The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

"The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" by Robin Sharma is a self-help book that combines elements of spirituality, philosophy, and personal development. It tells the story of Julian Mantle, a successful but unhappy lawyer who embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Here are 7 lessons from the book: 1. Balance Your Life: True happiness comes from balancing your professional and personal lives. Julian Mantle learns that success without fulfillment is empty and that inner peace is vital for a happy life. 2. Live with Purpose: Identify your life’s purpose and pursue it passionately. Understanding your purpose gives direction and meaning to your life, helping you make decisions aligned with your true self. 3. Cultivate Discipline: Self-discipline is crucial for achieving personal and professional goals. Julian’s journey shows that discipline, built through daily habits and routines, leads to lasting success. 4. Embrace the Power of Positive Thinking: Positive thoughts create a positive life. The book emphasizes the importance of cultivating a positive mindset to overcome challenges and achieve happiness. 5. Practice Kaizen: Continuous self-improvement, or "kaizen," is essential for personal growth. Small, consistent efforts in improving yourself lead to significant, long-term results. 6. Value Time: Time is a non-renewable resource. Julian learns to prioritize his time, focusing on meaningful activities that bring joy and fulfillment, rather than wasting it on trivial pursuits. 7. Nourish Relationships: Meaningful relationships are a cornerstone of a fulfilling life. Investing time and effort into building and maintaining relationships brings joy and support. These lessons from "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" encourage readers to seek a balanced, purpose-driven life, focusing on personal growth, positive thinking, and meaningful relationships. BOOK: https://amzn.to/3Y0a537

Robin Sharma is one of the world’s premier thinkers on leadership, personal growth and life management. The bestselling author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Who Will Cry When You Die? and The Saint, the Surfer, and the CEO and four other books on self-transformation. Robin Sharma is in constant demand internationally as keynote speaker at the conferences of many of the most powerful companies on the planet including Microsoft, Nortel Networks, General Motors, FedEx and IBM. He is a resident of Ontario, Canada. (Barnes and Noble)

I am not a fan of personal development books written by so called motivational writers. I prefer writers that have previously done something with their life. However, I received this as a gift from my best friend and I was feeling a little bit under the weather so I felt that some motivation was welcomed. I tried to keep my heart open and was prepared to absorb as many life-changing advices as possible. I knew the book was total garbage from the first 20 pages but I tried to give it a chance and pressed on. I read so many reviews that claimed that reading this changed their life so I thought that it must be me. After I realized that it is not me but the book I still kept reading so I can write an informed hate review. So there it is. The Monk who sold his Ferrari makes me think about a fish stew, and not a good one. Usually, in fish stews you add different kinds of leftover fish and seafood that is not very fresh but not gone bad either. Then, you put a lot of tomato juice and condiments to give a strong taste so nobody knows that the fish is not at their best. This book feels the same. The author collected a variety of cliche, already discussed ideas such as positive thinking, meditation, goal prioritization, focus, getting up early, more exercise and yes, oh yes, eating of live food aka becoming a vegetarian. The last bit almost made me to throw the book to a wall. So, what do you do when you have absolutely nothing new to say but you want to make it interesting so everybody buys your book? Bingo, you use a fable. Everybody loves one, right? So, in order to touch the main target group, the depressed corporate employee, you take a lawyer as a main character. You add a bit of drama, a heart attack, which pushes the hero to quit his job and leave in a quest to find himself? Where does the hero go? You guessed it…India, of course. After he spends some time with a very isolated yogi group in the Himalayas he comes back to the US enlightened, looking 30 years younger and ready to help others find the true path to happiness and health. The first victim is a colleague lawyer to whom our hero presents the complex ancient philosophy in one night. Yup, this is all it takes to become a new person. Most of the book is a dialogue between the “monk” and his moronic friend. The disciple is so entranced by the sage of his mentor that he agrees with everything he says, no questions are asked and all the proposed techniques and ideas are immediately adopted. I sometime wondered if hypnotization was used. Maybe I could have digested all these ideas if the book had been well written. Which it wasn’t. A 10 year old could have done a better job. It was boring and ridiculous.

