The author of The Power of Soul, Dr. Zhi Gang Sha, is founder of the Institute of Soul Healing and Enlightenment and a master of tai chi, qi gong, and several other ancient life-enhancing disciplines. He uses his knowledge and experience in all these areas to carry out his mission – transforming the consciousness of humanity. Dr. Sha’s stated goal is a lofty one: he wants to create love, peace, and harmony throughout all universes.

According to Sha, we have just entered a fifteen thousand-year era which he calls the Soul Light Era. It promises to be an exceptionally turbulent time. The practices and secrets in The Power of Soul are intended as a gift from Sha and the Divine to all beings so that we can better cope with the challenges of this new Era.

A unique feature of The Power of Soul is Sha’s method for passing along this gift. The book includes Divine Soul Downloads - “When you read the appropriate paragraphs… divine gifts will be transmitted to your soul.” These downloads are actually new souls that exist for specific purposes – to heal a physical ailment, for example—and are offered to those who are ready to receive them.

Another particularly interesting tactic Dr. Sha uses involves the souls of herbs. According to The Power of Soul, when a specific healing herb is desired but isn’t available, it is equally effective to invoke the soul of that herb through chanting. Again, Dr. Sha gives examples and specific instructions for doing this.

In addition to the Divine Soul Downloads for purposes of healing and prevention of sickness, for longevity, for finances and business, and for enlightenment, Sha includes a section on “soul marketing.” The author tells of instructions he received from the Divine after the publication of his first book (Sha credits this advice for the subsequent success of that book). Desperate authors and others will be cheered to find complete instructions for soul marketing in this book.

Dr. Sha’s writing style is repetitive, as is his deep appreciation for the help he receives from the Divine. The Power of Soul is relentlessly joyful,but Sha’s humility and frequent praises for a power greater than himself is strangely infectious. There is a fine line between being open-minded and being gullible. There is an even finer line between being skeptical and being stupid. Whether Sha is an enlightened saint or a charming kook, absolutely no harm can come from accepting the Soul Downloads and devoting oneself to the service of others. If enough of us follow Sha’s example for a single day, we might find ourselves overwhelmed by an urge to continue practicing kindness toward others and giving thanks for our good fortune.