The Divine Arsonist: A Tale of Awakening

"Not all who those wander are lost," does not describe the main character of Jacob Nordby's tale at the start. Our story begins in the last place you'd go to find personal transformation: an upscale real estate office. The main character, one of the partners, is a well-to-do, successful and admired member of the community faced with a problem: whether to take the afternoon off to go to his mountain cabin. He is not wandering or lost.That's what he would tell you.His little vacation to the cabin is the beginning of a life-change that is the story of the book. He meets a strange man who will become one of the guides on a journey of personal truth and purpose.That's all I'm going to say about the story of it. If you want to know more, read some of the other nearly 200 reviews here. (Or, don't. There's haters in there.)The Divine Arsonist is a classic Hero's Journey as described by Joseph Campbell. In that, comparisons to everything from Homer's Odyssey to Star Wars can be drawn; however, don't expect swordplay, dragons and buxom princesses in need of rescue. (There is some nudity and bodily fluids, if that's your 'thing.') This is one man's inward journey from one place in life to a new, broader truth. It's a lot more Carlos Castaneda than George Lucas.From a purely technical standpoint. Mr. Nordby uses words, sentences, description and all kinds of trippy metaphor brilliantly. It's very succinct, not too flowery.The style is raw and honest and the story moves at a good pace, only threatening to drag at a couple of points. I never found myself bored with the story itself.Being a writer myself, I found a few instances where the main character said, "I had no idea what was to come," hilarious, I kept yelling at the book: "Come on, dude, they're going to ____________." (I wasn't disappointed.) Those scenes are a part of all such stories, so this isn't a fault of the author's. It's just obvious that the main character has never done much reading!The book doesn't require a degree in literature or comparative religion to understand. It both shows and talks about the themes and ideas, often doing both of these for each step of the journey to reinforce the point.Also, the story is simple, straightforward. There's no clutter or side-trips along the way. Some will see this simplicity and label it naive, trite or cliche. In my opinion, it is no such thing. It is a focused narrative, all in service to the book's theme.That theme is also simple. The Divine Arsonist is designed to show (or remind) the reader, through the vehicle of the main character, that there is another way to define and live your life. Simple.If that idea resonates with you, then read the book.Will it change your life? Only if you let it."From the ashes a fire shall be woken,a light from the shadows shall spring;renewed shall be blade that was broken,the crownless again shall be king." - J. R. R. Tolkien

This is unlike any other book I've ever read, fiction or non-fiction. It's impossible to create a summary that would do it justice. It's more of an experience than a novel. If you are on a quest of any kind. If you are open, curious and willing to set aside concrete ideas and perspectives, then this small reading adventure is for you. At times spiritual, metaphysical and fantasy it is a journey from 'what is' in everyone's life to what can be. I feel things are changing in the world and through these authors, speakers, teachers, CD's, movies,Facebook pages,web sites, events and presentations those who 'know' or have a growing sense of 'knowing' are slowly gathering. Sharing. Expanding. The world seems more split than ever before. With technology we are bombarded with messages and the choice of which message we want to hear becomes more delineated daily. This author, speaker, teacher is using this story to suggest "what-if".....I, for one, find the choices he suggests as joyful. Heart filling. Possible. One day at a time. We can change our own little worlds, little by little by making different choices. Stop inviting toxins into your life...(TV main stream news, poisonous foods, ignorance of the good that can be done one tiny act at a time, inviting and encouraging gossip...the list is near less endless). And start caring, one choice at a time. To me, that's what this novel is asking. Burn the things in your life that serve base, selfish needs and open your heart and mind to the potential we are all born with. Hold a door open for someone, allow a car in traffic to merge, assist someone at work with a kind thought or act, give a compliment to someone your normally wouldn't even see or acknowledge. And slowly, one day and one choice at a time you will be creating a different world. If every person did this, imagine the world.....Share this book (instead of burning it, as the author suggests-which I think was his way of saying burn that which you know doesn't really serve you or your world in a loving way) with someone who needs it. You know who it is...you're thinking of them right now!

Jacob has written a story that could be read by anyone. It moves along at a pace that kept my interest and at times I was reluctant to put it down and felt on occasions that I couldn't wait to pick it up again to see what happens next. A sure-sign of a good read for me.In its simplest form it is an adventure experienced by a 'successful' business man who lives in the fast corporate world where succeeding is measured by the physical things one has acquired. This journey takes him to places some of us may only dream of seeing but it is not easy and the people he meets ask him to relinquish his much desired and fought for possessions and possibly even his way of life and the people who inhabit that life with him.In its much deeper more profound form it is about reaching that point in life where something has to give but we don't know how or why we have that need. It is about trusting the intuition and gut feelings we have that take us away from the norm in order to experience the extraordinary. It is a rich story about awakening to the much bigger picture of love and joy that can only be found when we surrender and that can never be found in possessions.This book has many layers but is about a spiritual awakening in a 'good' man which turns his life and that of his family on its head never to be the same again. It is heart warming and will give hope to many finding life difficult.Thank you Jacob for your vision,trust and surrender.

Divine Arsonist charts the extraordinary adventures of a business man chasing the American dream. Yet something changes when an intriguing stranger invites him to see the world in a different way. He has a sense that if he accepts the invite things will never be the same again.Those who aren't on any spiritual path can read this as a straightforward story, but will doubtless find themselves in some of the pages.Those on all religious and spiritual paths will be able to relate to many of the aspects of the journey:The challenge to see the world a new way. The clinging to our material possessions, our status and our self image, only to be challenged to lose it all. The fear of what others will think of us if we change. The loosening of unhealthy bonds to any prescribed system of thought or belief as we fall into an awareness of Unity. The thought that we may just be going mad. The growing awareness that we are meeting the Truth. The decision that we no longer want to live with the lies, even if it means seeing things about ourselves and the life we have lived that we would rather not see. The falling in love with Love itself.How much of the story is accurate the reader does not know. But I do know the book holds within it a larger spiritual truth that many of us will recognise. Thank you to Jacob Nordby for encouraging us on our own spiritual journeys.

A lovely, lovely book that you just wanted to keep on reading and yet, didn't want to finish!! Certainly a 'bit different' and thoroughly enjoyable, gives you a whole new vision on life and that which is important in a 'good' life or a life lived well.

A great read, once started I couldn't put the book down. Have now bought the Creative Cure by Jacob. Thanks!

Really good read didn't want to put it down