This book can offer some relief for someone going through a difficult phase. The book can help looking at a difficult situation in the bigger picture of life. However, in my view, this book's biggest problem is that the authors set out a number presumptions and then use these presumptions to arrive at the conclusions they want. That doesn't work in real life. Let me show some examples: Page 22: "Deep inside all of us, we know there is someone we were meant to be." How can the authors invent such a general rule for 6 billion people? Page 25: "We're put here on earth to learn our own lessons." How can the author be so sure about the purpose of life? "On these journeys we may be given a lot ... of the things we must grapple with, but never more than we can handle." So concentration camp prisoners, tsunami victims, starving Africans, massacred population were never given more than they could handle. That will comfort millions of victims. "... we have all the power of the universe within ourselves." Let's hope someone doesn't decide to create a black hole then. Page 175: "The key to patience is knowing that everything is going to be fine, developing the faith that there is a plan." Well, everything was not going to be fine for a few million Jews during WWII. So the authors truly mean that they were massacred as part of a big master plan for the whole universe? If one does not believe in univeral master plans, then what is one supposed to do with this book? "Many people try to control situations that would work out as they were meant to in their own perfect time". Here is the big master plan again. So according to the authors, everything is determined in advance and we cannot change it. So why even bother getting up in the morning going to work? Anyway, it's a brilliant excuse for being late to work. Just tell the boss that you were late as part of The Plan and that you were meant to be late. "You will not be given any life experience before you are ready". Page 176: "we need to reassure outselves that things are happening exactly as they're supposed to." More of the same stuff that doesn't make sense. "deep patience will bring deep peace and healing". Does anyone know if that happened at the WWII camps? "We think the alarm clock wakes us up every morning, but it is God who decides to wake us up. ... We forget there is a bigger picture." Some deeply religious people will take pleasure reading this while others will regret more and more why they bought the book. Page 177: "There is a reason for every experience, even if we don't see it; there is a point to it all." Would the authors please provide the evidence for this claim. Page 179: "Trust that all things are moving toward the good...". 9/11, Zimbabwe, Lebanon, WWII, WWI, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Yugoslavia, ...

The authors are moving at the highest level of the Maslow pyramid of human needs, somehow presuming that we are all sufficiently fed and housed and that we can all concentrate our minds on the universe regardless if we should be a starving African about to die of hunger. The book offers no consolation for people with such real, common and practical problems. It was written for people in rich countries like America where such issues are not a problem, although with the rising number of Americans losing their homes, these real problems are touching them more and more.

To conclude, people believing in master plans and God are likely to be delighted, while others may only benefit from a part of the advice in this book.

I absolutely loved this book, It has so much useful life information, to me it is a must buy, I plan on rereading it many times

I not only have this book, this is the fifth one I purchased for a gift. I have read this book about 6 times already and each time I come away with a thought that I can put into action. I find that this book helps those who have just ended a relationship, or someone who just suffered through the loss of a friend or loved one. A great gift for yourself.

I read this book in college and it was a life changing experience. I later bought many copies to share with friends and family members.

The quote from the book that stuck with me was from Ronnie Kaye author of Spinning Straw Into Gold. "In life when one door closes another door always opens, but the hallways are a bitch."

I read this book three years ago after my sister passed from cancer and really learned a lot from it. If you have had someone close to you die or know someone that has had the unpleasant experience of having to battle for their life every day, this book may be of some help to you in learning "how" to interact with them. Learning to cope with a disease is never easy for the patient or the family and friends. This book is a good attempt to help each of us do just that.

I recently picked the book up again after experiencing a missed opportunity that cost me five months salary. This book brought closure to the experience. The wisdom from this book has reinforced my decision not to seek a legal remedy through the court system as a solution to my difference of opinion with my former employer. It made me realize that in life, the reality is that some relationships just don't work out. It has saved me time, money and energy that otherwise may have been wasted. After finishing the book a second time, I walk away feeling like I have been given a gift. I have been given a second opportunity to change my life and move on.