Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book brought me back from the depths of despair, 12 Jan 2008
I was at the lowest point of my life I have ever been at. I'd just got married, moved into a house with my new wife, at the same time we both moved out of home for the first time all in one swoop. It was a lot to take on, a big shock with homesickness and feelings of loneliness for both. It caused problems in what you keep telling yourself should be the happiest time of your life. You beat yourself up over it and it makes you worse. On top of this I had worked in a bully culture environment for several years and my self confidence was at an all time low. And people regard me as a confident person. Problem is you don't realise how bad things are gradually getting, until its too late, it has becomes a way of life for you to think the wrong type of thoughts and poison your mind with negativity. I virtually wanted to end it all. If it wasn't for feelings of not wanting to let loved ones down, it might have happened. I'd heard of books for self help and searched for one on positive thinking. I knew that was the key but I didn't know how to put it into effect. I came across this one.
That was exactly 2 years ago to this month. I can honestly say that I will swear by this book, with it being a bit too religiously biased or not. No its not turned me religious, I still haven't been to church since I read it except for my Niece's christening, so don't get that idea about this book. Yes it makes a lot of religious references and if I'm honest, low as I was at the time, I nearly put the book down at one point. You kind of pooh-pooh things in it to begin with, mainly because it goes against your own comfort factor and the way you have gotten used to being, and thinking. But I persevered, I had no other option and I'm so glad I did. By the end of the book I felt so much better, although there was still a long way to go to keep putting some of the things learned into practice and change years of negative thinking. This book was definitely a turning point for me. As you read you learn to look past the religious references in the book and you start to realise that actually Peale is taking all the positive things from the Bible and applying them to everyday life. Two years on I still remember so many positives from this book, different ones crop up in my head all the time in various circumstances.
Since then I'm a big fan on self improvement books. It's all common sense but its amazing how difficult common sense is to put into practice. No matter what your personal situation, there are things that you will take from this book which will repeat in your thoughts when you least expect them and I am certain they will improve your outlook, the way you deal with situations and the way others also perceive you.
Read it, digest it, do not shun it. It will help you. I am definitely a happier person as a result. I'm not the happiest person on the planet, nor does it guarantee to make you happy 100% of the time, but I'm certainly now able to consciously spot where I'm going wrong if something in life gets me down. And being consciously aware is the key do doing something about it and leading a happier life.
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22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most inspiring book I've read for ages., 23 Nov 1999
By A Customer
This is by far the most inspiring book I have read for ages. Down-to-earth and straight forward words of wisdom offer the reader a clear view of the hidden powers of thinking positively. Although the book was originally written back in the fifties, the advice and insights are just as valid today. The references to God are not overdone as many inspirational books nowadays, and the occasional quotations from the Bible enhance the writings and inpire the reader to continue onward.
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29 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Know what you're getting, 28 Sep 2006
This book is unashamedly religious. Virtually every anecdote is a precursor to a biblical quotation and there are a LOT of them. Its essential message is to look on the bright side, but remember to BELIEVE IN GOD. His opening sentence is: "One unforgettable day I made a monumental discovery." On page two we learn what this "discovery" was. His professor tells him what his secret to becoming a man was. "I just asked God to help me; I believed that he would; and... He did." "Get going Peale, and never, never forget, be a believer in God and in yourself." (NB priority of belief) That's it. That's the "monumental discovery".
A protestant minister, no doubt he means well, yet his purpose is clear. Evangelism. He writes: "... for every adverse critic, there were hundreds of thousands of ordinary men and women who wrote me that the book changed their lives for the better. Most important, many said it helped them find God." He is quoted elsewhere as saying, "Positive thinking is just another term for faith."
Basically, this book is a collection of simplistic, tailored little stories about how he helped one negative person after another with a mixture of platitudes and Christian aphorisms. It is certainly not about finding strength within yourself; indeed it is precisely the opposite. Unless you've accepted Jesus, your positive thinking and optimism is only going to get you so far. This makes for tiresome reading and is far from inspiring. Unless you're a Christian, that is.
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