The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
by Eckhart Tolle
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Read in July, 2004
Tolle's book is an important one, a much needed reminder that is too easy to forget. All too often people can pass entire lifetimes 'missing the moment.' One can, like the worst type of junkie, become so comfortable with-and so used to-anxiety, worry, and procrastination that to simply experience tranquility in the present becomes an impossibility. For such people, the simple and inspirational teachings that The Power of Now details can incite a revolution in one's experience of being alive. Tha...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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. Nothing orig...more
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 orig...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
spiritual seekers, folks dealing with negative emotions
I finally finished this book for the second time! Its the type of book you should revisit every now and then - probably best to read sections rather than the entire thing as the book is somewhat redundant and the format can get tiresome. Redundancy can also be a good teacher! Picking up this book every now and then is a good reminder to be present, and to work on applying some of the teachings. In fact, a lot of the content of this book will be "reminders" for folks who spend a dece...more
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Read in February, 2008
This book is a little scary. First of all, it has that "I know you're just reading this on the bus or subway so you're going to forget what I said in the previous chapters, so I'm going to repeat, er I mean, reiterate what was previously said" phenomenon that Aaron and I have been discovering lately in some new non-fiction books we've been reading. Secondly, all this repetition can come off as a freakish brainswashing experiment.
All that being said, I like old Eckart's premise that...more
All that being said, I like old Eckart's premise that...more
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Read in June, 2007
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
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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 impossibly stupi...more
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 impossibly stupi...more
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Read in March, 2008
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, but not diminishe...more
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, but not diminishe...more
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Read in April, 2008
i wish i could give 1/2 stars. this book would get a 2.5.
it was informative and closed a few gaps for me. ultimately, i think it could have been written in a much better fashion. the q&a format jumps around and the generic tone of the questions makes me feel as if i should be reading a book "for dummies". i highly encourage others who are interested in seeking answers to the same nagging questions which prompted me to read this book start first by reading Charles Haanel's Th...more
it was informative and closed a few gaps for me. ultimately, i think it could have been written in a much better fashion. the q&a format jumps around and the generic tone of the questions makes me feel as if i should be reading a book "for dummies". i highly encourage others who are interested in seeking answers to the same nagging questions which prompted me to read this book start first by reading Charles Haanel's Th...more
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Read in October, 2004
I love this book, but it is an acquired taste. It's definitely not for everyone. It is very "new agey" and cerebral. I actually have never read it in book form, but have listened to it as an Audible.com book several times, which brings an additional "acquired taste" factor because it's read by the author who has an odd, hard-to-pin-down accent. Sometimes you feel like Sigmund Freud is talking to you. It can be hard to stay focused on it, but you reap great rewards when you ...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Jillian by:
Oprahrecommends it for: Tracy Baptista
I was skeptical of this book at first since I can't stand Dr. Phil and this guy is like Oprah's spiritual guru and sometimes as much as I love her-she's got some strange ideas about who is enlightened and who is not...but I loved this book. 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 obser...more
"The very fact that we can objectively obser...more
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Read in August, 2005
recommends it for:
Any 1 who's looking for some real stuff in their life.
This book has the power to transform ur thougths into a universal life force. It explains how ego creates the mental/intellectual prison ...MAYA and how we remain trapped in it by living in our past or future but never in this very moment which is NOW...the only moment that exists. It's not that Ekhart tole is the first one to point all this stuff in his book....hell it's even in Astavakra Gita...book which was written more then 12000 years back , but what separates this book frm rest is that it...more
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Read in January, 2006
Since about the age of twelve, I've been somewhat burdened by the fact that I don't/can't believe in a "God" as put forth by most religions, an omnipotent being who created and controls it all. But that left me with a heavy solitary feeling which always lead to the question "why bother?" The spirituality that Eckhart Tolle describes in this book spoke to me instantly and is a means of re-inspiration every time I read it. I now do my best to turn off the noise of my mind (w...more
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Half of this book is just OK to me. It is a bit "self-helpy" in the sense that it presents the idea that NOW, SUDDENLY, IN AN INSTANT you can solve your problems and figure out life. Also, I am not so sure about the author's views on art, animals, and several other things he comments on. He also comes across as very convinced of his own enlightenment.
