The Secret | Rhonda Byrne

The Secret | Rhonda Byrne | A Not So Believable "Secret"

books:

The Secret

	The Secret Rhonda Byrne Atria Books/Beyond Words, 2006 - 198 pages average customer review:based on 2273 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

The Secret

The Secret
This a wonderful book for anyone needing more positive thinking in their life. This book is about the Law of Attraction. That we all have the power to attract everything in our universe. Good or bad. It's about the way we live our life. If you're wanting great things to happen in your life it will teach you how to reach those goals. Highly recommend this book.

A Not So Believable "Secret"

Of all my book reviews, this one has been the most difficult to write. This book had many good quotes, ideas, stories, and personal anecdotes that supported the basic premise of the book (at least from the author's perspective). The only problem was that I did not buy into the basic premise of the book: that the universe is one huge energy field, and that through the frequency of your thoughts that you project out into the world, you create and control your destiny by attracting back to you the things that are on the same frequency as your thoughts (the Law of Attraction (like attracts like) in action on a grand and personal scale).

Some of the problems I have with the whole concept of the book include, but are not limited to: it promised everything to everyone, often appealing to selfish desires (like "acquiring massive wealth"); "The Secret" was cleverly packaged and presented in a way so that if you find you are not reaping the miraculous and universally readily-available benefits of "The Secret" as described, you are obviously not a true believer and the fault lies solely on you - you have not achieved the type of `enlightenment' that you need to make "The Secret" work for you; I got the distinct impression that the author tried very hard to diminish any belief in God by directly equating God to energy, and indirectly by frequently using the term "the Universe" in lieu of any appropriate spiritual or heavenly reference; and I felt like the author tried too hard (and too repetitively) to show how "The Secret" has been universally applied to all situations and circumstances, which came across as trying to justify or legitimize "The Secret."

On a positive note, there were more than enough good points and quotes throughout the book upon which to build a good, motivational, and inspirational character-refinement book. Some of the more memorable and thought-provoking passages are listed below.
-"Everything that has been invented and created throughout the history of humankind began with one thought. From that one thought a way was made, and it manifested from the invisible into the visible." (p 57)
-"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step." Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) (p 57)
-"All that we are is a result of what we have thought." Buddha (563 BCE - 483 BCE) (p 73)
-"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." Albert Einstein (1879-1955) (p 91)
-"Oftentimes you give others the opportunity to create your happiness, and many times they fail to create it the way you want it. Why? Because only one person can be in charge of your joy, of your bliss, and that's you. So even your parent, your child, your spouse - they do not have the control to create your happiness. They simply have the opportunity to share in your happiness. Your joy lies within you." Lisa Nichols (p 122)
-"What you resist persists." Carl Jung (1875-1961) (p 142)
-Praising and blessing equals love, and love is the greatest power in our lives. (p 151-153)
-"Erase everything from the past that does not serve you and be grateful it brought you to this place now, and to a new beginning. You have a clean slate, and you can start over - right here, right now...." (p 178)

If I had to rate this book on how well the author did in selling me on the book's basic premise, I would give it only one star. Solely due to the strength and value of some of the author's supporting arguments (taken independent of the points being supported), I chose to give it three stars, but I would be hard-pressed to recommend the book to anyone I know.

for more information click here