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50 SPIRITUAL CLASSICS Hardcover JUNG Gandhi TOLLE Tzu THICH HAT HAN

TIMELESS WISDOM FROM 50 GREAT BOOKS OF INNER DISCOVERY, ENLIGHTENMENT & PURPOSE

ST. AUGUSTINE • CARLOS CASTANEDA • THICH HAT HAN • M. GANDHI - RAM DASS • KAHLIL GIBRAN • HERMANN HESSE • WILLIAM JAMES • CARL JUNG • MOTHER TERESA • ECKHART TOLLE • SIMONE WEIL

“What an uplifting journey I had... If you only ever read one spiritual book, let is be this one.”

―Susan Jeffers PhD, author of Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

“A kaleidoscope of inspiration ...insightful commentaries on each classic and biographical information on the authors. A unique overview of Spirituality.”

―Watkins Review

Tom Butler-Bowdon s selections for 50 Spiritual Classics are bound to be controversial. From mega-bestsellers to 1st Century writings, stories of personal journeys to biographies of spiritual leaders through the ages, Butler-Bowdon places each work into its historical context and offers insightful commentary on how these classics can help spiritual seekers everywhere bring personal beliefs, values and practices squarely into the center of their every day lives.

50 Spiritual Classics captures the diversity of life journeys that span centuries, continents, spiritual traditions and secular beliefs: from the historical The Book of Chuang Tzu to modern insight from the Kabbalah, from St. Augustine s Confessions to Eckhart Tolle s recent The Power of Now, from Don Miguel Ruiz s The Four Agreements to Rick Warren s phenomenon The Purpose-Driven Life. The first and only bite-sized guide to the very best in spiritual writing, this one-of-a-kind collection includes personal diaries and compelling biographies of such diverse figures as Gandhi, Malcolm X, and Black Elk; Eastern philosophers and gurus including Krishnamurti, Yogananda, Chögyam Trungpa and Suzuki; and Western saints and mystics such as St. Francis of Assisi, Herman Hesse and Simone Weil.

In its commentaries of both the conventional classics as well as new writings destined to endure, 50 Spiritual Classics makes universal the human spiritual experience beyond time and space and will inspire spiritual seekers everywhere to begin their own adventure.

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Reader Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars

Profoundly Transformative -- Best Book on Spirituality Available

My review can be summarized with the simple statement that this is among the best books I've ever read in the genres of spirituality, philosophy, and religion, and in fact in any genre. It provides truly meaningful exposure to a diverse kaliedoscope of spiritual viewpoints which, for the most part, I find to be complementary and reinforcing, rather than contradictory and conflicting.

The result for me has been profoundly tranformative, and I think that will be the case for many others who read the book, provided that they do so with an open mind. For those who are diehard skeptics or dogmatists, perhaps this book will even open many of their minds.

I'm eagerly looking forward to reading many of the books summarized in this book, as well as the three other books in the "50 Classics" series written by the author.

In short, I can't recommend this book strongly enough, and it's no accident that all of the prior reviewers gave it 5 stars. I've given copies of this book to quite a few people, which is something I've never done before with any other book.

Let me say it in another way: if you were stranded on an island and could have only one book, this might be the one to have.

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5.0 out of 5 stars

This book is a must have for the spiritual seeker

Not only is this book a perfect reference guide to some of the world's greatest spiritual literature, but it clarifies and explains many complex ideas by various authors, sages, and gurus. If you like Tom's books, you will love the audios which also make for a great road trip. I also have read Tom's books on Prosperity and Self Help Classics and they are truly a must have for the library. Also, the author's summaries and ideas in the beginning of the books are wonderful and the references and bibliographies in the end are great to have if you are looking to buy the books that are reviewed. I just bought some of these books as graduation gifts to give away.

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5.0 out of 5 stars

Read 50 spiritual books in one sitting

Some people might say there is only one spiritual book worth reading and that book is the one that is the basis of their particular religion. I think there is good to be found in many religions. This book is like holding a religous library in your hand. Read this book and you will know the most important spiritual information from 50 spiritual books. What better leverage of your time can you get.

