Book Review: Wishcraft by Barbara Sher

I'm back with another review. This one's a self-help workbook/book. Wishcraft by Barbara Sher was an eye opening book for me. The book's subtitle is 'How to get what you REALLY want'. I think that describes it pretty accurately. The book is intended for people who have been shelving their dreams or people who don't know how to get there. The book challenges your mind and forces you to come up with ideas to turn your dreams into reality. If you're an amateur looking to be a pro, this book is a good starting point. Equally, if you want to be self employed, develop a secondary source of income or just live your dream, this book may be very useful.

The book is broken into eleven chapters. The sequence of the chapters is one of the things that makes the book work. Barbara Sher focuses on removing mental blocks to success in the beginning chapters. She makes the reader re-examine their childhood and weed out all the negativity and excuses that are holding them back. Instead of fearing negative thinking, she teaches us to embrace it.

What I absolutely loved about the book was its 'hands on' nature. It's filled with exercises that force you to think. I had a lot of fun doing the exercises. When I was done, I had a plan for success. Though the book starts out at a very approachable and basic level, it quickly progresses to the nitty gritty of making dreams come true. Barbara Cher talks about many important facets of success like how to leverage connections or 'barnraising', goalsearch, time management, delegation etc. But none of these sound like a chore when you do the exercises. I am a kinaesthetic learner so I loved doing the exercises. I think it helped me overcome the first weakness of any amateur- inaction (or procrastination).

As you progress through the book, she makes you challenge your ideas and weed out the unrealistic or unrelated bits. She inspires you to follow the plan. When you write down a plan as realistic and achievable as this one, it makes you feel like success is within reach.

Barbara Sher correctly identifies the areas in which amateurs need work. The book is planned in such a a way that it never gets pushy.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to turn their dreams into reality.

Overall rating: 4.2/5

Pros

Structured (step-by-step)
Detailed
Hands on

Cons

New readers may get lost

Book Review- Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra

Hi there. I'm back with another book review. It's been a long time since I reviewed a book. The book I'm reviewing today is very different from the kind of books I usually review. Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by famous new age guru Deepak Chopra is a spiritual and philosophical work. Like many other books on success, it seeks to demystify the elusive ideal of success. The book however focuses on spiritual success and seven laws that anyone can follow to achieve it. The book is very short at 118 pages and makes a good coffee table book or quick read. It however requires a few re-reads to fully understand and apply the content of the book.

What I liked about the book was that it is well structured and clearly organised into seven distinct chapters. The seven laws are as follows:
1) The Law of Pure Potentiality
2) The Law of Giving
3) The Law of Karma
4) The Law of Least Effort
5) The Law of Intention and Desire
6) The Law of Detachment
7) The Law of Dharma.

The book is inspired based on Hindu spiritual traditions and practices. However, it is not a religious work and doesn't seem to preach any religious philosophy.

If you've ever wondered why many successful and famous people achieve success, this book will decode their state of mind. The book was an eye opener for me too. After reading the book and listening to the interviews and life experiences of many successful people, I realized that they subconsciously follow these laws. I often wondered why many successful people give similar answers in interviews. Is it because they have similar experiences or is it something to do with their state of mind?

The law of least effort and law of detachment were particularly relevant to my current life. When you re-read it, you may find yourself dwelling on different parts of the book. You may even notice sentences you didn't before. Sometimes sentences we read during the first or second read shine with a completely different meaning upon re-reading the book. The book focuses on success from a mental and spiritual point of view. It endeavours to get the reader into a state of mind which is conducive to success and achievement. In other words, it makes your mind a fertile ground to sow the seeds of success. It however, does not offer any practical ways to succeed in any particular field.

Overall, Seven Spiritual Laws of Success is a great read. If you enjoy self help and new age books, this may be your cup of tea. I seem to have developed a sudden interest in spirituality and meditation these days. Therefore, I found this book to be useful. It is a good read for someone who doesn't want to read a full length novel but try out something new. Give it a try and maybe you'll decode the keys to success.

Overall rating: 4/5

Pros

Easy to understand
Structured
Quick read


Cons
Not very detailed
May not interest someone who is not into this genre