The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

My rating:

add to my books

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

by Eckhart Tolle

3.97 · rating details · 14,430 ratings · 1,777 reviews

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...more

Paperback, 224 pages

Published August 19th 2004 by New World Library (first published 1997)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must) by Ann Coulter

If Democrats had Any Brains, They'd be Republicans by Ann Coulter

Books I Have No Intention of Reading

198th out of 826 books — 4,792 voters

Healing & Spirituality

3rd out of 72 books — 74 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 23,674)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 23, 2008

Sean O'Neil rated it

Recommends it for: fools and idiots

What a pompous fraud this guy is, this Eckhart Tolle. He steals the classic works of Eastern cultures and repackages them in a poorly-written and impossibly stupid manner. He talks about rocks being alive. But he doesn't say what makes them alive, what gives them that metaphoric quality.

This is metaphysics presented in a Naked Emperor fashion, packaged for those who are ill-educated and cloistered in a materialistic Judeo-Christian (read: American, British, Israeli) mindset. Noth...moreWhat a pompous fraud this guy is, this Eckhart Tolle. He steals the classic works of Eastern cultures and repackages them in a poorly-written and impossibly stupid manner. He talks about rocks being alive. But he doesn't say what makes them alive, what gives them that metaphoric quality.

This is metaphysics presented in a Naked Emperor fashion, packaged for those who are ill-educated and cloistered in a materialistic Judeo-Christian (read: American, British, Israeli) mindset. Nothing original here. Nothing personal or meaningful shared. Just another confidence scam in the bunko career of Meister Eckhart.

Look, the problem with his thesis is massive: he wants us all to live in the moment, for the moment. He wants us to free our minds of those negative cycles of thought related to past and future events. He says that our state of mental health depends on living in the present moment.

What he has done is bastardized and made utterly toxic one of the central themes of Buddhism. He corrupts it by suggesting that the past and future are irrelevant, and we should ignore negative thoughts.

Negative thoughts about the past are what make up the thing we call our "conscience," the thing that directs our sense of propriety, of ethical behavior, of moral relationships. I don't mean as "moral" that shit Jerry Falwell preached. I mean principles put into action. I mean this: god damn it, we Americans _should be_ anguished and guilt-ridden about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We murdered Japanese innocents by the millions. We should be haunted by Bush/Cheney's slaughter of innocent Iraqis. Over a million have been murdered just to secure access to oil and create a geopolitical stronghold in the Middle East for future incursions into other oil-producing nations.

And as to the future: we should be worried about the future effects of present thoughts and present courses of action. Focusing only on the present moment means we aren't responsible for what happens outside this immediate present moment. That's pure bullshit! Pure, utter, unadulterated bullshit!

The only valid point Tolle has is this: it is mentally unhealthy to obsess endlessly over things that we didn't cause in the past, and over things we can't control in the present, and over things that have no likelihood in the future.

He doesn't need 220 pages to make that point. He doesn't need a book. He doesn't even need a whole page within a book.

Tolle is a fraud at best. At worst, he is a force for excusing immorality. Joseph Goebbels would love Eckhart Tolle if Goebbels were alive today. I'm sure Karl Rove loves Tolle.(less)

like 38 likes

· see review

view all 45 comments

Katalili Can't comprehend what would be the point of that. Books like these reinvent the nomenclature of already known mental processes, there's nothing new in...more
Feb 06, 2012 11:52pm

Xavier Guillaume Katalili wrote: "Can't comprehend what would be the point of that. Books like these reinvent the nomenclature of already known mental processes, ...moreKatalili wrote: "Can't comprehend what would be the point of that. Books like these reinvent the nomenclature of already known mental processes, there's nothing new in this. I have a question in particular.

When ..." Mind equates to the thoughts in your head. You equates to your self, which includes your mind and your body and your free will, etc. Oftentimes our brain runs away on itself, and it's like we have no control over our thoughts.

For example, say someone is getting ready for bed and they have a busy day tomorrow, and when they lie down they start to think about what if this happens tomorrow and what if this happens...and soon they're thinking about all these what if's that it's harming them by giving them unnecessary anxiety. And so they end up having trouble falling asleep, and the next day they're fatigued and can't handle themselves as well. But if that person were to listen to themselves thinking that night, they'd eventually come to the notion that they're worrying over the future that isn't entirely relevant to the present. The present need is to fall asleep to be better prepared for the next day, not to be worrying half the night.

Another example is if a person keeps replaying a past event in their head. I often do this, which often sounds like this; Should I have said that to that person? Could I have handled it differently? What if I said this? Would they have responded better? And I think all these thoughts, and next thing I realize, I cut my finger, or I burn myself, or I trip and fall or I make a mistake at work. And this is all because I'm not paying attention to the present.

