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Get the Gita by all means but avoid this print version. Wanted to have an extra copy of this book in addition to a hardcover copy but what a disappointment. The print quality is horrible, the text is hardly readable, fuzzy and smudged, it looks like something coming out of a 10yr old inkjet printer.
It went over so well, he was inspired to convert large pieces in the same poetical style. And because Huxley was probably the wrong person to write the Intro. It is a wonderful version. And rightly so, as the original is, after all, part an epic poem.I have to give it a four since part of the first chapter is left out because it is "like the list of ships in Homer". What Huxley says is worth reading, of course, but it should be read as Huxley and not representing Prabhavananda or Vedantism.Otherwise, there are so many copies of this floating around in used bookstores, and at such low prices, and because it is so readable, this is the one to carry in your back pocket or fill with marginalia. If you read "The Guru and His Disciple", which is Christopher Isherwood's memoirs in part, he tells the story of how the final version came about. Crestfallen because an editor finally admitted she couldn't tell the difference between the previous draft and all other translations, Isherwood went to his room and half an hour later returned with the first pages completely re-written.
Barnes & Noble has a good hardcover option on this book, which is a good buy. I was only disappointed on the quality of paper and print. The book is undoubtedly good. It gives a good overview of the Gita and discusses the principles of Hinduism in simple language.
I highly recommend this book. I read it every day for guidance and inspiration, and it is a wonderful antidote to the toxic messages that bombard us daily from advertisers and the media. I haven't read any other translation of the Gita, so I don't have any opinion about this translation vis a vis any other translation. However, I can say that this translation is simple to read and understand, and that the message of the Gita has had an enormous impact on my life.
It is an excellent addition to the library of a spiritual seeker. I believe that a lot of these ideas found in the eastern traditions and western gnostic traditions are so incredibly important in our day. This was my first true introduction to Hinduism. The messages are so significant and deep that it deserves additional readings in the future. I hope more people discover these messages within themselves. I was very moved by the Gita. It is very beautiful writing and is among the greatest books that I have ever read.
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