5 comments about Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life.

1. I received this book about a year ago and I think it is the best self help book on the market. It has been fantastic and has helped me so much by giving me scientifically proven techniques to change the way I look at events or situations.
   
   I use to read a few self help books to stay positive and ended up giving them up as I found they never gave me any help and where filled with 'take care of your self, your precious' and `say these nice things to yourself and you will have a better life'. I suppose that is all well and good but at the end of the day it never really helped me or changed anything. They could never snap me out of a downward spiral however the techniques in this book can. This book gave me concrete ways to help myself in situations where I get emotional or upset and it is something that will always need to be worked on but if you do it then it gets easier and you are in more control and you are a more rational and effective person.
   
   The book is easily understood even though alot of it is scientific and best of all the principals are backed up by studies so the book has validation. All of the principals are pretty basic and leave you feeling `well of course' however they really do help and like most books it brings your attention to things you may already know, but may not apply. If you enjoy going to psychologists and raking up all the bad events of your life and leave with no way to help yourself in these emotional times when you are alone, then you may not appreciate this book. While it is great to get help, it is important to get the right help and understand why something may not be helping you. Cognitive therapy seems to put the responsibility back on the individual, while you may not have chosen the way you choose to perceive your life (usually from parents) it is your responsibility to change this and to make the long term commitment to change.
   
   I have also read 2 other books by Martin Seligman and I also found these great. It is not essential to read all of these books but I found Learned Optimism so interesting, and that I got so much out of reading it and using the techniques that I wanted to see what was included in the other two books. The other books hold similar material however go into greater detail in other ways like talking about the angry person and why they are like that etc... I would recommend any of these books to everyone as there is something there for all, it would probably be best though to start with Learned Optimism.
   
   
   
   
   
   



2. If you are interested in how optimism can be learned, Seligman's book/CD is a great resource.



3. It's not that the information insn't correct, but it certainly isn't insightful. This seems like a mental exercise for a professor who just wants to get his name in print. Right away you're in trouble becuase he has you go through an exercise and then rate your optimism to see if this book could help you. if you are low on optimism, you need this book, if you are balanced, you need this book and if you are very optimistic, you still need this book.
   
   My view, try to see things from others perspective and find out what your unique service and contribution is to a given situation and ulitmaley your whole life. The rest will fall into place.



4. I haven't gotten all the way through it, because there are alot of assignments, where you have to stop the CD. I usually listen in my car, so it's taking me a while to finish. I'd recommend buying the book too, which I haven't purchased yet.



5. Maybe I should have known better because the audio book is only two CD's but I was disappointed that it's not the entire book on CD. These two CD's contain a fraction of information from the book. I think the book is so full of essential information that the audio CD's only contain a small piece of the author's subject.

5 comments about Microhydro: Clean Power from Water.

1. Scott Davis does a wonderful job at explaining every aspect of microhydro. I highly recommend this for teaching or personal use if you are interested in building your own system.



2. Very good practical overview of micro-hydro and alternative energy in general for residential users. Basic primer that anyone who is considering installing such a system should read.



3. Not the best book I've read about Microhydro. I read one published in the 70's and it did a much better job explaining how electricity works and the problems associated with making power from water. Through out microhydro he make references to other parts of the book, it was kind of like teasers when you are watching bad tv, "in just a moment we'll find out what's in Al Capone's secret vault". It was like he didn't have enough to say so he kept stretching it out and repeating things he already said. He also kept talking about the case studies at the end of the book. They were not too informative. All and all I just wanted to let people know I was disappointed. This was supposed to be The Book on microhydro and it just didn't measure up . I more recently read a catch all book for wind, water and solar energy and it did a great job. I would recommend "[[ASIN: Power with Nature Second Edition: Alternative Energy Solutions for Homeowners Updated]]"



4. After reading this book, I must say that energy from water is outstanding compared to other alternative sources. I must say also that I am left with a little puzzlement as the book explains things and parts and equipment in terms as if I was a practitioner of the field of study. I have no experience in the subject so some of the terminology and advice made little sense for my understanding. However, I will keep this book for future reference. I found that this book was written with the idea that though water can provide for most of the needed energy for a small household, understanding the greater need of the household employs more than one source of alternative energy. Few water sources can provide for all needs, and the book stressed this in the biginning. I would have liked to have seen colored photos. The black and white photos were shadey and when referred to them for understanding, I was unable to identify the pointed out areas. I must add that though I am not an engineer or a mathmatician and could only understand about 89% of the subject, I am sold on the idea of microhydro power and it's performance. I am willing to try my hand at my own system, with the help of the book and professionals that is.



