Customer Reviews

The Search

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
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I had recently read "The Tracker" by Tom Brown Jr. and thought it a remarkable book. It was the shear enthusiasm and telling of the truth that made it so inspirational. It was a kind of retelling of the innocence of his boyhood. He had been extremely lucky in being taught by Stalking Wolf, the Apache shaman, and grandfather of his best friend Rick. He was 83 at the time and became more than a mentor to the 8 year old Tom. Stalking Wolf epitomised the great teacher everyone seeks but does not find in today's world where too many people have isolated themselves from the natural world.

In this second book, which really tells of his time as a young man in his late teens and twenties, Tom Brown writes in a much more mature style although never losing that close connection he has with the natural world or in fact with himself. He is never afraid to truly feel in any situation, a rare quality in any man today. After having learned much that Stalking Wolf could teach him he made his own way living in the wilderness in every area of the US for long periods of time and gaining the experience and connections that make him a great tracker and survivor. At the same time he feels somewhat lost in the modern world and has doubts whether he is making the right choices in life. While his relations and friends tell him to live like others, get a job, get married, have kids etc he only feels at home in the woods. On the other hand Stalking Wolf's words telling to be at home anywhere in the world remain in his mind. It is because the people surrounding him do not know their way that he is confused. Slowly through many experiences, including the tracking of his old teacher as he goes for his final walk, Tom Brown becomes a spirit tracker on the first stage to the keen sight which Stalking Wolf had in abundance in his ability to see the Spirit that moves in all things in action in the world.

An astonishing book with incredible depth of spirit.

Though not as quite as inspired as the tracker was, the search continues the story of Tom's life in the outdoors and the further challenges he put himself through

Tom Brown Jr. has led a fascinating life due to his tracking skills. Tracker and Search were written with two different authors, and that made all the difference. Tracker is not just an account of an interesting lifestyle, it is a work of literature. The Tracker author told Tom's story with sensitivity, intelligence and depth. I read and reread whole paragraphs because of the beautiful use of language. It was a spiritual/philosophical work and I hated to finish reading it; the images created were so moving. Clearly, Brown knows a whole lot more about tracking than he does writing, which explains the downgrading of the writing and depth of Search.

I've loved Tom Brown's books since I was a teenager, back when they first appeared. I use them as reference books for my own fiction, and love reading them when I can't escape life in the city any other way. Deeply insightful, thought-provoking, touching insights into the workings of Mother Nature, but also thrilling adventure stories. I'm giving copies to my nieces and nephews, and hope they get out of them what I always did. I'd love to study with this man. Maybe someday...

I wasn't sure of what to expect from the book. I love reading Tom Brown's books and about his philosphy. I didn't know anything about this book but simply picked it up and read. It is about his adult early years the travels that would lead him to become the man he is today and set his path for the future. I will read this book again and enjoy it as surely as I did for the first time.

In the story of the search, it seemed to me a follow up to the Story of the Tracker by this same author, a part two if you will but in no way lacking in all of the detail and adventure of the process. The devotion to the Grandfather and his teachings are of great interest to all as his method was not listen and do exactly what I tell you, although that was the message he conveyed, but he brought the boys to the point of having to know the lessons taught, and then set out to become efficient if the use of the teachings, I found it hard to put the book down.

There are a couple of places that brought tears to this readers eyes, I hope this story will have the same effect on all the readers. What a shame to not have been able to share in the teachings of the Grandfather, which would have been my fondest wish.

To sit and listen to the ways of the Spirit World, and everything it involved would have been by far the best thing I could ever imagine, and I feel a great loss of not sharing in the teachings of Grandfather, what a life changing experiance that would have been.

Respectfully Kelly J

Jon, who helped Brown with his first book, was actually in Brown's Boy Scout troop. He's moved on to teach in the Pac NW. Encountering Brown some years ago got me on a quest to learn more about that worldview. Getting out of the box of White Man culture is not so easy, for those who live in their heads. One needs to spend time in Wilderness, or solitude, alone, to let the spirit bubble up into consciousness, no book can substitute for that. I took courses many years ago with the author, which I enjoyed. Other books help with this subject-Lost Secrets of Ancient Hawaiian Huna, Volume 1 Secrets of Shamanism: Tapping the Spirit Power Within You, The Future Is Yours: Do Something About It! and ThetaHealing. There is a Sufi story about moths, and the only moth that really understands the candle is the one who gives himself totally to the light, and the light gives itself to him. This applies to shamanic work. Shamanic techniques work from the larger self, especially in service to others. Shamanism means working with the subconscious, and at times superconscious minds. It cannot be apprehended by the conscious mind, the ego. Without a strong intent of service to others, many things just don't work, or work only slightly. Whispers of the Ancients: Native Tales for Teaching and Healing in Our Time gives you some idea of how very different natives storytelling is, how stories shape the Universe, and so does House of Shattering Light: Life as an American Indian Mystic, & Journey to the Ancestral Self: The Native Lifeway Guide to Living in Harmony With Earth Mother, Book 1 (Bk.1) These are very good basic books, to getting out of the box of White Man culture. Wong Kiew Kit's books on Chi Kung show how ideas like this survive in Chinese culture. Western culture is lost in the literal, and won't look at the deeper meanings of its stories. Neville Goddard has ideas on this, as one example among many. So do Joseph Murphy The Power of Your Subconscious Mind (Empower Your Life) and Max Freedom Secret Science Behind Miracles and Serge King, in Urban Shaman. This book is not a how to, it is a story of one man's experiences. Brown just is, one either likes him or not. This book is a useful story.

Tom Brown is one of my favorite authors. His account of the teachings of Grandfather (Stalking Wolf) and the lessons he learned while growing up in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey were very inspirational. I found a lot of wisdom in his words. The Search

I am a huge fan of everything that Tom Brown does. I have read many of his books and enjoyed and learned from them all. That said, Tom Brown is a terrible writer. His sentence structure is poor, and he words his phrases in a very confusing way. However, WHAT he writes poorly about is wonderful. I loved the story of the Search. It has a wonderful message and a wonderful story to accompany it. I would not recomend this as your first of Mr. Brown's books. You should start by reading some of his Field Guides, and then, once you can get past his writing, move onto his actual books. I followed those steps by accident, but I am glad that I did. I can understand how someone could be turned off from Tom Brown because of his writing. Even though what he writes about is wonderful, and everyone cn benefit from what Tom has to say. Now, if you are already a fan of Tom Brown, you must read "The Search". Fans will not regret diving into this wonderful, poorly written, book by Tom Brown.