5 comments about A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive.

1. This book was painful and disturbing to read. The author's point-of-view, which seems confusing at first, is absolutely the voice of an abused child. I am highly upset at those Amazon reviewers who questioned whether or not he was really an abused child. This is Dave Pelzer's view of his world as a child. The emotions are overdrawn and the situations outrageous and improbable because he is writing as an adult, trying to recreate the emotions he felt and what he lived through as a child.



2. The book was for my daughter. It arrived quickly and she didn't put it down until she was finished. Transaction went very smoothly.



3. It's hard to believe that anything like this can ever happen. I admire that Dave Pelzer came far enough to be able to write about this book and the horrors of child abuse. Violent, senseless, and powefully told.



4. I found this book to be very disturbing in many ways.
   First the shear horror of the acts inflicted on this child by a parent were too disturbing to complete.
   Second, the detail that is included in the book from the time this man was 5 or 6 until he was 12 or 13 is just a little too over the top for me to believe it is actually the memory of a small child.
   
   I am not denying that he was abused but I felt there was a little bit of embelishment from the adult writing.
   
   I could not finish the book nor am I interested in ready the rest of his writtings. I find it amazing that he can over come the abuse and become a whole person but it was just a little much for me



5. What a wonderful heartbreaking book. I read this book in one night. I tried to put it down after the chapter The Accident. I lay there in my bed and cannot stop my mind from wondering, what happened to this little boy. I had to finish it, that night. The next morning I ordered 3 more of David's books. 5 STAR BOOK

5 comments about The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything.

1. It's been a thought-provoking and interesting book so far. It asks a lot of questions of me that dig pretty deep into my thoughts and feelings - and motivations.
   
   Am I trustworthy? Do I have true, real honesty? Can I be relied upon? Do I surround myself with others who are trustworthy? Am I working on my ethics and honesty to be a better and happier person?
   
   Lots of things about ourselves totally hinge on trust. I had never looked at it from these points of view before. It's an interesting subject and one that I hope will help me get more out of life.
   
   I spend lot of time thinking about integrity and I don't think I do enough work to improve it in myself.
   
   Perhaps now is as good a time to do so as ever!



2. It's a very healthy, specific, adequate and thorough work.
   My psychological training has been more towards analysis, geshtalt and other therapeutic branches, but books like this one make me think more into cognitive-behavioral way, and for good. They make a lot of sence for sane individuals who are eager to work in order to improve their quality of life.
   And it IS easy to follow.



3. After I read this book, I gave it to the head of our department. He wants to meet to discuss using it in our department. Sorry I don't have time to write more.



4. This book is very applicable in every relationship that you have. Trust affects not only business, but also your personal relationships with your family and especially with your own self worth and self confidence. This is truly a profound book. It really goes hand-in-hand with another book I read called "The Book on Mind Management" by Dennis Deaton.



5. A friend and collegue called me from a, "Speed of Trust" workshop, and said that I had to read this book - it was so great. My friend is a decent writer himself, and I trust his judgement. However, he did not actually read the book. He attended the workshop. From that I conclude that the workshop and concepts are probably good, which is why I gave it three stars instead of two. Nevertheless, I could not get past the poor writing. I struggled through the first two chapters and had to set the book aside.

5 comments about The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book.

1. After reading this book I stopped drinking and smoking on the drop of a dime. Within several weeks I was a vegetarian. I have read "Conversations with God" that I loved, I read the "Celestine Prophecy" - so I have read several books in that genre. But I have never come across a book that packs this much of a spiritual punch. Did reading this book change my life? YES! People say that about books, but it is something else when it happens to you. This book has influenced my life more than any other book has. I can only say that the quality of your life will be improved after reading this book, it should be read again and again.



