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Waking Up
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Lying
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As it was in Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary, and Othello, so it is in life. Most forms of private vice and public evil are kindled and sustained by lies. Acts of adultery and other personal betrayals, financial fraud, government corruption - even murder and genocide - generally require an additional moral defect: a willingness to lie. In Lying, bestselling author and neuroscientist Sam Harris argues that we can radically simplify our lives and improve society by merely telling the truth in situations where others often lie.
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Excellent and Challenging
- By Kindle Customer on 2017-10-22
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The Moral Landscape
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In this explosive new book, Sam Harris tears down the wall between scientific facts and human values, arguing that most people are simply mistaken about the relationship between morality and the rest of human knowledge. Harris urges us to think about morality in terms of human and animal well-being, viewing the experiences of conscious creatures as peaks and valleys on a "moral landscape".
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The Moral Landscape sits astride an optimistic future of moral discourse
- By Anonymous User on 2018-08-28
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Free Will
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- Length: 1 hr and 14 mins
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A belief in free will touches nearly everything that human beings value. It is difficult to think about law, politics, religion, public policy, intimate relationships, morality—as well as feelings of remorse or personal achievement—without first imagining that every person is the true source of his or her thoughts and actions. And yet the facts tell us that free will is an illusion.
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Free will
- By Jonas on 2018-09-19
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The End of Faith
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- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
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Here is an impassioned plea for reason in a world divided by faith. This important and timely work delivers a startling analysis of the clash of faith and reason in today's world. Harris offers a vivid historical tour of mankind's willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs, even when those beliefs are used to justify harmful behavior and sometimes heinous crimes.
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How to Change Your Mind
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- Written by: Michael Pollan
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When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction, and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third.
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Judge not!
- By Brad Rudner on 2018-06-02
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Islam and the Future of Tolerance
- A Dialogue
- Written by: Sam Harris, Maajid Nawaz
- Narrated by: Sam Harris, Maajid Nawaz
- Length: 3 hrs and 40 mins
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In this short book, Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz invite you to join an urgently needed conversation: Is Islam a religion of peace or war? Is it amenable to reform? Why do so many Muslims seem drawn to extremism? What do words like Islamism, jihadism, and fundamentalism mean in today's world? Remarkable for the breadth and depth of its analysis, this dialogue between a famous atheist and a former radical is all the more startling for its decorum. Harris and Nawaz have produced something genuinely new: they engage one of the most polarizing issues of our time - fearlessly and fully - and actually make progress.
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An eye opener.
- By Michael Victory on 2018-07-18
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Lying
- Written by: Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Sam Harris
- Length: 1 hr and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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As it was in Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary, and Othello, so it is in life. Most forms of private vice and public evil are kindled and sustained by lies. Acts of adultery and other personal betrayals, financial fraud, government corruption - even murder and genocide - generally require an additional moral defect: a willingness to lie. In Lying, bestselling author and neuroscientist Sam Harris argues that we can radically simplify our lives and improve society by merely telling the truth in situations where others often lie.
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-
Excellent and Challenging
- By Kindle Customer on 2017-10-22
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The Moral Landscape
- How Science Can Determine Human Values
- Written by: Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Sam Harris
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this explosive new book, Sam Harris tears down the wall between scientific facts and human values, arguing that most people are simply mistaken about the relationship between morality and the rest of human knowledge. Harris urges us to think about morality in terms of human and animal well-being, viewing the experiences of conscious creatures as peaks and valleys on a "moral landscape".
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The Moral Landscape sits astride an optimistic future of moral discourse
- By Anonymous User on 2018-08-28
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Free Will
- Written by: Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Sam Harris
- Length: 1 hr and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
A belief in free will touches nearly everything that human beings value. It is difficult to think about law, politics, religion, public policy, intimate relationships, morality—as well as feelings of remorse or personal achievement—without first imagining that every person is the true source of his or her thoughts and actions. And yet the facts tell us that free will is an illusion.
