I have to say, I did not read this book expecting much. It was recommended to me by a friend, and I’ve found that self-improvement books that are hugely popular are largely gimmicky and not all that helpful if you take the time to think things through. Unfortunately, THE SECRET was no different.

If you want to know what the secret that this book promises is without having to go through reading it, then here, let me spoil you. This lauded secret is that if you believe it will happen, it will.

No, really.

I suppose, though, that this book does show that Byrne’s secret can work. I’m sure that she believed that her book would become a huge success, and look! It has! This book is truly a brilliant piece of marketing, and I think that every Marketing 101 class should be forced to read it just for that. But it’s not a good self-improvement book.

Anyone who’s read self-improvement books knows about the power of positive thinking, and has either rejected the claim already or began using it in their life. There’s no need to read THE SECRET, when that is the secret.