So Stubborn....

I don't like hype.

I do like reading Harry Potter books though. So when a new Harry Potter book comes out I don't rush to the store to buy my copy like everyone else - I put my name on the list for it at the library and I (somewhat) patiently wait. That is my little protest against the hype. It is quiet, most people don't even know that I am protesting, but it is what I do.

So when Oprah launched the big online discussion about Eckart Tolle's latest book A New Earth, my hype radar went off. I enjoyed reading The Power of Now and I was fairly certain I would enjoy this new book, but again I was turned off by the hype that surrounded it. So I put my name on the list at the library and I decided to patiently wait. I think I was number 267 on the list. The library likely has about 20 copies of the book and each person ahead of me gets to keep the book for 3 weeks. Now I didn't actually do the math, but I was aware that it would probably be a while before I got to read it. I was okay with this - I have my philosophy class right now and many other books on the go to keep me busy.

In the meantime, however, many of my friends started reading the book and following the Oprah discussion. Several of them mentioned that they thought I would really enjoy it and wished that they could talk with me about it. I told them that I was on the list at the library and I was looking forward to reading it when it was my turn. Most of them responded in frustration by telling me that I could get the book for $10 at Costco. This prompted me to tell my little protest story. Part of my protest is with regard to the amount of trees destroyed in making the vast number of books required for everyone to be reading it at the same time. It could well be argued that the positive effects of so many people reading these wise words and coming together in a higher more peaceful consciousness would more than balance out the environmental impact, but still I persisted.

Anyway eventually one very good friend, who has been particularly frustrated that I "had to choose this book for my protest" because she would have liked to be able to discuss the book with me while she was reading it, finished reading the book and lent me her copy. I started reading it yesterday ..... and, my goodness, do I ever feel like a boob. This book is so phenomenal! I now realize why everyone wanted to talk about it. It is so thought-provoking and meaningful. It is also so eloquent and clearly written. I guess, according to the author, that not everyone will connect with the book - but if you do it is profound. In just over 24 hours, I have read the first three chapters and listened to the first three author discussions. I am really excited to read the rest of the book and I can't wait to call up everyone else to discuss it..... I am only hoping that all the wisdom that they gleaned from this book will give them the compassion not to slam the phone down on me. :-)