What do you think?
Rate this book
Immortal Talks
The book starts with two monks secretly observing a group of tribal people in a forested mountain. It appeared that the jungle dwellers were talking to something that was visible for them but invisible for everyone else. Any rational mind would reject their activities as hallucination, but the monks studied them and discovered the talks between an immortal and His secret disciples; the talks that revealed the mysteries of life and secrets of godly powers; the talks that examined the nature of Reality, Karma, Desire, Soul, Destiny, Death, Time, and Space; the talks that described the indescribable; the Immortal Talks. Prologue, The Alternate Mother, The Mermaid, Describing the Indescribable, The Strings of Time, Defeating Death, The Cursed Souls
145 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 9, 2017
987 people are currently reading
7371 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
November 5, 2017
it is like going through some unique Meditation session, the book beautifully and logically
explains how we are not humans who are having spiritual experience, but actually we all are spiritual beings going through human experience.
explains how we are not humans who are having spiritual experience, but actually we all are spiritual beings going through human experience.
November 28, 2018
4.5 stars.
Spiritual books have been a favorite for some time. And this one is something completely different! The author has used a wonderful narrative, like a discourse between Indian God Hanuman and some of his worshippers, called The Mahtang people. Very elegant story telling!
There are many analogies shared, to help understand Spiritual concepts very easily like Karma-Desire, detachment, reincarnation, parallel universes, demonic possession etc.
I am quite intrigued with many of the ideas of this book. It gives you a lot to think about. And I'm also eagerly looking forward to reading the next part (hopefully there are many more to come).
For anyone looking for some clarity about life and souls, this is quite a great read. Highly recommended!
Spiritual books have been a favorite for some time. And this one is something completely different! The author has used a wonderful narrative, like a discourse between Indian God Hanuman and some of his worshippers, called The Mahtang people. Very elegant story telling!
There are many analogies shared, to help understand Spiritual concepts very easily like Karma-Desire, detachment, reincarnation, parallel universes, demonic possession etc.
I am quite intrigued with many of the ideas of this book. It gives you a lot to think about. And I'm also eagerly looking forward to reading the next part (hopefully there are many more to come).
For anyone looking for some clarity about life and souls, this is quite a great read. Highly recommended!
August 12, 2020
24th book of 2020 (148 Books read overall)
Quote from the Book I Liked - 'Memory planted in your mind has the power to alter your future actions.' (Loc. 882)
&
'Love liberates a person, but love infested with attachment does the opposite.' (Loc. 1390)
Rating - 2.5 Stars
*Important take from the book* - 'You need to know the light in order to recognize the darkness you dwell in; else you would mistake the darkness for the light.' (Loc. 181)
Plot Summary - The book starts with two monks secretly observing a group of tribal people in a forested mountain. It appeared that the jungle dwellers were talking to something that was visible for them but invisible for everyone else. Any rational mind would reject their activities as hallucination, but the monks studied them and discovered the talks between an immortal and His secret disciples; the talks that revealed the mysteries of life and secrets of godly powers; the talks that examined the nature of Reality, Karma, Desire, Soul, Destiny, Death, Time, and Space; the talks that described the indescribable; the Immortal Talks.
My Review - The book as it goes start when 2 monks are wandering deep within jungles, far from the reach of civilisation in search of a group of tribals known here as Mahatangs. They observe certain peculiar behaviour around the Mahataangs where at several points it felt like these people were talking to someone invisible. On the other side, Mahatang side, their tribe is among the few where the almighty immortal Hanuman visits every 41 years to impart Wisdom and Knowledge, whom the author titled as 'Immortal Talks'. What this knowledge is about is all that this book is about. It talks about Space and time, the Universe, the life, the tragedy one suffers in life and several certain topics and wisdom regarding Mind, Body and Spirit.
If I'm supposed to say about this series including both Immortal talks Book 1 and 2, you'll have to wait a bit as I'm about to finish Book 2 as well to give you a complete review. As of now, as a reader who has just read Book 1 will for sure feel this book to be completely incomplete and full of incompleteness. What I mean to say here is that the author just for the Marketing and Profiting purpose divided this complete book in two, Immortal Talks 1 and 2. While the whole book can be put as one. Because Book 1 has just 6 chapters and Book 2 starts with Chapter 7. And to get the complete zest of the book, one has to buy Book two as well which makes me wonder the purpose of such an act. But everyone is free to do what they want. I simply as a reader would have preferred a single book rather than dividing the book into 2 parts and costing double the price. I'll read the second book and post the complete review soon.