Another example is when a person is depressed. They often think about how miserable their life is, how they have no motivation, how they can't get out of bed, etc. Their mind goes into a downward spiral of negative thoughts, and the self feels like they have no control. This is probably connected to the idea that the person feels like they have no self-worth, or self-identity, which is why they're so depressed. But the book explains how we all have a shining ball of light inside us, and we're all pure positive energy. This gives us the self-affirming positive thoughts to allow us to stop and ask ourselves, "Why am I thinking these thoughts?" A depressed person might go on and say, "What's wrong with me?" And then get more depressed, but this book leans toward the idea: There's nothing wrong with me. I'm a pure being of light. It's simply that I'm letting my mind lead me to these dark places, and I need to simply control that mind and not let the mind control me.

The brain is a useful tool for the human body. It allows us to realize our hopes and reach our goals. It allows us to solve our problems and come up with ideas to help other people. But it also leads us to anxiety, and can often perpetuate negative thoughts like jealousy and vengeance and resentment.

The book also says the cause of these thoughts are caused by the ego being hurt and lashing out. That idea of the wounded ego. For example, when a girl or boy rejects us. When a person ignores us. When a person lies to us. When a person hits us. When these things happen, it's like our ego takes over and tells us that we should run away, or that we should feel hurt, or that we should become angry and hit them back.

But this doesn't have to be the case. If we just stop and listen to our thoughts, and ask why are we thinking these things, and realize that the ego has just taken over, then we can move our life in more positive directions, and use our mind to help people and make the world a better place.

Also, by staying in the present we can better handle situations. Our mind isn't elsewhere, it's giving the present moment its full attention. When we do that we see more, we experience more, we live more. While I'm present, I can see someone feels sad (and then I can comfort them), I can tell someone doesn't like something I said (and I can apologize), I can notice someone is coming up behind me (and I can be prepared to protect myself if I have to), I can see that someone is about to fall (and I can reach out and get to them in time). All of these things, if I were stuck in the past or the future, I might not have noticed these things. Being in the present is like expanding your awareness, and we become better friends, better workers, better citizens, for doing so.(less)
updated Feb 07, 2012 06:16am

Jul 16, 2007

Stacy rated it

Recommends it for: anyone interested in evolving spiritually

Mr. Tolle spent two years sitting on park benches and simply "living in the moment" prior to writing this book. I doubt whether I will ever take the time in my life to do such a thing, however the suggestion he offers that we all spend a ridiculous amount of time either worrying about the future, or dwelling on the past has impacted me in a huge way. Until I read this book, I never noticed how in sane my mind can make me if I choose to let it. Tolle implores the reader to take the re...more

like 30 likes

· see review

Jul 28, 2008

Erin rated it

Recommends it for: No One

There is no nice way to say this. I hated this book with a fiery passion. It did not make me feel at peace. Rather, it made me want to chew off my arm. I bet if we asked Eckhart Tolle why I felt that way, he'd say that I wasn't really listening to his message.

My problems with the book were as follows. First off, the tone of the book was extremely condescending. Written in a question/answer format, many of the answers started out with "You're not really listening" or "...more

like 27 likes

· see review

Jul 02, 2008

Kristoffer rated it

Shelves: non-fiction

There is a point in our lives when we say enough is enough. This is what this book is about. In one of his greatest works Eckhart Tolle teaches us the real meaning of spirituality. He teaches us the importance of the present moment. Through the recognition of the ego he makes us aware of how it destroys our lives. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for the real meaning of their lives and to anyone who is sick and tired of the usual thing.

The first time I encountered this...moreThere is a point in our lives when we say enough is enough. This is what this book is about. In one of his greatest works Eckhart Tolle teaches us the real meaning of spirituality. He teaches us the importance of the present moment. Through the recognition of the ego he makes us aware of how it destroys our lives. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for the real meaning of their lives and to anyone who is sick and tired of the usual thing.

The first time I encountered this book was when Oprah was introducing her book club selection, a new earth. I heard her mention this and while I was searching in the online catalog of our school library here in the Philippines I found it available for borrowing. So I immediately read it in the course of five days. After reading it the first time I understood its message intellectually. This was the reason why I didn't apply it in my life. But a few days ago I started having panic attacks and I was on the verge of suicide. I was so frustrated because I made a wrong decision in shifting my courses here in my school. I was so depressed because I didn't really know what I wanted with my life. It seems that the world is so full of shit. When this became worse I consulted our school counselor. However it seems that it is not enough. So without any real reason at all I started watching Oprah's videos about A New Earth and I remembered this book. I borrowed it again yesterday and just awhile ago I finished reading it. Then I began to understand it not on the level of the mind but at the level of the spirit. And without incident I became enlightened. I am still starting to feel its benefits at this moment. I started accepting what is rather than identifying myself with the ego. I can't say that I'm happy after reading this book like some "self-help" books would like you to be. But I can say that I am at peace because I aware of the workings of the ego and not identified with it.
So if you've had enough of the madness of this world I definitely recommend this book. But don't just understand it, apply it.
(less)

like 11 likes

· see review

May 08, 2008

Jeff rated it

I like Echkart Tolle. I recommend this book if you are into new age spirituality or not. Even if you aren't into spirituality at all, check it out. I mean, jeez, spiritual enlightenment for less than $20, how could you go wrong?

