5 comments about Imperfect Control: Our Lifelong Struggles With Power and Surrender.

1. This book has very good summaries of psychological research on the issues of power and control. It would be a particularly helpful book for a student writing a paper in an undergraduate class. The book is not hard to read; I finished it in 2 days. I found her chapters on romantic relationships, parenting and work relationships helpful and gained insight into my own behaviour.



2. It's very difficult to imagine Judith Viorst writing a bad book. She is an excellent writer and gears her writing toward the existential crisis' of life, development, etc. As some reviewers suggest, she backs up what she say with a fair amount of references to psychological literature, but she is certainly credible and although the book doesn't read like a dime store novel, it's also very accessible to the average adult without any psychological training.
   
   The dance between control and surrender is very difficult for most people and comes up in couples, the workplace and other areas of life. This is the main topic of the book and describes why this is so and how to work with it toward achieving peace of mind. Much of this work has to do with reframing the human condition and daily struggles we all face in a more realistic fashion. It's about finding the balance point between control and surrender moment-to-moment.
   
   Some of the areas of particular interest to me were the chapters on taking possession of ourselves, who controls the couple, the power of sex, permanent parenthood and in control of death. This is all practical and serious stuff and often areas where people confront considerable pain. While this book or any book doesn't provide all of the answers on these difficult life questions in terms of surrender and control, it will give you powerful insights and more flexibility for dealing with them.



3. I read this book a few years ago and sadly lent it to a friend and saw no more of it so I'm thinking of rebuying it at Amazon. Can't give you now any specifics on the contents. Just bear in mind this: if you have perfectionist, controlling, obsessive-compulsive tendencies (and who doesn't in big cities nowadays anyway?), buy this book. You'll treasure it. You'll laugh with it. And you'll get inspired to be happier and just let go of things, for a change. You won't be disappointed.



4. I've been reading Judith Viorst for years -- first reading "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-good Very Bad Day" to my children, a book in itself about imperfect control -- but somehow missed this one until recently.
   There are many valuable sections, but the one on being a parent of adult children especially resonated with me. (I am horrified to hear the words -- unasked for -- of advice that seem to escape my mouth.) She approaches this section with her usual wry humor, and stories of her own stuggles with letting go of attempts to control her adult sons.
   Whether a parent or not, there is much in this book to assist a reader in making peace with their lives, and hopefully making some better decisions about what we CAN control, while letting go of what we can't.
   The chapter on death is worth the price of the book; I expect I will be re-reading it now and then. (It propelled me to update my Power of Attorney for medical decisions, since some laws have changed since last done.)



5. if you have read "necessary losses" from the same author, and also if you have'nt, this book is a must for all of us. mrs. viorst has a clear and direct style with a good sense of humor. do yourself a favor and buy now!!

4 comments about Dynamic Thinking.

1. Several years ago, I was feeling pretty down and out about the way the world was treating me. For some reason, life just was not a fun adventure, but a struggle to get from one day to the next. One day when I was shopping in a used book store, I saw this book on the shelf, and picked it up. It was the hard back edition for $2,so I figured I had little to lose. As it turns out, the book changed my life forever. I have read countless self-help books in my day, but none even compare to this one. The book not only gives the philosophy for the right way to live, but the author (thank goodness) takes the time to outline to the reader EXACTLY how to implement change. For those of you who liked to be "spoon fed" information like a baby, I would recommend this book. For anyone who is searching for the best paths in life, it's all here. Be all you can be! Buy this book.



2. THIS IS THE ONE AND ONLY BOOK THAT CAN ULTIMATELY CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDES TOWARDS LIVING LIFE THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. SO MAKE IT YOUR BEST FRIEND.



3. this book is a must if you want to learn how to live and succeed. make it your best friend.



4. Dynamic Thinking by Melvin Powers is extraordinary in every way. The price of this book can't be beat. It is 111 pages of the author probably at his finest. Clearly this book was written in a state of flow. It reads that way as well. No stretched or shorted pages; just excellent useful and engrossing content.

   The foreword (which is written by the author) begins, "It is hoped that this book will serve as a source of inspiration to those looking for a new way of life."

