He shares his own story, which makes for a strong connection with the reader, and demonstrates congruence with his methods, using his taste for personal experiments in his own growth.

Steve is a 'smart' guy, and the book is definitely for sophisticated readers. It is strongly geared towards the head and convincing one's thinking. The result is a 'head-down' approach, often reaching deeply but doing so from the head.

But who needs principles when you are awake? True intelligence that comes from presence rather than intellect overrides any need for principles, which carry the risk of being used to rule you and keep you unintelligent.

Steve has written the book not as a mystic or a poet, but as a clear thinker with the courage to live and learn, and the outstanding ability to communicate his thoughts and insights. That's not my approach but there is much I will gradually integrate in to my life.

Another way in which I found it restricted is in its assumption that one has to be driven and motivated. It's geared towards helping you be productive, effective and goal oriented, in a conscious way. As such, though, it does focus more on the thrills of doing than the bliss of being.

It's a doing more than a being book. It emphasises consciousness as a sharpness of mind substantiated through overall awareness, rather than as transcendent presence. It's about becoming, which might not be where you are at anymore.

The unquestioned notion of 'personal development' runs the risk of re-inforcing the sense in us that we are inadequate as we are, which is misguided and can be the cause of unnecessary suffering. It can lead us further from ourselves rather than help us be who we are.

That being said, any review says as much if not more about the reviewer than the reviewed.

Steve book can be of enormous benefit to you and the world, depending on where you are.