This book was recommended to me time and time again, before I sat down and finally read it. I was thrilled to have another angle to the truths I was studying in many other areas.

I found Chapter 4 the most powerful and useful in my own personal life. I actually created a card in my wallet with all of the levels of consciousness written out so that I could see where I was on any given day. The utilization of this card has helped me see my way through many life challenges, and help to get me back up to the level of love and joy. The rest is still a work in progress, but I am thankful to have Hawkin's guidance to show me the way. If you want to understand human behavior, this book is a must read!

Andrea Samadi, author of The Secret for Teens Revealed: How Parents, Teachers, and Teenagers Can Inspire Leadership and Transform Lives

I highly recommend Power vs. Force, which very simply explains the power of levels of consciousness. I quote David Hawkins a number of times in my book, Managing Thought: How Do Your Thoughts Rule Your World?, and with Hawkins' permission, excerpted a table from his book on powerful vs. weak thought patterns. This book was of significant influence for me on my own path to self-awareness. There were a number of aha!s for me as I read this book. For example, up until reading this book, I approached my work and my own self-cultivation by looking for what was wrong and then working on making it right, even under the guise of continuous improvement. As a result, I missed out on the joy of my life, my work, and my expansiveness. When I learned from this book that the difference in power between a so-called bad thought and a so-called good thought was so enormous as to be beyond my comprehension, I realized how just a few powerful, constructive, loving thoughts a day could far outweigh all of my weak, non-constructive, and fearful thoughts. I realized that I could effortlessly transform my thinking and my reality by focusing on the powerful thoughts I choose to have and not the weak thoughts I don't want to have. Another aha! was that thoughts are neither good or bad--they are simply a function of viewpoint. And a very freeing lesson for me was the learning that by raising my level of consciousness, I make a difference.

this book is great for anyone who truly wants to understand the behind the scenes forces that influence our lives and our society

Like most of the other reviews, my opinion is mixed. Besides some of the obvious contradictions others have mentioned, there was one that really jumped out at me in the early part of the book: If people's energy really affects other people's, shouldn't you take one of the people (the tester) out of the equation and standardize things so there's no experiementer bias? Scientific method requires eliminating the bias of the researcher.

I did enjoy the book, although I'd read enough about muscle testing elsewhere and been the subject of it.

I did, indeed, borrow the book from the library and am glad I saved my money. I appreciate Dawkins' research, but his preachiness was tiresome and bordered on the dogmatic. His absolute assurance that this was THE method and that he could PROVE it, violated that most basic of scientific method tenets--you don't prove anything; you show correlation.

I think something that this book is missing is an emphasis that people actually go out and do something. Things become apparent through god, yet initiative comes from within.

I also like Transcending the Levels of Consciousness better. Both books are revelationary. Very much recommended, but not in ALL seriousness.

This book is a wonderful explanation as how to people form their preferences and make decisions. If you wonder why certain things make you feel a certain way, this book provides a logical explanation. I recommend this book to anyone interested in recognizing why you react the way you do.

This book is a wonderful explanation as how to people form their preferences and make decisions. If you wonder why certain things make you feel a certain way, this book provides a logical explanation. I recommend this book to anyone interested in recognizing why you react the way you do.

Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human BehaviorWell written, develops an interesting platform for using muscle testing to determine levels of consciousness, truthfulness, and constructive situations.

Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human BehaviorWell written, develops an interesting platform for using muscle testing to determine levels of consciousness, truthfulness, and constructive situations.

David Hawkins had a spiritual opening in childhood and pursued further spiritual development throughout his life. He shares in this book ways in which we can understand levels of spiritual development; muscle testing methods for assessing degrees of development of people, books, events, etc.; group validation of these assessments; and the value of the presence of the therapist as an instrument for promoting healing.

Hawkins points out that logical, left-brain approaches to understanding the world are self-limiting. "... the logical arrangement of data serves mainly to enhance a pattern-recognition system that then becomes `truth.' But nothing is ever `true,' except under certain circumstances, and then only from a particular viewpoint, characteristically unstated." (p. 28)

Hawkins strongly advocates for using intuitive assessments for measuring the value of various truths, stating that everyone can use intuition with accuracy and reliability. He reports that he has found these assessments to be entirely consistent across a broad spectrum of questions tested and through assessments of multiple individuals and groups of individuals. Where discrepancies were found, he claims that they were invariably resolved through removal of various blocks, reversals, or limiting beliefs that caused distortions in intuitive perceptions. While this claim is supported by what appears to be impressive, statistically significant research (p. 120), he provided no references where any studies were published. This leaves his research open to questions of procedural validity, at the least.

