The Secret: Unlocking the Source of Joy and Fulfillment [Hardcover]

Michael Berg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 19, 2004

More than 80 years ago, a young scholar emigrated from Eastern Europe to Jerusalem. Not long thereafter, he received a priceless spiritual teaching that revealed the source of lasting joy and fulfillment from a spiritual master whose name he would never disclose, not even after he himself became the most renowned Kabbalist of the 20th century. The young scholar's name was Rav Yehuda Ashlag, and though his letters and writings offer tantalizing hints of the wisdom that was given to him, the pieces of the puzzle have never been fully assembled until now. Here Michael Berg, himself the descendant of great Kabbalists, shares the result of years spent studying Rav Ashlag's life and work. In this book, Berg shows how the secret offers life-changing power. Drawing on stories and insights from Ashlag and other noted mystics, Berg explains how to discover one’s true purpose in the world and thereby find lasting peace and joy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Popular kabbalist and author of The Way, Berg is back with another spiritual how-to, a guidebook for applying the principles of Jewish mysticism to everyday life. The book opens with a powerful tale: Josef and Rebecca, a poor couple, sell their only cow to provide a feast for a famous rabbi, and they are eventually rewarded with unfathomable riches. The cow, says Berg, symbolizes the unfulfilled life many people are willing to accept, and the riches symbolize the joy we can find if we shape our lives around the titular "Secret." What is this secret? It is a saying that Berg's teacher, the late Rav Ashlag, learned from his own teacher, years ago in Jerusalem: "The only way to achieve true joy and fulfillment is by becoming a being of sharing." That idea is hardly innovative, of course, but Berg's meditations on the life of generosity are stirring, and the kabbalistic and midrashic tales he employs movingly illustrate the fruits of sharing. The book is a bit skimpy, though, and padded with self-help standards. There's a list of six tips to aid those trying to live out The Secret, including the unabashed suggestion to "Read this book often" and, since The Secret is about sharing, share the book with others. Most readers will breeze through the text in an hour. One wishes that Berg had followed his own advice and shared even more with his audience.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 100 pages
• Publisher: Kabbalah Publishing; 2nd Revised edition edition (August 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571893148
• ISBN-13: 978-1571893147
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #961,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #63 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Mysticism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Simple, yet thought provoking, March 16, 2003

By 

A. J. Valasek (Clemmons, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret: Unlocking the Source of Joy & Fulfillment (Hardcover)

Extremely simple, yet thought provoking. This is one of those short books that you read in one or two sittings. The purpose or theme of this book is to promote sharing and caring. The concepts are not extremely deep on the surface, only upon meditation do the ideas expand. If you read just for the sake of reading, this book will be a waste of time for you. If you're capable of challenging and motivating yourself, it may be worth your time. The short stories resurrected from the teachings of Yehuda Ashlag are entertaining yet teach simple truths. The main reason for my less than superb ranking is that I believe the price is too high for this little book. However, one must give credit to the marketing team who will no doubt exploit the success of Rabbi Berg's previous book as well as people's insatiable desire to know that which is called "secret."

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good version of the law of attraction!, March 17, 2007

By 

The Laufenberg "Skeptic" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret: Unlocking the Source of Joy and Fulfillment (Hardcover)

You know how you can meet someone for the first time and forever be stuck with the first impression of either liking them or hating them. This is the basic premise for the law of attraction which is The Secret. We are attracted to others (people and things) and others are attracted to us that match our vibration. This vibration has been refered to by many names: feelings, aura, energy, intuition, etc. I myself prefer this version to the Secret. It goes into more detail about where it comes from and how it works instead of showboating more or less which is what I feel the Secret does.

So whether it's The Secret: Unlocking the Source of Joy and Fulfillment by Michael Berg, The Law of Attraction by Michael Losier, or the Circle by Laura Day, you are going to get the same results! These are all good practical books written on the same subject, just by different authors. No matter which you pick up you are sure to start attracting what you want most in life.

My best advice to you is this: if you like the practical approach of Holy Blood/Holy Grail by Michael Baigent et al, then any one of the law of attraction books should work for you. However, if you prefer the upbeat fictional version the Davinci Code by Dan Brown then you will want to pick up Gods or Monsters by Shalex Beckwith.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Secret, October 1, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Secret: Unlocking the Source of Joy & Fulfillment (Hardcover)

This book with it's simple message has stuck with me ever since I read it. It is a small book but powerful and clear. This book teaches to never overlook the simplest ways to transform our lives without a lot of spiritual nonsense. Michael Berg makes it easy to see where we have opportunites everyday to create real happiness in our lives and those around us.