Eknath Easwaran was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author, translator, and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. Easwaran was a professor of English literature at the University of Nagpur in India, and in 1959 he came to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Minnesota before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley, where he taught courses on meditation-the first in the country offering credits.&nbsp;
In 1961, Easwaran founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation and Nilgiri Press, based in northern California. Nilgiri Press has published over thirty books that he authored. Easwaran was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, whom he met when he was young. As a result, Easwaran developed a method of meditation – silent repetition in the mind of memorized inspirational passages from the world's major religious and spiritual traditions – which later came to be known as Passage Meditation.
Easwaran's written works may be grouped into several major categories—primarily books but articles in newspapers and other periodicals. Most of his books have been reviewed by spiritually oriented publications, websites, or nationally known media such as The New Yorker or the New York Post. In addition, many of Easwaran's recorded talks have been published in video and audio formats.
A variety of influences on Easwaran's life and work have been documented. For example, Easwaran's students, inspired in part by his teachings about compassion and stewardship for the environment, published a well-known vegetarian cookbook, Laurel's Kitchen (1976), later republished in revised form as The New Laurel's Kitchen (1986). The book contained extensive nutritional information from a scientific point of view and sold more than a million copies.
Easwaran's teachings or practices have sometimes been taught as part of traditional college courses or as tools for self-management by health professionals. Outside of the US, Easwaran's life and teachings were profiled, along with those of a variety of other spiritual teachers, in a book published in India entitled Meditation Masters and their Insights.
Easwaran's words have been included in collections of wisdom teachings, such as ones recently published by Chang (2006) and Parachin (2011). In addition, quotations from Easwaran's translations have been used many times by both scholarly and famous writers.
Easwaran's other writings have also been quoted by various authors, including writers of novels and short stories,[68] popular spirituality, and articles on management theory. For example, psychiatrist Aaron Beck and his colleagues quoted Easwaran's commentary on the Katha Upanishad. The NAPRA ReView wrote, "The volume of [Easwaran's] work and the quality of his discourse suggests a man who has had a profound impact on the spiritual lives of many."
Easwaran has been listed about works on spiritual and religious leaders. For example, in his survey of commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita, Nadkarni described Easwaran as "respected worldwide as one of the most profound writers and orators on religion and spirituality."

Eknath

Kevin Kelly is a writer, editor, and speaker who has had a diverse career exploring the intersection of technology, culture, and business.
In the early days of the internet, Kelly co-founded Wired magazine in 1993 and served as its Executive Editor until 1999. He helped to shape the magazine's coverage of technology and digital culture, and his writing and editing helped to establish Wired as a leading voice in the field.
After leaving Wired, Kelly continued to write and speak about technology and its impact on society. He has written several books, including "Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, &amp; the Economic World" and "What Technology Wants," which explore how technology shapes our world and our future.
In recent years, Kelly has been a sought-after speaker and advisor on technology and its impact on society. He has spoken at conferences and events worldwide and advised companies and organizations on navigating the rapidly changing technological landscape. Kelly is also a co-founder of the All Species Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to cataloging and identifying every living species on earth. The Long Now Foundation focuses on long-term thinking and responsibility.
Overall, Kelly's career has been dedicated to understanding how technology shapes our world and helping others understand and navigate those changes.

Kevin

Benjamin Hoff (born 1946) is an American author. He is best known as the author of The Tao of Pooh (1982) and The Te of Piglet (1992). In 2006, he denounced the publishing industry and announced his resignation from book-writing. His book, The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow, won the American Book Award in 1988.
Hoff grew up in Sylvan's Portland, Oregon neighborhood, where he acquired a fondness for the natural world that has been highly influential in his writing. He attended elementary and middle school in Sylvan and attended both Benson Polytechnic High School and Lincoln High School in Portland. Hoff attended college at the University of Oregon in Eugene and the Portland Museum Art School (now the Pacific Northwest College of Art). Hoff obtained a B.A. in Asian Art from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, in 1973.
Hoff has also studied architecture, music, fine arts, graphic design, and Asian Culture. His studies in Asian Culture included reaching the certificate level in the Japanese Tea Ceremony, two years of apprenticeship in Japanese fine-tuning methods, and four years of instruction in the martial art form of T'ai chi ch'uan, including a year of Ch'i Kung (also known as Qigong). Before his writing career, he worked as a tree pruner, antique restorer, hospital orderly, investigative reporter, photojournalist, recording musician, singer, and songwriter. In the 1960s, Hoff helped form the rock–pop band United Travel Service. In his spare time, he practices Taoist Qigong and T'ai chi ch'uan. He enjoys playing classical guitar, composing music, and taking nature photographs.
In 2006, Hoff published an essay on his website titled "Farewell to Authorship," denouncing the publishing industry and announcing his resignation from book writing. This is the only website he has officially endorsed or been involved with. As of August 2010, the website displayed a series of letters sent between Hoff and staffers from the Oregon Historical Society. Hoff criticizes the OHS-produced Oregon Experience: Opal Whiteley, saying that many of the facts were ignored or untrue. Hoff wrote the 1986 book The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow, a biography about Opal Whiteley, which also includes her diary.
Benjamin Hoff has written five books: "The Way to Life" (1981), "The House on the Point" (2002), "The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow" (1986), The Tao of Pooh (1982), and The Te of Piglet (1992). The Tao of Pooh and its successor, "The Te of Piglet," are Hoff's best-known books. They discuss Taoist beliefs and writings through Winnie-the-Pooh. "The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow" is a biography of Opal Whiteley, another American author from Oregon.
Hoff was awarded the American Book Award in 1988 for The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow: The Rediscovered Diary of Opal Whiteley. The Tao of Pooh, The Te of Piglet, and The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow were all book-of-the-month choices. The Tao of Pooh and "The Te of Piglet" were also chosen by the Quality Paperback Book Club. The Tao of Pooh was an international bestseller and spent 49 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. The Te of Piglet also became an international bestseller and spent 59 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list.

Benjamin

Stewart Brand is an American writer best known as the editor of the Whole Earth Catalog. He founded several organizations, including The WELL, the Global Business Network, and the Long Now Foundation. He is the author of several books, most recently Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto.
Brand was born in Rockford, Illinois, and attended Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. He studied biology at Stanford University, graduating in 1960. As a soldier in the U.S. Army, he was a parachutist and taught infantry skills; he later expressed that his military experience had fostered his competence in organizing. A civilian again in 1962, he studied design at San Francisco Art Institute, photography at San Francisco State College, and participated in a legitimate scientific study of then-legal LSD in Menlo Park, California. In 1966, he married mathematician Lois Jennings, an Ottawa Native American.
Brand has lived in California since the 1960s. He and his second wife live on Mirene, a 64-foot (20 m)-long working tugboat. Built-in 1912, the boat is moored in a former shipyard in Sausalito, California. In addition, he works in Mary Heartline, a grounded fishing boat about 100 yards (90 meters) away. One of his favorite items is a table on which Otis Redding is said to have written "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." (Brand acquired it from an antique dealer in Sausalito.)
By the mid-1960s, Brand became associated with New York multimedia group USCO and Bay Area author Ken Kesey and his "Merry Pranksters." Brand co-produced the Trips Festival, an early effort involving rock music and light shows, in San Francisco with Kesey and Ramón Sender Barayón. This was one of the first venues at which the Grateful Dead performed in San Francisco. About 10,000 hippies attended, and Haight-Ashbury soon emerged as a community. Tom Wolfe describes Brand in his 1968 book, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.
The Whole Earth Catalog implied an ideal of human progress that depended on decentralized, personal, and liberating technological development—so‑called "soft technology." However, in 2005 he criticized aspects of the international environmental ideology he had helped to develop. He wrote an article called "Environmental Heresies" in the May 2005 issue of the MIT Technology Review, in which he describes what he considers necessary changes to environmentalism. He suggested, among other things, that environmentalists embrace nuclear power and genetically modified organisms as technologies with more promise than risk.
Brand later developed these ideas into a book and published the Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto in 2009. The book examines how urbanization, nuclear power, genetic engineering, geoengineering, and wildlife restoration can be powerful tools in humanity's ongoing fight against global warming. In a 2019 interview, Brand described his perspective as "post-libertarian," indicating that when the Whole Earth Catalog was being written, he did not fully understand the significance of the government's role in developing technology and engineering. In his environmental position, he self-describes as an "Eco-pragmatist."

