beexfs's reviews
17 reviews

I'm kind of disappointed by this book. There were a few moments where it presented some nice advice well (for example, where it spoke about self-harm as a slow form of killing oneself if one lacks the courage to kill themselves quickly), but I had heard so many great things about this author, I was really disappointed.

There was nothing wrong or explicitly harmful about the advice and wisdom presented, but I felt that none of what don Miguel Ruiz presented was novel. Evidence of this lies in how frequently he references Euro-centric cultures (such as Christianity or Greek mythology)—more on this later. I understand his reasoning for broadening these teachings, underscoring how universal these presented truths are, but I felt that this justification was made at the expense of more profound, less popularized stories and traditions from his own unique background. (I will note that he mentions Buddhism frequently which, while not a Western religion in origin, has since been co-opted by Western culture so much that I struggle to view it in the context of Eastern tradition as it is presented and referenced in this work.) Given don Miguel Ruiz's cultural background, I was shocked to see his wisdom rooted in stories that have no relation to his own upbringing. What I found intriguing about this book was don Miguel Ruiz's unique positionality and tragically the writing steers clear of that lens. I recognize that perhaps don Miguel Ruiz does not want to reiterate what he has possibly already published, but this feels like a publisher-motivated direction to encourage readers to continue purchasing don Miguel Ruiz's bibliography. This is further evidenced by the long list of recommended works at the end of the book, all by don Miguel Ruiz. From an accessibility standpoint, I don't support this approach.

There are many books that share similar teachings and I feel they are presented in a more tangible way. Many times throughout reading this book, I felt that the arguments were circular or, occasionally, contradictory. Most notably teaching the three lessons to believe no one (don't believe me, don't believe yourself, don't believe anyone else) while simultaneously reiterating that what he says is the truth. I assume the intent was to teach nuance and skepticism for the narratives we craft that are rooted in fear rather than evidence, but the way this was presented felt truly confusing. While the author acknowledges that much of his teachings are easier said than done, the presentation still felt condescendingly simplified. I've never seen anything productive sprout from a "love and light" response to anything; this book felt like a vastly oversimplified dismissal of pain, swept under a rug of spirituality and vibes.

I've often felt that books about advice read best when they are rooted in a tangible story, most often, an experience of the author. I really wanted to love this book and this author, but I truly don't understand the hype. 

This book is so lovely and playful. It is a touch mature but could still be fun for young children to reread as they grow up. I argue the target audience for this book is adults who are looking for a playful fantasy without the investment of a series. This book manages to craft a high fantasy world through only characters and folklore. I also especially recommend this for fans of Labyrinth.

This book dragged on way too long and didn't deal with more subtle examples. The examples of various attachments were painfully obvious which didn't teach me a whole lot in the way of recognizing more covert attachment behaviors. For a nearly 300-page book, I expected more details.