[.ca] Sorcerer's Apprentice: My Life with Carlos Castaneda (ISBN 1583940766)

Window to an Insidious Mindset:
Anxiety, fear, distrust, co-dependency and physical manifestations of stress disorder are not terms one would associate with spiritual enlightenment. Amy Wallace, in detailing her own experiences with Carlos Castaneda, makes clear that this incongruity was always apparent to her. The paradox recalls Hamlet's remonstrance of Gertrude: "As if increase of appetite had grown by what it fed on." Each chapter became an increasingly uncomfortable journey, but one I felt compelled to follow. Wallace admits in one chapter she has been asked how could such an intelligent woman submit her own concept of self to another person so totally. But, then those people were likely not in contact with the charismatic Castaneda. From an outsider's view, I can see how - eerily - simple it is to supplant one's will with the mindset of a group. The Sorcerer's Apprentice gave me a "window," an approximation of this mental transformation; that's as close as I want to get to Castaneda's allure.

The Jury is Still Out!:
Having read everything Carlos has written and everything else about him I could get my hands on, I think the jury is still out. Throughout the entire book I had the nagging feeling in the back of my mind that Amy was probably "out of the loop" on what really went on with Castaneda. After getting no sleep the night after I finished this, I came to the above conclusion and also that Don Juan himself might seem to most to have an equally toxic personality. I also wondered if he only interacted with Amy because of the promise he made to her father. On the other hand, it is disappointing to hear a first hand account of his downright nastiness. His teachings certainly would not validate the kind of nastiness he seemed capable of. The Don Juan persona did not project that kind of negativity and destructive personality. Bottom line, it is sad that he let his ego run rampant to that extent. However, I just do not believe that the experiences and teachings that he wrote about were fiction. I never tried to live the existence that he proposed, but his emphasis on striving to become more "detached" rather than letting your emotions drive you crazy has made me a much happier person.

One of the many Men Castaneda lived as!!!!!!!:
Finally somebody has brought Don Juans teachings back to earth! This book will ground those who have been getting high off Castanedas books for years and will help new comers to castaneda take flight. A great book by a very sweet lady. Could not put it down.Peace to the Elf!?!!!!

I'm disappointed:
I was eagerly looking forward to reading this book and was disappointed when I finally had the opportunity. I quickly grew tired of the gossipy stories about the cult around Castaneda. I wanted to know more about the man but I finished the book with little more understanding then when I started. I was also disappointed by the author's "my parents did it to me" explanation for here relationship with the "Nagual." I found the flow of the book choppy and if I wasn't looking for interesting nuggest about Carlos, I wouldn't have bothered to finish reading it.

"A SEPERATE REALITY":
Its more than amazing to read through the reviews and notice the ones from the Castanada devotees. Castanada is still big business, Cleargreen is still giving expensive workshops selling Tai-Chi movements as something original (Tensegrety) please, give me a break. There are many people who are looking to give away their power to some guru...Castanada, Osho, etc. Anyone whom has a fully operative brain would have no trouble seeing through the Castanada mytho..If Castanada was really a shaman and had magical powers...things would have been much different. The reason he was a recluse and unavailable was simply to avoid being scrutinized. This kept him mysterious, and his myth alive and well...Carlos Castanada was a good writer of fiction that a lot of people with no sense of self tried to make the books into non-fiction..like most cults..and some religions. Read the manipulated mind, by Denise Wynn..for a clear picture. Amy Wallace's book is a good account of a person with no seperate identity trying to bond with a con man and getting burned royally. I am sure that the Castanada brainwashees..are having a hard time with this reality that they themsleves are being chumped....good book.