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The Battersea Park Road to Paradise
In her bestseller The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment, Isabel Losada set out with a modest aim to be absurdly happy every day. But a few years down the road, she's stuck in a pothole. No job (not good). No man (very not good). Nothing has turned out as she'd intended.
There's only one way to get out of the hole: throw out the ideas that landed her there and start over. So, using the ancient Chinese tradition of the five elements of life - Metal, Fire, Wood, Water, Earth - Isabel breaks her own life down to its essentials to explore five areas of inner and outer change.
She calls in a feng shui consultant to discover that her bedroom decor is draining the father (whatever that means)... takes a motivational workshop to experience the power of doing... turns a silent meditation retreat into an exercise in unrelenting being... sits at the feet of a Brixton guru to examine the nature of mind... and undertakes a shamanic ritual in the Amazon to part company with her own mind completely. As rich as the book is in the particulars of a life hilariously lived, it's also universal: readers can see themselves in Isabel's experience and look at their lives with new eyes.
There's only one way to get out of the hole: throw out the ideas that landed her there and start over. So, using the ancient Chinese tradition of the five elements of life - Metal, Fire, Wood, Water, Earth - Isabel breaks her own life down to its essentials to explore five areas of inner and outer change.
She calls in a feng shui consultant to discover that her bedroom decor is draining the father (whatever that means)... takes a motivational workshop to experience the power of doing... turns a silent meditation retreat into an exercise in unrelenting being... sits at the feet of a Brixton guru to examine the nature of mind... and undertakes a shamanic ritual in the Amazon to part company with her own mind completely. As rich as the book is in the particulars of a life hilariously lived, it's also universal: readers can see themselves in Isabel's experience and look at their lives with new eyes.
- GenresNonfiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 26, 2011
Another one in my holiday pile which I read probably far too fast to have paid proper attention to, but enjoyed, and was glad I read.
It can't be easy to find the right kind of tone for this book: for me it worked best when it was funny, and there was something comical or worth mocking in the world of gurus and personal development celebrities that is being explored in the book. But go too far down that road and you'll never find enlightenment or paradise... and readers of these books are probably interested in finding at least some level of truth and enlightenment, even if it's with a healthy dollop of UK style scepticism thrown in.
I'd have enjoyed the book more with a bit human reaction and a bit less of the verbatim teachings - with the 'mooji' section in particular there was too much abstract philosophising which just didn't work on the page without the sound / sense / presence of the teacher who was communicating it. I found myself itching for Isabel to get to the coffee breaks to find out what her friends and co-conspirators were making of the teachings - their reactions were often illuminating, and probably pretty close to the reactions you'd expect from a healthily sceptical readership too.
One feature I really liked was the reference to the online world (if you're interested to find out more google this, find this clip on youtube etc) - it was a nice nod to the realities of online consumption of personal development theories - as was the thanks to the Facebook readers and friends at the start.
It can't be easy to find the right kind of tone for this book: for me it worked best when it was funny, and there was something comical or worth mocking in the world of gurus and personal development celebrities that is being explored in the book. But go too far down that road and you'll never find enlightenment or paradise... and readers of these books are probably interested in finding at least some level of truth and enlightenment, even if it's with a healthy dollop of UK style scepticism thrown in.
I'd have enjoyed the book more with a bit human reaction and a bit less of the verbatim teachings - with the 'mooji' section in particular there was too much abstract philosophising which just didn't work on the page without the sound / sense / presence of the teacher who was communicating it. I found myself itching for Isabel to get to the coffee breaks to find out what her friends and co-conspirators were making of the teachings - their reactions were often illuminating, and probably pretty close to the reactions you'd expect from a healthily sceptical readership too.
One feature I really liked was the reference to the online world (if you're interested to find out more google this, find this clip on youtube etc) - it was a nice nod to the realities of online consumption of personal development theories - as was the thanks to the Facebook readers and friends at the start.
July 1, 2013
At first I found the author's chatty style engaging but, about half way through (at the Vipassana retreat) I began to get bored with her account of the spiritual disciplines she's exploring.. I appreciate that this is non~fiction and that there can be no character development ~ Losada defends this in her Epilogue ~ but I have finished this book feeling dissatisfied that I don't really know anyone she mentions, mot even her.
