Spirit Junkie: A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles [Hardcover]

Gabrielle Bernstein (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 13, 2011

How does a New York City publicist and party girl turn into a go to guide for the next generation? In her new book, Spirit Junkie: A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles, Gabrielle Bernstein shares the story of how she transformed her life, offering her spiritual journey as a guidebook for overcoming fear, changing perceptions, and creating a life you’re psyched to wake up for. Bernstein has traded self-doubt and addiction for a new kind of high. In 2005 she became a student of A Course in Miracles and since then she has been guided to teach  those spiritual principles to the next generation of seekers.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Guest Reviewer: Kris Carr on Spirit Junkie by Gabrielle Bernstein
Kris Carr is a New York Times best-selling author, motivational speaker and wellness coach. She is the subject of the inspirational documentary, Crazy Sexy Cancer, which she wrote and directed for TLC, and the author of the groundbreaking Crazy Sexy Cancer book series. Kris’ third book, Crazy Sexy Diet is the ultimate diet and lifestyle game plan for wellness warriors seeking peak health, spiritual wealth and happiness. Her motto: Make juice not war!

I couldn’t put Spirit Junkie down. It’s a beautiful book with a profound message: choose love. But let me be clear. Spirit Junkie isn’t your garden-variety new age tome. It’s hip, fresh, edgy, and raw--just like Gabrielle Bernstein. Through personal memoir and modern interpretations of A Course in Miracles, Gabrielle shows us that an intoxicatingly happy and baggage-free life is possible if we’re willing to break our fear-based habits. Simply put, Gabby is a force, a trailblazer, a powerful spiritual leader for the next generation. She inspires her readers to rise up and walk the talk along with her. No matter where you are on your personal journey, this book is a terrific addition to your soul toolkit. Let Spirit Junkie be one of your manuals for a better life and then share the information with everyone you know. I will hold many of its wisdom pearls close to my heart.

Review

"So long, Carrie Bradshaw--there's a new role model for go-getting thirty-somethings. Gabrielle Bernstein is doling out inner peace and self-love for the postmodern spiritual set."  
—Elle Magazine

“Gabrielle is one of my most treasured soul sisters and a true ‘Spirit Junkie’ in the most fun and exhilarating ways imaginable! I read Gabby’s books for spiritual life lessons on how to love myself and others more deeply and with authentic honesty. Open your hearts to this beautiful goddess-diva and, most important, discover the one that lives inside you!” 
—Eliza Dushku

“A decade ago, young women like Ms. Bernstein might have been expected to chase the lifestyle of high heels and pink drinks…But now there is a new role model for New York’s former Carrie Bradshaws…well versed in self-help and New Age spirituality…Ms. Bernstein is one of a circle of such figures, influenced less by the oeuvre of Candace Bushnell than that of Marianne Williamson.”  
—The New York Times

“For those ready to give up their addiction to suffering or who simply need to release the general malaise of a too-busy, too shallow way of life, Spirit Junkie is a soothing balm for the soul.  Gabrielle Bernstein is a brilliant shining guide for all who seek to have more love, more light and more miracles in their life.”
—Arielle Ford, author of The Soulmate Secret
 
“In this mixture of humor, grief and how-to instructions on achieving enlightenment, Bernstein offers more than just autobiography or a user’s guide to meditation . . . A groovy blend of meditative and instructive writing.”--Kirkus

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harmony (September 13, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780307887405
• ISBN-13: 978-0307887405
• ASIN: 0307887405
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (158 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Featured on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday as one of the next generation thought leaders, Gabrielle Bernstein is making her mark. Expanding the lexicon for the next generation spiritual seekers, Gabrielle is a #1 bestselling author of the books Add More ~ing to Your Life - A hip guide to happiness and Spirit Junkie - A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles. In January 2013 she launches her new book May Cause Miracles (published by Random House.) Gabrielle is also the founder of the social networking site HerFuture.com for women to inspire, empower and connect.

