Best Phenomenology
Antifragile is a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s landmark Incerto series, an investigation of opacity, luck, uncertainty, probability, human error, risk, and decision-making in a world we don’t understand. The other books in the series are Fooled by Randomness, The Black Swan, and The Bed of Procrustes . Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the bestselling author of The Black Swan and one of the foremost thinkers of our time, reveals how to thrive in an uncertain world. What Taleb has identified and calls “antifragile” is that category of things that not only gain from chaos but need it in order to survive and flourish. In The Black Swan, Taleb showed us that highly improbable and unpredictable events underlie almost everything about our world. The book spans innovation by trial and error, life decisions, politics, urban planning, war, personal finance, economic systems, and medicine. highly entertaining.” — The Economist “A bold book explaining how and why we should embrace uncertainty, randomness, and error . You finish the book feeling braver and uplifted.” — New Statesman “Antifragility isn’t just sound economic and political doctrine. Taleb sees degrees of antifragility everywhere, from fasting, mythology, and urban planning to economic, technological, cultural, and biological systems. Such skepticism toward elites, which imbued Taleb’s The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (2007), continues in this work, which grapples with a concept Taleb coins as “antifragile.” Not readily reducible to a definition (Taleb takes the whole book to develop the idea), suffice to say here that antifragile’s opposites—economic, political, or medical systems that are vulnerable to sudden collapse—tend to be managed by highly educated people who think they know how systems work. Emphatic in his style and convictions, Taleb grabs readers given to musing how the world works.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The rest is an accumulation of more or less relevant topics, delivered in Taleb's trademarked seering, holier-than-thou, hero-or-moron style. Debt-fueled economies: debt has no flexibility, so these economies can't stand even a slowdown without risking implosion (cf current situation). Modern societies: efficiency demands are pushing the structures to the maximum, so a little sand in the cogs make the whole edifice totter. Touristification: turning adventures (kids growing up, people visiting foreign countries) from exciting, dangerous activities into bland, Disneyfied and safe ones. 1.2.3 Ways to be antifragile include: Stressors: it is healthy to be subject to some punctual stresses to awake the organism from complacency (e.g. irregular meal times, violent exercise or ingesting small amounts of poison). Barbell strategy: put 90% of your eggs into something super-safe and be very risk-seeking with the other 10% (swing for the fences). 1.2.4 For small troubles, better trust nature and do nothing than bring untested methods that can have tragic unforeseen consequence. Beware of neomania: don't embrace novelty for the sake of it. Stick to time-tested methods: what has stood the test of time has proved to be robust. Don't sweat the small stuff if it can lead to tragedy: radiation used to cure acne leading to leukemia, thalidomide prescribed to reduce morning sickness leading to malformed babies. 1.2.5 An antidote to the lack of accountability seen in the powerfuls who rule us (government officials, corporate honchos, bankers). Have them have skin in the game, i.e. to share in the downside of their decisions. In conclusion, this is an imperfect, overlong and often eye-roll-inducing book (as is usual for Taleb), but it presents an intriguing and original argument for the reader to chew on."
"A true gem that reflects the flaws of modern thinking, forcing the reader to view instead the ancient vision of wisdom that comes from via negativa, a method of reducing uncertainty by removing that which is fake, flawed or fluff."
"And that practice should embrace the inherent variation of the modern world."
"The problem with this position is one of being paradoxical to emergence....there are many "paradigm shifts" (see Kuhn's book "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" if you are unfamiliar- it is a vital concept for this topic) where we do not see the "black swan" until it has occured and radically changed the playing field. I have issues with a conflict of concepts where the old paradigm (the ancient, and often the "antifragile") is shattered by the black swan event (paradigm shift) which replaces the old with a new, likely antifragile construct. This paradox plays throughout Taleb's book, unlike "The Black Swan" where there is no significant paradox in logic."
Winner of the International Lannan Literary Award for Nonfiction Animal tracks, word magic, the speech of stones, the power of letters, and the taste of the wind all figure prominently in this intellectual tour de force that returns us to our senses and to the sensuous terrain that sustains us. A stunningly original work of ecological philosophy documenting the historical and current effects of language on our perception of and interaction with nature. Utne Magazine recently voted Abram one of "The 100 People Who Will Change the World."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The understanding and values David Abram relates to us in this book, are the very ones we need to be steeped in from earliest childhood on."
