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O Segredo do Poder Teen
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Procurado, censurado, escondido o Segredo acabou por ser partilhado entre povos antigos - faraós, imperadores, filósofos e reis - e mais tarde descoberto por cientistas, inventores e empreendedores. Agora é conhecido das estrelas de cinema, da pop, escritores famosos, ídolos desportivos…
Este é O Segredo que correu mundo e mudou para sempre a face da humanidade. O Segredo que desperta os nossos sonhos e nos ajuda a transformá-los em realidade. O Segredo para ter coragem e viver feliz. O Segredo que pode salvar o planeta em perigo, que pode ser usado na escola, que se adapta na perfeição à vida no Século XXI. Este é o nosso Segredo, o teu Segredo.
Procurado, censurado, escondido o Segredo acabou por ser partilhado entre povos antigos - faraós, imperadores, filósofos e reis - e mais tarde descoberto por cientistas, inventores e empreendedores. Agora é conhecido das estrelas de cinema, da pop, escritores famosos, ídolos desportivos…
Este é O Segredo que correu mundo e mudou para sempre a face da humanidade. O Segredo que desperta os nossos sonhos e nos ajuda a transformá-los em realidade. O Segredo para ter coragem e viver feliz. O Segredo que pode salvar o planeta em perigo, que pode ser usado na escola, que se adapta na perfeição à vida no Século XXI. Este é o nosso Segredo, o teu Segredo.
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2009
253 people are currently reading
2540 people want to read
About the author
Paul Harrington
19 books23 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 212 reviews
May 26, 2010
The philosophy of this book holds that we have the power to attract good or bad energy into our lives. Seems reasonable enough, until the author goes into more detail. The advice given by the Teen Secret that I remember most is for teenagers to avoid people who are physically ill because the teens can end up attracting that bad energy, or to avoid people who are overweight for the same reason. Hardly a philosophical work destined to make this a more compassionate world where we seek to understand others. But who needs to be compassionate when everything one wants in life--success, money and love--can be achieved by wanting them really hard and avoiding people who might bring one down.
This book would probably be enjoyed by people who are living in economic and physical comfort, as it would make them feel like they definitely deserve all of life's advantages and literally don't have to worry about those less fortunate, because such ill fortune is contagious.
Reading this book made me want to punch the author in the face, and Paul Harrington attracted that.
This book would probably be enjoyed by people who are living in economic and physical comfort, as it would make them feel like they definitely deserve all of life's advantages and literally don't have to worry about those less fortunate, because such ill fortune is contagious.
Reading this book made me want to punch the author in the face, and Paul Harrington attracted that.
October 28, 2012
Honestly, I've finished this book in just 2days... Couldn't put it down! I would even fall asleep while reading the book! I love it... It changed my life completely and the way I look at my life in a good way, even helped me with picking my college/university, I highly recommend it
June 16, 2012
Ever since I read this book, I started changing my perspective on life. I had fun to the fullest, looked for the best, wasn't afraid to follow my dreams, and I don't even recognize the word 'Worry' anymore. For example, I have mid-year exams coming up in three days in Social Studies, and it's coming from the Ministry of Teaching - or whatever its called, I live in Egypt, so it isn't exactly translated, per say - and the Social Studies is SO DAMN LONG; History AND Geography, mind you. And I am still not done yet, and there are a lot of things in the parts I'd already studied that keep falling out, and I still have a long way to go, and the exam is in THREE DAYS. And thanks to The Secret... I'm pretty sure I'm gonna pass xD
This book has changed my life. Seriously, if you're going through a hard time or need cheering up and want things to start getting better, The Secret is the answer for you.
This book has changed my life. Seriously, if you're going through a hard time or need cheering up and want things to start getting better, The Secret is the answer for you.
January 3, 2012
"Didn't like it" is an understatement.
This *thing* is a travesty. I could just tell you how it's a book pushing a very far-fetched idea to start with to its very limits. I could submit a one sentence review stating that it's a feel-good-bullshit book like many others and a complete waste of time. I could, probably, just say "I didn't like it, because it stands in opposition to my philosophy of life" and end it there. But I won't. I can't do that, because this book is currently rated at over 4/5 Stars on this website - and that scares me. It scares the crap out of me.
I won't limit myself to swear words and ridiculing the ideas within this book. That would hinder the argument I want to make at the end of this review. I'd present myself like an asshole who is willing to disagree with anything that he finds doesn't fit his world-view, and that's not me. I am inclusive in my world-view. I always try to understand, connect with anything I read, to find credence there, or worth, or, dare I say, truth in it. That is why, this will take a while to write, and for you to read. You might want to sit down.
The gist of "The Secret to Teen Power" is this - it's a book aimed at teens which puts Rhonda Byrnes' "The Secret" in a teenager's perspective, so that that target audience can relate more to it. What is this "secret", you ask? It can be pretty much summarised in a single sentence: by thinking positively, you can influence the world around you and make your life better. Sounds harmless enough, right? Though it had me lost from the get-go (I am a firm believer in the very limited influence we have on what happens to us, that blind chance is what drives everything that happens), I tried to read more into it, to find at least some ideas I agree with. And I was able to do that, but my first serious problem with the book is that the obvious truths found in it are just that - obvious. Things that any human being with an IQ higher than a sponge's and aged more than 10 should already know by heart because of his experience of the world. I tried hard to find a single piece of advice there which was actually good, but not blatantly obvious. I failed.
Another big gripe that really bugged me throughout my readthrough is how the book is written. I have no experience of "lifestyle" and "philosophy for dummies" kind of books, and I think I know why now. The concept at the core of the book, the one sentence I mentioned above, is stretched here to more than 200 pages, and reiterated over and over and over and over again, ad nauseum. When boiled down to its essence, all this book contains is that sentence written in a hundred-and-one ways, mixed with quotes which supposedly reinforce the idea. If nothing else, "The Secret" can serve as a handbook on how to successfully write a lot without saying much, or anything, really.
A third major problem with this book is it's hypocrisy and the fact it denies itself at times. Let me give you an example. One of the chapters of the book states, quite adamantly, that celebrities and what they promote should be always taken with a grain of salt, never to be trusted fully. After a page or two, however, it uses the argument that Oprah Winfrey endorses "The Secret", and that it's a very positive thing - with no mention of that "think twice about what celebrities promote" point from just a minute ago. Another chapter encourages the reader to live for himself, that the most important thing in life is to have fun. What about all the other previous chapters which stated that people have to be generous to one another and that we are all part of a single web of influences? This one doesn't directly stand in denial with the rest of the book, but it did bother me that after so many pages the book tried to take what I see as a completely opposite approach - one I can actually relate to.
So, you could say, "You didn't like the book - so what? Yeah, it's normal to disagree with things you read. And what wrong can a person who thinks positive thinking will solve all of his or hers problems do? Yes, the idea is naive, childish, maybe even stupid, but it doesn't hurt anyone! It's not harmful!". That's where you're wrong. What follows is the climax of this review, the point where I take the most bothersome underlying structure I've seen in a book, and bring it out to show its ugly face to you.
This book is pretty much a "how-to" guide on starting a sect, or a quasi-religious society of brain-washed fanatics.
I'm not kidding.
My points? First and foremost - the whole idea of the "law of attraction", "the Universe" giving you what you ask for, if you ask long and determinately enough, and the "three steps to achieving your goals" all sound like something out of a religious sermon. It is extremely silly when you read it, but after a while it becomes bothersome, and then just plain scary, when you consider other elements of the book.
Such as the constant philosophy, so common within sects and religious organisations, that there is really no arguing with the theory. If it doesn't work, it means you haven't wished for something strongly enough. If life is mean to you, it means you're not living by the rules stated in the book. If you actively criticise the ideas found within the book, it means you are not a believer - you are instantly ostracized. And the book expressively states that people who want to use the Secret should keep away from people like you, because your sickness, your bad mood, your failures in life will corrupt their lifes and bring them down.