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Free will
- By Jonas on 2018-09-19
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The End of Faith
- Written by: Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Brian Emerson
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Here is an impassioned plea for reason in a world divided by faith. This important and timely work delivers a startling analysis of the clash of faith and reason in today's world. Harris offers a vivid historical tour of mankind's willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs, even when those beliefs are used to justify harmful behavior and sometimes heinous crimes.
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How to Change Your Mind
- What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence
- Written by: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction, and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third.
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Judge not!
- By Brad Rudner on 2018-06-02
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Islam and the Future of Tolerance
- A Dialogue
- Written by: Sam Harris, Maajid Nawaz
- Narrated by: Sam Harris, Maajid Nawaz
- Length: 3 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
In this short book, Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz invite you to join an urgently needed conversation: Is Islam a religion of peace or war? Is it amenable to reform? Why do so many Muslims seem drawn to extremism? What do words like Islamism, jihadism, and fundamentalism mean in today's world? Remarkable for the breadth and depth of its analysis, this dialogue between a famous atheist and a former radical is all the more startling for its decorum. Harris and Nawaz have produced something genuinely new: they engage one of the most polarizing issues of our time - fearlessly and fully - and actually make progress.
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An eye opener.
- By Michael Victory on 2018-07-18
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Can't Hurt Me
- Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
- Written by: David Goggins
- Narrated by: David Goggins, Adam Skolnick
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare - poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a US Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events.
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Best "Mindset" book for any high achiever
- By Dylan on 2018-12-09
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On Having No Head
- Written by: Douglas Edison Harding
- Narrated by: Richard Lang
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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'Reason and imagination and all mental chatter died down... I forgot my name, my humanness, my thingness, all that could be called me or mine. Past and future dropped away... Lighter than air, clearer than glass, altogether released from myself, I was nowhere around.' Thus Douglas Harding describes his first experience of headlessness, or no self. First published in 1961, this is a classic work which conveys the experience that mystics of all times have tried to put words to.
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
- Written by: Yuval Noah Harari
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Yuval Noah Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a probing and visionary investigation into today’s most urgent issues as we move into the uncharted territory of the future. As technology advances faster than our understanding of it, hacking becomes a tactic of war, and the world feels more polarized than ever, Harari addresses the challenge of navigating life in the face of constant and disorienting change and raises the important questions we need to ask ourselves in order to survive.
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Harari’s Books are a delight
- By Jose Amaya on 2018-11-18
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10% Happier
- How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found a Self-Help That Actually Works
- Written by: Dan Harris
- Narrated by: Dan Harris
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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After having a nationally televised panic attack on Good Morning America, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes. A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure, involving a disgraced pastor, a mysterious self-help guru, and a gaggle of brain scientists.
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Happy I heard this book (with caveats)
- By kd on 2018-02-08
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Letter to a Christian Nation
- Written by: Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Jordan Bridges
- Length: 1 hr and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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"Forty-four percent of the American population is convinced that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead sometime in the next 50 years," writes Sam Harris. "Imagine the consequences if any significant component of the U.S. government actually believed that the world was about to end and that its ending would be glorious. The fact that nearly half of the American population apparently believes this...should be considered a moral and intellectual emergency."
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I expected more from him.
- By Anonymous User on 2019-02-14
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12 Rules for Life
- An Antidote to Chaos
- Written by: Jordan B. Peterson, Norman Doidge MD - foreword
- Narrated by: Jordan B. Peterson
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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What does everyone in the modern world need to know? Renowned psychologist Jordan B. Peterson's answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research. Humorous, surprising, and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street.
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A good summary of all his videos.
