What do you think?
Rate this book
Faithfully Religionless
Faithfully Religionless is an inspirational and page-turning journey that begins with a teenage boy from a small town in Israel, and follows him through the culture shock of moving to California. When his pursuit of happiness in Corporate America feels counterproductive, he escapes the flourescent-lit hell that was his cubicle in Seattle, and sets out to fully embrace the stress-free lifestyle of Hawaii. Intrigued and curious about what people believe (and why they believe what they do), he questions everything that he ever thought was true, and learns to let go of the compulsive need to know. And that’s where he finds his bliss.
If you consider yourself spiritual but not religious, you’re going to love this book! And if you want to lead a simple and uncomplicated life with happiness at your fingertips, then you’ll want to read it more than once.
“It’s not that I’m against religion, I simply don’t have one (nor do I believe that we need it to be ethical). My faith is doctrine-free, with a definition of God that doesn't conjure a white, bearded man in the sky who dispenses blessings for good behavior and condemns the bad. That’s because I don’t believe God does that; religion does. You see, faith is a spiritual practice of continually letting go of certainty, of ego, and of the underlying need to know, while religion is a ceremonial tradition of hanging on, clinging to concrete dogmas, stubborn rigidity, and ageless ritual.”
Discover the difference between feelings and emotions, the disparity between truths and facts, and the countless benefits of mindful living.
If you consider yourself spiritual but not religious, you’re going to love this book! And if you want to lead a simple and uncomplicated life with happiness at your fingertips, then you’ll want to read it more than once.
“It’s not that I’m against religion, I simply don’t have one (nor do I believe that we need it to be ethical). My faith is doctrine-free, with a definition of God that doesn't conjure a white, bearded man in the sky who dispenses blessings for good behavior and condemns the bad. That’s because I don’t believe God does that; religion does. You see, faith is a spiritual practice of continually letting go of certainty, of ego, and of the underlying need to know, while religion is a ceremonial tradition of hanging on, clinging to concrete dogmas, stubborn rigidity, and ageless ritual.”
Discover the difference between feelings and emotions, the disparity between truths and facts, and the countless benefits of mindful living.
136 pages, Hardcover
First published January 26, 2016
157 people are currently reading
2681 people want to read
About the author
Timber Hawkeye
14 books613 followersTo make a long story short...
I sat there in front of the Tibetan Lama, wearing my maroon robes after years of studying Buddhism and said, "With all due respect, I don't believe the Buddha ever intended for his teachings to get THIS complicated!"
My teacher looked around at all the statues of deities with multiple arms and said, "The Buddha didn't do this!" he chuckled, "The Tibetan culture did; this is their way. Why don't you try Zen? I think you'd like it!"
So I bowed-out of the temple, took off my robes, and moved into a Zen monastery far from home. I was determined to find a simpler depiction of the Buddha's valuable teachings.
My teacher was right; Zen was simpler (the walls were blank and I loved it), but the teachings were still filled with all the dogma that sent me running from religion in the first place.
There are many incredible books out there that cover all aspects of religion, philosophy, psychology, and physics, but I was looking for something less "academic", so to speak. I was looking for something inspirational that people today would not only have the attention span to read all the way through, but actually understand and also implement in their daily lives. I pictured a book called "A guide to being a Buddha" with only two words in it: "Be kind."
Some have even claimed that the short chapters in this little book are "too long". So to all of you who want to stop right here, let me leave you with one important message: Be kind.
As for the rest of you soldiers of peace in the army of love, welcome to Buddhist Boot Camp!
I sat there in front of the Tibetan Lama, wearing my maroon robes after years of studying Buddhism and said, "With all due respect, I don't believe the Buddha ever intended for his teachings to get THIS complicated!"
My teacher looked around at all the statues of deities with multiple arms and said, "The Buddha didn't do this!" he chuckled, "The Tibetan culture did; this is their way. Why don't you try Zen? I think you'd like it!"
So I bowed-out of the temple, took off my robes, and moved into a Zen monastery far from home. I was determined to find a simpler depiction of the Buddha's valuable teachings.
My teacher was right; Zen was simpler (the walls were blank and I loved it), but the teachings were still filled with all the dogma that sent me running from religion in the first place.
There are many incredible books out there that cover all aspects of religion, philosophy, psychology, and physics, but I was looking for something less "academic", so to speak. I was looking for something inspirational that people today would not only have the attention span to read all the way through, but actually understand and also implement in their daily lives. I pictured a book called "A guide to being a Buddha" with only two words in it: "Be kind."