5. This book is a colection of small to tiny hidropower instalations mainly in Canada and gives general details about how the power is generated for isolated houses or cabins.
   Does not give you ways to learn how to solve your specific situation, simply is a description of different solutions that can be of general model if you have a similar situation on hand.
   If you are looking on how to build a microhydro there are other books that are more suited to the task, if you just want to learn how people have solved their energy problem with hydro generation then you will find it useful.

5 comments about What Did I Do Wrong?: When Women Don't Tell Each Other the Friendship is Over.

1. The author made a good effort but it is missing something, maybe because it is based on her life and I am not in this social class.
   
   For me this book reinforced the idea that Women are bad friends. The stories make me wonder who this author knows - sounds like a self-centered crowd.
   
   The friendships she depicts seem shallow ending over gossip, petty squabbles and my personal favorite my husband doesn't like you. Is this the stone ages where a woman can't be friends unless her husband gives permission? My parents had individual friends and couples they were friends with. Each had individual friends that the other liked and didn't like so based on my experiences with friendship some of her stories seem silly and shallow.
   
   I agree with other reviewers about writing a letter when you are in the midst of a painful end to a friendship is a bad idea. Most people are not going to wait until they have enough emotional distance to write such a letter and sometimes you have no idea what the recipient is going through. I would not want to write a letter to someone when I may not know what is happening in her life. Is she experiencing a deep depression? Is there a recent crisis? Sometimes regardless of the spirit in which a letter is intended the person will still read it though a lens that may be clouded by pain or bad circumstances.
   
   This author is not an expert so in some ways her approach seemed fresh but having an expert voice involved could have made it a much better book.



2. I was pleasantly surprised and gratified to find out about "What Did I Do Wrong? When Women Don't Tell Each Other the Friendship is Over". This is a book I have been waiting to read for a long long time. Bravo to Liz Pryor for addressing a topic that has been completely taboo. Even between the women involved, there is usually NEVER an open or honest discussion about the painful experience of a friendship ending between girlfriends. With a wide range of anecdotal material plus illuminating stories from her own life, Pryor illustrates the possible causes of these "break-ups". Strange misunderstandings, moral judgments, competition, overstepping of boundaries, insecurity and lack of communication seem to be key (all aspects of ego-mind, by the way). Occasionally, but not entirely without angst, both parties agree to end the friendship amicably due to "growing in different directions". In my own experience, a major factor is that old bug-a-boo jealousy, which is mentioned only briefly. Perhaps with her next book Liz Pryor can delve more deeply into the psychological issues that are significant barriers to unconditional love, trust and caring support between women-friends. In my view the number one reason why women treat each other so shabbily stems from an early negative relationship with one's own mother. The mother-daughter relationship becomes the ongoing dysfunctional pattern for how a woman will treat the other women in her life, unless the wound is acknowledged and transformed. Cattiness, pettiness, bitchiness, negative gossip, competition and jealousy between contemporary women is so prevalent these days it almost seems to be the norm, and that is not right. Healed and whole, women are the force of love in the world.



3. Women can be really cruel to one another, even "Best Friends" of over 30 yrs. Not saying anything, just ignoring, pulling away, "customs" & annual events you always did together, other plans get made that don't include you are all passive aggressive signs. But since you have never seen this behavior from "her" you don't expect or recognize it for what it really is, rejection, walking away. The best part you will find out is that YOU did not do anything wrong. SHE DID! Read the book



4. This book was a very quick read. It made me think and feel a lot better about some of the friendships in my life that fell through.



5. Like most people, we see a title of a book and it says something to us, and that makes us pick it up. I saw the title of this book and instinctively picked it up and read it the same day; crying through most of it because I too was going through the same type of situation with a friend.
   
