Jed McKenna's Notebook

by Jed McKenna

Chapters Recipe for Failure, 3 Interviews with Jed, Impersonating Jed McKenna, Blues for Buddha, Zen and the Art of Self-Mutilation, Mannahatta (The Journey to the Shaman, Kill the Swiss, Improbability, My Uncle the Vampire, Bookstore Guru, City Lights, Death & Discrimination) I, Witness, The New World, The Golden Door, Visionary Goofballs, Nothing A Post-Apocalyptic Lightmare

Genres: Philosophy, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Eastern Philosophy, Self Help, Religion

Nook

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[St Fu · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can't appreciate the value of good editing until you get to see what was cut. The "trilogy" holds together because this material was removed. Reading this book changes how the three other books feel.

For example, Frank (Lisa's father) 's role as a foil for Jed to dismiss is muddied when you now hear Jed discuss Frank's beliefs in more detail. Frank was an LSD advocate, and Jed agrees that LSD is useful as a tool to reach human adulthood, if not possibly enlightenment itself. However, Jed is indifferent to weather a culture that embraces this tool would be a good thing. (Remember, there is no longer a distinction between good and bad from his non-dual perspective.)

Similarly, his discussion of witnessing as a discipline undercuts his rejection of techniques other than spiritual autolysis as mainly ways to pass the time in the dream state, when you have no intention of leaving it. At the same time, it allows you to see more clearly how he was able (and in theory, you might too) to stop identifying with his dream state character.

Probably the best part of the notebook is the ending in which he describes his own awakening.

[Dean Paradiso · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this one possibly more than the Trilogy and Theory of Everything. It had some excellent writings later in the book about the practice of 'witnessing', one of the best descriptions of it that I've read. However, the material will likely not make much sense without having read the Trilogy. If you enjoyed that work, you'll enjoy this one too.

[Tom Cornille · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of it is in the other books...

[Denis Vasilev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Размышления и разговоры, совсем не так интересно как Теория всего

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly material that's available at the end of his other books if you've read the kindle version.

[JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short summary of all three books

[Del · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jed's not for everyone, but I take a meandering approach to this nonduality stuff and refuse to get "stuck" on a single teacher. Reading his material is like getting a good slap of reality. Some of us need it, but others of us will become really irritated by the sting.

All in all, his books are worth reading for the heavy anti-guru aspect alone. This short book, in particular, was my favorite of the three. It's much more succint. Lots of gems in here, lots of food for thought. He excels at pulling the rug out from under any seeker, and that's what I'm looking for.... to fall on my spiritual arse.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suppose that if you are checking this book out, you've already read and liked the other 3 books (or at least the first and third). If you like Jed's style, you will love this book. It's excellent! Highly recommended.

I loved the first Jed McKenna book and have reread it many times since. However I must admit I was quite skeptical of this kind of book. Bonus material compilation from the previous books? But when I finally got to reading it, I was so pleasantly surprised. Parts of it were incredible fun to read, and a few things in here are real gems. Since reading it the first time, I've come back to it many times.

[Monty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure about this author who cannot be found on the Internet--no photo, no website, no email or other address. I think I was supposed to read The Enlightenment Trilogy first, but I didn't. I think his point is that to attain enlightenment, you don't need to meditate or go to workshops or find a guru or whatever. What you need to do is observe yourself internally and eventually come to the conclusion that you are not your ego. He synthesizes his beliefs to: Truth exists; untruth does not. On the one hand he says some neat things; on the other hand it all sounds like BS.

[Alexandru Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

gata.
am citit tot ce a publicat mckenna.
ffff interesant.
da o sa revin cu o recenzie m detaliata m tarziu.
ca inca nu prea stiu ce sa spun.
vreo mie de pagini de pdf intr-o saptamana. citite dintr-o rasuflare. asta pe langa o gramada de lucruri pe care le mai aveam de facut. si asta cred ca spune tot ce merita spus, pana la urma.
cu o gramada de lucruri am empatizat, altele le-am vrut in momentul in care le citeam, pentru altele nu ma simteam pregatit.
dar na.
nu cred ca pot spune ceva coerent deocamdata.
asa ca o sa astept.

[Dean Paradiso · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this one possibly more than the Trilogy and Theory of Everything. It had some excellent writings later in the book about the practice of 'witnessing', one of the best descriptions of it that I've read. However, the material will likely not make much sense without having read the Trilogy. If you enjoyed that work, you'll enjoy this one too.

[Sjoerd Weening · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jed Mckenna is volgens mij de gaafste schrijver over spiritualiteit en dit is zijn beste boek. (Al zegt hij zelf een hekel aan spiritualiteit te hebben.) Een nadeel; het puberale, tegendraadse toontje. Rode rozen rood verven.