======================================================================
=                            A_New_Earth                             =
======================================================================

                            Introduction
======================================================================
'A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose' is a 2005 self-help
book by Eckhart Tolle. The book sold 5 million copies in North America
by 2009. In 2008 it was selected for Oprah's Book Club and featured in
a series of 10 weekly webinars with Tolle and Oprah Winfrey. It has
since become the only book to be selected twice in the book club's
history, as it was also selected in January 2025.


                              Overview
======================================================================
An article in 'Success' magazine describes 'A New Earth' as a
"self-improvement book" that encourages its readers to live their
lives in each present moment and to create happiness for themselves
without emphasizing material possessions.  Tolle's intent is to change
the way human beings think, and he envisions a world population that
is increasingly humble, enlightened, and pure. According to Tolle, the
book's purpose "is not to add new information or beliefs to your mind
or to try to convince you of anything, but to bring about a shift in
consciousness".

In the book, Tolle asserts that everyone can find "the freedom and joy
of life" if they live in the present moment. The book describes human
dysfunction, selfishness, anxiety, and the inhumanity we inflict on
each other, as well as mankind's failed attempts to find life meaning
and purpose through material possessions and unhealthy relationships.
It asserts that thoughts can have a powerful and beneficial "effect on
the healing process" and puts forth a concept of "evolutionary
transformation of human consciousness" which prompts the reader to
participate in "honest self-evaluation [that] can lead to positive
change."


                              Synopsis
======================================================================
Early chapters of the book give simple explanations and provide a
foundation for further concepts and ideas. In "Chapter One: The
Flowering of Human Consciousness", Tolle discusses the "inherent
dysfunction in humanity" and proposes ways that readers may rise above
it.  He then develops these concepts in chapters two, three, and four
by offering his descriptions of the ego and its "vices." In the book,
Tolle defines the term ego as an "illusory sense of self" based on
one's memories and thoughts.  In chapters five and six Tolle uses the
phrase 'pain body' to describe the human tendency to carry "an
accumulation of old emotional pain". In chapters seven, eight, and
nine: "Inner Space, Inner Purpose and Who You Truly Are", Tolle makes
many distinctions: between "knowing yourself and knowing about
yourself"; between the "Dreamer" and the "dream"; between the objects
of consciousness and the space of consciousness; between outer space
and inner space; and between outer purpose and inner purpose. In
chapter ten, "A New Earth", Tolle gives his readers suggestions for
implementation of his ideas in their personal life but cautions them
by saying:  "You are still an ordinary human. What is extraordinary is
what comes through you into this world".


                             Reception
======================================================================
The American talk-show host Oprah Winfrey chose 'A New Earth' for her
book club in January 2008, and in March it was featured in a series of
ten weekly webinars broadcast on her website. By March 23, 2008, the
book had reached number one on the 'New York Times Best Seller' list
for "Paperback Advice". According to Barnes & Noble, the book
became the fastest-selling title in the history of Oprah's Book Club,
out of the 61 selections since the book club's inception in 1996.
Within four weeks of the book club announcement 3.5 million copies had
been shipped.  By 2009, an estimated 5 million copies had been sold in
North America. Some Christian readers have criticized the book, saying
that it states that a person can control their own destiny rather than
God necessarily doing so. In addition, a journalist for 'Success'
magazine wrote in August 2008 that some readers reported having a hard
time understanding and incorporating Tolle's message into their lives.

The book was originally published in 2005 by the Dutton/Penguin Group.
Its second printing was published in 2006 by Plume publishing. A third
printing was published 2008 by the Penguin Group. 'A New Earth' is
also available as an unabridged audiobook read by the author.


                           External links
======================================================================
* [https://eckharttolle.com/a-new-earth-excerpt/ 'A New Earth' at
Official Website of Eckhart Tolle]
*
[https://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/a-new-earth-exercises-for-your-awakening
Study materials (webcasts, transcripts, workbook, meditations)] at
Oprah.com


License
=========
All content on Gopherpedia comes from Wikipedia, and is licensed under CC-BY-SA
License URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Earth