This book is about a Buddhist teacher and the death of one of his followers. As a practitioner of the Korean Zen Buddhist path, I found the premise of the book and the background extremely interesting. It was a fast paced read, but frankly the book suffered from the lack of access to any of the main characters or even people very close to those people. Maybe the risk of bad karma from saying negative things about a teacher scared people off, or maybe things weren't as sensational as they were portrayed in the book. In any case, I recommend the book but wish there had been a rounder picture of individuals at the heart of the story. ( )

This books is well-written and disturbing. Loosely structured around the death of Ian Thorson during an intensive three-year meditation retreat in Arizona, A Death on Diamond Mountain is an examination of how religious seekers and charismatic leaders can combine to create and feed dangerously obsessive spiritual cravings and behaviors. There are lessons here for sure, about the danger of leaders who believe traditional ways and safeguards of worship beneath them, about followers who pursue ecstatic religious experience at all costs, about anyone who mistakes romantic or idealistic visions of "Asian religion" for the real thing. Carney by and large refrains from holding readers' hands and guiding them toward specific conclusions, but there's a lot of insight to be gained here on what happens when spiritual leaders demand obedience from their flocks, and when their flocks willingly surrender it.

A Death on Diamond Mountain is by no means a comfortable read, but it is a good one for anyone looking for some meaty questions to chew on on when faith crosses the line to recklessness.

Death on Diamond Mountain was a fun, fascinating and fast-paced read that is well-written and very engaging. I will let all of the other reviewers (and you, if you care) debate about the actual facts presented--however, regardless of the actual facts, this book does capture something important about Americans who get obsessed with "exotic" religious and philosophical practices and how their desire for meaning can lead them into dangerous situations with problematic leaders and untenable patterns of thought. It's like a Buddhist "Devil in the White City", with a bit more journalistic language, way more Buddhism, and far less Chicago. ( )

Ian Thorson, a Stanford graduate, became involved in the throes of Tibetan Buddhism, and, in his quest for Nirvana, became alienated from his family and more devoted to his heart lama (teacher) Michel Roach. Fearing for the health and sanity of Ian, his parent hired professional "deprogrammers" to attempt to convince their son of his errant ways.

I found reading this book extremely scary, not only because of what happened specifically to Ian, but for the overall danger of what can happen to any individual who gives himself over to an ideology or a leader and loses himself in the process. Such situations happen time and again in all cultures and religions throughout the world. People must learn not to lose themselves or their individuality in the throes of what others force them to do. Individuals should be wary of confinement, either physical or psychological, and use whatever power necessary to avoid being drawn into such situations.

I like how the story was told, both from Ian's perspective and from that of Ian's family. I would like to see individuals communicate honestly with one another to bring out the best in each other without destroying others in the process.

This was a very intriguing, but totally sad, read. Take the lessons of this book to heart, readers.

I found this book to be a fascinating account of one man's being drawn into the world of Tibetan Buddhism, but I'm now still left with the question as to where reality stops and psychosis begins. As the author states, "Anthropologists have long known that magic has real-world effects even if the underlying causes could be purely psychological". Scott Carney's book of investigative journalism asks, but does not answer, the question: how much of Tibetan Buddhism as practiced in the west is genuine, and how much has a whiff of "underlying charlatanism"? ( )

Enlightment with a side order of madness.

As a meditator of many years I am well aware of the transformative nature of this discipline. While not using a spiritual component in my practice I am still, on occasion, awestruck when I finally hit that oh-so-elusive Flow/Bliss state. If used as a vehicle for spiritual enlightenment I can well see why the Eastern tradition follows a strict protocol of ongoing instruction, intense practice and a giant dose of humility - this is powerful stuff and not to be taken lightly. Contrast this deeply contemplative philosophy with the Western mindset of Action, Achievement, and Multitasking and it is easy to see that the two might not play well together. This clash and the resulting collision of a bad blending is the story behind A Death on Diamond Mountain.

By all accounts Michael Roach was the picture of All-American promise and potential; that is until a series of family tragedies shook him to his core. Not finding the solace he needed in Western religions he instead turned to the Eastern way - Tibetan Buddhism to be exact. Here were the answers he was looking for and he threw himself into the discipline with a drive that earned him the highly revered title of 'geshe'; the first American to have achieved this honor. Roach was an enterprising sort and any problems he felt stood in the way of his chosen mode of practice were quickly dealt with even if the 'fix' didn't quite fit traditional Buddhist standards. A prime example of this is how he combined his Buddhist practice with trading in the New York diamond trade. His earnings were directed to the impoverished monastry he was affliliated with so any qualms that may have existed were overlooked. It was difficult to argue with success; followers were flocking to Roach's Three Jewels Center in New York. Still there was an 'ends justifying the means' way about him. This began to come to a head when Roach decided that the one thing missing in his quest for enlightment was solitude so he set about finding a retreat center. His vision was made manifest in the Arizona desert with a collection of yurts he called Diamond Mountain University. And it was with this wished for solitude that things began to unravel. Roach began displaying the obsessive and controlling behavior of a cult leader while the meditation practice had more in common with brainwashing than a search for the Divine. Tensions rose, power struggles ensued until finally and fatally one of Roach's followers died due to overexposure.

In all the time I have practiced meditation (decades actually) the most dire warning I ever received was a suggestion to be careful on one's choice of instructors. It did not occur to me that this altered mind state could tip into madness; making this book very eye-opening for me. Author Scott Carney unravels what happened on Diamond Mountains and the events that led to that result with sharp clarity. I believe this is due to he himself having experience with meditation going awry and this brings a special depth to his writing. Pointing out the horror that can unfold when someone who is either unaware or unbalanced twisting meditation to dark purposes gives one pause - the warning is clear. Anyone interested in meditation, whether of a spiritual nature or not, would do well to read this book. Others readers who could find much to like would be those interested in cult psychology and/or true crime fans. Excellent. ( )