- By Hogman on 2018-01-27
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The Coddling of the American Mind
- How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure
- Written by: Jonathan Haidt, Greg Lukianoff
- Narrated by: Jonathan Haidt
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The culture of “safety” and its intolerance of opposing viewpoints has left many young people anxious and unprepared for adult life. Lukianoff and Haidt offer a comprehensive set of reforms that will strengthen young people and institutions, allowing us all to reap the benefits of diversity, including viewpoint diversity. This is a book for anyone who is confused by what’s happening on college campuses today, or has children, or is concerned about the growing inability of Americans to live and work and cooperate across party lines.
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Two of today's great minds at work.
- By Adam Milne on 2018-10-09
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Sapiens
- A Brief History of Humankind
- Written by: Yuval Harari
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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In Sapiens, Dr. Yuval Noah Harari spans the whole of human history, from the very first humans to walk the earth to the radical - and sometimes devastating - breakthroughs of the cognitive, agricultural, and scientific revolutions. Drawing on insights from biology, anthropology, paleontology, and economics, he explores how the currents of history have shaped our human societies, the animals and plants around us, and even our personalities.
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I'll definitely listen to this again.
- By Shea Earl on 2017-11-25
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Ham: Slices of a Life
- Essays and Stories
- Written by: Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Sam Harris
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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In 16 brilliantly observed true stories, Sam Harris emerges as a natural humorist in league with David Sedaris, Chelsea Handler, Carrie Fisher, and Steve Martin, but with a voice uniquely his own. Praised by the Chicago Sun-Times for his "manic, witty commentary", and with a storytelling talent the New York Times calls " New Yorker - worthy," he puts a comedic spin on full-disclosure episodes from his own colorful life. What better place to find painfully funny material than in growing up gay, gifted, and ambitious in the heart of the Bible belt?
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Hitch-22
- A Memoir
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Christopher Hitchens
- Length: 17 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Over the course of his 60 years, Christopher Hitchens has been a citizen of both the United States and the United Kingdom. He has been both a socialist opposed to the war in Vietnam and a supporter of the U.S. war against Islamic extremism in Iraq. He has been both a foreign correspondent in some of the world's most dangerous places and a legendary bon vivant with an unquenchable thirst for alcohol and literature.
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Don’t listen to learn more about the personal details of a public intellectual;....
- By Auntie Mel on 2018-12-12
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Atomic Habits
- Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results
- Written by: James Clear
- Narrated by: James Clear
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving - every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.
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The ultimate 'how to change your life' manual.
- By kanwal sekhon on 2018-12-08
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Maps of Meaning
- Written by: Jordan B. Peterson
- Narrated by: Jordan B. Peterson
- Length: 30 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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From the author of 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos comes a provocative hypothesis that explores the connection between what modern neuropsychology tells us about the brain and what rituals, myths, and religious stories have long narrated. A cutting-edge work that brings together neuropsychology, cognitive science, and Freudian and Jungian approaches to mythology and narrative, Maps of Meaning presents a rich theory that makes the wisdom and meaning of myth accessible to the critical modern mind.
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Better read than listened to.
- By Anonymous User on 2018-08-15
Publisher's Summary
For the millions of Americans who want spirituality without religion, Sam Harris’ new book is a guide to meditation as a rational spiritual practice informed by neuroscience and psychology.
From multiple New York Times best-selling author, neuroscientist, and "new atheist" Sam Harris, Waking Up is for the 30 percent of Americans who follow no religion, but who suspect that Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Rumi, and the other saints and sages of history could not have all been epileptics, schizophrenics, or frauds. Throughout the book, Harris argues that there are important truths to be found in the experiences of such contemplatives - and, therefore, that there is more to understanding reality than science and secular culture generally allow.
Waking Up is part seeker’s memoir and part exploration of the scientific underpinnings of spirituality. No other book marries contemplative wisdom and modern science in this way, and no author other than Sam Harris - a scientist, philosopher, and famous skeptic - could write it.