Conclusion - Without Book 2, this book seems just incomplete.
Full Review on Blog.
Link to Blog - The Tales of Fugitive Biker
Quote from the Book I Liked - 'Memory planted in your mind has the power to alter your future actions.' (Loc. 882)
&
'Love liberates a person, but love infested with attachment does the opposite.' (Loc. 1390)
Rating - 2.5 Stars
*Important take from the book* - 'You need to know the light in order to recognize the darkness you dwell in; else you would mistake the darkness for the light.' (Loc. 181)
Plot Summary - The book starts with two monks secretly observing a group of tribal people in a forested mountain. It appeared that the jungle dwellers were talking to something that was visible for them but invisible for everyone else. Any rational mind would reject their activities as hallucination, but the monks studied them and discovered the talks between an immortal and His secret disciples; the talks that revealed the mysteries of life and secrets of godly powers; the talks that examined the nature of Reality, Karma, Desire, Soul, Destiny, Death, Time, and Space; the talks that described the indescribable; the Immortal Talks.
My Review - The book as it goes start when 2 monks are wandering deep within jungles, far from the reach of civilisation in search of a group of tribals known here as Mahatangs. They observe certain peculiar behaviour around the Mahataangs where at several points it felt like these people were talking to someone invisible. On the other side, Mahatang side, their tribe is among the few where the almighty immortal Hanuman visits every 41 years to impart Wisdom and Knowledge, whom the author titled as 'Immortal Talks'. What this knowledge is about is all that this book is about. It talks about Space and time, the Universe, the life, the tragedy one suffers in life and several certain topics and wisdom regarding Mind, Body and Spirit.
If I'm supposed to say about this series including both Immortal talks Book 1 and 2, you'll have to wait a bit as I'm about to finish Book 2 as well to give you a complete review. As of now, as a reader who has just read Book 1 will for sure feel this book to be completely incomplete and full of incompleteness. What I mean to say here is that the author just for the Marketing and Profiting purpose divided this complete book in two, Immortal Talks 1 and 2. While the whole book can be put as one. Because Book 1 has just 6 chapters and Book 2 starts with Chapter 7. And to get the complete zest of the book, one has to buy Book two as well which makes me wonder the purpose of such an act. But everyone is free to do what they want. I simply as a reader would have preferred a single book rather than dividing the book into 2 parts and costing double the price. I'll read the second book and post the complete review soon.
Conclusion - Without Book 2, this book seems just incomplete.
Full Review on Blog.
Link to Blog - The Tales of Fugitive Biker
November 4, 2017
I have a complaint about this book. Yes, it's a treasure for seekers, and it gives a fresh perspective on all spiritual concepts. But it doesn't give a sense of completion at the end. It leaves you craving for more. It could be a strategy of author to cultivate mind of the reader to sow seeds of wisdom in upcoming books, or it could be a strategy of promoters to make more money by releasing it as a series. i seriously think they could have included more chapters in Book 1 of this series. But I would like to think it is the former. Maybe the author wants to take the reader in (quoting from chapter 2) "esoteric depths where doubts are valued more than assertions".
February 14, 2019
Immortal Talks: Book 1 is a book written by an author who is called Shunya (meaning ‘zero/nothingness’ in many Indian languages). My bullsh*tometre spikes up the moment I hear someone has a name that points to how enlightened, spiritually alleviated or (in the case of the word ‘shunya’) selfless they are. Being Christian, I even hate the idea of Popes changing their names to adopt a new name that’s supposed to broadcast to the world their future or personal philosophies.
Why am I picking so much on the nature of the author? Because this book is one of the following three:
1. A non-fictional narration with a little artistic flair added to keep the readers glued.
2. A work of fiction that’s meant to entertain.
3. A work of fiction that’s meant to teach you esoteric lessons for a better life.
I for one do not think it’s option 1, regardless of what the author might try to portray.
The book fails in attempting option 2, for the following reasons:
There’s not much to the plot or the style of writing.
