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A NEW EARTH | 
| Author: Eckhart Tolle Publisher: Not Specified Category: Book
Buy New: $24.99
New (4) Used (3) from $21.24
Avg. Customer Rating: 916 reviews Sales Rank: 304137
Format: Import Media: Hardcover Pages: 336 Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2 Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.4 x 1.5
ISBN: 071814810X EAN: 9780718148102 ASIN: 071814810X
Publication Date: 2005 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Shipping: Expedited shipping available Condition: BRAND NEW FACTORY SEALED, SUPER FAST SHIPPING
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Amazon.com Amazon.com Exclusive Content Click on the image below to download an exclusive essay by Eckhart Tolle, in .pdf format. More From Eckhart Tolle  The Power of Now |  Practicing The Power of Now |  Stillness Speaks |  Living a Life of Inner Peace Unabridged Audio CD |  Gateways to Now (Inner Life Series) Audio CD |  Eckhart Tolle's Findhorn Retreat: Stillness Amidst the World Unabridged Audio CD |
Product Description A spiritual classic. A number-one New York Times bestseller. An international phenomenon. The Power of Now established Eckhart Tolle as one of today's leading spiritual thinkers. And now his long-awaited new book takes his inspiring message to the next level of understanding.
Unabridged CDs - 6 CDs, 7 12 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 911 more reviews...
Snake-Oil Spirituality May 11, 2008 As other reviewers have said, Tolle's work is vague, rambling, simplistic and ultimately nothing more than a clever marketing ploy geared towards an intellectually destitute bourgeoisie with too much time on their hands to spend thinking about themselves.
These criticisms have been covered well and so I will not go into them. What I would like to discuss is the way Tolle manipulates logic to make his "philosophy" seem infallible to the inattentive reader. One theme of the book is the idea that if you see flaws in or do not understand his work, then you simply aren't ready for enlightenment. Fine. Such may be the case, although one should be immediately suspicious of anything that cannot be understood unless it is also believed. Such a concept only places a roadblock in the way of inquiry and dialogue. But Tolle does not stop there. He goes on to say (somewhere around page 68, I believe) that the "unenlightened" not only fail to understand what he is saying but also the very nature of reality itself. He writes that the ego (read, "unenlightened person") cannot tell the difference between opinion and fact, that it totally blurs our perception of even the most banal aspects of objective reality (Tolle also seems to be confused as to where he stands on the issue of the existence of objective reality). Something most readers don't pick up on, but which is very much between the lines, is the implication here that no criticism of his work could possibly be valid, since anyone skeptical of it is confused and delusional anyway by mere virtue of being skeptical. It looks very much like Tolle is providing his believers with an easy answer to any criticism people such as myself may pose, and anyone who reads this passage and really stops to think about it will find it intellectually appalling and insulting. Even conventional religions, such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam, are at least honest about the fact that at a certain point in their logic everything boils down to faith. But Tolle seems to be trying to trick the reader into buying into the supposed infallibility of what he is saying. Earlier on in the same chapter, he writes about the error of putting the "ego" in our assertions about matters of fact, basically giving the common-sense advice against becoming too defensive in a discussion. His thinking gets a little odd, however, when he implies that placing the ego in these statements actually changes the truth-value of the statement itself, as if objects and facts in reality morph in relation to how much ego we place in our statements about them. Also in the same chapter, while elaborating (to whatever extent Tolle ever "elaborates") on this idea, he places an interesting little kernel that serves the same function as the passage mentioned above: "The truth, anyway, needs no defense." True. The truth does not need to be defended for it to be true (if it is defended with too much ego, however, apparently it ceases to be true). But this statement in its context has another, more subtle implication: that any assertion we defend is automatically suspect by virtue of being defended. Here Tolle again seems to be protecting his believers from the influence of his detractors by cutting off all dialogue. So, when someone expresses belief in one of Tolle's many ridiculous ideas, and someone else replies with a defense of the true state of things, the latter person, by Tolle's logic, is automatically in the losing position in the conversation simply because s/he spoke up at all.
Even I must admit, Tolle is extremely clever. He has no doubt amassed a fortune by successfully tapping into the needs and desires of a culture of anti-intellectualism that has lost its spiritual grounding over the past few generations. I do not believe that Tolle is a pure cynic -I think he does believe much of what he says. But even if he were nothing more than a clever opportunist out for a profit, could you blame him?
Food for the Mind and Soul May 11, 2008 You need to take this bit by bit, slowly and refer back from time to time. An amazing piece of work.
Fantastic Read Makes So Much Sense May 11, 2008 This is fantastic read and makes so much sense but I think he is right if you are not ready the book won't make sense to you. I disagree with some written comments about him being into Buddhism, I don't think this is about religion period, that why this is so great finally freedom of spirituality!
A Must for Your Libaray May 11, 2008 I simply can not say enough wonderful things about this book. It's a must in your library. Enlighting and refreshing insight to your inner being. Easy to read & understand. Buy it & beleive it!!!
Food For Thought May 11, 2008 As soon as I began reading, everything seemed to make sense. I reccomend this book to anyone wishing to make a life change, or at least ponder.
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