5 comments about Playing It by Heart: Taking Care of Yourself No Matter What.

1. I learned more than I wanted to about Melody's abused childhood and her life as a junkie. She goes into great detail about the crimes she committed and the miserable effects of her addiction. After painting such strong, striking, emotion-filled pictures time after time I expected her to draw some conclusions and parallels that I could use. No such luck. This is a long, tiring autobiography of a painful life, not a source for new elightenment.



2. In Playing It By Heart: Taking Care Of Yourself No Matter What, Melody Beattie (author of Codependent No More) addresses the issues involved with why people who have struggled so hard to shake off controlling dysfunctional behaviors and victimhood fall back into self-destructive, self-diminishing situations and relationships. Through the use of personal essays, inspiring anecdotes, and prescriptive reminders, Beattie reveals how to stop acting out painful obsessions and shows that despite occasional setbacks, recovery is a lifelong opportunity for spiritual growth and a co-dependency free, gratifying, enjoyable life of accomplishments and relationships. Highly recommended for personal self-help, self-improvement reading lists and community library reference collections.



3. Melody Beattie has a life story that I would never have imagined from Codependent No More. She has a powerful insight into how and why things happen and Playing It by Heart shows how she has truly "been there." This book was impossible to put down. It is one I would sincerely recommend to anyone who struggles with life, especially when addictions are involved. Her story was very encouraging and I am very glad to have found this book.



4. Wow. When a friend lent me a copy of this book, I had to buy myself one. This is such a terrific addition to literature and I am so enlightened to have read it. I read Codependent No More over and over with a 1980s copy, and I never would have guessed what Ms. Beattie went through to get where she's at today. Prostitution so she could get drugs, rape from drugged stupors, her arm being photographed with all its needle marks and used to show school children the horrors of drug use -- the clinicians certainly never thought she'd amount to anything, but she learned codependency is the root of all addiction.

   A wonderful read. It will make you cry! It did me. A lot of people, men and women, will see themselves in her story. It really makes a person appreciate how she knows so much about codependency and is such an authority. Personal experience, that's what she has to share. I love her meditation books, too. Such an inspiration and used in Codependents Anonymous meetings everywhere. Her books should be a must-read for high school students. She can help people before it's too late.

   Her humor in the book is especially wonderful because with all she went through, it makes one wonder what she could find to laugh about, and her humor just further brings home what an astounding woman Ms. Beattie is!




5. It is amazing to read Melody Beattie's life story of her battle with addiction and destructive behaviors. She leads by example showing what she did to overcome her problems. I was truely amazed by what she went through. This is a wonderful Real life story for anyone struggling with addictions to read.

5 comments about Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life.

1. 
   This is a book packed with science yet written in a style that is interesting and easy to understand. Reports of experiment after experiment systematically convince the reader.
   
   Seligman's book describes how the mental attitude of helplessness can be learned and unlearned, how helplessness both results from and exacerbates a pessimistic personality style, and how helplessness/pessimism ends in depression. A test is included so you can find if you are an optimist or a pessimist. A second test reveals if you are suffering from depression. But if you are a pessimist/depressed don't despair. Just as helplessness can be unlearned optimism can be learned and this book tells you how.
   
   Next we learn how optimistic people succeed better at work, school, sports, health, politics, religion and culture.
   
   If I have one criticism of this book it is that Seligman strangely does not provide scientific evidence that his cognitive therapy methods for learning optimism work. Instead he simply writes: "The National Institute of Mental Health has spent millions of dollars testing whether the ... [cognitive] ... therapy works on depression. It does." (p.75). A report of at least one study would have been useful at this critical point.
   
   I have suffered from depression and I found this book provided me with an invaluable technique that work for me. This is one of the very few books that I can say has changed my life.



2. It is refreshing to read a book like this showing people can change to being more optimistic, rather than all those books out there trying to convince people they have depression and they can't do anything about it but take pills for the rest of their lives.



