Book summary

Eckhart Tolle is a gentle guide for change, first in ourselves and then in the world. Addressing the dysfunction all around us, he encourages us to see the source--our egos, which he explains in some depth but also puts simply as "the voices in our head." Letting go of our egos, we will let go of much of our pain, and will be able to embark on a journey of discovery and "re-creation." There is much of the natural world in his argument, as he encourages us to connect to the things in the earth and sky that can bring enlightenment. Tolle reflects that we are microcosms of the larger universe, and that human consciousness and the physical world are connected. If we break free from old ways of thinking and seeing, we can change ourselves, individually and collectively. We can, in his view, create a "new species," one more fully awakened, that can then "re-create" Earth. A 2008 Oprah's Book Club selection.