Oprah selects book by Vancouver's Eckhart Tolle

Oprah Winfrey has endorsed a book by B.C.-based spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle as her latest book club selection.

On the Wednesday edition of her daytime TV show, she announced Tolle's A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose will be her next selection.

Tolle, born in Germany and educated in the U.K., had a spiritual awakening at age 29 and now writes about how individuals can improve their own lives and contribute to a better world.

The Vancouver-based writer is not aligned with any one religion, but explores tenets of Buddhism, Christianity and other faiths.

His earlier work, The Power of Now, is one of Oprah's Favourite Books on her website.

Tolle has an endorsement from Oprah on his website: "I keep this book at my bedside. I think it's essential spiritual teaching. It's one of the most valuable books I've ever read," she is quoted as saying.

He has agreed to a 10-week series of online "classes" in association with Winfrey on her website.

A New Earth builds on the premise of The Power of Now, which is that people must break out of an "ego-based state of consciousness" to achieve happiness because it distracts us from our present experience of the world, according to Tolle's website.

Tolle believes the Earth can undergo a "spiritual transformation" that would result in the "ending of violent conflict endemic on our planet."

Winfrey has a history of advocating spiritual and self-help books, but her book club also endorses works of fiction and memoirs.