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Господь — мой брокер
Остроумная пародия на литературу, предлагающую "легкий путь к успеху", написана уже известным у нас Кристофером Бакли (автором бестселлера "Здесь курят") в содружестве с Джоном Тирни. Герой романа, спившийся биржевой маклер-неудачник, волею судеб оказывается в обнищавшем монастыре. Там в один знаменательный день, воспользовавшись брокерскими услугами Самого Бога, он открывает семь с половиной законов духовно-финансового роста.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
30 people are currently reading
484 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Buckley
102 books955 followersChristopher Buckley graduated cum laude from Yale University in 1976. He shipped out in the Merchant Marine and at age 24 became managing editor of Esquire magazine. At age 29, he became chief speechwriter to the Vice President of the United States, George H.W. Bush. Since 1989 he has been founder and editor-in-chief of Forbes Life magazine.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He is the author of twelve books, most of them national bestsellers. They include: The White House Mess, Wet Work, Thank You For Smoking, God Is My Broker, Little Green Men, No Way To Treat a First Lady, Florence of Arabia, Boomsday and Supreme Courtship.
Mr. Buckley has contributed over 60 comic essays to The New Yorker magazine. His journalism, satire and criticism has been widely published—in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New Republic, Washington Monthly, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Esquire, and other publications. He is the recipient of the 2002 Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence. In 2004 he was awarded the Thurber Prize for American Humor.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He is the author of twelve books, most of them national bestsellers. They include: The White House Mess, Wet Work, Thank You For Smoking, God Is My Broker, Little Green Men, No Way To Treat a First Lady, Florence of Arabia, Boomsday and Supreme Courtship.
Mr. Buckley has contributed over 60 comic essays to The New Yorker magazine. His journalism, satire and criticism has been widely published—in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New Republic, Washington Monthly, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Esquire, and other publications. He is the recipient of the 2002 Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence. In 2004 he was awarded the Thurber Prize for American Humor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
April 24, 2021
3.5
Фирменный юмор Бакли на месте, местами ну просто очень смешно. Я, конечно, оценила стеб и над Уолл-стрит, и над книжками по саморазвитию, и над «Поющими в терновнике», но сюжет рыхловат, а закончилось вообще бог знает как, ближе к концу уже перелистывала бегом.
Фирменный юмор Бакли на месте, местами ну просто очень смешно. Я, конечно, оценила стеб и над Уолл-стрит, и над книжками по саморазвитию, и над «Поющими в терновнике», но сюжет рыхловат, а закончилось вообще бог знает как, ближе к концу уже перелистывала бегом.
June 20, 2011
This was perhaps the best book I have ever read. Not only was it funny and quirky, but it introduced me to Christopher Buckley as an author. Anyone who wants a quick read that will have you in stiches should pick up this book.
August 7, 2019
4 1/2 stars. Really funny. An alcoholic failure of a stockbroker takes refuge in an upstate New York monastery that is in deep financial straits. When the monastery is near collapse he finds inspiration from Deepak Chopra and his daily breviary to pick stocks and save the monastery.
I laughed out loud at several places. It helps if you were raised Catholic to understand the church heirarchy and terminology. But anyone who has been to a corporate rah rah seminar will enjoy this book and the 7 1/2 laws of spiritual and financial growth.
I laughed out loud at several places. It helps if you were raised Catholic to understand the church heirarchy and terminology. But anyone who has been to a corporate rah rah seminar will enjoy this book and the 7 1/2 laws of spiritual and financial growth.
April 6, 2017
At his best, Christopher Buckley writes breathtakingly hilarious novels. God Is My Broker is one of them.
However, if you’re a devotee of Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey, Dale Carnegie, or one of the many other high-profile self-help gurus who have streaked across the American firmament over the past century, you may not laugh. But who knows? Since Buckley takes on the Catholic Church with equal verve, you might enjoy the book, anyway.