Using this system, he finds levels of spiritual development along a spectrum that includes Shame, Guilt, Apathy, Grief, Fear, Desire, Anger, Pride, Courage, Neutrality, Willingness, Acceptance, Reason, Love, Joy, Peace and Enlightenment. Through kinesiology, he reports consistent identification of numerical values for each level, ranging from 20 for Shame to 700-1000 for Enlightenment. The scale is logarithmic, so each increment is by a factor of ten times the previous, lower numerical level. Thus, a few enlightened beings can counterbalance and raise the collective levels of human development because their contributions are enormously greater than those of individuals at lower levels.

The average person will advance only 5 points along this scale in a lifetime. Through inner work of psychotherapeutic and spiritual growth, we can progress more rapidly from one level to the next.

He finds that the entire cosmos is imbued with Spiritual inspiration and energy.

Man thinks he lives by virtue of the forces he can control, but in fact, he's goverendd by power from unrevealed sources, power over which he has no control. Because power is effortless, it goes unseen and unsuspected. Force is experienced through the senses; power can be recognized only through inner awareness. Man is immobilized in his present condition by his alignment with enormously powerful attractor energy patterns, which he himself unconsciously sets in motion. Moment by moment, he is suspended in this state of evolution, restrained by the energies of force, impelled by the energies of power." (p. 37-38)

Force is the use by individuals or groups of physical or psychological means of coercion to achieve their ends at the expense of others. Power is the manifestation of Spirit in the world through the presence of people at higher levels of development. "Whereas power always results in a win-win situation; force produces win-lose situation..." (p. 167) The levels of Courage (200 on his scale) and above are positive; below that, negative in their spiritual effects in the world.

I fully agree with Hawkins' observations that

It's as though every individual is exploring life with a compass that has a unique setting. (p. 113)

Concordance emerges from the organizing patterns hidden behind apparent chaos; thus, the evolution of mankind progresses despite the apparently aberrant signals of individuals at any given moment. Chaos is only a limited perception. Everything is a part of a large whole; everyone is involved in the evolution of the all-inclusive attractor field of consciousness itself. It's the evolution, innate to the overall field of consciousness, which guarantees the salvation of mankind, and with it, all of life. The nobility of man is in his constant struggle with his own unasked-for existence in a world that is a house of mirrors - his sole support, and his faith in the process of life itself. (p. 113-114)

This book is a treasure of wise observations about the human condition, development of higher awareness, and the evolution of consciousness.

I feel that a caution must be sounded, however, regarding Hawkins' overconfident statements about the certainty of his intuitive assessments and those of others he has tested. My own experience is that intuition is correct some of the time but not all of the time. The degree to which it is reliable appears related to the levels of development of the individuals making the intuitive assessments.

There are also questions raised by several specific statements in the book. I find a glaring discrepancy between Hawkins' assessment of Walmart as a business that cares for its employees and those of most of the reports from Walmart employees - finding that Walmart is a crass exploiter of manufacturers and staff, and primarily dedicated to earning profits, regardless of the human costs. Hawkins also contradicts himself, stating on the one hand that no "...reliable result [can] be obtained from inquiry into the future; only statements regarding existent conditions or events will produce consistent answers." (p. 61) Yet he makes diverse recommendations later in the book for using intuition to predict successes in business and other endeavors, suggesting that one can rely on these predictions.

This is probably one of the most important books of our times. Everyone, yes everyone should read it.