Stewart

Baird Thomas Spalding (1872–1953) was an American spiritual writer and author of the spiritual book series: Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East. Although Spalding's books claimed he was born in England in 1857, Spalding was also reported born in North Cohocton, New York, in 1872.&nbsp;
He spent much of his life as a mining engineer in the American West. Research on his life and the purported eleven-person research expeditions to the Far East beginning in 1894 to study the "Masters" has turned up evidence and pictures that are included in later volumes of his book. Spalding first visited the Far East in the late 1800s, then again in the 1920s, and then again in the 1935 trip to India at the bequest of his publisher, Devorss &amp; Company.
Anecdotal biographical detail was widely promulgated even during his lifetime. At his death in 1953 in Arizona, obituaries conflictingly cited his age as 95 or 107. His birth date is "1872-1873" in the 1880 US census. However, that could mean that was the time he first came to the US, as at that time, it was common for foreigners to be given a new birth date and name when they first arrived in the US.[citation needed] The same date is given in a 1911 California marriage certificate. In other records, his place of birth is given as England, with him emigrating to the US later.
Spalding did briefly visit India in 1935, as there is a US passport application dated 1935 and a Seattle immigration record on his return from India dated 1936. A biography of Spalding, Baird T Spalding As I Knew Him, was published by fellow mystic and DeVorss author David Bruton in 1954. About Spalding's claims regarding his birthplace, Bruton wrote:
On two different occasions, I asked him where he was born. The first time he told me in 'upstate New York;' the second, 'Spalding, England.' During one of his last public lectures, a member of the audience asked where he was born, and he answered, 'In India.' He spoke with equal affection for the 'old family home' in upstate New York, in Spalding, England, and in Canada, Madras Province, India.
In 1924, Spalding published the first volume of Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East. It describes the travels to India and Tibet of a research party of eleven scientists in 1894. During their trip, they claim to have made contact with "the Great Masters of the Himalayas," immortal beings with whom they lived and studied, gaining insight into their lives and spiritual message. This close contact enabled them to witness many of the spiritual principles evinced by these Great Masters translated into their everyday lives, which Spalding describes as acts that can be accomplished by anyone who comes to know his "TRUE" self. Examples are walking on water or eating bread to feed the hungry party.&nbsp;
Despite most of the action taking place in India, the Great Masters make it clear that the greatest embodiment of the Enlightened state is that of Christ - the discovery of man's source of power within himself - that light of God - Christ's consciousness is that "Christ" state: The Masters accept that Buddha represents the Way to Enlightenment, but they clearly set forth that the Christ Consciousness is Enlightenment or a state of consciousness for which we are all seeking – the Christ light of every individual; therefore, the light of every child born into the world.

Baird

Witter Bynner was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1881. He graduated from Harvard University in 1902. After college, he worked as a newspaper reporter and, later, as the assistant editor of McClure’s magazine.
Bynner published his first poetry collection, An Ode to Harvard (Small, Maynard, &amp; Co.), in 1907. He was also the author of New Poems (Alfred A. Knopf, 1960); Take Away the Darkness (Alfred A. Knopf, 1947); The Beloved Stranger (Alfred A. Knopf, 1919); Tiger (M. Kennerley, 1913); and several other poetry collections.
Bynner was also known for his works in translation, including The Way of Life According to Laotzu: An American Version (John Day Co., 1944), and a literary biography, Journey with Genius: Recollections and Reflections Concerning the D. H. Lawrence (J. Day Co, 1951).
In 1916, Bynner and Arthur David Ficke published Spectra: A Book of Poetic Experiments under the pseudonyms Emanuel Morgan and Anne Krish. The book included poems and a manifesto on “spectrism,” a parody of Imagism. In 1918, Bynner admitted that the book was a hoax.
In 1922, Bynner settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his partner, Robert Hunt. He died there on June 1, 1968.

