Customer Reviews

The Uncommon Path - Awakening Authentic Joy

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is based is based on Mick Quinn's own experiences and journey, which seems to be rooted in Buddhist and Christian teachings. Although I'm not very familiar with the teachings of Buddha, what little I do know of them seem similar to some of the ideas in this book and Quinn mentions them fairly often. The book is written in the narrative with Quinn speaking as the teacher to the student and is easy to read, but you'll find yourself stopping, thinking, and reading over many parts again to gain the understanding of what he's saying. The ideas are deep.

The book is about thinking and living in a way that is authentic in your interactions with other people, your career and in all of your day to day experiences. This way of thinking reveals the power of awakened decision-making and liberates you from the unnecessary suffering created by what he calls shadow and cultural conditioning, the way we've been taught to think by our society and culture. It's the type of book that makes you rethink everything that you've taken for granted and to hopefully gain the insight to look at things in a different way.

Quinn uses other people's stories as examples of his evolved way of understanding emotions and interactions. He also has many exercises and questionairres that are very helpful in getting his ideas across and helping to make his ideas relevant and understandable to your own life situations.

If you enjoy philosophical books and books on looking deeper into your own mind to make positive changes, or even just to discover different or spiritual ways of looking at your life, I think you'll find this book interesting.

This book will absolutely challenge the way you think, act and react to most every situation in your life. Our conditioned thinking and ego attachment are the reason much of our suffering exists. Mick Quinn (the author) has expertly dissected, in a conversational approach, how we can all awaken. The book is laid out much like a student having a conversation with a very wise teacher. You can follow along with the conversation very easily. However, you will most likely have to reread a few of the passages to fully understand the depth of knowledge that is being conveyed. That's a good thing! The ideas are meant to challenge you. This book is not some fluffy, feel good, do some yoga, go to a weekend retreat type of quick fix approach. This book will have new and radical ideas for most everyone who reads it. This is a must read for those who are truly serious about changing the world by starting with your "self". Read it and follow the wisdom that the author is sharing with you to really start living a whole new awakened life.

I have already read many books from Ken Wilber or Andrew Cohen but I must say that The Uncommon Path was really an incredible tool for my life; the life of a `new' Integral person.

The way that Mick present the book, the examples, the evolutionary pointers etc. are all really powerful tools in the awakening process.

Sometimes I had to read a section or chapter two or three times in order to get all the juice (and English is not my mother tongue!). But this book is deep, and challenging and is just another step in our process of awakening.

It is important to emphasise that some of what I read was a big punch in the face in the ego. I must say that Mick hammers in our conscience unique ways in which we can spot the ego, especially unhealthy ego in our conversations and relationships.

This book is a great for the bedside table and to use as reference for daily life.

Thank you Mick for this book that has really helped me a lot in my life and in my relations with my family and with the world.

JC Subias-B

I read this book so I could interview Mr. Quinn on my radio show. I will have him back. This book has solid, practical information on how each one of us can live our life to its' fullest potential. It delivers practical suggestions that are very effective in this world we live in and I believe if we follow the suggestions, we'll all be enjoying the ride of our lives and awakening to our greatest joys.

Amazon shipped a copy of this book much earlier than I expected. I have not completed my reading (study). My personal spiritual path is Buddhism. My experiences led me to study spiritual teachings from all sources, although most of my library contain Buddhist teachings, translations, sutras, commentaries from ancient to modern texts. Mick Quinn's book approaches the same path through more modern language and concepts. Although I am not conversant in integral theory, it did not matter. This is a writing to study closely and to use for contemplation, meditation, mindfulness and action. My wish is that readers try the suggestions offered by the author and be open to experiential changes in consciousness that are integral to a path of joy, compassion and authenticity.

This book is an incredible read! It has made a major impact on my life thus far,and has definitely helped me progress and grow as a person. I was actually recommended to study this book by a friend of mine, Doc Barham. A Los Angeles Life Coach, also known as Coach Hollywood. I would recommend this read to anyone who wants to see major improvements in their life. Enjoy!

