Did you read The Secret?

[AuthorKimberley]

I am curious to know what people think about it.

[Dara England]

I never read it but I certainly saw it everywhere and wondered about it. Wasn't it an Opera pick or something?

[AuthorKimberley]

From what I understand (I did not read it), the message is that one should just visualize it and it will come to you. Manifest destiny. I think that is lame. I mean yes, you need to visualize your dreams but then you MUST take action!
I ask because I was wondering if anyone read it, practiced it and had success. Don't know if it an Oprah book.

[jmiked]

Who's the author?

Mike

[AuthorKimberley]

The author is Rhonda Byrne. I am surprised you are not familiar. I thought everyone heard of this book!

[tim290280]

I flipped through it at the bookstore to see what the fuss was about. Complete and utter load of rubbish. Just another self-help book about self-belief, but this one tries to intertwine mystical elements and have you believe in fairies, elves and honest politicians.

[julieannfelicity]

I did read the secret. It was very inspirational, but I can't say that it's really helped me (and yes, I would definitely classify it as a self-help book). If you're having a really bad day, it's a good read. It is all about positive thinking and visualizing good things coming your way. I'm a pretty positive, upbeat person anyway, so it was a nice, easy read.

There are some religious references in there as well. (I didn't see anything about magic fairies or elves though,  )

[RobynB]

I read it and watched the movie. I believe in the basic tenets and have started reading some of the people featured in the book and film, including Taking the Quantum Leap by Fred Wolf (just downloaded it last week as a matter of fact).





I find it's really helped me. I never realized how many negative thoughts I had -- even just in passing -- until I started to really become aware of 'em. The shift alone to putting out more positive energy and thoughts has helped me tremendously, both emotionally, spiritually, and in all areas of my life. I realize it's not for everyone, but I'm fascinated by the core principles and by the books and people featured within the book/movie, which is what led to me Wolf's classic.

[AuthorKimberley]

Ok, I am interested now.

[teeitup]

I bought it, just haven't read it yet and it's pretty far down on the TBR list at this point.

[patrisha w.]

I read it since it was a choice for our book club.

I was polite and didn't tell her it was, in my opinion, a money-making scam.

[AuthorKimberley]

Hmmm...money making scam. I think I will do the positive thought thing on my own. BTW, what is your book club?

[Lee Sinclair]

It was quite a while ago, but I think I did a flip through/speed read thing with it because I was curious about it after the author and others who followed it were on Oprah.  Basically, there didn't seem to be anything new in it.  If you've read very much about positive thinking and creative visualization, then you probably already know everything in the book.  The main thing that bothered me was the author acting like this was a big secret she was sharing, even though people have been writing about it for many, many decades.  If you haven't read anything similar to it, then it might be very interesting and inspiring.  It was an easy read with clearly presented but very basic ideas.

[Katie Salidas]

I'm always wary of self-help books. Seems the nonfiction market is a flood of them. The cover is very interesting though with an air of mystery. But, I've never read it. It's great to visualize your dreams but you have to really put the effort in too. Don't need a book to tell you that.

[Atunah]

I thought this was about The Secret by Julie Garwood. But when Oprah was mentioned, I knew I was off  

I never heard of it. But then I am so completely non religious of in need of any kind of "spiritual" anything, I wouldn't have come across something like that in my usual search.

I am reading the blurb and I have no clue what it is suppose to do.

When I have a bad day I take a bottle of wine and play some 80's music.  . Whatever is bad is still there the next day so we all just deal with it. It is what it is. Not sure how a book can help with that. But thats just me of course. Whatever works for someone, I am all for it.

[ilan_s10]

It’s an entry book to the spirituality. It gives you some ideas from different perspective and for those who understood the basics and believe that there is some truth in those ideas, I recommend to explore more, for example , I found a lot of information and movies in youtube about “The Secret” and Kabala.

[CJArcher]

One of the people who was used in the book and movie as an example of how "visualizing a load of money coming your way can make it happen" turned out to be getting all that money through a scam.  I think he was an Australian and he was exposed on Australian TV here a while ago. 

[JeanneM]

I read it.  The thing that bothered me was the dishonest way they went about marketing it.  It was made to sound like this woman poured over ancient manuscripts and found a common "secret" to success among these old writings.  Like it was some arcane knowledge that she was now sharing.

In reality, it is a compilation of positive thinking concepts.  Positive thinking really does work and so the basic tenets of the book are solid.  It is just that basing a book that is supposed to be spiritual, in a lie, seems almost obscene to me.  It boils down to this, and this is something that people in my field are taught.  Like attracts like.  It is a universal law. Positive attracts positive...negative attracts negative.

I remember reading most of the concepts in this book years ago in two books:  How to Win Friends and Influence People and The Power of Positive Thinking.

[JeanneM]

Forgot the links...sorry kindle...  

[J. S. Laurenz]

The Secret was one of the themes on 30 Rock last night.  Funny it comes up now!  I think the book can be summed up as "the power of positive thinking."  A friend recommended I read it, so I did.  I agree with some other posters that many of the ideas are just repackaged, not really new (not that it's a bad thing).  But I did have a freaky experience reading it.  I had just finished a paragraph about how everyone has a close friend who always seems to call you when you're thinking about them.  I thought, hmmm, just like my friend Shawn.  I no sooner put the book down when the phone rings.  It was her.  I have to say that gave me goosebumps. 

[Anne Maven]

I read it some time ago. It gives a known message in a different way. It didn't alter me but I did reflect on my thought patterns and limiting beliefs. Just for an evening though :-)

[ChadMck]

Meh I read it and regret wasting my time on it. Better alternitives would be "Think and Grow Rich" by Napolean Hill. The Secret is more for bored housewives.

[Julia444]

I have never read it, but this is an interesting discussion.

I grew up hearing all the precepts of the late DALE CARNEGIE because my Dad was a big proponent of what he read in HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE.  And as someone said above, the two books seem very similar, except that Carnegie didn't cloak his in mystical packaging. 

Julia

[dmburnett]

I've read about it and I've read Napoleon Hill.  The idea is that by announcing a specific goal and your exact plan to obtain it that you will reach your goal.  I'm still talking to myself everyday, listing my plans and announcing my plans to the universe, but I'm still waiting to see all those book sales.   

[VH Folland]

I started but I didn't finish it. It isn't the type of thing I usually read, and I tend to focus on the practical.

I grew up hearing all the precepts of the late DALE CARNEGIE because my Dad was a big proponent of what he read in HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE.  And as someone said above, the two books seem very similar, except that Carnegie didn't cloak his in mystical packaging. 

Julia

I thought the idea of visualising goals seemed very similar to ones presented in one of Scott Adams' Dilbert books (I think it was "The Joy of Work") and Richard Bach's "Illusions".

[Julia Kavan]

I read The Secret - just a repackaging of an existing theory. Cosmic Ordering was much the same.

[StephenLivingston]

I started reading it but didn't finish.  It seemed to be pretty much just positive thinking.

[Meryl Davids Landau]

If you're open to the idea that your thoughts have creative power, I would much more highly recommend the book, The Law of Attraction, by Esther and Jerry Hicks. From what I understand, Rhonda Byrne based The Secret on their teachings, and they go much more into depth about the why and how of it all.

[Joel Arnold]

I am curious to know what people think about it.

If I told you, then it wouldn't be much of a secret, now, would it?   

[Cheryl Bradshaw, Author]

I own the book and the DVD, and I like some of the messages like chasing your dreams and believing you can do anything in life - love all that positive energy

[ilyria_moon]

Yes, I read it; I thought it created a bigger chasm between our understanding of consciousness and creation. It almost had it, but missed the point.

[mlewis78]

I don't like that The Secret writers have said that bad things happen because of where the people's minds were at -- for example, those that were victims of the tsunami in southeast Asia a few years ago.  I have a friend who believes in the theories completely, so I just don't say anything when she brings it up.  I read much of it a while back (although I don't have the book).

[Tara Maya]

I saw the DVD with a bunch of scientists and engineers. You can imagine their commentary.

[Bob Mayer]

I prefer Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America

http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Sided-Positive-Thinking-Undermining-America/dp/0312658850/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307768808&sr=8-1

Yeah-just keep thinking those good thoughts.  It makes those authors a lot of money.