Witter

Buddhaghosa was a 5th-century Indian Theravada Buddhist commentator, translator, and philosopher. He worked in the Great Monastery (Mahāvihāra) at Anurādhapura, Sri Lanka, and saw himself as being part of the Vibhajjavāda school and in the lineage of the Sinhalese Mahāvihāra. His best-known work is the Visuddhimagga ("Path of Purification"), a comprehensive summary of older Sinhala commentaries on Theravada teachings and practices.&nbsp;
According to Sarah Shaw, in Theravada, this systematic work is "the principal text on the subject of meditation." The interpretations provided by Buddhaghosa have generally constituted the orthodox understanding of Theravada scriptures since at least the 12th century CE. Both Western scholars and Theravadins generally recognize him as the most important philosopher and commentator of the Theravada. Still, he is also criticized for his departures from the canonical texts.
The name Buddhaghosa means "Voice of the Buddha" (Buddha+ghosa) in Pali, the language in which Buddhaghosa was composed. In Sanskrit, the name would be spelled Buddhaghoṣa (Devanagari बुद्धघोष), but there is no retroflex ṣ sound in Pali, and the name is not found in Sanskrit works. Limited reliable information is available about the life of Buddhaghosa. Three primary sources of information exist short prologues and epilogues attached to Buddhaghosa's works; details of his life recorded in the Mahavamsa, a Sri Lankan chronicle; and a later biographical work called the Buddhaghosuppatti. A few other sources discuss the life of Buddhaghosa but do not appear to add any reliable material.
The biographical excerpts attached to works attributed to Buddhaghosa reveal relatively few details of his life but were presumably added at the time of his actual composition. Largely identical in form, these short excerpts described Buddhaghosa as having come to Sri Lanka from India and settled in Anuradhapura. Besides this information, they provide only short lists of teachers, supporters, and associates of Buddhaghosa, whose names are not generally to be found elsewhere for comparison.
The Mahavamsa records that Buddhaghosa was born into a Brahmin family in the kingdom of Magadha. He is said to have been born near Bodh Gaya and to have been a master of the Vedas, traveling through India and engaging in philosophical debates. Only upon encountering a Buddhist monk named Revata was Buddhaghosa bested in debate, first being defeated in a dispute over the meaning of a Vedic doctrine and then being confounded by the presentation of a teaching from the Abhidhamma. Impressed, Buddhaghosa became a bhikkhu (Buddhist monk) and undertook the study of the Tipiṭaka and its commentaries. On finding a text for which the commentary had been lost in India, Buddhaghosa determined to travel to Sri Lanka to study a Sinhala commentary that was believed to have been preserved.
In Sri Lanka, Buddhaghosa began to study what was apparently a very large volume of Sinhala commentarial texts that had been assembled and preserved by the monks of the Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya. Buddhaghosa sought permission to synthesize the assembled Sinhala-language commentaries into a comprehensive single commentary composed in Pali. Traditional accounts hold that the elder monks sought to first test Buddhaghosa's knowledge by assigning him the task of elaborating the doctrine regarding two verses of the suttas; Buddhaghosa replied by composing the Visuddhimagga. His abilities were further tested when deities intervened and hid the text of his book, twice forcing him to recreate it from scratch. When the three texts were found to completely summarize all of the Tipiṭaka and match in every respect, the monks acceded to his request. They provided Buddhaghosa with the full body of their commentaries.
Buddhaghosa went on to write commentaries on most of the other major books of the Pali Canon, with his works becoming the definitive Theravadin interpretation of the scriptures. Having synthesized or translated the whole of the Sinhala commentary preserved at the Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya, Buddhaghosa reportedly returned to India, making a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya to pay his respects to the Bodhi Tree.
The details of the Mahavamsa account cannot readily be verified; At the same time, Western scholars generally regard it as having been embellished with legendary events (such as the hiding of Buddhaghosa's text by the gods), in the absence of contradictory evidence it is assumed to be generally accurate. While the Mahavamsa claims that Buddhaghosa was born in northern India near Bodh Gaya, the epilogues to his commentaries make reference to only one location in India as being a place of at least temporary residence: Kanci in southern India. Some scholars thus conclude (among them Oskar von Hinüber and Polwatte Buddhadatta Thera) that Buddhaghosa was actually born in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, and was relocated in later biographies to give him closer ties to the region of the Buddha.
The Buddhaghosuppatti, a later biographical text, is generally regarded by Western scholars as being legend rather than history. It adds to the Mahavamsa tale certain details, such as the identity of Buddhaghosa's parents and his village, as well as several dramatic episodes, such as the conversion of Buddhaghosa's father and Buddhaghosa's role in deciding a legal case. It also explains the eventual loss of the Sinhala originals that Buddhaghosa worked from in creating his Pali commentaries by claiming that Buddhaghosa collected and burnt the original manuscripts once his work was completed.

Buddhaghosa

Jocko Willink is an American retired Navy Seal officer, author, podcaster, and public speaker. He is best known for his involvement in the Battle of Ramadi, his success in the Navy SEALs, and his leadership philosophy, which is based on discipline, hard work, and respect for others.
Willink was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, on September 8, 1971. He joined the Navy in 1990 and, after graduating from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, was assigned to SEAL Team 3. During his service in the Navy, Willink completed multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and was eventually assigned to Task Unit Bruiser, the most decorated special operations unit of the Iraq War. During the Battle of Ramadi, Willink and his team helped to clear the city of insurgent forces, and their exemplary performance earned them the Navy Cross.
Willink retired from the Navy in 2010 and soon after began to share his leadership philosophy. He has authored several books, including Extreme Ownership, Leadership Strategy and Tactics, and Way of the Warrior Kid, as well as co-hosting the popular podcast Jocko Podcast.
Willink is also a respected public speaker, giving talks all over the world on topics such as leadership, discipline, and team building. He is a sought-after keynote speaker for both corporate and military events.
Willink is an advocate for physical and mental fitness, often speaking about the importance of proper nutrition and exercise. He also encourages people to push themselves and strive to become the best versions of themselves.
Willink is a highly respected figure in the military and business worlds, and his words have been an inspiration to many. His leadership philosophy is one that emphasizes discipline, hard work, and respect for others, and these values are ones that have served him well throughout his career.