I sometimes struggle with doubts about him, but I do this with all spiritual teachers. Another reviewer described him as a "pompous fraud" who "steals the classic works of Eastern cultures and repackages them in a poorly-written and impossib...more

like 8 likes

· see review

Oct 08, 2007

Edwin B rated it

Recommends it for: everyone!

Upon 2nd reading of this book, I realized that any form of negativity I may have in the moment actually reflects a resistance to the present moment - a refusal to accept the here and now (which is the only reality).

Previous to this, I had thought that negativity simply is - and therefore should simply be noticed and accepted as part of the current reality, and not struggled against.

True, negativity shouldn't be railed at nor struggled against - but should instead be simpl...more

like 7 likes

· see review

Oct 28, 2009

Jillian rated it

Recommends it for: Tracy Baptista

Recommended to Jillian by: Oprah

Shelves: philosophy, self-help-how-to-s, favorites, spirituality

I've read a few books with similar messages about living in the present, being mindful, and grateful--it's a very zen-like message--but this book was different. Tolle explains that we are not our thoughts.

"The very fact that we can objectively observe our thinking, he reasoned, suggests that the constant and often negative dialogue in our heads is separate from who we are."

That's a quote I took from the interview between Tolle and Oprah from the May article in...more

like 7 likes

· see review

Sep 23, 2007

Laura rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: witchynonfiction

Another one of those awesome, life-changing books!

like 5 likes

· see review

Dec 11, 2008

Natali rated it

I passed this book dozens of times in my yoga studio back in 2003. It was so popular and its praises so well sung by my yoga teacher, Steve Ross, that I thought it must be a bunch of new age mumbo jumbo. I didn't want to read it because I thought that it would entail jumping on some Los Angeles hippy bandwagon.

I opened myself up to Eckhart Tolle after watching him on Oprah's Spirit Channel and I'm so glad that I did. This book is really great. It contains such simple philosophy that...more

like 12 likes

· see review

Jul 26, 2008

Jason rated it

(orignally written in 2006)

Books were a major part of my gift giving this year and, being slightly amazon.com obsessive, I used their gift guides to inform my purchases. The guides provided by magazine editors were especially helpful and despite myself, I bought a hell of a lot of the suggestions from O. When I received the box in the mail, I realized that all of the items I had purchased had intended recipients except for one: The Power of Now.

I cracked the binding and r...more(orignally written in 2006)

Books were a major part of my gift giving this year and, being slightly amazon.com obsessive, I used their gift guides to inform my purchases. The guides provided by magazine editors were especially helpful and despite myself, I bought a hell of a lot of the suggestions from O. When I received the box in the mail, I realized that all of the items I had purchased had intended recipients except for one: The Power of Now.

I cracked the binding and read the first line of the introduction:

I have little use for the past and rarely think about it.

Whoa. In most conversations I have that are about life and how to live it, my lack of interest in the past is a common theme. Matter of factly, I thought to myself, "Hmmm, I guess I bought this for me." I don't consider myself new age-y at all and struggle with the terminology Tolle uses -- it's hard for me to get down with the "pain-body" and "portals" -- but I do understand the interconnectedness of all things. That this book about the Now found it's way to me now didn't seem "special". It just was.

The book itself is okay. It's significance for me has been in it's ability to get me to focus more on the spiritual concepts I already believe in even if I don't cotton to the namby pamby language. It affirmed some things. It provided some tools for staying in the moment which, as my work life has changed and become more challenging this year, has been a struggle. I'm not usually one for stress but have found myself stressing more as I adjust to new demands. The Power of Now (and my vacation) have helped calm those tendencies.

I'm not a self-help guy and I doubt you will find me grabbing up tomes of spiritual enlightenment often in the future but for the serenity I felt as I closed this book today, I'm grateful.

I recommend this if you're willing to check your cynicism at the door. I know. It was difficult for me, too. But, just for this following "Eureka!" quote, it is worth it:

...change the situation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness.

Namaste. (less)

like 6 likes

· see review

Mar 13, 2008

Bell rated it

Shelves: religion-sprituality-magical

It's ait. Actually, I picked up the wrong book. (or, did I?) I meant to pick up Oprah's book club selection "A New Earth" also by Tolle.

