Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Book with Valuable Information and Teachings
Review: This is an excellent book with valuable information and teachings. The core message of this book is sound and well articulated. The book is also, as the author suggests, capable of literally assisting the reader into the NOW, which is not that common among books. To be sure, all spiritual seekers must "look" and "listen" within and assess the worth or "truth" of all the many ideas and opinions they hear from spiritual teachers, and this book is no exception to that. On the whole, this is a book that should not to be missed and does have potential to assist people substantially to find the beautiful NOW, a place the author is clearly familiar with and is willing to meet you at within these pages.--Evan Finer, author of "Effortless WellBeing: The Missing Ingredients for Authentic Wellness"
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Summary: life changing
Review: Great book based on Zen philosophy - but with a "western spin". I have the audio version and Eckhart Tolle's voice is calm and soothing! Great book!!
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Summary: Author has over-simplified
Review: Author has over-simplified and compromised the essence of spirituality When you claim well documented prior spiritual thoughts to be your own it only diminishes your credibility. I wish Tolle provided appropriate references - such as the Upanishads, the Gita, the Kashmir Shaivism, the Dhammapada and the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra - the first sutra of which documents the meditation technique of focusing on your breath and moving along with it minutely without falling behind or moving ahead - the idea is to discover the gap between pran (incoming breath) and apan (outgoing breath), this technique was used by Buddha for his enlightenment. Enlightenment means complete dissolution of the ego -not the refinement of it -- so when I see Tolle trying to pass this stuff as his own - it just takes away of his claim of being enlightened. Tolle regurgitates in verbally articulate manner spiritual gossip or as another reviewer put it a rather funny manner superficial "Hippy-Dippy wisdom".
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Summary: poor man (westerner)'s Ramana Maharishi?
Review: I got this book from the local library after a strong recommendation from a friend and eagerly started reading it.
Tolle's near death experience and subsequent spiritual awakening is strikingly similar to the Great Indian Saint Sri Ramana Maharishi's a century ago. Ramana's life, teachings have been well documented - see www.ramana-maharishi.org. Ramana as a teenager was transformed by the near-depth experience but found much later that his state (enlightenment) was the subject of Upanishads. The question and answer format is also another classic upanishadic tradition although there it is between a Guru and disciple. Overall there is striking similiarity between Tolle's ideas and the Hindu Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita. In fact the principles of Karma(Action) Yoga advocated in the Gita is all about living in the present. His first chapter titled 'You are not your Mind' is nothing new but one of the classic contemplations mentioned in the Upanishads of analysing one's self as being different from the mind etc. Eknath Easwaran's Meditation books over 30 years ago widely discuss this - see http://www.nilgiri.org/. My take on this book - If you are not familiar with eastern traditions, yes this a great, mind opening book. But without supporting infrastructure it is hard to put into practice the authors' teachings. I also find it a pity he does not recommend any readings/books that obviously gave him so much and should be contained in the reference section of any contemporary book. I would recommend Jon Kabat-Zinn's or Easwarnan books or Midnfullness in Plain English as a start. If you are a follower of Upanishadic and eastern tradition, this is a reconfirmation that you should stick to that spiritual path and this book is just a rehash and reaffirmation of what has already been said. You will also appreciate the vast tradition and the unbroken lineage of great teachers and realized souls that have kept the tradition alive.
Rating:
Summary: poor man (westerner)'s Ramana Maharishi?
Review: I got this book from the local library after a strong recommendation from a friend and eagerly started reading it. Tolle's near death experience and subsequent spiritual awakening is strikingly similar to the Great Indian Saint Sri Ramana Maharishi's a century ago. Ramana's life, teachings have been well documented - see www.ramana-maharishi.org. Ramana as a teenager was transformed by the near-depth experience but found much later that his state (enlightenment) was the subject of Upanishads. The question and answer format is also another classic upanishadic tradition although there it is between a Guru and disciple. Overall there is striking similiarity between Tolle's ideas and the Hindu Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita. In fact the principles of Karma(Action) Yoga advocated in the Gita is all about living in the present. His first chapter titled 'You are not your Mind' is nothing new but one of the classic contemplations mentioned in the Upanishads of analysing one's self as being different from the mind etc. Eknath Easwaran's Meditation books over 30 years ago widely discuss this - see http://www.nilgiri.org/. My take on this book - If you are not familiar with eastern traditions, yes this a great, mind opening book. But without supporting infrastructure it is hard to put into practice the authors' teachings. I also find it a pity he does not recommend any readings/books that obviously gave him so much and should be contained in the reference section of any contemporary book. I would recommend Jon Kabat-Zinn's or Easwarnan books or Midnfullness in Plain English as a start. If you are a follower of Upanishadic and eastern tradition, this is a reconfirmation that you should stick to that spiritual path and this book is just a rehash and reaffirmation of what has already been said. You will also appreciate the vast tradition and the unbroken lineage of great teachers and realized souls that have kept the tradition alive.
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Summary: The End of the Search
Review: I grew up in a moderate Baptist church. But, it wasn't until I was 40 years old that I consciously and decidedly surrendered my life fully to God. I made an absolute commitment at that point to follow, as best I knew how, the living Spirit of the living God. This was the real beginning of my deeper spiritual search. I studied the Bible, reading and praying over it many, many times. I involved myself in numerous Christian organizations, seeking to serve the God I knew. Also, I worked in the effort to restore the lives of the homeless and addicted. My sincere desire has always been to serve God and bring God's Unconditional Love to all people and all creation. Eventually I attended divinity school and graduated with a master of divinity degree. I learned to research the Scriptures and other historical and relevant literature with an open minded and spirited critique. After divinity school I continued my search, deeply exploring other religious traditions as well as more current writings concerning the Spirit of God and how that Spirit works within each of us and in our world as a whole. The teachings of Jesus, because of my Christian background, have always deeply touched me... "may they be One as we are One,"... "the Kingdom of God is inside you"... you must die to yourself to find real life. Also, I found a deep resonance with these more spiritual teachings of Jesus within some aspects of Buddhism, Taoism, and Sufism. All this is proper background to my sense of truth contained in "The Power of Now." I have read hundreds of books in my search for greater truth... none, I believe, have been written in a more direct, relevant, and accurate way. Eckhart has put together a deeply enlightened and accurate instruction manual for reaching the highest stages of faith and consciousness. I cannot recommend it more highly for those who are ready. The readiness required is that the personal shell of ego, and ethnocentricity (which would include one's attachment to one's own faith tradition), must be broken. This is the shell that has blinded me in the past... and serves to blind everyone still centered in his or her own separate identity. When your shell has been broken, or when you feel that you are ready for this kind of challenge... the challenge to transcend your own current stage of faith or level of awareness, please read this book. It has the power to liberate and to guide you into the "abundant life."
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Summary: 5 stars aren't enough for this book or for eckhart tolle
Review: i have a resistance to writing anything about this book--because i can't do justice to it in writing nor can i give eckhart tolle what he deserves by this message. just read it or listen to the qudiobook--in fact i recommend listening to the audiobook--that is what i did, in my car, everywhere i went--it is his voice that plays and i was so soothed and, again, i can't describe it-wonderful... i do want to say this-- i tend toward drama so if you listen and are disappointed, maybe it is just not your thing---but to me this is not about being someone's "thing" or not because it has transformed me inside...and continues to do so
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Summary: Good stuff, but lacks something
Review: Much of Tolle's writing in this book is clearly wise, deep and true, but it lacks balance. I think that Tolle's model of the world would make more sense, and would be more complete, if he integrated more Western ideas into his thinking. Many of Tolle's apparent "practical" methods of attaining a sound spiritual life are very impractical for most Westerners, (i.e. when they are at the office, at home with the family, or in bars with friends). Tolle says that after his initial awakening, he removed himself from all worldly activities and social circles, spent his time sitting on a park bench, and relished the fact that he had "found what everyone else is looking for." However, we are in the world for a reason, and Jesus' teachings highlighted the importance for us to get STUCK INTO the world, ("be a light unto the world"), whilst not getting attached to the world. Buddhism, and Eastern wisdom is on the increase in the West because most people have understandably found little spiritual nutrients in Western religion, (i.e. in dogma and institution). But I believe that the way to attain a complete and integrated spiritual life is to merge Eastern and Western ideas, rather than exclusively embracing one or the other. This book is mainly bound to an Eastern outlook, and so leaves much room for growth. Neale Donald Walsch's 'Conversations With God' takes a step closer to merging East and West, and endows many of Tolle's insights with logic and structure by adhering to theistic principles, even acknowledging the 'Personhood' of God. I believe that we can take further steps forward to a truly enlightened model of the world by turning full circle, returning to our Christian roots, (with the fruits of Eastern wisdom under our belt), and acknowledging that words such as "Being", "Infinite", or "Greater Reality", are actually referring to our Father in Heaven, who knows each of us personally, and who created the Heavens and earth intentionally. I've found that the most enlightening and 'chord-striking' model of the world can be found in Michael Newton's book, 'Destiny of Souls', and Sylvia Browne's 'Life on the Other Side', which I recommend. For me personally, my spiritual life became complete when I acknowledged God as "Jesus" again. (Christianity affirms that a child-like faith is all we need to understand the Truth.)
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Summary: What Power?
Review: Although the book is well written and the author states his point intelligently, his ideas are unrealistic and virtually impossible to practice. The reasons are: human nature and human reality are much more complex than Mr Tolle admits. You cannot simply isolate memory and emotions, responsibilities and life from past and future. Furthermore, your past is your experience. It is obvious that "living in the now" is important, but Mr.Tolle and his followers make this whole thing into a religion. I am sure no one likes to think of his ideas as a religion. But it is, once you claim that by following a certain set of rules you will have such and such results. Unless you lock your self up in a monastery or go to a forest and eat grasshoppers all day, past and future are not only important but also essential to your societal and emotional survival. Outside a monastery, only a very primitive form of life, such as an insect, can practice Mr. Tolle's religion. To some of his most ortodox followers, you cannot even talk about the past and cannot wonder about the future! How convienent!
Rating:
Summary: says alot about little
Review: easier to speculate and philosphise than to actually live it in real. Hello what about real life?
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