Conversations with God: an uncommon dialogue
By Neale Donald Walsch
Putman Adult, 1996
Plus various other publishers, such as Hampton Roads and Hodder and Stoughton

Conversations with God is a series of originally three books, though there are additional ones. My comments will stick to the core three. These books claim to document a dialog between the author, Neale Donald Walsch, and God. The three books vary in focus, from the individual in the first, to global issues in the second and then an even wider perspective in the third, with a recap of core teachings from the first two. There is nothing really new in any of them, but they are stunning books never the less. The fact that the books contain little that is totally new may just reflect that these messages have come through many people over a very long time, rather than be a negative. What is amazing about these books is that they have such a genuine ring of authenticity about them, great humor and are extremely uplifting to read. They are a great joy to read and, at least to me, have such a ring of truth about them, that I found them compelling.

Work like Conversations with God falls into the realm of channeled communication. One thing that must be born in mind with all such communications is that the information is flavored by and limited to the vocabulary and thought processes of the channel. This sometimes accounts for the ordinariness of some of these communications and also what to many people are too many Christian references.

The three books that make up the original writings in Conversations with God are quite striking. They have the ring of truth of how you would expect a supreme being to be. So many of our pictures of God seem petty and childish for a supreme being. This will anger many conventional religious believers, and the books certainly have, but such people are probably not reading here. There is a great sense of humor flowing through these books, which certainly makes the reading easier and more enjoyable. The first and last books are pretty easy going. I found the second a bit harder, perhaps because I was still looking for personal answers and the second book has a more global orientation.

I think these are must read books. They are strange in that, at one level, there is little new in them, yet they are also amazingly revealing and exciting books and the information in them is enlightening and life changing. So go figure. But I love them, all three of them. They are witty, touching and profound.