Aldous Huxley, whose grandfather was T.H. Huxley, the renowned scientist, and whose great uncle was Matthew Arnold, the Victorian poet, was one of the most respected intellectuals of the 20th Century. A close friend of T.S. Eliot, D.H. Lawrence, Edwin Hubble, Igor Stravinsky, Bertrand Russell, Timothy Leary, and others, Huxley helped shape the modern mind, first with his satirical novels and later with his moral philosophy and provocative theories regarding humankind's destiny. Earlier biographers focused on Huxley's eleven novels, while this book traces his trajectory as a theorist who framed the "perennial philosophy", the view that all religions have a spiritual core found in the writings of their mystics. Huxley's interests in Asian Religions, psychedelic drugs, and the dangers of mass society, environmental destruction and rampant technology are all covered in Sawyer's short, readable and critically acclaimed biography. The Center for Aldous Huxley Studies at the University of Munster, Germany, called the book, "The best-to-date explanation and appraisal of Huxley's metaphysical position." This enjoyable biography makes clear why and how Huxley became a key influence on such contemporary authors as Ken Wilber, Huston Smith, Ram Dass, Deepak Chopra, Alex Grey, Andrew Harvey and Stanislav Grof.
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Aldous Huxley: A Biography
Dana Sawyer
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Dana Sawyer
Dana Sawyer is professor emeritus of philosophy and world religions at the Maine College of Art and author of biographies of both Aldous Huxley and Huston Smith. His primary expertise is in Hinduism and Buddhism but for more than twenty years, his work has focused on comparative mysticism, theories of the “perennial philosophy,” and the value of psychedelic experiences in the study of mysticism. Most recently, he has published an assessment of Aldous Huxley’s theory of psychedelic mysticism for the Centre of Aldous Huxley Studies (2019) and an essay in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology (2021) on four common errors in scholarly critiques of the perennial philosophy. Sawyer is currently working (2022) on a book-length revisioned description of the perennial philosophy. He lives in Blue Hill, Maine with his artist wife, Stephani, and has two daughters from a previous marriage, Sophie and Emma.
4.32
28 ratings2 reviews
This is a new copy, signed by the Author. Aldous Huxley was born in Britain in 1894 into a world of privilege and class. The grandson of evolutionist T. H. Huxley and the great-nephew of poet Matthew Arnold, Huxley bore a great sense of moral obligation. In this accessible new biography, Sawyer explores Huxley's life and the impact it had on his writings, including his classic, Brave New World , which celebrated its 70th anniversary recently.
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208 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2002
Original title
Aldous Huxley: A Biography
==
208 pages, Paperback
Published
September 1, 2002 by The Crossroad Publishing Company
==
PaperbackTrillium Press2015
Kindle EditionTrillium Press Maine2023
Mass Market PaperbackThe Crossroad Publishing Company
Paperback BunkoTrillium Press
Lily Holliday
95 reviews6 followers
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June 15, 2020
I just finished reading my old friend Dana Sawyer's biography of Huxley. What a great book! Considering that Huxley is someone I have always admired greatly, it makes sense that I would appreciate a book that chronicles his life from his early days on the edge of the Bloomsbury group through his intellectual and spiritual journey, culminating, by the end of his life in California, with a great body of knowledge dedicated to mysticism: its definition, experience, and real-life-benefits. I appreciated this chronological exposition highly, but the quality of Sawyer's writing and the solidity of his research makes the book accessible, absorbing, and illuminating.
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28 ratings2 reviews
This is a new copy, signed by the Author. Aldous Huxley was born in Britain in 1894 into a world of privilege and class. The grandson of evolutionist T. H. Huxley and the great-nephew of poet Matthew Arnold, Huxley bore a great sense of moral obligation. In this accessible new biography, Sawyer explores Huxley's life and the impact it had on his writings, including his classic, Brave New World , which celebrated its 70th anniversary recently.
===
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2002
Original title
Aldous Huxley: A Biography
==
208 pages, Paperback
Published
September 1, 2002 by The Crossroad Publishing Company
==
PaperbackTrillium Press2015
Kindle EditionTrillium Press Maine2023
Mass Market PaperbackThe Crossroad Publishing Company
Paperback BunkoTrillium Press
Lily Holliday
95 reviews6 followers
Follow
June 15, 2020
I just finished reading my old friend Dana Sawyer's biography of Huxley. What a great book! Considering that Huxley is someone I have always admired greatly, it makes sense that I would appreciate a book that chronicles his life from his early days on the edge of the Bloomsbury group through his intellectual and spiritual journey, culminating, by the end of his life in California, with a great body of knowledge dedicated to mysticism: its definition, experience, and real-life-benefits. I appreciated this chronological exposition highly, but the quality of Sawyer's writing and the solidity of his research makes the book accessible, absorbing, and illuminating.
Like
Comment
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India Scholar
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in India on 7 April 2019
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An excellent, sometimes humorous, biography of one of the most important thinkers and writers of the late 20th century. If you are interested in The Perennial Philosophy, Sawyer's biography on Huston Smith is also highly recommended.
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Jacob P
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible
Reviewed in the United States on 16 September 2021
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This book is so special to me. I read his biography on Huston Smith and absolutely loved it. Thank you so much for writing this book. It's been so important for me (along with your book about smith). I could go into detail, but I'll leave that for the reader and say - buy this book on aldous huxley (and his book Wisdomkeeper). Sawyer dives into not only their lives but their development of philosophy from the backdrop of 1920's-50's, post darwinian influence. So important and relevant. Thank you Dana Sawyer
2 people found this helpful
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Progfan
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book about a great man
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 April 2020
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Well written biography of one of the most important British intellectuals of the 20th century
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David Awbrey
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific and extremely well written biography of an important
Reviewed in the United States on 25 August 2017
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Terrific and extremely well written biography of an important, but now largely forgotten, intellectual of the 20th century. Book deserves wide readership among people interested in religion, culture and intellectual history. Author shows Huxley as one of the most fascinating individuals of the 20th century..
4 people found this helpful
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Greg
2.0 out of 5 stars Judge this book by its cover.
Reviewed in the United States on 12 August 2016
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First, let me say this is a terrific book with at least half of it focused appropriately on Huxley's embrace of mysticism and highlighting arguably the most articulate voice on the subject since William James.
So why two stars? Because the publisher should be flogged for using the cheap, shiny cover pages that curl up almost immediately after opening. As someone who treasures keeper books this is incredibly annoying and ruins much of what I enjoy about holding a great book in my hands.
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JLWoodworx
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on 18 August 2013
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This is a well written book in an easy style. It is a much needed introduction to a great thinker of the 20th century from whom much of our current thinking derives.
6 people found this helpful
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Michael Baranowski
3.0 out of 5 stars Short and Largely Uncritical Biography
Reviewed in the United States on 15 January 2009
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Workmanlike prose in a short biography that borders on hagiography. A reasonable introduction to Huxley's thought, but if you're looking for a fuller, more critical analysis, consider Nicholas Murray's biography of Huxley.
9 people found this helpful
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Tenniser
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read
Reviewed in the United States on 2 March 2004
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I enjoyed the book. When I read it, I felt that the author was a close friend of Huxley's. If any reader plans on reading any books by Huxley, please read this informative, well-written biography first.
8 people found this helpful
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