🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Carlos Castaneda
Carlos Castaneda was an American author that built a reputation out of the mystery of his person and the enigma surrounding his work. The controversy surrounding Carlos’ books has always revolved around the question of whether they are fact or fiction. Even though the books were published as fictitious works, many of Carlos’ fans have since come to the conclusion that his accounts of training to become a Shaman under the mysterious Don Juan Matus are actually true and represent an accurate testament of the things Carlos Castaneda endured. +Biography Carlos Castaneda was born in Cajamarca, Peru in 1925 to Susana Castaneda Navoa and Cesar Arana Burungaray. Carlos grew up in Peru, though he eventually moved to the United States and became a naturalized citizen in the 1950s.
All Book Series by Carlos Castaneda
The Active Side of Infinity
Latest in the series · book 12 of 12 · published 1999
Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson
Series opener · book 1 of 32 · published 1950 Anthology · G.I. Gurdjieff
Religions, Values, and Peak-Experiences
Book 2 of 32 · published 1964 Anthology · Abraham H. Maslow
The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin
Book 4 of 32 · published 1968 Anthology · Idries Shah
The Farther Reaches of Human Nature
Book 5 of 32 · published 1971 Anthology · Abraham H. Maslow
Depression and the Body
Book 6 of 32 · published 1972 Anthology · Alexander Lowen
Be As You Are
Book 11 of 32 · published 1985 Anthology · Ramana Maharshi,David Godman
The Magus of Strovolos
Book 12 of 32 · published 1985 Anthology · Kyriacos C. Markides
Interior Design with Feng Shui
Book 14 of 32 · published 1987 Anthology · Sarah Rossbach,Lin Yun
Reading the Body
Book 16 of 32 · published 1991 Anthology · Tom Monte,Wataru Ohashi
The Myth of the Goddess
Book 17 of 32 · published 1992 Anthology · Jules Cashford,Anne Baring
The Sorcerer's Crossing
Book 18 of 32 · published 1992 Co-authored · Taisha Abelar
Zen and the Art of Making a Living
Book 19 of 32 · published 1992 Anthology · Laurence G. Boldt
The Life of Milarepa
Book 20 of 32 · published 1992 Anthology · Tsangnyön Heruka,Lobsang P. Lhalungpa
Of Water and the Spirit
Book 22 of 32 · published 1995 Anthology · Malidoma Patrice Somé
The Alphabet Versus the Goddess
Book 24 of 32 · published 1998 Anthology · Leonard Shlain
Dragon In The Land Of Snows
Book 26 of 32 · published 1999 Anthology · Tsering Shakya
The Tao of Abundance
Book 28 of 32 · published 1999 Anthology · Laurence G. Boldt
Tripping
Book 30 of 32 · published 2000 Anthology · Terence McKenna,Charles Hayes
The Changing Faces of Jesus
Book 31 of 32 · published 2001 Anthology · Géza Vermes
Being Black
Latest in the series · book 32 of 32 · published 2002 Anthology · Angel Kyodo Williams
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Carlos Castaneda?
Carlos Castaneda was an American author that built a reputation out of the mystery of his person and the enigma surrounding his work. The controversy surrounding Carlos’ books has always revolved around the question of whether they are fact or fiction. Even though the books were published as fictitious works, many of Carlos’ fans have since come to the conclusion that his accounts of training to become a Shaman under the mysterious Don Juan Matus are actually true and represent an accurate testament of the things Carlos Castaneda endured. +Biography Carlos Castaneda was born in Cajamarca, Peru in 1925 to…
Which Carlos Castaneda series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Arkana S. series, the earliest of Carlos Castaneda's multi-book series: it opens with Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson (1950) and runs to 32 books across 1950–2002, ending with Being Black (2002). Carlos Castaneda's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Carlos Castaneda written?
Carlos Castaneda has 46 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1950 and 2003. 44 of them belong to 2 named series — the largest being the Arkana S. series with 32 books — and 2 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Carlos Castaneda's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Carlos Castaneda's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Arkana S. (1950–2002, 32 books) and The Teachings of Don Juan (1968–1999, 12 books).
How are Carlos Castaneda's books organised into series?
This guide splits Carlos Castaneda's 46 books into 2 named series and 2 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Arkana S. (32 books, 1950–2002); The Teachings of Don Juan (12 books, 1968–1999).