Behavioral Sciences Books - Page 5

Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond

Judith S. Beck

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Since its development in the 1960s as a structured, short-term psychotherapy for depression, cognitive therapy has come of age. Today the approach is successfully applied in the treatment of a broad range of psychological disorders, an evolution reflected in the myriad titles now available. Regardless of the disorder, all these applications are based on core, underlying principles, which are clearly articulated in this volume. Providing readers with a solid foundation for practice, Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond delineates the fundamental building blocks of cognitive conceptualization and treatment.

Written in a clear, step-by-step style, this text helps therapists sharpen their conceptualization skills, plan more effective treatment, expand their repertoire of techniques, and trouble-shoot difficulties. Throughout the volume, the author offers clinical examples and transcripts drawn from one patient's treatment to illuminate the narrative and illustrate cognitive therapy in action.

Introductory chapters describe how to conceptualize clients according to the cognitive model, plan and conduct the first session, identify initial problems and goals, and structure therapy within and across sessions. Then the basic steps for conducting cognitive therapy are presented, with specific instruction on how to identify, evaluate, and respond to a client's automatic thoughts. Effective strategies for modifying underlying assumptions and core beliefs are also explicated.

Methods for increasing homework compliance, preparing for termination, and preventing relapse are laid out. Even experienced cognitive therapists will find new strategies and insights in chapters on planning treatment, diagnosing problems, using imagery, and bringing about behavioral change.

In addition to numerous practical suggestions, this volume features a variety of sample patient worksheets and appendices that detail resource materials and reading lists for both the practitioner and the client. A final chapter offers guidance in progressing as a cognitive therapist.

An important resource for any therapist's shelf, Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond is necessary reading for the practitioner or student new to cognitive therapy who wants to learn about this tested approach, and for the clinician already practicing cognitive therapy who wants to learn the cutting-edge strategies of conceptualization and treatment.

Memories, Dreams, Reflections

C.G. Jung

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 51 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Intensity-his mind was flooded with profound ideas 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This book is sublime, a GEM. In his subjective view of the world -"with half closed eyes and somewhat closed ears, to see and hear the form and voice of being" he arrived at an inspiring insight about life: supreme meaning of being can consist only in the fact that is,not that it is not or is no longer; nature, the mystery of love, the psyche, life, human beings, a state of lively contemplation of images is divinity unfolded (the greatest of miracles)-being conscious of this can come to you not through emptiness, imagelessneess or wanting to be freed from nature or yourself.
Here's a passage of the book that reflects the quintessence of his wisdom:
No language is adequate for this paradox. Whatever one can say, no words reflect the whole; for only the whole is meaningful...love "bears all things" and "endures all things". These words say all there is to be said; nothing can be added to them. For we are in the deepest sense the victims and the instruments of cosmogonic "love"- a unified and undivided whole. Being a part man cannot grasp the whole. He is at its mercy. He may assent to it, or rebel against it; but he is always caught by it and enclosed within it. He is dependent upon it and is sustained by it. Love is his light and his darkness, whose end he cannot see. "Love ceases not"-whether he speaks with the "tongue of angels", or with scientific exactitude traces the life cell down to its uttermost source. Man can try to name love, showering upon it all the names at his command, and still he will involve himself in endless self-deceptions. If he possesses a grain of wisdom, he will lay down his arms and name the unknown by the more unknown- ignotum per ignotius-that is, by God. That is a confession of his subjection, his imperfection, and his dependence; but at the same time a testimony to his freedom to choose between truth and error.
If we understand and feel that here in this life we already have a link with the infinite, desires and attitudes change.

Editorial Review:

An autobiography put together from conversations, writings and lectures with Jung's cooperation, at the end of his life.

Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things

Madeleine L. Van Hecke

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Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A woman planning a dinner party calls a gourmet caterer and learns that 'Chateaubriand' can be ordered. To which she responds, 'No, thanks. We're going to take care of the wine ourselves'. The dead silence at the end of the phone is her first clue that something is amiss. A CEO attempts to put an end to complaints from employees about the demeaning behaviour of certain managers by berating the managers before the staff - thus reinforcing the very behaviour he's trying to correct. We often criticise such incidents with remarks like 'How dumb!' or 'What was he thinking?' But psychologist Madeleine L Van Hecke argues that much of what we label stupidity can better be explained as blind spots. Just as the blind spot in the driver's side mirror can swallow up a passing car, patterns in the way we think can likewise become blind spots, sifting out information and observations that to other people seem obvious. Drawing on research in creativity, cognitive psychology, critical thinking, child development, education, and philosophy, Dr Van Hecke shows how our assets as thinkers create the very blind spots that become our worst liabilities. She devotes a chapter to each of ten mental blind spots that afflict even the smartest people: not stopping to think, jumping to conclusions, my-side bias, getting trapped by categories, and much more. At the end of each chapter she offers tactics for overcoming that specific blind spot, so we can become more creative and competent thinkers. Full of funny, poignant stories about human foibles, "Blind Spots" offers many insights for improving our social and political lives while giving us fresh slants into the minds of people who are poles apart from ourselves.

