5 comments about Key to Yourself: Opening the Door to a Joyful Life from Within (Hay House Classics).

1. I have read this book several timws over my life of 55 years and this book changed my life. Read it! Live it!



2. I read this book when I was around 30 years old and desperately needed advice as my parents died when I was younger and felt there was no one to help me.. That was 32 years ago. This book helped me grow up and see the good in this world. Also, made me feel that there are possibilities for all of us. I call Venice my spiritual Mom.
   I have bought around 7 or 8 books and given them away to people This book is simply written. Not like the modern day gurus.



3. This book is well written in short vignettes which allow the reader time to digest the morsels of Truth in each. Beautiful and inspiring. Perfect for anyone in the process of transforming their life.



4. I'm reading it again!! many, many inspiring and well thought out
   stories or one liners that will inspire any writer or reader wanting a greater clarity on life.
   Buy it or give it as a gift and it will find its place in your library next to "as a man thinketh" James Allen and "financial success" by Wallace Wattles. It will also be one of those books that I can always go back to when times of stress or challenge comes up and find a lift from the great work of Venice Bloodworth.
   I think so many of these principles were lived by the greatest lives ever lived. That is why I re-wrote and brought back to the people "lessons from great lives" just as Debbie Ford did here.
   Dan McCormick



5. Debbie Ford is a fantastic author and spiritual motivator for when you are ready to make changes in your life. She has many more books and CDs that showcase her life's work.

5 comments about Lunch Box Letters: Writing Notes of Love and Encouragement to Your Children.

1. What a lovely idea for a book! At first glance, it's a sweet idea, offering tear-out pages with riddles and jokes, etc. for parents to use for writing sweet notes to their children. Closer inspection reveals a depth of feeling by the authors as each tells a personal story about the letters each has written to his/her child. I got misty-eyed as I read their stories, and immediately tore out one of the fun pages and wrote a note to my own little one!

   My daughter especially loves getting emails from whichever parent isn't with her at the time. I'm going to share this book with her dad, who sometimes finds it hard to put his feelings into words.




2. I bought this book to try out it's ideas with my 10 year old daughter. What a great book. It really brought us closer really quickly. I was able to write things down in the lunch box letters that I found hard to talk about...once they were writin we both found it much easier to talk about.

   Great book!




3. A friend of mine gave me a copy of this book for my birthday. I read the book and found it very touching, It inspired me to try writing lunch letters to my children. Well let me tell you, it's amazing..I feel that the kids and I have developed a new communication skill overnight. I highly recommend this book........It's FANTASTIC!



4. What a wonderful idea! We are always rushing around in the morning and sometimes I never have the chance to say anything "meaningful" to my girls before they start their day. I purchased Lunch Box Letters at a school book fair and have been using them faithfully everyday.

   In the preface the authors share why they write to their children, and they include sample letters, special hints and lots of colorful notepaper to give your creative juices a jolt. Each sheet has a headline at the top ("I'm Sorry", "Almost The Weekend", "Let's Have Fun", "Happy Birthday", "You're A Terrific Kid", "Miss You", etc.) and ample space for you to leave your own message. A fun riddle is also included at the bottom. There are also some blank lined sheets in the back of the book.

   I was also pleased to read the number of ways the authors suggest you use letter writing to communicate with your children. A small handwritten note can really give kids a much needed emotional lift and ease pressures at school. They even include sample letters for specific (and delicate) situations such as dealing with a personal loss.

   I definitely think this book is worth a buy. The advice and ideas you glean from the authors alone is worth the price, as is the gentle prompt it gives you to set a great example for your kids.

   Enjoy.

   Cris




5. The first forty-three pages of Lunch Box Letters provide a guide and sample letters to help parents communicate with their children, "even grown children." The idea is simple, yet most of us do not think to add a quick "I love you" note that will be discovered later in the day, much to the delight of the recipient.

   As the book says, "Written notes provide a complement to all the hugs and kisses your provide."

