In My Own Way: An Autobiography 1915-1965

In this edition of his autobiography Watts tracks his spiritual & philosophical evolution from a child of religious conservatives in rural England to a freewheeling spiritual teacher who challenged Westerners to defy convention & think for themselves. From early in this intellectual life, he shows himself to be a philosophical renegade & wide-ranging autodidact who came to Buddhism thru the teachings of Christmas Humphreys & D.T. Suzuki. Told in a nonlinear style, In My Own Way wonderfully combines his brand of unconventional philosophy & often hilarious accounts of gurus, celebrities, psychedelic drug experiences & wry observations of Western culture. A charming foreword written by his father sets the tone of this warm, funny & 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.ForewordPrefacePrologueThe Stoned WoodTantum ReligioI Go to the Buddha for RefugeOn Being Half-miseducatedMy Own UniversityDawn in the Western SkyThe Sunwise TurnParadox PriestInterludeJourney to the Edge of the WorldBeginning a CountercultureOther SelvesBreakthroughThe Soul-searchersThe Sound of RainIndex