   The book hits the nail on the head with its various stories of how friendships, however solid we think they are, for whatever reason fail because of lack of communication, misunderstandings, or someone just not wanting to be your friend anymore. And how those ending make us feel about ourselves and our ability to move on and try again, or stay crippled in fear/anger about letting anyone into our lives again for fear of being hurt/betrayed again.
   
   But more importantly, it does address how sad and heartbreaking it is to lose a friend and feel that you cannot talk to anyone about it (I think the author or one of the people interviewed mentioned that).
   
   This book makes it a bit easier to deal with the loss of a friend.
   
   Highly recommended to anyone dealing with friendship issues that they cannot understand, this book helps.

4 comments about The Addiction Workbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Quitting Alcohol and Drugs (New Harbinger Workbooks).

1. The workbook allows one to view his/her compulsion to drink and/or use drugs from multiple perspectives, to better realize the consequences and to make a reasoned choice about whether or not to embrace sobriety. It then gently guides one into early recovery, giving tips and support for making important changes in life so as not to return to alcohol and/or drugs. Fanning writes in short, clear sentences so that the book is very easy to understand, and shows great compassion for those who are burdened by the terrible compulsion that is addiction.



2. This book has the basis information a person needs to quit their addiction. Is the same basic principles that rehabilitation programs used. Except that in the rehab you have a team a people that help you and the AA/NA meetings are all day.



3. Bought it for my grown son...along with AA, prof. treatment, the workbook has been a good support for him.



4. This book provides some information and a vague guideline on the treatment of addiction; good as a self help tool for individuals.

5 comments about Making Stuff and Doing Things.

1. This book is an awesome resource for anyone who is into doing things themselves, from crafting to cooking, and is an inspiration for any would-be DIY-er. Its handwritten and cut and paste content are part of what make it great- you can tell that the contributors to this book really are making stuff and doing things themselves, hence the thrown-together zine aesthetic. If you don't want to get your hands dirty, or can't take looking at something that has not been sanitized by some huge corporate publishing company with an overpaid copy editor, maybe this book isn't for you. But for the rest of us, this is an amusing and inspiring read meant as a catalyst for action and fun!



2. Wasnt that great. Lots of info but poorly laid out. Not well written. Looks good in the preview but a real dissappointment when you get it. I recomend DIY(design it yourself). Its far more professional and useful.



3. I too was suprised at some of the negative comments.
   
   I have my own copy of this book and the publisher (microcosmpublishing) is
   very clear its layout isn't super perfect... it is photocopied from 'zines, which actualy gives is a nice authentic feel, and it's almost always legible.
   
   There is a lot here from food to clothes to health, to other DIY, saving money,
   from pratical necessities, to areas related to fun/art/entertainment (see the full description) It's not perfect, and you may need to pick and choose as I have what
   parts are most useful to you, but for the money you get a very good deal
   and more than enough areas (if you are at all interested in DIY) to glean
   ideas and inspiration from.



4. I was definitely intrigued by the concept. As an author, artist and zine publisher myself, I am always looking for the latest and freshest takes on life in an Arts & Crafts World.
   This book may be intended for kids getting started in DIY crafts and other projects but it has something to recommend for the more seasoned among us as well - those of us who grew up on books like Be Here Now by Baba Ram Dass, and Living on the Earth by Alicia Bay Laurel.
   The zine compilation format rocks - no, it isn't a Michael's style Step-by-Step - that's what makes it fun and clever enough to hold almost any (I suspect) dyed in the wool DIYer's attention. Written BY people who like to make stuff, FOR people who like to make stuff.
   At this price, it will stay on my gift-giving list for the unforeseeable future.



5. I just got this book the day before Christmas and opened after. I've read through most of it and find it very fun and useful. There's going to be a coming time when our economy tanks and we need info like this to keep alive. We need a whole new philosophy of life, one based around both surviving and living and enjoying life, not "Working jobs we hate to buy things we don't need."

5 comments about Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life.

1. I found it a bit difficult to read cover to cover because of it's intensity. But I still thouroughly enjoyed the book when I jumped around to read sections relevant to my life. It has something for everyone. Its a kind of book that needs to be re read a few times to get all the meanings. Overall a very nourishing book



2. This review pertains to the audio version, and is read by the author. I am a spiritual counselor and an ordained minister. However, my daily work is in the financial industry. I point this out only to give the reader a perspective.
   