A Westerner, through some hardships in life, becomes disillusioned with material success and seeks peace and spiritual satisfaction (The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari?). He ends up in India through a guru after watching the Hindu god Hanuman (the monkey warrior and foremost devotee of Rama from the Ramayana) fly over a car. Then, he follows a tribe called the ‘Mahtangs’ (Wikipedia has no mention of such a tribe, and Medium.com has two articles written which are either the results or the causes of this book) who have VIP access to Hanuman. The rest of the book follows the events that happen to a handful of characters from the tribe, totally forgetting the Westerner from the first chapter, who claims to be the transcriber of the ancient secrets that the Mahtangs know through Hanuman for the benefit of the outside world, through this book.
The storyline is mostly bland, although the author has done a basic job at world-creation and an above-average job at tying together threads of stories to get across to the reader his worldview (also reminds me of James Redfield books). But eventually the author relies on pages of preachy narration to inform the reader of how things work in the Immortal Talks universe.
As a relief, the book is well edited and doesn’t contain the haphazard writing that many independent or small publications suffer from. And it takes 4 hours to finish at average speed.
Finally, if the book’s aim was option 3, then it’s a commendable effort but at the end doesn’t leave the reader with any concrete philosophies or groundbreaking methods to improve their existence. Though the chapters throw sci-fi sounding ideas one after another (T-strings, souls lazily described as c7 and c6), for a spiritual or esoteric work, they feel cringey.
The lessons from the book that are safe to follow are something that’s common knowledge in most religions or self-help books. The lessons that are more complex sounding actually won’t stand up to scrutiny and questioning, especially if you have a good exposure to non-fiction spiritual reading. Some of them could even be outright silly or dangerous to be taken seriously.
In closing, I don’t have a neutral but a negative feeling of the intentions of the publishers. The author is anonymous, as mentioned before, but then they should have simply provided the book for free. Yes, free. It’s not too much to ask from someone who’s selfless and is writing mostly in the digital format.
But money-making is certainly a strong motivation for the publishers/author. I found this book through clickbaity advertisements on Instagram. Disregarding that, due to the rave reviews on Amazon and GoodReads (which I doubt are honest, now), I was willing to give it a try.
Also, the book is supposedly first of a series. So, though it is not an entertaining work of fiction, it’s trying to sell itself by trying to be an esoteric work of fiction. It hints that the buyers can glean deeper into its world-saving knowledge if they invest in any future books in the series by Shunya. Jed McKenna, anyone?
Why am I picking so much on the nature of the author? Because this book is one of the following three:
1. A non-fictional narration with a little artistic flair added to keep the readers glued.
2. A work of fiction that’s meant to entertain.
3. A work of fiction that’s meant to teach you esoteric lessons for a better life.
I for one do not think it’s option 1, regardless of what the author might try to portray.
The book fails in attempting option 2, for the following reasons:
There’s not much to the plot or the style of writing.
A Westerner, through some hardships in life, becomes disillusioned with material success and seeks peace and spiritual satisfaction (The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari?). He ends up in India through a guru after watching the Hindu god Hanuman (the monkey warrior and foremost devotee of Rama from the Ramayana) fly over a car. Then, he follows a tribe called the ‘Mahtangs’ (Wikipedia has no mention of such a tribe, and Medium.com has two articles written which are either the results or the causes of this book) who have VIP access to Hanuman. The rest of the book follows the events that happen to a handful of characters from the tribe, totally forgetting the Westerner from the first chapter, who claims to be the transcriber of the ancient secrets that the Mahtangs know through Hanuman for the benefit of the outside world, through this book.
The storyline is mostly bland, although the author has done a basic job at world-creation and an above-average job at tying together threads of stories to get across to the reader his worldview (also reminds me of James Redfield books). But eventually the author relies on pages of preachy narration to inform the reader of how things work in the Immortal Talks universe.
As a relief, the book is well edited and doesn’t contain the haphazard writing that many independent or small publications suffer from. And it takes 4 hours to finish at average speed.
Finally, if the book’s aim was option 3, then it’s a commendable effort but at the end doesn’t leave the reader with any concrete philosophies or groundbreaking methods to improve their existence. Though the chapters throw sci-fi sounding ideas one after another (T-strings, souls lazily described as c7 and c6), for a spiritual or esoteric work, they feel cringey.
The lessons from the book that are safe to follow are something that’s common knowledge in most religions or self-help books. The lessons that are more complex sounding actually won’t stand up to scrutiny and questioning, especially if you have a good exposure to non-fiction spiritual reading. Some of them could even be outright silly or dangerous to be taken seriously.
In closing, I don’t have a neutral but a negative feeling of the intentions of the publishers. The author is anonymous, as mentioned before, but then they should have simply provided the book for free. Yes, free. It’s not too much to ask from someone who’s selfless and is writing mostly in the digital format.
But money-making is certainly a strong motivation for the publishers/author. I found this book through clickbaity advertisements on Instagram. Disregarding that, due to the rave reviews on Amazon and GoodReads (which I doubt are honest, now), I was willing to give it a try.
Also, the book is supposedly first of a series. So, though it is not an entertaining work of fiction, it’s trying to sell itself by trying to be an esoteric work of fiction. It hints that the buyers can glean deeper into its world-saving knowledge if they invest in any future books in the series by Shunya. Jed McKenna, anyone?
May 24, 2018
The book is okay. The author I don't think is a spiritually awakened soul, a spiritually awakened soul never sells his knowledge for money. The price is high like other novels, the author didn't thought even once how financially backward people will buy this book. In the modern 21st century, there is Internet. If he wanted to share his knowledge, he could have created a blog and posted all these there, so people could have read this at much lower cost. But, instead he thought of selling this knowledge for money. Such a low level knowledge can be used in daily life, management, etc. but never show anyone the true path of self-realization.
April 29, 2018
The wisdom of life explained in the most simplest way. I wish I could thank the writer. Anybody seeking the supreme knowledge will find this book a treasure of the ultimate truth. The book is based on the doctrines of the immortal Guru to his disciples about the human world, the mortal human world. The book talks about the ways how a mortal being can achieve the immortality..the wisdom of life simplified.
An awesome read it has been!!!
A must read .
An awesome read it has been!!!
A must read .
March 15, 2018
Initial chapters is somewhat similar to The Secret and last 2 chapter's idea is in sink with Bhagwad Gita, but story felt totally hypothetical
Would recommend to read it once and try to understand it. There are lot of deep and hidden meaning in explanation
Would recommend to read it once and try to understand it. There are lot of deep and hidden meaning in explanation
December 1, 2024
Highly philosophical. It has played a huge role in my spiritual journey. Love the book.
February 20, 2018
One read is not enough.
A delicate topic, confused interpretation while reading for first time. Not suitable for people who don't believe in atma. Unfortuantely the word soul is used instead of atma, which is a totally different meaning.
Since stories hour instant analogy, whereas some others have to be force fit.
However I don't subscribe to the thoughts in the book related to cursed souls, dream world, etc. A good read though.
Will be reading it second time soon this year.
A delicate topic, confused interpretation while reading for first time. Not suitable for people who don't believe in atma. Unfortuantely the word soul is used instead of atma, which is a totally different meaning.
Since stories hour instant analogy, whereas some others have to be force fit.
However I don't subscribe to the thoughts in the book related to cursed souls, dream world, etc. A good read though.
Will be reading it second time soon this year.
April 18, 2021
Just two words PURE WISDOM !!
If you seek answers to some simply complex questions you are on a right path!
If you seek answers to some simply complex questions you are on a right path!
February 5, 2023
This book is not for pure rationals, a little bit of or perhaps even a lot of blind faith is necessary. Often times when I read ancient eastern books I search for "good translators" who could break down the metaphors from those ancient runes for the rational minds. Now I realise, if one tends to break down the poetic liberty out of ancient books then the translated versions would be very chunky and boring. So, it is left to the reader's intelligence and imagination to make what the reader will of such books.
back to the book, I liked it. 4/5
The key take aways for me were:
- the story of mermaids and how karma gets transferred. One of the main reasons sages live a secluded life is to avoid transfer of karma's. This book explains how and when karma gets transferred from one person to another and how to avoid it.
- how the illusion or "maya" gets created around our lives. How certain people live in the depths of misery while few others live in the depths of ecstasy. How to identify reality and live in reality
- How to actually implement "non action". In many many many buddhist books, I have read this way of living by "non action". I sort of get it theorectically but I find it hard to implement it in life. This book gives a lead on life by "non action" through a simple doable ritual.
and of course the book also re-assured some commonly held beliefs around reincarnation, spirits etc...