The Unfolding Now: Realizing Your True Nature through the Practice of Presence

A. H. Almaas

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Extraordinary "how to" of practicing Presence 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

We spend so much of our lives trying to get somewhere else. This book revealed to me how this habit of striving interferes in my inner experience of what is happening now. Learning to truly experience what is happening now does not mean being passive. It does not mean that I refuse to take action. It means that if I am sad, I experience that sadness, rather than rushing to cover it up with wishing for a different inner experience. I can take action to change circumstances without denying what my experience is with the current circumstance. Wanting my experience to be different is subtly different from wanting external change. I can work to improve communication and understanding in my family or community without denying my own inner experience at each moment whether it be frustration, anger, fear or joy. Almaas teaches with great clarity the "how to" of being present and tells us that being ourselves, being real, means being our True Nature.

Editorial Review:

The keys to self-knowledge and deep contentment  are right here before us in this very moment—if we can simply learn to live with open awareness. In The Unfolding Now, A. H. Almaas presents a marvelously effective practice for developing the transformative quality of presence. Through a particular method of self-observation and contemplative exploration that he calls inquiry, we learn to live in the relaxed condition  of simply "being ourselves," without interference from feelings of inadequacy, drivenness toward goals, struggling to figure things out, and rejecting experiences we don't want. Almaas explores the many obstacles  that keep us from being present—including defensiveness, ignorance, desire, aggression, and self-hatred—and shows us how to welcome with curiosity and compassion whatever we are experiencing.

The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person

Judith S. Beck

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Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good advice, and a good, solid plan. 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

This is the best, most honest advice you'll ever get to help you lose weight. There is no food plan here. She tells you to pick a nutritionally sound diet, as well as a back-up diet, and stick to it. She will help you change your thinking to think more like a thin person with some writing and "thinking" exercises. It's cognitive therapy, and you will learn why you should tolerate some hunger and cravings because craving something usually isn't an emergency, and your next meal is only a short time from now.

Fabulous, Fabulous, Fabulous! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This is worth the money! I love the fact that it addresses the psychological issues surrounding overeating, and doesn't give prescriptive advice about what to eat. I already know what I should eat, but talking back to my self-talk that says "oh, go ahead and eat it and start tomorrow" is another story.

You won't be sorry you bought this. I highly recommend the workbook AND CD.

Editorial Review:

This breakthrough six-week plan assures success by helping you assess the advantages of weight loss, pick a sensible diet and exercise program, set a goal, line up support, and prepare your environment - all this before starting any diet.This unique approach is key to preventing the downfalls that so often lead to failure.

The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life

Philip Zimbardo, John Boyd

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Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Your every significant choice -- every important decision you make -- is determined by a force operating deep inside your mind: your perspective on time -- your internal, personal time zone. This is the most influential force in your life, yet you are virtually unaware of it. Once you become aware of your personal time zone, you can begin to see and manage your life in exciting new ways.

In The Time Paradox, Drs. Zimbardo and Boyd draw on thirty years of pioneering research to reveal, for the first time, how your individual time perspective shapes your life and is shaped by the world around you. Further, they demonstrate that your and every other individual's time zones interact to create national cultures, economics, and personal destinies.

You will discover what time zone you live in through Drs. Zimbardo and Boyd's revolutionary tests. Ask yourself:

• Does the smell of fresh-baked cookies bring you back to your childhood?

• Do you believe that nothing will ever change in your world?

• Do you believe that the present encompasses all and the future and past are mere abstractions?

• Do you wear a watch, balance your checkbook, and make to-do lists -- every day?

• Do you believe that life on earth is merely preparation for life after death?

• Do you ruminate over failed relationships?

• Are you the life of every party -- always late, always laughing, and always broke?

These statements are representative of the seven most common ways people relate to time, each of which, in its extreme, creates benefits and pitfalls. The Time Paradox is a practical plan for optimizing your blend of time perspectives so you get the utmost out of every minute in your personal and professional life as well as a fascinating commentary about the power and paradoxes of time in the modern world.

No matter your time perspective, you experience these paradoxes. Only by understanding this new psychological science of time zones will you be able to overcome the mental biases that keep you too attached to the past, too focused on immediate gratification, or unhealthily obsessed with future goals. Time passes no matter what you do -- it's up to you to spend it wisely and enjoy it well. Here's how.

The Thinker's Toolkit: 14 Powerful Techniques for Problem Solving

Morgan D. Jones

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellent - probably the best in the field - easy to understand 4 out of 5 stars.
17 of 19 people found this review helpful.

I consider this to be a very `French' book. The French have the reputation of never getting a whole lot done due to their habit of extreme and unending analysis. No question goes unanswered. No possible rabbit trail left to surprise. Not a single contingency allowed. You'll be much more able to over-analyze using the techniques in The Thinker's Toolkit.

