Stories and Lessons for Living (Compass) - The Lakota Way

This book was suggested at a critical crossroads in my life. I found it grounding, concise, exceptionally poignant and it spoke to me as if I were of its time. It defined and answered questions I didn't even realize I had. Highly recommended.

Very informative and beautiful descriptions of the ways of the Lakota people. Great book! Author tells stories that can be visualized when you are reading them! Can't wait to read more of his books.

Thank you, thank you Joseph, for writing authentically about Lakota life. There is nothing "new age" or pretentious about this book; it is not "mother earth and red road spirituality for wanna-be's." It's a humble collection of legends, interspersed with Marshall's commentary about how the values taught in each legend apply to peoples' lives today. He connects old stories with experiences from his own life--which are the best parts of the book, I think--such as memories of his grandparents' lives, what it's like to live on Rosebud, and how leadership traits are recognized in (or by) others. It's not fancy, it's not glitzy and trendy, it's not perfumed with all sorts of mystical terminology and "Indian-religion-for-sale" commercialization (there are plenty of other books for that, and sadly, they sell better). This is just a gentle man's stories and well-expressed values.

"The Lakota Way" is a magnificently written book that will enrich your life in many ways. Each chapter is dedicated to a virtue essential to the Lakota (better known as the Sioux) people. Mr. Marshall masterfully paints a picture of each virtue by sharing traditional stories passed down through the generations. Important lessons in life are wonderfully illustrated and can easily be connected to modern day life. He incorporates his own fascinating life story throughout, providing additional insight into Lakota beliefs and customs. A historical overview featuring tribe development, ceremonies, battles, heroes, and relocation makes this a wonderfully enlightening read as well. For instance, the compelling story of Crazy Horse, "whose humility outshone his fame", was utterly captivating.

Mr. Marshall is truly a gifted storyteller with an engaging and eloquent writing style. The book was very easy to read and impossible to put down. I absolutely loved it! It's an absolutely wonderful book and I highly recommend it for everyone!

I bought this book because I was interested in the Lakota way of life, and their belief system. Not only was I enlightened in that aspect, but I gained some insight into the kind of life that I want to live, and the person I want to be. Joseph M. Marshall III, does more than simply list the qualities that are important to the Lakota people. He draws the reader a picture of each quality with stories that have been passed down to him through his family. Not only do these stories show that strength and tenacity of the Native American People through all their hardship at the hands of the whites, but they show people overcoming human weaknesses, and their lives being richer and happier for it. Marshall also describes the outcome of the Native American struggle against the whites differently than I've ever heard it described, that the Native people in this country were never defeated! Through everything the whites put them through, they emerged whith a strong sense of where they came from and where they are going. I highly recommend this book.

This book has a wonderful message about ways to live ones life! I am not Lakota, but the traits of humility, honor, respect, courage, persistence and so on are not just traits of the Lakota. These are, or should be, traits we all aspire to. As many have said before, we all know the dictionary definition of these traits, but Marshalls stories really illustrate true life application.

I find myself thinking back to things my grandparents said and did, and I can see how their generation lived these same principles. I believe the world would be a much better place if our lawmakers, teachers, leaders, parents and children read this book. If our children are disrespectful it is because they have disrespectful role models.

I got the audio book, so I can listen to Marshall tell the stories! Amazing!

I learned more about Native American views and beliefs than I ever learned with anything else. I look forward to reading more from Marshall and I would highly recommend this book. My inspiration to purchase this book was a recent trip to the Black Hill area in South Dakota and Wyoming. All Americans should hear both sides of the truth. I wish there was more written history prior to the Anglo invasion. Open your mind and make your own decisions. Oh yeah enjoy the stories too.

This book is extremely accessible as if ingrained in human nature. I have no background in indigenous culture and spirituality. I wanted to capture this book and live there. I had to wonder if anything about me was uniquely tuned in to this book and I don't think there was. I had to wonder what kind of effect this book would have as a large scale required reading in families, schools, churches, prisons, cities, the White House, etc. The Lakota way creates a desire to become honor, dignity and peace by being unselfish.

After years of listening to insufferable white posturers and Indian writers beating the tom-tom just a bit too loudly, I have finally come upon a writer who has produced a humble, honorable, knowledgeable book that reflects the application of Indian traditions to the situations that all of us face today. This is not a book for the confused seeker, the desperate wannabe, or the trafficer in the newest new age philosophy du jour. Rather, it is a book for the caring, thoughtful human being who looks into the heart as well as the mind for guidance on life issues. An added benefit is that it is full of wonderful and illustrative stories, lightly told. If you don't feel that the Great Spirit has ordained you to wear eagle feathers and take an Indian name, but you value the rich, earth-embracing philosophy of the Lakota people, please get this book. You will find yourself quietly enriched and illuminated, all in a way that New Age self help books can never begin to provide. Thank you, Mr. Marshall. You remind us that wisdom whispers, it doesn't shout. Keep up the good fight. Kent Nerburn

This book is an outstanding resource for parents of Lakota children and for teachers, teacher education professors, journalists, counselors, social workers, or anyone who works with Lakota people.
Joseph Marshall is an authentic voice bringing back old stories and contemporizing them for his readers as a way of sharing and passing on Lakota wisdom and values for future generations. So many "experts" on the Lakota culture are really just scholars who cannot reach the true center of the culture because they haven't lived it. Joe is the real thing,and his voice is both humble and eloquent as he relates his life to the stories his grandparents told him.
I used the book in my summer course for teachers and they have taken it back to their classrooms to use with their students as a way of encouraging Lakota children to write their own stories. I just can't say enough about how great this book is. There is also a CD of Joe reading some of the stories, which is extremely helpful in a classroom setting.
His other short story collections "The Dance House" and "On Behalf of the Wolf and the First Peoples" are excellent also.