Imagine a planet at the edge of a far flung galaxy where the

indigenous populations' suffering is mostly traceable to something

invisible to almost everyone yet present in every member of that race.

Over the centuries, certain rare individuals, having discovered the

source of suffering and its end, shared their insights only to fall on

deaf ears. And so, unaware 'experts' in nearly every field of

endeavor, attempting to solve the problems of their world, hunted

frantically for a 'cure' only to treat symptoms and never the cause as

civilization 'progressed' ever closer towards its possible global

collapse.

Welcome to Planet Earth.

Enter the Shadow, the hidden parts of your 'self' running your life

right now, the disowned aspects of your ego everyone sees but you, the

unintegrated parts of your psyche you project onto your friends and

lovers, family and co-workers, and the world you perceive.

At the individual level, the shadow is the source of so much

suffering, while our collective shadow looms large as the root cause

of so much of civilizations' needless woes and, unfortunately, our

planet's, as well.

What to do? Take 'The Uncommon Path'.

Mick Quinn has written the clearest, most comprehensive book for

understanding and eliminating shadow I've come across in years.

In simple, tangible language, he clarifies what the ego is, how it

manifests in each of us, its healthy and unhealthy expression, and how

to re-own and 'grow up' those shadowy disowned parts of yourself.

Using dialogue, instruction, stories, and practical tools easily

applied to your daily life that really work, Mick provides a powerful

and accessible guide for awakening and living life by a single set of

authentic values at both a personal and collective level.

Since first reading 'The Uncommon Path', I've had the good fortune to

come to know Mick personally. He walks his talk. And his interview for

[...] is one of the highest rated for its content and

most requested by listeners. However, the real value of a work like

this is found in the application of its contents. It has had a

profoundly positive effect on me both personally and professionally as

a life and business coach in working with clients where I dance with

the shadow daily.

If you are seriously committed to leading an awakened life and being

in awakened relationships as part of an awakened community then read

the 'The Uncommon Path'. Share it with someone you love. What you're

both looking for is right inside.

When I began the journey back from chronic depression the angel guiding me was proudly sitting on each page of THE UNCOMMON PATH. As one considering myself to be spiritual but not understanding why, curious and seeking answers-I found a steady, complicated, intriguing force behind Mick's words that seemed to keep me lifted up from the dark place I had learned to call home.

At times I soared with his sharing of wisdom and what works to move forward in life with vigor, but at no time had I then or since returned to the muck that perpetuated the isolated time in my life. I have since resumed writing, have a partner in my life who is also a Christian pastor/counselor/mentor and author of a dozen books! I have no doubt that any of this would have happened without the divine intervention of THE UNCOMMON PATH. It intertwines the best of the eastern and western beliefs and philosophies that change your mind to a positive and wonderful way of being; productive, optimistic, renewed and ready to take on what is ahead! My undying gratitude to you Mick! I credit your work for saving me from me.

Written in the format of an interview between an inquiring student and a spiritual teacher, this book explores the basic dilemma that we humans find ourselves in: that of eternal beings living through the culturally conditioned individual ego. The author makes a clear distinction between the basic healthy ego, which is the organizing force of a single person that allows them to function in the world, . . . . and the all-consuming narcissistic ego that drives so much of human suffering in our contemporary world.

The book gives a general overview of this dilemma, and then lays out what the author calls 'the four insights' which are four general steps or challenges to work toward overcoming unconscious conditioning for the sake of humanity.

Reading The Uncommon Path was a turning point in my own process, amidst all of the material available that talks about evolutionary and integral enlightenment, that gave simple and clear imperatives that I now refer to on a daily basis to do the work of engaging in this world while maintaining a strong connection to the eternal Ground of Being.

I usually don't appreciate people writing reviews on books they have not read, yet for the Kindle edition of this book there is not only no interactive table of contents, there is not table of contents at all. I find this to be totally unacceptable. The book itself might well be very interesting, but I like to get a feel for what I am about to read by looking through the table of contents. I have already expressed to Amazon that I think a standard should be set and maintained for Kindle conversion, and this is one of the prime reasons.