Amazing book! Fit for anybody wanting an eye-opening read, atheists and theists alike., 09 Oct 2008
Like many succesful books debating religion vs science, dawkins uses logic and reason to 'debunk' popular monotheistic religions, along the way revealing weak pro-religious arguments and the rather queer(in the context of strangeness not homosexuality) morals which they claim they derive from their 'holy' books. Dawkins starts with the 'God hypothisis' and throughout the book systematically disproves each couter argument along the way, encorperating british witt and humour to the mix of what is already truely an exhilirating and awe inspiring read, that will allow you to open your eyes and peer contently through that narrow slit in Dawkins hypothetical burka.

Exposes ALL religion for the nonsense it is, 07 Oct 2008
Dawkins exposes the crumbly foundations upon which all 'faiths' are based. When laid bare by the cutting edge of scientific reason, it is unbelievable that we still live in an age infected by this nonsense. For those religious apologists who gave this book one star - try reading it first.

A new religion in itself, 27 Sep 2008
Arrogant but brilliant. Dawkins strips away the sheer lunacy of a lot of religious practises and tells the common sense version. The religious lot will hate it, the athiests applaud it. In a world where we want answers to everything - Dawkins doenst give them. But he does destory the repetitive nonsense that a lot of religious people follow without ever questionning why. If we only stopped asking why people dont follow what we do and ask ourselves why do we follow them - the world would be a better place.
I loved this book, it should form a religion of its own.

Get it!, 22 Sep 2008
Let's not nitpick. This book is an absolute godsend (!) for all of us who have consistently followed a path of atheism, but have not had a cogent, readable, popular book to give to people who still toy with the "Ooh but there must be more" school of religious flabby thinking. Perhaps (though I don't underestimate humans' capacity for self-delusion) this will help build the growing movement against those whose ridiculous longing for the various 'imaginary friends' provided by religious belief has caused so much damage to human endeavour. Thank you a thousand times Professor Dawkins.

completley gripping, the tirade of abuse makes it even more interesting! reviewers here seemed to have not really read it at all, 17 Sep 2008
A fantastically rational account on religion. This book has opened my eyes to the worders of science and the folly of religious conviction. In a style like Thomas Paine he smashes perceptions of relgion and makes beleivers sound as though they should be in a mental institution then again really they do! The Genius of Charles Dawin TV show involved a microcosm of what the book contains but with a few added ideas on social dawinism and the idea that "we are all winners". Starting as a wavey Agnostic I put down the book a 6.9 fully armed atheist and really allways have been just without the abilty to articultate my feelings.the danger is relgious zealots taking direct offense with the book it may have been hard for Dawkins to be carefull not to offend and underestimate quite how indoctrinated people are but really the only way to trully battle such strong convictions is to meet them head on with eaqual force and far more truth.
A true modern great.

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, able to explain complicated concepts in concrete language. More importantly, within a chapter of reading this book, readers are already holding the world in a different container--more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness.

Tolle packs a lot of information and inspirational ideas into The Power of Now. (Topics include the source of Chi, enlightened relationships, creative use of the mind, impermanence and the cycle of life.) Thankfully, he's added markers that symbolise "break time". This is when readers should close the book and mull over what they just read. As a result, The Power of Now reads like the highly acclaimed A Course in Miracles--a spiritual guidebook that has the potential to inspire just as many study groups and change just as many lives for the better. --Gail Hudson

Amazing book! Fit for anybody wanting an eye-opening read, atheists and theists alike., 09 Oct 2008
Like many succesful books debating religion vs science, dawkins uses logic and reason to 'debunk' popular monotheistic religions, along the way revealing weak pro-religious arguments and the rather queer(in the context of strangeness not homosexuality) morals which they claim they derive from their 'holy' books. Dawkins starts with the 'God hypothisis' and throughout the book systematically disproves each couter argument along the way, encorperating british witt and humour to the mix of what is already truely an exhilirating and awe inspiring read, that will allow you to open your eyes and peer contently through that narrow slit in Dawkins hypothetical burka.

Exposes ALL religion for the nonsense it is, 07 Oct 2008
Dawkins exposes the crumbly foundations upon which all 'faiths' are based. When laid bare by the cutting edge of scientific reason, it is unbelievable that we still live in an age infected by this nonsense. For those religious apologists who gave this book one star - try reading it first.

A new religion in itself, 27 Sep 2008
Arrogant but brilliant. Dawkins strips away the sheer lunacy of a lot of religious practises and tells the common sense version. The religious lot will hate it, the athiests applaud it. In a world where we want answers to everything - Dawkins doenst give them. But he does destory the repetitive nonsense that a lot of religious people follow without ever questionning why. If we only stopped asking why people dont follow what we do and ask ourselves why do we follow them - the world would be a better place.
I loved this book, it should form a religion of its own.

Get it!, 22 Sep 2008
Let's not nitpick. This book is an absolute godsend (!) for all of us who have consistently followed a path of atheism, but have not had a cogent, readable, popular book to give to people who still toy with the "Ooh but there must be more" school of religious flabby thinking. Perhaps (though I don't underestimate humans' capacity for self-delusion) this will help build the growing movement against those whose ridiculous longing for the various 'imaginary friends' provided by religious belief has caused so much damage to human endeavour. Thank you a thousand times Professor Dawkins.

completley gripping, the tirade of abuse makes it even more interesting! reviewers here seemed to have not really read it at all, 17 Sep 2008
A fantastically rational account on religion. This book has opened my eyes to the worders of science and the folly of religious conviction. In a style like Thomas Paine he smashes perceptions of relgion and makes beleivers sound as though they should be in a mental institution then again really they do! The Genius of Charles Dawin TV show involved a microcosm of what the book contains but with a few added ideas on social dawinism and the idea that "we are all winners". Starting as a wavey Agnostic I put down the book a 6.9 fully armed atheist and really allways have been just without the abilty to articultate my feelings.the danger is relgious zealots taking direct offense with the book it may have been hard for Dawkins to be carefull not to offend and underestimate quite how indoctrinated people are but really the only way to trully battle such strong convictions is to meet them head on with eaqual force and far more truth.
A true modern great.

essential reading, 10 Sep 2008
This book has been written in the sense of a dialogue between master and disciple reminicent of the Corpus Hermeticum. However in this case the reader may or may not find these imposed questions useful or, indeed annoying... This is a book which is either going to hit a chord, or will seem like utter nonsense. From my point of view as an average reader, I have found it very important because it explores concepts of this mind/ego (a double) which is inside of each person which needs confronting in someway. I think this book is must read for anyone who feels they are on a spiritual path, because fundementally (and in my limited understanding) the awareness of the 'double' and the fission of dark and light is inevitable along this path. If this is really the case, then this book should be seen as essential reading.

Doesn't do it for me., 31 Aug 2008
I read this book several years ago. Yes it is enthusiastic and easily accesible and very convincing BUT I don't believe it was written out of any profound knowledge nor from true enlightenment. I felt it was at best a simplified version of Krishnamurti's writings, which I may struggle with but find deeply insightful. So yes as an introduction to more sincere & profound spiritual writing it has it's place. Tolle does have a story to tell, but it is not that unique. There is a difference between simplification coming from deep wisdom and that from inexperience ( I guess the same can be said for more complicated texts too!) and knowledge truely lived and that which is just an exchange of words. Dissappointing considering all the hype, especially from circles, who in my opinion, should know better.

Intellectual snobbery, 25 Aug 2008
I purchased this on the strength of previous reviews and because I have been going through depression. Well - a great cure for my insomnia! How this writing can be described as "clear" is beyond me. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person but this book is hard hard work. Long badly constructed sentences using 20 words when 5 would have been ample, you have to read everything 3 times to get any idea of the meaning. The words used are long, difficult and unnecessary(keep a dictionary handy). I handed it to my husband to ask "is it me"? He has an M.A. from Cambridge, has practised law for 25 years and is incredibly intelligent. He read several pages at various places throughout the book and shook his head - his comment was my heading "intellectual snobbery". It means little, words put together in no format and no "real" situations explained. I would advise anyone who wants help on this subject to read CBT for Dummies - a page and a half in that book on "mindfulness" did more for me than this whole book - a waste of money and time - but as I say great cure for insomnia.

A life changing book for me., 10 Aug 2008
This book has changed my life along with Eckhart's other publications.

I was very skeptical at first, as I considered myself to be non religious and not spiritual and didn't think I could relate to this sort of stuff.

My initial 'though' could not have been more wrong. I hardly ever read books but could not put this one down. I read it at a time when I had recently moved to the other side of the world, then within a few days, I was let down badly by my girlfriend, resulting in a breakup and quit a new job in which I felt was not for me. Prior to this I suffered from ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome after an undiagnosed spinal cord injury.

After my resent disappointment I felt extremely lonely, depressed and a failure. A couple of friends had recommended the book and I went out and bought it. I read this book in less than 2 days.

The effect it had on me was overwhelming and life changing! I was able to move on from my "life story" with ease as I found presence and contentment with very few forms in my life. I realised that my life was not my thoughts and that I had been obsessed and locked in thinking for as long as I can remember, resulting in so much pain and suffering.

I have now been able to feel presence and live in happiness for the past 3 months. I no longer feel lonely, I have seen how my ego and my painbody has in the past has had such a detrimental effect on my life.

If you want to be liberaed from pain, suffering and any other kind of unhappiness then go and buy this book. Many of my friends have either borrowed my book or bought a copy and have have experienced similar liberation and freedom from their dysfunctional minds.

This book enabled me to find the off button for the thinking part of my mind. Without thinking about the past and future, there is no suffering and pain.

Thank you Eckhart.

Enlightening, 31 Jul 2008
A very enlightening read for those seeking spiritual enlightenment and wishing to attain a greater understanding of their life's purpose. Whether you believe (or have an interest) in this sort of stuff or not, there will be something to be gained from this text for everyone who reads it.

How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good

Real Life Dramas - Volume One: 1

Darren G. Burton

Amazing book! Fit for anybody wanting an eye-opening read, atheists and theists alike., 09 Oct 2008
Like many succesful books debating religion vs science, dawkins uses logic and reason to 'debunk' popular monotheistic religions, along the way revealing weak pro-religious arguments and the rather queer(in the context of strangeness not homosexuality) morals which they claim they derive from their 'holy' books. Dawkins starts with the 'God hypothisis' and throughout the book systematically disproves each couter argument along the way, encorperating british witt and humour to the mix of what is already truely an exhilirating and awe inspiring read, that will allow you to open your eyes and peer contently through that narrow slit in Dawkins hypothetical burka.

Exposes ALL religion for the nonsense it is, 07 Oct 2008
Dawkins exposes the crumbly foundations upon which all 'faiths' are based. When laid bare by the cutting edge of scientific reason, it is unbelievable that we still live in an age infected by this nonsense. For those religious apologists who gave this book one star - try reading it first.

A new religion in itself, 27 Sep 2008
Arrogant but brilliant. Dawkins strips away the sheer lunacy of a lot of religious practises and tells the common sense version. The religious lot will hate it, the athiests applaud it. In a world where we want answers to everything - Dawkins doenst give them. But he does destory the repetitive nonsense that a lot of religious people follow without ever questionning why. If we only stopped asking why people dont follow what we do and ask ourselves why do we follow them - the world would be a better place.
I loved this book, it should form a religion of its own.

Get it!, 22 Sep 2008
Let's not nitpick. This book is an absolute godsend (!) for all of us who have consistently followed a path of atheism, but have not had a cogent, readable, popular book to give to people who still toy with the "Ooh but there must be more" school of religious flabby thinking. Perhaps (though I don't underestimate humans' capacity for self-delusion) this will help build the growing movement against those whose ridiculous longing for the various 'imaginary friends' provided by religious belief has caused so much damage to human endeavour. Thank you a thousand times Professor Dawkins.

completley gripping, the tirade of abuse makes it even more interesting! reviewers here seemed to have not really read it at all, 17 Sep 2008
A fantastically rational account on religion. This book has opened my eyes to the worders of science and the folly of religious conviction. In a style like Thomas Paine he smashes perceptions of relgion and makes beleivers sound as though they should be in a mental institution then again really they do! The Genius of Charles Dawin TV show involved a microcosm of what the book contains but with a few added ideas on social dawinism and the idea that "we are all winners". Starting as a wavey Agnostic I put down the book a 6.9 fully armed atheist and really allways have been just without the abilty to articultate my feelings.the danger is relgious zealots taking direct offense with the book it may have been hard for Dawkins to be carefull not to offend and underestimate quite how indoctrinated people are but really the only way to trully battle such strong convictions is to meet them head on with eaqual force and far more truth.
A true modern great.

essential reading, 10 Sep 2008
This book has been written in the sense of a dialogue between master and disciple reminicent of the Corpus Hermeticum. However in this case the reader may or may not find these imposed questions useful or, indeed annoying... This is a book which is either going to hit a chord, or will seem like utter nonsense. From my point of view as an average reader, I have found it very important because it explores concepts of this mind/ego (a double) which is inside of each person which needs confronting in someway. I think this book is must read for anyone who feels they are on a spiritual path, because fundementally (and in my limited understanding) the awareness of the 'double' and the fission of dark and light is inevitable along this path. If this is really the case, then this book should be seen as essential reading.

Doesn't do it for me., 31 Aug 2008
I read this book several years ago. Yes it is enthusiastic and easily accesible and very convincing BUT I don't believe it was written out of any profound knowledge nor from true enlightenment. I felt it was at best a simplified version of Krishnamurti's writings, which I may struggle with but find deeply insightful. So yes as an introduction to more sincere & profound spiritual writing it has it's place. Tolle does have a story to tell, but it is not that unique. There is a difference between simplification coming from deep wisdom and that from inexperience ( I guess the same can be said for more complicated texts too!) and knowledge truely lived and that which is just an exchange of words. Dissappointing considering all the hype, especially from circles, who in my opinion, should know better.

Intellectual snobbery, 25 Aug 2008
I purchased this on the strength of previous reviews and because I have been going through depression. Well - a great cure for my insomnia! How this writing can be described as "clear" is beyond me. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person but this book is hard hard work. Long badly constructed sentences using 20 words when 5 would have been ample, you have to read everything 3 times to get any idea of the meaning. The words used are long, difficult and unnecessary(keep a dictionary handy). I handed it to my husband to ask "is it me"? He has an M.A. from Cambridge, has practised law for 25 years and is incredibly intelligent. He read several pages at various places throughout the book and shook his head - his comment was my heading "intellectual snobbery". It means little, words put together in no format and no "real" situations explained. I would advise anyone who wants help on this subject to read CBT for Dummies - a page and a half in that book on "mindfulness" did more for me than this whole book - a waste of money and time - but as I say great cure for insomnia.

A life changing book for me., 10 Aug 2008
This book has changed my life along with Eckhart's other publications.

I was very skeptical at first, as I considered myself to be non religious and not spiritual and didn't think I could relate to this sort of stuff.

My initial 'though' could not have been more wrong. I hardly ever read books but could not put this one down. I read it at a time when I had recently moved to the other side of the world, then within a few days, I was let down badly by my girlfriend, resulting in a breakup and quit a new job in which I felt was not for me. Prior to this I suffered from ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome after an undiagnosed spinal cord injury.

After my resent disappointment I felt extremely lonely, depressed and a failure. A couple of friends had recommended the book and I went out and bought it. I read this book in less than 2 days.

The effect it had on me was overwhelming and life changing! I was able to move on from my "life story" with ease as I found presence and contentment with very few forms in my life. I realised that my life was not my thoughts and that I had been obsessed and locked in thinking for as long as I can remember, resulting in so much pain and suffering.

I have now been able to feel presence and live in happiness for the past 3 months. I no longer feel lonely, I have seen how my ego and my painbody has in the past has had such a detrimental effect on my life.

If you want to be liberaed from pain, suffering and any other kind of unhappiness then go and buy this book. Many of my friends have either borrowed my book or bought a copy and have have experienced similar liberation and freedom from their dysfunctional minds.

This book enabled me to find the off button for the thinking part of my mind. Without thinking about the past and future, there is no suffering and pain.

Thank you Eckhart.

Enlightening, 31 Jul 2008
A very enlightening read for those seeking spiritual enlightenment and wishing to attain a greater understanding of their life's purpose. Whether you believe (or have an interest) in this sort of stuff or not, there will be something to be gained from this text for everyone who reads it.

How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good

Real Life Dramas - Volume One: 1

Darren G. Burton

Erm!, 16 Sep 2008
I found this too wordy and deep for a simple soul such as myself however I did as advised on the Oprah site and sat with 2 marker pens in different colours to underline that which I understood and that which I didn't. Needless to say one colour got a heck of a bashing!!

I've given it 3 stars though because I did actually get some really good bits out of it which I jotted down on the spare blank pages at the back (in my own words so I would understand later) and for that it was worth reading/buying.

What I am most chuffed about however is reading a review by Paul Chipperfield (lower down) recommending Cheri Huber's book which as he said is much kinder to us mere mortals and he is sooooo right!! Cheri Huber writes in a way I can understand and access reasonably easily - challenging still but achievably so!

Nice one mate!

A New Earth - Best Book Ever!!, 04 Sep 2008
Dear Reader, if you only read one book in your lifetime, let this be the one. It is a must read for anyone ill or in hospital too. It's happy and uplifting. It will lift the the spirits and leave even the terminally ill in blissful peace. I am speaking from experience. 'Your presence (presents) is PURE JOY. Jennifer

There are better books out there, 03 Sep 2008
Reading this pretentious, sensationalistic, overblown book makes me want to dry-heave and at times a little sick actually came out my mouth from its eye-watering, vomit-inducting passages like.....

'By the end of the century, the number of people who died a violent death at the hand of their fellow humans would rise to more than one hundred million... we only need to watch the daily news on television to realise that the madness has not abated, that it is continuing into the twenty-first century. Another aspect of the collective dysfunction of the human mind is unprecedented violence that humans are inflicting on other life-forms and the planet itself.. blah blah'

You get the message. We are doommmmeeeeddd!!! Having to wade through scaremongering sensationalistic crap like that is annoying to say the least. The style of writing is like reading sheet from The Sun.

