5 comments about The Secret of Letting Go.

1. This is the most horrific self-help book I have ever ran across. The writing style is difficult to even read. Seemingly insiteful sentences and paragraphs are nothing but gibberish. It is like listening to a bhuddist monk that has had way too much to drink. There is no logic in the progression, interjections and points seem tangential. The stories he uses as analogy are pointless, far-fetched, and nonsensical. I kept returning to the book in the hopes that it would start making sense, or even become readable, and I made a concerted effort to 'stay with it', but eventually just tossed it into the Goodwill pile, saying 'enough is enough'.



2. This Book has been a Miracle for myself and so many of my loved ones.
   
   It provides the One Answer that will always change your inner (spiritual) conditions for the better. You can always Let Go, and let silence show you a new life without it.
   
   In a world of Hype, Pop-Psychology, and Spiritual Sensationalism, It is a breath of fresh air.
   
   If you are tired of Spiritual Entertainment, Promises and Crowd-Pleasing Hypnosis - This book teaches you how not waste your life, and also how to Work. Spiritually. Productively.
   
   I hope you are one of the lucky ones, that is starting to suspect that the real "secret" is to not NEED any form of control, to be at peace with your life.
   
   Everything else that can come, will come, naturally.
   
   I wish you good fortune on your true path. Get started today.



3. It is soooo true: when we change the way we see the world, our world changes. SO VERY IMPORTANT to let go of all the self-limiting thoughts that hold us back from all the joy waiting for us. This book andLiving The Secret Everyday: My Secret Workbook show you how! Thank you.



4. I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend and I have not read it yet.



5. Guy Finley's strategies for coming into present time are so very welcome in these most turbulent economic times. He shows us how to identify and release fear and our false selves, those mental constructs that can keep us running in place, afraid to go forward while knowing there is no going back. His exercises show the reader how to make wanted changes.

1 comments about Five Good Minutes at Work: 100 Mindful Practices to Help You Relieve Stress & Bring Your Best to Work (Five Good Minutes).

1. This is a great little book to keep in your desk drawer at work. Both as a performance coach and an employer, I highly recommend putting a copy in your break room. In a fast-paced office, how better to use 5 minutes of an employee's time to help them get re-focused, re-energized and re-engaged? Give new meaning to taking a coffee break - using the time to refuel your whole self so you have more to give to the work in front of you.
   
   Not all of the situations may apply to everyone (I hope not!) - such as difficult coworkers and tyrannical bosses - but within the 100 mediations and exercises there is definitely something for everyone. A great little tool to decrease chaos and stress and increase fulfillment and productivity at work.
   
   Mollie Marti, Ph.D., J.D.
   Author, Selling: Powerful New Strategies for Sales Success

5 comments about You Can Be Happy No Matter What: Five Principles for Keeping Life in Perspective.

1. For many of us, happiness is a goal that we never seem to achieve. We closely examine our unhappiness and fret over all the issues in our lives. We know in our hearts and our very souls that if we can just earn a little more money, deal with a childhood trauma, or get married that we'll finally be happy. Unfortunately, once we succeed in these endeavors, a whole new set of issues appears and we find ourselves still unhappy.
   
   Life doesn't stop just because we read a self help book or decide to work on our issues. There is no secret formula that magically absolves a person from facing the challenges that we all experience. The ups and downs of everyday life will always be there. However, you can choose how you feel about yourself and your life. You can see problems as defining you as a failure or as a bad person or you can see them as merely a natural part of life. You can try to make your child act just the way you want or nag at your husband because he's not perfect or you can get some perspective and see that these little things aren't all that important in the scope of your love and happiness.
   
   Perhaps, the most important thing I gained from You Can Be Happy No Matter What is the importance of taking time out. Like most human beings, when I'm in a low mood, the world seems darker and my problems more difficult. In the past, I thought that I had to solve these issues as they came up. As the author states though, real problems won't disappear when you are feeling more yourself. Little irritants that don't really matter will simply fall away. Then, you can work on your real problems and actually have a clear mind to do so.