In God Is My Broker, a certain Brother Ty has chucked a career on Wall Street — a singularly unsuccessful one, if the truth be told — and become a monk in an upstate New York monastery called Cana dedicated to the teachings of a masochistic saint. Unfortunately, Cana is on the ropes. Its source of revenue — sales of a uniquely awful wine called Cana Nouveau — has, shall we say, dried up. (Cana Nouveau is so bad that the Vatican blames a serious setback to the health of the Pope to a sampling of the stuff sent as a gift from Cana.) To reverse the monastery’s desperate financial troubles, Brother Ty decides to let God be his broker, looking for buy and sell signs in his breviary in combination with current business rumors. Meanwhile, the Abbot turns to Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, and their brethren for guidance. The result of these twin devotional habits are the 7-1/2 Laws of Spiritual and Financial Growth, which are conveniently spelled out as the story is told.
OK, so, you’ve gotta read it to make any sense of this proposition. And, unless you’re in thrall to a latter-day guru, you’ll probably enjoy it. A lot.
I’ve previously reviewed Buckley’s Little Green Men, Florence in Arabia, The White House Mess, and They Eat Puppies, Don’t They?, which I regard as a true classic of political satire. Before starting this blog, I also read and enjoyed immensely two other Christopher Buckley novels: Boomsday and Thank You For Smoking, which is probably his best-known work because of the movie of the same name.
However, if you’re a devotee of Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey, Dale Carnegie, or one of the many other high-profile self-help gurus who have streaked across the American firmament over the past century, you may not laugh. But who knows? Since Buckley takes on the Catholic Church with equal verve, you might enjoy the book, anyway.
In God Is My Broker, a certain Brother Ty has chucked a career on Wall Street — a singularly unsuccessful one, if the truth be told — and become a monk in an upstate New York monastery called Cana dedicated to the teachings of a masochistic saint. Unfortunately, Cana is on the ropes. Its source of revenue — sales of a uniquely awful wine called Cana Nouveau — has, shall we say, dried up. (Cana Nouveau is so bad that the Vatican blames a serious setback to the health of the Pope to a sampling of the stuff sent as a gift from Cana.) To reverse the monastery’s desperate financial troubles, Brother Ty decides to let God be his broker, looking for buy and sell signs in his breviary in combination with current business rumors. Meanwhile, the Abbot turns to Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, and their brethren for guidance. The result of these twin devotional habits are the 7-1/2 Laws of Spiritual and Financial Growth, which are conveniently spelled out as the story is told.
OK, so, you’ve gotta read it to make any sense of this proposition. And, unless you’re in thrall to a latter-day guru, you’ll probably enjoy it. A lot.
I’ve previously reviewed Buckley’s Little Green Men, Florence in Arabia, The White House Mess, and They Eat Puppies, Don’t They?, which I regard as a true classic of political satire. Before starting this blog, I also read and enjoyed immensely two other Christopher Buckley novels: Boomsday and Thank You For Smoking, which is probably his best-known work because of the movie of the same name.
March 31, 2020
Inhalt: Bruder Ty ist ins Kloster gegangen, um die Hektik der Wallstreet und dem Alkohol zu entgehen. Doch nun ist das Kloster so gut wie pleite, der dort produzierte Wein schmeckt, wie eine vom Teufel erfundene Strafe als Alternative zum Fegefeuer. Um das Kloster und sein abgeschiedenes Leben zu bewahren, nutzt er noch einmal sein Geschick als Broker.
Art des Buches: Satire
Wie fand ich das Buch? Um er vorwegzunehmen: Ich habe mich himmlisch amüsiert. Es ist eine herrliche Satire auf Erfolgsratgeber, die Heiligkeit der Kirche und das Streben nach Geld und den damit verbundenen Annehmlichkeiten. Ich musste mehrfach beim Lesen lachen oder den Kopf schütteln und dann weiterlesen, um zu erfahren, was denn nun passieren könnte. Bruder Ty, Philomena und der Abt werden mir noch lange im Gedächtnis bleiben.
3 passende Wörter zum Buch? Humor - Erfolg - Geld
Wem empfehlen? Wem Lebensratgeber und höhere Führung suspekt sind, wird hier seinen Spaß haben.