2. Ruiz has come up with four principles from ancient Toltec wisdom. If one adopts these four agreements, Ruiz argues, they will help bring a sense of peace and happiness to one's life. Generally the agreements sound reasonable enough: don't take things personally, say only good things about others, etc. So far, so good. But there's some serious theoretical problems that underlie Ruiz's plan. Ruiz seems to suggest that the self can determine the majority of one's experience outside of social context. He claims that society is composed of collective dreams. Even recognizing that Ruiz is infusing dreams with more importance than western culture generally does, it still strikes me that the message here is that if one has fortified one's spirit with these four principles, nothing anyone else says or does can strongly affect you. Maybe I'm too close-minded, but I just can't buy it. We all live in social and cultural worlds, and those worlds do shape our experience, whether we like it or not.



3. I have used this book over and over. It is an incredible resource and helps me to stay positive and focused no matter what life sends my way.



4. 
   I just finished this book today. My mentor suggested it to me after I had a serious breakdown due to coming to terms with the way my mother treated me as a child and continues to treat me and how that has affected the person I am today and my daily life. This book taught me how to start a life without those "lies" and "agreements" fed to me by my mother and how to turn everything in to love and freedom.



5. Excellent book with classic ideals explained in a very understandable manner.These are ideals we have all heard before, in various different presentations. This one make sit easy to buy into an dhelps explain alot of out own issues. A very helpful self help book!!
   Transaction was smooth and value was great.

5 comments about The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness.

1. I was actually led to seek out information on meditation as a treatment for depression through a book called Surviving America's Depression Epidemic by psychologist Bruce E. Levine. That book takes a highly insightful approach to investigating the sociological and personal genesis for depression and I credit it for saving me from succumbing to this condition. Afterwards, I bought "The Mindful Way through Depression" to supplement Levine's more brief explanation of meditation as a therapeutic modality.
   
   Three psychologists - J. Mark G. Williams, John D. Teasdale and Zindel V. Segal began investigating why it was that people who became depressed once would experience constant relapse even after treatment. They eventually were led to the work being done by Jon Kabat-Zinn who had been researching the benefits of meditation at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
   
   The approach they eventually created is called Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (or MBCT), which begins with the understanding of human psychology branching out of the Buddhist contemplative traditions of ancient India. This understanding of reality is then applied to findings of Western cognitive-behavioral therapy. Despite its Buddhist influences, the practice is completely secular. There is no mention of Buddhist concepts such as anatta, dharma or nirvana but the essence of the contemplative traditions is still present. The meditations in the book and on the CD are focused on experiencing the present moment as it unfolds here and now. This is what is meant by mindfulness.
   
   Some of the reviews on this page mention "curing" depression. Yet, like Dr. Levine, the authors of this book redefine depression - not as some inherent chemical or genetic fault that needs to be eradicated with psychotropic drugs - but as a habitual reaction towards our unpleasant feelings. Taking a poignant insight from Buddhist philosophy, the authors realized that much of our suffering is due to an aversion towards our own unpleasant feelings. (Note: Depression is NOT unpleasant emotions themselves. Negative feelings - sadness, fear, anger, anxiety, etc. - are benign in and of themselves. It is a pattern of reactions towards these feelings that is the depression.)
   
   Feelings - both the pleasant and unpleasant - are important messengers which contain vital information about whowe are and the state of our lives. However, when depressed, we often become paralyzed by our unwillingness to be with our fear, sadness, anger, anxiety, etc. This initial aversion cycles into depression in a complex interplay between our emotions, thoughts and behaviors. This is why we often find ourselves sinking deeper into depression the more we try to "think" our way out or just "snap out of it." At worst, these attempts only serve to further estrange us from our emotions or cause us to start ruminating, cementing our depressed thoughts. At best, they serve only as a cosmetic and temporary solution.
   