Jocko

Keith Dowman is a translator and teacher of Dzogchen, the quintessence of Buddhism. A student of the great Dzogchen lamas Dudjom Rinpoche and Kanjur Rinpoche, he lived in Benares, India, and Kathmandu, Nepal, for fifty years. He now travels the world teaching Dzogchen.
A cultural refugee from his native England, Keith Dowman arrived in Benares, India, in 1966. Apart from an occasional foray back to the West, he has spent a lifetime in India and Nepal engaged in existential Buddhadharma. He has lived as a yogin, monk, pilgrim, and then as householder, and as a scholar and poet free of all institutional and or political constraints.
In India in the 1960s, he was destined to encounter the grandfather-lama refugees arriving in India in the wake of the Chinese invasion of Tibet. In those heady years when the old lamas were totally receptive to the solicitation of Western disciples seeking confirmation of the validity of their existential trajectories, he received initiation, empowerment, pith instruction, and personal guidance from Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdral Yeshe Dorje and Kanjur Rinpoche Longchen Yeshe Dorje, who became his root gurus, among any other Nyingma lamas and lamas of other schools, notably the Eighth Khamtrul Rinpoche and the Sixteenth Karmapa Rikpai Dorje.&nbsp;
As Chogyal Namkhai Norbu remarked, “In communion with many great masters [Keith Dowman] has fortuitously absorbed the realization of Dzogchen.” In the 1980s, he focused on translations of various Vajrayana texts. When Tibet opened, three years of seasonal trekking in central Tibet resulted in a pilgrims’ guide to Tibet.&nbsp;
More recently, he has concentrated exclusively on the translation of Dzogchen texts, including Natural Perfection, Original Perfection, and The Flight of the Garuda. Likewise, although he has taught Vajrayana since 1992, more recently, he has focused entirely on Dzogchen. He lives a peripatetic lifestyle teaching the radical Dzogchen derived from the early Nyingma tantras that are free of the tendency toward the spiritual materialism so evident in western Buddhism, a dharma easily assimilable into Western culture.

Keith

Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a Lebanese-American essayist, scholar, statistician, and former trader and risk analyst whose work focuses on problems of randomness, probability, and uncertainty. He is the author of several books, including "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable," which was published in 2007 and became a bestseller.
Taleb is a former trader and risk analyst and has worked as a professor of risk engineering at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering. He has a background in mathematics, statistics, and computer science and has published numerous papers in academic journals on topics related to randomness and uncertainty.
Taleb's main area of research is the study of "black swans," which he defines as rare events that have a large impact and are typically not predictable. He argues that traditional risk assessment methods, such as using historical data to predict future events, are inadequate because they fail to consider the possibility of black swan events.
Taleb is also known for his criticism of the concept of "normalcy" in statistics and his skepticism of the use of mathematical models in finance and economics. He has argued that the assumptions made in these models are often unrealistic and can lead to dangerous oversimplifications.
In addition to his work in academia, Taleb is also a public intellectual and has written several books for a general audience. His books have been widely discussed and debated in the media and have been translated into multiple languages.
Taleb is a strong advocate for antifragility, a concept he has developed and popularized in his books. Antifragility is the property of a system or entity that improves when subjected to volatility, shocks, stressors, or disorder and doesn't just remain indifferent to them.
Taleb's writing style is often characterized as provocative and contrarian, and he is known for his strong opinions on a wide range of topics. His work has been influential in the fields of economics, finance, and risk management and has also been discussed in the broader cultural and intellectual conversation.

