Rating: 
Summary: This book even helped a non-christian white 21yrold aussie!
Review: I think a lot of people get the impression this book is very Christian-based. True, there are a lot of mentions of God, having 'faith' and it was written by a Christian minister, but what initially interested me was the fact Iyanla is also a Yoruba priestess. Iyanla is clearly someone who is open and accepting of many cultures and opinions regarding life and spirituality. This book calls the reader to question all aspects of themselves- from mundane everyday life to the values we hold dear and deep within our souls. This book has the potential to speak to anyone from any culture, whether they perceive the Divine as an omnipotent deity, a Goddess or God within, a symbolic representation of a Nirvana state, or simply as the Truth about the universe. It has flexibility in that it is open to personal interpretation in the spiritual respect. Each days reading makes the reader question their behaviour, motivations and attitude towards life. It is a healthy process that brings positive changes within the self that will ultimately result in personal evolution and improvement. The only negative I found is Iyanla states that humans have 'dominion over every other creature.' This is an enduring belief of the dominant patriarchal Christian system that exists in Westernised society and culture. It seemed out of place within the context of respect for everything in life that the rest of the book promotes. This one statement seemed to be in conflict with almost every other ideology presented. Other than that relatively small discrepancy, this book was ultimately a life-examining/changing positive experience, which I recommend to anyone as an invaluable method of personal evaluation.
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Summary: Not a Disappointment, It's Even Helping This Old White Lady
Review: Hardly a "disappointment". This book is excellent. And I'm happy to say, it is for ALL women (and men for that matter), and has even helped this old White lady along for the past several weeks to see things differently, to expand more spiritually. True, Vanzant doesn't address YOU or YOUR problems... Instead, she leaves that up to YOU. No one can know you better than yourself; no one can tell you how to reshape your life better than you... I don't like strangers telling me how to "fix" myself, so I appreciate the fact that Vanzant never does this in her book. I also appreciate the fact that Vanzant doesn't force her religious views on her readers. Instead, she shows respect for everyone's individual beliefs while giving readers "permission" to explore their OWN spirituality and the way they view the world. The chapter on Trust, for example, got me thinking and prompted me to progress to a new, better, higher level of understanding about what "Trust" means TO ME. Psychologists call it "reframing" -- seeing things from a different perspective so you gain a greater understanding of whatever the "things" are. Vanzant "reframes" a lot of things, helping readers to see issues like Creativity, Trust, and Personal Divinity from different angles. I recommend this book to EVERYONE who wants to explore their own souls and gain a greater appreciation of themselves and their relatioship to their Spiritual nature. You have to do the work yourself, but this is an excellent tool to help you do just that.
Rating: 
Summary: Reality check please. . .
Review: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and dog-gone-it, people like me." That seems to encapsulate Ms. Vanzant's approach to spirituality.I don't know about anybody else, but when I look inside myself, I see that despite my best intentions and genuine desire to be "good," I often act in ways that trouble my own conscience. Ms. Vanzant's assertion that this stems from the fact that I have not yet really embraced my God-ness leaves me troubled, empty, and confused. At least she's honest. Deep into the book she takes her "your truth is your truth" philosophy (complete moral relativism) to its frightening but logical conclusion when she (essentially) defends Adolph Hitler. She never says what he did was RIGHT, but that judging him as wrong is not a productive use of our energy. I happen to believe that one of the most productive things we can ever do with our energy is to condemn genocidal maniacs. If we can't stand up and call that wrong, then what on earth IS wrong? According to Ms. Vanzant, that simply depends on what you decide. I don't want to live in a world like that, and am convinced such a world would be far from Ms. Vanzant's utopian dreams. The very possibility that Hitler did what was right for him is exactly why that concerns me. Hitler has been almost univerally condemned and this is because there is something in most people that recognizes evil at this level and calls it what it is. Ms. Vanzant would have us believe our world would be a better place if we discarded even this basic recognition of moral bankruptcy. There has to be another answer, for this book's answer contradicts itself at every turn. I already have the things I pray for? Then why do I bother to pray for them at all? I act badly sometimes but am really divine? Then the meaning of divinity has been perverted beyond recognition. Who cares if we're all divine if we act in such ways? What would the world look like if everyone in the world bought this book and lived their lives in accordance with it? It would be a world where most people hold hands around the fire and sing Kum-Ba-Ya, while the Hitlers and good old everyday wrong-doers of our world run around doing what THEY think is right, since the book gives complete license for "whatever you feel is right" behaviors. It disregards the likelihood that often our thoughts and feelings are a terrible gauge of what kinds of behaviors are and are not beneficial to us and others. Ms. Vanzant's solution to evil in the world seems to be to overlook it, convincing us it's not productive to call it what it is. The fact is that it doesn't really matter if one's soul "opens up." The question is what is one's soul opened up to? If you are looking for a book that will tell you what you want to hear about spirituality (that you are a god, that there's nothing essentially wrong with humanity, that evil comes only from lack of enlightenment, that everything that you need to be fulfilled is already inside of you, etc.), then this is the book for you. But if you're looking for a book that deals realistically with the problem of evil, with human nature, and with what it means to grapple with both a human and a spiritual nature, then don't give this book a second look. I believe Ms. Vanzant's book is an insult to the reality, the severity, and the complexity of the human condition.
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Summary: quite possibly the best book ever
Review: This is truly a great book. Iyanla presents 40 principles for life and spirituality, and the idea is to focus on one for each of forty days. Each day begins with a definition of the principle, which is then illustrated through a powerful, and humourous story. The reader is invited to reflect on the principle in terms of his/her own life, and is provided with an affirmation/prayer which reflects the day's principle. A short evening section allows you to reflect on the principle again. All in all, this book is filled with truths which are presented with humour and humility, and without the "holier than thou" attitude of many spiritual advisors. I have completed the 40 days not once, but four times, and each day I've received something new from the process. After reading this book, I bought everything I could find written by Iyanla (I may well be her biggest fan!), but this book remains my favourite - it is a book packed full of wisdom, which is easily incorporated into daily life.
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Summary: Excellent
Review: This book has been very powerful for me, and is effortless to incorporate into even a busy life. There are so many good books on spirituality, but this one is unique because it breaks down many universal spiritual principles into concise daily readings, with sections on "Honoring Yourself," "Honoring Others," "Honoring the Process," "Honoring Your Feelings," and more. Within each section, each day has one spiritual principle you read about, and has a short space for you to write your own take about what you've read. It also has a space to reflect at the end of the day any experiences you've had relating to that principle (don't worry, it's not a huge journal-type project - all the writing takes me less than 5 minutes a day, and adds immensely to the power of the program). Because my time is so tight in the morning, I do the reading the night before. (The readings are short - most only 3 pages.) I'm about halfway through the 40 days, and my soul is opening up, and I find myself looking forward to my nightly reading, as an inspiring and relaxing ritual. I'm sure you'll also find many of the readings to speak directly to issues you're having now, and others will validate things you've already become aware of, and yet others will be on tap when you are struggling with different things. It is a brilliantly concise book, and one with all its tools clearly laid out so it can be referred to again and again long after the 40 days are past. (I really encourage you to go through it one chapter at a time as she mentions, because each principle will sink in much more than if you attempt to read it as a chapter book.)
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Summary: Beware!
Review: All I can say is "avoid this mess alone." That's all this author's publications are -- spiritual mess. A bit of new age here, occult there, and a healthy dose of self-centeredness and walla! Vanzant created her own patchwork quilt of a religion! Someone recommended this book, like it was a great masterpiece. I could not get through the first few pages. Vanzant's writing style is superficial and amatuerish. Worse, is that she flies in the face of those who profess Christianity. I got this book out of my face and house in the same manner as a voodoo doll. Despite the user-friendly marketing approach of Ms. Vanzant, this book can easily be seen as not very deep, even by lukewarm religious people. God warns us in the OT and NT of the Bible of the days when women try to create religion and usurp authority (in this case, profit$$) from men. This book is written in the spirit of Jezebel. Repent, Ms. Vanzant, repent!!!!!!!!
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Summary: One Day My Soul Just Opened Up
Review: This book will give you 40 days of soul searching and working through grief and anger. A lovely gift for any reader!(...)
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Summary: Starting the 40 Days
Review: I just started this book, and it seems promising. I can tell that the author tends to focus a bit too much on her own life, but I can relate to the emotional breakdown that she wrote about in the introduction...as long as you can get past that. I'm reading this along w/ A History of God by Karen Armstrong, and during my own faith-questioning journey. Together, these book are great for me. I think 40 Days and 40 Nights goes well w/ any book about religion and theology. It reminds you that only you can determine what is truth to you, and you can view the other matierial w/ an open mind, not committing yourself to believing everything the author has to say. ...So to sum up all this babble...Vanzant's book is very good for those questioning their faith, or on some other spiritual journey.
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Summary: By far the most phenomenal book I've ever read!
Review: Iyanla Vanzant is not only my favorite writer, but she is one of my greatest inspirations in life. I've read nearly all of her books, all of which were amazing. "One Day My Soul Just Opened Up" is especially life-changing because it takes you through exercises and short journal writing one day at a time. Regardless of how busy you are, Iyanla gives you the opportunity to truly begin a life of joy and purpose. The first time I read this, I was under a tremendous amount of stress, unbelievably busy, and so short on time that sleeping was a luxury--- still, I was able to take a few moments a day to read her words of wisdom and work with each principle throughout my day. If you ever buy another book in your life, buy "One Day My Soul Just Opened Up." It is truly, truly phenomenal, and I guarantee that it will change your life.
Rating:
Summary: One star so far
Review: I can't seem to get through this book. So far I haven't seen anything new, just the usual null content New Age joy-juice. Her writing style is terrible, disorganized and distracting. It strikes me that this is the sort of book for people who wear little guardian angel pins. Easy-fix "what's in it for me?" type spirituality. Gee, you might as well watch TV to pick up your spiritual fix!
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