Art des Buches: Satire
Wie fand ich das Buch? Um er vorwegzunehmen: Ich habe mich himmlisch amüsiert. Es ist eine herrliche Satire auf Erfolgsratgeber, die Heiligkeit der Kirche und das Streben nach Geld und den damit verbundenen Annehmlichkeiten. Ich musste mehrfach beim Lesen lachen oder den Kopf schütteln und dann weiterlesen, um zu erfahren, was denn nun passieren könnte. Bruder Ty, Philomena und der Abt werden mir noch lange im Gedächtnis bleiben.
3 passende Wörter zum Buch? Humor - Erfolg - Geld
Wem empfehlen? Wem Lebensratgeber und höhere Führung suspekt sind, wird hier seinen Spaß haben.
May 12, 2011
Бакли прошелся по всем книгам о саморазвитии, в частности - о "как стать миллионером не вставая со стула" изданиях. Легкое чтиво, наталкивающее на правильное отношение к разного рода книгам с готовыми рецептами.
August 24, 2012
1-800-ПЕЙ-КАНУ
December 30, 2024
An old favorite, dated, but to me still hilarious. Razor-sharp writing. The audiobook is fantastically well-acted by Mark Linn-Baker.
May 10, 2020
3.5. Light, entertaining read
March 28, 2023
In the 1998 satire God is My Broker, authors Christopher Buckley and John Tierney take aim at business and self-help books and their promises of untold wealth and riches. The narrator of God is My Broker is “Brother Ty,” once a Wall Street stockbroker who left the market behind for the contemplative life of a monk at Cana monastery in upstate New York. Unfortunately, the monastery is nearly bankrupt. The monastery produces a dreadful wine, which was responsible for souring their relations with the Vatican after the Pope drank a glass. “Although it was never conclusively proved that our wine had caused his distress, the chemical analysis turned up a number of ‘impurities.’” (p.8)
The Abbot of the monastery, running out of options, purchased a book by self-help author Deepak Chopra called Creating Affluence: Wealth Consciousness in the Field of All Possibilities.
Brother Ty asks the Abbot: “Any lilies in this Field of All Possibilities?”
“I haven’t gotten to the field part yet. He’s got this system called ‘The A-to-Z Steps to Creating Affluence.’ It’s either extremely profound, or—”
“Total rubbish?”
“To be honest, I had an easier time understanding Aquinas. I have no idea what the man is talking about.” (p.11)
Here’s the part where I inform you that the “Author’s Note” at the beginning of God is My Broker states: “Historians differ as to certain details of the life and writings of Saint Thaddeus of Thessaly. Rest assured, however, that every word quoted from the works of Deepak Chopra and other modern authors is strictly accurate, difficult as that may be to believe.”
Brother Ty flips to the “W” section of Creating Affluence, to see if Chopra has anything to say about wine. There’s nothing about wine, but Chopra writes: “W stands for wealth consciousness without worries. Wealth consciousness implies absence of money worries. Truly wealthy people never worry about losing their money because they know that wherever money comes from there is an inexhaustible supply of it.” Chopra then relates an anecdote about the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Someone asked the Maharishi where the money for a project would come from. His response was “From wherever it is at the moment.” (p.11) It’s a great quote that is at the same time deeply profound and also mind-bogglingly naïve. It also sounds suspiciously like something someone who has never had to make a mortgage payment would say.
The Abbot might as well have asked the baseball player Yogi Berra for financial assistance. (From my Googling, there are a fair number of websites that will translate Yogi’s sayings into stock market advice. Well, as Yogi would say, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”) Fortunately, Brother Ty is able to take a reading from the breviary and translate it into a stock tip that pays off for the monastery.
As Brother Ty’s stock tips keep hitting big, the Abbot is convinced that the monastery needs to advertise their wine more. Brother Ty stubbornly insists that they need to concentrate on making “Wine that is free of rust. Wine that is not orange.” (p.62) Much to Brother Ty’s dismay, the monks end up re-bottling Chilean wine and adding just a few drops of the actual wine from Cana.