3. Learned Optimism is a - sometimes uneasy - mix of the theoretical and the practical. Seligman is clearly captivated by his subject, which he has made his life's work. Not surprisingly then, he sees the value of an optimistic outlook in every aspect of life. It's not just that optimists do better than pessimists at school, work and sports, but they even live longer. Seligman makes the case that "the arrow points both ways": that pessimism is not a consequence but also a contributing cause of depression and that an optimistic "explanatory style" for the misfortunes of life, large and small, can actually prevent a descent into morbid depression. He even says he can predict the outcome of elections by analyzing the explanatory styles of the competing candidates - because in a head-to-head contest the most optimistic candidate will prevail.
   
   In Part 1 of the book he lays out the theoretical case for optimism and the techniques by which it can be measured. In Part 2 he describes how the optimist's advantage is played out in the different "realms of life", such as work, sports, politics, etc. In Part 3, he explains self-help techniques for moving from pessimism to optimism.
   
   I found Part 1 the most interesting - not least because I got to fill out a couple of tests to help me discern my explanatory style and determine if I was currently depressed (and how deeply). It turns out I am moderately optimistic about bad events and moderately pessimistic about good ones. But I am not at all depressed, so I guess I must have learned to live with the contradiction.
   
   Part 3 gets us into the land of the light bulb joke (where to change, the light bulb must truly desire change). I am convinced from my own experience that optimism is like a muscle that can be worked and strengthened. I also recognized in Seligman's techniques ones that I had stumbled onto myself.
   
   In the final analysis, whether the reader will find reading Learned Optimism helpful will depend on the reader. Judging by the Amazon reviews, the experience for some will be life-changing; for others not so. Perhaps underlying explanatory style may have something to do with that. Perhaps also a self-help book is not the best therapy for the truly, deeply depressed (as the book suggests, you can improve your outlook but you have to be motivated to start a mental workout routine and stick with it to see the positive results). However there is much to learn here and I would not hesitate to recommend the book to anyone interested in understanding more about the origin and effect of individual explanatory styles - including one's own - and what can be done to change them.



4. I found out that a) I am a pragmatic realist w/ an optimist's bent and b)if i choose to apply what I've read it can make a difference in my outlook and in everyday as well as professional problem solving.



5. This book tells how to be more optimistic and gives solid scientific reasons why depression is associated with feelings of helplessness. In my search to achieve a more positive and productive life I have read many self-help books. Most are theories devoid of any compelling scientific rationale. Once you are exposed to the ideas in Learned Optimism you find them so rational that they become second nature. I knew of cognitive therapy but never the research that preceded it. I find that knowing the research behind the theory makes the mechanics of cognitive therapy totally intuitive.
   
   Don't be put-off by the tests that comprise chapters three and four. These are useful, scientifically proven tests that have little in common with the tests that litter the average self-help book.
   
   If there are any flaws in this book it may be the overuse of dialogs demonstrating how to learn to be an optimist. These are useful for those not familiar with cognitive therapy but I found them a bit repetitive.

5 comments about Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spirit Every Day of the Year.

1. I have been in 12 Step recovery for most of my life and do a lot of reading on a wide variety of spiritual books by people like Eckhart Tolle and the Dalai Lama and love the essence of Christianity and Buddhism which is forgiveness and kindness. It's difficult to find a daily reader and meditation guide that synthesizes the best from the roots of spiritual beliefs but this little guide is a delight and surprise on a daily basis. It also talks about ego in a very understandable and approachable way (myself and many others have found that ego hates to be looked at and is the artful dodger!) I'm not totally into the Angel belief system when this comes up in the readings but put up with it because the rest is so great.
   Great daily reader and meditation guide!
   Frances H.



2. I read this book every day. It has been a part of my life for ten years. It has new and refreshing thoughts everyday of every year. It keeps me centered. I just purchased three new books to give to people I love. I know that when I am reading it each they are reading it also.
   
   It is the best book to help one working on spirituality that I have experienced. Thanks to my daughter-in-law I have had this gift for ten years.



3. I have been reading this book every day for about 12 years. Year after year, it is always a pleasure to read. I like the way Ms Borysenko draws from different faiths and spiritual paths. This book makes a great gift for someone you love. For daily mediation I also recommend Glimpse After Glimpse by Sogyal Rinpoche.