She is tantalisingly coy about a 'man I love, who was once called Harry,' who appears to her whilst she is under the influence of a Shamanically administered drug in The Amazon. I immediately wanted to know more about her history with him ~ is he the father of her adult daughter? Is he married to someone else? Why has she no right to expect him to be there? And why does she think he appears anyway? That she doesn't pursue this thread is frustrating and I found her account of this whole experience disappointing. The blow~by~blow progress of a hallucinogenic trip is only of interest to the person under the influence and maybe her companions ~ at the time or shortly after the effects have worn off. This was one of those occasions when we 'had to be there' to appreciate what she was failing to describe, at length and in mundane terms.
That said, Losada has been very thorough in her attempt to cover every aspect of her experiences and some of the factual information is quite useful. (For example I might investigate the work of Anthony Robbins further but will never attend any meeting hosted by the guru Mooji ~ way too etheric and confusing for my taste.)
Something doesn't quite gel for me ~ I get the feeling that the author has embarked on the various spiritual disciplines purely as research, so that she could write this sequel to 'The Battersea Road to Enlightenment', not that she's recounting a genuine personal search. I'm grateful that I didn't buy this book ~ I personally don't feel any more enlightened than I already am!
She is tantalisingly coy about a 'man I love, who was once called Harry,' who appears to her whilst she is under the influence of a Shamanically administered drug in The Amazon. I immediately wanted to know more about her history with him ~ is he the father of her adult daughter? Is he married to someone else? Why has she no right to expect him to be there? And why does she think he appears anyway? That she doesn't pursue this thread is frustrating and I found her account of this whole experience disappointing. The blow~by~blow progress of a hallucinogenic trip is only of interest to the person under the influence and maybe her companions ~ at the time or shortly after the effects have worn off. This was one of those occasions when we 'had to be there' to appreciate what she was failing to describe, at length and in mundane terms.
That said, Losada has been very thorough in her attempt to cover every aspect of her experiences and some of the factual information is quite useful. (For example I might investigate the work of Anthony Robbins further but will never attend any meeting hosted by the guru Mooji ~ way too etheric and confusing for my taste.)
Something doesn't quite gel for me ~ I get the feeling that the author has embarked on the various spiritual disciplines purely as research, so that she could write this sequel to 'The Battersea Road to Enlightenment', not that she's recounting a genuine personal search. I'm grateful that I didn't buy this book ~ I personally don't feel any more enlightened than I already am!
October 27, 2013
I'm struggling to describe this book. It's a mixed of one woman's journey to discover herself, yet at the same time there are some valuable lessons to be learnt. I enjoyed the parts in the Jungle, the seminar and the feng shui consultants. The writing was easy to read and funny at parts. However there was quite a bit of repitition and it could have been shorter without taking anything away from the content. Easily a 3.5 but not quite a 4.
June 10, 2011
This was the first Losada book I have read and I have to say I nearly wet my pants a few times whilst reading it, I certainly got a few look on the train when I burst out laughing!!! Its wonderfully written and I have come away from it wanting to experience some of the things Isabel did - not sure I can keep totally silent for a week but hey anything is worth a go right?!
June 3, 2017
Having enjoyed 'Enlightenment' a few years back, i bought this book at the launch, and was interested to see what had developed in the interim. Delighted that the humour is still in evidence, though the judgements have become a little harsher over the years ( Feng Shui for example). I was fascinated by the Mooji chapter, so much so that I did a search of his YouTube videos etc. Yes, familiar guru territory, but told from a very personal viewpoint, I thought. Dithered between 4* and 5* bacause of this, but went for five for the book overall.
March 29, 2024
A generous 3 stars.
I picked up this book having not heard of it or the author. I'm always willing to read and learn about different ways to make positive impacts on ones life, and since I can't afford therapy let alone ten days meditation retreats, motivational seminars, or trips to the Amazon rainforest, I am more than enthusiastic to read about others' experience and to learn from them.
I did learn from this book. I've made a lot of annotations which I will come back to when I need a kick up the arse or if I want to look at something in more depth. The only reasons why I'm not rating this book five stars is because the author is really bloody annoying. I'm not sure whether her editor encouraged her to add a "romance sub-plot" (for want of a better term), or whether the author chose to do it, but I found that mostly unnecessary, immature, and a bit insulting if I'm honest.
The author continuously talks/thinks about men and sex. When she is at the silent meditation retreat, she constantly thinks about some dude that she's dated a handful of times' lips, and feels the need to write about it. When she meets Mooji, a guru(?), she feels the need to talk about how attractive he is and how much she fancies him. During the chapter on the Amazonian jungle experience, she whinges about her travelling companions either being "too old, too young, or married", and then jokes about catching a tribesman in a net and bringing him back to London to be her boyfriend. Due to this, I zoned out a lot, and learnt to identify the bullshit paragraphs about her men-worries and try to get to the gist of the book.
Another thing that irked me, is that during the silent retreat, she "struggled" not to make people laugh. She admits to deliberately trying to draw the attention of others, and to make attempts at making her roommate laugh with her so-called hilarious antics (i.e hanging g-strings on a washing line. Yes. Hilarious indeed). I found that to be incredibly selfish. She may be there on the retreat in order to write about it (I don't buy for one minute that she was there purely to "fix" herself), but other people weren't, and her attitude sucks. If you want to jerk around, go ahead, but don't ruin it for other people.
Her writing style is fine. It's similar to fictional books which are written in a diary format. It's informal, it's easy to understand. It's just the horny-teenager, not-aware-of-my-privilege moments that make it tacky.
Would I read more by this author? Yep, I own To Tibet, With Love, so I'll be reading that next.
I picked up this book having not heard of it or the author. I'm always willing to read and learn about different ways to make positive impacts on ones life, and since I can't afford therapy let alone ten days meditation retreats, motivational seminars, or trips to the Amazon rainforest, I am more than enthusiastic to read about others' experience and to learn from them.
I did learn from this book. I've made a lot of annotations which I will come back to when I need a kick up the arse or if I want to look at something in more depth. The only reasons why I'm not rating this book five stars is because the author is really bloody annoying. I'm not sure whether her editor encouraged her to add a "romance sub-plot" (for want of a better term), or whether the author chose to do it, but I found that mostly unnecessary, immature, and a bit insulting if I'm honest.
The author continuously talks/thinks about men and sex. When she is at the silent meditation retreat, she constantly thinks about some dude that she's dated a handful of times' lips, and feels the need to write about it. When she meets Mooji, a guru(?), she feels the need to talk about how attractive he is and how much she fancies him. During the chapter on the Amazonian jungle experience, she whinges about her travelling companions either being "too old, too young, or married", and then jokes about catching a tribesman in a net and bringing him back to London to be her boyfriend. Due to this, I zoned out a lot, and learnt to identify the bullshit paragraphs about her men-worries and try to get to the gist of the book.
Another thing that irked me, is that during the silent retreat, she "struggled" not to make people laugh. She admits to deliberately trying to draw the attention of others, and to make attempts at making her roommate laugh with her so-called hilarious antics (i.e hanging g-strings on a washing line. Yes. Hilarious indeed). I found that to be incredibly selfish. She may be there on the retreat in order to write about it (I don't buy for one minute that she was there purely to "fix" herself), but other people weren't, and her attitude sucks. If you want to jerk around, go ahead, but don't ruin it for other people.
Her writing style is fine. It's similar to fictional books which are written in a diary format. It's informal, it's easy to understand. It's just the horny-teenager, not-aware-of-my-privilege moments that make it tacky.
Would I read more by this author? Yep, I own To Tibet, With Love, so I'll be reading that next.
April 29, 2017
I loved this... although mooji and the fourth element lost me a little, so am knocking off a star... i really loved Losada's writing style which is fun, enthusiastic and light and yet also really enquiring and smart. In this book she is writing about feng shui, self-help, guru's, meditation and shamans and she does it all with humour, grace and an open mind...
also, to my joy, she includes a further reading list at the back - hurray!
also, to my joy, she includes a further reading list at the back - hurray!
April 22, 2013
While the author has an engaging writing style I just could not relate to her self-help / New Age experiences, not my cup of tea. I only read this book because a friend loaned it to me. I always try to finish all books I read even though I might not like them. I was rewarded towards the end of this book when the author went to live in the jungles of Peru with the Ashaninka tribe as part of an eco travel experience. That part was very fascinating.
