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

Eckhart Tolle (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 30, 2008

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.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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From Publishers Weekly

According to Tolle, who assumes the role of narrator as well, humans are on the verge of creating a new world by a personal transformation that shifts our attention away from our ever-expanding egos. This idea is well realized through Tolle's remarkably well-paced narration. Naturally, the author understands his material so thoroughly that he is able to convey it in an enjoyable manner, but Tolle's gentle tone and dialect begs his audience's attention simply through its straightforward approach. Something about this reading just seems profoundly important, whether one agrees with the material or not, and listeners' attention is sure to be captured within seconds of listening to Tolle's take on the universe in which we live. Originally released in 2005, both book and audiobook were reissued when Oprah Winfrey chose the title for her book club this year. A Penguin paperback. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Penguin; Reprint edition (January 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452289963
• ISBN-13: 978-0452289963
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,878 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Self-Help > Spiritual
  • #24 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Personal Transformation
  • #28 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Psychology & Counseling

More About the Author

Spiritual teacher and author Eckhart Tolle was born in Germany and educated at the Universities of London and Cambridge. At the age of twenty-nine a profound inner transformation radically changed the course of his life. The next few years were devoted to understanding, integrating, and deepening that transformation, which marked the beginning of an intense inward journey. Later, he began to work in London with individuals and small groups as a counselor and spiritual teacher. Since 1995 he has lived in Vancouver, Canada.

Eckhart Tolle is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Power of Now (translated into 33 languages) and A New Earth, which are widely regarded as two of the most influential spiritual books of our time. In 2008, A New Earth became the first spiritual book to be selected for Oprah's Book Club as well as the subject of a ten-week online workshop co-taught by Eckhart and Oprah.

Eckhart's profound yet simple teachings have helped countless people throughout the world find inner peace and greater fulfillment in their lives. At the core of the teachings lies the transformation of consciousness, a spiritual awakening that he sees as the next step in human evolution. An essential aspect of this awakening consists in transcending our ego-based state of consciousness. This is a prerequisite not only for personal happiness but also for the ending of violent conflict endemic on our planet.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#8 in Books > Self-Help

#10 in Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting

#12 in Books > Religion & Spirituality

#29 in Kindle eBooks > Religion & Spirituality

#8 in Books > Self-Help

#10 in Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting

#12 in Books > Religion & Spirituality

#29 in Kindle eBooks > Religion & Spirituality

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

283 of 299 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A life-changing book?...Maybe, maybe not March 6, 2008

By Jeff Maziarek, author of Spirituality Simplified

Format:Paperback

Back in 2000 I read Tolle's "The Power of Now" (TPON), and thought so highly of it that I included it in the "Must Read" list at the end of my own book. As such, I figured "A New Earth" just might be as valuable to me as TPON was at that time.

I read this book over a weekend and my first impression was that it was a solid effort, and that it was essentially a hybrid of TPON, with the primary difference being that it's written in a prose as opposed to a Q&A format. The fact that it's similar to TPON isn't necessarily a negative, for that book had some very valuable content in it that's clearly worth hearing again.

Is it a life changing work? Well, the truth is it all depends on YOU. If you're considering buying it because Oprah recommends it, but you haven't read a single book in the spiritual growth/personal growth category in the past, then my sense is that you might become a bit frustrated with its esoteric nature. A better choice as a first book might be "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz, as he likewise addresses the power of the mind to overtake us if we don't learn to cultivate the ability to step back from its ramblings. A book I read recently that would also be a wonderful first title to read in the category is called "The Belief Formula" by Pete Koerner, as it talks in detail about thoughts and provides practical ways to get more in control of them. This book would be of particular benefit to anyone who would like a bridge from traditional religious training to the more mystical teachings of authors like Eckhart Tolle.

If, on the other hand, you are a person who has read a few to several books in this category, then "A New Earth" is another quality title to read as you continue to walk your path of self-discovery. If you've already read TPON by Tolle, as noted above you'll notice some obvious similarity between the two books, but this book does have some new content that is certainly worth reading.

One thing I didn't like is that the book's subheading, (i.e., Awakening to Your Life's Purpose) suggests that this topic is a major point of discussion throughout the book, but actually it's not. The whole idea of "life purpose" isn't addressed in any significant way until chapter nine of a 10 chapter book. And, when it is talked about, it's not by any means a primer on how to identify your purpose in this life from a worldly point of view (what you are to do while you are here). Note that Tolle's discussion about purpose is on a much deeper, mystical level.

As a final point, before buying this book I took the time to read a broad cross-section of reviews about it on Amazon.com (from 1 star to 5 stars). One thing I did find troubling in some of the negative reviews was the Oprah bashing that some chose to do. People who think that her sole motivation for getting behind this book so aggressively was to create yet another financial windfall, or to establish some sort of new religion are, in my view, sorely mistaken. Anyone can see that she really does care about the world, and is committed to doing something to raise global consciousness. What's so wrong with that? If you don't like what she's doing then don't buy the book.

135 of 146 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure June 25, 2008

By Susan NYC

Format:Paperback

I love this book. Tolle describes ancient truths and applies them to life in the 21st century in a way that is inspiring and comforting. I took away from this book three simple, yet profound ideas. First and foremost, Tolle believes that we are all connected to each other and that everything we do matters and has an impact on our world. His second idea lies in the power of listening: he suggests that if we can quiet our egos long enough to truly listen, it is possible to feel a sacredness and inner harmony where everything has its perfect place. And lastly, the author speaks of the power of awareness. The moment you notice a pattern of behavior that is no longer working for you, you are a success.

Reading this book reminded me of the writings of two of my favorite authors: Ariel and Shya Kane. In their books Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment, Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation and How To Create a Magical Relationship[, the Kanes teach a fun and easy way to live fully and joyously in the moment. Their approach is practical and magical at the same time. If you like Tolle's work you're bound to love the Kane's. All of these books are treasures to be enjoyed.

157 of 171 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Thousand Mirrors February 21, 2006

By E. Oliver

Format:Hardcover

I have read Eckhart Tolle's previous works and believe him to be one of the most important spiritual teachers of the 20th and 21st centuries. I had waited very patiently however for this book which he took most of last year to write because when someone of his caliber takes so much time to write a book about enlightenment and the ego you know it's got to be good. The title didn't grab me so much though as the content. This book in one fell swoop has given me more food for thought concerning who I am and who and what this personality is up to than any other spiritual book I've ever read. It's a sobering look at who I am and how devious the ego can be. It has helped me see many of my problems are due to my ego instead of it being all those others in my life. If you're ready to face yourself and who you are up to now you've come to the right place. This book will show you all your games and guises and help you get back to the real you underneath it all. It may be the best step on the most ultimate path we all must eventually take towards a New Earth and our true purpose in life.