   If you have any interest at all in a real understanding of God and life, please read this book. Rabbi Irwin Kula shares wonderful insights and wisdom into why our perception and expectations of life are they way they are. He also helps readers to see the simplicity of our personal universe when given another, perhaps more considered, viewpoint.
   
   There is a lot of rich material for thought and enlightenment here, so take your time and enjoy what Rabbi Kula teaches. For me it was like eating a great meal, every mouthful to be savored and all the food healthy and nourishing.



3. I have read this book twice. I will read it again. Whatever your spiritual belief, whatever your level of faith is or is not, you will be influenced by Rabbi Kula. His fundemental logical conclusions on what make all humans tick is right down the pike. The book is not a polyanna fix for all life's woes but it is sound advice on how to improve your life and improve the lives of the ones around you. You will cherish the read and you will recommend to others..... you can't not!



4. "Yearnings" opens doors and grants the reader an inner journey of redefining personal, daily life. thank you.



5. I enjoyed this book myself, then one of our guest writers at our online magazine, [...], Gail Katz, wrote her own recommendation of Rabbi Kula's book.
   
   Gail points out that, as a Jewish woman, this book touched her -- but I can also recommend this to a broader audience, as well.
   
   The entire concept of the book is fresh and appealing because -- let's be honest -- most of us do not lead perfectly organized lives. Our lives are not only messy -- they're filled with ambiguity and daily friction. We love our family, for example, but we question -- and sometimes deeply disagree -- with some family members. The messiness extends further into our workplaces, communities and world.
   
   Rabbi Kula is trying to provide a spiritual framework for accepting that messiness as part of life's pilgrimage. Rather than trying to escape it, he argues, we should realize that a certain messiness is the fabric of life itself. The challenge is where we will allow our yearnings to carry us in this pilgrimage through the mess.

5 comments about The Lost Choice.

1. I would first like to point out that the product information on Amazon is incorrect. This is not a 64 page book. I believe that product info is for Andrew's book, "Socks for Christmas". THE LOST CHOICE by Andy Andrews is 247 pages.
   
   Andrew's is one of my favorite writers. His book, "The Traveler's Gift" is one of my all-time favorites. If you haven't read it, I give it my highest recommendation. The Lost Choice is not as compelling a read as The Traveler's Gift, but is nonetheless a wonderful read of it's own.
   
   The subject here is an ancient relic. Whoever possessed the relic, or one of the pieces thereof, held a date with predestination, giving them the rather providential ability to achieve great things. Lest the relic should fall into the wrong hands, it was broken into four separate pieces nearly two thousand years ago. Each piece, since that time, has brought an area of great achievement to its possessor.
   
   This riveting tale travels through history and reminds the reader of what so many others have achieved before us. George Washington Carver, Queen Elizabeth, William Wallace and Oskar Schindler, just to name a few.
   
   Unlike other works by Andrews, the inspirational message here is not crystal clear, but lies instead, just beneath the surface. I could see where some readers might place the emphasis on the object, but the object is simply Andrew's tool for delivering the message. We don't need to find a piece of relic with the power to make us do great things. That piece of relic is already there, within each of us. The question becomes, what we choose to do with it.
   
   You see, even though the relic itself is fictional, Oskar Schindler still found it inside himself to save lives at the enormous risk of losing his own. George Washington Carver still found it inside himself to feed literally millions of people with his work in agriculture. It is well documented that indeed, Alfred Vanderbilt did indeed sacrifice his own safety to save lives on the Lusitania. What influenced these people to make those decisions and dedicate their lives to others? Whatever it was, we each possess that same thing within ourselves. What will we each do with it?
   
   In the end, I believe Andrews failed slightly to bring the story to an acceptable close. The epilogue seemed as though Andrews didn't know quite how to finish his great story. Nonetheless, a very good book that will send you searching your soul and asking yourself the hard questions in life.



2. This book is so good. I can't say a lot more because I don't want to ruin it for you--don't start reading it before bed or you'll have to stay up to finish it.