The book's usage of out-of-context quotes from famous people, and its "examples" of successful people who supposedly "used" the Secret (of course, as the book states, they did it unknowingly, using their gut-feeling which just so happens falls under what "The Secret" is preaching) to get out of a tight spot or achieve excellence, mixed with quotes from the author of the original book herself, Rhonda Byrnes (who sounds extremely similar to another wanna-be quasi-philosopher figure openly ridiculed by many intellectuals, Paolo Coelho) are creepy in their own right, adding to the general "Church of Feel-Good" atmosphere of the work, but where it gets REALLY scary is the statements from teens who used the Secret to make their lives better. It sounds like something straight out of a horror movie about a teenage sect, or something you would hear from a zealot who says that the Bible really changed his life - and you listen, and get the shivers. The book says it best - if your friends move away from you after you have found The Secret and used it to make your life better, that's ok, because the world is full of people and you don't need anybody to bring you down. You see a pattern here?
I went for long enough, and don't feel like pointing out all the factual errors and downright lies this book states as fact. Feel free to browse the net in search of ways how this book promotes positive thinking over going to the doctor when you're sick, or how it claims quantum physics and scientific theories to "prove" that even science shows "The Secret" works. I won't bother. There's a lot of those, and then some. We'd be here all night, I barely scratched the surface in this text.
Frankly, all I have to say in the end, is that this is a seriously dangerous book. I can't recommend it to anyone, what's more, I encourage you to NEVER read it. Not even if you want to joke about it afterwards. Do not pick this book up if you see it. Be sure to take it out of your friends' and family members' sight if they come near it. Warn everyone you know to avoid this book. It's not only a waste of your time, it's potentially damaging to your mental health, logic and reasoning. If you have any respect for intelectualism, wisdom, and intelligence, actively hunt this book down and take it off the shelves of your local library. And please, be sure to never buy it to anyone as a present. That's how I got it, and I have to say, it's the most depressing, discouraging and misguided gift I ever received from anyone.
And we've come full circle to why I feel the 4/5 rating here on Goodreads is scary. So many misguided young people thought this was an important book? A book which states the obvious as if it's a deep hidden truth, and then builds an unhealthy and potentially dangerous cult around it? I am quite concerned. Yes, the ideas within this may be attractive to an teenager, but what if they carry over to his adulthood, or what if he *really* gets into it? I can only hope this is a fad which will die away as soon as possible.
This *thing* is a travesty. I could just tell you how it's a book pushing a very far-fetched idea to start with to its very limits. I could submit a one sentence review stating that it's a feel-good-bullshit book like many others and a complete waste of time. I could, probably, just say "I didn't like it, because it stands in opposition to my philosophy of life" and end it there. But I won't. I can't do that, because this book is currently rated at over 4/5 Stars on this website - and that scares me. It scares the crap out of me.
I won't limit myself to swear words and ridiculing the ideas within this book. That would hinder the argument I want to make at the end of this review. I'd present myself like an asshole who is willing to disagree with anything that he finds doesn't fit his world-view, and that's not me. I am inclusive in my world-view. I always try to understand, connect with anything I read, to find credence there, or worth, or, dare I say, truth in it. That is why, this will take a while to write, and for you to read. You might want to sit down.
The gist of "The Secret to Teen Power" is this - it's a book aimed at teens which puts Rhonda Byrnes' "The Secret" in a teenager's perspective, so that that target audience can relate more to it. What is this "secret", you ask? It can be pretty much summarised in a single sentence: by thinking positively, you can influence the world around you and make your life better. Sounds harmless enough, right? Though it had me lost from the get-go (I am a firm believer in the very limited influence we have on what happens to us, that blind chance is what drives everything that happens), I tried to read more into it, to find at least some ideas I agree with. And I was able to do that, but my first serious problem with the book is that the obvious truths found in it are just that - obvious. Things that any human being with an IQ higher than a sponge's and aged more than 10 should already know by heart because of his experience of the world. I tried hard to find a single piece of advice there which was actually good, but not blatantly obvious. I failed.
Another big gripe that really bugged me throughout my readthrough is how the book is written. I have no experience of "lifestyle" and "philosophy for dummies" kind of books, and I think I know why now. The concept at the core of the book, the one sentence I mentioned above, is stretched here to more than 200 pages, and reiterated over and over and over and over again, ad nauseum. When boiled down to its essence, all this book contains is that sentence written in a hundred-and-one ways, mixed with quotes which supposedly reinforce the idea. If nothing else, "The Secret" can serve as a handbook on how to successfully write a lot without saying much, or anything, really.
A third major problem with this book is it's hypocrisy and the fact it denies itself at times. Let me give you an example. One of the chapters of the book states, quite adamantly, that celebrities and what they promote should be always taken with a grain of salt, never to be trusted fully. After a page or two, however, it uses the argument that Oprah Winfrey endorses "The Secret", and that it's a very positive thing - with no mention of that "think twice about what celebrities promote" point from just a minute ago. Another chapter encourages the reader to live for himself, that the most important thing in life is to have fun. What about all the other previous chapters which stated that people have to be generous to one another and that we are all part of a single web of influences? This one doesn't directly stand in denial with the rest of the book, but it did bother me that after so many pages the book tried to take what I see as a completely opposite approach - one I can actually relate to.
So, you could say, "You didn't like the book - so what? Yeah, it's normal to disagree with things you read. And what wrong can a person who thinks positive thinking will solve all of his or hers problems do? Yes, the idea is naive, childish, maybe even stupid, but it doesn't hurt anyone! It's not harmful!". That's where you're wrong. What follows is the climax of this review, the point where I take the most bothersome underlying structure I've seen in a book, and bring it out to show its ugly face to you.
This book is pretty much a "how-to" guide on starting a sect, or a quasi-religious society of brain-washed fanatics.
I'm not kidding.
My points? First and foremost - the whole idea of the "law of attraction", "the Universe" giving you what you ask for, if you ask long and determinately enough, and the "three steps to achieving your goals" all sound like something out of a religious sermon. It is extremely silly when you read it, but after a while it becomes bothersome, and then just plain scary, when you consider other elements of the book.
Such as the constant philosophy, so common within sects and religious organisations, that there is really no arguing with the theory. If it doesn't work, it means you haven't wished for something strongly enough. If life is mean to you, it means you're not living by the rules stated in the book. If you actively criticise the ideas found within the book, it means you are not a believer - you are instantly ostracized. And the book expressively states that people who want to use the Secret should keep away from people like you, because your sickness, your bad mood, your failures in life will corrupt their lifes and bring them down.
The book's usage of out-of-context quotes from famous people, and its "examples" of successful people who supposedly "used" the Secret (of course, as the book states, they did it unknowingly, using their gut-feeling which just so happens falls under what "The Secret" is preaching) to get out of a tight spot or achieve excellence, mixed with quotes from the author of the original book herself, Rhonda Byrnes (who sounds extremely similar to another wanna-be quasi-philosopher figure openly ridiculed by many intellectuals, Paolo Coelho) are creepy in their own right, adding to the general "Church of Feel-Good" atmosphere of the work, but where it gets REALLY scary is the statements from teens who used the Secret to make their lives better. It sounds like something straight out of a horror movie about a teenage sect, or something you would hear from a zealot who says that the Bible really changed his life - and you listen, and get the shivers. The book says it best - if your friends move away from you after you have found The Secret and used it to make your life better, that's ok, because the world is full of people and you don't need anybody to bring you down. You see a pattern here?
I went for long enough, and don't feel like pointing out all the factual errors and downright lies this book states as fact. Feel free to browse the net in search of ways how this book promotes positive thinking over going to the doctor when you're sick, or how it claims quantum physics and scientific theories to "prove" that even science shows "The Secret" works. I won't bother. There's a lot of those, and then some. We'd be here all night, I barely scratched the surface in this text.
Frankly, all I have to say in the end, is that this is a seriously dangerous book. I can't recommend it to anyone, what's more, I encourage you to NEVER read it. Not even if you want to joke about it afterwards. Do not pick this book up if you see it. Be sure to take it out of your friends' and family members' sight if they come near it. Warn everyone you know to avoid this book. It's not only a waste of your time, it's potentially damaging to your mental health, logic and reasoning. If you have any respect for intelectualism, wisdom, and intelligence, actively hunt this book down and take it off the shelves of your local library. And please, be sure to never buy it to anyone as a present. That's how I got it, and I have to say, it's the most depressing, discouraging and misguided gift I ever received from anyone.
And we've come full circle to why I feel the 4/5 rating here on Goodreads is scary. So many misguided young people thought this was an important book? A book which states the obvious as if it's a deep hidden truth, and then builds an unhealthy and potentially dangerous cult around it? I am quite concerned. Yes, the ideas within this may be attractive to an teenager, but what if they carry over to his adulthood, or what if he *really* gets into it? I can only hope this is a fad which will die away as soon as possible.
November 10, 2020
I agree with the idea and I personally believe in LOA, but the way this was written was too simplistic and it actually came off as ignorant and potentially harmful.
I get that this is a book for teens and maybe people that are new to LOA, but the fact that it claims some things pretty confidently, with zero scientific evidence or references makes it seem like a cult and not a positive book that talks about things even physicist agree with!
Also, it's written in a way that there is really no arguing with the theory. If it doesn't work, it means you aren't positive enough or you just failed in following the steps that this book provided.
That goes to the extremes, for example when the book is talking about some pretty serious topics such as wars and demonstrations. Telling someone that they just shouldn't participate in protests because it's a way of negative thinking is so ignorant and privileged because who knows how'd the world look like if people didn't fight for their rights. Of course your life will be rainbows and sunshine if you just choose to ignore the problems, especially if they're not yours.
I can agree that thinking positively will mostly have a good impact on your actions and life in general, but there's a certain extent to which this theory can go without consequences.
As I said, I believe in LOA and I think that is good that it makes people think that they can achieve anything they want and just be more positive in general, but I don't think it should be followed blindly. If you pause for a minute and think logically, what amount of your achievements that are possibly LOA can be explained by taking action, working towards your goals and just being confident about it?
I get that this is a book for teens and maybe people that are new to LOA, but the fact that it claims some things pretty confidently, with zero scientific evidence or references makes it seem like a cult and not a positive book that talks about things even physicist agree with!
Also, it's written in a way that there is really no arguing with the theory. If it doesn't work, it means you aren't positive enough or you just failed in following the steps that this book provided.
That goes to the extremes, for example when the book is talking about some pretty serious topics such as wars and demonstrations. Telling someone that they just shouldn't participate in protests because it's a way of negative thinking is so ignorant and privileged because who knows how'd the world look like if people didn't fight for their rights. Of course your life will be rainbows and sunshine if you just choose to ignore the problems, especially if they're not yours.
I can agree that thinking positively will mostly have a good impact on your actions and life in general, but there's a certain extent to which this theory can go without consequences.
As I said, I believe in LOA and I think that is good that it makes people think that they can achieve anything they want and just be more positive in general, but I don't think it should be followed blindly. If you pause for a minute and think logically, what amount of your achievements that are possibly LOA can be explained by taking action, working towards your goals and just being confident about it?
March 28, 2010
The secret to teen power really tought me a lot. I love how the language was adapted to make it sound like a teen wrote it. I also loved the references to things like tv shows and celebrities that teens can relate too. Overall this was a great book and it has completly changed the way I will think about everything from now on. The law of attraction is a powerful one. What you think, you believe so think positively and your actions will follow along. Now before I audition for a big solo or before I take a big test I always say to myself... Megan you are an amazing person inside and out you will do great on this test and you are going to get an a. I have the highest grade In my math class. And I have succeded in many proforming groups. I think of myself as a better human being and it's all thanks to this book. A must read for all teens trying to discover who they are.
December 12, 2024
this book changed my life. by that, i mean it gave me obsessive-compulsive tendencies as a middle schooler...
i want to start this review of by making clear that i don't disagree with the idea that your thoughts can be powerful and definitely affect you and your life. of course, if you have negative thoughts and decide you won't be good at something before you even try, you won't get very far. on the flipside, positive thoughts about yourself will only serve to make you feel better about yourself, and motivate you to keep moving. i believe in all of that, and if that's what the book was saying, i wouldn't bother writing this review, instead leaving it a few more stars and leaving it be.
but what this book says, is not that "having a positive attitude can help you accomplish your goals, feel better about yourself, etc". what this book says is that there is a "law of attraction" that listens to every single thought you think, and gives you EXACTLY what you wish for, whether it's negative or positive. sometimes, it'll even give you the OPPOSITE of what you wish for, if you don't wish for it properly (because of course this mysterious "law of attraction" plays by genie rules).
being this hypercritical of your thoughts isn't healthy. believing "if i think the wrong thing, it WILL happen" is practically a textbook OCD symptom, and selling it to teenagers like a miracle cure for their lives is extremely dangerous.
i'm just going to go through this book page by page and tell you every problem or comment i had during the reading process because knowing i would write this rant at the end was literally the only thing stopping me from DNF'ing this book from chapter 1.
i'll start at the very beginning, the crux of my biggest problem with this whole book: "Everything that happens in your life all comes down to attraction. You attract all the stuff that happens to you, every last little thing, no matter whether it's totally awesome or truly awful. It's all about you." (page 5-6)
this is already a terrible idea to send to anybody, let alone teenagers, for the reason i stated above. but let's talk about the inherent victim blaming in this paragraph! the emphasis on "every last little thing", even if it's "truly awful"... what a horrible thing to say to anybody, and i'd say the author should have thought a little harder about teenagers who are victims of abuse, assault, etc, but given text from later chapters, i fear he did consider them and willingly chose to include this awful sentence. (more on victim blaming later)
(also on page 6, "All the major religions all over the world are on board with this, including Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam," which is a crazy thing to state with no source considering not even different branches within a same religion can ever agree on anything. but that's neither here nor there, and i have little interest in whether religion backs up a pseudoscience.)
(also, this isn't relevant to the rant, but on page 7 there's a quote from Donald Trump -- just wanted to point that out, not as a moral signifier but just because i thought it was funny and it caught me off guard. side note: this book was written in 2009.) (also, i will say that as i was texting my friends about the shitty book i was reading having a quote from donald trump, i suddenly heard people in the library start talking about donald trump, so, who knows, maybe that was the "law of attraction" at work, in real time, and this whole rant is for nothing because this book was actually right.)
another great quote on page 9: "[S]tuff that isn't so hot - like [...] a pimple when you're due to meet your crush - YOU attracted that too.
Okay, so you're thinking, 'How could I create a pimple? How am I attracting that?'"
acne is caused by stress. or stress contributes to it/makes it worse, i got conflicting answers. either way, it shouldn't come to a surprise to you if you get acne because you're stressed about getting acne. an unfortunate cycle for sure, but not one that needs to be explained by some mysterious force.
"No matter what you think about, it's going to happen. That's the law." (pg 11) not true, and easily disprovable. i frequently thought about setting this book on fire with my mind and it never happened. Weird! and lame, because that would've been really cool and i could probably become rich and famous for setting things on fire with my mind.
"Some people, even when they know THE SECRET, still make the classic mistake of thinking about stuff they don't want. Like:
I don't want to be rejected.
[...] But you see, in each case, they're thinking about what they don't want. If you do that, you'll stress out, you'll give off a stressed-out vibe, and then you'll attract exactly what you don't want. It's like you may as well be saying:
I want to be publicly dumped and humiliated." (pg 12) (i'm starting to realize i may have to be more selective with which paragraphs i quote but i'm not going to because i want to complain about every single piece of bullshit i find)
emphasis on overcorrection of your thoughts. you can NOT, under ANY circumstances, think this way, or you will get EXACTLY what you didn't want. this is definitely a normal way to live your life.
i will give credit where credit is due, and say this book DOES have some good advice between all the bullshit, even if it's being given for the wrong reason. for example, on page 15: "Have you ever noticed that negative, angry people who find lots to complain about [...] end up miserable all the time? [...] they're usually surrounded by other negative, angry people. That's what they attract. [...] And then there are the chilled-out, friendly people who are always looking on the bright side. They lead happy lives, and they're usually surrounded by other chilled-out, happy people."
i do think it's a reasonable message to send to teenagers to not waste energy complaining about things they can't control and not to spend time with people who are just angry all the time, so i'll give them that.
okay, now to what is arguably the worst part of this entire book!
"The other thing that occurs to people is, what's with all the bad stuff that goes down, the stuff you see on the news? Where's the law of attraction in all of that?
Well, the sad reality is, victims of tragedy didn’t ask for their fate (and they totally didn’t deserve it). They probably didn’t even know they were capable of attracting stuff. But still, there’s an attraction.” (pg 26)
such an evil thing to say! “yeah, it sucks they went through that, it’s not THEIR fault they weren’t aware that it would be their fault.” and the pathetic, bare-bones “they TOTALLY didnt deserve it though” disclaimer to get away with such a blatant victim-blaming statement. this section made me so incredibly angry i’m surprised i managed to keep reading.
okay, another area i have to give credit (and yes, i know this is a very chaotic review at this point but i’m not going to put extra effort into properly structuring a review i’m writing for free about a book i hated, sue me) is in the first half of the chapter Powerful Processes, which is all about being grateful for what you have (and what you will have) and giving thanks. again, another good message to send to teens even if i disagree with the reason they’re giving it.
okay back to the bad stuff again! (this book is seriously a rollercoaster ride) comparatively, this section about money (and people who have it) is not so bad. “[A] lot of people have this idea that money is responsible for all the bad stuff in the world. They convince themselves that money is the root of all evil, and that money corrupts. [...] But that’s not the way it really is.” (pg 76)
lol. lmao. obviously i don’t expect this teen self help book from 2009 to be like, marxist literature, but the sudden and random appraisal of rich people caught me off guard. my favorite part is when they use the statistic “People with money control 85% of the world’s wealth, yet they make up less than 10 percent of the world’s population” (pg 77) as if this is a quirky fun fact and not horrific!
i also want to note that donald trump is mentioned here again — this time as a negative figure instead of a motivational one: “[M]oney is not about getting all Donald Trump and firing people,” (pg 77). this is just a sneak peak of how hypocritical this book will get. more on that later.
more victim-blaming on page 90: “Did you ever notice that when someone rubs you the wrong way, it’s just too easy to get caught up in the blame game? You point out what the other guy did wrong - how he messed up. Truth is, you should be pointing the finger at you. Sure, he might have done something uncool, but ask yourself, what did you do to attract this scene and this behavior?
What were you thinking?”
this part is especially horrible to me because it directly victim blames the reader for something Somebody did to them. now, i’m going to share a fact with you: 1 in every 9 girls and 1 in every 20 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault according to RAINN, the rape, abuse & incest national network. now, forgive me if my math is wrong, but i’d say that makes it fairly likely that there was at least one teenager who read this book who had been sexually assaulted in the past, maybe even recently at the time they read it. imagine how it would feel to be a child who’s experiencing something like that, reading a book that you thought was supposed to help you, tell you to your face “if somebody was weird to you, it was your fault because of your weird vibe”. this part is just terrible and unnecessary.
…ANYWAY.
i really like the beginning of the chapter The Secret To Health. i think it actually has a really good, body-positive message that focuses more on being happy with your body as it already is instead of trying to change it into something it’s not, which is a rarity in 2000s teen media. there’s a shocking lack of fatphobia, and even encourages teens to use affirmations like “I have the ideal body type for me” and “I love my body the way it is”. i do definitely have to respect that.
the rest of this chapter, on the other hand… LOL
“You see, illness comes from stress,” (pg 116). last i checked, illness usually comes from bacteria or a virus, but hey, i’m no doctor. let’s see what else this book has to say about illness: “Realize that your own power to influence and even cure your condition rests in changing your thoughts right now. And anyone - no matter what state of chronic illness they’ve attracted - can choose to change their thoughts…NOW.” (pg 121)
i have a number of chronically ill and disabled friends and family members, and of course upon reading this statement, i told them all i have the cure to their incurable disease right here: just think about being abled!
…hasn’t worked so far, but i’ll get back to you. i’ll have to double check they’re all thinking something like “my body works perfectly fine” instead of something negative like “i’m not disabled” because, as we know, your thoughts have to be exactly right for the law of attraction to listen.
now, if you don’t mind me going back a few pages, i have a few other notes from this chapter (definitely a top 3 chapter of this book. wait, did i say top? i meant bottom 3.)
i liked this line: “[I]f you’re feeling like crud, don’t talk about it unless you want more of it.” (pg 117)
what a great message to send to teenagers; never vent about something that’s bothering you or else it’ll keep happening! just keep those negative emotions bottled up inside of you, and make sure to ignore them so you can think more positive thoughts! this one especially strikes a nerve with me because it’s something i’ve struggled with personally — whenever something terrible is happening in my life i always have this feeling that i absolutely, under any circumstances, can NOT talk about it with other people or else it’ll continue happening/get worse, which is, needless to say, a terrible, unhealthy way of dealing with things, and it’s disturbing that the author would suggest this so flippantly.
“One other thing: you can also invite illness if you’re with a friend who’s whining about their illness. As you listen, you’re giving all of your thought and focus to their illness, and when you give all of your thought to something, you’re asking for it. So guess what? You can attract their illness to you.” (page 118)
first you can’t vent about being sick, now you can’t listen to your friend vent about being sick either. Hmm…
the phrase “you’re asking for it” is so aggressive, and while this particular paragraph is just about getting sick (which, i mean… to be fair. if you hang around with a friend who’s sick… um, yeah, you’re gonna get sick too. bacteria and viruses, remember?), it brings me back to my earlier point about sexual assault — maybe a dramatic conclusion to come to, but i know i’m not alone in seeing the correlation between this phrase and the common reactions to sexual assault. like the constant victim blaming in this book has always been blatant but using this phrase in particular is just making it sound a thousand times worse, like the author has given up on pretending to care about victims of the “law of attraction”, because at this point you should know better, so he no longer has sympathy for you if something happens to you.
anyway, thankfully, despite this book being at least a little bit anti-science, and the book suggesting you can do quite literally anything you think of, it doesn’t suggest people forgo medicine for thoughts and prayers. “With medical knowledge where it’s at these days, you’d be crazy not to take advantage of all your doctor’s advice, especially if you’ve attracted some funky disease into your body.” (pg 119). yeah, you would be crazy, wouldn’t you? hmm.
well anyway, there’s that at least.
now it’s time for another hilariously outdated reference! this time to Lance Armstrong, who had “seven consecutive Tour de France victories” after getting cancer and being told he’d never ride again! what an inspiration! oh, sorry, my assistant (my cat who has access to google) is telling me something, hold on. huh… lance armstrong did WHAT? they took away all of his trophies??? oh… well…
again, not the book’s fault, it was written in 2009. but still, gave me a WILD laugh.
here’s a section that makes little sense to me: “Halle Berry was first diagnosed with diabetes after passing out on a film set. Berry was soon given the prognosis of a lifetime of insulin dependency. But through a strict combination of diet and lifestyle, Berry has the condition in check.” (pg 122)
this part confuses me because, unlike most of these little fun fact sections with examples of celebrities fighting adversity, there’s no “she got there because she believed in hearself” or “she knew THE SECRET and that’s how she dealt with it”, it’s just “she got better with a good diet and lifestyle,” which… yeah…? that’s kind of how being healthy works. maybe not diabetes (there’s quite a bit to be said irt halle berry’s diabetes but that’s neither here nor there) but still. it’s not entirely revolutionary that somebody got healthy by following a “healthy diet and lifestyle”, and it’s not really relevant when the topic is “if you think hard enough you can cure anything i promise”
okay, we are now to another bottom 3 chapter! this one, instead of blaming you for things going bad in your OWN life, blames you for… let me check my notes… Every bad thing in the world!
“[T]hey direct their energy toward the ‘bad’ stuff: the poverty, the wars, the hunger, the pollution. They see the bad stuff going down, and they feed into it — literally.” “[Y]ou certainly can’t help the world by stressing out and giving your full attention to all of the the bad stuff. Especially if it makes you feel bad. Because by doing that, through the law of attraction, you are actually adding to the problem. It’s growing as you give your attention to it!” (pg 131)
so, don’t pay attention to anything that makes you feel bad, got it. just ignore those starving kids in africa and those people dying in wars. it’ll only hurt your feelings, and if you get upset about it, it’ll happen more. because of you, 15-year-old reader!
i do agree it’s not worth sitting there being sad about what’s going on in the world — those feelings are useless if you’re not doing anything with them. like maybe going to a protest, or —
“[Y]ou should most definitely think twice about joining in any protest.” (pg 132)
oh. well okay then. not that, i guess. then how do i help people in need?
“Focus all your thoughts and power and energy on what you desire; whether that’s peace or goodwill or freedom or prosperity.” (pg 133-134)
oooohhh. that’s right. i just have to think about it really hard. but in a positive way. not in a negative way. or else it’ll get worse. and it’ll be my fault, of course.
literally thoughts and prayers, guys! (i wonder if the author has ulterior motives here…)
and with that, i’ve found most of the quotes i wanted to complain about. if anybody actually read all of that, sorry. unless you’re the author, in which case i’m not sorry and i hope you’re ashamed of yourself for feeding pseudoscience to teenagers and acting like it’s fact when it has little basis in reality or science.
i don’t doubt this book or this way of thinking has helped people, but there’s so much in this book that was at least unhelpful, if not genuinely unhealthy. when i first read this book when i was younger, i never made it past page 17 and it still affected the way i think for years in a negative way — making me obsessively correct the way i think, convincing me that if i even think of a potential negative situation, it will happen, etc. i felt a sort of obligation to finish the book out finally and put all my thoughts on it into words. so um yeah okay this book sucks bye now.
(also, just to pour some salt in the wound, and hit you with an actual fact, the wikipedia for the “law of attraction” states “while individuals who indulge in manifestation and law of attraction beliefs often do exhibit higher perceived levels of success, these beliefs are also seen being associated with higher risk taking behaviors, particularly financial risks, and show a susceptibility to bankruptcy.” so good luck, believers.)
i want to start this review of by making clear that i don't disagree with the idea that your thoughts can be powerful and definitely affect you and your life. of course, if you have negative thoughts and decide you won't be good at something before you even try, you won't get very far. on the flipside, positive thoughts about yourself will only serve to make you feel better about yourself, and motivate you to keep moving. i believe in all of that, and if that's what the book was saying, i wouldn't bother writing this review, instead leaving it a few more stars and leaving it be.
but what this book says, is not that "having a positive attitude can help you accomplish your goals, feel better about yourself, etc". what this book says is that there is a "law of attraction" that listens to every single thought you think, and gives you EXACTLY what you wish for, whether it's negative or positive. sometimes, it'll even give you the OPPOSITE of what you wish for, if you don't wish for it properly (because of course this mysterious "law of attraction" plays by genie rules).
being this hypercritical of your thoughts isn't healthy. believing "if i think the wrong thing, it WILL happen" is practically a textbook OCD symptom, and selling it to teenagers like a miracle cure for their lives is extremely dangerous.
i'm just going to go through this book page by page and tell you every problem or comment i had during the reading process because knowing i would write this rant at the end was literally the only thing stopping me from DNF'ing this book from chapter 1.
i'll start at the very beginning, the crux of my biggest problem with this whole book: "Everything that happens in your life all comes down to attraction. You attract all the stuff that happens to you, every last little thing, no matter whether it's totally awesome or truly awful. It's all about you." (page 5-6)
this is already a terrible idea to send to anybody, let alone teenagers, for the reason i stated above. but let's talk about the inherent victim blaming in this paragraph! the emphasis on "every last little thing", even if it's "truly awful"... what a horrible thing to say to anybody, and i'd say the author should have thought a little harder about teenagers who are victims of abuse, assault, etc, but given text from later chapters, i fear he did consider them and willingly chose to include this awful sentence. (more on victim blaming later)
(also on page 6, "All the major religions all over the world are on board with this, including Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam," which is a crazy thing to state with no source considering not even different branches within a same religion can ever agree on anything. but that's neither here nor there, and i have little interest in whether religion backs up a pseudoscience.)
(also, this isn't relevant to the rant, but on page 7 there's a quote from Donald Trump -- just wanted to point that out, not as a moral signifier but just because i thought it was funny and it caught me off guard. side note: this book was written in 2009.) (also, i will say that as i was texting my friends about the shitty book i was reading having a quote from donald trump, i suddenly heard people in the library start talking about donald trump, so, who knows, maybe that was the "law of attraction" at work, in real time, and this whole rant is for nothing because this book was actually right.)
another great quote on page 9: "[S]tuff that isn't so hot - like [...] a pimple when you're due to meet your crush - YOU attracted that too.
Okay, so you're thinking, 'How could I create a pimple? How am I attracting that?'"
acne is caused by stress. or stress contributes to it/makes it worse, i got conflicting answers. either way, it shouldn't come to a surprise to you if you get acne because you're stressed about getting acne. an unfortunate cycle for sure, but not one that needs to be explained by some mysterious force.
"No matter what you think about, it's going to happen. That's the law." (pg 11) not true, and easily disprovable. i frequently thought about setting this book on fire with my mind and it never happened. Weird! and lame, because that would've been really cool and i could probably become rich and famous for setting things on fire with my mind.
"Some people, even when they know THE SECRET, still make the classic mistake of thinking about stuff they don't want. Like:
I don't want to be rejected.
[...] But you see, in each case, they're thinking about what they don't want. If you do that, you'll stress out, you'll give off a stressed-out vibe, and then you'll attract exactly what you don't want. It's like you may as well be saying:
I want to be publicly dumped and humiliated." (pg 12) (i'm starting to realize i may have to be more selective with which paragraphs i quote but i'm not going to because i want to complain about every single piece of bullshit i find)
emphasis on overcorrection of your thoughts. you can NOT, under ANY circumstances, think this way, or you will get EXACTLY what you didn't want. this is definitely a normal way to live your life.
i will give credit where credit is due, and say this book DOES have some good advice between all the bullshit, even if it's being given for the wrong reason. for example, on page 15: "Have you ever noticed that negative, angry people who find lots to complain about [...] end up miserable all the time? [...] they're usually surrounded by other negative, angry people. That's what they attract. [...] And then there are the chilled-out, friendly people who are always looking on the bright side. They lead happy lives, and they're usually surrounded by other chilled-out, happy people."
i do think it's a reasonable message to send to teenagers to not waste energy complaining about things they can't control and not to spend time with people who are just angry all the time, so i'll give them that.
okay, now to what is arguably the worst part of this entire book!
"The other thing that occurs to people is, what's with all the bad stuff that goes down, the stuff you see on the news? Where's the law of attraction in all of that?
Well, the sad reality is, victims of tragedy didn’t ask for their fate (and they totally didn’t deserve it). They probably didn’t even know they were capable of attracting stuff. But still, there’s an attraction.” (pg 26)
such an evil thing to say! “yeah, it sucks they went through that, it’s not THEIR fault they weren’t aware that it would be their fault.” and the pathetic, bare-bones “they TOTALLY didnt deserve it though” disclaimer to get away with such a blatant victim-blaming statement. this section made me so incredibly angry i’m surprised i managed to keep reading.
okay, another area i have to give credit (and yes, i know this is a very chaotic review at this point but i’m not going to put extra effort into properly structuring a review i’m writing for free about a book i hated, sue me) is in the first half of the chapter Powerful Processes, which is all about being grateful for what you have (and what you will have) and giving thanks. again, another good message to send to teens even if i disagree with the reason they’re giving it.
okay back to the bad stuff again! (this book is seriously a rollercoaster ride) comparatively, this section about money (and people who have it) is not so bad. “[A] lot of people have this idea that money is responsible for all the bad stuff in the world. They convince themselves that money is the root of all evil, and that money corrupts. [...] But that’s not the way it really is.” (pg 76)
lol. lmao. obviously i don’t expect this teen self help book from 2009 to be like, marxist literature, but the sudden and random appraisal of rich people caught me off guard. my favorite part is when they use the statistic “People with money control 85% of the world’s wealth, yet they make up less than 10 percent of the world’s population” (pg 77) as if this is a quirky fun fact and not horrific!
i also want to note that donald trump is mentioned here again — this time as a negative figure instead of a motivational one: “[M]oney is not about getting all Donald Trump and firing people,” (pg 77). this is just a sneak peak of how hypocritical this book will get. more on that later.
more victim-blaming on page 90: “Did you ever notice that when someone rubs you the wrong way, it’s just too easy to get caught up in the blame game? You point out what the other guy did wrong - how he messed up. Truth is, you should be pointing the finger at you. Sure, he might have done something uncool, but ask yourself, what did you do to attract this scene and this behavior?
What were you thinking?”
this part is especially horrible to me because it directly victim blames the reader for something Somebody did to them. now, i’m going to share a fact with you: 1 in every 9 girls and 1 in every 20 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault according to RAINN, the rape, abuse & incest national network. now, forgive me if my math is wrong, but i’d say that makes it fairly likely that there was at least one teenager who read this book who had been sexually assaulted in the past, maybe even recently at the time they read it. imagine how it would feel to be a child who’s experiencing something like that, reading a book that you thought was supposed to help you, tell you to your face “if somebody was weird to you, it was your fault because of your weird vibe”. this part is just terrible and unnecessary.
…ANYWAY.
i really like the beginning of the chapter The Secret To Health. i think it actually has a really good, body-positive message that focuses more on being happy with your body as it already is instead of trying to change it into something it’s not, which is a rarity in 2000s teen media. there’s a shocking lack of fatphobia, and even encourages teens to use affirmations like “I have the ideal body type for me” and “I love my body the way it is”. i do definitely have to respect that.
the rest of this chapter, on the other hand… LOL
“You see, illness comes from stress,” (pg 116). last i checked, illness usually comes from bacteria or a virus, but hey, i’m no doctor. let’s see what else this book has to say about illness: “Realize that your own power to influence and even cure your condition rests in changing your thoughts right now. And anyone - no matter what state of chronic illness they’ve attracted - can choose to change their thoughts…NOW.” (pg 121)
i have a number of chronically ill and disabled friends and family members, and of course upon reading this statement, i told them all i have the cure to their incurable disease right here: just think about being abled!
…hasn’t worked so far, but i’ll get back to you. i’ll have to double check they’re all thinking something like “my body works perfectly fine” instead of something negative like “i’m not disabled” because, as we know, your thoughts have to be exactly right for the law of attraction to listen.
now, if you don’t mind me going back a few pages, i have a few other notes from this chapter (definitely a top 3 chapter of this book. wait, did i say top? i meant bottom 3.)
i liked this line: “[I]f you’re feeling like crud, don’t talk about it unless you want more of it.” (pg 117)
what a great message to send to teenagers; never vent about something that’s bothering you or else it’ll keep happening! just keep those negative emotions bottled up inside of you, and make sure to ignore them so you can think more positive thoughts! this one especially strikes a nerve with me because it’s something i’ve struggled with personally — whenever something terrible is happening in my life i always have this feeling that i absolutely, under any circumstances, can NOT talk about it with other people or else it’ll continue happening/get worse, which is, needless to say, a terrible, unhealthy way of dealing with things, and it’s disturbing that the author would suggest this so flippantly.
“One other thing: you can also invite illness if you’re with a friend who’s whining about their illness. As you listen, you’re giving all of your thought and focus to their illness, and when you give all of your thought to something, you’re asking for it. So guess what? You can attract their illness to you.” (page 118)
first you can’t vent about being sick, now you can’t listen to your friend vent about being sick either. Hmm…
the phrase “you’re asking for it” is so aggressive, and while this particular paragraph is just about getting sick (which, i mean… to be fair. if you hang around with a friend who’s sick… um, yeah, you’re gonna get sick too. bacteria and viruses, remember?), it brings me back to my earlier point about sexual assault — maybe a dramatic conclusion to come to, but i know i’m not alone in seeing the correlation between this phrase and the common reactions to sexual assault. like the constant victim blaming in this book has always been blatant but using this phrase in particular is just making it sound a thousand times worse, like the author has given up on pretending to care about victims of the “law of attraction”, because at this point you should know better, so he no longer has sympathy for you if something happens to you.
anyway, thankfully, despite this book being at least a little bit anti-science, and the book suggesting you can do quite literally anything you think of, it doesn’t suggest people forgo medicine for thoughts and prayers. “With medical knowledge where it’s at these days, you’d be crazy not to take advantage of all your doctor’s advice, especially if you’ve attracted some funky disease into your body.” (pg 119). yeah, you would be crazy, wouldn’t you? hmm.
well anyway, there’s that at least.
now it’s time for another hilariously outdated reference! this time to Lance Armstrong, who had “seven consecutive Tour de France victories” after getting cancer and being told he’d never ride again! what an inspiration! oh, sorry, my assistant (my cat who has access to google) is telling me something, hold on. huh… lance armstrong did WHAT? they took away all of his trophies??? oh… well…
again, not the book’s fault, it was written in 2009. but still, gave me a WILD laugh.
here’s a section that makes little sense to me: “Halle Berry was first diagnosed with diabetes after passing out on a film set. Berry was soon given the prognosis of a lifetime of insulin dependency. But through a strict combination of diet and lifestyle, Berry has the condition in check.” (pg 122)
this part confuses me because, unlike most of these little fun fact sections with examples of celebrities fighting adversity, there’s no “she got there because she believed in hearself” or “she knew THE SECRET and that’s how she dealt with it”, it’s just “she got better with a good diet and lifestyle,” which… yeah…? that’s kind of how being healthy works. maybe not diabetes (there’s quite a bit to be said irt halle berry’s diabetes but that’s neither here nor there) but still. it’s not entirely revolutionary that somebody got healthy by following a “healthy diet and lifestyle”, and it’s not really relevant when the topic is “if you think hard enough you can cure anything i promise”
okay, we are now to another bottom 3 chapter! this one, instead of blaming you for things going bad in your OWN life, blames you for… let me check my notes… Every bad thing in the world!
“[T]hey direct their energy toward the ‘bad’ stuff: the poverty, the wars, the hunger, the pollution. They see the bad stuff going down, and they feed into it — literally.” “[Y]ou certainly can’t help the world by stressing out and giving your full attention to all of the the bad stuff. Especially if it makes you feel bad. Because by doing that, through the law of attraction, you are actually adding to the problem. It’s growing as you give your attention to it!” (pg 131)
so, don’t pay attention to anything that makes you feel bad, got it. just ignore those starving kids in africa and those people dying in wars. it’ll only hurt your feelings, and if you get upset about it, it’ll happen more. because of you, 15-year-old reader!
i do agree it’s not worth sitting there being sad about what’s going on in the world — those feelings are useless if you’re not doing anything with them. like maybe going to a protest, or —
“[Y]ou should most definitely think twice about joining in any protest.” (pg 132)
oh. well okay then. not that, i guess. then how do i help people in need?
“Focus all your thoughts and power and energy on what you desire; whether that’s peace or goodwill or freedom or prosperity.” (pg 133-134)
oooohhh. that’s right. i just have to think about it really hard. but in a positive way. not in a negative way. or else it’ll get worse. and it’ll be my fault, of course.
literally thoughts and prayers, guys! (i wonder if the author has ulterior motives here…)
and with that, i’ve found most of the quotes i wanted to complain about. if anybody actually read all of that, sorry. unless you’re the author, in which case i’m not sorry and i hope you’re ashamed of yourself for feeding pseudoscience to teenagers and acting like it’s fact when it has little basis in reality or science.
i don’t doubt this book or this way of thinking has helped people, but there’s so much in this book that was at least unhelpful, if not genuinely unhealthy. when i first read this book when i was younger, i never made it past page 17 and it still affected the way i think for years in a negative way — making me obsessively correct the way i think, convincing me that if i even think of a potential negative situation, it will happen, etc. i felt a sort of obligation to finish the book out finally and put all my thoughts on it into words. so um yeah okay this book sucks bye now.
(also, just to pour some salt in the wound, and hit you with an actual fact, the wikipedia for the “law of attraction” states “while individuals who indulge in manifestation and law of attraction beliefs often do exhibit higher perceived levels of success, these beliefs are also seen being associated with higher risk taking behaviors, particularly financial risks, and show a susceptibility to bankruptcy.” so good luck, believers.)
September 13, 2013
This was a totally awesome book! I thought it would be really lame, but it turned out to be amazing! What I got out of it was a mix of Star Wars, Buddhism, and The Matrix. :D It kinda altered your view of the universe. It went into detail describing how everything in the universe is made of energy, and is built around the law of attraction. Basically, what you think of happening to you WILL happen to you. Positive thoughts will make positive things happen to you. It was not cheesy at all, and it really made me think. And it definitely scored extra points for Star Wars references, being the geek I am. ;) I would definitely recommend it!
September 15, 2015
one of the best books i've ever read , it's not about the secret .. it's about being positive enough to live :)
August 2, 2023
Please read this
December 11, 2024
C’est le premier livre de développement personnel que je connais et franchement c’est pas mal. Je conseillerais ce livre pour les pré-ados et les ados vu que ce livre est fait pour les personnes qui se cherchent. Il nous explique l’importance de nos pensées en faisant référence à plusieurs religions. Mais j’ai rencontré des désaccords avec certains sujets et des fois je trouve que certaines solutions sont légèrement trop faciles.
August 12, 2014
It was definitely an interesting read, written in a most inspiring style. As this particular version is written for teens, and I'm a teen, I could definitely relate to certain things that came up in this book. Some of the things Harrington discussed, and tips he shared were definitely helpful and worth a thought as well.
However, this book is mainly for people that haven't found their passion yet, it is almost like a guide to tell you how to achieve anything you want, and how to find what you actually want. Personally, I already knew this for myself so some of the chapters felt slightly redundant, which resulted in this book being less 'helpful' to me than it potentially could have been. Clearly, this is fully personal and has nothing to do with the book itself.
Altogether a recommendation for I think most people, or at least teenagers who want an inspiring read that along the way helps them to find a goal in life and maybe even change some of their perspectives on things. I do believe that this book contains something for everybody, and that everyone could find something useful inside it.
However, this book is mainly for people that haven't found their passion yet, it is almost like a guide to tell you how to achieve anything you want, and how to find what you actually want. Personally, I already knew this for myself so some of the chapters felt slightly redundant, which resulted in this book being less 'helpful' to me than it potentially could have been. Clearly, this is fully personal and has nothing to do with the book itself.
Altogether a recommendation for I think most people, or at least teenagers who want an inspiring read that along the way helps them to find a goal in life and maybe even change some of their perspectives on things. I do believe that this book contains something for everybody, and that everyone could find something useful inside it.
January 10, 2010
This book is not really book but a guide to life and it explains how to survive as a teen and originally their are 6 secrets for teens and they are, the secret to money, relationships, health, the world, you, life. The plot of tis guide is that you attract good things and bad things. As in when you think positive their is a better chance for you to attract good things and when you think negative their is good chance you will attract bad things.
I can make a text to text connection with this book because it helped me as i read it to become a better person and to feel confidence in me and not always bag my self.
If i were to rate this book i would give it a 5 and above because it was so touching that it made me realize who i really am and needed to be a different more self-reliant person so i thank you the secret for helping with my life and making it betterfor me.
I can make a text to text connection with this book because it helped me as i read it to become a better person and to feel confidence in me and not always bag my self.
If i were to rate this book i would give it a 5 and above because it was so touching that it made me realize who i really am and needed to be a different more self-reliant person so i thank you the secret for helping with my life and making it betterfor me.
December 1, 2013
I started reading this book because it was a present from my dad. That means it wasn't negotiable. I had to read the book.
Despite this, I was pleasantly surprised in reading "The Secret to Teen Power". Paul Harrington brings to light many good points. He explains the power of your everyday thoughts, how our mind shapes our reality, and the law of attraction. In his book, you are coached to recognize your thoughts and harness them for your benefit. On an extremely simple note, the book explains that positive attracts positive and negative attracts negative, a.k.a. the law of attraction. Since reading this book, I've learned to make my thoughts more constructive and see more of the light than the dark. This book has been motivating and inspiring in my life. I definitely give this book two huge thumbs up!
Despite this, I was pleasantly surprised in reading "The Secret to Teen Power". Paul Harrington brings to light many good points. He explains the power of your everyday thoughts, how our mind shapes our reality, and the law of attraction. In his book, you are coached to recognize your thoughts and harness them for your benefit. On an extremely simple note, the book explains that positive attracts positive and negative attracts negative, a.k.a. the law of attraction. Since reading this book, I've learned to make my thoughts more constructive and see more of the light than the dark. This book has been motivating and inspiring in my life. I definitely give this book two huge thumbs up!
October 4, 2015
This book was absolutely brilliant! It really opens up a new way of looking at life. My mum bought this for me not too long ago and I was wary at first. After reading it I realised that there are a lot of things that I can do starting right now to live the life I want to live. And let me tell you, I'm looking forward to it.
December 14, 2021
A great book that gets you thinking about attracting good thoughts and being able to do everything; even the impossible! Using the power of THE SECRET.
September 19, 2022
Changed my perspective wholly.
June 18, 2018
First of all I have to say that when you are 20 it is too late to read this book. It is really for teenagers at the age of 14-17.
I am all for The Secret as it brings inner joy and helps you live a great life. Although this book for younger people was very superficial. It wasn’t about having inner peace with yourself, it had a lot of materialistic dreams that shouldn’t matter at all. It bothered me as most of the goals were about being popular, having that blouse you want or getting a supercool scooter. Books shouldn’t teach teenagers to aim for stuff, because in the long run they shouldn’t be important.
I am all for The Secret as it brings inner joy and helps you live a great life. Although this book for younger people was very superficial. It wasn’t about having inner peace with yourself, it had a lot of materialistic dreams that shouldn’t matter at all. It bothered me as most of the goals were about being popular, having that blouse you want or getting a supercool scooter. Books shouldn’t teach teenagers to aim for stuff, because in the long run they shouldn’t be important.
July 7, 2018
I think THE SECRET is something everyone should know of because it truly does help us make the best of our life. Your attitude towards anything in life will affect it. Positive attitude towards things leads to favourable results whereas with a negative attitude, there’ll be negative consequences. It makes sense, doesn’t it? I think this is a book that I will actually try to carry in me as I go through life. It’s something that I will always need to remember. Seriously, pick this book up, just to know how to lead a better life and to help you realize your potential. THE SECRET is in all of us, we just need help realizing it.
January 30, 2019
I understood that there is a law that helps us get everything we want, but Still, a book for just a single idea? Too repetitive, in my opinion. Still, the quotes inside the book were really good, that’s why I gave 3 stars.
March 14, 2020
Vissa saker som den tar upp är bra, men den känns ytlig och ur tiden för mig.
July 20, 2023
It felt like a 5 year old wrote this book lol. Not a fan of this book at allll.
November 17, 2023
I wish I could give negative stars
August 11, 2023
it's like 2.5-ish but didn't feel right rounding to a 3
February 5, 2017
Words to live by.
If everyone thought on the bright side instead of always dwelling on the negatives, the world would be a better place. This short volume encourages you to focus on the positive, to surround yourself with good things that you like and appreciate and aspire to, so as to bring more of the same your way through the law of attraction. Rather than going through life on monotonous autopilot, you should follow the dream you're passionate about (which is the only thing you can actually excel at), to achieve your full potential, and enjoy the life you live.
Just a footnote of mine to clarify the last part they mentioned. Life isn't only about having fun or the pursuit of happiness, but you should have fun in life and be happy; there's also a responsibility to do no harm to others or yourself in the process. It's important to do what's right, not just whatever you feel like (since, of course, doing bad things shouldn't qualify as 'fun').
Also, the book reminds you to love yourself for who you are, because each of us is perfect and worthful. While this is generally a sound philosophy, it shouldn't be taken to a lazy or complacent level - that is, if there's something about yourself that isn't as good as it could be, and if you can make yourself better, if you can become better at something, you shouldn't just let it stay deficient because that's how it is. There's always room for improvement; everyone is a work in progress, and you should never limit yourself to resigned acceptance until you've done everything you can to be the best you can be.
In all, a worthwhile read, and advocating a mindset concept that should become much more widespread.
If everyone thought on the bright side instead of always dwelling on the negatives, the world would be a better place. This short volume encourages you to focus on the positive, to surround yourself with good things that you like and appreciate and aspire to, so as to bring more of the same your way through the law of attraction. Rather than going through life on monotonous autopilot, you should follow the dream you're passionate about (which is the only thing you can actually excel at), to achieve your full potential, and enjoy the life you live.
Just a footnote of mine to clarify the last part they mentioned. Life isn't only about having fun or the pursuit of happiness, but you should have fun in life and be happy; there's also a responsibility to do no harm to others or yourself in the process. It's important to do what's right, not just whatever you feel like (since, of course, doing bad things shouldn't qualify as 'fun').
Also, the book reminds you to love yourself for who you are, because each of us is perfect and worthful. While this is generally a sound philosophy, it shouldn't be taken to a lazy or complacent level - that is, if there's something about yourself that isn't as good as it could be, and if you can make yourself better, if you can become better at something, you shouldn't just let it stay deficient because that's how it is. There's always room for improvement; everyone is a work in progress, and you should never limit yourself to resigned acceptance until you've done everything you can to be the best you can be.
In all, a worthwhile read, and advocating a mindset concept that should become much more widespread.
February 1, 2021
I read The Secret before this and I knew what would be in this book even before I got it. And I knew I was wasting time and money. But Idk why I still bought it.
This book repeats the same thing we all know. The whole deal about this "secret" is that we get what we attract. Of course, there are plenty of loop holes in this but I'm not going into them.
I was ok with this book. But then I reached the last few pages. And boy, oh boy. I lost it.
What pisses me off is how absurd is the advise in this book. So, I'm not supposed to visit my sick grandma because I'll get cancer too? Or, I supposed to sit at home and manifest the perfect world?
This book literally tells me that I shouldn't join protests and marches because I'll manifest what I am protesting against. I mean, what the what?
Do you think women could've got the right to vote if they just sat in their houses, "manifesting" it? Do you think LGBTQ+ people could've got their voices heard if they "manifested" it? No, you have to get out and do something. All those people this book claims knew the secret worked hard as well.
IDK why I read this. But one thing I will remember for sure is to not to read any more self help books. It's all the same thing. Honestly, you can get all this for free online. The only useful thing was that this book will serve as a reminder to me that I should stop buying all these books and get cracking to get my crap together.
And even if you badly want this book, don't waste your money on it. Just manifest this book coming into your life for free! Afterall, the Universe gives you everything you want? Doesn't it?
This book repeats the same thing we all know. The whole deal about this "secret" is that we get what we attract. Of course, there are plenty of loop holes in this but I'm not going into them.
I was ok with this book. But then I reached the last few pages. And boy, oh boy. I lost it.
What pisses me off is how absurd is the advise in this book. So, I'm not supposed to visit my sick grandma because I'll get cancer too? Or, I supposed to sit at home and manifest the perfect world?
This book literally tells me that I shouldn't join protests and marches because I'll manifest what I am protesting against. I mean, what the what?
Do you think women could've got the right to vote if they just sat in their houses, "manifesting" it? Do you think LGBTQ+ people could've got their voices heard if they "manifested" it? No, you have to get out and do something. All those people this book claims knew the secret worked hard as well.
IDK why I read this. But one thing I will remember for sure is to not to read any more self help books. It's all the same thing. Honestly, you can get all this for free online. The only useful thing was that this book will serve as a reminder to me that I should stop buying all these books and get cracking to get my crap together.
And even if you badly want this book, don't waste your money on it. Just manifest this book coming into your life for free! Afterall, the Universe gives you everything you want? Doesn't it?
January 19, 2016
Mind-blowing
No words .O data cu citirea acestei carte , mi-am schimbat asa-zisa opinie asupra tristetii .Nu am varsta necesara sa pot intelege adevaratul sens al vietii sau al legii atractiei . Nu am cuvinte sa exprim ce am inteles prin aceasta carte , deoarece are prea multe aspecte . Este o carte care se citeste relativ repede , si care , daca te prinde , nu te mai lasa . De cand am inceput sa aplic secretul in viata de zi cu zi , si sa am incredere in mine , totul parca merge mai bine , chiar se vede diferenta . Tot ceea ce trebuie sa faci este sa ai incredere in tine , iar daca vei citi aceasta carte , ve intelege si ce beneficii iti va aduce fericirea ! Chiar merita citita , iti poate schimba viata in bine , dar si tu trebuie sa crezi si sa astepti . Nu se intempla totul de pe o zi pe alta ;)
No words .O data cu citirea acestei carte , mi-am schimbat asa-zisa opinie asupra tristetii .Nu am varsta necesara sa pot intelege adevaratul sens al vietii sau al legii atractiei . Nu am cuvinte sa exprim ce am inteles prin aceasta carte , deoarece are prea multe aspecte . Este o carte care se citeste relativ repede , si care , daca te prinde , nu te mai lasa . De cand am inceput sa aplic secretul in viata de zi cu zi , si sa am incredere in mine , totul parca merge mai bine , chiar se vede diferenta . Tot ceea ce trebuie sa faci este sa ai incredere in tine , iar daca vei citi aceasta carte , ve intelege si ce beneficii iti va aduce fericirea ! Chiar merita citita , iti poate schimba viata in bine , dar si tu trebuie sa crezi si sa astepti . Nu se intempla totul de pe o zi pe alta ;)
September 12, 2020
🔆The Secret To Teen Power🔆
It is one of the best books I’ve ever read so far. Usually I’m not into reading self-help and motivational books, but this is a book every individual needs to read. It shows the impact of a person’s thoughts in his/her life and the surroundings. The universal law of attraction isn’t a secret for anyone but implementing it is the tricky part. One mindset is so used to imagining the things that could possibly go wrong, instead of thinking positively. Even after reading this book couple of times, I find it difficult to implement the law of attraction in my everyday life but I’ve experienced that it actually works. Grab this book whenever you feel lost, and defeated. It will surely change the way you think and respond to the circumstances that you face.
Absolutely loved it! ❤️
It is one of the best books I’ve ever read so far. Usually I’m not into reading self-help and motivational books, but this is a book every individual needs to read. It shows the impact of a person’s thoughts in his/her life and the surroundings. The universal law of attraction isn’t a secret for anyone but implementing it is the tricky part. One mindset is so used to imagining the things that could possibly go wrong, instead of thinking positively. Even after reading this book couple of times, I find it difficult to implement the law of attraction in my everyday life but I’ve experienced that it actually works. Grab this book whenever you feel lost, and defeated. It will surely change the way you think and respond to the circumstances that you face.
Absolutely loved it! ❤️
August 10, 2010
i loved the book
it is GENIUS
it shows how we need to be positive and how to get wat we want in order to fulfill our dreams
it gives us simple tools which we lead up to a fascinating life
he backs up wat he says by true stories of normal ppl and hero's and also by quotes!
i loved it
and i recommend it to all teenagers
it is GENIUS
it shows how we need to be positive and how to get wat we want in order to fulfill our dreams
it gives us simple tools which we lead up to a fascinating life
he backs up wat he says by true stories of normal ppl and hero's and also by quotes!
i loved it
and i recommend it to all teenagers
October 5, 2012
there is only one sentence. think good thoughts. this is same as the book, the secret and the book, magic. think good thoughts and you will attract good things. thats all.
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