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Book Review of The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spritual Growth

The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spritual Growth
Kibi avatar reviewed on + 582 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5


The Road Less Traveled is about personal growth. It requires a great deal of honest and often painful self examination, not allowing one to evade the dismaying truths one finds within. It demands that one question every belief and perception of reality that one holds. It is based on self-discipline: delaying gratification, committing ourselves to our own priorities, solving problems, managing our time, taking responsibility, living in the present, accurately perceiving reality, opening oneself to challenge, and balancing.

This is a very difficult path for many people to take, and requires courage, honesty, clarity and judgment. The challenging, or potentially offensive thing about this book is that it requires one to think, and rethink, every aspect of one's life and identify those areas which are keeping one from evolving, both psychologically and spiritually. The process is not easy, involving pain and suffering. Many people are not willing to go through the grueling ordeal, hence the title of the book.

The book deals with spirituality, it does not exempt examination of our religious beliefs, regardless of what they are. I don't think that anything he says is offensive to any specific group of people. My grandmother gave me the book, and I can honestly say that she was a very devout Christian. The book does not adhere to any specific belief system or religious path, though the author uses a Judeo-Christian framework in many places. It would be as appropriate for a Jew, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Wiccan, Animist, or atheist.