   I was happy to discover that MBCT addresses some of the shortcomings of traditional CBT that Levine criticizes in his book. CBT has a preoccupation with thoughts specifically - neglecting the nuanced relationship between our external circumstances, our emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Likewise, I found CBT tends to be exhausting. Who can stand to analyze their thoughts constantly, especially when they don't have an understanding of where those thoughts are coming from to begin with? The mindfulness practices in this book place thoughts in the wider context of life itself and bring us out of our own heads. The "Body Scan" that begins the CD is an excellent way of bringing one into the entirety of the body and opening to the physical, sensory experiences most of us have come to ignore.
   
   Eventually, what these practices serve to do is awaken one to the true nature of living. Depression itself can be seen for what it is - a pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviors - that we eventually learn to transcend. If you are currently depressed, this may all sound highly dubious. I myself was skeptical at first. But, having nothing to lose, I read through the book, practiced the meditations as described and suspended judgment for the eight weeks recommended by the authors. Within the first two weeks, it started making more sense. I felt I was living more "in the moment." When depressed, our days often feel monochromatic - everything runs together in a big jumble of anxiety, numbness, inaction, etc. Weeks go by and we feel like we haven't actually LIVED through them.
   
   Mindfulness completely transformed this familiar experience for me. My days feel longer and more varied. I started noticing tiny details like where I hold tension in the body, when I needlessly and repetitively feed anxieties with negative thoughts, and started to notice things in the world around me more. Many people construe "curing" depression with banishing all unpleasant emotions. However, this is neither possible nor desirable. These sorts of emotions will always arise. However, the aim is to learn to be open to them instead of becoming overwhelmed by them. I can't really explain exactly how different this feels, but it felt like being a child again: awakening to the newness of each and every moment, as a child experiences the world, is really the heart of mindfulness.
   
   This book and CD would certainly do fine as a stand-alone if you are just interested in feeling better. The insights into the workings of the mind and emotion are remarkable and all supported by the latest research. The CD narrated by Kabat-Zinn is extremely helpful as well in setting up a regimented practice and commitment to yourself to get better. If, however, you are also interested in learning about depression as a cultural, sociological and historical phenomenon, I highly recommend Bruce Levine's "Surviving America's Depression Epidemic" which touches on many topics not dealt with here, including the role of schooling in teen depression, shyness or social phobia, abuse and neglect, the role of depression for artists and musicians and loss of community in modern-day society. Both are excellent books, however, that deal with different aspects of the same topic.



2. I feel very grateful to the authors of this book, having suffered from recurring bouts of depression over the past dozen years or so. For help, I tried several books on cognitive therapy and saw a few therapists who focused on this approach. But, each time, after initial improvement, I ended up in a mental boxing ring fighting with the same old repetitive, negative thoughts. I would try to substitute negative thoughts with more realistic ones, as cognitive therapy encourages, but I soon realized this process would go on endlessly, without any real change. As someone wrote in an earlier review, it was exhausting. It never seemed possible to me that depression could be dealt with at the level of thinking since habitually negative thinking is the main problem in depression!
   
   In "The Mindful Way through Depression," the authors really take the reader to a different level in handling negative, ruminative thoughts and their accompanying difficult feelings. I love the underlying theme of the book: that it's not the content of our thoughts that's important, but rather the present-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and surroundings. Emphasis is also placed on deeply accepting all of these sensations -- not running from them in fear or aversion, but approaching them with gentle awareness and curiosity and allowing them to be there. There's a huge freedom in this, but it takes perseverance.
   
   One point to note: I think it was wise of the authors to state at the book's outset that a person suffering from fairly severe depression should wait until he or she is on the mend before attempting to use the book. Personally, I think trying to do some of the exercises would be very difficult during a deep depression.
   
   Finally, while the book is completely non-secular and beneficial to anyone, it will probably be particularly appreciated by people already interested in areas such as mindfulness, yoga, meditation, and "Westernized" Buddhism.