   The next 75 pages are colorful papers with headers and graphics for writing the notes. These can be tucked inside a lunch box, briefcase, purse, or whatever. There are several birthday, Halloween, and Valentine pages for multiple recipients. As you tear out the pages the book will begin falling apart, but the confidence of the ones who get the notes will grow.

   For the information, ideas, and colorful papers, this is well worth the cost. Who knows, it might just make your day as well. Five stars.

   ....

5 comments about A Very Hungry Girl: How I Filled Up on Life...and How You Can, Too!.

1. I was alarmed to read in a recent interview with this author that: "In fact, she believes the majority of Americans suffer from disordered eating, which involves assigning emotional labels to our food." After picking up the book it seems that she believes everyone she's ever met has a serious eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia. She also thinks that she has some magical ability to know that they were suffering by the look in their eyes - this is highly unlikely, many of the people suffering from eating disorders look very normal.
   
   As a person who knows about this subject because of a family member's anorexia, I can tell you this author is wrong about the subject. It is a serious one and someone without a degree or credentials shouldn't be making assumptions just based on her own (disjointed) world view. The author should share her story and triumph with her body image issues but leave the rest to experts.
   
   For some reality: Research indicates that 1% of female adolecscents have anorexia, 4% of college age women have bulimia or bulimic patterns. And between 1-2% of Americans have binge eating disorders. Body Dismorphic Disorder affects about two percent of people in the U.S. and strikes males and females equally, usually before age eighteen. Sufferers are excessively concerned about appearance, body shape, body size, weight, etc. BDD is treatable and begins with an evaluation by a mental health care provider. More than half of teenaged girls are, or think they should be, on diets. About three percent of these teens go too far, becoming anorexic or bulimic. (these stats are from www.anred.com)
   
   If you know someone who is dealing with these issues, they need therapy from trained professionals not books by lecturing performance artists.



2. I am dealing with this right now. Me and my sister. This book is the first time i have seen anyone with my story. this author is telling the truth. And until you are experiencing the pain of this monster - you just won't understand. My class had to read this book for our health and science class and i am so glad we did. this helped me a ton!!



3. I just finished reading this book and I feel my life has just been changed!
   
   I have 3 friends who all struggle with low self esteem and body image issues and I am always aware of books out there that talk about this topic but not until I read this book did it all finally make sense to me.
   
   This author speaks with such heart and honesty that she feels like she is sitting right next to you. I appreciated her writing style which was easy to read, funny, and poignant.
   
   I recommend that if you want a breath of fresh air around this issue that you buy a copy of this book. And pass it on!
   
   - Parker



4. What Publisher's Weekly (whoever they are) misses, is the fact that by sharing our authentic story we liberate others with the same hidden issues. Whatever the author lacks in life experience (how old to you need to be to tell the truth anyway) she makes up for with her no holds barred authentic real voice. This book is not a self diagnosic manual and the author makes no claims that it is. What it is, is a reflection of one persons struggle with her relationship with food, and herself, and life. All of us that have gone through various versions of these things can relate to the book. As a 42 years old physician I found it as meaningful as my 20 year old daughter. That is a pretty good scope for a personal story. FYI, Nowhere does she mention "memoir" or "diagnosing others". However, her belief that there are many more people out there with unhealthy food relationships is much closer to the truth in my ten years of practice then the "offical numbers". Worth sharing with those you love that may need to reflect on their food relationships.



5. Jessica just came and spoke at my school. She was so nice, so approachable, so real! I just found out about this book and read it in one night!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't put it down! Now my entire group of friends are reading it and passing it around. Every girl can relate to Jessica's story of survival. I loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!

5 comments about Healing Anxiety and Depression.

