I honestly believe the vein of this book being presented is "try hard and maybe you'll get lucky."

I'm sorry I can't find it, but there was an article on here a month or so ago called something like "to get ahead, focus on the metagame." The idea is to work on things that will help you get actual benefits in life. For example, spend your energy at work making sure your boss knows you do a good job, and forget about actually doing a good job. While some folks find that hard to swallow, it's how you get a high salary and promotions.