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 Secrets of Antigravity Propulsion: Tesla, UFOs, and Classified Aerospace Technology.

1. I admit this book covers a wide range of researches made on electrogravitics in the past. However, there are many experimental results and theories on gravity control, those are not mentioned in this book. In web sites, such as the You Tube, the readres could find furthermore interesting topics on electrogravitic experiments, whic were conducted at diffrent places in the world.



2. The secret history of antigravity experimentation from Tesla to the B-2 Advanced Technology Bomber is covered in a survey of advanced gravity-control technologies under secret military development for decades. Numerous field-propulsion devices and technologies that have huge thrust-to-power ratios are surveyed in chapters which offer new science ideas and theories perfect for any new age library.



3. I'm not much for conspiracy theories, but... there is just way to much information here into subquantum kinetics and electrogravitic propulsion systems that work to be validly discounted. It is pretty conclusive that gravity has polarity, and our current physics paradigm is insufficient to explain the results achieved. Experiments by Tesla, Brown, Searl and others also show that generators can be constructed that produce energy vastly in excess of the energy required to operate them.
   
   These experiments date back 60+ years, but once they went "black" under US Military control, no further information was available, that is until the B-2 bomber was unveiled. It seems the US government embraces subquantum kinetics, but keeps it secret, even though it would solve our energy problems, pollution, and global warming.
   
   The book delves into the "actual" propulsion of the B-2 which corresponds perfectly with the known research and experiments into electrogravitic propulsion. At one point, Boeing, after completing classified propulsion work for the government, felt it would be of fantastic benefit for use in commercial aviation. They applied for declassification, but of course, were denied.
   
   The author even tried to submit data to NASA on shuttle propulsion, but NASA appears to be nothing more than a puppet organization for military PR to the public, since the military already has their own covert space program in place.
   
   This is an excellent book, but unless you understand college physics and higher math, it will be very hard to follow.



4. 
   The book "anti-gravity propulsion" from Paul LaViolette is a very dense and extremely well documented work on new technologies that offer brilliant perspectives for solving the world energy crisis, though being totally unknown in the public because of security classification. A must-read for any scientifically oriented person with an opening to paradigm-changing perspectives.



5. Although the title is slightly misleading - yes, Tesla is mentioned a few times but his work is not explored in much depth - this is a very informative book. It is more or less a history book written by a scientist. It explores the work of T. Townsend Brown in some depth and examines The Searl Effect in some detail. Perhaps unfortunately, quite a bit of the information in this book is speculation because black ops projects are, by their very nature, extremely secretive.
   
   I must give credit where credit is due, however, because it is a very thought provoking book. One of the nice things about this book is that the appendices are well designed. Several patents are mentioned throughout the text and they are all listed in one of the appendices for easy reference and if you know where to look on the Internet you can download and study them yourself.

5 comments about The Angry Heart: Overcoming Borderline and Addictive Disorders : An Interactive Self-Help Guide.

1. As a mental health therapist who specializes in treating BPD, I use this book in my BPD Group Therapy. The women may not recognize their own behaviors in themselves, but they can see their behaviors in others. The excerises are great and when done in a group setting, they offer support and validation from other members.
   
   Although other research or treatments are not mentioned, it is a tool that can work well for some BPD people. I have found it helpful and so have the women who have used the book. I do use DBT at times along with the book, but for the most part, the book is the foundation of the Group.
   
   D.B., M.A., LPC, WY



2. I really love this book and it's a huge help for my recovery. I especially like that you can contact the authors and get feedback about your exercises and recovery. The exercises and journal entries are painful, but the authors explain that in order to fully recover, you have to practice "extinction." I highly recommend this book to anyone with Borderline Personality or other similar disorders.



3. I read this book to better understand my now ex-boyfriend. It helped me to not take personally his actions and gave me understanding and empathy. It will help a loved one of BPD to listen and react in ways that can help facilitate the journey to recovery. Although the book could not save our relationship, I am hopeful because he is now reading this book. The book offers steps to recovery through detailed exercises. The authors covered every area to guide the person with BPD to recovery. Awesome book!



