The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living (Compass)

Excellent stories, insightful about the beliefs of the Lakota people.

Reviewing material that deals with life lessons and spiritual matters is tricky - often mere words are inadequate - even more often someone is bound to be seriously offended. That being said, this is not my first purchase of "The Lakota Way". I had given my copy away - not the first time this happened. My first encounter with this material was shortly after initial publication, via the audio CD as my husband and I wandered the mountains, deserts and canyon lands of the southwest. The author's voice, re-telling the stories he first heard as a young boy may, in fact, be the best way to begin. We replayed the CD's several times as we encountered some of the most spectacular vista's on the planet. It was a deeply moving spiritual experience for both of us - and as events transpired, the last such trip we would take together before his death.In retrospect, aside from the author's amazing voice, what struck me initially was the reference to God as the "Great Mystery". From my perspective, a "perfect" name for God - both beautiful and respectful. God is who God is and God does what God does and while two-leggeds might choose to waste time on definitions and categories and attempting to enshrine God in a place, a book, a box or a dogma such attempts seem to somehow diminish God. "Great Mystery" is dynamic, precluding definition. Buckminster Fuller reportedly said, "God is a verb." In that sense, "Great Mystery" is both a verb and a noun.What then, is to be learned from "The Lakota Way"? In the Christian tradition, we are directed to love one another as ourselves. The Lakota people believed, and continue to believe, that there are certain virtues to be practiced that enable us to be in right relationship with each other and all of creation. Each of these virtues is beautifully illustrated with stories, which may be seen as analogous (with apologies to the author) to the parables of the New Testament. Humans love to push the envelope - pushing the envelope of virtue, leads us in the direction of ever more virtuous behavior and better relationships. The logical outcome of pushing "thou shalt nots" is what we can "get away with", and ever more rules to "clarify" acceptable behavior. We seem to have arrived at a time and place in human history where the rules have become more important than the relationships, with each other as collateral damage. It seems clear that the Lakota - prior to their encounters with those from the "Old World" - had developed a way of being that came closer to creating a society that worked for everybody than those governed by the precepts of the "Three Great Religions". I guess what I find most surprising is that the emergent new growth industry of "spiritual pathfinding" is largely focused on the "old world" for answers.

A wonderful and uplifting book!

Such an interesting read. Joseph Marshall is a phenomenal writer. I only wished that the copyeditors of this fine book had done a better job of catching the typos--something that is NOT Marshall's fault by any means.The meat of this book are the Indian legends that Marshall not only narrates but into which he includes useful background. Chapters are thoughtfully arranged as Lakota virtues, and by the end of the compilation, the reader has a great deal of understanding of WHY Lakota people acted the way they did. Their methods of hunting and worship are explained as well as their pre-contact history prior to becoming the "lords of the Plains".I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Wish I could sit in on a lecture by Marshall, himself!

The chapters are laid out by sharing a story from the Lakota tradition that communicates one of the virtues within this culture. Marshall then discusses the virtue more and includes personal stories of how his family and community helped him to learn the virtue. The book also has interesting information about how Lakota are socialized, and more about the history of this nation. I actually plan to include some of this material in a personality theories course to show cross-cultural ideas about the development of our selves. I have also been reading the stories out loud to my husband and teenage daughter, and it has led to some interesting discussions!

Recommend anyone to read this fantastic book. Really helps you connect with Native Americans

What can I say about this book beyond my headline...I was reading a memoir by famed NBA coach Phil Jackson called "11 Rings" wherein he describes how he employs Lakota teachings both in his own life and to help build and inspire extraordinary basketball teams (including the legendary Chicago Bulls squad that went on to win six championships). He references the Lakota throughout the book, which of course piqued my interest and made me want to learn more...and I am so very glad I did.I could write a whole essay here, but let me just say this: I read a lot. I like a lot of books. It is not often that I love a book, and I really love this one. I learned so much, both about Lakota culture and tradition and the true heritage of our nation. I had no idea how ignorant I really was about it all, frankly (our schools don't teach it very well, and need to do better) and I feel I owe Marshall a debt of gratitude for opening my eyes and capturing my imagination. The lessons, stories and historic references blend together perfectly, almost poetically, making this not just a read but an experience. I am thinking differently as a result of this book, and I totally get Phil Jackson's reverence. I hope you will purchase "Lakota Way" and read it carefully. And then tell a friend...

This book is awesome. I love how the author tells the stories he heard growing up from his elders. It really puts things in perspective. These are awesome qualities and I wish everyone would try to live their life by these 12 virtues. This is a must read and I am thankful I bought this book. I have since purchased some additional books by this author and I am looking forward to reading them.My only gripe about the book is that you will find some grammatical errors throughout the book. It is not too bad, but just be aware of it.

As I read the book, I walked in the stories - albeit in my mind's eye. And I felt the weather, sat in the homes, and I cried with persons I met. TU Joseph M. Marshall III - I enjoyed the read and learned a lot - and you filled in a few blank spots of history of the plains.

This book was published in 2001, which makes it 22 years old today. I feel it's a privilege to own it, as it's so full of information and in great condition. The philosophy and creative fiction stories are absolutely wonderful!

L'ho acquistato per me. Sono sppassionata del mondo dei nativi nord americani.Marshall ne incarna il volto migliore, per umiltà e grande saggezza

Hervorragend! Eine Kostprobe indianischer Weisheit und Spiritualität, die wir Europäer nicht nur schon vor Jahrhunderten verloren haben sondern, uns davon immer mehr entfernen. Und zugleich eine eindeutige Lektion über die "Eroberung" Amerikas: die Unzivilisierten und Unterentwickelten waren jene die dem fälschlich als Entdecker immer noch gefeierten Kolumbus gefolgt waren.

El libro en general es bueno, te ayuda a conocer más sobre los pueblos Lakota y su cultura, sin embargo la relevancia de las historias no era la que yo esperaba o me hubiera gustado que vinieran con una explicación/aplicación más detallada por parte del autor. Le daría 4.5 pero no me permite el sistema.