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Rating: 
Summary: Where's the Feeling
Review: After reading some of the reviews I expected a very inspiring story, but the author shows no depth of emotion. The writing is flat. The author's story has its moments, but just when she gets you involved she drops that story line and moves on to another. It makes her come across as shallow. For example she has a chapter on the effect that Princess Diana's death had on herself. A disappointing effort.
Rating: 
Summary: How to be gentle with yourself
Review: As a recovering perfectionist, I found this book has been key to my healing. McGinnis appears to have the idyllic childhood, the most amazing of talents (which she does, if you listen to her music, available at www.ruthmcginnis.com), and the luckiest of circumstances. But as you read, you realize that every life has its tragedies. McGinnis' is no exception. The remarkable beauty of her life is that she does not gloss over her difficulties or conversely, dwell on the private details. Instead, she bravely accepts her life and herself for what it is and what she is... a human being, experiencing joy and success as well as pain and disappointment. They are not pieces of a life, they are an entire life, and the wholeness of it is what makes it beautiful. Her narrative has acute emotion without exposing private details in a blow-by-blow description. The book is written in such a way that you feel like you are on a road trip with McGinnis, listening to her tell the stories of her childhood. I could not put it down, as it would have been like bailing out of the trip when we were only halfway there. The book has encouraged me to embrace my life in its entirety instead of editing bits and pieces to make it look perfect. It is a way of living that is indeed, as the title suggests, "Breathing Freely."
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Summary: Breathing Freely is a gem!
Review: Breathing Freely is a gem! It captured me at the beginning and took me along on a journey of discovery. Ruth's experiences of "growing up" are universal and her celebration of an imperfect life is a relief! She is so honest and real...what an amazing woman! It is beautifully written and her CD by the same name is a must. Listening to that and reflecting on my own life has been quite a gift.
Rating:
Summary: Breathing Freely is a gem!
Review: Breathing Freely is a gem! It captured me at the beginning and took me along on a journey of discovery. Ruth's experiences of "growing up" are universal and her celebration of an imperfect life is a relief! She is so honest and real...what an amazing woman! It is beautifully written and her CD by the same name is a must. Listening to that and reflecting on my own life has been quite a gift.
Rating:
Summary: Spiritual Renovation
Review: I once heard a minister speak of spiritual growth as being like renovating a house -- you clean out, tear down, walk around with dust and sometimes great inconvenience -- until the new structure is completed -- with reinforced, newly painted walls and other improvements, making the finished product more comfortable, functional and livable. What I never understood, however, was exactly how to accomplish such a spiritual and emotional renovation. Ruth McGinnis' book "Breating Freely" explains, in very honest detail, her renovation process, with the end result being the freedom to accept your past, celebrate your present, and make wiser decisions for the future. This is an invaluable roadmap for anyone seeking to spritually breathe freely.
Rating:
Summary: How to be gentle with yourself
Review: I read Breathing Freely on an airplane trip and could not put it down until finished. Ruth McGinnis writes courageously and with a sincerity that touched me deeply. Far more than a self help book, it offers first hand experience froms which one sees applications to their own life. I will treasure this book for a long time.
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