[.ca] The Toltec Way: A Guide to Personal Transformation (ISBN 1580631584)

From Amazon.co.uk:
Like Don Miguel Ruiz, author of the best-selling book The Four Agreements, author Susan Gregg teaches readers how the ancient Toltec tradition can apply to life in the 21st century. For those who don't know, the Toltecs were an ancient race of people who flourished in Southern Mexico around 800 AD. "They were also a secret society dedicated to preserving the knowledge of the 'ancient ones,' who were great spiritual masters", according to Gregg, who goes on to explain that the Toltec tradition is a way of seeing beyond our perceived sense of reality and into an unlimited world of possibility. Since Gregg is a dedicated teacher of this exciting (and yes, even faddish) Toltec tradition, she emphasises basic tools and specific examples rather than obscure parables and philosophies. Chapter titles such as, "Letting Go of the Past", "Finding a Happiness that Lasts" and "Where To Go For Support", sound more like self-help chapters than enticing discussions of mystical beliefs, but that is Gregg's point--why make this reality-blowing tradition obscure and inaccessible when its whole purpose is that of spiritual empowerment? As a push-up-your-sleeves-and-get-started primer, it can't be beat. But if you are looking for more lyrical or pensive prose, turn to Don Miguel or Don Juan. --Gail Hudson

TRULY WONDERFUL!:
Dr. Gregg has written a marvelous book. I savoured each page. This is not the kind of book that you can read quickly and never return to again - on the contrary - this is the kind of book that you will return to again and again. The exercises that she recommends are "non-negotiable" in my view. Changing your life is not instantaneous, it is slow and an evolution that needs to take place. The Toltec Way is absolutely necessary. We are living in a world far from peaceful and quiet-and to be able to attain this within yourself is a wonderful gift. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for happiness. Begin here.

TRULY WONDERFUL!:
Dr. Gregg has written a marvelous book. I savoured each page. This is not the kind of book that you can read quickly and never return to again - on the contrary - this is the kind of book that you will return to again and again. The exercises that she recommends are "non-negotiable" in my view. Changing your life is not instantaneous, it is slow and an evolution that needs to take place. The Toltec Way is absolutely necessary. We are living in a world far from peaceful and quiet-and to be able to attain this within yourself is a wonderful gift. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for happiness. Begin here.

couldn't get past the first chapter:
I bought this book on the recommendations of others but when I got to the first chapter about how she discovered Toltec wisdom, I just couldn't believe the story of how she moved to California and within days a stranger, told her she she was a powerful teacher and healer. Then her timeline of getting a doctorate just three years later is questionable too. I looked on the book and it never said where she got this degree from. I did go on and read the rest of the book and some of the ideas seemed reasonable but the things from the first chapter made me think, why should I believe any of this?

The authority of ideas?:
American Institute of Hypnotherapy http://www.ampac.edu/ OK. So this stuff is mysterious. Perhaps in the whole idea of self improvement you have to suspend reality a little bit to make that "leap of faith" in yourself and in the change you are willing to make. The author got her degree from the above Institute affiliated with the On-line university called Pacific University. Pacific University, located in Honolulu, HI., is not accredited in the US. But does that matter? Does the authority of her ideas (wherever they come from) need an recognized academic affiliation? Ancient wisdom is: buyer beware. Then again, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Ghandi, Dr. Martin Luther King, all had their detractors. Make up your own mind. Or just have fun with it. Life is a journey and this book may improve yours.

Practical application of esoteric knowledge:
Susan Gregg is able to distill out the essence of this spiritual tradition and provide an inspirational and practical guide to achieving personal freedom. Also, unlike Don Miguel Ruiz, her focus is on dominion, the practice of seeing everything through the eyes of love. There is no "war" in her model, and this difference is quite significant. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to actively practice and transform themselves since this book will guide you if you are so inclined. After reading this book, I contacted Dr. Gregg and have been studying with her ever since. She is a wonderful teacher and guide.