Unlimited Power: The New Science Of Personal Achievement [Paperback]

Chapter 10 covers changing your diet to improve performance. I tell you it works. I started on it 18 months ago and I am a different person. I am brighter, sharper, more alive, better at my work....I could go on all day but I think you get the idea.

I have learnt over these last months that in order to succeed over a long period of time, you require superb energy levels and good mental health. The fuel for this comes from a good diet. Don't believe me, try it for yourself, what have you got to lose? I suspect that within 10 days you will notice a change in well being and performance levels.

You may be surprised at what he says is good and bad for you. It certainly goes against conventional attitudes you hear from most doctors, health professionals and food companies. Before I was blind and now I can see.

Another book worth buying is Fit for Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, which goes into more detail on the subject.

People with poor self-esteem or psychiatric problems (the latter which Robbins thinks are generally the product of running defective mental programs) will find a way to fail within the framework set by Robbins. Competent therapy, the kind that Robbins labels as inefficient, would be much more appropriate for people in this category. Also, I believe that in order to get where you're going, you have to start from where you are, not from where you think you should be. Robbins's approach, although excellent for some, pretty much presupposes we all start at the same place.

Additionally, despite Robbins's great success coaching various high-profile people, some of what he says is flat-out wrong, particularly as it relates to diet. In his "Energy: The Fuel of Excellence" chapter, Robbins states that the body converts foods into energy in the following order: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. (This is to support his low-protein diet theory.) A first-year course in biology informs us that the body actually uses proteins before fats. This portion was obviously not proofread by someone with a scientific background... and the this raises the question of how factually sound the rest of Tony's advice is. Also, Robbins's declaration that 30 grams of protein are quite sufficient for an adult is suspect, to say the least. Use personal experience and observation to decide for yourself whether good health can be maintained on such a low protein intake. Even most vegans try to get more than that. Remember, Robbins produces, by his own account, an abnormal amount of human growth hormone, so the "laboratory" of his body will likely not resemble yours. Similarly, the concept of food combining is based upon a limited understanding of how the digestive system works.

(An article in the Feb. 2004 issue of Discover Magazine contains an article entitled "What Does Science Say You Should Eat" that provides dietary advice based on the most comprehensive scientific study ever undertaken, overseen by Harvard's Walter Willet. This would be a better source for health information.)

Much of Tony's theories, although presented via complex explanations, just seem kind of bogus in actual practice. On the other hand, many others are unique, helpful insights that can easily be verified by common sense. And again, maybe something that brings no results whatsoever for me may be helpful to the right person.

If you're particularly drawn to this book, I'd recommend you buy a copy and read it with a critical mind. To anyone else I might suggest you talk with someone who's familiar with Robbins's work and see if it's right for you before buying. I genuinely like Tony Robbins and believe he is sincere. Still, I think a "buyer beware" approach to his teachings is certainly justified.

In fact, if you were to buy just one book on personal success, this could be that one book. You will learn everything you need to know from being your best, overcoming fears and phobias to developing rapport and creating better relationships.

I also recommend Awaken The Giant which goes into even more detail the actuall techniques to use to develop personal power.