Happiness Books - Page 5

Thoughts & Feelings: Taking Control of Your Moods and Your Life (Workbook Workbook)

Matthew McKay, Martha Davis, Patrick Fanning

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Rather Superficial in Key Areas 2 out of 5 stars.
7 of 17 people found this review helpful.

Lots of excellent ideas and some good techniques. But therein lies the problem: the techniques, especially on relaxation, should be defined, described and explained for use by stressed-out people in more detail.

Also, I believe that Beck's original insight about thoughts controlling feelings is not as airtight as he and the many people following in his wake believe. Do your realize how hard it is to even identify specifically and accurately your thoughts on almost any subject or in any situation that calls for psychological intervention.

Finally, I believe that workbooks such as these offer as much fool's gold, as real value and cogency. The most important deficiency is the assumption by the authors that psychologically crippled (blunt word but appropriate) individuals have the self-discipline, not to mention the intelligence, to make use of this book. Since Beck wrote his seminal book in the 70's, very little hard data exists to show the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy and techniques. C.B.T. may be an improvement over Freudian analysis (duh!) but certainly not over medication and directed therapy by a truly competent therapist who has the time and commitment to really help you. However, few therapists have the time, dedication and ability to actually help you. There are certainly some good therapists out there, but 99% have other patients and other concerns and responsibilities that distract them from focusing on YOU.

That said, the best relaxation techniques are taught by audio tape or c.d. Troubled people need the structure and discipline that tapes offer.

Editorial Review:

Thoughts and Feelings adapts the powerful and widely adaptable techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) into a set of tools readers can use, not to solve a particular problem, but to overcome any of the emotional and behavioral changes that life throws their way. CBT recognizes that most negative feelings arise from confused, irrational thoughts. By learning to identify and change these thoughts and by replacing destructive and limiting behaviors with new, more constructive ones, readers can start steering their lives in the direction they want to go.

Changes to this new edition include revisions and updates to the core CBT chapters as well as a new chapter on how to use mindfulness to bring focus and intention to the process of change.

Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill

Matthieu Ricard

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

I Should Be So Lucky 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I read this book during a bout of depression. It is proverbial that Conspicuous Displays of Contentment push the depressed into even deeper despair more effectively than anything else. Yet I didn't find this book infuriating; it didn't drive me to suicide. No, I enjoyed it immensely and finished it rapidly.

The ramifications of the subject matter are endless. What ancient and modern Western philosophers thought about happiness; what they thought in Asia. The social conditions conducive to happiness, the brain-states that coincide with it. Then what the author's own Tibetan Buddhist tradition has to say about happiness and mental afflictions.

You only have to glance at the design of this book to know you're not going to get any great depth. But that's fine. Always room for compact and lucid accounts of Big Subjects. If you want reams of detail about neurochemistry or Buddhist meditation practices, you can find that elsewhere.

I have only two complaints. One is that, as somebody who has suffered from life-long severe depression, I didn't find anything here that would help me to be happy. Everything here I have seen before, and it doesn't work. It may work if you're already happy, but then, well, you don't need it, do you?

I suspect the reason for this lies in my second complaint. The author tells of his famous father, of his upbringing in elite French cultural and intellectual circles, hobnobbing with luminaries and jetsetters. When he finds all of this... somehow lacking, he toddles off to a sheltered enclave of Ancient Eastern Wisdom, where he hobnobs with the Dalai Lama and endless Rinpoches... (To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how you "hobnob".)

My point is: you Would be happy, wouldn't you? A book about Happiness would be so much more convincing if the author were the child of a Haitian beggar, born with a speech impediment, and... we don't want to get into sick humour territory, but you get my drift. If someone like That managed to be happy, Then I would be impressed.

Editorial Review:

" You may not find happiness in a book, but if reading a book can precipitate a tectonic shift in your life and mind toward robust, genuine, deeply rooted happiness, this would be the book." --JON KABAT-ZINN, AUTHOR OF COMING TO OUR SENSES This is a revolutionary look at happiness, deeply philo-sophical and tremendously engaging, from one of the world's most compelling voices on the subject. Drawing from works of fiction and poetry, contemporary Western philosophy, Buddhist thought, current psychological and scientific research, and personal experience, Ricard weaves an inspirational and forward-looking account of how we can begin to rethink our realities in a fast-moving modern world. With revelatory lessons and exercises that blaze a clear path for readers, this book offers an eloquent and practical guide to a happier life.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

Robin Sharma

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 87 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Don't forget to put gas in your tank and empty your glass : ) 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

International best-seller, "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" is a short fable or story about a high powered lawyer who suffers a personal loss and embarks on a life of workaholism, materialism and emptiness. When he suffers a life threatening heart attack he determines to put the essential luxuries of purpose, peace and happiness back into his life. He travels to the Himalayas and spends time with the Sivana monks, who teach him wisdom of life.

