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The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny

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Wisdom to Create a Life of Passion, Purpose, and Peace.

This inspiring tale provides a step-by-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance, and joy. A wonderfully crafted fable, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari tells the extraordinary story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life. On a life-changing odyssey to an ancient culture, he discovers powerful, wise, and practical lessons that teach us to:

Develop Joyful Thoughts, Follow Our Life's Mission and Calling, Cultivate Self-Discipline and Act Courageously, Value Time as Our Most Important Commodity, Nourish Our Relationships, and Live Fully, One Day at a Time.

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

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About the author

Robin S. Sharma

275 books6,137 followers
Robin Sharma is one of the world’s premier thinkers on leadership, personal growth and life management. The bestselling author of
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari,
Who Will Cry When You Die? and
The Saint, the Surfer, and the CEO and four other books on self-transformation.

Robin Sharma is in constant demand internationally as keynote speaker at the conferences of many of the most powerful companies on the planet including Microsoft, Nortel Networks, General Motors, FedEx and IBM. He is a resident of Ontario, Canada. (Barnes and Noble)

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,993 reviews
256 reviews32 followers
June 18, 2012
Loved the message, just didn't like the format it was presented in. Felt like the author just had a list of frequently asked questions and set out to answer each and every one of them one by one systematically, so there wasn't much narrative or actual enjoyment in the reading of it. The "story" is essentially just 2 guys talking over dinner, actually only 1 guy talking (the titular Monk), the other guy is just there to ask the questions in between the long monologues and to confirm the Monk's answers. I felt the listener of the story was pretty naive, he seemed to just take everything his monk friend said without question, and we're led to believe that through one night of lecturing he is enlightened; perhaps his mystical friend hypnotised him!!! GASP! However, despite all my criticism with the characters and the non-existent story, I am glad that the subject matter was written simply without using convoluted and deep spiritual words; it could have so easily have gone that way.
Profile Image for Adina .
1,018 reviews4,221 followers
July 18, 2016
I am not a fan of personal development books written by so called motivational writers. I prefer writers that have previously done something with their life. However, I received this as a gift from my best friend and I was feeling a little bit under the weather so I felt that some motivation was welcomed. I tried to keep my heart open and was prepared to absorb as many life-changing advices as possible.

I knew the book was total garbage from the first 20 pages but I tried to give it a chance and pressed on. I read so many reviews that claimed that reading this changed their life so I thought that it must be me. After I realized that it is not me but the book I still kept reading so I can write an informed hate review. So there it is.

The Monk who sold his Ferrari makes me think about a fish stew, and not a good one. Usually, in fish stews you add different kinds of leftover fish and seafood that is not very fresh but not gone bad either. Then, you put a lot of tomato juice and condiments to give a strong taste so nobody knows that the fish is not at their best. This book feels the same. The author collected a variety of cliche, already discussed ideas such as positive thinking, meditation, goal prioritization, focus, getting up early, more exercise and yes, oh yes, eating of live food aka becoming a vegetarian. The last bit almost made me to throw the book to a wall. So, what do you do when you have absolutely nothing new to say but you want to make it interesting so everybody buys your book? Bingo, you use a fable. Everybody loves one, right? So, in order to touch the main target group, the depressed corporate employee, you take a lawyer as a main character. You add a bit of drama, a heart attack, which pushes the hero to quit his job and leave in a quest to find himself? Where does the hero go? You guessed it…India, of course. After he spends some time with a very isolated yogi group in the Himalayas he comes back to the US enlightened, looking 30 years younger and ready to help others find the true path to happiness and health. The first victim is a colleague lawyer to whom our hero presents the complex ancient philosophy in one night. Yup, this is all it takes to become a new person. Most of the book is a dialogue between the “monk” and his moronic friend. The disciple is so entranced by the sage of his mentor that he agrees with everything he says, no questions are asked and all the proposed techniques and ideas are immediately adopted. I sometime wondered if hypnotization was used.

Maybe I could have digested all these ideas if the book had been well written. Which it wasn’t. A 10 year old could have done a better job. It was boring and ridiculous.
Profile Image for jenna.
165 reviews2 followers
January 23, 2013
I categorized this book under spoofs because it made me laugh so much. I wanted to stop reading it because I found it ridiculous, but I wouldn't feel worthy of panning it here if I hadn't completed it and the joy of sharing my take on this book kept me turning pages and dog-earring quotable pages.

First, let me be clear, I like me some cheese; I like it with crackers and I like it with wine and I like it in my entertainment and personal growth. That this book is cheesier than a Velveeta factory was not the problem. The problem is that you have to back cheese up with some realism to make it relatable and digestable. Sharma does not do this.

Sharma did one thing that I very much did like, at least he may have done this, naming the book. It's a great title and made me want to read it immediately as I already had the book outlined in my head based upon the title and it was very good. I should have stuck with my own fantasy. Instead, there's a ton of new age advice espoused thru a very dumb fable that serves as some new age pnuemonic (which it takes John, the "student", most of the book to get and then is praised heavily by Julian, "the teacher" for this observation like a special ed teacher giving a student a lollipop for looking both ways before crossing the street. Actually, this typifies most of their interactions... only a special ed student would eventually become resentful of the condescension... But this never happens to John because he is a complete idiot, oh, sorry, I mean "empty cup". He's more like an empty thimble who's practically ejaculating over every trite concept Julian throws his way with wide eyed awe.).

