Kindle Edition Amazon Amazon Category:  Philosophy ISBN-10:  1540890015 Type: Non-Fiction Pages: 304 Copyright: December 3, 2014 ISBN-13: 9781540890016 Price: $2.99 (eBook) The author was fascinated all his life by the question of man’s suffering. Why the men in his searching for happiness find only pain? Why is the man eager to prolong his life when he is living in pain? What makes him run like hypnotize after nonexistence goals? What makes him die for ideas and ideals that are changing repeatedly? The answer that he has found was amazingly simple but hard to be accepted - thinking, is the reason for this eccentric behavior of man. This book is about the reality that we create for ourselves, and it’s the only reality we know, there is no other reality except this one. This reality is the illusion in which we live and strongly believe it is the life. Life is not related or connected to this reality, which is created by our thinking. Excerpt If I tell you that we're dead now, no less than ever, you probably will not accept that. True, if you ask me if I'm alive, I will say without any hesitation, "yes!" However, this is only because we, humankind, created such a reality in which; if I'm breathing and my heart beats, I am considered alive, but this conclusion comes from the assumption that I'm a thinking person who has knowledge about the body, life, and death. Thinking is the reason for the knowledge about us, our surrounding, life, and death that accumulates through the generations and is stored in our memory. Without it, we wouldn't know anything because we are not separate from these things. The expression "you are living in a movie" describes the humanity situation. Thoughts are analogous to frames of the movie film; they run through the mind one after the other, nonstop. These thoughts carry knowledge, which are translated into time in their movement. They create the feeling of a process in time and create the illusion of life. However, this is no less illusionary than a movie that projected on the screen. The absurd thing is that we identify with what happened in a fiction movie we watch in the cinema while we live in a movie which is projected in our head and creates our fictional reality. The reality that we create for ourselves is the only reality that exists; there is no another reality except this one. This reality is the illusion in which we live and strongly believe it is the life. Life is not related or connected to this reality, which is created by our thinking.

The 21st Century Philosopher
This book is purely philosophical. A new text in a new millenia. Have we come across the 2st century Plato or Aristotle? Not them, but perhaps an Epicurus, This is an anthology of essays for numerous different topics that all relate in some way to human's suffering.
This is not an easy read but it certainly makes you think. I can imagine this book being used in many college philosophy classes in the future. Eli Darzi is certainly a writer to look for in the future in the academic world. Or at least, his work should be considered. We will see in the future.
Some of the things mentioned in his essays I can't fully agree with. Still, it's excellent food for thought.
I rate To Live is to Die by Eli Darzi a 4 out of 5. There were only a minute number of small typos but not enough to detract from the overall effect. It's a great piece of non-fiction. This is a philosophy book you don't want to miss!
In the future, I will post a picture of the paperback copy. I had to replace my copy since I accidentally left it at one of my jobs one day. Hopefully, whoever picked it up is loving every minute of reading it! Really, buy this book! You won't regret it.

Eli takes you down a beautiful journey mentally
If you're looking for a read that will challenge the things you believe you already know and teach you new perspectives, then this is the book you need to take off of the shelf and put in your hands. Eli takes you down a beautiful journey mentally, allowing you to turn the gears in your mind towards new views on simple every day things. Each chapter will leave you in a trance of thought provoked glory as you look at the simplest reality of thought and time. I'm pretty sure I had to reevaluate my life quite a few times while reading this. It was that good of a read to me! Searching for a psychological breakthrough while reading this, I felt overwhelmed in the words of the writer. Every paragraph provided me with an opportunity to sit and truly reflect. I would say that this book gives readers a chance to connect with themselves, but honestly I think it gives the chance to connect with others simply because it leaves you wanting to share. I'm rating this four stars instead of five simply for some of the wording being a little off and a few typos/grammatical errors. Some of the phrasing is a tad skewed and I think some words were confused with others, but you are completely able to understand what you're reading with quite an enjoyment in doing so. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an opportunity to dive into a book that will leave you thinking and questioning your every day actions for the better. All in all, I urge you to pick up a copy of this book for yourself solely to give it a chance. I believe it could give you a chance to learn something or to better your life somehow simply from reading it. Classify it under psychological treasure, philosophical dream - whatever you want. Simply find any reason at all to give yourself the chance to read this. You won't regret it.