I categorized this book under spoofs because it made me laugh so much. I wanted to stop reading it because I found it ridiculous, but I wouldn't feel worthy of panning it here if I hadn't completed it and the joy of sharing my take on this book kept me turning pages and dog-earring quotable pages. First, let me be clear, I like me some cheese; I like it with crackers and I like it with wine and I like it in my entertainment and personal growth. That this book is cheesier than a Velveeta factory was not the problem. The problem is that you have to back cheese up with some realism to make it relatable and digestable. Sharma does not do this. Sharma did one thing that I very much did like, at least he may have done this, naming the book. It's a great title and made me want to read it immediately as I already had the book outlined in my head based upon the title and it was very good. I should have stuck with my own fantasy. Instead, there's a ton of new age advice espoused thru a very dumb fable that serves as some new age pnuemonic (which it takes John, the "student", most of the book to get and then is praised heavily by Julian, "the teacher" for this observation like a special ed teacher giving a student a lollipop for looking both ways before crossing the street. Actually, this typifies most of their interactions... only a special ed student would eventually become resentful of the condescension... But this never happens to John because he is a complete idiot, oh, sorry, I mean "empty cup". He's more like an empty thimble who's practically ejaculating over every trite concept Julian throws his way with wide eyed awe.). Maybe these immaculate revelations would have had more of an impact on me as a teenager, but you would've had to get to me in early adolescence to impress me with the wonder of "think positive thoughts!", "prioritize what's important in your life!", "live in the now!", "find a purpose!", etc. etc. I love new age ideas and concepts, but Sharma just reguritates other people's wisdom and doesn't even make it interesting or unique. He even quotes himself from the book in the book! Each lesson has a summary of key ideas, actions, etc. and in each one he quotes himself, from the chapter you JUST READ, which has to earn him Douche of the Month, if not DOTYear in my opinion. He is also an awful writer, most evident in his use of speaker tags and abuse of adjectives, which were actually my favorite part of the book-they were that bad. here are some fun examples: "'Do I have to find a special lake to apply the Secret of the Lake?' I asked innocently." "Hardly 'new age,'" he said, with a broad grin lighting up his radiant face. Julian remembering the monks: "I still remember seeing these wonderful looking people seated on the little bamboo chairs reading their strangely bound books with the subtle smiles of enlightenment unforlding across their lips." "Easy, big fella! I couldn't agree with you more," offered Julian with all the warth and patience of a wise, loving grandfather. Here's my favorite part of the book. John is talking about his big belly: "It's really not that big," Julian suggested in a consoling tone. "Then why does Jenny call me Mr. Donut?" I said, breaking into a broad smile. Julian started to laugh. I had to follow. Soon the two of us were howling on the floor. "I guess if you can't laugh at yourself who can you laugh at?" I said, still giggling. Oh, I could go on and on, because Sherma does in this same manner. Sigh, it feels good to get this out. In summary, the book doesn't espouse anything bad or incorrect, it just does it in a really pathetic and sometimes insultingly condescending way.

I don't know about this. I started it about 10 times and dropped it like it's hot NOT. Maybe I need to get in the proper mood for this. And the overflowing cup metaphor? How many times has this frakking Chinese legend been retold? 50 times? 1000 times? It's nice to think about the first couple hundred times I heard it but by the present moment it's my killswitch. I have read about it literally everywhere! Including spam and ads on miraculous stuff to get my nonexistent dick larger! I can't even rate it properly. The book seems ok but annoyingly, I can't read it or get even anywhere through it. What the hell are Sages of Sivana? Uh? Maybe I need to first learn where that monk got his Ferrari? He wasn't a monk when he bought it, from how I got it. And why Ferrari and not any of hundreds of other cars? What about his plane? Ughhhh! I need to audit less. Or meditate. Or tie myself to a chair with this book in my lap. Or chuck it. I guess I'll be back at some point! So far the rating is somewhere in the vicinity of 2-3 stars. The fault is, as is usual, with me. Still, there is something wrong with this book, though I can't phrase what it is exactly. It may change drastically. Or I might stop trying to get into books I dislike on the spot. Q: The moment I stopped spending so much time chasing the big pleasure of life. I began to enjoy the little ones, like watching the stars dancing in moonlit sky or soaking in the sunbeams of a glorious summer morning. (c)

Once again I am disappointed by a book because I misunderstood what I was getting into. I honestly thought this was a biographical account of a dude who really did sell all his posessions and wander off to discover the meaning of life. But that's just the ruse the author uses to tell you what he believes are the secrets of life. It's basically a beginner's insight into spiritual development in a form similar to both The Courage to be Disliked and The Alchemist, in that it uses a fictional discussion between two characters to deliver all its wisdom. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything new enough here to make up for my disappointment at being jipped on the motivational biography I thought this was. The setup is this: Julian is a hotshot lawyer who has a heart attack one day in court. This serves as his wakeup call so he sells everything he owns then goes off to India to live among sages who will teach him the meaning of life. Then he comes back and passes on all this wisdom to his hotshot lawyer protege, and this book is essentially that conversation between the two. Firstly, it's a bit of a stretch that this protege is so open to changing every single aspect of his life so dramatically, and the sporadic attempts at humour just make this more ridiculous. The setup is a poor one, because it's so unrealistic, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the methods. It all ends up feeling rather far-fetched instead of practical - and this from a person who completely supports the seven points that are made. It's almost like the author was too lazy to provide actual facts, figures and examples, so just put all is own thoughts into these two fictional creations. I guess the point is to make it more accessible but it made it seem phony and conceited to me. I guess the delivery just really rubbed me the wrong way. But aside from that, the concepts it provides are actually quite useful, and it's all stuff I've read repeatedly in books on personal development. It just simplifies it all, which is what I mean about being 'Spirituality for Beginners'. I'm not denying the information, but it just barely scratches the surface. Ironically, it's like the 'quick-fix' version of personal development. So overall I hated the delivery and it was a little too basic for me, but I do support the information it conveys and think this is a great entry point for anyone who may be looking to begin a little self development.