So yeah, definitely a recommended read if you are into these genres.
back to the book, I liked it. 4/5
The key take aways for me were:
- the story of mermaids and how karma gets transferred. One of the main reasons sages live a secluded life is to avoid transfer of karma's. This book explains how and when karma gets transferred from one person to another and how to avoid it.
- how the illusion or "maya" gets created around our lives. How certain people live in the depths of misery while few others live in the depths of ecstasy. How to identify reality and live in reality
- How to actually implement "non action". In many many many buddhist books, I have read this way of living by "non action". I sort of get it theorectically but I find it hard to implement it in life. This book gives a lead on life by "non action" through a simple doable ritual.
and of course the book also re-assured some commonly held beliefs around reincarnation, spirits etc...
So yeah, definitely a recommended read if you are into these genres.
November 6, 2018
Got this as gift. Why would anyone want to read something like this is really doubtful. Am not sure what author and publisher was thinking.
Pathetic and full of nonsense. Overhyped.
Based on the concept of god’s version of human who thinks and acts like human and have super powers.
Good souls, bad souls and time travel is most idiotic thing I have ever read.
The only takeaways from the book are common sense and obvious things.
Not recommended.
Pathetic and full of nonsense. Overhyped.
Based on the concept of god’s version of human who thinks and acts like human and have super powers.
Good souls, bad souls and time travel is most idiotic thing I have ever read.
The only takeaways from the book are common sense and obvious things.
Not recommended.
May 18, 2018
One awesome book that brought in peace when I needed it the most. It really really helped me sleep peacefully at night and wake up in the morning feeling refreshed after a long time :)
August 17, 2018
This book will take you to some other dimension of life and will give you wisdom which is really hard to get from your day to day activity.
January 18, 2020
Nice one
May 2, 2020
Have to read it again before beginning book 2
November 1, 2020
Very interesting book on stories telling about emotions, souls, dealing with good and bad, and other spiritual concepts in a relatively easier way in form of stories. Not superlative but I don’t regret it.
December 17, 2025
Such an amazing storytelling, conceptualization, and enlightenment.
May 10, 2022
Good and simple. One time read. I love the author's instagram handle better than the books though.
July 21, 2020
Incredible read!!!
October 20, 2017
awesome..
November 22, 2017
Found answers to many questions. The last chapter ‘cursed. Souls’ is the best part explaining how negative emotions seize ur body-mind and how u become vulnerable or a potential target to those emotions unless you let go of everything .. awaiting second book in the series
July 6, 2020
Not a usual spiritual book, straight to the facts, it's more like a novel in its structure. The Author has wowen a beautiful narrative around Lord Hanuman's and a sect of people to touch some really critical concepts.
For a Yoga practitioner or even a begginere exploring this dimension of life, this book will offer you a lot of clarify with worth witnessing storytelling.
For a Yoga practitioner or even a begginere exploring this dimension of life, this book will offer you a lot of clarify with worth witnessing storytelling.
June 29, 2020
Good spiritual book, and probably my first one
June 6, 2019
To begin with let me tell you , this is not a religious book . It’s spiritual , more like Panchatantra / Aesop’s Fables for adults . The author talks about how being with nature is being with the Divine.
He talks about the soul and it’s connection to the universe . It runs through topics like intuition ,T strings , rebirth , rituals , knowledge and life in general .
It is a very calming read and definitely needs to be read few times before you understand it’s quintessence.
Read it, if you are looking for a meditational read.
If you have an interest in knowing a the author’s point of view on connection between the mind , the soul and the universe.
Do not read, if you don’t believe in spiritual existence , or if you are looking for a religious read .
Remember : No one has the exact explanation of topics like rebirth or intuition . It’s always a slant. So read it with an open mind , if you do .
He talks about the soul and it’s connection to the universe . It runs through topics like intuition ,T strings , rebirth , rituals , knowledge and life in general .
It is a very calming read and definitely needs to be read few times before you understand it’s quintessence.
Read it, if you are looking for a meditational read.
If you have an interest in knowing a the author’s point of view on connection between the mind , the soul and the universe.
