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Journey of a JuBu
Orthodontist Jacob Silverstein is not your typical tooth-straightener. He’s a novelist by night who dreams of becoming a best-selling author. Challenged by enigmatic literary agent, Maggie, to kill off his snarky protagonist Adam Freeman and revamp his novel into a memoir, he tries to save Adam by sending him on a quest for inner peace in a noisy world. Thus begins a spiritual, life-changing odyssey that plunges Adam into real-life, challenging situations as he seeks to understand himself. Filled with powerful, wise, and practical lessons on finding balance and cultivating mindfulness, Journey of a JuBu is an enchanting story that delights as it teaches.
Winner of the 2020 American Fiction Awards for Humor/ Comedy and Visionary Fiction Categories and 2020 Independent Authors Network Book of the Year Award for Humor/ Comedy Category.
Winner of the 2020 American Fiction Awards for Humor/ Comedy and Visionary Fiction Categories and 2020 Independent Authors Network Book of the Year Award for Humor/ Comedy Category.
- GenresHumor
322 pages, Paperback
Published March 3, 2020
About the author
Blaine Langberg
2 books9 followersOrthodontist by day, author and stand-up comedian by night, Blaine Langberg announces the release of his new novel, Journey of a JuBu. Blaine describes his book as part pilgrimage, part romp, a blend of spiritual humor and meta-fiction…it’s Seinfeld meets The Celestine Prophecy.
A Harvard-trained orthodontist, Blaine and his wife live in Connecticut, where they’re raising three daughters.
A Harvard-trained orthodontist, Blaine and his wife live in Connecticut, where they’re raising three daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 11, 2020
Journey of a JuBu is a debut book written by Blaine Langberg. It is based on a spiritual journey of the protagonist's alter ego. The story starts when a publisher tells Jacob Silverstein to drop his main character, Adam. If he does that, he has a chance to become a bestseller, but how can he kill Adam? Jacob created Adam so he can hide behind him. He was afraid to share his secrets, so killing Adam is like killing a part of himself.
He was 24 hours to decide, and he was adamant about not dropping Adam that he re-writes the whole story. Adam is arrogant, lost, and a total jerk. He has issues at the office, and he can't control his own body. Whenever he felt stress, his eye starts twitching. His refusal to seek medical guidance creates tension at home. Jacob has a tough task to change Adam's POV. He starts writing about his friends, who helped him in the process of getting better.
After a traumatic incident, Adam made his mind to be a better version of himself. He arrives into a Buddhist monastery, being Jewish, he has a hard time accepting certain facts. But the monks helped him in every possible way. He thought that now he is ready to face the world, but he has a long way to go. Life through some hard choices in front of him or we can say Jacob did, so he can finish his journey.
Adam's spouse Minnie represents a notable role, but her diverse perspectives on religion and spirituality bothered him. He wants Minnie to accept his beliefs, so she can also live a sound life. While Minnie has no intention of doing so. As they say, the spiritual journey is individual, highly personal. One can't force others to follow it.
Blaine Langberg wrote this story when he was dealing with anxiety. His narrative is heart touching and felt real. The characters are not perfect or superficial, they are humans. They made mistakes and learned from them. The book focuses on the traditional way of healing as well.
I read the book The Energy Healing Bible a few months ago. The author shows the way of healing by releasing memories that are stuck in our subconscious mind. These energies create different difficulties, like Adam's eye twitch, and Jacob's ear twitch.
Blaine Langberg focused on this aspect as well, which makes the story compelling. I like the scene when Jacob and Jesus discuss religion. The book is fast-paced and filled with humor. One point you are reading about spiritual stuff, and on another, about the television series, and Adam's naive behavior. To be honest, I never read a book like this. It is refreshing, entertaining, and connects with the readers. I highly recommend it.
Read more here - https://www.bookscharming.com/
He was 24 hours to decide, and he was adamant about not dropping Adam that he re-writes the whole story. Adam is arrogant, lost, and a total jerk. He has issues at the office, and he can't control his own body. Whenever he felt stress, his eye starts twitching. His refusal to seek medical guidance creates tension at home. Jacob has a tough task to change Adam's POV. He starts writing about his friends, who helped him in the process of getting better.
After a traumatic incident, Adam made his mind to be a better version of himself. He arrives into a Buddhist monastery, being Jewish, he has a hard time accepting certain facts. But the monks helped him in every possible way. He thought that now he is ready to face the world, but he has a long way to go. Life through some hard choices in front of him or we can say Jacob did, so he can finish his journey.
