1 comments about Chicken Soup for the Soul: Empty Nesters: 101 Stories about Surviving and Thriving When the Kids Leave Home (Chicken Soup for the Soul).

1. In My Heart I Carry a Star: Stories for Advent
   The Empty Nesters Soul certainly rings true. Why? because the empty nest experience is both wonderful and heart-wrenching at the same time. The real question is, "How do we respond?" Life is always full of opportunity, and for the empty nester, what we do next has the potential to be redemptive in so many ways.
   Five Stars! Derek Maul: author "In My Heart I Carry A Star" and "GET REAL: a spiritual journey for men."

5 comments about Reinventing Your Life: The Breakthough Program to End Negative Behavior...and Feel Great Again.

1. Somewhat useful but sometimes constricting on the human experience. Has some good back and forth dialog that is useful for therapists to get the hang of the applied theory.



2. I was recommended to buy this book as it deals with specifics that you can relate to. I'm in Australia and it is very hard to find any book about schemas. Sometimes you can get into the whole CBT thing but it's difficult to understand. I found this book to be quite easy to read and i have learnt alot about myself from reading it. Definatlely the book to read if you are familiar with CBT therapy and want to go further into specifics.



3. I keep some of these on my shelf for patients and they really enjoy reading it as an accompanyment to therapy. I even gave one to my teenager hoping she might avoid some of the relationship traps that I see in the clinic and to help her understand the behaviour of her friends. A good book for everyone.



4. Ever wondered why you are never happy with anything you do? Why it is you always think you could have done something better? Ever wondered why your bosses always get angry when they don't get what they want, or why they can't accept `no' for an answer?
   Now, I'm not one for self-help books. You're not likely to see me browsing the `self-help' section at my local book store. Not that I don't see their value. It's more that having studied Psychology for five years I reckon I should be able to work that stuff out for myself...
   
   On a more serious note, I don't believe in quick fixes and magic seminars that sort out all your life's problems in one weekend. But I'm a great believer in empirically-based and research-driven frameworks to anything, including self-help.
   
   And that's where this book is different. Unlike other self-help books, Reinventing Your Life is comprehensive. It doesn't just deal with depression or obsessive compulsive disorders; it deals with a wide range of personality problems.
   
   OK, so now you're thinking, that sounds heavy, a book for real `nutters'. Well, no. Reinventing Your Life is suitable for all of us. It helps us figure out why we do the same things over and over again even though they're really bad for us (like falling for the wrong man, attracting friends who use and abuse us etc). Reinventing Your Life also helps us figure out why the people around us keep doing what they do, even though their actions and attitudes are bad for them!
   
   The book's main premise is that the behaviours of most people are strongly, but unconsciously, influenced by lifetraps. Lifetraps are patterns that begin in our childhood and continue reverberating within us throughout our lives. When the lifetraps are really serious they result in personality disorders which require formal therapy. But here's the catch, even if they aren't that serious, they can still have a significant impact on our lives without us even knowing it!
   
   What I like about this approach is that even though it's based on serious academic work, it's written in a very accessible style. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the eleven lifetraps and begins with a short `women's mag' type quiz. Don't let that fool you. These quizzes are serious and have rigorous validity and reliability. Each chapter then goes on to describe how the lifetrap presents in its more severe forms - reading this of course made me feel better because I could see even I'm not that bad! It also provides some good strategies for you to work on if this is your lifetrap.
   
   And, if you think you are absolutely lifetrap-free, then read it to figure out why all the people around you are so crazy!



5. My therapist introduced this book to me several years ago, and it is uncannily accurate in pointing out which childhood experiences skew behaviors in our adult lives. Very highly recommended.

5 comments about One Day at a Time in Al-Anon.

1. This book is very helpful giving quick guidance for the day. I see myself continually reading it for many years.



2. a great book to read a page of everyday. or read the 22 pages on detachment all at once.



