Customer Reviews

Busting Loose From the Money Game: Mind-Blowing Strategies for Changing the Rules of a Game You Can't Win

5 star:		(126)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

I don't regret buying this book, as I received quite a lot of value from it, but at the same time I strongly disagree with some of his fundamental premises.

This book is difficult to summarise adequately, but basically he is saying - we create our reality (including our financial reality) with our minds. Our life experience is a illusory game created by what he calls our 'Expanded Self' - a larger, omnipotent creative intelligence, of which we are just a small aspect. This 'Human Game' is divided into 2 phases: Phase 1, which most people are stuck in, and Phase 2, which is the object of the processes in this book. Phase 1 appears to have rigid rules, and was purposely designed by our Expanded Self to convince us of our limitations and lack of power. When we are ready, we enter Phase 2, in which our Expanded Self leads us through the process of reclaiming our personal power and then 'busting loose' of the game. After busting loose, our desires & goals (including money) will fall into place with little effort, and we might even experience seemingly 'impossible' events, as the illusory nature of reality becomes apparent, and life no longer has to follow the usual rules.

What I liked about the book:

*I found it to be well written & some parts are very interesting & thought-provoking.

* The idea that our consciousness creates our reality is nothing new to me, and I'm already familiar with the holographic model of reality creation that he discusses. I've read many books on similar topics, most of which haven't really given me anything new. This book did at least take an approach I haven't encountered before, so I give it some credit for originality, even if there is much I disagree with. I can see how it could be a bit `far out' for some of those who are totally new to this kind of material.

*Scheinfeld offers four techniques which we can use to enter & progress through Phase 2, and even though I don't accept his notion of what Phase 2 should be like, I have found all of these techniques to be useful, and perhaps worth the price of book alone.

*I like his `no limit' thinking - he proposes a vision of what life could be like unencumbered by all the rules & regulations that most people accept as normal or just `how life is'. I do agree with him that our potential as conscious creators of our own realities is unlimited, and that so called `supernatural' or 'magical' events could be commonplace if only we could allow them, and it's good to see a writer who is unafraid to stick his neck out & make claims that probably sound preposterous to the average person (Star Trek's Q as a role model? - sounds good to me!)

* I also like his debunking of traditional ways of thinking about money, which I've always thought were rather unnecessary & limited too.


What I didn't like

*While the holographic model in general makes sense to me, I don't accept that the other people (or animals etc) in my life are purely my creation. I see them more as independent consciousnesses who are also creating their own holographic realities, some aspects of which intersect with my own (based on the law of attraction), thus contributing to our shared experiences. I do agree that no-one else can create in our experience however, and tend to think that people will show whatever side of themselves that we attract from them, so in that sense we do have control over the type of behaviours we attract from others.

*I don't agree that we're just pawns in a game set up by our Expanded Self for its own amusement. I don't really see any distinction between that Expanded Self & the `me' that is here experiencing this life - its power is mine, and my experiences from this self-created perspective are of value to it. We are on the leading edge, and we (the `expanded you' plus the personality you know as `you') are in control - together.

*I don't agree that the `busting loose' process has to be painful & traumatic. Nor do I agree we have to just passively wait for our Expanded Self to pop unpleasant events into our experience for us to react to. It's perfectly possible to reclaim our power & release inner resistance without all the trauma & drama. The journey to freedom & personal power can be a pleasant one.

*Scheinfeld says that what we experience doesn't matter - it's no better to be wealthy than to be poor, or to have good relationships rather than bad ones. While I agree that it's unhealthy to be inflexible & to get overly attached to specific outcomes, and that any event can be a valuable learning experience, I can't accept that our desires and preferences have no value (just the opposite in fact - what's the point of being a deliberate creator without a personally defined, constantly evolving purpose towards which we can direct our energies?). Life may be an illusion, but some aspects of that illusion are undoubtedly more pleasant than others, so why not focus on attracting/creating the pleasant experiences that we prefer?

I would also add - this is not a 'mainstream' financial advice book (which you've probably guessed from the above comments!). You won't find advice about what actions to take to make money (there are plenty of other books on how to manage your money, choose investments etc), nor is it about the psychology of wealth in the usual sense (I like the Rich Dad Poor Dad series for that aspect of wealth building). It presents a metaphysical approach that requires an open-minded willingness to suspend disbelief and the need for 'proof', so if you're just looking for advice on how to get rich in the traditional ways, or are someone who isn't willing to consider a new idea unless it has been scientifically validated, this isn't the book for you!

