In my personal experience, if I could only afford to purchase one book, I'd start with PRACTICING THE POWER OF NOW. I feel that it essentially restates the material found in the original POWER OF NOW but in a format I found easier to digest. I don't see much point in owning both books (which I currently do.)

If you connect with PRACTICING and want more, then I'd recommend the audio book/retreat Realizing the Power of Now: An In-Depth Retreat With Eckhart Tolle. (It's less than $10 if you purchase the audio file from Audible.) I'm only half way through listening yet I constantly find myself thinking "Ah...now I understand what he meant." It truly is an excellent supplement.

There is one more Tolle book here, STILLNESS SPEAKS. I borrowed this from the library. It's basically just out-takes from the other books, sort of a quotable quotes book that restates things in a nutshell. It would make a nice gift to a Tolle fan, but again, doesn't offer anything more than the other books. I suppose my message is: everything you need to know is in the original POWER OF NOW, stated perhaps more clearly in PRACTICING and excerpted in STILLNESS but supported well in audio format by the retreat CD.

I find Tolle's basic message very powerful, enlightening and simple. As he himself constantly repeats, he's not saying anything new...be here now. But he explains it in a way which finally connects the dots for me. Unfortunately, this simple message seems to be getting constantly repackaged and I hope it doesn't turn into a "Chicken Soup for the Enlightened Soul" series. (I should probably go make sure that's not the title of an actual book! )

Curator, AfroAmericanHeritage dot com


Another way to think about repetition...   June 25, 2004
 37 out of 40 found this review helpful

I see that some readers are concerned about repetition in the various publications and question whether economic motives are the driving force. I do not know Mr. Tolle and withhold judgment. However, through many years of experiential reading I recognize when books consist of far more than words. The wisdom of the author's higher consciousness is being directed through the printed media. It's there for the taking by all who will slow down and allow it in. Many will recognize that following an evolving workshop teacher over time allows the student to partake of the increasing wisdom carried and shared by the teacher. Although the logical premise in a series of writings may remain the same, later compositions might convey increasingly higher "energy hits". Looking at the "value added" component might be a consideration when deciding what to purchase. As with everything else, individuals should use their own discretion to get a feeling sense of what might be good for them. The rich energy behind the words in this volume sent me to deep places within myself. I suggest being fully present with each sentence, one at a time, in order to get the most out of the reading experience.


Of Very Limited Usefulness...   October 15, 2001
 34 out of 39 found this review helpful

Let me start off by saying that the original Power of Now is the most important spiritual book I have read, (and I have read quite a few)... I am now reading it for the fifth time, annotating and underlining passages in pencil. I also often listen to the audio version of the book, which, being read by Eckhart, contains the Presence he speaks so eloquently of.

As for this book, I find it to be an overly edited, choppy version of the Power of Now, with little or no new material. Despite trying very hard to get into it, it just does not flow for me. All the power of the original book seems lost, and I find it very hard to read. Too many powerful ideas and words all crowded together, with none of the easy flow of the original. Eckhart, writing in the introduction, suggests that this book may be easier for some new readers to follow, but I disagree. The book starts abruptly, seemingly in the middle of a discussion on Being, and it is very hard to follow after that. Each chapter seems to start in the middle of an idea. When I pick up the original it is a pleasure to read almost anywhere, when I pick up this book, I feel a tension in myself as read it. I feel it's almost a disservice to the teachings of Eckhart Tolle. Someone unfamiliar with Eckharts teaching I think would not get it. This book fails in its attempt to present Eckhart's ideas in a more usable format.

That being said, it's possible that some people might like it, if they are just looking for an outline form of the material, (without eckhart's flow, clarity, warmth and humor). As for me, I'm going to stick with re-reading and annotating the original, which seems to bring even more energy into my copy of that incredible book.


You mean I donyt have to fix myself?   May 13, 2002
 33 out of 33 found this review helpful

What a pleasure to read a book that encourages me to just continue being me, with one key suggestion: that I observe myself without judgment. Tolle presents this book as a simplified and condensed version of THE POWER OF NOW, his original bestseller. The tone is simple, gentle, and powerful. It's all about getting into the moment, where the magic and joy of life reside. I was very intrigued by Tolle's description of time as something that only exists in the mind, in the past or future. There is no time in the present, he points out, and by leaving the moment, we create more psychological time. I had never looked at this way. I also liked his emphasis on reconnecting with oneself by observing the sensations in one's body - this struck a chord with me. In a world awash with tips on how to get better, it's an immense relief to read something that opens your eyes to how perfect you already are. I strongly suggest complementing this book with WORKING ON YOURSELF DOESN'T WORK by Ariel and Shya Kane, another excellent publication that actually facilitates you in the day-to-day practice of living in the moment, where passion, satisfaction, and love are unlimited.


High Expectations   October 15, 2001
 30 out of 37 found this review helpful

When I learned that Eckhart Tolle had a new book out, I ordered it instantly and was counting the days until it arrived: I had found his POWER OF NOW to be so affecting and right and altogether helpful that I looked forward avidly to its follow-up. But to me PRACTICING THE POWER OF NOW is a sorry disappointment. It purports to be "essential teachings, meditations, and exercises" excerpted from the original book -- a reasonable, if slim, premise for a separate volume of the same material-- but in fact it has been put together in such a way that it's muddled and even without the "presence" that contributes to the power of the first book. Perhaps if Eckhart had produced even a little new material specifically for its new format, it could have worked as a conciser version. As it is, to a reader of the first book, it's confounding, and to a new reader, I imagine it would be incomprehensible. Eckhart's teachings are certainly 5 star, this book a discouraging 1 star.
For a profoundly moving experience, instead read the superlative, exceptionally important POWER OF NOW.