Rasta Heart: A Journey Into One Love [Paperback]

Robert Roskind (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2001

Since his pasing in 1981, Bob Marley's music, like tribal drumming, has been sending out a message of love and freedom for all humanity. Twenty years later, Julia and Robert Roskind traveled to Jamaica to learn more about Rastafari-the people and philosophy that inspired his music. Their life-changing odyssey through the towns, villages and mountains of this beautiful island, revealed not only the Rasta way of life but an ancient mystery as well. "RASTA HEART" is truly a journey into One Love. "Riveting... An incredible adventure that reveals the true essence of Rasta!" Dr. Dennis Forsythe author of "Rastafarians:The Healing of the Nations."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Riveting... An incredible adventure that reveals the true essence of Rasta!" -- Dr. Dennis Forsythe author of

"Riveting... An incredible adventure that reveals the true essence of Rasta!" Dr. Dennis Forsythe, "Rastafarians: Healing of The Nation." -- Dr. Dennis Forsythe, Oct 15, 2001

About the Author

Robert Roskind is a writer and speaker. His ten books include "In the Spirit of Business" and "In the Spirit of Marriage," both teaching unconditional love. He lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with his wife, Julia, and their daughter, Alicia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: One Love Press (October 2001)
• ISBN-10: 1565220749
• ISBN-13: 978-1565220744
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Practices > Rastafari

More About the Author

To date, Roskind, his wife, Julia, and their 19 year-old daughter, Alicia, have organized and hosted 74 of these "One Love Events" in Jamaica and on Native American reservations, colleges and at public venues in the U.S. All are non-commercial, involve no sponsorship funding and are free to the public. They are non-denominational, apolitical and bring forward a message of universal love for all.
Their latest event was on February 6, 2005, Bob Marley's 60th Birthday Celebration, in Kingston, Jamaica with a live audience of tens of thousands and a TV and radio audience of almost two million. It included presentations by the Jamaican head of state, Governor General Sir Howard Cooke, the Minister of Education, the Minister of Tourism, Bob's daughter, Stephanie Marley, many conscious civic leaders and talk show hosts and twenty well-known recording artists also performed including Bunny Wailer, Culture, Luciano, Ernie Smith and Abijah.
These events have often led to a community-wide healing. Their five events on the Hopi reservation in Arizona led to the Hopis defeating reservation gambling and preserving their ancient ways. Their two events on the Havasupai reservation on the floor of the Grand Canyon led to the tribe electing a pro-environmental tribal council committed to protecting the Canyon. In Jamaica, their 54 concerts brought a much-needed message of love to a country in turmoil.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the next best thing for those who have been there., December 7, 2004

By 

John Filak (Jersey City, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rasta Heart: A Journey Into One Love (Paperback)

I saw this book on a shelf in a internet shop in Montego Bay. I opened it in a random way and read a paragraph or two, and I knew I was going to take this book. I left the store quite happy to have found this book.

If you been to Jamaica more than a few times, and you have become impressed by the rastas there, then get this book. You are likely to have the same appreciable insight about the rastas as Robert Roskind does. Robert Roskind uses the book to provide almost a forum for the rastas to share what you might see and hear if you were there. He is full of understanding and appreciation for who they are and what they believe.

The book is like a travel log on Jamaica with the major focus on the rastas and their history. It is certainly better to go to Jamaica yourself. If you've been there and know what is going on, then the book serves as a memoir of a very special place.

This book provided me with a little more grounding in the rasta ideas/beliefs. Helped me understand a little more about the role of ganja. The author adds an excellent history of the hemp plant in a few pages; information that I was not aware of. The author knows how to enjoy himself there and from the pictures it looks like he fits in well as a spiritual person himself.

It is a very enjoyable book if you already have some interest, curiousity, and personal experience with the rastas. If you have the same appreciation, then the book is an easy, informative, and nostalgic read.

The book would not likely grab you in the same way, it might be a little more difficult to appreciate, the ideas might not seem as special or potent to you, if you have not already gained the same vision as the author.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational, September 30, 2003

By 

Kevin Bishop "chef de partie" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rasta Heart: A Journey Into One Love (Paperback)

I don't know how to go about reviewing this book. It grabbed my attention from the beginning and would barely let go for me to get some sleep each night. This book helped open my eyes about a lot of things in the world, and was a part in changing my attitude from depressed and hateful to optimistic, loving and caring. The people you will meet in this book are simply amazing, and it is truly heartwarming to realize that people like them exist in this world. In my opinion, it is a great introduction to the Rastafari lifestyle. Occasionally it felt a bit self-serving, but that may have been the former cynic in me still coming out. After reading this book, I feel that without a doubt, there is a chance for peace among men on earth. One Love is coming, people get ready, because when it gets here, we're going to be overjoyed.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book; one reservation, August 28, 2006

By 

Brent V. Keener "Earthward" (Fredericksburg, Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rasta Heart: A Journey Into One Love (Paperback)

After spending some time in West Africa where I came across many inspirational Rastas, I came back to America wanting to learn more about this lifestyle. I found Roskind's book to be VERY firsthand and informative; after all, he speaks with dozens of Rastas with a whole range of views on Rastafari and One Love. The book was brilliantly written (with a lot of editing errors, however) and a great read for someone who is a novice to this faith. However, I do have one reservation about the author himself. Throughout the book he and the people he interviews criticize Babylon and all its materialism yet during his many trips to Jamaica he stays at the finest resorts (Babylon), likely owned by white non-Jamaicans (Babylon), and he talks about how he spends days here and there snorkling, laying out, eating, etc. (Babylon). I am not trying to point any fingers, I would just assume that if someone was trying to minimize one's materialistic desires and really experience Rastafari than one would at least stay at less plush resorts - especially when in a developing country. Other than that, an excellent read.