Rating: 
Summary: This "Book" "Changed" My "Life"
Review: Where to begin? This book just works on so many levels: the riveting plot development, the penetrating attention to detail, the masterful characterization, and of course, the earth-shaking, bone-rattling, mind-jarring philosophical ideas for which the story is merely a vehicle, though without which this novel of ideas would still earn a rightful berth in the canon of American literature. It is rare to read such a fine piece of fiction that has such amazing applications in daily life. After several years of practice I have gained quite a reputation for my "invisibility trick" at parties. It would also have allowed me quite the leeway with the ladies had I not been scared poopless of them being able to read my lustful thoughts. Some reviewers have panned Redfield as a money-grubbing hack. Well, would you say the same of other modern giants like L. Ron Hubbard? Huh? Would ya? I would have given this book 9 stars (for each of the 9 "insights"), but instead I'll give it one. One star for James Redfield, genius, giant, pornstar.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent soul searching book!
Review: This is an excellent soul searching book! If you're looking for a book on spirituality that will breath life back into you, this is the book for you. It gives us insights about our life experiences as you follow a great adventure story. The explanations are perhaps a bit oversimplified but it still carries an inspiring and powerful message. A more comprehensive but nevertheless "easy to understand" book on these types of things is "Rhythm, Relationships, and Transcendence" by Toru Sato. It is full of even more interesting insights about our experiences!
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the worst book I've ever read....ever!
Review: I take no issue with the content of the book, but rather the weak story and lame writing style. It's a little too convenient that *everyone* met in Peru speaks perfect English. The tone, word choice, and style read more like a college term paper in "creative writing" than an actual book worthy of print and sale. I'm shocked this thing made it to print and the editor didn't laugh the manuscript out of their office.
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Summary: Synchronicity is real: An exoteric look at the esoteric
Review: James Redfield's "The Celestine Prophecy" is essential reading for all spiritual seekers and anyone searching for truth in the most unlikely places. One reviewer of the book said something along the lines of "and I thought this book was supposed to be fiction!" In one respect, the book is indeed fiction. It is an allegorical tale written in the first person perspective. Curiously, the author's name is never mentioned, and the reader assumes that the main character is James Redfield. As far as I know, Mr. Redfield did not actually undergoe the adventures described in his book, at least not physically. It is possible that he did receive the insights described in the Peruvian manuscript while in a drug-induced trance state, during transendental meditation, or while in a dissociative gray void. Either way, the insights are remarkably accurate in describing human spirituality and the nature of human bio-energy and its interactions. And yes, people can and do see energy fields. For more information I suggest reading "How to See and Read the Aura" by Ted Andrews. As a follow up to this book, I would suggest David Icke's "I am Me, I am Free: The Robot's Guide to Freedom." It is much more advanced and has more spiritual meat than Redfield's books; however, Icke's work can be anywhere from slightly to overly distressing to those unfamiliar with esoteric information. Peace and love to all.
Rating: 
Summary: Judge a book by its Critics and Supporters
Review: I'll keep it simple. Read at least 50 reviews of this book on Amazon, and you'll see something interesting. Almost every unhelpful and grammatically-poor review you'll read is written in praise of this book. I'm not saying that this book is bad because the people who love it are poor writers, but I do believe it reflects poorly on the book. As for me, I don't like New Age literature, but this one is okay. On the positive side: it's hopeful and interesting to read (despite the flat characters). It makes you feel good about yourself and the world. On the negative side: Although this book will pat you kindly on your back when life is stressful, it won't teach you how to turn your stressful life around. Try Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Successful People for something like that.
Rating:
Summary: Changed my life
Review: Read it and you'll see, there's a reason why you were meant to read these reviews. Just buy it, you'll have no regrets.
