God Is My Broker: A Monk-Tycoon Reveals the 7 1/2 Laws of Spiritual and Financial Growth

With this latest work of fiction, a collaboration with New York Times writer, John Tierney, Christopher Buckley promises to be every bit as hilarious and witty as in his previous audiobook, Thank You For Smoking. In God Is My Broker, Buckley aims his sharp humor at the self-help gurus; and the likes of Stephen Covey, Anthony Robbins, and Deepak Chopra had better watch out.\nDown to their last $304, the abbots in this story make a bunch of money playing the stock market--and then get carried away in today's commercialism and self-help principles when they begin to market their homemade wine. From redecorating their decrepit digs in the "peasant chic" style to outrageous television commercials to a "Cask-cade" water slide and artificial alp behind their monastery, (and passing off "decent Chilean table wine" as their own $16 a bottle brew) these monks will stop at nothing to get to the top of the wine business!\nGod Is My Broker includes actual excerpts from the writings of Robbins, Chopra, and Covey, and lists hysterical questions about God, money, etc., that followers of the "progam" can ask themselves!\nAmazon.com Review\nAudio allows for playful enhancements to this capricious send-up of Catholicism, capitalism, infomercials, marketing consultants, and most everything American middle management holds dear. Set in an upstate New York monastery-turned-theme-park, this tale of wayward monks is performed with great spirit by Mark Linn-Baker (an actor whose credits include Shakespeare and a starring role in TV's Perfect Strangers). Dramatic organ and choral music accompanies the seven and a half spiritual laws and accompanying meditations and exercises ("Number six: He who throws the first stone usually wins"). Phrases in Latin, renditions of the Bee Gees, and Italian and southern accents distinguish characters and scenes and add dramatic dimension to this spoof on self-help and business books.
The chronicler of this good book is Brother Ty, a failed Wall Street trader with a touch for the bottle who has chosen to mend his ways by becoming a monk. He joins the order of St. Thaddeus, whose only renown comes from the bad wine they produce. The monks are in desperate financial straits, but they are led by a remarkably ambitious Abbott whose discovery of Deepak Chopra is the start of many a strange event and revelation. Chopra, the Abbott determines from his reading of Creating Affluence, is telling the monks how to make money. For example, when Chopra writes, "Go first class all the way and the universe will respond by giving you the best," the Abbott translates this into buying brother Ty a first-class plane ticket to Chile so he can buy wine to replace the orange dreck the monks sell. And on this trip Brother Ty does strike gold, although he contends that the tip he acted upon was from God. The Abbott insists on giving the credit to Chopra. And so it goes. The monks turn to self-help gurus, Brother Ty sticks with the Almighty, and soon the monastery is awash in money, fame, and ultimately, trouble with the Feds, the Vatican, and of course, Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes.
Brother Ty, Christopher Buckley, and John Tierney have written this book unashamedly and with infectious fun, and that fun will radiate blatantly through your audio speakers. Not recommended for listeners who can't muster a laugh at issues concerning the Church, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the wisdom of Chopra and other self-help wizards. (Running time: 360 minutes, four cassettes) --A.E.D.