Reviews By Charline

“The Secret Beyond The Secret”

Author: Ardiana Cohn

Having just finished my reading of “The Secret Beyond The Secret” I can honestly say I’m a bit perturbed. Initially the book’s title caught my eye and…it seemed apparent that the author, Ardiana Cohn, was making reference to a previously published book: “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. Reading the back cover of “The Secret Beyond The Secret” supported my supposition and I decided to read it.

The premise of “The Secret Beyond The Secret” is that bottom-line we, the public, were incorrectly led to believe that we can use the Law of Attraction to design our own destinies. Cohn does not support the belief that our destinies are our own to choose; instead she believes that each person’s destiny is unchangeable. “However, we do have the potential to exercise our free will within its confines so as to make our paths toward our destinies happier and more satisfying.”

I’m not going to attempt to prove or disprove Cohn’s personal opinion…my disappointment with “The Secret Beyond The Secret” stems from what I read on the back cover. Or should I say what I didn’t read on the back cover… The synopsis touched on things like the Law of Attraction. Is it a lie? Dreams too were mentioned. However, there was absolutely nothing stated about religion, God or that we need to “exploit our free will in order to receive His blessing.” Needless to say I was completely blindsided by the overabundance of the author’s religious teachings and I wondered if Cohn had even read “The Secret” before writing “The Secret Beyond The Secret.” Don’t get me wrong; I have zero issues with books that have religious undertones, references, et cetera – I just believe in appropriate disclosure. When I read a book’s “about” I want to know the truth of what it’s about so that I can decide if I really want to read it.

In summary? “The Secret Beyond The Secret” was reasonably well-written although there was way too much over explanation. I appreciated Cohn’s desire to share her personal experiences as a way to connect with her readers but, more often than not; it was just too much. Some of the information provided within “The Secret Beyond The Secret” is of a nature to be useful and helpful to those who struggle to accept themselves and / or their lives. Unfortunately much of what I read I found to be extraneous.

“Lifting the Spiritual Self-Esteem of the LGBT Community”

Author: Khepra Ka-Re Amente Anu

I’ve just finished reading “Lifting the Spiritual Self-Esteem of the LGBT Community” written by new author Khepra Ka-Re Amente Anu and to sum the book up in a single sentence? It was an intense read…

It seems to me that the entire purpose behind “Lifting the Spiritual Self-Esteem of the LGBT Community” is to compare the world’s different religions, both past and present, provide a concise accounting of their many similarities and attempt to prove that bottom-line, they are all man made and not really divinely inspired as all religions would their followers believe. From that point of view it is not “religion” that forces us to be hateful and hurtful to those in the LGBT community – it is, in fact, just us as we separate and segregate those who make us feel uncomfortable.

“Lifting the Spiritual Self-Esteem of the LGBT Community” is a sharp and biting book. The author has provided countless facts, excerpts, quotes and more to validate his exceptionally strong belief system. I personally appreciate the author’s candor however, I know there are many out there who will not and this book will most certainly be considered inflammatory and heretical by them.

I am also thankful for the personal information the author opted to provide in the book’s preface. While it might not have been included for anything other than background about the author I do think it was a wise decision. It definitely helped me understand where he was coming from and consequently I was able to understand the strong passion that drove him to share his viewpoints. Without that pertinent information I might have read his sometimes longwinded and opinionated rants and decided he was simply a sanctimonious know-it-all.

In summary, “Lifting the Spiritual Self-Esteem of the LGBT Community” was a well written book. The author’s viewpoint / belief system is provided in a concise manner and followed up with an exceptional amount of documented fact. The author is obviously thorough and he has no doubt spent many, many hours on research. A great book for anyone in the LGBT community who struggles with being ostracized due to their sexual preferences that have been genetically predetermined even before their birth… This book could also be an eye opening read for heterosexual people who don’t understand the harshness someone who prefers a same sex partner endures.