Nice concept but only one perspective
934939
While I like several of these idea and the overall premise of what is being said to love like you just fell in love, it takes two in a relationship.  I became very resentful that it is always stated that the wife should do these things, and not both the wife AND husband.
1511888
Thought it was a nice read but the opinion in the end was, in my humble opinion, far from the truth.  Having been to Italy over 25 times, my perspective is completely different.  If you took this same journey in the metro cities, the perspective would have changed.  just because someone is Catholic doesn't mean they believe.  Oh I forgot to mention...I'm Italian AND Catholic
3211446
The book was easy to read, and overall, worth reading.  The concept is very interesting and I believe, could certainly change your life.

I was distracted ocassionally by the drawings that appeared before each contributor's entries.  It slowed down the pace of the book.

While I liked the concept, I would have preferred more proof, especially since they claim that for thousands of years people have known and lived the secret, yet we only hear from a handful of them.  No cites, no context, just 'trust us, people have been using it.'  In addition, I was CRAVING some practical exercises that I could use to really implement this concept and make it a daily part of my life.  I was really wishing for some more examples.

In any event, it's a good, easy interesting read.  Great for the beach or a chapter or two before bed.  Overall, I would recommend it.
2151847
I have mixed emotions about The Secret which is why I rated it at 3 stars. The overall theme is of course positive and could be simply summed up as: Maintain a Positive Attitude. The speakers/proponents of The Secret are well spoken but I notice that many of them are authors/writers who are no doubt making a nice living through the self-help industry.

My problem with their approach is the notion that there is some mystical energy aka God (their words not mine) available to serve up your ever wish when in fact what is actually happening is the impact/power of positive thinking. This is not rocket science yet they are correct in that any of us can get caught up in negative aspects of our lives.

A general example is a person who smiles, is friendly and helpful will likely have more positive things happen in their life compared to someone who is melancholy and self-centered yet a significant aspect of the The Secret ideology is focus on self. Now self focus is absolutely essential but this documentary suggests that by completely focusing on yourself with positive energy will yield oneness with the universe making a menu of your every wish available to you. They even use the imagery of  Aladdin and the Lamp only instead of your being limited to 3 wishes, you have unlimited wishes. Hey, I get the analogy but I feel the approach is overly simplistic and belies the fact that talent, dedication and hard work are required to achieve the life styles of the people portrayed in the video.

A specific and rather silly example in the video is a scenario of a little boy wanting a new bicycle. They illustrate the boy cutting out a picture of the bicycle and creating an image in his mind of already having the bicycle and magically he opens the door and there is a relative (probably a grandfather) who gives him the bicycle probably for his birthday. Translation: if you you are a child let your relatives know what you want for your birthday, you will often get what you want. :)

Don't get me wrong. There is some good, positive, potentially life changing  information shared in The Secret that could benefit anyone but I feel it is shared too much as a mystical Utopia that is not very realistic. You would likely be better off with dedicated study of a skill/field for which you have some level of talent and interest. But absolutely you should radiate a positive attitude/energy about whatever you are pursuing recognizing that the road to success is paved with stumbling blocks that must be overcome to reach your destination.
4243471
I purchased this because I am a therapist who has begun doing some group work and individual therapy with adolescents, and I thought this might be good as some conversation starters.  This is a nice little tool, however, it's really only ideal for teenagers who are middle to upper class, come from two-parent households, and are involved in some religious or spiritual affiliation.  While looking at some of the questions, they seem to biased towards the values and lifestyles of this population.

For example, some of the cards ask things like "what special problems might an unwed mother face?"

There's nothing wrong with the question on its face, but when you consider the social implications, the card is sort of indicating that a mother being "unwed" is an inherent problem.  In some segments of our society, unwed motherhood is common, and is not necessarily viewed as the cause of any particular problem.  Furthermore, it's biased again in the sense that it doesn't address whether unwed father's might face similar problems as mothers.

I think the real problem is in the wording.  Because by asking that question in that way, the game is automatically alienating a specific segment of the population.  I wish the questions had been more generalized to reflect diverse experiences.

But, there are still some really good questions.  I might still use it, but I'll select questions specifically.
245901
The author fancies himself a psychologist but is more of an interested bystander with enough knowledge to paint a portrait of what he thinks he sees.  The book is really a compilation of real-life stories of random individuals taken from a website where the author has invited everyone and anyone to share their experiences of loneliness.

What is clear is loneliness is part of life in all social circles.  The takeaway seems to be the root causes may be more related to environment and upbringing but whether or not those telling their tales are successful in lifting themselves out of the cycle seems to be more of support system, desire, courage and resolve.

What was most interesting to me were the details.  Everyone can identify at one time or another with feeling distant to others, yes, even in a crowd.  Some of the circumstances and relationships described were thought-provoking.

I wanted to read it to find "clues" to my own history and perhaps piece together some of my own mysteries.  I did not find much but when I read a book quickly, as I did with this one, I'm obviously motivated.  Unfortunately I'm still searching.

I would recommend this book if you want to feel you're not the only one feeling isolated.  Perhaps it will help you feel you're not as odd as you may have thought through reading the pages of the lonely screams.  However, your inner longing may continue to pine away for resolve but now you will understand you've got lots of company.
154675
It's a cute premise and I liked looking at all the illustrations and trying to figure out which book they were from.  The text was cute, but I was a little disappointed in the content.
765981
Interesting perspective. Kind of views I have
3943460
A walk around the world is taken one step at a time and that is perhaps the problem with this book.  Perhaps the author had to keep her eyes so focused on the next step that we are left with a feeling she forgot to see the world.  The world is a beautiful place and I was hoping to see more of it through her eyes.  Instead, I found someone critical of those around her and unappreciative of those offering help.  Particularly irritating was when she wrote in a broken English of those speaking it as a second language.  One reason more people do not learn another language is they are afraid native speakers will mock them.  The author showed this to be true.  Many people went out of their way to help her on her journey, particularly the Lions Clubs.  The author, however, seemed to always show little appreciation for all they did and to find fault.  I admire her work for breast cancer education, but wonder if that was really a cause she supported from her heart. . . or if it was a way to ensure help others would help her on her journey.

The book is an easy read, but seems to jump over huge sections of the walk.  I am happy that I read the book and I admire her journey.  I only wish I had been left with a feeling that the world is beautiful, rather than a feeling that the walk was generally a pain in the rear.  She seemed very sensitive to hearing people criticize Americans, yet represented her journey as if all other cultures (except the Turks) are inferior.  That is the problem.
4482329
The way in which this book began and ended left the reader with only a snippet of these peoples' lives. What we see has a clear message of moralism. This book left me feeling slightly depressed and hopeless even though I did enjoy reading it. It is an interesting take on perspective in storytelling and that alone makes it worth the read. It left me feeling a little down but I enjoyed the book and think that many would as well.
1186307
A bit of a one trick pony.  Does make one realize to be thoughtful regarding how one gives and to whom.
2908789
One view only (which I agree with and it was well stated and simple to understand) for my bible study though some folks thought that it was too much one way with no hope for other beliefs on the end times
4593418
The book is an easy read that provides insight from the perspective of a white person living within a multi-cultural family. I appreciated her honesty and thoughts though I would say it is very slanted. It also was discouraging for the author to continue to use the word 'race' instead of 'ethnicity' as I find 'race' to be a demeaning word because it originates from the theory of evolution and deeming certain races as inferior (which is ironic seeing as that is what the author is speaking against). All in all, her points are something to ponder and I will take it for what it is, prayerfully considering ways to love those of different skin tones than myself without victimizing them (another point she failed to address or never even mentioned).
193644
The basic premise is we experience what we expect and those expectations are created by our beliefs.  I find the thought processes plausible.  But when the author talks about his own experiences where money appears out of nowhere into his bank account, i must admit it strains by belief and energizes my skepticism.  But since the authors point is our beliefs can limit (or empower) our experience of "reality" - perhaps I too have limiting beliefs.

It is short enough and for the most part concise enough that the read is worth the time.
2596861
We the People, by Juan Williams is in all a great concept to pull together those in the modern era and their influences to modern-day America, and what their impact was in comparison and in relation to our founding father's vision.  With extensive research on each individual, this book provide us with a glimpse of a biographical accounts of these individuals through the author's analytical eye. However, in a span of 400 pages, We the People condensed the thoughts and visions of these figures into a mere chapter each, giving readers a quick look only, not fulfilling the expectations of what the premise set forth. In addition, this book reads like a textbook that is informative, yet dry, providing no spark for interest to develop. With that said, this may be a good starting point used for discussion in groups or in an educational setting.

This review first appeared on Just Commonly Blog.

NOTE:  I received a complimentary ARC of this book through Library Thing for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.  For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.
4198972
I enjoyed the book for it's view into London life and the musical scene of the late '70s, and found Wobble's observations about himself and how he steered his career quite  striking.  But one has to keep in mind that this is a biased POV of one person recalling events from some years past.  For example his dismal personal view of PiL co-founder Keith Levene comes off as quite lopsided, as if over the years Wobble could only recall the bad and little of the good.  There's no mention of latter musical sessions with Levene, for example. But, hey, that's just the way of autobiographies. Take everything with a huge grain of salt. For a fuller (though still biased)  picture of the PiL years, read Lydon's "No Irish ..." and Google around for assorted interviews with Levene (until he writes his own book).

BTW, I agree with another reviewer who said the last quarter or so is a rather sparse leap through more recent times. Still, a fun read, worth the 10 bucks or so for the book.
2783183
At first glance, this book seems quite exciting, judging from its colourful presentation format, with visually appealing photographs, breezy light text  & catchy phrases.  After perusing it, I regret to find that it offers neither breakthrough ideas nor revolutionary approach.

In the field of business writing, the concept & philosophy behind ABT (what I would term as perceptual sensitivity or acuity) was first broached by Edward de bono in the early 70's with his series of lateral thinking books, starting from the ground-breaking `Mechanism of Mind.' His former discipline, Michael Hewitt-Gleeson from Down Under went on to expand his former mentor's ideas by introducing the CVS2BVS equation in his book, `Software for Your Brain.' He even created a web-based School of Thinking to teach his stuff.

Many business consultants/authors have since then come out with their own insightful interpretations. They include, to name just a few, Joel Arthur Barker (`Future Edge'), Jerry Wind (`The Power of Impossible Thinking'), J Philip Kirby (`Thoughtware'), Moshe Rubinstein (`The Minding Organisation'), Mark Brown ('Dinosaur Strain'), & Luc de Brabandere (`The Forgotten Half of Change'). A few others even introduced some creative twists to the original concept, e.g. Wayne Burkan's "Wide Angle Vision' (or 'Splatter Vision')& George Day's `Peripheral Vision.'

Coming back to this book, I would like add that I actually enjoyed reading the inspiring stories of real people & also doing the workouts & reflections, some of which seem absurd to some readers. At the end of the book, the authors have provided some ABT cards which one can pull out & create laminated cards for sharing the ideas with others. The authors have also incorporated one last visual challenge at the end of the book, What Do You See?.

I am particularly intrigued as to why the authors did not include a bibliography or references at the back of the book.

On the whole from the standpoint of enhancing perceptual sensitivity or acuity, I would rate this book a 4 for its colourful presentation, brilliant simplicity & catchy phrases, although I am quite inclined to rate it a 3 in the light of what I have just reviewed.

For those readers who have not read any of the books mentioned in this review, this book is therefore still worthwhile to be read & played with.

Additionally, I would recommend:

- Playful Perception, by Herbet Leff;
- How to Use Your Eyes, by James Elkins;
- The Playful Eye, by Julian Rothenstein;

for those readers who are keen to explore further.