The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, The Original Teachings in a Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition

Book Description

Thirty years ago the University of California Press published an unusual manuscript by an anthropology student named Carlos Castaneda. The Teachings of Don Juan initiated a generation of seekers dissatisfied with the limitations of the Western worldview. Castaneda's now classic book remains controversial for the alternative way of seeing that it presents and the revolution in cognition it demands.
In a series of fascinating dialogues, Castaneda sets forth his partial initiation with don Juan Matus, a Yaqui Indian shaman from the state of Sonora, Mexico. He describes don Juan's perception and mastery of the "non-ordinary reality" and how peyote along with other plants sacred to the Mexican Indians were used as gateways to the mysteries of "dread," "clarity," and "power." The Teachings of Don Juan is the story of a remarkable journey that has left an indelible impression on the life of more than a million readers around the world.
"For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel, looking, looking breathlessly."--Don Juan
"Carlos Castaneda, under the tutelage of don Juan, takes us through the moment of twilight, through the crack in the universe between daylight and dark into a world not merely other than our own, but of an entirely different order of reality."--Walter Goldschmidt, from the Foreword

Customer Reviews:

Surprisingly Good.......2007-08-19

I decided to read this book because it is one of the only texts I know of that deals with the spirit of datura. I did so reluctantly because of all I had read in the past about Castaneda being a fraud--either making up the figure of the teacher don Juan or importing his LSD experiences into the background of shamanism, etc. I had also been given a copy of one of his books years ago and thought it was just a lot of gobbledy-gook. But this book is worth reading.

There is good information in this book about at least one person's work with the plant spirits of psilocybin mushrooms, peyote, and datura. I can't speak about the other plants, but the descriptions of how the datura spirit behaves deepened my understanding of this plant. I only wish that the information had been more specific. I am sure also that those interested in working with psilocybin mushroom spirit would have liked to know what the five plants were that were combined with the mushroom to make "the little smoke." A lot of detail is missing.

But this book is also just a good read. The descriptions of his emotions when he is met with various "nonordinary realities" is very good. I found myself drawn in and could hardly put the book down.

The structural analysis of the experience at the end of the book is not well done. It seems clumsily imposed on the material and does not reveal anything more than an attentive reading shows. That part does read like a grad student paper written to fulfill an assignment rather than to elucidate a subject.

The rest of the book makes up for it, though.

To Carlos, with gratitude.......2007-06-22

Carlos Castaneda was one of the most controversial writers of the twentieth century. Some in academia branded him a fraud for claiming his stories were biographical rather than fiction, while lauding him as a great novelist for exposing a mass audience to otherwise inaccessible philosophical abstractions they claimed were largely plagiarized. Each of his works is a piece of a larger puzzle, which makes it impossible to critique any one book without addressing the larger context into which it fits.

His first two books, "Teachings of Don Juan" and "A Separate Reality" describe experiences induced by ingesting psychotropic hallucinogenics prepared by a Yaqui Indian shaman from Sonora, Mexico he called don Juan Matus, and accounted for his becoming a guru to a generation seeking short cuts to spiritual enlightenment, as well as his lifelong interest in the relationship between perception and reality, a theme now explored in many popular books on consciousness and quantum physics. Unfortunately, these books remain his best selling works, in spite of Castaneda refuting their importance in his later works. Readers would be best served to skip these and avoid the risk of being turned off to Castaneda and missing the more stimulating works that followed.

His third and fourth works were "Journey to Ixtlan" and "Tales of Power." In Ixtlan he admits to over-estimating the value of his drug experiences, which caused him to overlook the more profound teachings of don Juan which became the focus of future writings. What emerges is a spiritual discipline dating back to the Pre-Colombian Toltec sorcerers of Latin America, culminating with don Juan's departure from our world, effectively ending Castaneda's direct affiliation.

In his fifth and sixth works "Second Ring of Power" and "Eagles Gift" Castaneda suffers strange flashbacks of what seem to be memory fragments of events he is unable to fit into any logical time sequence. In his seventh and eighth works, "Fire From Within" and "Power of Silence," Castaneda succeeds in reconstructing his lost memories, which derive from teachings previously administered by don Juan while Castaneda was in a "heightened" state of awareness.

In books nine and ten, "Art of Dreaming" and "Active Side of Infinity," Castaneda focuses on what he describes as inorganic predators from another dimension, some having the power to imprison humanity in "ordinary reality" so they can feed on the dark emotional energies we produce when succumbing to the negative thoughts they insert into our minds.

