Tolle's book the Power of Now and followup, seems to me to be a western interpretation of Buddhism.

Absolutely agree with this. I find listening to him allows me to find stillness, he calls it pointers, it really helps me switch off the internal dialogue and find quietude. In that state creativity just flows in a much more fluid way :-)

You said it well:

introducing the ancient wisdom in new format for the layman

but I will add that the way he frames those pointers is also great for the atheistic mind, or those who aren't necessarily believers in divine. I'm of that mindset, I see there is much more than is currently explained by science, but I don't think there is underlying intelligence in the universe. I think that is mans interpretation of something unfathomable.

Either way, it's tapping into the stillness and presence of the collective consciousness that is important to my mind. Tolle allows me to do that, but there are other spiritual teachers who do the same for me. I have a hard time with the way people follow these people though, lol, a little too much like religion for my taste. I see these practices and knowledge as a tool to improve ourselves and reflect that outward into the universe :)

Thanks for checking out my post about the meditation group Julian :)