Peace Is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat [Paperback]

Andrea Cagan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 14, 2007

Peace Is Possible is the first full and complete story of Prem Rawat. It documents his extraordinary life, from growing up with a father who was a revered master, to the day he first addressed audiences at age three, to being discovered by hippies at his home by the Himalayan foothills when he was a child, to his dramatic arrival in the West at thirteen, to today. When Prem Rawat was six years old, his father and beloved teacher showed him a special gift, a practical means to discover a world of peace within him. When he was eight, his father passed away, and he accepted the responsibility of spreading the message of peace. He attended school during the week and addressed audiences in the tens of thousands on weekends. He has spent the last forty years inspiring millions of people from all walks of life and offering this same gift to people. Controversy has not eluded him: he was only eight when the Indian media wrote that he was a sixty-year-old posing as a child. Few journalists have gone beyond stereotypes and taken the time to get a real sense of what he offers. While his message is translated into more than seventy languages, it remains a little-known secret, spread mostly through word of mouth. This book lifts the veil on Prem Rawat--the man, his life, his message.

Editorial Reviews

Review

What an extraordinary life the Maharaji has lived. The author has accomplished nothing short of the miraculous in bringing the biography of Prem Rawat to the world in such a personal and awesome way. I must be honest and tell you I had never heard of the man before reviewing this exciting book, but I will tell you now I feel like I know him and his message intimately. His words touched that deep and soft place in my heart and soul over and over again, as I got totally consumed in his life and message. He started sharing the wisdom of the Divine at age 3 and continued the work of his father at a very very tender age. Throughout his life he has helped millions to find that the answer to enlightenment and bliss is within one's self. The pictorial version of his life helped me to get a real feel for the boy who was Maharaji. I would recommend this special tell-all to anyone who wishes to learn about the life and times of a truly exceptional emissary of Light. Thanks Andrea, for introducing the man and his message to us all. Riki Frahmann PlanetStarz.com --http://planetstarz.com/mlt/index.php?year=2007&month=05&pg=33

About the Author

Andrea Cagan has written, edited, and collaborated on a variety of biographies. Her work focuses on topics that raise public awareness and social consciousness. She has brought seven books to the best-seller lists, including three New York Times #1 best sellers and one Los Angeles Times #1 best seller.

Product Details

• Paperback: 410 pages
• Publisher: Mighty River Press; 1st edition (January 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978869494
• ISBN-13: 978-0978869496
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (112 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #574,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

119 of 128 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Andrea Cagan's best book ever, January 14, 2007

By 

Peter Howard "Lover of Inspiring Books" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peace Is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat (Paperback)

I was fortunate to obtain an advance copy from the publisher. First, let me say that this is Cagan's best book ever. She has finally found a topic that has enough breadth for her prodigious writing skills. The book gives the word "biography" a new value. Its fast paced, interesting, alive, the writing is very cinematic, and the reader is touched. I could not put this book down, last night, and had to keep reading and I intend to read it several times more.
The book opens with several statements by world leaders in support ot Rawat, including one from Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Vice President of the Republic of India, the world's largest democracy. This one particularly impressed me. Here is what he says:
"I'm convinced that the people of India and from other countries need to embrace in their hearts Prem Rawat's call to peace I would like to express my heartfelt feeling towards him as a most trusted and respected person who takes a message of joy to society and society puts it into practice. Doing so is the greatest success there can be in life. I want his message to reach the people around the world."
This set very high expectations for me as I started reading, and I must say that I was not disappointed.
The book opens with Prem arriving in the West from his native India, in 1971. It gives a fascinating account into what the young generation was like at that time, how intense and genuine their search was for finding peace and truth within themselves, and how powerful the encouter between them and Prem was.

The book then flashes back into the household of Prem's father and mother, in the 50s. Cagan's beautiful prose transports the reader into the foothills of the Himalaya. The reader then follows Prem as he grows up in this colorful family. I loved the many endearing anecdotes, like when ever curious Prem locked himself in the brand new refrigerator--a novelty at that time--to find out if the light stayed on when the door was closed. The book follows Prem during his school days, and the reader feels the grief of the young boy when his father passes away. The book lifts the veil on the succession process, through which Prem became the Master and started revealing the same "Knowledge"--a means to go within oneself and find peace- that his father was imparting before him. One sees Prem giving his first press conference at age ten, handling the journalists with stunning dexterity. The book then follows prem's eventful life, as he travels the world bringing his message of peace up to 2006. Cagan takes the reader through a labirynth of breathtaking developments, interespersed with finely chiselfed quotes from Prem's addresses.

The book is called "Peace is Possible," and as I read through it, I could not but think of anyone wth a story like Prem, and even more of someone with a message of peace like him. One only wonders why he is not better known, and why we dont see him mon TV more often.
Hopefully this book will help shine some light among the public on an unfairly overlooked messenger of peace. At the risk of repeating myself, Cagan did a fabulous job, she has become a master biography writer.

73 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rollicking Good Story, January 19, 2007

By 

E. B. Monte - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Peace Is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat (Paperback)

I have enjoyed biographies my whole life. The ones I have enjoyed the most are about people who have been faced with enormous challenges. The human side of the story particularly fascinates me: What created in these individuals the burning desire to accomplish their goal? What obstacles did they have to overcome? What motivated them to keep going? How did they feel about it? And what can I learn from them?

Peace Is Possible, by Andrea Cagan, tells just such a story. It is about Prem Rawat, a man whose single-minded goal in life has been to touch the lives of every person in the world to let them know that peace is possible if they will only look within themselves. He began his mission at the age of eight when his father and mentor, Shri Hans Ji Maharaj, passed away. (When I was the same age, I was in the third grade, and I must confess -- my life's goals were not quite as clear.)

For those readers merely looking for a rollicking good storyline, they will find it here. Cagan has apparently interviewed dozens of people who have known Rawat at various points in his life, and the book is filled with colorful anecdotes. All the things I like best about biographies - the challenges, the single-minded desire, the overcoming of obstacles, the motivation - are illuminated here as we follow the story from his early childhood in northern India to his present life as a world-renowned voice for peace and a beloved mentor for millions of people in over ninety countries.

For those who may also be looking for something more meaningful, they will find that, too. Cagan writes with positive affection, and in my opinion, does an excellent job of conveying Rawat's deeper message - that true contentment and joy in life are to be found within the heart. However, Rawat also makes it clear that what he is talking about goes beyond mere words. To the sincere of heart, he teaches something called "Knowledge" which allows the individual to actually feel the inner contentment of which he speaks. Receiving Rawat's Knowledge seems to have been a life-altering experience for many of the people interviewed for this book.

All in all, I think Peace Is Possible, is an outstanding biography of a fascinating person. It will be especially appealing to anyone who has ever wondered if there is more to life than meets the eye.

80 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe Peace Really is Possible., January 15, 2007

By 

Gianni Slowsky "Gianni Slowsky" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peace Is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat (Paperback)

Andrea Cagan's simple narrative provided me with an understanding of Prem Rawat's life and the numerous challenges he has overcome to make his message available to people around the world.

Plentiful quotes from Prem Rawat gave me a clear insight into the message itself and had me wondering whether the peace he talks about really is possible.

This book reveals a human being who has found a way to be true to himself without becoming a renunciate.

From child prodigy to internationally-respected advocate for the individual's right to experience peace, this compelling story needed to be told and deserves to be read.

If you've never read biography before, start with `Peace is Possible'.