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- Anonymous User
- 2018-10-06
The best case for secular and spiritual life
Harris gives us the most compelling basis to consider a spiritual life, firmly grounded in a secular context without need of iron-age claims about metaphysics. Though it stumbles on rare occasion no one can dispute the importance of this book.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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- srwatson
- 2018-06-26
life changing
it requires a couple of listens to. This is a very inspired written performance by the author
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
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- Andy Kidd
- 2019-02-07
Amazing
I would highly recommend this book to anyone curious about our minds and consciousness. Inspired and enlightening
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- Amazon Customer
- 2018-12-18
amazing book
An analytical approach to consciousness and an personal adventure! Amazing and well written. He breaks down extremely hard to understand concepts.
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- Ero
- 2018-11-04
A refreshing perspective
Sam Harris narrates his experiences into mindfulness, meditation and the construct of the self in a wonderful retrospective of his personal journey.
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- Anonymous User
- 2018-10-02
essential reading/listening
You may agree or disagree with some points, but to be able to hear is the first step
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- Jamil
- 2018-09-27
Scientific, personal and clear
Sam narrates the story of the self, consciousness, and spirituality with ease and clarity. He brings a scientific and evidence-based approach like I've never read before. He leaves the reader with a stronger grip on reality and a thirst to wake up. Recommended.
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- Francois
- 2018-09-25
The greatest book regarding secular spirituality
Sam Harris writes in such a way to avoid logical contradiction. He tackles controversial topics with elegance. Fantastic read for anyone looking to further their spiritual knowledge.
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- Steve Windsor
- 2018-09-16
Excellent book!
#Audible1
Really enjoyed this! Sam's insight into consciousness and easy listening voice had me listening to this in one session!
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- mike
- 2018-09-14
the meditation book we all wanted with no woo woo
sam harris is one of the great thinkers of out time. in this book he took his years of studying meditation (year+ total in silent retreats) and combines it with western neuro science so you can learn how meditation actually benefits your mind without any woo woo spitrual stuff. #audible1
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- Jeffrey
- 2014-09-12
An Excellent and Inspiring Listen
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I have been a big admirer of Sam Harris's books for some time now. Many of his previous efforts have hinted at the kind of exposition found in Waking Up, and I have eagerly awaited the release of this book as a consequence. I wasn't disappointed. To the contrary, and I can only say this about a handful of books I've read in the past few years, it has truly inspired me. Waking Up gives sober, practical, and yet highly compelling accounts of how we can approach the issues of consciousness and spirituality without the burdens of organized religion and all the toxic baggage it entails. Harris gives a scientific as well as journalistic/experiential account of how the "ego," the subject, the "I" that pervades Western consciousness is an illusion that is a basic source of unnecessary mental anguish in our modern lives. He then walks us through his own journey through several meditating traditions and their transformative effect on his life. Each section of the book is captivating, and truly inspires you to set out on your own journey.
As a secular guy who is deeply troubled by religion, this is precisely the kinds of book I have been looking for. Highly recommended.
What about Sam Harris’s performance did you like?
Sam Harris is an excellent writer and speaker. His prose is always elegant and concise. His narration is the same -- no nonsense, subdued, yet confident. It is a very engaging listen.
55 of 58 people found this review helpful
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- World Peace
- 2014-09-11
I don't completely agree. BUT THAT SAID...
What made the experience of listening to Waking Up the most enjoyable?
