Book Review

Title: Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life

Author: Dr. Wayne Dyer

Publisher: Hay House Books/Raincoast Books

Released: July 15^th 2007

# of Pages: 416

ISBN: 978-1-4019-1184-3

$31.95 CDN/$26.95 US

4 Stars

Reviewed By: Beverley Ann

Dr. Wayne Dyer has had a long career in spiritual growth and personal development. In the 1980s his book Your Erroneous Zones became a huge success with much quotable material. A few decades later and close to thirty books now to his credit, not to mention audio programs, video programs, cards sets, calendars and in-person seminars, Dr. Dyer seems to have paved the way for a generation of self-help citizens.

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life appears to be following the beliefs laid out these days that the power of thought can manifest intentions and then ultimately turn into reality. Books like The Secret and The Laws Of Attraction outline these ideas in great detail, but Dr. Dyer seems to take a pragmatic and ancient approach to this ‘new’ or more so, ‘improved upon’ philosophy of intent.

As the subtitle explains ‘Living The Wisdom Of The Tao,’ Dr. Dyer examines the philosophy set out by the Tao Te Ching as a way of discovering how our thoughts can manifest our realities in the present day. The Tao Te Ching is an ancient Chinese text dated back to the 6^th century, and supposedly wrote (although debated) by Lao Tzu, and shaped Taoist thought as well as highly influencing Legalism and Neo-Confucianism. What Dr. Dyer does is take verses from the Tao Te Ching and analyze them within a present day context. Essential, practical thoughts on an ancient text that translates to the trials and tribulations of current day living.

Dr. Dyer explains how chronicling Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life actually brought him a greater connection within his own spirituality. The Tao Te Ching had much to teach him, as it will the rest of us. Not everyone has the patience to read long and arduous text of religious philosophy, so Dr. Dyer makes an inaccessible text for many into a less complicated and easier theory to understand. Of course, by doing so, much of the text and the complexities are lost, but in the same breath, Dr. Dyer is introducing a larger audience to the beliefs of an Eastern religion – which can only be a positive course of action. After all, The Tao Of Pooh was a smartly packaged way, a little over a decade ago, of accomplishing the same purpose.

This book is a great way to strive to be a better person and live a better way of life. There are a few concepts that would be hard to do logistically in the 21^st century. Mostly these concepts that would be difficult to integrate involve a societal shift of values which is an idealistic and unrealistic goal. However, many of the philosophies that Dr. Dyer presents are changes within an individual, and can be well created on such a personal level.

I love the way Dr. Dyer shows us how we have options to live better lives and he writes wonderfully encouraging books that give us food for thought. Dr. Dyer may have achieved his greatest fame in the 80s, but he seems to stand the test of time because his wisdom is straight forward, practical and easily implemented; you will find the same true of Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life.