Surely the monks can’t keep just re-bottling someone else’s wine? Of course not, and don’t call me Shirley. Since the monastery is now flush with cash, there are Executive Retreat Centers to construct, and attractions to be built, in order to attract tourists and pilgrims to Cana. One of the funniest scenes in God is My Broker is one that shows the intellectual divisions among the monks, as some have become strict adherents to the philosophy of Anthony Robbins, while others prefer the wisdom of Stephen Covey.
Throughout God is My Broker, we learn the 7 ½ laws of spiritual and financial growth. At the end of each chapter, there are reflections and questions to help make sure that the reader is truly absorbing the 7 ½ laws. Some of my favorites: “After Cana, {where Jesus turned water into wine} do you suppose Jesus got invited to a lot of weddings?” (p.56) “How many times have I actually seen a camel not fit through the eye of a needle? If God didn’t want anyone to be rich, why did He make so much money?” (p.79) “Did not buying something nice ever make me happy? Did I ever see a gorgeous, expensive car in a showroom and say to myself, What a waste of money buying that would be!? Am I really saying, I’m not good enough for that car? Does God think that car is too good for me? Does God drive around in a ‘78 Corolla?” (p.105) “If God didn’t want people throwing stones, how come He left so many lying around?” (p.143)
I also enjoyed the tidbits of wisdom from real self-help books, like this chunk of brilliance from Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich:
1. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire.
2. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
3. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
As the Abbot says, “How about twelve-twenty P.M.?” Anthony Robbins proves to be similarly inscrutable when pressed for specifics:
“Let’s review the five fundamental lessons for creating lasting wealth.
The first key is the ability to earn more income than ever before, the ability to create wealth.
The second key is to maintain your wealth.
The third key is to increase your wealth.
The fourth key is to protect your wealth.
The fifth key is to enjoy your wealth.” (p.165-7)
The monks should have asked Yogi Berra, who probably would have responded with something like, “To be rich, you’re gonna have to make an awful lot of money.”
God is My Broker is a fiercely funny satire that will tickle your funny bone, and perhaps inspire you to cleanse your bookshelf of pabulum that promises you rewards at no cost.
The Abbot of the monastery, running out of options, purchased a book by self-help author Deepak Chopra called Creating Affluence: Wealth Consciousness in the Field of All Possibilities.
Brother Ty asks the Abbot: “Any lilies in this Field of All Possibilities?”
“I haven’t gotten to the field part yet. He’s got this system called ‘The A-to-Z Steps to Creating Affluence.’ It’s either extremely profound, or—”
“Total rubbish?”
“To be honest, I had an easier time understanding Aquinas. I have no idea what the man is talking about.” (p.11)
Here’s the part where I inform you that the “Author’s Note” at the beginning of God is My Broker states: “Historians differ as to certain details of the life and writings of Saint Thaddeus of Thessaly. Rest assured, however, that every word quoted from the works of Deepak Chopra and other modern authors is strictly accurate, difficult as that may be to believe.”
Brother Ty flips to the “W” section of Creating Affluence, to see if Chopra has anything to say about wine. There’s nothing about wine, but Chopra writes: “W stands for wealth consciousness without worries. Wealth consciousness implies absence of money worries. Truly wealthy people never worry about losing their money because they know that wherever money comes from there is an inexhaustible supply of it.” Chopra then relates an anecdote about the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Someone asked the Maharishi where the money for a project would come from. His response was “From wherever it is at the moment.” (p.11) It’s a great quote that is at the same time deeply profound and also mind-bogglingly naïve. It also sounds suspiciously like something someone who has never had to make a mortgage payment would say.
The Abbot might as well have asked the baseball player Yogi Berra for financial assistance. (From my Googling, there are a fair number of websites that will translate Yogi’s sayings into stock market advice. Well, as Yogi would say, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”) Fortunately, Brother Ty is able to take a reading from the breviary and translate it into a stock tip that pays off for the monastery.
