{"product_id":"mediocre-monk-9781954854994","title":"Mediocre Monk","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"OutlineElement Ltr SCXW247960938 BCX0\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"I loved—and to a slightly uncomfortable degree related to—this book.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCharles Bethea, staff writer at The New Yorker\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFunny, perceptive, and deeply personal, \u003cem\u003eMediocre Monk\u003c\/em\u003e follows Grant Lindsley’s rocky journey toward spiritual growth—one that ultimately leads him to places he never imagined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the sudden death of a friend, Grant Lindsley abandons his corporate job to train as a monk in one of the strictest Buddhist traditions on earth. Lost and bereft, he believes he can find answers in the mountains of Thailand. He shaves his head and eyebrows, eats one bowl of food a day, and lives in a cave, his solitude punctuated by brushes with snakes, scorpions, and drug smugglers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut Lindsley can’t transform himself into the profound guru he envisions—he’s hungry, restless, and lacking in the humility that monkhood requires. Eventually, he exhausts himself into moments of genuine growth, but not in the way he expects. Rather than transcending grief and becoming entirely self-reliant, he is surprised to find solace in allowing pain and reopening himself to community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor anyone who has nurtured a fantasy of dropping out in search of answers, \u003cem\u003eMediocre Monk\u003c\/em\u003e suggests a reality that is far more complicated—and rewarding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Grant Lindsley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48282413596923,"sku":"9781954854994","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/3917\/9771\/files\/9781954854994.jpg?v=1772488261","url":"https:\/\/indiepubs.com\/products\/mediocre-monk-9781954854994","provider":"IndiePubs","version":"1.0","type":"link"}