This book is chock full of simple habits and rituals to include in one's life to nurture your body, mind and spirit. The advice within is compellingly framed and concise, making use of symbolism to remember the key concepts.

Picture the following sequence. What can this mean?

You are sitting in a wondrous, beautiful flower garden. In the middle there is a red, six story lighthouse. Suddenly, there is a creaking from the base of the lighthouse and out comes a 290lb Japanese sumo wrestler. He is wearing a simple, pink wire cable sheath. The sumo wrestler spots a shiny stopwatch. He picks it up and immediately falls to the ground. It appears that he has taken his last breath, when suddenly he comes back to life. He then gets up and looks over at a beautiful group of yellow roses nearby. Finally, he exits the garden by a path of beautiful diamonds...

How can you draw upon your deep reservoir of mental fortitude and inner strength that you possess? As most accomplished people know, never stop learning and actively expand your wisdom about life. As many great leaders do each and every day, take time out for reflection, including self-reflection. To not do so is akin to being too busy driving to put gas in your (beautiful) car (you). Awaken with the sun and cultivate a positive mindset and an attitude of gratefulness. Savor the present. Make music an integral part of your life. Build your character by taking specific actions. Simplify your life as much as you can for enhanced peace of mind. Thus, you will leave time for the things that matter most. Specifically, those things that will make the most difference in the long run. Always cultivate your virtues of industry, compassion, humility, patience, honesty and last but not least, courage.

This little gem of a book is inexpensive. It's entertaining. It's a quick read. It will be three hours of your valuable time very well spent. You might learn nothing new. Or, perhaps you will see your life more clearly than ever before. Perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised and this book will unexpectedly improve the quality of your life.

Editorial Review:

Seeking the secrets of true happiness, a workaholic undertakes an extraordinary odyssey that leads him to an ancient culture of Himalayan sages.

Five Good Minutes: 100 Morning Practices To Help You Stay Calm & Focused All Day Long

Jeffrey, M.D. Brantley, Wendy Millstine, Wendy-O Matik

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

What difference can five minutes make in the crazy, nonstop course of a sixteen-hour day? For people feeling overwhelmed with responsibility, bored with the same tired routine, or frustrated about how to create meaning in their lives, a little time well spent can lead to extraordinary changes. This book shows readers how to dramatically improve their lives in just a few moments each day. The concept is powerfully simple: Readers take the time each morning to be fully present, to set a clear intention for themselves, and to really engage in any of 100 fun and easy-to-follow practices. Soon they will discover that amazing things can happen in just five minutes.

The book provides guided imagery, relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation practices-fun activities that relieve stress and create meaning and purpose in the reader's day. These practices help readers feel good, get motivated, and become inspired to change their lives for the better. Over time, these activities become guideposts readers will return to throughout the day, providing energy and inspiration when they need them most. In other words, the time readers of this book take for themselves in the morning might just be the five good minutes that change their lives.

As a Man Thinketh

James Allen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 162 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Best Book Ever 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is amazing! It's short but powerful and since I got it, I read it every morning before school or work. It is a constant reminder to continue to maintain positive thoughts and weed out all of the negativity that impairs my performance at school, work and home.
Hightly Recommend it!

easy-smart reading 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is so helpful to give your thinking to the best way of enjoying life.
It is simple reading with out big words.

James Allen (1864-1912) knew what present day man/women is just starting to understanding 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

James Allen was one of our great thinkers. He understood what everyone is now calling "The Law of Attraction."
I can't say that he was ahead of his time, but that he gave time to understand, what has always been true, which is "The Way of The World," the way things develop from a thought to an actuality.
How he came up with his understanding of the world is unknown, but I suspect it was a higher power.
If you are interested in the grass roots of any of the books that have been written lately about obtaining the things that you want in your life, The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, The Teaching's of Abraham by Jerry and Esters Hicks or The Secret Daydream (A guide to Your Child's future) and The Secret Daydream for College Students (The Guide to Surviving Conflict) by Charisse Rudolph, You will love the thinking that you will do when you read "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen.

Editorial Review:

Allen's practical philosophy of successful living has awakened millions to the discovery and perception of the truth that "they themselves are makers of themselves". Building on the Bible verse. "As a man thinketh, so he is", Allen insists that it is within the power of each person to form his own character and create his own happiness.

