I love this book! Through sharing his nine awakenings, Chick explores how his deepest life questions became an essential part of his everyday living. He shows that no matter how busy we are and how many responsibilities we have, there is room for us to wonder and be curious about the very nature of our being. There is room to nurture what is most important to us.

It is exciting how the rich resources of the world’s diverse meditative traditions have become so available to us, giving a wide perspective on how to attend to our deepest questions. They suggest that we don’t need to turn to ideas and beliefs to find our way. They invite us to pause and look directly into our very nature. To become immersed in this timeless moment of being and discover who we really are--what we have always been.

Chick inspires us with his very human journey of discovery and awakening to his own nature, weaving in the wisdom of many meditative traditions and contemporary meditative explorers. He invites us to plunge in and nurture our own deepest questions--and to discover our own awakenings.

—Richard Witteman
Meditation teacher, Springwater Center for Meditative Inquiry

Once upon a time not too long ago, Chick and I scaled the Peruvian Salcantay Peak together—at 15,090 feet, far above Machu Picchu—along with a pretty tough crew of hikers. Along the way, a shaman invited us to plunge into an icy stream accompanied by the shaman’s music. Chick alone accepted the invitation.

This is Chick Atkins, a man who lives with intensity and intention, who loves hard, commits fully, always seeks his truth—and most impressively of all, endows those around him with confidence in their paths as well. Always his own man, he is also Everyman.

You may not scale the Andes, but in life, you scale your own treacherous peaks and face daunting unknowns. In An Unlikely Guru, Chick meets the unknowns of everyday life, both great and small, with trailblazing passion, awakening curiosity, and respect for the dignity of all human experience.

An Unlikely Guru is the story of Chick Atkins, who integrates the spiritual path and its insights into his everyday life better than anyone I know. In this highly entertaining book, he recounts his journey in a relatable way and shows how enlightenment is possible for any of us.

—Steve Denholtz
CEO, Denholtz Properties

Learn to live an interdependent life rather than depending on others. The book will also show you how to dismantle your ego and sense of self-importance; be a skeptic, not a cynic; work toward psychological liberation and self-actualization; the benefits of meditation, and much more.

—Readers' Favorite