5 comments about Minding the Body, Mending the Mind.

1. When I first starting reading this book, I was like "thats my book, thats my life that she is writing about" I loved her writing and examples and stories that she told from other people's experiences. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in people's behaviors and everyday life.



2. If you're stressed out or overwhelmed, I highly recommend this book. It gives you simple, workable solutions that make a HUGE difference.

   Only criticism is that parts of it are a bit too "new age-y", but overall, it's very good.




3. MINDING THE BODY, MENDING THE MIND by Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., was recommended to me when I was trying to adjust to a new work environment. I found it tremendously informative and helpful in a number of ways.
   
   Borysenko is the cofounder of the Mind/Body Clinic at New England Deaconess Hospital at the Harvard Medical School and has her doctorate in anatomy and cellular biology from Harvard. This book reflects her experience in the relatively new medical field of psychoneuroimmunology, which studies how the mind interacts with the body for illness and for healing.
   
   The book is specifically about meditation and can be used as a how-to for self instruction in the practice. What I liked about it is that it provides a physiological case for the helpfulness of meditation while it teaches the reader how to use what Borysenko has pioneered in medical circles, that meditation and controlled relaxation have a positive impact on general health and, sometimes, on specific illnesses.
   
   Borysenko explains how our bodies become conditioned to stress and respond accordingly with anxiety symptoms and that, through meditation practice, individuals can recondition themselves not to feel the physical manifestations of stress, which are so taxing to general health.
   
   Borysenko's medical credentials are meaningful to me, and her ability to illustrate how the brain and the body are interdependent was helpful to me, as we are taught in our culture to keep the two separate and devalue our ability to impact our health through our mental reactions and proactiveness.
   
   Even if one doesn't use the book to learn to meditate, Borysenko has a great deal to offer in terms of quality of life to her readers. The book really helps the reader to recognize harmful mental patterns and stop them, to exercise cognitive control, so that stress is diffused before the anxiety is felt in the body. She writes about "awfulizing," obsessing over something stressful, second-guessing ourselves, etc., and how to stop it through positive thought that is healing, rather than stress-making. The chapter called "Mind Traps" is especially helpful in this regard, and I find myself using her tips to diffuse tension AND improve the situation.
   
   I strongly recommend this book, even for those who aren't interested in meditation. Borysenko provides evidence on how positive thought processes can be achieved and how they can make a difference. This book is considered a classic in the field, and it deserves the esteem that has made it so.



4. I now know three people who have benefited immensely from this book. Two of them because I bought it for them.
   
   If you have panic attacks, depression, or anxiety, Dr. Borysenko offers practical exercises to help you manage.



5. This was the 1st book I read by this author after it being referred to me by a friend. I have now read 2 more books by her and even bought this one as a gift to another friend.

5 comments about Stolen Women: Reclaiming Our Sexuality, Taking Back Our Lives.

1. I read Dr. Wyatt's book and found it fascinating. The book discusses the history of black women and their sexuality over the past 400 years and shows how this relates to current problems today. I especially liked the personal stories by women struggling to find themselves and happiness in their relationships. This is a great book for all women regardless of ethnicity or age. Also good for moms and daughters.



2. I thought this book was excellent. As noted in the synopses, black women have been historically ostracized from such mainstream psychological research studies and it only refreshing for this group to finally be addressed, attended to and evaluated by such an intelligent, educated Black women, PhD. Her unprecendented conclusive evalutions provide us with a new voice in the realm of Black, Female Sexuality in a technical, medical and empirical sense, that each of us can identify with. The author, a PhD, also displays the necessary components, (i.e. character, concern for urban society, education, intellect) for a modern day role model. Praise to Dr. Gail Wyatt!



3. Dr. Wyatt writes an amazing book that not only describes the findings of her surveys and case studies, but also relates the information from her own personal perspective as a black woman. Using hundreds of conversations with real black women, Wyatt presents pictures of both successful women and women who are still in crisis. She takes factual surveys and compares black women and white women in order to debunk stereotypes.
   Along with her factual information, Wyatt uses her expertise as a psychologist to offer ways in which black women can improve their lives and the lives of their children. I especially liked the way she encourages women of color to educate themselves and their children.

