The Secret (book)
Hardcover edition
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| Author | Rhonda Byrne |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English (also available in 44 languages) |
| Genre | Self-help, Spiritual |
| Publisher |
Atria Books Beyond Words Publishing |
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Publication date
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November 2006 |
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Published in English
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26 November 2006 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover, paperback), audio cassette and CD, ebook (Kindle) |
| Pages | 198 pp (first edition, hardcover) |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 76240921 |
| 131 22 | |
| LC Class | BF639 .B97 2006 |
| Followed by | The Power |
The Secret is a best-selling 2006 self-help book written by Rhonda Byrne, based on the earlier film of the same name. It is based on the law of attraction and claims that positive thinking can create life-changing results such as increased happiness, health, and wealth. The book has sold more than 19 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 46 languages. It has attracted a great deal of controversy and criticism for its claims, and has been parodied on several TV programs.
The Secret was released in DVD format in March 2006. The tenet of the film and book is that the universe is governed by a natural "law" called the law of attraction, which is said to work by attracting into a person's life the experiences, situations, events and people that "match the frequency" of the person's thoughts and feelings. From this, the book argues that thinking positively can create life-changing results, such as increased wealth, health and happiness.
The book is very much influenced by Wallace Wattles' 1910 book The Science of Getting Rich, which Byrne received from her daughter during a time of personal trauma in 2004. Byrne states that she read and synthesized several classic books and the words of modern-day teachers who spoke about ancient wisdom and the ways for people to attract what they desire into their lives. The book includes many quotes from these people.
After being featured in two episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the book reached the top of The New York Times's bestseller list, where it remained for 146 consecutive weeks. The book has been translated into 44 languages and has over 21 million copies in print. Thanks in large part to the appearance on the Oprah TV show, the book and film have grossed $300 million in sales, according to a 15 January 2009 article by Forbes magazine.
In 2009, the film's producer, Paul Harrington, released a book for teenagers called The Secret to Teen Power. Byrne has also released a calendar and several follow-up books, including The Power in August 2010 and The Magic in 2012, both of which also reached number one on The New York Times's bestseller list.
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