Conversations with God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 1) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "In the spring of 1992-it was around Easter as I recall-an extraordinary phenomenon occurred in my life..." (more)
Key Phrases: uncommon dialogue, highest choice, Sponsoring Thought, Eternal Truth, Holy Ghost (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Blasphemy! Heresy! Who does this man think he is, claiming to speak directly to God?! Jesus did it, Muhammad did it, the Jewish prophets did it, but none of their Gods had the sardonic wit or raw verve of Prophet Walsch's God. Neale Donald Walsch isn't claiming to be the Messiah of a new religion, just a frustrated man who sat down one day with pen in his hand and some tough questions in his heart. As he wrote his questions to God, he realized that God was answering them... directly... through Walsch's pen. The result, far from the apocalyptic predictions or cultic eccentricities you might expect, turns out to be matter-fact, in-your-face wisdom on how to get by in life while remaining true to yourself and your spirituality.

Product Description

Conversations with God Book 1 began a series that has been changing millions of lives for more than ten years. Finally, the bestselling series is now a movie, starring Henry Czerny (The Pink Panther and Clear and Present Danger) and Ingrid Boulting (The Last Tycoon). Produced and directed by Stephen Simon (producer of Somewhere in Time and What Dreams May Come) and distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Fox Home Entertainment, the theatrical release is set for October 27, 2006. The movie is the true account of Walsch (played by Cierny), who went from an unemployed homeless man to an "accidental spiritual messenger" and author of the bestselling book

Product Details

• Hardcover: 211 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (October 29, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399142789
• ISBN-13: 978-0399142789
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,240 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,544 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #1 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Occult > Parapsychology
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• This is item 1 in The With God Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 119 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars How Does God Communicate to Us?, September 9, 2000

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

Let me begin by saying that Amazon.com requires me to rate the book in order to write a review. Actually, I have no idea how to rate it because I'm not sure what the book represents. So my three star rating simply means "not rated." If compelled to, I could make an argument for anything from one star to five.

I read this book on the advice of a friend. He told me the book was "fascinating." I certainly agree.

The main thing I would like to say in the beginning is that this book shares some elements with Christianity, but is certainly not Christianity of the sort that most people will recognize. So if you do not like to read books that are at odds with your version of Christianity, avoid this one. It will be a one star book for you.

The author tells us that he had been writing down his religious and philosophical questions on a yellow legal pad for years. One day, he began to hear answers. He then wrote those answers down. What was "dictated" to him becomes the backbone of this book.

I have no way of knowing what the real source of these responses to the questions in the conversations is. It could be Divine communications. It could be Satanic ones. It could be a manifestation of the author's psychology. There are a lot of other things it could be. You'll have to decide for yourself. If you have a spiritual advisor or counselor whom you respect, that would be a good subject to discuss with her or him.

I found myself empathizing with the author's perspective of the conversations. "I am . . . deeply embarrassed by my own life . . . ." "Yet I am encouraged by God to grant myself forgiveness for my failings and not to live in fear and guilt but to always keep trying -- to live a grand vision. I know that's what God wants for all of us."

There were several concepts in the book that I found to be new, and which added to my spiritual perspective. One was: "The truth is, God talks to everybody." That made me think about ways that I could pay more attention to what was going on to me and inside me as ways to know God.

A second one was the notion that the Ten Commandments are there not to be obeyed merely, but as ways for us to test ourselves on how well attuned we are to God's way.

As someone who loves to work on creative activities, I liked the many affirmations about God wanting us to create the goodness we desire through our thoughts and deeds. "There is only one reason to do anything: as a statement to the universe of Who You Are."

About two-thirds of the way into the book, the conversation lost me. There were extensive discussions of reincarnation, infinite universes, gods beyond gods, and moving from being a killer to being someone imbued in love. That material did not resonate with me in either a religious or a spiritual sense.

