The strange world of the Hare Krishnas (A Fawcett gold medal book) (Unknown Binding)

by Faye Levine (Author)

Product Details

• Unknown Binding: 189 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett Publications (1974)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0006W30DQ
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,866,877 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars More Than A Potboiler, October 30, 2007

By	Jeffrey Sommer "GentlemanJ" (Hayward, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is an overview of the Hare Krishna movement, written by an outsider in 1973. Faye Levine, a nondevotee, lived at the New York ISKCON Temple, interviewing devotees and participating in their activities.

It is written from a sympathetic and intelligent viewpoint, one willing to be open-minded but not naive. It addresses both the positive aspects(sankirtan and other aspects of bhakti) and the negative ones(the extreme asceticism and uncritical worship of Swami Prabhupada) of this new religious phenomenon.

It simultaneously clears the air about the alleged nefarious activities that nondevotees feared at the time and also raises an eyebrow at the limitations of thought that she perceived. Yet, in the end, the balances tip towards the positive, although not without personal reservations.

This book is balanced and well worth reading. If one is looking for a good introduction to the ISKCON Movement, this book is an excellent place to start.