The Celestine Prophesy, James Redfield. A manuscript (Redfield uses a capital 'm') written in Aramaic 900 years ago and newly-discovered at a Peruvian archaeological dig, is suppressed by the Catholic Church via its control of the government. The tablet's nine "insights" are slowly revealed to the reader. This fiction was and is promoted with the subtle implication that the psycho-mystical occurrences in the story can be fact in our lives. Its words claim a godliness of purpose. Yet its inference is clearly focused on the self and is very denigrating of Christianity in general, and the Catholic Church in particular. It presents to those who have abandoned the major religions, that a "New Way" has come to put meaning & insight back into life: Visualization of nice material things gets them for you, meditation on human one-ness with the universe brings peace, and acceptance of any non-violent practice of life nurtures both the soul (a physical energy field) and a slowly self-perfecting society. On the last page, Mr. Redfield offers to interpret one's sun & moon sign for thirty bucks and solicits subscription to a New Age newsletter for another thirty. Most other reviews of this novel are quite negative. The reader loses the adventure fantasy because the author intrudes into the story with forced, instructive dialog and pedantic narration. This book is a historically-significant example of New Age literature and everyone should identify it first-hand for what it is. Mr. Redfield, realizing that P.T. Barnum was correct, hopes you'll buy his "enlightening" sequel, entitled The Tenth Insight (hardcover or paperback available). All CP believers who feel I've mean-spiritedly characterized them as gullible & misguided should recall the ancient insight: If the shoe fits... And yet, in compassion, it must be recognized that the search for insight is like the search for water in a vast green forest: You know water is there somewhere but could die of thirst searching on the wrong paths. Almost two thousand years ago a man, Who stands now always at your side, offered a path to water which quenches eternally. Drink and live

As you can see this book elicits a number or reactions. Redfield's work relays a wonderful adventure in which the reader is not only taken through the tangled forests of Peru but is also taken down a path of life that can be just as tangled. His characters make it through his tale by faith and a willingness to have an open mind and to live actively and with intent. His characters discover insights that are revealed to them only if and when they are ready to receive them. As is the old adage, "When the student is ready, the teacher will be there".

In his tale as in life some people never take a step along the path. Some people take a few steps and become so fascinated that they never take the next step. Some people walk on confidently weighing and understanding each step for themselves as they learn along the way.

Redfield has taken ancient insights and parlayed them into a tale that binds them all together into an understanding of spirituality that is clear to us today. He introduces a number or religious precedence as old as time though he weaves them into his tale in a way which evokes an understanding that is both clear and provoking. When reaching the end of his story you find yourself looking at the world with a broader mind and deeper insight. Through the use of storytelling he brings an understanding of what we can be, personally and for society, into a form which relates to the human psyche. I believe this tale is a masterpiece that gives the reader an excellent grasp on some very basic and intrinsic human values and needs. He shows us the value of our actions and of our existence and how valuable we are to one another. From his work the reader can also glean what happens when we choose not to be aware of our place in the universe and ignore our effects on it.

I recommend this book to everyone! Some may prefer to read it as a mere tale, an Indiana-Jones-like adventure though Peru. Others I believe will have the courage to listen to the insights and understand the way they apply to their life and to those around them. I believe you will be delighted at what a good feeling you will have found when you finally set the book down at its conclusion. It is not often that you can be so purely entertained and educated with the deepest of insights at the same time.

Read this book and pass it along to a friend. It is worth it!

This book has incredible insight and at least to me it has made my life happier and I look at everything more positively. I am a practicing Catholic and this book, in no way, betrays my beliefs. Even attending Mass, I feel more connected and totally spiritual. Questions that I used to have, were answered or rather I saw more clearly and felt were explained. Maybe I am not making myself clear, but read the book and look into yourself and incredibly you will see things you cannot imagine why you didn't understand them before. By the way, the coincidences are happening more often to me because I have opened myself to them and I no longer feel fear, or at least I can work through it. I can't wait for my husband to read it so we can discuss it.

I did not receive the tape cassettes. I am very disappointed and would like my money back.

What am I supposed to do with a tape? Does anyone still own one of those archaic 8-track machines of the 80's?!? If it still works can I please borrow it!!

A lovely tape which will simply pull the listener out of the hustle and bustle of this world, and show you perspective and enlightenment, as well as soothing comfort. The tape is read by the author's wife who speaks soothingly and pleasantly in very slow, deliberate tones with very soft music in the background. Each side is about 25 minutes (with an intro from the author on Side 1) and contains one meditation per side, relating to two of the Celestine Prophecies.

As much as I have enjoyed this tape, I fully expected to also enjoy the audio of the book - an abridgement that was insultingly simplistic and poorly abridged - Spirituality for Dummies? The Celestine Meditations is in a different league altogether - I highly recommend this tape, which is pretty close to perfect.

I read The Celestine Prophesy in three hours. I read The Tenth Insight in three months. It took me longer to open the book once I had closed it than it was to read War and Peace. I appreciated many of the simple ways the author, in Celestine, tried to explain the ancient beliefs of the Christians, Hindus, Zen Masters and Buddhists through the now popular phrase "New Age". I even appreciated the "action", "suspense" and ending of Celestine. But when it came to revealing the tenth insight in The Tenth Insight, running out of gas is an understatement. The discussion on "A-life-unexamined-is-not-worth- living-cum-karma-cum-past-life-regression" is too contrived. Not at all "coincidental" as in Celestine. Wil's character comes in and out to intervene like a guardian angel, but guardian angel he's not. He's more like a distant observer who helps out the protagonist so that the story may continue without any hitches...classic deux ex machina. The book tried too hard to describe heaven and hell that it lost the path to the spiritual road it promised in Celestine. This is one of the worst sequels I've read.

James Redfield, in The Celestine Prophecy and The Tenth Insight, has given us the greatest gift we could hope to receive...the meaning of life. Those who doubt the truth and validity of the insights are simply not ready to accept the changes to come. Redfield's books have changed thousands of lives, and given spiritual awareness to many previously-professed atheists/agnostics. If you only read these books for the excitement of the "adventure," you will be entertained, at the very least. In my opinion, any reader will stop and contemplate life more than they had previously. That makes every reader more conscious, which raises our collective consciousness! (One step at a time...) I negate the accusations of "commercialism" in reference to Mr. Redfield or his work. His contribution to society is worth much more than any amount he could earn. James Redfield's works have been the turning point of my life. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Ever notice when something comes to challange the established order or status quo that dozens of critics whose toes have been stepped on come out of the wood works. Many people criticize this book and the Celestine Prophecy because they just aren't spiritually developed enough to understand it(see my review on the Celestine Prophecy). Now, they'll evolve when their time comes. This book expands on the nine insights and goes deeper into the spiritual aspect. As a new age spiritualist, this book talks about what we "preach" all the time, the world is moving into a global transformation towards a spiritually and morally developed planet(contrary to our present situation). This book explains the process. Those that criticize this book are the same ones envolved in "the fear"(read this book for more details) and don't accept the changes that are to come. If you think the Celestine Prophecy changed your life, this book will help to give you direction in a spiritual path devoid of religion and dogmas, and pointing the way to God and it's kingdom within you( just like Jesus Christ said). READ, STUDY, DIGEST, AND APPLY THE INFORMATION ON THIS BOOK, AND YOU WON'T REGRET IT. As for the critics, don't worry even you guys will have your chance to eventually understand all these spiritual matters and then you'll be able not only to understand this book, but also witness the beauty of the spiritual world. READ AND STUDY IT, AND THEN JUDGE FOR YOURSELF!

When I first read this book, I was captivated not by the plot, but by the ideas expressed. It was only sometime later that I realized why--I was tired of being told how to think--by my church, my government, my society. To its credit, this book urges you to see life as a mystery and to seek your own answers, rather than take someone else's opinion as your own.

However, after a little rational thought, I realized that there are numerous flaws in the nine "insights". First and most important, any aspect of them that is measurable fails the test. They don't seem to work, so where did this guy get them? He doesn't say.

