Rating: 
Summary: A Spiritual Classic
Review: In a time of self-help fads and spiritual gurus-of-the-moment, it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. It is therefore refreshing to note that "The Seat of the Soul" by Gary Zukav has been in print for over a decade now, and a best-seller for a good portion of that. This testifies to the book's growing status as a spiritual classic, and one that I believe deserves a place on every seeker's bookshelf--if not their bedside.Gary Zukav, as humble as his writing style, does not claim to be a guru or that his ideas are original. He explains in the Foreword that the book is simply a perspective that may benefit others: "I offer what is in this book as a window through which I have come to see life. I offer this window to you, but I do not say that it is necessary that you accept it. There are so many ways to wisdom and to the heart" (pp. 14-15). There is certainly an Eastern feel to the book, but Zukav's omission of such a term is not in my opinion spiritual arrogance; rather it is an acknowledgment that the Universal is neither Eastern nor Western--it just is. No school of thought has copyrights on the truth. The central message of "The Seat of the Soul" is that a new stage of human evolution is now underway, an evolution no longer defined by greater control and manipulation of our outward physical environment (which Zukav calls "external" power) but rather by how closely we are aligned with the inner desires of our souls ("authentic" power). To help achieve the goal of authentic power, Zukav advises us to become aware of our intentions and to see whether they are serving the needs of our soul. Drawing upon his knowledge of physics, for which he first gained fame with his book "The Dancing Wu Li Masters," he explains the spiritual dynamics of the Universe and how we operate within them. There are chapters on karma, addiction, relationships, intuition, trust and more. It is a book that never grows old, a rich repository of insight and inspiration that you can return to again and again. My favorite passage in the book is on the last page, and it reads almost like Walt Whitman's poetry: "Reach for your soul. Reach even farther. The impulse of creation and power authentic--the hourglass point between energy and matter: that is the seat of the soul" (p. 248). The only reason I give "The Seat of the Soul" four and not five stars is that unlike "The Heart of the Soul" this book has no practical exercises, which I feel would have been helpful. Other spiritual classics I recommend: "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle, "Think on These Things" by J. Krishnamurti, "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz, and The "With God" Series by Neale Donald Walsch.
Rating: 
Summary: My Bible
Review: Was given this book when was going through a very difficult time in my life. It SAVED my life. It is one of those books that you never forget. It hit on a spot that no amount of therapy had been able to help with and this book was the answer. I have given it as gifts to several people and they still thank me to this day and it has now also become their "bible".
Rating: 
Summary: the seat of the soul
Review: The seat of the soul is expensive toilet paper. Do not buy it. Do not read it. You have been warned.
Rating: 
Summary: Insightful but dogmatic
Review: I can't be too harsh on a book like this when what it says is majorly in line with my own beliefs. That is, as pertains to re-incarnation, carma and spiritual growth through a process of re-incarnation and the experience of the aversions of carmic debt. What I don't like about this book is that Gary Zukav don't tell us how he is entitled to know these things. My guess, since we are forced to guess, is that mr Z is a forthcoming practitioner of meditation. Most spiritual teachers say that by extensive meditative training we can reach our own state of origin, the cosmic utero or Nirvana. A place/state bathed in the light of all awareness, a light so fulfilling it utterly completes you. This state is also said to hold the key to information about our true nature. Information accessible to the transcendental master only. I don't know if Zukav is such a master, but he sure didn't write nonsense in this book. However, if he is not a transcendent I am inclined to say that he is merely trying his luck as a philosopher. If this is so, it is a violation of litterary norms not to state so. That "these, the thoughts in this book are my, Gary Zukavs, personal though forthcoming ideas". If he is a transcendent master, the need to exlplain his source of knowledge is no lesser. Otherwise people are simply going to think he is a philosopher who thinks his personal ideas = the highest truth. Frankly it is not in his own interest to leave people wondering like this, some people will be turned of because they don't know with which authority he speaks/writes. Also, it would give a fuller picture of our nature if he explained the phenomenon of transcendence and its possibilities. Given the dogmatic tone of this book, in my opinion transcendence is the only forgivable source of its content.
Rating:
Summary: Worth a Million Dollars
Review: I've read this book three times now and I'm sure I'll read it again. I think you have to read it more than once to really absorb all of it. I can honestly say that this is the most wonderful book I have ever read. It overflows with truth that reverbrates deep inside me and wisdom that I take with me into the world every day. If I had to be stranded for the rest of my life on a deserted island, this book is the one thing I would choose to take with me.
