I'm No Philosopher...

I'm no philosopher. As an adolescent, the nuns in my Catholic school despaired of me. I only took one philosophy course in college, then retreated thankfully to studying easier stuff like biology, chemistry and statistics. I have occasionally read a work about philosophy or religion but I seemed always either not to understand them or, if I do understand them, not to agree. The single exception is a slim volume of "The Way" by Lao Tzu, to which my first husband introduced me; it seemed actually to make some sense. So, recently, when a young friend of mine gave me this book, I was reluctant to crack the cover. I'm not really even sure why I did give it a try - it's on Oprah's reading list and, as I have never had time before or since retirement to watch Oprah, I was inclined to pooh-pooh it (and possibly her).

It's a good book. It's a very good book. In simple language that anyone can understand, Eckhart Tolle explains what consciousness is and how once you start on the road to being conscious, it expands your life. Drawing from religions as diverse as Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, Tolle shows how each has at its foundation people who saw the importance of "presence," and expressed it beautifully, each in his own tradition.

I haven't read the first book Tolle wrote, "The Power of Now," but this one is really useful, very simply written and yet presenting very complex concepts. I can't explain it nearly as well as he does - all I can do is recommend that you get a copy (it's in paperback now) and read it. I had to take it in little bites as the ideas were simply expressed but not simple ideas. I'm glad I did; I actually think I might enjoy philosophy if it were always so well expressed.