The California-based award-winning psychologists have helped millions of people work through their problems through their practice, books, radio show, seminars and web site. They have co-founded Cloud-Townsend Clinic, sold millions of copies of their book God Will Make a Way and co-host New Life Live! Radio.

The authors list eight principles they say will help make anyone’s dreams become a reality: own your own life, learn to think differently, always find a choice, stretch and risk, get connected, learn to say no, deal with failure and persist and persevere.

Cloud and Townsend use logic mixed with humour to appeal to readers and exploit their faults without being offensive. They say the things people do and the way people think stands in the way of achieving their goals without realizing it.

The authors give examples of excuses people use, excuses such as ‛I've tried everything and nothing helps.’ By making excuses people put their fate in the hands of someone or something else, they say, and when they do that, they are allowing others to control what happens.

{sa 1591454735}But some statements are over exaggerated such as “career advancement that comes from nepotism or favouritism or inheritance that is without merit blows up or fails in the end.” These statements are unfounded and beg the question, “How would you know?” or “Where is the proof.” There isn’t a study shown that backs up this statement and it seems highly unlikely that they are aware of every person who has inherited a company in this way.

Also, there is too much repetition. The authors say the same thing in different words or tell the same story using different people. They may have been trying to really get through to readers, but what they accomplished was losing my initial interest.

It’s hard to say whether the book is geared toward a Christian audience. While Cloud and Townsend are Christian, the references to Christianity are sparse. They start off without using any aspects of faith and will throw in a quote from the Bible here and there.

This book is marketed to a broad demographic and it will definitely help a lot of people achieve their goals, but it’s not a read really geared toward youth. It could be helpful to some, but I doubt the majority would be interested.