3. I find this meditation book a little harsh, although there are some strong insights. I prefer the other Al-Anon mediation books: Courage to Change: 1 Day at a Time in Al-Anon II or Hope for Today. Both of these newer books provide similar insights with a much kinder voice. If you are dealing with active addiction in your life, these books will help, even if you decide not to attend Al-Anon. Remember the three C's: "I didn't cause it; I can't control it; I can't cure it." (Paths to Recovery: Al-Anon's Steps, Traditions and Concepts, p. 14)



4. I agree with the reviewer who found this book a little harsh. The advice is "old school" al-anon -- focused on the wife of an AA member. It's all about becoming more agreeable, not arguing with him, not complaining when he spends all his time in AA. If you are an adult child of an alcoholic, there is precious little advice for you here. You might want to check out HOPE FOR TODAY or COURAGE TO CHANGE.



5. This is an excellent daily guide to living a peaceful life. The daily readings inspire deep reflection and contemplation. They are thoughtful as well as instructive. For those who live with inner and/or outer turmoil, the readings are like an oasis of hopefulness, serenity and stillness that can be used as a helpful spiritual guide for each day.

5 comments about A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are.

1. Byron Katie has discovered the secret to happiness, she lives it and offers it to all in this wonderfully honest writing. Long ago I felt that The Work she offers would absolutely transform the entire field of psychology. I still feel this will happen. And, finally, she has clearly stated the final realization of the work, "no thought (thinking) is absolutely true." Not one or any. No thinking needs to be possessed or identified with, especially thinking that produces suffering and separation. Of course, it may take one's practice to investigate the reality of this claim and that is as should be.
   
   I love her stories in this book and often found myself chuckling with her. Katie is such an innocently fearless and wise Being. Often, people believe that enlightened beings do not have to face the same life challenges as they do. In this book Katie clearly demonstrates that her understanding has survived more challenges than most people have ever dreamed of meeting. Reality gets real with Katie, no past, no future, just this, who knows what it is, who knows what's coming, wow here it is.
   As Katie notes, it is only by arguing with life that we feel unhappiness and to argue, we must indentify with and believe some form of thinking. Her secret is to be aware of our thinking, how it makes us feel and then do the work to reclaim our true nature...fearless, desireless, loving of this, right here, right now, just as it is. Katie's realization of joy and happiness is truly a gift to all of us.
   
   Sundance Burke, Author Free Spirit: A Guide to Enlightened Being



2. I enjoy reading the short responses to the Tao te Ching written by Katie. It gives insight to her experience of life and keeps it simple and direct allowing you to roam around in your own mind and see how life flows for you.



3. I love this book. A great recommendation from the folks at [...] where I watched all the video clips and felt the direct power and grace of The Work she is doing with everyone. Loving What Is, the title of her first book, says it all, but A Thousand Names For Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are arrived first in the mail. Joy is joy, and the laughter came freely in every short chapter of this, Katie's meditation inspired by her husband Stephen Mitchell's translation of the Tao Te Ching. About half way through, Loving What Is arrived and I read that perfect introduction to The Work, Katie's reality check and guide to self-inquiry, before continuing with A Thousand Names For Joy. There may not be easy laughs on every page for you, but there is amazing grace there. I have, of course, ordered Katie's other books and preordered her next one. I find her to be the most quotable of writer-teachers, thus the title of her most recent book, Question Your Thinking, Change the World: Quotations from Byron Katie. And here, from A Thousand Names For Joy, is the passage that prompted me to write this review:
   
   "Beyond what the mind can see is kinder than what it sees--that's the privilege of an open mind. Kindness resonates with the way things are. Kindness is sipping a cup of tea without the thought that I'm even sipping it. It's like being my own plant, feeling myself being watered, beyond any thought that that's what I even need. It's the sound of rain against the window, the gift of the sound of rain in my ears, the gift of life, which I did nothing to deserve. Kindness prepares what I am to eat in the next season. It even leaves a rainbow. It's infinite. It's the hair that protects my head in the sun, the ground that supports the floor. There's nothing that isn't kind. A death accomplishes what ordinary life could never do, letting you experience what is beyond identification: the bodiless self, mind infinitely free.
   
