Rating: 
Summary: Pocket-size perspective
Review: A friend sent this book to me when I finished grad school, along with a note: "Upon discovering the complicated & ugly muck of the world, one of my first questions was 'what now?' This book helped." It's the meditations of a Jesuit priest, who is surprisingly concrete in his examples of things from life that pull us down or stress us out, and a new way to think of them. I read a chapter a night before bed, and it gave me a lot to think about, and a lot of perspective. Helped me realize what's important and what's not so. Helped me deal with things, some small, some bigger.
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Summary: Life altering experience
Review: After a near death experience and all of the inner conflicts that came afterward, a friend presented me with her copy of De Mello's book. It changed my life. It gave me a new perspective on life which I desperately needed at the time. It gave me hope.
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Summary: A simple message: Love and enjoy the opportunity to live.
Review: An excellent writer who combines east and west spirituallity into a message of love above all. Love in the sense of peace and forgiveness and acceptance. He reminds me of Krishnamurti,
Rating: 
Summary: fascinating and flawed
Review: Anthony De Mello is a fascinating author. I first learned of him while reading one of my favorite books: Brennan Manning's "The Ragamuffin Gospel". Since that time of discovery I have read several of De Mello's books. "The Way to Love" was De Mello's last book (published posthumously). It is at times both interesting and insightful. It is also horribly flawed. There are a lot of good insights into life to be learned from "The Way to Love". I find great value in the concept of awareness. Realizing that a lot of our joy is stolen by our societally programmed inner computer is of great worth in coming to terms with ourselves and living successfully. I enjoyed several passages of the book immensely. As an example of something that I found of worth in this book-this is an excerpt from the first chapter:"And here is a parable of life for you to ponder on: A group of tourists sits in a bus that is passing through gorgeously beautiful country; lakes and mountains and green fields and rivers. But the shades of the bus are pulled down. They do not have the slightest idea of what lies beyond the windows of the bus. And all the time of their journey is spent in squabbling over who will have the seat of honor in the bus, who will be applauded, who will be well considered. And so they remain till the journey's end." I found passages like the one above scattered throughout the book. Each one was excellent at expressing a truth about the world. They show Mr. De Mello, who was a Jesuit priest, to be an eloquent writer with a powerful mind. However, I have two bones to pick with this book. They are not quibbling, insignificant issues either. I believe that they contaminate this book to the point of negating its other values and making it impossible to classify this book as "Christian". The first problem of this book is one that starts in the first chapter, ends in the last chapter, and is present everywhere in between. Mr. De Mello starts each chapter with a verse form the Bible. That is not the problem...in fact, if more folks used the Bible is their writing the world would be a much better place. The problem is not that Mr. De Mello uses the Bible-it is that Mr. De Mello misuses the Bible. Time after time, Mr. De Mello takes the verses at the beginning of each chapter completely out of context. This practice is at best misleading and at worst (especially for those readers who may not read the Bible as much as they should) outright deceptive. A blatant example of this is found in the sixth chapter. Mr. De Mello essentially uses Matthew 8:20 (Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.'') to justify not getting overly attached to people. Unfortunately, this practice is not the worst problem with the book. The second problem with the book is made much harder to detect by Mr. De Mello's skill as an author. It is also what makes the book one that I would not classify as "Christian". The first five chapters of the book are passably Christian, yet with a notable Buddhist influence. Beginning in chapter six De Mello starts to actually contradict scripture with what he says. To use chapter six as an example again: De Mello argues that we must not "overly attach" ourselves or be dependent on anyone or thing that we love. Detachment is a concept which is viewed as being positive in Buddhism, actually leading to enlightenment. In Christianity it stands in direct opposition to the kind of relationship we are to have with our Creator and Savior (1 Corinthians 8:6-- yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live). My final appraisal of "The Way to Love" is that it has some worth...but not enough to outweigh its flaws. I cannot recommend this book. I suggest you avoid it. There are better books to read (If you haven't checked it out yet, try the Ragamuffin Gospel).
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Summary: The Man Changed My Life
Review: As other reviewers have alluded to, this book is deceivingly small. Do not let it's size dupe you for one moment! This composition is said to be Anthony de Mello's last authored words, filled with both profound wisdom and plenty of tidbits for personal contemplations for us booklovers. Anthony de Mello selects pieces from the Gospels in the Bible, weaving together a book all about living a life in love. It is truly extraordinary! Now I for my part do not belong to the Christian traditions, I practice Zen Buddhism in contrast. But these are just names. Religious life is simply life. Why spend our time only experiencing just one kind of religion, when we can take away some of the best from each one of them? Anthony de Mello, in my present day evaluation, represents the "best of" the Christian tradition for me to now benefit from. I imagine you will find the same. Have a pleasure reading this jewel over and over again.
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Summary: Simply the best
Review: Beautiful, De Mello approaches the topic of Love in his masterful way. It is truly a joy to leaf through this book and be broadsided by the simple but powerful truths.
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Summary: My search is over and has just begun.
Review: De Mello opens awareness of the true meaning of love. Our societal examples of love are discovered to be only illusions and finding true love within comes bursting through. Not for dreamers but for those who want to walk in the light.
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Summary: Perfect for a backpocket
Review: DeMello was a priest of some sort, Catholic maybe, but of a mystical/monastical variety, and his soil was India, so he expresses a very ecumenical/eastern flavor of Truth. Plenty for Christian hardliners to reject or criticize, but for this wish-I-could-find-more-God-in-Catholicism Catholic, he talks like a man who knows/loves/experiences God intimately and effortlessly, and it's a pleasure to read his expression of that love. He challenged and deepened my understanding. DeMello is charming and self-effacing like Merton, bracing, and almost confrontational honest like of J. Krishnamurti, hopeful and accessible like Deepak Chopra without being as, uhm, woo-woo? He begins each mini chapter with a quote from the gospels, but interprets the idea in a way I never heard from Fr. Buren at Holy Spirit School. DeMello is a mystic, a joyful mystic, and if you're looking for something like this -- reminder: he pulls no punches -- and are willing to give it your full attention, I'd bet you'll find it transformative.
Rating:
Summary: Challenging
Review: I have found Fr. De Mello's book to be very useful both in my personal and professional life. It challenges many commonly held dysfunctional beliefs and provides many opportunities for gains in self-awareness. I still use it for meditation purposes and I gain the most from it by using it as a morning read, one chapter at a time. I also learned that the more you read it the deeper it gets.
Enjoy
Rating:
Summary: read this book
Review: I have read so many books on spirituality, growth and religion and this is one of the best. DeMello is hard hitting, to the point, loving, ruthless and challenging. I have copied out phrases and sent them with my cynical husband to work and he has studied them and come home to discuss/contemplate them with me. Truly a work to keep near you and near your conscience. This book, these perceptions of the teachings in the bible, are for all faiths and cut to the bone, to the marrow of our ideas of grace and of our growth in grace.
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