In later years several seemingly substantiating works appeared by two of Castaneda's female apprentices, Taisha Abelar and Florinda Donner-Grau. In addition, two scathing exposés were also published by two of his ex-wives. The first, "Magical Journey with Carlos Castaneda" by first wife, Margaret Runyon, offers little corroboration, since her marriage pre-dates the time when the bulk of Castaneda's adventures were claimed to have occurred. While steadfast that Castaneda was a sorcerer, she doubts the existence of don Juan, even claiming authorship of many of the concepts Castaneda ascribed to him.

The second, and more credible work, is "Sorcerer's Apprentice," by well-known writer Amy Wallace, daughter of the late best selling novelist Irving Wallace. Here again, we find little corroboration since the time of the events she describes is well after the period when Castaneda's relationship with don Juan is alleged to occur. What the book does provide is a troubling look inside Castaneda's final years, a picture of descent into what seems sexual addiction and possibly madness, leaving one to wonder if Castaneda was just one cup of cool-aid short of a Jonestown.

Many have asked why I put any stock whatsoever in Castaneda. A story from my autobiography, "The Vortex" may shed some light. A year before Castaneda published his first book I had an experience that would remain a mystery until Castaneda published "Power of Silence" twenty years later.

For a brief time, in my youth, I became a practicing Muslim, meticulously performing the complex prayer ritual five times a day. Then one night, sitting in my car, frustrated and complaining at not being able to find the address of my next sales appointment, something inside me snapped. It was as if some part of me had disconnected from my body and assumed control, lecturing me about my lack of discipline. A profound calm settled over me, rendering me simultaneously detached and engaged. For two days my sales figures soared. It was as if no one could say no to me. On the evening of the second day I decided to put my new state of being to the acid test by visiting my parents. Their behavior was so uncharacteristically supportive I hardly recognized them. It was enough to convince me that I was now living in an altered reality. But by the following morning I had returned to "normal." So distracting had this event been that I completely forgot to perform my Muslim prayers, and in fact, never did so again.

Twenty years later, in a chapter of "Power of Silence" entitled "Place of No Pity" Castaneda describes a very similar experience. In the aftermath of the event don Juan explains that humans are like televisions stuck on a channel called "self-preoccupation," lacking the energy to tune into any of the vast array of other channels available to us. To change channels, he explains, we first need to accumulate energy, by practicing rituals that are deliberate, precise and repetitious. Do this long enough and eventually our stored energy precipitates a shift to a channel where self-importance and self pity become impossible. Once this happens we connect with the force that controls the entire universe, a force don Juan called "intent," and everything can be bent to our will and even more channels can be opened, assuming we remember to keep practicing the rituals that save our energy.

This one realization alone was enough to inspire me to dedicate my autobiography "To Carlos, with gratitude."

Maxwell Austin van Lack, Author of The Vortex: A True Story of Passion and Karma

A great read and re-read.......2007-01-05

Read this when it was first published and again last week.
The most interesting thing was to see how my own perceptions have changed over the years but in parallel with this book.
It does question our own belief systems and for that reason I would recommend it for my friends.
With a little luck I'll be around to read it again in another 20 years !

Great Fantasy Novel.......2007-01-04

The Teachings Of Don Juan is the first of Carlos Castaneda's epic, nine-book fantasy saga centered on the mythical Yaqui Indian "brujo" (wizard) Don Juan Matus. In the first novel, Castaneda casts himself as the novice who stumbles upon Don Juan and his ancient magical wisdom, becoming the wizard's apprentice. This is hardly original stuff, we've seen it from Star Wars to The Matrix and in countless space-operas and sword/sorcery epics. Two things make this series unique:

1] As in Frank Herbert's "Dune" saga, psychoactive drugs (mostly peyote and mushrooms) are used to access amazing, superhuman powers. This lends the whole series a hallucinogenic quality, somewhere between psychedelic science-fiction and primitive mythology.

2] Castaneda writes in first person, creating an elaborate mythology from his anthropological studies at various Californian Universities in the 1960's, and perhaps a little personal experience. Written as a first-person journal, you follow the Hero on every step of his journey to self discovery. Of course, Castaneda eventually discovers that he is the Chosen One, and takes the place of Don Juan as "Nagual", or high wizard. Harry Potter, anyone?

The not-so bright side of all this is that Castaneda passed these obvious fabrications off as fact, creating a cult of personality around himself. Former members of his cult went on to write memoirs about their experiences with the "Nagual". It seems that Castaneda, despite being a gifted myth-maker and talented writer, led a self-centered life which hurt many of the people around him.

At any rate, if you enjoy genre epics such as Lord of the Rings and Dune, you will enjoy the unique and transporting saga of Don Juan and Carlos Castaneda. But for true anthropology, look elsewhere. This is just fiction.

Caveat for Castaneda's first book.......2006-05-15

I waited until I had read books 2 - 8 before I read this first book, and I was glad I did, because I wouldn't have read the other books if I'd read this one first. But with the others under my belt, I was able to see what Castaneda was demonstrating out of his bag of tricks, and also could appreciate his maturing by the time he wrote his subsequent works.
My view is that each word in the title is misleading, especially to someone new to Castaneda. The information and perspectives are not from Yaqui tradition, and this book does not represent what don Juan actually taught.

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To Carlos, with gratitude
The master gives his all.
Carlos Castaneda's "Active Side of Infinity"
enthralling
The Active Side of Infinity

The Active Side of Infinity
Carlos Castaneda
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060192208

Book Description

"Ordinarily, events that change our path are impersonal affairs, and yet extremely personal.

"My teacher, don Juan Matus, said this in guiding me as his apprentice to collect what I considered to be the memorable events of my life. Don Juan Matus was a Yaqui Indian shaman from Sonora, Mexico; he was a nagual, a leader of a group of fifteen men and women shamans who traced their lineage to the shamans who lived in Mexico in ancient times. Over the course of thirteen years, don Juan ushered me into the cognitive world of those shamans, a world which was, according to him, ruled by a different system of cognition than the one which rules our world of everyday life.

"Writing The Active Side of Infinity was a response to don Juan's directive to collect such an album of memorable events. Though it seemed at the time that don Juan had given me this instruction on the spur of the moment, as time went by he revealed to me that gathering such a collection was a traditional task given by the shamans of his lineage to their apprentices. Don Juan said that it was called a collection or an album because it was like an album of pictures made out of the recollection of events that had profound significance in the shaman's life, events that changed things for him, that illuminated his path. Don Juan stated that to formulate an album of this nature demanded such discipline and impartiality that it was, in essence, an act of war.

"Don Juan described the total goal of the shamanistic knowledge that he handled as the preparation for facing the definitive journey: the journey that every human being has to take at the end of his life. He said that what modern man referred to vaguely as 'life after death' was, for those shamans, a concrete region filled to capacity with practical affairs of a different order than the practical affairs of daily life, yet bearing a similar functional practicality. Don Juan considered that to collect the memorable events in their lives was, for shamans, the preparation for their entrance into that concrete region, which they called the a active side of infinity.

In this book written in the final years of preparation for his definitive journey, anthropologist and shaman Carlos Castaneda gives us his most autobiographical and intimately revealing work ever, the fruit of a lifetime of experience and perhaps the most moving volume in his oeuvre.

Customer Reviews:

To Carlos, with gratitude.......2007-06-22

The master gives his all. .......2007-01-10

You have to read all the previous works to see how simple it is, otherwise you miss the profundity. He could have been a trickster at one point, but that ws long ago. Don't even dream of starting Castaneda with these later books. Take the time to ground yourself with his earlier works.

Carlos Castaneda's "Active Side of Infinity".......2007-01-04

This is a wonderful book giving many details not chronicled in his previous books of his encounters with his guide don Juan Matus. He wrote this book just before his death, and it gives the reader a great inside glimpse or more into his mind-set at that point in his enlightenment process. Much of what he details in this book happened much earlier in his process. I truly enjoyed reading this and all of the other books I have previously read that he wrote earlier, but this book is one that I intend to keep for further reference and rereading.

enthralling.......2006-06-04

After reading all Castaneda's other works, this one seems to tie them all together in a most favorable way. Read start to finish, randomly, backwards or just a bit at a time. All of Don Juan Matus' remarks are truly magical.

The Active Side of Infinity.......2006-03-16

I have read and enjoyed all of the books written by Carlos Castaneda, with the exception of The Second Ring of Power. However, for the first time, in his book The Active Side of Infinity, I felt that Carlos Castaneda was revealing more about himself, than he had ever done in any of his previous works. I found this book to be an excellent synopsis of his life both before his apprenticeship and during his apprenticeship with don Juan. If you, like me, have been bedazzled by all of the information contained in his earlier works, you will find this a marvellous book for consolidating much of the information that you have read but not truly internalised.

Education for Extinction: American Indians and the Boarding School Experience 1875-1928

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Pretty good book
Frightening lessons taught and learnt at these 'schools'
Education for extinction
Groundbreaking book on the education of Native Americans
Fascinating "Education"

Education for Extinction: American Indians and the Boarding School Experience 1875-1928
David Wallace Adams
Manufacturer: University Press of Kansas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0700608389

Book Description

The last "Indian War" was fought against Native American children in the dormitories and classrooms of government boarding schools. Only by removing Indian children from their homes for extended periods of time, policymakers reasoned, could white "civilization" take root while childhood memories of "savagism" gradually faded to the point of extinction. In the words of one official: "Kill the Indian and save the man."

Education for Extinction offers the first comprehensive account of this dispiriting effort. Much more than a study of federal Indian policy, this book vividly details the day-to-day experiences of Indian youth living in a "total institution" designed to reconstruct them both psychologically and culturally. The assault on identity came in many forms: the shearing off of braids, the assignment of new names, uniformed drill routines, humiliating punishments, relentless attacks on native religious beliefs, patriotic indoctrinations, suppression of tribal languages, Victorian gender rituals, football contests, and industrial training.

Especially poignant is Adams's description of the ways in which students resisted or accommodated themselves to forced assimilation. Many converted to varying degrees, but others plotted escapes, committed arson, and devised ingenious strategies of passive resistance. Adams also argues that many of those who seemingly cooperated with the system were more than passive players in this drama, that the response of accommodation was not synonymous with cultural surrender. This is especially apparent in his analysis of students who returned to the reservation. He reveals the various ways in which graduates struggled to make sense of their lives and selectively drew upon their school experience in negotiating personal and tribal survival in a world increasingly dominated by white men.

The discussion comes full circle when Adams reviews the government's gradual retreat from the assimilationist vision. Partly because of persistent student resistence, but also partly because of a complex and sometimes contradictory set of progressive, humanitarian, and racist motivations, policymakers did eventually come to view boarding schools less enthusiastically.

Based upon extensive use of government archives, Indian and teacher autobiographies, and school newspapers, Adams's moving account is essential reading for scholars and general readers alike interested in Western history, Native American studies, American race relations, education history, and multiculturalism.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty good book.......2007-07-07

This was a pretty good book about American Indians and the whole boarding school experience. David Adams really brought the experience to life. The only downside to this book is that I think he tried to cover too much. He covered a great span of time and the book was pretty long and got a little slow at times.

Frightening lessons taught and learnt at these 'schools'.......2005-10-01

This all too true account of the reeducation process which American government officials euphemistically had Indian children go through is very chilling. It is maddening to believe there were people in Washington who actually considered such treatment of kids to be 'good policy'.

While reading through this book, I was gennuinely driven to tears. The tactics which were used on the kids were what was 'savage'. Ethnocentrism and racism kept the United States government and its representatives from seeing the Indians as a civilized and advanced society.

The primary and secondary sources which David Wallace Adams cites emphasize that the 'pupils' were not naive and passive victims of these abuses. Predating the American Indian Movement of the 1960's and 1970's, they resisted the 'education' which these schools were trying to shove down their own throats.

Education for extinction.......2004-05-15

I read this for a class and enjoyed it very much. It is one of the best I have read for Native Studies. There are many facts and other pieces of information that I had not found in other books.

Groundbreaking book on the education of Native Americans.......2004-02-02

This book was recommended to me by my academic advisor, as it is considered an important and influential treatise on the subject of Native American education. David Wallace Adams, in his groundbreaking book, "Education for Extinction: American Indians and the Boarding School Experience, 1875-1928," shows how the case for education was made. First, Euro-Americans believed that the older generation of Indians was incapable of becoming civilized and were too attached to their old ways to change. The youthfulness of Indian children meant they could still be saved.

Secondly, education quickened the process of cultural evolution from savagism to civilization. Isolating the children, many felt, would help to reduce the influence of their tribes and their traditional cultures. Lastly, education helped prepare the Indians for self-sufficiency.

I really enjoy this book as it is extremely well written. Adams, unlike some historians, did not use too many jargons and his writing is easy to understand. Adams also provided background information for readers who are not proficient in this subject matter. In addition, "Education for Extinction" was heavily researched and well-documented.

Fascinating "Education".......2003-07-04

A fascinating -- and heartbreaking -- look at the cultural devastation ensuing from the efforts of many well-meaning educators intent on "civilizing" Native Americans. Beautifully written, thoughtful, and thought-provoking, this book is a splendid and welcome examination of one of our contry's most shameful episodes.

The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, The Original Teachings in a Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition

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Beginners excellence!
Either Way You Win
since when did smoking weed make you smarter?
An excellent read!
Fiction or Anthropology

The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, The Original Teachings in a Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition
Carlos Castaneda
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520217578

Amazon.com

Carlos Castaneda's intelligence shines through as clearly in his updated commentary in the 30th anniversary edition of The Teachings of Don Juan as it does in his original story. It is impossible to encapsulate what Castaneda has achieved with his first book about the teachings of the enigmatic Don Juan Matus, a Yaqui Indian sorcerer who shared his ancient knowledge with Castaneda. The academic character of The Teachings of Don Juan is evident in Castaneda's in-depth analysis (and sometimes overanalysis) of his experiences with Don Juan, and readers who lack an interest in anthropological analysis may find this section a bit tedious. However, Castaneda's journal accounts flow effortlessly, the current carrying us through his conversations with Don Juan and opening doors to an astounding realm outside the bounds of everyday life. The phrases "life changing" and "earth shattering" come to mind, and perhaps these are just metaphors, but what Castaneda offered in the 1960s is still for many an entirely new perception of reality. --Brian Patterson

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Beginners excellence!.......2007-10-01

An excellent beginners entry into the world of American Indian sorcery. Relating some pinnacle moments and experiences in the book with my own gave me extra insight into the world of dreams and sorcery. A must read for those that seek more than the boring real world.

Either Way You Win.......2007-04-20

The basics of this book are simple and by now legendary: In the 1960s, a UCLA anthropologist with a rather plodding intellect and disposition meets a mercurial Yaqui Indian sorcerer who astounds him, baffles him, terrifies him, and ultimately -- over the course of many books -- transforms him. The whole story is presented as the unvarnished truth. But is it a true tale or is it a tall tale? There's the rub.

This was the first book in the series, and in many ways, the best. Castaneda was to Don Juan what Boswell was to Johnson, which leaves Don Juan free to do things that absolutely defy physics and rational thought. In the end, the old Yaqui Indian must be either one of the most remarkable people who ever lived, or one of the most vivid characters ever to appear in a work of fiction. But can you trust the author? Unfortunately, Castaneda is dead, so he can no longer be consulted, but this reviewer had a chance once to hear him speak.

Shortly after the publication of The Teachings of Don Juan, Castaneda went on a brief promotional tour. I happened to be attending one of the campuses where he made an appearance. It was around 11 AM and I was drinking a cup of coffee over the student newspaper when I read the notice that Carlos Castaneda would be appearing at noon. I dropped what I was doing and ran over to the auditorium. Though I was a half an hour early, the seats were already almost gone.

Like everyone else, I had read The Teachings of Don Juan, and was hoping for some further mind-bending tales, as well as a chance to "feel the vibe" of this sorcerer's apprentice. Unfortunately, Castaneda turned out to be a far better writer than he was a speaker. As a sorcerer's apprentice, he was most unlikely and unconvincing. Pudgy, soft-spoken, looking stiff and sweaty in a suit and tie, he droned on and on about the "structure" of Don Juan's teachings. In essence, he confined his lecture to the latter third of the book, the part that was most like an academic thesis. From the beginning he gave us precious little that was new or even interesting about Don Juan. There was no chink in the academic armor through which to glimpse the lurking truth.

Since he was still defining himself as an anthropologist at the time, Castaneda might have felt obliged to talk like a professor, or, if you're a skeptic, perhaps he had other motivations, such as pressing the hoax further. It's impossible to say. Most of the audience had met the hookah-smoking caterpillar in person, and were eager to hear something, anything that would enlighten them about Don Juan. A half an hour into the lecture, I was unable to suppress a yawn.

The hall continued to fill during the talk, overflowing into the aisles, and Castaneda called upon everyone to migrate to the lawn behind the University Center. Much to my regret, I took advantage of the opportunity to bow out. If I had known that this was to be one of the only public appearances that Castaneda would ever make, I would have followed the Pied Piper, and perhaps I would be able to recall one word that would help me to settle the question that has gone on nagging me and millions of other people ever since.

In the intervening years I have read all the discussion of Castaneda, pro and con, and now, as I reread The Teachings, I find that I am no closer to an answer. However, I have come to a decision: Since it is impossible to do more than speculate, I have decided to abandon the quest. My enjoyment of the book has expanded as a result. Whether it is a work of imagination or a journal of real-life events, it is a success. To quote one of my professors, "Books are not life, but then what is?" If Don Juan is fictional, he is still real enough. Throughout this book and the others, his persona and behavior are remarkably consistent, and consistently wise and startling. It seems to me that this argues for his reality, though it doesn't rise to the level of a proof.

If you have ever been out in the Southwestern desert at twilight -- what Don Juan called the crack between the worlds -- and felt the awesome silence, then you know that while implausible, the fantastic glimpses of an alternate reality that Castaneda describes can't be dismissed out of hand. The droll manner in which he narrates the incredible encounters with Don Juan and various transcendental, terrifying beings only amplifies their intensity. The effect is enough to pull a grown-up, habitually skeptical Westerner right through the Looking Glass. That is the worth of the Teachings of Don Juan: it reawakens a sense of wonder at the mystery of creation. It breathes new life into Shakespeare's often-quoted, but timeless line that there are things in heaven and earth undreamt of in our philosophy. If Castaneda was telling the truth, then the strangeness is even stranger, but either way, Teachings of Don Juan succeeds. That is why I say that true or false, this book is a five-star experience.

The drama of The Teachings is the confrontation between scientific rationality and the unfathomable mystery of Creation. Perhaps the two are irreconcilable, or perhaps scientific inquiry begins with a sense of wonder, and therein lies synthesis and reconciliation. This is a book that can take you to the brink of the ultimate mystery in an armchair -- without datura, without psilocybin, without peyote. It's mind-altering, and it's safe.

That's a unique achievement, and well worth the trip, if you'll excuse the expression.

since when did smoking weed make you smarter?.......2006-10-27

This so-called "Way of Knowledge" is certainly not a "Way of Wisdom." Before we delve too deeply in these ideas of "becoming a man of knowledge" and all the wacky implications of "alternative realities," let's not forget that knowledge is one thing, and wisdom is quite another. Knowledge is knowing about things - facts, you might say. Wisdom, on the other hand, is knowing how to apply these facts in a sensible way to our own lives. Whenever something like this comes around, we must ask ourselves this question: Is it really wise to throw commonly held, proven, and traditional wisdom in favor of some new, "revolutionary" claims to knowledge?

As far as I am concerned, this don Juan is little more than a 20th century witch-doctor who has smoked too much weed for his own good. Whenever you read an author who is proporting that hallucinogenic drugs can give you knowledge, remember this little tidbit of proven, scientific, empirical information - drugs kill brain cells. His theories of overcoming the "4 enemies" are certainly intriguing. That is, they hold a great deal of truth in any aspect of life, for any human endeavor. The problem is, the endeavor that is undertaken in this book is experimenting with illicit drugs in order to "understand" an ambiguous form of "knowledge" and "reality" that we do not ordinarily percieve. Well of course! When you get yourself high, you hallucinate and see weird stuff. So do people with mental disorders. It's called a disorder for a reason, folks.

While this book may be readable, intriguing, and at times fascinating, I don't buy into a bit of it. Books about Mexican drug-lords posturing as wizards and wiseguys are not for me. I'll stick to the classics, thank you very much - to quality literature that has proven itself to be true over the span of time.

The 1960's were a period of temporary insanity in our culture. In 2006, we've learned the error of our ways, grown up, and sobered up. Let's leave this experimental nonsense where it belongs: in the funny farm.

An excellent read!.......2006-08-17

I found the first half of the book to be extremely interesting and informative. The second half of the book, or strucutaral ananlysis, was not so interesting and made alot of redundant points. With that said i still found the book to be one of the most interesting books i have ever read and i look forward to passing it on to my loved ones.

Fiction or Anthropology.......2006-04-27

This is Castaneda's first book introducing his long apprenticeship with the Yaqui sorcerer Don Juan Matus.

Over eight million copies of Castaneda's books have been sold. Although critics have said his work is fiction (not ethnographically accurate), Castaneda maintained his writings were anthropology. In 1973 he was granted a Ph.D. in anthropology by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The value of the teachings is undeniable, no matter how they are classified. By the way, his books repeatedly made the top of the best seller lists for non-fiction books. Castaneda died in 1998.

His first three books include many vivid instances of the use of hallucinatory plants to open doorways into profound experiences of non-ordinary reality. Such magical encounters forced Castaneda to re-evaluate everything he thought he knew about what it means to be a man and a human being. By far the most important messages from these accounts are the lessons Don Juan patiently teaches Castaneda about being an "impeccable warrior" following a path "with heart."

In his later years, Castaneda introduced a new way to expand consciousness called Tensegrity, which includes meditations, physical movement exercises, and the integration of a body of shamanic teachings.

Journal Of Rudolph Friederich Kurz: An Account Of His Experiences Among Fur Traders And American Indians On The Mississippi And Upper Missouri Rivers (Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletins)

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Journal Of Rudolph Friederich Kurz: An Account Of His Experiences Among Fur Traders And American Indians On The Mississippi And Upper Missouri Rivers (Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletins)
Myrtis Jarrell
Manufacturer: Reprint Services Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0781241154

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The kids laughed and laughed
LEMONY FRESH!
pce student review
Lowji Discovers America
America

Lowji Discovers America
Candace Fleming
Manufacturer: Atheneum/Anne Schwartz Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689862997

Book Description

Dear Jamshed,

America is not so different from what we thought. I told you I wouldn't see a single cowboy riding across the plain, and I haven't.

I have not even seen a plain.

Still, there are some silver linings. They are:

Trapper and King, the cat and dog who live in the apartment building. They are cuddly and waggy. I am not allowed to play with them, though, becayse they are supposed to catch mice and keep burglars away.
Ironman. He owns a pig and talks to me a lot. But he is a grown-up.
Kids. I can hear them playing outside. Too bad they do not want to play with me.

I wish you were here.

Do you wish I was in India?

Write back soon.

Your friend,

Lowji

Customer Reviews:

The kids laughed and laughed.......2007-05-04

My kids (girl 10, boy 8) love this book. Lowji comes to America, from India, and innocently manages to make everything more fun.

It is a cultural fish out of water story, and invokes the fun parts of the experience of immersion in a new culture.

The kids loved extending the metaphor of the bus descending the himalayas without brakes. They added a passenger and a drunken driver to their imagery.

We read a lot, but reading this book with them has been more fun than any other book in my recent memory.

LEMONY FRESH!.......2007-04-30

This is a great book, especially for boys. Although it can seem a little slow at times, it makes up for it with such delectable items as the burping episode ("Later, gasbag.") and the charming art of squirting milk out of one's nostril at will. A boy's sweet dream, this book!

pce student review.......2007-04-24

Lowji Discovers America is a great book. It's written by Candace, Fleming. She is a really good writer. She has fun with her writing, and makes it exciting! I think it is the best fiction book ever.

My favorite scene is when all of the animals make a mess in the neighbor's lawn. My favorite character is Lowji because he is fun to listen to. Lowji Discovers America is for people who like any kind of funny book. Anyone can read this amazing book, all ages. You will love it just like I do! In this book I learned that there is always an animal that you can get and depend on to do a job that you don't have time to do. I love the book Lowji Discovers America because it's great for kids and it has a lot of funny parts and it's not serious. Also it is the best book you could ever read!!!

Lowji Discovers America.......2006-11-29

Lowji is so clueless in the beginning. Even though this is a quick read, there is so much excitement in this book.Lowji lives in an apartment with mice and rude neighbors. To solve many problems, Lowji suggests different animals to take the place of the broken tools, but then the animals make a bigger problem. Even so the owner of the apartment complex keeps the animals. In the end Lowji meets a girl and they become great friends. I'd tell you more, but I don't want to ruin the adventure. 'Lowji Discovers America' is definitly a book I suggest you to read. I hope you enjoy this story as I did.

America.......2006-01-18

Candace Fleming goes out on a limb to tell the story of Lowji a young boy who moved with his mother and father from India to a small midwestern town in the United States of America. This story is charming, light-hearted, and well written. Lowji is an endearing character that comes to understand his new home. He is challenged by cultural misunderstandings and learning the funny expressions that English speakers of the United States often take for granted. In a very innocent way Lowji makes the adjustments to life in the USA. He makes new friends and settles into a new home. The acculturation experience is one that many new Americans may endure. Fleming handles the situation with clever conscience without vilifying either Lowji's family or the townspeople.

