Self Help On Trial P1

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SILF HEL BO KS Ever wanted wealth, happiness and every man to fall for you? Selfhelp books claim you can do all this and more with just the flick of a page. But do mottos like "Realise your potential" And "ask, belieue, receive" actually mean anything, or are they just crap? Lauren McLean locks herself away for a month of reading to find out. I looked around to

WEEK 1: MAKING EVERY MAN WANT ME Marie Forleo's nugget of wisdom in Make Every Man Want You is "You are not your mind". After reading this little gem, I was sceptical about Forleo's ability

The gist is humans are like mini-transmitters, who can attract everything they want through the power of their minds. Think good things and gold will land at your doorstep, and vice versa. Spooky.

constant denial was making me more frustrated. I felt particularly peeved when I read Forleo's

"Food cannot cause you to put on weight, unless you think it can," Byrne says. Okaaay.

see

cynicism and embarked on her first

"scientific proofl' that proved happiness attracted people. She says it's "proven" that water particles are attracted to words like

test: making "is-ness my business".

"love", but move away from "hate".

The best way to be irresistible to the opposite sex, Forleo says, is to become a positive person. Instead of rocking back and forth

Can water really read, Marie?

to butter bread, let alone make every man swoon. But I killed my

in the foetal position every time something shit happens, you should proclaim, "This is what I want".

I decided to test this theory at work, where the stress of meeting deadlines has often turned me into a raving lunatic. When a story collapsed the day before it was due,

I announced, 'iThis

is

what I want".

HowtoWin Friends & Influence

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if any of the

male species were impressed by these five simple words. Nothing. By Friday, despite my attempts at sublime positivity, my colleagues remained unmoved. And my

WEEK 2: UNLOCKING THE SECRET The Secret is a money-making machine. It has catapulted its author, Rhonda Byrne, into an overnight success (thanks to

Oprah), so I was interested to see whether it could make all my dreams come true.

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It only takes three

steps: ask,

believe, receive. "How do you get to a

point of believing? Be like a child,

and make-believe," she advises.

My friend suggested that if we really wanted to test this theory, we should ask for something outlandish. So, he summoned a pair of antlers, while I focused on scoring a million bucks. I created a giant cheque, stuck

it on my wall and began to believe. I dreamt of what I would do with my riches. Would I become the next P.Diddy and buy myself a posse?

But instead of bling and bitches,

I had a car accident. My friend continues to wait for antlers.

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Lelt to right fhe Cmplete Book 0f Eules by Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider (Harper Element $24.99); ,row fo Win tuiends & lnlluence Peopleby Dale Carnegie (Pocket Books, $29.95); il4ake Every Man Want You by Marie Forleo (Mccraw Hill, $24.95); /rte Secretby Rhonda Byrne (Alria Books, $34.95).