Power vs. Force is a book like none other. It truly lays the ground for further spiritual work/evolution by allowing one to see all aspects of the human experience and how, in its innocence, it 'just is' and people simply are who they are. From there, compassion and forgiveness is even more of a possibility as one sees that everyone (including one's self) are simply operating with our only available tools based on our awareness. This understanding allows for the inspiration to truly see that people cannot help being what they are. This books lays this foundation and, for me, has made it much more difficult to come to hard and fast judgments about others or if I do, it at least allows for a quicker recovery from it. But the beauty of this is, that as the work (that of Dr. Hawkins') continues and one begins to maneuver through the teachings that at some point it becomes abundantly clear what the Buddha meant when he said ... "Holding onto anger is like grasping onto a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else. You are the one who gets burned." So in forgiving, we are released from the negativities we are holding onto and, in turn, benefit from releasing the burden. Hearing that may sound simple, yet truly hearing why people are the way they are (Levels of consciousness) really provides, at least it did for me, at least a moment to stop and ponder before reacting or coming to quick judgments. This book changed my life and I would recommend it to anyone who was the slightest bit dissatisfied with their angers, resentments and judgmentalisms and simply, perhaps, dissatisfied with just the way their lives are currently going. We are here to grow and be our best. Dr. Hawkins provides the tools to so and in doing so, we seem to be surrendering a very basic set of animal behaviors and trading them in for something better, something higher, something that is in alignment with spiritual principles that have been taught for thousands of years. And it seems to simply take a mere willingness to first admit that we could use improvement and then to surrender to a higher authority (God, Divinity, Almighty, etc) in stead of allowing our minds to be that authority. With God, all things are possible. That is not just a sentence, that is a very powerful reality. May we all fulfill Divine potential!

I had very different reactions to the two main components of this book. Hawkins' musings about new age philosophy I often found compelling and even convincing. But his attempts to quantify truth through kinesiological science are presented in such an unscientific manner that it drags much of the book down. Even if you wanted to believe in the method he describes, Hawkins doesn't bother to address any of the obvious challenges that would come to the mind of any thoughtful reader. Instead, we are supposed to believe that his method works every time, perfectly. I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if Hawkins had presented this research as a sidebar of intriguing new experiments instead of trying to claim that there is a foolproof method for answering every great philosophical question and using it as a framework for his entire discussion. I give the book 4 stars for philosophical intrigue, but -2 stars for it's "science."

This is a very good book and the core of it is valuable and amazing, however there are some flaws in the kinesiological method and results, and some annoying generalizations 'metal music makes one go weak' without saying what specific music was being tested. When doing kinesiological or energy testing, one must be very specific about the subject of the test. Also, one's personal feelings and mentation can at times override proper testing (this is why he says one has to be at '300' or above to get proper results).
Dr. Hawkins has done us a great service with his research however, and seems to be very sincere. The levels of consciousness diagram is worth the price of admission.

This book was the foundation of my own spiritual awakening and development. The CORRECT application of Dr. Hawkins' consciousness research technique provides the humble reader with a remarkably sound method of discerning truth from falsehood, such as separating the fallacious teachers (regardless of their appeal, glamorization or even "celebrity status") from those that truly provide spiritual guidance with the utmost integrity, love and compassion. Furthermore, readers (that are earnestly) seeking truth realize an expanded level of consciousness and a significant leap in spiritual development, as well as a greater understanding of ordinary yet often confusing human behavior. However, readers that are absorbed in narcissism and therefore trapped within the confines of their own egos will probably become irritated at their own inability to accurately use consciousness research. It is not for everyone, as not everyone is earnestly seeking truth. The spiritual devotee awakens upon reading Power vs. Force. This is a tremendous opportunity in learning to assess the truth of anything, and Dr. Hawkins clearly explains the simple technique and why it works.

If the only thing in this book was the chart to show us the energy levels of different emotions, it would be worth FAR more than the price of the book. If you've read The Secret, Ask and It Is Given ([...]) or Lynn Grabhorn's book (Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting) you'll want to see how they tie to this book. The energy levels of different emotions along with the list of "Emotional Setpoints" from Ask and It Is Given are the two most powerful tools that have helped me to be conscious of and raise my vibration level to attract more good into my life.

I wish every religious, spiritual, and political person would read this. Not only is the True real, it's verifiable. Thank you David Hawhins.