Some books are meant to be tasted, some are meant to chewed, some digested. While there are some rare books that not only meant to be digested but also made to be a part of the body and mind. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is one such book. The books moves at a good pace and the never becomes boring as peachy books tend to be. In fact, the way the teachings have been presented in a story format is the most important reason why this book has become so popular among the masses. It also lasts only 200-odd pages hence can easily be completed on a long train or road journey. It took me three days to complete the book as I had other things to do, but at my normal pace I could have easily competed it in 4-5 hours. However this is not a book which is meant to be read quickly and forgotten, and is best read slowly. It takes some time to understand some of the teachings, and requires inflection as to how they can be applied in our own life. The teachings are simple and some of them are well-known. But the presentation of the ideas is what sets this book apart from other books. All of the teachings can be remembered by the simple story of the sumo wrestler told in the book. On a personal level, and this book has certainly caused a lot of change in my life. I am feeling in myself a new energy, something which I had lost for a few years. Read thoroughly and applied diligently, this book has the potential to transform our lives. Although its not practically possible to apply each and everyone of the teachings (As I later found out), this book fully deserves the accolades it has been getting, and should be made a part of our system. I wouldn't have even started writing all these reviews if it hadn't been for this book, and as I usually only think about doing things but never actually do it. This book compelled me to live the life that I have always dreamed about. It has also made me see positive things in life . It has taught me to be clear about what you want from life and direct your entire focus towards it, and not get affected by the trivialities that surround it. I am extremely grateful to Robin Sharma for penning such a wonderful book

Outing myself as a reader of self-improvement books with this review, but so what... I think it's all a bit of a waste of time if you don't try to spend some of your time improving your life from within. THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI didn't start off well for me because I absolutely detest fables; my idea of cruel and unusual punishment is being forced to re-read THE CELESTINE PROPHECY, for example. My problem with fables is that they are, more often than not, stupid. They come across as a childish and often condescending way to get a point across when straight forward non-fiction would've done the job. They also tend to be written by people who, while extremely wise and with something very worthwhile and interesting to say, have no flair for writing fiction, and the whole thing just ends up being clunky, cheesy and unreadable, a faint burn of embarrassment for the author coming to your cheeks as you read. I've just described the first 2-3 chapters of this book, but please: push through. I'm so glad I did. There's so many great insights in this book, and endless quotations for you to highlight or stick somewhere prominent. Of course, a lot of it is common sense, but what do you expect? The answer to the meaning of life? (Although Sharma actually has an answer for that: the meaning of life is to live a life of meaning.) And it introduced me to a Carl Jung quotation that's now one of my favourites: "he who looks outside dreams, he who looks inside awakens." Great reading on the eve of a New Year and definitely worth a re-read with a highlighter. Just grit your teeth and push through those first few chapters.

I am not a fan of personal development books written by so called motivational writers. I prefer writers that have previously done something with their life. However, I received this as a gift from my best friend and I was feeling a little bit under the weather so I felt that some motivation was welcomed. I tried to keep my heart open and was prepared to absorb as many life-changing advices as possible. I knew the book was total garbage from the first 20 pages but I tried to give it a chance and pressed on. I read so many reviews that claimed that reading this changed their life so I thought that it must be me. After I realized that it is not me but the book I still kept reading so I can write an informed hate review. So there it is. The Monk who sold his Ferrari makes me think about a fish stew, and not a good one. Usually, in fish stews you add different kinds of leftover fish and seafood that is not very fresh but not gone bad either. Then, you put a lot of tomato juice and condiments to give a strong taste so nobody knows that the fish is not at their best. This book feels the same. The author collected a variety of cliche, already discussed ideas such as positive thinking, meditation, goal prioritization, focus, getting up early, more exercise and yes, oh yes, eating of live food aka becoming a vegetarian. The last bit almost made me to throw the book to a wall. So, what do you do when you have absolutely nothing new to say but you want to make it interesting so everybody buys your book? Bingo, you use a fable. Everybody loves one, right? So, in order to touch the main target group, the depressed corporate employee, you take a lawyer as a main character. You add a bit of drama, a heart attack, which pushes the hero to quit his job and leave in a quest to find himself? Where does the hero go? You guessed it…India, of course. After he spends some time with a very isolated yogi group in the Himalayas he comes back to the US enlightened, looking 30 years younger and ready to help others find the true path to happiness and health. The first victim is a colleague lawyer to whom our hero presents the complex ancient philosophy in one night. Yup, this is all it takes to become a new person. Most of the book is a dialogue between the “monk” and his moronic friend. The disciple is so entranced by the sage of his mentor that he agrees with everything he says, no questions are asked and all the proposed techniques and ideas are immediately adopted. I sometime wondered if hypnotization was used. Maybe I could have digested all these ideas if the book had been well written. Which it wasn’t. A 10 year old could have done a better job. It was boring and ridiculous.