Maybe these immaculate revelations would have had more of an impact on me as a teenager, but you would've had to get to me in early adolescence to impress me with the wonder of "think positive thoughts!", "prioritize what's important in your life!", "live in the now!", "find a purpose!", etc. etc. I love new age ideas and concepts, but Sharma just reguritates other people's wisdom and doesn't even make it interesting or unique. He even quotes himself from the book in the book! Each lesson has a summary of key ideas, actions, etc. and in each one he quotes himself, from the chapter you JUST READ, which has to earn him Douche of the Month, if not DOTYear in my opinion.

He is also an awful writer, most evident in his use of speaker tags and abuse of adjectives, which were actually my favorite part of the book-they were that bad. here are some fun examples:

"'Do I have to find a special lake to apply the Secret of the Lake?' I asked innocently."

"Hardly 'new age,'" he said, with a broad grin lighting up his radiant face.

Julian remembering the monks:
"I still remember seeing these wonderful looking people seated on the little bamboo chairs reading their strangely bound books with the subtle smiles of enlightenment unforlding across their lips."

"Easy, big fella! I couldn't agree with you more," offered Julian with all the warth and patience of a wise, loving grandfather.

Here's my favorite part of the book. John is talking about his big belly:
"It's really not that big," Julian suggested in a consoling tone.
"Then why does Jenny call me Mr. Donut?" I said, breaking into a broad smile.
Julian started to laugh. I had to follow. Soon the two of us were howling on the floor.
"I guess if you can't laugh at yourself who can you laugh at?" I said, still giggling.

Oh, I could go on and on, because Sherma does in this same manner. Sigh, it feels good to get this out. In summary, the book doesn't espouse anything bad or incorrect, it just does it in a really pathetic and sometimes insultingly condescending way.

Profile Image for Dimple.
18 reviews1 follower
February 3, 2013
"The monk who sold his Ferrari" can be called as life-changing novel!
These kind of novels add essence to your life and gives you direction specially in the hard times. It gives you the answer to the questions like What is the purpose of life? How we can attain happiness and satisfaction? etc..
Nothing in it is Unknown to us yet it makes us notice that "Known"!
It tells us to savor each moment with exuberance along with an aim in life.. It is our prerogative to lead a happy successful and rewarding life.

The novel tells the Vastness of India and the ancient techniques which our ancestors have been using since eternity which is the Secret of Life!

This novel made me realise the Mortality of Humans and how each day counts infact each moment and each thought!

It has transformed me and my life now is your turn..
Profile Image for Hatem.
37 reviews24 followers
August 16, 2016
قراءة : حاتم

عنوان لافت للنظر يختصر قصة محامي ناجح يسقط ارضا اثر ازمة قلبية في جلسة مرافعة. في آخر الأيام تبدلت أحوال جوليان مانتل إلى ذلك الشخص الذي يطنب لساعات في قاعة المحكمة دون أن يستطيع أن يغير من مسار قضية موكله شيئا !. لقد كان محاميا لامعا يملك كل ما يتمناه أي شخص , يلبس بذلات ايطالية لا يقل السعر الواحدة منها عن ثلاثة آلاف من الدولارات و يرتاد أرقى المقاهي الليلية بصحبة الفاتنات.

في ثوان معدودة حسمت الأزمة القلبية الأمر. وكأنها نتيجة للانفلات الاجتماعي والعاطفي والروحاني الذي كان يعيشه مانتل في آخر الأيام. ذلك الانفلات الذي بدأ فقط بهوس بالعمل إلى ساعات متأخرة من الليل سعيا لحل القضايا الواردة لمكتبه. نهاية إلى المادية التي كان يغرق بها نفسه والتي تتجلى أبرز صورها في سياقة ليلية متهورة لشخصه المخمور بصحبة فريق – لا يقل شغبا عنه - اسماه " فريق التدمير" !

يقرر جوليان أن يترك المحاماه ويختفي بعدها لثلاث سنوات. عاد جوليان شابا يافعا بشكل فاجأ رفيق مهنته القديم جون , عاد مليئا بالسلام الداخلي , خاليا من التجاعيد , ومن عينيه يشع بريق بشكل جعل من جون لا يصدق نفسه انه امام صديقه القديم الذي رآه آخر مرة وهو مظطرب متعب.

في هذا الكتاب يسرد جوليان رحلته إلى جبال الهمالايا ولقاؤه بالمعلم كريشنا , الذي يشاركه نفس الماضي الأليم ومهنة المحاماة , فقرر أن يترك كل شئ خلفه. علمه كريشنا ألا يندم على ماضيه أيا كان , فالماضي هو أفضل معلم للبشر. كثيرة هي اسرار الحياة الجملية التي تعلمها جوليان من المعلم كريشنا , لكنه – اي جوليان – لن ينسى بالتأكيد أفضل ما دلّه عليه كريشنا وهو عالم السافانا.