Gabrielle has been featured in media outlets such as Oprah's Super Soul Sunday, The New York Times, Access Hollywood, Anderson Cooper Live, ELLE, Oprah Radio, Marie Claire, Health, SELF, Women's Health, CNN, Fox & Friends, the cover of Experience Life Magazine, People, US Weekly, DailyCandy Forbes Top 20 Best Branded Women and many more. She can also be seen riding around the East Village on a unicycle.

For gabrielle's free videos and meditations visit http://gabbyb.tv/. Check out Gabrielle's latest release: the Spirit Junkie Alarm App: http://gabbyb.tv/spirit-junkie-app

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

131 of 137 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking and Peace-inducing August 20, 2011

By Freudian Slips VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

When I selected this book for reviewing, I was not familiar with the author (despite the book cover's statement that Forbes identified her as one of the 20 "best branded women"). The title and cover art made me think this was going to be a lighthearted book by someone who experimented with a variety of new-age spiritual activities. I thought it was going to be funny, possibly a satirical look at all the ways we try to find enlightenment in this life.

It is not. It is a fairly serious (despite some casual language and occasionally funny stories) exploration of her journey through A Course in Miracles. Through the 12 chapters, she takes the reader through the basic principles of the Course focusing particularly on fear and anxiety, the need to relinquish being "special" or labeling others as "special", and lots of work with what she calls the "F" word: forgiveness.

Despite my initial surprise at the serious tone of the book (not suggested by the title or cover art) I found myself pulled into her stories and observations. I am not a student of the Course, so much of her information was new to me, and I found it very engaging and interesting. I found myself resisting some of the concepts, but I suspect that is a normal reaction to new material which makes you rethink how you have previously perceived situations. Perhaps more important-- I also found myself relaxing as I read the book, and becoming more at peace with myself and with some people in my life. The book helped me to look at my own tendency to be a "victim" (which I would have denied prior to reading it) and helped me develop ways to get out of that role.

I recommend this book if you are interested in learning more about A Course in Miracles (the actual Course book is rather long-- this is a much quicker way to learn the main points) or are interested in learning more about the important role of forgiveness in your life.

63 of 68 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great spiritual memoir and guide by a Gen-Y woman but useful for all generations August 26, 2011

By Susan Schenck TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This is a great spiritual memoir and guide by a Gen-Y version of Marianne Williamson, goddess of The Course of Miracles. If you are a baby boomer like me, you have to get past some of the gen-y jargon (and the slang from us boomers, such as cool, tripping and dig it...). The author also uses cutsie titles such as "The F Word" for the chapter on forgiveness, and cute words like "-ing" for "internal guide." But get past the language (or maybe you like it!) and it has great advice.

Her teachings are all paraphrases of and her own experience from what she calls "the Course"--and she integrates personal stories throughout the book, such as relationship breakups, forgiving others, getting off drugs, and more. She explains how the Course of Miracles book, and applying its principals, rescued her from a life of overeating, drugs, failed relationships, judging others, and low self-esteem.

My favorite, without doubt, is the chapter on the ego's illusion of someone being special, in particular teachers or romantic partners. In fact, the book drags at first, picking up at this chapter (chapter three, on p. 53). If only I had had her wisdom when I was so young! It would have saved me decades of grief, low self-esteem, etc.

This chapter is expanded upon in a later one, chapter 9, when Gabrielle finally finds the love of her life, the Divine Romance with Spirit. She realizes that she no longer needs a romantic partner in a man for feeling love, security and inspiration. "I had fallen in love with spirit...I now knew that love was not a one-time feeling I could access from a boyfriend. Love is in everything...Love was not something to be acquired; it was something I always had." She explains that she craved time alone to meditate, listen to music, write or draw, and found herself leaving parties early to do so!

