Customer Reviews

Spiritual Journeys along the Yellow Brick Road

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The Wizard of Oz was a story that both captivated and terrified me as a child (I always cried at the monkeys). Now I can see that the richness of emotion and meaning that I felt then was founded in something deeper than I could then understand. This very wise book takes a classic, mythical tale and transforms it into a journey of the soul. As a counselor who works with spirit-seeking people, I now recommend Spiritual Journeys Along the Yellow Brick Road to anyone on the path. In reading this book you come to see all the story's characters in a different light - not simply as delightful technicolor creations, but as parts of the human experience to be understood and healed.

I first read the author's other book, "Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic" and was totally blown away by his insight and wisdom. I've read (and continue to read) as much as I can on subjects of yoga and spirituality and was so impressed by this book that I wanted to find another by the same author. I was frankly not too excited when I saw that his other book was entitled "Spritual Journeys along the Yellow Brick Road." I'm probably the only former kid in America who didn't like "The Wizard of Oz" and had to force myself to see the whole movie from beginning to end. I'm also a fussy reader, and had to decide if I really wanted to read this book. The other reviews posted on this site were so positive I decided to give it a chance. I was not in the least disappointed!! I would never have thought of the "Wizard of Oz" as a spritual journey, but the author clearly and capably demonstrates this for his readers. This book was not only highly entertaining and a very enjoyable reading experience, but it teaches many valuable lessons without seeming to do so. Whether or not you are a fan of the movie or the Frank Baum book, I would highly and unquestioningly recommend this book to anyone who is on his/her own spiritual journey, or to anyone who just wants to have a good time enjoying a great book.

"Spiritual Journeys Along the Yellow Brick Road" brings new perspective and insight to an American classic. The spiritual interpretation of the Oz characters and places give new life to ancient Truths. Anyone who enjoys the movie will delight in this well written book as will the earnest Truth-seeker. Darren's insights add depth and meaning to a perennial favorite. This is a thought-provoking "must-have" for any spiritual library.

Darren John Main is a Yoga teacher from the West Coast who has a gift for putting complex ideas into simple, down to earth language.

I have downloaded all of his available talks (which are presently available for free from his web site http://darrenmain.com/)and have listened to them countless times and have read his "Yoga And The Path Of The Urban Mystic as well.

This book, which I believe was his first, uses the "Oz" characters as metaphors along the spiritual journey. I found his analysis of the characters to be believable and useful in terms of being able to apply them to my own understanding of the complexities of life.

Darren uses examples from his own and other's lives to illustrate the points throughout the book. This makes it a very "real life" type book rather than just philosophical speculation.

Though this is a fairly short book it is filled with endless treasures of insights.

Highly recommended!!!!!

Namaste

This book came up as an Amazon recommended read for me. That was okay. As I collect everything on the Oz film, and also practice Ashtanga, I might have purchased this book, anyway. However: this is a very simply-written collection of thoughts, presented in a non-linear fashion. I found the non-linear approach to be confusing. I feel it bypasses some important elements of the story. I still think Salmon Rushdie's book is the best and most comprehensive approach to understanding the film.

I don't find any outright references to yoga here, nor do I see any sort of outline regarding how about the philosophy behind yoga is tied into the author's ideas.

This is a spiritual book, based on the author's personal philosophical views of the film. I would recommend it to a young person, someone who is just getting acquainted with symbolism - and who has actually seen the MGM movie! There are a surprising number of young people who have never read "The Wizard of Oz", and who have never seen the film! If you are new to the film, you would enjoy the fun guidance this book could bring to your life.

I found Darren's honesty in telling his stories and relating them to another story that we all know and love a wonderful way to bring spiritual principle to daily living. I have always loved The Wizard of Oz, has have so many millions, but I love the connection of the characters to deeper aspects of myself. A great and fun read for all.

I LOVE this book. The concept is so unique! I love the way Darren takes each character and place in THE WIZARD OF OZ and gives them special meaning to fit our everyday lives. His insights make it obvious that he's an old soul in a young body. I love the way I can open the book to any page and gain wisdom. It reads beautifully cover to cover, but it also works to just open it to any page. In case you hadn't noticed, I highly recommend this book.

I started reading this wonder-full book when I was undergoing treatments for breast cancer back in 2002. I love the Wizard of Oz story and found this book to be a perfect companion on my own journey with breast cancer. It helped me, in innumerable ways, to think of my cancer as a journey and that made a huge difference in my healing. I can't thank the author enough for the wisdom and love that he put into the creating of this book.
--- Anne Marie Bennett, author of Bright Side of the Road: A Spiritual Journey Through Breast Cancer

I found Darren Main's book by chance while looking for a resource for a retreat that I am putting together with "The Yellow Brick Road" as a theme. I read the book and was blown away by the deep wisdom that I found. It is written in such a clear style with a depth of insight that makes you want to read it again as soon as you finish it. The themes that are brought forth in Darren's book have the potential to be life changing. They are the themes that each of us need to explore in our own lives in order to live a truly conscious life. Read it now! Then read it again

Darren Main's interpretation of "The Wizard of Oz" as symbolism for a spiritual journey was brilliant! He used his own life experiences, as well as, his study of Eastern and Western mysticism to create a work of art. This book was fun to read and looked at well known characters with a deep intuitive understanding. The author discussed each character, one at a time, in a well organized manner that fit with the steps of a spiritual journey. The deeper meaning presented by the author was encouraging, heartening and uplifting.