After finishing his first book “The Power of Now,” I was eager to put my hands on any new books for the author Eckhart Tolle. My wife is reading his newest book, “New Earth” so instead of waiting until she finishes it; I decided to try to find another book by the same author. I was in luck to find a nice short book by Tolle titled “Stillness Speaks.” Stillness speaks is a unique book that is about observing the stillness surrounding us, rather than the noisy commotion that stems from that stillness. If someone thinks this is too philosophical, they might want to withhold judgment until they read the book. It makes a clear case for reaching serenity via total surrender. The surrender comes in the form of observing stillness, rather than allowing noise in our minds to control our lives.

 As with all Eckhart Tolle’s books, this is an inspirational masterpiece. However, if you have already read his earlier book “The Power of Now,” then this book might feel like repetition of the same ideas. In essence it is, if it was not for the few cases when the author describes new exercises that were not in the earlier book, or when the author goes a bit deeper into some of the concepts described in the book, beyond what was available in the Power of Now.

For some of my friends who read both books, they found Stillness Speaks a much easier and more fun reading than the power of now. It flows better and in a way soothes the soul, in contrast to the power of now that seems to be challenging the way people live. For me, if I had to pick between the two, I would pick the power of now, but I would still read Stillness Speaks as it seems to reinforce the key concepts from the Power of Now.

One of the most interesting parts of the book is an exercise to help one focus and be aware of the inner self. It is a very simple yet powerful exercise that starts with closing one’s eyes, the use of breathing, and watching the thinker (the mind), before one opens the eyes and observe the surroundings, but this time without judgment or prejudice. The book is a brief one and can be read in a few days if you are an avid reader .