Eating the I: An Account of the Fourth Way--The Way of Transformation in Ordinary Life (In Search of the Self)

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly complete and interesting
Review: A Review of Eating The "I" by Wm. Patrick Patterson

When I picked this book up I thought it was a 'do it yourself' transformation book, which it kind of is, but it's so much more. As an account of G. I. Gurdjieff's teaching in terms of the effect it can have on an individual it revealed so much of what it means to start that work that it's a worthwhile reference work for that alone. As an autobiography it sets the standard for honesty while remaining accessible and entertaining.

The book tells of a man's search for the truth, and includes the difficulties and failures that must inevitably be part of such a search. This makes it, if not unique, extremely rare in my experience. The author manages to convey the fascination of the journey he undertook but never flinches at the detours and rough spots on the road. I especially appreciated the explanation of what parts of the teaching seemed to be the richest and the most difficult. I was amazed at how frequently both words applied!

As a story alone the book is worth the price but insights into Gurdjieff's Work and the people involved make it something special in my experience.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like a primer on how to approach Gurdjieff's Work and who would like a glimpse of what being a student is all about.

A California Reader

Rating:
Summary: Honesty, integrity, and knowledge
Review: As someone who has been interested in the Gurdjieff work for over forty years I read Patterson's "Eating the I" with a great deal of admiration for the author's honesty, integrity and knowledge. Many of the accounts written by those who were fortunate enough to work with Mr. Gurdjieff are full of interesting insights and experiences. But for one who is living in the contemporary world, Patterson's work is especially relevant and meaningful. The current biographical trend toward self-disclosure is counterbalanced by the depth and purpose of the "story." The way in which Patterson relates his life with the ideas of the Work made the Work come alive for me, partly because I could see myself in the author especially in the beginning stages of his encounter. His willingness to be totally honest, to let all of his "I's" be visible was inspiring to me. I continue to read and reread this book when I feel a need for hope and then realize what this book shows me is that with much effort much is possible. Another positive aspect of the book is its lack of rigidity and righteousness. This author admits to having doubts, to seeing other teachers as he struggles to understand the commitment asked of him. For anyone living in the time of the spirtual supermarket, this book exemplifies what one peron goes through to come to understanding. It is only when one learns that Patterson has written four other books dealing with the Gurdjieff work that he or she realizes that eventually the author came to continue on a path leading to deeper and deeper levels of understanding and commitment.

Rating:
Summary: Reality, what a concept
Review: Eating the "I" is the story of a man's search for reality. Told first hand by William Patrick Patterson, the author is confronted by contradictions in his life which he cannot seem to escape. His search takes him to a school of the "Fourth Way," the legacy of a man by the name of G. I. Gurdjieff. This teaching was continued in America by Lord John Pentland, the author's teacher.

What is striking about the book is Patterson's sincerity. His genuine telling of the story takes the reader to places of the psyche rarely talked about and shows us the kinds of issues confronted by a spiritual seeker in today's world.

Patterson's story shows us that a man's life is subject to random forces taking place inside and outside of him and that "nobody" is in control.

An indispensable part of any true seeker's library.

Rating:
Summary: Personal Search
Review: Eating the "I", by William Patrick Patterson.

This is a "core" book for anyone interested in the ideas of G. I. Gurdjieff and his work in the realm of personal growth and transformation.

A spiritual autobiography, it is unusual in the literature of the "work" for its personal approach and it offers a genuine picture of Mr. Patterson's struggles with his own personality, or "I"s, and his relationship with his teacher, as he gradually pieces together the real meaning of this spiritual path. The author was a student of Lord John Pentland, whom Gurdjieff chose to lead the teaching in the United States after his death in 1949.

For the student pursuing these ideas, it is also a useful portrayal of John Pentland, a quiet but forceful teacher who led groups in the U.S. for over three decades after the death of Gurdjieff. Mr. Patterson is a wonderful guide to the uninitiated and this frank account of his own growth is a consolation and support. Gurdjieff's view of the real "terror of the situation" is severe and his teaching is an unforgiving mirror to the student, for whom, according to Gurdjieff, the world appears upside down. One sees one's own bafflement and frustration reflected in the author's encounters with his teacher and we begin to understand the necessity of seeing and discounting our own egocentric worlds as we approach Gurdjieff's ideas.