4. Pocket Full of Miracles in Paperback
   I have purchased this book many times, especially as gifts to my friends. They all rave about the contents and its effect on their spiritual growth. I love this book!!!!!



5. This is a fantastic book which draws from many religious and philosophical sources. I like both the seed thought for the day as well as the suggested action/activity.

2 comments about Reaching Your Potential: Personal and Professional Development.

1. Many people advocate life long learning and the process of reaching your full potential, but generally no one knows how to do that. This book is designed for individuals from middle school to retirement age and provides them with step by step assessments, worksheets and exercises to reach their potential.

   This book is broken down in five subject topics, and fifteen chapters to provide an easy systematic approach to personal and professional development. The five subject matters are: Developing Your Potential in Emotional, Intellectual, Physical and Social realms with the fifth unit entitled Developing Your Action Plan.

   This book has been wonderful in meeting the needs of four different educational and training areas. First as a personal self help book. Second as a textbook for a college level one-hour class entitled Professional Image Development offered through the Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. Third as an in-house book for career and personal growth seminars within private industry. And fourth, as a resource book, accessible to all employees, checked out from a Corporate Learning Center library.

   The book does not have religious growth. The authors state that religious growth is outside the realm of the book. This makes the book perfect for the diverse workforce and student population.

   The book does have a companion guide for instructors: Reaching Your Potential, an Instructor's Guide.




2. I'm mad as heck, I am going into my 5th week of school and I have yet to recieve my book or a response to the e-mail I sent letting the seller know of the situation. By the time you resolve this matter the semester will be over. I have to beg and borrow from students that don't care to share.The reason I order from Amazon is because of the great deals, a whole cheaper than the school book store when funds are low! It's a shame you get card number and you have my money just like that, but you make a error, and you move slower than molasses in the winter time to refund my money or the book. Whats up with that? :( Somebody needs to let me know what's up? This is unexceptable. SHOW ME THE MONEY!

5 comments about How to Love Your Retirement: Advice from Hundreds of Retirees (Hundreds of Heads Survival Guides).

1. A friend of mine is now at retirement age, but she is hesitant to retire because she doesn't know what she wants to do with herself when she stops working. To give her some ideas, I bought this book despite the criticism by a number of the other reviewers. My logic was that reading short blurbs about what others were doing with their retirement might give my friend some ideas.
   
   My friend read through some of this book and then never picked it up again. She found it boring and lacking in the insight that I had hoped it would deliver. However, my friend really liked How to Retire Happy: The 12 Most Important Decisions You Must Make Before You Retire by Stan Hinden. No, the Hinden book didn't give her any new ideas about what to do with herself, but it did help her to plan for the day that she does retire. If you are choosing between the books, based on my experience, I would recommend the Hinden book.



2. This is a fun book to read...would have been a little more interesting read with information placed amongst the testimonies but I enjoyed the book.



3. It was a birthday gift for a friend who is retiring. She loved the book!



4. I love giving this book to my "soon-to-be-retired" friends. It is a fun, informative, balanced look at the issues people face when they retire. I get tons of thanks everytime I give it to a friend.
   
   What I love about the book is that it does not take the topic so seriously that it scares the reader, and yet, is not too casual about serious issues that the reader will be facing.
   
   A great balance!



5. I gave this book to my dad and he LOVED it. It was a fun read that reminded him that he is not alone in dealing with retirement. He liked the sense of community that came with reading the book. I recommend it as a great gift for a newly retired person.

No comments about College Study: The Essential Ingredients (2nd Edition).

5 comments about Girls of Grace.

1. This is a great book! I am trying to start doing a quiet time with God every day, but it's hard. This book, though, is making it become much easier for me. It gives really good advice and helps with problems I'm having right now! Thanks, Point of Grace!!!



2. I loved this book! It discusses everything a girl my age worries about! After every chapter they have a little study guide that you can fill out. This book really helped me in my Christian Walk and I highly reccomend it!