Some have even claimed that the short chapters in this little book are "too long". So to all of you who want to stop right here, let me leave you with one important message: Be kind.
As for the rest of you soldiers of peace in the army of love, welcome to Buddhist Boot Camp!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
Read
April 8, 2023The greatest gift you can give yourself is letting go of the things that hold you back.
The wisdom and insight found inside Faithfully Religionless is powerful yet simple enough to embrace. The whole book feels as if Timber Hawkeye is speaking to you as a mentor and as a friend. After reading it I realized that I need to let go and there are many things I need to unlearn.
The flow of this book makes it a quick read if you have a day to enjoy it. Though it is one you'll be want to read over and over again savoring it. Each time you will still learn something new.
The wisdom and insight found inside Faithfully Religionless is powerful yet simple enough to embrace. The whole book feels as if Timber Hawkeye is speaking to you as a mentor and as a friend. After reading it I realized that I need to let go and there are many things I need to unlearn.
The flow of this book makes it a quick read if you have a day to enjoy it. Though it is one you'll be want to read over and over again savoring it. Each time you will still learn something new.
February 8, 2016
I read “Faithfully Religionless” in two nights…at bedtime…when for me, most books are a sedative. But Timber Hawkeye’s second book was no sedative! I had to force myself to put it down and it wouldn’t leave me alone during the day either. I couldn’t wait to get back to it. But then, when it came time to review it, I didn’t know where to start. What approach would do it justice? How could I express how profoundly this memoir…it is a memoir…moved me? I wanted to sit down and discuss Timber’s book with him, not review it. And yet, I had to tell others how and why “Faithfully Religionless” had clarified my own thoughts on organized religion, faith, and above all, God. So forgive me if this is more than just a book review.
I turn 70 in 6 days. For the past 57 years, I have turned my back on all organized religion. As for faith and God, I’ve had no use for either since I was 11 when my biological father began sexually abusing me. When my prayers for deliverance from that life went unanswered, everything I’d been taught in the Catholic schools I attended seemed ludicrous. I rejected all of it and concluded the only one who could save me was me. At 24, when I finally got out of that abusive situation, with the love of a good husband I somehow found the strength inside myself to heal myself, and 5 years ago I finally told all in my memoir of sexual abuse.
What has all this got to do with Timber Hawkeye’s wonderful book, “Faithfully Religionless”? Everything. As I now prepare to speak at an upcoming conference on sexual violence, I can finally tell the delegates how I healed myself without therapy and without “finding religion and God” as so many do. Timber Hawkeye’s book told me what I had done…even though I didn’t know it! I had realized and accepted that I would never get an apology from my father, so I had “let go” as Timber says. I had accepted that those who hurt me had themselves been hurt and were not to be judged, but helped. I had recognized how the “emotions” I packed around my feelings continued to hurt me and distort both the facts and the memories of events, and that my efforts to explain the inexplicable…why my father had chosen to abuse me…were in vain. All those efforts had done was keep me chained to a past I couldn’t change.
I could write pages and pages on what resonated with me so profoundly in “Faithfully Religionless”. Indeed, after I finished reading, I went back through the book three more times making copious notes of what I want to share at that conference. So many people live by the traditional bible. I have no use for it. But Timber’s book has become my bible. No convoluted sentences; no worn out repetition of what’s been thumped into our heads since we were kids and which we just accept on blind faith and because our parents and elders told us it’s so. Just simple, down to earth suggestions for how to live our lives in peace with ourselves and others.
But I can’t leave this without addressing why I wanted to read this book so much. It has to do with that rejection of organized religion and God that I mentioned above. Over the years, I’ve grown so weary of people telling me I need Jesus, that I need to believe, have faith, love God. I reached hungrily for “Faithfully Religionless” as soon as it was available. Would it absolve me from feeling ashamed, even weird for being fed up with the overkill of organized religion? Was it possible others also didn’t embrace the idea of God as some white-robed man in the heavens who laid out my life’s path for me and would miraculously step in and help me when I found the path blocked with boulders?
