A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61)

Book Summary


The highly anticipated follow-up to the 2,000,000 copy bestselling inspirational book, The Power of Now

With his bestselling spiritual guide The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle inspired millions of readers to discover the freedom and joy of a life lived "in the now." In A New Earth, Tolle expands on these powerful ideas to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world. Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence.

The Power of Now was a question-and-answer handbook. A New Earth has been written as a traditional narrative, offering anecdotes and philosophies in a way that is accessible to all. Illuminating, enlightening, and uplifting, A New Earth is a profoundly spiritual manifesto for a better way of life—and for building a better world.



The most helpful favorable review

A Slightly Different Style But Still Great Stuff!

OK. After reconsidering I've taken the clowns reference out of my review. But I must say that I am still somewhat distressed that Eckhart's former "friends" would rush to get their reviews - not of the book but of Eckhart's "character" flaws! - onto Amazon on the first couple of days of the release of his new book. As for Eckhart's attitude towards women all I can go by is what he has written in his books and spoken in his recorded seminars. He seems like a very gentle soul and very favorable toward women and women's rights. And must Eckhart apologize for being born a male and an only child? As for the criticism of his term "pain-body" - Eckhart uses this term as an excellent metaphor for the anger and frustration that everyone (including children) feels from time to time. It should not be compared or confused with the old occult notion of the ethereal body. I am half-way through "A New Earth." Admittedly nothing Eckhart EVER does will be "better" than "The Power of Now." Rather, "A New Earth" is a restatement and amplification of all that has come before. In his new book Eckhart writes with a more forceful and detailed style which I find I am thoroughly enjoying. I've read and appreciated all the others (Krishnamurti, Ken Wilber, Osho, A Course in Miracles, Chopra, etc.). But I always come back to Eckhart. No one else comes close to the simple and profound spiritual truth of his work. I highly reccomend "A New Earth"!


The most helpful critical review

A decent book, but disappointing compared to his earlier books.

I have read and enjoyed Eckhart Tolle's other books, The Power of Now, Practicing The Power of Now, and Stillness Speaks. This book is more wordy, less focused, and less eloquent than those others. It also fails to deliver on its subtitle "Awakening to Your Life's Purpose". Very little of the book is devoted to guiding the reader to spiritual awakening. The other three books are much more focused on that objective, and accomplish it better. If you'd prefer to read a book of the author's rambling opinions on such things as TV, ADD, the ego, time, utopia, parenting, etc. then this book fits that bill. With that said, it still is quite an insightful book. It certainly provides a lot of food for thought - but that's not what the author claims it's for.