   The one critique I would have would be that I wish she had written a bit more about her mathematical analyses. For example, she says that black women on average have fewer partners than white women. Is this a mean average or a median average? (A mean average would seem to me to be--no pun intended--less meaningful since a few very active women could drive the average up.) And were all surveys taken into account, or were some results deemed to be outliers?

   I strongly recommend this book. Dr. Wyatt truly understands self-empowerment, and she preaches a message that people need to hear.




4. Most of thye information was very good. However the test you take at the end is a waste of time. She doesn't know what half of the black women think. Yet, she makes some compelling points on how society few black women. A good book for a student doing a paper.



5. As a case manager at a parole re-entry program, I come into daily contact with Black females and males who are trapped in the domestic violence cycle. As I facilitate case management life skills groups, I hear the sincere but flawed logic that attempts to justify the violent abuse and victimization.
   Dr. Wyatt effectively utilizes historical perspective and qualitative research to inspire women of color to... "reclaim their bodies."

5 comments about The Game of Life and How to Play It.

1. 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



2. 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



3. Amazing. Stunning. So sensational. So true. Such a lttle book.
   
   Yes, The Game of Life and How to Play It is all these things, but the latter is probably the most important and indeed the most intriguing. How can so much wisdom about ultimately getting anything you want in life, be squeezed into a book with under 90 pages? I'm not quite sure, but it definately works to its advantage. Because of this, I was able to easily read it in one sitting and have the opportunity to easily do so again and again and again. And I plan to. It was that good.
   
   So to the book itself. When I was searching for self-help books, I came across this one, and, the title was the first I thought about. I came to the conclusion that it was a book that taught you about general life skills. IT GOES BEYOND THAT.
   
   Florence Scovel Shinn explains that disease, lack, misfortune, unhappiness, financial difficulties - all the things we dread in life, are because of subtle suggestions impressed upon the subconscious mind in every day life. But changing these habits is easier than anyone could ever imagine. By simply saying aloud every morning when you wake and at night before you sleep that you believe (or have faith) that you are easily going to achieve the things you want to and trust the god within (your superconscious) to give you a definate lead (a hunch that will lead you to what you want). She explains how big a role karma plays in getting what you want and the importance of receiving things aswell as giving things to others. She also advises you act as though you've already got what you want in order for your subconscious to believe you are capable of getting it.
   
   Although these techniques aren't anything new, Shinn's way of writing makes it interesting and the fact that the length of it doesn't even reach the 100 page mark, means you won't have any excuse for not getting time to read it!
   
   So what makes it so successful? For me it was the fact that these techniques were so effective, yet she didn't go into much detail - she kept it simple by, literally every two pages, giving incredible real life examples relating to the wonders she talks of throughout the book.
   
   So please don't listen to me any more, I won't go on. Get your hands on this book, read it with interest and curiosity, and then hopefully you'll experience true wonder, awe, and amazement towards the thought that you can achieve and even get, anything you want in life.
   
   Thanks.
   
   Other related books to read:
   
   The Power of you're Subcoscious Mind
   The Power of Now



4. Buy this book and begin the journey to changing this world, starting with yourself! Peace!!



5. Very easy reading, and it has a wealth of knowledge that is practical for everyone. When you're confused at times, this certainly brings me back to "balance".

4 comments about The Soul's Companion.

1. I've been enjoying this book know for about a year. It has been an invaluable resource in a time of personal crisis and change. This book is a very good choice for those individuals who are seeking to connect with "something greater than themselves." Tian Dayton has provided his readers with a unique gift that allows anyone to connect with the deepest parts of themselves. I recommend this book to anyone, especially those individuals experiencing confusion, change, crisis, or challenge in their daily life. For me personally, this book has been a compass in the night. Get it now and enjoy!!



2. This is a great little book with uplifting thoughts about spirituality. Good for people who are not necessarily in recovery but enjoy daily meditations. (Of course, people in recovery can get a lot out of it -- it just lacks the "recovery slogans" that are present in so many books of this type.) There is also practical self-help advice in there. I've read many daily meditations books, and I would rate this among the best.



3. This small book is packed with new thoughts and ideas that make your brain hurt...and stretch out of its comfort zone. If you truly think about what it is saying, it has the potential to change YOUR life as well. I've developed so many new insights into life, love, and liberty...and more. Like water that overflows from a bucket, the wisdom pours out to all who might read.



4. I resorted to daily meditation when my life was at a point that I could not stand anymore. I've read numerous meditation books trying to restore some sanity and most of all the inner peace we all look for in tough times. The Soul's Companion has touched my soul in so many ways, it has not just helped to restore my peace but to open up a whole new aspect of "inner peace" to a point of looking forward to the next day. Yes, some times I sneak ahead and read!!! If you're serious about getting in touch with yourself this book is a "must have"

2 comments about Be Your Own Best Friend.

1. This book is full of helpful advice and exercises which will help you be your own best friend. Once you are your own best friend and love yourself this love will be expressed to others through your actions. "Be Your Own Best Friend: How to Achieve Greater Self-Esteem, Health, and Happiness" helps you to love yourself and acept everything about yourself. This book teachs use to let go of the bad images of our self and helps us change our image. "We can be any way we want to be.We don't have to be stuck with feeling bad about ourself. We can choose what to think and feel about the way we are." This book teachs you to understand and acept these good "affirmations" about ourself. At the end of the chapters there are affirmations that remind us, were OK! There are also exercises, to help us relax and look deep into ourself. This book helps us except ourself, know that love heals our mind and body, to take care of ourself, to live for the present; not the past or future, and to love ourself. This book helped me find myself. " My thoughts create a world in which I feel safe, healthy, happy, and loved." This book opens up your senses and allows you to except yourself for who you are and makes you happy about this!



2. I came across this book when I was looking for a copy of the classic self-help gem "How To Be Your Own Best Friend" to re-read. I guess that is why the publisher chose to title this book so similarly !! Well, a little friendly confusion didn't do me any harm. Working on healthy self-esteem is a good, often life-long project. I admit I prefer the original book, but Louis Proto is a pretty wise and insightful author, too. Reading both of the books wouldn't hurt, and might help.

5 comments about The Power of Positive Choices: Adding and Subtracting Your Way to a Great Life.

1. Simply Powerful! Written from a very easy to understand and grasp the powerful concepts contained within. This book is a powerful weapon not meant to be stuck on a shelf. Read it, Use it and improve you life dramatically! Kudo's! and Special thanks.
   I encourage you to get this wonderful book!



2. You can't say yes until you know how to say no, and this book takes the reader on a gentle journey that will, by the end, help her understand that she is the artist/designer of her life.



3. This book teaches readers that making positive decisions can create a more positive life. The author says that people must eliminate the negative options they face in life. The book is based on an "adding and subtracting" process and it is hard to know without trying this process if it works, how well it works, and how often it works.



4. Most self-help books have an idea or two that are worth keeping. The rest don't apply to your specific situation, are too difficult to continue without support or professional help, or quit making sense after a week or two.
   
   Gail McMeekin's book is different. Short chapters are logically arranged and build emotionally and usefully. Each chapter has at least one (and often several) exercises, each called an "Inquiry." They require only a thoughtful examination of your motives and choices, and an honest response. The answers pile up quickly, and you understand why you have been making the same mistake and shift to taking action.
   
   McMeekin doesn't abandon you there. She lets you decide how you want to solve your problems--add something to your life or subtract something ("serenity stealers" are only part of the choices). The subtlety is that you only do the adding and subtracting when you are ready to make a choice, not in the heat of enthusiasm, fear, or frustration.
   
   There are plenty of examples of how others made their choices and the result.
   Briefer and more focused than Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, The Power of Positive Choices can easily be used in the same week-by-week way.
   
   A thinking person's self-help book. Get it, use it, enjoy the results of positive choices.



5. This book is flawed beyond belief! First of all it assumes you have unlimited financial resources to fulfill all your desires and life ambitions. Case in point: page 39-40, "Tania" wants more from her marriage than her husband is willing/able to give, so what does she do?... she signs up for 2 adult ed. classes, opens a checking account, joins an investment club, selects several mutual funds to begin an investment portfolio. She then decides she can't cook, so after ending her marriage (thus making room for a new partner, who, of course, according to plan, appears), she finds a gourmet take-out restaurant, and buys a condo near it. All this from a woman who, according to the author, "hadn't worked in years, had no interest in money nor any idea what her resources were." Maybe this is where the new boyfriend comes in... maybe he's rich! Nothing from the author explaining where the money came from for all of these luxuries... and believe me you'd have to save for years to afford gourmet take-out, or a condo! Page 23 has you "imagining that you are financially secure and that money is no longer a struggle for you." All well and good... we all dream... but that's not reality... show us how to get the money to do all the things in your book! Page 66-67 has Karl wanting to compose and sell a hit song (gee, don't we all!). Apparently Karl has a very understanding boss, because, since he can't focus on song-writing at home with other family members present, he's able to go into work 2 hours late twice a week so as to have that quiet time to write at home... please tell me where he works... I'd love to have a job like that!! Last, but by no means least, there is "Belle"... page 68-69... who wants to be more physically fit, so she joins several health/exercise clubs, hires a personal trainer who COMES TO HER HOME!!(wow! mega bucks!)... arranges for a vacation trip to the Rockies for her family, and then, of course, leads a walking group every day... hmmm... would this be at 5am before work, or 6pm after work?
   
