A New Earth: awakening to your life’s purpose by Eckhart Tolle

I just finished reading Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth and overall I'd say I liked it and recommend it.

While most of the concepts were familiar to me as Buddhist ideas, it was nice to be reminded of them. I did not like his use of his own terminology, though I suppose it makes the concepts less intimidating to non-Buddhists.

To summarize, the book is about letting go of your ego, be aware of your emotional baggage and learn to let go of it, avoid putting "good" or "bad" labels on things, and become enlightened.

Now I'm on to Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See! As a Chinese-American, I'm very much looking forward to reading it!

A New Earth: awakening to your life's purpose by Eckhart Tolle

A New Earth and so far it all seems very familiar.

I mentioned earlier today that Tolle synthesizes ideas from Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Daoism, and other spiritual traditions in A New Earth. I think this book seems very familiar because I've read many books about Buddhism and several about practicing Buddhism such as:

• Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh 03/26/2004
• Music in the Sky : the life, art & teachings of the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje by Michele Martin 10/11/2003
• Anger by Thich Nhat Hanh 12/30/2003
• The Monk & the Philosopher: father & son discuss the meaning of life by Jean-Francois Revel & Matthieu Ricard (forward by miles) 06/18/2004
• The Best Buddhist Writing 2005 by Melvin McLeod 02/27/2006
• Inner Revolution: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Real Happiness by Robert A. F. Thurman 01/24/2007

He also makes me think of some of Deepak Chopra's books:

• The Path to Love: spiritual strategies for healing 01/02/2005
• The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: a practical guide to the fulfillment of your dreams 10/07/2007
• How to Know God: the soul's journey into the mystery of mysteries 10/07/2007

And of these uplifting books:

• Ishmael by Daniel Quinn (winner of the Turner Tomorrow Fellowship Award in 1991)
• The Story of B by Daniel Quinn
• My Ishamel by Daniel Quinn
• The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
• The Art of Possibility: transforming professional & personal life by Rosamund Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander 01/05/2005

So far, I think A New Earth is a good book for those who are frustrated with established religion and looking for spirituality and meaning in life.

A New Earth: awakening to your life's purpose by Eckhart Tolle

I'm reading A New Earth: awakening to your life's purpose by Eckhart Tolle and I'm not sure what to think of it.


The latest selection in Oprah's Book Club, A New Earth tells readers that we humans must "Evolve or die" and promises to show us the way by teaching us to transcend our egos and let go of attachments using ideas from Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Daoism, and other spiritual traditions.

I haven't read Tolle's other books The Power of Now or Practicing the Power of Now, but many friends and family highly recommend his work. I hope he lives up to the hype (the NYTimes doesn't seem to think much of him).