This book comprises eleven essays that focus more on the changing cultural beliefs throughout history (mesmerism, hypnosis, yoga, gestalt therapy) which influenced the ideas of the cofounders, teachers and participants of Esalen rather than being about Esalen itself, its practices and the many famous people who have hosted or attended events and workshops there (Aldous Huxley, Alan Watts, Allen Ginsberg, R. D. Laing, Carlos Cataneda, Carl Rogers, to name but a few).

The book does contain quite a lot of biographical information on the cofounders of Esalen, Michael Murphy and Richard Price, covering their meeting at Stanford University, Price's mental health problems and oppressive coercive psychiatric electroshock “treatment” and much later his accidental death in a landslide. Esalen is portrayed as being democratic and diplomatic, a meeting place for contrasting ideas and cultures. Murphy was highly influenced by the writings of the Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo; Price had more involvement with the development of gestalt therapy.

Esalen's purpose is directed towards trying to attain higher levels of consciousness, which may be achieved through yoga, meditation or the use of hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD and marijuana. There is also an interest in the paranormal and experiments in ESP, clairvoyance, psychic healing and telepathy. Esalen is constantly developing and changing and Murphy expressed a dislike for some of the events that had happened in the past “like Will Schutz having Gestalt participants pee in their pants” (126).

Catherine L. Albanese contributes an interesting chapter on the transformation of American yoga and discusses Theos Bernard's practices of Hatha Yoga, in which “he held three-hour headstands, and … swallowed a three-foot length of cloth to cleanse his digestive tract” (63). Glenn W. Shuck examines evangelical perceptions of Esalen as a place which “continues to channel, succor, and distribute powerful demonic forces” (273) due to its offering an alternative spiritual view in comparison with the stricter religions. Esalen has a Center for Theory and Research (CTR) and the Russian-American Center (TRAC) now called Track Two.

The essays flow into one another, all singing from the same hymn-sheet rather than espousing different viewpoints. Whilst reading as a coherent whole, some of the information is at times repetitive. The book, however, is extremely well researched and very readable, and would serve as an excellent springboard for people wanting to investigate further in these fascinating areas.