From the Publisher
Deepak Chopra, the spiritual sage, has exhibited immense ambition…His attempt to explain God makes my bones shiver. His success in defining that life-long mystery brings tears to my eyes and humbles me in gratitude. He has probed through the ages in order to write a book for the ages. — Maya Angelou
“Deepak Chopra has successfully blended ancient Vedanta Philosophy with his unique perspective on modern science to provide a vast audience with solutions that meet many needs for our modern age.” — Huston Smith, author of The World's Religions
“The line is usually drawn from God to revelation but by drawing it from revelation to God in this astonishing book, Deepak achieves two startling results.” — Arvind Sharma, Birks Professor of Comparative Religion, McGill University
“Spiritual traditions manifest themselves most clearly in the living human beings who embody them. In this highly readable volume Deepak Chopra has told the engaging stories of a dozen of these exemplary figures. The result is both inspiring and richly enjoyable.” — Harvey Cox, author of The Future of Faith
“Through his compelling fictionalization, Deepak Chopra offers an intriguing exposition of the evolution of human theological thought. He should have called the book ‘A Brief History of God’!” — Leonard Mlodinow, co-author (with Stephen Hawking) of The Grand Design and A Briefer History of Time
Blending fictional accounts of ten extraordinary people in history he respects with commentary on their lives and works, Chopra has created a medium for us to ponder the evolution of God. — Spirituality and Practice
Maya Angelou
Deepak Chopra, the spiritual sage, has exhibited immense ambition…His attempt to explain God makes my bones shiver. His success in defining that life-long mystery brings tears to my eyes and humbles me in gratitude. He has probed through the ages in order to write a book for the ages.
Arvind Sharma
The line is usually drawn from God to revelation but by drawing it from revelation to God in this astonishing book, Deepak achieves two startling results.
Harvey Cox
Spiritual traditions manifest themselves most clearly in the living human beings who embody them. In this highly readable volume Deepak Chopra has told the engaging stories of a dozen of these exemplary figures. The result is both inspiring and richly enjoyable.
Huston Smith
Deepak Chopra has successfully blended ancient Vedanta Philosophy with his unique perspective on modern science to provide a vast audience with solutions that meet many needs for our modern age.
Spirituality and Practice
Blending fictional accounts of ten extraordinary people in history he respects with commentary on their lives and works, Chopra has created a medium for us to ponder the evolution of God.
Leonard Mlodinow
Through his compelling fictionalization, Deepak Chopra offers an intriguing exposition of the evolution of human theological thought. He should have called the book ‘A Brief History of God’!
AUGUST 2013 - AudioFile
As part of his Enlightenment series, physician Deepak Chopra showcases the nature of God using 10 historical figures. Chopra recounts fictional stories about these important figures with clarity, fluidity, and simplicity that forefront how the depiction of God has changed throughout time. He presents his wisdom by incorporating the characteristics and belief systems of such crucial influences as Socrates and St. Paul. When Chopra’s detailed thought process is heard out loud, it becomes a clearer and more powerful way to challenge one’s views and beliefs. Spiritual seekers will appreciate the historical accounts and examples of change in the human consciousness of God. D.Z. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
Billed as a "teaching novel," this book uses examples from the lives of mystics of diverse traditions to pose questions about the origins, significance and reach of consciousness. Chopra is the founder of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, Calif. He has written numerous books (Spiritual Solutions, 2012, etc.) and has had several titles on bestseller lists. Here, Chopra profiles 10 historical figures in an effort to better understand God: Job, Socrates, St. Paul, Shankara, Rumi, Julian of Norwich, Giordano Bruno, Anne Hutchinson, Baal Shem Tov and Rabindranath Tagore. Along the way, Chopra offers his reflections, which occasionally drift into homily. The central question Chopra raises in each "Revealing the Vision" section is: "[W]here did consciousness come from?" Not all of the figures profiled are well-known. Hutchinson, for example, was an early, radical Puritan; Bruno, a heretic, was burned at the stake in Rome in 1600. Of particular interest are the humorous, humble Baal Shem, the brilliant, witty Shankara and the visionary Julian, a man Chopra calls "the most touching figure in this book." This book will appeal to the spiritually minded.
