Building Your Field of Dreams [Paperback]

Mary Manin Morrissey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 1997

Building Your Field of Dreams is both a compelling personal story and a practical and inspiring guide for anyone who has ever hoped for a better life.

Mary Morrissey's own dreams were nearly shattered at age 16, when pregnancy forced her into a reluctant marriage that nevertheless became the crucible for remarkable lessons in faith. As she was tested by the near-death of one of her children, by life-threatening kidney disease, and by years of struggling to make ends meet, she clung to her determination to be a minister.

Now, with powerful examples from many dream-builders she has known, she shows how anyone can identify their deepest desires, build a partnership with God, confront obstacles and failure, and overcome the mental blocks that keep us from our potential. It's a great message, compellingly delivered by a great teacher.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This book chronicles Morrissey's realization of her dream to create a ministry (she founded the Living Enrichment Center in Oregon) from her unlikely beginning as a teenage wife and mother and lays out a step-by-step method to become "a cocreator with God" and follow your true calling. Morrissey counsels would-be ministers to use her five essential questions to test their dreams: Is it enlivening? Does it align with your values? Do you need help from a higher source? Will you grow into your true self? Will it bless others? For example, Morrissey stresses such spiritual disciplines as tithing (giving 10% of your income) without regard for the circumstance. When she and her family were down to their last three dollars early in her ministry, she gave 30 cents to the local church, and, sure enough, her family was blessed with money shortly thereafter. There is no question that Morrissey is sincere in her desire to help people tap into God's power in order to realize their dreams, but she often uses tired spirituality cliches, like the Zen master who pours tea until it overflows (indicating the cluttered mind). Still, though Morrissey's imagery is mostly Christian, she is careful to acknowledge other belief systems and says nothing that would put off the "New Thought" reader.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

There's nothing very new in this self-awareness book--devoted readers of the genre will recognize pinches from The Course in Miracles and pieces from positive thinkers like Norman Vincent Peale and Deepak Chopra. Still, Morrissey mixes her familiar message with her very interesting personal story, and that's what sets her book apart from others in the genre. Morrissey, a bright homecoming queen, was enjoying her junior year in high school when she became pregnant. Ten days later, she was a wife and assumed her life was over. Several years after that, when Morrissey suffered kidney failure, it almost was. The story of how this very young wife and mother used the principles of empowerment to build a ministry as well as a rich personal life is inspiring, and the roadmap she offers readers for their own empowerment is eminently practical. Make room on the shelves for this one; its direct and appealing voice will speak to many. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (June 2, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553378147
• ISBN-13: 978-0553378146
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #577,326 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better Than Prozac!, March 25, 2000

By 

Melissa (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building Your Field of Dreams (Paperback)

I have read many books in the metaphysical and New Thought genres, but none of them ever stated things as simply as Mary does. Her words have cleared the confusion and fog from my mind, and I am finally able to understand my place in the universe! Her way of telling stories and parables, much like Jesus did, really helped to put things in perspective. I was able to relate to almost every character, and now I am working on matching their triumphs. I have had the pleasure of meeting Mary in person recently! She is truly a saint! I know my life will change for the better now that I have started to till the soil in my own "Field of Dreams". At the very least, the book has given me hope!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good as far as it goes, but ..., September 25, 2001

By 

P. Lozar "plozar" (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building Your Field of Dreams (Paperback)

Morrissey's personal story is inspiring, and many of her suggestions about how to make your dreams reality are excellent. But I found the book disappointing in one important respect: it assumes that you already have a firm grasp of what your dream is, and just need encouragement and guidance on how to make it come true. Some of us aren't clear WHAT our dream is, for reasons ranging from outright brainwashing by the parents and teachers we were trying to please ("you WANT to be a schoolteacher when you grow up, don't you?") to "never gave it much thought," and this book is no help whatseover if that's your predicament. I recommend instead Barbara Sher's "I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was," or Martha Beck's "Finding Your Own North Star," both of which will help you take that necessary first step towards identifying your dream.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lot of hope lives within these pages., May 1, 2000

By 

Betti Trapp - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building Your Field of Dreams (Paperback)

Mary Manin Morrissey is tremendously gifted, and this is evident from chapter one throughout the book. Somehow she reaches into the souls of those who have lost their way, had their faith shaken, or given up hope. I would recommend this book to any lonely or forlorn individuals looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. Mary Manin Morrissey can show you the way to that light, and she can also, with her magical words, help you through what may seem like an endless struggle to reach your own field of dreams.