The worst books of all time
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book data
7,508 ratings,
3.30
average rating, 989 reviews
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published
September 1st 1995
(first published 1993)
by Warner Books
binding
Paperback, 256 pages
isbn
0446671002
(isbn13: 9780446671002)
description
Find out for yourself why virtually everyone you know has this book, described as an "adventure in pursuit of a spiritual mystery", on their...more
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicks On Lit: Strange Coincidences | 6 | 56 | 03/27/2009 08:58PM | |
| 50 Books A Year: Question #27: Defend Thy Book! | 5 | 100 | 02/08/2009 05:43PM | |
| soal buku ini.. | 2 | 23 | 10/05/2008 11:02PM |
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 8,993)
All ratings
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5 stars (1551)
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4 stars (2004)
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3 stars (1996)
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2 stars (1077)
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1 star (877)
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avg 3.30
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
I resent when a writer who has a lot of opinions about, ya know, stuff, decides that everyone should hear about all the stuff he's thinking about, but then realizes that maybe it would be boring as all get out, so then decides that if he turns all the stuff he's thinking into a novel, then maybe people will read it. This way he still gets to spout rhetoric at his readers, but couch it in "fiction." No, sir, you cannot bend fiction to your evil will. Just because you put something withi...more
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(15 people liked it)
2 comments
Read in January, 1995
Someone gave my wife a hard cover copy of this book when she was in the hospital. I picked it up and read perhaps the first 50 or so pages while I was sitting in her hospital room, then I skimmed the rest of it and tossed it in the trash. What I saw was poor writing, misguided ideas, lack of structure and in general a waste of paper and ink, all in the guise of a novel of some sort. If I'd had anything else to read, maybe the back of a cereal box or the instructions for operating the medical equ...more
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Read in November, 2007
This book encourages a spiritual-but-not-religious awakening. The flimsy, implausible storyline and the not-so-well-crafted dialogue is only a device to present the pillars of this New Age philosophy. There is no plot and no tension. It is apparent from the beginning that the Nine Insights will be revealed, one by one, in order, at a predictable pace, and will not be rigorously defined or defended. In one sense, they cannot be defined, because they represent non-propositional knowledge—-th...more
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
no one
I really hoped this book would be as good as "everyone" says it is. I was totally underwhelmed. Painfully jejune plot, paper-thin characters, pedestrian prose, and for what? A handful of ridiculous "insights" about how our expectations affect the physical world and how we fight for each other's "energy." Maybe if I sit down and meditate toward this book I can make it vanish permanently.
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The only reason I own this piece of idiotic dreck is because QPBC sent it to me as the book of the month and I wasn't quick enough off the mark about sending it back - OK?
I just needed to make that perfectly clear. I do actually have a brain, and this book is clearly aimed at those who do not.
I just needed to make that perfectly clear. I do actually have a brain, and this book is clearly aimed at those who do not.
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Read in January, 1999
Utter rubbish from start to finish. This is the literary equivalent of a Ponzi scheme. He made loads of money based on fraud. Nothing there.
If you have a brain, use it, and don't go near this book.
If you have a brain, use it, and don't go near this book.
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Read in December, 1996
I read this book at the end of 1996 or around beginning of 1997. I read about it in a magazine I used to get that I loved called, "Catalist." (The magazine went out of print - sorry to say - because I loved that magazine and still have all my issues - less then 2 years worth published.)
The Celestine Prophecy woke me up. I had been sleepwalking in the world. I woke up after I read this book and realized there was so much more I was suppose to be doing in this world. I realiz...more
The Celestine Prophecy woke me up. I had been sleepwalking in the world. I woke up after I read this book and realized there was so much more I was suppose to be doing in this world. I realiz...more
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Some relevent and feel good ideas rooted mostly in the more mystical and esoteric branches of various world religions are choked by a sugary new-age coating and a completely irrelevent "mystery novel" story line. There is no story, the characters walk along, find a page and read it. The relevent contents of this book could be handed out in a one page pamphlet.
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Read in May, 2007
• This is the 2nd time I’ve read this book. And while I’m pretty sure most of it is fictional, I still think it carries some valuable insights…so I want to summarize them in the 9 insights of the book and my understanding of them:
o 1) Noticing the coincidences in life is the first step. The more I become aware of coincidences, the more I’ll become aware of a universal force behind them.
o 2) This is about putting my awareness into a longer historical perspective. Imagining...more
o 1) Noticing the coincidences in life is the first step. The more I become aware of coincidences, the more I’ll become aware of a universal force behind them.
o 2) This is about putting my awareness into a longer historical perspective. Imagining...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Samantha by:
-K-recommends it for: Those asking the larger of lifes questions
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Read in October, 2004
Typically I won't write a review unless I have something good to say about a book. In this case, since the book is already exceedingly popular, I figure it can take some critical heat.
