The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment [Paperback]

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.

This book is a travelogue, an outer journey -- in this case through one personal-growth and self-development workshop to another -- reflecting the author's inner journey of self-discovery.

Stepping gingerly and with often hilariously self-deprecating humor, Isabel picks her way through the minefield of contemporary self-help and personal-growth offerings. Beginning, in London, with the Insight Seminar, where she picks up, among other useful tools, the lynch-pin concept of using everything we experience in our lives for our "learning, upliftment and growth," through colonic irrigation cleansings, past-life regressions, tantric-sex workshops and back again, the author guides us on her Odyssey of self-discovery.

Barely hidden behind the humor on this enlightening journey are bright nuggets of wisdom, many lessons to be learned, ample opportunities for ... yep, you got it: "Learning, upliftment and growth." As one of the workshop teachers reminds us, "the real journey is with ourselves."

Don't be misled, or merely entertained, by the comedy of it all. Genuine self-growth and transformation is frequently painful and often frightening. Thank you, Isabel, for the laughter along with the lessons.

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.