As for the actual writing, it's not very good. Once you admit to yourself that the philosophy could never be true, the actual writing itself becomes visibly awful. The plot and characters aren't really so good, and anything to do with science was bungled badly (I'm a Physics and Computer Science major in college).

In short, the book is only good in that it can stimulate your curiosity to find out for yourself what you believe in, but many other books can do that. I would recommend finding a book that is written better.

I would like to start out by saying that I am neither an advocate nor a critic for this book. I am an English Literature major and, generally speaking, I prefer to read books by such authors as Nabokov, Joyce, Tolstoy, etc.; however, I do not prefer to read books by these authors because they are "acclaimed and renown" in the literature community, but rather because their style of prose exemplifies what the art of writing a novel represents.

I read The Celestine Prophecy because it was given to me as a birthday present by a very close friend of mine; and so, in a sense, I was compelled to read it out of a respect for my friend; however, despite the fact that my reading of the book was not voluntary, I can veritably say that I was not completely displeased with it. Fact: Redfield's writing style is very unimaginative and simplistic, but it is so in an Occam's Razor type of sensibility. Fact: The concepts discussed in the novel are quite pragmatic and rudimentary, however, to some they may be enlightening and helpful, as, on a certain self-assuring level, they were for me -- though on a much lower plane of thought than that which I am accustomed to experiencing from works of Literature. With that said, I would have to say that I would reccomend this work of fiction to most readers, because regardless of the intellectual capacity of The Celestine Prophecy, or any novel for that matter, furthering your knowledge of what lies within the walls of your local bookstore will always result in an aggrandizement of your understanding about humanity and its convoluted realities....even Nabokov read petty prose from time to time just as a means of knowing what was out there.

And as for those one star cynics, I only have one comment: If you are going to write a bad review about an author, at least use proper grammar. After reading this book, I decided to peruse some of the bad reviews of it on this website, and I was matter-of-factly astonished at the number of solecistic improprieties used by these so called "scholars" who were writing horrible reviews of this book, claiming how stupid and elementary it was. If you ever even grace the possibility of being a published author, I empathize with your editor.

In synopsis, it's a descent book, worth reading at least -- and if you are going to debase it with a cynical, shallow-minded one star review, please at least check your grammar, punctuation and spelling......you are only insulting your own intelligence, not that of the author.

I agree with the previous commenters that the plot and writing was a bit shallow, but I did enjoy that instead of a boring lecture non-fiction book. The writer choose to write a wannabe Indiana Jones inspired fictional story to get his thoeries across without losing the interest the reader. Though the story could have had more dimension, and it was a bit implausable, it did keep you interested to see how it ends. He wasn't out to write a great fictional novel, he is trying to teach, but in a more entertaining way. I'm sure there are better books that teaches spirituality with more details and broader theories from different cultures, but they are usually in a dry, sleep-inducing format with so many 10,000 dollar words that take four pages what could have been summed up in less then a paragraph. It really has changed my life to realize basic principles in all spiritual writing: you & life situation are a mirror of your thoughts (negative or positive), there's no such thing as coincidences, and everyone you meet has a bit of wisdom they can teach you if you treat them with kindness. How can anyone nay-say that?

It is Redfield's genuine sense of optimism that makes me pick up his books and read them. There is something contagious about a positive outlook on life and spirituality. But I have never read a book by him that did not go miles beyond naive in its treatment of religion/spirituality.

Redfield and his associates have loaded a plate for us at the salad bar of religious and philosophical syncretism. They have put some good things there. But the nutritional balance is suspect. Moreover, like mixing chemicals pulled randomly from under the kitchen sink, the resulting combination may be volatile.

My biggest complaint against this book is its willingness to 'spin' religious and philosophical 'developments' so that they fit neatly into their spiritual evolution paradigm. No matter that their notions run cross-currents with the larger context within which many of these religious and philosophical ideas have developed. It reminds me of a kind of inter-religious proof-texting, whereby religious leaders of the ages are all pointing in the direction in which the authors want us to go. But this is NOT where many of the thinkers and religious leaders of the past suggested we go.

Also disturbing is the book's over-simplification of ideas concerning evolution. While the authors deny that they do so, the book is built on the assumption of a linear trajectory that is not well attested by history or science. While I normally spend a lot of time criticizing Post-Modern thinkers, it might be wise for Redfield and company to take some of their critiques seriously and realize that the universe is not a 'just add water and stir' kind of place.

In truth, this is a digested cut and paste book glued together with wishful thinking.

Honestly, though, I think it is done with the best of intentions. And I will undoubtedly pick up Redfield's next book and read it, too.

Lastly, I would caution the reader that there is basically nothing new here. If you have read New Age books before, you have read this one. The strongest part of the book is the annotated bibliography (for which I commend the authors). Again, I don't agree with their interpretation of what they have read, but they are reading a lot of interesting things. To repeat...I can't help but feel good feelings for the authors. But this book leaves a lot to be desired.

This book is an overview of the entire spiritual journey. It is a like a map of human consciousness, covering the evolution of our understanding of God, as well as giving information about every aspect of the spiritual path. It is not a novel (like Celestine Prophecy, etc.), but rather it is a guide to help each person as they increase their awareness of their own spiritual understanding. Redfield and Murhpy present an excellent overview, which I found inspiring, informational, and well-researched.

Really enjoyed this book. It's clearly written for a curious, intelligent layperson, not scholars. Contains a great, concise, general overview of evolution, getting more specific as applied to the evolution of spiritual and philosophical schools of thought that have shaped our current ways of thinking, very clear presenations of many examples of ways in which we humans appear to be in the midst of (or quickly approaching) a period of rapid evolution in our awareness and capabilities, a significant number of practical ways a person might explore these ideas for him/herself, and a wonderful bibliography/recommended reading list . I found the book, enjoyable and inspiring, and would recommend it to anyone with a sincere interest in a greater understanding of the implications of individual, societal and global evolution of consciousness, and for people looking for ideas for participation and practice.

I found the book hard to fallow. It never helped me our. Also I paid to much for the set. I wouldn't recomend this book to anyone. I don't read that much, and this book was hard to fallow. It realt was. I meen I'm not dumb but it was hard. really hard.

James Redfeild has opened up a differnt look on life in general that I have thought about for a long time but have never had right in fron of me in book form. I would recomend the first book (Celestine Prophecy) to everyone.

This is a wonderful way to show a friend or loved one you understand their quest for purpose. Sharing the INSIGHTS with a loved one also provides a compainion to further discuss your new found light. There are many of us out there working toward a cultural and spiritual revolution.

I have read all Thomas Harris's books and was really looking forward to "tucking in" (pun intended) to Hannibal. Initially, it was interesting reading, since I had the images of Foster and Hopkins firmly in my mind, whereas with the other books I had imagined a taller, softer, blonder, Clarice, and a Dirk Bogarde type Lecter. I disagree with some other readers who found the Italian scenes boring. I thought the book contained some beautiful prose, which either ironically or deliberately underscored the horrific subject matter. Trying to give a reason for Hannibal's state of mind, on the other hand, had the opposite effect.

In hindsight, I believe the painstaking detail that Harris went into, while adding value, certainly was outright showing off. He's obviously very smart in music, international cuisine, guns, knives, the FBI, and pig farming, but the hopping in and out of tenses was not a smart move, since for me, it actually minimized the readability of the book. I read Harris's earlier books in one or two evenings, but this one took more than two weeks. It was very put-downable and I sense that the book was written in the same way: the last few chapters seemed very hurried, as if Harris had taken a long lapse before getting down to finishing it once and for all. As far as the ending, well, I had to read it several times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating like Clarice. Was Harris hallucinating when he wrote it? If he wasn't, then the scariest aspect of the book is that Harris could actually be Hannibal's alter ego. I'd often thought I'd like to meet the author, but after that ludicrously horrific excuse for an ending, I'm far more scared of him than I am Hannibal Lecter!