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Indie Spiritualist: A No Bullshit Exploration of Spirituality
From a recovering addict, musician, and tattooed indie a guidebook for today’s generation of spiritual misfits who crave a dogma-free path.
Brutally honest and radically unconventional, Chris Grosso’s collection of stories and musings about his meandering journey of self-inquiry, recovery, and acceptance shows what it means to live a truly authentic spiritual life.
Set amongst the backdrop of Grosso’s original music (included for download via QR codes in the text), Indie Spiritualist encourages you to accept yourself just as you are, in all your humanity and imperfect perfection.
Brutally honest and radically unconventional, Chris Grosso’s collection of stories and musings about his meandering journey of self-inquiry, recovery, and acceptance shows what it means to live a truly authentic spiritual life.
Set amongst the backdrop of Grosso’s original music (included for download via QR codes in the text), Indie Spiritualist encourages you to accept yourself just as you are, in all your humanity and imperfect perfection.
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2014
10 people are currently reading
655 people want to read
About the author
Chris Grosso
5 books54 followersChris Grosso is an independent culturist, freelance writer, spiritual aspirant, recovering addict, and musician. He serves as spiritual director of the interfaith center The Sanctuary at Shepardfields, writes for Huffington Post, Rebelle Society, Intent blog and is a correspondent for the Where Is My Guru radio show. He created the popular hub for all things alternative, independent, and spiritual with TheIndieSpiritualist.com and continues the exploration with his debut book titled Indie Spiritualist (Beyond Words/Atria Books, February 2014). A self-taught musician, Chris has been writing, recording, and touring since the mid-1990s.
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July 29, 2016
Author Chris Grosso Separates the Wheat From the Bullshit
With a table of contents that reads like a playlist, Indie Spiritualist: A No Bullshit Exploration of Spirituality author, Chris Grosso, is brutally honest as he shares his journey in carving out a path in his own darkness to find personal meaning and true value in his own spiritual truth.
At a Snatam Kaur Indian devotional/ kirtan music performance I attended last spring, Kaur shared an observation that in this culture, yoga is practiced with a pastel mat rolled up under one arm and a Starbucks coffee in your opposite hand. By contrast, in India, Yogis own no possessions, but a loincloth and a begging bowl; yoga is an inward spiritual practice that requires no trendy accessories, only solitude. Our spirituality has been bottled, bought, and trademarked.
By addressing our complacency and avoiding the spirituality culture, Chris Grosso encourages us to look our mortality square in the eye, recognizing and acknowledging it, that we may explore a deeper spiritual relationship with ourselves.
In Indie Spiritualist, Grosso shakes free of dogma as part of a modern-day awakening, yet he faces terrible spiritual crisis to the tune of, “does he wear Saucony or Vans to perform kirtan at a yoga retreat? (He wore the Saucony. Namaste.)”
He creates a delicate balance of flesh and spirit, and then intentionally topples it by dropping the F-bomb.
He’s a brilliant contradiction in terms, and he’s beautiful.
I can see him in my mind’s eye, levitating in the heavenlies upon a golden lotus in the clouds.
I can see him pissing over the side.
Chris Grosso doesn’t adopt an elevated, new-agey spiritual superiority, but introduces Buddhist concepts like Samadhi, rendering it accessible to the uninitiated by likening the experience to the state of bliss attained during a fifteen-minute Eddie Van Halen solo. He’s put a vacuum sealed packet of Nirvana (the state of consciousness, not the band) at the bottom of the cereal box for us all to find; we may have to work a little to find it, but it’s there, and its worth it.
A digital copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for purposes of review.
With a table of contents that reads like a playlist, Indie Spiritualist: A No Bullshit Exploration of Spirituality author, Chris Grosso, is brutally honest as he shares his journey in carving out a path in his own darkness to find personal meaning and true value in his own spiritual truth.
