Power vs. Force

Great book, poorly read.

There is no doubt as a book, Power vs. Force is
brilliant. Sadly the author reads it with the most
boring monotone mumble. My advice - get the book, not
the audio book.

18 of 18 people found this review helpful

Great insights but inaccessible to the masses

I typically prefer it if the author is the narrator of their audiobook. In this case I make an exception. Given that I am not enlightened and that I do not possess absolute mental discipline, my mind still gets distracted from listening.

The drone of Hawkins voice doesn't help to keep my mind engaged in the book and so I was left to use will power to keep my mind from wandering. A professional voice actor with a more colourful delivery would have solved this problem and perhaps made the book more acceptable to more people.

I titled this review inaccessible to the masses because of the intellectual complexity with which it is written.

I expect readers of this book will have the same complaints as they do about Eckhart Tolle and Deepak Chopra..... too intellectual.

Surely a spirital teacher who wanted to make the greatest impact would appeal to the lowest common denominator to ensure that readers of all reading and intelligence levels would be able to benefit from the material? That's not what's happening here.

I can imagine many people who started reading this book up did not finish because the material was too heavy. The ideas are not complex but the delivery, I feel, is.

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

Respectfully ok (rambling pseudoscience aside)

The precept behind this book is both intriguing and inspiring. In essence, the book lays out a scale of consciousness, or as I would put it, awareness. The model is simple, profound and makes complete sense. The book spends much of its time discussing applications and how to test for where people are on this scale solely by use of 'Applied Kinesiology'- for example by way of measuring muscular resistance (at a subconscious level) to pressure applied to an outstretched arm. AK is widely discredited in the scientific community and unfortunately this book serves in the main to endorse such views. Hawkins regularly discusses where people lie on the scale ('calibration') and yet never divulges specifically how such calibrations are attributed. The evidence (scientific, spiritual or whatever basis one uses) is vague and leaves many obvious questions unanswered e.g. how does one ensure consistent pressure is applied, how does one rule out idiomatic motion etc. etc. Hawkins rambles on in a repetitive style, often revisiting unsubstantiated assertions. His voice is also quite slurred which (with much respect) makes this a hard listen. Thanks to Dr. Hawkins for such an interesting hypothesis.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Can’t understand the audio!

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

I have heard so many things about this book and was excited to start listening. It is narrated by David Hawkins himself and for as much as the man is a genius, his vocals aren’t! He sounds drunk, slurs his words and I couldn’t understand what he was saying and as a result I gave up listening.

What could Dr. David R. Hawkins have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Not narrate the audio!

Would you be willing to try another one of Dr. David R. Hawkins’s performances?

Not if he is narrating.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disapointmemt that I couldn’t understand what he was saying.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Fantastic book

Horrible narration... please have this book narrated by a professional, that would actually be a dream!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Inspiring and wondrous - a first class work!

This book has enabled me to see the world, people, and spirituality in a completely new way. Dr David Hawkins has managed to explain timeless spiritual reality in a way that can make sense to the modern, thinking, intelligent individual. Having read Power vs. Force I went on to read most of Dr Hawkin's other works and also listened to most of his lectures. I have found his knowledge, experience and skilled teaching to be invaluable and the lectures are often humorous and entertaining as well as inspiring.

There is a body of work called "The Great Books of the Western World"; I believe Power vs. Force should be number 1 in the list.

Listening to the author read this masterwork adds to the experience.

You may wish to hunt around on the internet to get a copy of the scale of consciousness as he refers to this and seeing it helps to make sense of it. You can either Google images for "Hawkins scale of consciousness" and it is possible to order a copy from www.veritaspub.com.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Perfect for those with trouble getting to sleep

Really difficult to listen to. Putting the pseudoscience aside, it’s narrated in a dull and monotone voice.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

One of the most important books I have read.

I have been through this book several times and each brought new insight and awareness. I am grateful for this work.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good Content but Dreadful narration

I enjoyed the content of this book but found that the voice of the narrator to be really boring, lifeless and not at all clear very slurred in fact so much so that I have not managed to listen to all of it which is a shame as if it had been read with a bit more energy and clarity it would have been most enjoyable, Still really interesting material.

5 of 7 people found this review helpful

Don't bother if you want some serious science

When I got this audiobook I was hoping for something insightful and different. Sadly both the content and narration are very poor.

The narration, which I think is the author himself, sounds rambling and slurred - it made me wonder if he's had a stroke. Considering it is his own text, he reads it as if it is for the first time. It really didn't work for me and put me off very quickly.

The content, with it's focus on nondescript "energy" and "calibrations" that he never actually explains clearly was a big let down. It reminded me of the nonsense churned out by Eckard Tolle. Maybe you really can answer any question - past, present or future with a few lever presses of the arm, but personally I am far from convinced based on this audiobook.

I'm going to ask for my money back on this one.