3. I had read The Traveler's Gift a while back, which I liked, and recently I decided to look for another novel to read. When I stumbled upon The Lost Choice, I thought I'd check it out; it was pretty cheap on Amazon. Well, it turned out to be even better than The Traveler's Gift. Not only was it a captivating read, but it was a really inspiring and thought provoking read. This is one book I don't plan on reselling or trading in. Sorry folks, it's mine. And then someday it will be my son's and then his son's and then...



4. Andy Andrews is a master storyteller. In all of his writings, his gift for bringing a message comes through in a clear and compelling set of characters and events. But Andy Andrews is so much more than this - Andy Andrews is a teacher.
   
   I agree with other reviewers that his message is maturing, and yet even in this evolution, he still has so much to teach. The lessons he offers are profound, insightful, and wise. But even this is not what moves me most. What draws me to his work again and again is his ability to speak from his heart.
   
   When he writes about relationships, you can feel his own love for the people in his life. When he writes about children, you can feel his love for his own. His work is filled with the sense of uplifting goodness that not only entertains and educates, it inspires.
   
   I'm grateful to Andy for his inspiration through The Lost Choice and the Travelers Gift. He has shaped my thoughts and my own writing, as well as the lives of all the people to whom I have given his books.
   
   Like so many others, I await the next message he will choose to bring and will be among the first to appreciate and learn from it.
   
   Jim Huling author of Choose Your Life!: A Powerful, Proven Method for Creating the Life You Want



5. This is a book that causes the reader to search our purpose in living each day. Are we making a difference in the lives of others? Are we changing the world in a big way by little choices we make to better each day and help others along the way? After reading the first two chapters, I got a highlighter and started again, highlighting the life-altering sentences. As I reread those sections, I have a guide, simple questions I can ask myself each day. The book inspired me to reflect, to search myself, and to act. I have just ordered another book by the same author. He is particularly astounding with his insight.

5 comments about 12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee (like me).

1. This is an excellent book as it points out how we all constantly judge people to either make ourselves feel better or to justify certain things we do. Most people are not aware that they are doing this that extensively, but they are. To make the best effort to eliminate this bad habit from our lives we must rely on God's Grace and not try to go it alone as we will end up failing and then justifying our failures instead of relying on the grace of God for forgiveness and the strength to keep on trying. We all need to improve ourselves as people and Christians and not compare ourselves to others as this hides our need to improve. Read the book. I am not explaining it that well.



2. THe book was okay. By the time I got to the 6th step I had a headache. I know we are all sinful at the heart and are capable of even murder but some the chapters seemed to create areas of guilt that mature Christian should have overcome through Christ. Even though I know that we all sin and need to be examining ourselves daily for cleansing I did not feel cleansed after reading the book. It felt like a pharisee rebuking another pharisee. We all deal with pharisee-like behavior but I think reading the Bible is the way to deal with it.....not a "12 step" program from another pharisee's mind. Go to God's Word!!!!!!



3. I scanned the book, looked over the chapter titles, etc. I sat down and began to read. A catchy review title popped into my head, "Just ONE Problem". I continued to read. The Book is great. The style is easy to read. The chapters are well laid out. The scholarship is above average. I WAS going to say that it had just ONE problem, those who most need to read it are least likely to do so. There's nothing that will make a Pharisee much angrier than use of the word "Pharisee".
   
   THEN the book shifted gears. I began to realize that it was not so much aimed at correcting the negative actions done by angry religious pharisees as offering hope for greater maturity to those willing to accept God's grace. The key to this book is not the flamboyant title, "12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee" but the smaller subtitles, "like me: Finding Grace to Live Unmasked".
   
   The person who most needed to read this book WAS reading it and preparing a review! I am glad that someone gave this book to me. I suggest that everyone willing to read it should, but read it for yourself, not to throw literary stones at others.



4. John Fischer takes look at the common flaws created in our sin nature in a head-on, yet encouraging way typical of all his work.
   
   Every chapter will have you saying "Yeah! That's me!"



5. I had a hard time getting started in the book, but it got better and better. Convicting many times, and insightful too. Fischer is a good writer, and a man who knows God.

5 comments about How to Make Yourself Happy and Remarkably Less Disturbable.