2. A basic concept of life changing significance explained in simple terms by the author. A forehead thumping wake up call for seekers of truth and the narrow path. With this book in hand, you have a chance to help yourself to experience life at a higher level.



3. I read this book about 10 years ago and applied his principles as much as I could. I found that I was able to be a lot happier by setting aside unpleasant thoughts and feelings. I was able to get in the habit of postponing problem solving till I was in a good mood. So I was able to implement the changes in this book, and it helped me feel better, but I believe it harmed me in the long run.
   
   I became so good at ignoring unpleasant thoughts that I became intolerant of any unpleasant feelings, and the thoughts that caused them. I became unable to solve problems, because I couldn't tolerate thinking about the problems and the bad mood that came with it. If you stop thinking about difficult things, you stop growing, and before you know it, 10 years have gone by and your stunted growth starts to show.
   
   I think my situation was comparable to what AA calls the "Dry drunk". A dry drunk is someone who no longer uses alcohol to numb the pain, but still runs from pain in other ways. This book taught me how to avoid pain as effectively as any alcoholic can, and without the expense, legal problems, and physical addiction that come with substance abuse, but with the same stunted growth that a long-time addict faces when he's in recovery.
   Thanks for listening. Your mileage may vary.



4. If you're a fan of Richard Carlson, then you'll appreciate this book about everyday happiness.
   
   It's focused on relationships, but it relates our approach and attitude towards other people to how we can increase our everyday happiness. As usual, it's written in a casual, easy-read manner.
   
   Great to roadtrips or bedside table read!



5. As we all try to find ways to be happy in our daily lives, this book can help you achieve that. Most of what he's written are all cliches and things you are already aware of and know about. Its still a good read and addition to my collection.

5 comments about Five Simple Steps to Emotional Healing: The Last Self-Help Book You Will Ever Need.

1. I've been using energy tapping for several years. I went through two of Gary Craig's courses, then began buying books on the subject for further (and different) information. Gloria Arenson's book is simply the best. The reviews here cover most of what I was going to say, so I'll just add a paragraph.
   
   First, the author lays eveything out in a clear, friendly, useful way. Second, she gives helpful examples instead of miraculous case histories. Third, she makes difficult exercises palatable. For instance, I have a hard time sincerely declaring forgiveness for childhood abuse; it never feels honest. But Gloria Arenson, in this neat little book, gives the option of saying something like "My happiness and well-being are no longer dependent on my mother's approval," which is much easier for me to say than "I understand my mother did the best she could with what she knew, so I forgive her."
   
   Little things like this make Five Simple Steps unique. If you're interested in energy tapping, buy it! I ordered a copy for my husband so we can each brightline our own favorite information.



2. Having purchased and watched the DVDs from Gary Craig regarding the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), I was curious as to whether Ms. Arenson's book would bring any additional insights into applying it; it certainly did. I particularly liked the large number of real-world examples that she cites. If you are interested in a highly practical book about applying EFT to address all sorts of issues, I highly recommend this one.



3. After reading this book I finally feel confident enough to use EFT, or "Meridian Therapy" as the author prefers to call it, by myself! The book lays out the process in a very clear, concise and friendly manner. This is accomplished in the first 50 or so pages. (For instance, the locations of the tapping points are shown more clearly than I've seen anywhere else.)
   
   The rest of the book provides more in-depth examples and case studies, to assist in making it even more easy to understand the process.
   
   This book gives you more than the method; it also boosts your self-confidence so you more easily get started on the journey. Very strongly recommended!



4. I'd just like to echo the positive reviews. The author explains different types of Meridian therapies (I started with Gary Craig's EFT) and simplifies the process. It helped me to make sense out of the concepts and methods. Highly recommended and does not take long to read.