Nassim Nicholas

Ryan Holiday is an American author, marketer, media strategist, and entrepreneur. He is the author of several bestselling books, including his most recent, Perennial Seller, as well as popular titles such as The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, Conspiracy, and Growth Hacker Marketing. Holiday has written for the New York Times, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. He has also been featured in Time, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post.
Holiday is the founder of Brass Check, a creative consulting agency that specializes in marketing, media strategy, and creative consulting. He has worked with some of the world’s most successful authors, entrepreneurs, and public figures, including Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, Robert Greene, and Tucker Max. His clients also include media companies such as VICE, MTV, and Complex. He has also served as a consultant to brands such as American Apparel, Google, and Gillette.
As an author, Holiday has written nine books, three of which have become New York Times bestsellers. His books focus on topics such as personal and professional development, marketing, and media strategy. His most recent book, Perennial Seller, is a guide to creating and sustaining success in business, publishing, and life.
As a media strategist and consultant, Holiday has helped launch and reinvigorate several brands and campaigns. His work spans from creating marketing campaigns for startups and Fortune 500 companies to working as a creative consultant for media companies and major brands.
Holiday's work has been featured in major publications, including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and The Washington Post. He has also appeared on television shows such as the Colbert Report, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and podcasts such as the Tim Ferriss Show and the Joe Rogan Experience.&nbsp;
In addition to his work as an author, media strategist, and consultant, Holiday is a frequent public speaker. He has been a keynote speaker at events such as SXSW, the World Business Forum, and the Inc. 5000 Conference. He also teaches marketing and media strategy classes at the University of California, Berkeley.
Holiday is passionate about helping others achieve their goals and dreams. He has created several online courses and resources to help entrepreneurs, creatives, and marketers better understand the media landscape, marketing, and creative strategies. He also serves as the Managing Director of the media startup, Contently and is an adviser to several startups and companies. He is also a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs and creators.

Ryan

Carlos Castañeda was an American writer. Starting with The Teachings of Don Juan in 1968, Castaneda wrote a series of books that purport to describe training in shamanism that he received under the tutelage of a Yaqui "Man of Knowledge" named don Juan Matus.
Castaneda's first three books—The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, A Separate Reality, and Journey to Ixtlan—were written while he was an anthropology student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He wrote that these books were ethnographic accounts describing his apprenticeship with a traditional "Man of Knowledge" identified as don Juan Matus, a Yaqui Indian from northern Mexico. The veracity of these books was doubted from their original publication, and they are now widely considered to be fictional. Castaneda was awarded his bachelor's and doctoral degrees based on the work described in these books.
At the time of his death in 1998, Castaneda's books had sold more than eight million copies and had been published in 17 languages.
According to his birth record, Carlos Castañeda was born Carlos César Salvador Arana, on December 25, 1925, in Cajamarca, Peru, the son of César Arana and Susana Castañeda, both of them single. Immigration records confirm the birth record's date and place of birth. Castaneda moved to the United States in 1951 and became a naturalized citizen on June 21, 1957.
Castaneda's first three books—The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, A Separate Reality, and Journey to Ixtlan—were written while he was an anthropology student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He wrote that these books were ethnographic accounts describing his apprenticeship with a traditional "Man of Knowledge" identified as don Juan Matus, an Indigenous Yaqui from northern Mexico. The veracity of these books was doubted from their original publication, and they are now widely considered to be fictional. Castaneda was awarded his bachelor's and doctoral degrees based on the work described in these books.
In 1974 his fourth book, Tales of Power, chronicled the end of his apprenticeship with Matus. Castaneda continued to be popular with the reading public, and subsequent publications appeared describing further aspects of his training with don Juan.
Castaneda wrote that don Juan recognized him as the new nagual or leader of a party of seers of his lineage. Matus also used the term nagual to signify that part of the perception that is in the realm of the unknown yet still reachable by man—implying that, for his own party of seers, Matus was a connection to that unknown. Castaneda often referred to this unknown realm as "nonordinary reality."
While Castaneda was a well-known cultural figure, he rarely appeared in public forums. He was the subject of a cover article in the March 5, 1973 issue of Time, which described him as "an enigma wrapped in a mystery wrapped in a tortilla." There was controversy when it was revealed that Castaneda might have used a surrogate for his cover portrait. Correspondent Sandra Burton, apparently unaware of Castaneda's principle of freedom from personal history, confronted him about discrepancies in his account of his life. He responded: "To ask me to verify my life by giving you my statistics ... is like using science to validate sorcery. It robs the world of its magic and makes milestones out of us all." Following that interview, Castaneda completely retired from public view until the 1990s.