I did give it two stars because there is something behind this book. The concepts are drawn from Hinduism and particularly about understanding the ego, self, self-realisation and self-awareness. I guess the good thing is that at least it does get the message across to the new age masses. But personally, I would go straight to the source from where the author get these ideas from... The Bhagavad Gita, The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, books by Swami Vivekananda etc etc.



super book, 02 Sep 2008
Great one for the spiritual sceptics , stick with it there is something for everyone in here . Personally reccomended to a few friends something in here for everyone but if your reading it you probably dont need it , if your in doubt go check out the "is that so" chapter at the book store

A big ego writes about ego, 12 Aug 2008
I was given this by someone who saw Oprah raving about it and bought two copies in a state of excitement. I thought that the first three pages were quite good then was extremely disappointed as the rest went no further than to rehash Buddhism. My overriding concern is Tolle's continual denigration of the ego and his attempts to persuade us that if we could just annihilate any sense of being an individual or having individual thoughts or preferences we could all acheive permanent bliss. In fact, if we all followed this advice we would all coagulate in one big splurge of mush as no one would be allowed a personality at all.
This kind of spirituality feels very uncomfortable. I have always believed that the ego is a misunderstood beast and gets very bad press in New Age circles. We each represent a shard of God, here to express and experience our uniqueness and to evolve the whole while understanding we are part of the whole to which we will return following death. In addition, Tolle's regurgitated and extreme trashing of the ego is incongruent given that he benefits from the proceeds from a whole range of products, from calendars to cards, emblazoned with his name. No ego there then!
This book feels like a quick attempt to jump on the coat tails of his previous book and, for me, offers nothing new. I am sure this will do very well for the Eckhart Tolle franchise but am concerned about the cost to anybody who adopts this philosophy without understanding that 'God' the Universe or whatever you believe in gave us the ego for a reason. It enables you to find who you are and what you stand for. There is nothing inherently spiritual about voluntary self anhihilation. Even the Dala Lama left Tibet rather than adopting a stance of staying put and being 'meek' in the presence of danger. It isn't a New Earth it is a rehash and it doesn't say what it says on the tin 'awakening to your life purpose' should read 'putting your life purpose to sleep as it doesn't exist.'

Amazing book! Fit for anybody wanting an eye-opening read, atheists and theists alike., 09 Oct 2008
Like many succesful books debating religion vs science, dawkins uses logic and reason to 'debunk' popular monotheistic religions, along the way revealing weak pro-religious arguments and the rather queer(in the context of strangeness not homosexuality) morals which they claim they derive from their 'holy' books. Dawkins starts with the 'God hypothisis' and throughout the book systematically disproves each couter argument along the way, encorperating british witt and humour to the mix of what is already truely an exhilirating and awe inspiring read, that will allow you to open your eyes and peer contently through that narrow slit in Dawkins hypothetical burka.

Exposes ALL religion for the nonsense it is, 07 Oct 2008
Dawkins exposes the crumbly foundations upon which all 'faiths' are based. When laid bare by the cutting edge of scientific reason, it is unbelievable that we still live in an age infected by this nonsense. For those religious apologists who gave this book one star - try reading it first.

A new religion in itself, 27 Sep 2008
Arrogant but brilliant. Dawkins strips away the sheer lunacy of a lot of religious practises and tells the common sense version. The religious lot will hate it, the athiests applaud it. In a world where we want answers to everything - Dawkins doenst give them. But he does destory the repetitive nonsense that a lot of religious people follow without ever questionning why. If we only stopped asking why people dont follow what we do and ask ourselves why do we follow them - the world would be a better place.
I loved this book, it should form a religion of its own.

Get it!, 22 Sep 2008
Let's not nitpick. This book is an absolute godsend (!) for all of us who have consistently followed a path of atheism, but have not had a cogent, readable, popular book to give to people who still toy with the "Ooh but there must be more" school of religious flabby thinking. Perhaps (though I don't underestimate humans' capacity for self-delusion) this will help build the growing movement against those whose ridiculous longing for the various 'imaginary friends' provided by religious belief has caused so much damage to human endeavour. Thank you a thousand times Professor Dawkins.

completley gripping, the tirade of abuse makes it even more interesting! reviewers here seemed to have not really read it at all, 17 Sep 2008
A fantastically rational account on religion. This book has opened my eyes to the worders of science and the folly of religious conviction. In a style like Thomas Paine he smashes perceptions of relgion and makes beleivers sound as though they should be in a mental institution then again really they do! The Genius of Charles Dawin TV show involved a microcosm of what the book contains but with a few added ideas on social dawinism and the idea that "we are all winners". Starting as a wavey Agnostic I put down the book a 6.9 fully armed atheist and really allways have been just without the abilty to articultate my feelings.the danger is relgious zealots taking direct offense with the book it may have been hard for Dawkins to be carefull not to offend and underestimate quite how indoctrinated people are but really the only way to trully battle such strong convictions is to meet them head on with eaqual force and far more truth.
A true modern great.

essential reading, 10 Sep 2008
This book has been written in the sense of a dialogue between master and disciple reminicent of the Corpus Hermeticum. However in this case the reader may or may not find these imposed questions useful or, indeed annoying... This is a book which is either going to hit a chord, or will seem like utter nonsense. From my point of view as an average reader, I have found it very important because it explores concepts of this mind/ego (a double) which is inside of each person which needs confronting in someway. I think this book is must read for anyone who feels they are on a spiritual path, because fundementally (and in my limited understanding) the awareness of the 'double' and the fission of dark and light is inevitable along this path. If this is really the case, then this book should be seen as essential reading.

Doesn't do it for me., 31 Aug 2008
I read this book several years ago. Yes it is enthusiastic and easily accesible and very convincing BUT I don't believe it was written out of any profound knowledge nor from true enlightenment. I felt it was at best a simplified version of Krishnamurti's writings, which I may struggle with but find deeply insightful. So yes as an introduction to more sincere & profound spiritual writing it has it's place. Tolle does have a story to tell, but it is not that unique. There is a difference between simplification coming from deep wisdom and that from inexperience ( I guess the same can be said for more complicated texts too!) and knowledge truely lived and that which is just an exchange of words. Dissappointing considering all the hype, especially from circles, who in my opinion, should know better.

Intellectual snobbery, 25 Aug 2008
I purchased this on the strength of previous reviews and because I have been going through depression. Well - a great cure for my insomnia! How this writing can be described as "clear" is beyond me. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person but this book is hard hard work. Long badly constructed sentences using 20 words when 5 would have been ample, you have to read everything 3 times to get any idea of the meaning. The words used are long, difficult and unnecessary(keep a dictionary handy). I handed it to my husband to ask "is it me"? He has an M.A. from Cambridge, has practised law for 25 years and is incredibly intelligent. He read several pages at various places throughout the book and shook his head - his comment was my heading "intellectual snobbery". It means little, words put together in no format and no "real" situations explained. I would advise anyone who wants help on this subject to read CBT for Dummies - a page and a half in that book on "mindfulness" did more for me than this whole book - a waste of money and time - but as I say great cure for insomnia.

A life changing book for me., 10 Aug 2008
This book has changed my life along with Eckhart's other publications.

I was very skeptical at first, as I considered myself to be non religious and not spiritual and didn't think I could relate to this sort of stuff.

My initial 'though' could not have been more wrong. I hardly ever read books but could not put this one down. I read it at a time when I had recently moved to the other side of the world, then within a few days, I was let down badly by my girlfriend, resulting in a breakup and quit a new job in which I felt was not for me. Prior to this I suffered from ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome after an undiagnosed spinal cord injury.

After my resent disappointment I felt extremely lonely, depressed and a failure. A couple of friends had recommended the book and I went out and bought it. I read this book in less than 2 days.

The effect it had on me was overwhelming and life changing! I was able to move on from my "life story" with ease as I found presence and contentment with very few forms in my life. I realised that my life was not my thoughts and that I had been obsessed and locked in thinking for as long as I can remember, resulting in so much pain and suffering.

I have now been able to feel presence and live in happiness for the past 3 months. I no longer feel lonely, I have seen how my ego and my painbody has in the past has had such a detrimental effect on my life.

If you want to be liberaed from pain, suffering and any other kind of unhappiness then go and buy this book. Many of my friends have either borrowed my book or bought a copy and have have experienced similar liberation and freedom from their dysfunctional minds.

This book enabled me to find the off button for the thinking part of my mind. Without thinking about the past and future, there is no suffering and pain.

Thank you Eckhart.

Enlightening, 31 Jul 2008
A very enlightening read for those seeking spiritual enlightenment and wishing to attain a greater understanding of their life's purpose. Whether you believe (or have an interest) in this sort of stuff or not, there will be something to be gained from this text for everyone who reads it.

How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good

Real Life Dramas - Volume One: 1

Darren G. Burton

Erm!, 16 Sep 2008
I found this too wordy and deep for a simple soul such as myself however I did as advised on the Oprah site and sat with 2 marker pens in different colours to underline that which I understood and that which I didn't. Needless to say one colour got a heck of a bashing!!