Hawkins has given humanity a great epistemological breakthrough- we can test the truth of any statement by kinesiology, the science of muscle tension and tone. You can try this at home- measure the truth of a proposition by standing with your arm perpendicular to your body, have someone tell you a proposition, then push your arm down. The degree of truth of the statement is indexed to how much resistance there is in your arm while someone is pushing on it. With books, reading them and doing critical analysis is superfluous. "Simply hold [books] over your solar plexus, and have somebody test your muscle strength. As you do so, your books will end up in two piles; reflection on the differences between the two can produce a revelation." (p. 124) And reading books may even by dangerous. "One may think he can maintain his psychic independence by refuting the work intellectually, but mere exposure to the material has a profound negative effect that continues even after the material is intellectually rejected. It's as though, within those negative influences, there's a hidden virus whose invasion of our psyches goes unnoticed." One will be tempted to ask if this is all just a humorous, Sokal-style hoax. Sadly, the answer is no.

Hawkins has given humanity a great epistemological breakthrough- we can test the truth of any statement with Applied Kinesiology, the science of muscle tension and tone. You can try this at home- measure the truth of a proposition by standing with your arm perpendicular to your body, have someone tell you a proposition, while the person pushes your arm down. The degree of truth of the statement is indexed to how much resistance there is in your arm during the pushing. Moreover, reading books and doing critical analysis of them is superfluous. "Simply hold [books] over your solar plexus, and have somebody test your muscle strength. As you do so, your books will end up in two piles; reflection on the differences between the two can produce a revelation." (p. 124) It may even be dangerous to read. "One may think he can maintain his psychic independence by refuting the work intellectually, but mere exposure to the material has a profound negative effect that continues even after the material is intellectually rejected. It's as though, within those negative influences, there's a hidden virus whose invasion of our psyches goes unnoticed." One will be tempted to ask if this is all just a humorous, Sokal-style hoax. Sadly, the answer is no.

Tends to be tedious and difficult. Lots of references, not inspiring and I had to force myself to finish. Mundane, interesting, but not inspiring. I expected much more especially with Dyer's glowing endorsement.

This book really opened my eyes to a very different perspective of the world. We really do exist in layers of energy, ranging from love to shame. Others before him have made the same case, but not as thoroughly. Although I'm not sure how to measure these emotions and I haven't performed the strength test, it is interesting material.

The diverse critiques shown for this book perhaps validate the tome's worth, steeped in discussion generated by both its detractors and by those who have created a hyperbolic apotheosis to it. Most importantly, Ms. Lyon's manifestly toothsome Twinkie reference carries a critical Ghostbusters implication, not unlike that found in the vital transcendent works of Manley P. Hall and Walter Bosley.

As CEO Coach, Poet and author of a leadership book that helps leaders unleash their genis, the genius of teams and the genius of corporations, I have found the teachings of this book to be profound. It helps you understand how people grow to higher levels of wisdom and consciousness. I found it a very interesting read. If you are a leader, you should read this book. Paul David Walker Unleashing Genius: Leading Yourself, Teams and Corporations

Power vs. Force is arguably one of the more important books of our time. That is quite a strong comment, with all the choice available these days; but Dr. Hawkins has driven many of the greatest minds of our time to think of the world with a different paradigm. Power vs. Force has influenced many of the more mainstream authors and researchers -- people who's books are read by people who might not be able to read this book. Having said that, this book is a book that will make you think. If you read it in two-days, you have probably missed the most valuable parts. I've read hundreds of philosophy, spirituality, science, and medicine books; and I read this book one-page at a time -- and chewed on it.

Power vs. Force gave me a new perspective of the world that lifted me above my previous state. Again, it isn't a complete set of answers to every human problem; but it will definitely shift your perception and raise your awareness. The book is worth buying simply to look at and ponder Dr. Hawkins' Map of Consciousness. This book is a key piece in a very rapid spiritual transformation I have undergone in my own life. Don't read this book -- or any book -- as if it were the final word on any subject; but do read it with an open mind. This work adds a great deal to the ongoing conversation about human consciousness and spirituality.

This book is a combination of two things: profound truths about the hierarchy of values combined with significant error. The latter are described in detail by other reviewers - misrepresentation of logarithmic functions, chaos theory and strange attractors, among others. The problem with the work, although the discussion about what distinguishes power vs. force is indeed profound and revealing, is that Hawkins' measuring scale is the foundation for his theses. In other words, he can prove that anger is lower than love because anger calibrates on his scale at one number and love at a higher number, using his muscle testing system. He also claims that his muscle testing method can be used for testing whether any hypothes or claim is true or false. If this were true, imagine the savings that could be gained in criminal justice from simply using this system, rather than the expensive judicial system in place. The OJ case would have lasted 15 minutes, and the right person would be behind bars. What this tells me is that Hawkins' measuring system is too good to be true.

