I picked up the book at the local library on a whim. I was horrified by it. The book struck me as evil, stupid, and cruel.

Evil -- the book states that those who experience ill fortune are responsible for their own ill fortune.

So, all those women in Sudan, who, right now, are being raped and made homeless by invaders. Well, it's their own darn fault, and we don't have to worry about them.

People starving in famines ... children being kidnapped into sex slavery ... people killed in earthquakes, or by disease -- again, it's their own choice, their own fault.

This philosophy is sick and cruel.

It is also stupid. Ms. Hay produces not one iota of evidence to support anything she says.

Yes, readers here claim that Ms. Hay's writings have changed their lives, but if you go to a St. Jude website, you will see an equal number of enthusiastic posts claiming that St. Jude performed miracles that changed lives. If you go to the shrine of a Hindu idol, you will hear testimonials that the Hindu idol changed lives for the better...

In other words, there are numerous people willing to testify to any number of belief systems or modes of behavior.

What separates these testimonials from real evidence?

A little ritual called "The Scientific Method."

Let's take those women in Sudan. If the women in Sudan being terrorized by invaders were to repeat, everyday, some Louise Hay style affirmation, like, oh, say, "My farm is not being invaded today; I am not going to get raped today; my husband will not be murdered before my eyes today," would that deflect the invaders?

I don't think so.

If Hay thinks so, let her travel to people in real need and test her methods out, rather than dispensing her "wisdom" to rich denizens of Malibu.

Hay claims that her own life story is proof of her method. She recounts her life story, and it *disproves* her method.

Hay was negative and her life was miserable. Then, because she was good looking, as she herself reports, she was able to earn a living as a model, and attract a rich husband. Presto changeo, everything in her life got better. Not because she practiced "affirmations," she didn't. But because she was able to market her good looks and marry a well-to-do man.

The low point of this book's inanity is the appendix at the end that claims that diseases are caused by given attitudes, and that if people repeat affirmations, their disease will go away.

So, AIDS is not caused by a virus, but by low self esteem. If people will just think better about themselves, their AIDS will disappear.

No need to worry about condoms, or safe sex, or anything. Just maintain a positive attitude, and condoms aren't necessary.

Such a lie is nothing short of grotesque. No, really, it is murderous.

Hay's brutal insistence on blaming persons not as fortunate as herself for their suffering is one of the most heinous things I've ever encountered in any book.

In reading this book, though, I learned at least one important source for the vicious New Age phrase, "You give yourself breast cancer."

There must be something highly appealing in this book or else it would not have racked up so many positive reviews on Amazon, and Hay would not be the very, very wealthy woman she is today.

What that positive feature is is totally beyond me.


DISCOVER THE REAL YOU!   April 23, 2001
 117 out of 126 found this review helpful

"You Can Heal Your Life" is a beautifully written and illustrated book dealing with self-discovery. It is a stepping stone in finding the real person you are and exploring ways that will lead to a more peaceful and happy life. Often, we are our own worst enemies with imaginary fears of what the future will bring, or we are dwellers of our past mistakes, regrets and misgivings. The importance of discovering and accepting our true self for who we really are, and the search for a more fulfilling life, are explored among the pages of this book.

Some of the words here are very much similar to Buddhist Philosophies. It is a known fact that before we can start anew, we must first rid ourself of all negative emotions and habits, more commonly known in this day and age as, "getting rid of the excess baggage." This is a wonderful self-help book that will lead you on a path of positive thinking and leave the reader with the understanding no one is perfect, we all have faults, but we can still feel good about ourselves.

If you are interested in exploring more fully the world of peace, contentment and happiness, I also recommend reading , "Awakening the Buddha Within" by Lama Surya Das and "Healing Society" by Dr. Seung-Heun Lee. Both are excellent books and a realistic learning adventure in self-discovery.


Sadly lacking, a waste of my time.   December 15, 2002
 80 out of 139 found this review helpful

This book does a great disservice to many people with genuine PHYSICAL illnesses. To say that the probable cause of AIDS is, "Feeling defenseless and hopeless. Nobody cares. A strong belief in not being good enough. Denial of the self. Sexual guilt'" or that the probable cause of Migraines is, "Dislike of being driven. Resisting the flow of life. Sexual fears," is beyond the bounds of good sense. Hay certainly has a right to express her beliefs. What concerns me is that people will see her as an expert because she's a published author, and not seek necessary medical care. I'm all for good, valid complementary therapies. Hay, however, would have us believe that the cause of all illness is psychological/spiritual in nature. Her complete failure to acknowledge actual physical conditions renders this book virtually useless. It lacks reasonable medical foundation, and essentially blames us for our pain. I'd say take this book not with a grain of salt, but with an entire salt block.


Ridiculous!   January 2, 2003
 51 out of 92 found this review helpful

This book was given to me as a gift. I put it on the shelf, suspecting it was similar to other pop-psych works "shared" with me in the past. I was correct. As I later pulled the book out to donate it to GoodWill, I noticed in the back the index of medical conditions, each with a supposed "probable cause". Can it be that vertigo, glaucoma, diabetes are all the result of failure to know and accept the self? So I read through as much as I could stomach of the text. I can hardly believe the wrecklessness with which Ms. Hay opines on the etiology and treatment of any and all life problems. Medical concerns? Financial distress? Relationship issues? Hay recommends forgiving someone, as this is the common source of all ills. As a mental health professional with strong empirical beliefs, I found Hay's writing to be misleading and self-righteous. What credentials does she have to suggest that her personal knowledge overrides hundreds of years of real research and clinical progress dealing with medical and psychological problems? To offer readers a simple-minded solution to all concerns, despite the existence of validated treatments they might seek, is absolutely unethical. While specific elements of her advice are borrowed from known clinical theory, it appears only accidental that she says anything of real value. I strongly recommend you look elsewhere if you truly desire to improve yourself under the guidance of an "expert". Validated resources for self-improvement I recommend: McKay & Fanning -- Self Esteem, Alberti & Emmons -- Your Perfect Right.