You've probably heard people discuss Dan Kennedy before, especially in regard to "sorting through" his books to "get to the good stuff." I can attest to that after reading this book.
His own copy on the back of this book labels him as "provocative, irreverent and sarcastic"...and there's some wisdom to the life principal of "all things in moderation." The free-wheeling, shoot-from-the-hip guy who likes to punctuate his points with things like "Bubba" can wear a little thin, especially on days where you want insight or information and aren't particularly interested in getting it with a side of "provocative, irreverent and sarcastic."
And yes, just like Joe Vitale (who wrote the introduction to another one of Kennedy's books), you'd better be prepared for a major, unrelenting, consistent dose of self-promotion throughout the book. And therein lies another thing that might drive you crazy about Kennedy. He liberally quotes Napoleon Hill and others of his esteem, but the truth is that he is also a kindred spirit of Vitale and quotes Gene Simmons from KISS, two guys...as successful as they might be in terms of their bank accounts...who redefine the notion of "crass."
That said, the book breaks down into the same three categories that many similar works are built on:
1). Things you probably already know, except you haven't taken action on them for any number of reasons
2). Things that you've chosen to accept as the truth and "the way things are," which may or may not be accurate and COULD be the thing (or things) holding you back
3). Kennedy's own spin on what's real versus what is simply ridiculous and / or delusional thinking
In the Introduction, Kennedy writes "There are very practical things to do to put yourself in the right position, to set in motion the forces that attract wealth."
He then states "In total, this is all about making adjustments to the way you think and act that make it easier to attract all the wealth you want, faster and easier than you can imaging."
You see, that's Dan's hook. If you're thumbing through the book in your local bookstore or reading excerpts online, you might think "Oh, YEAH. Sign me UP."
But when you sit down and read the book front to back (and listen to the "Wealth Attraction Seminar" CD that comes with the book ("worth $2000," claims the back cover copy), you get some mixed messages and perhaps a bit of contempt for the audience as well. The CD rambles on a bit. In classic "glass half full, glass half empty" fashion, you may listen to the CD and feel that Kennedy is loose and spontaneous, or you may feel that he's unfocused and under-prepared. I'm not sure which it is, It doesn't sound like a $2000 seminar...I can tell you that much.
The reason I've given the review three stars is that there is some very pragmatic, real-world, valuable information between these covers. I especially agree with the two key "wealth inhibition" points Kennedy makes about salespeople on page 9. His assertion that "YCDBSOYA" (you're going to have to buy the book to decipher that one) is also astute. The "Do Something" chapter is the kind of kick in the pants that Larry the self-proclaimed "Pit Bull of Personal Development" Winget has built a career on, except you get a skilled paraphrasing of everything Winget's ever offered in a succinct 11 pages). He asserts that if you have hangups about sales and marketing, you might as well kiss the whole idea of wealth attraction goodbye. I agree with him completely. I know so-called "entrepreneurs" who view sales and marketing as a coiled and hissing snake in the grass and ask myself "What makes these people think that they'll ever be successful?"
Kennedy has a few snide asides about people who worry about what others think of them while they are pursuing success, and once again, he's right...it's just the snide thing. The brass ring, the end result, can;t be that you want to end up talking and writing and carrying yourself like Dan Kennedy or Joe Vitale or Gene Simmons...unless, of course, that is exatly what you want, and if it is, Bubba, this book is for you.
Kennedy's "Wealth Magnet" #23 is "Behavioral Congruency," but the topic is so much more powerfully discussed in Ron Willingham's
The Inner Game of Selling: Mastering the Hidden Forces that Determine Your Success that it felt somewhat trivial and under-cooked here.
In the final "Wealth Magnet" before the "Bonus Chapters," Kennedy discusses "Courage" and the need to "put yourself out there." A sidebar proclaims "Wealth rarely rewards wimps." Ralph Waldo Emerson probably said it better in his famous quote, "God will not have his work made manifest by cowards."
Kennedy's right. You can't have guilt or abundance issues or the feeling that if you're prosperous, it's because someone else is suffering. You can't be lazy, you can't be a procrastinator, you can't have doubts, you can't wait for others to give you their approval, you just can't. Period. Or you can, and in doing so, give up the notion of being wealthy, whether it's in monetary terms or the rare ability to look in the mirror and know that you didn't sell yourself out.
It's not the message, it's the messenger. There are just some days in which I'm not in the mood for a guy like Dan Kennedy. On other days, I'm feeling a little arrogant and restless and impatient myself and can dive in without distraction. I believe that you'll get $12.95 worth of wisdom from this book. It may be the first and only Dan Kennedy book you purchase. You may become a fan and start writing 5 star reviews of each of his books as you purchase them. But if this book contains the one idea, the one timely kick in the pants you need to start going after what you want in earnest, you should consider buying it. Now. There's a universal message here which fully eclipses the messenger.
