Rating: 
Summary: Poetic Seduction to Grow more into You
Review: A special lady capable of using beautiful poetic language while still keeping an eye for the mundane. As in the book itself the ordinary life and the efforts to become more spiritual are entwined. This seduces the reader to find the spiritual in the mundane and vice versa. I have read this book in one breath and enjoyed it very much. Even though I expected it to be a 'typical womens book' it is not. Maybe even more attractive to men due to the mixture of the temporal and the spiritual. Fully in life and all about that which is beyond the obvious. A good read that leaves its message lingering in the mind... as an invitation.
Rating:
Summary: BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN, UPLIFTING BOOK
Review: A wonderful book, authentic and realistic, it is very down-to-earth-spiritually. Oriah is an expressive, elegant writer.
Rating:
Summary: A must read book.
Review: For those of us who need to take stock of where we are and where we are going, this is a must read. The Invitation will speak to your soul and strum your heart. The exercises are great. Keep it by your bedside to read over again.
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Summary: Spiritual practice in the real world.
Review: Here is a book worth reading and re-reading from time to time. The Invitation is the antithesis of the all-too-common, overly simplified self-help books that teach in cliches and promise more than they can possibly deliver. Don't be fooled by her name --- Oriah is a real person living in the real world, with a goal of being the best person she can be. And this book is an honest, intimate sharing of her efforts --- triumphs and failings included.I find it interesting that the negative reviews of The Invitation are written with what seems to me to be so much anger, fear and even hatred. These reviewers frequently site their fears of Oriah's misguided values, but they have no problem investing their energy into going beyond reviewing a book to personally attacking a person they have never met.
Rating: 
Summary: What love?
Review: I really loved this poem. I liked the book as well, probably more than two stars worth, because there are some decent meditations at the end of each chapter and the writing is honest if not poetic. My concern is with the author, who relates her philosophy based on experiences in her own life, and shares with us the seemingly endless relationships and marraiges she has gone through, at the expense of herself, her mates, and her children.
"I want to know if you will be there for me, always. That you will not run away during times of hardship. That you will accept me for who I am, and allow for changes I can and will make. I want to know that you will share the toil of being together, and understand that it is working through transitions where true growth can occur."
Oriah claims to have an intimate connection with nature, and her children, though her connections are without responsibility. It is as though she looks at nature through a looking glass, intimacy as pleasure alone, never really accepting her part in the process(es). It is a very narcissistic view of self, love, and being. I would love to know what she actually is looking for in her relationships, why they keep falling apart, and perhaps even how the men in her life have failed her.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretentious
Review: Like others, I knew the poem before I read this book. It was disappointing to read this book because it seemed so pretentious, full of pretty phrases that had as little depth as the reflection of the moon in a teaspoon. Much of it seemed more like a justification for failure than an attempt to live life with some meaning. Not to mention, much of what she's written here is repeated (in a more coherent way) in "The Dance."
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Summary: Spiritual Journey to the Edges of Emotion to Find Your Core!
Review: Ms. Oriah Mountain Dreamer has created a pathway beyond the comforable and the mundane into that which challenges and repels you. By addressing the edges of your personality and sensitivities, you can build on and extend your awareness and your reality in honest ways that better fit your inner self. The book is propelled from the author's emotionally intense vision of her life as expressed in this question: "Did I love well?" Although her personal examples are simply there to help your own journey, their poignancy touched me deeply. If you are like me, you will admire the honesty and openness of her sharing. Ms. Dreamer has had two failed marriage and many failed relationships. She has had friends who experienced horrible personal setbacks. You will be seared by the pain, the truth, and the beauty in these experiences. And you will be the better for the vicarious experience. Above all, this book is a call to have courage, courage to go beyond the comfortable into the important. Because of the examples chosen and her personal perspective, this book will probably speak more eloquently to many women than to many men. The book is broken down into the statement of her invitation to follow her spiritual path by dealing with longing, fear, sorrow, joy, betrayal, beauty, failure, commitment, and fire to develop the deep sustenance to allows you to go to your true inner home. Each section contains personal experiences of her point, and ends with valuable meditation exercises to help you find your own "truth" in these areas. Although the book sounds like another New Age tract, it is actually anti-New Age in many ways . . . especially in favoring emotional and physical reality over spiritual vagueness. Here is a little of what she has to say on these subjects: Accepting the Invitation: " . . . [Y]ou will experience, not just read about, the ache, the sorrow, the joy, the courage, the peace . . . ." The Longing: "This is what I ask for: intimacy with myself, others, and the world . . . ." The Fear: "We are afraid we will not be enough." " . . . [D]esire . . . brings the ecstasy of falling more deeply in love with my own life every day . . . ." The Sorrow: "If we are strong enough to be weak enough, we are given a wound that never heals." "[That wound] is the gift that keeps the heart open." The Joy: "The enemy of joy is the litany of 'not good enough' . . . ." The Betrayal: "Sometimes, to choose life, we must break agreements; sometimes we must keep them although they are hard to keep." The Beauty: " . . . [G]ratitude expands my ability to receive beauty." "It is what pulls us towards life." The Failure: " . . . [O]ften an attempt to avoid the paralysis of shame." The Commitment: " . . . [F]eed the children when [they] thought they could not." The Fire: "[D]ifficult to keep our hearts open, to feel the fear and pain." Finding Our Way Home: "Are you willing to meet yourself and not turn away from what you are?" As you can see, Ms. Dreamer sets a high standard, but one that you will probably be proud to match. I particularly recommend the meditations in the book. My own meditation routine repeats the same process. I found it rewarding to use different methods. Many new thoughts occurred to me as a result. It was a deeply moving experience in each case. After you have finished your spiritual journey with this book as a guide, I suggest that you write out your own examples to match these topics from your own experience. This will make the material more accessible, especially if loving well is not your core reason for being. Be yourself, in more ways and more fully!
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Summary: Real life wisdom
Review: The poem, The Invitation, was sent to me by a friend about a year ago via the web. For many months I wondered where and who it came from. When I found this book I purchased it immediately and have read a bit everyday since then. It touches me deeply in the place where hope still thrives in me. I have been in two abusive marriages and watched other relationships around me fall apart, I found a way to feel hope and faith from this book. Oriah Mountain Dreamer talks about thoughts and feelings I have experienced and she puts them down in words so eloquently. She shows me that others have experienced what I have experienced, I am not alone. Her words come from real life experience and show true wisdom. It is alright to embrace our humanity, make mistakes and be a fool for love!
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Summary: A star for every time I read the book!!!!
Review: This book is not self absorbed! I listened to the CD that is spoken by the author... she honestly shares her own experiences with you! I do not see how the other critics say that she talks herself up. Rather she shares parts of her life that gives the reader a perspective. I would wager the people that couldn't get past the poem reading her book need a book with steps 1-10 to a better life... rather then giving you fluff of that sort this book shares with you how to look at your life from a differant point of view... The author, which has changed my life. And when ever I face a difficult decision or a difficult period in life... I honestly find consolation by looking at life a little more openly through this book. I am honestly shocked that others could have such a strong reaction against it... but isn't that with all great works?
I hope you do too.
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Summary: This book is a masterpiece!
Review: This book touched me deeply.The book was a "raw" and very honest expression of what I believe all our souls yearn to say! This book touches on the total experience of being human and of feeling our emotions fully. I am not surprised that this book was such a HUGE success for her! She has an amazing gift of expression. (Unfortunately her other books, for me were not as good as THE INVITATION).To A.Dax from Torrance,CA who posted a review about this book: are you sure you read the same INVITATION as the rest of us?I never found any "cop-out" connotations that you were going on about.This book is a masterpiece!Along with my favourite authors Eckard Tolle and Anthony de Mello, Oriah's "Invitation" is an absolute must read!
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