I could go on, but won't! Scheinfeld is presenting his model of reality here, which is apparently working for him, and which seems to work well for many others too, but his model might not be the best approach for everyone. He's not saying - this is absolutely how it is & you must agree. It's just one perspective on the purpose & mechanics of this physical life experience. All in all, I can't give this book a terrible review, or a glowing one. As with any book or other information source, the best approach is to take what resonates with you, and discard the rest.

Personally, I like to forge my own path, but in terms of external teachings I strongly recommend the Abraham-Hicks material to anyone who is open-minded enough to accept that they are capable of creating an unlimited reality (including unlimited wealth), but who also prefers an easy-going, joyous path, in which they are in control and which is not fraught with trauma and unpleasant `learning' experiences!

I read the book AND began using "The Process", as outlined in the book and since then, everything in my life has changed. I would LOVE to read more reviews by individuals who are actually doing both - not just reading it and trying to make vague associations to other teachings, or pick apart tiny concepts that have nothing to do with the big picture covered in the book.

Bob shares a process that has to do with reclaiming power, remembering who we truly are, reaffirming that truth, and dramatically increasing our levels of appreciation for ourselves and our creations. In order for us to reconnect to our true power and live without any limits whatsoever in this human game we have chosen to play, we first must realize we are not only living in an illusion (quantum physics finally made sense to me with this book although Bob just skims the surface of that topic), we are part of that illusion.

When we want to change, fix, or improve the hologram/illusion, we are judging it. By judging it, we are holding it to be true. We can't reclaim power from the illusion and believe it is true at the same time. This important concept is covered in detail in the book and has everything to do with truly busting loose from limits. If we cling to goal setting or dreams and the details on what to do next to move toward our goals, we are affirming the illusion is real. Bob encourages us to react to what is in our hologram and follow inspired action only, and never says anything about letting go, or ignoring what is in front of us. Everything is brought to our attention for a reason and by diving into the emotion that comes up as a result of what is in our illusion, and doing The Process he outlines in the book, we finally drain the power from the illusions we have held true; money has power over us, our jobs have power over us, relationships, health - you name it and this process works for it all. Guess what happens as you drain power from illusions? They begin to change!

By using The Process outlined in the book for over 6 months now, I have shifted from being consumed by planning and efforting to accomplish my plans, to only following what I am inspired to do, trusting in every action I take and - most importantly - totally and completely loving and appreciating everything I have created and feeling a joy in my being that I have never experienced before. This is the essence of Bob's teaching.

This book and the simplicity in which Bob communicates this powerful information is definitely not for everyone. It is for those who recognize there has been a piece of the puzzle missing from everything else you have read or studied or heard and you know you are REALLY ready to put that missing piece in place and begin living as you are meant to live - without limits of any kind. There's no smoke and mirrors, no lecturing, nothing you have to analyze. It is all so very simple...

Compared to the other reviews with 4- and 5-stars, you'll probably, at a first glance, think that I'm close-minded and not understanding of the point Robert Scheinfeld was trying to make. NOT SO!

My background: I grew up surrounded by Hinduism, both parents being ordained priests, and being a vegetarian from birth (and still am). Growing up in Chicago as a white girl with Hinduistic beliefs and being a vegetarian (in the 70s and early 80s) wasn't the "norm" to say the least.

I've been on a "quest" for my spirituality and have sampled a lot of different "self-help" authors and their points of view from Stuart Wilde (my favorite and the one that makes the most sense), Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Anthony Robbins, Swami Yogananda, Joe Vitale, Esther Hicks, Silvia Brown, Lynn Grabhorn, Guy Finley and many others.

Trust me when I say that I try very hard to see the best in every book and learn whatever I can with an open mind.

This book started off fantastic. Robert Scheinfeld is a very good author in illustrating things to make them interesting, fun to learn, and to stick in your brain. Very good on his part.

I agree that none of this world is "real" and that it's sort of a Matrix-type set-up. But I also know that we've "forgotten" how powerful and connected to the "source" we are in order to fulfill a pre-planned experience we set up before we got here for whatever learning we chose at the time. This "forgetting" was entirely on purpose and part of the purpose of being here.