BOTH spiritual folks AND skeptics need to read this book.The skeptics need to acknowledge the elephant in the room that there is a real phenomenon of expanded consciousness that needs to be studied from a scientific perspective before being dismissed out of hand. And the spiritual folks who don't understand the potential science of "spiritual" consciousness and who think science is an enemy of a spiritual expansion of consciousness... those folks ALSO need this gentle slap to the back of the head. Because spirituality is actually closer to science than it is religion.The reason I love this book is that... as a formerly religious guy who left religion for the contemplative approach to spirituality, I was able to meditate myself into an experience of a complete endogenous 5MeO DMT flush in my brain that catalyzed the dramatic consciousness shift we typically call "spiritual enlightenment". It changed my life. So I'm a completely spiritual guy who is coming into scientific understanding of spirituality from the spiritual side. Sam is simply coming from the other direction, but into the same arena where science meets "spirituality", and they actually coexist happily.While I'm not sure if I agree with Sam that free will is entirely an illusion, I really respect Sam for his open mindedness as a scientist to start to acknowledge something that science has ignored for years out of fear of how to deal with it; subjective experience and subjective data. Subjective experience as seen through a malleable mind is what creates our entire human existence. Therefore the sciences of explaining humanity and our universe should start reflecting this truth, and Sam addresses that elephant in the room eloquently and honestly. Simply put, we DON'T have all the answers to the expanded conscious existence that seems to be beyond the regular operation of brain that we call "spiritual" and that has spawned every major religion on the planet. And it IS rather ridiculous when the religious or new age woo-woo folks start making leaps into trying to link to the quantum sciences to explain their crazy theories about God or consciousness and the phenomenon of consciousness expansion beyond the regular operation of the Default Mode Network in the brain. But there IS something beyond the DMN. We CAN change our brain rhythms and form and function of the brain (and thus consciousness) through our conscious will. That is empirical fact as it has been presented via peer reviewed published studies on plasticity. So we simply need to admit we're at a place where we can neither prove nor disprove how consciousness and shifts in consciousness work, and move to understand the phenomenon with careful and skeptical study on the matter.Yay for Sam! Great book!
What did you like best about this story?
I really enjoyed Sam's no-nonsense perspective.
What about Sam Harris’s performance did you like?
His honesty and open mindedness in discussing what lies beyond waking consciousness from a scientific perspective.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
The film tag line for this book should be; "...written by an intellectual bad-ass."
Any additional comments?
I'm not sure who needs this book more; the religiously atheist folks who deny any potential for non-local consciousness out of hand before even considering the data... or the religiously woo-woo spiritual folks who have no clue that science is focusing in on the things we call "spiritual" and is actually suggesting there is a scientific basis for some of the phenomena we call "spiritual" (but with caveats attached which can help us understand our "spiritual" existence better).
88 of 101 people found this review helpful
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- Tanyush
- 2014-09-12
A lot of insights, great performance
I always like audio performance of Sam Harris, his voice is calm and confident.
As for the book itself I'm totally admire his insights, thoughts and analysis.
I must admit though that some of his ideas may sound quite revolutionary for unprepared ears. Anybody would take much more from the book if he listens to it with open mind and heart.
I would totally recommend the book to anybody who is looking for spiritual growth, free from bias, misconception or heresy.
18 of 20 people found this review helpful
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- Bryan Lovelace
- 2014-09-12
Highly Recommended
Would you consider the audio edition of Waking Up to be better than the print version?
Both are great.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Waking Up?
Dr. Harris talks about what happens to a person's sense of "self" when the corpus callosum has been cut. This part of the book blew my mind. The book was full of these moments for me.
Have you listened to any of Sam Harris’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have listened/read most if not all of his books. I like the way he writes and reads in the case of audio books. I like them all and I like them for different reasons.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
From beginning to end, I found myself stopping to review different sections of the book just to make sure I understood it's implications, or to review specific sections repeatedly so I can remember and talk about them later. I know it's a good book when I'm motivated to do this kind of thing.
Any additional comments?
Highly recommended.
24 of 27 people found this review helpful
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- Mark
- Reno, NV, United States
- 2015-06-08
Some parts were tough going
Normally I race through Sam’s books, but this one had some sections with hardcore neuroscience and very subtle philosophy about the self that I really struggled through. The last few chapters were so excellent — his demolition of near-death experiences and his discussion of the role of drugs in reaching states of bliss were especially good — that I’m going to have to read this again sooner rather than later. And parts were so mind-blowing that I can’t stop thinking about them: Like how people who have the two halves of their brains separated will answers questions differently depending upon which side is asked the questions. The hard part for me to get: There is no self, only consciousness. And the book’s bottom line: Spiritually transcendent states are not unusual among humans; they are natural and can be cultivated with simple, straight-forward steps without recourse to religion (which comes with the baggage of superstition) or drugs (which can cause bad trips or physical problems). Grade: A-
Narration: I always prefer when Sam reads his own books. He's not the greatest narrator but he understands his own words best and conveys them well.
