Below are some real reviews of this book, from people who happen to be bird lovers who bought the book.
The thing the average person doesn't understand, is that Ching Hai is not "crazy". Doing weird things like putting birds in fur coats, and having them talk gibberish, is believe it or, a technique that can be used.
Its actually a very sophisticated subject, and clearly Ms Ching Hai has done her homework, and does what works. Many of these new agey Gurus play this weird crazy-card. Why?
It has to do with the unconscious mind, trance, persuasion, and suggestion. As when people are more suggestible, they are in trance-states. And trance-states, and like dream-states, and in dream states, yes birds can talk a wear fur coats, for example.
Notice in the reviews below how upset people get reading that material, as they know something is wrong, but they don't know what.
Byron Katie is a real master of this kind of thing, and its detailed here. [
forum.culteducation.com] That thread can explain much of what is happening.
Now how far does Ms Ching Hai go in her use of the Confusion technique, and using symbols as part of her persuasion system? That has to be researched. But she is doing what WORKS.
She amplified the FEAR in people, as that works.
She talks crazy-sounding talk, and it works, it literally is an instant trance-induction, then she can make her Supreme Master Ching Hai Suggestions and commands more powerful.
Ching Hai is taking you down the Rabbit-Hole, and it starts with the little birds in her life, and getting people to chuckle and laugh. Then before you know it, the "crazy" starts to make sense.
Its indoctrination, its persuasion, its trance-induction.
It would not be surprising to hear Ching Hai refer to her followers as her "little birds" in some of her talks.
Ms Ching Hai is quite skilled in this, in a very practical, street-smart crass way. She uses charm, Food-Bombing, and silly humor and strangeness, as people lower their mental defenses.
Inducing Confusion is a common technique.
Study the Byron Katie thread [
forum.culteducation.com] as its really a very well-researched mode of persuasion.
Ching Hai tells Stories, weird stories, with her as the main character as the 3rd person Master. That is 100% persuasion technique, used by many others. It works on the person reading it.
And she has imprinted her own "weird" style and mass-media techniques.
Might have to order that Ching Hai bird-brain book from the library, and check out how precisely she operates.
But Ching Hai is most comfortable with media-persuasion, which is why they spend so much on their Ching Hai 24/7 propaganda network.
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[
www.amazon.com]
1.0 out of 5 stars I believe the 5 star reviews are fake!, October 9, 2008
By
joyan------------ (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Birds in My Life (Hardcover)
The Birds in My Life
This book was a major disappointment. Thank goodness I got it for only 0.75 on half.com. The photos are taken by an amateur, and some are out of focus. The birds are Photoshopped into a natural environment. The text is minimal, and is poorly written. An example of an entire page:
I am not afraid of any height
Here you can see me hanging upside
I want to see the blue Heaven
That ~ my original nature~ reminds
This has taught me to be very wary of the "ratings" on Amazon. All of the reviewers that gave it 5 stars only had her other books (which are all self-published) listed in "see all my reviews". Of course, they all received 5 stars, also! For someone that has supposedly attained "Perfect Enlightenment", she seems to have no problems misleading the public. Interestingly enough, on Wikipedia, one of her directives is "to not speak that which is untrue."
I hope this will help other readers avoid this author and be wary of uniformly glowing reviews.
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Master of blithering nonsense..., February 2, 2009
By
Fifi (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Birds in My Life (Hardcover)
Amateurish snapshots of family pets, with even worse computer alterations.
Text is two or three sentences per page of airhead burblings in bad English.
False 5-star ratings repeatedly submitted to deceive and raise rating average.
Ordered it used for very cheap. Glad I didn't pay full price.
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1.0 out of 5 stars Stupid, May 24, 2009
By
Moongink - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Birds in My Life (Hardcover)
More like a photo album created by an airhead who seems to be suck on herself. master of What?
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1.0 out of 5 stars DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY -- WORTHLESS TRASH !!!, June 28, 2010
By
Reviewer 77 (Elkins Park, PA USA)
This review is from: The Birds in My Life (Hardcover)
What a waste of money!!! This book was written for idiots who believe that birds can talk like humans. There's very little writing, and it is poor. This isn't even a children's book. It is written more for an adult who has been in a terrible accident and has severe brain damage. The photos are mundane. This book has no redeeming qualities, and I threw it right into the trash room. It wasn't even worth donating to a library; I'm sure they would have done the same thing with it. Any positive reviews about this book were probably paid for by the author. Unbelievable. This takes the cake as one of the worst books I have ever purchased. Learn from my mistake!!!
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The worst book I have ever looked at it my life, March 24, 2011
By K.S. - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Birds in My Life (Hardcover)
I can't even start to describe this book. It was so incredibly uncomfortable to read any of it. The pictures were colorful and quite nice. The writings were so odd, uncomfortable, weird and strange that I seriously couldn't look at it anymore. It was simply uncomfortable to look at. I ended up trying to give it away. I had trouble finding someone who would take it for free, since once I described it, no one wanted it either. I don't think it is an Asian issues; I am Asian American. I would never buy it or look at it again, it was too traumatic for me to do so.
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Man, I really wish this WAS a joke..., June 18, 2009
By
D. R--- - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Birds in My Life (Hardcover)
When my sister first handed me this book, I thought it was another parody book, and after reading one poem, I was convinced it was.
However, as my sister explained, and I continued reading, I realized the sad truth that this book is just a collection of poorly (very strong emphasis on "poorly") photographed and often photoshopped pictures of this "Master's" birds. My sister got it for me naturally for the humor in it.
Its pretty clear that most, if not all, of the 96 5* reviews are by the same person.
As for the author, the book would be so terrible if she wasn't so full of herself. Her idea is clear, she wants to bring enlightenment through belief in god, and closeness to animals. However, she presents herself as being so enlightened and perfect, that she actually alludes to herself as being unto god. Now, I'm very not religious, but I'm pretty sure you're never supposed to do that.
Furthermore, even though she's the only credited writer, never is she referred to from the first person. She is only "The Master."
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/2011 08:22AM by The Anticult.