Life Without Stress: The Far Eastern Antidote to Tension and Anxiety

By Arthur Sokoloff

Book Overview

A practical guide to the wisdom of the East that shows how we can apply it to our pragmatic Western view of the world to achieve inner peace. In Life Without Stress, Arthur Sokoloff demystifies Eastern teachings and shows how the basic tenets of the four major philosophies--Taoism, traditional Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and Confucianism--can be applied to life in the West. Through re-tellings of ancient parables and anecdotes from his own life, Sokoloff elucidates the practical lessons inherent in each philosophy- Taoism teaches us to understand that we are at one with the universe; traditional Buddhism offers the keys to finding and eliminating the roots of unhappiness; Zen Buddhism enhances our intuitive abilities; and Confucianism shows us how inner qualities affect and influence our relationships with the external world. The ideal primer for readers interested in Eastern spirituality, Life Without Stress offers clear explanations and gentle guidance for handling the stress in our lives and achieving inner serenity.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767900456
• ISBN13: 9780767900454
• Release Date: December 1997
• Publisher: Harmony/Rodale/Convergent
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.9" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

wonderful introduction to eastern ways of thought and how they can combat stress

I just loved this book. I happened upon it in a used book store a few years ago, and it had a profound effect on my outlook. Yes, it's an introduction to these philosophies, but that's probably just what most readers of this kind of book would want--an overview and practical applications in our western society; for me, it also initiated a deeper interest in Taoism and an incentive to gain more knowledge on the topic. Dr. Sokoloff reviews 4 ways of eastern thought--Taoism, Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and a shorter section on Confucianism, and boils them down to the concepts most germane to stress reduction (e.g., for Taoism, he discusses how to "go with the flow", "simplify", "do by not doing", and "live in harmony with your inner nature"). He gives examples of how these applications can help you become less reactive to stress, and he does this in a very laid-back, easy to read style that nevertheless offers a really good summary for those not looking to become scholars in this area. I liked this little book so much I've given it as gifts to several friends--it's a gem!

New to Eastern Philosophy? Read this book!

I am new to Eastern Philosophy and this was a great introduction. For the past year, I have been searching for books that give a concrete explanation of Zen, Taoism, and Confucianism and how it is applied to living stress free. This book is it!

It takes a certain amount of genius to distill......

thousands of years of Eastern philosophy into a blissfully easy to read book filled with clear definitions and gems of insight about Taoism, traditional Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and Confusianism. Certainly one of the best antidotes for stress begins with reading this book. So many Westerners are overwhelmed with esoteric writings about the Eastern philosophies that they give up. This book is perfect as a primer for basic understanding between East and West doctrines and ideals ; Dr. Sokoloff "speaks our language" and makes us want to continue to learn more of the esoterica of these 4 philosophies. Hats off to the "Zen Dentist".

Life without Stress

I really liked this book. Though he is a dentist and not a scalar of asian philosophy, I leanred a lot from this book and helped me to change my attitude towards the world (well, especially with people around me) He reviews not only one type of idea or philosophy but go though several different ones. So that I think it's good for the people who doens't believe in one religion (ex. Buddism), but want to help themselves though Estern way of thinking.

Life Without Stress

This is a really nice little book. It strips away the mysticism and window dressing from Eastern thought, leaving the essential basic ideas, which are really pretty straightforward. I liked it and recommend it.