In My Own Way: An Autobiography

In My Own Way: An Autobiography
By Alan Watts
Publisher: New World Library (May 2007)
Pages: 385 – Price: $15.95

Ghostvillage.com review

Long out of print, it is with great pleasure to know that Alan Watts remarkable autobiography is once again in print and available to readers. One of the key themes that was immortalized by Alan Watts in this fine nonfiction work is to “follow your own weird.” Alan Watts (1915 – 1973) wrote many books, among them such titles as On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, and Behold the Spirit.

In My Own Way will find a wide audience. An important aspect of Watts was the simple fact he was a freewheeling, imaginative spiritual teacher who challenged all Westerners to defy convention and start thinking for themselves. He was, as most critics and readers alike discovered, a true philosophical renegade in the 1960s, and readers admired his writings.

Watts had a wry sense of humor, oftentimes ironic in context. His autobiography speaks of many things, personal and public. Readers will also enjoy reading his books: Still the Mind, and What is Zen?.

His account of gurus, celebrities, and psychedelic drug experiences make for colorful reading. His encounters with such internationally-known individuals as Aldous Huxley and Christopher Isherwood among many others makes for colorful observations and entertaining reading. His thoughts on Vedanta, Zen Buddhism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and other religions and philosophical approaches are insightful. There are fifteen chapters plus an index for quick reference.

This book will fascinate the reader. Each page leads to another encounter, and each page leads to further comments on the life of Alan Watts, his personal thoughts, and those things he came into contact with. As a reading experience, this autobiography is one of those rare, one-of-a-kind delights that will hold the reader’s attention from beginning to end. A book to enjoy, this work is highly recommended.

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