On the other hand, there are a lot of good spiritual teachings that arise from the book. Gandhi is a perfect example of someone who used the power of non-violent action to bring down British rule, which was in place because of the forces of military rule and oppression. The hierarchy delineated by Hawkins, from shame to enlightment, have been expounded on by others, both psychologists and religous traditions. In many ways, Hawkins' book reinforces and expands upon these teachings, especially the sections on the nature of consciousness and enlightenment.

Nevertheless, the book leaves one with a sour after-taste simply becasue the author perhaps went too far by trying to scientifically measure, in an unscientific way, things that are transcendental and probably not subject to a measuring stick. Read it for the value of the spiritual lessons but not for the practicality of the testing method.

Now that the title has gotten your attention, let me explain about this book and how it relates to my recent review of Slow Train Coming and what I read about the outrage of some of Bob's fans to his evangelism of the late 70's and early 80's. This is a spinoff of my review for his fans!

This book has terrific insights to what truth is and the levels of human spirituality and growth which includes how religions fail and triumph, and I agree wholeheartedly with much that was in this book. I was especially amazed to read (as an animal rights activist) that Koko the gorilla is operating at a higher level than most human beings. A spiritual triumph for the animals!!!! hurray!!

Now as far as Bob Dylan fans go and his newly found evangelism of THOSE TIMES, this book will give you solace and could provide you with insight.

In a Note in the last pages (300 and something) it explains why the Book of Revelation and the Bible are failures as being books of truth. So I still ADORE Bob Dylan NO MATTER WHAT, and I am sure there would be some fans that would gladly follow him anywhere--even to the STAKE if he requested it (at their expense) should there be another inquisition . . . ( ha ha ha). But read this book and you will understand much!!! A solid 4 because there were important things left out. Humans are not the only living beings on this earth that deserve their solid place in our spritual world, and we should not have to measure love and compassion by a measuring method--compassion and love speak truth without the necessity of measurements.

You should not be angry at Bob for any reason! Love him just the same!!--(not necessary to treat him like a God!!!)--leave in all the admiration and all the rest, HOWEVER, and you will find it AS EASY as it was for me to listen to all that good music---YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON SOME TERRIFIC STUFF if you are upset with him!!! Besides, he has always been against formalized ANYTHING--including religion!!! That's a plus as stated in this book!!!! GET THIS BOOK!!!

Now that the title has gotten your attention, let me explain about this book and how it relates to my recent review of Slow Train Coming and what I read about the outrage of some of Bob's fans to his evangelism of the late 70's and early 80's. This is a spinoff of my review for his fans!

This book has terrific insights to what truth is and the levels of human spirituality and growth which includes how religions fail and triumph, and I agree wholeheartedly with much that was in this book. I was especially amazed to read (as an animal rights activist) that Koko the gorilla is operating at a higher level than most human beings. A spiritual triumph for the animals!!!! hurray!!

Now as far as Bob Dylan fans go and his newly found evangelism of THOSE TIMES, this book will give you solace and could provide you with insight.

In a Note in the last pages (300 and something) it explains why the Book of Revelation and the Bible are failures as being books of truth. So I still ADORE Bob Dylan NO MATTER WHAT, and I am sure there would be some fans that would gladly follow him anywhere--even to the STAKE if he requested it (at their expense) if there were to be another inquisition . . . ( ha ha ha.) But read this book and you will understand much!!! A solid 4 because there were important things left out. Humans are not the only living beings on this earth that deserve their solid place in our spritual world.

You should not be angry at Bob for any reason. Love him just the same!!--(not necessary to treat him like a God!!!)--leave in all the admiration and all the rest, HOWEVER, and you will find it as easy as it was for me to listen to all that good music---YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON SOME TERRIFIC STUFF!!! Besides, he has always been against formalized religion!!! That's a plus as stated in this book!!!! GET THIS BOOK!!!

Now that the title has gotten your attention, let me explain about this book and how it relates to my recent review of Slow Train Coming and what I read about the outrage of some of Bob's fans to his newly-found Christianism of the late 70's and early 80's.

This book has terrific insights to the levels of human spirituality and I agree wholeheartedly with much that was in this book. I was especially amazed to read (as an animal rights activist) that Coko the gorilla is operating at a higher level than most human beings. I agree with this, and other activists should read about her in this book.

The book covers different levels of spiritual evolvement and this helped me understand human interaction much better than before. I have always recognized that perhaps we were born with a certain level of spiritual growth (karma) and that was too evident, even though I had a hard time putting my finger on it. This book delineates in detail levels of spirituality.

Now as far as Bob Dylan goes and his newly found evangelism, this book could be an insight to those enraged at him. My advise to those outraged is to read some books by the Dalai Lama for even more insight besides this book. They can help you grasp it all. On a note in the last pages (300 and something) it explains the failure of the Book of Revelation and the bible in general as books of truth. So I still adore Bob Dylan no matter what, and I am sure there would be some fans that would gladly follow him anywhere--even to the pyre if he requested it (at their expense) if there even were to be another inquisition . . . But read this book and you will understand much!!! A solid 4 because there were important things left out. Humans are not the only living beings on this earth that deserve their solid place in our spritual world.

I just bought this book at barns and noble and after trying these tests on my brother my sister my girlfriend and a random stranger. I have no idea how this works.

Do you have to meditate on ecstasy for this to work? and do trees really get smaller at high altitudes due to the lack of oxygen? I always thought it was a weight issue. I guess its hard to breath carbon dioxide when there is little oxygen. I wonder why trees grow up anyway...

I have read into the 3rd chapter of "tools" and so far I am still trying to figure out what an attractor is. Also if he is rich its because he's a swindler because none of this makes sense. His bibliography spans 5 full pages!!
but he never EVER references his sources in APA(Amrican Psychological Association) style.

Just wow. I wonder if this book is an advertising test to see just how much the words force and power sell to a passerby. I am thouroughly confused and I'm in college!
I read a new earth also it sound like these people are finally discovering "you are your habits" - H.A. Overstreet the only psychologist to write a useful understandable book

This is my second time around reading the book David Hawkins book Power Versus Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior Hawkins provides incredible insight into human nature. I am now looking at the world differently---I use his levels of consciousness chart to determine what is "in play". For example: take Soap Operas--or any sitcom for that matter The and ask yourself -what level of consciousness is being played out? Take the political speeches and ask yourself---what level of consciousness is the candidate portraying? It's an invaluable book for this time in history.

The only way that this muscle reading method could yield truths about everything imaginable is if human beings somehow were hooked into complete knowledge about everything it could ever pop in our heads to wonder about. In other words this book assumes that we are perfect knowers of all truth if we just get past our conscious minds. It assumes that intuition trumps logic and science. But human history and our own experience gives no reason whatsoever to believe any such outlandish claim. Countless centuries of meditation, contemplation, mystical exercises, religion, philosophizing did not teach humanity the smallest part of what we have discovered through science, experimentation, observation and reason. Knowledge is not so simple to arrive as simply testing muscle tension!

As others have pointed out what scientific trappings the author attempts to cover this naked absurdity in are threadbare, badly patched together, misnamed, misunderstood and misapplied.

The only nice thing I can say about this or any author's other books is that they are well bound volumes. The contents is pure mind-rot.

This remarkable book offers a very fresh, intriguing way of looking at the world. It presents methods of determining truth as well a blueprint for spiritual growth. This book also offers clear answers to many of life's more difficult questions.

The one drawback is that it tends to stray into very technical descriptions from time to time. Stick with it though!

This is one of the most informative and instructive books that I have read in many years that can have an immediate impact on your life. It's a bit difficult in the beginning, but if you continue to read, the entire picture begins to form and the tools that you are given to cause positive changes in your life are immeasurable. I have already ordered copies for others and will continue to send everyone that I love a copy of this book.

I'm about finished with Power vs Force, and could not be more pleased or excited about a book. I can't help but think that anyone would benefit from reading it and applying the science it brings.

I can't imagine a more powerful or practical tool for life. The potential benefits and applications offered are amazing. Leaps of consciousness are available and the implications of these leaps are explained.

The usefulness of striving and the healing nature of higher states of awareness are made clear. Dr. Hawkins puts in perspective the awesome transformational impact such states have on global consciousness.