5. The idea is tapping the energy centers on our body balances/removes the negative energy around us.
   
   So, you think of the problem you'd like to get rid of, say an opposing affirmation you'd like to neutralize it with, then tap/rub the energy centers, and heal it away.
   
   Well, try it. I did, I felt better right away. It's a nice skill to learn. Teach it to your kids, to your friends, family, it's easy and so simple to do.
   
   To do it on animals, just imagine being your pet, and do the same process as your pet.
   
   Best with your healings!

5 comments about Now, Discover Your Strengths.

1. This was required for a class I was taking in college to get my EdS degree, but it was one of the best books I read in the program. This book helps people discover their own strengths and encourages them to accentuate those strengths while trying not to focus on any weaknesses. It's a great self-help book that I'm glad I had to read because it truly enhanced my life.



2. Fantastic book as an individual read or as a team in the work environment. Easy to read and understand and at the end you have the results of the Strengths Finder Survey and a concrete set of steps to help you begin assessing your current work and personal decisions so they "play to your Strengths" Every Manager should have their team read this and share their strengths.



3. I bought this book NEW at a bookstore that was going out of business.
   
   I was really enjoying reading it until I got to Chapter 3, which directs you to go online and take their StrengthsFinder test using the "unique" code on the jacket of the book.
   
   I was disgusted to learn that someone has already used the code (or so I am told by the FAQ on the site). Then I realized that this entire book, which reads remarkably fast and could probably be condensed down to 50 pages, is just a tool to get people to go to the site and "upgrade" to the latest version of the online test. How can you do that? Can you buy access separately? Nope. You HAVE to buy a book to get a code. And of course, when you get your book there's no way to ensure that someone hasn't already peeked inside the jacket and grabbed the code.
   
   At least I paid a discount price for the book, but I'm not really interested in reading any further, nor in buying their latest "upgraded" book.
   
   What a fantastic marketing tool to ensure that lending or selling the book is useless. When I say "marketing tool," I'm referring to the person behind this debacle.



4. This a good book if you want to rethink what you are doing with your life. Stephen Covey integrates some of this kind of thinking in the Eight Habits.
   
   Share this with your kids in high school, and definitely before they head off to college.
   
   Dave



5. In an ocean full of bigger fish it can be difficult to stop living on the offense and consider our own strengths. How will you stand out amongst the other 200 people at that job interview if you yourself have no idea what your strengths are? And if you don't know what you are good at, are you applying for the best job for yourself in the first place?
   
   `Now Discover Your Strengths' is the follow up to Buckingham's previous book `Break all the Rules'. This book focused on identifying and using your natural talents. Rather than working on overcoming weakness, which serves to create focus on what we are not good at, `Now Discover Your Strengths' teaches us to work on our strengths. In fact, to build our lives around them.
   Once your strengths are identified it becomes much easier to find a fulfilling career that will continue to last - after all, you'll be doing something you're good at!
   
   Danny Iny
   Author of the free eBook "Forget Everything You Know About Looking For a Job... And Actually Find One!"
   HuntingToHired, www.HuntingToHired.com

5 comments about Regaining Your Self: Breaking Free From the Eating Disorder Identity: A Bold New Approach.

1. Ira Sacker's approach to treating eating disorders is indeed a bold new one. His refreshing approach known as PIRT (Personal Interactive Rational Therapy) takes the focus away from the food and the eating and shines the spotlight where it is most needed--on the individual's path of self-discovery. PIRT transcends traditional approaches to treating eating disorders as it provides the client the safety, space, and support to discover her own identity, independent of the confines of her eating disorder.
   
   This book presents a comprehensive overview of eating disorders in such a compelling, fascinating, and illuminating way. Ira demystifies the lure of eating disorders by explaining how they can serve as ways (albeit unhealthy ones) to help individuals relieve their anxiety, while also giving them a sense of identity. His therapy focuses on helping the individual redefine themselves in terms of their passions and interests--and not by their body shape and weight.
   
