Dr. Peck should have cut this book in half and sold it as two separate books. I liked the first half, but disliked the second. It's divided in 4 sections. Here's my 1/10 grade on each section:

DISCIPLINE: 7
LOVE: 8
GROWTH AND RELIGION: 4
GRACE: 2

As you can see, I believe the first two sections were much better than the last two sections. The book was getting interesting and then suddenly it took a sharp turn and went downhill after that.

PROS:
- Conversational writing style, although a bit long-winded at times.

- Several engrossing ancedotes about his patients, especially in the section called love.

- Each section is just a few pages, helping to make things flow.

CONS:
- Paragraphs are hard to digest: he often has enormous paragraphs that take up nearly the whole page.

- Peck's tough love is a bit much. The book begins: "Life is difficult." He goes on to describe how tough everything is, the importance of discipline, and not to be lazy, etc.... Personally, I don't see life as being such a monumental struggle. Maybe I'm lucky, but I felt that too often Peck looks at situations as the glass being half full. I suspect his world view came from working with patients who had problems. He listened to people complain all day. If I had that job, I might also conclude that life is difficult. However, I felt like Peck was a military man ordering me around.

- Too preachy. I have a degree in Religion, and perhaps because of that, I have a wider view of world religions than Peck. Although he occassionally mentions the Buddha, he is a strong Christian. There's nothing wrong with that, but I was expecting that this book would be less preachy. Some readers (like me) who expect this to be a secular book will be surprised by the religious turn it takes in Part 3.

- It's shocking at the bottom of page 175 (in my early edition) where he says he would have sex with his patient if he thought it would help her! It's not surprising that later Peck would admit to having had several extra-marital affairs. His wife of 40+ years divorced him a few years before his death. My point is that such statements in this book make me lose confidence in his judgment and make me question everything he writes.

- In the "Miracle of Evolution" section, he states that humanity is the top of evolution. This 19th century belief has been updated by most scientists in the 21st century. Humans are just on branch on the evolutionary tree, and not necessarily the highest branch. In a global nuclear war, mosquitoes may feel genetically superior to us because they will have survived.

- He argues we are the center of the universe. I don't buy it. He writes, "We live our lives in the eye of God, and not at the periphery but at the center of His vision, His concern." God didn't even put us in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, but on its periphery. Maybe Peck's right, but he didn't convince me.

WHO MIGHT LIKE IT: Traditional Christians will probably disagree with my review. Some Christians might love how Peck merges psychology and religion. I didn't.

CONCLUSION: I had high expectations for this book, having heard much about it. It was more disjointed than I expected. The turn it takes halfway through the book is particularly unexpected. I prefer books like "Your Best Life Now!" where the author is up front with the reader about his intentions to preach his religious beliefs to him. Peck sneaks it in there and it's a turnoff.

I have not read the entire book but I am on a spiritual journey and I found that this book is taking me there.I would love this book on tape which helps me to hear and remember it.I've always said I wanted peace and grace and there is a section on grace which I found that I was looking for. I want to buy the followup book on spiritual growth. I am going to try to find tapes also. The other book is......" Spiritual growth in an age of anxiety", and I think what better time then now,to discuss what is in this book. It is written by a well respected physician.

The Road Less Traveled is one of my favorite books of all time. Scott Peck gives a great perspective on life.
Beginning with the quote "life is difficult".
I have read almost all of Scott Peck's books and think he is amazingly talented.
A MUST read.
All the very best,
Sarah Radford
President Chic Gems, etc.

IT WAS A SUBSTITUTE BUT PROMPT DELIVERY SERVICE.
NOTHING ELSE TO SAY . HAVE NOT READ YET.

this is a really great read and the copy was imaculate. thanks amazon and those who supplied the book!

I found this book to be a great starter book as I begin the travel of my own towards personal growth. It's full of psychotherapy, and although I'm not an expert in that field, I found it to be very satisfying and thought provoking. I would, and have, recommend it to others.

I found this book to be a great starter book as I begin the travel of my own towards personal growth. It's full of psychotherapy, and although I'm not an expert in that field, I found it to be very satisfying and thought provoking. I would, and have, recommend it to others.

Parts of this book are simply incredible. Peck's thoughts on the role of problems, the content of genuine love, the nature of miracles and grace are truly phenonemnal. Peck is certainly a brilliant man who brings remarkable insight to the table. While this is true, parts of this book lack cogency. For example, his thoughts on the problem of evil, original sin and the religion of science are neither convincing nor compelling. Part of the problem is that he deals with these subjects in a cursory way, not giving them the attention they demand. It is as if he quickly offers his thoughts to these age-old issues as panaceas that save the day, allowing the human race to exhale a sigh of relief. I doubt that this is how Peck intended to be read, but this is my perception of these sections. Overall, this book is worth reading for the sections when Peck shines. However, be warned that there are also parts that will fail to satisfy.

I'm not one of those people who stalk the aisles of the self help section at all. But when someone lent me this book seven years ago, it was a turning point in my life. I've since bought my own copy of all three books in the series and have found it necessary to go back and read them from time to time (especially the first and third books).

When I first started reading this book I couldn't fathom that the brand of spirituality that Peck offers was even possible. I had discarded all spirituality since childhood because I had learned early on about the hoorors of religion. More than anything, this book spurred me to start along the path to discovering my own sense of spirituality and my own life philosophy. It also helped me to think in more complex terms and beocme more comfortable with ambiguity and contradiction...reality essentially.

This book should make you uncomfortable when you read it for the first time. You have to be uncomfortable to evolve. I am grateful for having come across it at a relatively young age because my life has been better for having read it.

excellent self help book. a must read for everyone. You will be happy and successful in life if you follow the principles of this book.

