Rating: 
Summary: A Masterpiece!
Review: I caught the last 15 minutes of Oprah when Gary was on. It was the first time I saw him. The topic immediately drew my attention. At the end of the show Oprah made a comment that I'll never forget. She said, "Seat of the Soul is the best book she has ever read". Well that did it. I just wanted to see what Oprah Winfrey thinks is "the best book" she has ever read. Well it is without a doubt a masterpiece. I believe it needs to be read cover to cover as each chapter builds upon the previous. Clearly not written for the judgmental types who won't have a clue what this book is about but will none the less pretend they do. When you reach the seat of your soul you don't need to belie a work of art such as this. It will be one of the (if not the) best books you'll ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you Gary for sharing your "Window" to the world
Review: A very inspiring book about life and how to live it. Quite a few pieces in my life puzzle found their place while reading this book. But you need an open-mind to appreciate what the book is really about. So there will be some people who will find it hard to understand and to some extent controversial. Again, thank you Gary!
Rating:
Summary: A manual for the human experience
Review: While Zukav's work, in my opinion starts off a little slow and heavy in the 1st couple chapters, he's laying the nessesary ground work for the remainder of the book's content. Not everyone will "get it" as the author dscribes some of life's most complex issues. And that's OK. Those who are ready for the journey will begin. Gary Zukuv seems to capture the essence of our reason for being here, our relationship to ourselves, to our partner, our fellow humans, the Earth and ultimatatly, to the Universe. A must read for all who seek a meaning and fullfillment on this plant. As with any good commentary of any depth, 2nd and 3rd reading will gleen more and more of the works deeper meanings.
Rating: 
Summary: Very New Age - not for everyone....
Review: Gary Zukav has some really interesting theories which can make us look inside ourselves - very good for the introspective side. But this book is very new-age, so for those people of Christian belief, it may not be what you are looking for.If you are willing to read through this and take from it what you need and disregard what you don't, you may find something valuable - there are some good areas on choice and responsibility. But if you don't believe in Karma and reincarnation, much of the book may not interest you. It is not an easy read, by any means. It is a thought provoking book that takes time to digest and understand. I know Oprah recommends this - but I suggest that you consider your beliefs and make your own choice based on them. This book can be useful for many, but it is not for everyone.
Rating:
Summary: to be fair...
Review: Gary Zukav seems genuine enough at least the few times I've seen him on television. Moreover he seems to be offering something more than many other "new agers," in that he's actually proposing a vision that is truly metaphysical (i.e. not just the kind of "spiritual materialism" wherein everything in the afterlife is really pretty much like it is on earth--only better. You know what I'm talking about, the ones where all our souls are about 30 years old in appearance, and much better looking than they were incarnated). To his credit, Zukav is having none of that. Beyond that though, I would have to say his vision is muddy and unfocused. This book is just not well written. I got a better understanding of what Zukav is saying from going to his website than I did from reading the 250 odd pages of this book. Of course, my natural skepticism colors my perception of his work, but Zukav could have stated his beliefs more convincingly. His tendency to use terms like "multisensory" and "authentic power" without ever adequately defining them is a real failing on his part. Sure a perceptive reader has a reasonably good idea what he's talking about, but the same reader is likely to remained unconvinced. Instead of definitions, Zukav offers repetitions--as if he can hammer home the point by repeating it often enough. Admirers will probably argue that spiritual tracts are seldom masterpieces of style. Maybe true, but any book needs to be readable. If ever a book needed a good editor, this is it.
Rating: 
Summary: Clearly written and easily understood.
Review: I would recommend this book to people with troubled children. Read the book first, then get your troubled children to read and write a review of the book. Even if you have to pay them to do it. I found Mr. Zukav's comments about Consciousness, Energy, and Karma inspiring. I wish I had encountered this book about 30 years ago when I was a Spiritual basket case. Back then I had about as much compassion, and enlightenment in my life as a dead tree stump has. Mr. Zukav's information regarding Reincarnation will not sit well with "christians" but Reincarnation was included in the bible until it was voted out as heresy in 553 or 576 CE if memory serves. If you have questions or comments; E-Mail me. Two Bears. Wah doh Ogedoda
Rating: 
Summary: Wolf in sheep's clothing....
Review: I was delighted to read one of the other reviewer's comments about Gary Zukav's "Seat of the Soul." He said, and I quote his mother, "if you don't have anything good to say about someone, do not say anything at all." I will not be so kind. I ordered this book because, none other than Oprah Winfrey herself referred it during one of her shows. I was expecting it to enlighten some deep dark corner of my heart, the corner where all the answers to love, relationships, family and sober consciousness dwell. But instead I found new age filth hidden in spiritual garb. Zukav has masterfully rehashed every new age philosophical mumbo-jumbo that ever existed, shined it up, and put it in pretty packaging and marketed it as "spirituality." I find it ironic that Zukav writes much about "spirituality," yet fails to acknowledge the divinity of someone he names several times in his book. JESUS THE CHRIST. No mention of God, just "Energy and Life." I don't buy it and if I had known ahead of time I wouldn't have bought the book either. His idea of "multi-sensory" people being an evolutionary step above so-called "five-sensory" people is completely and totally ludicrous. He did manage to state some truth in this book, although it is nothing new and was most likely by accident. Many people live life unconsciously. They CHOOSE to sleep walk on a daily basis. Grab hold of your life and let the true Spirit of the Lord guide your life. Pass on this book. Don't let this wolf in sheep's clothing fool you.
