After a number of months of preparation, and helpful input from a number of people in the Middle Way Society, my new introduction to Middle Way Philosophy, Migglism, is now finally published. It aims to provide a brief and accessible way into the ideas, and is illustrated with cartoons by Norma Smith and Peter Goble.
Migglism is the first book to be approved by the Middle Way Society publications committee, which is formed to give the society’s support to self-published books about the Middle Way. This facility is open to any author who wants to publish a book relating to the Middle Way and submit it to the society for approval.
The book is available in both paperback and e-book versions. Currently it is only available from Lulu, but within a few weeks it should also be available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other major online sources. Please note that a greater proportion of money goes to me, and less to Jeff Bezos, if you buy from Lulu rather than Amazon.
Here are the links to the Lulu pages where you can purchase the book:
Here is the ‘blurb’:
‘Migglism’ is a short term for Middle Way Philosophy, a practical philosophical approach developed by Robert M. Ellis in a Ph.D. thesis and a series of books. Middle Way Philosophy brings together insights from Buddhism, philosophy and psychology to offer a framework of thinking for a range of integrative practices. This book aims to introduce these ideas in an accessible way.
‘The Middle Way’ is not a compromise, but a process of navigating between dogmatic extremes. By avoiding either positive or negative claims that go beyond experience, we can find a new way of thinking, valuing and practising.
“The middle is the chaotic and confusing place between the extremes. While the extremes are simpler and more attractive, it is the mess in the middle where the interesting and creative activities occur – it is where we should be. Robert sets out a foundation for a way of thinking about the middle ground as a place to move towards.”
Ed Catmull, President of Pixar and Walt Disney, and author of Creativity, Inc.
I applaud Ed Catmull’s pithy comment about the middle. Way to go, Ed!
This pulls the rug smartly from under the erroneous idea that the middle is some kind of saintly safe place, a refuge from confusion and chaos, where one can comfortably sit with one’s thumb up one’s behind and one’s mind in blissful neutral.
I’m thinking “that’s got to be a powerful selling point for the book, and a strong call to others to get stuck in to some serious miggling”. I’m going to develop it into my own campaigns for advancing the work. Thanks, Ed (and Robert).