1. I had knowledge on this subject for years, so most of the material written in this book was mainly old news to me. Most of the material in this book is an overview of the disorders and a lot of pics of brain scans. (Including before and after shots) There is a lot of talk about medication as well and different categories of antidepressants. Honestly there isn't that much extra material that books like "Don't Panic" doesn't cover (although this book isn't as dry as "Don't Panic"). If you are new to all of this, then it's is a decent read. If you been dealing with this for quite a while now, chances are that your doctor has found the right meds for you and that you've been properly diagnosed. You may want a book that goes a little deeper in the topics of "rational vs irrational thoughts", "self-esteem", or "phobias". I gave this book 3 stars only because I was expecting more with all the 5-star reviews and didn't pick-up anything new, but it's a good book if you are new to all of this and want a primer about the road that's ahead of you.



2. I enjoy reading the books written by Dr. Amen.
   He writes so the lay person can understand and so the professional does not get bored. This book has been very helpful to many people.



3. The book reads like a pamphlet advertising the Amen Clinics. At the Amen Clinics this and at the Amen Clinics that, give me a break. This guy can't go half a page without tooting his own horn. You would think that everywhere except the Amen Clinics, the treatment of mental disorders is by witch doctors and alchemists. The books makes a big deal about the use of brain scanning and how this is such a big advantage for their clinic. They shame insurance companies for not reimbursing payment and other doctors for not using the technique, but read closely. In the end, they still the patients are still treated just like anywhere else, symptomatically. One word for this book: lame.



4. My past months pick for best books are the two SKBF Publishing's best selling which was recommended by anther reader and I am glad I listened
   1) Rumi & Self Psychology (Psychology of Tranquility)
   2) Sara's Therapy: The Way to Purity (A session by session therapy for self growth)
   And two other books
   3) Seat of the Soul
   4) Changing your anxious mind
   Who am I? No one important, just read a lot of books about psychology and spirituality and science. I love telling people about the books I like.



5. Before beginning, I need to express my personal opinions regarding the use of medications to "treat" emotional issues. One would hope that drugs would only be used as a last resort, and not as the go-to strategy, especially with emotional issues. Mountains of research exist to support the use of all sorts of different therapy methods for emotional issues, mood disorders, and even the personality disorders etc.. It's very common to go with meds more quickly when dealing with the personality disorders, but certainly mood disorders, emotional problems etc., shouldn't need to go to the meds quite so quickly. Emotional issues can be dispatched with quite quickly and easily without the use of drugs. Personality disorders can be too, but I do understand that personality disorders do on occasion, require a bit more therapeutic effort than a typical mood disorders might.
   
   I'm not necessarily suggesting that mood disorders are any less troubling to their sufferers, than personality disorders are, but simply that traditionally, mood disorders might be considered less complicated to figure out than a personality disorder can sometimes be.
   
   My only other apprehension is that brain scans, although impressive to look at, are incredibly subjective and unreliable in my and many other opinions. This author does however seem to rely on them heavily. Having said that, he has much more knowledge and experience with brain scan than I do and presumably has strong reasons for his convictions and loyalty to them, which leads very nicely into why I DO like this book...
   
   Dr. Amen has successfully demonstrated his high level of expertise and experience in these matters, but more telling for me possibly is his obvious passion and personal commitment to helping people suffering from mental and emotional afflictions.
   
   My respect for him is through the roof. I consider him to be a man with the utmost professionalism and the possessor of unscrupulously high level of compassion for the human experience and those not enjoying it quite as well as they might otherwise be.
   
   My most excited opinions of this book are in regard to its intentions to educate. This book is dense with really good information and science and offers the reader an exceptionally thorough accounting of the many and varied components of anxiety & depression.
   
   Overall I was extremely satisfied, entertained and informed by this offering by the good doctor. It's a heartfelt journey of literary "caring" and commitment.
   
   -Sarah Shikitao-Brown,
   Tao Cycle Therapy: Natural Happiness via Self Directed Cure for Chronic Anxiety & Depression [Updated 2008 3nd Edition]

2 comments about Vivir en Equilibrio (Being In Balance): 9 principios para crear habitos que concuerden con sus deseos.