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5.0 out of 5 stars

Share with a friend to uplift & tough times

Have a digital copy for myself & bought a hard copy for a friend. Have discovered stories I didn't know & details about things I thought I knew. Its an easy read & encouraging. I feel like this is one of those great books everyone, readers & not, can apperciate through life's challenges.

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5.0 out of 5 stars

Desert Island collection. Highly recommended!

Excellent! Wonderfully well-written survey of and introduction to essential Spiritual ClassicsI Would make a great textbook for a Spritual Classics 101 Course. The author has given a brief summary of the major ideas and biographical highlights for each author. And remarkably, in just a few pages each, manages to convey a feeling for the authors' personalities and contributions to theology and philosophy! This is a book which I have already given as a gift and will certainly give again!

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What are your personal spiritual goals? Whether you seek to fulfill your potential, expand your perception, gain insight, or find purpose and inspi-ration, the great spiritual thinkers introduced in this unique guide offer enlightenment and awakening to enrich the mind and heal the soul.

* Be inspired by the life-changing stories of St. Augustine, Ram Dass, and Malcolm X.

* Explore the multiplicity of spiritual experience in the thoughts of Black Elk, Epictetus, William James, and Carl Jung.

* Open the doors of perception with Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Book of Chuang Tzu, and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

* Divine life's purpose as understood by Teresa of Avila, Mother Teresa, Rick Warren, and Simone Weil.

The world's spiritual literature is a treasury of collective wisdom. This one-of-a-kind glimpse into its priceless heritage will take you on the next step of your own road to inner discovery.

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Muhammad Asad The Road to Mecca (1954)

St. Augustine Confessions (400)

Richard Bach Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970)

Black Elk Black Elk Speaks (1932)

Richard Maurice Bucke Cosmic Consciousness (1901)

Fritjof Capra The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism (1976)

Carlos Castaneda Journey to Ixtlan (1972)

G. K. Chesterton St Francis of Assisi (1922)

Pema Chödrön The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times (2001)

Chuang Tzu The Book of Chuang Tzu (4th century)

Ram Dass Be Here Now (1971)

Epictetus Enchiridion (1st century)

Mohandas Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth (1927)

Ghazzali The Alchemy of Happiness (1097)

Kahlil Gibran The Prophet (1923)

G. I. Gurdjieff Meetings with Remarkable Men (1960)

Dag Hammarsköld Markings (1963)

Abraham Joshua Heschel The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man (1951)

Hermann Hesse Siddartha (1922)

Aldous Huxley The Doors of Perception (1954)

William James The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902)

Carl Gustav Jung Memories, Dreams, Reflections (1955)

Margery Kempe The Book of Margery Kempe (1436)

J. Krishnamurti Think on These Things (1964)

C. S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters (1942)

Malcolm X The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1964)

Daniel C. Matt The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism (1994)

W. Somerset Maugham The Razor's Edge (1944)

Dan Millman The Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book that Changes Lives (1989)

Michael Newton Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life between Lives (1994)

Thich Nhat Hanh The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation (1975)

John O'Donohue Anam Cara: Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World (1998)

Robert M. Pirsig Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974)

James Redfield The Celestine Prophecy: An Adventure (1994)

Miguel Ruiz The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (1997)

Helen Schuman & William Thetford A Course in Miracles (1976)

Idries Shah The Way of the Sufi (1968)

Starhawk The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess (1979)

Shunryu Suzuki Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice (1970)

Emanuel Swedenborg Heaven and Hell (1758)

Teresa of Avila Interior Castle (1570)

Mother Teresa A Simple Path (1994)

Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment (1998)

Chögyam Trungpa Cutting through Spiritual Materialism (1973)

Neale Donald Walsch Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue (1998)

Rick Warren The Purpose-Driven Life (2002)

Simone Weil Waiting for God (1979)

Ken Wilber A Theory of Everything: An Integral Vision for Business, Politics, Science and Spirituality (2000)

Paramahansa Yogananda Autobiography of a Yogi (1946)

Gary Zukav The Seat of the Soul: An Inspiring Vision of Humanity's Spiritual Destiny (1990)