Time and the Soul: Where Has All the Meaningful Time Gone -- and Can We Get It Back? [Paperback]

Jacob Needleman (Author), John Cleese (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2003

- By the author of Money and the Meaning of Life (55,000 copies sold)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Needleman is much loved and respected by his hundreds of inquiring students. He himself is a sower of spiritual seeds."

About the Author

Jacob Needleman is Professor of Philosophy at San Francisco State University, Visiting professor at Duxx Graduate School of Business Leadership in Monterrey, Mexico, and former Director of the Center for the study of New Religions at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576752518
• ISBN-13: 978-1576752517
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #305,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jacob Needleman, the acclaimed author of The American Soul and Money and the Meaning of Life, is a professor of philosophy at San Francisco State University, and a former director of the Center for the Study of New Religions at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real 'time management' for busy people., February 22, 2005

By 

Bill Godfrey (Mt Stuart, TAS Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Time and the Soul: Where Has All the Meaningful Time Gone -- and Can We Get It Back? (Paperback)

This is very far from being a conventional time management book. It is much better than that. You will not find 'seven steps to taking control of your time' or anything like that.
Jacob Needleman is a highly regarded philosopher and this is a serious work of philosophy, with strong overtones of Taoist or Zen approaches. Like those, it is a practical guide, but not the sort of easy guide that is most commonly found in the management literature.
It is based on the distinction between the Ego and the Self and argues that our crisis of business and stress is closely related to neglect of the search for the Self. The author's practical advice is built around developing a habit of mind that gives honour to reflection and a degree of detachment.

There is, of course, much more in this short book than that. There are times when one wonders whether the narrative is leading anywhere, followed by flashes of recognition. It is well worth considering if you are open to philosophical and sometimes counter-intuitive guidance. Certainly, it helps to show that the approach to 'time management' of relentlessly increasing your efficiency at filling your day with more things is inevitably counter-productive, and it offers a difficult but practical alternative route to a sane outlook and a sane life.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kirzai and more..., July 3, 2005

By 

C. Matthes-Loy - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Time and the Soul: Where Has All the Meaningful Time Gone -- and Can We Get It Back? (Paperback)

In Time and the Soul, Needleman collects wisdom over the centuries with the lore of many traditions. The desert story of Kirzai may linger in your soul beyond the time you give to read it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Profound Guide, April 26, 2005

By 

earth elder (CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Time and the Soul: Where Has All the Meaningful Time Gone -- and Can We Get It Back? (Paperback)

Time and the Soul is more than a book, it is a deep meditation experience. Dr. Needleman is a wise, authentic guide calling us back to our lost Self and suggesting practical ways to remember who we really are. I keep this book close by and when my spiritual quest feels a bit dry, I return here and find my inspiration renewed. This is the book I most often share with family and friends who are fellow seekers. Today I am ordering five more copies.