This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls “Anne Lamott’s hip, yoga- practicing, footloose younger sister”) is poised to garner yet more adoring fans.

#Reading this book was just a waste of time and money! (2008-11-23) I really expected a lot more from this author as her book was advertised all over and became popular. I thought it can teach me something I don t know. But the whole thing was about this woman s shallow thoughts and feelings here and there and her boring journey with her exaggerating some unimportant happenings in her life and making an annoying cliche out of them. I forced myself to finish this book and could easily throw it in the garbage afterwards. I don t recommend it to anyone.

#Full circle (2008-11-20) This is brilliantly written in that it captures the emotion of the author giving the book substance. The narrative from beginning to end is clear. This is a book about transition , and none the less transformation , and solitude in the arm s of non medication, meditation. We see Elizabeth Gilbert transform from none the less a convoluted neurotic woman disturbed by a life awakening, a relationship break-up, to a very calm and peaceful soul by the end of the book. This book goes from low to high. Highly recommended.

#An Insult to Thinking Women Everywhere (2008-11-20) Sadly, the fact that this book is by a woman mostly aimed at women is embarrassing. This book was planned by the publisher and by the author, it was no true journey of the soul but more like a carefully crafted publicity angled journey. Gilbert has a problem with the Bible, but easily accepts the doctrines (teachings) of her Guru, the Balinese medicine man, and others, including written Hindu scripture like the Upanishads. The only doctrine Gilbert has any problems with is that which denies that there are many ways to God or tea...

#Love Hate Relationship (2008-11-17) I was loaned this book from a neighbor who also told me that the author was a selfish, self absorbed sorry excuse for a woman. . . but she also added it is very interesting because of her travels. . . Thus began the love hate relationship for this book. . . The authors style is witty but sometimes on the verge of droning. You want to read more about the mozzarella but then you endure through the self pity. The descriptions of Rome are enchanting as are the thoughts of leaving your life to simply learn a new language and indulge in a romantic cul...

#Not for everyone but highly recommended for some of you! (2008-11-17) I really enjoyed Eat Pray Love. I was shocked by how open the author was about her personal story. It s obviously not for everyone (see the range of reviews here) -- I think people who identify with some of the author s experiences will enjoy it more. I recommend giving it a try, if you do connect with her you ll probably find the story, and its lessons, very appealing and maybe even life-changing.

What does it mean to be a man in modern America? Do men somehow better themselves when they leave civilization and head into the woods? The Last American Man is a cultural examination of contemporary American male identity and the uniquely American desire to return to the wilderness.From the frontier West to American utopian communities, Elizabeth Gilbert has produced a history of American manhood as it has never been told before. To illustrate her story, Gilbert uses the rich and fascinating case study of Eustace Conway, a man who has lived in the Appalachian Mountains since the age of 17. Conway has worked tirelessly to try to convince his fellow Americans to give up self-destructive modern lifestyles and return with him to the primal sanctuary of the wilderness. He is a living metaphor that challenges all assumptions about what it is to be a modern man in America.The Last American Man is at the same time an adventure saga and a thoughtful meditation on the relationship of man to the...

#Thought Provoking (2008-10-06) This book really made me think. It wasn t the best written book. I liked her other book, Eat Pray Love better, however even though I m not thrilled with her style of writing I love the content she presents and what she writes about. This book has seriously made me look at the purpose and quality of my own life and the changes I want to make.

#A different kind of biography (2008-06-17) This is the biography of a man who has spent his whole life in the woods, living off the land. The difference between him and the many others who live off the land? He has flourished. Plus, he does it partially to convince others to give up the trap of luxury and return to a simple nature-centric lifestyle. The author gives us a solid background then weaves interesting tales about the last american man and how hardworking and different he is compared to an average man. A well-written book that drags a little in the end reiterating the sam...

#Reluctant Disciple (2008-03-31) I enjoyed reading this book and I have often dreamed of living the type of lifestyle that Eustace Conway lives, though not quite so harsh. It seems to me that his many hang-ups have created a personal river that no one is able to cross and join him. He seems to be a carbon copy of his father, with just enough minor differences to convince himself that he is nothing like him. Sadly, he has decided to turn away from the only source that could give him true happiness, a relationship with Jesus Christ. I think the old saying, no one is as blind as he wh...

#Very interesting! Wonderfully written! (2008-03-28) I really enjoyed this book. It gave an unbiased account of a man, who even in his best intentions, falls short of what he wants to be. Contrary to some of the negative reviews, Gilbert DOES see all that is not right about this man, and she tells us about it. This book is a journey through the mind and heart of a troubled man and those people who were raptured by his personality and then inevitably disappointed. I loved it!

#Eustace (2008-03-22) I have purchased approx. 10 copies of this book-- I find it entertaining, amusing and cannot decide if I liked this man at the end or not. As I live in North Carolina, not far from the subject- guests often think it would be fun to meet him and see how he as aged. Great gift book for -mostly the men in ones life.

At the age of thirty-one, Gilbert moved with her husband to the suburbs of New York and began trying to get pregnant, only to realize that she wanted neither a child nor a husband. Three years later, after a protracted divorce, she embarked on a yearlong trip of recovery, with three main stops: Rome, for pleasure (mostly gustatory, with a special emphasis on gelato), an ashram outside of Mumbai, for spiritual searching, and Bali, for balancing. These destinations are all on the beaten track, but Gilbert s exuberance and her self-deprecating humor enliven the proceedings: recalling the first time she attempted to speak directly to God, she says, It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, I ve always been a big fan of your work. The New Yorker© Gilbert s prose is fueled by a mix of intelligence, wit and colloquial exuberance that is close to irresistible. -The New York Times Book Review A meditation on love in its many forms love of food, language, humanity, God, an...

#Excellent (2008-04-09) This book is amazing. I bought it cause one person in my family is going through something similar and it has really helped me to give her advice. I haven t finish the book but i can t stop reading it. Definitely something that happens to many women.

#Entrañable, divertido y profundo al mismo tiempo (2007-11-18) Este libro es para cualquier mujer, de cualquier edad y condición, porque todas encontrarán en él algo con lo que identificarse. Gilbert aborda con cierto humor y con inteligencia temas como el amor y el desamor, la vida, el éxito, el fracaso, la espiritualidad, el auto-conocimiento y mucho más.

#An intrigante y humoristica exploracion del Alma (2007-09-23) Con humor y realismo Elizabeth Gilbert explora su esencia espiritual llevando al lector a encontrarse con ella cara a cara en su camino. Cada mujer que lee este libro puede identificarse con muchas de las experiencias de crecimiento personal y espiritual. Esta es una comedia divina que todas vivimos y pocas podemos articular.

From Publishers Weekly:Starred Review. Gilbert (The Last American Man) grafts the structure of romantic fiction upon the inquiries of reporting in this sprawling yet methodical travelogue of soul-searching and self-discovery. Plagued with despair after a nasty divorce, the author, in her early 30s, divides a year equally among three dissimilar countries, exploring her competing urges for earthly delights and divine transcendence. First, pleasure: savoring Italy s buffet of delights - the world s best pizza, free-flowing wine and dashing conversation partners - Gilbert consumes la dolce vita as spiritual succor. I came to Italy pinched and thin, she writes, but soon fills out in waist and soul. Then, prayer and ascetic rigor: seeking communion with the divine at a sacred ashram in India, Gilbert emulates the ways of yogis in grueling hours of meditation, struggling to still her churning mind. Finally, a balancing act in Bali, where Gilbert tries for equipoise betwixt and between realms,...