At a Snatam Kaur Indian devotional/ kirtan music performance I attended last spring, Kaur shared an observation that in this culture, yoga is practiced with a pastel mat rolled up under one arm and a Starbucks coffee in your opposite hand. By contrast, in India, Yogis own no possessions, but a loincloth and a begging bowl; yoga is an inward spiritual practice that requires no trendy accessories, only solitude. Our spirituality has been bottled, bought, and trademarked.
By addressing our complacency and avoiding the spirituality culture, Chris Grosso encourages us to look our mortality square in the eye, recognizing and acknowledging it, that we may explore a deeper spiritual relationship with ourselves.
In Indie Spiritualist, Grosso shakes free of dogma as part of a modern-day awakening, yet he faces terrible spiritual crisis to the tune of, “does he wear Saucony or Vans to perform kirtan at a yoga retreat? (He wore the Saucony. Namaste.)”
He creates a delicate balance of flesh and spirit, and then intentionally topples it by dropping the F-bomb.
He’s a brilliant contradiction in terms, and he’s beautiful.
I can see him in my mind’s eye, levitating in the heavenlies upon a golden lotus in the clouds.
I can see him pissing over the side.
Chris Grosso doesn’t adopt an elevated, new-agey spiritual superiority, but introduces Buddhist concepts like Samadhi, rendering it accessible to the uninitiated by likening the experience to the state of bliss attained during a fifteen-minute Eddie Van Halen solo. He’s put a vacuum sealed packet of Nirvana (the state of consciousness, not the band) at the bottom of the cereal box for us all to find; we may have to work a little to find it, but it’s there, and its worth it.
A digital copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for purposes of review.
June 6, 2014
I couldn't wait to read this book, as I thought it would be another great find, but no. I did not love it at all. I felt that Grosso picked a whole bunch of mainstream, inspirational/motivational theories that we can see flying on Facebook and Pinterest, rephrased them to create more text and made an actual book. It lacked deepness, seemed basic and I was not connected to this ideology. Next thing that bugged me was that through out the whole book he tried to portrait himself as humble and ego-free yet he was dropping names of the artists and other influential people who he had a chance to work with, to impress his audience.
I also find that there was a little contradiction here and there. For example; the story about the cop who was apparently judging him because of his tattoos, yet in his bio on the back of the book he had a need to tell us that he is tattooed. "Chris Grosso - is a tattooed, independent culturist..."etc. Why? Ironic, no?
Let's not forget about his addiction though. I feel like the whole aspect of his struggle was poorly expressed. He was bringing up some childish stories, almost glorifying it, yet he never gave us a background of his childhood, relationship with parents or specific events that got him there in the first place.
To sum this up, I feel like the section B should have been an entire book, as it had some deeper theories and interesting tips, but section A and his life story did absolutely nothing to me. Oh, and as much as I am a fan of highlighting certain ideas with swearing to create more power, he was overusing and using f-bombs in the wrong places.
I also find that there was a little contradiction here and there. For example; the story about the cop who was apparently judging him because of his tattoos, yet in his bio on the back of the book he had a need to tell us that he is tattooed. "Chris Grosso - is a tattooed, independent culturist..."etc. Why? Ironic, no?
Let's not forget about his addiction though. I feel like the whole aspect of his struggle was poorly expressed. He was bringing up some childish stories, almost glorifying it, yet he never gave us a background of his childhood, relationship with parents or specific events that got him there in the first place.
To sum this up, I feel like the section B should have been an entire book, as it had some deeper theories and interesting tips, but section A and his life story did absolutely nothing to me. Oh, and as much as I am a fan of highlighting certain ideas with swearing to create more power, he was overusing and using f-bombs in the wrong places.
March 2, 2014
Indie Spiritualist is the first book from Chris Grosso, a multi-faith, multi-disciplinary chap who runs a website of the same name. I say multi-faith in that much of Chris’ belief system has been formed by many different religious and spiritual traditions as he has taken the approach of seeing what fits or doesn’t fit for him. I say mult-disciplinary in that Chris can be described in many ways – musician, writer, tattooed dude, skateboarder, recovering addict, super-fan of all kinds of musical styles, husband, father, brother … and on and on. The guy is diverse. These interests all form the crux of the book which is a compilation of short stories relating his journey both as a recovering addict, as well as someone who has worked with intense suffering only to then embark on a path of self-inquiry and spiritual inquisitiveness to discover a more meaningful life.
The book recounts Chris’ journey – all of the pain, suffering, low times and serious issues with addiction. His journey was a cycle of detention, detox, rehab, release, suffering and repeat on a path littered with some scary, dark places. He hit rock bottom and yet was able to discover and tap into the wisdom to know that a new way was necessary in order for his survival.
Don’t be fooled. ‘Indie Spritualist’ isn’t all doom and gloom though. There is a brightness and a humour within the pages which comes from Chris’ personality and his unique and somewhat self-effacing voice. He is a humble fellow and conveys his personal joys with the same attention to detail and integrity as those of his lowest and most embarrassing experiences. It is an unflinching look at both the beauty and the grotesque and is a brave work in this respect.
The book speaks to those who aren’t really into the new-agey approach which made it right up my alley. It is an accessible spiritual book for both youth and those who are young at heart. Be warned, there’s quite a bit of reference made to bands, authors and films and not to suggest that this book may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s truly going to resonate for those who are familiar with alternative culture in some way. If you don’t know who Slayer, Jason Voorhees, Bukowski or 108 are, you might not be quick on the uptake for getting a few of the references.
cg11v1-1024x610
‘Indie Spiritualist’ is about recovery. self inquiry and how to live an authentic life. Chris’ approach is to encourage readers to find their own path and roll their own spirituality, rather than adopt something that doesn’t speak to them. No bullshit. No dogma. He shares many of the teachings that resonate with him as well as recounts experiences and mentors that helped him on his spiritual path.
Of all of the chapters, the one where he speaks to his heart connection with Ram Dass is the one that stands out to me as the most profound and where Chris’ connection with a spiritual teacher shines through. I would have enjoyed a larger section of the book being devoted to the teachers and books that influenced Chris in one area rather than appearing in unrelated short stories, but that’s just me and my anal-retentive style manifesting itself. Also, as a Buddhist, I would have liked to have seen a dictionary of terms given that there was a bit of lingo that was outside of my personal framework. Perhaps the intention is to inspire the reader to go and do some spiritual seeking and research, but for those who are already dedicated to a particular tradition, it would have been useful to have some of these definitions available. Again, that may be my anal-retentitiveness speaking as well as a bit of laziness (we all have our weaknesses right?).
An interesting feature of the book is the inclusion of links to Chris’ original music, several You Tube clips and a great list of suggestions on books, movies, music and practices that he’s into. I really liked this multi-media approach and found that it added much to the experience and helped to discover more about Chris Grosso – both past and present. (This aspect of the book negates my previous mention of wanting a glossary of spiritual terms as the multi-media bits really spoke to a universal language).
‘Indie Spiritualist’ is an important addition to the modern-day spiritual bookshelf in that it provides a glimpse into the journey of someone who isn’t just practicing from one spiritual tradition, such as Noah Levine and Brad Warner (fellow Buddhists), but the journey of Chris Grosso, who is unabashedly a multi-faith practitioner sampling and cultivating wisdom from many spiritual traditions. It’s not preachy, but rather demonstrates how he has found his own path and he encourages readers to try the same approach for themselves. He has a warmth and a passion for sharing his story and this comes through within Indie Spiritualist. His goal of helping individuals accept and love themselves as well as to break free from suffering is essential in our world and I’d encourage you to either read the book or gift it to someone who is currently seeking a new way of breaking free from addiction, despair or of embarking on their own path of self-discovery.
So much of his story resonated with my personal journey and just as Chris mentions in the book how much he enjoys meeting and hearing about those spiritual practitioners who may not fit the mold of the ‘peace, love, long-haired hippy spiritual practitioners’ but rather are into loud music, black band t shirts and skateboarding, I felt the same kinship in reading his book. Chris is very humble and self-effacing but he should be very proud of this book. I look forward to reading more from him both on his website and hopefully in future books.
*Also, I had no idea that Krishna Das was in Blue Oyster Cult. I have to thank this book for this illuminating fact!
The book recounts Chris’ journey – all of the pain, suffering, low times and serious issues with addiction. His journey was a cycle of detention, detox, rehab, release, suffering and repeat on a path littered with some scary, dark places. He hit rock bottom and yet was able to discover and tap into the wisdom to know that a new way was necessary in order for his survival.
Don’t be fooled. ‘Indie Spritualist’ isn’t all doom and gloom though. There is a brightness and a humour within the pages which comes from Chris’ personality and his unique and somewhat self-effacing voice. He is a humble fellow and conveys his personal joys with the same attention to detail and integrity as those of his lowest and most embarrassing experiences. It is an unflinching look at both the beauty and the grotesque and is a brave work in this respect.
The book speaks to those who aren’t really into the new-agey approach which made it right up my alley. It is an accessible spiritual book for both youth and those who are young at heart. Be warned, there’s quite a bit of reference made to bands, authors and films and not to suggest that this book may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s truly going to resonate for those who are familiar with alternative culture in some way. If you don’t know who Slayer, Jason Voorhees, Bukowski or 108 are, you might not be quick on the uptake for getting a few of the references.
cg11v1-1024x610
‘Indie Spiritualist’ is about recovery. self inquiry and how to live an authentic life. Chris’ approach is to encourage readers to find their own path and roll their own spirituality, rather than adopt something that doesn’t speak to them. No bullshit. No dogma. He shares many of the teachings that resonate with him as well as recounts experiences and mentors that helped him on his spiritual path.
Of all of the chapters, the one where he speaks to his heart connection with Ram Dass is the one that stands out to me as the most profound and where Chris’ connection with a spiritual teacher shines through. I would have enjoyed a larger section of the book being devoted to the teachers and books that influenced Chris in one area rather than appearing in unrelated short stories, but that’s just me and my anal-retentive style manifesting itself. Also, as a Buddhist, I would have liked to have seen a dictionary of terms given that there was a bit of lingo that was outside of my personal framework. Perhaps the intention is to inspire the reader to go and do some spiritual seeking and research, but for those who are already dedicated to a particular tradition, it would have been useful to have some of these definitions available. Again, that may be my anal-retentitiveness speaking as well as a bit of laziness (we all have our weaknesses right?).
An interesting feature of the book is the inclusion of links to Chris’ original music, several You Tube clips and a great list of suggestions on books, movies, music and practices that he’s into. I really liked this multi-media approach and found that it added much to the experience and helped to discover more about Chris Grosso – both past and present. (This aspect of the book negates my previous mention of wanting a glossary of spiritual terms as the multi-media bits really spoke to a universal language).
‘Indie Spiritualist’ is an important addition to the modern-day spiritual bookshelf in that it provides a glimpse into the journey of someone who isn’t just practicing from one spiritual tradition, such as Noah Levine and Brad Warner (fellow Buddhists), but the journey of Chris Grosso, who is unabashedly a multi-faith practitioner sampling and cultivating wisdom from many spiritual traditions. It’s not preachy, but rather demonstrates how he has found his own path and he encourages readers to try the same approach for themselves. He has a warmth and a passion for sharing his story and this comes through within Indie Spiritualist. His goal of helping individuals accept and love themselves as well as to break free from suffering is essential in our world and I’d encourage you to either read the book or gift it to someone who is currently seeking a new way of breaking free from addiction, despair or of embarking on their own path of self-discovery.
So much of his story resonated with my personal journey and just as Chris mentions in the book how much he enjoys meeting and hearing about those spiritual practitioners who may not fit the mold of the ‘peace, love, long-haired hippy spiritual practitioners’ but rather are into loud music, black band t shirts and skateboarding, I felt the same kinship in reading his book. Chris is very humble and self-effacing but he should be very proud of this book. I look forward to reading more from him both on his website and hopefully in future books.
*Also, I had no idea that Krishna Das was in Blue Oyster Cult. I have to thank this book for this illuminating fact!
