Share and Bookmark
- Add to Delicious
- Add to Digg
- Add to Facebook
- Add to Google
- Add to StumbleUpon
- Add to Twitter
- Add to Yahoo!
- Send by Email
Today I share a very special book review with you all, and one that is long overdue. Today’s book review is Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsch.
Conversations With God is actually a trilogy and sometimes is present as 3 books separately, while it can also be found as one complete book.
I personally consider this one book, and it is “the book” that has helped me remember who I really am, why I am here and the greater purpose of it all. This is the book that changed my life, and began a huge spiritual shift within me, as well as marked the start of a very special journey of awakening for me.
Conversations With God (the trilogy), is what started a very long conversation for Neale Donald Walsch, yes with God, that ended up spanning 9 books in total. The last one being “Home With God In A Life That Never Ends.”
What is presented in these books, whether one believes that it is inspired by God or Neale’s higher self, is a multitude of wisdom like no other, that gives us an incredible insight into every single area of life. The book and the words offer direction, but always reminding us that the truth is already within each one of us, and all we have to do is look within to remember.
Format and Structure
Conversations With God was initially published as three separate books, as these conversations took place in Neale’s life at 3 distinct times, and then the 3 books were put together into one book, known as “The Complete Conversations With God” in 2005.
The three separate conversations books were published in 1996, 1997 and 1998, respectively. This work followed Neale’s very own awakening, spiritual shift and life transformation that took place in the early 1990’s.
Aside from the books, Neale’s personal life story is one of immense inspiration for us all. For those of you not yet familiar with Neale, in the early 1990’s, Neale was at the lowest time in his life. He lived as a homeless person for about a year. He lost his family, his job and even had a car accident that left him seriously hurt.
It was then that Neale got really angry, as to why he was “dealt” this fate by God. Nothing seemed to go right in his life, which was nothing but one struggle after another. Neale asked about why all this was happening to him, and to his surprise, God responded. What came out of this was a set of 9 books that Neale wrote as “Conversations With God” over an 11 year period.
For anyone ready and interested into diving in, to what is perhaps one of the most influential books in the spiritual sector of our times, I highly recommend getting the complete conversations.
It comes as a special edition set, in a box and with a special foreword by Neale himself. It is over 700 pages and the text is printed throughout in two colors, one to distinguish Neale speaking and the other to distinguish God speaking.
The chapters are simply divided by numbers, although this is not even necessary as this entire book is literally one long conversation. Neale asks fascinating questions, that so many of us are struggling with and the responses he gets are life altering.
Even though I own a copy of the complete conversations, I highly recommend considering getting the audio book version of this. I own the audio book as well, as I first went through the book in that exact format, which enhanced the entire experience for me and made it so much more meaningful.
In the audio format, Neale speaks as himself and the voices of God alternate, without any specific pattern, as female and male, read by Ellen Burstyn and Edward Asner, respectively. This adds such an amazing element to the message, as right away we start seeing God as both male and female, the divine entity that is the all. It is so powerful to take in this book this way.
Content and Personal Commentary
As I have already mentioned to you, I owe it to this book as to why I am where I am in my life today. It was just the spark I needed to ignite a great fire within me. A fire to seek the truth, to question, to understand and to expand on both the spiritual and physical entity that I am.
How this book came to me is a whole other story, but believe you me when I say that, for it actually “came to me” in a very odd set of circumstances. Today I am so blessed that I did not dismiss it, but took interest in it and this immediately opened me up to a whole new world.
It was not easy to read/hear this book at first. To tell you the truth is was even a bit uncomfortable at times, for it made me question things that I never dared question before. It made me think, like I never dared think before. And it made me open myself up to a whole new world of possibilities.
This meant I had to leave the safe space of comfort and of all that I knew and believed up to that point. I did not have to accept anything that the book said, but my soul told me otherwise. No matter how uncomfortable the feeling was at times, as this transformation was taking place within me, somewhere in there my soul was rejoicing. Somewhere inside of me, I knew I was coming into being, who I really was and am today.
