What do you think?
Rate this book
The Boho Manifesto: An Insider's Guide to Postconventional Living
The bohemian disruption has arrived. Microdosing psychedelics has become the new business learning tool, spiritual ceremonies and ideas festivals are now coveted pastimes, and Burning Man is already a bigger cultural touchstone than Woodstock. Written by boho-from-birth Julia Chaplin, The Boho Manifesto is here to illuminate the revolution.
This finely detailed and richly illustrated handbook is the essential guide to what lies beyond the experience of everyday conformity. You’ll learn how to quit the gym and go dancing instead and how to become a sex-positive tantric unicorn. And, should you be ready, there’s advice on how to leave your cubicle behind and embrace the life of a nomadic entrepreneur—or at least a nomad.
This finely detailed and richly illustrated handbook is the essential guide to what lies beyond the experience of everyday conformity. You’ll learn how to quit the gym and go dancing instead and how to become a sex-positive tantric unicorn. And, should you be ready, there’s advice on how to leave your cubicle behind and embrace the life of a nomadic entrepreneur—or at least a nomad.
- GenresNonfictionLifestyle
192 pages, Hardcover
Published June 11, 2019
16 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 2, 2019
Was attracted to the cover (new book on my library's shelves), and flipped through it. What sort of white people nonsense is this?! I'm sorry, I'm not okay with the term "gypset" being used to describe some entitled asshole's traveling lifestyle. Hard pass.
June 24, 2019
What in the...
I can't tell if this book is satire, or if someone really empowered a white woman to glamorize the Southern California rich asshole lifestyle. Like, where is your taste? Isn't this the opposite of "Bohemian"? Am I missing the joke?? AHHHHHH.
I can't tell if this book is satire, or if someone really empowered a white woman to glamorize the Southern California rich asshole lifestyle. Like, where is your taste? Isn't this the opposite of "Bohemian"? Am I missing the joke?? AHHHHHH.
January 23, 2020
Spoiled rich adults on a spiritual quest. I honestly can't imagine anyone taking this book to seriously. It reminds me of a SNL skit.
October 11, 2019
“Gypset (Gypsy+Jet set) is an emerging group of artists, musicians, fashion designers, surfers, and bon vivants who lead semi-nomadic, unconventional lives.”
Vomit vomit vomit
Recently, my wife has been kind of teasing me a little about my tendency to stumble on some random thing in the library and then spend hours ranting to her about how much I dislike it, sucked in by how bad it is. Need I devote so much energy to something that annoys me when there's so much good stuff on my reading list? Why get so fired up about some dumb book I didn’t even need to read?
But this one, wow....
Like many days, I went down a little rabbit hole trying to track down some unrelated title in the library catalog and ended up finding this one, available for check out as an ebook. Could be interesting, right? So I went in with literally no idea of what I would be getting, save it would be something discussing “post conventional” living, which seemed related to my interests.
My curiosity quickly turned to confusion and horror as it became clear that Boho Manifesto is just pure, concentrated, industrial strength cultural appropriation of the most blatant sort. It just basks in the smuggest, most entitled trends that could be imagined, patting itself on the back the whole time. From using a racial slur to describe its whole deal, to telling us that all we need to do to become world travelers full time is just to sublet our properties as Airbnbs (just throw up some Moroccan wedding blankets!), the amount of unselfconscious white privilege is just off the charts. This may just be the whitest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s like Stuff White People Like without an ounce of irony.
While it’s easy to take this all as parody (what dream catcher are you?), that this is just over the top hyperbole for the laughs, I don’t think it’s really meant as satire. A little tongue in cheek, maybe, but I’ve seen the author’s website, where you can literally buy a $300 dashiki. In spite of including little Hipster Handbook-esque cartoon “profiles” of various bohos, including a “modern shaman” and a “Kundalini yogi,” I couldn’t find one who didn’t appear to be white. There’s just an earnestness to each of the chapters that just feels like the author is just so pleased as punch to be sharing how she met a guy who quit his job at Ralph Lauren to set up a Utopian compound on his parents’ land in Oregon or that “boho is what happens when more CEOs microdose.” It’s just a gross, pseudo-countercultural brand of consumerism. The whole world is your playground, and other people/cultures exist only for you to gawp at or dress up as in order to show how “mindful” you are, how “unconventional” you are.
