I am very open to different opinions, but I am NOT open to books written with a slant. If you are Buddhist, New Age or Atheist, here is your "feel good" book to pretend that Christianity is not real or nice and ignores its very real roots from the beginning of time, which science is backing THE BIBLE every day. This book presents the opposing side very well. But the Christianity side is not accurate. If only one mistake, I would have read the whole book. If someone is presenting truth of a belief system to me, I demand 100% accuracy. Otherwise, you are misleading me. This book is dangerous to unbelievers, as I know there is one God, one truth, and all you will learn from this book is how to be New Age and not care, which is a dangerous stance on your future spiritual life. I pray that all those who have been deceived will pick up a Bible and slowly read it from cover to cover, praying for guidance. Peace! Hoping to see you all on the other side in Heaven! Be aware that this author pretends to present both sides but writes to sway your mind. In this case, the side he wants you to believe makes you passive to making the right change. It makes you bold into thinking you are a god, and that you have total control over your destiny. Think of all the times when your mind games could not get you out of bad situations like death before you are convinced. ( )

I've heard so many great things about this book (Oprah certainly raves about it enough), so I figured it was time to pick it up. And while I found Tolle's ideas interesting and intriguing, I also found the book dense and difficult to follow. Maybe this is my failing, and I'm not "awakened" enough. He does state that if you find the book incomprehensible, you just haven't awoken yet. I didn't find it incomprehensible, but I certainly had a lot of questions while reading along. Tolle would probably say that's just my ego wanting to understand everything rather than letting my consciousness accept things as they are. If so, what can I say? That's a human failing I wholeheartedly recognize.

Some of Tolle's ideas on ego and the pain-body made me raise my eyebrows. My inner skeptic has a hard time giving so much credit to an "entity" that seems outside our control. It feels a little too easy to play the victim in that way. "I'm not an asshole; it's my pain-body!"

At the same time, I agree with much of what he says about the power of presence. I'm also all-in on the incredible peace that comes with accepting reality as it is rather than trying to control and manipulate it. Like many spiritual books I've read, this one can go a little too far into the "woo" for me, yet much of the content is practical and approachable as well. ( )

Ok, I found this book to be mind blowing. In a good way. Yet I can easily see someone else reading it and saying "what a bunch of bunk." I think how you perceive this book will totally depend on your stage of life and the degree to which you are spiritual and the degree to whether that spirituality is primarily derived from your religion or not. I consider myself to be an atheist, yet this book had a religious overtone to it that I could totally embrace. The theories in this book are complex. It is not an easy read by any means. But I think there is a great truth to its message. In some ways, it delivers a similar message as The Shack, but with much, much more finesse and with some guidance on HOW to actually achieve peace and happiness in your life. The major message of the book is that it is absolutely of the utmost importance to recognize that life is nothing more than a series of moments that take place NOW. It puts forth a fascinating theory that our personality really consists of "ego" and then our true selves. "Ego" according to the book is the part of ourselves that is thinking and evaluating all the time. It's the part that worries. It's the part that wants. But it isn't our true personhood. The book helps you to realize that the ego can be a barrier to relationships and how to put ego in its place.

The reason I only give it four stars is that I thought the first and last chapters really weren't representative of the rest of the book. The first chapter seems way too new-agey and hard to comprehend. And the last chapter also had too many religious overtones to me and strayed away from the focus on the individual's peace and happiness. But the rest is just GREAT. Challenging and thought provoking to read, but the type of book that could change your life. I think it changed mine. ( )

I had thought about reading Tolle's The Power of Now, but whenever I picked it up and thumbed through it it didn't capture me. When Oprah announced that she was doing her webinar on A New Earth I thought I might consider it. Then my boss asked me if I'd be willing to lead a book group on it (I worked in a bookstore) and I said sure. I love book groups. So, I read it for the group. We've been meeting once a week and discussing the book chapter by chapter. Tolle's ideas are very Buddhist and Louise Hay, so for me there wasn't anything really new in this book. I've read enough self-help/metaphysical/spiritual stuff to know there's nothing really new out there...authors just put their ideas together differently and so different authors appeal to different readers. We need the variety and I know I also need to hear positive messages over and over and over. One concept of Tolle's that I have found both fascinating and helpful in my own life is that of the Painbody. I'm very happy to have read the book, and thrilled to have met the wonderful group of people who have been coming to the discussion group each week. ( )

