Amway Motivational Organizations: Behind the Smoke and Mirrors [Paperback]

Ruth Carter (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0967107024 | ISBN-13: 978-0967107028 | Publication Date: September 1, 1999

Amway distributors tout their business as "the best business opportunity in the world." Yet of the five million or so Americans whove been involved over its 40 year history, fewer than 1% have made a profit, and fewer than one-tenth of one percent have established the large incomes that they claim are achievable by all.

Ruth Carter has written a clear, concise account based on her 15 years of experience as a distributor and five years of insider information as the employee of a Diamond. The book attacks head-on the accusations of deception, cultism, and greed which are so often leveled at the Amway business. Here at last are the reasons why, clearly explained by a former insider.

Amway Motivational Organizations: Behind the Smoke and Mirrors takes a serious look at:
- a real Diamonds annual income and expenses
- what is the "system"?
- who makes money in the system?
- what is a cult?
- why is Amway accused of cultism?

This book is a must-read for anyone whos ever been involved in Amway, or has suffered the pain of watching loved ones change their personalities and lose their money to the deceptions of an Amway Motivational Organization. "Amway Motivational Organizations: Behind the Smoke and Mirrors" picks up where "Amway: The Cult of Free Enterprise" and "Fake It Til You Make It!" left off.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I feel compelled to send this to you after having emerged from one of the Amway motivational cults. I did not try this out and leave as a disgruntled distributor... I built this to the Emerald level with business literally spanning the globe. What I discovered at this level was widespread systematic deceit of the highest order. My wife and I gave up years of our life (and that of our children) for this ... the "freedom" I bought as an Emerald was a non stop 24-7 work week with little or no time for family and friends. I hope and pray that your book spares many of the Amway/Quixtar cultish nightmare that we have endured." -- A former Emerald Direct Distributor

From the Back Cover

"Ruth Carter reveals multi-level deception, delusion and guile in the Amway distributor business. She has penetrated a network of shame, fear and guilt that has shielded this bogus business from exposure. Congratulations to her for the courage to put the truth in print." Robert L. FitzPatrick, co-author of "False Profits: Seeking Financial and Spiritual Deliverance in Multi-Level Marketing and Pyramid Schemes."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 199 pages
• Publisher: Backstreet Pub (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967107024
• ISBN-13: 978-0967107028
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #788,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Look Inside a Dangerous Cult, January 9, 2003

By 

Avital Pilpel "classics_lover" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Amway Motivational Organizations: Behind the Smoke and Mirrors (Paperback)

Ruth Carter's book can be divided into three parts: a short lesson in basic finance; a lesson in what makes a group a cult; and her personal story.

Ms. Carter shows quite convincingly, first, that Amway is in reality nothing more than a pyramid scheme, and second, that it has all the tell-tale signs of a cult: not a religious cult dedicated to an absurd theological proposition ("Jesus will appear on september 2nd 2005 in Troy, New York") but an economical cult to an absurd economical proposition ("if I just keep spending all my money on Amway, I will be RICH one day!"). She also has a useful chapter at the end about how to leave Amway--which is harder than it looks, as leaving any cult is.

All this is intereting and important; however, it is available on the internet--just search google for "Amway AND bad", for example, and take it from there; be sure to visit Ms. Carter's own extensive web site, by the way. (If there is one thing cults HATE, it is the internet, for just this reason, but I digress.) If this was all Ms. Carter's book was doing, one could just browse the web instead.

The really fascinating thing about Ms. Carter's book is her personal story. She tells, in fascinating, sad, and sometimes sordid details, what it REALLY means to be brainwahsed by Amway. It means losing your money, frieds, family, marriage, children, and almost your identity while becoming an "Ambot". Above all, it has a "behind-the-scenes" look at how sleazy, unethical, and manipulative the gurus (or "upline diamonds", as they are called in Amway) are, and how they manipulate their flock for their own personal benefit, while pretending to "love" them so much. The book is worth buying for that last part alone, and, indeed, it justifies the book's title.

In sum, highly recommended.

54 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hit to the head, October 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Amway Motivational Organizations: Behind the Smoke and Mirrors (Paperback)

I found this book to be very informative. My husband decided that he was going to go into Quixtar and I was going to be his partner. Needless to say, he's on his own. I read this book when he first told me and I found it to be true. The amount of money that a person spents on a MLM is ridiculous. The Quixtar e-mail, voice mail, and the tapes you have to subscibe to. And that's not counting all the meetings that they want you to attend, at a cost of course. I attended one meeting (against my will) and could not believe how gullible these people were. They believe everything out of the upline's mouth and never question any of it. Just nodded their heads and smiled. If you are serious about going into Quixtar/Amway, read this book first. It will defintely open your eyes.

54 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Truth is Finally Out, December 29, 1999

By 

Stella Sanderson (Huntsville, Alabama) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amway Motivational Organizations: Behind the Smoke and Mirrors (Paperback)

Ruth Carter has done a great public service by exposing the deceptions, manipulations, and outright dishonesty of Amway Motivational Businesses. The corporation has a maligned reputation principally due to the operations of these "associated" businesses and their cultish-style tactics. From her position as assistant to a Diamond-level distributor, Mrs Carter's assertions are far more credible than lower-level distributors protestations of their "Upline's" integrity and character. The vast majority of distributors have no idea what "goes on behind the scenes" of the high level distributors they worship, and Ruth Carter exposes the wolves in sheep's clothing with pinpoint accuracy, based on over 10 years of personal experiences. Her examinations of the mind control techniques these organizations use is invaluable to former distributors like myself who spent 6 years in Amway and it's Motivational Money Drains. I hope that all current and future distributors will take an opportunity to "look at all the angles" of any business opportunity. That is, of course, what they advise you to do, isn't it?