Customer Reviews

A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I was amazed by the simplicity of Williamson's message. God created love and everything else was invented by mankind and is based on Fear: greed, envy, need for power, etc. etc. If everyone read, and understood, and lived by this book, no-one would be afraid, and all the ills of the world would be solved. We would have no wars, hedge funds, global degradation, hunger, or any of the problems with which we live, because all these things are based on fear of not having enough, or not being able to keep it. Who wouldn't give five stars to a book like that?

Marianne Williamson is a great storyteller and spritual leader. Recently, I have read this book for the third time and it felt like I am reading it for the first time! The material is timeless as I get something totally new out of it each time I read it.

If you continually feel hurt in relationships, this is a great book to read. Regardless, it is a wonderful book.

There are only six books you need to read to turn your life around and start living a more joyful, abundant and peaceful life...this is the one to start with. Then move on to Conversations With God, book 1, book 2 & book 3 and then to Depak 's How to Know God and end with The Seat of The Soul. There you have it...the truth of it all in six books...the rest on the subject of life are variations on the same theme. These six sum it up. Return to Love will do just that...return you to love, if you dare follow it's teachings and desire such a joy filled life.

Ignore the 11/13/02 review by the closed-minded Christian Science snob! A Return to Love will change your life if you are open minded. You need not be a student of A Course in Miracles to be transformed by this book, though if you don't consider yourself a spiritual person, this might not be the best book for you, since it deals so much with the presence of (God as) Love in our lives. I read it long before I got involved in religion and metaphysics and I was and still am very moved by it. This is a book about the healing and transforming power of Love and how to practice it in your daily life. Ms. Williamson has been-there-done-that and her intelligent and very hip writing style is far from preachy. I've read it over and over since the 1980's and it gets better every time. Can't recommend it highly enough!

Marianne Williamson has for years been a source of comfort I've been able to reflect upon over the years. I got all of the audio cassettes of her speeches and A Course In Miracles and the tapes of that. I remember exactly how I came upon this book---Oprah was interviewing Ivana Trump and Ivana said something about her pain and turmoil over the divorce from The Donald, Oprah recommended it to her and I took my last $20 until payday and went out and got this book.
It changed my life because it agreed with my own thoughts about the universe. Not because it was so revolutionary but because I had thought these thoughts before and thats what lead me to the Course.
Neither this book nor the Course is ultimately easy to digest. You must change your mind. About Time, Space, the Body and Death existing and all of the precepts we place upon that thoughtform. What I like about ARTL is that it opens this whole thought in a way that is accessible to someone before you tackle the Course. The Course is such an intense book, the spiritual lessons so different from normal spiritual lessons that there does need to be a primer of sorts and entrance into it. Are there others? Wapnick, Gawain, yes. But Marianne gives you the feeling that she's sat on the same barstool you have, dated the same jerk you did, endured the dysfunctional parents you did.
And if you listen to the tapes of her live, she'll admit that yes, she has all of the above and more! Marianne is a hoot and a half and at the same time she GETS IT! There's a separation on the Earth of folks who get it and those who don't. Is that enlightenment? Of Perception? Yes, I think it is a step in teh right direction. There are a dozen high book sinbetween and perhaps the true lesson is that if you truly get one of them you don't need a dozen.
The thought of God as balance, as love, as energy accessible to us all as a choice, as a thought manifestation. This book is one of the cars on a whole new train of thought, ACIM is the engine. ALL ABOARD!

I first came upon this Audio book about 8 years ago, and have yet to find an Audio book that reaches as deep into you as this one does. A Return to Love is a great Book, but it is a truly incredible Audio book! The tone of her voice, and the way it's spoken is so PERFECT, that you hear every word, and feel she is talking directly to "YOU"! I have listened to 100's of Audio books over the years, and STILL have not found anything close to this one. Deepak, Millman, Lucado, Dyers, Bach and as much as I hate to say it, even Mariannes other audios don't hold the magic this one does. If someone has found an audio that gets as deep into your soul as this one does, PLEASE write me and let me know what it is.
If you have not listened to this audio book yet, and are looking for some spiritual enlightenment, you have no idea what your missing out on here! Buy the Tape, even if you have read the book!!! Time and time again, I have gone back and listened to this tape, and it never loses a bit of the magic I felt the first time I heard it. This Audio will remind you of so much you have forgotten through the years. The best Audio book I have EVER, EVER listened too!
I have given these Tapes out many, many times as gifts to friends and got many people to listen to them, and I have yet to come across anyone that is not entirely blown away and touched deeply by them. This is an Audio Book you will listen to AGAIN, AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. ~~~~~ "MARIANNE, PLEASE DO AN UNABRIDGED VERSION OF THIS AUDIO BOOK!!!!"

Praise to this book! I was just not expecting to have it change my life! I walked into the bookstore looking for something to help me with my ocassional destructive behavior and prayed to be led to the right one. I picked this edition up, sat on the floor, and was totally taken aback with just the introduction! I devoured the book in a short time and have decided to take a second run at a much slower pace. This book helped me to put "my purpose" and my self destructive behavior in a much clearer light. My husbands tells me he has definately seen a change in my personality. I know I've changed - I feel it - I feel wonderful!

In its own way, "A Return to Love" is a seminal piece of writing, more for its message than its poetry. I turn to Marianne Williamson's when I need a little pick-me-up; I have found she is one of the few "religious" voices I can handle these days. This book is based on her interpretation of "A Course in Mircacles," a kind of New Age bible. I have never attempted to read that tome, so this book acts as a kind of cliff notes version for a mainstream audience. Its basic message is the following: when we are born, we are programmed perfectly to focus on love, but as we grow older we are taught a bad philosophy of fear. The key is to reconnect with our essential, loving selves by asking God to erase the fearful thoughts that block our essential selves. This process--letting go of fear and anger-- is a miracle.

The logical side of me says that the central supposition of this book is false; in fact, children are born with both love and fear --on a primal level, anger in a baby (crying) is an expression that needs aren't being met, and that anger is an essential part of an infant's survival. In a sense, anger is a form of communication, and is something people are born with.

And, yet, this book distills spiritual principles in a language that is more accessible to a general audience than traditional religion. It has the power to reconnect people to a basic type of spirituality that is lacking in a lot of mainstream life. It also contains a lot of advice about relationships that is greatly helpful, and is a fun read. I found that reading it lead me to a greater curiousity about religion and spirituality; it is a gateway.

a few years back i was watching the movie "akeelah and the bee" and came across a life changing quote by marianne williamson called "our deepest fear". fast forward a few years to today and i find myself with this book in my hand absolutely thrilled by the authors determination and passion for love and and of changing the world. those few years in between were the most trying most challenging years of my life. and the timing of her book entering my life and at the time it has is a true spiritual gift.

i find that any writer that can be as honest with publishing their own life struggles, not because they feel that their life is as any different or special from anyone elses, but because someone out there can LISTEN and RELATE, is the kind of writer that i can respect. and listen and relate is exactly what i did. knowing that there are other people out there like me, who have been where i have been, experienced the pain that i have, gives me a sense of comfort that im not the only one and that peace of mind is priceless. this book has given me the answer to my long awaited question: "why?".

and her words are my fuel. her words give me an understanding of my own spiritual growth that i can accept and agree with. and her words inspire me to want to continue on the path of changing myself so that i can do my part in changing the world. if it be the only thing i do.

i have not read "a course in miracles" but i have studied christian science. i cannot agree MORE about a previous comment in the regards to christian science and mary baker eddy's writings. there are too many significant similarities in both ACIM and the christian science "science and health with key to the scriptures". but that didnt stop me from wanting to read more because the principles, no matter who founded them, are significant of themselves.

great book for anyone searching for spiritual guidance and truth in their own personal life struggles.

A book called "A Course In Miracles" is unique in it's degree of wisdom.But, people sometimes experience it as an affront to their current belief system.Though it's authors have great wisdom, they didn't master 'people skills'.The book can leave some wondering "This isn't a cult thing, is it?".Because, the 'high and lofty' ideals can feel "too good to be true".That's where "A Return To Love" comes in.Marianne Williamson brings these high and lofty ideals 'down to earth'.
In ACIM, the 'personality/individuality/emotion' element is nowhere near as well represented as the 'spirit/God' element is.But when your 'personal/individual/emotional' side is included equally well, the void and alienation feeling disappears.Though this book isn't perfect in this respect, it is still far less intimidating than ACIM.Which is not to say that ACIM ideals intend for our individual self to be left out.No, it's merely a communication gap that the authors haven't quite yet accounted for.M.Williamson is a mediator between ACIM ideals and a majority population.Only a minority of people could go 'straight to' ACIM.Because of "A Return To Love", many people who initially felt ACIM to be in competition with their own wisdom, will now feel less threatened.Williamson is moreso a 'people person' whose book is a beneficial option/addition to "A Course In Miracles".The best offering of "A Return To Love" though, is its approach to 'positive thinking'.(Though its not always 'refered' to, it does underlay the book).
"Positive thinking" really is neither 'positive' nor 'negative'.It is 'truthful' thinking.(Williamson shows her faith in this fact via her sombre expression on the cover photo).She is well aware that 'love' equally accompanies our sad emotions as it does our happy ones.She does away with the 'sentimental' definition of peace and harmony, replacing it with a permanently helpful 'unconditional' definition.
In closing: This author brings a very lofty and intellectual piece of work down to earth, making it easier to relate to.Though not perfect, it does aim wiser than many self-help books.