I'm sure the author meant well but thanks to books like this mainstream culture still looks at meditation and Buddhism like on something unscientific and wishy washy. There was about 30% of good advice 60% of religious nonsense and 10% of unnecessary snowboarding interruptions.

Re-reading. At this time, some of the mysticism seems clearer and worth exploring further. What sticks in my mind most was the quote "Once you have become enlightened, you don't have to live in a monastery, because the whole universe has become your monastery."

This is not a great book for it's writing. In fact, you have to be very patient in getting to the payoff. It's one of those books where my own personal life experiences factored strongly into my affinity for Master Fwap, and my willingness to slog through the author's ... colloquial writing aesthetic ...

So it was hard to chose a star rating, because I'd rate it "Read at Your Own Risk, but Also I Did Get Something Out of It so I'm Not Going to Hate on It".

Cute story

This is a barely-veiled introduction to one man's interpretation of Buddhism. While I encourage anything that teaches humans to treat each other better, I just didn't think it worked as a "fictional" tale. But, I gave it two stars, because who doesn't benefit from reading about Buddhism?

there were some nice parts of this fictionalised journey of an enlightened seeking (twist my arm).. it didn't deliver as much insight into this path that I would have liked and the twisting arm of the rather novice seeker was painful at times.

What a fun book to read! As a young adult myself, I found this story to be very relatable, especially in being that it tells the story of an American who ventures into an unknown land, learning ancient practices. It reminded me of "The Way of the Peaceful Warrior" and "The Tales of Don Juan."

The book goes over basic Buddhist principles in a concise, clear way. Although the writing style is like that of a journal, which some might find to be elementary, it makes it all the more like we are peeking into Lenz's life.

Overall, I have to say the best part of it is how much it made me laugh. There are so many funny little lines, even the fact that the spiritual teacher is named Master Fwap, puts a smile on my face. After reading other spiritual-type books, this one was light and easy to read, while providing insights that anyone can learn from if they stop judging it by what they think a "spiritual book" should be.

An engaging story of esoteric nature that captivates and draws you in.

If this hasn't been a book club pick I wouldn't have finished it. This was not what I expected it to be.

Great idea, but ultimately a waste of time and not very well written. I remember enjoying reading it as a kid, but on this re-read I definitely didn't feel the same way. It felt more like a continuous plug for the benefits of studying Buddhism rather than any actual concrete story or instruction. I'm almost surprised there isn't an order form on the last page. I would say the book lost me at Atlantis, but there was a lot more than that that killed the book for me.

Not good. Very hokey. Lots of Mumbo jumbo about Atlantis. And not much about Buddhism.

Muy buen libro, para el que le interese un poco la espiritualidad u otras formas de vida y pensamiento, y para el que quiera disfrutar también de una agradable y enriquecedora historia