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Above the Line  By  cover art

Above the Line

By: Shirley MacLaine
Narrated by: Shirley MacLaine
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Publisher's summary

Read by New York Times best-selling author and Academy Award winner Shirley MacLaine, a funny, fierce, imaginative memoir chronicling her remarkable experiences filming Wild Oats in the Canary Islands and the extraordinary memories her time there brought forth of a past life on the lost continent of Atlantis.

Her agent told her not to get on the plane. The male leads weren't even cast. The financing was shaky at best. The script had been rewritten countless times. And yet something about Wild Oats lured Shirley MacLaine to the film's location shoot in the far-off Canary Islands - and straight to the center of one of the most thrilling and paradigm-shifting adventures of her life.

The making of the film feels like a screwball comedy, as the cast and crew face unpredictable daily obstacles with ingenuity, grit, and personal sacrifice. Yet the chaos leads Shirley to a revelatory new understanding of the demise of one of history's most elusive yet endlessly intriguing places. Scholars have long theorized that Spain's Canary Islands are the remnants of the mighty lost continent of Atlantis. As the movie set descends into pandemonium, Shirley finds fascinating corollaries between the island's cataclysmic fate and our own dangerous trajectory. Can we learn the lessons the citizens of Atlantis failed to comprehend?

The answer is borne out of recovered memories from Shirley's past life on Atlantis and through a series of meditations that reveal the necessity of unfettered imagination when looking for bold new truths, rendering this evocative memoir essential for anyone seeking a broader understanding of what it means to be human - both where we came from and where we are going.

©2016 Shirley MacLaine (P)2016 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

What listeners say about Above the Line

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  • Overall
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Mesmerizing!

As always, Shirley explores cosmic mysteries with honesty, profundity, elegance, grace, and humor! Thanks, Shirley!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

it's okay

it started out very good but by the end she lost me. Her theories of Atlantis was kinda out there. But It was nice to hear her read her own book.

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Always an interesting read

I don't necessarily agree with everything Shirley says or believes but her point of view is always interesting. Her perspective on events (both mundane and cataclysmic ) is reliably thought provoking.

I hope I am half as sharp and at least one quarter as active as she when I'm 81.

Keep on exploring and sharing Shirley!

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2 people found this helpful

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always a good read w Shirley

i read it in one sitting couldn'tput it down, it is informative, witty and entertaining

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True Prophecy Happening Now

I love Shirley and I've felt a spiritual connection to her for many years. The older I get the more I have learned that everything she believes is true and I thank the "Gods" for her enlightenment of humanity!

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Lessons Learned Over Plot

The plot was just okay but the spiritual lessons learned and relevancy of them to today's chaos was Shirley at her best... a most outstanding, humorous and enjoyable read. I so appreciate Shirley narrating her own book as the timing of her humor is perfect. I will likely listen to this a second time.

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Funny Shirley MC

If you could sum up Above the Line in three words, what would they be?

It was really funny and insightful to listen to Shirley read about her adventure during the filming of wild oats.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Learning what goes on during filming on location.

Which character – as performed by Shirley MacLaine – was your favorite?

Herself discovering Atlantis on the Canary Islands

If you could give Above the Line a new subtitle, what would it be?

Being an actress who loves metaphysics

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Great listen!

Good mix of the making of Wild Oats, the many obstacles along the way and Shirley's unmistakable wit, spiritual experiences and her movie making adventure.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting and entertaining

This is a biased review because I really like Shirley MacLaine. She just appeals to my love of courage to speak your truth when you're not hurting anyone.

The Wild Oats movie was a springboard for the writing of this book, in my opinion. Much was revealed about how making a movie can be seen by an outsider as glamorous but in reality it's a job. And as Shirley mentions several 'dozen' times, money is an issue when you may not get paid at all for your hard work. However, I think a little less mention of money would have been a better choice. As well as less use of counting down of numerous lists (you'll just need to listen) an instead use of descriptive examples would have been more enjoyable than the lists, and lists, and lists. But hey, I'm not an editor.

I am happy to report that Shirley did speak of many of her spiritual travels among other things, from her past, friendships, gossip, dogs, health concerns, aging, etc. And at the risk of seeming naive to many who may read this review, I don't care though... I believe what she's experienced in the spiritual world,, and that there is much truth in her interpretations. Personally I admit, I have experienced similar unusual connections with a past possibility other life experience when visiting parts of the world that I've been attracted to. The impressions I've received have left it's mark on me too. But I digress....

Towards the end of this read Shirley mentions a great change that will occur in 2020 that will lead to major world implications. Now THAT gave me goosebumps. Would I recommend this? Yes, but only if you have an open mind.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

worth reading for me. I love Shirley.

...always fascinatinng and her take and experiences with the essortic amd unusual is something I share deeply with her. As a good physical thereist, I wish I could do more for her neck and actuallhy able to touch her with energy love and. my hands. I'd so love and desire to spend some time and space.......again?? ...with her. I've had a past life regression tothe time of the f A ll of Atlantis, also. Blessing and safe harbor and true Love to us all.

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1 person found this helpful