Synopses & Reviews
Take a wild and rickety ride through the philosophies of the East and West to discover the madmen, dreamers, and unconventional wisdom seekers in the abridged, better-than-ever version of our best-selling cult classic. THE ESSENTIAL CRAZY WISDOM delivers the most significant, most lunatic, and most compelling insights of the ages. Scoop Nisker patches together the unorthodox teachings that have bubbled up through the words of such crazy visionaries as Rumi, Gautama the Buddha, Mark Twain, Lao Tzu, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Allen Ginsberg, and Lily Tomlin. Discover the common thread in these multiple perspectives and travel on this comedic course to enlightenment!Ä¢ Original edition sold over 40,000 copies.
Review
"[This] book is a delight....When that rascal-ly fellow Scoop points an idiot finger at Ultimate Truth, what elase to do but laugh?" Ram Dass, spiritual teacher, Seva Foundation board member, and author of Be Here Now and Grist for the Mill
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"The missing link between sit-down meditation and stand-up comedy." Paul Krassner, founder and editor of The Realist
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"A rich and subtle tradition, universal and yet elusive, is fully explored in this very special book. Written in the unique voice of a Buddhist, social activist, and satirist, it is a delight to read." Fritjof Capra, author of The Tao of Physics
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"[A] wild esoteric excursion." Booklist
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"A dim sum feast of perceptive and amusing morsels. Nisker succeeds in fashioning an original pattern from motley patches of wisdom." San Francisco Chronicle
About the Author
Wes "Scoop" Nisker is a Buddhist meditation teacher, journalist, and author. For over twenty years, he has been leading retreats and workshops worldwide in Buddhist insight meditation, humor, and philosophy. Before devoting himself to writing full time, he was a well-known radio announcer who went by the name of Scoop. He calls Berkeley, California, home.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments 1
Introduction 5
In the Beginning... 9
The Cast 29
Crazy Eastern Wisdom 65
Crasy Western Wisdom 85
The Existential Get Down 101
The Art of Crazy Wisdom 109
How to Become Crazy and Wise 129
Crazy Wisdom on the Road 151
Crazy Wisdom in the Here and Now 207
Crazy Wisdom Does the Dance of Death 227
The End Is Also the Middle 237