The Future of Love

Rating:
Summary: Failure is Impossible in Love -- Because Love is Who You Are
Review: Daphne Rose Kingma's book, THE FUTURE OF LOVE is a literary masterpiece. It shines like a star in the night, guiding us to a new and much improved view of ourselves and our relationship histories. With compassionate words and crystal-clear logic, Kingma explains why failure in love is actually impossible -- because love is who you are. Every relationship you have ever had has been part of your life for a very good reason, and when you step back and examine your life with compassionate eyes, you can see (perhaps for the first time) how perfectly orchestrated everything has actually been.

As Kingma writes, "We stretch, and to our amazement we don't break. Instead, we grow. Suddenly, everything becomes easier, and our hearts, which once we believed could love only one person, or were battered so badly we thought they could never love again, expand so fully that the whole world is welcome."

This spiritual book can provide amazing insights for you, regardless which of the seven stages of love you may currently find yourself in (Romance, Commitment, Crisis, Ordeal, Chaos, Surrender, Transformation). One thing is certain after you've read this book -- your view of the meaning of love will be permanently transformed.

Rating:
Summary: The Power of Love
Review: Just came to my attention last week by a dear friend and advisor. She thought I was already living this life, and I am! This work is so very validating and filled with what we are all about, the only thing, LOVE and TRANSFORMATION.

Rating:
Summary: Function over Form
Review: Kingma's book is a breath of fresh air in that she asserts that traditional monogamous marriage isn't the ultimate form of intimate relationship; that it isn't a "one size fits all" relationship that everyone must aspire to. She outlines several different nontraditional forms that intimate relationships may take, each equally valid and suitable depending upon each person's individual needs and desires.

I would have given the book five stars, but I had to wade through quite a bit of superfluous psychobabble in order to get to the core message of this book.

Rating:
Summary: Function over Form
Review: Kingma's book is a breath of fresh air in that she asserts that traditional monogamous marriage isn't the ultimate form of intimate relationship; that it isn't a "one size fits all" relationship that everyone must aspire to. She outlines several different nontraditional forms that intimate relationships may take, each equally valid and suitable depending upon each person's individual needs and desires.

I would have given the book five stars, but I had to wade through quite a bit of superfluous psychobabble in order to get to the core message of this book.

Rating:
Summary: Profound and inspiring
Review: Reading this book helped release me at last from the burden of shame i carried from my divorce 7 years ago. i now see that experience as one of spiritual transformation instead of a societal 'failure', and more importantly as a part of expressing society's spiritual evolution. i came home at last to a sense of greater meaning in what was a devastating personal experience. I also found the chapters on the qualities of soulful relationships totally inspiring and reorientating. My understanding of love has just taken a quantum leap thanks to ms kingma's lucid, poetic and profound writing. I recommend this book to everyone i think could benefit. You won't be sorry you bought this book!

Rating:
Summary: Soulful
Review: Reading this book kinda scared me. Kingma's ideas can be controversial.

This book gives permission to us not to conform to the social norms, convinces us that it's OK to have "failed" relationships, and tells us that there are more to love than what we are used to know. SOUL LOVE is the ultimate love, according to Kingma. Search within yourself, acknowledge what you really need, believe in the agenda of the soul, and you'll see the way.

This is a good book to help us console ourselves.

On the other hand, this book also challenges what most people believe in - social norms and expectations that seem to put things in order. It belittles the importance of marriage institute and underestimates the virtue of shouldering responsibilities. The way I see it, if the soul is too busy trying to grow it may neglect the needs of the family. I am a bit skeptical with her confidence with her "love prophecies".

The book is well written, with sufficient examples to illustrate the ideas. Some sentences are too similar to those found in Conversation With God, though.

All in all, there are some good points well elaborated in this book. Take them. At the same time, be cautious to some of the dangerous, crazy ideas. Oh! I might be traditional! ;-)

Rating:
Summary: What's really inside of Love
Review: This book does read a bit like a textbook at times, and is slow in the early chapters. But the topics covered in the beginning are neccesary to fully understand the information presented later.

Ms. Kingma refers throughout the book to personality and soul as two related, but different aspects of who we are--not unlike the id and the ego. She also describes much of this material in spiritual terms that may lead some readers astray. But keeping the idea of personality and soul as components of who we are, this is likely not to be a problem to readers.

The content challenges our understanding of what love and relationships are 'suppose to be' and shows what's really happening--which is essential knowledge. Those who read and understand this book will find much less pain in their lives, and those of their loves.

Rating:
Summary: What's really inside of Love
Review: This book does read a bit like a textbook at times, and is slow in the early chapters. But the topics covered in the beginning are neccesary to fully understand the information presented later.

Ms. Kingma refers throughout the book to personality and soul as two related, but different aspects of who we are--not unlike the id and the ego. She also describes much of this material in spiritual terms that may lead some readers astray. But keeping the idea of personality and soul as components of who we are, this is likely not to be a problem to readers.

The content challenges our understanding of what love and relationships are 'suppose to be' and shows what's really happening--which is essential knowledge. Those who read and understand this book will find much less pain in their lives, and those of their loves.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, Inspirational, and HIGHLY Controversial
Review: This book is such a very eclectic mix of philosophies and ideas that I had a very hard time reviewing it. Few authors have the courage to write about love relationships in such a magical and inspirational fashion. Kingma suggests that every moment of our love relationships serves a higher purpose - a purpose of the soul. She then supports this well thought-out point with several examples from both common relationships and some very uncommon, perhaps even "taboo" relationships.

The general theme that I left this book with was that love is an infinitely powerful force, and as being such, love takes on an infinite array of scenarios. Some of the scenarios can be gay, lesbian, straight, friendship, emotional, long-distance,strictly sexual, non-sexual, and even communal. Basically, the point is that love can take a variety of forms and this is the ultimate desire of the human soul.

While I personally didn't find anything in this book to be offensive, I can understand that many people may find this book controversial or even offensive. This book suggests that divorce, extramarital affairs, polyamorism, gay marriage, and even casual sex can serve a spiritual purpose for the soul. Even if you are skeptical of this point, I suggest you read the book anyway.

I find it also important to note that this book is on Neale Donald Walsch's "Ten Books that Can Change the World" list. This book is an excellent expansion of some of the relationship suggestions featured in his "Conversations with God" series. At times I found myself wondering if this book was actually written by Walsch.

Rating:
Summary: Understanding the "purpose" of LOVE is the key to bliss
Review: What a book this has been, and the timing has been impecable for when it fell into my hands. Daphne, thanx for the clear message on the purpose of our relationships, and how to change our perspective to see their value.

By seeing my relationship through a new set of "spiritual" eyes, tense "moments" are now seen as spiritual grouth oppertunities and are not emotionaly shattering.

In my view, every person on this planet could find value in this book, and it could make relationships MUCH easier than our traditional way of thinking.

Profound, and extremely powerful book indeed.