When I first started reading this book, six months ago, I read the introduction only then decided to drop it. It seemed too philosophical and too weird for me. My wife was the reason I decided to pick it up again. She picked up a book for the same author, Eckhardt Tolle, and her comments about the book intrigued me. So, I decided to pick his original book, The Power of Now, again, and I am glad I did.

Very few books that I have read have touched me the way this book did. The concept behind it is so simple yet so illusive; to try to stay in the present. It might sound easy, but it is not. The author explains how most of the people on earth are living a dream. They are unconscious. The dream they live is made up by their ego, which keeps them either stuck in the past, or too worried about that future, instead of trying to enjoy the present. This might sound simple, but it is not. The repercussions of this have the potential to change your whole world. There is so much riding on this principle, that it is easy for anyone to find out that much of their time, if not most of it is spent with them being unconscious and stuck in a movie like fiction state, so far from reality.

 The author does not stop at the theory. He shows you simple and effective tricks that will help you stay present. However, just because they are simple, does not mean they are easy.

 This is part of the beauty of this book. It discusses simple concepts that have become so hard for us because we, our minds, made them so hard. Our ego refuses to allow us to keep life simple. It keeps wanting to keep us occupied in thinking, until thinking consumes all our time.

 One of the nicest things I liked about the book is that it asks you to try stuff, but does not tell you what to expect from the experiment, as if the results are going to be so obvious that you do not need anyone to tell you what will happen, and he is right. The results are too obvious and so amazing, that they do not need to be given as answers by the author.

 One of these exercises is to try to watch your thinking and see what is the first thought that comes to your mind. Try it and see what happens. It is amazing. The thought never comes until you stop watching your thoughts. As if it is shying away from coming out while you are aware. As if it prefers to think while you are unconscious. Try it.

 The author shows readers how in the present, there are no worries, no fears, no regrets; just peace of mind and serenity.

I vote this book as one of the best ten books I have ever read. I also believe it should be essential reading for everybody.