The Secret [Hardcover]

I work in personal development and this book is a rehash of about thirty others. Save your money.
Self help is like self abuse....you have to do it yourself. You can wish for things as long as you like but unless you take action, nothing happens.
If you want to know what the secret is...I will tell you...
the secret is, people want to get on in life. If you tell them you can help them...they will bite your hand off. If you can dress up a lot of ideas and tips and techniques and pitch it in a style and manner that is different then people will buy it, in droves. This book is nothing more than a placebo. File it under snake-oil.
By the way, some very respected people are in this book and are quoted. Please do not think they believe it....it's a form of marketing for their own books and websites.
Cosmic ordering? Pah!
Heres an example. Sit and wish for a copy of 'the secret'. You could do that from now until doomsday and you wont get one. Order it from Amazon and youll get it next day. Thats the difference, you have to do something to get something. Thinking about it wont make it happen.

The Secret is just the latest in a long line of Law of Attraction books that have been published through the years. I've read most of them, this one is a huge seller and made the author a millionaire because of the way it has been marketed. And it's a cynical marketing ploy too, and ruthless in its determination to be unopposed by any dissenting voices.
When I first heard about the LOA (Law of Attraction) I truly believed I had found the answer to everything and totally believed in its validity, only to look around many years later and see that nothing had actually changed. I didn't manifest the things I believed I would and don't know anyone else who has done so either. One friend who was singing the praises of The Secret when he first read it two years ago, has now given it away, completely disillusioned and feeling worse than he did before he read it and started following its 'advice'.

When all the affirmations, visualising, asking, believing, etc, doesn't work, or only in very limited or small ways, then the person who had grasped onto what seemed like the answer to their prayers, ends up feeling betrayed and without the false hope they had been given by this money-making spinner for the people selling it to gullible and vulnerable people, who, by their purchasing of the book, the CD, the DVD, the follow up books about what to do when it doesn't work or things go wrong(!) are putting money into the bank accounts of the people responsible for this 'spiritual marketing' as it is known in the trade.
When I see people unhappy because they believed in 'The Secret' only to find out much further down the line that it never delivered, that they never got richer, didn't look younger, didn't get the love interest they wanted, then it makes me want to warn others not to be sucked into it through them giving even more money to already extremely wealthy people. And make no mistake, when it doesn't work out how you believed it would, then they will tell you that you have done something wrong, or you must have blocks somewhere in your subconscious that need removing, (you can then buy more books to 'help' with this) or you need chakra clearing, (more books, and CDs too to buy!) or it must be that you need to love yourself more, because you can't love yourself properly or it would work for you.
Then you get told that you need to stop wanting anything and be 'spiritual' instead and believe that you have it all already, because once you get to that stage then you will be so content that you will realise that you have all you want already and won't need any more, because if you continue to want things, or conditions, then you just continue attracting more things or conditions to want, therefore you mustn't actually want anything! And so it goes on. I could say more and believe me I have long experience of dealing with these kind of people so I know what I'm talking about, but knowing how they operate, this would just get removed, as they are very protective of their money spinner and try to stop anyone from questioning it.

Just believe in yourself and try to think positive thoughts, (worrying unduly about anything doesn't actually change whatever it is you're worrying about) building up self-confidence and loving yourself truly and looking for anything at all you have to be grateful for, no matter how small, is the best advice I can give you, and I'm not charging anyone anything for saying that, or spinning it out into a whole book and marketing it in such a way that people will be sucked into buying it and making me very rich as a result of appearing to answer a need in people who are struggling.

I purchased this book after it having been recomended to me by a few friends and acquaintances. Some had stated it that reading this book had changed their lives in such a profound way and that once you had finished reading it you would never think the same way again.
Having been going through a few personal issues myself at the moment and having heard such rave reviews I thought to myself lets give it a try...nothing ventured nothing gained and all that...
I went out, purchsed a copy and sat down to read just a few pages..a couple of hours later and I had finished the book. I wish that I could say it was because it was such an exhilerating, mind changing read that I couldn't bear to tear myself from the pages..but in fact it was because I couldn't believe quite what I was reading. I am not sure what I was expecting after having read a few similar `self help` books in the past but it certainly wasn't that.
The Secret..the title itself is designed to make the reader believe that if they turn the first page they will be allowed into some secret society of people who will transform their lives....
Yes positive thinking I am all for but to insinuate that positive thoughts alone and `the law of attraction` will help you gain all you want to in life?? Really??!!
And the other really negative point i find is that the book focuses on how one can acheive millions of pounds, or a wonderful new partner..there was no real emphasis on how this so called law can help one acheive just pure, simplistic piece of mind and contentment with what one already has.
I wish I could go on and I have probably babbled far too much already but i just felt that this book was worthy of a review albeit a negative one!!!