وفي هجرة صعبة تكبد فيها جوليان عناء التسلق إلى حيث العالم الجديد. تتغير الوجوه ويطل عليه أكبر الرهبان هناك خبرة وسنا , المعلم رامان , ولفترة يظل يتلقى الدروس حول سر الحياة الجميلة. كانت البداية بقصة من المعلم رامان في غاية البساطة تتحدث عن مصارع سومو , وساعة ذهبية ومنارة شاهقة , وازهار صفراء ندية وماسات في حديقة غناء. ويردف بعدها المعلم رامان قائلا : " اياك ان تتجاهل قوة البساطة " وكأنه يقول ان رموز هذه القصة الصغيرة بها أسرار الحياة يا جوليان.

تمضي القصة شارحا فيها جوليان لصديقه جون كل الرموز السبعة وفضائلها والاساليب المتبعة لاسقاطها كمتغيرات على حياة الفرد. فعندما يتحدث الحديقة الغناء فهو يعني أن العقل عقلك وانك مسؤول عن السيطرة عليه وزراعته بالنباتات الجيدة ويعرض الكتاب أساليبا يمكن استخدامها كقلب الزهرة الذي يعني ان تعطي لعقلك فرصة للتركيز بالاشياء.

ويختمها بالحديث عن الماس المنثور في طريق ما بالحديقة. وعلى نفس النهج يعرض فضائل الرمز وبعضا من الأساليب المساعدة. كانت الفضيلة هنا ان تحتضن لحظاتك الراهنة وكانت الحكمة أن تعيش كل يوم كما لو كان يوما آخر عن الذي سبقه. وكانت ممارسة الامتنان واحدة من الاساليب المتبعة للمشي في طريق منثور بالماس !
ان كتاب كهذا واحد من أجمل الكتب التي قرأتها هدفا , فلا تخلو صفحة من ( القصة ) من حكمة ما , وكما ان التسلسل اللافت للاحداث والمعاني مدهش ويسهل الاستيعاب على القارئ. بحق لقد أعاد روبن شارما في كتابه هذا فلسفة حياة أهملها العالم , فلسفة لأناس يقبعون في عالم صغير ملئ بالبساطة , لكنه العالم الذي خلص جوليان من خطر محدق وجعله يولد من جديد.

ستعجب حتما بأن اساليب حكماء السافا ليست مجرد خطوات معنوية تجبرك على اتباع طرق معينة لظبط اهدافك , بل انها روزنامة من الافكار التي تظبط غذائك وتفكيرك واهدافك وحركتك أيضا ! . هل يلزمني الحديث عن الكتاب أكثر ؟! . اعتقد انك الآن بحاجة لقراءة كتاب ممتع كهذا أكثر من حاجتك لقراءة هذه المراجعة. اذن خذ نفسا وكوبا من القهوة وابدأ مراجعة عالمك الذاتي مع " الراهب الذي باع سيارته الفيراري" !
Profile Image for Tanu.
402 reviews530 followers
August 22, 2023
“People who study others are wise but those who study themselves are enlightened."

Easy to read. Beginner friendly. Enlightening read.

Grab your copy here or here.
Profile Image for Anu.
367 reviews918 followers
June 28, 2021
If I could take back all the hours I spent on reading this crap, I would. To say I hated it would be an understatement. Oh, it changed my life indeed, after all, it almost turned me into some kind of rage-filled, crazed monster. I wanted to burn this book and cackle evilly as it burnt. And I still don't get the fucking point of the book.

Also, who the fuck sells their Ferrari? If there is anyone who's planning to do so after having read this book, feel free to contact me. I'm in the market for a new car anyway.
Profile Image for Astrid.
66 reviews2 followers
October 18, 2008
Now I rarely read a book and stopped halfway.
Unless if it's really really boring.
Such as this one.
And it wasn't supposed to be boring. Because it's a fable.
But I didn't get anything out of it.So halfway reading, I skim through the rest.
I have the habit of joting down verses/nice words from my readings and..this book failed to give me anything.


Other than that.. I feel like it's a 'trying too hard version'of 'The Secret', 'Eat Pray Love' (the 'Pray section) and 'Tuesday with Morrie'


So sadly to say, the only thing I like about this book is the title.
Profile Image for Peep Laja.
38 reviews34 followers
June 3, 2007
The first time I read this book I just loved it. I read it at the time when I was asking myself questions regarding 'What to do with my life?'.

I found the book very energizing, giving me a lot of inspiration and motivation to go on and many answers to my questions.

When I read the book the second time, it didn't seem to have the same effect.

