With an effortless power and simplicity, The Seven Spiritual Laws is a supreme example of contemporary self-help writing. The emphasis on success and prosperity may not seem 'spiritual' enough for some, but this is the very point of the book. If you are not a self-sufficient hermit then you are an economic actor who must be able to reconcile wealth generation with the spirit. In being both a devotional tract and a prosperity manual, The Seven Spiritual Laws acknowledges this, and is therefore an emblematic work of our times.

Identifying immutable laws of success is the great challenge of the self-help literature. Karma (cause and effect) and dharma (purpose in life) have been with us for eons, and they form two of Chopra's seven laws. The other five are the law of pure potentiality, the law of giving, the law of least effort, the law of intention and desire, and the law of detachment.

For the detail and rich prose that makes Chopra such a delight to read, buy the book. It may take a while to get onto Chopra's wavelength and understand his terms, but persevere; the laws can have a revolutionary effect. On subsequent readings, you may find yourself discovering new meanings in the text - the familiar mark of a classic.

The genius, intended or not, of the last century's personal empowerment writing is that spiritual messages have been delivered through instructions of a more material kind. We buy a book about prosperity, and find it telling us about the universe's benign and perfect intelligence; we purchase another which promises the laws of success, and are surprised because the answer involves maintaining good karma in our actions and detaching ourselves from the fruits of success. Chopra is often accused of promoting spiritual values as the means to becoming wealthier. That is true, but it is nothing to be ashamed of; when the nature of the universe itself is abundant, a life lived in poverty consciousness is a wasted life.

The motif of the book is the unity of everything in the universe. Though it is overtly concerned with 'success', perhaps the real theme is power. By becoming more open to that unity and perfection, we assume more of its power, while the illusion of separateness pits us against the world, making us weaker in the process. The best personal development writing, exemplified by The Seven Spiritual Laws , is transforming the genre's idea of success from 'master of the universe', to how to achieve oneness with it.