Product Description

'You know those people who always radiate cheerful optimism? Nauseating aren't they? I want to become one of those. I want to find out how to live life completely, abundantly, joyfully, stupidly. This is my quest. Enlightenment.' So proclaims Isabel Losada, Starbucks addict, exercise allergic and self-confessed sceptic as she sets out on the road to enlightenment. Beginning with an Insight seminar where hundred people with name badges discuss their 'inner beauty', Isabel journeyed through a gruelling course of 'Rolfing' nude Goddess workshops, a weekend of tantric sex ('Yes! Yes! Yes!') and a reincarnation session, not to mention a spot of colonic irrigation. Irreverent yet open-minded, funny and always honest, "The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment" is also moving and ultimately illuminating. For anyone who has ever been tempted to dip a toe in the waters of self-discovery, Isabel Losada plunges you straight in.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19822 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 252 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Isabel Losada leaves no stone unturned--literally--on her trip down The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment. Wishing to live her life "completely, abundantly, joyfully and stupidly" she makes an entertaining travelling companion as she describes her efforts to move away from her in-a-rut life where "nothing was changing". And she takes us everywhere with her: a life-skills course in North London; a convent retreat in Oxford; T'ai chi in France; a massage in Bath--even the past as she explores her previous incarnations. The journey is invigorating and exhausting and enriched by the numerous characters she meets en route.

The book is much more than a travelogue, however. Losada describes with considerable skill and sensitivity the breakthroughs in the lives of people around her--the woman who starts to work through childhood abuse, for instance, and another who confronts the bullies from school--and her honesty is refreshing and often surprising (her description of colonic irrigation takes the breath away). Often she picks up useful nuggets of inspiration that the reader can take away and digest and these are sprinkled through the text. Intercut throughout is her life with her daughter in a "shoebox" in Battersea and her burgeoning romance with Mark, the man she meets at a hypnotherapy seminar.

Losada has an entertaining and witty style and comes across as somewhat bossy but likeable all the same. And the stones she doesn't leave unturned?

The first part of this new experience involved sitting up and lying down again on to a row of hot stones that had been laid down to head up the muscles on either side of the spine. Damned clever

From the Author
I love this site because...
I love this amazon.co.uk site because being a writer is, of course, quite isolating and this puts authors in touch with the readers. And I really enjoy looking at the reviews to see what people liked and what they didn't and which bits are enjoyed and why.

I'm a single parent trying to live life the best I can and sort myself out. So I've been off and test driven some workshops. My quest to be happy every day, regardless of external circumstances, is quite genuine and I went out there to learn anything and everything that would help me to be a happier and hopefully more well balanced human being. You may think this is selfish but the only way I know how to give happiness to others is to have lots to spare. I've had fun as you'll see - but the humour is at the expense of my skeptical narrow mindedness and not at the expense of the disciplines studied.

I've tried to pass on some of the best of what I've learned - while being entertaining I hope. If the book doesn't make you laugh out loud occasionally please throw it in the bin. I hope you enjoy Battersea Park Road and, if you phone any of the contact names in the back of the book and try any of the courses yourself, I hope that you enjoy them and benefit from them as much as I did...

About the Author
Isabel Losada, actress, singer, dancer and television producer, lives in Battersea with her teenage daughter.

Customer Reviews

A funny, down to earth new age exploration
Make no mistake, read this book and , whatever your views on the various routes to enlightenment it espouses, you will laugh a lot. Out loud and, according to my wife, annoyingly. This is the funniest book I have read since, well, Stephen Pile's Book of Heroic Failures (written a long time ago), which, now I come to think of it, has similar themes. I can imagine Mr Pile adding a section on the 'the world's least successful attempt at tantric sex - when a Ms Isabel Losada of Battersea went on a weekend workshop ... without a partner.' Or the world's least successful massage, 'When a Ms Losada of Battersea nearly lost her skin being 'rolfed'.' Indeed a number of these routes to happiness seem spectacularly unsuccessful, but others, surprisingly, appear to actually work - eg. colonic irrigation which left the author with an 'inexplicable feeling of happiness and well-being'. I am definitely going to try it - when I've plucked up the courage.

In addition to finding the book extremely funny and well-written, for me as an anglican Christian,it was also a bit of an eye-opener. I confess to long-harboured, deep suspicions about 'alternative' therapies. For many Christians (and the author appears to be of the 'post-evangelical-sits-lightly-to-actually-going-to-church' variety), there will be lots of questions about some of the 'new-age' practices described, about which the church is usually highly suspicious. But Isabel tackles each of her encounters with a healthy scepticism, and given the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent remarks about the value of new-age insights, this book provides a very accessible cynics guide to a number of well-established 'alternative' therapies. If like me, you too are sceptical then I would heartily recommend this book, at least if you're not easily offended by four letter words....

A great read, a surprisingly useful reference book, very funny (it needs to be placed in at least three sections of your local bookshop - health, humour, religion, books with odd covers, etc) and a book that demands a sequel exploring more roads to happiness - how about pyramids, crystals, yogic flying, thalassotherapy, or astral projection? But, as the book says, take care of yourself out there.

VERY informative
I really enjoyed this book. VERY funny. Couldn't stop smirking and laughing when I was reading it. I read it very quickly. I loved her ability to have a laugh about all these exposing pursuits. She was able to be NOT politically correct, AND point out the heart warming conclusions brought about by these practices. She also tells you exactly what some of the therapists tell you; ie exact breathing techniques used for rebirthing, and what you feel like after. I loved her ability to mercilessly take the piss out of some of the people at these things, but at the same time fully participate in the processes, and come out with a kinder perspective afterwards. I like this because I think it is human nature to feel these things, and she said it out loud for all of us, so we don't need to feel bad about it. Having said that, although I really liked the book, she isnt the sort of person I would gravitate to at one of these workshops. She seems very likeable, but I would also say she is an extrovert, and a little reckless. Personally, I prefer my pals to have a little more impulse control, and not be so at home in the spotlight. I cringed a little at some of the stuff she got up to. A little clumsy from time to time. This is not to detract from the book. She is an excellent guinea pig, trying out all these new workshops, and she reports back in great detail, and isnt too shy to tell us *exactly* what she thinks. She tried some stuff I wouldn't have thought of trying, but after hearing about the benefits, I might just give it a go. She's no wallflower. Some of her observations are very perceptive as well as being funny. I would rather read this type of 'review' of a workshop or practice than the usual 'nicey-nicey' patter you hear about these things. Hers was a much more down to earth 'human' response. I might get her other (nun) book as well now.

A funny, touching and honest story of discovery
I found myself snatching time at work to read Isabel's book; it's a real page-turner. I don't normally find time to read much, but I made time to read this from cover to cover in a couple of days. It really made me laugh, it was great to read such a personal story told in such an open way. I'm a bit of a sceptic about "workshops" and "that kind of stuff" but this book really opened some doors for me. It didn't try and push things at me, it just told me about someone else's experiences, warts and all.

The book reminded me of Bridget Jones. But I always felt with Bridget Jones that I wanted to turn a page and find that she'd actually learnt something and made progress towards what she wanted - it was so frustrating. Here is a book of a journey that does actually go somewhere, and on the way makes a lot of funny observations on life. Isabel is disarmingly honest and open about her experiences and the people she met.

It's a great combination of information and a very funny story of discovery. From dancing around nude and tantric sex to colonic irigation and hitting cushions with plastic pipes - I wanted it to go on and on when I got to the last page!

Despite my scepticism about "things new-age", having read the book, I'm going to try at least 3 of the things myself.