   Dynamic Thinking is both optimistic and insightful. It is interesting, and it moves the reader from beginning to end, in a consistent stream of ideas well written.

   Melvin Powers knows that "opportunity is always knocking at our door." And in conjunction with that, resistance to new things and self reliance is discussed.

   "The imagination must be jolted out of it's complacency, and enthusiasm must be generated by your own invasive confidence and enthusiasm for what you are attempting to inaugurate."

   This book is great not because it is inexpensive, but because it is great in content. Truly this is a classic against which others might be compared. This is THE book.

   Eleven chapters discuss opportunity, success, positive thinking, mental pictures, self-confidence, subconscious mind, luck, financial security, and more.

   Practical examples as well as logical reasonings are given throughout the book. All with an attitude that lets the book seem as if it is a great friend talking to you, encouraging you to do your best; convincing you.

3 comments about Hidden Language Codes: Discard A Weak Language of Doubt and Excuse and Acquire a Vocabulary o Power and Sovereignty.

1. Powerful, empowering and most compassionate is this milestone book. If you have read the original book, "Language Codes" before, this one is is greatly expanded and much more thorough. Nelville takes you aside and shows you the pitfalls of some inconspicuous areas of our language like a master would. As a reader, you are going to feel the shedding of those sticky self-fulfilling phrases and decadent clichés that have been since Gutenberg (or much earlier) strewn like landmines across the landscape of our consciousness. He delivers his points across so clearly and with great humor. I was amazed at how many traps he had unearthed concealed almost unwittingly within our language, particularly those expressions that often escape casual scrutiny right under our noses. The result for me is a restored sense of clarity and vision buttressed by a sense of improved mindfulness. I read this book non-stop in one solid day feeling very satisfied but more relieved as if I had received a good session of psychotherapy of a lifetime. Read what he says about "victimese"! 5 stars for Nelville for such exposé on a stellarly daunting semantic subject!



2. This book is mainly a long list of words and phrases ('doubt', 'fear', 'guilty', etc.) with 1-2 paragraph explanations about why you shouldn't ever say (or even think) them. (There's also a long list of words you should say). I tried hard to give it the benefit of the doubt--I enjoy studying languages and occult spirituality--but the writing is opaque and disjointed, and he doesn't seem to filter his thoughts at all. For instance: if you think we're living in "a male dominated society", that's just a figment of your imagination (you make it so by saying it). When someone asks you "why?" (about anything) the appropriate response is "You know why," and to give them any further information is to undercut them spiritually. (Johnston recommends against asking "why" in the first place.) But my favorite explanation was for the word "how": people who ask "how" reveal themselves as 'freaks' (yes, he uses that word!!) who are only concerned about the process of doing something. Asking "how" demotes you from 'human being' down to 'human doing'.
   The further I read, the more I realized it was some sort of cult manual. A few parts toward the beginning are slightly intriguing, but the book is ultimately pretty useless to me. (I'm not cutting "how" and "why" out of my vocabulary!!!) I will be returning it!



3. This book is for people who have already been introduced to concepts related to the science of mind. That said, it is a LIFE CHANGING BOOK. If you are a fan of Louise Hay's message, be prepared to go even deeper with Hidden Language Codes. Reading the book will awaken knowledge and power within you.

1 comments about When Life Changes or You Wish It Would: A Guide to Finding Your Next Step Despite Fear, Obstacles, or Confusion.

1. This book provided insights and information that have changed my life. I have since bought copies for friends and they agree that it is a book that will quide you through the tough times and keep you on track to achieve your goals and dreams.

4 comments about You Are Not the Target.

1. This is a great book for anyone who is overly sensitive to criitism or other people's mood swings. It contains "recipes" to use when you find yourself either angered or hurt by someone else's insensitivity. I highly recommend this book for every household! If you've ever been told to be more thick skinned, then this is the book to learn how.



2. This book is an excellent introduction to getting in touch
   with your own feelings/body/self-awareness. Wonderful, playful,
   fun and practical exercises make sense. I am sure it
   profoundly changed my life and was part of my path for becoming
   a happy person. Unbeatable! Thanks Laura Huxley!



