A Wise Man Taught Me How to Defy Gravity and Now I'll Teach You - Softcover

Nathaniel Whitten is the author of the several books that defy easy categorization, including Secrets of the SuperOptimist (with Walt Morton), which Rolling Stone called Hilarious and The Huffington Post hailed as Highly amusing. Secrets we can actually use, The Do-It-Yourself Constitutional Amendment Kit, which Publisher s Weekly deemed Charming...edgy...like an episode of The Daily Show crossed with an issue of Mother Jones, and The Book of Extremely Common Prayer, which Kirkus applauded for successfully highlighting the absurdity of the modern world.

An eclectic, entertaining, and often enlightening examination of the inner workings of the mind. Readers may find themselves thinking about the people and concepts discussed in this short book long after they have finished it. Whitten packs his provocative tale with whimsical illustrations, and each chapter begins with a quote from one of a diverse group of thinkers, including Darwin, Kierkegaard, Churchill, Dr. Seuss, and Talking Heads. Bursting with ideas, the text also sparks interest in the lives of figures mentioned in passing, like Swedish artist and mystic Hilma af Klint and Charles Fort, an American writer of paranormal phenomena for whom the term Fortean was coined. --Kirkus Reviews

If you've slogged the trenches day in and day out feeling entirely too earthbound, wondering who or what was slated to come and pick you up, well, your ride is here. Whitten does the rarest of things yet again: He uses magic that never feels like a trick, and higher thinking that never feels half-baked or induced by anything other than a brain working overtime, to confirm every single hunch you have ever had that common sense is all too common and never really made much sense. Let this little book do the heavy lifting it is capable of -- it is a pleasure; a rare and charming friend to make in a world that has simultaneous never felt more technologically connected and alone. -- Dan Kennedy, Author and Host of The Moth Storytelling Podcast

It has been said that angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. Whitten is clearly on the side of the angels with these gravity-defying lessons. To join him, leave your baggage behind, unfasten your seat belt and drift away.... Barry Magid, Zen teacher and author of Nothing is Hidden

A book about big thoughts written in an engaging and witty voice, with practical suggestions designed to lighten your experience on this planet. The charming illustrations entertain throughout. I can't help thinking that Alan Watts might enjoy this take on the Big Questions, if he were here in the 21st century.
--Andrea D Aquino, author of Once Upon a Piece of Paper