Customer Reviews

Path Without Destination: An Autobiography

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
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I loved this book from start to finish. Kumar uses simple sweet and pure language to describe his walking journey which entails both outer countries and his own inner truths he discovers on the way. The only time I was mildly disinterested is when he stops walking to live in a house he buys for his family. I felt like I had stopped walking with him. A flowing inspiring story not to be missed.

Kumar claims to have been destined at birth to be the child of "unfulfilled wishes," born in a time of unrest in both India and the world. His walks, which he began at the age of 9, are the waterways where his beliefs flow and ebb, sometimes stronger, sometimes a trickle, but always moving. Although he admires the trees under which the Buddha found enlightenment, he himself cannot seem to settle. I found this to be an inspiring book ending with the principles by which he lives; not so much an instruction book of how to live, but it itself the gentle pilgrim sharing his stories in a less smelly and more conveniently printed format.

I, too, am quite inspired by Mr.Kumar's tale of his life as a flowing stream, never resting in any place for very long. He has done a lot to help make the world a more peaceful and gentler place to live. But I wonder--what happened to his first wife, whom he says left him when he was unwilling to "settle down" and start a business? The dispassionate tone of the book--is it reflective of his personality, or the fact that English is not his native language? The pattern of moving around, rootlessness, and of not becoming very deeply involved with any of his co-workers and friends makes me question whether he drifted into the Green Movement as a convenient place to dwell, without really concerning himself with making a living or becoming too intimate with others.
This does not in any way diminish the positive impact of his work, but as a biography, I am left wondering.

I love this book. Most of us may have a vision of how we could save the world, and then promptly return to our normal routine. Mr. Kumar remains faithful to his vision of seeing the good and expecting the best of people, of spreading Gandhi's message of nonviolence, and representing a life of treading lightly on the earth. I hope more people read this powerful book, which is why I put a link to it on my website's "Reading" page.