62 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Redfield no longer such a superstar, but has staying power, February 26, 2001
The Celestine Prophecy was a great idea for a way to get spirituality across to the public: a synthesis of the most popular threads of 'New Age' thought that were circulating in the mid-1990s, packaged as a fast-paced action-adventure novel. The underlying metaphysics claimed to embrace all religions, yet also professed to be based on an empirical approach to life.
Sales show that a lot of the sensationalism which surrounded Celestine faded with Redfield's consecutive books. Some of this is just the nature of trends: anyone who has such monumental success with their first publication has little chance of producing a sequel that achieves the same results. On the other hand, there are some factors that could account for this decline in popularity.
In his second book, The Tenth Insight, Redfield compromised part of his original formula by introducing themes like reincarnation and animal omens--subjects that departed from the religious middle ground which initially let many people stay open to his theories. He also told his readers that human beings have abilities which are a good stretch further away from Pop Mysticism than communing with nature or perceiving auras. His third book, The Celestine Vision, was nonfiction, and discussed progressions in science and social thought that Redfield believes are precursors to a major revolution in global consciousness; it did well enough, but didn't come near to his early success.
With the release of The Secret of Shambhala, Redfield returned to the ongoing fictional storyline, continuing where The Tenth Insight left off. In this book, he posits that the energy generated by our thoughts and emotions actually goes out into the world as a force that he calls 'prayer,' and influences both outer events and the awareness of the people with whom we interact. I found his theories (which are embedded in the text as elaborate monologues followed by scenarios which illustrate them) to be as applicable to my own experiences as any other book in the series. The concepts were more advanced--and therefore, more challenging--than those in Celestine. This has probably contributed to its (relatively) low sales up to this point.
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39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A story with an agenda, July 31, 2000
By the author of the number one New York Times bestseller, The Celestine Prophecy, this book will appeal to a great many readers, I am quite sure. It is fiction, although many readers will see it as "based on fact." It rather depends upon the reader's own belief system, how they will view the book.
Redfield has used the book as a vehicle to expose his own philosophy, in much the same way as Ayn Rand used Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, but of course their philosophies are different. In fact, one could almost say that they are diametrically opposed to each other. Where Rand was a rationalist, Redfield is, well. . .
To best describe Redfield's premise, and the theme of the story, perhaps it would be best to describe the readers who will probably most enjoy the book: those who will exclaim over its probity and the integrity--nay, saintliness--of the author.
They will look you in the eye fiercely and argue against adding fluorides to water, genetic manipulation of, or adding "chemicals" to, food; or eating "dead" food. They will be vegetarians. They will be certain that large corporations are evil, and that "materialism" is the bane of human existence. They will be persuaded of the positive power of love, and convinced that anger, the lust for power over others, and violence are the ultimate destroyers of civilization.
These are the people who will most enjoy this book, because Redfield is a champion for all of those causes.
The secret of Shambhala (Shangri-La) is the "Power of Prayer." That becomes obvious at once. But, prayer is not simply wishing, or hoping, or idly asking God for a boon. It is a strong expectation. It is the belief that something good (or bad) will happen. This is the force by which we shape our world, with the help of angels, according to James Redfield's protagonist, whose name is never given. The book is written in the first person. He and his alter-ego, Wilson James-who suddenly appears in the story without explanation, with cryptic allusions to other adventures (and insights) of which the reader is assumed to be aware--go to Tibet because a teen-aged girl tells them they ought to, where the protagonist (and the reader) hope to discover their reason for going to Tibet.
In Tibet, their spiritual quest leads them into conflict with the all-powerful atheists of the Chinese government, who shamelessly apply force and violence and fan their paranoia, which, of course, weakens their spiritual strength. The government agents who dog their every move, seem to know more about their quest than they do, and yet they are supposedly motivated by the need to learn from our clueless friends their purpose and destination. It must have been tough for Chinese intelligence to explain their mission to the comptroller and get funding for the project!
In all candor, the book held me to the end. I read it in one sitting. (Although there are 238 pages, the type is large and well spaced out, so it reads quickly (particularly if you skip over the sermons lightly.) The plot is airy-fairy, and the conflict is too improbable to engage your critical intelligence. Yet, read it I did. As in all good fiction, there is enough of a germ of truth in the underlying premise it to make it, if not plausible, at least entertaining. Do I recommend it? Sure!
A most unusual novel.
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43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best of the bunch, May 13, 2000
I really liked The Celestine Prophesy and The Tenth Insight (Redfield's previous books), but this third adventure is the best yet! Redfield may never be a Pulizer prize winner for his often confusing prose (especially in the first book), but his writing is improving rapidly and I was gripped by this adventure from the first chapter.
Redfield's strength is his ability to share spiritual truths within a story, making it much more palatable than boring prose. His main character is a pilgrim, learning these truths as he goes thru a colorful adventure, sort of a spiritual science fiction at times. I find his message resonates deeply within me... and I'd much rather read it in a story format.
I was reading this book during a life challenge and it helped me focus on the energy I could expand to resolve the situation. And it worked. I was reassured over and over, and while my adventure didn't take me thru the mountains of Tibet, it opened new doors of possibility.
Redfield has transcended the mundane once again, splintered barriers, and teaches us new ways to look at life....
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