   Regaining Your Self is filled with compassion and understanding for those suffering from eating disorders. Ira stresses that effective treatment is one that respects the individual's difficult journey of giving up the eating disorder identity and replacing it with their newly discovered personal identity. This journey is beautifully summarized in a quote by Anais Nin that appears in the final chapter of the book:
   "...and the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom..."



2. Dr Sacker has addressed the essence of eating disorders in "Regaining YourSelf". He has shown how the eating disorder is not about food or weight but rather about a lost, or more correctly, an undiscovered self. He has demonstrated by presenting the theoretical along with the personal how he has successfully touched the lives of numerous patients. This book is a valuable resource for the professional as well and for the patient and family members who would like to gain from Dr Sacker's years of success treating eating disorders.



3. Take an appearance-fixated society, add an individual with an obsessive personality, a dash of anxiety and a measure of perfectionism, and you have the perfect recipe for an eating disorder. Dr. Ira Sacker has been treating people with eating disorders for more than two decades and thoroughly understands the dynamics of this devastating condition. He's cooked up a compassionate, interactive therapeutic approach to healing that reaches past the boundaries of food, weight and calories. People suffering from eating disorders become their disease, focusing solely on it as their identity, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The author's premise is that the way to usurp this "eating disorder identity" is to develop a real, healthier identity based on discovering and pursuing your passions. If you or someone you know is battling an eating disorder, getAbstract suggests that you will find hopeful information in this book. It certainly serves up food for thought.



4. As a person who suffered from anorexia and bulimia in my younger years, I find Dr. Ira Sacker's book on eating disorders wonderful. It contains powerful information to help sufferers of eating disorders gain insight on their condition and heal themselves.
   
   According to the author one of the factors that trigger anorexia are the judgments that one has on oneself, the belief that one is "not" perfect and the quest for never attainable perfection. The persons afflicted with the disease are plagued with the idea that they are flawed and that life will only get better when they reach an ideal weight.
   
   This "cursed" way of thinking is not only symptomatic of people who suffer from an eating disorder. For me, what made all the difference was finding a place of acceptance of myself where I stopped working on myself and striving to reach unrealistic goals. The book Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation by Ariel and Shya Kane really supported me in discovering that place and transformed my life. The Kanes bring the message that we are perfect just the way we are and that if we can stop listening to those delusional conversations in our heads about our imperfections, life can transform instantaneously into an exciting adventure.
   
   If you are or have been suffering from an Eating Disorder and are looking to strengthen your ability to be yourself, experience satisfaction and live free of neurotic behavior, I urge you to look into the work of Ariel and Shya Kane (they have written 2 other books How To Create a Magical Relationship and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment). They bring a very real and instantaneous possibility for Healing that very few people have had the chance to experience.



5. I've struggled with an eating disorder (ED) for over 10 years now. Last year I was admitted to Remuda Ranch in AZ for inpatient treatment. Had I not gone doctor's say I would have died a week later. So, now I'm one year into recovery and realize it's an everyday, no, every minute battle. My mom saw this book advertised and bought it for me. I can relate to it so much it's really ridiculous! I'll be feeling one way that is so indescribable, then turn the page, and read my feelings word for word! When you are sick with an eating disorder, finding someone or anything to relate to is close to impossible. This book explains perfectly what someone with ED goes through before, during, and after treatment! I've told my family and friends that if they want to know me, they need to read this book. I'm so grateful for this book as it's given me a voice in the midst of the most horrifying battle I've ever faced.

2 comments about The Power of Coincidence: How Life Shows Us What We Need to Know.

1. Excellent! If you have had things happen in your life that seemed like a 'coincidence' read this and decide for yourself if you think it was a conincidence or sent to you and meant to happen.



2. if there were more stars, i'd give this more. and, if you look over my reviews, you know that i save the very highest ratings for the very best books that i've read. and, this is one of those great books that i come upon maybe once a year... the author writes a well grounded book, based upon principles of psychology and metaphysics. he is not one of those flaky writers. in fact, if you're anything like me, you find that it takes some real time to read this through. it is also likely to be a book, like ernest becker's of victor frankel's, that i read from time to time.

5 comments about Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self.

1. Very informative and valuable information in lucid dreaming. I have several years expereince and just did not know those were lucid dreams.
   Interesting read.



2. An excellent guided tour of lucid dreaming, ranging from the scientific to the paranormal. This is a magical book on dreams and should convert all the Muggles out there to the enchanting avocation of "wizard dreaming." Magic is another word for a childlike encounter with nature that we generally lose growing up; lucid dreaming can regain the essence of this feeling with our inner nature. I have been reading books on lucid dreaming since Celia Green's LUCID DREAMS in 1968, and now in 2008 the definitive guide to conscious dreaming has been written. Very highly recommended.



3. "Lucid Dreaming, Gateway to the Inner Self," by Robert Waggoner. Robert Waggoner guides you through his own personal learning experiences of over 30 years, as a trained psychologist, blazing a self-energizing path to enlightenment and advanced state of awareness. There is at least one additional chapter I would like to see Waggoner add to this easy-to-read page turner, the impact of the internet. The advent of the internet enables the most esoteric dream images and experiences to now be field-tested against our collective reality and knowledge base by the individual, as soon as one wakes up. The result of field-testing through the internet leads quickly to the transformational profound discovery that factual information that exists in our reality is knowable and instantly attainable merely through seeking it. The mass experience of internet confirmation of places, ideas, theories, and concepts holds the potential to quickly alter a species into an entire new level of consciousness and understanding.
   
   Expect much more from Robert Waggoner's generous and giving spirit in which he writes. His easy to read writing style focuses on reader understanding. I'm hooked.
   
   All my physicists and scientists friends are encouraged to read his Chapter 12 with an open mind. Page 153, Waggoner quotes a passage from Jane Roberts in her 1977 book, " The `Unknown' Reality " as Waggoner discusses discoveries made by scientists from many fields through their focused lucid dream explorations in which they set about to find scientific answers to frontier level questions of science through the lucid dream experience:
   
   The trouble is that many in the sciences do not comprehend that there is an inner reality. It is not only as valid as the exterior one, but it is the origin for it. It is the world that offers you answers, solutions, and would reveal many of the blueprints that exist behind the world of your experience.
   
   The true art of dreaming is a science long forgotten by your world. Such an art, pursued, trains the mind in a new kind of consciousness - one that is equally at home in either existence, well-grounded and secure in each. Almost anyone can become a satisfied and productive amateur in this art-science; but its true fulfillment takes years of training, a strong sense of purpose, and a dedication - as does any true vocation.
   
   
   To some extent, a natural talent is a prerequisite for such a true dream-art scientist. A sense of daring, exploration, independence, and spontaneity is required. Such a work is a joy. There are some such people who are quite unrecognized by your societies, because the particular gifts involved are given zero priority. But the talent still exists...
   
   A practitioner of this ancient art learns first of all how to become conscious in normal terms, while in the sleep state...
   
   
   The true scientists understands that he must probe the interior and not the exterior universe; he will comprehend that he cannot isolate himself for a reality of which he is necessarily a part, and that to do so presents at best a distorted picture. In quite true terms, your dreams and the trees outside of your windows have a common denominator: they both spring from the withinness of consciousness."



4. As another reviewer here has suggested, this is the book 2008 has been waiting for in the field of lucid dreaming. Created with the high level of intelligence and pioneering quality that I'm sure many lucid dreamers have been waiting for, this remarkable book may serve as a point of reference for those eager to pursue the unknown that patiently lies in waiting just beyond our mundane awareness. The well-structured ideas presented here serve to act as a powerful and solid foundation for onieronauts of the future to explore and expand upon, bringing back to physical reality precious insights which seek to revolutionise current views of reality/dreams/mental phenomena etc.
   
   Especially intriguing is the topic of Mutual Dreaming where 2 or more lucid dreamers design a perceptual experiment involving a predetermined co-operation within a similar dream context, in order to confirm the veracity of the experience as a shared consensus reality. The possible ramifications of future research in this particular field of endeavour will be astonishing for many to witness in times to come.
   
   Thank you Robert. Looking forward with great anticipation to further stimulating books from you in the future!



5. The other reviewers who have given this book five stars have said it all--this is well-written, informative, and most of all, breathes an air of integrity. I had the privilege of meeting Robert Waggoner ("Dream Bob") at a conference in Denver in September, and he is a down-to-earth, low-key and very Midwestern type of guy. The book not only covers all aspects of lucid dreaming (except maybe nutritional supplements, though he mentions these briefly) but is a remarkably honest and straightforward account of his own adventures as a lucid dreamer. If you're interested in the topic, you should buy the book.

5 comments about Recovery of Your Inner Child: The Highly Acclaimed Method for Liberating Your Inner Self.

1. If you are trying to find out where to begin your search for your inner child this is a good place to start. There are a number of excercises written in plain english that you can do alone, or share with your therapist.



2. This book has Art Therapy exercises and dialog exercises with your inner child (who can be playful, vulnerable, angry, etc). For instance you might be instructed to ask your inner child a question by writing it with your dominant hand. Then you answer the question with your nondominant hand (e.g. for many of us our left hand that we don't usually write with). There are also exercises that involve your internalized Parent (nuruturing, protective, critical, etc.)

   The exercises seem to be a blend of Art Therapy, Transactional Analysis and Gestault Experiments. As such the exercises can be somewhat risky since they bring up intense feelings. I wouldn't use some of these except under a therapist's supervision.

   However, this book seem VERY useful for adding to the tools of a practicing therapist.




3. This is one of the best books I've read on how to discover your inner child. It has many excercises to use to "talk" to your inner child. It showed me how to have a first hand experience with my inner child...and to actually feel the emotions. By writting and drawing with my non-dominant hand, I could actually have conversations with my inner child. I learned a lot about who my inner child was, the way she was feeling and how to make her feel happier and safer! The book stirs up many emotions that were buried for years, thus, helping me become healthier! One of the best self-help tools I have ever used!!



4. In response to other reviews here, I would agree that the emotions which can come up under the aegis of these methods might be too intense for readers with absolutely no grounding in self examination at all. People who need therapy first and foremost will not get therapy just by reading this - or any other book - and they should get a good referral and go do that. But those who are indeed ready, willing and able to undertake their own self examination will find so much that is useful and eye opening here, it seems a shame to dissuade anyone from working with this book and these methods. Therapists and their clients should welcome this as an opportunity to dive more deeply, quickly and thoroughly into the healing process. Capacchione's work is really brilliant.
   
   I have previously worked with her Visioning book and really love that and have reviewed it as well. It can be said perhaps that just as that book shows us how to look to our future, the Inner Child work developed here shows us how to understand our past. Under careful guidance, the reader is walked through and encouraged to interact with an array of internal figures who compete to shape our reality, whether we realize it or not. The reader gets an opportunity to examine past patterns and see how this is related to conflicting internal needs for support, protection, vulnerability, self expression, survival and so on. The reader then re-directs this internal pantheon to a more harmonious, healing and supportive dynamic, allowing one to release old material and perhaps to discern with fresh eyes how such old patterns may be playing out in the present. It is so much better to see things for how they really are, rather than through the veil of past dramas which continually reassert themselves through our unconscious until we are able to heal ourselves from these burdens. This book gives one the opportunity to put that old material to rest, to truly love oneself rather than looking to the outside world to supply what we can truly only find from within and to move into a new phase of renewal, creativity and healthy relationship.
   
   I can not say enough to praise this and other books by Capacchione.



5. Once I began working with this book, I purchased it as a gift for a friend of mine. If I could afford to, I would buy one for everyone I loved. There is much healing as a result of connecting with our Inner Child, in a creative, fun, entertaining, self-loving way. This book, is that way... I continue to enjoy working with it. I ALWAYS feel genuinely connected to my True Self when I do the exercises.

5 comments about You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought (The Life 101 Series).

1. I got this book from the library during a very low point in my life. I didn't really have any faith that it would help, but I was desperate. As it turns out, I was pleasantly surprised by how much better I felt after reading it.
   
   McWilliams does sometimes employ overused pep-talk truisms and occasionally plugs one of his other books (he's written many), but every time I was tempted to put the book down, the next paragraph would keep me reading. Soon I was noting down passages nearly every other page, and in the end, after wanting to copy the whole last chapter, I decided to buy the book so I could dip into it the next time I was feeling down.
   
   In my opinion, the book is saved from its minor flaws by the extremely easy to read format (short chapters, a large-font quote every few pages) and the author's wry tone and practical advice; he knows positive thinking is hard for some of us some of the time - as a cancer survivor, he's been there - but he encourages the reader to take responsibility for his or her attitude and come out stronger on the other side.
   
   Part comic, part persuader, part tough-love coach, McWilliams doesn't produce a flawless book here, but it IS well worth reading.



2. There is a ton of inspiration, plus humor and wit, packed into these 500-plus pages. Author Peter McWilliams, writes in the introduction "This is not a book just for people with life-threatening illnesses. It's a book for anyone afflicted with one of the primary diseases of our time: negative thinking."
   Although published in 1995, the message is timeless. The quotes by famous people that are scattered throughout the book, are thought-provoking and uplifting. "There is no failure except in no longer trying."- Elbert Hubbard. "A man needs a purpose for real health."-Sherwood Anderson.
   "Do what you can, with what you have, with where you are."- Theodore Roosevelt. "Most of the time we think we're sick, it's all in the mind."- Thomas Wolfe.
   McWilliams asserts "Negative thinking is always expensive-dragging us down mentally, emotionally, and physically-hence I refer to any indulgence in it as a luxury. When, however, we have the symptoms of a life-threatening illness-be it AIDS, heart trouble, cancer, high blood pressure, or any of the others- negative thinking is a luxury we can no longer afford."
   McWilliams exhaustively explores "The Disease of Negative Thinking," in sections such as "The Power of Thoughts" and "The Addictive Quality of Negative Thinking."
   He delves into "The Cure" with his thoughts on "Strengthening Your Intention to Live," "You Can Have Anything You Want-Just Not Everything You Want," "The Willingness to Change," "Choose Well Your Companions,"
   etc.
   The book has an excellent index, which helps the reader refer back to favorite parts. This is a book to keep handy, which offers something new upon each re-reading. Excellent advice for overcoming negative thinking. Highly recommended!



3. All in all, I was pretty disappointed with You Can't Afford. Their writing felt very light and airy, lacking in substance. It didn't help that every other page was completely blank save a quotation.
   
   More troubling, there's a not-so-fine line between thinking positively and denying reality, and the authors here fall on the wrong side of it. Ironically, they acknowledge this line early in the book and pledge to heed it. Yet later in the book, for example, they encourage the reader to deal with painful memories by simply imagining how they would have liked things to go and dwelling on that. I found this invitation to denial insulting in more than one way.
   
   My final verdict: Don't bother with this one.



4. I never thought of myself as a negative thinker but after reading this very funny, interesting and helpful book I now understand. Yes, I am a negative thinker but I don't have to remain so. This wonderful book explains what a negative thought is, how to evaluate your thinking and the best part, how to stop that distructive process.
   This book is filled with thought provoking quotes, easy to understand explainations and practical advice and a wonderful sense of hope.



5. I am about half way through this book and I really like it so far. I recommend it for anybody that may think they have an issue with negative thinking. It makes the reader think about things in a different perspective and I love the quotes too. Thanks