PS! Who is looking for great literary value, will be disappointed. Sharma is no writer, but if you can focus on the message, it won't bother.
Profile Image for Taghreed Jamal El Deen.
638 reviews627 followers
August 5, 2020
هذا الكتاب يصلح للإستخدام كمنوّم ؛ ما إن أقرأ فيه قليلا حتى يداهمني النعاس .. أنا التي تقرأ 300 صفحة كمعدل يومي بكل شوق وحماس استغرقت في كتاب من 200 صفحة ثلاثة أيام تخيّلوا ! أشكر نفسي بحق على المجهود الذي بذلته لإنهاءه

من المفروض أنها رواية عن تحقيق الأحلام ، لكنها ليست إلا سرد طويل لتعاليم ما يُسمى بالحياة المستنيرة لدى حكماء السيفانا الهنود ، عن طريق حوار ممل بين ملقّن ومتلقّي ، وهكذا إلى نهاية الرواية .. لا أحداث ، لا حبكة ، لا تشويق ... لا شيء أبداً
الشكل الذي اتخذه هذا الشيء - الكتاب مجازاً - جعل منه مسخاً لا هو بكتاب تنمية بشرية ولا هو برواية !

لكنني خرجت منه بثلاثة نتائج :
- لا تنخدع بالعناوين الجذابة
- لا تضع توقعات كبيرة للكتب التي يدّون على غلافها " بيع منه أكثر من مليون نسخة "
- أن تصادف اقتباسات جميلة للكتاب في مواقع التواصل لا يعني أبداً أن الكتاب يستحق القراءة

* الكتاب يحوي عبارات تحفيزية جميلة والإطلاع عليها يكفي تماماً ويُجزئ عن قراءته
May 21, 2019
I don't know about this. I started it about 10 times and dropped it like it's hot NOT. Maybe I need to get in the proper mood for this.

And the overflowing cup metaphor? How many times has this frakking Chinese legend been retold? 50 times? 1000 times? It's nice to think about the first couple hundred times I heard it but by the present moment it's my killswitch. I have read about it literally everywhere! Including spam and ads on miraculous stuff to get my nonexistent dick larger!

I can't even rate it properly. The book seems ok but annoyingly, I can't read it or get even anywhere through it. What the hell are Sages of Sivana? Uh? Maybe I need to first learn where that monk got his Ferrari? He wasn't a monk when he bought it, from how I got it. And why Ferrari and not any of hundreds of other cars? What about his plane? Ughhhh! I need to audit less. Or meditate. Or tie myself to a chair with this book in my lap. Or chuck it. I guess I'll be back at some point!

So far the rating is somewhere in the vicinity of 2-3 stars. The fault is, as is usual, with me. Still, there is something wrong with this book, though I can't phrase what it is exactly. It may change drastically. Or I might stop trying to get into books I dislike on the spot.

Q:
The moment I stopped spending so much time chasing the big pleasure of life. I began to enjoy the little ones, like watching the stars dancing in moonlit sky or soaking in the sunbeams of a glorious summer morning. (c)
Profile Image for Aakanksha Jain.
Author 6 books716 followers
May 22, 2021
Read a full review - Books Charming

Never forget the importance of living with unbridled exhilaration. Never neglect to see the exquisite beauty in all living things. Today, and this very moment is a gift. Stay focused on your purpose. The Universe will take care of everything else. It is a recommendable read.
Profile Image for Mona M. Kayed .
275 reviews282 followers
March 12, 2013

لطالما سمعتً عن هذا الكتاب ، لكن أملي خاب فيه بشدة لدى قراءته . أفكار الكتاب ضحلة للغاية و ممجوجة حقاً . هنا أودّ أن أطرح سؤالاً عذبني طيلة فترة القراءة : ما مشكلة الناس مع العبادة ؟! أعني حقاً لم يعانون من كل هذا الخواء الروحي المرعب ؟

أعلم أنني هنا لستُ بصدد بيان ميزات الدين الإسلامي ، فأنا جاهلة فيه قبل كل شيء ، لكنني لم أستطع أن أمنع نفسي حقاً من المقارنة .. فكرة الكتاب تدور حول نظام الأيام السبعة من أجل السيطرة على العقل و الروح للوصول إلى حالة الامتلاء النفسي ، النظام يدور بشكل أساسي حول التأمل (و هو ما يقابله التفكر في عقيدتنا) ، ثم إن هناك المانترا للمساعدة على تهدئة الروح ، و المانترا هي مجموعة من الكلمات التي يكررها المرء في نفسه لتساعده على الاندماج في منظومة الكون بالإضافة إلى إراحة عقله ، كأن يررد 100 مرة عبارة : أنا سعيد ، أنا سعيد ، أنا سعيد .. المانترا في هذا النظام يقابلها (الأذكار) في ديننا ، فنحن نردد عبارات الاستغفار و التوحيد مئة مرة يومياً و ربما أكثر مع فارق وحيد ، هو أننا لا نسعى للانتظام في الكون بقدر ما نسعى إلى نيل رضا خالق هذا الكون .. أيهما أفضل برأيك ؟

ثم إن هناك فكرة أساسية ألا و هي عدم التطرف ، من المفيد أن تنخرط في هذا النظام لكن بوسطية و دون أي تطرف (ألا تذكركم عبارة أمة وسطية بشيء؟) ، و بالرغم من عدم التطرف ، إلا أن النصيحة المسجاة من جوليان لصديقه بأن يبيع هاتفه النقال و يقفل المجيب الآلي الخاص به ليعيش بعيداً عن الإزعاجات .. لا أدري كيف باستطاعته التوفيق بين الفكرتين صراحة !