He explains the causes of addiction and differences in perspective surrounding issues of morality, as well as offering insight into the origins of crime, corruption and greed.

He shows that one individual who resides on the side of power offsets many individuals who act from places of force. For all the negativity in the world today the light in this book reveals a solution.

Dr. Hawkins is a teacher who deserves the attention of anyone intent on harmlessness, compassion and kindness. He walks in the way of clarity, enlightenment and peace.

For those who are spiritually inclined and are looking for an explanation of why the state of the world is what it is, and how to make it better, this awesome book starts out with a scientific explanation of kinesiology (reads somewhat like a textbook, so it takes effort, and for me, several re-readings) and then develops into a pre-cursor of "The Secret" (but better!). This is a book to have forever in your library, to read again and again, to study with others. It does take "study" - it is not a fast read, but stick with it! It truly is one of the most powerful and insightful books I have ever read. I have gifted copies to dear friends. It teaches us to "think" in a different way, and for me, it reaffirms my instinctual belief in the "correctness" of the universe and a Higher Power. It reveals in words things that I could never have put into words. This is a masterful book, and I am ordering others written by its innovative author.

This book open and expanded my mind to allow so many other great things in my life to happen. I really do believe in consciousness and that everything a human says/thinks/does is recorded in time via an energy frequency that all living (in this case, human) things have. Make sure when you read this book you have the latest one...newer than 1995 that is. David updated the book after some more research and found that those below 200 cannot successfully do kinesiology and most likely will not grasp the concept of the book. The reason is easy once you learn and understand energy, vibration and resonance. Basically, if someone is in a state of "woe's me", self-pitty, anger, pride...they are vibrating at a "lower" energy frequency level than say love, joy. Those at the lower vibration, cannot grasp "Truth".
Read the book, it will make a LOT of sense!
Disease as well is said to "vibrate" at a lower level and is not in harmony. Namaste:)

Suffice it to say that Dr. Hawkins is the first and surely the most intelligent author to ever address why people do the things they do in a repeatable way that anybody can use on themselves or those around them. The concept of consciousness as a measurable function of human kind is remarkable in its simplicity, ease of use (literally) and impact on the reader's life. It's hard to imagine anyone reading this book and not being touched by it. I would also strongly recommend the doctor's trilogy on the subject of consciousness -- all available here on Amazon.

A wonderful book, and one that will make you think differently every time you watch the news, and talk to and deal with your friends, family members, or strangers you meet on the streets. His insights into addiction, resentment, anger and other bad emotions only adds to the incredible insight the author so elegantly provides.

gary in tampa

When I first read this book, i was almost completely frustrated because i did not understand a single thing he was talking about with consciounes or what the term enlightenment even referred to. I now after exposing myself to this book just by skipping around to various chapters have found myself completely intrigued. My life has completely taken a new spin after reading this book. Highly reccomend. Changed my life for the forever in my search for truth and understanding. I can't wait to read his other books.

I came to reading this book in a most peculiar way. I bought a book for my daughter's 10th birthday titled Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 1 I did it because of the appealing cover, but my daughter was so impressed with the story that I had to read it too. I also liked it and I went to Amazon to write my review to encourage every responsible mother to buy it too. Why reading other reviews of the book I learned that the author of this children's story was inspired by "Power vs. Force". This made me by THIS book. -- I am so glad I did it. It is the best book of this kind I have ever read. Very enlightening and... POWERFUL. No wonder it can inspire other authors. Bless you, Mr. Hawkins!

Hawkins does a great job in presenting positive and/or negative aspects of behaviors/attitudes that we experience everyday. This is a great book for seekers. It does not dictate the method for spiritual growth but it gives the signposts to watch for along the way.

As other reviewers have commented, the use of mathematics in this book is unbearably bad. And the "science" is, at best, pseudo-science. He uses his own methods to assess those same methods. His results don't hold up to double-blinded experiments, and require the researcher to be specifically seeking out the outcomes that will support the theory. In general, you should be suspicious of any theory which specifically states within it that only evidence in support of it should be considered, and that contradictory results should be ignored.

And perhaps worst of all is the deeply offensive way in which these results are then applied. He uses his methods to rate the relative enlightenment levels of different religions, so that he can "prove" that Islam is a lower level of humanity than Christianity.