Immersed ... ( )

There were whole sections of this book I just couldn’t grasp or get into, especially in the beginning. More importantly, there were multiple passages that conveyed new and deep epiphanies. ( )

I am not really in the state of life to pay close attention and think about what I am reading so this will have to be read again. ( )

A book exploding with wisdom. One I will read again... with a fuller review. ( )

Yeah, I guess I’m not ready for enlightenment or awakening. I quit. ( )

Fantastic. This will go on the "Books to read several more times" shelf. Came to it from Dan Harris's 10% Happier with the scepticism Harris conveyed about it. I think he was too harsh. The talk about frequencies is strange but when you're discussing hard to nail down topics, you use whatever language you can. The science behind taking it literally is less important than the general message. I learned a great deal from it. ( )

I did a read-then-skim on this one. It's got some valuable insights in it, but I don't enjoy the presentation. It's something of a jumble of philosophies distilled for a wider audience, which is fine---like I said, valuable insights---but I'm not sure there's much for me than I've already gotten from years of mindfulness and NVC. At this point, I'm looking for something meatier. I would prefer to go to the works of the philosophers themselves and build from there.

Aside from the Oprah feel to this book, I dislike how Tolle occasionally oversimplifies to the point of inaccuracy (e.g., when he wrote that crime had increased dramatically in the past decades, which the data don't support). And then there's the incongruity of having a book about letting go of ego that has a giant picture of the author on the back cover and his name in type larger than the title on the front cover. I do my best to judge the message rather than the vessel in which it's presented, but the extra-large font size is difficult to ignore. ( )

Have it ever occured to you that to some spiritual leaders, the highest level for them is to attain the Awakening or Enlightenment? But they are not necessarily doing more things than Mother Teresa in helping others? or Winston Chuchill who inspired a nation to stand up and fight? Who did more? Is it really necessary to attain enlightenment?

What about other things? Sharing at the highest level? Influencing people? Sales Success at the highest level?

This book does explain some stuff and in a way, though there is nothing really new, Tolle does offer some deeper insights into things which normal people may not realise initially. The book is still tough to read and many may still not comprehend what is inside. Only read it when you are ready.

This book can be dangerous. It is PROFOUND but it may numb you. You may become less emotional, less angry at people, less happy on certain things in life. Tolle mentioned enthusiasm but he doesn't sound energetic. ( )

In short: traditional Catholic spirituality rewritten in the current vocabulary. The evidence?
Eckhart Tolle (pg.225): (1) non-resistance (2) non-judgment, (3) non-attachment
Ignatian Banners of Christ (in the Spiritual Exercises) (1) vulnerability (2) humility (3) poverty
Or take Eckart’s sense of Presence and the Now. Here’s a quote from “The Sacrament of the Present Moment” by Jean Pierre Caussade, a humble eighteenth century priest
“ And so we leave God to act in everything, reserving for ourselves only love and obedience to the present moment. For this is our eternal duty. This compelling love, steeped in silence, is required of every soul…Pure, simple and sure, it is a straight path along which souls walk with courage and faith, looking neither to the right nor to the left, unconcerned with everything else. “
Or page 78 in “A New Earth” “This is why we call it Presence. The ultimate purpose of human existence, which is to say, your purpose, is to bring that power into this world.” Isn’t this a rephrasing of what it means to be in Christ? To be alive with the Holy Spirit in Christ? There are many such examples.He has rewritten (in a secular language of sorts) the thinking of such classic Catholics as Teilhard de Chardin (on the world wide evolution of the spirit), St. Therese of Lisieux (on the “Little Way” or “Just for Today”) and Brother Lawrence ( living in the ordinary daily task and present moment.)
What is strange is Eckhart’s explicit anti-Catholicism. On page 70, for example, he draws a parallel between the Catholic Church, in the first paragraph, and Pol Pot, in the second. I didn’t uncover any of his own opinions which seemed at odds with Catholic tradition, although there is much that is missing – and vital - a concern with social justice being chief here, or a respect for the discipline of communal life.
I would say that the Catholic antidote to the ego is living in a web of relationships which we call community, where we learn to respond to God’s love in the present moment. Eckhart Tolle’s antidote to ego seems to be rather more solitary and less loving.