Her passionate love affair with the Self is inspiring. It leads to meditations in which she sees sparks (and sometimes without meditating), a life filled with synchronicity and answered prayers, automatic handwriting, writing inspired books, confidence, love and joy.

But I also love the chapter on asking for help. The author claims that since asking for guidance every single morning, she has incredible synchronicity in her life. "By consciously asking my -ing for help, I experienced tons of synchronicity." I am inspired by this young woman's enthusiasm to ask for help more often--not just when I feel I need it; but everyday, and even several times a day.

The book is filled with great quotes, originals of the author, such as: "In fact, we only have one problem: that our mind chooses fear over love."... "The problem isn't the ego; the problem is your BELIEF in the ego."... "Outing the ego is empowering because we are reminded that it's a projection in our mind rather than our reality." Also, there are exercises and meditations throughout the book, as well as link for downloadable, audio meditations with her voice.

It's an inspiring adjunct to the Course of Miracles, written in such a way that young people can easily relate--and also useful for middle-aged people like myself who have been around the spiritual block but can always use some inspiration.

Susan Schenck, author of The Live Food Factor: The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet
and
Beyond Broccoli, Creating a Biologically Balanced Diet When a Vegetarian Diet Doesn't Work

93 of 111 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Your mileage may vary September 10, 2011

By C. CRADDOCK VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I read this book with an open mind but it was not for me. It is based on A Course in Miracles by Marianne Williamson, and I won't disparage that book, because I haven't read it, but I wasn't inspired to read it by what I saw in Spirit Junkie. Of course, Spirit Junkie is touted as a radical road to discovering self-love and miracles for Generation Y females. The main spiritual issue that concerns Gabby is whether or not she has a boyfriend, or rather, how can she get past that feeling of not being happy unless she is in a special romantic relationship with a guy. At one point she compares her plight to Bella in the Twilight books--missing the love of Edward the Vampire and turning instead to Jacob the Werewolf. Though this was an apt analogy it pointed to the problem I was having connecting to this book: I was not a part of the target demographic. It did not speak to me in the coin of my own realm.

I did enjoy the personal anecdotes but I didn't connect with her re-hash of the Course in Miracles. She warned the readers at the outset that her ideas might seem crazy at first, and that she was going to "Gabbify" the language to speak to young women of her generation in their own language. At first, it did seem crazy--but the crazy parade just wouldn't stop! I kept an open mind, but it never resonated with me. I often found that she would take words and just redefine them at her whim. I took umbrage at her malapropisms. For instance, she constantly uses the word "ego" to stand for the fearful mind, but in a parenthetical comment she acknowledges that it is not the same as the ego in Freudian Psychology. The Ego, as Gabrielle Bernstein redefines it, is the fearful mind that keeps us from love and realizing that everyone is equal. Leggo my ego, Gabby! She talks about it like it is some kind of bogeyman. In psychological terms perhaps she meant the Id or the Super Ego? If she was going to spew that kind of psycho-babble then I could not take her the least bit seriously as a spiritual guru. Another of her coinages was using the tilde character as a verb (~ing) that stood for listening to your inner voice, your intuition, your inspiration. This was just too cute, but at least she didn't take an existing word and just make up a new meaning for it. This coinage was the topic of her previous book.

To summarize, Gabrielle Bernstein had a hippie mom who tried to get her involved with spiritual things but she rebelled. She became a party promoter in New York and was quite successful until the coke and non-stop partying life style caught up with her. To get off drugs she took a spiritual path. That worked but she had more work to do conquering her biggest addiction: the addiction to feeling that she needed a special romantic relationship with a guy. At one point she describes a trip to Brazil with her mother to visit a healer called John of God, and this and other personal anecdotes were the best part of Spirit Junkie, for me. Gabrielle also impressed me with the work she put into journaling, meditating, and building up her business as a life coach and a book author. The Bottom Line is that I just didn't buy her brand of enlightenment. I wish her all the best on her spiritual journey, but her way is not for me. Your mileage may vary.