Elizabeth Gilbert? You should be ashamed of yourself, ASHAMED. This is one of the worst books I have ever read. I am Indonesian and thought I should read it because a third of it takes place in Bali.
The beginning was insanely annoying, Rome was kind of fun- the food, the wine etc. Her time at the Ashram was insanely aggravating. How can you be so selfish and conceited when in a place of such spiritual beauty. I'm seriously SAD that she got the chance to do these wonderful things because she obviously did not appreciate one second of it- or at least is completely unable to write thoughtfully about her experiences.
And then there's the Bali section! First, she spelled Denpasar incorrectly... If you're going to write about a place- KNOW HOW TO SPELL IT, jesus christ. It is the biggest city in Bali and the city where the Bali airport is and she misspells it? I was embarrassed for her.
And she goes to Ubud, one of the most beautiful places on the island, meets a wonderful medicine man and a best Indonesian friend- how can such a stupid woman get so lucky? It's sad. Then she meets some man, with little to no substance [in the book, not in real life- I hope] and the only thing she can talk about is the sex. Really? You left two beautiful Balinese friends and got completely wrapped up in some dumb sex crazed midlife crisis? Are you dense? And then she goes on to talk about how she is so in tune with the culture- she now knows the whole history and understands the people of Bali... it's aggravating.
Get over yourself, and go back to New York where you belong, please leave Rome, India AND especially Bali alone. They don't need your ridiculousness.
Should be read as fiction December 20, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The author has gone through a difficult divorce, is breaking up with a rebound boyfriend and decides to solve her depression by taking a year off to travel to Italy, India and Bali; the 3 sections of the book which each have 36 sections.
It was an entertaining read although there were some over the top similes and metaphors. The author strained to make enough sections in the Italy section to fit her format.
In Italy she pursues a course of ritual self-indulgence. Pizza, drinking etc.. The over the top similes are fitting her over the top indulgence, example " ; everybody's fresh washed undershirts and brassieres flapping in the wind like Tibetan prayer flags." Or sausages.... are stuffed like ladies' legs in provocative stockings....."Lusty buttocks of ham..."
As we follow Liz to India it takes her "hours and hours out of the city of Mumbai" by taxi to reach the ashram. (Her plane landed at 1:30 a.m., she got her baggage and arrived at the ashram at 3:30 a.m.). She proceeds to describe yogic practice for us. She describes Hatha Yoga as a practice to prepare one for meditation. This is partially true, Hatha Yoga can be used as a preparation for meditation . Hatha Yoga is yoga of the body, a practice unto itself as noted in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Gheranda Samhita Hatha Yoga Pradipikakeywords=hatha+yoga+pradipika&sprefix=hatha+Yoga+Prad
"She also states yoga is about disentangling the built in glitches of the human condition..." What Yoga says is that there are no "built in glitches" the glitches are due to conditioning of our consciousness ( Mind) and the job of all forms of yoga is to return us to our true nature or our own True Self. (Svarupa skt.) We are a product of the things we have learned. We are fully capable of learning to lie or to tell the truth. Our behavior is a result of all the habits of thought we have consciously or unconsciously developed.
As she teaches us about various aspects of yoga and meditation, more inaccuracies pour forth. Such as stating that Indians all grew up with the "Guru Principle" and expect to have a guru. First the Guru Principle means that the real Guru is one's own true Self. Secondly her experience of India appears to be limited to this one ashram. In modern India a great number of Indians are unobservant and a large number of Indians don't have guru's as they feel too many of them are corrupt. There are many many ashrams and temples in India with many diverse school of yoga and manners of worship not to mention an enormous variety of yogic schools of thought just as there are many flavors of Christianity. She tells us in the Bali section the Hindus don't believe in hell. In fact the scripture which she had chanted every morning for the four preceding months - The Sri Guru Gita http://www.amazon.com/Shri-Guru-Gita-Divine-Song/dp/0967630657/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229754800&sr=8-1
makes atleast two references to actions which will cause one to go to hell. Other Indian scriptures also refer to hell(s).It helps one to read and study a scripture one is chanting and see how it applies to us. That is why it is called svadhya - self study.
In Bali she is able to climb a bit out of her narcissistic shell and does help a woman there get a house for her and her children and is able to form a relationship with a man.
In the end the reason I gave her one star because this book is not truthful and the author makes telling the truth a cornerstone of this journey which of necessity it must be. It appears that the author is unaware that she doesn't have the facts straight. I suspect she has always been glib and spun her way through things. I believe readers will read this book and it may bring them to inward exploration which is great. The imperative of this exploration is that we have to know what we know and not B.S. ourselves or others. .
My concern is that this book will serve as an introduction to yoga and meditation for many.. The prospective student who is looking for a guru would do well to read A Path with Heart A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life and After the Ecstasy The LaundryAfter the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path by Jack Kornfield http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Jack+Kornfield&x=13&y=22and Relating to a Spiritual Teacher-Building a Healthy Relationship By Alexander Berzin Relating to a Spiritual Teacher: Building A Healthy Relationship http://www.amazon.com/Relating-Spiritual-Teacher-Building Relationship/dp/1559391391/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228626288&sr=8-7
to get some idea about what a spiritual path entails and to know the qualities of a true guru. The Dalai Lama recommends observing a spiritual teacher for 5 to as much as 10 years before taking him or her as one's guru or lama. So enjoy the read, but look at the bigger picture to get perspective. That is what the term detachment (vairaga skt) actually means.
Mother Teresa said, "Americans have great material wealth, but great spiritual poverty" Unfortunately this book confirms that.
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