That said....
The other half of this book is some of the most astoundly insightful stuff I have ever read. It is pretty amazin...more
That said....
The other half of this book is some of the most astoundly insightful stuff I have ever read. It is pretty amazin...more
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Read in January, 2003
I don't know how many times I've read this book, but it should be mandatory in schools and corporate offices. I experienced a personal awaking (for lack of a better cliche) in my late teens, after a prolonged period of nightmarish depression and anxiety, which was almost identical to the one Tolle describes in his introduction. At the heart of this "awakening" was the deep realization that the present moment is all there is, that it is the eternal and unchanging in everything, and that...more
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Read in March, 2008
So, to all my friends who think I'm too "grounded" and "no-nonsense" to read a book about "living in the now," I apologize. I am not the person you thought I was. I like crunchy granola self-realization books, I don't just practice yoga for a hot tushie, and sometimes I chant. There, it's all in the open. I think this book is a really great summary of a lot of the things I've read on spirituality and mindfulness from Christianity to Buddhism, and the things the ...more
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
soul searchers
This is a VERY difficult book to get into, but the ideas he puts forth are really useful -- as long as you can get over his tone, which is basically "I have descended among you unenlightened mortals to share this amazing message with you, but 90% of you are unworthy and the other 10% are only marginally better."
He talks about the false ways in which we identify ourselves (and by "false" he means "unproveable" -- "I am a good listener" is an example. ...more
He talks about the false ways in which we identify ourselves (and by "false" he means "unproveable" -- "I am a good listener" is an example. ...more
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Read in March, 2008
Interesting because E.T. manages to very nearly avoid speaking through buddhist clichés.
A little summary to explain my point of view on this book: E.T. was depressed and on the verge of suicide until something ruptured in him, he passed out, and woke up somewhat different, no longer troubled by his troubles. In an effort to understand what happened to him he looked into religions, and found some stuff he could understand in buddhism. Then he wrote this book trying to explain it to us.
...more
A little summary to explain my point of view on this book: E.T. was depressed and on the verge of suicide until something ruptured in him, he passed out, and woke up somewhat different, no longer troubled by his troubles. In an effort to understand what happened to him he looked into religions, and found some stuff he could understand in buddhism. Then he wrote this book trying to explain it to us.
...more
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Read in February, 2008
Parts of this book were quite insightful. Tolle explains that enlightenment comes through being present in the moment, rather than reliving the past or trying to live the future in our minds. Since neither the past nor the future actually exist, all we really have is the present moment. He presents some new interpretation to New Testament scripture that I found interesting--basically Christ encourages us to contemplate the present and that peace comes through such focus.
As a Mormon who believe...more
As a Mormon who believe...more
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
Anyone that wants to be happy everyday
Whenever someone goes through a tough time, they learn a lot about themselves and the way they want to approach their life going forward. We proclaim a new set of "rules to live by" and The Power of Now captures an essenstial set of rules beautifully. We can't get back the past and there are no guarantees for tomorrow. We only have the "now" and its important to live it. Don't worry about what has happened or what may happened because you have no control over those things...more
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Ok so I didn't think that I would particularly like this book.
I WAS WRONG.
True, he waxes a bit new age at time but this book is all about being present. Tolle speaks to our society's obsession with either fixating on the past or the future. He reminds the reader of the pointlessness of missing out on now. He reminds us that the only thing we can do anything about is now. He explains the importance of being present rather than being caught up in an endless cycle of thinking. If you re...more
I WAS WRONG.
True, he waxes a bit new age at time but this book is all about being present. Tolle speaks to our society's obsession with either fixating on the past or the future. He reminds the reader of the pointlessness of missing out on now. He reminds us that the only thing we can do anything about is now. He explains the importance of being present rather than being caught up in an endless cycle of thinking. If you re...more
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 4.20 (1447 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 4.19 (1202 ratings) number of reviews: 370popular shelves
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"If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place. Primary reality is within; secondary reality without."
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