Dreams coming true! Author and motivator Tal Gur has discovered Tao of Thoreau. He published this amazing review, and granted me an interview.
This is the kind of opportunity I have only dreamed of before, and now this dream has come true! It has motivated me to keep chasing my goals and aspirations. Thank you Tal!
I received this email and it definitely made my day.
To have the word “masterpiece” associated with my book is hard to take in. Of course, it fills me with pride. “Simplicity and wisdom” is exactly what I was going for, so to have a reader recognize that and take time out to comment on it is amazing.
This won’t go to my head, though. I am humbled by the presence of two luminous philosophies in my book. That I was bright enough to find the connection between the two of them says something about me, for sure, but Thoreau and Taoism deserve almost all the credit if this is indeed a masterpiece.
Have you checked out my book? This link will lead you to the Amazon order page where you can read more about it and perhaps make a purchase: Tao of Thoreau
I wrote yesterday about the review I received about my book Tao of Thoreau. Here’s a little more from the review:
Voice and Writing Style: The author’s writing here is good, succinct, and sets forward his premise clearly, without fuss. He has produced a simple little volume in good form.
I like this one because it reflects exactly what I was going for – succinct, clear and readable. I actually take it as a complement that the reviewer uses the word “simple”. A lot of my effort was taking deep and complicated ideas and presenting them in a readable format that is accessible to anyone. And Thoreau did encourage us to simplify.
The Tao Te Ching was an excellent model. It’s a remarkable book, with transcendent ideas presented simply. Yet, upon reflection, the ideas are incredibly deep, universal and comprehensive. If my book reflects even a small part of this aspect, I was successful.
I entered Tao of Thoreau into a contest for self-published non-fiction. Although it didn’t win, I did receive a review from one of the judges.
Of course, I was apprehensive, seeing as my book didn’t make the cut. However, the review was very positive, and was yet another boost along this journey.
Here is a sample:
Topic Appeal: The author has found a quite unique topic in seeing Thoreau firstly for what he was, a Transcendentalist—therefore, in actuality a Taoist. The BBC says Taoism is deeply rooted in Chinese customs and worldview, whereas Google tells us Transcendentalism comes out of America’s early New England region. The author here shows us that these two philosophies, in reality, share similar views, a useful point of view.
First, I love that the reviewer is clearly British. This probably means this person has little knowledge of Thoreau, which I actually like because the book has to stand on its own merits and not rely on the reviewer’s knowledge.
My favorite piece of this section is the final five words “a useful point of view.” Though this isn’t exactly high praise, I find it valuable. It is some confirmation that the idea I had to compare these two philosophies is a good one. I mean, I certainly believed it, but it is good to have outside confirmation.
Mark Bozeman 