Bad science is bad enough, and shouldn't be encouraged. But bad science being used as an attempt to intellectually justify bigotry is just disgusting.

Hawkins' discussion of kinesiology testing is very comprehensive, and can serve as a valuable tool in the area of personal growth. My wife and I use this methodology on a regular basis to assist us in making decisions in our lives. It is not something we rely on 100 percent to actually make the decision, but we do indeed consider it to be an important tool to apply in the decision-making process.

Other than the fact that this book could have been edited a bit, it provides an easy to read and understand formulation of one of the basic factors in the human psyche. Like another favorite of mine "Learned Optimism" this book provides insight not normally found in todays pop-psycholgy or self-improvement books.

Authors like Wayne Dyer ask readers to "trust" what is presented as true, try it out and see what happens. Dr. Hawkins on the other hand uses a fairly reliable methodology that is simple enough anyone can use it, kinesiology. You don't have to be a trained psychologist to try kinesiology testing in it's simplest applications. Test this with a friend or spouse, have them put out their arm and think to themselves "I am strong and deserving" then try to push down their arm at the wrist. Then have them say to themselves "I am weak and undeserving" then push on the arm again. You can do this test over and over with the same results. What we think DOES effect us physically. But this book takes this idea much farther into many aspects of our lives from the food we eat to the politicians we elect.

Actually I would give this 4 1/2 stars because this book is written so assertively it may be a turn-off for those who would be receptive to exploring its ideas.

Think of "Power Vs. Force" as an intellectual version of "The Secret," in that it includes scientific discussion and heavy-hitting authorities to posit similar ideas.

No matter what your opinion, this book deserves great credit for putting some extremely interesting ideas out there for discussion and debate. The cover of the book looks like you would have to be an Ivy-League professor to crack it open, but this book would actually be a great book club selection because it would open the door for a fantastic discussion.

A fun and interesting book to read, even if you don't agree. Recommended.

This book is wonderful. It's a must read for anyone in the alternative healing arts. I'm a physicist and this book answers so many of the skeptics arguements about our connection to the universe and does so in a very grounded way. Should be required reading for all thinking persons...

I'll be honest with you. Some of the finer points in this book are over my head. But I do understand that when we come from a place of love, joy, peace, and acceptance, we have much power to manifest our desires than we do when we come from a place of fear, greed, pride, etc. In fact, the way I see it, love (and its associated states of being) are our only TRUE power -- a power that can manifest miracles -- and everything else we experience in life is just a matter of "force," and the consequences of force. I was first introduced to this idea in a book called Row, Row, Row Your Boat: A Guide For Living Life In The Divine Flow. Power vs. Force really expands on this idea, though, and I think it's an important book for all to read.

This book provides powerful and important insight into the evolution of consciousness. Anyone interested in the likely course of human development should read it closely.

This is probably one of the most powerful modern-day books in print. Everyone should read this. It explains how we can all tell who's lying and who's telling the truth very simply, in a matter of seconds. This would put an end to lawyers, judges, police, etc. Most of us have no clue how powerful we are. One very important point he makes is about kids and their addictions to rap and hard rock music. These types of music contain subliminal messages, can cause future health problems, and may actually be the reason behind a ssenseless crime committed by your child later on. Sound familiar? You know, that nice, quiet kid? All your food and water can be tested, too, to see whether you should eat that Big Mac, which I'm sure would score near the bottom of the scale... Please read this book and pass it around!

The books talks about a great technique to ask any question to your self. Its amazing that you can answer any Yes or No question with this technique. the book is a little long winded but overall its a great book a lot to learn.

This book is yet another of a long list of books that will raise your vibration and expand your general perceptions of the universe and your daily life. What I really like about this book is that it takes science and spirituality and blends them very well, by using objective and scientific approaches of doing so (ie physiologic/kinesiologic testing), which modern day scientific egos/critics seem to be so obsessed and stuck with. If you are confused by this book or feel that it lacks scientific objectivity then I recommend you read Ken Wilber's book "Eye of Spirit," which I feel complements the ideas presented very well. I feel that this book has yet uncovered another angle and opened another "door of perception," for me and I highly recommend it to anyone that is ready to explore beyond their comfort zone. Cheers