Adam's spouse Minnie represents a notable role, but her diverse perspectives on religion and spirituality bothered him. He wants Minnie to accept his beliefs, so she can also live a sound life. While Minnie has no intention of doing so. As they say, the spiritual journey is individual, highly personal. One can't force others to follow it.
Blaine Langberg wrote this story when he was dealing with anxiety. His narrative is heart touching and felt real. The characters are not perfect or superficial, they are humans. They made mistakes and learned from them. The book focuses on the traditional way of healing as well.
I read the book The Energy Healing Bible a few months ago. The author shows the way of healing by releasing memories that are stuck in our subconscious mind. These energies create different difficulties, like Adam's eye twitch, and Jacob's ear twitch.
Blaine Langberg focused on this aspect as well, which makes the story compelling. I like the scene when Jacob and Jesus discuss religion. The book is fast-paced and filled with humor. One point you are reading about spiritual stuff, and on another, about the television series, and Adam's naive behavior. To be honest, I never read a book like this. It is refreshing, entertaining, and connects with the readers. I highly recommend it.
Read more here - https://www.bookscharming.com/
December 12, 2020
Journey of a Jubu by Blaine Langberg is a wonderfully crafted novel that titillates you, makes you laugh, uplifts you, and satisfies you on a deeper level. It is a book that essentially talks about attaining the right spiritual alignment to lead a balanced and fulfilling life. It is about a Jew finding his inner Bu! To top that, it never misses out on the quintessential essence of humor.
It is a story of the aspiring author, Jacob, who happens to be an orthodontist. An abrupt incident takes him back to his days of writing. He wants Maggie, the sought-after literary agent, to consider his manuscript. And so did she. However, Maggie is intent on changing the storyline; she wants a drastic change with what Jacob calls a special project. Would Jacob change it?
Journey of a Jubu is a cleverly written novel, for it contains two stories inside of it. One is that of Jacob, who is working hard at bettering his book. The other is his alter ego, who is the protagonist of the book Jacob is working on. This book comes out as Jacob trying to tell his story while hiding behind Adam, his alter ego. Adam is a pathetic character and a total jerk. But Jacob sees him as attaining enlightenment after going through a traumatic incident. Through this book, Jacob attempts to talk about his days of low light and how he navigated his way to spirituality.
The book has interesting narratives and multiple POVs with some of the most realistic characters. However, I loved it more for how it discusses spirituality. The author made an effort to talk about Christianity, Judaism, and then Buddhism. Not to mention, the talks of spiritual awakening had my heart. Inner peace is a personal thing; spirituality is a personal thing. Moreover, I am impressed by how well the author continued to handle multiple parallel storylines, for they never seemed too heavy to me.
The author wrote this book when he was grappling with anxiety. This book marks his journey of improving his life. What makes this book stand out is its self-help material meticulously intertwined with the stories. What also makes it appealing is the contemporary setting and references because they never make the book sound preachy. I truly enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to all.
It is a story of the aspiring author, Jacob, who happens to be an orthodontist. An abrupt incident takes him back to his days of writing. He wants Maggie, the sought-after literary agent, to consider his manuscript. And so did she. However, Maggie is intent on changing the storyline; she wants a drastic change with what Jacob calls a special project. Would Jacob change it?
Journey of a Jubu is a cleverly written novel, for it contains two stories inside of it. One is that of Jacob, who is working hard at bettering his book. The other is his alter ego, who is the protagonist of the book Jacob is working on. This book comes out as Jacob trying to tell his story while hiding behind Adam, his alter ego. Adam is a pathetic character and a total jerk. But Jacob sees him as attaining enlightenment after going through a traumatic incident. Through this book, Jacob attempts to talk about his days of low light and how he navigated his way to spirituality.
The book has interesting narratives and multiple POVs with some of the most realistic characters. However, I loved it more for how it discusses spirituality. The author made an effort to talk about Christianity, Judaism, and then Buddhism. Not to mention, the talks of spiritual awakening had my heart. Inner peace is a personal thing; spirituality is a personal thing. Moreover, I am impressed by how well the author continued to handle multiple parallel storylines, for they never seemed too heavy to me.
The author wrote this book when he was grappling with anxiety. This book marks his journey of improving his life. What makes this book stand out is its self-help material meticulously intertwined with the stories. What also makes it appealing is the contemporary setting and references because they never make the book sound preachy. I truly enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to all.