3. I have used Mindfulness techniques with many clients in my private practice, but in the last couple of years have begun working with mentally ill inmates in a maximum security prison. These inmates are often depressed and feel out of control. I was looking for a way to help them understand their feelings and regain a sense of control over their circumstances. They have responded very positively and are applying the principles to their lives. We recently started a meditation time where they meditate at the same time of day even though they are in separate cells and not able to directly communicate with each other. This has been a powerful, positive experience for them. The book has been a hit with a very tough audience.



4. Before I start I just have to say that this book is FANTASTIC and is a really exciting step forward in the treatment of depression. At last - a non-drug approach to one of societies most overwhelming problems: Depression.
   
   As a person who has suffered from depression in the past and as a therapist, I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It told me all I needed to know about mindfulness and taught me the process in a very comprehensive yet easy to follow way.
   
   I had read several books on mindfulness by various authors before receiving this book. Compared against the others that I read, I found this one to be the most clear, so even if you do not suffer from depression, but are looking to learn mindfulness, this book could be just what you are looking for. The other bonus with this title is that it is not repetitive like similar titles I have read - it just tells you what you need to know.
   
   Some observations that I would make though are as follows.
   
   1. There were a few spelling and grammar mistakes throughout, however they didn't affect my `reading flow', so this should be an issue.
   2. The layout of the separate sections could have been better laid out. It shows you how to follow an 8 week program in the end of the last chapter. I would have liked to seen it laid out so that you read and practice a section at a time rather than learning everything before you start.
   3. There is a warning in a couple of places in the book that warn you not to us the program in is entirely now if you are experiencing an episode of clinical depression. This somewhat confused me as the title of the book is `The Mindful Way THROUGH Depression.
   4. The book comes with a CD... It was recorded using the voice of one of the authors, Jon Kabat Zinn. The meditation entitled `The Body Scan' seemed a little rushed. As a personal preference, I used an old CD that I had from Jon that was much better quality for me and worked well.
   
   These were the only negative things that I picked up and wanted to include them to make this review as balanced as possible. There were so many things right with this book though that the comments above are small concerns against all the things that you will get out of reading it.
   
   So in conclusion: this book is easy to follow, very inspirational and motivates you to learn mindfulness and overcome your depression. It is simply fantastic.
   
   Warmly,
   
   Richard MacKenzie
   Author of Self-Change Hypnosis



5. Not only did I like the tape, it was so inspiring. The shipping was within alloted times.

5 comments about Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated.

1. I think absolutely anyone could benefit from reading this book. It makes clear the link between our thoughts and our moods and gives concrete methods for conciously changing the thought patterns that lead to self-destructive feelings and actions. And unlike many self-help books, it isn't dry or preachy; it's easy to read and well worth the time. If you're depressed, PLEASE buy this book - it WILL help! If you're not depressed, buy this book - it WILL improve your life!



2. You do not have to suffer from full-blown depression to appreciate Dr. Burns insight into cognitive thoughts and how they affect your mood.
   This book addresses every aspect of feelings that drive negative thoughts about ourselves, guilt, anger, sadness, perfectionism. I had spent years reinforcing negative thoughts based on situations out of my control. This book lifted me to a level of awareness of this spiraling behavior and gave me the tools I needed to change it. This will be a book that you need to read, and apply. Remember, it took years to condition yourself to think negatively, give this book a chance to reverse that process! I have bought several copies and given them to friends who have benefited from it's read as a result of facing sad or negative situations.



3. Excellent read!! It doesn't matter how young or old you are this book can help you see yourself and life differently. It has helped me reflect on my beliefs and my life. What a true gift it has given me. It helps form a new way of thinking about negative thoughts and gives valuable strategies on how to use positive thoughts to really feel better about yourself. I highly recommend this book. If you are ready to view yourself honestly and are open to real life changes, than this book is for you.



