The Secret of Shambhala

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY NOV 1, 1999

The third book in the Celestine series, this slight fable begins with an appealing spiritual quest, but is soon burdened with Redfield's millennial concerns. Still, readers who made bestsellers of The Celestine Prophecy and The Tenth Insight are not likely to be deterred, especially those who are interested in Eastern wisdom. Instructed by a neighborhood girl to seek a place of total enlightenment, the narrator makes an imaginary journey to Tibet in search of Shambhala (also known as Shangri-La). Under constant threat by Chinese soldiers, he makes a harrowing passage with the help of human and spirit guides, ultimately reaching the kingdom where the secrets of "the eleventh insight" are revealed in stages. Based on the notion that we attract the events in our lives, the 11th insight reveals that prayer in the form of affirmations and positive energy can empower not only individuals, but whole societies. Readers will find value in Redfield's simply stated comments about building energy through nutrition, posture and thought, and refusing to erode one's energy through negative thinking, including hatred, anger and evil. Redfield believes that baby boomers, with their interest in the human potential movement, have the power to fulfill their generational mission (as their parents did with WWII) by using the 11th insight to counter negative social forces, such as lack of community, youth alienation, environmental destruction, terrorism, the power of centralized technology and genetic engineering of all stripes.