May 6, 2020
I truly enjoyed "Journey of a JuBu," a clever book within a book that takes us on a modern hero's journey and quest for spiritual enlightenment set in our cynical, pop-culture obsessed world. The well-wrought characters reveal both our heartbreaking human flaws and our boundless capacity for learning and growth. The author is an orthodontist—a tooth straightener—but his book straightens out our psyches and—while making us laugh out loud—helps us align our struggling souls with a nobler purpose.
March 23, 2020
Journey of a Jubu, is a Yin and Yang fictional novel about Dr. Jacob Silverstein, an Orthodontist and his alternative personality, Adam Freeman. In the story, Dr. Silverstein is a kind and respected individual that always puts his family and his patients’ needs before his own while suppressing his desires and frustration, the yang. To release the anger that has built up inside him, he created the main character, Adam Freeman. Adam is ruthless, self-centered, and narcissistic, the yin. Both characters suffer from a yin deficiency. To create a balance in their life, they turn to Buddhism and its five principles (Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, and Magga). Buddhism teaches Dr. Silverstein how to create a feeling of wholeness by bringing his two halves, Yin and Yang together.
May 16, 2020
Blaine Langberg brings us a witty and thoughtful “memoir” of a mid-life crisis told by his fictionalized character, Dr. Jacob Silverstein. We learn that Dr. Silverstein, has transitioned from a neurotic, over-worked, conflicted Jewish orthodontist to a man who has found serenity through Buddhist self-discovery. Langberg tells the tale via a clever story-telling technique by introducing another character, Dr. Adam Freeman, who is the protagonist in Silverstein’s novel about his life’s struggles. The story moves back and forth between Silverstein and Freeman, who is anything but a free man, and their mutual growth toward tranquility.
The book artfully provides information about Judaism, Christianity, Kabbalah, mediation and hypnotherapy as the characters attempt multiple ways to gain happiness without the usual use of drugs to tamp down unpleasant emotions. Peppered with laugh-out-loud humor, Langberg often makes his points via references to iconic TV and movie characters/events to create visual images throughout.
Journey of a JuBu very well written. It provides a vivid story, how-to guidance on living life, information about lesser known therapies, all set in the everyday experiences that can drive anyone crazy. From page 1, you will be drawn in. You’ll learn to shed the problems of the past and live contented in the now. Read it, you won’t be sorry.
The book artfully provides information about Judaism, Christianity, Kabbalah, mediation and hypnotherapy as the characters attempt multiple ways to gain happiness without the usual use of drugs to tamp down unpleasant emotions. Peppered with laugh-out-loud humor, Langberg often makes his points via references to iconic TV and movie characters/events to create visual images throughout.
Journey of a JuBu very well written. It provides a vivid story, how-to guidance on living life, information about lesser known therapies, all set in the everyday experiences that can drive anyone crazy. From page 1, you will be drawn in. You’ll learn to shed the problems of the past and live contented in the now. Read it, you won’t be sorry.
May 26, 2020
There are myriad paths to spiritual enlightenment and not to be snarky, but this book does tell one of them. It is genuinely difficult to pin down what this book is about specifically, but in broad terms, it makes sense. This book will, with Larry David-esque humor, try to show heavily stressed Jewish professionals that it is ok to find enlightenment outside of the Temple.
I considered writing this review as someone who was writing a review about someone who was writing a review about someone writing a review but realized this book fills that literary void.
If you are a fan of Larry David, you will enjoy this book. If you have a modicum of moral fortitude, you will detest the 'character' of Adam with a deep hate. Be that as it may, this author shows some bravery in exposing his own weaknesses while trying to take it to a 2nd or 3rd person. A complex book about growth that could help a very specific group out of the morass of stress and emptiness.
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.
My Rating: 4.25 stars
Reviewed by: Mr. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
I considered writing this review as someone who was writing a review about someone who was writing a review about someone writing a review but realized this book fills that literary void.
If you are a fan of Larry David, you will enjoy this book. If you have a modicum of moral fortitude, you will detest the 'character' of Adam with a deep hate. Be that as it may, this author shows some bravery in exposing his own weaknesses while trying to take it to a 2nd or 3rd person. A complex book about growth that could help a very specific group out of the morass of stress and emptiness.
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.