Carlos

Sam Harris is an American neuroscientist, philosopher, and author. He is the founder and CEO of Project Reason, a non-profit organization that promotes science and secularism. Harris is known for his critiques of religious faith and his promotion of scientific rationality and secular humanism. He has written several books, including "The End of Faith," "Letter to a Christian Nation," "The Moral Landscape," "Free Will," and "Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion." Harris is also a frequent speaker and commentator on neuroscience, philosophy, and religion issues.
Sam Harris hosts a podcast called "Making Sense," produced by his non-profit organization, Project Reason. The podcast features Harris having in-depth conversations with various guests, including scientists, scholars, authors, and other public figures. Topics of discussion on the podcast include science, philosophy, politics, and current events. The podcast is released weekly, and episodes can be found on various platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube. The podcast has been running since 2013 and has been well-received by listeners for its in-depth and thought-provoking conversations.
Harris has written extensively on neuroscience and its implications for understanding the nature of consciousness, free will, and morality. In addition, he is known for his work on the neural basis of belief and emotion and his critiques of traditional religious and spiritual beliefs.
Project Reason is a non-profit organization that promotes scientific understanding and critical thinking on issues related to religion, morality, and politics. It provides a forum for open and rational discussion of these topics and works to combat the influence of dogmatism and superstition in public life. Some of the activities of Project Reason include public lectures, debates, discussions with experts in various fields, and the production of multimedia content such as podcasts, videos, and articles. Harris' organization also provides educational resources and materials for educators and students.

Steven Pinker is an internationally renowned experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, and popular science writer. He is a professor at Harvard University, where he has taught since 2003. He is the author of several books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, and The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.
Pinker's research focuses on language and cognition, and he is the chair of the Usage Panel of the American Heritage Dictionary. He is also a contributing editor for The New Republic, and he is a frequent commentator on popular science topics in newspapers and magazines.
Pinker was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1954. He received his B.A. from McGill University in 1976 and his Ph.D. in psychology from Harvard University in 1979. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 2018 for his book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.
Pinker's research has been highly influential in the fields of linguistics, cognitive science, and evolutionary psychology. He has written extensively on the evolution of language, the nature of the mind, and the power of reason. He has also written on the topics of human intelligence, morality, beauty, and violence.
Pinker has argued that evolutionary forces largely shape human intelligence and that the human mind is a complex set of mental modules. He has also argued that reason can be used to solve moral dilemmas and that violence has declined over time due to the spread of reason.
Pinker's work has been widely praised by academics and intellectuals, and he has been described as one of the leading public intellectuals of our time. His books have been translated into dozens of languages, and they have sold millions of copies. He has appeared on numerous television shows and has been the subject of multiple documentaries.
In addition to his academic and popular writing, Pinker is also an active public speaker. He frequently lectures on scientific topics and has appeared as a guest on talk shows and news programs. He has been featured in numerous films, including the documentary film The Edge of Reason, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2016.
Pinker is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the American Philosophical Society. He has been awarded numerous honorary degrees, including doctorates from the Universities of Toronto, Harvard, and Oxford.

Steven

Tim Urban is a writer and blogger best known for his blog, Wait But Why, where he writes on various topics, including technology, science, and mental models. In addition, he is known for using humor and illustrations to explain complex concepts in an easy-to-understand way. Urban has also given a TED talk and has written articles for publications such as The Atlantic and the New York Times.
"Wait But Why" is a popular blog and website that features a wide range of articles and posts on various topics, focusing on science, technology, and futurism. Urban's writing style is characterized by his use of humor and his ability to explain complex concepts in a clear and relatable way
Some of the most popular articles on the site have covered topics such as artificial intelligence's future, space travel's history, and the concept of time. The website has developed a loyal following, and Urban has been able to monetize it through sponsored content, merchandise, and book publishing.
Prior to starting "Wait But Why," Urban worked as a freelance writer and illustrator, contributing to various publications and websites. He also worked in marketing and advertising and as a consultant.
Urban started Wait But Why as a personal blog in 2013. It grew in popularity over time and eventually developed a large online following. He began focusing on it full-time in 2015, and since then, the blog has become well-known for its in-depth articles on a wide range of subjects, with a particular focus on science, technology, and futurism. He writes about various diverse subjects, often with humor and references to popular culture, making difficult subjects easy to understand and interesting to read.
Urban has also done public speaking engagements and has been interviewed by various media outlets. He has also used his blog to raise money for charitable causes. He also authored a book in 2020 named "How to Pick Your Life Partner: The Science-based Approach," which has been a bestseller on Amazon.