If the author wants some real "postconventional" living, why not write about traveler kids/crust punks riding the rails and experimenting with various forms of anarchy. I mean, they probably would smell a lot worse and would have their own brand of problematic baggage, but at least their whole deal doesn’t involve blatant consumption and racism.
Vomit vomit vomit
Recently, my wife has been kind of teasing me a little about my tendency to stumble on some random thing in the library and then spend hours ranting to her about how much I dislike it, sucked in by how bad it is. Need I devote so much energy to something that annoys me when there's so much good stuff on my reading list? Why get so fired up about some dumb book I didn’t even need to read?
But this one, wow....
Like many days, I went down a little rabbit hole trying to track down some unrelated title in the library catalog and ended up finding this one, available for check out as an ebook. Could be interesting, right? So I went in with literally no idea of what I would be getting, save it would be something discussing “post conventional” living, which seemed related to my interests.
My curiosity quickly turned to confusion and horror as it became clear that Boho Manifesto is just pure, concentrated, industrial strength cultural appropriation of the most blatant sort. It just basks in the smuggest, most entitled trends that could be imagined, patting itself on the back the whole time. From using a racial slur to describe its whole deal, to telling us that all we need to do to become world travelers full time is just to sublet our properties as Airbnbs (just throw up some Moroccan wedding blankets!), the amount of unselfconscious white privilege is just off the charts. This may just be the whitest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s like Stuff White People Like without an ounce of irony.
While it’s easy to take this all as parody (what dream catcher are you?), that this is just over the top hyperbole for the laughs, I don’t think it’s really meant as satire. A little tongue in cheek, maybe, but I’ve seen the author’s website, where you can literally buy a $300 dashiki. In spite of including little Hipster Handbook-esque cartoon “profiles” of various bohos, including a “modern shaman” and a “Kundalini yogi,” I couldn’t find one who didn’t appear to be white. There’s just an earnestness to each of the chapters that just feels like the author is just so pleased as punch to be sharing how she met a guy who quit his job at Ralph Lauren to set up a Utopian compound on his parents’ land in Oregon or that “boho is what happens when more CEOs microdose.” It’s just a gross, pseudo-countercultural brand of consumerism. The whole world is your playground, and other people/cultures exist only for you to gawp at or dress up as in order to show how “mindful” you are, how “unconventional” you are.
If the author wants some real "postconventional" living, why not write about traveler kids/crust punks riding the rails and experimenting with various forms of anarchy. I mean, they probably would smell a lot worse and would have their own brand of problematic baggage, but at least their whole deal doesn’t involve blatant consumption and racism.
September 20, 2019
Pros: The cover is beautiful.
Cons: Pretty much everything else.
I expected this to be a lifestyle type book that would maybe have some cool anecdotes from a modern bohemian or something but instead it comes off as pretentious and condescending, surprisingly towards the very bohemian folks it is supposed to represent. There are a few interesting and educational things here and there about various festivals and retreats but for the most part its a lot more Kardashian at Coachella than Burner at Black Rock City.
Cons: Pretty much everything else.
I expected this to be a lifestyle type book that would maybe have some cool anecdotes from a modern bohemian or something but instead it comes off as pretentious and condescending, surprisingly towards the very bohemian folks it is supposed to represent. There are a few interesting and educational things here and there about various festivals and retreats but for the most part its a lot more Kardashian at Coachella than Burner at Black Rock City.
June 22, 2020
Echoing another reader’s comment, this is the whitest book I’ve ever read. Borrowed it from my library as it didn’t carry the bohemian lifestyle book I was looking for. Quickly realized the author was writing for and about rich white people (every illustration of “typical” yogis or shamans or polyamorous couples is clearly a white person) seeking “enlightenment” in the most consumerist, culturally appropriated manner. Sadly apropos that the author lives in highly gentrified (whitewashed) Brooklyn, NY.
January 25, 2020
Liked the cover so I grabbed it off the library shelf, Offensively superficial stereotypes but there are those people out there reading the book and using her “how to build and altar” diagram so this book if for someone.
Reduces people trying to live a minimalistic, creative, authentic life to formulas and pithy subtitles. I am so glad I am not a rich socialite living this boho lifestyle.
Reduces people trying to live a minimalistic, creative, authentic life to formulas and pithy subtitles. I am so glad I am not a rich socialite living this boho lifestyle.
July 18, 2019
Super superficial
December 8, 2019
The cover is the high point. Not helpful for anyone.
February 1, 2020
The whitest nonsense.
November 15, 2021
Don’t know where to start really. Book looked pretty. Thought it might contain some interesting stories but no. Cultural appropriation all the way through. Extremely white and expensive. Made me feel a bit ick to be honest. Is it supposed to be satirical? I don’t really think so. If you like Goop you’ll probably lap this up. If you think the term Gypset is wholly inappropriate (like me) then no.
February 13, 2021
Good god. This book. Where do I even start?
How about with the way that this is literally just a guide to ignorantly cherry-picking from other cultures in the name of a certain aesthetic, for one. I literally couldn't tell if this was satire, because the bone-headded way the author just romps right through ancient spiritual and cultural traditions seemed so incredibly blind to the offensiveness of the practices. I thought maybe it was poking fun at all the ignorance. (And still thought it was offensive, in itself, but could have *maybe* excused it if it was trying to make a point.)
But, no. I don't think that's the case. I think the author really is just that stupid.
After all, she created "gypset" -- a super-lunkheaded combination of "gypsy" and "jet set" -- all for spoiled rich kids who want to rebel and be enlightened travelers of the modern age. It gives me a semi-permanent eye-twitch to think about for too long.
For the record, Boho Becky with the crocheted poncho on the way to Coachella -- "gypsy" is a racial slur. If you are gadje (aka, *not an actual romany*), you're not allowed to use the term to say how free-spirited you are. Period. You don't get to. You have no idea what that word means. Stop it. Now.
That said, this book goes on to appropriate everything from indigenous shamanism to sufism with equal disrespect. She treats cultures and practices like a kind of white girl spiritual tourist, dipping in and out of experiences and fitting them to some kind of disconnected aesthetic.
The whole thing is just gross. Literally stomach-turning.
Even IF, on the off chance, the author's just so "good" at satire that she can poke fun while appearing not to (which I doubt, highly), this is not a direction in which to channel that talent. The LAST thing the world needs is an easily-misinterpretable missive that encourages the kind of cultural-blindness that this thing has.
Just stop it.
And skip this book. Don't contribute to its harm with your attention.
If you want an actual tongue-in-cheek look at Bohemian culture, Lauren Stover's "The Bohemian Manifesto" (which, by the way, seems to have been blatantly ripped off by much of this book's structure and style) is much better, much funnier, and doesn't directly harm entire swathes of the world's people. Pick that one instead.
How about with the way that this is literally just a guide to ignorantly cherry-picking from other cultures in the name of a certain aesthetic, for one. I literally couldn't tell if this was satire, because the bone-headded way the author just romps right through ancient spiritual and cultural traditions seemed so incredibly blind to the offensiveness of the practices. I thought maybe it was poking fun at all the ignorance. (And still thought it was offensive, in itself, but could have *maybe* excused it if it was trying to make a point.)
But, no. I don't think that's the case. I think the author really is just that stupid.
After all, she created "gypset" -- a super-lunkheaded combination of "gypsy" and "jet set" -- all for spoiled rich kids who want to rebel and be enlightened travelers of the modern age. It gives me a semi-permanent eye-twitch to think about for too long.
For the record, Boho Becky with the crocheted poncho on the way to Coachella -- "gypsy" is a racial slur. If you are gadje (aka, *not an actual romany*), you're not allowed to use the term to say how free-spirited you are. Period. You don't get to. You have no idea what that word means. Stop it. Now.
That said, this book goes on to appropriate everything from indigenous shamanism to sufism with equal disrespect. She treats cultures and practices like a kind of white girl spiritual tourist, dipping in and out of experiences and fitting them to some kind of disconnected aesthetic.
The whole thing is just gross. Literally stomach-turning.
Even IF, on the off chance, the author's just so "good" at satire that she can poke fun while appearing not to (which I doubt, highly), this is not a direction in which to channel that talent. The LAST thing the world needs is an easily-misinterpretable missive that encourages the kind of cultural-blindness that this thing has.
Just stop it.
And skip this book. Don't contribute to its harm with your attention.
If you want an actual tongue-in-cheek look at Bohemian culture, Lauren Stover's "The Bohemian Manifesto" (which, by the way, seems to have been blatantly ripped off by much of this book's structure and style) is much better, much funnier, and doesn't directly harm entire swathes of the world's people. Pick that one instead.
December 12, 2021
“After all, if appropriation is part of music and fashion – everyone from Madonna to Marc Jacobs does it – why not meditation to?”….
What in the actual $&*# is this?
I am roughly 20 pages into this book and I cannot continue. Her lack of understanding, respect, or knowledge of cultures and peoples outside of her white washed Southern California purview - and her desperate attempt at justifying appropriation - is appalling and incredibly disheartening.
If I could give this book negative stars I would.
What in the actual $&*# is this?
I am roughly 20 pages into this book and I cannot continue. Her lack of understanding, respect, or knowledge of cultures and peoples outside of her white washed Southern California purview - and her desperate attempt at justifying appropriation - is appalling and incredibly disheartening.
If I could give this book negative stars I would.
August 12, 2021
I'm not sure why there are so many bad reviews on this book, unless the humorous descriptions, made certain people feel mirrored, and therefore, uncomfortable.
I found this book to be entertaining and sometimes hilarious.
I love the sketches of the different varieties of "BOHO" or New-age "woke" people.
I'm wondering how much the one retreat, that I read about, charges their guests to use a wooden block as their pillow...Haha! Too funny...:D
I found this book to be entertaining and sometimes hilarious.
I love the sketches of the different varieties of "BOHO" or New-age "woke" people.
I'm wondering how much the one retreat, that I read about, charges their guests to use a wooden block as their pillow...Haha! Too funny...:D
November 5, 2020
This was gifted to me from my friend Hannah, bc she knows me so well! Chaplin's tongue in cheek guide to living "gypset" (gypsy + jet set) was cute and fun. The illustrations are great, and chapters like "dating your shaman: pros & cons, made me giggle!
Takeaways: I can't wait to travel again! I still need to make it to burning man.
Takeaways: I can't wait to travel again! I still need to make it to burning man.
September 19, 2020
The modern version of The Official Preppy Handbook. Boho to the point of satire. I appreciated the tongue in cheek nod to wanting to be uniquely the same and on brand. A fun read- some won’t understand it’s humor.
January 20, 2021
Awesome travel guide
Chaplin takes you on a fun, irreverent, and satirical trip down the rabbit hole of the Boho generation. It is an eye opening adventure, with a true believer and observer of the phenomenon.
Chaplin takes you on a fun, irreverent, and satirical trip down the rabbit hole of the Boho generation. It is an eye opening adventure, with a true believer and observer of the phenomenon.
January 20, 2021
I actually thought this book might be written ironically? It's everything an urban spiritual hipster is interested in: yoga, ayahuasca, Burning Man, amongst other things. Funny enough, I'm into some of these things (not aya), but I just felt the tone...it was almost cringeworthy at times.
November 1, 2019
I’m still not sure if the book was satire or not.
January 13, 2020
Absolute trash. WASPy self-congratulatory cultural appropriation.
March 12, 2020
A little more parody than I expected but still fun and informational to read. Similar in feel to The Official Preppy Handbook of the 1980s.
June 18, 2020
I can’t tell if this book is an extended joke or an occasionally racist series of notecards kept by a wannabe guru/cult leader who turned off any critical thinking skills they might have had.
did-not-finish
August 23, 2019I skimmed this one and it would appear that... Boho is the New Alternative?