Rating:
Summary: Clarity
Review: If I want to say anything about this book is this, it brings me clarity. Funny thing is that I bought this book one and half years ago and I read it. I felt into sleep. The title sounded intimidating to me too. I always thought a soul is somthing flows out of your body when you die and go to see God. It wasn't accurate anymore. After I read the book first couple of times, I decide to put it down and I start reading something else. At age 21, I do have a spiritual relationship and a whole spiritual life of my own. I have learned so much from that. I went to lots of stuff I never wanted to touch before. Last night, I read this book in the chapter of Karma and Power. It is the most amazing thing I have ever heard from anybody. I was totally stunned by its truth and the beauty lies in the book, I didn't know why I don't feel that way first time I read it. It just changed my whole perception of who I am. I cried and cried, that eveinging, I went to a friend's funeral who was murdered in Dallas. For the first time, I see something more than jsut sorrow and darkness. For the first time, I clearly understand what's happening when a person died, a person born and us still living, all of that.
Rating: 
Summary: Poorly done
Review: The writing itself is terrible. I can't imagine a publisher allowing it to be released as written. Too many loooonng sentences, riddled with commas. Some of the "statements" are virtually uninterpretable. My high school English teacher would have given me a "D", at best. Many "quantum leaps" which assert something as fact with literally no information to support the position. The "miracle" that it became a best-seller is a serious indictment on the intelligence level of our nation's readers. It would seem that many people are without a base of existence and are desperately searching for a foundation. This is not it.
Rating:
Summary: It's all about knowing youself.
Review: Scratch. Scratch. Fingers on head. Scratch. Sratch. It's unbelievable (I'm exaggerating). A book this good deserves more than 5 stars. Zukav is like an angel whose wisdom encompasses all of humanity's (harhar). This book made me laugh and cry and think. It sucks (another exaggeration). It tells and tells, and never shows. He's too verbose and everything the author's got to say has been said, and more simply at that. Okay. So I'm a little sarcastic right now. But I'm quite serious when I say that Mr. Zukav is one of the greatest thinkers I've ever had the pleasure of thinking with. His thoughts are so out-of-nowhere, and, consequently, easy to digest. I had a lot of Ahhhhh's and I-never-could-have-thought-of-that's while reading "The Seat of the Soul". It was just written so clearly and beautifully that reading it is like drinking tang orange juice. It's thought provoking. Gary tells us that evolution isn't necessarily what we think it is. Science suggests that evolution is about survival of the fittest, and that everybody is fighting for power - money, position, and everything else is proof enough. Gary suggests that there is more to evolution than this. Karma plays a role. A soul expands through several lifetimes and different persons; every goodness and badness in each lifetime is reflected in its soul, and in subsequent lifetimes of the same soul. The soul is always in the process of healing, and there will come a time when, after several lives, the soul is healed, karma is lost, and "authentic power" is reached. This power is the power to understand, and to love selflessly- and it is only through this healing that a person will have reverence. Respect is subjective. When you respect one, you have to disrespect another. You respect a person who's in a higher level than you, and you look down on people on a lower level. So respect, thus, boils down to being judgmental; being judgmental, then, brings us to the story of evolution where there is competition for power. Reverence, on the other hand, is a virtue attained only after authentic empowerment. If you respect one, you have to respect all. That is reverence. There is no judgment. How can we reach authentic power? Emotions. We have to make sure we know our feelings. There are times when we think we feel love, when what's really there is a small inkling of love, lust, and hatred. We get to do things we thought we didn't want to do; the reason being that we don't know our feelings that much. Thus, we get to do the wrong things. Knowing what we really feel inside, and being honest with ourselves, takes away the cloud of dust that has been continuously hindering us from understanding ourselves. This understanding tells us what makes us angry and hateful, etc, and paves the way to inverting these bad feelings into good before they make us do the wrong things. This goes with the understanding that actions come from the heart, and that the path to love (authentic power)is through the heart. It is not what you think that matters, but what you feel. Amen. Hey! Sorry if I'm making all this sound boring. Well, if it sounds more voluptuous than a bottle of ice cold coke, then I'm sorry too. You just hafta read the book to see what ah mean. It's not that bad, and it's not that good either - it's somewhere in between. Read it. It'll just take you an afternoon to read, and a couple of moments to scratch your head.
| 
