White retraces the strange and circuitous journey of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra from its ancient origins to today, bringing to life the improbable cast of characters whose interpretations and misappropriations led to its revered place in contemporary popular culture.
"Wildly entertaining."
—Matthew Remski, Reality Sandwich"Engaging, challenging, myth-busting, and completely au courant."
—Sean Feit, Nadalila.org"A lively account of this sutra's unlikely history and how it has variously been interpreted, reinterpreted, ignored, and hailed."
—Shambhala Sun"An exhaustive, scholarly history of the titular work of ancient Indian philosophy, lightened by author David Gordon White's provocative wit."
—Max Zahn, Tricycle"A rich and elegant account."
—Peter Valdina, Journal of Hindu StudiesDavid Gordon White is Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies, emeritus, at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His books include
Yoga in Practice (Princeton) and
Sinister Yogis.