   "When you realize where you come from, no imagination can move you to believe that you are separate. Everything is seen for what it is, and you understand that no one is in danger of losing anything but his identification. And in that forever good news, in the face of everything that appears to be real, only kindness remains. It's nothing that can be taught. It's an experience; it's self-delight. When I give to you without motive, I am delighted. I act with kindness because I like myself when I do that. That kindness can only be to myself. It doesn't include anyone else, not even the apparent receiver. I am both giver and receiver, and that's all that matters.
   
   "The whole world belongs to me, because I live in the last story, the last dream: woman sitting in chair with cup of tea. I look out the window, and whatever I see is my world. There's nothing beyond that, not one thought. This world is enough for me. Anything I ever need to do or be is in this unlimited space. It's enough to accomplish my purpose, and my purpose is to sit here now and sip my tea. I can imagine a world outside what I can see, and as it happens I prefer this one. It is always more beautiful here, wherever I am, than any story of a future or a past. The here and now is where I can make a difference. It's what I live out of. Nothing more is required."



4. I enjoyed this book and got a lot out of it because it ties in the mindfulness aspect of The Work with the theosophy of the Tao Te Jing such that the Tao helps clarify why The Work is truly helpful. I recommend this to anyone interested in looking at their thoughts and feelings with greater honesty and responsibility.



5. I absolutely loved this book! It empowers me to but things in perspective and find the joy in the moment. I have read the book numerous times in the last 9 month's it's one of those books I'll reread the rest of this human experience. I also purchased the CD set of Byron Katie reading the book....it doesn't seem like she is reading...just sharing. Her gentleness and love is heart felt. My husband and I listened to it on our way back home in the car, 12 hours. It was joyfull! In it she shares her experiences as a Lover of What Is and what that looks life as a human organism, a wife, a mother, a teacher, you know all the labels we put on ourselves and others. Anyway...ENJOY YOUR LIFE!

5 comments about Man and His Symbols.

1. The content is classic and deserves better quality presentation. How about a hardcover? The paper is cheap and already turning brown. The print is miniscule and could be a font size or two larger. I want to buy books to continue building a quality library, not a cheap throw-away.



2. I picked up a copy of this book in Mendocino, CA just after I graduated from college and was trying to figure out what to do with my life. For those of you who are somewhat introverted, academic, or artistic, you may find that his book changes your view and helps begin the process of what Jung (and now other therapists) call the "individuation" process, or normal unfolding of human life. I ended following my bliss and doing all kinds of things that have made me a very happy, very satisfied and yet unendingly curious person. I am now studying to be a therapist, and whether or not I graduate is not the point. The journey and the dream images and meaning we assign to them are the whole point. Life became a meaningful joy for me and (no kidding) this book was the ONLY source of that inspiration.
   
   I have the coffetable version of this book, which is much larger and in color, but the smaller paperback will also do...I'm sure the pictures are good enough. It is the words, not the pictures, that change your life. Who knew that western individualistic humanism was such a powerful and compelling force of psychology?
   
   This book changed my life for the better permanently. Read it.



3. I purchased this in a batch of books which I had wanted to read for a while, including Richard Dawkin's The Selfish Gene.
   
   To be honest, this book is quite a disappointment to me. As noted in other reviews, Jung actually wrote only 1/5th of this book, serving as editor for the rest of the pieces. And it is exactly Jung's own writing which I find disappointing.
   
   Jung's style is sloppy and unfocussed, possibly because this is evidently the first time he writes 'for the layman'. Compared to Dawkins' The Selfish Gene, which I read alternatingly with this book, Man and his Symbols reads like a sloppy collection of personal opinion. It's hard to see from this introduction how Jung is considered to be such an important thinker.