4. This book is an excellent guide for understanding borderline personality disorder and addictive behaviors. It clearly outlines the recovery steps someone with these disorders must take to live their life again. This book is very helpful to read as a family member of someone with bpd, as it gives you insight into how to have a relationship with someone recovering from borderline and other addictive behaviors. The book is well written and easy to read with practical advise.



5. Every therapist who treats people with borderline personality disorder should use this book. It's an organized way to move through steps necessary for the recovery process. Would also work great in a group therapy setting with an "AA" type approach. I would recommend this to anyone recovering from this disorder.

5 comments about The Interpretation of Dreams (Oxford World's Classics).

1. Freud's book must be read by anyone who studies dreams, because it contains about 220 dreams and valuable information about the dreamers' life experiences related to their dreams. But, his wish fulfillment theory of dreams is definitely wrong both concerning its origin and its consequences, as explained below.
   
   Freud began to interpret his patients' spontaneously reported dreams by likening them to daydreams and psychotic hallucinations. Everyone knows that daydreams are produced for fulfilling wishes in an imaginary way, and psychologists know that most psychotic hallucinations constitute imaginary fulfillments of wishes frustrated in the waking state. But, likening waking-state products to sleep-state products does not look realistic, because the waking state is a time for fulfilling wishes, whereas the sleep state is known to realize resting and self-restoration rather than realizing new successes and gains. So, Freud's first step in dream interpretation was most probably wrong.
   
   Nevertheless Freud became convinced that dreams meant wish fulfillments because of two dreams that he misinterpreted, as explained below.
   
   Pepi's dream: Medical student Pepi H. was late to wake up one morning, and the landlady called through the door: "Wake up, Herr Pepi! It's time to go to the hospital!" He dreamed that he was lying in bed in a room in the hospital, and there was a card over the bed on which was written: "Pepi H., medical student, age 22." He went on sleeping, thinking that he was already in the hospital.
   
   It is evident that Pepi had, in the disabling state of half-sleep, the incompatible wishes of staying in bed and going to the hospital. Both of these wishes were fulfilled by the image of him in bed in the hospital. This cannot be considered a true dream because of several reasons: (1) Pepi was in a state between sleep and wakefulness; (2) both of his wishes belonged to the waking state instead of being activated in the sleep state; (3) his two wishes frustrated each other; and (4) therefore the image of him in bed in the hospital, which fulfilled both of his wishes in an imaginary way, looks more like a psychotic hallucination than a true dream.
   
   On the other hand, the image of the card on the bed, which was apparently produced after he fell asleep, can be considered a true dream element seeking to terminate the failure to go to the hospital by conveying the following message: "You are not a patient, and you are not a child; you are a medical student of age 22! So, get up and do what you have to do!" The last part of this message was only implied.
   
   We see that, after baselessly likening dreams to psychotic hallucinations, Freud had the bad luck of encountering a mental product that was half hallucination and half dream and took it for a true dream. Below is a dream that is similar to Pepi's dream.
   
   A man who had been driving all night was desperately trying to stay awake and to keep the car on the road, or rather to keep the road in front of the car, as he later remembered. The car jolted twice with no apparent reason, and he woke up in a cornfield. We understand that the image of the road in front of the car had become a hallucination caused by the wish and the failure to keep the road in front of the car in the disabling state of half-sleep. It is also possible that this hallucination was then replaced by a "sleep-preserving" dream when sleep prevailed. Thus, a hallucination was produced in the state of half-sleep and was then transformed into a dream when sleep took over, just like it happened to Pepi.
   
   Freud's dream "Irma's injection" (Freud 1900). This dream of Freud's about a hysterical patient of his gave to him the final conviction that dreams meant wish fulfillments. He had it 9 months before he delivered his lecture The Etiology of Hysteria, in which he exposed his seduction theory of hysteria, according to which this disorder is caused by sexual abuse suffered in childhood. This means that the thoughts expressed in this dream were produced in conformity with the seduction theory. But when he published the interpretation of this dream in his book on dreams, he had already switched to the fantasy theory of hysteria, which said that this disorder was caused by repressed unacceptable fantasies, or wishes, of sexual nature. Thus, the dream's thoughts were based on the seduction theory of hysteria, whereas its interpretation presented by Feud in his book was based on the fantasy theory. But despite this discrepancy, Freud produced an interpretation that is correct to a great extent. He misinterpreted only the part of the dream that explained the cause of hysteria and the part that said that hysteria was incurable, as shown below.
   