Through his simple, honest words, Timber Hawkeye reassured me I wasn’t alone in my confusion about religion. He went further: he clarified why I felt that way. But most importantly, in his explanation of how he sees God, I realized Timber and I were on the same page and that I’d never lost God at all 57 years ago. Why? Because as Timber writes “God resides within each of us, and [that] when we serve others, give, forgive, accept, allow, zoom out, let go, and treat others with kindness, generosity, gratitude, compassion and empathy, we are acting out of the God-ness in our hearts, the goodness within, which feels like heaven right here on earth.”
To that, I say, “Amen” and thank you Timber Hawkeye. Everyone needs to read “Faithfully Religionless”.
Viga Boland
No Tears for My Father: A true story of incest
I turn 70 in 6 days. For the past 57 years, I have turned my back on all organized religion. As for faith and God, I’ve had no use for either since I was 11 when my biological father began sexually abusing me. When my prayers for deliverance from that life went unanswered, everything I’d been taught in the Catholic schools I attended seemed ludicrous. I rejected all of it and concluded the only one who could save me was me. At 24, when I finally got out of that abusive situation, with the love of a good husband I somehow found the strength inside myself to heal myself, and 5 years ago I finally told all in my memoir of sexual abuse.
What has all this got to do with Timber Hawkeye’s wonderful book, “Faithfully Religionless”? Everything. As I now prepare to speak at an upcoming conference on sexual violence, I can finally tell the delegates how I healed myself without therapy and without “finding religion and God” as so many do. Timber Hawkeye’s book told me what I had done…even though I didn’t know it! I had realized and accepted that I would never get an apology from my father, so I had “let go” as Timber says. I had accepted that those who hurt me had themselves been hurt and were not to be judged, but helped. I had recognized how the “emotions” I packed around my feelings continued to hurt me and distort both the facts and the memories of events, and that my efforts to explain the inexplicable…why my father had chosen to abuse me…were in vain. All those efforts had done was keep me chained to a past I couldn’t change.
I could write pages and pages on what resonated with me so profoundly in “Faithfully Religionless”. Indeed, after I finished reading, I went back through the book three more times making copious notes of what I want to share at that conference. So many people live by the traditional bible. I have no use for it. But Timber’s book has become my bible. No convoluted sentences; no worn out repetition of what’s been thumped into our heads since we were kids and which we just accept on blind faith and because our parents and elders told us it’s so. Just simple, down to earth suggestions for how to live our lives in peace with ourselves and others.
But I can’t leave this without addressing why I wanted to read this book so much. It has to do with that rejection of organized religion and God that I mentioned above. Over the years, I’ve grown so weary of people telling me I need Jesus, that I need to believe, have faith, love God. I reached hungrily for “Faithfully Religionless” as soon as it was available. Would it absolve me from feeling ashamed, even weird for being fed up with the overkill of organized religion? Was it possible others also didn’t embrace the idea of God as some white-robed man in the heavens who laid out my life’s path for me and would miraculously step in and help me when I found the path blocked with boulders?
Through his simple, honest words, Timber Hawkeye reassured me I wasn’t alone in my confusion about religion. He went further: he clarified why I felt that way. But most importantly, in his explanation of how he sees God, I realized Timber and I were on the same page and that I’d never lost God at all 57 years ago. Why? Because as Timber writes “God resides within each of us, and [that] when we serve others, give, forgive, accept, allow, zoom out, let go, and treat others with kindness, generosity, gratitude, compassion and empathy, we are acting out of the God-ness in our hearts, the goodness within, which feels like heaven right here on earth.”
To that, I say, “Amen” and thank you Timber Hawkeye. Everyone needs to read “Faithfully Religionless”.
Viga Boland
No Tears for My Father: A true story of incest
Read
February 26, 2016Faithfully Forward
Timber Hawkeye leads us to separate Faith from Religion and to put more emphasis on our behavior rather than our beliefs. I recommend this book for everyone enriching their living.
Timber Hawkeye leads us to separate Faith from Religion and to put more emphasis on our behavior rather than our beliefs. I recommend this book for everyone enriching their living.
January 28, 2016
Timber Hawkeye never disappoints. I have read "Buddhist Boot Camp" several times and I refer to it often as reading it was life changing for me. This book is only 75 e-pages and it is NOT a religion bashing book. It has many references to his Boot Camp book and is a very mindful book. I love his simplistic attitude regarding life and relationships. The world would be a better place if more people could get in touch with mindfulness and minding their own business, and losing the entitlement mentality. loved this book. Quick read. Namaste!
