Meditation in a New York Minute: Super Calm for the Super Busy [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Mark Thornton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2006

"You can be super busy, super successful, and super calm at the same time," assures Mark Thornton. With

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A former investment banker, Thornton worked 14-hour days, six days a week. He claims he was able to begin meditating for an hour a day during this period, without adding a single thing to his schedule. How? In a rather extreme style of spiritual multi-tasking, Thornton practiced his meditation while on the go: before and after meetings, in the shower, during commutes, or when hitting the gym. In this book, he teaches readers to follow the same strategy, incorporating stolen moments of meditation throughout the day so that they add up to a full hour. He promises that this regimen will relieve stress, boost productivity, reduce illness and build a foundation of calm and strength. Thornton's experience and skill as a corporate meditation instructor comes through here; he obviously knows the "super busy" and anticipates their objections and concerns. He organizes the book for easy reading, with sidebars, bulleted lists, diagrams and hands-on exercises sprinkled throughout. The bulk of the guide is taken up with teaching 19 different meditation techniques readers can incorporate into their to-do lists. Some of the recommendations are easy and practical, such as reprogramming a PDA or BlackBerry to read "choose calm now" as a menu heading, or "eating with awareness," chewing slowly and being mindful of every bite. Others are more complex and come with Thornton's caution that they take a lifetime to master. The book contains some old chestnuts, including the famous boiling frog story (here used as an example of how people become used to stress, not realizing its creeping dangers). Its opening chapters lean too heavily on glib promises when the book is more worthwhile and shows readers how mindfulness and meditation can be part of even the busiest schedule.
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Review

"At last! This book makes mediation easy, simple, enjoyable and effective." -- Erin Brockovich

"Deserves to be read by everyone: it's practical and informative and it could change your life!" -- Justine Ettler, Book Reviewer for The Guardian and The Observer newspapers

"Deserves to be read by everyone: it's practical and informative and it could change your life!" -- Justine Ettler, book reviewer for The Guardian and The Observer newspapers in the UK

"The techniques are fast,simple and poewrful." -- Manager, The New York Times

"These Techniques work!" Runne Gustafson, Coach for the Swedish Winter Olympic Team -- Runne Gustafson, Coach for the Swedish Winter Olympic Team

"You will be more deeply connected to life, if you buy this book. It’s an invaluable gift for your soul." -- Jack Canfield, Co-creator, #1 New York Times best selling Chicken Soup for the Soul ® series --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 145 pages
• Publisher: Sounds True, Incorporated (February 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591794293
• ISBN-13: 978-1591794295
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,755 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Thornton is the world's first executive meditation coach. Trained as an investment banker, he was interim Chief Operating Officer for JP Morgan in London. A student and practitioner of meditation for over 20 years, Mark Thornton has worked with over 30 teachers in 7 countries to find the best techniques for super-busy people.

Mark Thornton is the former Chief Operating Officer for a US investment bank. Described as a cross between "Deepak Chopra meets the Sopranos" he has dedicated his life to creating the world's first management consultancy that does one thing: teach Meditation.

At age 26, Mark realized he loved his job, but was dead at his cubicle. Something was missing. He risked approaching his deathbed without having really lived. Luckily, he met a master who taught him techniques that would reconnect him with his inner resilience, center, poise, insight and inner sense of mastery. Over the past 25 years, he has learned wisdom traditions from a number of meditation masters and applied these practices in everyday, real-world, high-pressure business situations.

Mark has clients from the UK, Australia and Latin America, and has taught meditation to domestic and international organizations and thought leaders including: Harvard Law School, The New York Times, Deloitte Touche, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Banco Frances, Kripalu, TIAA-CREF, JPMorgan, McKinsey & Co, The United Nations, IBM, IMG, Lazard's and various hedge funds.

He has lectured at the Jacob Javitz Center in New York City and The American Bar Association, been a keynote speaker The Exchange Traded Funds 2nd Global Annual Awards, The Bar Association of Buenos Aries, The University de Saviour in Argentina, Global Capital Acquisition Annual Meeting, as well as a number of key hedge fund industry events.

Mark is the best-selling author of Meditation in a New York Minute, a book on meditation practices for busy people, and is on the teaching faculty of the Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative, part of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Meditation is not just "Sitting in the Lotus Position", April 20, 2005

By 

Mr. David W. Gillard (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Meditation in a New York Minute: Super Calm for the Super Busy (Paperback)

I have always thought that I 'should' meditate... but who has the time? "Super Calm for the Super Busy" has taught me that you don't need to be in a quiet space looking like Buddha in the Lotus position for an hour a day, to achieve calm and awareness.

This is the perfect book for those with hectic schedules to learn techniques that can be used anywhere, anytime, to achieve Super Calm. Since reading this superb book I have felt so much more in touch with myself, and everything around me...

The simple techniques create total awareness, inner calm and a quiet confidence.

I have just felt much happier with the world in general.

Highly recommended!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practrical & inspiring - a must read for today's busy lives, October 20, 2004

By 

Nickolai K. Parker (New York City) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Meditation in a New York Minute: Super Calm for the Super Busy (Paperback)

I found this book to be a very useful and easy to digest guide to meditative practices for calming the mind, nurturing creativity, rejuvenating the spirit, and nourishing the soul. Thornton's "Meditation in a New York Minute: Super Calm for the Super Busy" is the kind of book that's well worth reading, whether you are an experienced meditator or one who is exploring meditation for the first time. I wish I had learned these techniques as a child. Simple to practice, the exercises in this book are of use to everyone. I highly recommend it!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Meditation - could it help you?, September 11, 2005

By 

Bryan Hood "Author of A Moment With Eternity" (Saskatchewan, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Meditation in a New York Minute: Super Calm for the Super Busy (Paperback)

I have been involved with meditation and metaphysics for the past 20 + years. When I first heard about "Meditation in a New York Minute," I was very skeptical.

Being in the metaphysical field I have seen some pretty flaky theories presented by some even more out-there people. But because we can only learn when we stay open-minded, I took a chance and got myself a copy of Mark's, "Meditation in a New York Minute."

Let me tell you I am impressed. "Meditation in a New York Minute" is just what we need in the western life-style. The levels of stress are hitting all time highs. Stressors not only from the outer-world but from the internal world are everywhere.

When was the last time you had a vacation from your thoughts? Or were able to have a moment of emotional peace? A time when you could truly feel safe and at ease? Most people have been under so much pressure for so long they think it is normal. They have been numb for so long they no longer even know what they feel.

The good news is that there is a way out -- a way back to a more balanced life. "Meditation in a New York Minute" will give you back your life. So do not delay, get yourself a copy today.

Bryan Hood, author of "A Moment With Eternity"