September 2, 2014
I enjoyed this book for its honesty and giving a name to the spirituality I have practiced for years. Most of it I already knew but I did learn a few new things and was reminded of things I forgot. I also like the differences in how this book presents itself vs another book I read Dharma Punx by Noah Levine. Noah was advocating Buddhism where this book tends to incorporate a more eclectic view of different spiritual practices as well as taking in the author's own experiences of life at this point.
The only thing that kinda bugged me was the self-promotion of the author's various projects. I do understand though that this book is for those who are new to spirituality and may not know where to look for information or community.
I do wish this book and Dharma Punx would have been available when I was younger but the world wasn't ready then. So good job and I would love to read more in the future.
The only thing that kinda bugged me was the self-promotion of the author's various projects. I do understand though that this book is for those who are new to spirituality and may not know where to look for information or community.
I do wish this book and Dharma Punx would have been available when I was younger but the world wasn't ready then. So good job and I would love to read more in the future.
May 5, 2014
I have mixed feelings about this book. I really wanted to like it more, since it's written by someone more or less from my "tribe." The tribe, of older straight-edge/punk rock/hardcore "kids" into awakening is a pretty select club after all. This book is more a loose collection of essays than a coherent volume, however, and therein lies it's weakness. The sincerity of the content is undeniable, however, and that's the strength of this work. I would have liked to see a more cogent theme throughout, and maybe better editing. Still, until I get around to writing my magnum opus, perhaps I will still get excited and pick up any semi- or autobiographical account from the aging hardcore/spiritual set.
March 10, 2015
This. Shit. Is. Doable.
June 30, 2017
I enjoyed this book. I don't have too much in common with the author who is moved by music I don't listen to and I am much much older. I did appreciate much of what he wrote regarding spiritualism though. I couldn't get any of the links to work listed in the book. I don't have a smartphone so maybe that is why. I gave up on those after a few times.
March 26, 2018
Excellent! Im 70 and I really enjoyed this book about Chris coming back from the edge and turning his life around and still staying himself. Lots of good movie, music, book resources I checked out too even tho Im not into hip hop or much heavy metal. Loved his transparency and honesty and desire to help others using his buddhist learnings.
May 21, 2020
This is a book about Mr. Gross and his recovery from drug addiction. Along his recovery journey he gets excited about spirituality. His language is often profane, but he is in the beginning stages of a spiritual awakening.
September 5, 2017
Insightful, good perspective on a more eclectic approach to spirituality.
November 8, 2017
Yes! So good!
August 10, 2016
Author Chris Grosso Separates the Wheat From the Bullshit
With a table of contents that reads like a playlist, Indie Spiritualist: A No Bullshit Exploration of Spirituality author, Chris Grosso, is brutally honest as he shares his journey in carving out a path in his own darkness to find personal meaning and true value in his own spiritual truth.
At a Snatam Kaur Indian devotional/ kirtan music performance I attended last spring, Kaur shared an observation that in this culture, yoga is practiced with a pastel mat rolled up under one arm and a Starbucks coffee in your opposite hand. By contrast, in India, Yogis own no possessions, but a loincloth and a begging bowl; yoga is an inward spiritual practice that requires no trendy accessories, only solitude. Our spirituality has been bottled, bought, and trademarked.
By addressing our complacency and avoiding the spirituality culture, Chris Grosso encourages us to look our mortality square in the eye, recognizing and acknowledging it, that we may explore a deeper spiritual relationship with ourselves.
In Indie Spiritualist, Grosso shakes free of dogma as part of a modern-day awakening, yet he faces terrible spiritual crisis to the tune of, “does he wear Saucony or Vans to perform kirtan at a yoga retreat? (He wore the Saucony. Namaste.)”
He creates a delicate balance of flesh and spirit, and then intentionally topples it by dropping the F-bomb.
He’s a brilliant contradiction in terms, and he’s beautiful.
I can see him in my mind’s eye, levitating in the heavenlies upon a golden lotus in the clouds.
I can see him pissing over the side.
