The Sixth Tier
 John Christopher Bader
 (Reviewer - Rev. Marie D. Jones)
 2003 1stBooks Library
 ISBN: 1410760634

A Handbook to Enlightenment.

Associate Reviewer Rev. Marie D. Jones writes:
I always enjoy reading spiritual books, especially when they feature real-life experiences of the author that led to some sort of epiphany or enlightenment, or as Oprah Winfrey calls them, “A-Ha!” experiences. John Christopher Bader's The Sixth Tier is just such a book, offering a mix of spiritual how-to & “been there, done that” personal insights & wisdom that truly touches & inspires the reader.

Bader's The Sixth Tier, which is as much a manual as it is a story of one man's experiences, takes the reader on a journey through six tiers of understanding & enlightenment, beginning with The First Tier: Living With an Open Mind, all the way through to the final Tier: Self Actualization. In between, he covers such topics as religion & faith, understanding the past, dealing with tragic loss, positive energy & nurturing the soul, & living health. Throughout The Sixth Tier, he shares some of his experiences, including his own tragic loss, that led him to create this book as he struggled with the questions we all have ... “Why me? What does it all mean? How can I be happy? Does God care?”

Interspersed throughout The Sixth Tier are some wonderfully thoughtful & inspiring revelatory poems called Revelations, proving Bader's skill as an inspirational writer with a gift for expressing himself through imagery & metaphor. Yes, indeed the contents of The Sixth Tier are uplifting & empowering, & again it is that personal touch that really makes this book so worthwhile to read. Without Bader's experiences to serve as catalysts for his own journey towards enlightenment, we would be left with just another spiritual how-to book, & I for one think there are way too many of those on the market.

However, there is one major problem I have with The Sixth Tier, & I do hope the author takes this to heart for his next project, because I truly think he is a wonderful teacher with so much to give, spiritually speaking. The production quality is not good. The back cover is messily formatted, & the large font is a little off-putting, unless you are poor-sighted & prefer large print. I find these problems often in self-published books, & although they are exterior problems & in no way reflect on the inner content of a book, they still take away some of the first impression impact any writer hopes to make. If it wasn't for the poor production quality, I would easily give The Sixth Tier 4 teapots!

So, I do recommend John Christopher Bader's The Sixth Tier as a great spiritual read for anyone on the long & often rocky road to inner enlightenment, fulfillment & happiness. Despite the problems I have with the lay-out & design, what I found within its pages are what really counts, & The Sixth Tier is a treasure.
(10/19/03)

Rev. Marie D. Jones
2003©Marie D. Jones
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
Marie Jones is a New Thought minister, author of Looking For God In All The Wrong Places & a widely published writer of inspirational essays, gift books, short stories & magazine articles. She is also a screenwriter, & has produced a children's storybook video series for Gigglebug Farms Productions. she holds a Masters Degree in Metaphysical Studies & is a licensed pastoral counsellor.