"Mind altering book, poetic."
"The book is a rare gem--from phenomenology to the immediate sensual encounter."
"Exquisite language dropping you into the field of sensuous understanding, knowledge; poetry of awakening to what is important."
"A book that resonates deeply and lingers long after you put it down."
"Amazing.... what a wake up call this book is."
Carrying forward the projects of American pragmatism and continental philosophy, Gendlin created an original form of philosophical psychology that brings new understandings of human experience and the life-world, including the “hard problem of consciousness.” A Process Model , Gendlin’s magnum opus, offers no less than a new alternative to the dualism of mind and body. He is the author of a number of books, including Focusing , Experiencing and the Creation of Meaning , and Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Gendlin does not specify "contents" of experience."
"For me :). "A philosopher stands at the edge of thought where the familiar meanings open into. unseen possibilities, where words can combine in odd sentences to say what those words have never said before."
Best Phenomenological Philosophy
Antifragile is a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s landmark Incerto series, an investigation of opacity, luck, uncertainty, probability, human error, risk, and decision-making in a world we don’t understand. The other books in the series are Fooled by Randomness, The Black Swan, and The Bed of Procrustes . Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the bestselling author of The Black Swan and one of the foremost thinkers of our time, reveals how to thrive in an uncertain world. What Taleb has identified and calls “antifragile” is that category of things that not only gain from chaos but need it in order to survive and flourish. In The Black Swan, Taleb showed us that highly improbable and unpredictable events underlie almost everything about our world. The book spans innovation by trial and error, life decisions, politics, urban planning, war, personal finance, economic systems, and medicine. highly entertaining.” — The Economist “A bold book explaining how and why we should embrace uncertainty, randomness, and error . You finish the book feeling braver and uplifted.” — New Statesman “Antifragility isn’t just sound economic and political doctrine. As comical as Taleb's rough handling of his favorite targets can be--academics, economists, and tourists, to name a few--his argumentative style boasts gaping holes, non sequiturs aplenty, and at times an almost willfully repugnant tone.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The rest is an accumulation of more or less relevant topics, delivered in Taleb's trademarked seering, holier-than-thou, hero-or-moron style. Debt-fueled economies: debt has no flexibility, so these economies can't stand even a slowdown without risking implosion (cf current situation). Modern societies: efficiency demands are pushing the structures to the maximum, so a little sand in the cogs make the whole edifice totter. Touristification: turning adventures (kids growing up, people visiting foreign countries) from exciting, dangerous activities into bland, Disneyfied and safe ones. 1.2.3 Ways to be antifragile include: Stressors: it is healthy to be subject to some punctual stresses to awake the organism from complacency (e.g. irregular meal times, violent exercise or ingesting small amounts of poison). Barbell strategy: put 90% of your eggs into something super-safe and be very risk-seeking with the other 10% (swing for the fences). 1.2.4 For small troubles, better trust nature and do nothing than bring untested methods that can have tragic unforeseen consequence. Beware of neomania: don't embrace novelty for the sake of it. Stick to time-tested methods: what has stood the test of time has proved to be robust. Don't sweat the small stuff if it can lead to tragedy: radiation used to cure acne leading to leukemia, thalidomide prescribed to reduce morning sickness leading to malformed babies. 1.2.5 An antidote to the lack of accountability seen in the powerfuls who rule us (government officials, corporate honchos, bankers). Have them have skin in the game, i.e. to share in the downside of their decisions. In conclusion, this is an imperfect, overlong and often eye-roll-inducing book (as is usual for Taleb), but it presents an intriguing and original argument for the reader to chew on."
"NNT writes about when he used to attend MBA, he tells the story about a professor that was teaching him about financial options, and NNT realized he did not even knew that much about options, because the professor thought there where only financial options, but NNT grasped the generality of the idea."
"Antifragile was intellectually stimulating and thought provoking."
"What Taleb expounds upon actually transcends and goes beyond just the financial markets and into many critical facets of life itself (most notably, medical treatments and practice)."
"To me that makes the book worth it."
"I recommend this book go all the managers; you think to know how things go, you think to have everything under control, if you think that you see were you are driving your business, after reading this book will probably change your mind."
"It's not an easy read, but it was excellent."