June 24, 2016
"Just imagine for a moment how liberating it would be to let go of anger, resentment, jealousy, pride, and your fear of death. Better yet, imagine letting go of everything that no longer serves you.
Now imagine embracing the mystery, letting go of your need to know, and being faithfully religionless: openheartedly accepting everything under the sun and joyously celebrating all of life's moments without any judgment."
I very sincerely believe that everyone -- regardless of faith, religion, or lack there-of -- should read this book at least once.
June 24, 2016
I found his matter of fact writing style and open nonjudgmental approach to life to be quite right for me. This book is deceptively simple and it's another reason I enjoyed it. Helped strengthen my on personal journey.
May 14, 2017
I got this book from Goodreads giveaways, and I was very excited. I had entered every giveaway for it, and I'd been looking for it for a long time. As you can see from my two-star review, I was bitterly disappointed when I finally read it.
I had a few false starts with this book, but I figured I needed to read it because I had wanted it so badly. I immediately found something unlikable about author Timber Hawkeye and his style, but I couldn't place my finger on it for the longest time.
Eventually, however, when finally picking it up to finish, I realized what the problem was: Hawkeye speaks from a place of immense privilege. He acts like it would be perfectly fine for everyone to abandon their family, religion, and all material pleasures, and instead quit their financial secure job and move to Hawaii without prospective work or a place to live. Unfortunately, this is not how the world works.
Hawkeye acts as if it's reasonable not to see right and wrong, and to forgive all acts, including abuse, child molestation, and rape. Personally, I just cannot see a path where this way of thinking would end well.
I had hoped and imagined that this book would be a lesson on embracing agnosticism and accepting all religions, and on the similarities between religions. It was a huge disappointment to see how preachy Hawkeye ended up getting about his lifestyle, and as a feminist, I just don't see any of it as sensible.
I am not going to add this book to my "owned" shelf because I plan on giving it away. My school's book club, which I am an avid part of, has a book exchange coming up with its end-of-year party next week, and I plan on getting rid of it there. I hope that someone else will find it more useful and acceptable than I did. I wish I could say I enjoyed it as much as I had coveted it, but that is simply not the case.
I had a few false starts with this book, but I figured I needed to read it because I had wanted it so badly. I immediately found something unlikable about author Timber Hawkeye and his style, but I couldn't place my finger on it for the longest time.
Eventually, however, when finally picking it up to finish, I realized what the problem was: Hawkeye speaks from a place of immense privilege. He acts like it would be perfectly fine for everyone to abandon their family, religion, and all material pleasures, and instead quit their financial secure job and move to Hawaii without prospective work or a place to live. Unfortunately, this is not how the world works.
Hawkeye acts as if it's reasonable not to see right and wrong, and to forgive all acts, including abuse, child molestation, and rape. Personally, I just cannot see a path where this way of thinking would end well.
I had hoped and imagined that this book would be a lesson on embracing agnosticism and accepting all religions, and on the similarities between religions. It was a huge disappointment to see how preachy Hawkeye ended up getting about his lifestyle, and as a feminist, I just don't see any of it as sensible.
I am not going to add this book to my "owned" shelf because I plan on giving it away. My school's book club, which I am an avid part of, has a book exchange coming up with its end-of-year party next week, and I plan on getting rid of it there. I hope that someone else will find it more useful and acceptable than I did. I wish I could say I enjoyed it as much as I had coveted it, but that is simply not the case.
November 23, 2020
This short book is packed with insight. I feel better for having read it. So many perspectives that Timber Hawkeye shares are filled with common sense and wisdom. His words resonate deeply - particularly in light of this nation's four-year trajectory.
With Trump losing the election, his continued refusal to accept the results coupled with obfuscation, stalling and disseminating falsehoods, Hawkeye's explanation of how people lend themselves to believe and follow charismatic leaders whose strategies are aimed at self-promotion. How can we understand these unfortunate eventualities? We do so by remaining informed, by creating an educated consistency that knows how to think rather than rely on being told what to think.
Get the book. It will help you to understand that believing in a higher power can be tainted by the invocation of religious practices that have nothing to do with believing in G_d.
But this book moves way beyond Trump. It challenges the reader to reflect deeply on life, one's purpose, and the transient nature of our brief existence on this tiny blue speck in the universe.
With Trump losing the election, his continued refusal to accept the results coupled with obfuscation, stalling and disseminating falsehoods, Hawkeye's explanation of how people lend themselves to believe and follow charismatic leaders whose strategies are aimed at self-promotion. How can we understand these unfortunate eventualities? We do so by remaining informed, by creating an educated consistency that knows how to think rather than rely on being told what to think.
