Rating: 
Summary: An uninformed and ignorant sermon
Review: "The Healing of America" is a book about politics, economics, science, and spirituality... written by someone with no knowledge of politics, economics, or science. As such, it can be a painful experience for an informed reader.The bulk of Williamson's book consists of would-be profound statements about "obvious" problems with America and their obvious solutions. The primary problem with this approach is that her statements are uniformly unsupported (and quite frequently wrong). Bold claims are made about racism, medical research, crime -- you name it -- but nowhere is there a footnote, or even an offhand citation, to back up those claims. Any fool can pontificate about what's wrong with the country. What's rarer is an informed analysis backed by facts; unfortunately, you won't find it here. Capsule Summary: Think of this book as a liberal/spiritual version of Rush Limbaugh's "See, I Told You So". Great for people who already agree with the author and aren't interested in thinking much; bad for the rest of us.
Rating: 
Summary: The direction a wise America would go
Review: For every week a Rush Limbaugh book was on the best seller list, Marianne's book should be on for a year. Spiritual and compassionate, Marianne addresses the direction that will heal our nation from the materialistic abyss America is falling into.
Rating: 
Summary: More politicians should read this book.
Review: Here is a heavy dose of what we all need. Williamson shines the light in places too long in shadow. Once you get past the first third of the book and its overindulgent imagery and mixed metaphors, you find yourself heart-deep in truth. This book will help you see what's important out there. So turn off the TV and pick up a copy, then write a letter, or make a noise, or take a stand.
Rating:
Summary: More than a quick nightstand read.
Review: Hopefully Williamson's image as a favorite inspirationalist loved by celebrities won't deter anyone from paying close attention to her valid and enlightening perceptions about the state of our country. Similar themes are evident from her previous work "A Return to Love". You wouldn't necessarily think love, passion and "inner callings" go hand in hand with politics and government, but she really causes you to stop and question what really matters right now in America.
Rating:
Summary: Congratulations for bringing spirit and politics together!
Review: I applaud Marianne's courage in bringing spirit and political issues together. We often forget that we are a spirit temporarily in a body. The fact that two books with this same motif appeared at the same time, i.e., Healing of America and Sylvia Clute's novel Destiny, hopefully signals the beginning of a new era. The Seven Spiritual Principles for Governing a People set out in Destiny go hand in hand with the objectives Marianne wants us to achieve in Healing. Right on!
Rating:
Summary: A LADY SPEAKS TRUTH
Review: I met Marianne years ago when she was lecturing in Hollywood and had few followers. Over the years, her words of wisdom have drawn thousands. Truth is truth, but Marianne has a wonderful way of getting it across to the minds of the people. Now she has a book that could heal America. We need to think and act, which is what Marianne is best at. I am sure there are many rewards waiting for such a spiritual leader. Thank you Marianne
Rating:
Summary: Repetitive, Unoriginal, Boring
Review: I must respectfully disagree with the Costa Mesa, Ca reader's review that this book is simply another "big government" fix. The 2 main heroes in the book, Ghandi and Dr. ML King Jr., never ran for or attained elected office. It is a book about empowering our citizenry to do what we all know is right. It is about the citizenry taking back the government from big business and special interests. Of course, she speaks of the necessity to wake up out of our consumer-drunkeness, one person at a time, before this can ever happen. It is a tragedy that in our Country, people are afraid to speak out for the poor, the homeless, the troubled youth, in fear of being labeled a "bleeding heart" or a "whiner" or a "new age liberal" (see above review). Ms. Williamson beautifully and eloquently asks us to take a look in the mirror, try to figure out what we really feel is right, and then use the democratic process to do something about it. Not a novel idea, but certainly one that desperately needs to be awakened.
Rating:
Summary: not about big gov't, but about solidairty and empowerment
Review: I must respectfully disagree with the Costa Mesa, Ca reader's review that this book is simply another "big government" fix. The 2 main heroes in the book, Ghandi and Dr. ML King Jr., never ran for or attained elected office. It is a book about empowering our citizenry to do what we all know is right. It is about the citizenry taking back the government from big business and special interests. Of course, she speaks of the necessity to wake up out of our consumer-drunkeness, one person at a time, before this can ever happen. It is a tragedy that in our Country, people are afraid to speak out for the poor, the homeless, the troubled youth, in fear of being labeled a "bleeding heart" or a "whiner" or a "new age liberal" (see above review). Ms. Williamson beautifully and eloquently asks us to take a look in the mirror, try to figure out what we really feel is right, and then use the democratic process to do something about it. Not a novel idea, but certainly one that desperately needs to be awakened.
Rating:
Summary: Truths to be Self-Evident
Review: It is very clear that this book shall be at first attacked; for in it contain "thought gems" of the wisdom of the ages. Quite frankly, this book is only part of the whole of "the great work" which is now in the process of "becoming". Simply put: This book will be attacked by the timid mind, tolerated by the growing mind and finally embraced by the mature mind. And always will it remain true: that prayer is imperative to the full growth of The Healing of America. A great work which shall be accredited to the growing soul of man/womankind.
Rating: 
Summary: New age liberal's plea for even more government!
Review: Marianne Williamson: The Healing of America, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1997.New age philosopher Ms. Williamson argues that either a renaissance or catastrophe is coming to America. She argues passionately for a new politics of healing spirit based upon "divine Truth" (a term originating with the founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy). She is rightly concerned that America has lost its spiritual foundation, has become materialistic, and that we have corrupted government by turning Washington into a funding mechanism for special interest lobbies. Both political parties are failing to reverse tis course. She is right so far. But now Ms. Williams goes off course. For to "fix it", Ms. Williamson goes beyond lifting our individual thought to a more loving and giving basis. She wrongly puts her faith in government, of all things, to lead this great change. She advocates, for instance, adding a cabinet "Secretary for Childhood and Teen Development" to coordinate services to young people. She wants more entitilements such children's health insurance (which was, in fact, passed by Congress as "KiddieCare" after the book was published). Such entitlements always sound great at first. Then they grow ten fold larger in size than planned and we all have to pay grossly higher taxes -- in this case because too few Americans take the personal responsibility to buy their own family insurance and to support charities for those who "can't afford it".Williams ends up, in the end, sounding like an old fashioned liberal, but with God on her side. I had one point of agreement: there are, as she notes, "nonprofit models of success" all over America. But it is by only making government smaller, not larger as she advocates, that the Third, or voluntary, Sector still has a chance to florish the way it did for Tocqueville in the 19th century. The change will take prayer and spiritual commitment. But these virtues are in poor company with Ms. Williamson's well conceived, but poorly executed, book. Hint: read her "Illuminata": beautiful; nonpolitical.
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