Review of In It Together

[Alida Spies]

[Following is a volunteer review of "In It Together" by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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If someone asked me for a one-word description of what the book “In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All” by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes is about, I would say it is about love. It is a non-fiction book constructed from philosophical, spiritual, and scientific content. What do true happiness, inner peace, or spiritual freedom mean? Is it difficult to obtain, or can anybody achieve it? Hughes addresses these questions and many other important topics in this book.
 
The author quotes some horrific statistics within the first chapters of the book. We all know that many people in the world don’t have enough to eat, but do you know that 10,000 children die of hunger every day? In contrast, 8,000 people die every day from overeating. These are not spoilers; anybody can obtain these statistics online with a few keystrokes. Many other atrocities are mentioned. For me, the saddest thing was how people justified their apathy or even judgment towards the horrors of our world.
 
A profound part of the book is how the author breaks down a physical human being to define the “true self." The “true self” transcends time and space, and the concept explains how we are all united in love. Another book highlight is the author's guidelines for obtaining inner peace or spiritual freedom. Some readers may prefer to call it self-actualization.
 
Hughes does not push any religious, commercial, or political concepts. He is honest, non-judgmental, humorous, and friendly. The way the book is compiled makes it very easy to read. Every chapter builds on or follows the previous one. I have rarely encountered a book using quotes from so many diverse people, e.g., Albert Einstein, Alan Watts, Carl Jung, Osho, Sam Harris, Ram Dass, Meister Eckhart, Eckhart Tolle, Rabbi Tina Sobo, Friedrich Nietzsche, David J. Mauro, Vincent Van Gogh, George Bernard Shaw, Socrates, Voltaire, Voltairine de Cleyre, Shakespeare and René Descartes (this is not a complete list!)
 
At the beginning of the book, the author requests that one read it with an open mind. You will likely encounter ideas you have not thought of or heard of before. Before rejecting a statement, ensure you understand exactly what the author meant. Find the author on social media and ask him.
 
This is not a quick, easy read, and the author recommends that one read the book twice. I have just completed my second reading and discovered treasures I missed in the first reading. I also understood some concepts better. I disliked nothing about the book. It was well-written, with a logical sequence, humor, and a chatty, engaging writing style. I discovered two errors and concluded that the book was professionally edited.
 
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. It has many beautiful things to share and teach, and I believe everyone will find valuable information when reading it. The book contains some profanity, and very sensitive readers may be offended by it.

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In It Together
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[Amy Luman]

I enjoyed reading your review of this book. You mentioned the use of lots of sources which I find very amazing. I also appreciate the fact that you told us about the difficulty of reading this book. Thanks!