   The dream is about Freud's failure to cure his patient Irma. Many psychologists believe that Irma represented Freud's patient Emma Eckstein and others like her, whom he had failed to cure. Freud recognized correctly the subject of the dream as the presentation of several causes of his failure to cure Irma. For example, Irma did not cooperate with Freud and did not believe his interpretations, which must have been based on the seduction theory, and physicians ignorant of hysteria influenced the therapy negatively. Freud interpreted these parts of the dream correctly, including even the part that accused Freud of believing a physician's wrong diagnosis without examining the patient himself. He had to say, "the material was, one might say, impartial." We can say that the dream expressed the truth, as it was known to the dreamer, as Jung believed. The accusations directed to the physicians were realistic external attributions of Freud's failure. Freud interpreted them as "revenge on other doctors" and "derision of physicians who are ignorant of hysteria." The dream accused physicians of ignoring that hysteria was caused by sexual abuse, as explained below, whereas Freud implied that they ignored its cause explained by the fantasy theory.
   
   The dream explained the cause of her illness as sexual violation and declared that it was incurable because it was impossible to undo the violation. This is the part that Freud misinterpreted, knowingly or by mistake, which in reality carried the following message: "Physicians thought that hysteria could be cured by physical, physiological intervention, but this is absurd, because hysteria is caused by sexual violation which cannot be undone. You all directly know that your colleague who was staying with her gave her an injection. Injections of that sort should not be made so thoughtlessly. That was a dirty injection, and you know very well what it was." The negative idea that hysteria could not be cured by physical/physiological intervention is expressed in the dream through an absurdity (this being one of the means of expressing negative ideas in dreams): Someone suggested in the dream that dysentery would intervene and Irma would be cured. This absurd thought exposed the physicians' ignorance, but also the fact that sexual violation could not be undone and therefore hysteria could not be cured. This dream shows clearly why Freud chose to lie about the cause of hysteria and switched from the seduction theory to the fantasy theory of it. Evidently, he had thought that the only means of curing hysterical patients was to deny that the sexual abuse had happened. That was the only means of "undoing" the abuse which was said by his dream to be impossible.
   
   Freud's overall interpretation of the dream was that it "represented a particular state of affairs as I should have wished it to be. Thus its content was the fulfillment of a wish and its motive was a wish." So, Freud became convinced that dreams meant wish fulfillments by summarizing the meaning of Irma's dream taking into consideration only what he liked in the dream and ignoring, for example, the accusations directed to him by the dream and the fact the dream said that the real cause of hysteria was being sexually abused.
   
   Freud's final belief about the meaning of dreams is this: "A dream is a (disguised) fulfillment of a (suppressed or repressed) wish."
   
   One of the arguments that Freud used to support his wish fulfillment theory was that the mind could do nothing but fulfilling wishes, and because realistic wish fulfillment was impossible during the sleep state, it was done in the form of perception. This argument is obviously wrong, because the mind does plenty of preparatory work before it can actually fulfill a wish, and much of such work can be non-pleasurable. Ignoring these facts, Freud interpreted everything in a dream as an actual wish fulfillment, as exemplified by his misinterpretation of his Irma dream, which presented, for example, several non-pleasurable causes of his failure to cure Irma. I have shown elsewhere that a complete dream contains three types of thought (expressed in Freud's terminology): the frustration of a wish, the causes of the frustration, and the means of fulfilling it. Irma dream was about Freud's failure to cure her but did not present a means of fulfilling it and said instead that curing her was impossible, this being his honest opinion.
   
   Freud's idea of the disguised fulfillment of suppressed or repressed wishes had one more source. He wrote in his letter of January 3, 1899 to Fliess: "I now understand why in spite of all my efforts I have not yet finished the dream book . . . . I shall be able to present the psychic process in dreams in such a way that it also includes the process in the formation of hysterical symptoms." How Freud "discovered" that psychic process is explained below.
   
