Know Yourself, Forget Yourself - by Marc Lesser (Paperback)

About the Book

Lesser teaches simple tools and practices for understanding, and even embracing contradiction and confusion. Readers learn to master five core competencies for a result of balance. Bolstered by the latest in neuroscience, this guide is nuanced and direct, profound and practical.

Book Synopsis

Our brains seek order and resist the unexpected, inconsistent, and counterintuitive. But life is more often paradoxical than predictable - which is why formulas for fulfillment and success often fail. Instead of fighting the tide of contradiction and confusion, Lesser teaches simple tools and practices for understanding, and even embracing, them.

Review Quotes

"Zen monk Lesser makes a case for embracing paradoxes to succeed in every arena in life....This compassionate and sage tome...is likely to help many make life-enhancing changes."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
"Cognitive dissonance has never felt so pure and poetic. Full of wise irony and simple truths, this book is a treasure for the ages."
-- Chip Conley, founder of Joie de Vivre Hotels and author of "Emotional Equations"
"An illuminating and insightful book."
-- Sharon Salzberg, author of "Real Happiness"
"Marc Lesser shows us a path through the contradictions within us....A wonderful and profound book."
-- Van Jones, president of Rebuild the Dream
"After a lifetime of Zen study, Marc Lesser has distilled the life lessons of Buddhist practice into sane, eminently useful, result-oriented procedures that will cut through confusion, anxiety, and self-defeating behaviors....I can't recommend this book highly enough."
-- Peter Coyote (Hosho Jishi), actor, writer, and Zen priest
"In our work together at Google, I have seen firsthand Marc's extraordinary melding of Zen teacher and business leader, a combination that some people might consider a contradiction. Now in this extraordinary book, Marc shows us not only that contradictions are everywhere, but that embracing them can actually make us happier!"
-- Chade-Meng Tan, Google's Jolly Good Fellow and bestselling author of "Search Inside Yourself"
""Know Yourself, Forget Yourself" is a treasure trove of applied wisdom."
-- Joan Halifax, founding abbot of Upaya Zen Center
"Marc Lesser's life experiences as a Zen student and priest, CEO, small business owner, consultant, and executive coach give him a unique perspective on how to enhance your life by increasing your gifts to everyone you engage with."
-- Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry's
"Marc Lesser has given us a leadership bible that, if practiced, will tap into the power of our own inner aware

Praise for the author's "Less"
"Loaded with practical, applicable insights and suggestions to simplify work and daily existence." -- Peter Coyote, actor and author

About the Author

Marc Lesser is cofounder and CEO of SIYLI: Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, a nonprofit company devoted to creating enlightened leaders worldwide. A Zen teacher and executive coach, Marc lives in Mill Valley, California.