{"id":50839,"date":"2021-10-10T11:10:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-10T15:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=50839"},"modified":"2021-10-10T12:06:50","modified_gmt":"2021-10-10T16:06:50","slug":"the-monk-who-sold-his-ferrari-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-monk-who-sold-his-ferrari-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: Review & Context"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What were The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari<\/em> reviews like when it first came out? Is the book worth reading?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari<\/em> by Robin Sharma is a parable that teaches life lessons based on Buddhist practices. The book came out in 1994 but is still widely read today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is an overview of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari<\/em> including its reception, background, and approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Shortform Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari <\/em>is a parable centered on Julian, a hotshot-lawyer-turned-monk, and his former colleague John. Julian shares with John what he\u2019s learned from studying with the Sages of Sivana<\/a>, a near-mythological group of monks in India who know the secrets to enlightenment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julian\u2019s lessons range from gaining control of your thoughts, to finding a purpose in life<\/a>, to properly managing your time<\/a> so that you can achieve that purpose. All of this works toward the ultimate goal of living a simple, fulfilling, and happy life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Robin Sharma is a world-renowned author, speaker, life coach, and leadership expert. He was born in Uganda to Indian parents, Shiv and Shashi Sharma. The family moved to Canada during Sharma\u2019s childhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharma started his career as a litigation lawyer, but he found the work unfulfilling. He quit law and self-published his first self-help book, MegaLiving: 30 Days to a Perfect Life<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>in 1994. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari <\/em>was Sharma\u2019s second book, and it became a worldwide hit. With this book\u2019s success, Sharma found himself in demand as a life coach and motivational speaker. In 1997 he founded the management consulting firm Sharma Leadership International<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Sharma gives talks and runs workshops for major organizations all over the world, ranging from Nike to NASA. His books about leadership and self-improvement have sold over 15 million copies worldwide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other popular books by Robin Sharma include The Saint, the Surfer, and the CEO<\/em>, and The 5AM Club<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Book\u2019s Publication<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robin Sharma initially self-published The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari <\/em>in 1996. Three years later, in 1999, HarperCollins republished it for commercial distribution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Book\u2019s Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While the events of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari <\/em>are fictional, they\u2019re based on Sharma\u2019s own experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As discussed, Sharma never found peace or satisfaction working as a lawyer, and his wife divorced him due to his hectic work schedule. Sharma quit law in his twenties and, with the support of his parents, pursued a career in writing instead. Many of the core lessons in The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari <\/em>come from life lessons that Sharma learned from his parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The character Julian Mantle<\/a> lived an exaggerated version of Sharma\u2019s own life story. Rather than recognizing his own unhappiness and quitting law early, he kept going until he suffered a heart attack. Rather than adjusting his lifestyle based on life lessons from Indian parents, Julian traveled to India to study with a mythical group of sages. Now, Julian is passing on what he\u2019s learned to his friend John, just as Sharma is passing on what he\u2019s learned to his readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari<\/em> provides a basic grounding in core concepts of spirituality and self-improvement, such as inner peace and the interconnectedness of all life. Many of the book\u2019s teachings draw upon Buddhist beliefs and practices, like meditation<\/a> and accepting each moment as it comes; however, it\u2019s written with secular readers in mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Book\u2019s Impact<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari <\/em>has been translated into 51 languages and has sold over 4 million copies worldwide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The book\u2019s success cemented Robin Sharma\u2019s position as a renowned author and self-help guru and kicked off a series of bestselling books, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n