Yeah, that's where opinions come in.
I do not connect with Cesar's "energy" thing at all. But that's just my personality, if it works for other people, great.
I agree with you that positive reinforcement doesn't always work, or requires an expert to make it work, which I am not. Have you read "Don't Shoot The Dog"? That is a great, short book about how to use positive reinforcement to stop problem behaviors.
Anyway, I could write way more than I have written here about my feelings on Cesar Milan, because there are many things about him I like, and many things I don't. Thor came to me with a lot of behavioral problems, and it's very interesting for me to see what works and what doesn't. I'm really excited to see if I'll be able to train him out of his skateboard mania, as it is so intense, and I expect it to take several more months to get him calm. If I can get him to mind me around a skateboard, I'll know I can get him to do anything.