Robert Scheinfeld lost me in Chapter 11 when he contradicts himself. He leads you to believe that you are doing these exercises to create a different life for yourself. Then he drops the bomb by stating that you will no longer have any goals, desires, dreams, etc. because those are all considered "judgments."

What?!

What a minute! Here's the deal: We all come here for the PURPOSE of experiencing certain events, goals, dreams, etc. for part of our lessons, re-discovering our ability to create from the source, etc. That's part of the "experience" we signed up for. Robert Scheinfeld claims that this is all like a movie -- not real -- and we need to remember that. Fine. But the purpose of going to a movie is to be ENTERTAINED, to LEARN SOMETHING, etc. Not to think the whole time to yourself, "This isn't real, this isn't real."

The contradiction comes into play when he states that Busting Loose from the Money Game is basically by ignoring it altogether (okay, fine), pretending it's not there (harder to do, but okay), and no longer having any goals. How is that possible? Why would anyone want to live like that? Remember, we came here for EXPERIENCES of our liking. Yet, each time we choose a goal or want to do something, Robert calls it "judgment" and that's wrong, according to him.

I guess each of us is supposed to sit around, do what we feel (as he states), have no direction, and let the tide take us wherever. Yet, if you're constantly banishing inspired action because you think it's judgment (for wanting to do something), that means you actually sit around and do nothing all the time.

If he believes this is the way to live, good for him. I wanted to buy it but he lost me around the part where if you do have a goal or desire, it's called "judgment" and that's "wrong." Nothing is "wrong" when we're here in this world playing "house" and trying to experience and learn something. That's why we're here, remember.

The basic premise of what I think he was trying to get at is not to be emotionally attached to money, things, power, etc. Just LET GO and don't react emotionally to it. Guy Finley does a much better job explaining this with The Secret to Letting Go (recommended). You can't "Bust Loose" from the "Money Game" because it will ALWAYS be around us (unless you want to live in the woods like the Unibomber).

Instead of ignoring it like it doesn't exist (when it clearly does), it's better to play the game, enjoy it, have desires (that don't control you), and LET GO of any outcomes (emotionally) so it DOESN'T rule your life.

I hope this helps anyone who is considering the purchase of this book. Many blessings to you.

Without exaggeration I can honestly say this is the best book I've ever read! I've been reading about positive thinking and prosperity for MANY years and by many different authors. They're all about the same. They tell you to visualize, say your affirmations, think positively, and add emotion to it all so that it will come true. To tell you the truth, I'm not that much of an "emotional" person and found it very difficult to really get into it. While these other books have value, especially if you're just starting out, they lost their punch for me a long time ago. The strategies in them worked for me a little bit part of the time. Now I know why! Bob explains it all in THIS book. This book is the greatest. It takes you way beyond those others in a great way that puts you in control of your life. Where I was always feeling wishy-washy with the other methods like "The Secret" and many others, and I couldn't get a handle on exactly where I should start, what I should be doing, etc. I mean, should I be making lists, figuring out which goals are most important to me and focus on them first? I wanted lots of different things and would find myself scattered. I'm not scattered anymore! Busting Loose From The Money Game has me focused, content, excited and feeling good about my life. And it's totally cool when you start moving into what he calls Phase 2. Weird things really do start happening. Reality is not as solid as we used to think, and if you get there yourself you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm the kind of person that always believed in magic. I always knew it was out there.....I just couldn't tap into it. I couldn't find the door. Bob leads you right to the door and dares you to knock on it. Don't worry, it's very easy. There is nothing hard about the process to get where you're going. If you want to tap into the real magic you must do yourself a favor and get this book. And if you're reading this and nodding then you're ready for the journey :)

And that's probably what I've been looking for... at least in a book anyway.

When I finished reading and started applying the teachings laid out in this book I honestly thought my head was rammed over with a huge truck and went into deep paralyzing psychological shock. (And this is not because I'm a "newbie" to this... I'm a veteran of new age philosophies and quite the amateur scholar in Theories of Knowledge and world religions) But I'm intensely curious and thus am particularly drawn to outrageous yet "self-rounded" philosophies such as what Bob proposes here.

If Bob did not have Fortune 500 credentials, had he not made references to his powerful and prestigious "circle of influence," and had not researched deeply into academics, psychological and philosophial subject matters prior to writing this book I probably would have dismissed his new proposal as just another one of those shammy "New Age Success Gurus".

But whether he actually is one or not, the creativity that shines through in this book is extremely refreshing and definitely worth the read.

A lot of this book cleverly "renames" or "reassigns" New Age attraction/vibration/resolving subconscious blockage teachings into different costumes. However, there is much more to the book.

It is a fascinating story and an immensely shocking ride... it's better than any theme park I've ever gone to.

Prior to this book I've been deeply immersed for years in what Bob calls "Phase 1 Teachings of Success" such as all authors enlisted here by other reviewers, Law of Attraction, Manifestation vibration, truth about the universe, EFT, Visualization, Brainwave Entrainment (Holosync equivalents), reframing subconscious blockers, Abundance principals, being in tune with your feelings because that's what you attract and manifest in your life, etc etc prior to this book.

As Bob indicated, despite my diligent application of all these teachings, effects and successes are spotty at best. I do have moments of extreme luck, happiness, fantasy-like romantic encounters, and bursts of unexpected cash. However, I am still stuck in many areas of my life and have been trying everything I could get my hands on to overcome these hurdles and to reach consistency in my results.

A lot of the missing pieces from practicing the so called "Phase 1" philosophies were "reasoned out" in Bob's book brilliantly. I don't yet know what the applicatory effects are of Bob's teachings but at least on an intellectual level, his story explains everything in a fairly satisfying and truly fascinating manner.

Some "reasoning gems" include: "the greatest power is hidden where you experience the most intense discomfort". How clever! Power is hidden in all the opiatic dogma that we are deeply bound in: fear of being overtly lavish, fear that there's not enough, fear being egotistical, fear of power, fear being hurt, fear hurting others, fear acting in certain ways because of "x", frowning upon such and such behavior, getting emotionally tied up into a lot of complexities of our surroundings, etc etc... these are all where we've invested vast, enormous energy to keep us "limited" in a world we've created for ourselves.

Just to be more clear, "limited" is NOT negative. You can choose your own life and your own experiences. ANY "manifestation" is a "limitation," whether it's exhaltation or shame, wealth or poverty, happiness or sadness, in love or woeful heartbreak, anxiety or peace, creativity/productivity or lethargy. These are equal manifestations.

You simply cannot experience any of that unless the "substance of universe" "collapse" into such "events and feelings". (Read Holographic Universe for a more robust and scientific explanation of this process)

Another tricky part to this book is what a lot of people seem to "miss" and get very angry about... that you don't "do anything" and go into "deep denial" of the hologram (i.e. your physical environment, events, etc). What I clearly got from the book was the exact opposite. It is more about facing your worst fears directly in the face and TRIUMPHING over it.

It's not really about "not doing anything," it's really about reclaiming power and rewiring your negative beliefs and apparent "weaknesses", turning these "downfalls" into life's triumphs, and taking on the world, and your destiny, with a completely new, zesty perspective. You do not go proactively "defending" and "hiding" yourself so to speak, you are more than welcome and much encouraged to do anything that truly inspires you, take pride in, and reflects the most of your "authentic" self.

When Scheinfeld mentions "do nothing" it's more like telling yourself to really take a hard look at your own actions before you do something, you are really taking a hard, straight, honest look at every single thing you do, seeing if such actions arose out of fear, guilt, self-depreciation, protective reflex, etc, and facing those negative emotions, growing out and above them, and then taking those actions that you really feel motivated, inspired, happy, and proud to perform.

I don't know whether Bob's applicatory system works or not but the book is definitely worth reading for the philosophy and story alone.

[update: I've been applying the tools for almost two months and the deep transformations that took place and self-understanding is truly mind-blowing. Also, little details in my life that I used to take for granted and get angry at are now extremely amusing and even more fascinating than the most intense chess competition. It really brought a whole new flavor to my life and gave me more courage, confidence, and willingness to take on obstacles than ever before.]

This book tied in my experiences and understandings of Vipassana, meditation, Buddhist principals, some bits and pieces of Christianity, and a big load of the "New Age" spirituality teachings, with Bob's very own added pizzaz.

