Review by Booklist Review
The title A Course in Miracles and the name Marianne Williamson may not be familiar to most people, but those in the New Age movement will recognize both. Ostensibly channeled through Jesus, A Course in Miracles describes in ornate and often incomprehensible language how to get right with God and one's self. Williamson, one of the major interpreters of the "course," here offers a lazy person's version--sort of a Cliff Notes edition for New Agers put off by the obtuseness of the original. The message, Williamson concludes, is a simple one: love is the answer to our problems; we find our true spiritual selves by letting go of fear; when situations become more than we can handle, give them over to God. This path to inner peace--also a cornerstone of the works of Arnold Patent, Shakti Gawain, and others--is clearly in the ascendancy among New Age followers. Its attraction is its simplicity, but, as Williamson sensibly points out, like most simple advice (quit smoking, eat less, exercise more), the success lies not in the hearing, but in the doing. ~--Ilene Cooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This book is based on Williamson's discovery of A Course in Miracles , a self-help guide whose provenance she doesn't explain. Age 26 at the time and feeling lost and desperate after indulging in the excesses of the 1960s, the Jewish author had no real hope for inspiration from the course because of its Christian terminology. But, she writes in this guide to the guide, the program works ``miracles'' for herself and for others who adopt its principles. Her extrapolations may appeal to readers in need of spiritual sustenance, but one questions Williamson's advice to the gravely ill. When she encourages them, for example, to ``write a letter to AIDS or cancer or whatever illness they might have, and tell it everything they feel''--even to fabricate ``replies'' from the disease--readers are likely to consider that a serious situation is trivialized. Williamson is founder and president of the Los Angeles and Manhattan Center for Living, a support service. BOMC alternate; author tour. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
This book is based on the author's experiences as a teacher and lecturer on the self-study guide A Course in Miracles (Foundation for Inner Peace, 1975), the students of which attribute its authorship to Jesus Christ. Using humorous personal narrative, Williamson explains how applying love to all difficulties, as advised by ``The Course,'' can aid in healing. Some may find the theories and practices presented here somewhat off-putting (e.g., Williamson counsels people with AIDS to write letters to the disease, rather than use fear and hatred to fight it). However, New Age followers or fans of Gerald Jampolsky ( One Person Can Make a Difference , LJ 11/1/90) or Louise Hay ( You Can Heal Your Life , Hay House, 1984) will enjoy this title. Purchase by demand. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/91.-- Linda S. Greene, Chicago P.L. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