My Rating: 4.25 stars
Reviewed by: Mr. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
January 15, 2021
When I started “Journey of a JuBu”, I didn’t know what I was getting into. I figured it’d be a quirky memoir about meditation and mindfulness. I have never been more delighted to be wrong. The levels of my real-life orthodontist writing about a fictional orthodontist writing about his alter ego orthodontist was fun in and of itself, but the novel is much more powerful than that. It shows the power of writing to help us articulate our thoughts when we are pulled in a million directions—professional, personal, spiritual, you name it. I loved following the fictional Adam’s journey being written by Jacob because it mirrors so many of our own—rife with optimism, humor, failure, and resilience. It reveals a thoroughly human protagonist who wants to do good for all the right reasons, but his stumbles are what makes him shine. I laughed a lot too, which is always nice. There are some definitely PG-13 moments, but the novel surpasses bro-humor and this reader felt entertained and enlightened at the conclusion. My only complaint is that the end felt rushed, but that might be because Jacob is rushed to find a meaningful and genuine resolution for his creation. Kudos to Langberg, I hope there is a sequel!
April 6, 2021
This book is perfect for anyone who enjoys a good dose of humor in their fiction. It's also ideal for anyone interested in the basic tenets of Buddhism and the keys to spiritual enlightenment.
Author Blaine Langberg is an orthodontist who has written this fictional account of Jacob, a Jewish orthodontist with a wife and kids, who is writing a novel about Adam, a Jewish orthodontist with a wife and kids, who has issues. Adam is a self-absorbed, pop-culture-addled, sex-crazed jerk who comes to a point in his life when he needs some serious spiritual guidance. Fortunately, he ends up, for a few days at least, in a Buddhist monastery.
Will Adam find enlightenment? Will Jacob get his book published? Read Blaine Langberg's comic novel and find out.
Author Blaine Langberg is an orthodontist who has written this fictional account of Jacob, a Jewish orthodontist with a wife and kids, who is writing a novel about Adam, a Jewish orthodontist with a wife and kids, who has issues. Adam is a self-absorbed, pop-culture-addled, sex-crazed jerk who comes to a point in his life when he needs some serious spiritual guidance. Fortunately, he ends up, for a few days at least, in a Buddhist monastery.
Will Adam find enlightenment? Will Jacob get his book published? Read Blaine Langberg's comic novel and find out.
March 23, 2026
I actually loved this book. I was raised jewish and have always been fascinated by eastern religious themes. When I was diagnosed with two forms of cancer about 4 years ago, i began to really focus on the present, to not hold on to the past (and to move on from it) and to not worry about the future. I even got my first tattoo at 60, of my mantra, "just be", to remind me to stay present. This book has great, human characters and most of them felt like people I knew. This is not a heavy book that delves into deep ground, but a great story about someone who is looking for more meaning. I would highly recommend it!
June 17, 2020
This is not your typical book about religious awakening. Dr. Langberg shares his experiences with Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity as well as meditation and hypnotherapy, but he lightens the enlightenment with generous doses of humor and pop-culture references. The characters in the novel, and in the novel within the novel, are believable because they are not perfect. Their flaws and shortcomings make them human, and their desire to learn and grow make them sympathetic.
Journey of a JuBu can be enjoyed as a witty, Seinfeld-esque romp through pop-culture and spirituality, but the underlying message that God is present in all of us is as timely today as ever. Perhaps if we all, like Adam, Jacob, and Blaine, looked inward a bit more, embraced our similarities as well as acknowledged our differences, we’d all find a bit more inner peace and love.
Journey of a JuBu can be enjoyed as a witty, Seinfeld-esque romp through pop-culture and spirituality, but the underlying message that God is present in all of us is as timely today as ever. Perhaps if we all, like Adam, Jacob, and Blaine, looked inward a bit more, embraced our similarities as well as acknowledged our differences, we’d all find a bit more inner peace and love.
April 14, 2024
Unique, Funny, and Thought-Provoking
It's an enjoyable read that's both light and deep...humorous and serious. Yet, like a JuBu, those contradictions make sense. I really enjoyed this book.
It's an enjoyable read that's both light and deep...humorous and serious. Yet, like a JuBu, those contradictions make sense. I really enjoyed this book.
March 10, 2021
Witty metafiction about an author's relationship with his novel's protagonist and his search for spiritual equilibrium.
March 23, 2021
A book that easily captured my attention. 'Journey of a JuBu' is witty, relevant, and a highly enjoyable read which encourages deep reflection. Bravo Blaine!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews