A Place Reserved: A Vision of the Afterlife

I loved this book. To me, it is a very happy and "realistic" look at the afterlife. I can imagine that when we leave here, many of us may need a kind of "celestial therapy" before we really move into "Heaven". I was a little disappointed that the protagonist, Daniel, does not actually meet Jesus...and he doesn't seem to be interested in meeting up with his parents. It's a neat vision...I think we (i.e., the whole world) have a lot to look forward to in the next life. I think God created us (I believe in evolution etc.) with only the best intentions for us and all Creation. I would also like to recommend C.S. Lewis The Great Divorce...one of my favorite books of all time.

I have read this book twice and the subsequent reviews on your site and felt it was important for a certain viewpoint to be expressed. Peck is not maintaining that this will be your heaven or my heaven. He is not maintaining that his temptations will be your temptations or my temptations. So often I read reviews that seem to take some sort of personal insult from the printed material. I don't necessarily agree with every single part of this book, but if you understand that he is attempting to be honest and realistic about his own perceptions and thoughts I think it would be amazing what you can learn. Peck's ideas about all of us being resistant to change, too attached to whatever "disability" or "fault" we have, his honesty about his anxieties and downfalls (and yes we all have them!), and the overall sense of utter acceptance and interest in individual as well as collective growth are, for me, the key aspects and are very, very comforting and thought provoking. Try this one if you want to jog some of those "hmm, this is interesting." cells in your head!!

I happened to read this book while my son was fighting cancer and was in bone marrow treatment. I was struggling with death and afterlife. Dr. Peck's book was heavensent. He offered me a such a delightful comfort in this compassionate vision of afterlife. He offers a wonderful sense of continuity of ourselves.It's heartening to believe all this love we share here is passed and carried on. That we all stay connected at the deepest level of our souls remembering and living the love we share. Best of all, the afterlife Dr. Peck describes is not a panacea or the giant puzzle finally solved, but a continuation of the sweet-sour mystery of life (or afterlife). His message I believe is that we as love-bearers is the best role we can play in this vast mysterious universe. To love enough to pass on, hold on, let go, agonize, yield, accept and to rejoice in the faith and belief we are lovable and loving for eternity.

The most devoted Scott Peck fan on the face of the earth, I read the article about him in last years October issue of Rolling Stone and thought, "it seems Dr. Peck is preparing for the final step of his journey - death. It would be cool if he wrote a book about it". Sure enough, a couple months later my wish came true. Dr. Peck's books have meant so much to me and many others. He has the unusual gift of enlightening people through stories of his own life journey and even works of fiction. This book is no exception. After reading this book, I discovered that the closer I feel to God, the more I realize how little I know about He/She works and thinks. But paradoxically, I also realized even more how much we are loved and that death will only be the beginning of a new and exciting journey. Of all the theories of the afterlife, Dr. Peck introduces one of integrity and credibility. It is a must read for all who will die someday. Thank you, God, for another gift, and thank you, Dr. Peck, for being the messenger.