Best Pragmatism
Anyone who’s ever lost sleep over an unreturned phone call or the neighbor’s Lexus had better read Alain de Botton’s irresistibly clear-headed new book, immediately. Promising to teach us how to duck the "brutal epithet of 'loser' or 'nobody,' " de Botton notes that status has often been conflated with honor and that the number of men slain while dueling has amounted, over the centuries, to the hundreds of thousands. De Botton also discusses bohemia, the reaction to status and the attack on bourgeois values, wisely linking this movement to dadaism, whose founder, Tristan Tzara, called for the "idiotic." The phenomenon known as "keeping up with the Joneses" is nothing new, and not much has changed in the 45 years since the late Vance Packard, in The Status Seekers , wrote the definitive analysis of consumer culture and its discontents.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Status anxiety is not great, but its normal!"
"Lots of good examples and the final few paragraphs tie it all together."
"This book is a very interesting read."
"If you are looking to acquire more knowledge and get a new perspective about anxiety, this is the book for you."
"In spite of Botton's admirable presentation, there were some passages that seemed marginally related to the thesis and at times I was racing to finish the chapter so that I could start the next one (but this, of course, may be more indicative of my literary bent & experiences)."
"Has become of of my favorite books."
"Good promise at the start, but failed to build."
Best Humanism Philosophy
The present work describes a simple and effective means by which to let go of the obstacles to Enlightenment and become free of negativity. Dr. David Hawkins' book "Power vs Force" had a big impact on me when I read it several years ago and now I would like to let you know about another book by Dr. David Hawkins that you may want to consider adding to your library and that is "Letting Go". "Letting Go" is a guide to helping you remove the obstacles we all have that keep us from living a more conscious life, it is truly a life changing book. --Wayne Dyer --Wayne Dyer at Hay House. Dr. Wayne Dyer turned me and Hay House on to Dr. David Hawkins book Power vs Force quite a while ago and it helped many people improve and understand their lives and now I would like to let you know about another book by Dr. David Hawkins that you may want to consider adding to your library and that is Letting Go...Letting Go is a guide to helping you remove the obstacles we all have that keep us from living a more conscious life, it is truly a life changing book. Founding Director of the Institute for Spiritual Research, Inc. (1983) and Founder of the Path of Devotional Nonduality (2003), Dr. Hawkins has lectured widely at such places as Westminster Abbey; Oxford Forum; Universities of Notre Dame, Michigan, Argentina, Fordham and Harvard; University of California (SF) Medical School; Institute of Noetic Sciences; and Agape Spiritual Center (Los Angeles).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I read this book hoping to learn something more about helping my patients (I'm a psychiatrist) "let go" of the negative emotions that they hold on to. Just seems to be something he likes to enlighten us about, and people in other reviews of other books have mentioned that there are no double blind, placebo controlled scientific studies confirming the validity of this technique anyway. That just might mean, though, that one or both of us was functioning below a "200", which seems like some strange arbitrary number format of levels of vibrational energy and emotion. I have read a lot of Osho, Tolle, don Miguel Ruiz, Dalai Lama and many others, and I've found them all to be beneficial in various ways. I continue to think that a steady practice of meditation is one valid way to tame the "monkey mind" from deleterious thought patterns and associated feelings."
"On the back it says " it is an valuable resource for all professionals who work in the areas of mental health, psychology, medicine , self help, addiction recovery, and spiritual development. For example, I loved the can't VS won't question to put things in perceptive. All the information on work, love, depression, grief, courage, happiness and etc were outstanding in helping me to recontextalize the way I was seeing things. I immediately let go of enormous anger I had about a situation that I had carried for years. Then I find an answer to help get rid of the pain or emotion."
"One of them is a problem solving technique of surrendering where you don't try and surrender on the problem, but you surrender the negative charge energy of the question you are asking yourself. I immediately felt an overwhelming negative surge within me that I was able to surrender using the Letting Go Technique."
"At a very stressful time in life, just recently, I was experiencing great anxiety accompanied by increasing incidence of health problems, all caused by my own thoughts."
Best Rationalism Philosophy
With eloquent clarity, Hitchens frames the argument for a more secular life based on science and reason, in which hell is replaced by the Hubble Telescope's awesome view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the double helix. All the same, this is salutary reading as a means of culling believers' weaker arguments: that faith offers comfort (false comfort is none at all), or has provided a historical hedge against fascism (it mostly hasn't), or that "Eastern" religions are better (nope). Sam Harris' The End of Faith (2005) and Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion (2006) have questioned the existence of any spiritual being and met with enormous success. Replace religious faith with inquiry, open-mindedness, and the pursuit of ideas, he exhorts. Religious faith, he asserts, is both result and cause of dangerous sexual repression. Believers will be disturbed and may even charge him with blasphemy (he questions not only the virgin birth but the very existence of Jesus), and he may not change many minds, but he offers the open-minded plenty to think about.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Mr. Hitchens is very good in putting his point across."
"this book sure makes you think about things.I'm enjoying it but not finished it yet.Wish more people could get out of the box and say ,now that makes sense."
"I learned something on every page - never knew much about how religion started, but Mr. Hitchens certainly changed that."
"This is the first book I have written by the late Christopher Hitchens and I know I'll read more."
"This is a must reference book for Pro and Anti Religion."
"Firstly, I want to say that Christopher Hitchens was already on my "favorites" list (an idea at which I'm sure he would have scoffed) because I've known about him and listened to many recorded debates in which he participated. Hitchens writes in such a manner that one can easily envision him on a stage with a microphone lecturing in his dry, acerbic style with all the wit and sarcasm that his subject(s) deserve. As one of the most prevalent "arguments" from the theist's point of view seems to be that so much good has been done through and by religion, Hitchens is at his best in diffusing and disproving this oft-repeated nonsense using reason, logic, erudition and wit. But the man's command of the language and his ability to transfer his thinking and wit to the printed word is, in itself, astounding."
"It's not easy reading, but there are great points that I've not considered before."
"This book is absolutely brilliant."
Best Existentialism
Interweaving biography and philosophy, it is the epic account of passionate encounters--fights, love affairs, mentorships, rebellions, and long partnerships--and a vital investigation into what the existentialists have to offer us today, at a moment when we are once again confronting the major questions of freedom, global responsibility, and human authenticity in a fractious and technology-driven world. Bakewell is often annoyed but never defeated by Heidegger’s obscurity, and some of her most exciting pages are the engaged, unsimplifying accounts she offers of complex philosophies, even ones that finally repel her…One of many persuasive surprises in Bakewell’s book is her suggestion that Heidegger’s prose sometimes resembles Gertrude Stein’s in its deliberate linguistic strangeness, a resemblance that goes deeper than style…An unspoken theme of Bakewell’s book is the variety of ways in which academic philosophy can be distorted by power relations. Others, like Husserl and Heidegger, demanded obeisance… Bakewell has a special affection for philosophers who stayed free of the academy, especially Sartre and Beauvoir…Sarah Bakewell’s previous book was an engaging biography of Montaigne that was also a subtle exposition of Montaigne’s writings. Its audacious title was How to Live, and her new book deserves to be read as a further study in the same enlivening theme.” --The New York Times Book Review “ At the Existentialist Café is a bracingly fresh look at once-antiquated ideas and the milieu in which they flourished. Some may find the description of Camus as ‘a simple, cheerful soul,’ as surprising as Sartre’s apparently charming Donald Duck imitation… ‘When reading Sartre on freedom, Beauvoir on the subtle mechanisms of oppression, Kierkegaard on anxiety, Camus on rebellion, Heidegger on technology or Merleau-Ponty on cognitive science,’ Ms. Bakewell writes, ‘one sometimes feels one is reading the latest news.’” —Janet Maslin, The New York Times. "Bakewell brilliantly explains 20th-century existentialism through the extraordinary careers of the philosophers who devoted their lives and work to 'the task of responsible alertness' and 'questions of human identity, purpose, and freedom.'