( )

With his bestselling spiritual guide "The Power of Now," Eckhart Tolle inspired millions of readers to discover the freedom and joy of a life lived in the now. In "A New Earth," Tolle expands on these powerful ideas to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world. Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence. "The Power of Now" was a question-and-answer handbook. "A New Earth" has been written as a traditional narrative, offering anecdotes and philosophies in a way that is accessible to all. Illuminating, enlightening, and uplifting, "A New Earth" is a profoundly spiritual manifesto for a better way of life?and for building a better world.

In this volume the author expands on the powerful ideas presented in "The Power of Now" to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world. Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence.

Garbage. Couldn't get past the 1st 2 or 3 chapters. Repeats the same nothing.

While there are a few inspirational bits to it, for the most part, it completely missed the mark for me. ( )

A New Earth' is for those souls who can't help but feel that their life is miserable because of others! We all feel so in our lives at some point. Wars are fought under such feelings! Eckhart Tolle has showcased many universal situations resulting from an 'EGO'. You will be surprised to find that 'EGO' is not as harsh as we define it to be. It was a revelation for me. I sensed why didn't I come across this book more than a decade ago with it's first publication (in 2005). You have to be lucky to come across such books and be able to read them! ( )

Again, Tolle delivers insightful and wise words to help us create a better, more peaceful and aligned life. ( )

I have always thought of Eckhart Tolle as “live in the present moment”, “the importance of the present moment”, he seems to be repeating this one message over and over. And sure enough he does that in this book. He also discusses the ego, which particularly resonated with me, I thought was the best part of the book. He introduces interesting ideas but on a very superficial level. I expected more depth and did not like the bible quotes. ( )

I really considered a single word review for this book, but on reflection I thought that as he took the time to....um, ... write ... it, and I took the time to actually read it it, I owe more than that to anyone taking the time to read this Goodreads comment.

Martin Gardner reviewed L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics in his 1952 Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science and said,

Dianetics is a book of impressive thickness! written in a repetitious, immature style. Hubbard claims he wrote it in three weeks. This is believable...

I don't know or care to spend any time finding out how long Tolle took to write this. It's rather simple - perhaps I should emphasize that there is no intellectual challenge here at all and the only real burden was page turning...even in electronic format - so it couldn't have taken too long, but he uses the device of Capital letters to apparently imply some deeper meaning that comes off as trite Nonsense:

“Each thing has Beingness, is a temporary form that has its origin within the formless one Life, the source of all things, all bodies, all forms.”

Or this one:

When forms around you die or death approaches, your sense of Beingness, of I Am, is freed from its entanglement with form: Spirit is released from its imprisonment in matter. You realize your essential identity as formless, as an all-pervasive Presence, of Being prior to all forms, all identifications. You realize your true identity as consciousness itself, rather than what consciousness had identified with.

And the mental anesthesia goes on and on. Way too much time advocating abandonment of ego. Ego bad. No...Ego not bad...Ego only help Dr. Frankenstein. (Hey! If Tolle can be silly, so can I.) Tolle somehow thinks that his parade of platitudes is "spiritual" and not religious. Okay. Call it what you want, but apparently the religious take exception to him as well.

So, why did I read this? Well, I'm curious to see if there is any value to these pop "self help" books (almost always never). I also try to figure out why something is popular (I've pretty much decided it's a systemic lack of critical thinking skills). And I wonder at the mindset of these authors - do they really believe their stuff has worth or have they cracked the code and can sleep at night with the comfort of having made a ton of money hawking bunk?

I sure wish I could drop my personal ethic and sell nonsense to a sadly increasingly gullible American populace. Oprah did the world a disservice endorsing this one.

Oh, the one-word description was...

...Blather.
( )

Thinking makes us capable to reviewing the past and envisioning the future, abilities that have advantages in learning from our mistakes, remembering experiences for purposes of storytelling, planning, and imagining a better way of life. Yet thinking removes us from the present moment, which in an important sense is the only reality. Thinking is also the source of regret, invidious ego-centered social comparisons, and a failure to accept experiences offered to us. In A New Earth Tolle is centrally concerned with convincing us that we do too much thinking, which removes us from the richness and sensuality of present experience. He has many keen insights, one of which is the importance of simply accepting the present moment and spending more time there. Though much of that material is persuasive, Tolle is less compelling when he advances unsupported opinions on mysterious vibrational frequencies that affect us, group consciousness, and reincarnation. All in all though the book is interesting and worthwhile. ( )

