Customer Reviews:
 the power of now December 26, 2008
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
I heard about this guy several years ago but never took the time to pick up one of his books until this Christmas. Incredible....I'm certain this man doesn't have a creative bone in his body nor does he have an original idea to discuss. Everything, and I mean everything, has been stolen from Zen Buddhism at a minimum and I wouldn't be surprised to find out that he lifted ideas from other eastern religions and philosophies as well. That alone wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that he doesn't appear to give credit where it is due. A simple blurb in the introduction, or his bio' on the back page, explaining how he was "strongly influenced by eastern religion/philosophy" would suffice. The fact that he didn't take the time to do this is disrespectful, deceptive, and plagiarism.
What he's done is comparable to writing a book entitled "10 Great Rules to Live By" and then going on to explain how one shouldn't kill, steal, or commit adultery (you get the idea) without once mentioning the bible. The obvious difference is that most westerners have heard of the 10 commandments but have little knowledge of Zen Buddhism. Maybe Tolle could use this concept for his next book and peddle it to easterners.
At the end of the day if his regurgitation of Zen Buddhism, dumbed down and then spoon fed into the mouths of spiritually hungry westerners (who are too lazy to connect the dots themselves [which is 50% of the journey]) works, than who am I to bash it? Bottom line is this guy shouldn't be touting these ideas as his own. I wonder if he believes in karma?
 Life Changing! December 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Tolle is a master with words. This book is both poignant, philosophical and approachable. It shows the sacredness of life and of our own nature. It teaches us in both peotic and simple language how to fully connect to our experiences and make life more authentic, exciting and free. This book is the beginning and the way to the liberation. It changed my life.
[...]
 Very powerful, but don't take it TOO seriously December 22, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'll admit, this book was very powerful. It changed me profoundly, and I have to say it changed me for the better. But, don't take it too seriously. If you fall too deeply into being "present," ignoring all of your thoughts as egoic and suppressing your emotions, you may find yourself without any real direction in life. This quickly leads to unhappiness, the opposite of what the book is trying to achieve.
But, in order to be happy you must change. In order to change, you must completely immerse yourself in Tolle's message. Just at some point you MUST take a step back and realize that there is a middle ground you must walk between total ignorance and total awareness. Because we do live in a society, and society has certain expectations. Upon reflection, you may find that they are minimal and not worthy of the weight you put on them, but they exist. Ignoring them will lead to uneasiness.
My biggest disagreement with Tolle is that the mind is NOT to be ignored. The mind is the most powerful tools at humanity's disposal. Tolle taught me to harness mine, which I thank him for. Most of your thoughts are garbage, and most people do play out useless dramas over and over again. But your mind will also occasionally come up with gold. So what I took from Tolle is that you are responsible for your own headspace. You do not need to identify yourself with negative thoughts. You do not need to react emotionally to negative thoughts. But if you are thinking positive thoughts, if your thoughts make you happy, indulge yourself. Happiness does not come from thinking nothing and doing nothing. It comes from finding what you enjoy and pursuing it.
There will come a point, if you truly immerse yourself in Tolle's message, where you will be forced to ask the question, "money, status, material objects, and reputation do not motivate me anymore. What does motivate me?" This means you are on the right track, and at this point you must pursue a higher purpose. Because fulfillment lies in knowing that you personally, your life has meaning. You know why you are on this earth, what you were put here to do. Tolle rips you out of your socially conditioned state of being. Some might call it hell. But he also leaves you in purgatory. Heaven is your own to find. Tolle simply points out what won't make you happy. But the fact of the matter is that your own happiness is your own to pursue and your own to find. And your mind is the only tool that can get you there. Do not ignore your own thoughts, they do have value. In fact, they have more value than you could possibly know.
So to conclude, read the book because it needs to be read. Do not use "presence" as an excuse to not get your life handled. You have responsibilities to yourself and the people around you, do not ignore them. And remember, happiness is the goal, not mindlessness.
Changes lives December 22, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book gave me insights on living in the "present moment" that have had a profound impact on me. I have suggested reading this to several friends.
If I ever get around to making a list of life changing books, this will one of top ones.
Now if I could just get better at practicing the principals, as that's always the problem with great idea's. ;-)
First-class book December 21, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book "The Power of Now" tries to show people that living in the "now" will bring one to a path to happiness. There are lots of inspirational ideas in this book. The one I found most interesting was the "creative use of the mind". I'm sure you will find many helpful ideas for yourself in this book. If you're ready for enlightenment from another great book I suggest you read "The Enlightenment, What God Told Me After One Million Prayers: A Message for Everyone" by John H. Eagan. I'm sure you will love it.
|