22 of 25 people found this review helpful
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- C
- Cary, NC, United States
- 2014-10-06
Really enjoying his notes on life
Would you consider the audio edition of Waking Up to be better than the print version?
Great stuff, enjoyable smart ways of delivering many ideas. His experiences are appreciated his sharing them. Thanks and I look forward to many more books by a brilliant man.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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- Mark Best
- 2014-09-16
Extremely Helpful
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This book has changed my life. It showed me my own neurotic thoughts are not unique to me but just a function of the brain. The guided meditations are the only ones I have ever found helpful. Read this Book!
13 of 15 people found this review helpful
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- ML
- New Mexico
- 2014-12-04
Some good stuff, but too much is in attack mode
Any additional comments?
I’ve been a meditator for 40 years, and so I appreciate Sam’s work to bring his sharp intellect and clever writing skills to demonstrating meditation’s key to uncovering true spirituality. However, I feel that Sam takes too much pleasure (and time in this book) in destroying other people’s perspectives to reach that goal. Those other perspectives may in fact be wrong, but I think the same goal can be reached without so frequently going on the attack. When someone is in attack-dog mode for so much of a work, I begin to doubt his balance, and so the rest of his discourse, and rather toss the whole thing aside as the ravings of someone with a chip on his shoulder. Too bad because there is some very good stuff scattered about this book.
23 of 28 people found this review helpful
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- C. Rosky
- 2016-05-21
A Thicket of Views?
The author reads a little too quickly, especially during the subtler passages on neuroscience and consciousness. These are nuanced ideas; the mind needs a moment to digest between long clauses, and especially sentences. I tried slowing the speed, but the tone was awkward.
The subjects addressed of the book were fascinating: comparisons of east and west religions, meditation techniques, psychedelics vs mindfulness practices, the implications of split brain research, the limitations of both science and faith traditions. And the author is clearly dedicated to the practice of understanding consciousness. He has clearly practiced hard, thought deeply, and read widely. That is much to applaud.
Personally, I don't disagree with anything that the author says. I do wonder, however, how the author reconciles his argumentative tone, and his apparent preoccupation with labeling some ideas and traditions as "false, stupid and dangerous," with the principles of acknowledging the limitations of one's own knowledge, and of nonattachment to beliefs and opinions.
At times I was reminded of the Buddha's saying: "One who is free does not hold views or opinions. ... But those who grasp after views and opinions only wander about the world annoying people." In this sense, I can imagine people being annoyed by this author.
18 of 22 people found this review helpful
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- Tim Q.
- 2014-09-11
A superb narration of a great book
Would you consider the audio edition of Waking Up to be better than the print version?
Sam is an excellent speaker, and the audio version comes across more like one of his great talks, not a robotically narrated text.
What did you like best about this story?
This is not just yet another book on meditation---it's not only on meditation, and it's not a self-help book---at least in any traditional sense. Unlike most of the former, it's strictly rational and does not give any concessions to any sort of religious accommodation, and unlike the latter it does not give a "30-Day Program to Become Happy" or anything of this sort---although it does discuss practical points. You can look at it as an invitation to look inside our minds, and to use this rational introspection cut through the illusions which are, at the end of the day, the source of our unhappiness.
Any additional comments?
If you are new to the whole meditation thing, I can recommend to first read "10% Happier" by Dan Harris (no relation to Sam). It's a very different, lighter/entertaining book (the audio version is fantastic), but it should serve as an excellent introduction to "Waking Up".
25 of 31 people found this review helpful