Saturday, January 16, 2010

Ahoy Readers! Life-Changing Book Suggestions Abound!



Greetings Earth denizens......just kidding, I always wanted to write that, so there! Now, getting on with it all, this is my first entry and as my good pal John McClane says, Yippie Ki-A M*&$^$*. I would write that but probably not the best first impression. Getting on with this post, I want to offer to all of you "seekers" out there my own personal suggestions for a few books to get started on your spiritual quest or journey or whatever you want to call it. The 3 books I will mention below here are all ones I have read and in fact read on a regular basis. If there is one important thing I have found is that repetition is the key to this stuff, as essentially one of the main things you are doing is reprogramming your own "software," also know as your socio-cultural programming and beliefs. So here is the short list:

1.) A New Earth, by author Eckhart Tolle: If you were to read one book of all the books out there I would recommend this one. Eckhart Tolle has written a few other books as well, including the well known Power of Now. I read the Power of Now about 13 years ago when I was in highschool still. Now I remember thinking that the stuff he was discussing and talking about made sense, but of course that was my first time being exposed to the material and it didn't really stick that well. A few years ago Tolle rolled out A New Earth, which I found to be much more palatable material, and well, it just clicked with me the first time I read it, and I think it would be the same for most people. Now, do not get me wrong and think that I am putting down the Power of Now in any way, now, when I re-read the Power of Now I find it much more digestible (is that a word?). Once you have been exposed to multiple sources/authors and spiritual teachers, and as you progress (if it can be called progress) down a Spiritual path that is right for you, you will naturally become familiar and multifaceted when it comes to this material. Thus, you will have been exposed to many different perspectives on the same topics, as well as have expanded range.
       Now if I had to give an explanation for how I view the Power of Now vs A New Earth (and I would like to hear the views of others who are familiar with these books) I would describe the Power of Now as being more masculine or slightly more intense and in your face (I see the color green when I think of it, whatever that could mean), and I feel that the A New Earth is a step back, more gentle, and sort of leads you by the hand, so to speak through material that has become a bit clearer (color of lavender comes to mind when I think of it). Now Tolle is one particular filter through which the information comes into this world, as is anyone that the material comes through, and like all things, with time, these filters change, and so perhaps the teachings became clearer and that is why it was clearer, or perhaps it was me, or a combo of all the above. In the end I say read both of them, but for the purpose of this article A New Earth is my first recommendation to those of you starting out on a path.

2.) Conversations with God (the Trilogy), by author Neale Donald Walsch - The second book I would like to recommend is actually a trilogy of books (for those of you who are confused, that is 3 books)...I know I know, I can hear you screaming inside your head "that's cheating," but this is my blog, stop end report. This Trilogy will seriously expand your knowledge in this area, not that "knowledge" is what we are seeking, but it will do a seriously solid job on reprogramming every area of your life, and it will challenge all your automatic and inherited programming. As I mentioned before, repetition is the key here. I personally know that I will be reading these books for the rest of my life, and I am currently on my fifth read of them. Now Walsch has written heaps of other books post-this-trilogy, such as Friendship with God, Home with God, Happier than God....and the list goes one, I have read them all except one which I will probably read at some point. These books cover everything and answer virtually every question you could have about spirituality, death, personal life, life on Earth, politics, religion, economics, transformation....I could go on, but seriously just read the first one, you will be hooked after the first couple chapters, unless you aren't of course ;-)

3.) Power vs. Force, by author David R. Hawkins - Now, this book is for all of you scientifically minded folks who have trouble buying into this "airy-fairy new age stuff" that you all winge about so much. This book bridges the gaps quite well, and will seriously enhance your understandings of the other books mentioned above. I have read many of Hawkins books, in fact most of them, and I still find this first one to be the most significant one of the bunch, (not that you shouldn't read the others), but just make sure that you read this one if you read any of them as it will seriously give you a booster shot in the spiritual ass if you know what I am saying (there's me trying to be witty or something).
    This book comes out of the science of kinesiological testing, of which I know many of you so-called "scientifics" will immediately scream "bullshit," but I am telling you to give it a go, and once you read it you will see that this book contains a lot truths that have come through this technique. Also, who said science is limited to the physical? This is part of what many call the "new science," as termed in Thom Hartmann's Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight. For those Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus out there I have to tell you I gained renewed respect for the Krishna, Jesus Christ, and Buddha of history, and just what they represented to humanity and what it spells for the future of humanity. Really, check this book out and see what you think.  

    Allrighty-then, those are my top 3 recco's for ya (definitely have to insert some bad english and slang in there, why, because I can.) Obviously I would recommend many more, so I have added a few at the bottom here to continue your Spiritual reading frenzy, and note that these further recommendations will simply add to the depth of your perceptions/understandings of all of this, which I always feel awkward saying as its not really further "content" that a spiritual person is looking for, but further refinement and simplification, and ultimately no-thing as they say. Also, simple exposure, and especially repeated exposure to the energy these books contain (much like the bible or any holy book) will change you and cause inner shifts, but remember once you are awake there is no going back to sleep ;-)

Further Reading Recommendations:

*The Power of Now - by Eckhart Tolle (I would also like to highly recommend Tolle's DVD seminars, a few of which are free to view in full on youtube, seeing him live really helps to bring it all together.
* The Voice of Knowledge - By Don Miguel Ruiz (great companion book with A New Earth)
*The Mastery of Love - By Don Miguel Ruiz
* The Celestine Prophecy - by James Redfield (this one is a fiction-adventure book, definitely good for beginners just getting into this material)
*Living with Joy - by Sanaya Roman (this is the first of the Orin books, and I recommend them all
*Personal Power through Awareness - by Sanaya Roman
*Creating Money - by Sanaya Roman
*A Course in Miracles - by Dr. Helen Schucman (I just bought it, and am looking forward to it, I don't know why I posted it here, but somehow I know its worth putting here).

*The Four-Hour-Work-Week - by Tim Ferris (why have I added this, because this book has a liberating energy to it that will work for many, not spiritually oriented per say, but this book has an empowering energy to it that can pull you out of in-action and into action, if you haven't read, do it). I say this because its had this effect on me. 

*The Prophets Way - by Thom Hartmann

*The Power of Positive Thinking - by Norman Vincent Peale (an oldie but very goodie)
...and many more to come later on...

No comments:

Post a Comment