3. I read this lovely book originally in the 60s. It has good recipes for self discovery and insight. After talking about the book to a friend I found it on Amazon to reread it. I might read her other books particularly her book about her husband, Audous Huxley. I have read all his books.



4. When I discovered this book many years ago as a teenager searching for wisdom and equanimity, this book, which I borrowed from a library, helped me learn some crucial lessons. The biggest lesson was as the title of the book says "You are not the target". So much of what other people do and say to us has nothing to do with us at all really. We need to turn around that accusing finger to point right back to the one who says "You...". It often speaks about him, her or them, not us.
   
   I never forgot this book and finally bought myself a copy from this site. I treasure it like an old friend.

1 comments about Aura-Soma: Self-Discovery through Color.

1. Aura Soma has helped me discover myself in an amazing way. This is a precious book about everything that Aura Soma is. Great for a beginner, wonderful for a more advanced student.

1 comments about The Silent Pulse.

1. The Silent Pulse was a good book. It added a scientific perspective to theories I previously could only describe as being metaphysical or mystical and added some very interesting ideas to the perspective of life. I enjoyed the read. I do have to say that the book was much harder to read then Leonard's other offerings.

5 comments about Tales of a Wounded Healer.

1. Tales of a Wounded Healer is a very inspirational and empowering book. It helped me gain an awareness of what my needs are, as well as providing the tools for a healthy way of obtaining it. A++
   Bev L.



2. Tales of a Wounded Healer is a lovely book - it is gentle, yet fierce in its' insitence that we LOVE, love, love. And that there is nothing on this earth that cannot be healed by the power of love, courage and committment. If you are looking for inspiration, for a bit of strength to carry you through - this true tale is yours. Read - and meet Mariah. Your life will be the better for it.
   Marjory Levitt



3. Thank you for taking your time and energy to share with us your wisdom
   and personal experience so eloquently expressed in your book.
   As a Gestalt psychotherapist for over twenty five years I deeply appreciate your level of contact and communication with clients that stimulate their ability
   to heal themselves. Your techniques are thrilling and need to be shared with many more practitioners in the field of mental health.
   I admire your courage and ability to reveal intimate aspects of your
   personal life in a effort to encourage acceptance of ourselves as human.
   DOLLY SCHULMAN,MHS...MODERN GESTALT INSTITUTE



4. What an amazing journey. I couldn't even get through the first few pages without tearing up. Check it out!



5. "I'm in the middle of reading Mariah's book--I'm on the chapter "What Do You Need?" (Answer: so much that I cannot even begin the list!) I've always known that my life was not what it should have been; years of self-help books, introspection, and professional counseling haven't shed as much light on the cause(s) as this one chapter in this very special book. Mariah has a way of very simply and effectively identifying the elemental building blocks of dysfunction so that they're crystal clear. I see so much of myself in here, and so much plain, logical information on what I need to do to achieve emotional health. Inspiring, and kind of overwhelming at the same time. She is truly remarkable.

1 comments about The Language of Positive Thinking: A Collection from Blue Mountain Arts.

1. An excellent book. Actually it was purchased for a friend. I enjoy anything that is written by Susan Polis Shultz.

2 comments about Embracing Your Potential.

1. Terry Orlick's book Embracing Your Potential explains how to achieve excellence by balancing your life at work and away. Through the process of self-discovery and allowing yourself to embrace life, anyone can achieve their full potential. The book does a very good job at instilling these values. Some of which were expressed through interviews and quotes from Olympic and professional athletes. Orlick also supplies questions and exercises at the end of some chapters, which gave the reader more of an interactive experience. Even though most of Orlick's advice seems like simple common sense, it's delivered in a concise and compact manner to provide people with busy schedules an easy read. More importantly the book provides meticulous advice on reaching for and achieving excellence.



2. Embracing Your Potential includes thirty exercises to help readers discover their essential needs and motives and make lasting changes to enrich their lives. The author encourages balance between achievement and career advancement on one side and the relationship, intellectual, spiritual, cultural and recreational side of our lives.