It Works is a non-fiction piece of work and can safely be categorised under the self-help genre. On the back cover of the book, it is stated that Ronald Miller ‘shows us how to achieve all our dreams and desires through’ mind power and goal setting, the process of goal setting and tools and resources for successful goal setting.

An often-made statement about experts in a particular field is that they tend to be people who know more and more about less and less. This is not to say that they know little but that they are able to convey their messages in a precise and concise manner. This is what I found with It Works. It is a small book and yet, when you analyse this book, it is not meant to help you decide what your dreams are. It goes deeper than this. It is meant to show you exactly how to achieve your dreams! It is obvious, therefore, that this book is catered for a very specific intended audience – these are people who already know what their dreams are and want to achieve them. While it sounds serious, It Works is not ‘all work and no play’. I particularly enjoyed reading the personal stories Mr. Miller shared about his own struggles and how he overcame them. They served to encourage me to follow the steps he suggested I take.

If you would like to know why Mr. Miller wrote the book, he says: “I put this book together because I know that it can help you. I want to share with you my knowledge of secrets that have been used for hundreds of years by successful people in all walks of life. I hope that you dedicate your life to the lessons learned in this book, because I know … IT WORKS.”

One of the things which sets It Works apart from other self-help books is Chapter 7. It is entitled ‘Self-Hypnosis Tape Scripts’. These are essentially different scripts you can tape into your tape recorder and listen to when you choose. This is an innovative way to invite readers to interact with the author. Mr. Miller goes further as he has divided these scripts into separate ones to help readers target their areas of concern. For instance, there are scripts for stress reduction and sleep hypnosis, non-smoking hypnosis and weight loss hypnosis.

My favourite part of the book is Chapter 8 which is all about Affirmations. Mr. Miller does not just explain what affirmations are and how they work but he gives you a whole list of them. Let me share some of the affirmations I like most:

• My mind is constantly creating Optimistic and Positive thoughts about everything I do.
• I Expect good things to happen to me today.
• I already possess within me anything I need to become anything I want to be.
• My work and skill bring money for my needs.
• My love of what I do brings me success.I attract to myself, other positive-minded people who also have steady and sure success in all their works.

If there is a criticism to be made then I would say that the cover design for this book was one that did not appeal to me at all. For a book that is supposed to energise people, the use of black somehow dampened the mood of the book. That said, the saying ‘Never judge a book by its cover,’ comes to mind indeed, the text in this book provides valuable guidance for those who are its intended audience.

I would certainly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Aneeta Sundararaj