Product Description

Eckhart Tolle has emerged as one of today's most inspiring teachers. In The Power of Now, already a worldwide bestseller, the author describes his transition from despair to self-realization soon after his 29th birthday. Tolle took another ten years to understand this transformation, during which time he evolved a philosophy that has parallels in Buddhism, relaxation techniques, and meditation theory but is also eminently practical.

In The Power of Now he shows readers how to recognize themselves as the creators of their own pain, and how to have a pain-free existence by living fully in the present. Accessing the deepest self, the true self, can be learned, he says, by freeing ourselves from the conflicting, unreasonable demands of the mind and living "present, fully, and intensely, in the Now."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49 in eBooks
• Published on: 2007-11-13
• Released on: 2007-11-13
• Format: Kindle Book
• Number of items: 1

Amazon.com Review
Ekhart Tolle's message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, Tolle's clear writing, supportive voice, and enthusiasm make this an excellent manual for anyone who's ever wondered what exactly "living in the now" means. Foremost, Tolle is a world-class teacher, able to explain complicated concepts in concrete language. More importantly, within a chapter of reading this book, readers are already holding the world in a different container--more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness.

Tolle packs a lot of information and inspirational ideas into The Power of Now. (Topics include the source of Chi, enlightened relationships, creative use of the mind, impermanence, and the cycle of life.) Thankfully, he's added markers that symbolize "break time." This is when readers should close the book and mull over what they just read. As a result, The Power of Now reads like the highly acclaimed A Course in Miracles--a spiritual guidebook that has the potential to inspire just as many study groups and change just as many lives for the better. --Gail Hudson

From AudioFile
The author shares ideas about personal integration with uncommon eloquence and a deep understanding of the human condition. Our true identity is in our moment-to-moment experiences rather than in our past or future. Concern about anything but the present is an unhealthy identification with the mind that can only cause pain and an illusion of control. Being totally aware of ourselves in each moment actually requires little effort or direction if we stop our thoughts long enough to find the pure consciousness that exists in the gaps between them. These ideas will be radical for most Westerners, but they are so smoothly elucidated that almost all seekers of inner truth will find something of value in the program. T.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

My Personal Experience with the Message of this Book
I am a middle-aged professional with a academic background in philosophy.

As I grew older, I felt more strongly that there must be a spiritual realm to our existence. But I was relegated to the thought that this spiritual realm was something that would probably go unanswered for the rest of my life. At times, I would have more spiritual feelings and sensations which reinforced this belief, but still felt that my belief of the spiritual real would be faith based and could never go beyond this.

As I entered into my forties, I entered into unrest and discontent with life. I felt spiritually, intellectually and even emotionally dead. Raising two great children and being married to a wonderful person was not enough. The mundane-ness of the routine and daily tasks was not fulfilling and living did not provide me with peace. I was somewhat at a crisis point.

About a year ago, I entered Barnes and Noble because my 11 year old daughter wanted to buy some new books. I dropped her off and walked straight across the floor to this book which was sitting on a shelf -- the book not being singled out or advertised specially. It was the Power of Now. I picked it up, looked at the cover and decided to allow myself to impulsively purchase it (something that was out of the ordinary for me).

The next two weeks were incredibly intense for me. And what happened after that was even greater. His words rang truth to my core. For the first time in my life, my existiential views were married/bridged with a deep spirituality. It made sense. I couldn't put the book down. As I read it, I used the meditation practices that Tolle subtley infers. The inspiring energy of his words aided me immensely to get into a transcendental realm -- a switch. Not magic, not really enlightenment (as the term conjures up something unreachable and unrealistic). But I felt at peace and felt joy. I felt intensely transformed. The world did come to me and I surrendered (accepted) the world existentially. My mind was finally much, much calmer. For the first time as an adult, my mind didn't control me. People and my environment vibrated with a vibrant energy. I knew (not believed) that there was a One Being that essentially came from stillness or silence and everything was one with that One Being. (Reminiscent of what I think Sartre's Being and Nothingness painfully attempted to point to). I felt this sense of peace on and off for a month or so. Admittedly this intense feeling declined somewhat as a result of some crisis life situations that proved too difficult to surrender to. I am still working on it with joy of knowing that this spiritual realm exists.

This book is the greatest book I've ever read. No book has come close. Tolle's presentation (sign-posts) are succinct and clear.

I hope you find the energy of my review helpful.


The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

The best book ever written on Exposing the False Self (EGO)
When I saw Oprah mention this book on her show I ran out and got a copy right away. All I can say is THANK YOU VERY MUCH OPRAH. Excellent book teaching you how to live in the now. The best book I have ever read that exposes the false self (EGO) and how the primary job of the ego is to take your happiness away and create all kinds of problems every day.

Here's the ego's program that it is running to justify it's existance "Never Satisfied"

No matter how a situation turns out, the ego will find a way to be unhappy about it.

P.S. The book is so good, I ran out and bought extra copies for all my friends and family.

Waste of Money....Compiled from various sources....
...and it's not even the "best of", sort of reference.
My thoughts are, that this guy is potentially a cult figure, with followers who are grabbing at straws. I can't imagine what Oprah was thinking. Her original spiritual strengths, were strong enough to take her, further than most people can imagine going.
2-stars is over-rating his books...in my book.
My concern:
Charlatans, exploiting those who may be needing real help.