May 13, 2014
Un libro divertente e scorrevole che narra la storia dell'autrice che decide di provare in prima persona metodi e percorsi per migliorare la propria vita, dal feng shui alla meditazione Vipassana sino ai rimedi allucinogeni degli sciamani peruviani.
September 5, 2011
Brought to life every emotion I possess as a human being - except anger. Has to be good....
May 27, 2013
Important note: while Goodreads is convinced that The Battersea Park Road to Paradise is a reissue of The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment, it actually is an entirely different book.
January 13, 2017
Although I didn't enjoy this quite as much as The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment, it was still immensley entertaining, interesting - and ultimately quite inspiring. The author comes across as very likeable and engaging: Someone you feel would make very good company over a few glasses of wine.
July 3, 2020
Wonderfully funny and talented classic Isabel just like all the other great reads from her.
Can't fault her style at all, nothing I've read from this author has ever let me down, failed to make me laugh out loud and think about my mindset at the same time.
She's so underrated as one of the UK's best writers
Can't fault her style at all, nothing I've read from this author has ever let me down, failed to make me laugh out loud and think about my mindset at the same time.
She's so underrated as one of the UK's best writers
July 4, 2017
When I finished this book I contacted the author personally and thanked for the book. It was just the one at the right time;) And the greatest thing was that she even send me the answer. Love it and her books from that moment!;)
March 14, 2021
I enjoy Isabel Losada's writing style. light and informative. I am interested in her topics. I have had an on of relationship with Feng Shui for years. While I liked the structure of the themes, I felt the descriptions were long, repetitive, and became tedious.
April 3, 2021
I read this years ago but often revisit and dip into certain chapters - I also purchase for friends as it’s so unique and a great read. Isabel writes with such humour and sincerity. She also does so much research so it’s very interesting. Not your average self help book - definitely worth a read
June 26, 2017
received this book as a Goodreads giveaway - not too bad but not really my cup of tea
September 11, 2019
It has some funny bits mixed in with self searching, but I did get a bit lost/confused during parts of this book.
February 19, 2021
I couldn't go beyond the first chapter. Somehow the familiar way of talking and the fact that the author refuses to tell something about herself, doesn't allow to immerse in the book.
August 12, 2023
Lots to think about and consider - presented as a journey and lots of fun, insightful ideas and thoughts long the way 👍
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March 15, 2017Preferred 'Enlightenment' if I'm honest. But it was still a good read.
January 15, 2012
A funny, low risk, low cost way to try out those personal development ideas you're curious about but aren't brave, sure or rich enough in time or money to try. Thank you Isabel for putting yourself out there to explore this slightly odd world for us. Particular highlights are the silent retreat that had me giggling out loud, the feng shui experience of frustration and taking one for the team in the jungle.
May 24, 2016
I absolutely love Isabel Losada's books. She is inspiring and shares so much of her experience that the reader is able to gain from the lengths she goes to too. In this book she tells of the steps she took to get out of the hole she was in. She reaches out to various spiritual and motivational practices and shows us both the uplifting and the gritty bits. It is almost impossible not to take the journey along with her.
July 1, 2015
Isabel is a highly intelligent, witty author who dares to be truthful about corners of the mind and earth not many people dare visit. This book opened my mind to other parts of life that are undervalued and much needed in today's world. The journey is very witty and poignant, a life changer on so many levels.
September 28, 2016
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and was so glad I did. It's a funny, enjoyable book that had me hooked from the first page. Isabel Losada knows how to write. She draws a image with words thats pulls you into her world. Loved this and highly recommend!
November 29, 2011
Didn't particularly enjoy this sequel to The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment. Bit of a let down. Interesting & entertaining in places, but otherwise unremarkable.
October 19, 2012
While familiar territory, thought-provoking and great reminder of some self-awareness goodies I'd forgotten (although have to say preferred her prior self-adventure book).
January 3, 2013
A fun and light-hearted book about a women's spiritual quest - an entertaining read.
September 13, 2016
Really enjoyable. Better than the two previous books by the author that I have read.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews