I recently read Robert Gerzon's book. It was a powerful and personal book, which struck to the heart of my own experiences. His self-revealing style captured me, and I found myself nodding in recognition on so many pages. Gerzon's retelling of the Siddhartha (Buddha) story is the most compelling I ever read. Told in the context of anxiety, it stays with me still, and has propelled me to further my own spiritual search. While some parts were a little dense reading, my captivation overall kept me going, because the gems I got from the book have been life-changing. My attitude and relationships are improving through the use of his methods. Few books of this nature are so honest and personal. I am grateful to Robert Gerzon for writing this lovely book, that gives hope to those of us who suffer from anxiety.

Having been through a difficult mid-life transition the past year, I have read all kinds of things as I've sought to find serenity and acceptance within the reality of my life situation. This book has been extremely helpful in providing a practical framework from which to courageously live through my deepest fears and anxieties while giving me the courage to trust the natural process of grieving and healing that I have so frequently found myself stuck in. Gerzon believes that "toxic anxiety," and all the negative inner talk that keeps us fixated there is really a signpost of underlying "natural and sacred anxiety;" and that, rather than places to be avoided, experiencing anxiety as spiritual healing place that we surrender to instead of fleeing from. That in fact our greatest gifts can come from the places in which we have been wounded most deeply. This book has helped me gain a perspective on my life and difficulties and has helped me to accept that life's greatest treasures are often found in the seemingly darkest and most painful of times and places.

Want to change those harsh and fearful little voices inside your head to a more healthy and serene sound? Want to learn to face your fears and enjoy the present? Read this book.

After decades of "what if's..." "should haves" and negative fantasies, these easy to understand theories and techniques changed my life. There's not a lot of jargon here...just insightful examples and realistic hope.

Happy reading.

I don't know about you, but I'm sick of watching movies and forgetting what happened in them before I even leave the theater. However, after watching Fight Club, I could not get it out of my head. I went to watch Bringing out the Dead that same day and couldn't even concentrate on what Nicholas Cage was doing, because Fight Club kept playing itself over and over again in my head. The next day I went out and bought Fight Club, Invisible Monsters, and ordered Survivor. I figured that if the book was half as good as the movie I would be satisfied. I read Fight Club every spare moment I had and finished it in two days. Let me tell you, this book is awesome! The movie keeps the intent of the book, but the book takes the storyline to a whole other level. No one but Palahniuk can mix together so many different story lines and odd images into a working novel. His imagery and style are breathtaking and if you're anything after me, as soon as you're done reading it, you'll want to read it again.

This is what those new age self-help books don't teach you. They don't REALLY show you how screwed up the world is with you trapped in the middle. Let Tyler Durden show you why your life is so screwed up. Is it because we've become obsessed with a corporate-infused lifestyle? Part of it. Is it because people have some sort of sick desperation in their lives? Yes. Is it because corporations have taken over our lives? Yes. Is it because people are scared to prove they're alive? Definately.

The plot basically revolves around an insomniac. Our unnamed protagonist goes to support groups to cure his insomnia, until another faker, a woman named Marla, begins faking her way through these groups. After his condo was blown up, he goes to live with Tyler, a man he met on a nude beach. Tyler's only request is that the two of them start a fight. When fight club becomes boring, Tyler decides to take it up, and fight club becomes Project Mayhem.

If you've seen the movie, you need to read the book. While the movie mainly focuses on the fighting, the book goes into a lot more detail about project mayhem. The movie probably skips about a third of the book. Plus, the book explains the true definition of what a space monkey is, the formula for homemade napalm, and the real secret formula for Tyler's soap. Only after you've read the book and viewed the key scenes in the movie does the philosophy of Mr. Durden become clear. Even if you think you know the movie, read the book. The first rule of fight club may be that you don't talk about fight club, but you will after reading the book.

Fight Club is an awesome, awesome book. It is really better than the movie in a lot of ways (although the movie is utterly fantastic). The writing is absolute genius - all those great narrative lines from the movie are straight out of Palahniuk's writing. The story is essentially the same, but there are some slight differences. I think the character of Marla is a little more exaggerated in the movie.

The grasp of philosophical ideas displayed in the novel is great, as is the story's message. The message is great, although it is complex. Basically it's that the search for individuality at any cost can lead to dangerous fascism and conformity. The people in the story want to know how far they can take this and still be alive. They are tired of the plastic commercial world around them. Tyler Durden shows them a better way, and makes them a part of something. So they are eager to serve, like "space monkeys."

Fight Club is a dark and witty satire as well. If you saw the movie first (like I did, unfortunately), then some of the great satirical quality of the writing may not be very surprising. The movie sticks close to the book. But it is still a book you should definitely read, whether you saw the movie or not.