I'm particularly drawn to this book perhaps because of my personality, take movies for example.

Three of my favorite movies are Pixar's "Monsters, Inc." (for the emotions = source of power), The Incredibles (Superpower forced into limitation and then the journey of rediscovering and reclaiming superpower), and "Toy Story 2", where "things happening beneath the apparent surface" and "things happening behind your back, outside of your daily accepted observations" run as the central core. The Busting Loose book along with the Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot are like the intellectual/adult versions of those two heart-warming, deeply inspiring movies.

In Monsters, Inc, the greatest power lies in childrens' fear and joy. Childrens screams and laughter were so powerful that the energy was used to run entire cities. In the Toy Story series, Toys have a life of their own outside of human observation. Our mind is truly a master of tricks that fools us every single moment we exercise the 5 senses so that we may "experience life".

Understanding this key point (probably not new to most, but the impact that comes through with the way Bob delivers it sheds a brand new light) and adding other vibrational techniques (gratitude, attention to feelings, and blocker removal, essentially) gives Bob's contribution to the industry a distinct, lasting flavor.

5 Stars for the book
4 stars for application/practicality (difficult at first but gets VERY fun and simple)

Well, at first I did not think its great...starts off slowly, with research and science (never liked it!)...but when you get to chapter 3 and further, its mind blowing! I have commited myself (including my hubby) to do the processes daily as things come up (as they do) and be absolutely financially free in the next few years! Its amazing info here...buy it now and please not only read this book, but practice what Bob says to do!
With only 2 weeks into it, we had "strange things happen" as Bob describe they would...checks came in the mail we never expected for various amounts, relationships improved with people we had sour endings, my daughter started to listen more and participate more in things, investment opportunities came up etc...too many "strange unexplainable things" to mention...BUY the book and YOU will see!!! We are just in the beginning of a great ride!

I think it's interesting how polarized the reviews are for this book, so I'd like to add my 2 cents for your consideration. I would give this book 4.5 stars if possible, it really is a tremendous effort. I'm quite familiar with Robert Scheinfeld's work, and in some ways this is certainly an extension of his previous work (in particular I would, and often do, recommend the 11th Element - get this book!). In other ways, it is a departure that seems to document the author's conflicts and busting loose with his long held belief structures.
It seems to me that "the process" is not that much different (it is different, but it starts in the same place) than EFT or other techniques used to dissolve or relieve the negative feelings and anxieties people have about money, or any other issue. And as Law of Attraction proponents always say, it's those negative thoughts and feelings that are holding you back from living your true prosperity. Where Scheinfeld makes a clear break philosphically from LoA advocates is that it is your Expanded Self (Higher Self, Inner Ceo, Oversoul etc.) that is really at the controls and providing the power to make everything in your life, including you, of course, appear real and events happen. It is your Expanded Self who is leading you to those "eggs" which have locked up power - those issues that cause the most discomfort. And if something isn't in your best interest, your Expanded Self is not going to give it to you - though this concept is touched upon more in earlier works.
Now, for those who have read Seth's The Nature of Personal Reality (and everyone who is interested in this kind of material should) will understand that those eggs are beliefs you have about the nature of reality - from "what appears real is real, " "God is outside of you," to things such as "money doesn't grow on trees." The idea is that the feelings are most important, even if you can't put your finger on the core belief right away - and Busting Loose doesn't directly address the need for uncovering beliefs, just the need to reclaim the power from them. So Bob's Process is a very valuable technique for reclaiming the power from those restrictive beliefs, precisely because it is so feeling oriented. He also presents a cosmology that shakes the foundations of how one perceives any event as real, true or absolute - further unlocking the common belief in the concreteness of reality.
Now, it seems that some people have expressed a concern that you are to do nothing, to take no action - and I don't think Bob makes that point. He says to take action on what you feel compelled to do, from the phase 2 perspective - not out of fear, past programming or what you think might or should work, but from this new view of reality - and I think he's right.

The thing that I feel is either off the mark, or not made clear, is the claim that your Expanded Self convinces you of the absolute reality of phase 1, and then when you enter this new perspective of phase 2, the Expanded Self does the exact opposite; it does everything to convince you of the True reality. Huh? That just makes no sense to me, nor is Bob's argument to support this idea very convincing. I think what is true is that we, as a species (for the most part) have been conditioned to NOT have a connection with the Expanded Self (see Seth Sessions Vol 1 for a description of the Inner Self-Conscious Ego and humanities divorce from it) and therefore unless we seek out a connection (again, I think Bob's previous work the 11th Element is invaluable in this respect) it simply sustains us on the planet - but can't really help us more than that. I think that as you use "the process" of reclaiming power from these "eggs" those barriers to the Expanded Self become less and less.

I tried not to say this, because it really is somewhat superfluous, but I just can't help myself - this is probably one of the clunkiest (I guess I mean unattractive) book jackets (just my opinion) I've seen in a very long time - I think they put all the proper signifiers (fonts and all) in a blender and came up with, well, better luck with the paperback edition. I wouldn't let that discourage you from getting it - it's not just for white business guys in suits, nor is it just about money. The illustrations inside are superb, by the way.

So all and all, another pretty damn amazing book from Robert Scheinfeld - easily one of the clearest, most succint and talented (in some ways revolutionary) writers you will find for this kind of material. He certainly cuts out all the fat, and the fluff - with just a few reservations to the conclusions he sometimes draws.

I bought and read this book on the recommendation of a well-respected friend who loved it so much that he read and re-read it several times. Quick background on myself--very open-minded both spiritually and financially, and like to read "self help" books such as this one which expand my thinking. So this definitely is my genre of book.

I will make several bullet-point comments about the book, but first a quick summarizing review. I like the author's personality and the way he presents his ideas. It's clear that he has read from a similar "stock" of books that I've read from over the past 15 years. As a matter of fact, Scheinfeld's entire premise of the world being an illusion was already proposed and covered extensively in "A Course In Miracles" over 30 years ago. This is not a new theory.

With all of this as a backdrop, I found the book to be quite light in actual content. There just isn't much to it...he explains the "world is an illusion" premise for several chapters, "backs it up" with "physics", and then tells you what his process is for busting loose. Then he goes on to tell some stories and give some specific examples about people who have been applying the work. But the meat of it, the process, is explained in a handful of pages. I guess all the lead-up had me waiting for something really interesting and novel, but the process itself was sort of something you might learn in a Psych class as a way to deal with repressed anger, frustration, etc. Nothing revolutionary, though could certainly be helpful for someone who had not been exposed to the idea before.

Here are some brief bullet-point "issues" I had with the book, or where it just didn't grab me the way it seems to have grabbed several others on here (and my friend who recommended it to me):


* His entire process is really just one of releasing resistance, which is a core tenet of many spiritual/psychology teachings...anyone who releases resistance, especially where it's most heavy (money, relationships), will be better off and have things flow more smoothly in their lives. This is pretty old stuff spiritually speaking, and has been a pretty consistent theme in self-help literature for decades. Not that his process is bad or that it wouldn't help people, but just that if you've studied other teachings and books in this area, you would've already run across several similar processes to release resistance.

* If the bank account isn't real and doesn't matter, and if he is truly in level 2 and we are all just at level 1, then why is he even charging for the book? He claims he lives level 2 now, which he describes as infinite manifestation, etc. He also says that he used to believe that his businesses were the source of his abundance/income, but now he knows they're not. OK, then why doesn't he give away or sell his businesses? Or just let them go? Give them to charity? Wouldn't that get him even more out of phase 1 thinking and the money game? He can supposedly instantly manifest money in his "bank account" (because it's not really there anyway) at will, yet how much money is he charging everyone who goes to his seminars? Why doesn't he just make the bank account number change and skip the "work" involved? Well, of course, because we all know he really can't instantly manifest...if he could, then he wouldn't bother charging people on how to do same.

* His "backing" of his "world as an illusion" theory with quantum physics should've just been avoided altogether. If one is going to even attempt to bring science into a self-help spirituality book, then let's introduce things like the scientific method, publish the Busting Loose process in scientific journals for peer review, etc. But of course the author's work couldn't stand that type of scrutiny because it's very subjective and theory-based. I'm merely pointing out that he attempts to use vague concepts from quantum physics to bring credibility to his story, while he surely knows darn well that his book would be torn to shreds (figuratively and perhaps literally) at a quantum physics convention of PhD scientists.

* So the author makes it very clear early on that he had made many, many, many (did I say many?) millions of dollars in the "Phase 1" game. Furthermore, his grandfather started a Fortune 500 company, from which I'm guessing the author had a dollar or two make its way down to him. Yet he repeats endlessly how nobody can win the Phase 1 game, nobody can win the money game, etc. He and I may have different definitions of "winning the money game", but when you get to the point where you could pay cash for a multi-million dollar house, drive several fancy cars, own several of your own businesses (be your own boss), have kids in private schools, etc., well if he hadn't figured out how to live a content life under those circumstances, he's not going to enlist the sympathy of most of his readers.

* If everything is fake and nothing real, then why would anyone care if their checking account has $100 or $100,000 in it? He continually makes the point that if you have nothing in your bank account that this is not a bad thing, then it must also be true that having $100,000 in it is not a good thing. So why does anyone care which their balance is? Well, of course the answer is because in this "illusory" world, more money is preferred over less money. That is a judgment according to the author, but according to my way of thinking it's just "life" (or math). Put differently, whether this world is an illusion or not, we are still living 24 hours a day immersed in the illusion...so does it really help to consider it an illusion as strongly as the author does? I'm not so sure.

* The book will definitely serve best those who have major money issues and mental hangups about money such as feelings of inadequacy, lack of abundance mentality, negative attitude, etc. I would at least lightly recommend the book to those people. I would not recommend the book to people who are doing well for themselves already and have a healthy attitude towards money and life...I just don't feel it will hit home with that group.

* It seems to me that the author and his students are still fully in the money game...they just have a better, more relaxed attitude about their jobs, businesses, bills, etc., but they still have all of those things that comprise what I would call "the money game" (aka business). So nobody's really busting out of the "money game"...they're simply dealing with it differently. Which is all fine and well, but the title misleads here in my opinion.

* There's a whole chapter detailing weird things happening to him, his family, and students of his, and he attributes the weirdness to working his process, but the majority of the things he's mentioned are things that have either happened to me, or to a friend, etc. There are no doubt coincidences in life and at least a few times a year, the freakiest of coincidences happen to me. They're really fun and cool, just like the ones he mentions. But he attempts to directly conclude from those weird things that the world is not solid and that working his process is what causes those coincidences to manifest...and there I disagree. Anyone who releases resistance and "goes with the flow" of life, which is all his process is having them do, will see more of these interesting coincidences and happenings in their life. At least that's been my experience.

* I felt like there was a persistent contradiction/confusion between everything being a hologram and things actually mattering...in one breath he would have a student who was all excited about new money making it into a bank account, and in the next breath, when someone else's bank account was empty, then life wasn't real and the bank account not only didn't matter, but didn't exist. So if it doesn't exist and doesn't matter, and if judgments (negative or positive) keep you stuck in phase 1, then positive judgments such as getting excited about new bank account money should be avoided, right? It's like when things are bad they are fake and illusory but when they're good, that's good phase 2 evidence. You can't have your cake and eat it too is a good saying for this approach.

All in all, it's a relatively entertaining book and certainly could help the right audience. But again, there is no real new material hashed out here...if you've read books by Esther Hicks, Byron Katie, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, et al., this book will likely offer you nothing new.

This book is profound beyond words. And that is precisely the problem with many of it's reviewers. This book totally contradicts the traditional success thinking, so they will call it immoral. Those people have an agenda and this book explains why that agenda produces INTENTIONAL failure in their lives. And in the spiritual Law of Attraction arena it shows why that only works enough to drive you nuts.

This book shows how we came here intentionally to experience limitation, so that we could then lift that limitation and experience the truth of who we really are. The tools he provides to that end are simple and effective, but do not mistake my intent by thinking it is easy. It is a glorious path, and when you are ready life will never be the same.

Those that have seen and understood the movie "What the Bleep" will easily grasp where he is going. He is on the same page with that, then gives a practical path to follow to use the concepts... and MUCH more. How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go?

Save yourself the $16.00. Here's the secret offered by this book: ignore reality and start pretending that money doesn't matter.

Stay tuned for the much awaited volume 2 which will cover how to convince your creditors, grocer, mortgage holder, utility company, insurance company, etc. that money doesn't matter.

Read the comments above in Bob's blog section (Amazon Connect) for the truth.
Click on the Comments link at the bottom of it.