Waking Up
by Sam Harris
Harris, a neuroscientist and atheist, argues that the contemplative insights of Buddhism and Advaita, the illusion of the self, the possibility of resting as awareness, are real and available without religion. He covers the science, the gurus and the frauds, and meditation instruction. Dense in places, bracing throughout.
Read it if…
you are a committed skeptic who suspects meditation has something to offer and wants it without belief.
Skip it if…
you are religious and comfortable; the book argues against your framework.
Three things you will actually use
- The self is a construction; it can be seen through.
- Meditation is observation, not belief.
- Beware gurus; test everything.
Do this first
Try the 'look for the looker' exercise: search for the one who is seeing, and notice what you find.
Our verdict
Rigorous and bracing; secular contemplation.
Compare with other Focus books
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