Healthy Living Books Books

Rating: - slightly disappointing
This book is very well produced and is full of interesting ideas but overall I feel that it was slightly disappointing. Its message is a mixture of materialism and spirituality - and the spirituality seems compromised by the concept of wish fulfillment and satisfying limitless desires. True spirituality lies in being content within yourself, and overcoming unnecessary desires. However, I shouldn't be too harsh - it could be that the materialistic message will attract readers who will then be interested in investigating the spiritual side. But I've just another book which I feel eclipses this one - 'Making Time' by Steve Taylor, which shows you how you can enhance your life by controlling and expanding time and accepting the present moment. A much more satisfying and uplifting book than The Secret.

---

Rating: - It works!
Well if you are a sceptic this book and its guide to life will never work. It is all about positivity and believe me it is good. For instance most days I ask for a good space to park and work and only get one on the days I ask. If you put out happy vibes life is better - why moan all the time? The truth is to be positive and inspired and good things will come your way. Try to be less cynical and you never know!

---

Rating: - I don't think so!
I am truly embarrassed that I even read this book, but when something is hyped as much as it was, I thought maybe there was something in it worth checking out. Like every other person in this world, I want to be in on the secret to happiness, success, health and wealth; however, one of the (many) issues I have with this book is that what she's talking about is not a secret. Everyone from the Dalai Lama to Mary Poppins has known that positive thinking is more helpful than negative thinking, but you can't just will money, health, wealth and happiness into your life by virtue of thinking positively about it. People who have success, health and wealth have worked hard for these things. Most of these people didn't just sit down and think positive thoughts, and "POOF" they were rich, successful, thin, etc. They had a goal, and they worked towards it, without giving up or letting anything get in their way- they were DETERMINED! You will even see this in the anecdotal stories of people who say 'The Secret' has worked for them. If you really look, it was determination that helped these people succeed at their goals- not just positive thinking. Additionally, I believe there are two things that negate the credibility of this author and her work. One is the assertion that if you want to be thin, don't look at fat people; the other implies that the victims of the Holocaust somehow brought it on themselves. Now what kind of inane drivel is that!? Are people really so desperate and lazy that they will buy this kind of hogwash as an answer to their problems? The bottom line is this: yes, positive thinking can actually be beneficial as you try to achieve your goals, but so is a lot of hard work and determination. So if you're truly looking for a secret out of this, take this word- DETERMINATION- and use that as your defining word for future success. I guarantee it will help immensely.

---

Rating: - A new spin on some old material.
Better than stumbling along blindly in life, I suppose, but this is really little more than dressed up Napoleon Hill - Think and Grow Rich. If all you want is to positively visualize a better future then this may do the trick. If you notice that your positivity doesn't always last and you look for deeper answers to life's problems, look elsewhere. And if, like me, you wonder why people so commonly believe that wealth is the answer to all our difficulties, this is not for you. Disappointing, I expected more.

---

Rating: - good but slightly disappointing
I agree with the previous reviewers who mention that this book has many excellent aspects but is limited in some significant ways. In particular, I feel it is limited by putting much emphasis on achieveing your desires. Other books - like The Power of Now or Making Time - would say that it's more important to try to live in the moment and accept life as it is. I was impressed with Making Time because of its emphasis on controlling and expanding time in our lives and how it shows that time is an illusion. If the Secret is all about acquiring wealth, that is all about acquiring time, which you could argue is much more important.