I just found out today that M Scott Peck died at the end of September. He was 69. There is a full obituary in the Telegraph, a UK paper, which ends rather grudglingly and rudely in my view. Scott Peck wrote some fantastic books - to comment on his inability to write great songs seems like a mean-spirited sort of comment to me.
I read 'The Road Less Travelled' in the early 90s and was hugely influenced by it. The beginning 'Life is difficult' must be one of those great one-liners that helps with the process of growing up. It sits alongside 'life isn't meant to be fair' as one of those things that moved me forward in life.
I read several of his other books too - 'The Different Drum' is a wonderful book about building communities. My favourite book is 'In Search of Stones: A Pilgrimage of Faith, Reason and Discovery' which describes a journey which he made through Britain looking at ancient sites with standing stones. It's a spiritual read, and an enjoyable one too.
I was sad to hear that Scott Peck had left this life.
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I agree with Stuart Elgin the world is a darker place without Scott Peck.I too read the Road Less Travelled in the early 90s,and I can honestly claim it was "life changing". So rip sir, I for one am sorry to learn of your demise.
Thanks very much for the comment. I've had a lot of 'hits' to this post as the news has gradually got through of Scott Peck's death. It's a shame that someone who had such a significant impact disappeared from this life so quietly.
I was delighted when I found "Glimpses of the Devil" - a Scott Peck book I had not read or knew as being published. I have read all his others, even Golf and the Spirit where, where, not being a golfer I had to pick out the spiritual bits! I could not finish "Glimpses of the Devil" as it seemed strange and below par and found myself wondering what had gone wrong with my hero. I found out today of Dr. Peck's death and am profoundly sad - sad at his death and at the fact I had read that rather derogatory newspaper article about him and allowed it to rather knock him off the pedestal I had put him on! His mix of psychology and spirituality helped me greatly in my recovery from alcoholism and I rather approved of his liking for gin and cigarettes thinking of him as a bit of a wounded healer I guess.
He had often talked about his facination with death and wanting to "go home" to be with his God. I wish him well on his journey and that his celestial 'debriefing' or whatever happens to us after we die is not too - like life - difficult.
I was just getting ready to read The Road Less Travelled again after having retrieved it from my attic. I thought that I would look up Scott Peck on Wikipedia and see what I could find before I started reading a book that I had thoroughy enjoyed and benefited from the first time. I have to say that after reading his obituary, though, I was put off by what I found characterized his life, at least according to several obituaries - infidelity, gin and smoking. This is the man who so eloquently wrote about the need for discipline and love. It gives me second thoughts about whether I should read the book again. Great writing, but now it seems somewhat hypocritical. My 2 cents...
Also, by the way, the qote from The Road Less Traveled is "Life is difficult", not "Life is complicated". Well, so much for being picky...
Well spotted! I have edited the page to show the correct line. Sorry about that... Thanks for noticing it.
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