Get the book. It will help you to understand that believing in a higher power can be tainted by the invocation of religious practices that have nothing to do with believing in G_d.
But this book moves way beyond Trump. It challenges the reader to reflect deeply on life, one's purpose, and the transient nature of our brief existence on this tiny blue speck in the universe.
August 23, 2025
Tiene ideas y conceptos trascendentes que resonaron mucho en mi. Explica esos conceptos de una manera sencilla, a traves de sus propias vivencias, con una narración casual y relajada.
Recurre a citas de personas célebres que resumen una verdad en pocas palabras y que además, inspiran.
Pero principalmente me quedo con la idea de tomar decisiones en la vida basados en el amor en vez del miedo. Tener muy claros tus principios y valores para vivir cada día acorde a esa persona que quieres ser.
Queda en mi lista de volver a leer (escuchar).
Calificación 4.5/5
Recurre a citas de personas célebres que resumen una verdad en pocas palabras y que además, inspiran.
Pero principalmente me quedo con la idea de tomar decisiones en la vida basados en el amor en vez del miedo. Tener muy claros tus principios y valores para vivir cada día acorde a esa persona que quieres ser.
Queda en mi lista de volver a leer (escuchar).
Calificación 4.5/5
February 20, 2023
Fascinating and thought provoking
May 22, 2020
Not at all what I expected. Surprisingly spot on motivating message.
April 21, 2019
In this follow-up memoir to his book Buddhist Boot Camp, Timber Hawkeye tells the story of he came to embrace a Buddhist way of life. He shares key experiences from his childhood, young adulthood, and then adulthood that eventually culminate in him selling everything he owned and heading to Hawaii to live a simpler life.
The book reads like a conversation with Hawkeye; he's very relatable and straightforward. He talks about the challenges of making peace with the ego and living a life in line with your values. This slim book can easily be read in a day, though the ideas may take more time to really sink in.
This book and others I've read recently have inspired me to make meditation a daily practice (even if in small increments at first). I don't have any illusions that the benefits will appear immediately, but learning to let go of my thoughts and emotions can only be a positive thing. The book also pushes you to think hard about what's really driving you, and whether a different way of life might be possible. When we need less things, and can live a simpler life, you don't have to work yourself to the ground trying to make money and buy more things.
Recommend this and Hawkeye's other book, if you're just starting out learning about mindfulness, and/or you're exploring what spiritual practices might be a good fit for you.
The book reads like a conversation with Hawkeye; he's very relatable and straightforward. He talks about the challenges of making peace with the ego and living a life in line with your values. This slim book can easily be read in a day, though the ideas may take more time to really sink in.
This book and others I've read recently have inspired me to make meditation a daily practice (even if in small increments at first). I don't have any illusions that the benefits will appear immediately, but learning to let go of my thoughts and emotions can only be a positive thing. The book also pushes you to think hard about what's really driving you, and whether a different way of life might be possible. When we need less things, and can live a simpler life, you don't have to work yourself to the ground trying to make money and buy more things.
Recommend this and Hawkeye's other book, if you're just starting out learning about mindfulness, and/or you're exploring what spiritual practices might be a good fit for you.
March 13, 2017
I won this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway and was super excited for it. I really enjoyed the first part of the book and felt it flowed easily but was left a little disappointed with the second half. I realize it is a memoir so the story is of Timber's life but the tone and writing style seemed to shift and the way it came across made it feel like he saw himself living a perfect life that I could no longer relate to or learn from.
December 6, 2016
Beautiful as always. If you read Buddhist Boot Camp, you will recognize some of the background in this book. This book is NOT anti-God. It's about taking away the conformist attitudes that religion can bind us with and instead recognizing our own true relationship with God, Buddha, etc.
November 15, 2017
Beautiful story
If you want to feel connected to everything and everyone without judgement this is the book for you. Of course it challenges old ideas about God and religion : peace and love coupled with kindness is the message I got. Really good read.
If you want to feel connected to everything and everyone without judgement this is the book for you. Of course it challenges old ideas about God and religion : peace and love coupled with kindness is the message I got. Really good read.
March 16, 2019
Liberating, honest and inspiring....
