Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from The Power of Now

This book "Practicing the Power of Now" is a watered down version of the original and in my reading of it, much less powerful. I have read the original twice and it remains strong for me, but this book is very, very abridged, strangely formatted, and does not feel to contain the essence of the original. The words that are in it are EXACTLY the same as those in the original and although I am sure there are exceptions, I confirmed this by choosing four pages at random and then found the text in the original. Much is left out and the formatting is distracting.

Tolle and the publishers can be very, very proud of the original, but frankly, they should be deeply ashamed of this book. Although there is a need for a book that is to be used as a tool for practice by readers of the first, this book is most certainly not it.

I will be seeking a refund and I hope that others do as well.


Outstanding Wisdom for Enlightened Relationships   April 20, 2004
 94 out of 105 found this review helpful

There is so much breathtaking wisdom in this book. I wanted to give you a sample of Eckhart Tolle's profound guidance concerning relationships, as this area continues to plague men and women.

" Never before have relationships been as problematic and conflict ridden as they are now. As you may have noticed, they are not here to make you happy or fulfilled. If you continue to pursue the goal of salvation through a relationship, you will be disillusioned again and again. But if you accept that the relationship is here to make you conscious instead of happy, then the relationship will offer you salvation, and you will be aligning yourself with the higher consciousness that wants to be born into this world."

"Do not accuse each other of being unconscious. The moment you start to argue, you have identified with a mental position & are now defending not only that position but also your sense of self. The ego is in charge. You have become unconscious. At times, it may be appropriate to point out certain aspects of your partner's behavior. If you are very alert, very present, you can do so without ego involvement - without blaming, accusing, or making the other wrong."

"LEARN TO GIVE EXPRESSION to what you feel without blaming. Learn to listen to your partner in an open, nondefensive way.
Give your partner space for expressing himself or herself. Be present. Accusing, defending, attacking - all those patterns that are designed to strengthen or protect the ego or to get its needs met will then become redundant. Giving space to others - and to yourself - is vital.
Love cannot flourish without it."

This book brings you profound wisdom to free you from pain in all areas of your life, and bring you fully into the present to illuminate your true self. It is one to re-read many times, as well as to share with others.
Highly Recommended!
Barbara Rose, author of Stop Being the String Along: A Relationship Guide to Being THE ONE Know Yourself: A Woman's Guide to Wholeness, Radiance & Supreme Confidence



LIVING IN THE MOMENT!   October 5, 2001
 82 out of 85 found this review helpful

This book makes an excellent companion to "The Power of Now." The exercises found among these pages causes one to do some deep soul searching to determine what is important in life and what is truly insignificant. Even if you have not read Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now", which I strongly recommend readers do, this thought-provoking workbook can be used as a stand-alone book.

Tolle has a way of giving meaning to life by using exercises, meditations and essential teachings (many based on Buddhist philosophies) to bring peace, balance and harmony into our lives. The goal is to be able to bring about and sustain an enlightened state of consciousness in our daily lives. Tolle has a way of making the reader do some deep soul searching and reveal many truths about themselves that they might not otherwise do. In essence, the book causes one to "lighten the load" and follow a path of peace and harmony. This is truly a spiritual journey to a more enriched and meaningful life. The book is highly recommended and highly deserving of a five-star plus rating.


The Power of Now Squared   September 28, 2002
 62 out of 71 found this review helpful

After reading Eckhart Tolle's first book: "The Power of Now" I, too, wanted to be able to live in the present as he suggests. But, how does one do this? What is the recipé? His new book: "Practicing The Power of Now" gives a prescription for those seeking to put his teachings into practice. Though his idea of living in the now is found in the New Testament: ". . .take no thought for tomorrow. . ." and in other religious traditions, what Tolle has written in the first book is an engaging story of how he lived through a personal crisis and discovered the principle of living in the "NOW". Practicing The Power of Now takes the reader one step further, showing how an individual can live in the now with simple exercises, teachings, meditations and practices. There is nothing new in this book that wasn't in the original; just a more logical framework and a step-by-step approach. Like many recent best-sellers (see "Chicken Soup For the Soul"), Tolle's NOW books seem like they're headed for the production of many, similar titles. I'm looking for "Teenagers Living In The Now" book soon, as well as "Grampa and Grandma Living In The Now"and the baby book, "Baby's Now Book." Read the first book and pass on the sequels. They're the publisher's idea to increase profits. Five stars for the original. Two for the new one.


Which one to buy?   April 14, 2004
 52 out of 52 found this review helpful

Since the content of Tolle's books has been covered well elsewhere, I'd like to address the person new to Tolle and wondering where to begin.

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