Dead Set on Living: Making the Difficult but Beautiful Journey from F#*king Up to Waking Up

I purchased this as a gift for a friend currently incarcerated who suffers from addiction and is really suffering. He has shared that he has found this book inspiring and he said he can’t put it down or stop reading it. He also has read pages to me that instead of lashing out its okay to be scared and voice that. When he’s done reading it he wants me to read it also because its for anyone struggling in life. I’m so happy he loves it and this book gives him faith and comfort with the spiritual side of it. Highly recommend

This is a fantastic wide and deep survey of spiritual practices that will help everyone live a life fully. This book is totally relevant to recovery and addiction but Chris’s raw, frank, and direct style towards suffering in life is applicable to anyone, unless you’re already enlightened or dead. Chris has had the great opportunity to dialogue with many wonderful and powerful teachers and he has synthesized those conversations in a cogent and approachable way so that anyone can take away very relevant and practical ways to address life’s challenges. I am a fan of Chris’s podcast and this book is an excellent complement to it. I personally find real life stories about challenges, successes, trips, falls, starting again, to be so helpful rather than those authors and teachers that present a Pollyanna view of the spiritual and recovery path. Chris is anything but Pollyanna. He is Chris - a real human that has had success, has stumbled, has gotten back up and keeps going. He is an inspiration to me and for many people who are just trying to make it through the day. This book, and the work that Chris does with his podcast and teachings, really models the concept that his teacher, the great Ram Dass, said about the spiritual path, that “We are all just walking each other Home.” Im glad that Chris is walking beside me.

Chris Grosso has created yet another amazing book!! He has the ability to take you into his painful journey of relapse and addiction and then he seamlessly takes you out of his dark journey into the light. The light is filled with teachings from different teachers and spiritual practices. He has a a powerful way of contrasting the "shadow" side of the human condition and the "light" side. He illuminates the side of us that is capable of healing and having deep spiritual experiences, even if we have experienced pain and self-destruction.Chris Grosso is a modern day teacher, as he is relatable to anyone that has had dark and painful times in their life. I love his writing because his humility, gratitude, and fearlessness shine through. Chris has had a difficult path with addiction BUT I am SO grateful he has shared his story and wisdom because this book will help anyone who has felt lost and hopeless. There are so many amazing teachings from different spiritual teachers; I have learned so much from reading "Dead Set on Living."Thank you Chris for your honesty, fearlessness, and service! This is an absolutely beautiful book!

A deeply touching, at times disturbing, very real emotional account of addiction. The writer has a way of taking his own pain and using it as a catalyst for continued growth in his own life. It's an awe inspiring look at what a human can endure and live to tell. He uses his life experiences and encounters with countless mentors, musicians, spiritual leaders, etc. to explain spirituality in a way that is accessible to people from all walks of life. He offers additional readings, as well. Also inside are soothing mantras, which he actually explains through his understanding. Whether you are an addict, living with a loved one who is addicted, parting from a loved one who is addicted, or just stuck in a cycle of "feeling numb" or self-loathing, Chris's words soothe & heal. They hit you where it hurts in the best kind of way. His other 2 books I have purchased for friends (and patients) who I knew were suffering from depression, anxiety & addiction issues and they also found them extremely helpful. This book will definitely be shared with others as well.

Dead Set on Living includes conversations with well-known luminaries and best-selling authors. It provides accessible teachings for people on any healing path. Ultimately, we are all in recovery from being human. This book helps me deal with that on a soul level.When I read it, I started with the preface and introduction then I jumped to the Ken Wilber chapter as I am a huge fan of Wilber’s writing and philosophies. I couldn’t wait to read that one. I jumped around the chapters by selecting them from the table of contents based on what I was drawn to in that moment. The book reads great this way or traditionally from cover to cover.Dead Set on Living is chock-full of wisdom and honesty. It made me feel like I was sitting in on these very candid and approachable conversations, including the part where the author meets the Dalai Lama.I am thrilled to add this book to my consciousness bookshelf collection that includes Chris Grosso’s other two books.

This book is truly his best. The other two were good but this one goes above and beyond. The interviews are in essay form, which I prefer and it allows him to break the discussion down for the reader. Yet, many can do this, what set this book apart is the insights gleaned from the interviews. Chris Grosso adds a personal touch by relating his own experiences and offering a frank discussion about his recovery. I truly think this book can offer someone struggling with their own recovery a much needed ray of hope, in written form. It also gives something to those of us on the professional side of the fence, a deeper awareness of what a person goes through and ways to engage them in their recovery stories.

Chris rules, just buy it and enjoy and check out his other work too!

An intriguing way to look at approaching personal problems. I believe in the body/mind connection, adding a spiritual aspect, whatever your beliefs may add depth and substance. Well written book, I enjoyed the chapter/practice structure. Very interesting perspectives. Chris writes about what he knows, but the content can be applicable to all things considered debilitating and addictive.