They say for great change to take place we need to become “disturbed”. Well I got disturbed alright as I ventured deeper and deeper into this book. And just like the butterfly takes time, effort and hard work to accomplish its change of shedding its cocoon, I was living through my own change like that.
I think at times I knew where some of my anger and negative feelings came from, as I read the material in the book. I was angry for I felt like I had, well no other way to say this, been lied to all these years, been kept in the dark. I was in my mid 20’s and up to this point was a devout Catholic. I worshipped the way my religion told me to worship, and I was not one of those who questioned the faith. But deep within me, I knew that I thought differently about life and the world, I knew that I was making my religion “fit” to my being because I thought and was lead to believe that it was the right thing to do.
That was literally the last time I ever had feelings of anger and the last time I let myself be tied to organizations that did the thinking for me.
This book is full of so much love, so much wisdom and enlightenment, that nothing I say here, will justify its magnificence. At no point does it tell you what to think or believe. At every point it tells you to question, to look within and to come to your own conclusions.
The complete conversations feature the most essential truths for spiritual seekers and cover anything and everything from the following topics:
- Who is God?
- What is the Purpose of God?
- What is the Purpose of Life?
- How to Understand Our Role in Life
- How to Understand Free Will
- How to Understand Emotions
- Money, Finances and the Economy
- Significance of Religions
- Significance of Relationships – Romantic and Family
- Politics and the Role of Governments
- The Environment
- Health and the Purpose of Disease
- The Significance of Time
- Birth, Death and the Afterlife
- and so much more!
All any of us here and now need to do is simply “remember” who we are, where we came from and why we are here. That is it!
And let me tell you, I did not go through this book once. It took months and I went through the material several times. Each time listening to what my soul was really saying, as I took in the insightful wisdom. Connecting and feeling what my emotions were telling me were key along the entire way. And my God was it all magnificent!
From the day that I really took in this book, I considered myself free! Free from stress, free from illusory obligations, free from any kind of illusory shackles, free from the material world and free from anger and fear. But all this did not make my journey here complete. On the contrary, this was just the beginning!
It did not make me become some selfish and unlawful nomad. Instead, it ignited the passions within me to awaken and help humanity to live out life in the most beautiful way possible. It showed me that peace and love are not just some “conditional” acts, but here for all should they choose them. It showed me that just like love, fear is also a choice. But most importantly it allowed me to understand and connect with God more than any religion ever could.
I have no doubt that this book had a huge role to play in why Markus and I have the heavenly unity we have as a couple, or why today there is peace in every single area in my life, from the past to the future, or to why I no longer have to question what is my purpose here.
And do not get me wrong at any point in reading this, that this book somehow became “my new belief system.” There is no belief system, except that which we choose to create. All this book did was jolt me awake to all that I had already known within me. All these years as a young girl and woman, looking and thinking differently about the world finally made sense. And where the resources that were in my life up to that point could not bring me over the threshold, this book did.
After reading this book, I followed with many more books, that just kept coming into my life as my quest for the truth continued. I know it is a journey that will never end, for we are after all constantly evolving.
Bottom line, this is a book that I highly, highly recommend to anyone who finds themselves seeking for answers, asking the greater questions and looking to live out the greatest version of themselves here and now in this lifetime. This is a book for people who are not afraid to be pushed to think, past every imaginable limit they ever had. And a book for people who are not afraid to grow in every aspect of their multi-dimensional being.
This might just become the best book you ever own. And one that you will return to again and again to grasp all the wisdom, freedom and love that it offers.
We have been in the dark for long enough. So many today are bringing the light into this world, and this book is just one of those avenues. There is so much magnificence to us and this physical life we are in now, and it is time we started living it with the love, peace and joy that it was meant to have.
“A true Master is not one with the most followers, but one who creates the most Masters.
A true leader is not the one with the most followers, but one who creates the most leaders.
A true king is not the one with the most subjects , but one who leads the most to royalty.
A true teacher is not the one with the most knowledge, but one who causes the most others to have knowledge.”
Conversations With God, Book 1
by Neale Donald Walsch
Price: USD 25.17
63 used & new available from USD 14.99
About the author:Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is the main author of EvolvingBeings.com where she writes about spiritual and personal development. She hopes to inspire people, to truly live out the life of their dreams and awaken the highest version of themselves. She is also a nutritional science and holistic health expert for optimal health and longevity. Learn more about Evita Ochel or Follow Evita Ochel on Twitter.
17 Comments to “Book Review: Conversations With God”
This is great – thank you! I have this book sitting on my desk anxiously awaiting the day that I will pick it up and read it.
I sense that day is coming up much sooner now… I’m inspired!
This book is what brought about my conversion from religion, limiting beliefs and letting others have my powers. This book and Neil’s newer books have taught me that I have been in a conversation with God all along and I had not been listening.
This review tells it all, describing how one can go about reading and using the materials in their own life. Thanks for such a great review.
@ MEGAN – Oh that is awesome to hear Megan, so you already own the book. I have known a few other people who bought it, but let it sit for a while before actually opening it.
This is not just some nice “spirituality” or self-help book. It is a very profound book that will indeed cause a lot of changes in how we see ourselves and our world. So I feel that the person is actually called and knows when the right time is to read it.
Enjoy that moment whenever it comes and feel free to come back and share any of your own experiences with it.
@ BRANDON – How beautifully put Brandon:
“I have been in a conversation with God all along and I had not been listening.”
You said it!!! That is exactly what makes this book so powerful is that it clearly and so simply tells us, that God is and was always there, it is we who chose to tune “him/her” out for whatever reason.
I completely feel your story as you now know, it happened to me to. So I know the joy you share in how you live your life out today!
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts here :)
Evita,
It’s so good to read this review, and to learn more about you in the whole process. See – I’m drawn to how this has impacted you, personally. That word, “personal”, is such a key here for me. That personal connection with God, deep within. And getting there, truly getting there – that’s not an hour on Sunday mornings, no matter what religion you are. That’s your life, taken to a deeper and more fulfilling level. And a journey that will always continue…
Evita, thank you for sharing this book (series) here, and for your honest and truthful path you’ve been on.
Hi Evita,
I read these books years ago. I really like his “Friendship with God” as well. I’m currently reading his book on change. Awesome!
@ LANCE – Hello Lance and as always it is my pleasure to spread good material around.
It struck me as you write learning more about me in the process, because as you may or may not have noticed the Author page above is still empty…ouch. I know, I know….but see there is a good reason. Every time I want to sit down and write it, I think of saying so much, and at other times so little.
I want to say who I am, yet not use labels. But then I realize most of the world still revolves around labels. I want to share my journey, but then there is too much to say. Then I wonder should I go more personal or more professional. I have to tell you I am shocked, for I have no problem writing bios or about me pages for my other sites, but this one is different, very special in its own way, so it will be interesting to see what finally transpires…
And as you say, this is one of the biggest realizations I had about the more than an hour at church. I used to go religiously (no pun intended) every Sunday, and I wasn’t forced, I actually wanted to go. And then after my so called awakening or spiritual transformation, I stopped going as regularly, then within a couple of months literally I went and as I stood/sat there I asked myself what I am doing here?
Nothing that was done there had any deeper meaning for me anymore. I saw the people, I heard the words, but everything seemed so rehearsed, so forced and my soul was literally speaking to me that I just didn’t belong there anymore. Something that I did every week for 25 years, all of a sudden felt like a foreign and awkward act and place.
It is really amazing what happens when we “wake up”. That is why I always say to people, if you are seeking, if you are looking for answers, make sure you are open and ready for when they come, you may just walk away a whole new person.
@ TESS – Hi Tess, great to hear! I find that I love going through them from time to time. It is like a nice retreat for the soul I find. Still haven’t read friendship or communion with God, but will get there :)
When I read Neale’s books, many years ago, it instantly felt as if I’d come “Home.” …warm, happy, comforted, resting in a more complete peace, at last. :) And I knew the words he put to paper as if I’d written them myself. As for your own experience, it warms my heart that you outgrew formal religion so completely that you now share yourself so vividly for the rest of us! Incidentally, how Neale writes? …that’s very similar to how it works for me, as well. It just comes. It feels great to have such “conversations,” and I wouldn’t trade it for the world! LOL, well, not until it’s time to have them in person, that is! :)
Thank you for this very thorough review. I LOVED it when you said “There is no belief system, except that which we choose to create.” I completely agree!
@ JULIE – Wow Julie that is so much how I feel today. I wish I could say that I felt like that when I read this book for the first time. For the most part I did, but there were moments where I got some jolts of great discomfort and it wasn’t that I didn’t believe or feel the words, it was that my ego was not yet ready to shed its previous attachment.
As far as my ego was concerned, I was a certain person. I had certain beliefs. And even though my mind told me otherwise I tried to make it fit to what I thought and was lead to believe was right.
But once I opened up, I too Julie felt at home, just as you describe and now when I read any of his books today, oh my goodness! It is like the most delicious feeling in the world to know such unconditional love where judgment and fear do not have a place.
@ VERED – Thanks for stopping by and adding in your thoughts Vered! They are very much appreciated :)
Evita, Neal Donald Walsch offers timeless insights through his dialogue and books. Your review invites human beings to embark on a journey to get re-aquainted with forgotten parts of the self. Conversations with God suggests every being is constantly engaged in dialgue with the higher self, however you choose to define it, regardless of whether you believe, choose to listen or not. Your brain is processing information on multiple levels at once.
@ LIARA – Yes I so agree – he offers us a way to go where perhaps we would be lost of afraid to go on our own. It is like he gently leads us to remember who we are.
Thanks, this is a great addition here!
Thanks Evita for sharing. Books are my lovely friends :)
Evita — Reading this book review reminded me how long it’s been since I read my copies of Conversations with God. I immediately went to find them.
Unfortunately, I must have lent someone book one, but I have book two. I had forgotten how refreshing and funny I found these books. The conversations were so straight forward.
I really liked the God Neale talked to. Certainly, his conversations were the way I wanted to think of conversing with God. I spent too many years living the concept of an angry mean God. Conversations with God opened my eyes. Thanks for the reminder.
I’m going to spend some time tonight reviewing this book…I think it would do me a lot of good.
@ HICHAM – You are very welcome Hicham! I love reading books as well, as they can provide an amazing place for growth and stimulating our senses, imagination and so much more!!!
@ SARA – Oh that is fantastic to hear that you are familiar with this book too! (or books ;)
And I so agree Sara, I think that is what made me feel so good about these books, despite any discomfort I was feeling. It is that if I pictured or talked to a God within me, that is exactly how I “envisioned” God. It was as if this was my own personal conversation and that is what made it even more powerful for me!
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Evita,
I just read your post about Tom’s Big TOE. I’m also a HUGE fan of God and Neale Donald Walsch.
I often think about how much both of these triogies have changed my life. I came to the TOE long before CWG, but I found that the two works really complement each other.
What are your opinions as for as comparing these two models?
:)
Andie
@ ANDIE – Hello Andie, wow that is awesome to hear, as I know find great wealth of info and inspiration in both these authors.
It is wonderful also to hear that you learned about Thomas Campbell’s work so early on – that must be great. I am just new to his work, but very grateful that I found it when I did…or should I say, it found me.
And you are right, I do think that these two complement each other very well. I can think of the discussions about time especially and death. I would say that the CWG material is the more “romantic” version of the two and more understandable and accessible to people. However, the TOE offers the real time science for what they both talk about.
So yes, they do complement each other very well, and it just depends on what a person gravitates more toward, perhaps even both of these versions about life and our reality will appeal to more and more people today…
Thanks for your input Andie, very much appreciated!
I completely agree with Evita! These books are truly life transforming and there are so many other books and information that is coming around now that confirm what these books say. This is my first visit to this website and when I read this review I was completely moved because I am currently reading book three of the series and once again am learning so much and growing so much. I encourage everyone to read these books!