I've given it 3 stars though because I did actually get some really good bits out of it which I jotted down on the spare blank pages at the back (in my own words so I would understand later) and for that it was worth reading/buying.

What I am most chuffed about however is reading a review by Paul Chipperfield (lower down) recommending Cheri Huber's book which as he said is much kinder to us mere mortals and he is sooooo right!! Cheri Huber writes in a way I can understand and access reasonably easily - challenging still but achievably so!

Nice one mate!

A New Earth - Best Book Ever!!, 04 Sep 2008
Dear Reader, if you only read one book in your lifetime, let this be the one. It is a must read for anyone ill or in hospital too. It's happy and uplifting. It will lift the the spirits and leave even the terminally ill in blissful peace. I am speaking from experience. 'Your presence (presents) is PURE JOY. Jennifer

There are better books out there, 03 Sep 2008
Reading this pretentious, sensationalistic, overblown book makes me want to dry-heave and at times a little sick actually came out my mouth from its eye-watering, vomit-inducting passages like.....

'By the end of the century, the number of people who died a violent death at the hand of their fellow humans would rise to more than one hundred million... we only need to watch the daily news on television to realise that the madness has not abated, that it is continuing into the twenty-first century. Another aspect of the collective dysfunction of the human mind is unprecedented violence that humans are inflicting on other life-forms and the planet itself.. blah blah'

You get the message. We are doommmmeeeeddd!!! Having to wade through scaremongering sensationalistic crap like that is annoying to say the least. The style of writing is like reading sheet from The Sun.

I did give it two stars because there is something behind this book. The concepts are drawn from Hinduism and particularly about understanding the ego, self, self-realisation and self-awareness. I guess the good thing is that at least it does get the message across to the new age masses. But personally, I would go straight to the source from where the author get these ideas from... The Bhagavad Gita, The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, books by Swami Vivekananda etc etc.



super book, 02 Sep 2008
Great one for the spiritual sceptics , stick with it there is something for everyone in here . Personally reccomended to a few friends something in here for everyone but if your reading it you probably dont need it , if your in doubt go check out the "is that so" chapter at the book store

A big ego writes about ego, 12 Aug 2008
I was given this by someone who saw Oprah raving about it and bought two copies in a state of excitement. I thought that the first three pages were quite good then was extremely disappointed as the rest went no further than to rehash Buddhism. My overriding concern is Tolle's continual denigration of the ego and his attempts to persuade us that if we could just annihilate any sense of being an individual or having individual thoughts or preferences we could all acheive permanent bliss. In fact, if we all followed this advice we would all coagulate in one big splurge of mush as no one would be allowed a personality at all.
This kind of spirituality feels very uncomfortable. I have always believed that the ego is a misunderstood beast and gets very bad press in New Age circles. We each represent a shard of God, here to express and experience our uniqueness and to evolve the whole while understanding we are part of the whole to which we will return following death. In addition, Tolle's regurgitated and extreme trashing of the ego is incongruent given that he benefits from the proceeds from a whole range of products, from calendars to cards, emblazoned with his name. No ego there then!
This book feels like a quick attempt to jump on the coat tails of his previous book and, for me, offers nothing new. I am sure this will do very well for the Eckhart Tolle franchise but am concerned about the cost to anybody who adopts this philosophy without understanding that 'God' the Universe or whatever you believe in gave us the ego for a reason. It enables you to find who you are and what you stand for. There is nothing inherently spiritual about voluntary self anhihilation. Even the Dala Lama left Tibet rather than adopting a stance of staying put and being 'meek' in the presence of danger. It isn't a New Earth it is a rehash and it doesn't say what it says on the tin 'awakening to your life purpose' should read 'putting your life purpose to sleep as it doesn't exist.'

Thinking book, 04 Oct 2008
This book does make you think in two sense of that phrase: it makes you consider the big questions in life and it also makes you concnetrate hard to understand it in places.

I liked the book when considering it in the round. It think that Hitchens is clearly a very clever individual, well-read and who has considered his subject-matter in some detail and is very familiar with it. But this is part of the downside to the book in that, for someone like me, who is not a philosopher and who does not have a good grounding in the subject matter, it is difficult to follow in places (quite a few places).

I have also read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins recently and on balance I prefer Dawkins book. That said, the two books are written in different styles (Dawkins adopting more of a step by step guide, whereas Hitchens' approach is more conversational).

These books are very different to the books I would usually read and I think I have benefitted greatly from reading them, but to others who have not read them I would say that you need to be sitting quietly and without distraction to get the most out of the book!

God is not........., 23 Sep 2008
Great book. Unfortunately, I suspect the only people who will read it already know that God isn't!

Welcome to celestial North Korea, 22 Sep 2008
Dawkins has God on the floor and the Hitch has jumped into the ring and got a sneaky boot in. Booo, hiss! This book starts from where Dawkins left off i.e. there is no good reason for belief in anything with no evidence (e.g. the tooth fairy, flying spaghetti monster God etc). All these things might exist but it seems unlikely. Hitchens goes a step further and tries to show that not only does God probably not exist but it would be bad if he did. He describes Heaven as a celestial North Korea.

It seems a strong case but is based entirely around the portrayal of God in the world's religions. It seems possible to me that God does exist but religions are man made and have got God all wrong. Personally I'm not sure whether it matters whether God exists. I like to hope that we do not cease to exist when we die and I certainly hope we are more than our bodies. But I recognise that this is probably wishful thinking and I am not sure where a God or God's fit into all this.

This is a good read for making you think about such questions. And as always Hitchens writes wonderfully.

Seminal work, 19 Sep 2008
Christopher Hitchens smashes the walls of untouchability, religion still cherishes in this book.
God is not Great offers the Moral case against God, presented as always in Hitchens gentlemanly inimitable style.
It's hard to fault this work. Well paced & absorbing, blow by blow Christopher knocks down the facade with equisitly placed mighty strikes from his theological fists.

Good book, not a great book , 02 Sep 2008
You cannot come to this book a neutral. You either have faith in which case you may curious to see what the latest atheist thinking is or you are an atheist looking for a book that helps clarify your views. I am the latter but I even I had issues with it.

Firstly while I am worried about the rise of fundamentalism in all religions and can plainly see that religion has caused much unnecessary suffering in the world, I don't like the fact that this book is so aggressive itself. This book is a rant and while a rant can be fun, over nearly 300 pages it becomes exhausting.

The logic is faultless but the writing is aggressive bordering on arrogant and maybe this style is necessary in a debate with a fundamentalist Christian on a cable channel but in a book like this surely there's an opportunity to take the higher ground and argue the logic with dignity. Too often there are snide comments which don't add anything to the argument and actually make the author sound petty.

I would like to think that atheists could argue the logic without getting nasty but Hitchens falls at the second point. I can now see why so many of the faithful find atheism so distasteful because while both Hitchens and Dawkins have done their homework and know their stuff and have arguments that can't be denied by anyone with half a brain, it's told in a rather sanctimonious and aggressive manner which perhaps stops a few people from listening and changing their views.

True the faithful don't use any charm against unbelievers and they rant longer and harder than Hitchens ever could but I think atheists are better than that, and should argue the case with a smile not a sneer. This book actually dents that belief for me.

Amazing book! Fit for anybody wanting an eye-opening read, atheists and theists alike., 09 Oct 2008
Like many succesful books debating religion vs science, dawkins uses logic and reason to 'debunk' popular monotheistic religions, along the way revealing weak pro-religious arguments and the rather queer(in the context of strangeness not homosexuality) morals which they claim they derive from their 'holy' books. Dawkins starts with the 'God hypothisis' and throughout the book systematically disproves each couter argument along the way, encorperating british witt and humour to the mix of what is already truely an exhilirating and awe inspiring read, that will allow you to open your eyes and peer contently through that narrow slit in Dawkins hypothetical burka.

Exposes ALL religion for the nonsense it is, 07 Oct 2008
Dawkins exposes the crumbly foundations upon which all 'faiths' are based. When laid bare by the cutting edge of scientific reason, it is unbelievable that we still live in an age infected by this nonsense. For those religious apologists who gave this book one star - try reading it first.

A new religion in itself, 27 Sep 2008
Arrogant but brilliant. Dawkins strips away the sheer lunacy of a lot of religious practises and tells the common sense version. The religious lot will hate it, the athiests applaud it. In a world where we want answers to everything - Dawkins doenst give them. But he does destory the repetitive nonsense that a lot of religious people follow without ever questionning why. If we only stopped asking why people dont follow what we do and ask ourselves why do we follow them - the world would be a better place.
I loved this book, it should form a religion of its own.