This book was beautifully written and evoked much understanding and inspiration. I would recommend it to anyone. Sometimes, the teacher comes along when the student is ready. I feel grateful that this one of those times for me.
This book was beautifully written and evoked much understanding and inspiration. I would recommend it to anyone. Sometimes, the teacher comes along when the student is ready. I feel grateful that this one of those times for me.
June 29, 2019
Note this is as the subtitle shows more of a memoir. I liked his first book better. This one has a good stuff in it but mostly his own journey.
October 2, 2016
Pretty good book!!! Looking at religion on a different perspective!
November 5, 2017
Another logical way to look at life.
Timber Hawkeye has such a logical way of looking at life. It was great to understand how he came to his religionless life.
Thank you
Timber Hawkeye has such a logical way of looking at life. It was great to understand how he came to his religionless life.
Thank you
June 13, 2018
After richly benefiting from reading Buddhist Boot Camp, I thought I'd read this one. It was not as mind/heart/life changing, but it was still well worth the read.
February 12, 2019
Very easy to read. Hawkeye has a very interesting lifestyle and view on life. I loved every page of the book.
May 3, 2017
You know when you read a book that you would probably not have picked up for a variety of reasons. The book is too expensive, it is not what you think you would enjoy, you are afraid of what people would say. Well this is one of those books for me, it intrigued me, but the price point was much too high for my current fiscal status. Therefore it was a very pleasant surprise when it arrived in the mail due to me winning a goodreads giveaway.
If I had read this when I was a teenager, or even a college student, I would like to think that I would be a different person now, but I do not think I was as self aware as I needed to be to really understand this book and really take it to heart. That and the fact that I am a mother to a young daughter who deals with bullying and other issues that are talked about in this book. It not only helped me, but I think that it will help her when she is ready to read it, be that this year or not for awhile.
Timber doesn't just talk about what he went through, but also really apt quotes from spiritual guides, and other individuals who have lived through hard times, be it whatever they felt hard times to be. While I can't pick up and move to Hawaii, or in my base back to Hawaii, as I have a family and responsibilities, there were many elements that I could learn. I am currently not having Candy of any sort, and Timber is right, at the beginning Ego is yapping about how it wants it, but the longer I distance myself from the decision to stop eating candy, ego is not talking as much.
While Timber's path will obviously be different than mine, and many individuals, this book really does help with self growth, and letting go. Letting go of material stuff that you no longer need, letting go of bad relationships, letting go of fear. We as a people are materialistic, we believe we thrive on how much we have, or what car we drive. We also have to keep up with the Joneses and why? Why try to up someone when you are already happy. It is because you aren't happy, there is a reason why you feel you have to keep up with them, be it greed, pride, or just Ego.
There are books that I read and I then either put them on a bookcase or donate them, but this book is the first book since graduate school that I may read over and over, and even Highlight. If you know me, you know that I don't highlight anything, especially a book. I didn't even do that when I was in college. so the fact that I want to tab pages, and highlight things really means that I liked it. Not only like it, but there were things that really hit me down deep, realizations that I never realized would become my reality.
I received this book free through the Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a review.
If I had read this when I was a teenager, or even a college student, I would like to think that I would be a different person now, but I do not think I was as self aware as I needed to be to really understand this book and really take it to heart. That and the fact that I am a mother to a young daughter who deals with bullying and other issues that are talked about in this book. It not only helped me, but I think that it will help her when she is ready to read it, be that this year or not for awhile.
Timber doesn't just talk about what he went through, but also really apt quotes from spiritual guides, and other individuals who have lived through hard times, be it whatever they felt hard times to be. While I can't pick up and move to Hawaii, or in my base back to Hawaii, as I have a family and responsibilities, there were many elements that I could learn. I am currently not having Candy of any sort, and Timber is right, at the beginning Ego is yapping about how it wants it, but the longer I distance myself from the decision to stop eating candy, ego is not talking as much.
While Timber's path will obviously be different than mine, and many individuals, this book really does help with self growth, and letting go. Letting go of material stuff that you no longer need, letting go of bad relationships, letting go of fear. We as a people are materialistic, we believe we thrive on how much we have, or what car we drive. We also have to keep up with the Joneses and why? Why try to up someone when you are already happy. It is because you aren't happy, there is a reason why you feel you have to keep up with them, be it greed, pride, or just Ego.
