I've read many self development books over the past decade and although I don't usually write reviews, I was driven to for this book due to the amazing effect it has had on my life.
I have not read any other works by Dodson nor been exposed to his direct ideas before but I still think this feels like his 'magnum opus' and a central theory he has been refining for some time. He has condensed a lot of wisdom into this book and, if the concepts are absorbed and tested, they can be life altering. Dodson's central hypothesis is that your identity literally creates your reality. On the surface this may sound like 'The Secret' or similar methods of 'reality creation' but I believe it is actually quite different and goes to the core of why some previous methods may appear effective some of the time but not at other times.
I admit, there were a couple of areas where he meandered a little but there is so much wisdom and interesting, testable ideas around it that I don't begrudge him that at all.
There are a lot of techniques to practice in the book however the main technique is taught early on and is all you actually need to make the book worth its weight in platinum (although depending on what kind of e-reader you are using, it might be worth 100x its weight). Dodson even tells you upfront that the main technique is all you really need and the other exercises are useful, but not vital. My experience with the main technique has been similar. This being said, many of the other exercises later in the book (and his explanations and theories about reality) that I've tried have been effective at showing me how reality is less 'fixed' than we suppose. In this way, they have helped to greatly augment the effectiveness of the central technique.
A note of caution for some - I would suggest that this book and the techniques within it are not for those who are concerned about taking personal responsibility for their lives and reality. By doing the exercises, it provides a person (my experience - yours may vary of course) with their own clear proof that their reality does firmly depend on them. Depending on your point of view (atrocious pun intended, sorry folks), the conclusion that the world is not solid and fixed at all can be quite a scary idea...or it can be the most liberating thing you could ever learn.
There was a lot I liked about the book but some of the elements that come to mind are:
- How memories play a large part in shaping your identity and what you can do to make this work for you.
- How your viewpoint of any situation is based on your identity.
- Why your identity is not as solid as you think it is...and why that's not a bad thing.
- How you can take stock of your identity by looking carefully at your own life and how it exists currently (for instance, how many 'how to be happy and productive in 7 easy steps' type books do you read and what does that say about you?).
- His views on past/present/future time.
I have seen that some other reviews have remarked rather scathingly on how this book doesn't provide accurate scientific theory on parallel universes however, my own opinion is that I don't think this was Dodson's intention. He was using some of the ideas that people are familiar with to explain his views on your personal reality and why/how it can be as fluid as you wish it to be rather than specifically referencing scientific theory, quantum physics, the double slit experiment etc. I know that many scientifically minded people find it really annoying when writers and film makers who discuss 'reality creation' incorrectly twist some of the ideas in quantum physics to suit their ideas. I too have found this annoying in the past however I don't believe this is what is happening here. At least, that was not my experience. I believe Dodson is trying to find analogies to help his readers understand his theories and put them into practice to improve their lives.
Whether or not there is a scientific basis for Dodson's theories (and I am not saying there is or not, I have not studied enough quantum physics to know)...does it matter if his ideas are effective for you? Why would you choose to have a pharmaceutical pill or natural supplement if a placebo gets the job done? We've been trained to think of placebo's as being a bad thing but what if they were all you needed? (note that my ideas here about placebos are my own interpretation and not referenced in the book as far as I can remember)
Finally, how I've used the techniques in this book...I tend to think of personal development as a fairly private thing but I've seen others requests for specific ways people have used the techniques and so would not be doing this review justice if I didn't include some of them. Note that the following only scratches the surface of how I've used the ideas in this book. Putting the theory and exercises into practice have substantially upgraded (in my opinion) my understanding of reality, its malleability and have, quite literally, changed my mind. The following physical effects seem almost incidental in comparison.
- Removed long-standing allergies and other health issues.
- Massively improved sporting performance (in competition) at a sport I am relatively new at. To the degree that others have been saying, 'how did you get so much better?!' Also includes enhanced strength, incredibly rapid recover from stiffness and soreness etc.
- Signed off on one specific extremely large deal and found it very easy to create other new income streams.
- Dramatically improved my level of happiness (and it wasn't particularly low to begin with).
- The ability to take on challenges for the sheer fun of them and decide exactly how hard or easy they are going to be to complete, rather than assuming something has to be hard or easy.
I can't think of a way to recommend this book highly enough if you'd like to upgrade your life. Will it work for you? I can't tell you that...but I can say that if you're willing to be open minded and flexible with your attachment to the idea of reality as a fixed thing, you'll be astonished where you end up. I know I am.
Why did I use the title 'the last self development book you'll ever need to read'? That is certainly not something he says in the book, it's just my own experience after having read it. Of course, there will always be more things to learn, ways to improve and ideas to be exposed to (such is the fun of the game of life, right?) however if you, for some reason, chose never to read another self development book again, you'd have everything you need after reading this to transform your life.
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Amazon Customer
Interesting, well written and simple to understand.
Reviewed in Australia on July 9, 2019Andreas Gryphius
This one should be tought in school!
Reviewed in Germany on August 20, 2014