Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Ruth Carter's book can be divided into three parts: a short lesson in basic finance; a lesson in what makes a group a cult; and her personal story.
Ms. Carter shows quite convincingly, first, that Amway is in reality nothing more than a pyramid scheme, and second, that it has all the tell-tale signs of a cult: not a religious cult dedicated to an absurd theological proposition ("Jesus will appear on september 2nd 2005 in Troy, New York") but an economical cult to an absurd economical proposition ("if I just keep spending all my money on Amway, I will be RICH one day!"). She also has a useful chapter at the end about how to leave Amway--which is harder than it looks, as leaving any cult is.
All this is intereting and important; however, it is available on the internet--just search google for "Amway AND bad", for example, and take it from there; be sure to visit Ms. Carter's own extensive web site, by the way. (If there is one thing cults HATE, it is the internet, for just this reason, but I digress.) If this was all Ms. Carter's book was doing, one could just browse the web instead.
The really fascinating thing about Ms. Carter's book is her personal story. She tells, in fascinating, sad, and sometimes sordid details, what it REALLY means to be brainwahsed by Amway. It means losing your money, frieds, family, marriage, children, and almost your identity while becoming an "Ambot". Above all, it has a "behind-the-scenes" look at how sleazy, unethical, and manipulative the gurus (or "upline diamonds", as they are called in Amway) are, and how they manipulate their flock for their own personal benefit, while pretending to "love" them so much. The book is worth buying for that last part alone, and, indeed, it justifies the book's title.
In sum, highly recommended.
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Amway Motivational Organizations: Behind the Smoke and MirrorsAmway distributors tout their business as "the best businessopportunity in the world." Yet of the five million or so Americanswhove been involved over its 40 year history, fewer than 1% have madea profit, and fewer than one-tenth of one percent have established thelarge incomes that they claim are achievable by all.Ruth Carter has written a clear, concise account based on her 15years of experience as a distributor and five years of insiderinformation as the employee of a Diamond. The book attacks head-on theaccusations of deception, cultism, and greed which are so oftenleveled at the Amway business. Here at last are the reasons why,clearly explained by a former insider.Amway Motivational Organizations: Behind the Smoke and Mirrors takes a serious look at:- a real Diamonds annual income and expenses- what is the "system"?- who makes money in the system?- what is a cult?- why is Amway accused of cultism?This book is a must-read for anyone whos ever been involved inAmway, or has suffered the pain of watching loved ones change theirpersonalities and lose their money to the deceptions of an AmwayMotivational Organization. "Amway Motivational Organizations: Behindthe Smoke and Mirrors" picks up where "Amway: The Cult of FreeEnterprise" and "Fake It Til You Make It!" left off.
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