Press Kit: Joshua M. Greene
The Amazing Story of How Krishna Came to America
In the turbulent 1960s—with its civil rights marches, anti-war demonstrations, and challenges to traditional American life—stepped 70-year old Bhaktivedanta Swami, on a mission to save the world. He arrived by cargo ship, having suffering two heart attacks on the storm-tossed journey. He had seven dollars to his name, knew no one, and had never been outside India. But he was determined to spread the teachings of Krishna, the Supreme Being of the ancient Vedic scriptures.
He passed away twelve years later. By then, “Prabhupada” (as he was called by admirers) had built an international movement with millions of followers, translated dozens of Sanskrit sacred texts, established hundreds of centers to Bhakti (devotional) yoga, and made Krishna a household name through popular recordings and street chanting parties. The world of spirituality has never been the same.
Swami in a Strange Land shows why cultural icons such as George Harrison and Allen Ginsberg incorporated Prabhupada’s teachings into their lives, and why millions more around the globe embarked upon the path of bhakti yoga in his footsteps.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joshua M. Greene has produced films for PBS and Disney, has served as vice president for NewYork’s largest PR firm, and was appointed director of strategic planning for the United Nations Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders. He was also an adjunct professor at Hofstra University in New York. His previous works include the best-selling Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison; Justice at Dachau: The Trials of an American Prosecutor; Witness: Voices from the Holocaust; and Gita Wisdom: An Introduction to India’s Essential Yoga Text. In 1970, he was initiated as Yogesvara Das by Bhakivedanta Swami Prabhupada and served for thirteen years in Prabhupada’s society as director of French-language publications.
PRESS MATERIALS
Q&A with author Joshua Greene (pdf)
MEDIA COVERAGE
YogaJournal.com: Did You Know Beatle George Harrison was a Yogi?
Elephant Journal: Yoga Lite or Yoga Heavy? Your Choice Can Affect Your Life
Blog Critics Interview with Joshua M. Greene
Elephant Journal: Why Yoga Has a Role to Play in Politics
Joshua M. Greene
Swami in a Strange Land: How Krishna Came to the West: The Life of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
By Joshua M. Greene
Mandala Publishing | May 2016 | 6 x 9 |
340 pages
Biography
Hardcover | W | $29.99
ISBN: 978-1608876440
“Master storyteller Joshua Greene reveals the magical rise to international celebrity status of a “swami in a strange land”—the true, thrilling adventure story of Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, a modern-day spiritual giant.”
Sharon Gannon, Co-founder, Jivamukti Yoga; Author, Yoga and Vegetarianism, Jivamukti Yoga, Simple Recipes for Joy