Chris Grosso doesn’t adopt an elevated, new-agey spiritual superiority, but introduces Buddhist concepts like Samadhi, rendering it accessible to the uninitiated by likening the experience to the state of bliss attained during a fifteen-minute Eddie Van Halen solo. He’s put a vacuum sealed packet of Nirvana (the state of consciousness, not the band) at the bottom of the cereal box for us all to find; we may have to work a little to find it, but it’s there, and its worth it.
A digital copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for purposes of review.
With a table of contents that reads like a playlist, Indie Spiritualist: A No Bullshit Exploration of Spirituality author, Chris Grosso, is brutally honest as he shares his journey in carving out a path in his own darkness to find personal meaning and true value in his own spiritual truth.
At a Snatam Kaur Indian devotional/ kirtan music performance I attended last spring, Kaur shared an observation that in this culture, yoga is practiced with a pastel mat rolled up under one arm and a Starbucks coffee in your opposite hand. By contrast, in India, Yogis own no possessions, but a loincloth and a begging bowl; yoga is an inward spiritual practice that requires no trendy accessories, only solitude. Our spirituality has been bottled, bought, and trademarked.
By addressing our complacency and avoiding the spirituality culture, Chris Grosso encourages us to look our mortality square in the eye, recognizing and acknowledging it, that we may explore a deeper spiritual relationship with ourselves.
In Indie Spiritualist, Grosso shakes free of dogma as part of a modern-day awakening, yet he faces terrible spiritual crisis to the tune of, “does he wear Saucony or Vans to perform kirtan at a yoga retreat? (He wore the Saucony. Namaste.)”
He creates a delicate balance of flesh and spirit, and then intentionally topples it by dropping the F-bomb.
He’s a brilliant contradiction in terms, and he’s beautiful.
I can see him in my mind’s eye, levitating in the heavenlies upon a golden lotus in the clouds.
I can see him pissing over the side.
Chris Grosso doesn’t adopt an elevated, new-agey spiritual superiority, but introduces Buddhist concepts like Samadhi, rendering it accessible to the uninitiated by likening the experience to the state of bliss attained during a fifteen-minute Eddie Van Halen solo. He’s put a vacuum sealed packet of Nirvana (the state of consciousness, not the band) at the bottom of the cereal box for us all to find; we may have to work a little to find it, but it’s there, and its worth it.
A digital copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for purposes of review.
April 14, 2014
Chris Grosso does a lot with this little book (that took me a month to read because like him, I juggle multiple books at once, sometimes get caught up in on, and forget to turn the pages on the others, sorry this took so long, Chris!). Anyway, Chris' debut book is truly extraordinary for a number of reasons.
First, he combines his personal narrative, which is all at once frightening, heart-breaking, and inspirational, with the interviews from leading personalities in the spirituality, music, or punk world (sorry that's such a mixed bag of classifications. Many of his personalities aren't classified easily). Chris didn't write a memoir. "Spiritualist" is not a linear story telling Chris' first mix up with substance abuse to his own enlightenment and sobriety. The chapters are short, sometimes personal retellings, and other times reading like simple blog posts about the world of modern spirituality. I tried reading through the book once just to read it. Now I can go back and read it as Chris meant it to be read: as a devotional with a lesson to meditate upon after each chapter.
Secondly, he has mastered this style. Each chapter is like a conversation with the author and it's easy to relate back to your own personal experience. At the same time, you can disagree or get frustrated with the book but be so put at ease by Chris' personality it's impossible to get mad at him. "What? Fight Club doesn't even get an honorable mention in the film section? C'mon Chris, you know that's not right. But I can't stay mad at you..."
Finally, this is much more than a book. It's a multimedia project. Chris is also a talented musician and most of his book's chapters end with links to music (some by Chris, some not) or interviews that you can listen and watch online. It's an impressive project and helps take the reader (and now listener) onto another plane. It adds another dimension of sensory input to the story, philosophy, and overall experience.
If you're interested in spirituality but aren't sure where to start, where to continue, or if you want just a different perspective altogether, read this book.