Navajo Long Walk (The Council for Indian Education)

Average customer rating:

This is a good book, and I never wanted to put it down.

Navajo Long Walk (The Council for Indian Education)
Nancy M Armstrong
Manufacturer: Roberts Rinehart Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1879373564

Book Description

Navajo, Arizona. Ages 9-12.

Customer Reviews:

This is a good book, and I never wanted to put it down........1999-04-08

I think this book is a good book to read because it gives a lot of information about the Navajo way of life. I also liked it because it makes you want to know what is going to happen to Kee and his family. They are captured by the U.S. government and made to walk out of their sacred land to a fort controlled by the government. They have to do many things differently. They have to build new homes and grow crops from a place that does not supply the right materials for them. Kee learns many things on the walk and at the fort. You will never forget it once you've read it. And if you read it, you will find out if Kee's family will be free. By David Umphres, 5th grade

Through Indian Eyes: The Native Experience in Books for Children

Average customer rating:

Best source around for critical discussion of Native lit

Through Indian Eyes: The Native Experience in Books for Children

Manufacturer: New Society Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0865712123

Book Description

Essays, poetry, bibliography, and critical reviews of children's books by and about Indian peoples. A dependable and honest guide for parents and instructors interested in teaching kids about the diversity of Native America.

Customer Reviews:

Best source around for critical discussion of Native lit.......2001-06-13

A copy of Through Indian Eyes should be in every elementary, middle and high school library, as well as every public library across the United States, Canada, and other countries where children read books about the indigenous people of the Americas. It is unsurpassed in its presentation of critical analysis of the ways in which Native Americans are represented in children's books. The book includes insightful essays by well known authors (Michael Dorris), as well as critical reviews of popular children's books that distort and/or misrepresent Native culture.

A Broken Flute: The Native Experience in Books for Children (Contemporary Native American Communities)

Average customer rating:

A Must Own Volume
Every teacher and school library should get this resource

A Broken Flute: The Native Experience in Books for Children (Contemporary Native American Communities)
Doris Seale
Manufacturer: AltaMira Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Children's Literature Guides | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

ASIN: 0759107785

Book Description

A Broken Flute is a book of reviews that critically evaluate children's books about Native Americans written between the early 1900s and 2003, accompanied by stories, essays and poems from its contributors. The authors critique some 600 books by more than 500 authors, arranging titles A to Z and covering pre-school, K-12 levels, and evaluations of some adult and teacher materials. This book is a valuable resource for community and educational organizations, and a key reference for public and school libraries, and Native American collections.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Own Volume.......2007-01-19

If you are teaching children's literature to prospective teachers, Head Start staff, librarians, or others who make vital decisions about acquisition and use of appropriate books for kids, you have got to own this book. If you are teaching Native American kids, you must own this book. It critically reviews and assesses the cultural authenticity and historical accuracy of hundreds of wellknown and otherwise highly regarded children's titles of the past ten years with a particular scrutiny for the taint of misinformation, cultural theft, and lack of balance.

Every teacher and school library should get this resource.......2006-01-31

I am glad to see that today, 1/31/06, this reference book is in the top ten best selling books about American Indians at Amazon. It is filled with critical reviews of classic and popular books that fall short in their portrayals of American Indians, but it also has many powerful essays written by Native men, women, and children, and their experiences with books and schools that relegate Native people to a monolithic and long-ago existence.

As a professor in American Indian Studies, I highly recommend this book.

Yuwipi: Vision and Experience in Oglala Ritual

Average customer rating:

Yuwipi: Vision and Experience in Oglala Ritual
William K. Powers
Manufacturer: University of Nebraska Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0803287100

Book Description

A profoundly spiritual book, Yuwipi describes a present-day Oglala Sioux healing ritual that is performed for a wide range of personal crises. The vivid narrative centers on the experience of a hypothetical father and son in need of spiritual and physical assistance.

The author combines the Yuwipi ceremony with two ancient Sioux rituals often performed in conjunction with it, the vision quest and the sweat lodge. Wayne Runs Again, suffering from alcoholism and worried about his father’s health, seeks out a shaman who, while bound in darkness, calls on supernatural beings to free him and to communicate. While the young man undergoes purification in a sweat lodge and waits on a hill for a vision, the community prays for him and his father. The ceremony serves not only to cure the sick but also to reaffirm the continuity of Oglala society.

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