I have read many new age self-help books that
offered some good advice, but at times were
really spacey and confusing. After reading
"The Lakota Way" I must say, that this is a
work of art...it is an easy read and so simple
to understand the values and virtues it teaches
that are so desperately missing in todays family
and youths across our country.
"The Lakota Way" so inspired me, that I will
use it as my bible for living. It's one of the
greatest books I have ever read.
I truely loved the old stories that Mr. Marshall
started with in each chapter leading into the
explaination of each virtue. I only wish I had
the same grand-parents telling me those stories
when I was a small boy.
For anyone that wants to improve their life and
everything around them.........this is the book!
Thank you, Mr. Joseph M. Marshall III for changing
my life.
Ronin

The wealth of virtues discussed in this book through the legends of the Lakota tribe are presented in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. A wonderful book that is enjoyable to read, and educational as well. This book now sits on my top shelf, with the few other books that I re-read regularly. This is a place of honor, and speaks to the greatness of Mr. Joseph M. Marshall's explanation of the traditional legends, and their connection to modern life. You don't have to be a Native American to enjoy this book. Read it, and re-read it. See how your personality and character develops into something you never would have imagined!

Joseph Marshall is quietly bridging the gap between his Lakota people and the rest of the world.
My favorite is The Story of No Moccasins, which illustrates in a remarkable way that behind every good man is a greater woman.
Joseph Marshall is an extraordinary story-teller. There are plenty of writers who can take you for a ride, the whole point of it being the ride. Marshall delivers you to a moral, introspection, or a profound thought.
I also loved The Dance House, Marshall's short story collection from Red Crane Books. Oliver's Silver Dollar, which is being considered for a film, is the true story of one man's incarceration in a state mental hospital, all because of a misunderstanding and the division between two cultures.
There has been and continues to be a dismissal by whites of the Indian way as pagan and unenlightened. Prepare to be enlightened.

I found Mr.Marshall's book to be extremely insightful, and yet very tender. I am a Christian Lakota man and I believe much of this book expresses the invisible, indelible etching of God's fingerprint upon the soul of man...the high morals He has placed in our hearts. I used to listen to my father tell me stories of his days growing up on the reservation and Mr. Marshall's book brought back so many memories of my father....a full-blood Lakota who died much too early.

Mr.Marshall is a superb story-teller and a gifted writer. He brings the twelve spiritual values of the Lakota to life in ways that the reader can not only understand, but relate to and see their meaning to everyday life. His stories of his grandparents alone make this book worth the read. Here is a man who listens and shares what he has learned over the course of a life and through the wisdom of those who came before him.

I liked The Lakota Way for its native folklore and insights into the Lakota culture. It's an easy read and a good learning experience. It's especially good to pickup and put down as time permits.[[ASIN:0142196096 The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living

Very well-written and narrated! Here is a collection of wonderful stories of the Lakota traditional views of the world, honor, courage, relationship and gratitude, something all of us can learn from and take to heart. I will be coming back to it again and again.

Stories. Lakota stories that tell about morality and virtues---persistence, honor, love, respect, and so forth. We can all benefit from reading these stories. Interesting and enlightening. What more can you ask for? Recommended! boland7214@aol.

this is one of the most enlightening books about not only the native path but everyday interaction. I purchased the book and have re-read and re-read. For those of native heritage it quietly and forcefully moves you to reawaken your heritage and for others shares insight into our beliefs. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to live a better life.

This book is a beautiful journey through Lakota history. It allows the reader to truly feel the traditional Lakota stories, and understand how the values taught in those stories manifests in everyday life. This book was one of the most powerful and beautiful pieces of literature I've read in a long time. Awesome!!!

I'm a criminal defense attorney who represents many Native Americans all around the country. I've purchased this book for years. It is a must read for any new employee in this firm. I have also given it to many of my clients while they are in jail awaiting trial. It's a magnificient book. Mary M. McMahon, criminal defense attorney and author of Once a Warrior.

If I were still teaching my native language: Lakota, I would use this book in my classroom. I recommend this book to all of my family and friends. It is a must for all, especially to my people as a lot of us need to relearn these ways or to learn them new! I have read "Dance House" also and can only applaud Mr. Marshall for his great writing. Pilamayaye ksto!

This book is truely wonderful. Especially for those who wish to pass on these stories and virtues to the next generation of our people. Lessons for life that we can not afford to loose. Wonderfully written.

This book offers timeless tales of love, honor, respect, dignity etc. It should be required reading in all schools. But these stories are lessons for life that are valuable for people of all ages. I loved it. Simple but beautiful.

The traditional Lakota folktales are interesting, as are the historical comments about the destruction of the Lakota way of life at the hands of the genocidal American government. The tales from contemporary reservation life are not very absorbing, and the ethical comments become tedious in time. They are too sentimental for my taste. I was looking for something more shamanistic, I'm afraid. Not a re-read.

I like his stories but unfortunately Joe seems to have a split personality. In 2011 (!) he accepted my order of bow, arrow, bow case and quiver, as a deposit I had transferred US $ 750 into his account. During June 2014 (!) he sent me a message, sorry, I'm unable to finish the items, I gonna refund you. Well, he never refunded me, he just kept my money. Is that the Lakota Way of doing business…?