1. A great little book, small enough to keep on your desktop at work, so you can read snippits frequently and stay in-balance. Looks at life from a "road less traveled" perspective, more of a bigger-picture/real meaning-of-life perspective, such as how to really align your thinking with what you want, so that you can actually achieve what you want--getting rid of negativity and the "I can't" mentality, and related subject matter. I keep this booklet and "10 Secrets for Success & Inner Peace" on top of my desk at work at all times and read pieces of them frequently. I also invite co-workers to read them.
   
   One example from the booklet would be that you cannot give away what you don't have to give. So, if you have no love in your heart for others, you cannot give it away, nor can you attract it. Of course, I cannot explain it like Dr Dyer can, but, basically, if you don't feel and demonstrate love toward others, they won't see it or feel it within you. This little book is also loaded with quotes, which reinforce the concepts explained in the book.
   
   The principles of the Law of Attraction is mentioned throughout the book. Basically, this equates to you get what you put out. Again, you DO most certainly get what you give out. For example, if you go around hating people, then you also create an expectation of hate feelings in everyone, and you will attract that very hatred to you. Lots of people don't believe this but I've seen it happen too many times to not believe it. It is easy to watch anger-attracting-anger in action. Just sit back and watch the dynamics of 2 people getting into an argument. Fear attracts fear, and so on. Also sit back and watch the dynamics of joy and laughter. See how others join in the laughter. If you also have the ability to feel energy, then you will feel the change in the type of energy that surrounds that joy and laughter versus the type of energy that surrounds the anger.
   One of the chapters in this little booklet talks about things you tell yourself which affect your ability to proceed forward in your life--a list of "out-of-balance" verbiage--the "unmagnificent seven": 1) It's Not God's Will; 2) There's a Limited Supply; 3)I Don't Deserve It; 4) I Have Limited Abilities and Talents; 5) I've Never Been Lucky; 6) It's Always Been This Way; and 7) I Don't Know How to Think "Abundance" for Myself. Hopefully, you can see from the "seven" how this limited thinking capacity would directly affect your ability to achieve optimal benefits in your life. (It's out of my control or I can't so I won't try.) If not, Dr. Dyer explains it all in his little booklet.
   I have already read through the booklet, highlighted and tabbed certain spots. Now, frequently, I pick this booklet up and let it fall open to a place. Then I read that page.
   
   After reading this and another Dyer book, I was inspired to write a very profound "poem", which I re-read every day to remind myself of how I will remain in balance, and guess what? It works!
   
   Dr. Dyer has a great deal of wisdom, which he shares in all his writings, CDs, and DVDs. I highly recommend this and any of his material.
   
   One thing to note: No one book, or even group of books, is enough. If you want to make significant changes in your life, your input and output must be in balance. You need to input good material, incorporate it into your inner consciousness, believe it and live it, and put good things out to others. Significant high-quality life-style changes are made by deliberately realigning yourself in a positive manner and for the good of all, at least in my opinion. I look at it as working in partnership with God. It takes work in the form of a life commitment, but this book is a good beginning and will assist you in remembering how to be in balance, and what it looks like when you're out of balance.
   
   Also check out Wayne Dyer's recent 6 CD collection "Your Journey to Enlightenment". It is great!



2. excellent book from the expert, Mr Maxwell.Bring you inside yourself,
   to look why the things around you are affected by what you have inside.

5 comments about If I'm So Wonderful, Why Am I Still Single?: Ten Strategies That Will Change Your Love Life Forever.

1. If you have ever wondered why you're single, this is the book for you. It surpassed my expectations and is something I'll be recommending to friends. The book deals with the complexities in personal relationships and causes you to analyze your own behavior and confront some of your issues. It is LESS about men and their behavior and more about you: Which is the way to find healthy love by having happiness begin with you. Some great topics it covers are: examining your hidden ambivalence, how to say no when you're in the wrong relationship, how to detect and avoid men who aren't going to commit, and the best part: how to identify and say no to "BTN's", which are better than nothing relationships. A pivatol point in the book was when she discussed how you can be with a really great guy, but there might be one thing missing. And if it's something big then you have to walk away rather than settle for someone who is "almost" Mr. Right. I think many people settle and this book will show you how not to.



