Eckhart Tolle, born Ulrich Leonard Tölle on February 16, 1948, is a German-born spiritual teacher and self-help author, now residing in Vancouver, Canada, with his wife, Kim Eng. His transformative works, including The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment (1997), A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (2005), and the picture book Guardians of Being (2009), have established him as a leading figure in contemporary spirituality.

Tolle's journey to prominence in the spiritual realm began in 2000 when Oprah Winfrey championed his works, catapulting him to international fame. His approach to spirituality, unbound by any specific religion yet enriched by various spiritual traditions, has made his books essential for those seeking enlightenment and personal transformation. In 2008, a New York Times writer deemed him "the country's most popular spiritual author," a sentiment echoed by the Watkins Review of London in 2011.