Reviews Overview
Through the years, Paul Brunton’s writings have received many favorable reviews from a wide variety of sources, dating back to newspapers and journal reviews written in the 1930s and as recently as today! As time and opportunity allow, we will be adding both original and modern reviews to this section. Follow the links below to the longer reviews; the books are listed in order of publication—with the exception of the Notebooks, which come first. We welcome ‘readers reviews,’ so if you would like to review any of the books, please contact publications@paulbrunton.org.
SHORT NOTES ABOUT THE NOTEBOOKS OF PAUL BRUNTON
“Paul Brunton was a great original and got to a place of personal evolution that illumines the pathways of a future humanity.”
—Jean Houston
“Paul Brunton's Notebooks are a veritable treasure-trove of philosophic-spiritual wisdom.”
—Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
“I couldn’t say it any better than PB has put it in these Notebooks.”
—His Holiness Jagadguru Shankaracharya Chanderasekarendra Saraswati, the Shankara of Kanchipuram
“The meticulousness of his reading and interviewing, as well as his personal, inward application of that knowledge, reveals a genius for balance.
—San Francisco Chronicle
“...sensible and compelling. His work can stand beside that of such East-West bridges as Merton, Huxley, Suzuki, Watts, and Radhakrishnan... It should appeal to anyone concerned personally and academically with issues of spirituality.”
—Choice
“Any serious man or woman in search of spiritual ideas will find a surprising challenge and an authentic source of inspiration and intellectual nourishment in the writings of Paul Brunton.”
—Jacob Needleman
“Vigorous, clear-minded and independent... a synthesis of Eastern mysticism and Western rationality... A rich volume.” (volume 1, Perspectives)
—Library Journal
“With the possible exception of Alan Watts, Dr. Paul Brunton has probably been the most influential exponent of Eastern philosophy and systems of self-realization in this century... significant commentaries on nearly every conceivable aspect of the spiritual quest... unreservedly recommended as the final, eloquent summing up by one of the West's most perceptive thinkers and deepest students of the Ancient Wisdom.”
—The American Theosophist
“His work should therefore help readers assess the present deluge of books in New Age philosophy... the work as a whole is a rich vein of wisdom to be mined by the interested and the spiritually concerned.”
—Library Journal (on volume 11)
“A simple, straightforward guide to how philosophical insights of the East and West can help to create beauty, joy, and meaning in our lives... His keynote is balance, and his uplifting message encompasses all phases of human experience.”
—East West Journal
“ ...a great gift to us Westerners who are seeking the spiritual.”
—Charles T. Tart
“With each succeeding volume of these remarkable Notebooks, we are more and more impressed with the extent of Brunton's wisdom... particularly important for everyone who is engaged in meditation, 'New Age' thinking... Very highly recommended.”
—Millard Nachtwey, (Spiritual Studies Center)
“It is to the likes of Brunton, Vivekananda, and A.E. Burt that I bow in gratitude for early initiations.”
—Stephen Levine
“The notebooks of Paul Brunton represent the acme of wisdom on the nature of human spirituality. Every serious student of this subject will profit enormously by becoming acquainted with Brunton's seminal work.”
—Kenneth Ring
“A person of rare intelligence... thoroughly alive, and whole in the most significant, 'holy' sense of the word.”
—Yoga Journal
“...attuned to today's holistic health movement... Healing of the self is the guiding principle behind these writings.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This is a work (vol. 13) both brilliant and profound. For the student of mysticism, metaphysics and/or spiritual disciplines, there are enough important ideas and gems of wisdom to provide food for thought for at least one lifetime.
—Robert Masters, Ph.D., The Foundation of Mind Research
“Mr. Brunton's writings are most sensitive, deep, and original. One has to admire his most positive attitude toward life, nature, beauty, and his respect for both cultures, east and west, their ways of life, religions, arts, and search for truth and goodness. A very inspirational reading.”
—Karel Husa, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer
“Nowhere else will you find such a profound synthesis of East-West philosophic mysticism stripped of all the usual obscurity and extravagances. Both the modern intellect and the weary heart will find unlimited inspiration, wisdom, and guidance for action in these notebooks.”
