Searching ... This mesmerizing book, suffused with suffering and joy, ambivalence and insight, is itself an attempt to find a sense of wholeness — even if it is momentary and elusive, generated less by acts of will than by moments of grace.
A remarkable memoir ... Complex and surprising ... Brave in its disclosures but more so in its demands, its spiritual rigor, and its ardent intellectualism ... Eloquent, intelligent ... Remarkably honest ... Alarmingly open and unfinished.
O’Gieblyn’s writing soothed me with its philosophical, evenhanded approach to revealing the many similarities between scientific developments and systems of belief ... Successfully manages to turn the authorial gaze fully on herself and the twinned problems introduced in its title: will, as in the idea of free will and to will to change our lives ... An addiction memoir that transcends the form, and offers a salient exploration of what varieties of care and attention we owe ourselves and others ... The expansive quality of Will and Attention, the focus that it pays to this long history of human consideration toward this very question, allows it to sidestep the pitfalls of viewing addiction merely through the lens of disease or choice.
Unconventional...moving ... The result is a thought-provoking, poignant, and inspiring memoir about using intellect to pursue clarity and personal transformation.
Luminous ... Both funny and sad, this memoir interleaved with philosophy is a compelling and thought-provoking read that will capture the heart and mind.
