Rating: 
Summary: why no zero stars??
Review: I was going to bash this book seriously but saw i got beat to it! Which is good, this book is typical new age fluffy bunny excrement. Please people there are SERIOUS books out there that will actually teach you VALUABLE things. Read THOSE, not this [...] this throw feces on true spiritual works.
Rating:
Summary: Barely worth the time spent reading this
Review: After hearing so many great things about the Celestine Prophecy, I began to wonder what I was missing. Curiously, I ran across a copy at a garage sale (ahh, what a coincidence!) and purchased it for $1.I'm thankful I didn't spend more, because the book was a huge letdown from all the hype. As many have already noted, the prose is extremely simplistic, as is the story. There is nothing interesting about the characters, and each dangerous moment in the story is neatly wrapped up in a hokey, "oh please" ending. The concepts discussed are worth consideration towards a more peaceful society, but the degree of serious thought that has gone into the presentation of the various "insights" is sorely lacking. Ooh....I can see your aura...like wow. I haven't read any of the followups to this book, because if they are as hokey and simplistic as the first, I don't want to waste my time. You could sum up the message of this book in a few sentences; basically, be open to coincidental encounters and what you might learn from them. Appreciate the natural beauty of the earth. Be a vegetarian (not specifically advocated, but every meal discussed in the book is fruits and veggies). Treat children like real individuals. Don't be so egotistical. There is more to life than what you see on the surface. Oh, and the best one, that the Mayans mysterious disappearance millenia ago is attributed to their becoming invisible. Let's just say, I'm really glad I only paid a dollar for this thing, and I do like most books, but this one's pretty lame.
Rating:
Summary: amazing, anyone bought it
Review: CP makes me want to try my hand at authoring a new age book and retire wealthy. It offers two or three pretty concepts blended with
standard new age fare such as auras and inner strength, all couched
in a very poorly written novel. I couldn't stomach reading the last ten pages of dripping sap. If the author had some personal insights to offer, a straight telling as in Art of Worldly Wisdom would've worked.
Rating:
Summary: Gives me Hope
Review: Hope that I can make it as an author, if this guy can. This book is simply stupid, and its success is a rather sad commentary on humanity. The dialog is laughable, the plot an inch thin.
Rating: 
Summary: Insightful Escape
Review: I enjoyed reading this insightful piece of fiction. It's great to read fiction, but still be able to reflect on it and to be able to see how it can apply to your real life. An inisightful escape.
Rating:
Summary: Mayans in Peru, your kidding right?
Review: In this book, author James Redfield suggests that the Mayans disappeared because they moved to a higher plane of existence. The unnamed main character quits his job within the first four pages of the book to look for a Mayan manuscript (containing nine new-age insights) in Peru. First of all, Mayans occupied parts of Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador, and most of Guatemala and Belize; not Peru. No wonder our intrepid adventurer couldn't find them. Not to mention the fact that Mayans didn't dissapear. Mayan civilization collapsed; however, you can go to these areas and meet thier descendents. So based on the fact that I have met several, I doubt seriously they are invisible due to being on a higher plane of existence. Other laughable elements include a Latin preist named "Father Carl" and the fact that the manuscript is written in Aramaic with no explanation given as to why. I could pass all this off as merely devices by which the author intends to explain his new-age insights but Redfield is really serious about this stuff, so are many fans of this book. Fans of this book are the same people who put a Buddha statue in thier house then claim to be knowledgable about Eastern religions, yet have never attended any Eastern religious ceremonies. I base that statement on actual people who have recommended this rubish to me. Do yourself a favor and don't buy this book. If you are misfortunate enough to have already paid for it; I recommend rubbing garbage all over every page, closing it back up, and then loaning it to a friend you hate. This will give them the same feeling I had while reading this travesty. The tenth insight should be, "If you paid for this book, you proved P.T. Barnum correct."
Rating: 
Summary: Not great, but okay.
Review: It has it's good and bad points, but overall I'm glad I read it. It's a very easy read, Redfield is extremely simple and direct in his writing style. I thought the plot was very intriguing, but it got repetitive after the first few chapters. Some of the "Insights" are a bit New Age-y, but they did make me think and do a quick re-evaluation of the way I live. It didn't inspire a life-overhaul, but it did give little bits on wisdom of how to change my life for the better. I give it a 3.5.
Rating:
Summary: Synchronicity is real: An exoteric look at the esoteric
Review: James Redfield's "The Celestine Prophecy" is essential reading for all spiritual seekers and anyone searching for truth in the most unlikely places. One reviewer of the book said something along the lines of "and I thought this book was supposed to be fiction!" In one respect, the book is indeed fiction. It is an allegorical tale written in the first person perspective. Curiously, the author's name is never mentioned, and the reader assumes that the main character is James Redfield. As far as I know, Mr. Redfield did not actually undergoe the adventures described in his book, at least not physically. It is possible that he did receive the insights described in the Peruvian manuscript while in a drug-induced trance state, during transendental meditation, or while in a dissociative gray void. Either way, the insights are remarkably accurate in describing human spirituality and the nature of human bio-energy and its interactions. And yes, people can and do see energy fields. For more information I suggest reading "How to See and Read the Aura" by Ted Andrews. As a follow up to this book, I would suggest David Icke's "I am Me, I am Free: The Robot's Guide to Freedom." It is much more advanced and has more spiritual meat than Redfield's books; however, Icke's work can be anywhere from slightly to overly distressing to those unfamiliar with esoteric information. Peace and love to all.
Rating: 
Summary: This book makes you ask some truly meaningful questions
Review: Such as, how the hell has it become such a cult phenomenon?! Is our society so illiterate that this book can be percieived as a spiritual masterpiece? This book is written in language so dull and un-exciting that it is hard to stop yourself from day-dreaming through it. The main character is extremely shallow - the only thing you learn about him throughout the book is that he is incredibly stupid, and is surroundedby a bunch of rubber stamps posing as secondary characters. Througout the book, the main character searches Peru for a recently discovered manuscript which contains 9 "insights" which are supposed to lead the world into a new era of spirituality. These insights are simply over-worked explanations of simple sociological and psychological facts, Redfield makes grand assumptions and generalizations (on one occasion, he describes the entire process of evolution on the planet, which culminates in the human race, while entirely ignoring the existance of the Dinosaurs), and rehashes old ideas such as the aura. Many people have stated here that the strengh of Redfield's prose is not the issue, his ideas are, but I object, for without good writing to draw the reader in and take an interest in the story and its characters, how will anyone ever take this book's meaning to heart? If you want to read a book that is truly about a journey of self-discovery and the meaning of life, and that also has compelling, even riveting prose, read Paulo Coelho's (I hope I have the name right) The Alchemist, which is a true masterpiece
Rating:
Summary: Inane
Review: There's no way to put this politely: "The Celestine Prophecy" is the worst book I've read in years. I read it a while back when it was a bestseller. I wanted to see why so many people were reading it. I still don't know. The story quickly goes from fascinating to silly to just plain idiotic, and the author strongly implies that all the mumbo jumbo stuff is actually real.
Redfield should be ashamed for trying to foist this stupid stuff on readers.
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