I have to be honest, when I first got this book, I expected it to be either an onslaught of tasteless commercial new age jargon, or a polarised attempt to assert the superiority of eastern over western philosophy. Once I started reading, however, I was immediately drawn in, if not captivated, by the author's balanced, intelligent and insightful style, and her ability to relate the eastern chakra paradigm to western systems of developmental theory and personal growth, from Piaget to Maszlow to Jung. I am presently about 300 pages into it (in chakra 5 of the 7) and reading it has been a genuine journey of self-discovery for me. I can enthusiastically say that this is one of the most fascinating and soul-stirring books I have ever read and I can already feel the reflections emerging from it have had a life-changing impact upon me. Not a "how to" book, but a true "make you think" book. This one stays on my shelf, and I will buy many copies as gifts for others.