Customer Reviews

The Attractor Factor: 5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth (or Anything Else) from the Inside Out

5 star:		(181)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

This whole book could easily be scaled-down into a magazine article. It is packed with too many personal anecdotes & other people's stories, the quantum of which seems to be an over-kill. To use the exact words of one reviewer, "a lot of irrelevant filler information".

A close-up scrutiny of the `5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth' reveals no big secrets. These are the summary of the 5 Easy Steps (extracted from Page 176):

- Know what you don't want;
- Select what you do want;
- Clear all negative or limiting beliefs;
- Feel what it would be like to have, do, or be what you want;
- Let go as you act on your intuitive impulses, & allow the results to manifest.

Yes, that's it.

In comparison, Napoleon Hill, in the 'Laws of Success', which outlined seventeen success principles, had already revealed them a long time ago. The 'Laws of Success' was based on the author's personal quest that spreaded over twenty years to study the most successful people around his time. It has even been highly acknowledged by Anthony Robbins & Stephen Covey, whose respective works adapted many of the author's original ideas.

Attractor Factor was recommended by someone I respect, so I put aside my skepticism and began reading. Surprisingly, there's little new here - just another law of attraction book.

If you've been walking around feeling negative, this book may help. When you feel positive and in control, you're more likely to think clearly. That's psychology of mood. And if you always turn right instead of left, you can change your life. Natalie Goldberg made that point in her excellent book, Thunder and Lightning. And if you're not feeling desperate, you have more power and more confidence, which in turn brings clearer thinking.

Parts of Vitale's advice can be difficult for an ordinary person to follow. For instance, we're encouraged to be open to new ideas. As an example, Vitale says, he decided not to pursue a mail order advertisement for a self-improvement product. But he soon decided he was resisting a message, so he ordered the product. (pp. 31-32)

So how do we interpret this story? Do we order everything that's advertised? We need a discussion on how to use our intuition to discern the value of what we're offered.

And selling an e-book or e-course on the Internet can be a great way to make money ... if you've got a topic and a great marketing strategy. It also helps if you have a big mailing list and copywriting skills. So how do we get these advantages? Vitale acknowledges -- rightly, I think -- that most of us make excuses when we need to roll up our sleeves and go to work (p. 75), investing time, money and energy in our dream. It takes more than attraction to attract these rewards! Or just go straight to Tom Antion's book on electronic marketing.

I do believe that "intention" can be powerful. Once we set a firm goal, we often figure out ways to get there, if we genuinely want the goal. For instance, I've met many people who found jobs just as their unemployment payments were about to end. The combination of positive mood and clarity of goal can be very powerful. But you don't have to explain these effects as "law of attraction."

Parts of Vitale's book were quite disturbing. Twenty-two pages -- nearly ten percent of the book -- fall into a chapter labeled "The Proof," which is nothing but a list of testimonials for Joe Vitale and the first version of this book.

Second, Vitale acknowledges that his guru, Jonathan, molested a woman who was close to him at the time. On page 181, he writes that the "situation with Jonathan...was a gift of freedom." But the woman who was molested (p. 182) never recovered. Although "she tried to forgive him," writes Vitale, she "only found peace in death." And in the very next sentence, Vitale writes, "Meanwhile my adventures continue..."

Frankly, I don't get it. Some psychologists believe the human mind may be wired to explain negative events in terms of some greater good. But I would expect to see some evidence of the author's compassion for the woman and perhaps some revised thinking -- maybe even some activism to prevent other women from being harmed by gurus they trusted. I would encourage readers to look up Natalie Goldberg's memoir The Great Failure, where she describes honest feelings about being betrayed by her spiritual father and her birth father.

Finally, the notion that we're responsible for everything that happens to us can be traced to early New Age philosophies, including the "est" of the seventies. We're dealing with values that are nearly religious. Do you believe soldiers in Iraq attracted death and dismemberment? Do you believe the starving poor of Third World countries attracted poverty? Or that three-year-old children attract disease? Some Law of Attraction theorists say yes; others hedge.

Still, I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying Vitale's exercises in a spirit of playfulness. And if it's easier to take a message of "Work hard!" when it's couched in this language, no harm done.

If you're interested in this value-based system, I recommend Carolyn Myss's books. I'd also recommend Lynn Grabhorn's book, Excuse Me Your Life is Waiting. These authors are down to earth and realistic about what you can expect. Best of all, you can follow their advice even if you don't buy into their world views.

Page 31 (hardcover edition): "People often write and ask me what one single product can they get that will transform their lives. When I tell them I so loved Dr. Robert Anthony's Beyond Positive Speaking CD set, they are sold. Yet some people complain. "It cost $99." Ah, of course it costs money. And that's incredibly low for a studio-quality life-changing set of six audios. Are you going to pay it and get what you want, or are you going to dismiss the greatest self-help material of all time? Do you want the good you say you seek, or don't you?"

This is the same logic some people use when they say that God won't listen to your prayers, let alone respond to them, if you do not regularly tithe 10% of your income.

For Vitale, his message is simple. All roads lead to buying more product. That little infomercial I quoted above is one of many in the book. Just think, the only thing between standing between what you want and what you have right now is your reluctance to go online and buy more Joe Vitale product.

Someone showed me this which I read through pretty quick...If you actually want to read something that does bring results check out How To Get Everything You Ever Wanted: Complete Guide to Using Your Psychic Common Sense Its far far better and actually does bring results. I have read other books by the so called *Dr* Joe Vitale and most of them are just cheap ebooks that are sold on ebay with resell rights. His website hosts a ton of these marketing and 'how to become a millionaire' ebooks which are totally a waste of 'e-time'
He is also linked to the secret book and dvd which in itself is a total joke given that recently in Australia contributors to this 'fad movie and book' are now under investigation for fraud. Google 'The Secret and Channel 9' on youtube to check it out...very very positive influences huh?

Skip this book and check out also 'Creative visualization by shakti gawain also sold on amazon

...or it might not.

I wrote a review for this book some months ago (see below for the original) promising to come back and give the book a full 5 stars if after trying the techniques described in it I found them to be effective.

I have not found them to be effective.

In fact, nothing that I used the "5 Easy Steps" for has manifested. Given the range of things I tested it on--from material objects (large and small), to money, to health, to (don't laugh) the weather--this defies probability, since I would have expected at least *one* small success. Vitale is a good promoter, and I honestly expected some results--from a heightened level of positive thinking, if nothing else--but given my experience with this, the author's tales of "miracles" seem to me now little more than wild hype.

In any case, there are better books on the same subject: Shortcut to a Miracle, and Professional Dreamer are two (no, I have not enjoyed significant results with those techniques, either, but I think they are better book neverthless).


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This is the second review I wrote for this book. The last one mysteriously disappeared shortly after I posted it. There was nothing inappropriate in it--no foul language, no references to other reviews--but I did take strong umbrage at the author's persistent and transparent marketing of his cronies' goods and services.

I haven't change my opinion in that regard at all. It is extremely annoying to read a book--not a free book, either--and realize you are still being pitched. Okay, these aren't exactly pitches, more like plugs. But they occur repeatedly. And there is a list of e-mail addresses and URLs for these same people at the end of the book. I would hazard that in return they plug Dr. Joe and each other in *their* publications, and that this is in fact a marketing network, for when I signed up to Dr. Joe's newsletter, I promptly received an advertisement for one of cronies who wrote a blurb for Attractor Factor.

Still, as annoying as that is, and despite some other disturbing qualities of this book, I have softened my view somewhat. I won't go so far as to say that what Vitale proposes actually works, because for me it has not. In fact, in one place he cites "research" he says demonstrates that people who make a list of things they want--actually write these things down--and then come back to the list in a year find that they have acquired 80% of the things on the list. I guess this is why writing things down remains so important to these "intentional desire" sorts of self-improvement/success books. For the record, though, I recently came across a list I made a little over a year ago. The percentage of things I wanted then and wrote down and have since acquired is: zero. Zilch. The things on this list were by no means outrageous. Vitale might say my "energies are blocked." Perhaps.

I also have a problem with the basic philosophy in this book. Vitale says that we are the causes of everything that happens to us. This is a far cry, it seems to me, from saying that we are masters of our own destiny, at least in the sense that the cliche is usually offered. He seems literally to believe that when bad things happen to us, it is because we somehow cause them to happen. If this is true, then pediatric cancer wards are filled with children who brought it on themselves. Somehow, though, this just doesn't seem right....And it doesn't tally with how I see the world, or with my experience of it. Nor does it mesh with the New-Agey claptrap that fills the book. It doesn't seem necessary to believe it to succeed in your pursuits.

Perversely amusing is that the healer and mentor that Vitale refers to with much glowing praise throughout the bulk of the text turns out to be a molestor and rapist. At the end of the book, Dr. Joe reveals that this so-called healer had relations with female clients, one of whom went on to off herself. According to Dr. Joe, the guy fell from grace because of "ego." (I wonder how that floats as a legal defense....)

The use of these New Age healers figures prominently in Vitale's 5-Step model--in fact, they are vital. Dr. Joe urges readers to use these healers (and provides contact information in the back of the book for at least some of those he considers "dear" friends) to "get clear" of "issues" and blocked "energies." The word "energy" is tossed around in its vague, New Age sense more in this book than it would be at a power company board meeting, I think. It becomes tedious and silly. Mercifully, though, Vitale does provide an exercise that we can do in lieu of the New-Age-Healer thing--two in fact, one of which involves the use of what certainly looks like hypnosis scripts, even though he doesn't call them that.

Another alternative offered by Dr. Joe: You can hire a Hindu priest to perform a "yagya" on your behalf, or you can do one yourself. (A yagya is a formal Hindu religious ritual.) There are no directions for performing them yourself. Many years ago, I had one performed for me, and--you guessed it--it didn't achieve any results whatsoever. (Either my energies are blocked to the point of immedicable constipation, or this New Age stuff is precisely the nonsense it seems to be.)

About halfway into the book, Vitale begins to deliver some substance when he starts discussing his 5 steps. Yes, there are still pitches, and much talk of "energy," but he seems to be sincere in his conviction that these things work, and he is adequately thorough in his discussion of them for the reader to pursue his method. And sincerity and effort do count for something...not everything, but something.

The ultimate test of the book's worth, of course, is whether or not applying its techniques helps a reader turn his or her life around. If it does, then in my opinion the book could be 7/8 marketing and NewAgeSpeak and still be well worth the purchase price. If following Vitale's guidelines in this book helps me to create significant changes in my life, I will be happy to come back here and give the book another 3 stars.

This book was a total waste of time. It doesn't take a genius
to understand that Mr Vitale has got a lot of friends who are
writing glowing reviews to promote booksales, beware!

Books on the same topic I'd recommend instead of this one
would be "Your invisible power" by Genevieve Behrend
and "The power of your subconscious mind" by Dr. Joseph Murphy.

This is my second review of this book - somehow my first one disappeared. (why does this seem to happen on this book?) After skipping all the testimonials and fluff there is very little book left - more of a booklet.
If you are interested in the Law Of Attraction there are way better books for your money.

Save your money for a latte or 2. This book was not even worth giving away. I tossed it for lack of content.

I have read several books on the Law of Attraction, including this one. Another reviewer has stated that the basic principles could have been covered in a magazine size article. The author does write in a compelling way, being an advertising copywriter in real life. Nevertheless, you may derive far greater benefit from other books.

I recommend: Ask and it is given by Jerry and Esther Hicks, and Law of Attraction by Michael Losier. Creating Money, Keys to Abundance by Sanaya Roman is also excellent. I also recommend the Laws of Success, and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, together with The Millionaire Mind by Harv T. Eker.

What I do appreciate about this book is the practical examples from the author's own life, and the importance of actions. The Hicks and Losier books have the most detailed ideas of how you can deliberately use the Law of Attraction, and the importance of feelings towards the outcome you desire. 'What you think and feel, and what manifests is always a match, every single time. No exception.' Esther Hicks.

Also, check out the Amazon customer forum on this book before buying, and decide for yourself.

The sum of this book can be summed up in a short article but even that simple message gets bogged down by the author's constant plugging for his websites and other projects.

It got so pervasive, especially in the second half of the book that any message the author was trying to convey was lost. Even the material he does focus on has been explained better by other writers.

i would also like to note that my original review and another two by other readers that gave it two stars, were deleted. I have read the book -purchased on amazon -and the review focused on the book, as this one does as another reviewer wrote:
This is the second review I wrote for this book. The last one mysteriously disappeared shortly after I posted it. There was nothing inappropriate in it--no foul language, no references to other reviews--but I did take strong umbrage at the author's persistent and transparent marketing of his cronies' goods and services.