Romp with Wes through the world of clowns, jesters and fools while you unearth the paradox that is present in our daily lives. This irreverent look at the world from the mindsets and customs of both the Eastern and Western world will make you laugh and realize that what you you will eat for breakfast is the most important thing in the world. For those who enjoy seeing esoteric views of our world and enjoy humourous examinations of our many follies, pick up your pack and join the archetypes as you travel down the road.

Crazy Wisdom offers an entertaining, easily digested, and concise view of some of the prominant philosophies and religions today. I thouroughly enjoyed it for its simplicity, insightfulness, respect, and comedy. I recommend this book to everybody. Close-minded people need not apply.

Crazy Wisdom is a straight-forward view of the modern human condition. Through the examination of many religious concepts, CW presents an excellent point of view. If you find this book you are on a rewarding but difficult path . . . and my words are but one more signpost. Eastward Ho!

If Hafiz incarnated and started throwing parties in New York and LA, and if the impossible were to happen at one of his wild bashes -- if one were to start to feel bored -- he might start reading from this wonderful book.

Who knows... maybe Einstein and the Buddha will slip into a few dreams of those squatting in the White House and boost their IQ's substantially -- which could then well result in making this book (and maybe a few Hafiz poems) mandatory reading before military service or even a mere drivers license was bestowed. And maybe everyone would be required to carry this book in their golf carts -- and if one forgot it (for even one hole) helicopters might swoop in and administer breath tests that were so sensitive that alarms would go off if you were a religious bigot, that is if you were anti-Einstein.

I better quit this review; the FBI might hound me, and
water-torture me into a Republican.

Daniel Ladinsky
Best-selling Penguin author of The Gift: Poems by Hafiz

In your book, would it be better to use "spiritual leaders", "religious figures", or even "eastern philosophers" rather than "mystics"?

Nonetheless, what a wonderful work to remove the superstitious impression on eastern religions of people who narrow-mindedly believe in science. Thank you so much!

The over 120 parallels, each matching a modern physicist and an Eastern mystic, are a collection of startling clues that hint at a deeper relationship between science and religion. Statements by Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, Schrodinger, and other founders of modern physics are paired with remarkably similar statements by Buddha, Shankara, Chuang Tzu, and other Eastern mystics. This book shows you the surprising parallel statements of the physicists and mystics, grouped into a variety of themes, and lets you ponder their significance for yourself. What do they suggest to you about the relationship between the scientific and spiritual approaches to understanding reality? Regardless of whether or not you think the parallels indicate a profound unity behind physical and spiritual aspects of reality, these sayings should raise important questions and stimulate deeper insight into the mysterious relationship between science and religion.

I found this book to be hilarious, insightful, fun and informative. The sheer scope of Mr. Nisker's life experiences is mind-boggling and his retelling of these adventures and explorations makes for a very entertaining experience for the reader.

I'm at the tail end of the Boomer generation but I found plenty to relate to. Music, politics, religion, mysticism, culture...it's all there. And Mr. Nisker's wonderful sense of humor shines through every page. At times laugh-out-loud-funny, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in popular culture and world events.

One of my all-time favorite books is Crazy Wisdom, Nisker's previous work. I was doubtful he could surpass himself, but was pleasantly surprised. If You Don't Like the News... Go Out and Make Some of Your Own is an extremely funny and insightful documentary book covering spiritual contributions (and wishful thinking) from the counterculture to the current New Age. Written from personal experience, Nisker takes us on an intimate journey on the search for spiritual highs and cosmic laughter. Anyone with an interest in meditation, Eastern philosophy, the 60's, New Age ideas, or who enjoys laughing out loud will be grateful to take the plunge into Nisker's hilarious world of wisdom.

In this fun, accessible book, Wes Nisker takes his cue from Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman, who says, 'Buddhism is an evolutionary sport'. Here Nisker ably and readably demonstrates the links between eastern meditation and western science. In his view, both are attempting to understand the nature of existence and he writes, 'Buddhist meditation itself could be understood as a form of scientific research... The Buddha was a great scientist of the self'.

The author aims to introduce his readers to the practice of meditation as a way of understanding our existence. To do this he guides us through a commentary on the Buddhist classic, the Mahasatipattana Sutta (Great Discourse on the Establishment of Mindfulness). The four foundations of mindfulness contained therein form the framework of the bulk of Nisker's book. Along the way he ofers a series of exercises to allow readers to experiment with meditation for themselves.

I found this a good introduction to insight meditation and would recommend it to anyone wanting to know about vipassana - though experienced meditators or experienced scientists should probably look elsewhere.

I have only two criticisms. First, I would like to read fewer sweeping statements along the lines of 'Western psychologists have been telling us for years that...'. Second, I would like to see more of what the Mahasatipattana Sutta actually says. However, these are small quibbles. In all this is a very interesting introduction to Buddhist meditation which shows most clearly its relevance to contemporary science.

I find nothing to criticize in the six previous reviews, but this book is not a "keeper" for practicing Buddhists. However, it fits the bill perfectly for those who are "thinking about" commited practice, without the least "dummying down". I am passing my copy on to my son, who has expressed interest.

I was skeptical about this book when I first saw it. Was it going to be another lame attempt to reconcile science with religion? My fears were unfounded. I have some training in evolutionary science and I think Wes Nisker does a bang-up job in comparing its discoveries with the revelations of the Buddha. My only criticism is that I don't think the "how-to" part of the works very well - too lite in my opinion. One more thing - this book's a good pick if you're having trouble with the notion of karma as it applies to reincarnation. Nisker offers an alternative view that works for me (right now, anyway). Give it a try!

Those looking for a rigorous analysis of the connections between Western scientific thought and Buddhist philosophy will almost certainly be disappointed in this book. Although Nisker is interesting and knowledgeable when discussing Eastern thought, he too often settles for unsatisfactory generalizations about scientific research and theories, and suggests "rough analogies" (rather than clear correspondences) between the two. On the other hand, he does offer some fascinating insights into the biological and psychological interconnectedness we share with the rest of our world. Nisker's mental exercises and proposed meditation techniques make a worthwhile supplement to more fundamental and comprehensive meditation guides.

Wes Niskers' book "Buddha's Nature" succeeds in bridging science and Buddhism in a special book that will be enlightening to people in all fields. Further recommended reading- "Meditation" by Sri Chinmoy ; "KYBALION" by Three Initiates ; "Stalking the Wild Pendulum" by Itzhak Bentov ; "Meeting the Monkey Half Way" by Bhikkhu ; and the books by Thich Nat Hanh and Vera Stanley Alder.

I recommend this book, especially after first reading Thomas Berry's book, "Dream of the Earth" (1990). Berry's deep-ecology classic, which should be included in Nisker's list of "Recommended Reading," but is not, examines the reasons for rethinking our connection with the earth, and encourages us to take responsibility. Nisker provides advice from a buddhist perspective on how to put Berry's "dream" into daily practice. Nisker, like Berry, first shows "how deeply embedded and interwoven humans are with all of life and nature" (p. 3), and then offers a number of "deep-ecology practices" which "can establish us in our connection with each other, and with all other forms of life on earth" (p. 30).