   Freud's friend Fliess claimed that hysteria could be cured by a surgical operation performed on the nose of the patient. Freud believed him, and Fliess performed an operation on Emma's nose on February 20, 1895. On March 6, 1895, a second operation was performed by another friend of Freud, and half-a-meter of gauze was removed from Emma's nose. The gauze had been accidentally left in by Fliess and had caused excessive bleeding that had nearly killed her. Nose-bleeding continued even after the second operation and was probably a consequence of the two operations. But Freud wrote to Fliess about Emma on May 4, 1896: "She became restless during the night because of an unconscious wish to entice me to go there, and since I did not come, she renewed the bleeding, as an unfailing means of rearousing my affection." And he wrote to him on February 19, 1899: "It is not only dreams that are fulfillments of wishes, but hysterical attacks as well. This is true of hysterical symptoms, but it probably applies to every product of neurosis."
   
   We see that Freud's wish fulfillment theory of dreams and symptoms was a consequence of baseless generalizations, misinterpretations of some dreams, invalid arguments, and the wrong and wishful interpretation of a physiological phenomenon. Thus, Freud's theory is untenable as far as its origin is concerned. It is equally without proof concerning its consequences, as explained below.
   
   Freud believed that every event that a dreamer could associate with the images of his or her dream in the waking state was part of the meaning of the dream. And he interpreted all that material as wish fulfillment by using devices such as displacement, inversion, and other types of disguising to make the dream fit his theory. It is evident that any event can be interpreted in any way one wishes by using such devices. Even this procedure shows that Fred's theory is wrong.
   
   Freud's theory is refuted also by the difficulty he experienced in explaining the emergence of anxiety in dreams and his total failure to interpret the so-called "incest dreams." He wrote in a footnote added to a later edition of his book on dreams that anxiety was experienced in dreams by consciousness when an unacceptable wish was fulfilled without being sufficiently disguised. But if this were true, "incest dreams" interpreted as wish fulfillments would be dreams of highest anxiety, which is not the case. They are found revolting in the waking state by being interpreted wrongly as wish fulfillments. I explained elsewhere that "incest dreams" mean that sex partners must intimately know, love, and respect each other. The wish fulfillment theory has not been useful in psychotherapy either.
   
   However, to repeat, Freud's book must be read by anyone who studies dreams, because it contains about 220 dreams and valuable information about the dreamers' life experiences related to their dreams. The book also contains some of Freud's own dreams, of which the correct interpretations tell much about his life experiences and the true geneses of his theories. Moreover, the book exposes the importance of unconscious thinking, although Freud misinterpreted the contents of the unconscious and the aims of its products, as I further explained elsewhere.
   
   Cognitive-Behavioral Cybernetics of Symptoms, Dreams, Lateralization: Theory, Interpretation, Therapy
   
   Theory Construction and Testing in Physics and Psychology



2. I just got my 2007 edition copy of "Interpretation of Dreams" in the mail so I haven't had a chance to read it. So this rating is only on the particular edition that is published by NuVision. They did not include an index or any information about who translated this version. Also, the table of contents is nearly worthless; no detail what-so-ever about the chapters, not even titles of the chapters, just Chapter 1 etc. and a page number. Even though you may think a newer publication is better, this one is much much worse and more expensive. Go with the 1980 publication. I'm returning the book to Amazon (who gets 5 stars for customer service!)



3. This is a new translation (2006) of Freud's Interpretation of Dreams. I hope someone qualified might soon comment on the merits or significance of this new translation. Meanwhile, the Editorial Review information offered for this book comes from an earlier edition of a different translation of Freud's work, FWIW. And the second paragraph in the editorial review prelim is entirely inappropriate--it's for another book altogether.
   
   I give Freud's book (not the translation) a low rating because it is misleading. It's not about the interpretation of dreams in general, but more specifically it's, covertly of course, about Freud's own dreams. More basically, it's about "infantile memories" he claimed dreams concealed. (For more explanation of this point, one could consult "If Freud's Theory Be True..." in Psychological Reports (1992, 70, 611-620), which would explain how Freud himself tells us his book is not about what it appears to be about.



4. i did a report on this book about 11 years ago. i am still excited by the book although it is not the original more like a summary. i still enjoyed reading.



5. Naturally, I required this book for my comparison of Freud and Adler's dream analysis theories. Freud was one of a kind!

5 comments about Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman's Guide to Finding Contentment.

1. My sister-in-law gave me this book. It's the best gift I've ever been given. I've bought several copies to give to women in my family and friends. The book addresses what peace we can have when we hand our concerns to God and learn to always be content. I wish I'd read this when I was young. It's a book to read several times as a great reminder to hand it all over to God.



2. I couldn't imagine Linda writing a book more helpful than Creative Counter part, but this is the proof (for me at least). This book is applicable to the Christian woman no matter what stage of life she is in. I have found it to be encouraging and helpful in my growing relationship with Jesus. Thanks again Linda.



3. This book helped me get through a very difficult time a while back. In the time since, I have occasionally felt the anxiety levels creep back up, and I have come back to this book. It isn't one to be read one time, but is worth reading again and again.
   
   It is easy to have this book recommended to you, or even to have someone give it to you and leave it sitting on your shelf. I did that when I first received it. Don't do that! Read it and see if you can grow and glean from it as so many of us have done. It can really help you move beyond worry to trust, and it builts more than just anxiety-free living. It helps accomplish the opposite -- contentment and acceptance of your lot. If you struggle with worry or discontentment, this is the first book I would recommend. I can't say that enough!



4. I have done a lot of studies, but this is one of the best studies I've done in awhile, and several friends say the same. I recommend it to all women, as anxiety is a stranglehold for so many of us. This book helps you to give it over to God and holds your hand along the way with it. Great book!



5. My small womans group wanted to do a bible study on this book and at first I was against it because I felt like I wasn't anxious. After reading the first chapter I did a complete turn around! This book is VERY good! It really makes you look at your life in a different way and see what is really important and what really matters. I would recommend it to anyone!

5 comments about The Gift: The 12 Greatest Tools of Personal Growth -- and How to Put Them into Practice.

1. The 12 concepts are great...but getting to them isn't. The book reads like an infomercial for a company which shall be nameless (in this review at least.) You will get a lot more out of Helmstetter's book "What to Say When You Talk to Yourself." There's really nothing new here. Good information hidden among the sales pitch for .



2. This book is basically an advertisement for recruitment into Arbonne cosmetics. The underlying message is very good but you have to wade around the book to find it. I have read "What To Say When You Talk To Yourself" by the same author and it is very good. No advertisements. Just a good book. I was expecting the same with this one. I will not be recommending this to anyone.



3. This is a book that will pick you up, and start you on the road to discovering your dreams again. We all used to dream as kids, but many of us have forgotten how. (And as for the reviews of it being too much about Arbonne -- maybe the reason he uses Arbonne as his example so often in the book is because Arbonne is one company that "gets it.")



4. What a pity that a man with such integrity and expertise in the personal development field ends up tainting his work by trying to market and manipulate you into Arbonne International. His principles are good but ends up compromising himself. Its still worth the read.



5. I have yet to complete this book, but from what I have read thus far, I think it is a great reminder that people can be more/do more with their lives. It is a recommended book for all Arbonne Consultants.

5 comments about The Little Book of Quitting.

1. I quit smoking for the first time in my life using the easyway a year and six months ago. It was the easiest and most enjoyable way to quit smoking, no lie. You can't describe the feeling of the "Magic Button" being pushed untill you experience it yourself.
   
   Six months ago, I started smoking again. I read the book again and it didn't work. The button just wasn't there. I was too filled with self-disgust, fear and foolishness to let the book work for me. With the added tedious nature of reading the full length book for the second, third and forth time (without the elated "Magic Button" feeling), it just wasn't working.
   
   This morning I read The Little Book of Quitting and I felt that button pushed in my mind. I know I have quit smoking again, once and for all. It sounds crazy, but I just know.
   
   I think the big difference is that on my second and subsequent attempts I expected the book to work magic without really letting the content sink in. My advice would be to read with no expectations. Don't think about how it's going to work, just let it work.
   
   I would reccomend The Little Book of Quitting for people who were in my situation. If you have read the original book and need a refresher following relapse, I would highly reccomend this book. If you have never read The Easy Way To Stop Smoking, I would suggest you pick that book up first.
   
   Good luck!



2. If you don't already believe the fundamentals of this book you aren't ready to quit. The continuous "I AM A NONSMOKER" was annoying. Although admittedly, I'm not a big fan of the Cheerleader type self help books. I still can't fathom how this book ever got 5 stars based on quality and price. If you're committed to quiting talk to your doctor and join a group or try replacement therapy and skip this money waster.



3. This book works best when you purchase Allen Car's "The Easy Way To Quit Smoking." You have to really want to quit smoking, and if you do, these books will make it much easier for you. I have not had a cigarette in one month, and I have not used any nicotine patches, gum, or lozengers to help. You are just continuing the addiction to nicotine by using those items. It is best to just put out that last cigarette and say "I am a nonsmoker!"



4. I joined a quit smoking group and tonight was our quit night to throw away our cigarettes, etc. Someone in our group brought this book and read it out loud. It had numerous AHA moments and several things that are really inspiring about quitting. I was hesitant on whether I'd be able to do it but after hearing some of the stuff in this book I now know - I CAN BE A NONSMOKER TOO!



5. As a supplement to Alan Carr's oringinal easyway book, the little book of quitting is cool. But alone, this book is not really all that motivational. I read the Easyway and this book twice, and I'm still smoking like a chimney. Don't waste your money, just go buy some patches.

5 comments about Eccentric Glamour: Creating an Insanely More Fabulous You.

1. Thought this book would be fun as well as helpful. Had a hard time getting through even the first few chapters. Nothing really helpful here if you are truly trying to find out what clothes suit you best, general fashion rules and tips, or how to create your own sense of style (that is not over the top). I should have trusted the poor reviews I read.
   I'm giving this one to my sister, who considers herself a fashionista and may enjoy the author's style.



2. I have loved Simon since the first time I saw him on those VH1 "I love the..." series. He is extremely witty, wry, and hilarious. True, not everyone will "get" his sense of humor and sarcasm, but for those who do, this book is a great read. No, it's not Hemmingway, but for those of who enjoy some "mind candy" to read over summer vacation, this is the book for you.



3. I don't know if you'll take the advice in this book, but you should read it. How can you not read a book buy a gay British guy who both impersonates Queen Elizabeth and quotes Flava Flav?
   
   Okay, some of the advice you shouldn't take. Ignore the permission to wear "a gold leotard with your lesbian aunt Sylvia's mauve nylon fanny pack." Unless you live in NYC, people will talk about you and not in a good way. At least they will if you live in Southwest Michigan.
   
   Still, Doonan is hilarious. I laughed out loud several times and that's not normally true of fashion books. Okay, not true of any books, but most fashion books take themselves so seriously.
   
   Interspersed with stories and interviews with Glamorous Eccentrics is bits of advice, some of which I might actually take. For example: I collect handbags, totebags, etc as I'm always in search of the perfect bag. Doonan thinks that a woman - at least a Glamour Eccentric, one of which I think I am not, should only have one great bag that she takes everywhere. He encourages a person to buy the Hermes Birkin bag they are coveting. That is advice I might take! Of course, chances are good I'll buy a knock off first and see if I really like that style, etc before I save up TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS to buy one of the damned things. Still, I covet that bag.
   
   Doonan is kind to his reader. He reminds the reader that you are a work in progress and to be patient with oneself.
   
   An example of the things that made me laugh:
   These are some of the things that made me laugh: (they are all direct quotes from the book.)
   
   * I am pro-pot dealer: the arrival of a mysterious and attractive criminal adds a memorable frisson of excitement to any occasion.
   
   Doonan dispenses relationship advice that will either work or get you divorced more quickly. There are bits of wisdom that would be helpful to all of us, regardless of whether we are glamorous or eccentric. Sadly, I suspect I'm neither. For example, "alluring" is not cheap & tawdry. To paraphrase Doonan, it's timeless, it's beautiful and sensual. Alluring is "irresistible charm, which ever fails to mesmerize the viewer, regardless of gender."
   
   I can't decide if this is a "fashion book" or a "self-help book" but it's definitely an entertaining book and I highly recommend it.



4. I am a bit of a fashion and style guide junkie. OK. More than a bit. I have read them all, looking for that perfect explanation of what to buy to be impeccably in style. And Simon Doonan has solved my problem. Buy what I want- as long as it is unexpected and makes me happy. Or buy nothing and make my clothes from poodle fur. A "to thine own self be true" for the style challenged! Not only did the book make me laugh, it made me look at my safe wardrobe choices and want to throw them out the window and dress only in gold lame'. I hope Mr. Doonan is pleased with himself.



5. Simon, i wish you were my boyfriend. You are so flippin' right about everything all the time! Thank you for the book. mwah!

5 comments about CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! Strategies for Handling Your Fast-Paced Life.

1. I think the connection the author makes between our daily activities and ADD behavior is intriguing. Once made you can see it all around you with the frantic task switching we are all engaged in in our daily activity schedule e_mail - cell phones - over worked ETC. He as a Doctor in the mental health field has written a book that is useful and illuminating I think the book and it's thesis is very convincing- and can help alleviate the condition as you become more aware of what is happening to you-
   Good read



2. I was at first a little distracted by the made-up, meaningless "terms" the author used such as "gemmelsmerch" to describe the various things in life that distract us from what is important. And while it took me a while to really get into the book, I found that it indeed contained some very practical strategies for handling our fast-paced lives. Chapter 32 was the best...50 suggestions to use in developing a system that works for you. Some may seem like common sense, but for those of us with ADD, it never hurts to have constant reminders. Loved the book.



3. CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! Strategies for Handling Your Fast-Paced Life
   
   This book is a great read and a big help for reducing stress.



4. I was disappointed by this book. He makes the same general points over and over with very little concrete steps to help people struggling with being "crazy busy." In the middle Hallowell shows off cutesy words he's coined to describe this phenomenon.



5. Sometimes a book's title will grab me . . . such was the case
   with CRAZY BUSY by Edward
   M. Hallowell.
   
   That certainly describes how I often feel . . . consequently, I
   picked up the to see what the author had to say about
   the subject.
   
   The key came very early in my reading . . . as Hallowell
   notes on page 5:
   
   * If you're busy doing what matters to you, then being busy is bliss.
   You've found a rhythm for your life that works for you. This world is bursting
   with possibilities; its energy can be contagious. If you catch the bug, you
   want to jump out of bed each day and get busy, not because you are run
   ragged by details or because you are keeping the wolf from your door,
   but because you are in love with this fast life. At its best, modern life dazzles
   us, giving us a chance to get more done in a minute than used to get
   done in a month.
   
   But if being busy keeps you from doing what matters most to you, or if
   it leads you to do things you deem unwise, like getting angry at a rotary
   telephone, then being busy is a problem.
   
   Then there was this example that made me stop and think; laugh, too:
   
   * Life these days is kinda weird. Lingering is a lost art. Such is our hurry
   and our need for constant stimulation that a modern romantic conversation
   might go like this:
   
   "I love you."
   
   "Oh, good, Now, what's your point?"
   
   Everyone's this busy not (usually) because they want to be or planned
   to be, but because they can't find a way not to be and still keep up.
   Being extraordinarily busy-and at times frantic-appears to be the
   inevitable, uncontrollable consequence of living in today's world. If
   being busier than I'd like to be is the price I have to pay, most of us
   seem to say, then so be it. After all, modern life is worth it. Life's
   never been this exciting.
   
   Fortunately, CRAZY BUSY didn't just point out the problems that
   many of our face in our hectic lives . . . it offered many doable
   suggestions as to what can be done about them, such as this one:
   
   * Clutter is one of the major forces (along with the rush, gush, and
   worry that have to be managed lest they not only distract but overwhelm you.
   You have to work at clutter every day or it will win you out. One of the best
   strategies is the acronym OHIO-only handle it once (whatever it is). File it,
   shelve it, hand it up, use it, respond to it, or throw it away.
   
   I also liked this bit of advice from Hallowell:
   
   * Don't spend more time than you must to get good at what you're bad at
   or don't like.
   
   So on that point, let me conclude my review of this excellent book
   before I spend any more time on something that I don't like doing;
   i.e., writing more than you care to read!

5 comments about The Likeability Factor: How to Boost Your L-Factor and Achieve Your Life's Dreams.

1. Tim Sanders does a great job with his book "The Likeability Factor" in showing business executives that their personality, and how others see them, really will make a difference in the bottom line. Being liked leads to opportunities, and Sander's uses his personal experiences (I have met him, he is very likeable), research and his easy writing style to educate the reader on how to improve their "L-Factor"
   
   We all have limited time, but this book is worth the time investment to read it, take notes, do the exercises, and incorporate the wisdom into our daily lives.



2. The L-Factor of what Tim calls "Likeability" is the key element of success in business or personal relationships. As a therapist and business consultant for 25 years I believe that this approach will guide you toward a more fun and fulfilling way of life. I can't say enough good about the power of this resource as Tim coaches you toward a strategic approach that will sharpen your ability to instantly connect with others to achieve greater results. This is must reading if you are struggling in your career, and essential reading if you are just getting started because once you know how to use the secrets of the "L-Factor" you will avoid problems to rapidly reach your potential. Pick it up and read it twice!



3. First, no doubt there is a personality style that we all know as easy to like. But, is "like-ability" sufficient ? As a stand alone character trait is may have a comforting, attractive quality, in life it must be coupled with other traits, such as dynamism, intellectual rigor, mature self awareness for this abilty to be liked quality to have any lasting meaning.
   
   As we read with alarming frequency in the current literature, Hare, Stout, et al. , there are plenty of people out there who seem likable enough, who have an excess of charm and a deficiency of ethics. In the worst case these are known as sociopaths, or those with a complex admixture of sociopathic personality traits and acceptable traits.
   
   Which ultimately leads us to a fascinating contradiction. We may be drawn to someone on the basis of an emotional attractiveness, and yet repelled when we discover their agenda, and in other cases we may be initially put off by someone's critical stance towards life, demanding proof before emotional investment, and yet unlimately finding the second case far more trustworthy and satisfying.
   
   In this sense, there is an intrinsic tension between Charisma, the spirit of the moment, and Character, the unfolding of the true self over time. One may ultimately come to the conclusion that the admirable person may not be as invested in being likable in a glib, two dimensional sense, nonetheless, over time that person's company, advice, and general sense of standards in life may be vastly more impressive than treacle and cardboard of feelgood in the moment glad handing.



4. I so resent hyper-critical reviews, and know I won't agree with them. I agree with them. I wanted so much from this book; it delivered so little. I admit there were one or two excellent sentences. Excellent. But the rest? I read it because I was so angry I'd spent the money.
   
   I know the author enjoyed writing it, but I am not a library file for a collection of footnoted proofs.



5. What if everyone on the planet practiced "likeability"? We'd live in a far different world, I'll tell you that. After reading The Likeability Factor by Tim Sanders, I did a little experiment. I tried, for just one day, to implement what Tim outlines in the book. And it turned out to be one of the best days I've had in a long time. Not only did I feel good about nearly every encounter I had, but I believe those I came in contact with felt equally good. That, for me, is revolutionary: Our everyday behavior can change the world! Tim Sanders is suggesting nothing less that a "better world" revolution, and I for one, am in. The Likeability Factor takes Love Is The Killer App to the next level. And as in that book, Sanders doesn't just propose an idea, he gives step-by-step instructions and real world examples. With the four elements of likeability: Friendliness, Relevance, Empathy, and Realness - and the almost overly simple "observe no unfriendliness" mandate, it is easy to see that this could actually work. I recommend this book to anyone who yearns for a happier, more purposeful life, and who dreams of living in a world that's a little friendlier, a little nicer, and a little warmer.