These lively talks and dialogues are about seeing through the stories and beliefs that create our human suffering and waking up to the simplicity of what is, as it is. Joan questions all attempts to conceptually grasp and frame the movement of life. Her approach is open and explorative, not methodical or dogmatic. For those struggling to reconcile the emphasis on "being here now" in some teachings with the uncompromising "this is it, just as it is" message of radical nonduality, Joan brings them together beautifully. With subtlety and humor, these talks reveal the perfection in apparent imperfection, the extraordinary in what appears most ordinary, and the freedom of being just as you are. It considers such questions as: Who am I? Is there a way out of personal and global suffering? Can we choose to stop addictive and destructive patterns? What is enlightenment? Does waking up take effort or is it effortlessly and unavoidably always already the case? What happens when we die? Reviews: A wonderful brew of non-dual considerations, investigations, and excavations. Its detailed descriptions of life's certainty and doubt, its ups and downs, and the myriad worlds that inhabit a split second, are remarkable. In those passages, it's possible to feel the absurd, mysterious, unformed, dance that existence is. The honesty of this account, and its open salute to all that life offers, typifies what it means to be liberated. For those still chasing some fantasy of perfection or “enlightenment“, this could offer a taste of freedom. -–Darryl Bailey, Dismantling the Fantasy A dense inciteful gem of a book, packed with Joan Tollifson’s characteristic honesty and clear-sighted prose. —Piers Moore Ede, All Kinds of Magic Joan's latest book is wise, honest, down-to-earth and brave. Through a wider-than-average variety of dialog questions, it offers fascinating insights into the interplay between the absolute and the relative, the sublime and the everyday. As though to illustrate this, the book even contains a dialog about liberation that's briefly interrupted by a car crash! And the book touches on several topics not often discussed in nondual circles, such as the benefits of various teaching styles, enlightenment and addiction, and enlightenment and one's own humanity. What I like most about the book is the lack of dogmatism. Joan dances everywhere but lands nowhere. —Greg Goode, Standing As Awareness A wise, humorous and heartfelt book, and an important step in creating a straightforward and human expression of nonduality for our times—no dogma or extra baggage. Ultimately, as Joan points out so clearly, it is fixed views and beliefs—including beliefs about whether we should or shouldn't be doing so-called practices—that are the greatest obstacles to spiritual fruition. — Jon Bernie, Ordinary Freedom A brilliant compilation of Joan Tollifson's recent talks and dialogues—delightfully human, entirely accessible and very enlightening. Rich, revealing and readable. —Chuck Hillig, Looking for God: Seeing the Whole in One This expression of the inexpressible mystery of being cannot be labeled. It has its own distinct flavor. It is always direct and honest, firmly rooted in ordinary everyday experience. While pointing out the dreamlike nature of this world, Joan does not close her heart and eyes to its beauty and suffering. —Leo Hartong, Awakening to the Dream You may find it hard to decide whether this new book of Joan's talks and dialogs should go on your bookshelf with your Buddhist books, Advaita books, the humor section, or somewhere else. Actually, if you've let it do its work with you, that problem along with all your others will have already evaporated like Joan's water paintings on the sidewalk. —D Allen, The World Cannot Be Broken