Solved, the Mystery of Life

Rating:
Summary: A great book (but the title is a little misleading)
Review: Vernon Howard's books could be called "self-help" or they could be classified under "spirituality". He was a masterful writer who was able to re-express timeless spiritual truths (as derived from the great religions and enlightenment traditions) in crystal clear language suitable for modern-day Westerners. In fact, he has done this better than any other writer of our time (that I am aware of). If you're searching for something better from life and are genuinely willing to change your thinking, Howard's books are a gold mine. Another thing that should be pointed out is that, although Howard uses the word "esoterics" a lot, there is nothing new-agey or occultist about his works at all. They are a breath of fresh air amid all that obscure metaphysical gobbledygook.

The present book was compiled by Howard's students after his death. It's mostly transcripts of lectures he gave. This book is quite different from the rest of Howard's works (at least, the ones I have read). Whereas most of them cover more or less the same general material, this book clearly centers around one specific theme, namely: the problem of evil. What Howard has to say about the problem of evil is absolutely fascinating -- in fact I found it riveting. Why do people behave the way they do? Why are they not as good as they pretend to be? What can we do to protect ourselves from evil? What must we do to be free of it in ourselves? There is no suger-coating whatsoever in any of Howard's work and certainly not here. Reading this book really does help explain human society. And it will rid you of the thought that you must change the world. You can't change the world. Change yourself.

Nonetheless, I wouldn't recommend that you begin with this book, because it doesn't give you the big picture of Howard's thought. I wonder why they gave it such a generic title. If you want to get started with Vernon Howard, I suggest you try "Pathways to Perfect Living" or "The Power of Your Supermind". (By the way, don't be put off by the somewhat sensational titles of these books. They are highly sophisticated.)