The Zhuangzi is an ancient Chinese text from the late Warring States period (476–221 BC), which contains stories and anecdotes that exemplify the carefree nature of the ideal Taoist sage. Named for its traditional author, "Master Zhuang" (Zhuangzi), the Zhuangzi is one of the two foundational texts of Taoism, along with the Tao Te Ching.
The Zhuangzi consists of a large collection of anecdotes, allegories, parables, and fables, which are often humorous or irreverent. Its main themes are spontaneity in action and freedom from the human world and its conventions. The fables and anecdotes in the text attempt to illustrate the falseness of human distinctions between good and bad, large and small, life and death, and human and nature. While other ancient Chinese philosophers focused on moral and personal duty, Zhuangzi promoted carefree wandering and becoming one with "the Way" (Dào 道) by the following nature.
Though primarily known as a philosophical work, the Zhuangzi is regarded as one of the greatest literary works in Chinese history. It has been called "the most important pre-Qin text for the study of Chinese literature." A masterpiece of both philosophical and literary skill, it has significantly influenced major Chinese writers and poets for more than 2000 years from the Han dynasty (206 BC–AD 220) to the present.

Chuang

Wolfgang

A systematic introduction into mimetic theory, this essential text explains the three main pillars of the theory, mimetic desire, the scapegoat mechanism and the Biblical "difference," with the help of examples from literature and philosophy.  This book examines life and work of René Girard, showing how much his theories result from existential and spiritual insights into one's own mimetic entanglements.  It looks at broader implications of his theories such as the relationship between scapegoating and capital punishment or mimetic aspect of sovereignty.  This book also places Girard's theory within the context of current cultural and political debates like terrorism, gender issues and death penalty. 

Naval Ravikant is an Indian-American entrepreneur, author, and angel investor. Ravikant's career has focused primarily on technology, startups, and venture capital. He began his career as a software developer and later co-founded several technology companies, including Epinions and Vast.com. In 2010, he co-founded AngelList, a venture capital firm that helps startups raise funding and connect with investors. Under his leadership, AngelList has become one of the industry's most successful and influential venture firms.
Naval Ravikant is the host of the podcast "The Naval Podcast," which is focused on technology, startups, and personal development. The podcast features interviews with a wide variety of guests, including entrepreneurs, investors, authors, and other experts in the technology and startup space. The podcast is known for its deep conversations and insights on topics such as building a successful startup, the future of technology, and how to live a fulfilling life.
The podcast has gained a large following and is known for its unique format, which includes a mix of interviews, monologues, and listener Q&amp;A. The podcast is released regularly and has been running for several years. The podcast has been praised for its thought-provoking and actionable advice, its unique format and the diversity of guests. The podcast is available on most podcast platforms.
Naval Ravikant has also written the book "The Almanack of Naval Ravikant." He has also been a guest on many popular podcasts, sharing his insights on technology, startups, and personal development. He is also an active thinker and influencer on social media, sharing his thoughts on various topics, including technology, business, and personal growth.
Overall, Naval Ravikant's career has been marked by his ability to identify and capitalize on emerging trends in the technology industry and his ability to help startups navigate the challenges of building and scaling a business.

Naval

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In René Girard's Mimetic Theory, Wolfgang Palaver explores the concept of mimetic desire. This is the idea that our desires are not our own, but are copied from others. We want what others want, leading to conflict and rivalry. This is a fascinating concept to dig into, and it might make you rethink how you perceive your own desires.

Understanding Mimetic Desire

Palaver takes a deep look into Girard's scapegoat mechanism. This theory suggests that societies often blame a single person or group for their problems to maintain social harmony. It's a thought-provoking idea that might change the way you see societal conflicts.

The Scapegoat Mechanism

In the book, the author delves into the role of religion in Girard's theory. He suggests that religion can both perpetuate violence through the scapegoat mechanism and offer a solution by promoting peace and forgiveness. This dual role of religion is a fascinating aspect to explore.

The Role of Religion

Wolfgang Palaver discusses the wide-ranging influence of Girard's mimetic theory. From literature to sociology, to religious studies, Girard's ideas have had a profound impact. If you're interested in these fields, you'll find this book a valuable resource.

The Influence of Girard's Theory

Finally, the book doesn't just explain Girard's theory, it also applies it to modern society. Palaver shows how mimetic desire and the scapegoat mechanism can be seen in everything from politics to social media. This practical application of the theory can help you see the world in a new light.

Applying the Theory to Modern Society

René Girard's Mimetic Theory

Wolfgang Palaver is Professor of Catholic Social Thought and Chair of the Institute for Systematic Theology at the University of Innsbruck. He is a member of the advisory board of Imitatio, a nonprofit organization dedicated to René Girard’s mimetic theory.

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