I actually love this book. It's basically a treatise on applied logic told in a very readable and useable way. Topics include developing weighted rankings, decision trees, the devil's advocate, and others. There are scores of graphics and asides to help in understanding the concepts.

Don't be put off by the title or the topics: the book is an excellent help for everyday decisions. For examples Jones discusses buying a car or purchasing insurance. He uses newspaper headlines throughout the book as topics for investigation. The entire work is very readable and equally as interesting. Definitely one of the best books on the subject.

Editorial Review:

An invaluable resource for any manager or professional, this book offers a collection of proven, practical methods for simplifying any problem and making faster, better decisions every time.


From the Hardcover edition.

The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain

Louis Cozolino

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Far and Away the Best Book on Neuroscience I've Read 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I've read many books deserving of 4-5 stars over the past year, but none as complete and practical as this one. Author Louis Cozolino does a superb job of discussing the basic neuroanatomy and creating the analog of social synapses in which, by utilizing one another via empathetic circuitry and mirror neurons, we balance one another out biochemically in our relationships. Cozolino distills the information down to the level that is necessary for a novice to understand, while then toward the end of each chapter relating it to a case study; many authors have done this before, but none have 'metabolized' the information so well in comparison to Cozolino--I honestly feel as though a basic conversation with someone reveals quite a bit about the person, and after reading this book I feel as though I could hypothesize as to what areas of the brain may be deficient in certain cases. I am not saying this book will give one super powers or X-Ray vision, but gaining insight is almost certain.

If you wish to understand human relationships on a hard scientific level, then this is a must have.

Editorial Review:

A visual exploration of how the brain develops throughout our lives.

Just as neurons communicate through mutual stimulation, brains strive to connect with one another. Louis Cozolino shows us how brains are highly social organisms. Balancing cogent explanation with instructive brain diagrams, he presents an atlas of sorts, illustrating how the architecture and development of brain systems from before birth through adulthood determine how we interact with others.

Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parents' Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning

Joyce Cooper-Kahn (Ph.D.), Laurie Dietzel (Ph.D.)

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Executive functions are the cognitive skills that help us manage our lives and be successful. Children with weak executive skills, despite their best intentions, often do their homework but forget to turn it in, wait until the last minute to start a project, lose things, or have a room that looks like a dump! The good news is that parents can do a lot to support and train their children to manage these frustrating and stressful weaknesses.

Late, Lost, and Unprepared is a must-have book for parents of children from primary school through high school who struggle with:

Impulse Control (taking turns, interrupting others, running off)

Cognitive Flexibility (adapting to new situations, transitions, handling frustrations)

Initiation (starting homework, chores, and major projects)

Working Memory (following directions, note-taking, reading and retaining info)

Planning & Organizing (completing and turning in homework, juggling schedules)

Self-monitoring (making careless errors, staying on topic, getting into trouble but not understanding why)

Written by clinical psychologists, Late, Lost, and Unprepared emphasizes the need for a two-pronged approach to intervention: 1) helping the child to manage demands in the short run, and 2) building independent skills for long-term self-management. Full of encouragement and practical strategies, the book s organization--short chapters with overviews, summaries, case studies, tips, and definitions--makes it easy to grasp concepts quickly and get started.

Part I, What You Need to Know, provides information about: what executive functions are and how weaknesses in these skills affect development; the impact of weak executive function on children's emotional lives and their families; how professionals assess executive function problems; and associated conditions (AD/HD--children with an AD/HD diagnosis always have executive skills issues--learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, Tourette syndrome, etc.).

Part II discusses What You Can Do About It including how to change behavior and set reasonable expectations, and offers specific intervention strategies for children of different ages, varying needs, and profiles.

Late, Lost, and Unprepared is chockful of ideas for helping your child or student be productive and independent--today and in the future.

Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain

Antonio Damasio

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 53 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Hard to maintain interest 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book thinking it would be a good read about exploring the mind, emotions, and reasoning (hence the title). The first chapter starts out interesting but it goes downhill after that. I don't mind the author's ideas but I found his writing very obtuse and hard to follow at times. He could have made this book more interesting to the average reader.

Editorial Review:

Since Descartes famously proclaimed, "I think, therefore I am," science has often overlooked emotions as the source of a person’s true being. Even modern neuroscience has tended, until recently, to concentrate on the cognitive aspects of brain function, disregarding emotions. This attitude began to change with the publication of Descartes’ Error in 1995. Antonio Damasio—"one of the world’s leading neurologists" (The New York Times)—challenged traditional ideas about the connection between emotions and rationality. In this wondrously engaging book, Damasio takes the reader on a journey of scientific discovery through a series of case studies, demonstrating what many of us have long suspected: emotions are not a luxury, they are essential to rational thinking and to normal social behavior.