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Life 102: What to Do When Your Guru Sues You
The author recounts his association with MSIA, and argues that his guru was a confidence man who programmed his followers to obey him implicitly
- GenresCultsNonfiction
423 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 5, 2014
Might be a little difficult to find. After McWilliams' death, John-Roger's cult did everything they could to bury this. Still a great read if you're curious about how an intelligent person can get hooked into one of these abusive groups and adopt some bizarre, irrational, or silly belief-system.
September 24, 2011
From the time I heard about this book, I was quite interested in reading it. It is, however, not that easy to find. I got this one through inter-library loan. Apparently, (I got this from Wikipedia) the titular Guru, John-Roger, was given the copyright to this book as part of a settlement in a libel trial and McWilliams tried to have all copies taken out of circulation.
McWilliams, who wrote the feel good Life 101 books, uses his distinctive bouncy narrative with tons of pull quotes. The topic he says he will explore is how an intelligent, rational person can get taken in by religious programming by a spiritual con artist. That could make for a fascinating and enlightening read.
Unfortunately, McWilliams did not wait long enough to gain the proper perspective on the situation. He was actively fighting with this ex-guru as he wrote the book, so rather than using his specific situation to highlight the more general topic, he focuses far too much on John-Roger and his ministry and shortcomings. McWilliams was free from the notion that his guru was a god, but he was every bit as much in his thoughts as his adversary.
Having been through a lawsuit myself, I understand the emotional need, especially of a writer, to try to "set the record straight" and "have the last word," and those impulses are very much on display here.
There is some interesting gossip about Arianna Huffington, who was according to McWilliams, a John-Roger devotee.
The book has its good lines and observations, and is fairly entertaining, but I didn't leave feeling as though I had a much greater understanding of how a person becomes "programmed." Instead I knew a great deal about John-Roger as told by someone who felt hurt and betrayed by him. Kind of an interesting character, but not that interesting. That kind of spiritual trickster is a familiar character.
Maybe the reason the story felt a bit flat, and lacking in depth, is because McWilliams hadn't put enough distance between himself to be quite able to express the love that he had felt before he felt betrayed. He didn't describe his experience of joining the movement with the fresh eyes of someone who did not already know he was being programmed. This is understandable given where he must have been when he wrote it, but I think there might have been a more emotionally compelling story there had he taken it on when it was not so fresh.
McWilliams, who wrote the feel good Life 101 books, uses his distinctive bouncy narrative with tons of pull quotes. The topic he says he will explore is how an intelligent, rational person can get taken in by religious programming by a spiritual con artist. That could make for a fascinating and enlightening read.
Unfortunately, McWilliams did not wait long enough to gain the proper perspective on the situation. He was actively fighting with this ex-guru as he wrote the book, so rather than using his specific situation to highlight the more general topic, he focuses far too much on John-Roger and his ministry and shortcomings. McWilliams was free from the notion that his guru was a god, but he was every bit as much in his thoughts as his adversary.
Having been through a lawsuit myself, I understand the emotional need, especially of a writer, to try to "set the record straight" and "have the last word," and those impulses are very much on display here.
There is some interesting gossip about Arianna Huffington, who was according to McWilliams, a John-Roger devotee.
The book has its good lines and observations, and is fairly entertaining, but I didn't leave feeling as though I had a much greater understanding of how a person becomes "programmed." Instead I knew a great deal about John-Roger as told by someone who felt hurt and betrayed by him. Kind of an interesting character, but not that interesting. That kind of spiritual trickster is a familiar character.
Maybe the reason the story felt a bit flat, and lacking in depth, is because McWilliams hadn't put enough distance between himself to be quite able to express the love that he had felt before he felt betrayed. He didn't describe his experience of joining the movement with the fresh eyes of someone who did not already know he was being programmed. This is understandable given where he must have been when he wrote it, but I think there might have been a more emotionally compelling story there had he taken it on when it was not so fresh.
September 12, 2020
A real shame McWilliams is no longer with us. I would like to have met him. An interesting guy, unfortunately reeled in by a sociopath. I'm glad he got away.
September 21, 2013
Engaging writer. Also had some other ways indoctrination works… falling asleep during talking, social proof up the wazoo, and so on. Poor guy.
October 29, 2019
I read this book very very slowly because I never wanted it to end. A fascinating story, well told.
June 4, 2024
I was recommended Life 101 as a referral from a Psychic in the early 1990's when I was still a teenager. I read it and it was 0kay. The irony is my first car was as a matter of fact, a Lexus I thought of this book. Already having been a successful teenager, just awaiting the world to catch up with me, I found the book unusable. Later on though, I found Life 102 and read with interest the whole story of his fallout out with the "co-author". I just now read about the whole story and about the death of McWilliams. It puts the whole thing into perspective, that a psychic recommended me this book, probably, mainly due to the fact of my obsessional focus on money, power and having things. But she should have seen the situation around the writing of the book and how it would turn out? I doubt anyone who reads this book and the others will come away thinking: "Wow, i'm inspired!". If there is one thing I do not like is people that join cults, then leave, and then start preaching about how bad the cult is. Your a joiner. Your not a victim, you volunteered. Now all you can talk about is how bad the cult is. Well your just stupid enough to fall for it, hindsight being 20/20 it all just sounds rather platitudinous. Peter McWilliams died by choking on his own puke.
October 10, 2020
I adore Peter McWilliams......who actually died because of draconian cannabis
laws ; his best book (but all good!) is Ain‘t Nobody‘s Business If You Do.......about the injustice of consensual ‚crimes‘......
laws ; his best book (but all good!) is Ain‘t Nobody‘s Business If You Do.......about the injustice of consensual ‚crimes‘......
October 1, 2009
This poor author just couldn't win.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews