Book Review: Book of Yes by Tessie Jayme
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was offered or requested.
The subtitle of this book is “A Reinterpretation of the Ten Commandments for the New Millennium.” While a close look at what the classic rule set means to us in the 21st Century would certainly be a worthy project, it turns out that’s not the “New Millennium” the author is talking about. Instead, she means the spiritual New Millennium which has no fixed date, but represents humanity moving on from its current toxic ways into a better place.
What this results in is not so much a reinterpretation of the Ten Commandments, but using each of the commandments as a starting point for a riff on New Age philosophy. Alien wisdom, astrology, psychics, chakra energy and other such subjects are all mixed together in a stew of optimism and positive thinking. Those unfamiliar with every fringe movement out there might get confused when she uses the lingo without explanation as of course her main audience will get it. (For example, when she talks about being a “double Virgo” who dated an “Aries.”) She even uses the “10% of your brain” myth.
While the author has some good points about not letting toxic people drag you down with them, and finding the positive in any situation, they’re buried under multiple layers of dubious pseudo-philosophy and could be picked up from any number of more solid self-help books. Which is not to say that there aren’t some entertaining stories here about the author’s experiences in the New Age community.
The author at one point talks about her publisher and editor, but the book is self-published, and the spellchecker typos lead me to wonder about the editor’s existence or competence. The book was originally published in 1996, and this is an updated version from 2011. The most obvious revision is that one passage clearly was originally about the year 2000 (end of the Twentieth Century), but was patched to 2012 (end of the Mayan calendar cycle); the author wisely gives herself an out by saying that visible results might not arrive until 2017.
Not recommended for serious Bible scholars, or people who are triggered by heresy. Might be of some interest to New Age aficionados.
As an astrologer, I may never ask you to do a review for a book I might write; but your honesty is always welcome and I too have read the kind of ‘spiritual’ book that may be a bit too flighty to ever come in for a landing. I do adore your reviews.
That is one of the hazards of having strong opinions–and why You should carefully investigate a blog before sending them your book to review (unless you’re doing a random giveaway, as was the case here.)
It is certainly an interesting idea for a book, but sadly, when people are not careful about the facts and about spell checking, etc, it can leave a bad taste. I am skeptical whenever I hear that the “end is near”. Not that I don’t believe there can’t be an end, but just that you had better be right or you end up looking like a schmuck.
She’s not as bad as the people who just pretend they haven’t been wrong before and keep making dire predicitions, like the Blood Moons guy.