هناك نصيحة أخرى وردت في الكتاب ، و هي أن يعيش المرء بعقلية فراش الموت ، أي أن يعيش كل يوم و كأنه آخر يوم من عمره (تماماً كما نؤمن نحن : اعمل لدنياك كأنك تعيش أبداً ، و اعمل لآخرتك كأنك تموت غداً) .

الكتاب برأيي فارغ تماماً من المعنى ، فهو يركز على أهمية اندماج الإنسان في الكون و يقول بأننا عبارة عن أرواح صغيرة نندرج جميعاً تحت مظلة واحدة هي روح الكون ! بربكم هل هناك ما هو أسخف من هذا؟ و مع أنه (أي الكتاب) من المفترض به أن يكون مساعداً لنا لملئ فراغنا الروحي إلا أنه هو نفسه جاء فارغاً من المعنى و مملاً للغاية ، كما أنه يحتوي على العديد من العبارات المنمقة التي قد تخدعنا بصياغتها بالرغم من عدم صحتها ، و مثال ذلك حين قال جوليان (الشخصية الرئيسية في الكتاب) أن جميع الكتب لا تضيف لنا شيئاً جديداً نتعلمه ، بل هي تساعدنا في اكتشاف ذاتنا لأنها تستخرج ردات أفعالنا تجاه ما نقرأه . قد تبدو هذه العبارة براقة للوهلة الأولى لكنها خاطئة بالطبع ، و أي قارئ يعلم تماماً مدى خطأ هذه العبارة .

في النهاية , و لغايات التوثيق أذكر بأن هناك فقرتين فقط لفتتا نظري حقاً في الكتاب ، الفقرة الأولى جاءت على شكل تحذير : احذر من لصوص الوقت ، هم أولئك الناس الذين يتصلون بك بعد أن تضع أطفالك في سريرهم و تلقي بنفسك على مقعد وثير لتقرأ كتابك المفضل ، أعجبتني هذه الجملة للغاية .

الفقرة الثانية جاءت في نهايات الكتاب و هي قصة بيتر و الخيط الذهبي ، قصة رائعة مفادها أن يعيش المرء لحظات يومه دون أن يتعجل مستقبله و دون أن يحكم على نفسه بالعيش في الماضي ، أي أن تستمع بيومك كما هو .

على الهامش : بالرغم من أن الكتاب لم يعجبني على الإطلاق ، إلا أن الفقرتان السابقتان تثبتان خطأ الكاتب حين أخبرنا بأن الكتب لا تضيف شيئاً جديداً لنا ، و إلا لكان كتابه مجرد حوار فارغ من أول صفحة فيه و حتى نهايته ..!
Profile Image for Sanjay Gautam.
241 reviews474 followers
July 10, 2015
A mediocre book. Although the author has tried to make the book full of wisdom, it hardly achieve its desired result - of helping an individual; it utterly fails to make any impact.
Profile Image for Raha.
186 reviews207 followers
March 7, 2020
خوب بود منم دوستش داشتم^^ از اون دسته کتاب هایی بود که موقع خوندنش، حس خوبی از گذر آرام و بی دغدغه ی روزهای زندگی به آدم دست میده

شارما در این کتاب، که بر اساس تجربه های شخصی خودش نوشته، راهکارهای عملی و جالبی برای داشتن یک زندگی بهتر و آرام تر ارائه می ده... آرامشی که در این دوره و زمانه ی شلوغ و پر هرج و مرج، حضور و وجودش بیشتر از هر زمان دیگه ای احساس میشه. تجربه ی این کتاب، حداقل برای من، از اون دسته تجربه های ناب و لذت بخشی بود که برام تازگی خاصی داشت

راهکارهای کتاب برای داشتن یک زندگی بهتر، به قدری آسون و ساده ست که فکر می کنم خیلی از ماها بدون اینکه حتی خودمون هم متوجه ش باشیم، اونارو روزانه و گاهی روتین وار انجام میدیم! کارهای ساده ای مثل مطالعه کردن، گوش دادن به یک موسیقی خوب، داشتن یک رژیم غذایی سالم، ت��نیک های تنفسی و همین طور انجام مراقبه و مدیتیشن و دقایقی از روز رو در سکوت و آرامش گذراندن

خلاصه اینکه با این کتاب و در کنار یک موسیقی زیبا و ملایم بهاری کلی به من خوش گذشت
^__^
Profile Image for Krystal.
1,879 reviews418 followers
September 14, 2020
Once again I am disappointed by a book because I misunderstood what I was getting into.

I honestly thought this was a biographical account of a dude who really did sell all his posessions and wander off to discover the meaning of life. But that's just the ruse the author uses to tell you what he believes are the secrets of life.

It's basically a beginner's insight into spiritual development in a form similar to both The Courage to be Disliked and The Alchemist, in that it uses a fictional discussion between two characters to deliver all its wisdom.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anything new enough here to make up for my disappointment at being jipped on the motivational biography I thought this was.

The setup is this: Julian is a hotshot lawyer who has a heart attack one day in court. This serves as his wakeup call so he sells everything he owns then goes off to India to live among sages who will teach him the meaning of life. Then he comes back and passes on all this wisdom to his hotshot lawyer protege, and this book is essentially that conversation between the two.

Firstly, it's a bit of a stretch that this protege is so open to changing every single aspect of his life so dramatically, and the sporadic attempts at humour just make this more ridiculous. The setup is a poor one, because it's so unrealistic, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the methods. It all ends up feeling rather far-fetched instead of practical - and this from a person who completely supports the seven points that are made.

It's almost like the author was too lazy to provide actual facts, figures and examples, so just put all is own thoughts into these two fictional creations. I guess the point is to make it more accessible but it made it seem phony and conceited to me. I guess the delivery just really rubbed me the wrong way.

But aside from that, the concepts it provides are actually quite useful, and it's all stuff I've read repeatedly in books on personal development. It just simplifies it all, which is what I mean about being 'Spirituality for Beginners'. I'm not denying the information, but it just barely scratches the surface. Ironically, it's like the 'quick-fix' version of personal development.

So overall I hated the delivery and it was a little too basic for me, but I do support the information it conveys and think this is a great entry point for anyone who may be looking to begin a little self development.
14 reviews7 followers
January 16, 2013
Some books are meant to be tasted, some are meant to chewed, some digested. While there are some rare books that not only meant to be digested but also made to be a part of the body and mind. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is one such book.
The books moves at a good pace and the never becomes boring as peachy books tend to be. In fact, the way the teachings have been presented in a story format is the most important reason why this book has become so popular among the masses. It also lasts only 200-odd pages hence can easily be completed on a long train or road journey. It took me three days to complete the book as I had other things to do, but at my normal pace I could have easily competed it in 4-5 hours. However this is not a book which is meant to be read quickly and forgotten, and is best read slowly. It takes some time to understand some of the teachings, and requires inflection as to how they can be applied in our own life. The teachings are simple and some of them are well-known. But the presentation of the ideas is what sets this book apart from other books.
All of the teachings can be remembered by the simple story of the sumo wrestler told in the book.
On a personal level, and this book has certainly caused a lot of change in my life. I am feeling in myself a new energy, something which I had lost for a few years.
Read thoroughly and applied diligently, this book has the potential to transform our lives. Although its not practically possible to apply each and everyone of the teachings (As I later found out), this book fully deserves the accolades it has been getting, and should be made a part of our system. I wouldn't have even started writing all these reviews if it hadn't been for this book, and as I usually only think about doing things but never actually do it. This book compelled me to live the life that I have always dreamed about. It has also made me see positive things in life
. It has taught me to be clear about what you want from life and direct your entire focus towards it, and not get affected by the trivialities that surround it. I am extremely grateful to Robin Sharma for penning such a wonderful book
Profile Image for mohamad jelvani.
213 reviews62 followers
September 29, 2019
کتابی در زمینه خودشناسی
هستی شناسی
زندگی معنوی
و روانشناسی موفقیت
تقریبا همسو با هر آنچه در دیگر کتاب های اینچنینی می توان یافت
با ادبیاتی روان و تقریبا پرکشش
در قالب داستانی که می کوشد مفاهیم مربوط به موضوعات بالا را
به شیرین ترین شکل
و قابل پذیرش ترین شکل
به مخاطب خود بباوراند
استفاده از قالب داستان به موفقیت کتاب کمک شایانی کرده است
اما انگار داستان پردازی برای نویسنده صرفا ابزار انتقال مفاهیم است
که از یک جایی به بعد دیگر لازمش ندارد و
کل داستان را محدود به گفتگوی دو نفره شخصیت های اصلی داستان می کند
تقریبا هفتاد درصد پایانی کتاب به این شکل می گذرد
شاید اگر نویسنده به جای این که مفاهیم مورد نظرش را
به صورت کلاسی و آموزشی از یک شخصیتش به شخصیت دیگر
مانند یک معلم منتقل می کرد
آنها را در بطن داستان به صورتی می گنجاند
که نتایج عملی آن را در زندگی انسان ها نشان می داد
کتاب در انجام رسالت خود خود
بسیار موفق تر می شد
Profile Image for Catherine Howard.
Author 13 books3,491 followers
December 31, 2013
Outing myself as a reader of self-improvement books with this review, but so what... I think it's all a bit of a waste of time if you don't try to spend some of your time improving your life from within.

THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI didn't start off well for me because I absolutely detest fables; my idea of cruel and unusual punishment is being forced to re-read THE CELESTINE PROPHECY, for example. My problem with fables is that they are, more often than not, stupid. They come across as a childish and often condescending way to get a point across when straight forward non-fiction would've done the job. They also tend to be written by people who, while extremely wise and with something very worthwhile and interesting to say, have no flair for writing fiction, and the whole thing just ends up being clunky, cheesy and unreadable, a faint burn of embarrassment for the author coming to your cheeks as you read.

I've just described the first 2-3 chapters of this book, but please: push through. I'm so glad I did. There's so many great insights in this book, and endless quotations for you to highlight or stick somewhere prominent. Of course, a lot of it is common sense, but what do you expect? The answer to the meaning of life? (Although Sharma actually has an answer for that: the meaning of life is to live a life of meaning.) And it introduced me to a Carl Jung quotation that's now one of my favourites: "he who looks outside dreams, he who looks inside awakens."

Great reading on the eve of a New Year and definitely worth a re-read with a highlighter. Just grit your teeth and push through those first few chapters.
Profile Image for Himanshu Karmacharya.
1,024 reviews107 followers
September 29, 2020
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is basically a self help book told in the format of a story. It is filled with positivity and motivation. And there is plenty of wisdom in the book.

But the book does seem ridiculous at times and it feels like one is reading an infomercial script.

The book did uplift me and filled me with positive vibes at times, but it still didn't convince me to sell my Ferrari (if I had one).
Profile Image for Catherine Oughtibridge.
167 reviews17 followers
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January 2, 2022
The monk who sold his Ferrari, is a misleading title. The man who sold his Ferrari and became a monk would have been more accurate. The idea of a monk driving a Ferrari is somewhat thought-provoking and made me smile. The book itself was a merger between fiction and instruction on techniques to perfect your life experience. It’s an easy-to-read book (I read it in an afternoon) and the structure works well making it easy to remember what went before, or where to look for a particular part.

From a fiction point of view, it too often told rather than showed. Leaving me feeling not quite satisfied.

And, I don’t feel helped. I don’t feel like my life has been enlightened. I feel like I’ve been told to get up earlier in the morning and meditate. I could have told me that before. Somehow, I couldn’t believe in these monks doing their one-handed press-ups at 4am every morning. I felt sorry for them. What sort of enlightenment requires being in the same village forever? How did the monks know about the real world if they didn’t experience it?

Overall, not for me.
Profile Image for سُعود.
120 reviews59 followers
March 18, 2012
الكتاب بشكل عام يحث على عدم اليأس من هموم الحيآة مشآكلها ومصآئبها ،،

ايضا كآنت محاولة من الكآتب في نقل الثقآفة الهندية إلي الغرب ،،
ومحآولة التأثير بالرجل الغربي وصرفه عن مآيسمى "بالحلم الامريكي"،
والذي يعتقده الغرب ،، هو مآيحيآ من اجله الرجل الغربي

أيضا نجح في تصوير او تشبيه عقل الانسآن بالحقل او الحديقة ،،
فكلما اهتممت به وزينته بالازهآر النآفعة ،،كلما سآندك ورفع من قدرك امام الناس
وكلما سقيته بالعالم النافع ،، اثمر بالافكار الثمينة