2. I enjoyed this book because it forced me to take a long, hard look at myself and what I have been doing to get in my own way. If you are serious about changing old patterns get this book.



3. I found this book too be a little depressing and misguiding. The author gives many examples and discussions of realtionships that went wrong which may be helpful in deciding to get out of a relationship but doesn't do much to help find a good one. The viewpoint is definitely biased towards the female side of what intimacy should be like which I feel is unfair to men and not helpful. Men are men, thank goodness. The author also prescribes to the idea that no one will love you unless you love yourself, that you have to get past your fears of intimacy before you will find the right person and that commitment phobes are people with "issues" (as opposed to being just your standard every day jerk). In general the book is unmotivating and not real world.



4. This book was recommended by a psychologist I met while traveling in southeast Asia. Even though the title is a strong, the book is amazing. It is an easy read and really helps you look at yourself. This book does NOT put the blame of being single on others or your environment. Each chapter focuses your issues/hangups with relationships. You will need a small notebook or a few sheets of paper to do the exercises at the end of each chapter.
   
   In addition to looking at your issues/hangups, it also helps you realize what you are looking for in a partner and reflecting on past relationships.
   
   Now that I have finished reading it and have talked about it with my friends, they want to buy it too.



5. I've picked up 4 or 5 other books on dating (can read my other reviews for a few). Most of them focus on how to contort yourself into this or that person to lure a man into your commitment "lair"... or at least that is how it feels reading those books.
   
   How refreshing it was to finally come across a book that suggests that the desire for a committed relationship is nothing to be ashamed of...and even better, how to spot and avoid commitmentphobes and better than nothing (BTN) relationships.... all things that drain your time and energy from finding someone you can share your life with. It also does a fabulous job helping you unearth all of the other ways you may be undermining your success in your search...such as hidden ambivalence and internal dialogues(there are no ways to meet people, there are no good ones, etc) that only serve to lower your odds.
   
   I had to laugh when she said "don't expect dating to be fun". It IS like a job interview! Pace yourself, have a plan, and keep at it! All great advice...

1 comments about Complete Confidence Updated Edition: A Handbook.

1. Having been a huge fan of Complete Confidence the first edition, I snapped this up, too. I was not disappointed. Although there are some important enhancements, the message is the same: you can take control of the negative feelings that hold you back in life. And the revolutionary part is that Dr. Hankin actually tells you how, with concrete steps, you may do so. I really cannot begin to say how much the information in this book has helped me. I strongly recommend it.

5 comments about The Magic of Believing: The Science of Setting Your Goal and Then Reaching It.

1. The subconscious mind is a colossal dynamo. Throughout history, great rulers, warriors, statesmen, inventors, writers, artists, poets and religious leaders have used it to attain their objectives. You, too, can put your mind's remarkable force to work. In this enduringly popular, updated 1948 classic, Claude M. Bristol asserts that if you firmly believe that you can be successful, and remind yourself of this belief, over and over, you will succeed. His book is filled with colorful stories and anecdotes about people throughout history who used the power of belief to get what they wanted. He is a true believer that thinking about something the right way will make it happen. Many of Bristol's tales are intriguing, though some of his advice may seem a bit farfetched. For example, when guests overstay their welcome, try getting them to leave quickly by thinking, "Go home now, go home now, go home now." According to Bristol, if you formulate this thought when the conversation lulls and you can barely contain your yawns, "The results will astonish you." Whether or not this particular mind-control technique works, we recognize the lasting popularity of Bristol's inspirational book. For nearly 60 years, he has told people worldwide how to achieve their goals with the power of thought and attitude. Read it to learn his ideas on putting belief, imagination and suggestion to work for you.



2. Phyllis Diller was right. This book has changed my life. it's a must read. I have it in paperback & audio cd. I listen to it daily!



3. This book will teach you so simply the greatest of the secrets of succes.
   I love teaching the loa to young people and I have passed out copies to help people on the road to self help and transformation, and I find this book one of the best to start out with.