I wasn't paying attention when I took this one. (or, was I?) JK

It's better than most self-help, spiritual books. It's more thorough and its question-answer format is helpful for the most common questions Tolle has been asked over the years. It's clearly and simply written so that the depth of his message is understandable, b...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Oct 23, 2011

Michael G. rated it

Recommends it for: no one

Also on my bookshelf is a review of Tolle's THE NEW EARTH. I read it because of the recommendation from Oprah. In that review I said he used 300 pages to say what he could have said in a 10 page essay. I read this book because someone I know said it was great. I think it's just another bunch of psycho-babble bullshit this rich con-man threw together. Really people....if you have issues, go get help without throwing your money away on this kind of crap. No, I did not buy it....the book is a ...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Mar 05, 2011

Stephanie rated it

I was excited to read this book. I am drawn to the power of thought, the law of attraction mixed with letting go of the past and living in the moment. I thought this book would further teach about how living in the now is so important, as present moment really is all we have. However the way this book was constructed was poor. The Q & A weren't very helpful as the questions posted weren't even any questions I would have asked and oftentimes his answers were rude... say things like "you don'...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Jun 10, 2010

Amy Almarri rated it

· review of another edition

صاحبني هذا الكتاب اسبوعا كاملا .. على رغم انشغالي الهائل .. كان تفكيري منصب حول ماهية الآن ..
ربما التجربة التي مررت بها كانت قاسيه لتجعلني افكر بحلول "الآن" .. وهذا الكتاب كان بمثابة هدية من الله ان وهبني اياه بهذا الوقت

طريقك للخلاص من الافكار والأنا التي تتماثل مع العقل لتتعسنا لترجعنا للماضي لتثبت اننا لانعيش إلا من بقاياه او بالمستقبل وكان السعادة ستأتي من خلال كذا وكذا .. او من خلال الماديات او ماسيأتي في المستقبل ..

الكتاب بال 200 صفحة يحومون حول الف...more

like 1 like

· see review

Dec 17, 2008

Steph rated it

Recommends it for: Someone at the bottom of the hole with no way out

Shelves: not-worth-it

If you are looking for a self-help book, then go a head and read this one - it may actually help you. Otherwise, don't give it to someone else unless they are already actively seeking self-help/enlightenment advice.
Honestly, I couldn't get past the first chapter of this book. An acquaintance gave it to me; apparently he was worried that I wasn't a happy camper. It's closer to the truth to say that he has a bad tendency to try to change people when they don't fit he pre-determined picture o...more

like 5 likes

· see review

Jun 27, 2008

Karen Mcintyre rated it

Shelves: spirituality

If you can get past the initial assumptions like--
"If I cannot live with myself there must be two of me" nonesense --- there is much worthy of thought --- OH dear there I go thinking and according to Tolle the mind is not my friend! He suggests that the mind uses us for its own purposes rather than our using it to analyze -- in fact part of his formula is not to overthink things! I personally am glad that not everyone buys this idea! A little thought goes a long way to help us...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Jul 03, 2008

Fred rated it

Recommends it for: most everyone

Recommended to Fred by: friend

This is a hard one for me. I have it in audio book and am letting it rest.

Now I have finished it and rated it now. This is a good book because it has a lot of wisdom in it and meshes very well with other great spiritual teachings that are at the top of my list. It also meshes well with my own experience and common sense - a guideline that Buddha gave.
Bottom line, religious organizations from the major lines (Catholic, Protestant, or even evangelical or any other kind) hav...moreThis is a hard one for me. I have it in audio book and am letting it rest.

Now I have finished it and rated it now. This is a good book because it has a lot of wisdom in it and meshes very well with other great spiritual teachings that are at the top of my list. It also meshes well with my own experience and common sense - a guideline that Buddha gave.
Bottom line, religious organizations from the major lines (Catholic, Protestant, or even evangelical or any other kind) have basically taken some spiritual teachings (ex. by Jesus) and kept the parts that fit in with their goals of having power over people and keeping them under control through guilt and fear. But they add to the few kernels of original teaching that they kept and then added their own ideas which were attributed to some ancient times and places. They use these "doctrines" in getting "the people" to do their dirty work (from Crusades to selling pardon from sin to obtain money to build Rome to more recent wars in Iraq or Viet Nam).
But Tolle, like 'A Course in Miracles' and Buddha and other sacred teachings that haven't been "revised", even the new scientific directions of quantum physics, teach that we are ALL children of the creative power, and that power is within us all, even though we may not be aware of it (we are not awake) to see that there is oneness and unity and connection one with all.
We have had our unified mind "stolen" or borrowed by the divisive ego mind, which teaches us that we are separate, lacking, sinful, and should judge ourselves and others; keep for ourselves and find ways to identify tne "me" as Tolle calls it: we create definitions based on color, sex, age, intelligence, and a myriad of other factors that our ego creates and then comes up with ways to measure, apply and define.
The more complicated we can make it the farther away from truth we get (from our own truth). It leaves us sleeping rather than awake. But Tolle has some simple ideas, not complicated, and they can help us to awaken and undo this maze of ego contamination. (less)

like 3 likes

· see review

May 01, 2007

Andi rated it

Recommends it for: People with busy minds that need to slow down

This book is an excellent guide to shutting of your brain noise. We let our brains run us mad most of the time, and never really stop to enjoy the space we are in. Always dwelling over the past, or fretting about the future. This book points out that the future is 100% unpredictable (so stop making up stories about what is going to happen when you have absolutely NO IDEA) and to stop worrying about the past because no amount of energy devoted to the past will change it. Instead, be in the now; b...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Jan 31, 2012

Amany A A rated it

How Many time during the day have you caught you're self lost ?