Yeah, Alternative. As in Grunge. That whole "don't give a f*ck" attitude that damn near permeated the 1990s, characterized by over-sized flannel, unwashed hair, music by garage band-types who only knew how to play three chords to accompany illegible grunting, and a generalized jaded/sarcastic approach to the world. A backlash, if you will, to the excess and over-glam of the previous decade. Alternative. A thing that became so mainstream one had to wonder if those who dubbed the trend had any true idea of what the term actually meant. And as a middle schooler/high schooler (the hub, if you will, of trendiness) when Alternative was a Thing, I was in the thick of things. Albeit unwillingly.
(Don't look at ME. I was dressing like Stevie Nicks, reading about witchy/'New Age' things, and rocking out to Hair Metal when the whole Alternative Thing went down. I suppose the true alternative, because I refused to conform to trends I didn't like. And yes, I got made fun of for it. Quite cruelly, I might add)
Looking back, it seems I was a bit ahead of my time. At least in part. Not that I plan to sell all my material belongings and hit the road in a VW Van converted into an uber-tiny house, complete with a Mr. Fusion mechanism that converts common table scraps into Planet-Friendly fuel (I give myself points for this shameless Back to the Future plug). Hell no. I'm too into comforts of home. Like a indoor plumbing, electricity, and a bookshelf the size of your average Tiny House. You know...to house my way more than 30 books. I also prefer my clothes to NOT be made from hemp (too itchy). And I don't care if my coffee and chocolate are fair trade. In fact, give me Hershey's Dark and Folgers 100% Columbian. With white sugar. And I'd like a nice high-carb bagel to go along with it. I shop at Big Box stores, because, in my small town, that's all there is. And I order most everything else I can't find in said Big Box from Amazon. Also, I hate, hate, hate fermented drinks. I do like me a bit of Kimchi every now and then, something I was introduced to back in 2004 by my Korean husband.
But I DO like Yoga and crystals and the Moon. I dig Mindfulness (although I prefer to vaguely call it paying attention to details). And I'm still into witchy things (I recognize that Silver RavenWolf isn't "cool"...but I still adore her for nostalgia reasons. And I still think Scott Cunningham is dry and pretentious and boring...because it's true). I love animals (but am not vegan) and think the Planet is a f*cking cool place that should be protected as much as possible. Although, again, I was into that stuff waaaaaaaaay before it all became a Thing. Oh yeah, I still dress like Stevie Nicks...with a bit of Janis Joplin thrown in for variety. So I've been a nerd, a geek, a freak, a dork (whatever) for most of my teenage and adult life.
Until now, apparently.
So how do I handle my prior uniqueness being a Thing? I suppose I should be insulted. I mean, what's up with all these trend-loving zombies jumping on MY (VW Hippie?) Bus?? But I'm not. If anything, I'm elated. Simply because MY thing is much easier to find out there (Seriously...do you know how elusive a vintage-looking peasant blouse was in 1994? It was like a damn wined unicorn). Do I care that 90% of these people are total posers? Nope. I do what I do and will continue to do what I do long after the whole "boho" trend has been exchanged for something else (Although PLEASE let it NOT be teased/permed hair again! And can we please take all things Millennial Pink and burn them? I never want to see that Pepto Bismo-meets-Cat Vomit color ever again).
Just... Don't call me Boho. I'm not any label. I'm just me.
As for this book? It's...cute. I suppose. And it will have its fleeting 15 Minutes...and its lovers...and, apparently, its haters (meowch!). Like with any books about trends: Take if for what is, but don't take it too seriously. In fact, read it with a shot of sarcasm. Because tomorrow it will be forgotten.
Yeah, Alternative. As in Grunge. That whole "don't give a f*ck" attitude that damn near permeated the 1990s, characterized by over-sized flannel, unwashed hair, music by garage band-types who only knew how to play three chords to accompany illegible grunting, and a generalized jaded/sarcastic approach to the world. A backlash, if you will, to the excess and over-glam of the previous decade. Alternative. A thing that became so mainstream one had to wonder if those who dubbed the trend had any true idea of what the term actually meant. And as a middle schooler/high schooler (the hub, if you will, of trendiness) when Alternative was a Thing, I was in the thick of things. Albeit unwillingly.
(Don't look at ME. I was dressing like Stevie Nicks, reading about witchy/'New Age' things, and rocking out to Hair Metal when the whole Alternative Thing went down. I suppose the true alternative, because I refused to conform to trends I didn't like. And yes, I got made fun of for it. Quite cruelly, I might add)
Looking back, it seems I was a bit ahead of my time. At least in part. Not that I plan to sell all my material belongings and hit the road in a VW Van converted into an uber-tiny house, complete with a Mr. Fusion mechanism that converts common table scraps into Planet-Friendly fuel (I give myself points for this shameless Back to the Future plug). Hell no. I'm too into comforts of home. Like a indoor plumbing, electricity, and a bookshelf the size of your average Tiny House. You know...to house my way more than 30 books. I also prefer my clothes to NOT be made from hemp (too itchy). And I don't care if my coffee and chocolate are fair trade. In fact, give me Hershey's Dark and Folgers 100% Columbian. With white sugar. And I'd like a nice high-carb bagel to go along with it. I shop at Big Box stores, because, in my small town, that's all there is. And I order most everything else I can't find in said Big Box from Amazon. Also, I hate, hate, hate fermented drinks. I do like me a bit of Kimchi every now and then, something I was introduced to back in 2004 by my Korean husband.
But I DO like Yoga and crystals and the Moon. I dig Mindfulness (although I prefer to vaguely call it paying attention to details). And I'm still into witchy things (I recognize that Silver RavenWolf isn't "cool"...but I still adore her for nostalgia reasons. And I still think Scott Cunningham is dry and pretentious and boring...because it's true). I love animals (but am not vegan) and think the Planet is a f*cking cool place that should be protected as much as possible. Although, again, I was into that stuff waaaaaaaaay before it all became a Thing. Oh yeah, I still dress like Stevie Nicks...with a bit of Janis Joplin thrown in for variety. So I've been a nerd, a geek, a freak, a dork (whatever) for most of my teenage and adult life.
Until now, apparently.
So how do I handle my prior uniqueness being a Thing? I suppose I should be insulted. I mean, what's up with all these trend-loving zombies jumping on MY (VW Hippie?) Bus?? But I'm not. If anything, I'm elated. Simply because MY thing is much easier to find out there (Seriously...do you know how elusive a vintage-looking peasant blouse was in 1994? It was like a damn wined unicorn). Do I care that 90% of these people are total posers? Nope. I do what I do and will continue to do what I do long after the whole "boho" trend has been exchanged for something else (Although PLEASE let it NOT be teased/permed hair again! And can we please take all things Millennial Pink and burn them? I never want to see that Pepto Bismo-meets-Cat Vomit color ever again).
Just... Don't call me Boho. I'm not any label. I'm just me.
As for this book? It's...cute. I suppose. And it will have its fleeting 15 Minutes...and its lovers...and, apparently, its haters (meowch!). Like with any books about trends: Take if for what is, but don't take it too seriously. In fact, read it with a shot of sarcasm. Because tomorrow it will be forgotten.
July 7, 2022
This book is a joke. Actually, worse than that, it is a $30 (if you buy the beautiful hardcover) ad for the author's other business: a travel agency appropriating the word "Gypsy" that sells appropriation in the form of "wellness" and "spiritual" retreats.
I like the idea of post-conventional and untraditional living but this ain't it. The author comes across as extremely out of touch and the only way I can make sense of WHY she wrote this book is to have something pretty to point her clients to (and to make money of us suckers, course).
The tips in this book consist of:
- investing in biotech (especially new LSD and mushroom start ups, don't worry if you don't make the money back right away, it'll pay off eventually!)
- wearing moccasins and ponchos to create your vibe (traditional dress is SO in, make sure you get everything custom made by your non-indigenous fashion designer friend)
-spend thousands of dollars and multiple weeks through out the year going to week-long yoga and/or meditation retreats (don't worry about the kid you left behind - they'll be so well taken care of with your live-in nanny and so grateful you are coming home relaxed and refreshed)
In no way is the lifestyle she pedaling possible or realistic without having money from the start. It isn't "bohemian" to work on your laptop from a luxury hotel in the Bahamas and spend your weekends with a spiritual guru on the beach covered in crystals worth $1,000 during a class you paid $5,000 for. That is privilege. That is taking up space. But that is becoming normal and main stream and people with money are capitalizing on this "hippie" lifestyle and making it pretty and popular, ultimately ignoring the anti-capitalist and non-conformist views that are what hippies are about.
Anyway, this book seriously sucks for a lot of reasons. I do not recommend buying it for any reason, but if you want a good laugh maybe check it out at your local library.
I like the idea of post-conventional and untraditional living but this ain't it. The author comes across as extremely out of touch and the only way I can make sense of WHY she wrote this book is to have something pretty to point her clients to (and to make money of us suckers, course).
The tips in this book consist of:
- investing in biotech (especially new LSD and mushroom start ups, don't worry if you don't make the money back right away, it'll pay off eventually!)
- wearing moccasins and ponchos to create your vibe (traditional dress is SO in, make sure you get everything custom made by your non-indigenous fashion designer friend)
-spend thousands of dollars and multiple weeks through out the year going to week-long yoga and/or meditation retreats (don't worry about the kid you left behind - they'll be so well taken care of with your live-in nanny and so grateful you are coming home relaxed and refreshed)
In no way is the lifestyle she pedaling possible or realistic without having money from the start. It isn't "bohemian" to work on your laptop from a luxury hotel in the Bahamas and spend your weekends with a spiritual guru on the beach covered in crystals worth $1,000 during a class you paid $5,000 for. That is privilege. That is taking up space. But that is becoming normal and main stream and people with money are capitalizing on this "hippie" lifestyle and making it pretty and popular, ultimately ignoring the anti-capitalist and non-conformist views that are what hippies are about.
Anyway, this book seriously sucks for a lot of reasons. I do not recommend buying it for any reason, but if you want a good laugh maybe check it out at your local library.
April 29, 2022
Did I pick this book up because of the terrible reviews and my co-workers making fun of it? Yes, yes I did. This is the more ridiculous thing I have read in a long time. Okay, I skimmed.
Let's start with how offensive most of this book it. It was published in 2019 and she's still using a form of gypsy? That seems like a GREAT idea. Never mind that it's a slur that people of a village would use against the nomads that would roam around.
The Tantric pick up lines were hysterical and my co-worker said she has had people use these on her and then would promptly throw up. I still can't decide if this book is serious or if Gwyneth Paltrow is using a pseudonym to peddle the goop products this book talks up. Either way, this book is and I can't believe it exists.
Let's start with how offensive most of this book it. It was published in 2019 and she's still using a form of gypsy? That seems like a GREAT idea. Never mind that it's a slur that people of a village would use against the nomads that would roam around.
The Tantric pick up lines were hysterical and my co-worker said she has had people use these on her and then would promptly throw up. I still can't decide if this book is serious or if Gwyneth Paltrow is using a pseudonym to peddle the goop products this book talks up. Either way, this book is and I can't believe it exists.
February 18, 2020
Seems to be a shallow book written to make money playing on a large niche. I liked it though as it confirmed the cynic in me. Showing that people like to be different in the same way as others. Also that people are really doing the same things they always did but modified by words, technology and options. An alternate means of marketing for individuals and businesses.
nope
February 12, 2024extra White Points for incorporating a slur into the quirky name for your brand new lifestyle that relies on appropriation and privilege, not at all like every other other time rich white people have used their wealth and stolen scraps of culture to get off on the thrill of playacting nonconformity and rebellion
January 1, 2025
Hard to figure out if this book was written as satire or serious. Often reads like a “Valley Girl”, rich and privileged, wrote this and expects everyone to share her opinion. However, insightful commentary into medicinal plants and fungi such as ayahuasca and mushrooms, as well as community connections and alternative living ideas.
October 6, 2020
As someone who has been to Burns, participated in co-ops, and tries to live non-conventional, oh yeah, this is accurate. Snarky and irreverent with a bit of sarcasm, a must read for anyone who has done anything 'new-agey' and has the ability to laugh at themselves.
January 20, 2021
it was good. it gave me some pretty decent ideas. I do see how those that are protective of the boho culture could get defensive when reading it. I am just learning about this culture so it did not bother me with the satire. Lots of cool pictures and information.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews