The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Tolle's The Power of Now is one of the most influential books in the mindfulness trend that has swept the US in the last 20 years.  The book is written as a series of questions and answers, much like the dialogs of Plato.  His main assertion is that thinking about the past or future brings suffering and that pure enlightenment is only possible by staying fully present.  He asserts that there is no suffering in the present because in the present there are no problems, just situations.  You can choose to respond to resolve the situation, or accept the situation.  He also talks about the difference between your mind and your true self.  The mind seeks things that bring pain, like glory, temporary pleasure, or numbing of emotions. To achieve enlightenment one must escape the tyranny of the mind. At a few places in the book Tolle leads the reader through a guided meditation or some other exercise to help them achieve a focus on the present. 

I found this book very interesting and pretty accessible.  I don't agree with all his assertions. For example, he seems to be of the opinion that almost all human relations are bound to fail because for them to succeed both members of the couple must be enlightened, and that almost never happens. I am guessing this pessimistic view of relationships reflects his own experience more than it reflects general human experience.  I do think there are nuggets of truth to be gleaned from his ideas, and plan to apply some of his principles to my personal struggle with excessive worrying. One useful thought about worry from the book is that there is no use spending emotional effort worrying about something you can do nothing about in this moment. Tolle narrates the answers in the book himself, and has a very pleasant calm voice. I think the book is worth the read if only to understand better the  ideas behind meditation and presentism. (2004, 256 p.)