his book, written in an eclectic and engaging style is surprisingly easy to follow. It is full of intrigue and action, in the tradition of Nana and Odiers other fictional works written in the 70's and early 80's under a sir name.

Most books on Tantra today are Westernized versions that have little to do with the original teachings. Daniel Order conveys the essence of Tantra in this excellent book. One of the things I took from this work was the idea of "micropractices" of simple exercises that lead to greater awareness and enjoyment of the present. Such simple things as becoming aware of the breath, touch, and desire a few seconds several times a day have increased my level of awareness and pleasure in life- obviously, these things are so simple we overlook them in our quest for whaterver we are looking for in life. Daniel Order describes his Tantric path as "nothing spectacular...lack[ing] in the exotic, the magickal, the extraordinary.....there was no ritual other than to breath, walk, bathe... to look at the earth, the lichens, the trees, the leaves, common objects; to enter deeply into contact with life, reality." He does discuss the sexual aspects of Tantra but puts it in the framework of the greater goal of simply living and experiencing life in full awareness and freedom. If you are tired of mystical gurus and masters promising you a big bunch of nonsense this book is an excellent place to start finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.

If you think you can take Burroughs' words in an interview seriously... If you think this has all the answers, you're wrong. This is the most difficult book of Burroughs to interpret. Short texts, interspersed with a supposedly truthful person-to-person interview with everyone's favorite writer. Some of what he says in plain language is a godsend because it does clearly communicate a message. But beware all messages. His cut-up texts are reassuring to me because at least I know to perceive them as texts. But Burroughs hated to discuss his writing, and he loved to f*** with people. Discerning any sort of reality in this man's writing is difficult, be cautious. I detect numerous "lies" in this one, and I can see a great big smile on his face. I hope you smile too.

"The Job" is a fantastic introduction to the obsessions and maverick idealism that characterize Burroughs' fiction. This is not a straight question-and-answer session; Burroughs includes liberal samples of text (his own as well as others') to illustrate his ideas. The final product is an effective, surreal manifesto urging all of us to break out of our private tunnel realities and confront social control systems with open, empowered minds. Especially fascinating are Burroughs' thoughts on language and his prescient examination of media-viruses.

"The Job" is often brutal, always controversial, and possessed by the author's inimitable knack for nailing his target. This is an unforgettable plunge into one of the 20th century's foremost countercultural intellects.

I read somewhere that intelligence is the ability to make connections that others don't see. By that definition, and probably by any other, Burroughs is a philosophical and literary genius. Who else could make the connection between Mayan ritual calendars and the totalian nature of modern nation-states? Who else gives detailed explanations of his proven methods for dissembling reality?? For sheer brilliance and brutal truth about modern society, only Foucault approaches Burroughs. But Foucault never went to hell and came back to write about it.

That is what the essance of Tantra is. Daniel Odier writes about his search to find a Master to recieve this ancient and secretive teaching from. On the verge of giving up he retreats to a small village in India where, almost seemingly by accident, he finds a great Yogini Tantric Master, Devi, in the forest. She agrees to take him on as a student and so begins Daniel's immersion into a whole new way of experiencing the world.

The transmission of Tantric tradition is very personal. Devi puts Daniel through a variety of tests to strengthen the bond and trust between them. She warns him at the outset of this journey that doubts about himself, anger and even hatred of her could manifest during their work together. As Daniel progresses, and the master/student bond is solidified, Devi's teachings become more deep and subtle. The final part of his time spent with Devi involves his initiation into the Tantric ritual sex, the joining of Shiva and Shakti, causing the rising of the Kundalini(a sacred spiritual force that purifies the body for deeper spiritual attainment).

Daniel not only shares his experience of Devi and what she taught him, but tells how he came back to the 'real world' to use what he learned. Not always an easy task.

A fairly good book, a beautiful story of the student/master relationship, and it's not too wordy either. A basic knowlege of Hinduism is a real plus when reading this.

I read this book while commuting on the bus and it was like going into a peaceful bubble amidst the chaos of traffic and noise. It was very refreshing and the translated version has free-flowing verbage that recalls meditation. The best part of the book is the end when the author tells of his reintegration into "normal" society and his problems adjusting leading to eventual overcoming of these problems. This made the ideas in the book less unattainable by people who cannot seem to get enough vacation time from life to travel to Tibet and become enlightened.

Although I have been on my path of 'enlightenment' for a very short time, I have had a chance to read through numerous publications (Power of Now, Tao Te Ching, Flow, Wisdom of Vedas) and other, I found this one to be a more realistic teaching. The answer to the eternal question of where to find happiness is answered for you on a very practical level, just like The Lost Gospel (as far as I heard). The difficult part is incorporating the teaching into your every day life that is if you really want to do that in the first place.