Do not read, if you don’t believe in spiritual existence , or if you are looking for a religious read .
Remember : No one has the exact explanation of topics like rebirth or intuition . It’s always a slant. So read it with an open mind , if you do .
August 12, 2022
A Hidden Gem.
This is the first book that I read on spirituality and it turned out to be so clear and effective in terms of the knowledge it intends to impart. The best thing about it is that it's not some random self help book but one written in the form of a fiction novel, where the author is like introducing a whole new concept, and I guarantee that none of you would have ever thought about life to be like this. The author has used many examples and illustrations to explain the otherwise complex concepts of soul and existence. If you ever had questions like "What is the meaning of Life ?" this book answers that for you. The author believes so much in these concepts that he even has kept himself anonymous and published this book by naming himself as Shunya (the meaning of this will be clear to you if you read the book). It was very liberating to read this. I would urge everyone who comes across this review to read this book. It is just 160 pages long.
This is the first book that I read on spirituality and it turned out to be so clear and effective in terms of the knowledge it intends to impart. The best thing about it is that it's not some random self help book but one written in the form of a fiction novel, where the author is like introducing a whole new concept, and I guarantee that none of you would have ever thought about life to be like this. The author has used many examples and illustrations to explain the otherwise complex concepts of soul and existence. If you ever had questions like "What is the meaning of Life ?" this book answers that for you. The author believes so much in these concepts that he even has kept himself anonymous and published this book by naming himself as Shunya (the meaning of this will be clear to you if you read the book). It was very liberating to read this. I would urge everyone who comes across this review to read this book. It is just 160 pages long.
August 9, 2018
Touched me. Blessed by this book. Waiting for more
It was an incredible experience going through every single word in this book.
Why ?
Spiritual topics can tend to get dry sometimes but the author has made a wonderful attempt at explaining advanced concepts about life, death, karma, reincarnation, and love through stories that anyone could easily understand.
The best part is, it just doesn't nail any specific topic into readers mind, or forces you to believe any particular dogma, but instead presents various concepts, through stories, which would help any spiritual seeker to look beyond what is in front of their eyes and look at the world through a different set of eyes.
It was an incredible experience going through every single word in this book.
Why ?
Spiritual topics can tend to get dry sometimes but the author has made a wonderful attempt at explaining advanced concepts about life, death, karma, reincarnation, and love through stories that anyone could easily understand.
The best part is, it just doesn't nail any specific topic into readers mind, or forces you to believe any particular dogma, but instead presents various concepts, through stories, which would help any spiritual seeker to look beyond what is in front of their eyes and look at the world through a different set of eyes.
March 27, 2020
Destiny changing book
I have never came across a book like this one! It blew my mind off!! Read this if you encounter yourself thinking of the fundamental questions of your life ..Who am I? What is this place ? Where is this place ? Why is my soul trapped in this body and world? Will I continue to live forever ? Am I eligible for infinite birth and death before I find moksha? Omg! This book has changed me today, this is soul shaking book. It made me think of everything that I am and I am not. Things we see and don't see around us. I hope every human on earth comes in contact with this book, so that they find the right path to wisdom and themselves. I send peace and light to whoever read this.
I have never came across a book like this one! It blew my mind off!! Read this if you encounter yourself thinking of the fundamental questions of your life ..Who am I? What is this place ? Where is this place ? Why is my soul trapped in this body and world? Will I continue to live forever ? Am I eligible for infinite birth and death before I find moksha? Omg! This book has changed me today, this is soul shaking book. It made me think of everything that I am and I am not. Things we see and don't see around us. I hope every human on earth comes in contact with this book, so that they find the right path to wisdom and themselves. I send peace and light to whoever read this.
December 20, 2020
Exceptionally deep and insightful. I had to re read some parts and go slow to decipher the underlying wisdom. It takes extraordinary intelligence to put across spiritual knowledge with such detail, simplicity and elegance. It can literally turn one inward immediately. The last chapter was life changing and it has me wondering about the possibility of instant transformation through few statements. There's some very rare energy that this book emits. I had bought it some years ago and felt no connection then. And recently when I started again, it was hard to not reach the end. The book and I have been in a natural flow. May it reach all those who are ready to receive what it has to convey. 🙏
Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews