Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I wish you could give zero stars but I would actually give it half a star because if the book did anything it made me understand the person who purchased this for me (I will use the name Anna) and their point of view. In Anna's own words, by following Hay's belief system which is the basic mind over matter concept on steroids with a sprinkle of plutonium grade narcissism thrown in, she has serious problems feeling empathy. Empathy for others being something I would not trade for a completely healthy body. I was given the book when I called Anna to tell her that my medical situation had changed and I was back to a pre-cancerous stage. This is after many years of remission gained through a variety of Western and Eastern Medicine. I had just found out and was making arrangements for the necessary procedures and panicked and looked for support... in the wrong place. I figured I was entitled to a few days of "oh no" before I put on my boot-straps and moved forward. Instead, Anna, demanded to know why I would even use the term pre-cancer because words are power and I was giving it more power and allowing it to do more harm. I explained I was just using medical terminology as to not confuse anyone. In addition, I was told that I had complete control over my life and had brought this energy to myself and I had complete control of the outcome by giving up resentments and forgiveness. All ideas from the book. Quoting from the book page 158 Probable cause of cancer: Deep hurt, long-standing resentment. Deep secret or grief eating away at the self. Carrying hatredism "What's the use?" My new thought pattern for correction: I lovingly forgive and release all of the past. I choose to fill my world with joy. I love and approve of myself. Back to reality, the brain is an important ally when dealing with any health problems and I have gone down many roads since I was born with congenital health issues. I went through a constant stress and reading every snippet I could find and yes I did feel worse. Does this mean with a more positive outlook I was now cured? No. The mind is a part of the team and not the team itself. I still needed medical treatment but learning tangible things (not from this book) such as Biofeedback, Guided Imagery, Breathing Techniques, etc helped me immensely. In addition to accepting certain black and white facts regarding my health instead of trying to constantly make it something it plainly isn't and not because I have the wrong attitude about it but because I was born that way or as Hay's puts it I chose it before I was born or am paying for something from a past life. I researched the author a little and found this from an interview in the NYT. "When I asked her if, since people's thoughts are responsible for their conditions, victims of genocide might be to blame for their own deaths, she said: "I probably wouldn't say it to them. I don't go around making people feel bad. That's not what I'm after." I pressed harder: Did she believe they are to blame? "Yes, I think there's a lot of karmic stuff that goes on, past lives." So, I asked, with a situation like the Holocaust, the victims might have been an unfortunate group of souls who deserved what they got because of their behavior in past lives? "Yes, it can work that way," Hay said. "But that's just my opinion." (The Queen of New Age by Mark Oppenheimer) If this works for people I think that is great. For myself, I really can't even take this seriously. The author took many concepts from a variety of places and merged and distored them. Strangely, for a self-help book it had an entirely strange and unhelpful (for me) "atmosphere."