Title: From the Mountaintop: A Journey of Self Discovery and Enlightenment
Author: Campbell Bolwell
Publisher: Stampa Global
ISBN: 978-1951585273
Genre: Philosophy / Self Help
Pages: 268
Reviewed by: Barbara Miller
Pacific Book Review
Seldom in the genre of inspirational reading, or self-improvement, does a reader come across a book in which all of the observations and realisms are told in such a humble way; not looking to “sell” the reader on the author’s way of thinking – only wishing to put it out for readers to decide for themselves. This is the humility articulated as an undercurrent theme of author Campbell Bolwell in his book titled, From the Mountaintop: A Journey of Self Discovery and Enlightenment.
His book begins with listing a score of truisms, each worthy of standing objectively on its own merits. Some “laws” are: “Universal Law of Physical Limitation – We are all limited by physical laws while in physical reality; Universal Law of Unequal Return / Disproportional Effects – Effects of our past actions are out of proportion to their cause. They are never equal; And my favorite – Universal Law of Relinquishment / Letting Go – At some point in our lives we must let go (relinquish) all that we have and hold dear.”
Paging into From the Mountaintop, it became an abyss of depth of thoughts, each told via a short memory of the author’s past, then brought into an objective reiteration of the meaning, followed by a root-cause analysis of the rule or law explaining reality. Told in a way to pleasantly allow readers to enjoy getting to know Campbell Bolwell; he narrates his words with a finesse worthy of being in front of a live audience, such as at a forum for TED Talks, for example. Campbell Bolwell writes a chronologically laid-out sequence of significant experiences, tracing of his younger years progressing into his current wisdom, which comes with his age, now in his sixties.
A dramatic sequence of events was written when he traveled in Vietnam and Cambodia; narrowly avoiding gunfire, and being noticeably out-of-place in dangerous areas. This has led to his unique observations of the cruelty of mankind has to each other. This part touched me deeply. Then, navigating a motorcycle through the streets of Saigon, where traffic rules are non-existent, added a bit of comic relief.
He does reveal this excerpt which seems to have been one of his life’s goals: “My mind is now clear as crystal water. I can peer in and see right to the bottom, to the inner part of myself. My problems have dispersed just as I knew they would. I don’t know what happened to them: The harsh word; the forgotten birthday; the lost appointment; the unpaid bill. They just vanished. My mind is now totally focused on a single theme: There is universal purpose and I am a part of it; there is hope and I can see it; there is beauty and I can experience it; there is love and it warms me.” That sentence is philosophical, inspirational and poetic, all simultaneously interleaved together.
This is a book like no other. A very good panoramic view of spirituality, which leaves lots of room for personal exploration elsewhere. In effect, a whole little library in one book! A free-flow of consciousness, masterfully edited and illuminating a high respect for the readers’ intellect, From the Mountaintop: A Journey of Self Discovery and Enlightenment is on my “must-read” recommendation as a book not to be missed. I recommend this book to everyone who wishes to learn more about inner discovery, enlightenment and purpose, whether they consider themselves spiritual or not.
