James Redfield endeavors to communicate 9 key insights with the help of which humankind will evolve to the next level of consciousness. Fundamentally, the book's intentions are noble; the 9 insights simple to grasp.

To appeal to a mass audience, Redfield undertakes the difficult task of taking a new-age concept and narrating it in an Indiana-Jones style adventure, to keep all and sundry glued to their... book. It all begins with the search for a missing Peruvian manuscript said to contain these insights. The author finds himself suddenly and involuntarily involved in this quest. He goes along with the forces of nature and the laws of the Universe, and stumbles one by one upon each insight. A sampling of the first - coincidences are more than what they seem to be. Once recognized, along with the understanding of the other eight insights, we are lead to our true destiny. Other insights deal with concepts like 'control dramas' and how all of us fall in one of four categories, halting 'fear' images, non-existence of chance encounters and receiving 'messages' from people who cross our path, recognizing members of our 'thought group' and so on.

Of course, to keep the adventure going, the space between the revelation of each insight is filled with textbook adventure situations: A hostile government trying to destroy copies of the manuscript, car chases, machine guns and mortar, affairs of the heart, priests in cassocks providing help along the way, and highly charged 'energy' encounters between individuals, in patches of jungle deep in the Peruvian forests.

However, the characters are weak. They fall in and out of the plot. And in again. With precision timing to boot. So, the gradual progression on the spiritual path takes place and the author meets individuals who, like him, are on the quest to discover the 9 insights - albeit they are at different levels of spiritual achievement. Some are at insight no. 4, other at no. 7 and so on. A spiritual race of sorts, to reach the top. While the insights themselves are intriguing and make you contemplate upon them, Redfield underestimates the intelligence of the reader by setting it in this garden-variety adventure tale.

Ultimately, all's well that ends well. Nobody who matters dies. All the 9 insights are communicated to us, and we are set to evolve to the next level of consciousness. Or perhaps, at least till the next sequel (The Tenth Insight). So, at its best it's an intriguing book that will help you in your spiritual quest if you resonate with it. And to its credit, over a million copies have been sold. At its worst, it's a new-age theme embedded in a lack-lustre script of an Indiana Jones installment. Picture Indy attaining Nirvana with a whip in one hand, and holding on to his hat with the other.

Reviewed by Gautam Sachdeva

• Title: The Celestine Prophecy - An Adventure
• Author: James Redfield
• Publisher: Diane Publishing