The Road Less Traveled is a classic that explores personal discipline, love, growth and religion. It is inward looking, insightful, sound and practical in many cases. There are some areas that are controversial, and this can detract from the material a little. But, each person must choose his or her own path...as the book points out.

Scott Peck does an excellent job of presenting this material on self-reflection, analysis and addressing personal growth in a positive manner. Although the book was released three decades ago, it remains useful today.

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

I have accidently found this book and read it, This is an extraordinary book with great insight on the Life, conscience growth and Love. If you haven;t read this then you are missing lot of great insight which has been provided in the book. 5 star from my side

I remember receiving this book as a gift from an aunt of mine a number of years ago and reading it more out of an attempt to show appreciation to her than out of interest. Well, was I pleasantly surprised! Remembering this, I recently decided to read it again. M. Scott Pecks' Road Less Travelled is filled with deep, penetrating and original insights that most people at some level would concur are true. This is a book about spiritual growth, and specifically the author's view of how this can be achieved, and upon completion of it one cannot help but feel that he has succeeded to a large extent in illuminating the path towards such a noble, but difficult, objective. Many readers, after having completed this book, will feel that there is in fact meaning and purpose to life, and that is why this book can be a life-changer. That been said, however, do be prepared for some interesting surprises as you continue through it!

Being about psychotherapy and how this is actually a route to spiritual growth (as Peck states, psychological maturity is synonymous with spiritual growth), one of these surprises was to find Scott-Peck become quite mystical and philosophical in his writing the further you read, but in a way that makes sense and is quite convincing. In addition, many people would think that a book dealing with spiritual growth would be related to Christianity and its concept of God, while in actual fact the book encompasses much more than this. Indeed, it struck me, once I started reading the parts on Growth and Grace that the author has tried to put into modern words and concepts many of the things which the mystics and great seers of the past taught and believed. This was confirmed when in the chapter on the Welcoming of Grace, near the end of the book, we read: "One way or another these concepts have been set forth before - by Buddha, by Christ, by Lao-tse, among many others. The originality of this book results from the fact that I have arrived at their same meaning through the particular individual byways of my twentieth-century life." Some readers, especially the more scientific-minded, may be put off by the fact that the book becomes mystical and philosophical the more we progress through it. Such readers should however stay the course as this is an excellent book which anyone can benefit from, especially since it also deals with psychology and how one can improve their life. There is much wisdom in this book. I myself am very interested in science and quite well read on the latest scientific developments yet I did not find the author's statements about things like the unconscious mind being God, or serendipitous experiences, a turn -off. I think one day we are going to find that there is far more to this existence than the mundane "blind, pitiless indifference" and accidental universe taught and believed by many leading scientists who are adherents to scientific materialism. But that is only my opinion. Most people would concur that there certainly are experiences and events which cannot be explained by science, which itself is far too preoccupied with objective, measurable phenomena than the equally real subjective and un-measurable phenomena.

One of the insights provided in the book is the author's definition of love, which will be very different to what most people think love is. Real love is effort! Romantic feelings do (almost) always fade away! Love is not a feeling! To be truly loving is to make an effort for the benefit of another individual even when one does not feel like it or when it offers no direct reward to oneself. Nobody likes to make an effort because it drains your energy, but when you do so i.e. extend yourself for the benefit of another, then in many ways you are being truly loving. A typical example would be marriage. To make a marriage work when the romantic feelings of grandeur and excitement have passed requires effort, work and courage - i.e. the will to extend oneself for the benefit of another's spiritual growth. It was especially humorous to note the author's notion that romantic love, with its feelings of omnipotence and ecstasy (which is what a young baby feels when in its mother's arms - but which in the years ahead will have to grow up and break away and look after itself), is in reality a trap designed by evolution to snare people to mate in order to ensure the propagation of the species because the feelings always pass sooner or later and consequently most couples get married in total bliss unaware of what lies ahead. If most people really knew what marriage was all about and what lay ahead later on and how much work is involved in letting a marriage work, they would tremble at the mere thought of marriage vows and would not get married! At least, in the author's opinion.

So what is the road to spiritual growth that the author lays out for his readers, and the underlying message of this book? We have lost our spirituality and sense of purpose and meaning in life because we believe in the mechanical nature of the universe, not in miracles. Science tells us that not only are we lost and insignificant amid the enormity of the universe, but that we are also helplessly determined by internal forces not subject to our will - by chemicals within our brain and conflicts in our unconscious that compel us to feel and to behave in certain ways when we are not even aware of what we are doing. Because of this we suffer a sense of personal meaninglessness. But once we perceive the reality of grace, our understanding of ourselves as meaningless and insignificant is shattered. The fact that there exists beyond ourselves and our conscious will grace, being a powerful force that nurtures our growth and evolution, is enough to change our notions of insignificance forever, because once we perceive it, it indicates with certainty that our human spiritual growth is of the utmost importance to something greater than ourselves, namely God, and that God's will is devoted to the growth of the individual human spirit. The reality of grace indicates humanity to be at the centre of the universe. The author further asserts that we are born that we might become, as a conscious individual, a new life form of God, and also that the interface between God and man is at least in part the interface between our unconscious and our conscious minds. Our unconscious is God within us (like the Holy Spirit). Spiritual growth is a process of the conscious mind coming into synchrony with the unconscious. The collective unconscious is God; the conscious is man as individual; and the personal unconscious is the interface between them. Being this interface, it is inevitable that the personal unconscious (subconscious mind) should be a place of some turmoil, the scene of some struggle between God's will and the will of the individual. Mental illness occurs when the conscious will of the individual deviates substantially from the will of God, which is the individual's own unconscious will. Our conscious self concept almost always diverges from the reality of the person we actually are. The unconscious however knows who we really are, and therefore a an essential task in the process of one's spiritual development is the continuous work of bringing one's conscious self-concept into agreement with reality, because our unconscious is wiser than we are. We live our lives in a real world and to live them well it is necessary that we come to understand the reality of the world as best we can. Many aspects of the reality of the world and of our relationship to the world are painful to us. We can understand them only through effort and suffering. People attempt to avoid this effort and suffering and ignore the painful aspects of reality by blocking and throwing certain unpleasant facts out of their awareness. In other words, we attempt to defend our consciousness, our awareness against reality. If in our laziness and fear of suffering (these two things being the impediments to spiritual growth, caused by lack of discipline and by non-love) we defend our awareness, then it will happen that our understanding of the world and our actions will bear little or no relation to reality, and we will eventually become `out of touch with reality' and be deemed mentally ill. But before this extreme occurs, we are given notice by our unconscious of our increasing maladjustment through a variety of means: bad dreams, anxiety, depression and other symptoms. Although our conscious mind has denied reality, our unconscious, which is omniscient, knows the true score and attempts to help us out by stimulating, through symptom formation, our conscious mind to the awareness that something is wrong. In other words, the painful and unwanted symptoms of mental illness are manifestations of grace. They are the products of `a powerful force originating outside of consciousness which nurtures our spiritual growth.' Psychic phenomena are also clearly related to the operation of the unconscious.