Get it!, 22 Sep 2008
Let's not nitpick. This book is an absolute godsend (!) for all of us who have consistently followed a path of atheism, but have not had a cogent, readable, popular book to give to people who still toy with the "Ooh but there must be more" school of religious flabby thinking. Perhaps (though I don't underestimate humans' capacity for self-delusion) this will help build the growing movement against those whose ridiculous longing for the various 'imaginary friends' provided by religious belief has caused so much damage to human endeavour. Thank you a thousand times Professor Dawkins.

completley gripping, the tirade of abuse makes it even more interesting! reviewers here seemed to have not really read it at all, 17 Sep 2008
A fantastically rational account on religion. This book has opened my eyes to the worders of science and the folly of religious conviction. In a style like Thomas Paine he smashes perceptions of relgion and makes beleivers sound as though they should be in a mental institution then again really they do! The Genius of Charles Dawin TV show involved a microcosm of what the book contains but with a few added ideas on social dawinism and the idea that "we are all winners". Starting as a wavey Agnostic I put down the book a 6.9 fully armed atheist and really allways have been just without the abilty to articultate my feelings.the danger is relgious zealots taking direct offense with the book it may have been hard for Dawkins to be carefull not to offend and underestimate quite how indoctrinated people are but really the only way to trully battle such strong convictions is to meet them head on with eaqual force and far more truth.
A true modern great.

essential reading, 10 Sep 2008
This book has been written in the sense of a dialogue between master and disciple reminicent of the Corpus Hermeticum. However in this case the reader may or may not find these imposed questions useful or, indeed annoying... This is a book which is either going to hit a chord, or will seem like utter nonsense. From my point of view as an average reader, I have found it very important because it explores concepts of this mind/ego (a double) which is inside of each person which needs confronting in someway. I think this book is must read for anyone who feels they are on a spiritual path, because fundementally (and in my limited understanding) the awareness of the 'double' and the fission of dark and light is inevitable along this path. If this is really the case, then this book should be seen as essential reading.

Doesn't do it for me., 31 Aug 2008
I read this book several years ago. Yes it is enthusiastic and easily accesible and very convincing BUT I don't believe it was written out of any profound knowledge nor from true enlightenment. I felt it was at best a simplified version of Krishnamurti's writings, which I may struggle with but find deeply insightful. So yes as an introduction to more sincere & profound spiritual writing it has it's place. Tolle does have a story to tell, but it is not that unique. There is a difference between simplification coming from deep wisdom and that from inexperience ( I guess the same can be said for more complicated texts too!) and knowledge truely lived and that which is just an exchange of words. Dissappointing considering all the hype, especially from circles, who in my opinion, should know better.

Intellectual snobbery, 25 Aug 2008
I purchased this on the strength of previous reviews and because I have been going through depression. Well - a great cure for my insomnia! How this writing can be described as "clear" is beyond me. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person but this book is hard hard work. Long badly constructed sentences using 20 words when 5 would have been ample, you have to read everything 3 times to get any idea of the meaning. The words used are long, difficult and unnecessary(keep a dictionary handy). I handed it to my husband to ask "is it me"? He has an M.A. from Cambridge, has practised law for 25 years and is incredibly intelligent. He read several pages at various places throughout the book and shook his head - his comment was my heading "intellectual snobbery". It means little, words put together in no format and no "real" situations explained. I would advise anyone who wants help on this subject to read CBT for Dummies - a page and a half in that book on "mindfulness" did more for me than this whole book - a waste of money and time - but as I say great cure for insomnia.

A life changing book for me., 10 Aug 2008
This book has changed my life along with Eckhart's other publications.

I was very skeptical at first, as I considered myself to be non religious and not spiritual and didn't think I could relate to this sort of stuff.

My initial 'though' could not have been more wrong. I hardly ever read books but could not put this one down. I read it at a time when I had recently moved to the other side of the world, then within a few days, I was let down badly by my girlfriend, resulting in a breakup and quit a new job in which I felt was not for me. Prior to this I suffered from ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome after an undiagnosed spinal cord injury.

After my resent disappointment I felt extremely lonely, depressed and a failure. A couple of friends had recommended the book and I went out and bought it. I read this book in less than 2 days.

The effect it had on me was overwhelming and life changing! I was able to move on from my "life story" with ease as I found presence and contentment with very few forms in my life. I realised that my life was not my thoughts and that I had been obsessed and locked in thinking for as long as I can remember, resulting in so much pain and suffering.

I have now been able to feel presence and live in happiness for the past 3 months. I no longer feel lonely, I have seen how my ego and my painbody has in the past has had such a detrimental effect on my life.

If you want to be liberaed from pain, suffering and any other kind of unhappiness then go and buy this book. Many of my friends have either borrowed my book or bought a copy and have have experienced similar liberation and freedom from their dysfunctional minds.

This book enabled me to find the off button for the thinking part of my mind. Without thinking about the past and future, there is no suffering and pain.

Thank you Eckhart.

Enlightening, 31 Jul 2008
A very enlightening read for those seeking spiritual enlightenment and wishing to attain a greater understanding of their life's purpose. Whether you believe (or have an interest) in this sort of stuff or not, there will be something to be gained from this text for everyone who reads it.

How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good

Real Life Dramas - Volume One: 1

Darren G. Burton

Erm!, 16 Sep 2008
I found this too wordy and deep for a simple soul such as myself however I did as advised on the Oprah site and sat with 2 marker pens in different colours to underline that which I understood and that which I didn't. Needless to say one colour got a heck of a bashing!!

I've given it 3 stars though because I did actually get some really good bits out of it which I jotted down on the spare blank pages at the back (in my own words so I would understand later) and for that it was worth reading/buying.

What I am most chuffed about however is reading a review by Paul Chipperfield (lower down) recommending Cheri Huber's book which as he said is much kinder to us mere mortals and he is sooooo right!! Cheri Huber writes in a way I can understand and access reasonably easily - challenging still but achievably so!

Nice one mate!

A New Earth - Best Book Ever!!, 04 Sep 2008
Dear Reader, if you only read one book in your lifetime, let this be the one. It is a must read for anyone ill or in hospital too. It's happy and uplifting. It will lift the the spirits and leave even the terminally ill in blissful peace. I am speaking from experience. 'Your presence (presents) is PURE JOY. Jennifer

There are better books out there, 03 Sep 2008
Reading this pretentious, sensationalistic, overblown book makes me want to dry-heave and at times a little sick actually came out my mouth from its eye-watering, vomit-inducting passages like.....

'By the end of the century, the number of people who died a violent death at the hand of their fellow humans would rise to more than one hundred million... we only need to watch the daily news on television to realise that the madness has not abated, that it is continuing into the twenty-first century. Another aspect of the collective dysfunction of the human mind is unprecedented violence that humans are inflicting on other life-forms and the planet itself.. blah blah'

You get the message. We are doommmmeeeeddd!!! Having to wade through scaremongering sensationalistic crap like that is annoying to say the least. The style of writing is like reading sheet from The Sun.

I did give it two stars because there is something behind this book. The concepts are drawn from Hinduism and particularly about understanding the ego, self, self-realisation and self-awareness. I guess the good thing is that at least it does get the message across to the new age masses. But personally, I would go straight to the source from where the author get these ideas from... The Bhagavad Gita, The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, books by Swami Vivekananda etc etc.



super book, 02 Sep 2008
Great one for the spiritual sceptics , stick with it there is something for everyone in here . Personally reccomended to a few friends something in here for everyone but if your reading it you probably dont need it , if your in doubt go check out the "is that so" chapter at the book store

A big ego writes about ego, 12 Aug 2008
I was given this by someone who saw Oprah raving about it and bought two copies in a state of excitement. I thought that the first three pages were quite good then was extremely disappointed as the rest went no further than to rehash Buddhism. My overriding concern is Tolle's continual denigration of the ego and his attempts to persuade us that if we could just annihilate any sense of being an individual or having individual thoughts or preferences we could all acheive permanent bliss. In fact, if we all followed this advice we would all coagulate in one big splurge of mush as no one would be allowed a personality at all.
This kind of spirituality feels very uncomfortable. I have always believed that the ego is a misunderstood beast and gets very bad press in New Age circles. We each represent a shard of God, here to express and experience our uniqueness and to evolve the whole while understanding we are part of the whole to which we will return following death. In addition, Tolle's regurgitated and extreme trashing of the ego is incongruent given that he benefits from the proceeds from a whole range of products, from calendars to cards, emblazoned with his name. No ego there then!
This book feels like a quick attempt to jump on the coat tails of his previous book and, for me, offers nothing new. I am sure this will do very well for the Eckhart Tolle franchise but am concerned about the cost to anybody who adopts this philosophy without understanding that 'God' the Universe or whatever you believe in gave us the ego for a reason. It enables you to find who you are and what you stand for. There is nothing inherently spiritual about voluntary self anhihilation. Even the Dala Lama left Tibet rather than adopting a stance of staying put and being 'meek' in the presence of danger. It isn't a New Earth it is a rehash and it doesn't say what it says on the tin 'awakening to your life purpose' should read 'putting your life purpose to sleep as it doesn't exist.'

Thinking book, 04 Oct 2008
This book does make you think in two sense of that phrase: it makes you consider the big questions in life and it also makes you concnetrate hard to understand it in places.

I liked the book when considering it in the round. It think that Hitchens is clearly a very clever individual, well-read and who has considered his subject-matter in some detail and is very familiar with it. But this is part of the downside to the book in that, for someone like me, who is not a philosopher and who does not have a good grounding in the subject matter, it is difficult to follow in places (quite a few places).

I have also read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins recently and on balance I prefer Dawkins book. That said, the two books are written in different styles (Dawkins adopting more of a step by step guide, whereas Hitchens' approach is more conversational).

These books are very different to the books I would usually read and I think I have benefitted greatly from reading them, but to others who have not read them I would say that you need to be sitting quietly and without distraction to get the most out of the book!

God is not........., 23 Sep 2008
Great book. Unfortunately, I suspect the only people who will read it already know that God isn't!

Welcome to celestial North Korea, 22 Sep 2008
Dawkins has God on the floor and the Hitch has jumped into the ring and got a sneaky boot in. Booo, hiss! This book starts from where Dawkins left off i.e. there is no good reason for belief in anything with no evidence (e.g. the tooth fairy, flying spaghetti monster God etc). All these things might exist but it seems unlikely. Hitchens goes a step further and tries to show that not only does God probably not exist but it would be bad if he did. He describes Heaven as a celestial North Korea.

It seems a strong case but is based entirely around the portrayal of God in the world's religions. It seems possible to me that God does exist but religions are man made and have got God all wrong. Personally I'm not sure whether it matters whether God exists. I like to hope that we do not cease to exist when we die and I certainly hope we are more than our bodies. But I recognise that this is probably wishful thinking and I am not sure where a God or God's fit into all this.

This is a good read for making you think about such questions. And as always Hitchens writes wonderfully.

Seminal work, 19 Sep 2008
Christopher Hitchens smashes the walls of untouchability, religion still cherishes in this book.
God is not Great offers the Moral case against God, presented as always in Hitchens gentlemanly inimitable style.
It's hard to fault this work. Well paced & absorbing, blow by blow Christopher knocks down the facade with equisitly placed mighty strikes from his theological fists.

Good book, not a great book , 02 Sep 2008
You cannot come to this book a neutral. You either have faith in which case you may curious to see what the latest atheist thinking is or you are an atheist looking for a book that helps clarify your views. I am the latter but I even I had issues with it.

Firstly while I am worried about the rise of fundamentalism in all religions and can plainly see that religion has caused much unnecessary suffering in the world, I don't like the fact that this book is so aggressive itself. This book is a rant and while a rant can be fun, over nearly 300 pages it becomes exhausting.

The logic is faultless but the writing is aggressive bordering on arrogant and maybe this style is necessary in a debate with a fundamentalist Christian on a cable channel but in a book like this surely there's an opportunity to take the higher ground and argue the logic with dignity. Too often there are snide comments which don't add anything to the argument and actually make the author sound petty.

I would like to think that atheists could argue the logic without getting nasty but Hitchens falls at the second point. I can now see why so many of the faithful find atheism so distasteful because while both Hitchens and Dawkins have done their homework and know their stuff and have arguments that can't be denied by anyone with half a brain, it's told in a rather sanctimonious and aggressive manner which perhaps stops a few people from listening and changing their views.

True the faithful don't use any charm against unbelievers and they rant longer and harder than Hitchens ever could but I think atheists are better than that, and should argue the case with a smile not a sneer. This book actually dents that belief for me.


Excellent Book- well worth a read, 02 Sep 2008
My sister loaned me this book which I just finished reading. As a believer in angels and other spiritual beings I found it an excellent read and would recommend it to friends. Anybody interested in exploring matters of spirit should also read Peacemonger and Free Spirit by Patrick Francis.
It is amazing the variety of reviews of a book and when I read the one dissenting one for this book I wonder were we reading the same book-but such is the variety of human responses and the wonder of being alive-all perspectives are valid

Angels in my hair by Lorna Byrne, 31 Aug 2008
This is an amazing book for all to read, for those of you that don't believe your angels are with you this will help, this is the most amazing book I have read, I couldn't put it down.

Fantastic book - gave me my own miracle, 25 Aug 2008
I'd read an interview with LB on the Daily TElegraph, ordered it immediately and read it in one day.At 6pm having put the book down, I went to the computer to see what others were saying about it. While doing that, came across www.lornabyrne.com and opened that, found that Lorna invites us to write to her and ask questions. As my young husband is dying, and I had been interested in the way she coped with her husband's passing, I told her about it and asked her to pray for me. Within 60 seconds of me pressing 'submit', the bell to the outside door rang. I went out and there saw a beautiful young woman full of life and laughter. She asked if she could show me a portfolio of oil paintings done by herself and friends. I agreed. The paintings were all beautiful, and then she came to one,saying: This is the one I did, it is of an angel. My jaw dropped, my hair stood on end as I realised that this was Lorna's answer to me to tell me that she, and/or her angels had been listening to my prayer for courage and help. Can you believe it? An angel was sent to me!
I believe it.

angels in my hair , 12 Aug 2008
this book is BRILLANT I bought 4 to past on as gifts everyone from 16 to 80 said the same.

Angela's Ashes with Angels!, 02 Aug 2008
This book has all the ingredients of a wonderful fairytale; poor girl with a beautiful heart, shunned by society, finds and loses love, has adventures with angels and spirits along the way, then becomes a famous and much loved healer, techer and author! But the incredible thing is, it's not a fairytale, it really happened!

Lorna's book brings angels to life in a way other books I've read on the subject don't because on every page, there's an everyday example of her connection with angels, which she describes in graphic detail. To her, communicating with and obtaining guidance from angels is as normal as brushing your teeth and she tells us that it can be like that for everyone, we only need to ask.

This is a simple and honest but beautifully written memoire that also contains advice and practical guidance.

I think it's a book that most people would enjoy and I'd defy even the most hardened sceptic not to become at least more open to the idea of angels after reading it.

Amazing book! Fit for anybody wanting an eye-opening read, atheists and theists alike., 09 Oct 2008
Like many succesful books debating religion vs science, dawkins uses logic and reason to 'debunk' popular monotheistic religions, along the way revealing weak pro-religious arguments and the rather queer(in the context of strangeness not homosexuality) morals which they claim they derive from their 'holy' books. Dawkins starts with the 'God hypothisis' and throughout the book systematically disproves each couter argument along the way, encorperating british witt and humour to the mix of what is already truely an exhilirating and awe inspiring read, that will allow you to open your eyes and peer contently through that narrow slit in Dawkins hypothetical burka.

Exposes ALL religion for the nonsense it is, 07 Oct 2008
Dawkins exposes the crumbly foundations upon which all 'faiths' are based. When laid bare by the cutting edge of scientific reason, it is unbelievable that we still live in an age infected by this nonsense. For those religious apologists who gave this book one star - try reading it first.

A new religion in itself, 27 Sep 2008
Arrogant but brilliant. Dawkins strips away the sheer lunacy of a lot of religious practises and tells the common sense version. The religious lot will hate it, the athiests applaud it. In a world where we want answers to everything - Dawkins doenst give them. But he does destory the repetitive nonsense that a lot of religious people follow without ever questionning why. If we only stopped asking why people dont follow what we do and ask ourselves why do we follow them - the world would be a better place.
I loved this book, it should form a religion of its own.

Get it!, 22 Sep 2008
Let's not nitpick. This book is an absolute godsend (!) for all of us who have consistently followed a path of atheism, but have not had a cogent, readable, popular book to give to people who still toy with the "Ooh but there must be more" school of religious flabby thinking. Perhaps (though I don't underestimate humans' capacity for self-delusion) this will help build the growing movement against those whose ridiculous longing for the various 'imaginary friends' provided by religious belief has caused so much damage to human endeavour. Thank you a thousand times Professor Dawkins.

completley gripping, the tirade of abuse makes it even more interesting! reviewers here seemed to have not really read it at all, 17 Sep 2008
A fantastically rational account on religion. This book has opened my eyes to the worders of science and the folly of religious conviction. In a style like Thomas Paine he smashes perceptions of relgion and makes beleivers sound as though they should be in a mental institution then again really they do! The Genius of Charles Dawin TV show involved a microcosm of what the book contains but with a few added ideas on social dawinism and the idea that "we are all winners". Starting as a wavey Agnostic I put down the book a 6.9 fully armed atheist and really allways have been just without the abilty to articultate my feelings.the danger is relgious zealots taking direct offense with the book it may have been hard for Dawkins to be carefull not to offend and underestimate quite how indoctrinated people are but really the only way to trully battle such strong convictions is to meet them head on with eaqual force and far more truth.
A true modern great.

essential reading, 10 Sep 2008
This book has been written in the sense of a dialogue between master and disciple reminicent of the Corpus Hermeticum. However in this case the reader may or may not find these imposed questions useful or, indeed annoying... This is a book which is either going to hit a chord, or will seem like utter nonsense. From my point of view as an average reader, I have found it very important because it explores concepts of this mind/ego (a double) which is inside of each person which needs confronting in someway. I think this book is must read for anyone who feels they are on a spiritual path, because fundementally (and in my limited understanding) the awareness of the 'double' and the fission of dark and light is inevitable along this path. If this is really the case, then this book should be seen as essential reading.

Doesn't do it for me., 31 Aug 2008
I read this book several years ago. Yes it is enthusiastic and easily accesible and very convincing BUT I don't believe it was written out of any profound knowledge nor from true enlightenment. I felt it was at best a simplified version of Krishnamurti's writings, which I may struggle with but find deeply insightful. So yes as an introduction to more sincere & profound spiritual writing it has it's place. Tolle does have a story to tell, but it is not that unique. There is a difference between simplification coming from deep wisdom and that from inexperience ( I guess the same can be said for more complicated texts too!) and knowledge truely lived and that which is just an exchange of words. Dissappointing considering all the hype, especially from circles, who in my opinion, should know better.

Intellectual snobbery, 25 Aug 2008
I purchased this on the strength of previous reviews and because I have been going through depression. Well - a great cure for my insomnia! How this writing can be described as "clear" is beyond me. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person but this book is hard hard work. Long badly constructed sentences using 20 words when 5 would have been ample, you have to read everything 3 times to get any idea of the meaning. The words used are long, difficult and unnecessary(keep a dictionary handy). I handed it to my husband to ask "is it me"? He has an M.A. from Cambridge, has practised law for 25 years and is incredibly intelligent. He read several pages at various places throughout the book and shook his head - his comment was my heading "intellectual snobbery". It means little, words put together in no format and no "real" situations explained. I would advise anyone who wants help on this subject to read CBT for Dummies - a page and a half in that book on "mindfulness" did more for me than this whole book - a waste of money and time - but as I say great cure for insomnia.

A life changing book for me., 10 Aug 2008
This book has changed my life along with Eckhart's other publications.

I was very skeptical at first, as I considered myself to be non religious and not spiritual and didn't think I could relate to this sort of stuff.

My initial 'though' could not have been more wrong. I hardly ever read books but could not put this one down. I read it at a time when I had recently moved to the other side of the world, then within a few days, I was let down badly by my girlfriend, resulting in a breakup and quit a new job in which I felt was not for me. Prior to this I suffered from ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome after an undiagnosed spinal cord injury.

After my resent disappointment I felt extremely lonely, depressed and a failure. A couple of friends had recommended the book and I went out and bought it. I read this book in less than 2 days.

The effect it had on me was overwhelming and life changing! I was able to move on from my "life story" with ease as I found presence and contentment with very few forms in my life. I realised that my life was not my thoughts and that I had been obsessed and locked in thinking for as long as I can remember, resulting in so much pain and suffering.

I have now been able to feel presence and live in happiness for the past 3 months. I no longer feel lonely, I have seen how my ego and my painbody has in the past has had such a detrimental effect on my life.

If you want to be liberaed from pain, suffering and any other kind of unhappiness then go and buy this book. Many of my friends have either borrowed my book or bought a copy and have have experienced similar liberation and freedom from their dysfunctional minds.

This book enabled me to find the off button for the thinking part of my mind. Without thinking about the past and future, there is no suffering and pain.

Thank you Eckhart.

Enlightening, 31 Jul 2008
A very enlightening read for those seeking spiritual enlightenment and wishing to attain a greater understanding of their life's purpose. Whether you believe (or have an interest) in this sort of stuff or not, there will be something to be gained from this text for everyone who reads it.

How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good

Real Life Dramas - Volume One: 1

Darren G. Burton

Erm!, 16 Sep 2008
I found this too wordy and deep for a simple soul such as myself however I did as advised on the Oprah site and sat with 2 marker pens in different colours to underline that which I understood and that which I didn't. Needless to say one colour got a heck of a bashing!!

I've given it 3 stars though because I did actually get some really good bits out of it which I jotted down on the spare blank pages at the back (in my own words so I would understand later) and for that it was worth reading/buying.

What I am most chuffed about however is reading a review by Paul Chipperfield (lower down) recommending Cheri Huber's book which as he said is much kinder to us mere mortals and he is sooooo right!! Cheri Huber writes in a way I can understand and access reasonably easily - challenging still but achievably so!

Nice one mate!

A New Earth - Best Book Ever!!, 04 Sep 2008
Dear Reader, if you only read one book in your lifetime, let this be the one. It is a must read for anyone ill or in hospital too. It's happy and uplifting. It will lift the the spirits and leave even the terminally ill in blissful peace. I am speaking from experience. 'Your presence (presents) is PURE JOY. Jennifer

There are better books out there, 03 Sep 2008
Reading this pretentious, sensationalistic, overblown book makes me want to dry-heave and at times a little sick actually came out my mouth from its eye-watering, vomit-inducting passages like.....

'By the end of the century, the number of people who died a violent death at the hand of their fellow humans would rise to more than one hundred million... we only need to watch the daily news on television to realise that the madness has not abated, that it is continuing into the twenty-first century. Another aspect of the collective dysfunction of the human mind is unprecedented violence that humans are inflicting on other life-forms and the planet itself.. blah blah'

You get the message. We are doommmmeeeeddd!!! Having to wade through scaremongering sensationalistic crap like that is annoying to say the least. The style of writing is like reading sheet from The Sun.

I did give it two stars because there is something behind this book. The concepts are drawn from Hinduism and particularly about understanding the ego, self, self-realisation and self-awareness. I guess the good thing is that at least it does get the message across to the new age masses. But personally, I would go straight to the source from where the author get these ideas from... The Bhagavad Gita, The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, books by Swami Vivekananda etc etc.



super book, 02 Sep 2008
Great one for the spiritual sceptics , stick with it there is something for everyone in here . Personally reccomended to a few friends something in here for everyone but if your reading it you probably dont need it , if your in doubt go check out the "is that so" chapter at the book store

A big ego writes about ego, 12 Aug 2008
I was given this by someone who saw Oprah raving about it and bought two copies in a state of excitement. I thought that the first three pages were quite good then was extremely disappointed as the rest went no further than to rehash Buddhism. My overriding concern is Tolle's continual denigration of the ego and his attempts to persuade us that if we could just annihilate any sense of being an individual or having individual thoughts or preferences we could all acheive permanent bliss. In fact, if we all followed this advice we would all coagulate in one big splurge of mush as no one would be allowed a personality at all.
This kind of spirituality feels very uncomfortable. I have always believed that the ego is a misunderstood beast and gets very bad press in New Age circles. We each represent a shard of God, here to express and experience our uniqueness and to evolve the whole while understanding we are part of the whole to which we will return following death. In addition, Tolle's regurgitated and extreme trashing of the ego is incongruent given that he benefits from the proceeds from a whole range of products, from calendars to cards, emblazoned with his name. No ego there then!
This book feels like a quick attempt to jump on the coat tails of his previous book and, for me, offers nothing new. I am sure this will do very well for the Eckhart Tolle franchise but am concerned about the cost to anybody who adopts this philosophy without understanding that 'God' the Universe or whatever you believe in gave us the ego for a reason. It enables you to find who you are and what you stand for. There is nothing inherently spiritual about voluntary self anhihilation. Even the Dala Lama left Tibet rather than adopting a stance of staying put and being 'meek' in the presence of danger. It isn't a New Earth it is a rehash and it doesn't say what it says on the tin 'awakening to your life purpose' should read 'putting your life purpose to sleep as it doesn't exist.'

Thinking book, 04 Oct 2008
This book does make you think in two sense of that phrase: it makes you consider the big questions in life and it also makes you concnetrate hard to understand it in places.

I liked the book when considering it in the round. It think that Hitchens is clearly a very clever individual, well-read and who has considered his subject-matter in some detail and is very familiar with it. But this is part of the downside to the book in that, for someone like me, who is not a philosopher and who does not have a good grounding in the subject matter, it is difficult to follow in places (quite a few places).

I have also read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins recently and on balance I prefer Dawkins book. That said, the two books are written in different styles (Dawkins adopting more of a step by step guide, whereas Hitchens' approach is more conversational).

These books are very different to the books I would usually read and I think I have benefitted greatly from reading them, but to others who have not read them I would say that you need to be sitting quietly and without distraction to get the most out of the book!

God is not........., 23 Sep 2008
Great book. Unfortunately, I suspect the only people who will read it already know that God isn't!

Welcome to celestial North Korea, 22 Sep 2008
Dawkins has God on the floor and the Hitch has jumped into the ring and got a sneaky boot in. Booo, hiss! This book starts from where Dawkins left off i.e. there is no good reason for belief in anything with no evidence (e.g. the tooth fairy, flying spaghetti monster God etc). All these things might exist but it seems unlikely. Hitchens goes a step further and tries to show that not only does God probably not exist but it would be bad if he did. He describes Heaven as a celestial North Korea.

It seems a strong case but is based entirely around the portrayal of God in the world's religions. It seems possible to me that God does exist but religions are man made and have got God all wrong. Personally I'm not sure whether it matters whether God exists. I like to hope that we do not cease to exist when we die and I certainly hope we are more than our bodies. But I recognise that this is probably wishful thinking and I am not sure where a God or God's fit into all this.

This is a good read for making you think about such questions. And as always Hitchens writes wonderfully.

Seminal work, 19 Sep 2008
Christopher Hitchens smashes the walls of untouchability, religion still cherishes in this book.
God is not Great offers the Moral case against God, presented as always in Hitchens gentlemanly inimitable style.
It's hard to fault this work. Well paced & absorbing, blow by blow Christopher knocks down the facade with equisitly placed mighty strikes from his theological fists.

Good book, not a great book , 02 Sep 2008
You cannot come to this book a neutral. You either have faith in which case you may curious to see what the latest atheist thinking is or you are an atheist looking for a book that helps clarify your views. I am the latter but I even I had issues with it.

