Review
Picking up where Rhonda Byrne's The Secret left off, coauthors D'Aoust (lecturer, Philosophical Research Soc.) and Parfrey (Cult Rapture: Revelations of the Apocalyptic Mind) explain how believers and visionaries from a variety of teachings have improved their well-being using mental powers. They guide readers through several Hermetic teachings, shed light on the New Thought spiritual movement, explain how the Christ mythos and Jewish kabbalistic texts borrowed from the Hermetic tradition, and reveal how many of today's get-rich-quick schemes have roots in Hermetic laws. While not for everyone, this book provides an unbiased view of the teachings of secret societies and will interest many patrons. Recommended for all libraries. --
By Deborah Bigelow, Director, Leonia P.L., NJ -- Library Journal, 1/15/2008 The success of Rhonda Byrne's self-help manual The Secret, while undoubtedly noteworthy, is somewhat baffling considering that the subject matter is nothing more then the age old "Law of Attraction". Byrne has taken an idea as old as any alchemical school of thought and turned it into a mantra to make a quick buck and lose weight fast. In Secret Source: The Law of Attraction Is One of Seven Ancient Hermetic Laws: Here Are the Other Six authors Maja D'aoust and Adam Parfrey break down the ancient Hermetic teachings that have led to the recent outbreak of self-help ideas and schools of New Thought that are taking over the gullible masses.
The Law of Attraction seems to be the most popular of the Hermetic laws but it isn't the only one. The belief system behind these laws goes back thousands of years and has been studied, and expanded upon, by some of the greatest philosophical minds of the ages. The authors break down each law in turn, explaining its significance and how it interrelates to the other laws. They also go into great detail about the volumes that inspired so much of the ideas, such as The Emerald Tablet and The Kybalion. The reader is introduced to not only the minds that gave birth to these ideas but those that carried it into the various New Thought movements.
Though the subject matter is at times a little deep and the philosophies can be somewhat esoteric, the authors have done a good job of laying everything out in terms that are understandable without being dumbed-down. They strip the "secret" out of The Secret and show that the Law of Attraction isn't something that should be trifled with for greedy personal gain. For anyone who thinks that they may have found the answer in The Secret, I highly suggest that you make this book your next selection. -- By: Elizabeth Headrick | 01.25.08 | filed under: Stranger Than Fiction: Book Fetish By: Elizabeth Headrick | 01.25.08 | Stranger Than Fiction: Book Fetish
About the Author
Jodi Wille is Editor of "Starstruck: Photographs from a Fan" by Gary Lee Boas (Dilettante Press), and "The End is Near!" by Roger Manley (Dilettante Press). She also Edits "Tease" magazine.
