TRYING NOT TO TRY The Art and Science of Spontaneity

Marc Cashman narrates in perfect attunement with the author’s ideas on Chinese philosophy and the historical and social science context of spontaneity. According to Slingerland, centered, confident mind states are the template for the calm and powerful operating style that Western psychologists call flow. Cashman’s voice is full of boyish enthusiasm, but his intelligent engagement never upstages the excellent writing or the author’s rich perspective on human intention. The book is one that could have come across as an esoteric indictment of Western logic and individual ambition. But as performed by Cashman, it unfolds with such equanimity that even Type A listeners will be charmed into considering more fluid, collaborative, and spiritual ways of interacting with the world. T.W. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2014]