Itzler's first book "Living with a SEAL" certainly was entertaining but - for me - the writing seemed forced and choppy. His voice, however, kept me reading until the very end. His new book is much more cohesive but doesn't skimp on being just as entertaining. Itzler plays the everyman in going to a monastery - though it seems strange that he doesn't know what kind of monks or where he is even going before he agrees to live with them. His journey is worth your time and the takeaways are important and interesting. I'd happily read his next "Living With..." book so he deem to start a series.

Fun book. It was a pleasure to read. .

Thank you Center Street and Netgalley for this ARC.

This was an easy to read account of unplugging from life and living in a monestary for a couple weeks.
There is quite a bit of language so if you are looking for a spiritual, more authentic account of life with the monks, this may not be the book for you.

However if you are looking for a very light take on one persons experience you may find this a fun approach.

A fabulous read. Fun, insightful, inspiring, enlightening. The only ironic part is I read a book about unplugging on my phone!

What a great read. I liked the idea of spending time with the monks and appreciated reading how he felt before and after the experience but what made the book for me were the thoughts in bold print. Many of which I have highlighted to think over.
So glad I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

Great topic for a book. Poor execution. The fact that the author tells the reader up front that he has no idea what he is going to write about was a big tip-off. Most of the book was about his past book about living with some Navy Seal. I didn't read it but I feel like I have since this book was really about further promoting that one. I really think he would have called the whole stint off when he learned the Monks weren't Buddhist but, then again, he had to write a book about something. Plus, the excessive cursing was so out of place in this book. If the author gained an ounce of humility from living with the monks, I would have given 2 stars.

*Living with the Monks: What Turning Off My Phone Taught Me about Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus* by Jesse Itzler takes us on a 15 day journey with the author to live among monks and learn from them. Funny and entertaining this book will have you laughing while learning spiritual wisdom. This book is filled with insights and gems of wisdom we can all use in our daily lives. It reminds us to slow down, listen to ourselves and others, and that there is a lesson in everyday, among other things. This isn't just a book to be read, it's a book to be experienced.

This book will have you reading it again and again. You will want to recommend it to friends. This a book that has been lived by the author. I highly recommend it.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

I love this book! It was such a thrill reading about Jesse's experiences and his energy jumps off the pages you can barely contain it! Would I live in a monastery for two weeks? Better yet, would I go one week without my phone and access to internet? I don't know about you but there's bravery and utmost conviction in his decision to 'unplug' and 'de-clutter' and it's inspiring as much as it's scary!
I requested to read this book off NetGalley (thanks for the eARC) and it's got take-aways and simple revelations that we can apply to our daily lives.

Couldn't put it down! The author is a great storyteller, and pulls you into his world easily. In this book, he goes to upstate New York to live in a monastery, in order to "unplug" and find some peace in his life.
The author writes with a great deal of humor, yet manages to describe his discoveries quite well. He finds several lessons that he can apply to his life (and yours), and that you do not have to go live in a monastery to enact them into your own life.
I burned through this book fast, as I found it to be very interesting. I surprised myself, taking notes throughout the book with things that I want to try myself.

“Every moment has purpose.”

This book will change your life. As a society we are too connected to our phones and waste our time worrying instead of living.

I’ve alsays been fascinated by different lifestyles and this book is written in a way that feels like Jesse is casually talking to you.

My favorite part was #8 honoring your non-negotiable and setting a contract for your life.

What an absolutely amazing book.

The favorite part for me was part 3 where Jesse shared the 10 insights from the 2 weeks he spent with the monks. My second favorite part was the diary. It was hilarious. Laugh out loud hilarious.

I wasn't very interested in the book to begin with. I thought that hundreds of people go to Vipassana meditation every year and this experience sounds very similar - why should I give it my time? I am glad I didn't listen to that voice though because I am going to be rereading sections of this book soon. And the experience was very different from a typical Vipassana retreat.

I liked how the author was honest and transparent about each of his experience. He shared everything with pride and vulnerability. I loved the humor in the book. At one point, Jesse mentions that this book is far less comic than his first book (which I haven't read) and it immediately made me want to read the first one because this one was humorous enough for me. Most books on these topics are either very dry or filled with intentional cuss words which is just meh.

One thing on which I disagree with Jesse is his insistence on doing so much. He wants to fill his life with experiences. I, on the other hand, find peace in simplicity but his enthusiasm is infectious and I want to do monotasking and rock it like a mf. To each his own.

His ideas on 'think tomorrow' and 'create a contract with yourself' also gave me something to chew on.

There's so much more that I want to say but I will end on this note - if you want to start living a more meaningful life, give this one a read.

I received an ARC for this book. This doesn't affect my review in any way.