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Bodhi Tree Bookstore

Stan Madson
€23.99
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A01=Stan Madson
Author_Stan Madson
Bibliophile
Category=DNC
Category=KJVS
Category=KNP
Category=KNTP1
Category=QDTJ
Category=QDTM
Category=VSC
Category=VX
Enlightenment
eq_bestseller
eq_biography-true-stories
eq_business-finance-law
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_mind-body-spirit
eq_new_release
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_self-help
Independent Bookstore
Shirley MacLaine
Spiritual doctrine
World Consciousness

Product details

  • ISBN 9780875169729
  • Dimensions: 152 x 228mm
  • Publication Date: 21 May 2026
  • Publisher: DeVorss & Co ,U.S.
  • Publication City/Country: US
  • Product Form: Paperback
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Description
The Life & Times of an Extraordinary Bookseller At one time, a bookstore brought to mind a vision of shelves packed floor-to-ceiling with books; some new, some old, some dusty. And behind the counter was a bibliophile eager to help. Needless to say, times have changed. Very few bookstores are able to keep the doors open simply because the bookseller “loves books.” With independent bookstores starting to see new life again, they must look beyond the task of just offering books. When the founders of the Bodhi Tree Bookstore of Los Angeles first opened in 1970, they not only knew that valuable lesson—they also created an inspired community that would go on to join together to illuminate the world.

Author and Bodhi Tree co-owner, Stan Madson, shares his personal account of how a small group of like-minded friends opened and operated an independent bookstore with nothing more than a yearning to provide books for other spiritual seekers in humble surroundings. With no bookselling experience, Stan, Phil Thompson and their Bodhi Tree partners, opened a unique bookshop in a converted house on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles where people of all faiths and philosophies could browse, sip tea, learn, and grow together.

World consciousness erupted in the 1970s with people questioning how religion often ignited fear and violence. The Bodhi Tree Bookstore did not endorse one teaching or theology over another. Instead, they offered a vast selection of spiritual doctrine to compare and consider. Their strategy worked!

For 40 years the bookstore grew tremendously thanks to word-of-mouth, worldwide publicity, best-selling author events, and a very fortunate moment influenced by Oscar-winning actress Shirley MacLaine. But life was not what Stan & Phil had dreamed it would be, despite their success. The realities of managing a retail business and thousands of diverse employees was challenging. And as online booksellers chipped away at their niche market, Stan & Phil could no longer keep the beloved bookstore’s doors open, closing in 2011. With the landmark structure now razed and rebuilt as a boutique, The Bodhi Tree Bookstore may be gone, but the loving and enlightened community it created forever lives on.
About Stan Madson
Stan Madson was born in 1936 and grew up in a modest Los Angeles neighborhood. He became interested in mechanical design and eventually graduated with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Science/Engineering at UCLA. He first worked at Hughes Aircraft, then Northrup where he met his wife, Fran Arata in 1963. After a one-year sabbatical which included traveling with Fran in Europe, they returned to Los Angeles in 1966 where Stan found an engineering job with Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica. It was there that he befriended a co-worker, Phil Thompson. During that time, the two, along with Dan Morris, became dissatisfied with their careers, decided to follow a soul-level calling that led to them opening The Bodhi Tree Bookstore in 1970. Stan and Fran currently live in Los Angeles.

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