4. This is a book that everybody should own, in my opinion. Karl Jung is a must have.



5. This is a classic must read for any counselor, psychologist, therapist, Etc. or someone just interested in interesting thought. Some truth some fantasy some bewildering mind scapes. C'mon why just read about how the original masters thought, why not read their own words!

5 comments about Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life Positively Forward.

1. OK, finally a book for change that is truly worth embracing. This is based on research, not mere theory. It clearly sets forth the process for how people change across a spectrum of stages that make sense. Several common problems are used as examples of the process. The reader without substantial background in psychotherapy may need some help, or a coach. I suggest the reader pick some area of his life where change is desired (start with something small to get the process learned both with word images and behavioural experience) and work through the book. Once the process is learned, move on to new challenges.



2. Unlike most self-help books out there, this one is actually based on research for a change. Based on this Phd's work on how people change, this guy has uncovered the different, predictable stages of change that people go through when they attempt to get themselves to change. Although the stages are fairly predictable, not everybody goes through them in the exact same order as some people skip various stages on their way to changing their behaviour. A great book all-in-all, it's definitely worth a look. Also liked The Sixty-Second Motivator.



3. This book explains the model of change in a straightforward and applicable manner. Contains great examples and stories relevant to change, and the material is presented in a clear and intelligent manner. It will prove to be a great tool to use in my practice.



4. This book is a useful tool whether you are seeking to improve something in your own life or are in a situation or a career in which you are helping someone else. The six stages that the authors propose follow a logical progression, though the lines between various stages get blurred. The book is very readable and the real-life examples woven throughout add a change of pace from the psychological treatise that comprises the rest of the book. Recommended.



5. I have found this book to be helpful in coaching others. Also, I train other coaches, and I recommend this book to them, and many incorporate the framework for change described in Changing for Good in their coaching. The book presents a sophisticated model in a practically understandable and useable way. There is a balanced mix of scholarly research and personal story. I especially appreciated the section on preventing a lapse from becoming a major relapse. I have referenced this book in my book, Relationships That Work: The Power of Conscious Living Relationships that Work: The Power of Conscious Living.

No comments about Firstborn Advantage, The: Making Your Birth Order Work for You.

5 comments about The Anger Trap: Free Yourself from the Frustrations that Sabotage Your Life.

1. Great book, it has changed my life (no bull). Anger is as debilitating as cancer. You may not even be aware of how angry you are, or how you're expressing it. The great thing about the book is it teaches you that you have options, and you can change how you handle your anger. You can make use of your anger to improve your life. Anyone would benefit from reading this book.



2. I bought this for my husband, who was willing & interested in dealing with his anger issues. Both of us agreed that it was just a silly pile of psycho-babble. Really.



3. I thought the Anger Trap was very insightful and as I read through it I recognized my typical anger-generating habits of thinking. I also learned ways to retrain my thinking - slowly but surely - in order the respond to things less emotionally. I also learned that when I am "angry" I am probably really something else - disappointed, afraid, frustrated, feeling rejected or dismissed. When I start to get mad now I pause and ask myself, "what is really going on here?" and that alone has enabled me to explore other sides to my personality that I have tried to ignore for the last 30 yrs. I can get through situations that used to make me blow my top as a sane, calm person now. It helps to dialogue with myself (silently, of course, lest they get the net!) by using techniques from the book.
   
   My only beef with the premise (it's always something...) is that the author goes with the idea that anger comes from past problems. Grow up with a dad who yells or hits and you'll yell or hit. However, there are many studies that show that a violent home does not necessarily beget a violent child, a calm home does not beget a calm child. Just as anxiety can run in families or depression, might not problems such as overreaction to stimulus? If the dad is a yeller, perhaps it is his genes that pass on the anger and not his yelling. Otherwise, why don't all people from certain types of parents exhibit the behavior? I bring this up, because it is easier to face the problem sometimes when there is no one to blame (except perhaps God, if you lean that way). Rather than bemoan the mess a parent has made of one, it might be better to treat it as a limp that runs in the family but was not bequeathed with any malice. You have the limp, now figure out how to walk with it. You have the temper, now figure out how to respond to life as a decent human being with it.