4. When I began reading the book is was skeptical to try Dr. Burn's methods but I was also desperate. I have been dealing with anxiety and depression for a year and nothing was working. I started using the triple column technique every day, recording my distorted thoughts, identifying the cognitive distortions, and giving a rational response. After just a few weeks, I began to notice a reduction in my anxiety and I wasn't as depressed. Even though I have a long way to go, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. I truly believe in the techniques presented in this book. I did begin to lose interest in the last few chapters as they go into detail about medications and I stopped reading them. However, the book is still excellent and I know there's a great resource on medications whenever I need it.



5. Este comentario va en castellano porque su máxima utilidad es para lectores no usamericanos.
   
   El libro es bueno, muy bueno diria, pero el lector no usamericano debe hacer un trabajo constante para "desusamericanizarlo" pues el libro tiene muchas cosas que solo son razonables para alguien que tenga membresía en ese marco cultural.
   
   En resumen: en medio de bastante ruido cultural hay buena información de caracter bastante "universal".

5 comments about Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life.

1. Applying the principles in this book literally changed my life and healed so many relationships in my life. It's Biblically sound and focuses on enabling people to live the life that God intended.



2. I am sorely disappointed!!! It was not clear to me that I was getting a book that is about 1 inch by 1 inch. I don't order books often and didn't know that I needed to confirm it was full-sized. I wish it had been made more clear. I waited nearly two weeks for it to arrive and now I'm not sure I'll even be able to read it because it is so TINY!



3. From cover to cover Boundaries is a complete Christian handbook for discovering why God created boundaries and how to implement them into our lives. By following this guide many dysfunctional people will find a path to freedom and regain control of their lives. Boundaries are clearly defined in this book in all areas; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Using the steps in the book will bring new health to your relationships and lead to a walk of being the loving giving people God intended us to be. Having grown up in a dysfunctional family myself, I have to say that Boundaries is the icing on the cake of healing that God has served me and I will serve to others as well.



4. This book has helped me more in life than any other book that I have ever read. I will keep it forever and go back to it when I need to.



5. This is a wonderful book. I am doing the study along with the workbook. Wow! Have I learned a lot about what my Boundries are.
   I would recommend this book!

5 comments about The Definitive Book of Body Language.

1. This is quite an interesting book on Body Language and after reading it, it is hard not to try analyze either your own body language or others one. One particular good point about this book is that it has good illustrations. If you want to understand the body language of your couple you can fin a whole chapter in the book I Love You. Now What?: Falling in Love is a Mystery, Keeping It Isn'tk



2. I've found this book to be accurate in it's descriptions of gestures and postures and the attitudes they foster or perpetuate. The information as it applies to how a gesture cluster or posture means about the person adopting it are true. Solid from that aspect. The authors think rather highly of themselves, however, and make some pretty bold claims throughout the entire book. They actually make the statement in the beginning of the book that the world was daft of the knowledge of body language until their first book was published in the 70's! On top of the monstrous ego this book hauls around with it are some pretty far out speculations on where and how these gestures developed. The authors try to relate everything we do now as it has come about since the missing link's need for survival. To top it off the authors fancy themselves comedians of sorts. They weave in horrible jokes with the lists of meanings making the line between rest of the information and the lead-ins blurry.
   
   So if you feel you can wade through a sense of self-importance the size of Texas, brave bad jokes and wild evolutionary and psychological speculation then have at because the information is good after you wash it off with a grain of salt.



3. Body language is the key to first encounters. We all send secret signals and cues with our gestures and stances, sometimes even when we aren't aware we're doing so. But knowing what this "body lingo" means is not easy; for most of us, this nonverbal communication requires working in a language that's hard to understand. In The Definitive Book of Body Language, the authors pull from three decades of professional experience to teach a basic vocabulary of our expressions and gestures, in order for anyone to learn and understand them.
   
   Another book that has been a huge help to me in reading other people and understanding unspoken cues is The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book. It's also great because it comes with a code that lets you go online and test your emotional intelligence!



