Meetings With Remarkable Men

Rating:
Summary: A tutorial for becoming a remarkable man
Review: A book that without doubt has the potential to inspire the reader to live consciously and purposefully. The stories of Gurdjieff's life is put forward in a very simple manner and yet allowing a powerful pattern of encouragement to emerge. Each chapter stands independently able to enlighten and entertain. Gurdjieff shows that the path to an ultimate aim is not straight but rather filled with al kinds of obstacles and delays. While emphasising the struggle to achieve, the seeker of truth provides also the answer on how to overcome obstacles. The teacher shows that sometimes survival requires ingenious solutions and at other times shrewd and calculated plans. Attainment requires the influence of resourceful people with inner qualities rather than external presentation. Gurdjieff demonstrates the inner qualities of people who know how to be restrained in the manifestations that proceed from their nature while conducting themselves justly and tolerantly towards weaknesses of others. The ultimate aim is to enlighten the reader of the inner qualities that constitute remarkable men. Gurdjieff succeeds to develop in his readers the desire to become remarkable men themselves. Men that will on their turn influence the rest of the lives of all they interact with. Ultimately the book aims to transfer an experiential understanding of what Gurdjieff, as a teacher, expect from his pupils as a result of his teaching.

Rating:
Summary: Just a Con Man
Review: Anyone who has traveled in Central Asia or the outbacks of Russia has met thousands of con men like Mr Gurdjieff (admittedly with far fewer scruples). Gurdjieff made his living from analyzing and capitalizing on the weaknesses (cupidity, ignorance, trust) of others and then justified his actions by asserting that his victims were really even bigger victmizers than he was and therefore deserving of their fates (to be fleeced by Mr Gurdjieff). That having been said, Gurdjieff is often an entertaining writer. I enjoyed the travelog aspects of the book as well as the depictions of various colorful characters. He narrated events from his childhood extremely well. What seems so exotic to Western readers in this book is just everyday life in the area of the world where Gurdjief came from. Even in the act of writing the book, he showed his need to con: Every time he started telling us something interesting and vaguely "spiritual," he would say, "Well, I can't go into that now; it will be in my next book." In other words, he was conning the reader into buying the next book. The life he lived in the latter part of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century in Russia was harsh and poverty-stricken, and misery, of course, pushes many people to choose being a victimizer over being a victim, but Gurdjieff managed to glorify his decision to be a victimizer by surrounding it with spiritual hoopla -- the ultimate cynicism. In his own words in this book, he was an Oriental carpet seller most of his life. In Russia, he began supplementing his rug selling by developing a line of spirituality to offer Russian intellectuals. Later when he had to emigrate with thousands of other Russians to Paris, he just put most of his efforts into the spiritual trade. In Paris, where spiritual exotica and not rugs (as he observes) were more in demand, he found a greater market for his spiritual product. To prey upon people's spiritual searching is indeed Beelzebub's tale.

Rating:
Summary: Second book of triology introducing The Work
Review: Georges Gurdjieff called himself a teacher of dancing. In the 1920's in England and Paris and New York, he was the "guru" of the era. But more than a guru, Gurdjieff searched the East and Middle East for "the meaning of life". Meatings With Remarkable Men is the Second Book in his triology. It serves as an autobiography, but more importantly, it serves as Gurdjieff's perscription for psycological evolution. Later made into a film, this is a must read for anyone interested in the man many consider the only teacher of the Twentieth Century.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a modern tragedy
Review: Meetings with Remarkable Men is an eclectic mixture of art, philosophy, and religion. Gurdjieff uses his early-life adventures to illustrate the difficulties inherent in living a life with a constant goal. The meaning of life isn't so much the goal, but more the experience of life. In this respect Gurdjieff can be compared to Jack Kerouac. Both were pioneers who wandered the country-side. Both had a goal in mind that intricately mutated as their life experience shaped their thoughts. Both are timeless writers. Gurdjieff is also a timeless philosopher.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting way of thinking
Review: Overall, this book is fascinating reading for anyone. In particular, the chapter (60 plus pages) on "The Material Question" struck a note in me in the early 1960's and has resonated throughout my life and mind ever since. Taking it exactly as he presented it, I applied myself to this way of thinking, fully focusing on everything surrounding me. I opened my first small business and went at it with a perseverance and determination learned from Gurdjieff. I never looked back, and consider that one short novel of a chapter to have been the greatest influence on my material success.

olafaye

Rating:
Summary: journey to pursue truth
Review: This is the story of Gurdjiefffs journey to pursue truth. His life itself looks like the journey to the truth. He is the mysterious thinker in the twentieth century. But his and his friendsf motivation to pursue something is fundamental interest of human nature and really pure. Mysterious incidents slip into daily life. Most people ignore them or doubt their eyes. But some people stick on and investigate them. They went anywhere to find even just a clue to the mystery. It is like seeking treasury. For them treasury is neither jewel nor money. In the trip they run across various kinds of remarkable people. It is true that gbirds of a feather flock together.h You can enjoy this journey with Gurdjieff deep in Orient and mystery of human being and accumulated wisdom.