Firstly while I am worried about the rise of fundamentalism in all religions and can plainly see that religion has caused much unnecessary suffering in the world, I don't like the fact that this book is so aggressive itself. This book is a rant and while a rant can be fun, over nearly 300 pages it becomes exhausting.

The logic is faultless but the writing is aggressive bordering on arrogant and maybe this style is necessary in a debate with a fundamentalist Christian on a cable channel but in a book like this surely there's an opportunity to take the higher ground and argue the logic with dignity. Too often there are snide comments which don't add anything to the argument and actually make the author sound petty.

I would like to think that atheists could argue the logic without getting nasty but Hitchens falls at the second point. I can now see why so many of the faithful find atheism so distasteful because while both Hitchens and Dawkins have done their homework and know their stuff and have arguments that can't be denied by anyone with half a brain, it's told in a rather sanctimonious and aggressive manner which perhaps stops a few people from listening and changing their views.

True the faithful don't use any charm against unbelievers and they rant longer and harder than Hitchens ever could but I think atheists are better than that, and should argue the case with a smile not a sneer. This book actually dents that belief for me.


Excellent Book- well worth a read, 02 Sep 2008
My sister loaned me this book which I just finished reading. As a believer in angels and other spiritual beings I found it an excellent read and would recommend it to friends. Anybody interested in exploring matters of spirit should also read Peacemonger and Free Spirit by Patrick Francis.
It is amazing the variety of reviews of a book and when I read the one dissenting one for this book I wonder were we reading the same book-but such is the variety of human responses and the wonder of being alive-all perspectives are valid

Angels in my hair by Lorna Byrne, 31 Aug 2008
This is an amazing book for all to read, for those of you that don't believe your angels are with you this will help, this is the most amazing book I have read, I couldn't put it down.

Fantastic book - gave me my own miracle, 25 Aug 2008
I'd read an interview with LB on the Daily TElegraph, ordered it immediately and read it in one day.At 6pm having put the book down, I went to the computer to see what others were saying about it. While doing that, came across www.lornabyrne.com and opened that, found that Lorna invites us to write to her and ask questions. As my young husband is dying, and I had been interested in the way she coped with her husband's passing, I told her about it and asked her to pray for me. Within 60 seconds of me pressing 'submit', the bell to the outside door rang. I went out and there saw a beautiful young woman full of life and laughter. She asked if she could show me a portfolio of oil paintings done by herself and friends. I agreed. The paintings were all beautiful, and then she came to one,saying: This is the one I did, it is of an angel. My jaw dropped, my hair stood on end as I realised that this was Lorna's answer to me to tell me that she, and/or her angels had been listening to my prayer for courage and help. Can you believe it? An angel was sent to me!
I believe it.

angels in my hair , 12 Aug 2008
this book is BRILLANT I bought 4 to past on as gifts everyone from 16 to 80 said the same.

Angela's Ashes with Angels!, 02 Aug 2008
This book has all the ingredients of a wonderful fairytale; poor girl with a beautiful heart, shunned by society, finds and loses love, has adventures with angels and spirits along the way, then becomes a famous and much loved healer, techer and author! But the incredible thing is, it's not a fairytale, it really happened!

Lorna's book brings angels to life in a way other books I've read on the subject don't because on every page, there's an everyday example of her connection with angels, which she describes in graphic detail. To her, communicating with and obtaining guidance from angels is as normal as brushing your teeth and she tells us that it can be like that for everyone, we only need to ask.

This is a simple and honest but beautifully written memoire that also contains advice and practical guidance.

I think it's a book that most people would enjoy and I'd defy even the most hardened sceptic not to become at least more open to the idea of angels after reading it.

How to get rich slowly, 20 Sep 2008
This is just about the best non fiction book I have ever read and most certainly the best £4 I ever spent.

There are many thousands of books out there which claim to make us millionaires over night, many of which are sold here on Amazon. But while they quite often have overall 5 star ratings, you never actually see any customer reviews informing us they did indeed become a millionaire over night. What The Richest Man In Babylon does though is instead tell us that through using common sense and a bit of self discipline, we can all become rich over time.

The synopsis is simple, through a series of very brief stories taken from recently excavated scrolls perportedly found in the ancient lost city of Babylon, you are told how to manage your money. Each little tale has one main message and pretty much all of them ring true today.

The startling thing about the success of this book for me was that there isn't actually anything new in it. The classic example of this is one of the early messages: 'Spend less than you earn and you will become rich.' Duh! Blatantly obvious really but if you think about it how many of us in this day and age actually do this? Where credit is so easy to obtain, how many of us now live beyond our means? I genuinely feel this should be given to kids and taught in schools as they are the ones who would most benefit from it.

One of the tales did stick in my throat a little bit and is slightly more difficult to apply in today's society: A chap in considerable debt who has decided to turn his life around is advised to go and see all his creditors to inform them that he is sorting it out and that they will get their money back gradually over a certain period, all the while still maintaining his 'spend less than he earns' mantra.

A good idea indeed but not very practicle in today's economy. Let's say an individual owes a large amount on their credit card and their minimum payments plus their other outgoings amount to more than they earn. (sound familiar?!) If he goes to his credit card company and says "look, sorry - I can't pay what you want each month but can give you £100 a month until it's cleared." The credit card company will probably agree to this in some form or another, after all £100 is better than nothing and this is pointed out in the book. But this kind of Individual Voluntary Arrangement today now becomes a social stigma and official black mark against our name, effectively stopping us from getting mortgages or any other type of ligitimate credit in the future.

The author of the 'scrolls' would say that this was not an issue as we should never use credit but today it is a necessary part of life and certainly about the only way most of us would be able to buy a house.

This minor quibble aside, I still wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who listens (and a few who don't, especially if they have kids too young to have made their parents' financial mistakes). Unlike one previous reviewer, I found the style very easy to read and even managed to get through entire chapters while waiting for my kettle to boil!

While there isn't really any true method to follow as such, I've applied the messages to my finances where possible for nearly 2 years now and have reduced my debt to a 10th of what it was and saved up a tidy few quid. I know it won't make me rich over night on it's own but I also know that I certainly won't be working for the rest of my life!

Get it, read it, follow what it says and you will become rich evetually.

Motivating a Wealth Mentality!, 25 Aug 2008
I read this book back in 1994. It has much timeless knowledge.

The Richest Man in Babylon is an inspirational book on helping to create an investment mentality by using parables of how the Richest Man in Babylon would have invested. It is for beginning investors who need good reasons to develop a proper mindset to start working towards becoming financially independent. It also is a good book for recharging a wealth mentality in any investor.

The concepts in the book are simple, but their effects on wealth are profound! For example, George Clason covers The Five Laws of Gold . From the version I read, they are:

I. Gold cometh gladly and in increasing quantities to any man who will put by not less than one-tenth of his earnings to create an estate for his future and that of his family.

II. Gold laboreth diligently and contentedly for the wise owner who finds for it profitable employment, multiplying even as the flocks in the field.

III. Gold clingeth to the protection of the cautious owner who invests it under the advice of men wise in its handling.

IV. Gold slippeth away from the man who invests it in businesses or purposes with which he is not familiar or which are not approved by those skilled in its keep.

V. Gold flees the man who would force it to impossible earnings or who followeth the alluring advice of tricksters and schemers or who trusts it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment.

Overall an excellent book for beginners though advanced investors.

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide To: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Financial detox!, 19 Aug 2008
'The Richest Man in Babylon' is inspirational and has radically changed my outlook on my finances. It begins by using a parable about a poor man in Babylon who seeks the advice of a wealthy man to let him know the secrets of his seemingly never ending pot of gold. He discovers that these secrets are actually quite straightforward and easily put into practice, which he does with proven results. Pitfalls are overcome and all the while we are learning the core rules of accumulating wealth, maintaining wealth and, most importantly, multiplying wealth.

Although this book is set in Ancient Babylon the rules still apply today, although now we are talking about money in the bank as opposed to bars of gold or shekels in your purse! Overall this has given me a far more balanced view of my money and life in general. It almost feels like you are cleansing your soul as you read it - a sort of mind detox! So for anyone who dreads opening letters from the bank or buries their head in the sand, this book is for you!

Brilliant, 09 Aug 2008
This book is quite simply brilliant. I have bought copies for other people as presents and all of them really enjoyed it. Yes its message is simple, but simple ideas are nearly always the best. Do your self a favour and just buy it now.

Excellent, 25 Jul 2008
Very good book to help you examine your way of thinking to finance. Ideal for the beach when on holiday or a long plane flight as the book is difficult to put down, one of the few really good books on finance. The government should make this a part of the national curriculum in school to make future generations more responcible and sucessful with their own personal finances.

Amazing book! Fit for anybody wanting an eye-opening read, atheists and theists alike., 09 Oct 2008
Like many succesful books debating religion vs science, dawkins uses logic and reason to 'debunk' popular monotheistic religions, along the way revealing weak pro-religious arguments and the rather queer(in the context of strangeness not homosexuality) morals which they claim they derive from their 'holy' books. Dawkins starts with the 'God hypothisis' and throughout