4. I've dipped into this volume rather than reading it from cover to cover. It is very entertaining. Turning this knowledge into responses or actions would take a lot of practise, but nice to have more ideas about how to communicate more effectively.



5. This book is great if you want to know what people are REALLY saying. I would recommend it to everyone.

4 comments about The Law of Attraction, Plain and Simple: Create the Extraordinary Life That You Deserve.

1. "The Law of Attraction is working at all times, regardless of your beliefs or your awareness of its presence. We are constantly attracting into our lives (whether deliberately or by default) what we are emitting into the universe." - From the book
   
   From What the Bleep!? to The Secret, Jack Canfield to Abraham, teachings on the Law of Attraction now permeates our modern culture. Thanks to TV hosts like Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres, and Larry King, the Law of Attraction is receiving media attention like never before.
   
   With the exception of authors like Michael Losier (Law of Attraction), it seems many teachers make the Law of Attraction more difficult (and outlandish) than it really is. Thankfully, Sonia Ricotti has written an accessible, sensible and practical guide to this universal law that works hand-in-hand with our soul contracts in her book The Law of Attraction Plain and Simple.
   
   Living up to its name, The Law of Attraction Plain and Simple is a 125-page hardcover book simplifying concepts of negative energy, positive energy, allowing, and shifting thoughts to attract your "greatest life".
   
   Take a page from Tony Robbins' decades-long approach, as well as Lynn Grabhorn and other teachers, Ricotti shares the eleven central steps to consciously activating the Law of Attraction including:
   
   * Deciding what you want
   * Removing meaning
   * Forgiveness
   * Gratitude
   
   Written in language that even a grade school student could grasp, The Law of Attraction Plan and Simple is an excellent introduction to this oft-hyped concept, bringing it down to the ground while at the same time encouraging readers to reach for the stars.
   
   I've used these principles in my own life and I KNOW they work, especially as you edit the meaning attached to events (and expectations), and go for a state of being/feeling rather than specific objects (although they may also be a part of your "greatest life"). I also love that Ricotti, a first time author, has the wisdom to emphasize the importance of personal VALUES in terms of the Law of Attraction.
   
   The important idea of personal values influencing what we decide to attract, and what we determine we want to allow, is often overlooked in books on the LofA (except for Peggy McColl's books), but not in this one. In fact, Ricotti provides SIX pages of two-column lists offering a variety of core values to choose from.
   
   For example, what I may value you may not and vice versa. I may value privacy and quietude while you may value community and teamwork. I may value risk-taking and creativity, while you value security and diligence. Thus, the Law of Attraction may be universal in how it's applied, but it's unique in manifestation based on ascertaining our values (so many don't even KNOW what they value!), making decisions, allowing, and our soul lessons (something not covered by Ricotti, but discussed in Transforming Fate into Destiny by Robert Ohotto).
   
   If you or someone you know would like to discover what your core values are, as well as learn what this "law of attraction stuff" is all about, The Law of Attraction Plain and Simple by Sonia Ricotti is a fine first step to get you on your way to creating deliberately and designing your own best life.
   
   (Note: to delve deeper into the truths shared by Ricotti, I recommend the two books Your Destiny Switch and 21 Distinction of Wealth, both by Peggy McColl. To know more about how pre-incarnation soul contracts factor into the Law of Attraction--including the LoA's limitations--read Transforming Fate into Destiny by Robert Ohotto.)
   
   -- Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book



2. Just like the book, I will keep this plain and simple. If you are confused about the law of attraction or how these principles work in your life and business, buy this book. Don't resist. Just get it :)



3. I have had the opportunity to read numerous books on the Law of Attraction, and I can honestly say that Sonia Ricotti's book stands out as being one of the very best. It is written in a manner that allows the reader to quickly grasp the concepts and then go off to apply them in their own lives. Highly practical, humorous and engaging, this is surely a bestseller that everyone should be adding to their bookshelf. It is also an amazing, perfect gift for introducing the topic to friends, family and loved ones, who can benefit from the advice too.