Lost in thoughts , memories or mental dialogues ?
What should've happened ? What will happen ?
Why didn't I say this ? Or Do that ?
how many times have U caught yourself 20 minutes later completely indulged in thoughts and carried away with emotions about things that exist ONLY in your head ? Things that never happened , or happened a very long time ago ?

In my case , many many many times ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jan 03, 2012

Mac rated it

This book has an insanely stupid title, one that makes it sound like a book on business management from the 1980’s, or possibly a diet guide. I’d heard enough recommendations, though, that I got past it. Now, I don’t consider myself a spiritual person, and I’m not religious, but I’m very interested in religion as a phenomenon, and so every now and then I like to read a book like this. A few years ago, it was Joseph Campbell, who had a semi-academic version of pretty much the same message: tha...moreThis book has an insanely stupid title, one that makes it sound like a book on business management from the 1980’s, or possibly a diet guide. I’d heard enough recommendations, though, that I got past it. Now, I don’t consider myself a spiritual person, and I’m not religious, but I’m very interested in religion as a phenomenon, and so every now and then I like to read a book like this. A few years ago, it was Joseph Campbell, who had a semi-academic version of pretty much the same message: that all religions, at their core, are pointing to the same thing. In this case, Tolle quotes from a variety of religious texts to show that similar elements all pointing in the same direction appear in all of the various faiths. (Though, as always, the Norse teachings are left out. What gives? No love for Odin or Thor?) What Tolle sees them pointing to is what he calls “the now,” or, in personal terms, “presence.” The book isn’t long or difficult, and you can pick up on what he’s talking about in about the first ten pages or so (the repetition, he claims in the introduction, is intentional, to allow the message to sink in and be felt or understood at a deeper level, though I might argue it’s also helpful in turning a pamphlet’s worth of information into a book), but it basically boils down to escaping the thought patterns of past and future and experiencing the present on its own terms, without the intermediary of the mind. What Buddhists call enlightenment, what Christians call the Holy Spirit – even, in some ways, what existentialists call Nothing – these are all valid, says Tolle, and all point toward the present moment, or “the now” of the irksome title.

This is nice, actually, and fairly useful – synthesizing religions by stripping away all of the orthodoxy and nonsense that makes up 95% of them is a useful thing to do, and to focus on the way that believers (of any faith) and non-believers alike can experience the same kind of presence is an important point to make. In fact, Tolle’s vision of the present moment is fairly remarkable for its practicality – very often, spiritual texts tend to pretend that real-world problems like money, family, the weather, disease, car crashes, and other uncontrollable elements will simply go away if we ignore them, but Tolle acknowledges that these things, what he calls your “life situation” (so to differentiate it from your “life”), actually need to be dealt with, which is a refreshing change of pace. However, the biggest trouble I have with Tolle’s work is what seems to happen with every writer or philosopher who attempts to define the indefinable – a new set of orthodoxies comes to take the place of the old. Terms like the “pain-body” and “the unmanifested” threaten to replace the old nonsense with a new vocabulary to be misshapen and misappropriated as the reader sees fit. While he warns us not to fall into these traps of literalism, he would certainly not be the first spiritual teacher to have his message coopted and mutated – one can almost hear the self-obsessed Lululemon customers declaring that their bad customer service experiences are triggering their pain-bodies, or that a tepid latte is causing a real loss of being here.

Still, as far as reading a book that explains unsolvable mysteries goes, one could do worse. There are bits of practical advice in here that many people could stand to hear, especially those who worry too much about the past or future (be it nostalgia, guilt, or fear). It’s not anything you don’t know already, but Tolle knows that – and makes it the point.
(less)

· see review

Nov 16, 2011

Adam Moorslool rated it

Another book about spirituatlity and mindfulness. I figured, why not? I see this book all over the place! It is running through barnes and noble at a rate rivaled only by twilight and stieg larsson! So I downloaded it and listened to it.

I am rounding my rating up from 2,5.

What is good about this book - Its repetitive nature allowed me to see my thinking from a different viewpoint. It works parables in well. His message is relatively clear in the first place.

...moreAnother book about spirituatlity and mindfulness. I figured, why not? I see this book all over the place! It is running through barnes and noble at a rate rivaled only by twilight and stieg larsson! So I downloaded it and listened to it.

I am rounding my rating up from 2,5.

What is good about this book - Its repetitive nature allowed me to see my thinking from a different viewpoint. It works parables in well. His message is relatively clear in the first place.