As Brother Ty’s stock tips keep hitting big, the Abbot is convinced that the monastery needs to advertise their wine more. Brother Ty stubbornly insists that they need to concentrate on making “Wine that is free of rust. Wine that is not orange.” (p.62) Much to Brother Ty’s dismay, the monks end up re-bottling Chilean wine and adding just a few drops of the actual wine from Cana.
Surely the monks can’t keep just re-bottling someone else’s wine? Of course not, and don’t call me Shirley. Since the monastery is now flush with cash, there are Executive Retreat Centers to construct, and attractions to be built, in order to attract tourists and pilgrims to Cana. One of the funniest scenes in God is My Broker is one that shows the intellectual divisions among the monks, as some have become strict adherents to the philosophy of Anthony Robbins, while others prefer the wisdom of Stephen Covey.
Throughout God is My Broker, we learn the 7 ½ laws of spiritual and financial growth. At the end of each chapter, there are reflections and questions to help make sure that the reader is truly absorbing the 7 ½ laws. Some of my favorites: “After Cana, {where Jesus turned water into wine} do you suppose Jesus got invited to a lot of weddings?” (p.56) “How many times have I actually seen a camel not fit through the eye of a needle? If God didn’t want anyone to be rich, why did He make so much money?” (p.79) “Did not buying something nice ever make me happy? Did I ever see a gorgeous, expensive car in a showroom and say to myself, What a waste of money buying that would be!? Am I really saying, I’m not good enough for that car? Does God think that car is too good for me? Does God drive around in a ‘78 Corolla?” (p.105) “If God didn’t want people throwing stones, how come He left so many lying around?” (p.143)
I also enjoyed the tidbits of wisdom from real self-help books, like this chunk of brilliance from Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich:
1. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire.
2. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
3. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
As the Abbot says, “How about twelve-twenty P.M.?” Anthony Robbins proves to be similarly inscrutable when pressed for specifics:
“Let’s review the five fundamental lessons for creating lasting wealth.
The first key is the ability to earn more income than ever before, the ability to create wealth.
The second key is to maintain your wealth.
The third key is to increase your wealth.
The fourth key is to protect your wealth.
The fifth key is to enjoy your wealth.” (p.165-7)
The monks should have asked Yogi Berra, who probably would have responded with something like, “To be rich, you’re gonna have to make an awful lot of money.”
God is My Broker is a fiercely funny satire that will tickle your funny bone, and perhaps inspire you to cleanse your bookshelf of pabulum that promises you rewards at no cost.
April 20, 2018
This book is a wonderful, laugh out loud book. It does skewer the "self - help" book industry. This wonderful humor that is sarcastic and wry. My only caution is reading it on a plane with drawer looks of concern and disapproval by your sudden bursts of laughter. It did for me. And more then several looks of "what are you reading?!?!" from my wife sitting next to me. It is a quick read, but a wonderful one.
I have both read this book (on my kindle) and listened to the audio book. Both are equally wonderful.
I have both read this book (on my kindle) and listened to the audio book. Both are equally wonderful.
April 16, 2020
I have to admit I was naive enough to think this was actually an investment book. It wasn't until I hit the Law that said"If God know its a lie, it does not matter what you say to your customers" that I realized the author was pulling my leg. It was a very amusing read and I do find myself looking around for investing advice from God. No million dollar idea yet, though.
January 2, 2014
Clever parody of everything from religion to get-rich-quick books.
July 3, 2022
Christopher Buckley can find humour in any current event or social phenomenon. He has demonstrated this skill repeatedly in sequential best-selling satirical novels. "God Is My Broker" has its way with Roman Catholic monastic orders and with get-rich-quick gurus who themselves get rich selling self-help books and speaking at motivational events. Both are thoroughly lanced by the end of this joust. Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, and Stephen Covey limp off into the sunset. The book is framed as if written in the first person by Brother Ty (short for Tycoon), a former Wall Street trader and recovering alcoholic who becomes a monk. God and the Order need his investment skills to save the day. Along the way, he discovers (and shares) "The 7-1/2 Laws of Spiritual and Financial Growth." I have thoroughly enjoyed Buckley's "Thank You for Smoking" (1994), "Little Green Men" (1999), "Supreme Courtship" (2008), "The Relic Master" (2015), and "The Judge Hunter" (2018). So why wouldn't I enjoy this!?
