The Secret to Making a Quick Buck

[dotinthesky]

Rhonda Byrne, The Secret, 2006
I'm sure this book only exists thanks to The Da Vinci Code. Sensing a public interest in ancient "secrets" passed down to modern times, the publishers of this awful piece of self-help decided they could market Rhonda Byrne's book and make a killing. They were not wrong. In Brasil, it's spreading like an Old World plague: the film tie-in is always rented out in videostores, and the book is in the top 10 bestseller list. Swept up by its popularity, my mom brought a copy home.

Much like George Bush Jr., this book is equal parts stupid and disturbing. The stupid part comes in its mind-boggling belief that anything you ask from the Universe will become true, that everyone deserves (and should) pursue their most selfish desires in order to be happy. Want big boobs? Ask the Universe and you will get it. Want a great parking space at the shopping mall? The Universe will help you like a genie in a bottle. Knowledge found in Eastern religions such as Buddhism (e.g. Karma) are simplified and described as a "secret" that only the elite are aware of.

The disturbing part comes in statements such as the one, early in the book, that says people killed in disasters or crimes brought it upon themselves. According to this book's reasoning, if you find yourself gassed to death with millions of other people it's because you were following negative thoughts and unable to see the Universe's path to your salvation. This is, at least, the conclusion I draw from the book's teachings. It shifts blame from other people, or life's chaos, onto yourself. Contracted cancer? Your fault. Robbed and shot in the head? Your fault. Became a millionaire? You are in tune with the Universe.

Much like The Da Vinci Code I couldn't make it past page 60. Be very wary of anyone that likes this book.

Comments

[madwriter.livejournal.com]

What fascinates me in a "That really bugs me" sort of way is that there's little to nothing in this book that a church called Unity hasn't already been teaching for decades (as I know, because I went to the one in Roanoke for my first 24 years). The only difference is the motivation--Unity teaches the "tell the universe what you want" idea without the selfishness...which is probably why this book has caught on so much more than Unity's version has.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I didn't know about the church of Unity, but I'm not surprised to hear that they have similar teachings. I found the book took some of the teachings of the Tibetan Buddhists, in particular the idea of gratitude as a form of creating good karma. What bugs me is that it's passed as a "secret", some kind of easy revelation for the masses. I imagine only people who haven't studied history buy into it.