Its overview of the applications of mindfulness to life at large, its main problems, is a bit clearer and shows one westerners interpretation and synthesis of a large body of spiritual teaching.

It in some ways does a good job of taking what is, essentially, what every spiritual teacher has pointed to, and relating it to modern life in some way, in a way most people should understand.

What is bad about this book - Its repetitive nature allowed me to wonder if this was written for someone who refuses to listen. It wants to fight fire with fire and seems to want to find unconsciousness brought on by the mind and the ego by attacking the mind and the ego.

Its overview of the application of mindfulness and consciousness to life as a solution to all practical problems, except when it says one has to be practical. Save this argument and my 20 to 30 minutes listening to it and I see this as a better book.

It takes what it is talking about and pushes it on top of any and all areas of modern life (nothing is safe!) which leads one who is really paying attention, to notice certain inconsistencies, or at some times it oversells an argument so far that it makes less sense.

What is really bad about this book - The focus on women's menstrual cycles, existential problems, other things that are not problems for everyone, put things in to categories... I could imagine a heading over one particular chapter saying "enlightenment: for women!", "enlightenment for ANGRY PEOPLE!" it all seemed like it could be a magazine article, it felt like watching Oprah or some other terrible talk show. I had a hard time really being engaged with that.(less)

· see review

Aug 23, 2011

David Burga rated it

The best and worst parts of being a part of a book club is being introduced to works outside of your normal reading spectrum. Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now (along with Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper) made me quit my local book club. While this seems like an easy target to criticize, there was something I found very troubling about this book. It’s more than the fact that it’s poorly written, or filled with pseudo-spiritual nonsense.

I found the bio of the author, Eckhart Tolle, ...moreThe best and worst parts of being a part of a book club is being introduced to works outside of your normal reading spectrum. Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now (along with Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper) made me quit my local book club. While this seems like an easy target to criticize, there was something I found very troubling about this book. It’s more than the fact that it’s poorly written, or filled with pseudo-spiritual nonsense.

I found the bio of the author, Eckhart Tolle, to be the most troubling about this book. It claims that he was depressed for much of his life and then underwent an ‘inner transformation,’ a two year period when he was a bum (but in a state of ‘deep bliss’), and then came out the other side a spiritual leader. It reminded me of this post, for some reason:

http://purplepersuasion.wordpress.com/20...

It seemed his cure for depression was to just snap out of it. (Or perhaps the cure for the depression is to write a best-seller and become a millionaire). I would implore everyone to go to the Amazon website, click on ‘Look Inside’ and read the introduction where one minute he hates the world and is contemplating suicide and the next everything is awesome because of his new life perspective. It is convoluted and ridiculous and a little unbelievable:

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Sp...

The spiritual advice is conveniently non-denominational (presumably to appeal to as many religions as possible). The gist is live for today (oh, and don't sweat the small stuff (and it's all small stuff)). The interesting part of this book is that while it tries to provide a path to spiritual enlightenment, there is no empirical way to test if someone is spiritually enlightened. You would have to take someone at their word that Tolle’s teachings have enlightened them or gave them peace or happiness in their life. And you could probably assume that such enlightened people would have no need for any other self-help book, ever, and certainly not another from Mr. Tolle. And then you could look at the sale numbers of Tolle’s follow-up book, A New Earth, and it’d be pretty easy to determine how many people he led to enlightenment…
(less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Jul 30, 2011

Travis West added it

My mind is fighting my being as we speak. Definitely an interesting read and places a new perspective on various religions and their distracted views by followers. The "God as a mental idol" was very in line with my thinking. I would love to say after reading this book once that I was capable of giving up past and future and living in the present/with presence but it will take plenty of devotion, and self-discipline to stay focused on the now. If you have encountered Yoga, Budd...more

· see review

Jul 11, 2011

Jonathan rated it

The Power of Now is an appealingly written mix of powerful spiritual truths, meaningless babble, and falsehoods. Tolle has taken some good wisdom from the world's religions, dressed it in New Age language, personalized it with his own less impressive wisdom, and then used a powerful personal story* to sell the book.

I gave it the second star because it really does emphasize some good aspects of spirituality (especially the freedom of living in the moment). If you already have a good g...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jul 09, 2011

Gail rated it

Ha! Several years ago a friend gushed over how I just HAD to read this book. She'd just read it and it was tremendous. Fine, then: I bought the book. And I read, and I read, and I read. Then I would pick it up, and read some more--struggling to understand--only to come to pages later where I'd marked up pages. So I'd re-read and still not have 'gotten it' enough to recognize having read it all before. I'm a serious reader, even good with philosophy, so I found the experience of struggling thro...moreHa! Several years ago a friend gushed over how I just HAD to read this book. She'd just read it and it was tremendous. Fine, then: I bought the book. And I read, and I read, and I read. Then I would pick it up, and read some more--struggling to understand--only to come to pages later where I'd marked up pages. So I'd re-read and still not have 'gotten it' enough to recognize having read it all before. I'm a serious reader, even good with philosophy, so I found the experience of struggling through this book daunting and confusing. And besides, hadn't my friend just sailed through it? Finally, I finished the book--or rather the profound experience of reading this spiritual master's guide. And I called my friend. I found that she'd read a summary or concise version. So I felt a little less intimidated. That was about 'reading the book.'

