num_pages: 412
description: In this new edition of his acclaimed autobiography — long out of print and rare until now — Alan Watts tracks his spiritual and philosophical evolution from a child of religious conservatives in rural England to a freewheeling spiritual teacher who challenged Westerners to defy convention and think for themselves. From early in this intellectual life, Watts shows himself to be a philosophical renegade and wide-ranging autodidact who came to Buddhism through the teachings of Christmas Humphreys and D. T. Suzuki. Told in a nonlinear style, In My Own Way wonderfully combines Wattsâ€ own brand of unconventional philosophy and often hilarious accounts of gurus, celebrities, psychedelic drug experiences, and wry observations of Western culture. A charming foreword written by Wattsâ€ father sets the tone of this warm, funny, and beautifully written story of a compelling figure who encouraged readers to “follow your own weirdâ€ — something he always did himself, as his remarkable account of his life shows.
language: English
title: In My Own Way: An Autobiography 1915-1965
titlecomplete: In My Own Way: An Autobiography 1915-1965
genres: Buddhism, Biography, Spirituality, Autobiography, Philosophy, Religion, Zen, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Memoir
ratings_count: 1145
publisher: Pantheon Books/Random House, Inc. (NYC)