God: A Story of Revelation Paperback – October 8, 2013

I heard Deepak Chopra speak to a large audience in San Francisco years ago. The large hall was filled to overflowing and the excitement and vibration in the room was very high. He has a loyal following as a mind-body healer. I listened to the audio book first and had to get the book in order to fully understand Chopra's spoken words. His tone is flat like a drone and some words were not yet in my vocabulary. I looked up quite a few definitions and Wikipedia entries. This is the first and only book by Deepak Chopra that I have read. I am favorably impressed with his creative writing ability. This book is a history of God-consciousness, starting with Job (biblical times), Socrates (470 BCE), St. Paul (4 BCE), and then Shankara (700 AD), Rumi (1207), Julian of Norwich (1342), Giordano Bruno (1548), Anne Hutchinson (1591), Baal Shem Tov (1700), and concluding with Rabindranath Tagore (1861). Each biography concludes with Chopra's commentary on the historical evolution of God-consciousness revealed by each individual's vision of God. The Epilogue is a contemplation on post-modern God-consciousness, concluding that the age of faith is over, and in a fact-based world, we must seek direct experience of God to verify that God truly exists. Fortunately, brain research and neuroscience make maps to tell which areas of the cortex light up when a person feels compassion, has a holy vision, or prays. "You are the light of the world" now has a literal meaning. Looking back at the visionaries in this book, they followed four paths to God: the path of devotion, the path of understanding, the path of service, and/or the path of meditation. On the path of meditation, you open your mind to higher consciousness as your very essence. Living proof of God is in the divine messages that occur within the field of consciousness - the feedback loop within the body cells - the "soul hypothesis" within the long tradition of the inner journey. The conversation in 1930 between Einstein and Tagore was new to me. Much appreciated. Inspiring. Informative.

Like many of us, I am a believer in something bigger than ourselves. Something that is eternal, universal and benevolent.This recent book by Dr. Chopra allows for examination of a number of faith based belief systems and draws the line that links the essence of them all. I loved this book and found its focus on the nature of the soul/consciousness so convincing and reassuring.If you are a person who wants to better understand the basis of your belief or link to the divine, you will be stimulated by the thoughts and examinations of the evolution of human understanding of God and his role in all that we are and can be.

I really enjoyed the other 3 books of this series. This one maybe a little more hard to read because at the end many are of this persons die by persecution of their beliefs or were judged badly. My favorite and the one that gave me the value in this book The Book of Job.

This came in perfect condition sooner than I expected.It is a great book, as are all of Chopra's.

This is an excellent read; Deepak Chopra makes comprehensible what is sometimes difficult to interpret. For example, the book of Job has always irked me, but he gives a very good rendition of this biblical story and brings some clarity to it. At the end of each chapter, Deepak brings more information to the reader in "Revealing the Vision," and all of these are very helpful. Along with the story of Job, he writes about Socrates, St Paul, Julian of Norwich, Baal Shem Tov, and 5 others. All 10 chapters are enlightening and inspiring, and each story shows how thought is progressing and transforming our beliefs.

If you are looking for a solution to your life-long search for God (whatever this word means to you and has meant in and for your life), this book of light theology and novelized history will in the end greatly disappoint you. The main reason for this is that Dr. Chopra never truly commits himself to any of the four paths that in his opinion (see in the Epilogue, "Making Our Own Connection") has helped others to reach higher reality: The path of devotion, The path of understanding, The path of service and The path of meditation.And that is understandable, since apparently he is trying to please all his followers, but, unfortunately, in what seems to be a lukewarm way.In a recent US TV program on God in which he participated (from afar) together with representatives of the main Faiths and also of Atheism, in the end, he was asked to express a message for his followers and all the people who are searching for a meaning in their lives based on some belief in a Supreme Being or a God, and his answer was: "Take it easy".Now, having criticized Dr. Chopra for apparently not committing himself in this book about God, I have, in a very humble way, to paraphrase with Socrates that "I know that I know nothing".Years ago, I raised enough courage to finally decide to think by myself in "spiritual" matters (I was then 60, now 82). I realized that alone I was born and alone I will die, therefore, it was great time to ask myself what had been --if any-- my very OWN "spiritual" experiences and what had they really meant for and in my life.St. John (or whoever wrote under his name) said that nobody has seen God, and that certainly has been my experience. Also, I am aware that among all the deceased people I have known personally, no one has come back to tell me his story nor has any of them contacted me in a way that I could be aware of.So, some years ago, I humbly accepted that I would never know with certainty neither what nor who am I, why I am here for a short time, and what can I expect to find after death.I also realized that if I needed to believe in a God or a Supreme Being, that would have to be a personal decision, conditioned upon the results obtained through a path chosen by myself and only by myself (I have delved in all four of them, settling in the last twelve years for the path of service).I will end up these comments with two poems that have reflected all along my life-long search for meaning: "We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time." T.S. Eliot, 4 Quartets,and Tennyson's: "My days are phantom days, each one the shadow of hope. My real life never was begun, nor any of my real deeds done. Armando Brons

I always enjoy Deepak's books - he gives an unbiased view of religion and God

I have great admiration for Deepak Chopra and have listened to and read his books with much enjoyment; however, in this book, I can see what he is is doing in the way that he writes of very disparate persons' ways of trying to define God., BUT and it is a big but, it is far too 'wordy' with no flow to the narratives, making it very difficult to follow and digest. In fact, it is rather boring and repetitive in places, not like his other books at all.Also I might add, there is one gross error, in which he states that God told Adam and Eve that ' on their bellies they would go'.It was actually to the serpent (snake) He supposedly said this!All-in-all, a big disappointment to me; however, all opinions are subjective, so maybe others will find it a better read that I have.

One of the best books from Deepak Chopra.However I feel his story telling is not as elegant as his writings on consciousness.Concept of GOD through the ages couldn't have been presented better.A must read for all Deepak"s fans.

It was beautiful...total Chopra...can't wait to read more!