4. I have quite a few books on cognitive psychology. However, I had no idea what a big component anger was to my emotional health. By now, everybody has been given the opportunity to learn that mental health is a very complex issue. However, many of us(I'm guilty of it) seem to deal with our emotions with the same thought processes, over and over. If you're like me, you end up kidding yourself that one day you're going to finally relax.. and not be so angry.
   
   I found a lot of books kind of boring... re-stating the obvious, or talking about things in a very "clinical" way. I have to say, Les Carter put together a very good book. I used to think that I was aware of the many destructive thought processes that we can possess. Chapter after chapter, however, I was impressed with the new insight into such an old problem.
   
   I have heard that some people will make the point that Les Carter is coming from a religious perspective. I'm an atheist and did not know of his religious background before getting halfway into the book. I can say that he does a great job of leaving religion out of the book to keep its information universally acceptable.
   
   When buying this book, I thought it was just going to cover a small facet of my emotional well being. I, now, think that this is one of the more useful books in my collection.
   
   When I read a book on depression, it often exposes profound insights into my own thought processes. However, this book provided a different way of interpreting the behaviors of my parents, teachers, bosses, co-workers, girlfriends, etc. I, definitely, was not expecting to get this much out of this book.



5. I think a lot of people don't like this short of book because there is no one answer. I finished the book and I'm still thinking of what I should do in my own life to make the changes I want. But the problem is that everyone is different and so it is impossible to have a book have everyone's answers.
   
   The thing the book does do well, and other books try to do as well, is to create insight into your own life, not to let anyone off the hook, but rather, to approach a problem more effectively and more importantly, without creating other problems.
   
   Even though I feel like I can communicate my frustrations effectively, I found this book very helpful. I happened to be reading it over a period of bad weeks and I found that it really would help my moods.
   
   I actually think that this book is good for a lot of different types of people, not even those who consider themselves necessarily angry people. I believe the book offers a lot of other types of insight as well.
   
   If you are looking for a less dry, funnier take on these things, and a faster read, Harriet Lerner's Dance of Intimacy/Anger is just one of my favorite reads.

5 comments about The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

1. If your life has been on hold while you have been unsuccessfully trying to free yourself from your struggles and suffering with anxiety, this workbook is for you. Forsyth and Eifert will not offer you more of the same old tips and suggestions on how to bring anxiety to its knees, but a kinder and gentler approach based upon mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion. The workbook is well-organized, easy to follow, and informed by both the clinical and research experiences that have made the authors experts in applying acceptance and commitment therapy(ACT)to anxiety disorders. A CD that accompanies the workbook is itself worth its cost. It provides an array of printable worksheets to take you through a series of exercises as well as audiofiles of 9 different mindfulness exercises that will teach you how to bring a more open and caring attitude to your experience of anxiety. This workbook is not only recommended to those who wrestle with anxiety on a daily basis, but also for those who have loved ones who do and to mental health professionals with anxious clients.
   The workbook in particular is the pefect companion to Forsyth and Eifert's earlier practitioner's guidebook on ACT for anxiety disorders. Mental health professionals who are relatively new to ACT will find coordinating their services with progessing through the workbook with anxious clients invaluable.



2. I am very excited about this book. I am a therapist and work with a lot of clients who deal with anxiety that causes them differing problems in life. The workbook is easy to follow and explains everything step by step. There are heaps of easy to follow exercises and it is written in a user friendly caring manner.
   
   I love that it is based on the latest research.
   
   I can use the excercises myself and this is the acid test for me. I never recommend a book that I would work with myself and get results. This will be a must have book. The downside is it that it makes all my other books redundant.



