I liked this book and I didn't.
On the one hand, I thought the premise was really neat. The author, back in 2003, reached a point in her life where she literally, overnight, forgot how to be afraid. Since then she has kept a journal detailing her experience in this new mindset, and the book is composed of a selection of these entries.
It's fascinating to be able to get into the mind of this person who has, at least in her own words, reached enlightenment. Her sense of amazement and wonder at no longer being terrified--when before she suffered from stress-induced acid reflux and hypertension--permeates these pages. She brings in earlier influences, too, that were the seeds of this attitude, everything from Hindu meditation to Shaker songs. I have no doubt that she's had a remarkable journey.
However, I just really wasn't into the format of this book. It's not something I could read cover to cover very well. Were I to pick it up again, it would be to open it up to a random page and read a passage for inspiration. I would have found it a better *read* overall, if she had varied the journal entries with modern commentary further giving perspective on her journey. Such as it is, it's so personal as to not be completely relevant to the reader. Maybe I'm just not New Age enough, but I like my books more hands-on.
Still, it's a worthy publishing effort, and I won't totally pan it.
I'm sure there are people out there for whom this would be perfect. If you learn well from personal testimonial, this may be a book for you.
~review by Lupa
Author: Jan Frazier
Red Wheel/Weiser, 2007
pp. 200, $16.95