The author further asserts that that are two forces at work on humanity: entropy and evolution (analogous to how these two fundamental laws work in physical science). Laziness is the force of entropy within us, pushing us down and holding us all back from spiritual evolution, because the process of spiritual growth is an effortful and difficult one, due to it being conducted against a natural resistance and natural inclination to keep things the way they were and to cling to the old maps and the old way of dong things ie. to take the easy path. But the miracle is that this resistance is overcome and we do grow. This force that pushes us as individuals and as a species to grow against the natural resistance of our own laziness is love - the will to extend oneself for one's or another's spiritual growth. Therefore love is evolution in progress. The origin of love (which is conscious and is the whole force of evolution) and of grace (which is unconscious) the author states, is a God who loves us and who wants us to grow. "We are growing toward godhood. God is the goal of evolution. It is God who is the source of the evolutionary force and God who is the destination" declares the author.

One minor issue I had with the book is that the author could have included some exercises on how we may develop our unconscious minds and thereby how to manifest synchronous events, because, in his own words, "A major purpose of the section on grace has been to assist those on the purpose of spiritual growth to learn the capacity of serendipity. And let us redefine serendipity not as a gift itself but as a learned capacity to recognise and utilise the gifts of grace which are given to us from beyond the realm of our conscious will. With this capacity, we will find that our journey of spiritual growth is guided by the invisible hand and unimaginable wisdom of God with infinitely greater accuracy than that of which our unaided unconscious will is capable. So guided, the journey becomes ever faster." There are quality books (ie. not new age mumbo-jumbo) on meditation and development of human abilities that teach one how to do this, and perhaps the author could have included some exercises for his readers. But all in all, this is a very interesting book that seems to summarise the great teachings of the past in the language of our modern-day world and which has the potential bring meaning and purpose into the lives of many who need it.

I remember receiving this book as a gift from an aunt of mine a number of years ago and reading it more out of an attempt to show appreciation to her than out of interest. Well, was I pleasantly surprised! Remembering this, I recently decided to read it again. M. Scott Pecks' Road Less Travelled is filled with deep, penetrating and original insights that most people at some level would concur are true. This is a book about spiritual growth, and specifically the author's view of how this can be achieved, and upon completion of it one cannot help but feel that he has succeeded to a large extent in illuminating the path towards such a noble, but difficult, objective. Many readers, after having completed this book, will feel that there is in fact meaning and purpose to life, and that is why this book can be a life-changer. That been said, however, do be prepared for some interesting surprises as you continue through it!

Being about psychotherapy and how this is actually a route to spiritual growth (as Peck states, psychological maturity is synonymous with spiritual growth), one of these surprises was to find Scott-Peck become quite mystical and philosophical in his writing the further you read, but in a way that makes sense and is quite convincing. In addition, many people would think that a book dealing with spiritual growth would be related to Christianity and its concept of God, while in actual fact the book encompasses much more than this. Indeed, it struck me, once I started reading the parts on Growth and Grace that the author has tried to put into modern words and concepts many of the things which the mystics and great seers of the past taught and believed. This was confirmed when in the chapter on the Welcoming of Grace, near the end of the book, we read: "One way or another these concepts have been set forth before - by Buddha, by Christ, by Lao-tse, among many others. The originality of this book results from the fact that I have arrived at their same meaning through the particular individual byways of my twentieth-century life." Some readers, especially the more scientific-minded, may be put off by the fact that the book becomes mystical and philosophical the more we progress through it. Such readers should however stay the course as this is an excellent book which anyone can benefit from, especially since it also deals with psychology and how one can improve their life. There is much wisdom in this book. I myself am very interested in science and quite well read on the latest scientific developments yet I did not find the author's statements about things like the unconscious mind being God, or serendipitous experiences, a turn -off. I think one day we are going to find that there is far more to this existence than the mundane "blind, pitiless indifference" and accidental universe taught and believed by many leading scientists who are adherents to scientific materialism. But that is only my opinion. Most people would concur that there certainly are experiences and events which cannot be explained by science, which itself is far too preoccupied with objective, measurable phenomena than the equally real subjective and un-measurable phenomena.