. “Bakewell follows her celebrated study of Montaigne…with a lively appraisal of existentialism and its leading thinkers…With coverage of friendship, travel, argument, tragedy, drugs, Paris, and, of course, lots of sex, Bakewell’s biographical approach pays off… The result is an engaging story about a group of passionate thinkers, and a reminder of their continued relevance.” —Booklist (starred review). “ At the Existentialist Cafe: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails may come dressed in a seductive title, but Sarah Bakewell’s book about the people and ideas behind the existentialist movement is both breezy and brainy. Bakewell demonstrated her ability to plumb big ideas for real-life relevance in How to Live , her 2010 biography of Michel de Montaigne…She brings the same lively intelligence to her latest work. During the occupation, existentialists — who believed above all in freedom and responsibility — were engaged and committed to the Resistance in their actions and their literature… Among a panoply of riches, Bakewell offers fascinating anecdotes, including the heroics involved in saving Husserl’s papers during the war. But as Sarah Bakewell describes them in this vivid, vital group biography, existentialists like Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvior, and Albert Camus were courageous free thinkers in an age of fascism, totalitarianism, and conformity.” —The Boston Globe. “Although biography provides the narrative momentum of At the Existentialist Café , much of the meat comes from the philosophy…Bakewell has a knack for crystallising key ideas by identifying choice original quotations and combining them with her own words…Perhaps the aphorism that best captures the book is one of Bakewell’s own: 'Thinking should be generous and have a good appetite.'. At the Existentialist Café , Sarah Bakewell’s group portrait of Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Beauvoir, and the other 'Continental' philosophers who flourished before and after World War II, is a work of deep intelligence and sympathy, reminding us how exciting those thinkers can be. Even if the context has shifted slightly, the question it asks remains just as relevant now as in the post-war years: what shall we make of a shattered world?” —The Brooklyn Rail "It's not often that you miss your bus stop because you're so engrossed in reading a book about existentialism, but I did exactly that while immersed in Sarah Bakewell's At the Existentialist Café . Sarah Bakewell was a bookseller and a curator of early printed books at the Wellcome Library before publishing her highly acclaimed biographies The Smart, The English Dane , and the best-selling How to Live: A Life of Montaigne , which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"After reading this book, I say, “If you are Sarah Bakewell, you can take existentialism and make sense out of it.”. The existentialist themes of freedom, political activism, and “authentic being” became watchwords of the middle and late 20th century. National Book Critics’ Circle Award winner Bakewell’s clear writing and carefully researched portrayal of the context in which existentialism developed gave me a much better understanding of this school of thought that both influenced and reflected most of the last century. Unlike Beauvoir and Sartre, “journalists did not quiz him about his sex life---which is a shame, as they would have dug up some interesting stories.” Photos throughout the book were a nice complement to the narrative."
"Although my Amazon Vine queue sometimes mystifies me (WHY as a 76-year-old woman whose youngest grandchild is in high school am I continuously being offered baby products? In addition, it is a historical description of the circumstances surrounding the development of philosophy and its interaction with the political scene before, during and after the rise of Nazism and WWII. Again due to the uncorrected proof format, the extensive notes provided at the end are not annotated in the text, which made it easy for me as a non-scholarly reader to simply read through with ease, but with confidence that if I wanted to check any sources, that information IS available."
Best Structuralism Philosophy
"In his book, Destination Earth, Nicos Hadjicostis shares the ultimate 'budget travel tip': how to make your travels transformational." More a guide to travel than a travel guide, Destination Earth transforms how you view travel and its relation to Life. Why long term and world travel is the ultimate university How to create a wise-line of travel through any region How to go about capturing the Soul of a country How to deal with the unpleasant realities of the world while on the road Balance the relationship between travel planning and spontaneity How a Travel Journey is related to our Life's Journey Practical advice on how to plan the exploration of regions and countries 23 inspiring travel stories from the author's journey that augment the main text 60 color photos from various places around the world. Ideas, experiences, travel stories and photographs are interwoven into a newly created Philosophy of Travel that is practical and easy to read. "In his book, Destination Earth, Nicos Hadjicostis shares the ultimate 'budget travel tip': how to make your travels transformational." Nicos not only writes in an engaging style that allows readers to share his experiences, but his philosophical reflections provide unique insights into the process and value of education through travel."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Being a curious, but hesitant traveler, as I read the pages of this book, I felt more courageous about exploring the world."
"This book does not offer itineraries or travel suggestions, but rather invites you to travel the world as “one single destination”."
"When you encounter a world traveler like yourself, you find a kindred spirit, a person who has shared some of the same adventures, struggles, magic and connection that travel offers. Among other reflections, we found Nicos' description of the world to be spot-on—the world was indeed providing, safe, and huge."
"By its very nature, Hadjicostis suggests, travel makes one more curious about the world and more open to the diversity of human experience. The other style is more impressionistic-poetic, describing real travel situations that inspired reflection in Hadjicostis during his own travels."
