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Tolle talks about living in "the state of the presence," a living in the
"now" that is both inspirational and practical . . . in doing so, the
pressures of future and past thinking disappear . . . fear and
frustration also vanish, conquered by the moment.

STILLNESS SPEAKS takes the form of 200 individual entries,
organized into 10 topic clusters that range from "Beyond the
Thinking Mind" to "Suffering and the End of Suffering" . . . the
entries are concise and complete in themselves, but heard
together, they make a powerful whole.

Be forewarned that Tolle speaks v-e-r-y slowly, so it might
take you some time to get used to his narration.

The other drawback to listening to the book was that I was
driving when listening to it and, as such, could not copy
down all the entries; e.g., to share with you . . . but I
was able to jot down the following that caught my attention:

Reincarnation doesn't help you if in your next incarnation you still
know who you are.

Love does not want or fear anything.

Naming something as bad causes an emotional contradiction
within you.


What a Load of Donkey Poop   December 30, 2003
 0 out of 1 found this review helpful

If anyone thinks that this book is really the book that should follow the Power of Now they have to be kidding themselves. Here we have an example of a rushed job that makes like of New Age ideas. Stop cashing in on Tolle and ask him to do another book that is worth reading--not this garbage!


Priceless - 5 stars aren't enough   December 28, 2003
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Don't be fooled by the brevity of this book. Like all of Tolle's works it's not the content which contains the power but what's beneath the content where the real power lies. And of course what's beneath the content is one's very self and the fewer words one uses to describe the self the closer one gets to it. If Tolle were to write a book which was even closer to the self it wouldn't have any words in it at all and wouldn't that cause an uproar! The difference that Tolle brings is that what he shares comes from silence itself and not from mind generated/ego motivated consideration. Stillness Speaks has to be the crown jewel of all of his works. I read the book first and felt good all over, but it wasn't until I listened to it that I was really blown away.

There are those who understand this (and fortunately their numbers are increasing fast) and there are those who want more information for the mind to chew on, not having grasped yet that that very chewing is what keeps them from realizing who they really are. My guess is that what they really want is "something" they can show off to others or to feed their own egos as to how spiritual they are. I have a library full of "spiritual" books that have accumulated over many years of seeking which I now view as being virtually useless, except perhaps as fuel for a very nice bonfire. Nothing of the content of all of those books was of any real value in getting me to where I was seeking; instead I see that they were great tools in delaying my arrival to where I already was, which I didn't know was my destination until Tolle came into my life.

Those who are really tuned into Tolle are in reality tuned into themselves. His presence is like a great mirror which will reflect one's own presence. That is his great gift, and the power of his presence is never so powerful as when he brings you to the gaps between his words. The format of this book makes what he speaks even more potent because there are no wasted words.

The invitation Tolle brings is to just drop EVERYTHING - all seeking, all judgement, all labeling, all analysis, all thoughts of past, present, and future and just simply be. If, however, you want the drama and the heaviness of a personal story then continue on as you are.


Useless   December 25, 2003
 0 out of 1 found this review helpful

This is really an insult to those readers like me who enjoy spiritual books. The soul of this book is missing because the author has just written down sentences without thinking about them. What a waste of time.


Enlightened People Have a Bright Flame   December 20, 2003
Enlightened people dispel the darkness around them. They live more prosperously, with less stress, consider every difficulty an opportunity, and are open to new learning. This time of year is the perfect time to look over the past year and ask yourself the important questions: "Did I take time to grow spiritually, bettering myself with reading and stimulating conversations? Am I continuing to answer the questions that really matter? Did I share whatever good things I found with others, to encourage them in their quest?" We are all candles, and sometimes I have felt my flame only softly glowing, instead of brightly radiant.
I am now house-bound and not able to get around. If it wasn't for reading and personal growth, and the ability to share and participate with others through the phone and internet about the things I am learning, I would go nuts! For me, books are a key to happiness. There are many people in my situation who feel life is not worth living anymore. I have seen that spiritual health, and being in service to others in some way (even if just by sharing good information) is the key to balancing whatever else is happening in your life. That's why I am sharing some of my personal favorites with you (I'll try to keep you updated as I read new ones), words that helped me heal and fan my flame bright again! I also placed this particular review under one of the books I have read and appreciated.
1. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (how even the little things we do can affect changes in people's lives, and by doing them, affects ours too)
2. Psychic Gifts in the Christian Life by Tiffany Snow (tools and training to access our God-Spots for supernatural gifts, has great stories about healing, afterlife, NDEs, helping FBI on 9-11, etc)
3. The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp (helps to ease the fears of facing a blank beginning and opening the mind to new possibilities)
4. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (accessing the deepest self by living in the present time)
5. 500 Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender (actually good tasting recipes that will help you keep your physical balance, at least after the holidays!)