Out on a Limb

This is one of those books that is so good that, when you finish it, you feel sad. Because you know you will be hard pressed to find a better one to follow. However Shirley wrote several books to follow this one, that if even if not as fabulous, are still great...so no need to be too sad: Shirley's adventures continue on. The book is riveting because it describes in such an entertaining a gripping writing style, full of humour and insight, Shirley's exciting adventure of spiritual awakening. It is an autobiographic book of a very small but intense time of Shirley's life, in which, as many who have had an awakening will be able to relate to, life becomes brilliantly alive, full of synchronicities and magic. Shirley is lead from book, to teacher, to channel, to places across the globe as she follows the promtings of spirit that lead her to glimpse and explore realities that break down her previous belief structure about the world. And as she travels and learns, a completely new way of viewing life emerges for her- and a completely new Shirley! Spiritual insights aside, just the way in which this book is written is superb - Shirley has a real gift for bringing to life her experiences on the page and the book reads as an exilarating adventure novel. I loved it and re-read it occasionally when i want to recapture that feeling. If you like metaphysics and new age writings, this book is quite a gem and well worth reading. You will cerish it, you will love it and probably read it again and again.

I loved the book and the movie. Shirley has courage. I would also recommend the book An Encounter With A Prophet for another author with courage.

I spent years in church listening to pastors make fun of Shirley MacLaine and call her a kook. I never thought much about it. I enjoyed watching her in movies and thought she was "amusing", but it never occurred to me that she actually had something valid to say that would influence and change my life. Needless to say, one day I picked up one of her books and started reading it out of curiousity. It changed my entire direction in life. She makes the comment in her book that "one book generally leads to another" which was certainly true. I started reading every book I could find on reincarnation and spirit guides, etc. I feel so much calmer and more balanced now, and I feel a great lack of fear concerning the future.The one thing I would like to see Shirley address in future books is her relationship to other people as far as a "helping" capacity. In the two books I've read, we know that she's had plenty of love affairs, and she gives us the history between herself and her parents, etc. Generally, a knowledge of our relationship to God and to ourselves will result in compassion and a desire to reach out to mankind and help in any way we can. Shirley certainly accomplishes this in providing us with her life narratives. It would be interesting to know how she incorporates this into her personal life and relationships with others.

This might sound condescending, but this compelling account of the actress' spiritual journey is surprisingly well written. Shirley MacLaine is not just a Hollywood dancer turned New Age guru; she's a bestselling author who knows the craft of writing. What comes across immediately is the earnestness of her message. She's not out to fool her readers. She's also done her research. Each chapter has apt quotations from great thinkers about the nature of life as they saw it. There are a lot of sentences that begin with the word "Maybe," as in "Maybe the ancient thinkers had it right." Nevertheless she rightly states that what we call history is a leap of faith. Readers will have to make their own judgments about the credulity of the author, but MacLaine's testament shows us that everyone has to draw their own lines about personal beliefs based on experience, reading, and reasoning. But above all, experience. And she documents this process spendidly. She does not come off as an unreasonable "kook." On the contrary, she herself is skeptical at first and admits that the very ideas she later accepts seem "preposterous." It is this intelligence and skepticism which makes this book hard to dismiss as simply New Age pap. The chapter about Peter Sellers is genuinely moving.

I'll get right to the point: this book is a must read for anyone contemplating the meaning of existence and spirituality. Entertaining and educational all at once, MacLaine is inspiring and thought-provoking. This book has literally changed the way I view the world.