Rating:
Summary: The Seat of Your Pants
Review: I was very happy with Dancing Wu Li and looked forward to an insightful journey into our inner selves. Unfortunately, this book came up wanting. A few uncited William James, Augustine and eastern philosophy references, mixed with Jung and Thermodynamics does not show Zukov to have either the inclination or the understanding of philosophical thought that has come before. He provides no point of reference for his argument and no personal transcendent experience. In sum, a waste of money. More Karma is available with the astrological section of the newspaper. Don't buy this book and feed poor work.
Rating:
Summary: A great book for anyone who is interested in self-knowledge
Review: This book is one of a kind. I'm a fan of Gary Zukav ever since I read the book. The language is simple and is a great buy for anyone who is interested in self-realization, spirituality, philosophy or humanism as it conveys a clear message to humanity. I have re-read quite a few chapters in the book and I can say enthusiastically that this book has helped me a lot in spiritual growth and transformation.
Rating: 
Summary: Different strokes for different folks.
Review: I bought "Seat of The Soul' in June 1999 and tried to read it in small streaks with a few weeks in between. I got very confused because when I returned to the book it seemed to be saying something different and would have been discouraged except for the fact I've studied religion and metaphysics for many years and contradiction is something you can learn to tolerate and even learn from. When I returned to study it this time I went online and saw there are 324 reviewers of this book so far, so decided to read a few of them. I found a review by Paul Allen dated Oct 2001 that he headed "Creative, but Terribly Disappointing." Paul had read the book straight through to do a review on it and saw the glaring inconsistencies and true conflict written into the work. When I speed read it this time I saw the same inconsistencies and have determined that for me this book is a catchy title that muddies the waters on the subject of the soul. Not good. I tip my hat to the reviewers who found great meaning in the work but I would recommend that even at 98 cents used you should not bring this book into your library.
Rating:
Summary: Good for a beginner in study of metaphysics
Review: I agree with everything that Gary Zukav says, but I don't believe he says it in a terribly original way and I don't believe he has anything new to say. There is nothing in this book that cannot be found in 100 or more other books of the same genre. And I have to admit that I don't find his style of writing to be that interesting. Honestly, I found his style of writing to be a bit dry. Still, I would recommend this to anyone new to the study of metaphysics. If you've read any other books on metaphysics, I'd advocate looking somewhere else because this book will be very disappointing for you. This is sort of Metaphysics 101, or maybe even Metaphysics 020.
Rating:
Summary: Seat of Soul: A Metaphysical Tossed Salad; toss it.
Review: Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukov
Published by Simon Schuster in 1989
Book Review by Bobby Matherne, ©1989
Borrowed this book from a friend and read it quickly over the weekend. I was very disappointed in Gary. His "Dancing Wu Li Masters" was a ground breaking book on the order of "Tao of Physics" by Capra. This book is Zukov's version of Capra's "Turning Point." Having created an audience for his thoughts on the parallels of modern physics and Chinese philosophy, Zukov trudges off the physics path in his version of Aristotle's "Physics II" - Metaphysics. Into his metaphysical tossed salad Zukov throws greens (environmental concerns), croutons (small chunks of hard physics), tomatoes (boy-girl relationships), salt and pepper (joy and grief). He blends all this with a bland ranch dressing of pseudo-spiritual mush(low calorie, of course) and serves it. After a large portion of it, you find yourself hungry for some real food. Alas there is none in this book. Like looking for meat in a soybean hamburger, one looks in vain for robust nourishment in this book. One tasty morsel is served up near the end of the book, however, when Zukov describes anxiety attacks as a "leaking of energy from the power center." Outstanding for its novelty, this new idea stands apart from the remainder of the book: an aromatic American Beauty among plastic K-Mart tulips. The final chapters are filled with homilies for a new age morality. I suppose I had come across all the ideas before (except for the anxiety attack one) or else I might have been more impressed by this book. Even so the book was not even a good summary, synopsis, or even introduction to these ideas. It was more like an amorphous oil slick off the coast of Alaska. With the right wind some of the concepts will change the coastline of the reader, but not in a particularly edifying manner. (Not recommended for a permanent addition to your library.)...
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