Within the unfortunately titled "self help" genre, you could do a lot worse than Deepak Chopra. In the self-help/success genre, this is even more true. I saw this book as an argument for a more enlightened, more compassionate form of capitalism. It's a very quick read (I finished it in the bookstore). If I were to boil the message of this book down to a sentence, it would be: By practicing awareness, and being kind and open-hearted with everyone around you, you will find success.

C... (show more)

Within the unfortunately titled "self help" genre, you could do a lot worse than Deepak Chopra. In the self-help/success genre, this is even more true. I saw this book as an argument for a more enlightened, more compassionate form of capitalism. It's a very quick read (I finished it in the bookstore). If I were to boil the message of this book down to a sentence, it would be: By practicing awareness, and being kind and open-hearted with everyone around you, you will find success.

Chopra effectively frames the connection between our individual well-being and the well-being of everyone. He advocates giving without the expectation of return, non-judgment, conscious choice-making, and the revolutionary idea that every individual has unique gifts and the seeds of transformation within them.

What I didn't like about this book was the certainty with which Chopra expresses his point of view -- why are these "laws", and who says there are only seven of them? Also, he frames himself as a bridge between philosophy and science, but this book is very short on the latter.

At the end of the day, Chopra is one of the most prominent voices in the world today for peace, awareness, and understanding. So if you or someone you know is looking for "success" under whatever definition, this is absolutely worth reading. (show less)

An interesting book when seen through the context of the time it was published. It resurrected the utopian genre and brought some big ideas into the mainstream. But overall, not a very entertaining or challenging read. There are some real insights into human nature and Bellamy is ahead of his time in recognizing the essential dignity of all people. But the "solutions" offered here are disappointingly simplistic. I preferred William Morris' "News from Nowhere", which w... (show more)

An interesting book when seen through the context of the time it was published. It resurrected the utopian genre and brought some big ideas into the mainstream. But overall, not a very entertaining or challenging read. There are some real insights into human nature and Bellamy is ahead of his time in recognizing the essential dignity of all people. But the "solutions" offered here are disappointingly simplistic. I preferred William Morris' "News from Nowhere", which was written as a response to Bellamy's narrow vision of the future. (show less)