4. Thank you Sonia - I get it now... I really get it!
   
   Danielle

5 comments about Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself.

1. Codependent No More is a 'must read' for anyone who has been searching for positive and meaningful growth within themselves. I feel like a thousand pounds have been lifted off my shoulders; I feel a sense of peace within myself that I've never felt before. Other book about relationship with your couple to don't be wrong or dependent, living your own life instead of control your significant other is:I Love You. Now What?: Falling in Love is a Mystery, Keeping It Isn't



2. This book is a must-read for anyone who has struggled with self-esteem brought on by the abuse of others.



3. The author talks directly to you as you read and as a reader you are able to grasp so much helpful information. . I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for help with co-dependency and I also recommend for a perfect relationship I Love You. Now What?: Falling in Love is a Mystery, Keeping It Isn't



4. This book is a sanity saver. There are some inspirational things to take away from reading it. Beattie injects her own life story into this self-help book. Coupled with her other books, it makes for reflective and well written advice.



5. I haven't finished reading it yet but just by reading introduction and couple of chapters, I knew that book was what I was searching for... It is just what I need to get through difficult time...

5 comments about Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.

1. In Blink, Malcolm Gladwell (a journalist who also wrote The Tipping Point) examines the process of snap decision making. He suggests that we are wrong in thinking that we make decisions rationally by absorbing extensive information and experience. In the end we make decisions unconsciously and essentially instantly. This works great for most decisions because we learn to "thin-slice"-that is, to ignore extraneous input and concentrate on one or two cues. Sometimes, we don't even consciously know what these cues are, as in Gladwell's anecdote about a tennis coach who can predict when a player is going to make a rare sort of error but doesn't know how he knows. The book also explores how this process can go horribly wrong, as in the Amadou Diallo shooting. Gladwell gets the science facts right and has the journalistic skills to make them utterly engrossing.
   
   I'm a rabid fan of these "how it all works" type of psychology books. Two others I fell in love with recently are The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book and The Impulse Factor: Why Some of Us Play It Safe and Others Risk It All



2. Let me start by saying that each chapter in the book is very interesting, easy to read and engaging. A real page turner from this point of view.
   
   Now, having said that, as a whole I couldn't see what was the author getting at through the book. The book starts with the premise that some people can make a snap decision about something and be right, which is interesting. But then, the book goes into chapter after chapter of examples on exemptions to this. Which at the end feels like the original premise is completely false. The only conclusion I could get is that some expert in something might be able to make a quick decision and be right, which is mostly chance alone.
   
   So in essence I found this book to be mostly unimportant.



3. "Blink" almost instantly made it to my shelf of favorite books of all time. I won't go into a detailed description of Gladwell's theory of thin-slicing, as other reviewers have already done this in all the detail you need to know before you decide to purchase this book (which I highly recommend you do) Instead, I'll tell you what I took away from "Blink", and why I think it's such an important read.
   
   "Blink" is more than just a series of entertaining anecdotes that support his theory. It is a book of lessons that provide insight into our minds, and the minds of those around us. Armed with this knowledge, we are better prepared to not only understand our own decision-making process, but to see, for a blink of an eye, what others are seeing when they make decisions about us. Many of the experiments and studies he describes contain information that can be directly applied to one's life.
   
   A good example of this is the study done in Germany that turns our idea of `feeling happy' on its head. While everyone knows that when you're happy, you smile, a team of German scientists found that it works in reverse as well. The simple act of smiling improves your mood. One could just take this interesting factoid and store it in the lumber room of your mind along with all the other trivia. I chose to make it relevant. I can't tell you how many times it's happened since reading this book that I felt angry, frustrated, impatient, or irritated in some way, and then turned my mood around just by forcing myself to smile for a little bit.
   