Somber as it sounds, it is easy to read and the author's style is that of a good storyteller. We see his life develop, change directions, and begin to flower as the story flows from one episode to another. At first reading this book appears simple, but each time it is opened, more layers are revealed and more connections made between disparate ideas. I highly recommend this both to someone with a casual interest in G. I. Gurdjieff and to the more serious seeker.

Rating:
Summary: Somebody misused my name
Review: I did not write review March 10, 2004. Somebody must have use my name. I never read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Frank depiction of Work
Review: I first read Eating the `I' over 10 years ago as I was very interested in learning more about Lord John Pentland, the man G.I. Gurdjieff had directed to spread the Fourth Way in America. Even with the publication of Exchanges Within, Eating The `I' remains a vibrant record of the remarkable Lord Pentland.

But I didn't quite know quite what to make of the author at the time. It was only in a subsequent reading, some years later, that I realized what had thrown me off-balance. Autobiographies generally carry a thread of commentary, explaining or justifying, whenever behavior might be considered unflattering (although I suspect more often the facts are simply `adjusted' to deliver a more agreeable accounting). Instead I was confronted with simple reporting, including thoughts and moods of the moment, with no "commentary". Could I have done this, simply reporting on my life to a wide audience? Even in a private journal entry, I either come out the "good guy" or the breast-beater crying "mea culpa". Now, I began to read with more care. Not only was Lord Pentland's dynamic teaching presented, but also this student's deep acceptance of, as well as rebellion against, this teaching.

As Mr. Patterson struggles with the ideas of the Fourth Way, as well as with "Patterson", he shares many of his hard-won insights. But it is the struggle itself that is the center of gravity of this book. As one truly opens to the way one's life is "lived", there is an inevitable collision with what one imagines about one's self.

If struggle is the center of gravity in this book, courage may well be the corresponding theme. Lord Pentland is portrayed as the courageous warrior bringing the Fourth Way to America; though Mr. Patterson does not speak of his own courage, it is only through courage that he can put this very personal account of his efforts, and failings, on public display.

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Summary: Review of William Patrick Patterson's book "Eating the I"
Review: I found the title of this book to be quite mysterious at first. What could this possibly mean?
Mr. Patterson is a true storyteller, and in this book, a "spiritual autobiography", he reveals his awakening and development in Gurdjieff's Fourth Way Teaching - The Work, as it's called, a teaching of self transformation for modern day man, a work in ordinary life - not in the temple or the ashram, but in every day living.

I was very impressed with the honesty and depth that he reveals here. I've read a fair number of these kinds of books by others (or their ghost writers) and have always found them to "sugar coat" the lives of their subjects to make them look good. Patterson peels away the layers of the onion - the good, the bad AND the ugly. Not many will admit to their very human desires and the subconscious urges that govern and rule our lives so deeply.

I found that he writes on several different levels. The book can be read as an interesting account of one person's story caught up in the whirlwind of life, searching for something higher and more meaningful. On another level, he portrays a more universal quest, that of the perennial seeker, the human being searching for understanding and the meaning of life. The thing that really distinguishes Patterson from many others is that he makes this quest accessible to anyone who is interested. We understand him, feel his struggle and travel with him on his path. We can do this because his brutal self-honesty doesn't paint him as a saint, rather as an honest man trying to understand and find his place in this vast universe in these very crazy times.

I have read this book twice now and I shall do so again - I keep finding new connections and levels of understanding. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading his other books...serious writing for those who seek understanding in the modern world.

Rating:
Summary: A real reference to go back to again and again
Review: I learned so much from Eating the 'I' about conscience, and how it differs from morality. We live in the thick of ordinary life, and Patterson shows how to navigate it with the Gurdjieff way of spiritual transformation. As I finished reading this book, it became really clear to me that I could never hope to awaken until I found a teacher, and so I did. This book worked on me in a swift and yet subtle way. It has since become a torch to light the way when the dark hours come. And a way to deepen those times that the veil is pierced. For me it has not been a book to read and put down, but a real reference to go back to again and again. Reading about the author's experiences helps me understand my own better and gives me a way to think that sets things in a truer and clearer perspective.

Rating:
Summary: Mousse De Merde
Review: Mousse de merde, that could be Mr. Gurdjieff's comment of such a balloon of wanting to shine and share the shine under the disguise of honesty and sincerity. Peter Pan is more exciting.

Rating:
Summary: again my name was misused
Review: my name has been misused. The review written January 14th 2004 has nothing to do with me. There is only 1 Aleks Podlubny in Sacramento: myself. This is a fake.

Aleks Podlubny, Sacramento