Thoughts On Climb The Joyous Mountain

In Donna McElhose’s intermediate T’ai Chi Chih class last semester, we studied this book of Justin’s by reading a chapter before each class and discussing it.

I enjoyed the experiential nature of this book, in which Justin writes about many of his travels to the East. What stood out for me were his adventurous spirit and respect for other cultures. He seemed to fit in and make friends wherever he went because he had an open mind and warm heart.

I especially liked the chapter titled “Provincialism.” Justin never idealized a culture, and could see that all people have similar tendencies to put blinders on when encountering customs different from their own. Justin was a deep thinker who learned from his experiences and synthesized them in a way that benefits everyone who reads his books.