A Death on Diamond Mountain: A True Story of Obsession, Madness, and the Path to Enlightenment - Hardcover

Praise for Scott Carney
"Carney writes with considerable narrative verve, slamming home the misery of what he has witnessed with passion and visceral detail." --Michiko Kakutani, "The New York Times"
"Carney knows how to tell a story." --Carl Elliott, "The Wall Street Journal"
"A deeply engrossing account of spiritual ambition gone awry. At once illuminating and distressing, it is a riveting plunge into the liminal territory where naivety, sexuality, and spirituality overlap."
--Mark Epstein, Md, Author of "Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart" and "The Trauma of Everyday Life"
"An engaging and sobering account of a group of Westerners who are prepared to sacrifice everything in their desperate quest for transcendence. "A Death on Diamond Mountain "illustrates the promises, pitfalls, and deceptions of a young man's search for Eastern wisdom that starts in a Tibetan monastery in Nepal and ends in a cave in the Arizona desert."
--Stephen Batchelor, Author of "Confession of a Buddhist Atheist"
"The quest for supreme bliss goes spectacularly awry in "A Death on Diamond Mountain," Scott Carney's masterful account of a bizarre tragedy in the Arizona wilderness. A tenacious reporter who writes like a dream, Carney delves deep into the tangled lives of this saga's key players, whose motives range from pure to venal. The haunting, multilayered story that he comes away with is one that will resonate with anyone who has ever pursued even the smallest measure of spiritual peace."
--Brendan I. Koerner, Author of "The Skies Belong to Us "
"The transmission of Buddhism and spirituality from Asia to foreign lands is prone to misreading, confusion, and, in some cases, very real danger--all of which happened on American soil at Diamond Mountain. Scott Carney's deftly narrated story is shocking. His should serve as a warning about self-styled, so-called teachers and how their misinterpretation of meditation and yoga techniques is not only unskillful but can result in tragedy."
--Matteo Pistono, Author of "Fearless in Tibet" and "In the Shadow of the Buddha "
"In a masterful narrative, Scott Carney explores the dark side of our obsession with Eastern religions and philosophies. But in this search for Nirvana, some find insanity. Others find death. Carney takes you on a perverse spiritual journey that ends tragically on an Arizona mountain whose soil has long soaked up the blood of wanderers."
--Trevor Aaronson, Author of "The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI's Manufactured War on Terrorism"

Praise for Scott Carney

"Carney writes with considerable narrative verve, slamming home the misery of what he has witnessed with passion and visceral detail."

--Michiko Kakutani, "The New York Times"

"Carney knows how to tell a story."

--Carl Elliott, "The Wall Street Journal"
"A deeply engrossing account of spiritual ambition gone awry. At once illuminating and distressing, it is a riveting plunge into the liminal territory where naivety, sexuality, and spirituality overlap."
--Mark Epstein, Md, Author of "Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart" and "The Trauma of Everyday Life"
"An engaging and sobering account of a group of Westerners who are prepared to sacrifice everything in their desperate quest for transcendence. "A Death on Diamond Mountain "illustrates the promises, pitfalls, and deceptions of a young man's search for Eastern wisdom that starts in a Tibetan monastery in Nepal and ends in a cave in the Arizona desert."
--Stephen Batchelor, Author of "Confession of a Buddhist Atheist"
"The quest for supreme bliss goes spectacularly awry in "A Death on Diamond Mountain," Scott Carney's masterful account of a bizarre tragedy in the Arizona wilderness. A tenacious reporter who writes like a dream, Carney delves deep into the tangled lives of this saga's key players, whose motives range from pure to venal. The haunting, multilayered story that he comes away with is one that will resonate with anyone who has ever pursued even the smallest measure of spiritual peace."
--Brendan I. Koerner, Author of "The Skies Belong to Us "
"The transmission of Buddhism and spirituality from Asia to foreign lands is prone to misreading, confusion, and, in some cases, very real danger--all of which happened on American soil at Diamond Mountain. Scott Carney's deftly narrated story is shocking. His should serve as a warning about self-styled, so-called teachers and how their misinterpretation of meditation and yoga techniques is not only unskillful but can result in tragedy."
--Matteo Pistono, Author of "Fearless in Tibet" and "In the Shadow of the Buddha "
"In a masterful narrative, Scott Carney explores the dark side of our obsession with Eastern religions and philosophies. But in this search for Nirvana, some find insanity. Others find death. Carney takes you on a perverse spiritual journey that ends tragically on an Arizona mountain whose soil has long soaked up the blood of wanderers."
--Trevor Aaronson, Author of "The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI's Manufactured War on Terrorism"

Praise for Scott Carney

"Carney writes with considerable narrativeverve, slamming home the misery of what he haswitnessed with passion and visceral detail."

Michiko Kakutani, "The New York Times"

"Carney knows how to tell a story."