—Victor Mansfield, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Colgate University
“Paul Brunton was surely one of the finest mystical flowers to grow on the wasteland of our secular civilization. What he has to say is important to us all.”
—Georg Feuerstein
1 The Notebooks of Paul Brunton
Review of Volume 9: Human Experience and The Arts in Culture, by Paul Cash
More reviews of The Notebooks of Paul Brunton
2 A Search in Secret India 1934
Book Review in Hinduism Today
Review by Sanjay Sivadas
More reviews of A Search in Secret India
3 The Secret Path 1935
Reviews of The Secret Path
4 A Search in Secret Egypt 1936 (Re-issued in a deluxe edition in 2007, and paperback edition in 2015)
“A Night Inside the Great Pyramid” is an excerpt posted on the publishers' website.
GOODREADS.COM Book Review
The Washington Post, June 7, 1936
Book Review By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Review by Sanjay Sivadas
More reviews of A Search in Secret Egypt
5 A Message from Arunachala 1936
Reviews of A Message from Arunachala
6 A Hermit in the Himalayas 1936
Reviews of A Hermit in the Himalayas
7 The Quest of the Overself 1937
Reviews of The Quest of the Overself
8 Indian Philosophy and Modern Culture 1939
Reviews of Indian Philosophy and Modern Culture
9 The Inner Reality / aka Discover Yourself 1939
“What Is God?” is an excerpt posted on the publishers' website.
Reviews of The Inner Reality
10 The Hidden Teaching Beyond Yoga 1941 (new edition 2015)
Who Am I? is an excerpt posted on the publishers' website.
What Is a Fact? is an excerpt published in The Mindful Word.
Review published in Mountain Path.
More reviews of The Hidden Teaching Beyond Yoga
11 The Wisdom of the Overself 1943 (new edition 2015)
Here is an excerpt on karma posted on the publishers' website.
Review published in Mountain Path.
Reviews of The Wisdom of the Overself
12 The Spiritual Crisis of Man 1952 (eBook titled: Humanity's Spiritual Crisis)
Reviews of The Spiritual Crisis of Man
13 Essays on the Quest (Paperback) 1985
Reviews of Essays on the Quest
14 Paul Brunton: A Personal View by Kenneth Thurston Hurst 1989
Reviews of Paul Brunton: A Personal View
15 Paul Brunton: Essential Readings (Paperback) ~ Joscelyn Godwin (ed.) 1990
Reviews of Paul Brunton: Essential Readings
16 Inspired Wisdom in Practice: Quotations from Paul Brunton ~ Arthur Broekhuysen (ed.) 1992
17 Meditations for People in Charge 1995
Review by David Schwerin
Review by New Dimensions Newsletter
18 Meditations for People in Crisis 1996
Review by Stephen Levine
Values and Visions Reviews
The Ithaca Journal
More reviews of Meditations for People in Crisis
19 What is Karma? 1998
Review from Sudakshina Trust
Review from The Midwest Book Review
Review from Values and Visions
More reviews of What Is Karma?
20 The Gift of Grace: Awakening to Its Presence 2011
Review from Spirituality and Practice
Review by Joey Madia
More reviews of The Gift of Grace
21 Perpetual Calendar: The Wisdom of Paul Brunton Day by Day
Reviews of Perpetual Calendar
22 The Short Path to Enlightenment: Instructions for Immediate Awakening 2014
Endorsement by Adyashanti
Endorsement by Gangaji
Review by Light of Consciousness
Review by Jerry Katz (plus radio discussion)
More Reviews including Authors/Teachers
Review by Gary Goldberg (plus radio discussion)
Interview by Linda Ruth video
Review by Mountain Path
"You Are Already Where You Should Be," a review by Joey Madia
23 Realizing Soul: From Intuition to an Inspired Life 2015
Endorsement by Mooji
Here is a review posted on the Spirituality & Practice website.
24 Instructions for Spiritual Living 2019
Reviews by authors/teachers
Interviews with PBPF Board Member Jeff Cox