4. This is one of the best books I have read in the subject of manifesting and attracting what you want into your life.



5. If you want to know more about your subc.I heartily recommend these CDs
   
   The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
   The Master Key System
   Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World
   The Science of Getting Rich
   The Science of Mind
   Think and Grow Rich: Original Version

5 comments about Nibble Theory and the Kernel of Power: A Book About Leadership, Self-Empowerment and Personal Growth.

1. I have used this book for years in a variety of contexts. The Nibble Theory gives readers a new way to think about how they deal with others, and starts the process of replacing Power Over with Power With. The process for finding your Kernel of Power is deceptively simple: it takes a lifetime to complete.



2. Kaleel uses easy language and pictures to convery the foundation tenets of personal development and boundaries. The kernel part is a great way of looking at how our values, talents, apptitudes and attitudes are the core of who we are. And how these intangibles combine to create our effectiveness at certain tasks/jobs- and also transcend our entire history of employment.

   The nibble part converyed, for me, how we let the 'voices of others' keep us from achieving our TRUE potential AS WE DEFINITE IT! Not as ours want us to be. And to keep us as they want us to be they, either consciously or unconsciouly, NIBBLE us to stop us from growing.

   I share this with my employees so that they understand why I value the fact that they learn quickly and take initiative more than the number of databases they can name/use. And that when I give feedback it is not a NIBBLE, it is "invitation" to grow!

   And Kaleel does all this in 74 pages using a circle in various pictures to make reading easier. Buy this book for your employees by all means, but most importantly, BUY IT FOR YOUR CHILDREN!




3. I bought this book eight years ago for a leadership class at the University of Michigan and it changed the way I think and work. It's made me a much more successful leader in business and life.

   The concepts it contains are hard for many people to understand, but the book explains it in the easiest language. It's all about how people need to deal with others: by working together instead of competing, we all win. If we all listened to the advice in this book, the world would be a much more productive, better place to live.

   Buy this book!




4. I first came across this book an a student years ago and found it very insightful. That feeling has not changed and I strongly recomment this book for anyone that deals with people. You gain a firsthand look into what makes people run, and understand why some people behave the way they do! Tell everyone you know to read this book-it will make the world a nicer place.



5. A clear and simple way to view relationships. It definately helps me think about what I want and what others want in any interaction and to try to work that interaction for the positive benefit of all.
   
   I highly recommend it.

5 comments about Bonnie's Household Organizer: The Essential Guide for Getting Control of Your Home.

1. I just loved this book. I would give it ten stars if I could. It was so full of down to earth and helpful advice and very entertaining to read. There were hints on clutter clearing and how to tackle a home that has got a bit out of control. Lists of daily jobs and what Bonnie calls minimum maintenance were a great help. If you find it hard to keep on top of the house and it seems forever in a cluttered mess (like mine) this is the book for you.



2. I bought this book at a homeschool conference about 15 years ago. It literally changed my life. I have fond memories of sitting down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and my "Bonnie" book. Bonnie became like a friend, offering great advice and encouragement. Her writing style is warm and uplifting. She made me want to succeed at organizing my home. I learned how to organize my kitchen cabinets, and ever since my mom has recommended ME to organize the kitchen when someone in the family moves! And I was the family "messy!" Her suggestion on implementing Minimum Maintenance made the difference for me in keeping my house clean and presentable. I highly recommend this book for anyone who struggles as I did with managing all the STUFF/CHORES in her home.



3. This book had some good ideas if it were 1970. It's very outdated. I'm sure it was a good book when it was still current, but in 2006, it's just a a waste of time and money.



4. This book was just okay. There was some good information but not very much that was new or not available from other sources. I love household and organization books, so I enjoyed it, but many readers might be looking for something more current.



5. While I liked McCullough's encouraging tone and some of her ideas, this book needs to be revised for modern times. Written 27 years ago, some examples like the to do item "type ditto" and how a friend saved worktime by getting an extra-long cord on her phone are so outdated that they provided a few unintended laughs. A better purchase might be the Messie books by Sandra Felton, or for household management, the Flylady book.