Best Utilitarianism Philosophy
Inspired by compassion, this book is a gift to fellow casualties of negative thought patterns, destructive behaviors, self-loathers, and those wishing freedom from persistent demons. Challenge Unhelpful, Intrusive Thoughts Build a Better Relationship with Yourself Break Bad Habits and Enjoy Life! Tags: Training, Techniques, Course, Self-Help, Online, Books, Anxiety, Depression, Cure, Insomnia, OCD, pure O, Phobias, Intrusive Thoughts, CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Your Stress-Free Life. "A beautifully presented and balanced approach to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A beautifully presented and balanced approach to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, rich in recommended resources for further study or inquiry. Whether teacher, student, parent, child, sibling, friend or health professional, these 'evidence-based' approaches to sifting out the nonsense that accumulates in our thinking are an invaluable tool for living a calm and fulfilled life, no matter what your own circumstances might be. -- Athea Howard "Look inward, find strength: As Marcus Aurelius said, 'You have power over your mind, not outside events.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For people who suffer these conditions, it is hard to find ways to cope. It is about time to have a book that truly understands and explains the importance of careful and mindful thinking. I was not familiar with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) until I read this book."
"I'm not usually into these kinds of books, but there were a lot of interesting points made."
"Good advice for everyone, not just those who feel they need help."
"This book is actually very good."
"I really like this book and the comparison it made between the brain and the car engine, which with the right mental practice (the right “cog”), put into action at the right time (changing mental states, or “gears”), your machine (the brain) can function with more ease, efficiency, and contentment."
"I like this book.The suggestions that are given in this book are simple and easy to follow.This book stands out for its easily readable explanation of what cognitive behavioral therapy is and the practical advice it gives.It deals on how we manage our behavior and to avoid and beat anxiety.Worth recommended book."
"This stuff is a must to read for graduate students and practicing therapists who are interested in learning the essentials of CBT."
"It has helped me on many occasions to put things back into perspective, when I "feel" like I'm losing control of what's going on in my life."
Best Deconstructionism History & Criticism
Bardon leads the student step by step through exercises providing detailed training in the entire arcanum of magic, from basic techniques in thought control to advanced teachings in astral travel, and much more. In contrast to other books on the subject of magic, Bardon focuses his attention on the practical training necessary for all true magical attainment. The author leads the student step by step through exercises providing detailed training in the entire arcanum of magic, from basic techniques in thought control and imagination to advanced teachings in astral travel, the use of talismans and magic mirrors, and much more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In spite of the author's warnings that readers with prior magical experience might have to unlearn a lot while studying his books (which is true! Yeah, well, that was in 1956, and it's 2015 now, and there are many effective ways for a novice to gain a lot of mystical insight and experience very quickly. Buy yourself a copy of Modern Magick, or Liber Null if you're cheap, and magic yourself silly, kid. Come back when you've got a few bruises, when you've developed a healthy fear of your own power, when you need a real teacher but you don't want to join a cult. All of the magical texts you have read until now - all of the legitimate ones, at least - have basically handed you a series of increasingly deadly firearms. They have assured you that all of the old gun-juggling books, the ones that traditionally warned readers about the severe dangers of juggling guns, were just written by paranoid people and elitists, and you definitely probably maybe won't shoot your own face off. Initiation into Hermetics is a ruthlessly pragmatic and technical book about utterly mastering the four/five primal elements in both understanding and practice. There are no elaborate rituals - Bardon's firm assertion is that rituals constitute an advanced form of magic, and in the hands of novices they amount to simple acts of ignorant sorcery, achieving nothing better than that which is achievable through simple applications of elemental mastery. His second book is about ritual magic, but he insists that students must painstakingly master the primal elements and their own consciousness, in accordance with the guidelines in Initiation into Hermetics, before attempting advanced work. He uses many of his own proprietary terms, and some of the word choices - whether the fault of the author or the translator, I can't say - can be confusing until you adapt to them."
"I am studying this book little by little, great investment in my spiritual life."
"Excellent."
"It has taken far too long to get this excellent training system converted to Kindle book format."
"This book is a lot heavier than I anticipated."
"This book is an excellent study guide for mastering the fundamentals of magic and metaphysics."
"A great volume for those interested in practical hermetic occultism."
"Great book to work through."