Rating:
Summary: A nice thought but not very realistic
Review: The Book The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield has a nice message on how you can change your life, but isn't really based on any facts. Redfields' premis is that if you follow nine simple steps your life can be completly different and you can find the true meaning of your existance. The first insight is that nothing happends by chance everything that happends is supposed to happen. Redfield fails to include ant type of probability into his argument. Mathmatically speaking the coencodences that he speaks of happen all the time and it isn't rare for strange things to happen. Another insight speaks about how people can see energy fields. This maybe true, but I can't see them nor can anyone else I have talked to about this book. Then the author goes on to talk about how all we need to do is let go of the past and stop our "control drama" to stop dominating other people. The author states that depending on peoples parents. If feel that that statement makes a hasty generalization. To say that all people are going to be the same because of their parents is totally false. Next the author talkes about how we need to stop sucking other people out of there energy and rely on nature to give us all the energy we need. One can't prove that we suck energy from other people or that looking at mountains and trees make people have all the energy they will need to live. To make a long story short none of the insights can be proven, and many go against common sense. Though overall I enjoyed reading this book and think that it has a nice message. The author layed out his argument well and the I feel the book was well written. The insights do make sense on a surface level there is something about each insight that could be true for everyone and apply in some general way but I feel that it should be taken with a grain of salt. I wouldn't take off to Peru just yet.
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: The Celestine Prophecy kept me moving through the book the whole time. If spiritual growth is your intent, grab this book. :)
Rating:
Summary: A waste of good energy
Review: Follow our nameless hero, who, in the middle of a career crisis, leaves the comforts of coffeehouse and hip conversation to travel to Peru in search of the mysterious Manuscript with the Power To Change Life As We Know It. Thrill as he runs through the jungle and hides behind boulders to evade capture by soldiers and interrogation by the evil Cardinal Sebastian. Meet Phil, the timorous ecologist. Chill as our hero is captured and taken to an oppressively gray detention hall. Listen as he grouses about the meal of gristly beef and potatoes he is served in jail. Will the hero get the girl by the end of the book? Not if he doesn't wise up to the fact that she's telepathic and having those erotic thoughts around her get him in trouble every time. Be amazed at the two dimensional characters and the loopy theology/cosmology/whatever that kept this book on the best seller's list for two years. What in God's name do people see in this banal, grating screed? When a novel so ideologically loopy and artistically flat is so phenomenally successful a closer look is surely in order. Here, dear reader, are the 9 Insights: 1) we need more people to be nice to each other; 2) eat your vegetables; 3) learn to see auras by staring at the space between your fingers; 4) listen to what people tell you; 6) avoid co-dependent relationships and you'll have more energy; 7) stop and smell the roses; 8) practice birth control and adopt; 9) as you practice the 9 Insights people who aren't as cool as you are won't be able to see you any more and you'll become invisible like the unicorns. Really!
Rating: 
Summary: Yes, it's a bunch of platitudinous psychobabble. . .
Review: . . . and yes, the author is making a dumptruck load of cash from it and its sequels and its newsletter and its website and his seminars and retreats. BUT it's also a very inspirational book which HAS in fact helped a lot of people look at life in an entirely new way. Yeah, the author is making money and has turned his teachings into an enterprise, but so has every major religion in the world and I don't see anyone whining about that. You want to talk about cynicism? L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, was quoted as saying "If you want to become a rich man, the easiest way is to start your own religion." Well, he was right. Any creative person with a basic understanding of spirituality, physics, and psychology can introduce their own ideas about spirituality. But this is where ALL faith has come from since Cro-Magnon times. Whatever faith you follow from old systems like Christianity and Taoism to newer ones like Mormonism and Scientology, they all came from the ideas of one person who was persecuted for his beliefs when he first started out. Some people wonder if the author of the Celestine Prophecy really believes his ideas, or if he just did it to cash in. Well, it really doesn't matter. There are millions of people out there who were inspired by it, and in their concious reality it makes a huge difference in their lives whether Joe Blow in Kokomo, Illinois believes it or not. The people who slam the author as a cynical jerk who's just counting his money and laughing at all the hemp necklace wearing moon maidens who read his books are just jealous. They wish they had the creativity to write a book like this and make this kind of cash instead of just sitting around wearing Che Guevera t-shirts and despising Capitalism from their $1,500 computer to make a trendy statement.
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