I'm sure a lot of you have heard of the Movie, The Secret, or it's companion book of the same name. The movie came out in early 2006 and became quite popular. It revealed "the secret" Law of Attraction that the universe follows. Well, Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires by Jerry & Esther Hicks came out two years before The Secret and it turns out that Jerry & Esther Hicks have been publishing books related to The Law of Attraction since 1988.

In my opinion this book is essential if you are interested in The Law of Attraction. Part I of the book covers some fundamental concepts that relate to thoughts and beliefs, understanding how your emotions affect getting what you want, and how meditation is a key way to clear your mind of negative thoughts. Part I really goes in depth to understand how The Law of Attraction works and how your mind works. I enjoyed a particular example of how you can ask someone to not think of something and the first thing they do is think of exactly that. For instance, if I were to say to you, "Don't think of milk," the odds are that you did think of milk and that you maybe even pictured a glass of milk or container of milk in your mind. So instead of trying not to think of something undesirable it is much better to actively think about something that is desirable.

Part II of the book is where it gets extremely helpful. Part II is a compilation of 'processes" or basically things you can do to improve your emotional state. The better your emotional state, the more likely you are to attract and have your desires manifest. First thing you do is go through the Emotional Guidance Scale and determine the closest emotional state you're in on this scale - the scale spans from joy, passion, and enthusiasm at the top to hatred, insecurity, and despair at the bottom. Then you go through the list of 22 processes that help you to go higher up the scale. I liked that it is never expected of you to go straight from despair to joy - instead you slowly go up the scale one by one.

The only thing about the book that can be a little weird for the reader is that all this information is coming from Abraham who Esther & Jerry explain is a collective consciousness that is channeled through Esther. Even if you don't so much believe in channels or mediums the quality of content and the message of this book is top-notch and a must-read for anyone who wants to learn The Law of Attraction, be happier, and improve their own life.