The Guru Papers | Free Book
Authoritarian control, which once held societies together, is now at the core of personal, social, and planetary problems, and thus a key factor in social disintegration. Authoritarianism is embedded in the way people think—hiding in culture, values, daily life, and in the very morality people try to live by.
In The Guru Papers, authors Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad unmask authoritarianism in areas such as relationships, cults, 12-step groups, religion, and contemporary morality. Chapters on addiction and love show the insidious nature of authoritarian values and ideologies in the most intimate corners of life, offering new frameworks for understanding why people get addicted and why intimacy is laden with conflict. By exposing the inner authoritarian that people use to control themselves and others, the authors show why people give up their power, and how others get and maintain it.
In The Press
“Easily the most comprehensive, erudite, and timely book … to explore
authoritarianism in religion, institutions, power, the family,
intimacy and sexual relations, and personal problems such as
addiction.… Argue[s] persuasively that any system of values that
places tradition and the past above the imperative to question the
present is destined to become increasingly lethal.”
—San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
“A thorough, wide-ranging analysis of the way power has historically
been maintained.… A diagnosis of what’s wrong with the world and how
to fix it … Its thesis is elegant and nearly unlimited in its
ramifications.… [Shows that] authoritarianism is … part of the way we
think.” —The New Mexican (Santa Fe)
“Don’t be deceived by the title. The Guru Papers is about much
more than cult groups. A profoundly important critique of the covert
authoritarianism of most religions … and of such cultural values as
unconditional love, addiction, and 12-step programs …
Thought-provoking and radically important …Extraordinarily rich and
complex … An important contribution to changing [old paradigms].”
—Liberty
“Spells out … the dangers of becoming addicted to another’s authority
in any sphere of life.” —Times Literary Supplement (London)
“A breathtakingly profound analysis.… One of the most deeply
insightful works of our time … Nearly every page crackles with
statements that … provoked one ‘Aha!’ after another as I saw elements
of culture, history, and my own experience from a new perspective that
made immediate sense … A magnificent contribution … The most
reasonable and coherent picture of the evolution of religious
ideas to date, and brilliant sections on love and control, and …
addiction … A vision of spirituality beyond authoritarianism … [and]
tremendous contribution to our collective understanding.”
—Richard Heinberg, author of Blackout
“Provocative and thorough.… Unmask[s] the countless manifestations of
authoritarianism in our contemporary culture. Cover[s] vast territory
… rais[es] all the vitally important questions …It should definitely
be placed in the hands of anyone who has been, or is, or contemplates
becoming involved with a guru.”
—Georg Feuerstein, Yoga Journal
“Expands the concept of authoritarianism and gives a new slant on the
human condition … Shows that to overcome our staggering problems, we
must learn to think non-authoritarian … The convincing arguments will
make readers re-sort their thinking.”
—John Irwin, sociologist, author of The Felon
“Answers a host of questions about the source of recurring problems.…
Unmasks the insidiously pervasive nature of authoritarian values that
permeate society … Without awareness of how authoritarianism operates
below the level of awareness, we too are likely to become its victims
…Perceptive guidelines for detecting hidden authoritarianism and
intervention strategies for self-empowerment …Deals with the most
fundamental aspects of the Yin and Yang of human nature and the
meaning of social community.”
—Philip Zimbardo, author of Psychology and Life
“The questions raised by it are so profound … that they can never be
put out of one’s mind.” —The Humanist
“Don’t let the title fool you … A more apt title would be “Masks of
Power” as the book has great relevance for a secular audience as well
… [Can] shift readers’ minds in a deep way. [They’re] onto something
big … Elegantly articulates many of [our] … unformed thoughts”
—Synapse
“Laser clarity.… Fascinating insights into the leader/follower
relationship … [and] the usually veiled authoritarianism embedded in
world views and values …One of the most compelling, ‘can’t put it
down’ books I’ve read in a long time, [it] offers challenging concepts
for egalitarian communities” —Communities Magazine
“With x-ray analysis and laser precision it discloses authoritarian
structures. It expands consciousness of the consciousness journey
itself, exposing its ever present darker side … Even offer[s] a
flashlight guide through this darkness. Uncompromising in its thesis,
sparing no current idol, it is a poignant attack on the illusions of
our times.”
—Mike Arons, professor emeritus of psychology, West Georgia
College
“Undertake[s] the monumental task of reforming the very basis of
civilization.… Step[s] on … nearly every sacred cow …Offers both
affirmation and optimism.”