3. The tell-it-as-it-is book, Girls of Grace, covers lots of topics that many girls would have questions about. Whether or not, you are a girl who believe, the book's take on topics like boys and friends are sensitive and sound. Also recommended books like this are: Gifted Girls Activities Guide, Let's Talk, and Beautiful.



4. I really enjoyed this book!! I am a christian girl and long to have a better relationship with GOd. THis book helped me do just that. I won't lie to you, they are long. If you have the time to read it and do the questions, it is really fun and well worth the while!!



5. My daughter is using this book to lead a devotional for middle school girls. She and the other girls seem to really like it. I have not read every page, but the topics seem relevant and appropriate. It is written by the singers of a popular Christian vocal group, so that makes it appealing for teenage girls.

5 comments about How to Spot a Dangerous Man Before You Get Involved.

1. I have been in counseling and 12 step programs but still didn't listen to my red flags or maybe I heard a whisper to buy this book. It helped me through my confusion over a man I was dating. The book explains red flags and having healthy boundries. It gives examples of 8 types of dangerous men. The book was full of a lot of new information for me and saved me a lot of grief. This is a reccomended read for anyone.



2. This book was recommended by my therapist because I tend to fall for the same type of dangerous man... It will be helpful to spot some of the danger signs before getting into a relationship. My now EX boyfriend was chapter 3 to a T. Very good read for those getting back on the dating scene not wanting to fall for the same thing over and over again. Good luck ladies!



3. When I first heard that some broad named Sandra Brown had written a book warning women about men like me, I freaked out. Who did she think she was, trying to take the wind out of my sails? One day when I was at Barnes and Noble, I flipped through a copy just to see how well she had me nailed down. It's lucky that I did! I ended up reading cover to cover. I cannot overstate how much of a help this book was in putting me two steps ahead again. I'd write more, but I have a date in like 20 minutes.



4. A seemingly little known phenomenon is that perpetrators of domestic violence (DV) can pick a former DV victim out of a crowd in seconds. They then court and woe their target, who is often totally unaware of the subtle nonverbal cues she has been groomed to give off. All too often, a woman escapes an abuser, only to discover she is involved with another on the opposite end of the spectrum. The information in this book empowers women to avoid this trap and others by teaching them what to look for, early on in a relationship, to determine whether it is healthy or not and break the cycle of dangerous relationships in their own lives. Many thanks to Ms. Brown for calling women to be accountable for their choices and giving them the insight & tools to do so effectively.



5. This is a great book but not as good as i expected it to be. I would recommend it for younger women and teenagers. I am 21 but I felt like there was very little that I've learned from it. I guess I already was aware of how to spot one, and most of the red flags or signs that are explained in the book I already was aware of. Women should never stop trusting their instincts.

5 comments about If the Buddha Got Stuck: A Handbook for Change on a Spiritual Path.

1. I am a Hard Core Christian go to Church every Sunday and Wednesday. I am active in Church group activities and do my duty to preach to others. However, after reading this book, I decided to become a Buddhist. I have NEVER EVER met Buddhist I did not like, unlike Christian world where people are all about ME ME ME, JESUS loves ME, you need to be like me......Buddhism teaches DEEPER inside of you, not some artificial, external hope and wish to make you feel better with ego. I wish USA was Buddhist Nation, then there will be no war.



2. Very inspiring and lots of little insight to help personal growth. I love it.



3. I love practical books on incorporating spirituality into our lives and Charlotte Kasl has done a wonderful job doing just that. It is very helpful in looking at ourselves and others and getting 'unstuck' when we do... not just for students of Buddhism.. loved it.



4. this book describes what it means to be stuck. this is a place in your life when you are unhappy with a situation, but stay in it without making required changes and find excuses for staying in that situation.Intresting topic for sure, but the strategies listed are okay. i didnt find them too useful. Infact I found radical acceptance so much more useful and new. this book recycles most of what you already know, like make space and be open to change. there is too many sub headings and she tries to cram too much information into the book, making it confusing and boring. i personally did not find the book useful and wish I hadn't got it.



