Finding Your Way Home: A Soul Survival Kit (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Do you feel confused, uprooted, at a loss-almost depressed, but not quite?..." (more)
Key Phrases: soul survival kit, selling our souls, torture treatment, Super Conscious, United States, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1986, Beattie's Codependent No More spoke with a previously unheard voice, naming and describing a dysfunctional way of living that many people identified with but that had never before been publicly acknowledged or understood. Breaking that new ground made the book a bestseller and something of a cultural phenomenon. The author of several books since then (Stop Being Mean to Yourself, etc.), Beattie covers only familiar ground in this digest of the most popular New Age spirituality writings of the past decade. Using eight "doctrines," 12 "remedies" and many "activities," visualizations and "mantras" (ordinary self-help affirmations), she addresses the search for "who we are and who our souls want to be," the power of thoughts and words, chakras, intuition, electromagnetic waves of energy, synchronicity, the clearing of emotions, angels, the quest for God within oneself and the ability to work "with the powers of the universe to cocreate what is desirable and necessary and in our highest good." As always, she personalizes her topics by writing autobiographically, but here in an often vague and general way, and only rarely crediting the sources (which readers of New Age and self-help books will immediately recognize) of her ideas, seeming to imply that they are original. Beattie's writing style is far more polished than it was in 1986, but her message this time lags behind, rather than pushing ahead, of those espoused by many others. $40,000 ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Popular self-help author Beattie (e.g., Stop Being Mean to Yourself, LJ 6/15/97) again captures the zeitgeist with this combination narrative/toolkit for discovering emotional and spiritual power. Beattie bills herself as a "spiritual journalist" who tunes into stories dominating the emotional landscape. About finding your way home, says Beattie, "It's an idea emanating from the soul, from the deeper part of us, an idea that's found its time." Part 1 lays the groundwork. In Part 2, Beattie outlines eight basic beliefs to remember for staying on track. The third section encompasses 12 remedies, i.e., actions to take when pitfalls appear. Throughout, Beattie includes stories from her own journey, plus activities, journal entries, mantras, prayers, and visualizations to expand personal growth while offering understanding, comfort, and challenge. Recommended for public libraries, especially where self-help, 12-step, and Beattie's prior books have large followings.?B.J.M. Salovaara, Chicago P.L.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 1 edition (August 26, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062511181
• ISBN-13: 978-0062511188
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #68,033 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encourages Self Reliance w/in a Spiritual framework, July 7, 1999

By A Customer

I've read many of Ms. Beattie's books before. Her candor is her greatest strength. In this book, she explores being human and believing in God. It is a very refreshing viewpoint. There is no psycho-babble. Some of it is a bit new-agey but overall, it is very practical. It touched on many issues I still deal with even though I've been out of a abusive & alcoholic family for 11 years. The work she recommends and the affirmations make me feel like I can take care of myself w/o therapy or self-help books. I realized I am not alone in my struggles. Ms. Beattie's forthrightness and conversational style lend to the intimacy of the book. When she shares her difficult moments and her associated comments, it is comforting to realize that our own experiences and related emotions are more normal that society would have have us believe. I especially enjoy her "walk with God" approach. It is that mindfulness that has inspired me the most.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a blessing!, February 12, 2005

By	Jennifer Lanier (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews

This is one of those books that seems to have just came to me somehow. These are the books that I needed the most. I love this little book. I didn't really know I was lost until I read it. But after I started reading it, I started crying and all of these emotions were coming to the surface. Emotions that had been holding me back and weighing me down my whole life. It's touching, it's helpful, it's inspiring, and it's well-written and personal. I've read a lot of self-help books or books to help you find God, but this book was like none of the other books I've read. It is sweet, to the point, and it hits your emotional trigger points in a gentle manner, but effectively. This book is full of love! And once you read it, you will be thankful for the love that it awakens in your heart. The main things I gained from this book are the ability to forgive myself and the realization that I truly am NOT alone. I realized that I plow through life often scared, uncertain of who I am or what my purpose is, and too often unsure if God is really with me. After I read some of this book, my heart felt free from the heavy burdens that I had carried my whole life. This is a great book!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Know Where My Home Is, April 13, 2001

By	"mrica" (Weston, wv USA) - See all my reviews

Melody suggests reading the book through and then going back and reading it again to complete the activities. Well, that's how I started, but I connected so much with her introductory descriptions of how people have a sense of not belonging that I knew this book was written for me, for this moment of my life. It took me three weeks to read the book the first time. I read "Finding the Right Path" five mornings in a row. NOW I'm ready to go through this book again. "Finding Your Way Home" is exactly what the cover promises: a soul survival kit - tools for discovering your emotional and spiritual power. Melody's words and activities have helped me find an awareness and excitement about staying in the present.