The most unexpected part of the book for me was that the voice of God (as described in the book) is a very colloquial and humorous one. It is hard for me to equate this God with the God of Moses and Jesus Christ. But that may just be my limitation. To give you a flavor, the language is much like that in the George Burns movie of many years ago, Oh God.

If you are curious about other perspectives on spirituality, you will enjoy this book. If you are looking for a different perspective than the one you have today, especially one that is less threatening, you may find this to be enlightening.

Let me share with you the three laws in the book: "The First Law is that you can be, do, and have whatever you can imagine. The Second Law is that you attract what you fear. Love is all there is." God describes Himself as having no needs, but three desires: (1) that people know and experience Him (2) that people know and experience who they are and (3) that the whole process of life is a constant joy, continuous creativity, and never-ending experiences of total fulfillment.

May your life be filled with valuable spiritual experiences and guidance!

41 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be Careful, September 26, 2000

By	Drooch (UK) - See all my reviews

This book is amazing, I'll let the 500 other reviews tell you that, but there are two things that readers of this incredible writing should bear in mind.

Firstly, I detect a sense of dishonesty in Walsch's claim that this material 'just came to him'. The book feels planned and prepared. The 'God' dialogue seems to be Walsch expressing his ideas and the 'Neale' character is like a host for questions that readers are likely to ask. The book is incredible, let there be no doubt about it, but I feel this dishonesty colours the purity of it's content. Also, note that in one of Walsch's new books he narrates with the 'God' voice only.

Secondly, look at the institution that is forming around this book. Perhaps I should not complain, perhaps it is the natural progression for such powerful material to grow beyond it's literary roots. But it leaves a nasty 'money-hoarding' taste to it. Add to this that Walsch is now churning out a whole new batch of books and tapes and setting up organisations around the globe - it just feels slimy.

This book has done wonders for me and it will for you, too. But I think it is healthy to question this emerging religion. It must be stressed, however, that the purpose of the message is to direct your mind to your OWN heart. An honest, noble message but with a shaky back-drop, a couple of little dents in the beauty.

Speaking more personally, I am at a stage where, when I'm feeling down, I use the books to brighten me up. I am not pleased with this situation of needing SOMEONE ELSE'S WORDS to make me happy, I don't want to become dependant on anything outside of myself but I find that it is the case. In honesty, I think that I am on just one rung of the ladder that leads to self-empowerment, so don't let my situation sway your decision to buy this book.

67 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Move Over, L. Ron Hubbard, Here Comes Neale Donald Walsch, July 13, 1998

By A Customer

In this example of a Fast-Food Religion combination platter of basic Christian philosophy, Do-Whatever-Feels-Right Pop Psychology and bizarre New-Age Mysticism, author Neale Donald Walsch, a writer with a clear God-complex, presumes to speak for God in an imaginary conversation of mostly upper-case "Me" sentences. He substitutes " feelings" as a source of the knowledge of God more authoritative than The Bible (p. 8) and later (p. 67) demotes the writers of The Bible mere recorders of oral history.

As his diatribe progresses to everyday life, he indirectly blames eating animal meat for most illnesses, though he only mentions blocked arteries. This teetotaler tells the reader not to drink alcohol and conveniently proclaims Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine as an imperfection in Jesus -- Mr. Walsch probably would have liked to have Jesus turn water into organic carrot juice.

Written in Question and Answer format and almost all short words and sentences that even Hemingway could not have made any shorter, the book should have appeal to the marginally literate. Its Do-Whatever-Feels-Right philosophy should give anyone enough justification to live a 1960s Free Love lifestyle. In my favorite line, p. 61, God said through Mr. Walsch that "Hitler went to Heaven."

The last chapter, though it mostly contains marketing phrases to sell future volumes, also has plently of blather of "karmic lessons" and the 647 (yes, six hundred forty seven -- not a typing mistake) past lives the author has had, but all without "karmic debt." On p. 204, Mr. Walsch says that "someday -- perhaps in Book Two" he will even tell the reader how psychic energy and psychic abilities work. I think I will skip that one -- and all further volumes of this garbage.