Thought-provoking is an understatement--excellent philosophy piece!
"To Live is to Die First"--where do I begin?

Unsure of the genre when I initially received the novel for review purposes, I was slightly dubious about the piece given its title, which had me under the impression I may be reading a thriller, or some other sort of novel in an overly-populated genre, saturated with writers drownding in cliches. HOWEVER, I WAS ABSOLUTELY THRILLED upon viewing a mere two or three introductory sentences, that I was incorrect. INCORRECT in the best way possible, as the book was/is actually a philosophical gem, a non-fiction think-piece that delves DEEP into unraveling the human psyche, challenegd by the definition of thought, forethought, time--past and present, future and in-the-moment...basically the brain and the mind; which create the illusion of life, and of course, life's "ugly twin"--death. It is a non-fiction think-piece yes--but, this book is so much more than your average modern self-help book, or psychology 101 for the laymen--'think this, do that,'--and boom! I'm saved--piece, which are often less than thought-provoking (understatement) and more often than not, disposable and forgettable. THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT, to be rather blunt. The subject matter is life as thought, and thought as cinema=how we as humans TRANSLATE living through thought, and how we as humans are always thinking, with each moment already transmitted to the past as it dissolves while a new one is formed, therefore creating a never ending cinematic mirage; an eternal movie in which one plays the leading role at all times in his/her mind. We are always living in the past, a tragic complexity in life--this book proposes.
Now, as brilliantly written as it is, there are some MINOR flaws. The writing itself isn't as spectacular as the theme; sentence structure and prose could use a tiny bit of tweaking, but on the other hand, could serve as a plus. It gives the feel that you are sitting next to a friend who is chattering with you, and has offered one, long run-on sentence about the mind and its operative madness. Grammatical errors, in my opinion, should be overlooked, because of the effect, and the tackling of such a profound matter, on such a technical level, while still allowing for it to be identifiable in a simplistic manner. The articulation of difficult thoughts, that are often stuck inside the subconscious, and rarely brought to the minds first layer of consciousness, are transmitted almost effortlessly in this piece. In other words; he says the things many have wanted to say, but may have a difficult time translating to the self, let alone to the world. This book provides that, in an intelligent yet relatable fashion.
Darzi explains the issues of the mind, the great conflicts, the mass confusion, and the fears of life primarily through the fear of the unknown and/or death, in a way that Otto Rank or Sigmund Freud never could=to an audience that can understand these complex issues. I was thrilled that he tackled life/death anxiety, as I have studied Rank's theories extensively, but new it was almost impossible for the general population to ever grasp fully, just due to his almost alienesque jargon, alone. While I COULD understand Rank, so many readers haven't, and because I could not translate his words into my own--simplified and comprehensive--to others, I found some of these topics difficult to share and discuss with others, which sometimes caused its own anxiety within; because of the feeling of being misunderstood. I feel this book provided me with insight in a more comprehensive manner, and that I CAN translate it to others, which is the best part of reading anything worthwhile!
Darzi tackles these issues with such ease and perfection, in so many ways:
"There is no meaning to discuss, whether this “Evolution” process happened or not. The only instrument that man use to “understand” how life exists, is thinking. There is no other instrument available for man to use. This instrument cannot create life; it’s only preventing us from experiencing life; it can create only our past, which is the reality that we live in. "
The only other flaw in my opinion, is that sometimes the book depresses. The topics are broken down in such a sharp and definitive way that I felt hopeless reading, at some points. I read many passages, in small increments because of this, but what I gained was worth it. The book is rare and special, and should be treated as such. It is not a book to rush through, and it IS a book to read twice. It's the type of book to later reference, to place on the shelf, to peel open, and to read any random piece at any given time, to relate to, and to utilize as an advisory tool; in regards to living and how to handle and grasp this thing we call life--through the mind that's created it in the first place--are very own thought(s). I highly recommend this book to anybody looking for a new-age read that IS deep and profound. I appreciate something that makes my brain tick at a faster, more alert pace, and this book delivers just that.

A five-star read, in a world where terrific complex books are rare to find; get yourself a copy if you covet such a thing!