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Summary: is it strange?
Review: well..I'm peruvian and this book makes me laugh, is more aboutthe ppl of the fisrt world, their ambisions, greedy, selfness, withoutsoul, --sorry for my bad english - i think the author knows that forthe latins the external world is irrelevant, that, we are moreconcerned with our lost-evil vs good-souls, but he and many ppl of themore developed countries seen like they do not have soul for bad orfor good, they are in the process of involution! , and definetely thisguy has been touched by the latin culture, the insight...Come to SouthAmerica and don't waste your time reading it...write your own books,we do live in another world!
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Summary: Pepperdine University GSEP Doctoral Student
Review: I enjoyed reading the Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. Even though it is a book of fiction, I found quite a few examples throughout the book that I was able to relate to or at least recognized. Redfield's book seems to focus on the forgotten concepts of communication, interpersonal relationships, and ego. In the United States, as well as in other countries, communication is mostly verbal and written. There is a misconception that very little information is communicated nonverbally. The Celestine Prophecy seems to reiterate that body language, status, tonality, relationships and family, the use of silence, and many other factors communicate meaning. Mainstream Americans interpret gestures, silences, eye contact, and facial expressions in ways learned at home or at school. For example, most children in the United States are taught to look at the teacher or parent when they are being scolded. In many Asian, Latin American, Caribbean, and other cultures, in contrast, children are often taught to look down or away as a sign of respect for the person who scolding them. The Celestine Prophecy talks about eight insights that may be used in understanding the situation that we are involved in. Throughout his book, Redfield consistently reminds us to be alert, look for messages, and the intentions behind the message; otherwise we stand to be lost and out of touch with the rest of the world. To do this, according to the Celestine Prophecy, we must use (develop) our insights. An insight involves the grouping of perceptions into meaningful wholes. Creating insight is a major responsibility and Redfield, creating our insights, constantly reminds us be receptive to new experiences and to realize the way each piece of new experiences relate to all other pieces. It is this concept of true learning that requires an understanding of how each of these factors may affect all of the others and, at the same time, knowledge of how a change in any one of them may affect all of the others. This mental relating and grouping of associated perceptions is called insight. Redfield tells us that insight will almost always occur eventually, whether or not instruction is provided. To master the insights found in the Celestine Prophecy, one must have inner security and personal courage, which you will need to be open, honest, and direct with others. Another insight from the book tells us to resolve our conflicts without resorting to the use of power or authority to win at the expense of the other's losing; in other words relate to each other with mutual respect, love, and peace. Redfield explains how the struggle for power reduces communication, builds barriers, generates hostility and resentment, conflict, and to really be effective requires people to be afraid and dependent. We are conditioned almost from infancy to think of feelings as bad and dangerous - enemies of good human relationships. We basically grow up afraid of feelings - our own and those of others around them - largely because we have heard from adults in our lives messages like these: "Don't ever let me hear you say you hate your baby brother." "If you can't say something pleasant, don't say anything at all." Somehow feelings and emotions are perceived, as the direct opposite of the rationality and shallowness required in relationships we want in the workplace. Leaving your worries at the doorstep and biting your tongue are the behaviors considered appropriate for people in organizations; people feel these behaviors will be valued and rewarded in the long run. Redfield reinforces the idea that expressing feelings actually increases a group's effectiveness and productivity. He writings suggest that feelings should be welcomed because they are cues and clues that some problem exists. With this attitude, we will not ignore the signals or, worse yet, roadblock the senders of such messages. Though the writings in his book, Redfield recommends that we encourage people through active listening to go beyond the feelings and get to the underlying problem. Most people are inclined to think that feelings are rather permanent and unchangeable. Through several examples in the book, Redfield demonstrates that feelings can be transitory and fortunately negative feelings can be quite transitory. The Celestine Prophecy stressed that effective people with problem solving skills need not assume full responsibility to problem-solve alone; rather, they can enlist the resources of the group members to help them. In theory at least, the ideal group would marshal the creative resources of every member as it faces its problems and searches for the best solutions. Not every member needs to be involved in all problem solving, but in the ideal group, the resources of all members are available when appropriate or necessary. I am not sure if I could use any of this information in my workplace. Because Public Law 105-61, section 622, states that the training or new concepts cannot contain elements likely to induce high levels of emotional response or psychological stress in some participants; or cannot be offensive to, or designed to change, participants' personal values or lifestyle outside the workplace. But I would need to exercise extreme caution, because I could to learn to use these concepts in my personal life, which could naturally spill over into the workplace. The benefits of my using the insights from the Celestine Prophecy are: I would become a person that is open, honest, and direct in presenting myself as I really am, but I would run the risk of exposing my true self to others; I could see people solving their own problems and become less dependent on others; watching people become more open in discussing their problems; and experiencing the personal satisfaction of helping people get their needs met. Redfield suggests, through hidden messages, that when you help others meet their needs, they are infinitely more willing to make an effort to help you meet yours. Question: If I open myself to others, they will get to know the real me. Do I want people to know who I really am?
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Summary: Enjoyable, but mostly fluff
Review: This book was lent to me over a year ago, and I've just recently finished reading it. Redfield's "insights" into the spiritual enlightenment of mankind are interesting and noble, perhaps even a bit truthful. The story itself is written in parable form (and yes, it is fiction), and the plot is rather lacking. Redfield has taken an otherwise excellent pamphlet and crammed in a bunch of "he said this and she did that" to try to make a novel out of it. Again, the spiritual and psychological insight is certainly worth the read, if you have a bit of patience for rhetoric, but if Cliff's Notes are available I would highly recommend going that route and skipping directly to the point.
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Summary: Sophomoric Adventure
Review: There must be a dearth of spiritul adventure books available in our current times, that a work so poorly conceived and ill-written as this one has found so wide and so large an audience --many readers have called it the worst-written book they have ever encountered. The intent of the book is to raise one's belief in spirituality by replacing the dogma of the Catholic Church with the dogma of the "nine key insights", and to introduce an intelligence and meaning behind seeming coincidence. On this first point we seekers of meaning are in agreement, but Redfield's story, his phony encounters and adventures -- fiction that is meant to be read as fact -- further cloud his sophomoric narrative. If you want to find spirituality in fiction, read E.M. Forster's A PASSAGE TO INDIA. To find it in parable read Hermann Hesse's SIDDARTHA. If you seek spirituality revealed in true adventures and peril in an unfamiliar world read Broughton Coburn's startling EVEREST: MOUNTAIN WITHOUT MERCY, or Dana & Ginger Lamb's incredible but true adventure, QUEST FOR THE LOST CITY.
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Summary: The Celestine Fallacy: A Misadventure
Review: The star rating for this book should read ZERO, but there was no zero option for me to choose! For those already spiritually 'sussed' it offers nothing new. For those who are mildly interested and are just stepping into the world of new ideas and thinking in terms of 'the meaning of life' then this book will probably put you off. There are great books out there that are completely justified in describing themselves as 'life-changing' or 'life-affirming'. Unfortunately, this is most definitely not one of them.
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Summary: Redfield's Tenth Insight
Review: Redfield's real insight was how to steal other people's insights and fabricate faux-nonfiction. For those people who found this book good or fascinating, all I can say is "Keep Reading till you find a genuine source of insights."
Rating: 
Summary: WOW
Review: I've never listend or read a book cover to cover until now. this is great format for getting the messages embeded in the book to the mass populous. The story is fairly good but could use work. But I found myself more interest in the teachings of the Insights. Even if you don't believe in the insights they sure make you think. READ THIS BOOK!!! It will transform the way you look at things.
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Summary: Seriously over-rated.
Review: I read this book because somebody I respected recommended it to me. Unfortunately, this book did nothing to enhance my opinion of her ... and has actually damaged my estimation of her. This book is the most poorly written book (in terms of English grammar and readability) that I've ever encountered... it was a chore to get through the otherwise lightweight pages (the writing was so bad that I had to often re-read sentences to make sure I hadn't misread them). As for any deep and meaningful 'learnings', there were none - the was story was nothing short of nonsense and insulting to anyone over the age of 11. And yet I persisted, certain that there must be some reason so many people found this book 'enligtening' ... but it only got worse, with a dismal ending. The only things I learned from this book : a) how good other books (from Richard Bach and Paulo Coelho) are. b) how foolish the general public are, to have raised this piece of nonsense on such high a pedestal. My brother recently received this book from a friend of his... again, this had an adverse affect on my opinion of his friend. And the only reason I'd recommend my brother reading it, is as an example of what pathetic sheep our society is cultivating. And that's about the only reason I'd recommend anybody reading it - after hearing so much about this book, read it and find out how easy it is to dupe the masses.
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Summary: The Hardy Boys and the Peruvian Prophesies
Review: Abridged Audio is to be avoided - though the premise of the Celestine Prophecy and the insights still hold an allure for this reader, who will get and read the book at some point (when I have lost the memory of this horrible audio). The Hardy Boy goes in search of the spiritual, chasing all over Peru, one step ahead of the evil Cardinal with lots of (rather inane) adventure along the way. Please be warned that the abridged audio is insultingly simplistic. The reader does well with the voices, but over-enunciates, and completely misses any emotion with a sing-song delivery (same tone to say "United States of America" as "I was so frightened")? The Celestine Meditations audio is absolutely lovely -- I never imagined I would be this disappointed.
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Summary: It should have been called Therapy for Dummies
Review: Hilarious and yet touching. Really, one of the worst-written books I have ever read, but completely addictive. If only life were as easy as this book: have a revelation, then have an encounter with someone who proves your revelation is correct. SO EFFICIENT! But why did he set this book in Peru? The last time I was in Peru I got so sick I lost 15 pounds in 4 days. Where was he getting all of his sandwiches and water? Why didn't he ever get tourista? Come on! Only a new age kook could describe Peru without discussing the diarrhea aspect of it. It made me giggle every time I thought about my Peru experience. Instead of searching for the Spanish for "Where is the bathroom?" and "hold the ice cubes please," I could have been having intense conversations with fellow searchers, where we all stare at each other and exchange energy (the best parts of the book--these conversations between people exchanging energy. It all sounds good, but when you really try to visualize it, it just becomes bizarre--like the way soap opera actors react in slow motion. Lots of staring and waiting). I do see why this book is a best seller. Gotta go. I have to exchange some energy with a pal.
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