كتاب يستحق الاقتناء ومفيد لمن يبحث عن تطوير وانارة عقله
Profile Image for SaRa Hajj.
17 reviews54 followers
January 23, 2021
One thing came in my mind when I finished the book is that not everyone will enjoy this book and find it beneficial. Who will enjoy it and get the point of it? Only the people who believe in the ideas of the book like the power of habit, the power of positive energy, the art of self-control and the disciplined thinking and many other traits.
Lots of people will think that these topics are a waste of time maybe they are not ready to absorb them, maybe they didn’t get the chance to try any of them and see how powerful they are.
For me I will read this book every couple of years because I believe that NOW I am not ready to absorb it completely. I assure you that before reading this book I tried many techniques stated here and it really helped me in one way or other.
Profile Image for Maria Bikaki.
828 reviews441 followers
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October 15, 2018
Αποφάσισα το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο να μην το βαθμολογήσω και νομίζω ότι αυτό θα κάνω από δω και στο εξής με όλα τα βιβλία αυτοβελτίωσης και εξηγώ το γιατί. Σε πολύ πρόσφατη κριτική μου σε βιβλίο του Γιάλομ έγραφα ότι τελικά δεν υπάρχει βιβλίο που μπορείς να το προτείνεις στον άλλο, ότι δηλαδή διάβασε αυτό το βιβλίο γιατί εμένα μου άλλαξε τη ζωή και το ίδιο θα κάνει και με τη δική σου γιατί πολύ απλά κάθε άνθρωπος τελικά έχει διαφορετικά βιώματα και διαφορετικές ανάγκες, ίσως αν θέλετε και ανάγκη ν΄ ακούσει διαφορετικά πράγματα οπότε εκ των πραγμάτων δεν είναι όλα τα βιβλία για όλους.
Αυτό ακριβώς συνέβη με μένα και το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο το οποίο πολύ μου είχαν συστήσει ως από τα εξαιρετικά βιβλία αυτοβελτίωσης αν ήθελα να ξεκινήσω από κάπου. Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο δε δούλεψε καθόλου στην ψυχοσύνθεση μου μα καθόλου. Χωρίς να θέλω σε καμία περίπτωση ν’ αμφισβητήσω ότι ο συγγραφέας ανήκει πραγματικά στην κατηγορία των πεφωτισμένων εκείνων ανθρώπων που κατάφεραν ν ‘ αλλάξουν τη ζωή τους κάνοντας τ’ αυτονόητα στη δική μου περίπτωση η καταγραφή αυτών των βασικών αρχών μέσα στο βιβλίο δεν στάθηκε αρκετή αν θέλετε για να με παρακινήσει να κάνω το βήμα παραπέρα, ν’ αναλύσω, να καταγράψω. Θέλω να πω ότι δεν αισθάνθηκα ότι σε μια δύσκολη στιγμή μου για παράδειγμα θα μπορούσα ν’ ανοίξω το βιβλίο ξανά και να πάρω κουράγιο και δύναμη μέσα από τα λόγια του και τις διδαχές του.
Στο βιβλίο σε κάθε περίπτωση καταγράφονται μερικές σπουδαίες και μη αμφισβητήσιμες βασικές αρχές που ναι αν τις εφαρμόζαμε στη ζωή μας ενδεχομένως να επιτυγχάναμε μια καλύτερη ποιότητα ζωής. Στη θεωρία όμως. Στην πράξη όμως δεν είναι ότι μου φαίνονται αδιανόητο να εφαρμοστούν αλλά μου κάνουν και λίγο μεγάλα λόγια του αέρα που όλοι λίγο πολύ μπορούμε να τα σκεφτούμε αλλά στο τέλος της ημέρας πολύ δύσκολα θα τα κάνουμε πράξη. Προτιμούσα δηλαδή αν θέλετε ένα βιβλίο που σταδιακά θα με οδηγούσε κάπου, που θα με έκανε να παιδευτώ και να θελήσω ν’ αντιμετωπίσω τους φόβους μου και όχι τόσο ένα βιβλίο πάρε 10 αλήθειες και θα δεις το φως το αληθινό. Ίσως βέβαια για να μη μειώσω την όποια αξία του βιβλίου αυτό που δε δούλεψε με μένα ήταν ότι δεν μου άρεσε υποθέτω και τόσο πολύ ο τρόπος της αφήγησης, τον είχα φανταστεί διαφορετικά και δε με έπεισε η κουβέντα μεταξύ δύο αντρών που συμφωνούν όλη την ώρα στην ορθότητα των διδαχών ενός γιόγκι οι οποίες πάνω κάτω ήταν ίδιες σε όλη τη διάρκεια της ανάγνωσης. Εν τω μεταξύ εγώ προσωπικά με τον μόνο γιόγκι που τα πάω καλά είναι ο γιόγκι μπεαρ ξέρετε το παιδικό με τον αρκούδο. Εν κατακλείδι μου έλειψε το αλατοπίπερο. Η σκέτη σοφία δεν είναι πάντα αρκετή. Αυτά.
Profile Image for Lubna ALajarmah.
147 reviews5 followers
June 24, 2012
أحب قراءة مواضيع في التنمية البشرية على شكل رواية أكثر من أسلوب التلقين الذي يأتي على شكل نقاط أو نصائح وإرشادات ... أعجبتني هذه الرواية كثيرا وأنصح كل من يمر بمرحلة ضيق في الوقت أو عسر في هضم الأهداف أو صعوبة في المضي قدما في طريق الحياة البسيط الصحيح، أن يقرأ هذه الرواية وأن يشرب كوب شاي اخضر أيضاً ..


كتاب أكثر من رائع .. وقراءته ممتعة بحق
Profile Image for Tareef Mando.
132 reviews357 followers
November 9, 2011
أبدع روبن شارما في راويته هذه لأبعد الحدود، فهي حقًا مع راوية ‘الخيميائي’ أفضل الروايات التي قرأتها في حياتي ..
تدور أحداث هذه الرواية حول محامي من الطبقة الثرية، الطبقة المخملية، المترفة، الذي يملك كل شيء : أرقام فليكة، قصر يسكن فيه، سيارة فيراري، سمعة مهنية براقة .. لكنه يصاب بأزمة قلبية تجعله يدرك أهمية أن يجري في حياته تغيير جذري وداخلي عميق .. فيسافر لجبال التبت بحثًا عن حكمة الشرق ورحانيته وهناك يتلقي الحكماء وينهل منهم حكمة التغيير الشخصي ..
وبأسلوب أدبي جميل، يعرض جوليان مانتل (المحامي الذي ترهب) تجربته مع التغيير لصديقه المقرب ويشاركه ماتعلمه هناك وينقل له (ولنا) الشغف تجاه التغيير ..
لا يمكنني تلخيص أفكار الرواية وماتعرضه من فلسفة تغيير عميقة، فلا بد من قرائتها كاملة …

أحد أفضل الكتب التي قرأتها في حياتي
Profile Image for Vera.
95 reviews55 followers
April 9, 2013
΄Ενα βιβλίο που αξίζει να το διαβάσει κάθε αναγνώστης και να το έχει στη βιβλιοθήκη του. Δεν πρόκειται βέβαια για λογοτεχνία, αλλά για ένα βιβλίο /οδηγό για το σύγχρονο άνθρωπο που συχνά χάνει το πραγματικό νόημα της ζωής και αναλώνεται σε ανούσια θέματα που απομυζούν το χρόνο και την ύπαρξή του. Αλληγορικό και ανθρώπινο μπορεί να μας βοηθήσει να βελτιώσουμε τις σχέσεις μας με τον εαυτό μας και τους γύρω μας
Profile Image for Shog Al Maskery.
113 reviews545 followers
October 7, 2016
It's the type of book that reminds you of life lessons you probably knew but never applied. It touches upon simple things that we can do that will make big differences in our lives.
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