October 18, 2017
I loved my second read through God is My Broker just as much as the first. The book pokes fun at self-help books, the Catholic church, and Wall Street and had me laughing out loud at multiple points. I don't see how any one - even a self-help book lover - could find God is My Broker anything short of hilarious.
I can't figure out why I haven't read any more of Christopher Buckley's books, but I plan to rectify that situation in the months ahead.
I can't figure out why I haven't read any more of Christopher Buckley's books, but I plan to rectify that situation in the months ahead.
January 5, 2020
Mildly funny and kinda entertaining. I enjoyed the constant parody of self-help books. I also found some of the writing to be very clever as there are multiple points in the story where the protagonist takes biblical quotes and interprets them as profitable stock trades. 3.5 / 5
June 26, 2020
Buckley is one of my favorites, but somehow I'd never read this one. A delightfully funny and cutting satire of self-help books and the "prosperity gospel" type thinking. A fun read with some laugh-out-loud lines.
June 23, 2017
Бесподобный юмор, веселая и легкая книга. Спивающийся брокер, который бросил все и ушел в монастырь. Тут и начинается самое интересное! Читать всем, кто любит книги про быстрое обогащение :)
October 24, 2018
"Молитва истинного специалиста по самопомощи.
Господи, Ты, Который провел народ Свой через долину смерти! Направь стопы мои, когда пойду я по проходам книжного магазина между полками с книгами по личностному росту! Отверзи очи мои, дабы я прозрел и увидел, каким таким личностям пошли на пользу все эти книги, чтобы все, что я заработал в поте лица своего, оставалось в моем собственном кармане, и дай мне силы устоять перед теми, кто требует от меня предприимчивости."
Господи, Ты, Который провел народ Свой через долину смерти! Направь стопы мои, когда пойду я по проходам книжного магазина между полками с книгами по личностному росту! Отверзи очи мои, дабы я прозрел и увидел, каким таким личностям пошли на пользу все эти книги, чтобы все, что я заработал в поте лица своего, оставалось в моем собственном кармане, и дай мне силы устоять перед теми, кто требует от меня предприимчивости."
February 17, 2018
For all those gurus writing books based on medium.com articles.
Brilliant stuff, a must-read for team leads
Brilliant stuff, a must-read for team leads
March 9, 2018
Damucho para reflexionar. Aprendes un pco sobre inversiones y el uso que le das s la bolsa de valores.
October 26, 2018
[4.5*]
May 11, 2019
This is a humorous, witty, satirical story about the escapades of a monastery in New York. It is easy reading and has many twists and turns.
December 27, 2019
Divertido.
December 14, 2020
A rather silly story of a stock broker turned monk who uses his skills in the market (with God providing the tips) to save a failing monastery and the chaos that wealth brings.
June 10, 2021
Great parody on self-improvement books, and one of my favorite books overall
February 10, 2022
Приятно было почитать - было не смешно, не мой тип юмора, но благодарен автору за то, как он оттоптался на Чопре, Кийосаки и Кови, этим инфоцыганам прошлого столетия. Семь законов из семи с половиной наверняка получше работают, чем весь этот бред из такого рода литературы.
October 3, 2022
Laugh out loud funny
October 26, 2023
Water or Wine?
Thought this book was entertaining. Characters were funny and amusing. Authors really took it to the limit. Can't imagine a place like Cana. Sounded more like an amusement park. It was worth my time to read.
Thought this book was entertaining. Characters were funny and amusing. Authors really took it to the limit. Can't imagine a place like Cana. Sounded more like an amusement park. It was worth my time to read.
October 29, 2023
Humanitas 2008
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews