Happier than God

March 3, 2008
A self-described "modern day spiritual messenger," Walsch is known for his Conversations with God books, national bestsellers translated into more than 30 languages. This new offering recaps some of that content, but chiefly expounds upon the "law of attraction" school of thought, brought to market most notably by Rhonda Byrne's The Secret. Walsch carves big real estate, asserting that "this book offers a complete explanation of How Life Works." At once altruistic and self-serving, his framework is a multi-step "Process of Personal Creation": he claims to augment the energy of attraction with the law of opposites, the gift of wisdom, the joy of wonder and the presence of cycles. What Walsch asserts to be a revelation-that the Divine exists in all, thus all is a manifestation of the Divine-is really an age-old tenet of Hinduism. His well-intentioned content, though hard for many mainline believers to swallow, is nonetheless flavored with Christian sensibilities, e.g. "The kingdom of God is within you." No doubt, however, his arguments will find great success with the Conversation and Secret crowds who can find sustenance here in short chapters and 17 steps to happiness, including the notion that readers should give others every experience they seek themselves; understand sadness; and smile.

January 28, 2008
A self-described "modern day spiritual messenger," Walsch is known for his Conversations with God books, national bestsellers translated into more than 30 languages. This new offering recaps some of that content, but chiefly expounds upon the "law of attraction" school of thought, brought to market most notably by Rhonda Byrne's The Secret. Walsch carves big real estate, asserting that "this book offers a complete explanation of How Life Works." At once altruistic and self-serving, his framework is a multi-step "Process of Personal Creation" he claims to augment the energy of attraction with the law of opposites, the gift of wisdom, the joy of wonder and the presence of cycles. What Walsch asserts to be a revelation-that the Divine exists in all, thus all is a manifestation of the Divine-is really an age-old tenet of Hinduism. His well-intentioned content, though hard for many mainline believers to swallow, is nonetheless flavored with Christian sensibilities, e.g. "The kingdom of God is within you." No doubt, however, his arguments will find great success with the Conversation and Secret crowds who can find sustenance here in short chapters and 17 steps to happiness, including the notion that readers should give others every experience they seek themselves; understand sadness; and smile.

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