This is not your ordinary spiritual memoir -- think of it more like the illicit love child of Dan Millman and Adam Sandler, (or maybe Dane Cook?)... as in part wake-up call, part snarky kick in the ass. The Electric Jesus is like a jolt of current all right, but of the live saving, paddles on the chest, "Clear!" variety. If ever there was a well needed shot in the arm for the more moribund elements of the New Age, PC, hemp clad, peace-love-beads movement, this is it.

Oh, yeah, and it's also a really, really good story.... Hats off to the author, Jonathan Talat Phillips, who takes some risks in this ballsy, thoughtful, and searingly honest tale of soul awakening. Spurred to activism in the wake of 9-11, and left depressed and angry after the elections of 2004, Phillips begins searching for answers and change. His starting point becomes the ancient Gnostic texts, and the unfiltered and mystical Jesus he finds portrayed therein. The author's research into the mystery schools, the clues he uncovers in the actual language of the Bible and apocryphal texts, and the archetypal symbols he investigates are fascinating and powerful.

By the way, did I mention the sex, drugs, and rock & roll (o.k., it's more like rave dance music)? The aliens, spiritual guides, or Kundalini awakening? I almost don't want to, because that might alienate (no pun intended) some of the very people who most need to read The Electric Jesus. Suffice to say, there's something for everybody in this spiritual journey, and I guarantee that thoughtful readers will feel that activating little tingle that lets you know when you've picked up the right book, as if you've awakened something.

I said this book is a kick in the pants, and that's what you get as the author's journey comes full circle back to the activism that first inspired him -- but infused now with a deepened spirituality, and a renewed sense of the joy and Trickster energy needed to change our world. Phillips and friends have created a web magazine, a social network, and local organizations designed to put like minded people in touch with each other -- to actually work on all the projects needed for a better world. For anyone who is tired of navel-gazing or being just an armchair revolutionary, The Electric Jesus is a real source and a real call to action.

On Amazon: The Electric Jesus: The Healing Journey of a Contemporary Gnostic

Evolver: A Social Network For Conscious Collaboration

Jonathan's Blog: www.realitysandwich.com/blog/jonathan_phillips

TALAT HEALING