I picked this up because it was an Oprah book and usually I love Oprah books. I could not get through this book. It all seemed like bizarre psychobabble to me. On the one hand I feel like I didn't give it enough of a chance, but on the other hand whenever I looked over at this book to start reading, I just couldn't get myself to continue so I gave up. ( )

Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth is an interesting New Age spiritual enlightenment book marrying eastern and western religious traditions and beliefs and focusing on a couple of core areas: the ego and pain. Tolle spends the first half of the book discussing the ego as it relates to humanity, to identity, to its many different “faces,” and then ends this discussion with a section titled “Incontrovertible Proof of Immortality,” which I hope is in jest, because it’s anything but that to me. The book then transitions into discussing pain, as in emotions and the ego up front, followed by pain and the body and later, breaking free of the “pain-body.” Later chapters discuss finding out who you really are, falling below and rising above thought, inner body awareness, and the book culminates in an awakening of an inner purpose.

All in all, not too bad. But also, not much new here either. We’ve seen some of this stuff before. And really, not my usual cup of tea, I’m the first to admit. I’ve read western theology, philosophy from most eras (the existentialists remain my favorite), and some eastern spirituality, and I’ve gotten the least out of the latter thus far in my life. I’ve had the most trouble with the first, but I understand it the most because I was raised in that tradition. That doesn’t mean I easily accept it; I don’t. It just means I understand it. I also understand many philosophers throughout history, or should I say western philosophers, to be candid. I haven’t always understood the eastern mystics. Now, Tolle is not a mystic, nor would he claim to be. Indeed, as far as I’m concerned, he’s Michael Singer-lite. Singer’s book, The Untethered Soul, which was published in 2007 and which has profoundly influenced many people around the world, seems to me to be a similar work, with a similar message, but a deeper one, a little more thoughtful. In my review of that work of about a year ago, I wrote that

“Singer has some interesting concepts. He wants people to stop suffering, to be free, to find their consciousness, to become self aware, to attain true enlightenment. In that regard, it's largely an Eastern religious book, although Singer tries to "Westernize" it by mentioning Jesus (and other spiritual leaders) throughout the book. He begins with the voice in your head that is always talking to you, your own, always second-guessing you, offering you advice, often wrong, etc. He writes that if the person behind this voice were on the sofa beside you, you would kick him out in a heartbeat, thinking him crazy. Not a bad point.”

So how is that similar? Simple. Tolle is constantly name-dropping spiritual leaders from different faiths, most especially Jesus. Tolle wants us to be free of our pain, to overcome our ego’s boundaries, meet the pain-body, and break free. Regarding the voice on the sofa, that’s merely the ego. Simple. Tolle is Singer-lite. But while Tolle’s book is an easy read, see what I wrote about Singer’s:

“The book, while small and apparently easy to understand for many, seems fairly heavy to me. Perhaps that's because I'm stupid, although I've read an awful lot of philosophy over the years, but there's an awful lot of advice here, some of it quite good when you can follow it. And if I were to follow it, I'd have to read this book some five or six times to just be able to even try to follow all of the advice he gives. I can't do it with one reading. I tried out some of the things in the early chapters and it's quite difficult.”

In fairness to Tolle, his book was published first, in 2005. So perhaps it’s fair to speculate that it was Singer who read Tolle and took his work, adapted it, and made it deeper, stronger, more informed. Who knows? But in any event, the two books are suspiciously alike, Singer’s deeper and more difficult to digest and understand. It seems to me that if you read one of them, you certainly don’t need to read both. There’s a great deal of redundancy. I would choose Singer. Is this a bad book? No. Is it groundbreaking? No. Is it the best of its type? Absolutely not. Is it worth reading? Perhaps. Maybe. If you enjoy such books, then I guess I would recommend it. It couldn’t hurt to read it and you might learn some interesting things that would benefit you. And by all means, I’m obviously no expert on the subject. If this is your field or your area of interest, research the book and read other reviews. You might find that you’ll really like the book, even though it didn’t do much for me. Three stars. Cautiously recommended. ( )

Here is a book to make you think. It took me a long time to read it because I kept putting it down to think through the concepts he was presenting.
"Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence." I hope I will understand more of his message after I finish The Power of Now but here is something I am hoping will happen once I get it: "How do you let go of attachment to things? Don't even try. It's impossible. Attachment to things drops away by itself when you no longer seek to find yourself in them" ( )