Ernst F. Schumacher, that brilliant economic-philosopher, once wrote, “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” That opposite direction is what you’ll find in REBIRTH, and with it the “touch of genius” Schumacher referred to.
Reading Ravikant’s prose felt like being home from the first line on. I found myself slipping into its rhythm instantly and effortlessly. It is simple writing, easy to read — but the simplicity is deceptive: there’s serious craft here under the hood. Just when I think the narrative is going to tip over into being overly ethereal, it brings me some homey, mundane image, and I smile, pulled right down to earth again. The baton-passing between shorter sentences and longer, the shift back and forth from plain-spoke statements to phrases that are more elliptically suggestive … there’s well honed skill at work here, and it’s beautiful to read.
Here’s an example. At the center of the Prologue there’s a passage that serves as the pivot point around which the whole Prologue turns, the turning of Amit’s thoughts and intention from what has already happened to him, to what’s now in front of him. Amit has just asked a monk, “How do you find peace?” The monk doesn’t answer right away. First:
“He is solemn for a moment, then smiles the biggest, warmest smile. Behind him, far in the distance, are sharp-edged mountains. I feel like they must when sunlight envelops them after a cold, winter night.”
The essential wisdom of the story presents itself a few paragraphs later, in the monk’s reply: “To all that happens, I say ‘yes.’” In a lesser piece of writing, that pointed, explicit bit of insight would just be dumped out on the table. Plop! Instead, a beautiful place is set for it first—the speaker imagining how mountains feel, no less!—so that by the time it’s spoken, the reader accepts it without hesitation. Wonderful stuff. And the rest of the book goes from there: more beautiful story, couched in more beautiful writing.
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Reviews with images
"Fears attack you, where you are your most vulnerable"
Cancer can kill, and for some of us our cancer is our past.This book is brilliant at walking us through that one journey in our life that we didn't realize was a journey...till the end. I was alone with my grandmother in the moment she passed away. For so long I felt such guilt that I didn't comfort her the way she may have needed cause I was crying so hard. I had a false definition of what it meant to be strong, cause I thought being strong meant not crying in a moment like that.We all have a past and unfortunately a lot of them suck. This book says "It is not your wound that makes you special. It is the light that shines through that does." This book helps shine the light on where we need to look in order to live a richer life. The author takes us to the next step in loving ourselves, but through a different vantage point. A necessary vantage point that erases noise in order to see the true beauty in life. The beauty that shows us what it means to fly because of what lies beneath our skin.I felt like I was walking with him in this book and when I finished it I was able to look up and say "Yes" with a smile as I closed it. Tomorrow is going to be a better day because of reading this book.To the author: Thank you for the journey. :-)
Top reviews from other countries
Sajid
A profoundly spiritual read, which stays with you long after you put the book down
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2017
Amazon Customer
Remarkable Book About Our Human Journey
Reviewed in Japan on April 2, 2017
