In My Own Way

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 <i>In My Own Way</i> wonderfully combines Watts' 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 Watts' father sets the tone of this warm funny and beautifully written story of a compelling figure who encouraged readers to follow your own weird -- something he always did himself as his remarkable account of his life shows.