First, he combines his personal narrative, which is all at once frightening, heart-breaking, and inspirational, with the interviews from leading personalities in the spirituality, music, or punk world (sorry that's such a mixed bag of classifications. Many of his personalities aren't classified easily). Chris didn't write a memoir. "Spiritualist" is not a linear story telling Chris' first mix up with substance abuse to his own enlightenment and sobriety. The chapters are short, sometimes personal retellings, and other times reading like simple blog posts about the world of modern spirituality. I tried reading through the book once just to read it. Now I can go back and read it as Chris meant it to be read: as a devotional with a lesson to meditate upon after each chapter.
Secondly, he has mastered this style. Each chapter is like a conversation with the author and it's easy to relate back to your own personal experience. At the same time, you can disagree or get frustrated with the book but be so put at ease by Chris' personality it's impossible to get mad at him. "What? Fight Club doesn't even get an honorable mention in the film section? C'mon Chris, you know that's not right. But I can't stay mad at you..."
Finally, this is much more than a book. It's a multimedia project. Chris is also a talented musician and most of his book's chapters end with links to music (some by Chris, some not) or interviews that you can listen and watch online. It's an impressive project and helps take the reader (and now listener) onto another plane. It adds another dimension of sensory input to the story, philosophy, and overall experience.
If you're interested in spirituality but aren't sure where to start, where to continue, or if you want just a different perspective altogether, read this book.
March 4, 2014
This book is raw, brutally honest and straight forward. It's a collection of essays documenting his personal struggles with addiction, himself and day to day life; the same struggles we're all familiar with even though we each have our own culprits. It discusses the ways out of those dark corners and illuminates the perspectives we're sometimes missing that make all the difference. You can find infinite books explaining that we've all got the answers to all of our questions within but Indie Spiritualist: A No Bullshit Exploration of Spirituality takes it on in a way that was entirely relatable and understandable, even to someone relatively new to "spirituality". The way Chris is able to relate spirituality to everyday life and express himself opened up entirely new doors for me personally and the friends I’ve turned on to him had the same sentiments. Very grateful for his contributions.
Let’s be real, when else can you ever read a book endorsed by both Ram Dass AND Tony Hawk. A spiritual book with an essay about Tao that takes place at a Naughty By Nature show. It's not your run of the mill book about spirituality and that's what makes it such a great read.
Let’s be real, when else can you ever read a book endorsed by both Ram Dass AND Tony Hawk. A spiritual book with an essay about Tao that takes place at a Naughty By Nature show. It's not your run of the mill book about spirituality and that's what makes it such a great read.
November 12, 2016
Chris did a good job of explaining his spiritual journey and the different ways he was able to introduce spirituality into his life. I rated it a 3 due to some redundancy in his message. In respect to him, he does mention this himself throughout the book. He doesn't claim to be a grand author, but wanted to express and share his journey and beliefs that led him to where he is at today. He has definitely succeeded doing this. He kept my attention throughout most of the book. He almost lost me when expressing his admiration for Tolle and Das. Not for his connection with these two authors but due to my disconnection with them. But we connect with who connect with and so I took a breath, allowed my thoughts to be what they were and moved on. He shortly there after mentioned Neil Gaiman, Pema, and Noah and won back my heart.
Chris and I have a lot in common including interests in the art world. I'm not a fan of punk, but understand that passion and connection with music. For anyone struggling with spirituality, specially from the 80s & 90s generation, you will gain some insight from this book.
Chris and I have a lot in common including interests in the art world. I'm not a fan of punk, but understand that passion and connection with music. For anyone struggling with spirituality, specially from the 80s & 90s generation, you will gain some insight from this book.
June 14, 2015
Okay, so...I was torn between two and four stars. If you have never been exposed to what I call Interspirituality and what the author calls "indie spirituality," AND if you've never read Brad Warner before (and what HAVE you been waiting for, anyway?) it might deserve four stars because his ideas will seem revolutionary and fresh as will his writing style.