   If I hadn't gotten this book from the library, I would have dumped it in the trash where it belongs. Save your money! It's quite obvious the author is wealthy and hasn't got a clue what struggles the average person has who doesn't have the money needed to do all the neat stuff in her book! Get a clue people, pull yourselves up by your bootstraps, and get on with your life! You have more inner strength than you know! P.S... Amazon's lowest rating is a "1"... I would have given it a zero.

5 comments about Follow Your True Colors to the Work You Love: The Popular Method for Matching Your Personality to Your Career.

1. An exceptional work that is a delightful "read". In a very friendly yet literate style, Ms. Kalil lays an easy foundation for finding harmony with our career focus and personality. The included card set is an amazingly simple way to find your direction and learn about your "True Colors". The book is truly informative, and very helpful.



2. True colors will break your kids down into 4 main personalities and a combination of sub personalities. This book will teach you the weaknesses, strengths, wants, needs, etc. of each kid. After reading this book you will learn how to read kids and deal with their personality. Also, it will help you pick the right mate to date or marry and to pick the work that will make you happy. After two days of students in my class, I can tell the "orange" students in my class and my career advice to them is "Never take a job that is behind a desk or stuck in a room all day." Years later, students always tell me I was so right. So true colors does work! Buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



3. This book is really helpful in figuring out your own personality type as well as other people's. It teaches you how to interact with other personality types and gives you an accurate description on what kind work you should be doing according to your personality. It not only helped me to figure out my dream profession, but also encouraged me to go for it!



4. This book is needed to be read before anyone plans to seek employment. It will guide you to understand yourself and what career you need to lead a fulfilling life. A must read for anyone at any level of employment.



5. This book is terrific! I work with teenagers and helping them establish careers and making career choices. This book taught me so much about how to approach teens with this tough decision issue. Very down-to-earth and well established writing and exercises.

2 comments about Life After Betrayal: A Practical Guide (The 10-Step Empowerment Series).

1. Reviewed by Catherine Phelps for Reader Views (4/07)
   
   Lynda Bevan resides in south Wales, United Kingdom with her husband. She is currently employed as a manager of a charity which supports individuals suffering with HIV. She has brought extensive personal and professional knowledge to print through the book "Life After Betrayal: A Practical Guide." Mrs. Bevan has counseled many who were recovering from the pain of betrayal in their personal lives as well as guided married couples.
   
   Mrs. Bevan stresses throughout her writing the pain and difficult recovery anyone must overcome to heal from betrayal. This can be from any relationship including family members, co-workers, romantic partners and others. She writes in a very straightforward manner with many examples, descriptions and commonsense approaches. Although damaging in many degrees, this guide will direct the reader on ways to overcome and heal from the agony of betrayal. One will be able to regain their sense of trust in others to continue on to establish healthy relationships.
   
   From the beginning of life, when complete trust is not only desired, but required, each relationship we face is different. All interactions by two individuals include a portion by each in contributing to the final betrayal. To place blame solely on the other is not only inaccurate but prevents the future ability to end this pattern of denial of fault. It is not the subject of who is as fault that needs addressing as much as the wisdom gained as to how to change your actions and reactions to bring forth a change in self and communication.
   The negative affects of betrayal includes the feelings of jealousy and control as well as others. The positive effects of healing may be acceptance and forgiveness. This will allow you to love again in a healthy relationship which is supportive, not destructive.
   
   This book is intended for those recovering from betrayal, however; I would recommend it to anyone entering adolescence to young adulthood. It may likely prevent future heartache and misunderstanding in the future.
   
   If you think of yourself as a victim, this book is for you! From regrets to love, Mrs. Bevan will show you how you can trust again even after betrayal. In reading "Life After Betrayal: A Practical Guide," you will discover the difference between loving someone because you need them, and needing someone because you love them. This is a straightforward, easy-to-read and put-in-action book.



2. I found this book to be filled with useless generalities that could not be applied to my circumstances. The book is written by a woman on her 3rd marriage. For me this is a strike against her credibility.

1 comments about True to Her Nature : Changing Advice to American Women.

1. Have women always been viewed as the most fit parents to rear children? Have they always been considered the sex more naturally inclined to the domestic sphere? And what's up with Martha Stewart?

   In this clear, concise, and highly readable account, author Maxine L. Margolis analyzes advice manuals, articles from ladies' magazines, and the dicta of social scientists in an effort to reconstruct and explain changing ideas about motherhood, fatherhood, and gender roles within and beyond the home. More specifically, she seeks to answer how and why advice to mothers and families has changed over time. The analysis reaches backward to the colonial period and continues into the year 2000, discussing some of the most up-to-date research, debates, and public figures. This historical perspective proves interesting even for the non-historian, since one of the author's points is that ideas about women's and men's proper roles are rarely new-they are more likely to be recycled, in keeping with prevailing socioeconomic and political realities.

   Readers will appreciate the author's lively examples. Here, for example, is your chance to sample the original 1946 Dr. Spock manual, The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care. While the baby-care guru counseled mothers to trust their instincts and common sense, he gave the following instructions on how to prepare for the baby's bath: "Before starting the bath, be sure you have everything you need close at hand. If you forget the towel, you'll have to go after it holding a dripping baby Take your wristwatch off. An apron keeps your clothes drier " Alternatively, readers may prefer the advice dispensed by the widely influential early 20-century psychologist John B. Watson. Concerned that exaggerated maternal coddling would cause children to develop "crippled personalities," he suggested that mothers who could not resist showing some love to their children should "kiss them once on the forehead at bedtime, but shake hands with them in the morning." Finally, the helpful hints provided by a syndicated columnist from the 1960s would make Martha Stewart proud: the column "Hints from Heloise" told readers how to make artificial flowers "bloom again" with a bit of nail polish and how to restuff old throw pillows with lint from the clothes dryer.

   Ultimately, besides making for a good read, Margolis' book provides an invaluable framework for understanding contemporary debates about women's work, day care, and the role of fathers. It is a book for anyone interested in these debates, for those grappling to balance work and home in their personal lives, and of course, for anyone who has ever tuned in to Martha Stewart Living.

4 comments about Hannah Keeley's Total Mom Makeover: The Six-Week Plan to Completely Transform Your Home, Health, Family, and Life.

1. This is a great book with great ideas. It really does work for a full-time working mother, as well as a stay at home working mom. Even if you only utilize a handful of her ideas it is worth it.



2. When I first received this book, I read the book quickly without taking the time to get a notebook and complete the daily exercises. When I finished the book, I grabbed a notebook and started back through each chapter. Hannah's advice hit right on target in many areas of my life. Hannah understands the chaos and emotions involved with motherhood. She offers avenues for mothers to take back control of their life. In a world where everyone is selling external fixes to problems, it's nice to read a book that focuses on the internal you.



3. This book was exactly what I needed I'm an at home mom of a 1& 3 year old and have been trying for 3 years to keep my life balanced on a regular basis but only have done that in waves. Until now. Since I quit my job as a 2nd grade teacher to become a full time homemaker, I've never been so driven and motivated. I'm better in so many areas and I'm only at week four in the book. I spend 1/2 hour every day doing the exercises and taking notes. I love that time I spend.I can't wait to get up and read the next day. I recommend it to every mom I know because it has helped my life so much. Hannah is funny and organized the book so well. I love the sequence of chapters, exercises, reminders, and her writing style. It's very easy to read. I want to tell more...but my baby needs me. Any mom could use the information found in this book!WOW! If anyone wants to ask me about it, just e-mail me at Morjulie@gmail.com :)Julie Morris (Patrick Morris is my husband)



4. Hannah Keeley is my hero! This book has helped me get back on track and in control of my crazy life with two sets of twins. Hannah is smart, funny, and well educated. She has a unique perspective and gives you the tools you need to make a difference in your life today. Buy the book.