   Another sub-chapter of the book ("Arguing with a Dog") describes what Gladwell calls "temporary autism", a kind of mind-blindness that occurs when one is excited or stressed to the point that the heart rate rises above 145. I found this chapter very helpful in understanding the physiological process, as my work often requires me to deal with very stressed out people. (It helped with some easily excitable friends too!)
   
   The sub-chapter titled `The Storytelling Problem", which detailed the vast difference between what people say they want in a mate and what they are in fact attracted to, made me feel a lot better after reading it. After years of hearing women describe their "perfect man" to me, and then seeing them fall for a perfect jerk instead, I've gotten more than a little frustrated. But now I know there is a psychological reason for this insanity. I wish I could make every single woman in the country read this chapter (or at least the single women in my city!) On a similar note, I wish I could make everyone read the chapter called "The Warren G. Harding Error", which details the power of looks and our subconscious predilection for "tall, dark, and handsome" men. This chapter is especially relevant in an election year, when we are looking at our two candidates and judging them. Do we really know upon what basis we are judging? Are TRULY picking the best man for the job, or are we voting on who has made the more "presidential" first impression? As much as most people won't admit that race plays any part in their vote, mightn't it anyway, even among those people who truly DO deplore racism? Do we like a candidate because of what he or she truly stands for, or are we voting for them because they smile more often, or joke more often, or were wearing our favorite color the first time we saw them? One section of the book even describes how people can be "primed", subtly influenced to think and behave differently, at least in the short term. Are we, as voters, being "primed" by the various media? I think these are all very valid and relevant questions we need to ask ourselves.
   
   This is what I took away from "Blink"- a deeper understanding of the decision-making process, and what factors assist or subvert it. "Paul Van Riper's Big Victory" is a portrait of a decision-making model that works. "Pepsi's Challenge" describes a situation where thin-slicing doesn't work out. "The Chair of Death" describes an interesting hiccup in the thin-slicing process, where peoples' initial reaction can be negative, not because something is genuinely bad, but simply because it is unfamiliar. And "Blink in Black and White", which not only relates the problem of automatic subconscious racial stereotyping (even of ones OWN race) but supplies a test you can do yourself, was nothing less than chilling.
   
   OK, Gladwell is a writer, not a scientist. If you're looking for an airtight theory complete with control group testing and a detailed analysis of every possible permutation of the concept, go read a scientific journal. And, as another reviewer pointed out, he does tend to end his books with a thud rather than a conclusion. Nonetheless, I think this should be required reading in every American high school. The idea is that compelling, and the issues involved are that important.



4. Gladwell (intuition/"thin-slicing"), Coleman (emotional intelligence/"limbic high-jacking"), De Bono (lateral thinking/"water logic")... Brains within brains... Thinking without thinking... Thinking about thinking... The states of non-duality and no-mind of not thinking at all and just being...
   
   The lotus of consciousness is still flowering, it seems... The pollen of popularization is still spreading across the printing presses... And we, the readers, violently sneeze out the allergies of oblivion as we thumb through the pages of these operating manuals for our consciousness...
   
   Excuse the late-night reviewing poetics. Seriously: be glad Gladwell writes so well - intuiton is no simple subject matter to "thin-slice."
   
   
   Pavel Somov, Ph.D., Author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, Nov. 2008)



5. The book is based on an interesting premise and the writing style is very easy to read, it really sucks you in. I personally REALLY like Malcolm Gladwell's books/lectures/ideas -- he's defeinitely one of my favorites.
   
   Note that after reading this book I'm not convinced that I completely agree with the fundamental arguement it's trying to make. I also didn't like it as much as Gladwell's previous book, Tipping Point. But, I don't want to sound overly critical. What I consider high quality writing isn't based upon whether or not I agree with the arguement the author is trying to make. The ideas are unique and creative and that alone is basis enough for me to give this book four stars. One last note is that you might want to look at the rebuttal to this book titled Think! (I have not read it but if you find Blink interesting you would probably also like Think!).