1. Dr. Albert Ellis is a recognized expert in the field of rational emotive behavior therapy, which concentrates of changing behavior by replacing irrational beliefs with rational ones. A psychologist with a clinical practice, Dr. Ellis has written sixty-five books and published numerous articles on human behavior. How To Make Yourself Happy and Remarkably Less Disturbable, his newest book, offers readers practical guidance for achieving happy and satisfying lives.
   Dr. Ellis is convinced that people have the ability to change their lives through the choices they make. He says you can "learn to change your thoughts, feelings, and actions and thereby reduce your emotional distress."
   All of us have goals. Often someone or something keeps us from achieving those goals. Some people then have "negative feelings like sadness, disappointment, regret, and frustration," that can stimulate them to find ways of overcoming whatever is keeping them from their goals. Others have unreasonable feelings that result in emotions that produce self-defeating behaviors like depression, panic, or self-hatred. Ellis teaches readers how to recognize those unreasonable feelings and convert them to healthy emotions.
   The basis of his process involves determining what beliefs you have that trigger your emotional responses. Irrational beliefs include "I-can't-stand-itis," absolutes like must and should, awfulizing, and worthlessness. You then dispute those beliefs with questions like: Is my belief logical? What evidence supports it? Is it really this bad or awful? Disputing irrational beliefs opens the way to replace them with more rational beliefs, like "I don't like this, but I can stand it." Rational beliefs allow you to handle adversities with less distress.
   Ellis includes case histories of people who have overcome severe unhappiness with his techniques.
   Readers wishing to ease their emotional distress will find How To Make Yourself Happy a useful resource.



2. This book is a lengthy popular presentation of how to apply famous Dr. Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) to yourself, with numerous examples, case studies and repetitions.
   
   REBT is a philosophy more than psychology. REBT states that is not an adversity (A) that affects the human but the belief (B) of the individual about it, leading to negative consequences (C). These are the simple but most important ABCs of the therapy.
   
   Dr. Ellis encourages disputing the irrational beliefs, avoiding generalization and absolutism, and unconditionally accepting self and the others.
   
   Here is an excerpt from the book: "Exceptionally bad occurrences are only awful, horrible or terrible when you define them as such. Bad never really means awful but you may think it does. And you never have to think in that self-destructive way. In fact if you think clearly, you'll soon see that nothing - no, nothing - is awful. [.....] When you insist that an undesirable event is awful or terrible, you are implying - if you're honest with yourself - that it is as bad as it could be: completely or 100% bad. Bu actually nothing can be 100% bad, because it invariably could be worse. If you are tortured to death slowly, you could always be tortured to death slower. About the only thing that could really be totally bad would be the annihilation of the entire human race, all the living and non-living things that now exist, and the whole universe. Well, that hardly seems likely in the near future. Even if our entire universe were to be annihilated, that would be most unfortunate but not really awful for several reasons: (a) We all ultimately will die anyway, (b) Once we were destroyed, we wouldn't know that we were non-existent, (c) It is sad that many species - like tyrannosaurus Rex and the dinosaur - no longer exist, but is it really awful? (d) If you view possible or actual human (or animal) annihilation, as awful, how will that help you stay alive or be happy?"
   
   Although Dr. Ellis has published more than 40 other self-help volumes, you can consider reading another book which is more brief and concise. There is a cute book "Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy - A Therapist's Guide" which, although targeted to practitioners qualified to practice psychotherapy, expose the REBT framework in much less words, and seemed much more vivid and easy to understand.



3. Ellis is in a select class of thinker. I always get something positive out of all of his books. There are a lot of feel good books out there and I have read many of them. You feel good when you read them, like church revival meetings, but there are no tools for lasting changes. Raw, raw, raw your great, think big, the sky's the limit and on and on. Leave the cash and good luck is what you get from that stuff. Snake oil at its best.
   
   Ellis provides tools for meaningfull and lasting change for the better. Any one can increase their level of happiness by reading this book and applying the simple examples. That's one of the many things I like about Ellis, complex problems have simple solutions.