3. After years of struggling with stress and anxiety, trying everything under the sun to fix my problems (with some stuff making things distinctly worse!), the message behind ACT was like a breath of fresh air. My problem wasn't the anxiety itself - it was with my struggles and ineffective coping methods. After some good work and reading books like this one, I can happily say that I am living a meaningful live in the service of what matters most to me.
   
   I've been a member of the ACT community going on four years now. I've read several of the books, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anxiety Disorders so I eagerly anticipated the arrival of this new workbook. It's safe to say I wasn't disappointed. I can say hands down this is the most powerful and useful self-help book out there for people who are struggling with anxiety. Period.
   
   The authors approach this work with gentleness, humility, and compassion. If you're like many people who have been suffering from excessive stress, fear, or anxiety, you don't need more information or knowledge. You need something that works, and that's just what they're offering in this new workbook. The emphasis is on finding workable ways of living a more valued and meaningful life.
   
   Here it is in plain English. If you're struggling with worry, fear, stress, or anxiety, and what you've been doing to control or manage your problems isn't working, get this workbook. It might just change your life.



4. This book is excellent news for anyone -therapist or client - using ACT to work with anxiety disorders. It is written in an easy-to-read, down-to-earth, entertaining manner, accompanied by excellent illustrations, and a wealth of practical tools. I particularly like the way they place such strong emphasis on compassion. A CD is included with recordings of mindfulness skills, and pdf files of key worksheets. John and George do a great job of making ACT clear and accessible, in a simple but effective step-by-step program that nicely complements their textbook. It's a `must have' for any budding ACT therapist - and also for most of their clients!



5. This is a great book! I have read a number of the ACT books, and without a doubt this is one of the best to date. Drs. Forsyth & Eifert have done a superb job of making complicated concepts simple yet effectively explained. The exercises are well designed and useful for a variety of problems. The authors write with a rare sense of clarity, expertise and humaneness.
   
   I have used this book as an adjunct to patient care, and have also recommended it to people to use on it's own. The accompanying CD is extremely well done and something of value all by itself. As a psychologist who treats a large number of anxiety disorders, I recommend it highly.
   
   Edward J. Hickling, Psy.D.
   Co-author, "After the Crash: Psychological Assessment and Treatment of MVA Survivors", and "Overcoming the Trauma of Your Motor Vehicle Accident: A Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Program"

5 comments about The Astonishing Power of Emotions.

1. I strongly recommend to read every chapter even if you don't think it applies to you, there is a message to be heard. I am so loving life right now, finally someone has answered the questions that I have been asking for so long, and finally someone has reassured me that what I have been feeling and knowing for so long is the way that I should have been feeling.
   I also recommend other book about feelings, emotions and relationships that is a perfect match with this great book: I Love You. Now What?: Falling in Love is a Mystery, Keeping It Isn't



2. Theh astonishing power of emotions will change the way you look at your life, but read all of Jerry and Esther Hick's books because there is something wonderful in all of their books in fact I have pre ordered their next book, Money and the law of attraction.
   
   I have even given these books as gifts because they are a must read for everyone.
   
   Linda Eschler



3. Fantastic life changing book on how to flow with life's river....downstream. You can have it all just let go of the oars...."there is nothing you want upstream..." (excerpt from the book).



4. This is likely the best book I have read on the law of attraction as it gives you practical, easy steps to take to get what you want. The beauty of it is the message that there really is nothing to do. Just read the book over and over.



5. I think this is one of the best books out all of the Abraham books. However they're all good. This book is about how the inner you is already that which you desire, be, do, have. The resistance comes from you not allowing the natural flow. The physical you has to catch up with Your Source or spirit, who has already gone to the next level. Even the Christian bible tells us to renew our minds. T. Harv Eker says, "No thought lives rent free". Our thoughts and what we focus on are so important. Also read the Law Of Attraction by Esther Hicks as well.