Customer Reviews (21)

I Couldn't Put it Down!!!!!
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RJBTZ8B396Q4I

Not a work of fiction, unfortunately
I was raised in New Vrindaban from 1971-1985. I lived with the very characters discussed, knew most every name in the book. Everything resonates.

Poorly written
I am temporarily working in Marshall County and recently
saw Krishnas dancing on the sidewalk in Moundsville. After
doing some online research, I found this title, and really
wanted to read it. Since it's out of print, I checked the
local libraries. Both required a $20 deposit to check out
the book, as copies had been stolen off the shelves or not
returned. So, after jumping through a few hoops (paying
for an out of state library card, going to another desk to
pay the deposit and check out the book) I eagerly
went home to read it.

The subject matter had so much potential, it could have been
as riveting as Helter Skelter. Unfortunately, the writing was
terrible. The authors should have stuck to the facts instead
of trying to fictionalize parts of the story. And the gratuitous
sex scenes randomly thrown in were ridiculous. No wonder it's
out of print.

Glad I Didn't Join
I was a devotee of Krishna back in 1971, to the point of attending evening prayer (I worked across from the street from the Detroit ISKCON temple at the time) and went to everything ISKCON-related on weekends. My exposure to ISKCON lasted only a few months as I finally decided that Krishna Consciousness was not for me.


After reading "Monkey On a Stick", I was really glad that I didn't join. The whole scandal and killings down at New Vrindaban (West Virginia) relly shocked me since I was never abused or treated badly in any way. Also, it creeped me out since before I took my leave of the ISKCON temple in Detroit, there was talk of my spending some time at the Temple, then going to New Vrindaban. I suspect that I would have ended up dead because I know I'd be yelling to high heaven after learning of the sexual abuse and other criminal activities.

This is a great book to read--in it you can see the destructive paths that many cults end up traversing (for another scandal of this sort, google "Christ of the Hills Monastery"). From what I have heard, AC Bhakhtivedanta was a very nice, sincere man and it was after his death that everything started to fall apart.

Since my short time with ISKCON was in the early 70s, reading "Monkey On a Stick" (a reference to something said by Bhakhivedanta) was definitely an eye-opener. I suppose that the story came as such a shock to me because I had found them a nice, peaceful lot, albeit a bit wacko. I certainly could not have foretold what took place in the years after I gave up on ISCON for good. I certainly didn't expect pedophilia, drug-running, or murder.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to see how at least part of a religious group could and did go astray.

Greed and Violence Corrupt Religion
Monkey On a Stick is a bizarre story of how "...people who had set out to make peace and love ended up molesting children, running drugs, and committing murder" (page 392). It's a fascinating and bizarre true story that will keep any true-crime fan up late turning the pages.

One of the best things about Monkey On a Stick is that it is an "action" book. By that, I mean that there are plenty of bizarre happenings to keep you interested throughout the book. The authors, Hubner and Gruson, are good at pacing; though they recount the history of the Hare Krishnas, they do so in such a way that you never bog down.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the book is the degree to which the Krishnas became involved in crime. You will be amazed that they constantly ran scams in order to raise money. As time passes, the movement's gurus became greedier and more arrogant; somewhat unbelievably, the movement slid into committing murders, dealing drugs, and molesting children - all with the knowledge of (some) of its leaders.

Though I greatly enjoyed Monkey On a Stick, the book has a few limitations.

Though the book is always readable, the narrative is a bit choppy. The authors choose to start with a long section on the Krishnas' criminal activities in West Virginia during the 1980s. Then, they go back in time for a long section on the history of the Krishna movement. At the end, they return to West Virginia. Some readers will find the sequencing of Monkey On a Stick to be cumbersome.

I would also add that Monkey On a Stick is, first and foremost, a crime book. The authors do not spend much time on the positive sides of the faith. The book is very negative about the entire movement and you will come away with little sense of why someone might join the Krishnas.

On the whole, however, I recommend Monkey On a Stick to anyone who wants to read a true-crime page turner.
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Product Description
Contents: What is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness?, A Brief Biography of the Founder Acarya..., The Peace Formula, On Chanting the Hare Krsna Mantra, The Origin of the Hare Krsna Movement, Glossary. ... Read more