Customer Reviews

Mystic Microsoft: A Journey of Transformation in the Halls of High Technology

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Not only is this a fascinating peek inside the workings of Microsoft...it's a very enjoyable sharing of how Kraig learns the highest spiritual (and human) potential in every work situation. Quite the inspiring read! It's given me lots of pointers as to how to do the same in my own life. Couldn't wait to read each new chapter.

It's been a long time since a book made me weep. This one did. It's about how God used Kraig's years at Microsoft to bring about spiritual transformation in him. Kraig grew up Missouri Synod Lutheran. Throughout his time at Microsoft, he considered himself an atheist. But by the time he left there, God had made himself known again. Though the form of his spirituality did not return to Christianity, there are still amazing things to be learned from Kraig's journey about how God works in and through the marketplace. Very well written, and a joy to read.

This is a great book. Often in spiritual communities one finds people who've struggled with drugs, alcohol, relationships, jobs etc. and fall into spirituality as a kind of last resort after failing at regular life. The author had simply everything from the get go, solid family, education, one of the best jobs on earth, a good relationship and living in one of the most energized places in the US at a time of great expansion with seemingly everything materially possible yet moved to life's deeper search and an intentional community in a very thoughtful process. It's well written and something of a page-turner too!

In terms of psychology there's a lot of insight into the cult mindset of MSFT with employees going through brainwashing style interviews and boot camps to become like lab rats wondering from new office to new office for the 'greater good' defined by 'upper management', where its nothing to work seven days per week pressed like lemons for intellectual work, sleeping in the office, products are always spoken of as the best in the world even when clearly they are not and stars are 'protected' from the 'annoyance' of job offers and alternatives by anonymity. At the time MSFT seemingyly could do no wrong and the author details how stock options masked low pay, layers of mismanagement and bloated products before the era of expendable temp employees and a company marked not by its bright future but its bright past.

An added bonus is all the interesting books to research sprinkled through the text. The author's harmonium book is excellent also and the author magnetic in all his books and personal efforts - refusing the guru mantle yet nevertheless having many of the qualities.

What started out as a reading recommendation by a friend - turned out to be a page turner. I could not put the book down - had to read and reflect on what the author had to say in the next chapter !

So much of what Kraig Brockschmidt says in the book are so TRUE and so easily over-looked by us in the modern world of fierce competition, and intense time pressures to deliver. There is really no time to reflect on "why" we need to do something - just the fact that it needs to be done. Finding personal meaning / fulfillment in the "work" we do everyday is not something that we stop to think about. And time and again that is exactly what matters at the end of the day.

I for sure personally was looking for something that validated my own feelings about the subject and here is Kraig Brockschmidt articulating the exact same feelings that most of us experience at work. A definite 5-star material!

Mystic Microsoft by Kraig Brockschmidt is a well written account of how to focus on what is important in our work life. Kraig's style is at once intimate, humorous, and poignant. I recommend this book to anyone who would like inspiration and insight into spiritual growth in the workplace.