Wednesday, September 24, 2008

'Fooled By Randomness' - an Antithesis to 'The Secret'.

The two books are as different as chalk and cheese (which is which - you decide). It should not be possible to compare the two. But interestingly they present diametrically opposite thesis.

Given its iconoclastic image, it is not surprising that Fooled By Randomness(FBR), it is not surprising that it beats down everything The Secret stands for.

The Secret is about controlling your destiny by mere thoughts. FBR insists that success is entirely random.

The Secret presents evidences of successful people who have become successful by using, well, the secret. FBR insists that "luck is democratic and hits everyone regardless of original skills" and so there is no secret there.

The Secret quotes the Buddha and confirms "All that we are is the result of what we thought." FBR debunks this: "past event will always look less random that they were ..." and that people just back fit explanations to justify their present.

The central theme of The Secret is that if you follow the secret you will achieve what you desire, rest is incidental. The central theme of FBR is that hard work, discipline, persistence are necessary but not sufficient conditions for success.

The Secret sells you a dream. FBR brings you down to earth. If the Secret works then FBR will attribute it to pure luck.

I think I will make it a hobby to compare books of different genres.

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