Publication Date:June 3, 2008 Shipping:Eligible for Super Saver Shipping Promotion:Save $5.00 when you spend $25.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Amazon.com. Enter code BMLSAVES at checkout.Terms and Conditions Availability:Usually ships in 24 hours
Product Description In this refreshing new take on spirituality, bestselling author Deepak Chopra uses a fictional tale of a comedian and his unlikely mentor to show us a path back to hope, joy, and even enlightenment—with a lot of laughter along the way.
Meet Mickey Fellows. A successful L.A. comedian, he’s just a regular guy, with his fair share of fears, egocentricities, and addictions. After his father’s death, Mickey meets a mysterious stranger named Francisco, who changes his life forever. The two begin an ongoing discussion about the true nature of being. Reluctantly at first, Mickey accepts the stranger’s help and starts to explore his own life in an effort to answer the riddles Francisco poses. Mickey starts to look at those aspects of himself that he has hidden behind a wall of wisecracks all his life. Eventually Mickey realizes that authentic humor opens him up to the power of spirit—allowing him to finally make real connections with people.
After taking the reader on a journey with Mickey, Chopra then spells out the lessons that Mickey’s story imparts to us: ten reasons to be optimistic, even in our challenging world. Chopra believes that the healthiest response to life is laughter from the heart, and even in the face of global turmoil, we can cultivate an internal sense of optimism. Rich with humor and practical advice, Why Is God Laughing? shows us without a doubt that there is always a reason to be grateful, that every possibility holds the promise of abundance, and that obstacles are simply opportunities in disguise. In the end, we really don’t need a reason to be happy. The power of happiness lies within each of us, just waiting to be unleashed. And Mickey Fellows’s journey shows us the way.
Learn why you should be laughing too!August 25, 2008 Deepak does it again......this time with a lot of humor. Life is supposed to be fun and easy.....we just forgot and made it complicated. Curl up with this book for a few good belly laughs and learn how to bring more joy and ease into your life. Enjoy!
funny and inspiringAugust 25, 2008 What do you get when you put Deepak Chopra and Mike Meyers in the same room? A book full of laughs, gags, and punch lines that's punctuated with meaning and direction. While the character story for the first part of the book is interesting, it is Mr. Chopra's ability to show you the path of joy and optimism in clear understandable language that really shines. It's so enjoyable I re-read that section three times! In good times or bad this is worth the time and effort to read and enjoy!
Standard Chopra Themes, But Doesn't Work as FictionAugust 21, 2008 I picked up this book with high hopes. I generally like Chopra's work, although I am not a hard-core fan, and I love to laugh. I also believe humour is a key companion to spiritual growth - when you can laugh at yourself, you probably have hit on some self-truth. And Mike Myer's Foreword seemed to be heading in the right direction, quoting Lenny Bruce's equation for comedy as "laughter = pain + time", and noting that Chopra would call the 'plus time' detachment. Enlightenment and comedy share that in common.
Unfortunately Why is God Laughing? doesn't quite follow-through on its promise, although it has some nice moments. The main problem for me is that the book seems more like an outline, and a derivative one at that. It doesn't evoke any powerful emotions, because we don't have enough time with the main character, Mickey, to feel invested in him. The entire book feels rushed, more like a premise for hitting certain spiritual points, chapter by chapter. These points, or lessons, drive the book's progression more than the character's inner growth. This is often a problem when non-fiction writers cross over to fiction, but I thought Chopra had solved it after his last fiction effort, Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment (recently released in paperback, and which I highly recommend.)
Chopra's epilogue is interesting, as he lays out his own ideas on how to embrace joy and optimism while living in a scary, fear-based culture. If the story doesn't grab you, you can always jump straight to the epilogue for a good Chopra fix. The bottom line is, the themes of this book are true to his usual message, and clearly presented - it just doesn't work as a novel. So you probably won't be deeply disappointed, but you won't be deeply moved either. If you don't want to risk it, just buy Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment instead.
For my full review, go to [...]
Content and ServiceAugust 18, 2008 Product was received in great condition. Book is a very insightful, quick read for Deepak Chopra.
Comedy on a different level.August 1, 2008 I consider myself a pretty enlightened person. This book helped me remember some fondamental points of life. Even though it wasn't rolling on the floor funny I did get a couple of chuckles from it. Some people are disillusioned in thinking this is meant to be enlightened standup comedy. The fact that a comedian can read this book and want to give a foreword to encourage others to read it is inspiring in itself. The story line keeps you interested and makes you re-examine your life and your stand on what you thought your life should be versus what others have told you it should be. Are you living your life for the experience itself or to appease the people around?