Carl Elliott, "The Wall Street Journal"
A deeply engrossing account of spiritual ambition gone awry. At once illuminating and distressing, it is a riveting plunge into the liminal territory where naivety, sexuality, and spirituality overlap.
Mark Epstein, Md, Author of "Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart" and "The Trauma of Everyday Life"
An engaging and sobering account of a group of Westerners who are prepared to sacrifice everything in their desperate quest for transcendence. "A Death on Diamond Mountain "illustrates the promises, pitfalls, and deceptions of a young man s search for Eastern wisdom that starts in a Tibetan monastery in Nepal and ends in a cave in the Arizona desert.
Stephen Batchelor, Author of "Confession of a Buddhist Atheist"
The quest for supreme bliss goes spectacularly awry in "A Death on Diamond Mountain," Scott Carney s masterful account of a bizarre tragedy in the Arizona wilderness. A tenacious reporter who writes like a dream, Carney delves deep into the tangled lives of this saga s key players, whose motives range from pure to venal. The haunting, multilayered story that he comes away with is one that will resonate with anyone who has ever pursued even the smallest measure of spiritual peace.
Brendan I. Koerner, Author of "The Skies Belong to Us "
The transmission of Buddhism and spirituality from Asia to foreign lands is prone to misreading, confusion, and, in some cases, very real danger all of which happened on American soil at Diamond Mountain. Scott Carney s deftly narrated story is shocking. His should serve as a warning about self-styled, so-called teachers and how their misinterpretation of meditation and yoga techniques is not only unskillful but can result in tragedy.
Matteo Pistono, Author of "Fearless in Tibet" and "In the Shadow of the Buddha "
In a masterful narrative, Scott Carney explores the dark side of our obsession with Eastern religions and philosophies. But in this search for Nirvana, some find insanity. Others find death. Carney takes you on a perverse spiritual journey that ends tragically on an Arizona mountain whose soil has long soaked up the blood of wanderers.
Trevor Aaronson, Author of "The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI s Manufactured War on Terrorism""

Praise for Scott Carney

"Carney writes with considerable narrativeverve, slamming home the misery of what he haswitnessed with passion and visceral detail."

Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

"Carney knows how to tell a story."

Carl Elliott, The Wall Street Journal
A deeply engrossing account of spiritual ambition gone awry. At once illuminating and distressing, it is a riveting plunge into the liminal territory where naivety, sexuality, and spirituality overlap.
Mark Epstein, Md, Author of Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart and The Trauma of Everyday Life
An engaging and sobering account of a group of Westerners who are prepared to sacrifice everything in their desperate quest for transcendence. A Death on Diamond Mountain illustrates the promises, pitfalls, and deceptions of a young man s search for Eastern wisdom that starts in a Tibetan monastery in Nepal and ends in a cave in the Arizona desert.
Stephen Batchelor, Author of Confession of a Buddhist Atheist
The quest for supreme bliss goes spectacularly awry in A Death on Diamond Mountain, Scott Carney s masterful account of a bizarre tragedy in the Arizona wilderness. A tenacious reporter who writes like a dream, Carney delves deep into the tangled lives of this saga s key players, whose motives range from pure to venal. The haunting, multilayered story that he comes away with is one that will resonate with anyone who has ever pursued even the smallest measure of spiritual peace.
Brendan I. Koerner, Author of The Skies Belong to Us
The transmission of Buddhism and spirituality from Asia to foreign lands is prone to misreading, confusion, and, in some cases, very real danger all of which happened on American soil at Diamond Mountain. Scott Carney s deftly narrated story is shocking. His should serve as a warning about self-styled, so-called teachers and how their misinterpretation of meditation and yoga techniques is not only unskillful but can result in tragedy.
Matteo Pistono, Author of Fearless in Tibet and In the Shadow of the Buddha
In a masterful narrative, Scott Carney explores the dark side of our obsession with Eastern religions and philosophies. But in this search for Nirvana, some find insanity. Others find death. Carney takes you on a perverse spiritual journey that ends tragically on an Arizona mountain whose soil has long soaked up the blood of wanderers.
Trevor Aaronson, Author of The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI s Manufactured War on Terrorism

"

Praise for Scott Carney

"Carney writes with considerable narrative verve, slamming home the misery of what he has witnessed with passion and visceral detail."

--Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

"Carney knows how to tell a story."

--Carl Elliott, The Wall Street Journal
"A deeply engrossing account of spiritual ambition gone awry. At once illuminating and distressing, it is a riveting plunge into the liminal territory where naivety, sexuality, and spirituality overlap."
--Mark Epstein, Md, Author of Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart and The Trauma of Everyday Life
"An engaging and sobering account of a group of Westerners who are prepared to sacrifice everything in their desperate quest for transcendence. A Death on Diamond Mountain illustrates the promises, pitfalls, and deceptions of a young man's search for Eastern wisdom that starts in a Tibetan monastery in Nepal and ends in a cave in the Arizona desert."
--Stephen Batchelor, Author of Confession of a Buddhist Atheist
"The quest for supreme bliss goes spectacularly awry in A Death on Diamond Mountain, Scott Carney's masterful account of a bizarre tragedy in the Arizona wilderness. A tenacious reporter who writes like a dream, Carney delves deep into the tangled lives of this saga's key players, whose motives range from pure to venal. The haunting, multilayered story that he comes away with is one that will resonate with anyone who has ever pursued even the smallest measure of spiritual peace."
--Brendan I. Koerner, Author of The Skies Belong to Us
"The transmission of Buddhism and spirituality from Asia to foreign lands is prone to misreading, confusion, and, in some cases, very real danger--all of which happened on American soil at Diamond Mountain. Scott Carney's deftly narrated story is shocking. His should serve as a warning about self-styled, so-called teachers and how their misinterpretation of meditation and yoga techniques is not only unskillful but can result in tragedy."
--Matteo Pistono, Author of Fearless in Tibet and In the Shadow of the Buddha
"In a masterful narrative, Scott Carney explores the dark side of our obsession with Eastern religions and philosophies. But in this search for Nirvana, some find insanity. Others find death. Carney takes you on a perverse spiritual journey that ends tragically on an Arizona mountain whose soil has long soaked up the blood of wanderers."
--Trevor Aaronson, Author of The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI's Manufactured War on Terrorism

Scott Carney speaks Hindi and has spent six years living in India. He is a contributing editor at WIRED, and his work has also appeared in Playboy, The New York Times Magazine, Mother Jones, Details, Discover, Outside, Fast Company, and Foreign Policy. His first book, The Red Market, won the 2012 Clarion Award for best nonfiction book. He currently lives in Los Angeles.