Awful book. The anecdotes are forced and unbelievable, the prose is breathless and yet somehow still bland, and the author never reconciles the central contradiction of the book: following the path of enlightenment not through wisdom or compassion but through crass materialism and self-centered egoism.

If you want an honest, straightforward book about enlightenment while traveling in Nepal, throw this book away and get The Snow Leopard instead. If you want a book that will let you look lik... (show more)

Awful book. The anecdotes are forced and unbelievable, the prose is breathless and yet somehow still bland, and the author never reconciles the central contradiction of the book: following the path of enlightenment not through wisdom or compassion but through crass materialism and self-centered egoism.

If you want an honest, straightforward book about enlightenment while traveling in Nepal, throw this book away and get The Snow Leopard instead. If you want a book that will let you look like you're interested in Asian philosophy without actually challenging your fundamental beliefs, I suppose this book will do. (show less)