More importantly, this was my first experience of reading outside my own spiritual tradition and encountering a true spiritual master. I'd never questioned that there were other traditions with hallowed principles--but this was my first encounter with the principles that underlie my own values as presented from a different context than Christianity (in a way that I could understand and appreciate). Eckhart Tolle presents the fundamental principles of living a good and righteous life with great wisdom. Early in the book he points out that "Any lesson from the past becomes relevant and is applied NOW. Any planning as well as working toward achieving a particular goal is done NOW."

He guides the reader through the psychic exploration of time, inner encounters with issues that require resistance or surrender, transformation, suffering, love, peace, and relationship. He speaks unabashedly about God--a God whose love is not selective or exclusive.

This is one of two books that I keep a journal with and write reflections from. For example, I was able to write pages in response to Tolle's statement: "Compulsive thinking has become a collective disease. Your whole sense of who you are is then derived from mind activity." When we start to disassociate ourselves from modern compulsions and seek to know ourselves as something greater than our egoistic mental limitations--the truer self becomes free to ascend and our lives become richer.

The only time we can be what we are and enjoy what we have is NOW.(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Jun 15, 2011

Pawan rated it

http://iandbooks.wordpress.com/
This was a recommendation that I got from a friend and I am really glad that I got it. Normally, a self-help book is difficult to read in one stretch but I read this book almost continuously over a course of two days. That itself talks volumes about the way this book is written. The concepts of the book are not new but the way they are presented and the way author gets his readers to follow him in his explanation is amazing.

In short, the author is t...more

· see review

Jun 14, 2011

Dave Biggus rated it

· review of another edition

I was recently discussing books with a friend of mine who said he thought about this book "at least once a day". Really? I thought. Must be something to it. And there is.

Everyone gets the idea of "being present" in the moment: your focus is directed, wandering thoughts corralled, soaking in the here and now. If you take that idea and run with it, so that the majority of your day is lived with this kind of absorption, it can be very powerful personal force.
...more

like 1 like

· see review

Apr 27, 2011

Bill Nobes rated it

To be fair I did not complete this book. Although it came highly recommended it violated several principals I hold closely.

Over the years I have noticed a trend among "spiritual" and "self-help" books. Several that I had found very powerful at first made certain statements and conclusions that, upon investigation, turned out to be constructed from pseudo-science and extremely liberal interpretations of factual evidence. This left me feeling betrayed.

They a...more

· see review

Sep 08, 2010

Marcus Knight rated it

This is an awful, awful book. Sorry, there's no other way of putting it. And I can hear people saying already "but it makes me feel better".
Whatever makes you feel in control, I guess. But sometimes things which make us feel better aren’t necessarily true or even good for us. Tolle and others like him are squarely in the camp of woo (as the great Randi would say!). They promote a watered down and ultimately meaningless new-age theology. (And of course Oprah loves him.) I expected...moreThis is an awful, awful book. Sorry, there's no other way of putting it. And I can hear people saying already "but it makes me feel better".
Whatever makes you feel in control, I guess. But sometimes things which make us feel better aren’t necessarily true or even good for us. Tolle and others like him are squarely in the camp of woo (as the great Randi would say!). They promote a watered down and ultimately meaningless new-age theology. (And of course Oprah loves him.) I expected more, but he sits right in there with Deepak Chopra as a prime examples of other equally useless anti-science hokum. I don’t usually torture myself with such media excretions.

Tolle is kind of cultish. Worse, he uses scare tactics stating we’re all in some kind of race to obliterate the human ego and the “pain-body” before they destroy the earth. The ‘ticking clock’ once again…horse manure. We are our egos. We hold memories of pain for a good reason–to avoid repeating mistakes. That's how we evolved from our ape ancestors. And all his arguments fall down in exactly the same way as every other new-age guru I've ever read with the classic '3 card trick' as a means of argument:

1. "The Higher Level Card" (i.e. sorry, it's just over your head). Sorry, but you're just not clever enough to realise Eckhart is cleverer than you, because you're on a lower (less divine/lower psychic vibration) level.
2. "The Projection Card" (i.e., I know you are, but what am I?). By criticising Eckhart, you are really just criticising yourself, because any problem you see in Eckhart/the world at large is just a projection of a problem in yourself.
3. "The Skillful Means Card" (i.e., it's all your own fault, idiot!). The most potent card of all. It's not abuse; it's not pathetic or ridiculous or wrong; it's a crazy to wise teaching method. So when Eckhart calls you an idiot, it's not because he's an pompous idiot, it's because you have a idiot-complex that you need to evolve past, and he's here to help you see that!

