Customer Reviews

The Tao of Abundance: Eight Ancient Principles for Abundant Living

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We have a large home library (mostly non-fiction) and many of the books are on eastern thought. This book is one I savor. I am reading it now and reading it is akin to savoring a long wonderful meal where each bite of food bathes the senses with wonder and pleasure.

Now I admit that Tao is a school I have always been interested in, but never fully, for whatever reason grasped. Until that is, I bought this book. And I guess the phrase "go with the flow" is what comes to mind a great deal when reading the book, because I am really learning the value of becoming more intuitive and comfortable with my own skin. The book does teach or encourage thankfully the whole march to your own healthy drummer. Live simple but content and don't feel that because "society" pushes and idea that it is a healthy idea.

I appreciate the chapters that deal with money issues and how money can be good or bad, depending on how it comes into our lives. Does it come from production or investment in a good ethical product from a fair market price, or does it come from unethical practices that make a few rich and most (the workers) poor or sick?

I look at the key word in each chapter like The Nature, Ease, Flow, Power, Harmony, Leisure, Beauty of Abundance and can see the consistent flow. Not a negative term is used. And I love how the author has chosen wonderful quotes from well known, past and present, sages. Like at the beginning of the chapter on The Beauty of Abundance where "A thing of beauty is a joy forever; Its loveliness increases; It will never Pass into nothingness... John Keats". Each quote is perfect for each chapter and hopefully will also encourage the reader to read works of those who have written the quote in question.

I also learn so much from the explanations of Tao terms and how they relate to the subject being discussed i.e. Te is often translated "virtue" or jen "human heartness". But its the slow leisurely reading of what total abundance is in all areas of my life that is so empowering.

This is not however and easy read, and that's good. It is a book that like a good meal, good friends, good sleep, must be a part of ones life. A book that you read a chapter and then think or meditate on so that you can savour all the wisdom each chapter has to give. It is not a quick fix book or new age or a fad. The wisdom is centuries old.

I actually listened to the audio version of this book, I don't know why I feel the need to admit that, but anyway I got it from the library a little over a year ago because I thought it would be about making money, which at the time was something I was very interested in, but instead it was about creating a life that you really love, so that you experience the abundance that is already there, that we mostly take for granted. This was not a new concept to me, but somehow it took that belief to a whole new level through tons of practical examples of how it can be used in ones daily life. Since "reading" this book I have given up all animal products from my diet, gotten rid of Cable and no longer watch TV, started walking most mornings in the park before work, and cleared my brain of enough clutter to find my calling in life, being a doula (and possibly even a midwife), which was something that had NEVER entered my brain before now. So that was a lot about me and not a lot about what the book is about, but when I think of why I would want to read a book, it is always with the hope I will learn something from it that will positively impact my life, and never before has one book has such a significant impact on my whole life.

I too have been looking for a book that combines Eastern philosophy with the practicalities of the Western economic system. The first part, which describes the concept of tao, was slow going. But once I got to the second chapter, I was hooked. The arguments are well-supported and logical, and help you break your personal paradigms about abundance and work. I am recommending this book to all my friends who are also going through that midlife questioning ("Is this all there is to life?").

Getting off the western consumer treadmill is very hard. This book has, at many different points in my life, helped me take baby steps towards a life where I am more appreciative of what I "have" and what the world can offer me. I keep it by my bed and wind up reading or rereading sections each week.

Tons of books are out there on health, wealth and prosperity....and after a while they kinda get boring. But Laurence's work is absolutely magnificent. A masterpiece in ever sense of the word. Laurence creates a beautiful tapestry of Eastern and Western philosophy to create a book that reads more like a poem, than a book of facts. A book that has changed my life - and a book I intend to read throughout my life.

For some time, I had glanced at this book in stores and written it off as some attempt to cheapen Taoism by using it as a tool to promote get-rich-quick schemes and the like. Not a very enlightened way for me to look at the book, but the title and the back cover details did little to convince me it was otherwise. Finally, out of sheer curiosity, I grabbed a copy of /The Tao of Abundance/ and took a closer look. I am very pleased to say that my initial (mis)judgement was rather off base.

Despite the unfortunate title, /The Tao of Abundance/ has a lot more to offer than one might think. The entire book is devoted to one seemingly simple idea: no matter how wealthy you may or may not be in material terms, if you don't have the spiritual foundation to support it, you cannot find true happiness. As many people can attest, this is a view that's easy to agree with, but difficult to apply to everyday life.

In this book, Laurence G. Boldt offers a framework for understanding what he calls the "chains of psychological poverty and lack." As he says, our ego and conception of self vs. other keeps us from feeling spiritual abundance. Chapter by chapter, he guides the reader through the concepts, illuminating the various ways we can bring unhappiness upon ourselves. There are exercises to help see how these concepts apply to our own lives, and what we can do to improve the situations we find ourselves in.

/The Tao of Abundance/ is not about getting rich quick, but at the same time it is not a book of renunciation. This book is about learning to be happy, so that you can enjoy whatever level of material abundance you may have - or not. While a bit dry at times, it is nevertheless a good read with some intriguing insights. A lot of the ground covered here has been talked about in other books based on eastern thought, but /The Tao of Abundance/ approaches things from a refreshing direction. If you are interested in a rather Western guide to how to apply Taoist principles to your life, this book is certainly worth a look.

I have read many books on Eastern religions and philosophies. I found this particular book to be very easy to read, very easy to understand, yet it opens many doors and causes one to probe deeper into the realm of Eastern thought. I have recommended the book to a number of people who range from well-read to beginners, and am using the book for a study group I am forming through my church. I think it is an excellent introduction and an excellent synthesis.

... This book is awesome! I am on my second read. The more I study Eastern philosophy, the more it resonates with me. This is especially true of Taoism. When I first learned about it, it seemed like such an apathetic world-view -- stressing the importance of, basically, not caring. As I learn more, though, I think I got it wrong. Boldt presents topics in such a way that many are truly incredible insights into basic truth and the way the world works. Taoism has many *very* valuable teachings that most of us could benefit enormously from.

This book changed my life. It opened my eyes to so many aspects of life and living that I never imagined before. Mr. Boldt guides you to look inward, rather than outward, at finding inner balance and at redefining what success really means. HIGHLY recommended for the reader who truly wants to grow in new directions.

Laurence G. Boldt has written a truly useful, elegant and wonderful book that can, in the most subtle way, radically change your perspective on what it is to incorporate eastern philosophy in every area of Western life.

His eight principles of abundant living highlight areas where a sincere aspirant/job seeker can start to incorporate a paradigm shift towards a more peaceful, powerful and meaningful life. In a society that continually raises the bar for material consumption and runaway consumerism Boldt gives the tools to help regain self-esteem and inner balance. For anyone who has been out there, this is no mean feat.

If you're serious about discovering your life's purpose and understanding the underlying economic, social and historic variables that led us to the collective reality we are now living in, this book is a gem and worth its space on your bookshelf.