4. Psychologist Albert Ellis, colloquially known as the "father" of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and the "grandfather" of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, presents How to Make Yourself Happy and Less Remarkably Less Disturbable, a self-help guide of tips, tricks, and practical techniques for increasing the happiness and decreasing the worry and trouble in one's life. Chapters cover "self-starting beliefs" to motivate positive personal change, means to identify and dispute one's own self-defeating and irrational beliefs, reinforcement techniques, stimulus control, time-out procedures, and many more ways to get a handle on one's own thoughts and actions. "You definitely have the ability, as a human blessed with constructivist tendencies, to think, feel, and behave less disturbedly... you can do this by working on your thoughts, feelings, and actions, all of which are significantly interrelated." Highly recommended.



5. This is the first book by Albert Ellis that I have picked up and tried to read. I was offput by his coined term "musterbate". I could not take the arrogant "you" statements that were peppered throughout the first several pages. By page 14 and this paragraph, I gave up.
   
   "Your grandiose tendencies, as you can see, are both born and bred. You naturally make desires and preferences into arrant and arrogant demands. For you not to do so would take a good deal of time and effort - which you rarely bother to take!"
   
   I am sure that there are tendencies in us all that we could take from this paragraph and from his book, but to make a broad sweep and put everyone in the same category was not about dealing with complicated people with various problems, but putting them all in a lump as insensitive narcissists. I have enough sense of self to know that this was not the kind of book that I want to read.

5 comments about Drive Without Fear: The Insecure Driver's Guide to Independence.

1. I am in my late 20's and since I came here in US I have always been scared of learning how to drive. I tried to practice with my husband but oftentimes I get frustrated with myself. I just bought this book a week ago and I started practicing this weekend. I have let go of my fear (which to me a good start). I focus on the road and stop watching the nose of the car and it made a lot of difference. I am going to work on my turns still but I am excited to learn more.
   
   I am hoping to get my license this year!!! I know I can so can you!!



2. The best thing about this book is that it is very encouraging to fearful drivers. Its message is that you can be happy just being a neighborhood driver, and if careful, you will probably never have an accident near your own neighborhood. This is very good news, however, I'm not so sure how true it is, considering the number of teenagers getting into accidents in my neighborhood. I am a careful driver, but if a maniac teenager hits me, I will get into an accident anyway. The other great thing about the book is its tips for preventing accidents, such as stopping is not always the right thing to do, look in the mirror often, put your car over the black shadow on the road to stay in your lane, etc. From my experience driving with an instructor for over 40 hours, Mr. Klein's tips are valid and useful, and include mistakes I've made. However, his section on steering really confused me. You cannot learn to steer from a book. You need to feel the car and drive to learn to steer. Overall, I am happy with the book's message that I can drive if I tried.



3. I finally got my license after 4 years in USA. My advice is to practice a lot. The fear will go away the more you get behind the wheel. Pretty soon, you can't wait to do it on your own.
   
   Use this book to guide you and prepare you for situations you will normally face on the road - like staying on your lane, turning the proper way, etc.
   
   I just turned 29 and just got my license this Feb 14 and I have been driving myself back and forth to work using the hi-way after. Believe me, I was scared to get behind the wheel, just the thought of my driving instructor coming to pick me up is agonizing = ). This book has helped me a lot in overcoming my fear. Just tell yourself "You can do it! no matter what others say, who cares about AGE, you can do it!" Be patient with yourself.
   
   Don't be afraid to fail in your license exam, I failed once and the examiner gave me a laundry list of what to work on. I failed big time
   then I practiced then I tried again and I passed.
   
   Please get behind that wheel with a friend, family member or someone PATIENT.



4. I really can't believe this book got so many good reviews. I bought this book because I have an intense fear of freeway driving. I thought maybe this book would have some good advice. The title of the book should really be "How to Drive." Because that's really all it is, a glorified drivers ed manual.
   
   Also, I found that the author seems to be very chauvinistic regarding women drivers. The book reads like it was written in the fifties.



5. The "Drive Without Fear: The Insecure Driver's Guide to Independence" book was one of just a few excellent reference sources for my safe driving CD "Mind the Road - Mind the Road: Waking Hypnosis for a Conscious Commute. The advice and recommendations from this book were a great inspiration for the suggestions my audio CD gives to drivers as they start their drive to have a safe and focused drive. I would highly recommend this book with my audio CD to help drivers be prepared for what potentials the road may present to them.