If you have read Brad Warner and been exposed to Interspirituality, blessed are you because flesh and blood has not revealed these things to you but Divinity Itself. In that case, this book will seem like an adequate introduction to contemporary spirituality written by a Brad Warner wannabe. In that case it would only deserve two stars for its wannabe status. Hence, I compromised and gave it three stars. Life is like that.
If you have read Brad Warner and been exposed to Interspirituality, blessed are you because flesh and blood has not revealed these things to you but Divinity Itself. In that case, this book will seem like an adequate introduction to contemporary spirituality written by a Brad Warner wannabe. In that case it would only deserve two stars for its wannabe status. Hence, I compromised and gave it three stars. Life is like that.
April 19, 2017
INDIE SPIRITUALIST is quenching a thirst that is so prevalent in our world today; for authentic, no-bullshit spirituality without the dogma that exists in the hierarchical and patriarchal religions of our history. It's a great, down-to-earth account of the truth of the author's own experiences and offers helpful, practical insights and practices. "We read to know that we're not alone." said C.S. Lewis, and Chris Grosso shares with us the dark nights of his soul, and his journey to how he found peace, freedom and liberation. I feel gratitude that he's shared his journey with us.
March 1, 2016
Chris writes with such an open mind and huge heart, simply and with raw honesty. I love how he can find spirituality in the most unexpected places, like a Van Halen concert. Chris opens his definition of spirituality to include everything from skateboarding, heavy metal, Kirtan, yoga and just about everything in-between. His drunk/drug-alogue is told with heartbreaking honesty and a huge dose of sarcasm and humor. Great book for anyone dipping their toes into spirituality.
April 10, 2014
One of the most open and honest books on Spirituality and Hope that I have read. The author shares his story of addiction and recovery and his spiritual journey in a way that is relatable for everyone. This is a book I will definitely recommend to friends, family and anyone who is looking for a really good book to read.
April 18, 2014
I think this is one of those books that you either speaks to you or just doesn't. For me it felt like having a great conversation with a really cool dude. He encourages readers to contact him, so I did. And he was as considerate, compassionate, and open as his writing. I can totally understand how this book may not work for everyone, but for me it was spot on.
March 25, 2014
LOVE, love, love this book! It has opened my eyes so much compared to other books I have read. I know for a fact I will be rereading it over and over again! Totally recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Hands down, amazing!
January 22, 2016
Gets right to the point, no messing about.
Anyone who's had a chequered past will relate to what he has to say and imparts some helpful ways to help rid yourself of the demons.
As a Vipassana practitioner myself I can personally vouch for the path he suggests.
Anyone who's had a chequered past will relate to what he has to say and imparts some helpful ways to help rid yourself of the demons.
As a Vipassana practitioner myself I can personally vouch for the path he suggests.
May 19, 2014
I genuinely enjoyed this book. As someone who draws off agnostic beliefs, I found much of what Chris said to resonate with me. I also found his recommendations on further reading to be quite good. I would offer this book to anyone seeking a spiritual life not confined by religion.
July 18, 2015
A wonderfully engaging read of one man's ideas on spirituality from a life that he barely survived. Not wallowing in his own story for long, Chris Grosso imparts his ideas in a funny, touching read and gives a rudimentary view of his spirituality. I was captivated from beginning to end.
February 23, 2016
This book is so-so. But like it's hard for a Non-conformist to hear from another Non-conformist that it is okay to be a Non-conformist. As if, non-conformists needed validation in the first place. I don't know. I'm glad he found a path for himself.
September 1, 2016
Read my review here --> http://integralchurch.wordpress.com/2...
March 4, 2014
Great read! He really brings a down to earth approach to spiritualism. If you are looking for a truly honest approach to spirituality, please check out this book!!
April 4, 2014
A straight shooters, honest and raw look into the real essence of spirituality - no nonsense, no crap. Highly recommended read.
July 6, 2014
I guess I'm probably not the audience for this book, but ugggggh. I don't care how special your personal philosophy is, if you can't write you shouldn't write.
November 13, 2014
Just ok to me
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