—Creative Loafing (Atlanta)
“For those … who prefer to have their world grounded in comfortable,
familiar dogmas, this book will make their hair stand on end …
Dissect[s], with the best scientific rigor, many old standards of
belief.” —Fate Magazine
“Offers new insights for restructuring a more functional and caring
society by exposing the cultural authoritarianism that undermines
democracy.”
—James Austin, criminologist, coauthor of
It’s About Time
“Filled with insight …Deconstructs the authoritarianism of modernity …
The Guru Papers can help change agents reconceptualize what
they are trying to do and how they are trying to do it”
—Journal of Organizational Change Management
“The chapter on addiction presents an exciting and provocative new
concept about the origin and process of addiction. A must read for
therapists and addiction counselors.”
—Ann McKain, past President of The American Academy of
Psychotherapists
“A tour-de-force … Fascinating model of the psychology of
addictive behavior … Profound and compelling account of the endless
battle between warring aspects of our being—and how we might become
whole … Their writings are an indispensable resource in my clinical
work.” —Jeffrey Rubin, author of The Art of Flourishing
“Ambitious treatise [on] the foundation of our social and self-control
mechanisms … [The addiction chapter] take[s] on the disease model …
and also … ‘responsibility models’ … As a long time researcher … of
addiction, I found [it] a refreshing analysis of predominant theories
of substance abuse. [Their] own model of the divided psyche and ‘why
it feels good to be bad’ was not only original but resonant …
Particularly useful regarding the futility of the drug war/punitive
approach …”
—Marsha Rosenbaum, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
“Anyone who reads The Guru Papers will be profoundly changed.
Its ideas are like a medical laser beam vaporizing cancer cells with
the power of truth.”
—Steven Hassan, author of Combatting Cult Mind Control
“Delivers what it promises … Describ[es how] … overt and covert
authoritarianism can intrude into social, political, and religious
beliefs and interfere with normal personality development.… Part II
explores subtle, indirect forces in values and beliefs … concealed in
what people assume and take for granted …Merits wide readership …
highly recommended.” —Cultic Studies Journal
“Crystal-clear.… [Goes] deeply into the inherent paradoxes in …
world religion … Explain[s] with blistering clarity why we get
seduced.” —Whole Earth Review
“A bold, timely, important book. It can teach us to think responsibly
about ‘spiritual’ questions.… Deserves to be a basic text in
comparative religion.”
—Abraham Levitsky, coauthor with Fritz Perls of
The Rules and Games of Gestalt Therapy
“A contribution of the highest order … Of immense and immediate
consequence” —Brain/Mind Bulletin
“A brilliant book inspiring new insights with each re-reading. Opening
it randomly, I’ve received just the wisdom I needed for my next step
toward freedom.” —Susan Campbell, author of Getting Real
“Very important … Simply and elegantly written … One of the most
helpful books on psychological oppression of the decade.”
—Creation Spirituality
“Brilliantly analytical, always probing … this adventurous book offers
an unflinching view of the structure and psychology of reality.”
—John Tytell, author of Naked Angels
“Explores [how] the struggle for independence … is countered by deeply
embedded structures within every aspect of society … and within the
individual psyche.” —Noetic Sciences Review
“Elegantly identifies the masks that power uses to hide its abuse[s] …
Hard-hitting practical logic that rips the guts out of sacred cows
that have fed too long in pastures provided by a naïve … population.”
—Point Reyes Light
“Alarming, enlightening, and riveting … Eminently readable … Powerful
tools for building a more humane society.”
—Merrill Joan Gerber, author of Gut Feelings
“Subversive … Challenges core beliefs with powerful arguments that
seem self-evident … Offers hope … Shows the authoritarian virus is not
in the bio-computer, but in the way it’s programmed.”
—Timothy Leary, author of Flashbacks
“A powerful, magnificent book about our own individual integrity
beyond any historic and self-appointed authority.”
—James Kavanaugh, author of God Lives
“How authoritarian leaders manipulate followers and why people
surrender to them” —Publishers Weekly
“An essential key to understanding … control and manipulation”
—The Bookwatch
“It’s unusual to find a book that covers [so] much ground … and does
it so well.” —Truth Seeker
“Sheds light on our darkening political spirit … Compelling theory
about why we keep taking the same tired approaches, despite their
proven failure.” —Magical Blend
“Displays appropriate irreverence toward all organized religions—with
a powerful analysis.”
—Paul Krassner, author of Best of the Realist
- Title: The Guru Papers | Free Book
- Author: Steven
- Created at : 2024-10-22 04:06:03
- Updated at : 2024-10-27 04:22:45
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- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.