Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia, Revised and Expanded

Readers were instantly beguiled by Rob Brezsny's new approach to the humble horoscope when his "Free Will Astrology" column first appeared in 1996. Instead of the generic, one-size-fits-all style of similar columns, Brezsny used witty parables, tender rants, cultural riffs, pagan wisdom, and lively rituals in his playfully positive readings. He brings that same sensibilityand the same message of a smiling universeto this self-help book for people who may be skeptical about self-help books. Brezsny persuasively advises readers to go along with the universe's good intentions, but his rejection of cynicism and a bleak view of human nature isn't rooted in denial. On the contrary, he makes a case for a cagey optimism that requires a vigorous engagement with the dark forces. He asks us to rethink life as a sublime game created for our amusement and illumination. The book is a chameleon of a tome. You can read it straight through, slowly and surely, or else pick it up and open it at random for tasty hits of inspiration as the spirit moves you. You can even start at the end and weave your way backward. Brezsny has updated this edition by expanding various sections, adding more than a dozen new pieces and a new chapter, and providing readers with a number of playtime activities and exercises that let them participate through their own writing and drawing. "Brezsny's horoscopes are like little valentines, buoyant and spilling over with mischievousness. They're a soul prognosis." The New York Times

As much a storyteller and social observer as astrologer, Rob Brezsny brings a literate, myth-savvy perspective to his astrological writing. "Free Will Astrology," his syndicated weekly column, appears in 120 publications all over the world.

In addition to his books and column, Brezsny is a musician and has created five music albums. Three were with the band World Entertainment War, which recorded on MCA Records and was nominated for a Bammie, California's version of the Grammies. Bill Graham, one of rock's top impresarios, managed the band until his death. Brezsny is currently working on a new CD, This Is a Perfect Moment, which will serve as the soundtrack for the book Pronoia.

Between 1979 and the present, Brezsny has performed in more than 700 shows, from intimate performance art venues to giant rock shows at the Whole Earth Festival in Davis, California. After leaving the rock music business for good in 2000, he branched out to develop a series of performance art shows, which he performed at the Burning Man Festival in 2001, 2002, and 2004. He lives in Mill Valley, CA.