5. Charlotte Kasl writing has always been is one of the most brilliant around. Practical, straightforward, useful to issues that we all face in life. If you have even half a brain you will find out where you are stuck, get in our in our world, and then do something you've never done before, (hopefully to help others or the environment) and then grow.

5 comments about The Greatest Secret of All: Moving Beyond Abundance to a Life of True Fulfillment.

1. This is one of the most inspiring and well written texts on the secrets of life I have ever read. It contains the essence of all great wisdom traditions - including how to live the life of our dreams AND create a world that works for all. I actively use these principles in my life and the effects are beyond what I had dared to expect. It is truly possible to live a life of ease, grace and fulfillment....



2. The Secret. Everyone seems to think that there is some sort of deeply hidden secret to being happy and living a good life. The truth is that there is no secret. The answer is simple, something that we learned as children and somehow forgot over the years.
   
   In The Greatest Secret of All, the author shares the story of his own personal journey. At thirty, he had a sudden realization that the life he was living did not at all resemble the life he wanted. He was unhappy, broke, and lost. We've all been there.
   
   However, instead of accepting his lot in life, the author decided he needed a change. Like most of us, at first he didn't know where to even start. Over time though, he created a working system of goal setting, affirmations, and the willingness to be open to the possibilities.
   
   The Greatest Secret of All is that we all can have a good life. We all deserve to be happy. Most importantly, that the power to fulfil these wishes is within each one of us.



3. Like stretching in the morning sun, Marc Allen's book is refreshingly simple to understand in an "easy and relaxed" manner. His insightful observations invite the reader to become more aware of what they are doing while thinking, breathing and being. He gives us the permission to ask for what we want. He reminds us that as we start to focus on that which brings us joy, we are automatically stirring up our subconscious doubts and fears.
   
   Rather than cave in to our inadequacy, he shows us how to "stay on track" by simply readjusting our attitude of worth and trusting our God-given intuition--similar to my own book, Forgiveness: The Divine Connection.
   
   I also enjoyed his soulful points which felt like elegant desserts beautifully arranged on a silver platter. Marc allows us to ask for God's love and support and helps us realize that this simple inquiry automatically creates the intention to receive abundance, joy, and success. A lovely gift for yourself to read over and over!



4. The Greatest Secret of All:
   
   Moving Beyond Abundance to a Life of True Fulfillment
   
   By Marc Allen
   
   ISBN 1-57731-619-3 (New World Library, 2007)
   
   With a clear explanation of "The Law of Attraction," we can turn our journey of self-discovery into an amazing adventure of cooperation with the world around us. There's nothing more inspirational than reading the words that come from the experience of success and failure. While reading Marc Allen's book I realized that manifesting happiness and inner peace is an important ingredient to lasting success for myself and the world around me.
   
   Rahasya Poe, Lotus Guide magazine ([...])



5. I have been reading law of attraction books for years (and years). They've been fun, and they've even been a bit helpful. But not until now did I really get it!
   
   "The secret of manifestation is not complicated. In fact, it is very simple... it appears too simple and too obvious. And we feel it should be more complex somehow. Or at least more original, not something we've heard many times before." From the book.
   
   In truth, it really is all that simple, and Marc goes into it step by step.
   
   Marc talks about his own personal experiences. He started out pretty much in a state of poverty at the age of 30! Within just a few years though he was a millionaire. No magic wand... no magical inheritance. Just practicing what he now preaches!
   
   He also talks about the exercises that he does, which are simple, because in his own words, "he's very lazy." He also points out that the exercises should be simple, because the subconscious mind needs to be able to accept them. If our subconscious can't accept what we are doing, it's not going to work for us.
   
   I find his style charming and endearing. He's friendly and to the point! Seriously too the point!! No fluff... no sparkly things... no vague promises. Just do the work. That's it!
   
   I LOVED this book, and am listening to the audio book right now for the second time.
   
   I would highly recommend "The Greatest Secret of All" to anyone and everyone who is looking not for a life of big homes and fancy cars, but rather for a life of true fulfillment and happiness.