Mystic Microsoft: A Journey of Transformation In the Halls of High Technology

By Kraig Brockschmidt

Where do you go to grow spiritually? A church? A monastery? India? Tibet? What about the heart of corporate multinationalism? Mystic Microsoft demonstrates that with sincerity and self-offering, God can (and will) guide one’s inner growth in any setting, not just formal religious channels. Here, one of Microsoft’s most visible technology experts during its major growth years relates how his career circumstances were the vehicle for an inward transformation. With insight, wit, and colorful anecdotes about life at Microsoft, Brockschmidt shows how one’s career, like his experience writing the Windows Calculator and his book, Inside OLE 2, are tremendous opportunities for spiritual growth. “[At Microsoft] I learned and experienced exactly what you would expect [in] a monastery or ashram...” Mystic Microsoft offers hope to those who feel that their careers are at odds with their inner aspirations and those who seek to find a deeper meaning in their worldly responsibilities. www.mysticmicrosoft.com

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365357510

Kraig Brockschmidt

Kraig Brockschmidt began his professional career as an intern at Microsoft Corporation, and continued there as a regular employee after graduation. Over the course of the next six years, he became highly respected throughout the software industry as a bestselling author, creative software engineer, and public speaker. His frequent seminars at software development conferences consistently drew sincere appreciation and praise from programmers and managers alike. His first two books, Inside OLE 2 (1993) and Inside OLE 2nd Edition (1995) were very successful. Within Microsoft itself, Kraig made a number of significant contributions to the Windows and Office products. In late 1996, satisfied with his accomplishments in the computer industry, Kraig felt drawn to broaden his interests outside of Microsoft, especially to explore methods and techniques related to personal effectiveness, well-being, and creativity. Retiring from the company, he enjoyed the ability to work across many fields and within many disciplines, gaining direct experience in creatively applying simple and universal principles to day-to-day challenges. His activities included construction, music direction and singing (both solo and choral in a number of domestic and international concerts), real estate, importing, photography, forest management, office management, cooking, graphic design, mechanics, retail sales, and childhood education. In this last role he appeared in a program that ran on National Public Radio, and served on the Board of the Living Wisdom School of Beaverton, Oregon and the Ananda College of Living Wisdom in Nevada City, California. During this time, Kraig became a nationally certified Yoga instructor and a certified meditation instructor, and received intensive stress-management training from the former Director of Stress Management for the hospital-based version of Dr. Dean Ornish’s Reversing Heart Disease program. He was a regular guest instructor at the Ananda College and offered insightful training seminars to corporate workgroups. In addition to these activities he authored Solving Stress, The Harmonium Handbook, Finding Focus, and a spiritual perspective of his Microsoft career, Mystic Microsoft. Kraig returned to Microsoft in 2008, working on content and support programs for the software development community. During the production of Windows 8 he trained many of Microsoft’s internal developers to work with the new system, then shared that knowledge publicly through two editions of Programming Windows Store Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (Microsoft Press, 2012 and 2014). He’s currently doing similar work as a content developer with Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise Division. Kraig resides with his wife and son near Nevada City, California, and serves on the boards of the Living Wisdom School of Nevada City and the Ananda University.