The problem with reviewing In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All is that I cannot praise the book enough. It is one of the best books I have read on the subject, so I should first address what that subject is.

At its core, this book explores consciousness, existence, and the bliss of truth. The author, Eckhart Aurelius Hughes, should have been too intimidated or humbled by the subject’s depth and breadth to meet its inherent challenge. However, he was not reticent, which was fortunate for all the avid seekers and compulsive readers who will celebrate his manifest success. A few bullet points from the book should clarify his purpose and approach.

• In this book, self-discipline and spiritual freedom are synonymous terms; they mean the exact same thing. 

• You cannot eliminate desire by fulfilling desire. Fulfillment causes desire and goals to be replaced, not eliminated. 

• Rather, this book seeks to have the reader realize we already are united, whether we like it or not. 

The entire book is incredibly concise, clear, and downright brilliant. As the Editor of a series of similar books on consciousness, existence, and bliss, I can say this one excels at presenting highly complex metaphysical issues as if they were everyday observations about the weather. Einstein reportedly said, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t know your subject.” Superb communication skills are needed to convey such deeply significant concepts in such a highly accessible manner.

Consider this gem:

• True conscious love is an attitude towards the consciousness of another person or creature, not simply to the physical creature itself.

It seems impossible to adequately explain this statement in layperson’s terms. And yet, the author does, as he does with many other intricate concepts, and in such an engaging way that the reader turns the pages like the best of suspenseful novels.

I recommend this book for all the reasons one would expect: the writing is superb, the subject is handled meticulously, the editing is flawless, and the entire narrative is captivating. This is the book one recommends to those they care about most.