Customer Reviews

The Way of the Small: Why Less Is More

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I read this book slowly and thoughtfully. Addressing the contemporary challenges of our fast-paced consumerist society and hunger for meaning, Jungian Analyst Michael Gellert has put together a work that is inspiring and comprhensive. There are not easy answers here; this is not a book of pop psychology or easy religion. Rather, a thoughtful challenge to come back to ourselves, connect to what is real in the moment, and develop a way of living that is sustaining spiritually-regardless of your faith. The author's access to the texts and stories from all of the world's sacred traditions is truly impressive. However, it is this book's heart that is its central feature. I'm sure that I will return to it often.

Let me say that this is the first time I have been moved to write a review on Amazon but have always found helpful and benefited by others that have taken the time to do so.

The author treats us with an alternative look at our material society that bombards us with "more is better". We in the west live in an age whereby keeping up with the Jones's has been replaced with "surpass the Jones's at any cost". Difficult to not get caught up in the jetstream of advertising.
It addresses all stages of life so that nearly anyone can pick it up and find relevance to their particular circumstance. I could see this benefiting young teens as well as those at the end of life looking for ways to find peace. I highly recommend this book as a "life guide".
If you have ever bought a book to tried to figure out how to be happy or looked for ways to be more tranquil, then your collection could be more complete with this book which begs to be a classic.
Michael synthesizes centuries of wisdom with his pilgramage to find truth and further refines it with stories from his therapy practice so that ancient wisdom comes alive in a modern day context. Bottom line is that there is so much useful information that can be applied easily to daily life.
I find myself referring back to it. It is a book you will read and reread at different stages of your life and get something new each time you read it.
I work for a Fortune 500 comany and we are in the process of contacting this author to arrange for seminars for our employees. Not only could this bring them more happiness but make them more productive.

What a treat to read The Way of The Small by Michael Gellert. It is inspirational, and filled with wise stories that are immediately useful in daily life. It is superbly written, a real page turner and runs the gamit from tears to laughter in its pages. A book to own and to give as gifts to friends, colleagues and neighbors. It is so readable and enjoyable you will congratulate yourself for having discovered it, as I have.

This book just didn't work for me. Much of it seems 'too big'. For instance, in the chapter "Building a foundation for success" he discusses how Washington and Gandhi epitomized smallness in their struggles against the British empire. There are similar stories on Lincoln, Truman and others. It is hard to relate these examples to everyday issues, like coping with too many emails.

Mr. Gellert draws heavily on Judeo-Christian traditions and Jungian psychology in his explorations of smallness. Others might find this approach more appealing than I did.

I expected the chapter "practicing the way of the small in the world" to have some concrete tips and recommendations for applying these ideas in our every day lives. Instead there are discussions on the longevity of great empires, the lack of humility among Hollywood stars, and other grandiose topics.

If you are looking for a book on how to bring simplicity and smallness into your daily life, keep looking. If you are looking to improve society or make the world a better place, through `smallness', this might be the book for you.

The Way of the Small: Why Less Is More

Disraeli noted that "life is too short to be little". But I believe he was speaking in the context that we should be accomplishing worthwhile things with our lives. Michael Gellert suggests that we can become more of who we really are by becoming little in a different way,by reducing ego and manufactured self-importance, being humble and recognizing that others have strengths superior to ours. That liberates us to focus on what we can do better. A welcome book in an era when life is often defined as being "all about me" and material possessions. Less can be more in the end.

I borrowed this book and fell in love. I have purchased many of them as gifts and one for myself. It seems to appeal to any spiritual person, Christian or otherwise. It is full of short snippets so you can really just pick it up and read just what you need. Great help for anyone who finds that they just get caught up in the chaos of the world.

I thought this book was really great when I started it but at the end, it was like the last two or three chapters didn't get edited. It was all over the place! If he re-publishes, I hope the last part will be retooled.

I was very disappointed in this book. I ordered several for gifts and waited to read it before I sent them to my friends. The books will be going to a used book store, not to my friends. Although I found some value in the book, there was not enough there to compensate for the time invested. Surely there is a better option for the delivery of this topic.