Top critical review
1.0 out of 5 starsSkip this book
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2018
If you're looking for an edge in your pursuit of success, skip this book. 20 years ago I bought this book and it's ideas hook, line and sinker; however, after spending two decades on application it's apparent that the principles in this book are mostly nonsense. I am only going to take the time to highlight two pieces of misinformation in this book: visualization, and "the secret."
This book touts visualizing your goals as a method to speed up/ensure attainment. Research shows that the opposite is true. Visualizing your goals and imagining how it would feel to have achieved them has been show to consistently reduce drive and motivation. This book is full of misinformation like this, that if diligently applied will be counterproductive.
There is "the secret" alluded to in this book, and the subject of a nonsense DVD and book by the same title. The most important warning that I can give someone younger, after 20 years of time wasted looking for secrets is this: the only free cheese is in a mouse trap. Secrets to success do NOT exist. Time spent looking for "secrets" or applying them is time that could be invested in getting better at the fundamentals of whatever arena you are in.
One of the most basic examples would be personal finance: the only people getting rich off the "secrets of wealth" are the people selling those "secrets." Ultimately there are just a handful of things that matter in personal finance - get out of debt, live on a budget, invest in assets with a decent balance of risk & return, have a rainy day fund (and funds for other things you know are coming - Christmas gifts, college, etc.).
This book is selling a fantasy that appeals to deep biases that all humans have. Do yourself a favor, skip this book.
