Living with the Monks, Jesse Itzler
Living with the Monks, Jesse Itzler
6 Rating(s)
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Living with the Monks
What Turning Off My Phone Taught Me about Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus

Author: Jesse Itzler

Narrator: Jesse Itzler

Unabridged: 7 hr 23 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Center Street

Published: 05/29/2018


Synopsis

Equal parts memoir and road map to living a less stressful and more vibrant life, bestselling author Jesse Itzler offers an illuminating, entertaining, and unexpected trip for anyone looking to feel calmer and more controlled in our crazy, hectic world.

Entrepreneur, endurance athlete, and father of four Jesse Itzler only knows one speed: Full Blast. But when he felt like the world around him was getting too hectic, he didn't take a vacation or get a massage. Instead, Jesse moved into a monastery for a self-imposed time-out. In Living with the Monks, the follow-up to his New York Times bestselling Living with a SEAL, Jesse takes us on a spiritual journey like no other.
Having only been exposed to monasteries on TV, Jesse arrives at the New Skete religious community in the isolated mountains of upstate New York with a shaved head and a suitcase filled with bananas. To his surprise, New Skete monks have most of their hair. They're Russian Orthodox, not Buddhist, and they're also world-renowned German shepherd breeders and authors of dog-training books that have sold in the millions.

As Jesse struggles to fit in amongst the odd but lovable monks, self-doubt begins to beat like a tribal drum. Questioning his motivation to embark on this adventure and missing his family (and phone), Jesse struggles to balance his desire for inner peace with his need to check Twitter. But in the end, Jesse discovers the undeniable power of the monks and their wisdom, and the very real benefits of taking a well-deserved break as a means of self-preservation in our fast-paced world.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Holly on July 19, 2018

If spirituality is important to you, if you appreciate well-crafted writing, if you have studied and sought to implement spiritual practices in your life, this book is NOT for you. The author presents some good and useful insights gleaned during his sojourn with the dog-training monks of New Skete (......more

Goodreads review by Andrew on July 04, 2018

10% insight, 90% self-promotion. living with a seal was new and creative. This one read much like he was searching for a second book to write. If you are looking for a fun, live vicariously through an authors embellished stories and recreated (ie edited) dialogue then you will like this book. As som......more

Goodreads review by Micah on October 23, 2019

Like his surprise when he arrived at the monastery, this book was not what I had hoped for. For a book about living with monks, there was a lot of unnecessary profanity. I wasn't very impressed with the writing style or the content overall. It seemed like the book was forced and overfilled with lots......more

Goodreads review by Ambrose on August 22, 2018

This is not a book on spirituality nor is a book about the monks of New Skete. It's a memoir and it says as much on the dust jacket above the bar code. A memoir, though short on memory, it is pure Jesse Itzler. Sure, what he says in the book and what the pictures show don't exactly see eye to eye. A......more

Goodreads review by Angela on March 09, 2020

Parts of this book had lots of inspiration and meaning for me. Remember Tomorrow... I love that. How will you feel tomorrow about the choices you make today. (That is going to stick with me) Another quote that really made me think is: “The greatest challenge in life is discovering who you are. The se......more


Quotes

"At a time when stress and burnout have become global epidemics, along comes Jesse Itzler to remind us how important it is to be present, intentional and connect with ourselves and with what really matters. With wisdom and humor, he takes us not just inside the monastery but inside ourselves, toward a life of more stillness, more presence, more patience and more gratitude."—Arianna Huffington

Praise for Living with a SEAL:
It's hilarious!—LeBron James

"This is 100% Jesse. Do it differently and you get different results. That's the way he has operated his entire life and it has worked beautifully."—Mike "Coach K" Krzyzewski, Duke Basketball head coach

"Jesse is a risk taker and is always trying different things to get better. Plus, he's fun to go out with."—Tom Brady, New England Patriots, four-time NFL Champion, two-time NFL MVP

"Most of us go through life on auto-pilot. New day...same routine. This guy beamed a "live action hero" into his living room for 31 days to shake up his life. Sometimes you have to have the guts to do something radical to get results."—Dolvett Quince, The Biggest Loser

"Jesse knows what it takes to succeed in business and in life - a Don't Quit attitude! Our US Military embraces that attitude in training and survival, no one more so than the elite Navy SEALs. When my pal invites SEAL into his world, Jesse's life is never the same again! The relationship between these guys is outrageous - it's like the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air meets Rambo! But with all the insanity there are strong life messages, hysterical moments, and great lessons to be learned. Like Jesse, this book is a HIT!"—Jake Steinfeld, chairman and founder of Body by Jake

"George Foreman once gave me great advice. When I told him my husband ran 100 miles non-stop he said, 'Sara, don't try to understand a man like that. Just love him."—Sara Blakely, Founder of SPANX, Jesse's wife

"Living With A Seal is funny and compelling with practical wisdom that leaves the reader feeling elevated and empowered. It also deeply impacted my own personal journey to health, fitness and well being."—Cory Booker, US Senator for New Jersey