The Big Bang, The Buddha, and the Baby Boom: the Spiritual Experiments of My Generation
Join Wes “Scoop” Nisker on a wild ride from West to East and back in his quest for true self and enlightenment. Combining the best elements of memoir and social commentary, his story illuminates the spiritual hunger of modern America. From small town Nebraska, through the heyday of the Beats and hippies in the Bay Area from his vantage point as a high-profile newscaster, the birth of the environmental movement, and the social and spiritual blossoming of the West. This is a personal, guided tour of the outer and inner movements that joined together to shape the counterculture revolution, and laid the foundation for today’s mindfulness movement.
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“Nisker is the consummate student/teacher, soaking up the world…and trying to make it a better place. Long may he chant.”
“This is Wes at his best: smart, irreverent, endearing, laugh-out-loud funny, and—in these times when we so badly need it—hopeful.”
“A joyful, thoughtful romp of remarkable breadth: science, politics, psychology, pop culture and Buddhist dharma woven into a wise, funny, and truly wonderful journey”
Being Nature: A Down-to-Earth Guide to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness
Being Nature is an updated edition of Wes's classic book on Buddhism and evolutionary biology, Buddha's Nature.
Using the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, a traditional Buddhist meditation series, as a framework, Nisker offers a witty and insightful narrative along with practical meditations and exercises, to train the mind to overcome painful conditioning and gain greater self-awareness, increased wisdom, and happiness. He shows how recent discoveries in physics, evolutionary biology, and psychology express in scientific terms the same insights the Buddha discovered more than 2,500 years ago, such as the impermanence of the body, where thoughts come from, and how the body communicates within itself. Exploring the origins of attachment, desire, emotion, thought, and consciousness, as well as the essential role of biology in spiritual evolution, he demonstrates how we’re not separate from nature or the evolving universe.
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“A masterful look at who we are and how great our potential is to realize our true nature here and now, before this fleeting moment we call 'our' life dissolves back into all life...”
“Will be welcomed as one of the best efforts yet to bring together meditators and scientists. It is an instrument for our greater joy and achievements.”
The Essential Crazy Wisdom
Take a wild ride through the philosophies of the East and West to discover the madmen, dreamers, and unconventional wisdom seekers in the abridged, better-than-ever version of our best-selling cult classic. THE ESSENTIAL CRAZY WISDOM delivers the most significant, most lunatic, and most compelling insights of the ages. Scoop Nisker patches together the unorthodox teachings that have bubbled up through the words of such crazy visionaries as Rumi, Gautama the Buddha, Mark Twain, Lao Tzu, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Allen Ginsberg, and Lily Tomlin. Discover the common thread in these multiple perspectives and travel on this comedic course to enlightenment! Original edition sold over 40,000 copies. Learn more…
“A profound journey beyond science, philosophy, and psychology. Instant therapy!”
“Brilliant, original, consciousness expanding, profound, mysterious and very funny. Oh, the audacious joy of crazy wisdom! What more could you ask?”
Crazy Wisdom Saves the World Again!: Handbook for a Spiritual Revolution
Coming at a desperate time for the planet, this new book draws from religion, evolution, cosmology, and Buddhism, and calls for a new spirituality—one that fits our modern, scientific worldview. Wes “Scoop” Nisker shows why life is beautiful (“Be Here Wow!”) and invites all sentient beings to celebrate. Here is a seriously funny manifesto for Nisker fans and anyone looking for crazy wisdom to help cope with today’s world. Learn More…
“Fabulous! Wisdom, wit, deep ecological truths, and a cosmic vision that puts your problems and life into perspective.”
You Are Not Your Fault: the Collected Wit and Wisdom of Wes “Scoop” Nisker
Compiling for the first time, Wes’ best known essays as well as a selection of recent and never before published work, Wes takes readers on both a cultural journey (a tour through the sixties, through the modern environmental movement, the surge of Buddhism to the West) and a more personal one, exploring the motivation behind humanity’s search for spiritual enlightenment.
“A Mark Twain for our times…exquisite guidance on liberating the mind while loving the world.”
