cover image Making Your Dreams Come True

Making Your Dreams Come True

Marcia Wieder. Harmony, $20 (256pp) ISBN 978-0-609-60608-7

Offering simple motivational messages with a dynamic delivery, Wieder (Doing Less and Having More, etc.) has built a loyal following as a self-styled ""coach,"" who helps individuals to achieve their dreams, and corporations to fulfill their missions. To coincide with the launch of her public television fundraising program by the same name, Wieder has revised her self-published 1993 book, which has sold more than 100,000 copies through lectures, seminars and her Dream University. With a cheerleader's enthusiasm, she urges readers to believe that they can do anything (short of realizing impossible fantasies) using her basic formula: decide what you want, remove obstacles like self-doubt and take simple steps to get there. Self-quizzes and guided imagery exercises may help readers to think about their preferences and purpose. One useful suggestion is to assemble a ""Dream Team"" for guidance and encouragement. However, the material is vague overall, the notions of pursuing one's ""passion"" or determining one's purpose aren't especially fresh today, and the examples often seem simplistic and too good to be true. For instance, Wieder recalls an incident where she told a conference attendee about her dream of spending time in Greece, only to discover that the woman owned a villa there, which she invited Wieder to use. Though other self-help books, particularly What Color Is Your Parachute? cover this territory in more depth and more imaginatively, Wieder's TV appearances may draw curious readers. Agent, Bonnie Solow. (Dec.)