One of the insights provided in the book is the author's definition of love, which will be very different to what most people think love is. Real love is effort! Romantic feelings do (almost) always fade away! Love is not a feeling! To be truly loving is to make an effort for the benefit of another individual even when one does not feel like it or when it offers no direct reward to oneself. Nobody likes to make an effort because it drains your energy, but when you do so i.e. extend yourself for the benefit of another, then in many ways you are being truly loving. A typical example would be marriage. To make a marriage work when the romantic feelings of grandeur and excitement have passed requires effort, work and courage - i.e. the will to extend oneself for the benefit of another's spiritual growth. It was especially humorous to note the author's notion that romantic love, with its feelings of omnipotence and ecstasy (which is what a young baby feels when in its mother's arms - but which in the years ahead will have to grow up and break away and look after itself), is in reality a trap designed by evolution to snare people to mate in order to ensure the propagation of the species because the feelings always pass sooner or later and consequently most couples get married in total bliss unaware of what lies ahead. If most people really knew what marriage was all about and what lay ahead later on and how much work is involved in letting a marriage work, they would tremble at the mere thought of marriage vows and would not get married! At least, in the author's opinion.

So what is the road to spiritual growth that the author lays out for his readers, and the underlying message of this book? We have lost our spirituality and sense of purpose and meaning in life because we believe in the mechanical nature of the universe, not in miracles. Science tells us that not only are we lost and insignificant amid the enormity of the universe, but that we are also helplessly determined by internal forces not subject to our will - by chemicals within our brain and conflicts in our unconscious that compel us to feel and to behave in certain ways when we are not even aware of what we are doing. Because of this we suffer a sense of personal meaninglessness. But once we perceive the reality of grace, our understanding of ourselves as meaningless and insignificant is shattered. The fact that there exists beyond ourselves and our conscious will grace, being a powerful force that nurtures our growth and evolution, is enough to change our notions of insignificance forever, because once we perceive it, it indicates with certainty that our human spiritual growth is of the utmost importance to something greater than ourselves, namely God, and that God's will is devoted to the growth of the individual human spirit. The reality of grace indicates humanity to be at the centre of the universe. The author further asserts that we are born that we might become, as a conscious individual, a new life form of God, and also that the interface between God and man is at least in part the interface between our unconscious and our conscious minds. Our unconscious is God within us (like the Holy Spirit). Spiritual growth is a process of the conscious mind coming into synchrony with the unconscious. The collective unconscious is God; the conscious is man as individual; and the personal unconscious is the interface between them. Being this interface, it is inevitable that the personal unconscious (subconscious mind) should be a place of some turmoil, the scene of some struggle between God's will and the will of the individual. Mental illness occurs when the conscious will of the individual deviates substantially from the will of God, which is the individual's own unconscious will. Our conscious self concept almost always diverges from the reality of the person we actually are. The unconscious however knows who we really are, and therefore a an essential task in the process of one's spiritual development is the continuous work of bringing one's conscious self-concept into agreement with reality, because our unconscious is wiser than we are. We live our lives in a real world and to live them well it is necessary that we come to understand the reality of the world as best we can. Many aspects of the reality of the world and of our relationship to the world are painful to us. We can understand them only through effort and suffering. People attempt to avoid this effort and suffering and ignore the painful aspects of reality by blocking and throwing certain unpleasant facts out of their awareness. In other words, we attempt to defend our consciousness, our awareness against reality. If in our laziness and fear of suffering (these two things being the impediments to spiritual growth, caused by lack of discipline and by non-love) we defend our awareness, then it will happen that our understanding of the world and our actions will bear little or no relation to reality, and we will eventually become `out of touch with reality' and be deemed mentally ill. But before this extreme occurs, we are given notice by our unconscious of our increasing maladjustment through a variety of means: bad dreams, anxiety, depression and other symptoms. Although our conscious mind has denied reality, our unconscious, which is omniscient, knows the true score and attempts to help us out by stimulating, through symptom formation, our conscious mind to the awareness that something is wrong. In other words, the painful and unwanted symptoms of mental illness are manifestations of grace. They are the products of `a powerful force originating outside of consciousness which nurtures our spiritual growth.' Psychic phenomena are also clearly related to the operation of the unconscious.

The author further asserts that that are two forces at work on humanity: entropy and evolution (analogous to how these two fundamental laws work in physical science). Laziness is the force of entropy within us, pushing us down and holding us all back from spiritual evolution, because the process of spiritual growth is an effortful and difficult one, due to it being conducted against a natural resistance and natural inclination to keep things the way they were and to cling to the old maps and the old way of dong things ie. to take the easy path. But the miracle is that this resistance is overcome and we do grow. This force that pushes us as individuals and as a species to grow against the natural resistance of our own laziness is love - the will to extend oneself for one's or another's spiritual growth. Therefore love is evolution in progress. The origin of love (which is conscious and is the whole force of evolution) and of grace (which is unconscious) the author states, is a God who loves us and who wants us to grow. "We are growing toward godhood. God is the goal of evolution. It is God who is the source of the evolutionary force and God who is the destination" declares the author.

One minor issue I had with the book is that the author could have included some exercises on how we may develop our unconscious minds and thereby how to manifest synchronous events, because, in his own words, "A major purpose of the section on grace has been to assist those on the purpose of spiritual growth to learn the capacity of serendipity. And let us redefine serendipity not as a gift itself but as a learned capacity to recognise and utilise the gifts of grace which are given to us from beyond the realm of our conscious will. With this capacity, we will find that our journey of spiritual growth is guided by the invisible hand and unimaginable wisdom of God with infinitely greater accuracy than that of which our unaided unconscious will is capable. So guided, the journey becomes ever faster." There are quality books (ie. not new age mumbo-jumbo) on meditation and development of human abilities that teach one how to do this, and perhaps the author could have included some exercises for his readers. But all in all, this is a very interesting book that seems to summarise the great teachings of the past in the language of our modern-day world and which has the potential bring meaning and purpose into the lives of many who need it.

I read this book years ago,it is a wonderful book to read over and over. I have recommended this book to all and I mean all of my friends, that is why I purchased it this time, for a dear friend. I love all of Dr Peck's books.

I first read this book in 2000. And I thought my own problems with this book might just be my problems projected on to the book. Or those justifiable with impeccable reasonings were just minor problems, the criticizing of which would keep me from seeing the main issues and value of Peck's writing.

I'm no expert in biology nor in thermodynamics. I am not a medical doctor (like Peck) nor a famous author (like Peck). Despite these facts, I believe that Peck can be demissed because he makes the argument in this book that life--human and otherwise--overcomes the second law of thermodynamics (energy, though conserved, always moves to lower state of usefulness).

My faith now and then is that the Sun currently provides a vast and long-lasting source of useful energy. My belief of this is unshakeable. I believe that life does not place energy in anymore of a useful state than a silicon-based microprocessing unit. Nevertheless, Peck argues that Life does disprove the second law of thermodynamics. A minor point, but one that after 7 years of consideration was good a one to dismiss this stupid narcissistic pop-fool.

He claims to use the scientific method, yet on very basic perceptions I believe he gets it totally wrong. When I just think about most of the ideas covered in this pop spiritual book that have less tangible aspects with reality. I now believe with good reason and my own unshakeable faith that those too are just as ill-conceived as his notion of life overcoming the 2nd law of thermo.

This book is still one of my all time favorites. Though a bit outdated now, the values and guidance is still all good, basic, sound advice. Well worth the read, espeically if you are struggling with relationships or just life in general.

Invest in yourself and read this book, you are worth it. I promise you will not go away without having enriched your life. Stop trying to wish your problems away ...... it doesn't work...it never has....it never will.

Highly recommended and very helpful to discovering the person you want to be to live a healthier, more full life (and how we may be preventing that journey). This has helped both my husband and I in our individual and married lives - was recommended by our therapist and has helped tremendously.

By the time i came to review this book, there already 160 reviews posted. I don't know if mine will make any difference, but here it is:

I read this book in the early days i was studying to become a therapist, and read it again recently. That first time, it was the best book i've ever read (just did not know i could write comments :) I started my studies trying to understand: myself, the world around me. And how scared i was! That the book starts with the sentence "life is difficult", gave me a reason to continue reading. Finally, somebody said what i felt all along, but could not verbalize since everyone else around me did not seem to think so. Yes, this life we are living is a difficult one, and nowadays is getting more and more difficult as we strive to make ends meet and make sense of a paranoid world unfolding around so fast to catch, let alone comprehend. And though i've read many books since that time that have given me more answers and understanding to comprehend myself and the world, this book, the Road Less Traveled, was for me the first that got me started on this road to self discovery, world discovery.

So thank you Dr Peck for living, learning, and sharing with us, and setting us on this road that has no return, the crossroads where psychology and spirituality meet - though i have to say i was not too excited with the Christian religion gloss, yet i think i get the point.

A unique study of growth through psychotherapy; anyone can benefit. Peck says we already have the knowledge we need, we just draw on it through our conscious; we learn what we already know. He uses patient/doctor discussions to explain his point. Refreshing and informative from the very first page. You will also find it insightful and well reasoned. He finds his chief enemy is invariably laziness; it will take work. Before Peck begins he wants us to know:

"As a psychiatrist, I feel it is important to mention at the outset two assumptions that underlie this book. One is that I make no distinction between the mind and the spirit, and therefore no distinction between the process of achieving spiritual growth and achieving mental growth. They are one and the same."

The book begins, where it all starts: with good parenting, via tuff love, kindness, comfort, and delayed gratification. Without this, Peck shows how childhood went on to corrupt our adulthood. And now we need to relearn. The book is divided out into flowing sections; each section is covered by short descriptions set off by sub-headings.

So we learn poor parenting leads to problems in adulthood. Taking the extra time when they are young saves more time later in life. As adults, procrastination haunts us; it is better to suffer now than later; the problems don't go away. We end up passing our freedom on to others (just look at how our country votes!). Because we tend to fool ourselves away from pain and difficulties we don't open ourselves to challenge and growth. Regulating anger is a major problem for many of us. Holding our marriages together is another. There are some very important misconceptions on love. "For the most part, mental illness is caused by and absence of or defect in the love that a particular child required from its particular parents for successful maturation and spiritual growth."

How often does the miraculous slip by us without notice; could it occur more than we may know? "Among humanity love is the miraculous force that defies the natural law of entropy"; the mysteries that are grace. Peck says mental illness occurs when one deviates from the will of God: "The closer one comes to godhead, the more one feels sympathy for God. To participate in God's omniscience is also to share His agony." Every one of us has a religion, "so we squabble over our different microcosmic world views, and all wars are holy wars".

Even Jung sees there is something more: "Life has always seemed to me like a plant that lives on its rhizome. Its true life is invisible, hidden in the rhizome. The part that appears above ground lasts only a single summer. Then it withers away----an ephemeral apparition. When we think of the unending growth and decay of life and civilization, we cannot escape the impression of absolute nullity. Yet I have never lost a sense of something that lives and endures underneath the eternal flux. What we see is the blossom, which passes. The rhizome remains".

Wish you well
Scott

I had to write a quick review simply because the one that shows first is so negative. This is my favorite book. The writer below seems to be inferring things from the book that I never did... I completely disagree with the author of the last comment. I do not think Peck is endorsing religion, but rather spirituality, but if you get yours from religion, so be it. Why was he so shocked about the patient and sex comment?.... I am not going to even expand on each aspect of his comment... it would just be a jumbled mess... I recommend this book to anyone. It reveals universal truths and every line... almost every line rings true to me and to many, many people. I understand, after reading the last comment, that it may fly in the face of what is generally accepted by the field (when necessary)... just my kind of book.

The book was a collection of run-on sentences. The author appearently, has only a passing aquaintence with periods. The most dissapointing aspect of the book was the title. It is written from the perspective, of an upper, middle class, conservative christian; harly the road less traveled. Unfortunatly, the lowest rating you can give is one star; what a waste of money!

Quite possibly the most important book I have ever read as I do believe that this book has had a bigger impact on my life than any other. However, I am at a bit of a loss to describe it as it covers a smattering of topics from love to discipline, maturity and religion. If I could only recommend one book to you, this would be it. A MUST read.

A great work explaining life in easy to read terms. The Psychology of Dicipline, Love and God - and how they work together. Highly recommend for all those struggling with any relationship problem. Chuck C

I first read this book 20 years ago, and have read it more than once, and it had a huge effect on me. I just purchased a copy for my 21-year-old grandson, who can benefit from these messages about love, discipline, and responsibility. The book isn't religious, it's spiritual and psychological. I think the concepts in this book are important and the world would be a better place if more people understood them, concepts about taking responsibility for oneself and realizing that love is a decision and a commitment, not just a passing feeling. I still admire this book after all these years.

A bevy of psychological and self-help books have been written since M. Scott Peck first penned this work of towering intellect. In my honest opinion, few of them have even approached THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED. For over twenty-five years millions have read his book for clarity, inspiration, enlightenment, and wisdom.
Considered a different kind of psychology/self-help work, The Road Less Traveled, approaches subjects like dependency, egos, and falling in love, with a perspective so fresh and revolutionary, that for many years it became a sort of psychological manifesto.
It addresses the painfulness that confronting our life's dilemmas can cause us, and shows how our very reluctance to deal with these problems actually result in greater dilemmas and increased pain and anxiety.
Many of the concepts so brilliantly laid out by Peck, are still not totally embraced by society. His section on love (section 2) is one of
the most unique and insightful descriptions of love written in modern times. He cogently dispels the myths of falling in love, romantic love, and love as a feeling. These three "myth under standings" are embraced by everyone from Hollywood to the couple next door. Peck clearly delineates between what he calls true, or pure love, and feelings that closely resemble love. His book is broken into four sections, Discpline, Love, Growth and Religion, and Grace, and are written from the pyschotherapeutic perspective.
After reading Peck's book,I am amazed at the range of dysfunctionality that can be reasonably attributed to a lack of mental growth and development. It is a very intriguing thought that our own mental ability to embrace reality,quite possibly holds the key to self-fulfillment and inner peace of mind.

Like many who may be inclined to purchase a book on leading a productive, engaged , spiritually rewarding life written by a psychiatrist, I have studied more than my share of psychology over the years. What Scott Peck, M.D., does however, is take the many different pieces that I knew at some level and puts them in a most readable and utile manner. This is not touchy-feely, free love, take what you want, feel good psychology but the real deal calling for real discipline, thoughtfulness, separation, and commitment -- that is if one wants to lead a sane life life of self growth and do his/her part for the spiritual growth of a partner and/or children.

Emerson defined genius as the expression of previously unsaid but seemingly common knowledge. The Road Less Travelled largely breaks no new ground but by taking many disparate strains from psychology, psychiatry, theology, and his own life long observations, his books falls well within Emerson's definitions of genius.

I clearly wish I had read it sooner; the clarity provided (the emphasis on discipline and delayed gratification for example) could have helped me get to the less travelled road of rewarding self fullfillment much sooner than my jumbled attempts at same. However, one needs to be in a frame of mind to appreciate the prescriptions of Dr Peck. That requires a receptivity to thinking hard about the well trod but perhaps very self destructive path to which one may be deeply committed . One must be ready to dare to change a course that does not work and commit to both a plan of action and other people in a way that one had not truly considered. Could I have done that without the weight of my own experience revealing the inadequacies of my older approach?

If a reader is in a frame of mind to take a hard look at his/her own life and listen to some challenging prescriptions well reasoned and well presented, then this is a hell of a book-- maybe even a personally tranformative one.

This book blew my mind. The perfect balance of where psychology meets life. It was unexpected, practical, deep, well-written & I've already purchased copies for several friends. I think I expected to be inspired (and I was), but I didn't expect to get new insights on life to the depth that I received from reading this book. I assumed it was a Christian book from the mention of spirituality in the sub-title, but was blown away by the approach it took on the spiritual dimension of living (turns out it wasn't Christian-based & would not be offensive even to an atheist, deist or non-practicing person). Can't imagine a person who would be bothered by reading it & can only imagine how many people I wish would read it because it would benefit them. Just read it - even if only out of curiosity - you WILL learn something.

This book is about you/me and whether or not you want to work at being honest with your life. If you are searching for yourself and just can't seem to find where you've been hiding Dr. Peck gives you a foundation to build a positive learning environment and an eyepiece to see yourself.
Definitely a library worthy read!

This book is one of the "Must Reads" for everyone who is in search of success in life. While written three decades ago, Dr. Peck's words ring true today for the person seeking more out of their life.

The book is broken into four parts: Discipline, Love, Growth and Religion, and Grace. Each section has many examples from his work with patients...showing us that we are not alone in our stuggles in life, but that others have gone down the rocky roads that we each face. Life is hard, that is just a fact, but how we attack the problems we face are what sets us apart.

This book is easy to read and provides the authors insight into a few of his clients and how they grew personally and spiritually from a psychodynamic viewpoint. Perhaps what I didn't like was that it rambles far too much and sometimes I found myself getting lost as what the whole point of the story was all about.

Put your thinking cap on as you delve into the world of spirituality. You'll discover exactly what it means to you.

How amazing that we are still writing reviews on this record-breaking book 30 years after its writing! As another reviewer said, "The Road Less Traveled had an epiphany effect on my life." That has surely been the case for thousands of readers. Peck's insights into spirituality (not to be confused with religion) had a far more profound, immediate and direct effect on my adult spirituality than did my strict religious upbringing and my entire education at private religious schools (without disparaging the lessons of my childhood rearing).

The section of this book titled "Discipline" taught me that "spiritual" means more than just religious--and I have been infinitely more in tune with my spiritual side (the non-physical aspects of who I am) in the 20 years since the first of my many readings of this book than I ever was before.

The advice on love is indispensable. I used to tell everyone I dated that our relationship could not proceed until after they'd read that section--so they'd know what love is and is not! Another favorite section is where Peck talks about how most people stop drawing their maps of the world (their view of reality) at an early age because it is extremely painful to make revisions. But wise people embrace the pain of constantly redrawing our maps because it results in great rewards of meaning and purpose.

Some have mocked Peck's first sentence, "Life is difficult," as a great big "duh." They fail to mention the point he makes... how he builds on that. According to testimony, entire lives have been changed by the end of page one. Life's most important truths are the simplest ones (I learned that from this book, and it is so true!), and once we understand that life is difficult by definition, instead of assuming it is expected to be relatively easy, then suddenly it no longer seems the world is against us personally, and life is no longer so difficult. One page, changed lives!

I have given 20 to 40 copies of this book as gifts over time. But I always recommended only the sections on Discipline and Love. I told them I really didn't get much from the section on Grace, and that they should take it or leave it as they wished. (I can't deduct a star for this, since the rest of the book is so good.) I also agree with those who have said parts of the book are a difficult read. My first copy was a gift to me, and I didn't read it for several years, not until too many people recommended it for me to ignore it any longer. I had gotten bogged down in the case histories--the psychiatry talk. But be patient. The good parts are always just around the corner.

A book this successful, this enduring, and with so many accolades and favorable testimonies cannot be ignored by wise, thoughtful people.

This one takes me back. - I can think of many books that describe my current understanding and even more that express what I hope to be true, but the one most responsible for changing my reality is a "A Road Less Traveled" by M. Scott Peck.

I read it many years ago when I was at a particularly low point in life, alone, and filled with questions that I ironically considered basic. Peck's book introduced new concepts, in bite-sized pieces--at just the right time, and in doing so set me on a path that I continue to this day.

My reading list has grown dramatically since then, but "A Road Less Traveled" still occupies a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf.

Just finished reading this masterpiece...You should be lucky, if you can read books of this quality once every decade.It is a heavy subject on spiritual growth that even a voracious reader cannot hope to absorb the contents if he reads more than few pages a day.Every line, every word literally stops you, makes you think ,digest and move on.Being a heavy subject does not mean the book has to be a boring textbook. There should be tremendous clarity of thought to get it to the reader and a natural gift to bring the right words .. Scott excels as a writer

My kids, more than me are lucky that I read this book..Atleast they will certainly not fall into several pitfalls that i went thro in my spiritual growth. Here is an example about children, probably the central theme of the book ( dont miss the fascinating wordplay in the sentences)



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All children have neurosis, in that they will instinctively assume responsibility for certain deprivations they experience but do not yet understand. Thus the child who is not loved by his parents will always assume himself or herself as unlovable rather than see their parents are deficient in their capacity to love.

there is much that parents can do to assist their children in this maturation process. Opportunities present thousands of times while children are growing up ...because they duck responsibility,character disordered parents serve as role models for irresponsibility for their children.

Good discipline requires time.When we have no time to give to our children, we dont even observe them closely enough to become aware of when their need for our disciplinary assistance is expressed subtly.The parents who devote time to their children even when it is not demanded will perceive in them subtle needs for discipline, to which they will respond with gentle urging or reprimand or structure or praise, administered with thoughtfulness and care. They will observe how their children eat cake, how they study, when they will tell subtle falsehoods, when they run away from problems rather than face them.They will take time to make minor corrections,tightening a little here, loosening a little there..The time and quality of the time that their parents devote to them indicate to children the degree to which they are loved by their parents..

To the child, abandonment by its parents is the equivalent of death... For children either abandoned psychologically or in actuality, enter adulthood lacking any deep sense that the world is a safe and protective place.

To a child his or her parent is everything; they represent the world. The child does not have the perspective to see that other parents are different and frequently better. He assumes that the way his parents do things is the way things are done. Consequently the realization - the "reality" that this child came to was not "I can't trust my parents" but "I can't trust people". Not trusting people therefore became the map with which he entered adoloscence and adulthood. With this map and abundant store of resentment resulting from many of his disappointments, it was inevitable that he came into conflict with authority figures - police, teacher, employers....he had many opportunities to revise his map, but that would require him to revise his view of his parents - to realize that they did not love him, that he did not have a normal childhood...such realization would have been
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Does this section below ring a bell on your childhood or a guilt that you can do a better job as a parent??? How about if you can become a better husband, wife, manager, parent, and above all a humble person all in One package......Just go and buy this book and recommend to every one of your friends..

This book is a must! I was recommended this book by a therapist and it has really opened my eyes to why life can be so painful and how to fix it. I am a deployed soldier with limited resources and counseling opportunities. Being remarried and deployed with three children, this book has given me insight on better ways to be a husband and highlighted mistakes and correction needed to be an effective and loving father. I believe anyone referred to this book that doesn't read it is a fool.

I have gotten this book as a gift many times but never read it but listening to it now on CD I see why it is such an important book. I have really enyojed it and am so glad to have had the opportunity to know this information.

Only a very small percentage of books are worth reading multiple times, and "The Road Less Traveled" is undoubtedly one of them. I have read some of the passages three, four times and am still finding fresh ideas. I am deeply impressed by Peck's penetrating intelligence and tremendously benefited from his profound insights to life.

There are two kinds of people - those who look smarter than they are and those who are smarter than they look. Scott Peck is clearly the second kind. The first time I read it, I could not continue beyond the first few pages - it just seemed too dry. Peck was a first-class scientist. There were no slogans or fancy presentation styles, but every word of the book was well thought - which I only realized after my second and third reading. Readers if you feel the same way as what I felt the first time, remember my words and stick to it. Some day you will feel so lucky for your whole life that you have been enlightened.

Of course you don't have to agree to everything in the book to be enlightened. Nobody is perfect. Nobody has everything right. Nor was Scott Peck. However, always remember that just because you don't think he's right does not necessarily mean that he is not right. Peck was a rigorous scientist and his observations are absolutely worth your consideration, while it is up to you whether you agree to them or not. Throughout my life so far there have been countless times that I realized that what I once held steadfast was completely wrong. And whenever those realizations struck me were my happiest moments.

I would guess that this book is not for everybody. The issues discussed in the book are so fundamental, and topics like religion, grace, miracle, and serendipity are always hotly controversial. However, put down your ego, listen to this intelligent guy, be ready to change yourself, look for some gold nuggets, and perhaps even experience the strikes of a few happiest moments.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. I'm not kidding!
It covers so many areas of spiritual growth in a simple and clear matter.
His section on Grace is right on. It is hard to beleive that when Scott Peck wrote this book he was an agnostic. It is deeply spiritual and will bring healing to broken lives (mine included).

If you ever wanted to know the true definition of Love - read this book.

Very difficult "read" , but very intuitive , but I believe this is not your typical "self-help" book for the everyday layman like myself included . I believe a background in sociology , or studious , serious "mind" explorers would like this book . It is a relative fast read , but I had trouble retaining from one day to the next as I believe much of the learning material was difficult . For serious readers only , save your money & watch "Oprah" as I believe one of her shows could help you in life mush easier then this excellent book . I know this sounds contradictory , but it's actually almost spelled out in this book this way.................

The Road Less Traveled had an epiphany effect on my life, one of the first insights in spirituality beyond my religious upbringing. Peck says that life is confronting and solving problems which gives life meaning. He sites some case histories but the book is rich in philosophy addressing discipline, balance of accepting responsibility, and dedication to the truth in all areas of life. He explains depression as giving up something one loves. Love is not an erotic experience, but empathy and risks--a will, not a feeling. One's world view may be different than the religion he claims. Peck's most profound concept is about grace being a powerful force originating outside of human consciousness, which nurtures spiritual growth and guide us to godhead.
Trish New, author of The Thrill of Hope and South State Street Journal, www.iUniverse.com.

The writing in this book is practical and clear and makes so much sense that at the end of each passage you will wonder how you haven't thought of it before. This is one of the few books I have read more than once, and that's because from time to time I have to remind myself of what I already know. I have recommended this book for everyone I have had a chance. It doesn't matter whether you have some knowledge of psychology or not, the language is simple for anybody to understand.

Author,
T Ruth About Caff eine
SCR Books

When I first read this book ten years ago, I was too young, immature, and inexperienced with life that I did not think much of it and didn't understand why so many people liked it. I reread this book a couple of weeks ago and it finally hit me! I finally see the many things going on around me much clearer. I then read 'The Ever-Transcending Spirit' by Toru Sato and things became even more clear (especially things about my relationships). I highly recommend both of these books to people who have reached a certain maturity level in mid-late adulthood. If you encounter them at the right stage, they might initiate a major transformation in your emotional and spiritual growth process. Happy reading!

Marina Kushner
Author
The Truth About Caffeine: How Companies That Promote It Deceive Us and What We Can Do about It

It is apparent that the first premise in Peck's book is that in order for humans to be a whole being, one must grow through spirituality (or enlightenment) attained through "grace" with the main purposes of gaining "capacity and understanding of serendipity" (309) and through "spiritual evolution, whereby people grow towards godhood" (270) and "become God" (283).

The second premise is that if a person is to be a complete being, one must possess a certain amount of "freedom" and grow in the capacity of love. Freedom can be through several avenues such as sexual "self-expression and exploration" (147).

Peck's premises are secular in nature, mainly concentrating on one's self. He confuses the true God with a man-made form of a god. Peck instructs readers not to conform to a particular religion, but inundates them with own "religion," which is a mixture of pseudo-Christian philosophies, Eastern mysticism, and post-modern thoughts. One of the ways he does this is by quoting Bible verses out of context.

Peck's version of love is a free-for-all deficient of morality and decency. Sexual intimacy is devoid of commitment through a covenant marriage, and reduces it to a spontaneous animalistic act. In fact, love is his excuse for sexual transgression of the therapist-client relationship.

It is a sad situation in our society when Peck's book becomes a bestseller. A "road less traveled" offers what the general population desires to hear: find your own way and do as you please.

Peck's definition of love is unparalleled in any of the literature I have read concerning the matter. I have always been particularly fond of Kahlil Gibran's depiction of marriage and love. However, I feel that Peck redefines it in modern English and provides a contrast to the "mainstream" view of love and "falling in love."

One caveat, though I agree with his position concerning psychotherapy, readers should be aware that due to the late Peck's profession, he was biased towards psychotherapy.

I read this book and t