It's just not healthy to read books like this. This dualistic zen-style thinking just doesn't hold water in the real world. Then there's the Eckhart Tolle “walk of death.” Allegedly after listening to Tolle’s Power of Now tapes repeatedly, Brianna Wilkins walked miles without warm clothing (thinking only of the present moment, I’m sure) in the middle of winter and…”Now,” she’s dead.

Humans are not broken, they're mostly just confused. We may not know ourselves so well, but we’re operating exactly as nature intended. We’re greedy, competitive, with a short attention span, seeking instant gratification. But we’re also kind, long-suffering, generous, wise, and empathetic–with the two camps always in conflict within each of us. Solutions to human problems will come from realist introspection, critical thinking, rationality and acknowledging of the darkness, e.g. more rationality and less mysticism. We can start that process right here, right now–with our egos and pain-memories intact–not in some future idealised fantasy world. Change won’t come overnight but occurs through an evolutionary process. That’s what else ticks me off about the Tolle: he dresses it up in the conceit of spirituality, but actually panders to the very ordinary materialistic drive towards the “quick fix,” the effortless “new you.” Well, you don’t get something for nothing. Or much for £10! :)

Apologies if this is ranty - but this was a terrible, self-absorbed, arrogant, pompous book. Avoid.(less)

like 4 likes

· see review

Aug 30, 2010

Peter Chandler rated it

This book contains perhaps the most fantastic sentence I have ever read:

"The pain-body consists of trapped life-energy that has split off from your total energy field and has temporarily become autonomous through the unnatural process of mind identification."

Hard to top that I think you will agree. Still, despite veering rather too much into the language of New Age gibberish at times there still remains much in this book that may be potentially meaningful or per...moreThis book contains perhaps the most fantastic sentence I have ever read:

"The pain-body consists of trapped life-energy that has split off from your total energy field and has temporarily become autonomous through the unnatural process of mind identification."

Hard to top that I think you will agree. Still, despite veering rather too much into the language of New Age gibberish at times there still remains much in this book that may be potentially meaningful or perhaps even transformative. As a broad kind of overview of Buddhist philosophies it seems to share all that is both at times powerfully simple and meaningful and at others vague or ridiculous. Tolle wisely suggests not becoming too hung up on labels like 'sin', or 'God' in particular which he says he uses sparingly, then goes onto use at repeated occasions throughout. He's far from as cautious when it comes to using his own pet conceptions either. Ironic perhaps that a book that espouses the philosohpy of connecting with the 'Now' and the essential essence of things might have been improved with perhaps a little more carefully considered writing. Written to connect with inner feelings, rather than outside facts, one person's moment of clarity is another's random nonsense.

Still, it's really quite an acheivement that the book manages to connect as often as it does with the powerful simplicity of its message, yet still through that it does remain something of a hit and miss affair. I can imagine it comes across rather better in direct teaching that it may as a book. His reinterpretations of the Bible and other sayings, may read as much as spurious subjective assertions particularly as there are virtually no references to back up his statements. If the connection is made then it works, but if not then it's more or less nonsense. Still, such is ever the way with these things, thare are ater all an infinite and one paths to enlightenment and this may not be an entirely unhelpful step in anyone's journey.(less)

like 1 like

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 789 790 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Power of Now!	7	129	Jan 22, 2012 06:55pm

combine
Other Editions (41)

More editions...

Genres

Spirituality

194 users

Non Fiction

179 users

Self Help

124 users

Philosophy

53 users

Psychology

34 users

Religion

28 users

Self Help > Personal Development

21 users

Inspirational

18 users

Spirituality > New Age

15 users

Reference

7 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

About Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle , born Ulrich Leonard Tolle, February 16, 1948, is a German-born writer, public speaker, and spiritual teacher. The New York Times has called him "the most popular spiritual author in the nation". He is the author of the bestsellers "The Power of Now" and "A New Earth".
Tolle had an unhappy childhood in Germany and Spain. His depression reached its ...more

More about Eckhart Tolle...

Books by Eckhart Tolle

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from the Power of Now

Eckhart Tolle's Findhorn Retreat: Stillness Amidst the World

More…

Trivia About The Power of Now:...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Power of Now: A Gu...

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.” — 164 people liked it

“Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.” — 89 people liked it

More quotes…

Groups That Shelved The Power of Now:...

Open Mind, Open Heart

106 members

last activity 8 hours, 21 min ago

shelf: read

Spine Crackers

10 members

last activity 18 hours, 12 min ago

shelf: read

Living with Lupus

8 members

last activity Dec 30, 2011 04:33pm

shelf: read

title link	preview: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
avg rating	preview: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment Goodreads rating: 3.97 (14430 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6708.The_Power_of_Now?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165604349m/6708.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6708.The_Power_of_Now?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle[/url]

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website