There are books that I read and I then either put them on a bookcase or donate them, but this book is the first book since graduate school that I may read over and over, and even Highlight. If you know me, you know that I don't highlight anything, especially a book. I didn't even do that when I was in college. so the fact that I want to tab pages, and highlight things really means that I liked it. Not only like it, but there were things that really hit me down deep, realizations that I never realized would become my reality.
I received this book free through the Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a review.
February 23, 2021
Timber Hawkeye tells an interesting story about the life that led him from a small town in Israel to a big city in California, to Hawaii, and eventually to joining a Buddhist monastery. Despite the title, this book is only marginally about religion. Throughout is great advice about letting go and not worrying about the things you can't control. There's a lot of overlap between this philosophy and the stoic philosophy that I'm most passionate about. It was a refreshing read about someone who works to put kindness and empathy first. He's the first to admit that he isn't always perfect, but it's striving to be better that's important. I also appreciated that he noted the importance of flexibility with rules. Not all of the suggestions will be a good fit for everyone, and that's ok too. Very enjoyable read.
July 5, 2017
The title would make you think the author is advocating atheism, which he is not. This book is a short journey with Timber Hawkeye on his quest to let go of religion in order to embrace God. Mr. Hawkeye considers himself "spiritual but not religious" but definitely leans more on the side of Buddhism. While I don't agree with all of the conclusions he came to in his life, I do agree with the gist of this book and found some of his insights to be quite helpful and practical. While not as good as his first book, "Buddhist Boot Camp" (which I'm currently reading), I do recommend this book to those on a similar path.
July 29, 2020
This is a must-read regardless of where you are in your life. These days I have to confess that I am not much of a reader (video and audio has spoiled me), but this was an absolute page-turner. Timber's unbelievable ability to share his personal experiences completely detached from what anyone might think makes this book both motivational and inspirational. The quote that spoke the most directly to me is "We are so afraid of not knowing the truth, in fact, that we prefer believing a lie rather than living in the discomfort of the unknown." I Didn't realize how my fear of uncertainty was hindering me from living my life!!
Thank You!!!
Thank You!!!
November 21, 2018
I love the philosophy espoused in this book and Tim's book Buddhist Bootcamp. I work at following much of this philosophy in my daily life. Three particular tenets resonate with me: Be curious, not judgmental; Your beliefs don't make you a better person, your behavior does; and, before responding to e-mails, Facebook posts, or conversation, ask yourself three things regarding your response: Is it true; is it necessary; is it kind!! That last one has stopped me from responding in many cases lately. My response might be true and necessary in my mind, but kind? Not so much.
August 3, 2019
I have read Timber’s first book “Buddhist Bootcamp” which I really enjoyed so I wanted to read this one too. It’s a very short book and an easy read with short chapters. It really makes you think about how you can improve your life and your way of thinking. I like the way the author discusses the point he is making and relates it to everyday life to make it easy to understand how it effects your own life. It reminds you of who you really are and discusses living with more meaning, peace and love. ⠀
It is very a uplifting and inspirational book and one you can come back to time and time again!
It is very a uplifting and inspirational book and one you can come back to time and time again!
November 8, 2024
this book is clearly not going to win a pulitzer prize, nor does it contain a riveting plot that will have you struggling to put it down. but it is insightful and i think i gained a lot from his ideas. it’s definitely helped me reflect on a few things. other reviews have called the author “privileged,” and, at times when i was reading, i found myself getting frustrated with him for having such a black and white view of the world, but i think that says more about me than him. even the points i disagree with or don’t fully believe, i think there was something to gain.
January 22, 2017
Succinct and effective
This little gem is truly a useful and inspiring memoir from a very likable and typical young man. The fact that he was able to reinvent himself so dramatically is truly amazing. He has breathed life into my own practice. A great book for those of us that struggle with religious dogmas and doctrines but posses strong spiritual inclinations. A great read!
This little gem is truly a useful and inspiring memoir from a very likable and typical young man. The fact that he was able to reinvent himself so dramatically is truly amazing. He has breathed life into my own practice. A great book for those of us that struggle with religious dogmas and doctrines but posses strong spiritual inclinations. A great read!
January 31, 2018
Thought provoking, inspiring and motivating. I am ready to uncomplicated my life and live simply, so I may simply live. Timber, expresses the way I have thought about god and religion for a long time. People have looked at me like I am crazy when I have tried to express my feelings about structured religion. I now know that I am not alone, now I can faithfully be a soldier of love, in the army of peace, for it is all that we need!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews