Customer Reviews

Prosperity Pie : How to Relax About Money and Everything Else

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have always enjoyed SARK's luscious, juicy writing and have found her colorful and heart-felt passages on her healing journey to be quite refreshing and inspirational. In the past I have 'devoured' her books full of wonderful words and sensational stories in one sitting. Her books, however, are begining to become very redundant and well, quite honestly, dull and full of the same old stuff. Her later published books are full of resources (website, book, author recommendations), is she selling out and becoming a commercial to promote others? She is still an amazing woman and going to her book signings are truly uplifting and magical. I believe that authors, and all artists, need to take risks and break old molds and patterns in order to grow and expand...SARK should do just that; do the things she writes about: take more risks and adventures and try something NEW. I put this book down and have yet to 'devour' it like I have with her past books. If you are new to SARK I highly recommend starting out with "Succulent Wild Women" or "Transformation Soup"---These books are worth devouring; every single morsel is delicious.

Another wonderful book by SARK to help you through this crazy thing called life. The title is a little deceiving--as it isn't mainly about money, but about continuing her ongoing themes of self acceptance, self-love, and inspiration. Her books in general are easy to read and to relate to, and this book is no different. Possibly her most in-depth book to date, it delves deep into our sense of abundence in all aspects of our lives. This book has stayed with me for weeks and I keep taking sips of it like good tea to replenish my energy and inspiration.

No doubt I will sound like a broken record, but.. the thing that makes SARK such a gem of a person is her ability to engage the senses, from visual with her vibrant colours , to touch with the different textures she uses in her books. Rather than a book with just words on the pages she creates a feast for the eyes. Not that I do not love book books, because I do. But just as I do not want to eat the same food all the time, but want a variety, the same goes for books I buy.

Chapter One gets you started right where you are at. "Being Who You Actually Are" is a great title and is something most of us need reminding of. Although I gasped when I read "I don't wear underwear" since I thought I was the only one. But that isn't the point anyway she notes. It is actually about just being who we really are and not judging ourselves by what we fear others will think or by what we think others expect.

Chapter 2 about Love is great because she talks about the varieties of love from love for ourselves (often the hardest) to love for others and the world at large. And on page 104 she gives you homework that is fun as well as telling. It is one of the things I like about her books. She makes you an active participant.

The Chapter (7) What Inspires Us is wonderful at explaining the obvious, often overlooked fact that inspiration is often in front of us. Be it from friends, the eccentric bookstore owner, woman who lives in town and has the gutts to dress in her own unique style.

One thing about SARKS books, they are books that you want to own as well as give. Especially for those friends over a certain age who need a kick in the pants or a simple reminder that they are special and are not invisible.

I am a person of habit. I know if I go to any Starbucks for my Soy Latte I will get something I know. I like that. I still enjoy taking chances and having adventures, but I like knowing what I am buying. SARK's books are like that for me. I know if I read one of her books I will be inspired, lifted-up, and moved to think about my life in a new way. So it is with Prosperity Pie. I noticed in other reviews of this book people complained about that there was not enough practical info about money. That's not the point. You want to know about 401K's go to Suzy Orman - if you want to know the deeper, more spiritual, more all-encompasing use of money and the energy it has and how your life works or doesn't work - read this book. She makes money be fun and playful and helps you look at how you hold the idea of it in your mind. All the subjects that SARK covers in this book ( and it's way more than just money!) applied to me and I have been looking at my life differently ever since. I highly reccommed this book!

I found Prosperity Pie very powerful, especially in the section called Money, in which SARK shines light on the dark dreadful areas of procrastination, perfectionism, shame, anxiety, disorganization, and fear of scarcity. She shares her own experience of these things to reassure us that we're not alone in them, and it really is reassuring. And she offers ways to develop a new relationship with money. The chapter on Work is also especially helpful for those of us frustrated by not finding our life's work; when she says "Nothing is lost or wasted," it encourages us to value what we have/are/do. She includes a whole list of resources at the end of each chapter, which I find generous and very helpful. This book has a wealth of practical advice and invaluable encouragement.

First, why is "money" even in the title when the number of pages that cover money is just a small handful. The "everything else" covers most of the book and it is redundant and quite frankly not nearly as inspiring or funny or juicy or succulent as her previous books. I own all of her books and love them all except this last one. She is one of the few authors who I have bought the book each time it comes out, regardless of having heard anything about it. I buy her books because of past, positive experiences. Well, no more. From now on, I think I'll wait until there's a library copy available and then if I like it, I'll buy the book. I would definitely not have purchased this one. I felt like it was an attempt for her publishers to repackage old material and make some money.

I facilitate a popular prosperity class so I like to keep myself abreast of all the prosperity books which blossom forth, especially those which take a spiritual approach.

I have not been a Sark reader to this point although I was vaguely aware of her work as "the author whose books look almost like a very colorful journal" and kind of dismissed them as not being "meaty" enough for my usually taste.

What I found from this particular title is Sark is plenty meaty after all, she just provides her meal in a way that makes the digestion much easier - much less of a work out for the reader.

I found myself laughing out loud and nodding in recognition as I read Sark's words and I even found she uses a word I thought I had made up: "enoughness" - as I am so likely to say "Syncronicity rocks!" (in more ways than one!)

The Self Love chapter is absolutely excellent - very simple and also very profound.

I also appreciate Sark's take on dropping incessant inquiry and analysis and the idea of giving ourselves the gift of what we seek from others.

These two gems are worth more than gold in my book - and I certainly will be passing along these thoughts to my students and clients.

Thank you - to Sark - I know my experience of YOU has expanded as my experience of the Prosperity Pie (expanding all good things) has grown as a result of actually reading your book instead of skimming and rejecting.

As many people have suggested, this work is no where near as good as her older works like 'Living Juicy' and 'Inspiration Sandwich.' Those were deep rich colourful pieces, and while this is still colourful, it does feel a little more souless and a little less rich than the rest.

However, I am suprised many old Sark fans thought that it was such a disappointment. Of course its the same as the last works, she is the same woman growing in the same way! I guess some of the stories do feel a little reguitated and I miss her many personal stories (which she has probably run out of by now) but I didn't find it disappointing as such.

I agree, there are probably far too many references, but her chapters on inspiration and adventures were jems. I loved the story of the traped ladybug as a metaphor for her aging mother, just as I adored the tale of the well dressed drunken man.

I only wish Sark's more recent works was as rich with these idosyncratic little stories that made her older works so delightful.

Additionally, I was pleased to note that this work is not in Sark typeface (as her previous work was), but her traditional handwriting style which makes it feel that little more personalised and lovely and a little less like a Sark industry.

I recommend it for long time Sark lovers, but suggest that new-comers pick up 'Living Juicy', 'Inspiration Sandwich' or even 'Succulent Wild Woman.' Or better yet, read them both, but buy the older works and borrow this one from the local library.

I am a late comer into the SARK's world, but i m catching up, i had 5 of her books so far (all within a year), so i m not far behind....

First of all for those who never read SARK books, you missed a lot in this world ;-0. SARK is an interesting angel that will enlight you in some different way of colors and words that dance and dazzle your mind, your thoughts and your souls.

SARK is a different breed of self help book, and it touched you in a different way, it never dictate you, it just suggest you the way.

SARK even motivate me to learn to DRAW (think about 42 years old guy trying to draw), and i took drawing lesson now (no kiddin, swear....).

So, with that bias, i will of course say that it is a must-read book for non-SARK readers.

As for SARK readers, you know what you will read, either you love it as you love SARK before, or you did not like SARK's books at all.

Most of SARK books are similar in the way (if you read TOM PETERS with passion as i do, you will also see most of his books are the same/similar things, see my point?). But you like a writer the way it is, with its maturity and idiosincronacies etc etc, and just have to take it as it is.

I love SARK's books; they aren't literature, but they are uplifting and honest. However, it seems like this one was cranked out, like formula, so she could get out her one book a year (just like Woody Allen, whose movies have also gotten very tired). Maybe she needs to take a longer break, to recharge her creative juices. Maybe she needs the time and breathing space to read her own books, like A Creative Companion. Even some of her hand lettering in this one looks like it was done in a great rush, without much thought. Better luck next time, SARK!