I found this book to be a bit of a disappointment, all the more disappointing for its promise. I share Iyer's conviction that the Global Soul phenomenon is real and important - who among us can say that our personalities do not have some component of Global Soul? - and yet I found Iyer's meditations on it to be frustratingly unfocused. I had read a chapter from this book when it appeared, in a different form, in Harper's a few years back: it was sharp, cogent, witty, interesting, well-observed, and memorable. But freed from the editorial constraints that come with writing for Harper's, the material seems to gain flab; it loses its direction. The book reads something like a few years' worth of notes shaped into memoir form - the notes are interesting, but the subject, at least to my mind, demands something more, an argument, a conclusion, a point, anything beyond just impressions. Iyer comes off as neither a critic of globalism nor a proponent of it - strange, considering that this phenomenon often inspires strong opinions. I'd even settle for ambiguity - I'm a big fan of messy human ambiguity in response to complex topics, and a strong shot of it would do wonders for this book. Instead, Iyer is content to observe and remark in a mannered fashion, dropping the names of the many countries and cultures he crosses paths with as though they were celebrities: exactly the last thing that discourse on this topic needs more of.

I had already begun reading this book (have read only a/b the first 50 pages), when I logged on to Amazon, with a view to e-mailing a friend a link to the book. Started browsing through the editorial and customer reviews -- all the editorial reviews v. positive, but majority of the customer reviews quite negative.

My bias is gen. towards the customers (and esp. in this case, since they seem to be more actual travellers, vs. editors who merely review travel writing). Yet, and I find this odd, I actually like what I've read so far (caveat: haven't read it all), though I would agree, to a degree, with some of the negative comments.

Perhaps it's because I can relate. Work in finance. Born & raised in Bombay, studied in the US, lived in China learning Mandarin, now in Toronto and a soon-to-be Canadian citizen. No family, no strong ties to anywhere. Perhaps some those readers who dislike the book can't relate.

Some of the comments I agree with. There is repetition. Tone can sometimes be "whiny", as a few readers note. Iyer should pick up some language skills - I can feel at ease in Bombay or Beijing in large part because I have speak both Hindi and Mandarin.

Other criticisms I don't agree with. E.g., some have commented that Iyer's "global soul" relates to a v. small number of people. Well, that's the going-in position. The book is made of observations about being raised, living and working in multiple cultures/geographies. By definition, it's not going to be relevant for most of the 6 bn + people on the planet. They're not the target audience.

Awesome Book! As I read the Global Soul, I felt as if my attitudes towards the globe were being reshaped and broadened at a rapid pace that I found helpful and enjoyable. It was almost as if the molecules in my brain were being given music to dance by. Iyer can write in a way that keeps the reader interested and challenged. I was engaged in the book from the very first page. As I read the Global Soul, I found myself intrigued by the fast-paced insights that Iyer shares with his readers. He has the ability to view his experiences in the world with a disarming innocence that is open-minded and wise. He blends insights with quotes and references from the worlds great thinkers. His perspectives are rounded and compassionate, while being revealing and helpful. I highly recommend this book!

Again, as stated in previous reviews, I am a fan of Pico Iyer's travelogues. He is a master of putting the reader in the mood of the place...one is transported to all the venues that the main character, John Macmillan, visited -and it is lovely. The rest of the book's premises were irritating and contrived. I finished (with great difficulty) and wondered, "what did I miss?". Having heard reviews on NPR, etc. -I felt like I wasn't understanding something -but then felt perhaps other reviewers were reviewing Pico Iyer's attempt of explaining Sufism to an unknowing public - and not the story within the novel. The love interest, Camilla, is hopeless -the romance is unexplainable-the quest for papers and all the travel ensuing is always pointless-supporting characters are most interesting but used only as props - I suggest a rewrite -trash the romance and get on with it. The "twist" at the end is no surprise, only to the main character -and that added to more dislike because of his naivete. John Macmillan doesn't deserve a whole novel because of that very obtuseness illustrated at the end. Who edited this book? As I said earlier-very irritating reading.

This book is a big waste of time and money.
The author should never write fiction, or anything that requires an imagingation.
I understand that he went to lots of famous schools and has been everywhere in the world (except the places in this book, apparently). What an embarassment for the schools.
Didn't his education help him realize that this book was excruciating, and needed to be edited by someone who actually cared how painful this would be to read?

I had high hopes for this novel. I'd heard Iyer talking about this book on PBS, and I'd read some pretty favourable reviews, but on reading, I was kind of disappointed. As a love story, I just don't think it worked. Iyer's style is far too "piecy" and unstructured; we have pages of dialogue between Camilla and the main protagonist that don't really contribute to the story in any meaningful way. Most of the second half of the novel describes Camilla constantly popping in and out of his life! I didn't have a problem with her whining, I was just suprised she kept coming back!

On the positive side, I discovered a lot about Sufism and rumi, and I loved the descriptions of Tehran, and Santa Barbara. Iyer's expertise and experience as a travel writer really come to the forefront here. I would certainly read other books of his because he has such a profound and descriptive knowledge of other cultures, but as a writer of romance fiction I think he falls short.

Michael