I read the book to find out why it was such a phenomenon. Usually such books, if empty, are at least a lot of fun. In this case emptiness met a terrible plot, absurd ideas, and very bad writing. To read a book like this, one needs to make a complete suspension of disbelief; unfortunately, I could not s...more
I read the book to find out why it was such a phenomenon. Usually such books, if empty, are at least a lot of fun. In this case emptiness met a terrible plot, absurd ideas, and very bad writing. To read a book like this, one needs to make a complete suspension of disbelief; unfortunately, I could not s...more
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Read in January, 1993
recommended to Xysea by:
my mother, a friendrecommends it for: curiosity seekers only
I remember when this book was all the rage. Like it was telling people something new, like it was real! It was a giant hoax, wasn't it? The movie was some god-awful Lifetime movie-ish crap, too, wasn't it?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celesti...
This kind of book reminds me of The Secret, by Rhonda Byrnes. Rather hokey, new-agey philosophys that have a cultish vibe to them. Of course, this isn't technically a self-help book, but a lot of people treated it like one. ...more
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celesti...
This kind of book reminds me of The Secret, by Rhonda Byrnes. Rather hokey, new-agey philosophys that have a cultish vibe to them. Of course, this isn't technically a self-help book, but a lot of people treated it like one. ...more
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Favorite Quotes
...the basic stuff of the universe, at its core, is looking like a kind of pure energy that is malleable to human intention and expectation in a way that defies our old mechanistic model of the universe--as though our expectation itself causes our energy to flow out into the world and affect other energy systems.
...The human perception of this energy first begins with a heightened sensitivity to beauty.
...We humans have always sought to increase...more
...the basic stuff of the universe, at its core, is looking like a kind of pure energy that is malleable to human intention and expectation in a way that defies our old mechanistic model of the universe--as though our expectation itself causes our energy to flow out into the world and affect other energy systems.
...The human perception of this energy first begins with a heightened sensitivity to beauty.
...We humans have always sought to increase...more
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1 comment
Read in March, 2005
I thought I liked The Celestine Prophecy as I was reading it. The "insights" that Redfield describes are generally good news to a hungry soul. I think that he is right (writing in the early '90s) about the collaborative mindset shift humans are experiencing. Trying to explain exactly what is going on is, to say the very least, quite a daunting task. I think that some people are aware of themselves and their surroundings now more than ever. If we are more in tune with energy fields, the...more
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Read in December, 2007
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Read in January, 1994
recommends it for:
those beginning their spiritual search.
In many ways, The Celestine Prophecy was the book that opened the door to the New Age movement in books. Before this book, finding a book on spirituality meant reading "longhair" books that often spoke in ethereal terms. Finding any of these such books meant traveling to a large bookstore, or, by chance, coming upon a hide-away shop that specialized in such things. The Celestine Prophecy blew open the publishing door by staying on the bestseller lists for years. Why? Because it offered...more
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Read in January, 2009
An unbelievable book, that can be read one of two ways, you can simply read it as an adventure story of a man struggling to understand what it is he wants from life, or, as I have done, you can read it as a self help book.
What a self help book it is. It really encourages you to look at yourself and how you see your life both its past present and future.
It gives you insights on how to take a more positive and active approach to your life. This book can change your li...more
What a self help book it is. It really encourages you to look at yourself and how you see your life both its past present and future.
It gives you insights on how to take a more positive and active approach to your life. This book can change your li...more
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I was told to read this passed down book from a good friend of mine. As she gave this book to me she said, "This book changed my outlook on life and I hope it does for you too." The Celestine Prophecy is a book that is not only inspirational but also motivational too. As I read the uniquely written passages about how one can percieve things differently in life, I felt that this book can turn a negative perspective into a positive by just reading the first Insight. This book is about di...more
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recommends it for:
people who are searching for meaning...maybe
I started off really liking this book and thinking that I agreed with a lot of what it had to say. Sure, the story itself might not be true, but the author has some good ideas about why we should be good to each other.
Then it made a severe left turn not only into very religious territory, but also made some pretty wrong assumptions as to why a civilization "disappeared"...when they really kind of didn't.
Like Dan Brown's books, it has some interesting things to say, but, ult...more
Then it made a severe left turn not only into very religious territory, but also made some pretty wrong assumptions as to why a civilization "disappeared"...when they really kind of didn't.
Like Dan Brown's books, it has some interesting things to say, but, ult...more
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Read in June, 1995
recommended to Brandi by:
Tim Bradfordrecommends it for: 12-17 year olds exploring spirituality
This was an awesome book to read in high school. A very easy read, and the spiritual insights can be applied to any faith or religion.
The crappy part is how incredibly commercial the book has gotten. The movie was ridiculously bad, the following insights are contrived, and all the experiental guides and meditation books are a waste of money.
This book was more relevant and special when it stood alone, before James Redfield recognized it for a money-making machine.
...more
The crappy part is how incredibly commercial the book has gotten. The movie was ridiculously bad, the following insights are contrived, and all the experiental guides and meditation books are a waste of money.
This book was more relevant and special when it stood alone, before James Redfield recognized it for a money-making machine.
...more
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quotes from this book
"...the basic stuff of the universe, at its core, is looking like a kind of pure energy that is malleable to human intention and expectation in a way that defies our old mechanistic model of the universe--as though our expectation itself causes our energy to flow out into the world and affect other energy systems."
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