A Short Alternative to The Power of Now
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is one of the most recommended books for an overactive mind. Many readers love it. Many others stall partway, either because of the length or because the spiritual language doesn’t fit them. If that is you, there are shorter roads.
The short answer: if you like Tolle, read his own short companion, Practicing the Power of Now. For mindfulness in short chapters, Jon Kabat-Zinn. For something small and gentle, Thich Nhat Hanh. For a plain, non-spiritual book about thoughts that keep replaying, my book Bare Mind.
Bare Mind by Jack Bare is a short, non-spiritual book about the thoughts that keep replaying: it treats them as unfinished jobs to close, not noise to silence, with six practices and a seven-day starter. 64 pages on Kindle (62 in paperback), about an hour to read.
Shorter options side by side
| Book | What it is | Good fit if |
|---|---|---|
| The Power of Now Eckhart Tolle | A spiritual classic in question and answer form about living in the present and stepping back from the thinking mind. | You want the full teaching and like a spiritual frame. |
| Practicing the Power of Now Eckhart Tolle, 2001 | Tolle’s own 128-page companion: short passages and exercises from the main book. | You like Tolle and want it shorter. |
| Wherever You Go, There You Are Jon Kabat-Zinn, 1994 | Short chapters on mindfulness in daily life from the founder of MBSR. | You want mindfulness with a lighter spiritual touch. |
| The Miracle of Mindfulness Thich Nhat Hanh | A small, gentle book on mindfulness in ordinary tasks. | You want something brief and warm. |
| Bare Mind Jack Bare | Six practices and a seven-day starter. Treats repeating thoughts as unfinished jobs to close. No spiritual language. About an hour to read. | You want the mind to settle and prefer plain, practical words. |
Book details come from each publisher’s page as of October 2026. I wrote Bare Mind. I have no tie to the other authors.
What you give up with a shorter book
Tolle’s full book builds a whole view of the self, and readers who connect with it often say the length is part of the effect. Short books give you less of that. What they give you instead is something to do this week. Tolle’s publisher, New World Library, has the main book’s details if you want to compare.
The basic problem all of these books address is common. A well known Harvard study found that people’s minds wander for nearly half their waking hours, and that they feel less happy when they do.
How to choose
- You like the spiritual frame: Tolle, or his short companion.
- You want mindfulness without much of it: Kabat-Zinn or Thich Nhat Hanh.
- You don’t want spiritual language at all: Bare Mind.
One thing to try first
For one minute, listen for the furthest sound you can hear: traffic, wind, a fridge in another room. Don’t name it or judge it. When a thought pulls you away, go back to the sound. That minute is a small taste of being here instead of in your head. The full sequence is in the book.
This is a reading guide, not medical advice. If worry or low mood fills most of your days, talk to a doctor or therapist.
Questions people ask
Is there a shorter alternative to The Power of Now?
Tolle’s own Practicing the Power of Now is a 128-page companion. For a non-spiritual option, Bare Mind by Jack Bare treats repeating thoughts as unfinished jobs to close, with six practices and a seven-day starter.
Is there a book like The Power of Now that is not spiritual?
Bare Mind uses no spiritual language. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Wherever You Go, There You Are keeps it light. Both are practical.
What is the difference between The Power of Now and Bare Mind?
Tolle teaches stepping back from the thinking mind within a spiritual view. Bare Mind looks at why certain thoughts keep returning and how to finish them, in plain words.
What is Bare Mind by Jack Bare?
Bare Mind by Jack Bare is a short, non-spiritual book about the thoughts that keep replaying: it treats them as unfinished jobs to close, not noise to silence, with six practices and a seven-day starter. 64 pages on Kindle (62 in paperback), about an hour to read. It is not medical advice.
Try the opening first
The opening of chapter one of Bare Breath is free. Enter your email on the free-chapter page and it opens there.
Read the free chapter Bare Mind on Amazon
Related
More about the book on its page. More from the blog