The Essential Crazy Wisdom
Take a wild ride through the philosophies of the East and West to discover the madmen, dreamers, and unconventional wisdom seekers in the abridged, better-than-ever version of our best-selling cult classic. THE ESSENTIAL CRAZY WISDOM delivers the most significant, most lunatic, and most compelling insights of the ages. Scoop Nisker patches together the unorthodox teachings that have bubbled up through the words of such crazy visionaries as Rumi, Gautama the Buddha, Mark Twain, Lao Tzu, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Allen Ginsberg, and Lily Tomlin. Discover the common thread in these multiple perspectives and travel on this comedic course to enlightenment! Original edition sold over 40,000 copies. Learn more…
“A profound journey beyond science, philosophy, and psychology. Instant therapy!” — Daniel Goleman, author, Emotional Intelligence
“Brilliant, original, consciousness expanding, profound, mysterious and very funny. Oh, the audacious joy of crazy wisdom! What more could you ask?” — Jack Kornfield, Buddhist teacher and author
Buddha’s Nature: A Practical Guide to Discovering Your Place in the Cosmos
In this provocative and groundbreaking book, you’ll discover that enlightenment comes from a deep understanding of our nature as nature. Using the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, a traditional Buddhist meditation series, Nisker provides a practical program, complete with reflections and exercises that enable readers to become mindful of the origins of their bodies, emotions and thoughts. One of the great synthesizers of East and West, Nisker shows how to incorporate the traditional understanding of the Buddha with the latest scientific discoveries while on our spiritual journey. He shows that we are not separate from nature and the evolving universe. Learn More…
“A milestone in contemporary Buddhism. I dare you to find a book on science that is so personal, or a book on meditation that is so funny and forgiving.” — Joanna Macy, author World As Lover, World As Self
“Buddha’s Nature is truly a healing and historic achievement.” — Brian Swimme, author, The Universe Story
“This book is a fabulous tool for our greater joy and achievements.” — Thich Nhat Hanh, spiritual teacher, author
Crazy Wisdom Saves the World Again!: Handbook for a Spiritual Revolution
Coming at a desperate time for the planet, this new book draws from religion, evolution, cosmology, and Buddhism, and calls for a new spirituality—one that fits our modern, scientific worldview. Wes “Scoop” Nisker shows why life is beautiful (“Be Here Wow!”) and invites all sentient beings to celebrate. Here is a seriously funny manifesto for Nisker fans and anyone looking for crazy wisdom to help cope with today’s world. Learn More…
“Fabulous! Wisdom, wit, deep ecological truths, and a cosmic vision that puts your problems and life into perspective.” — Jack Kornfield, Buddhist teacher and author
The Big Bang, The Buddha, and the Baby Boom: the Spiritual Experiments of My Generation
Some deep alternative current has begun flowing out of the spiritual adventures and identity struggles of recent generations. Of course, we didn’t create the conditions or questions of this new age; we got caught in them. The ground shifted, the old gods departed, the economic and political utopias crumbled, and the traditional answers were washed away. We didn’t leave home; home left us. Learn More…
“Nisker is the consummate student/teacher, soaking up the world…and trying to make it a better place. Long may he chant.” — Ben Fong-Torres
You Are Not Your Fault: the Collected Wit and Wisdom of Wes “Scoop” Nisker
Compiling for the first time, Wes’ best known essays as well as a selection of recent and never before published work, Wes takes readers on both a cultural journey (a tour through the sixties, through the modern environmental movement, the surge of Buddhism to the West) and a more personal one, exploring the motivation behind humanity’s search for spiritual enlightenment. Learn More…
“A Mark Twain for our times…exquisite guidance on liberating the mind while loving the world.” — Joanna Macy, author, World As Lover, World As Self
Scoop, I left SF 20 years ago for Seattle, our cousin coty for sure. I brought with me my dog eared copy of Crazy Wisdom which I have referred to on occasion. This week’s occasion was the suicide of my 23 year old niece. Mourning with her Lutheran family and having recently attended a leadership conference that was great, but sponsored by a ministry- this Buddhist oriented SF ex-pat needed some Crazy Wisdom. Thank you for your work. The Conclusions chapter was just what I needed to help me articulate in my head the perspective that gives me comfort as opposed to the ones around me that are giving comfort to others. As long as we all make sense of this senseless act and get back to the usual chaos, I think we’ll all be just fine. Thx again, Scoop!