The Wisdom of No Escape: And the Path of Loving-Kindness

Pema Chodron

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Good book but not as good as others 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Don't get me wrong, this is a good book, but there are just a couple of things about it that make it not quite as good as I was hoping. First, her interpretation of the Four Noble Truths is problematic in my eyes. Basically she take Tibetan teachings on egolessness (which are great teachings in their own right) and superimposes them on the Four Noble Truths. Her interpretation does not ring true for me - she states that the 2nd Noble Truth is "resisting life causes suffering" and that the 3rd Noble Truth is learning to let go of our "selves"/ego. These are valuable teachings but do not represent the more usual (and probably academically correct, as well as more powerful, in my opinion) translations that I have read: that (very summarily put) the 2nd Noble Truth is that that craving/desire/grasping causes suffering and the 3rd Noble Truth is that ceasing to crave/desire/grasp results in the cessation of suffering. Her interpretation is not wrong, but it is a bit of a Chinese whispered version of the Four Noble Truths and I would have liked her book better had she not re-interpreted them like this. Secondly, she writes "from above" a little. I feel that she comes across like a lovely, cosy, caring and wise Aunty. For me this made her teachings have less impact. I preferred Tara Brach's "Radical Acceptance" (which deals with a similar subject - accepting life as it is) to "The Wisdom of No Escape": Brach's writing is a bit more raw and personal and she writes like one sister to another sister (or brother)).

Editorial Review:

Pema Chödrön’s first and most accessible book, The Wisdom of No Escape, teaches about the importance of saying yes to life in all its manifestations. By embracing the happiness and suffering, intelligence and confusion that are a natural part of our existence, we can begin to discover a wellspring of courage and love within our hearts. In short chapters with titles such as “Taking a Bigger Perspective,” “Not Too Tight, Not Too Loose,” and “Joy,” Pema Chödrön presents traditional Buddhist wisdom that everyone can relate to.

4 CDs, 4 1/2 hours, unabridged.

Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth

Jim Merkel

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Imagine you are first in line at a potluck buffet. The spread includes not just food and water, but all the materials needed for shelter, clothing, healthcare, and education. How do you know how much to take? How much is enough to leave for your neighbors behind you—not just the six billion people, but the wildlife, and the as-yet-unborn?

In the face of looming ecological disaster, many people feel the need to change their own lifestyles as a tangible way of transforming our unsustainable culture. Radical Simplicity is the first book that guides the reader to a personal sustainability goal, then offers a process to monitor progress to a lifestyle that is equitable amongst all people, species, and generations. It employs three tools to help readers begin their customized journey to simplicity:

>It builds on steps from Your Money or Your Life so readers can design their own personal economics to save money, get free of debt, and align their work with their values.
It uses refined tools from Our Ecological Footprint so readers can measure how much nature is needed to supply all they consume and absorb their waste.
Combining lyrical narrative, compassionate advocacy, and absorbing science, Radical Simplicity is a practical, personal answer to twenty-first century challenges that will appeal as much to Cultural Creatives and students as to spiritual seekers, policy makers, and sustainability professionals.

Jim Merkel quit his job as a military engineer following the Exxon Valdez disaster and has since worked to develop tools for personal and societal sustainability. He founded the Global Living Project to further this work and conducts workshops around North America on this topic.

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (P.S.)

Mihaly Csikszent

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Editorial Review:

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. In this new edition of his groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness and greatly improve the quality of our lives.

The Science of Getting Rich

Wallace D. Wattles, Ruth L Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 103 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Straightforward and easy to understand, The Science of Getting Rich asserts that all of us -- no matter what our circumstances -- have the ability to obtain enough wealth to live as we desire and to fulfill our purpose in life.

Written nearly a century ago and recently rediscovered by Rhonda Byrne, creator of The Secret, The Science of Getting Rich offers clear insight on creating prosperity and the happiness that ensues.

There exists a science of getting rich -- and it is an exact science, like algebra or arithmetic. There are also certain laws that govern the process of acquiring means, and once these laws are learned and followed, a person will prosper with mathematical certainty. This book carefully provides the explanation of this science and how these laws function.

Each one of us naturally wants to achieve his or her full potential -- this desire to realize our innate talents is inherent in human nature. There is nothing wrong in wanting to become wealthy; in fact, the longing for riches is really the desire for a fuller and more abundant life. The Science of Getting Rich can set you on your way toward reaching this goal.

How to Practice : The Way to a Meaningful Life

Dalai Lama

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 44 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

As human beings, we possess one common desire: the need for happiness and a meaningful life. According to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the ability to find true fulfillment lies within each of us. Now, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, Nobel Prize winner, and bestselling author helps readers begin the path to enlightenment in a very special book -- an easy-access reference for daily practice as well as stunning illumination of the timeless wisdom of His Holiness.

How to Practice will guide you toward opening your heart, refraining from doing harm, maintaining mental tranquility, and more. Divided into a series of distinct steps that will lead spiritual seekers of all faiths toward enlightenment, this accessible book is a constant and daily companion in the quest to practice morality, meditation, and wisdom. The Dalai Lama shows us how to overcome our everyday obstacles, from feelings of anger and mistrust to jealousy, insecurity, and counterproductive thinking. Imbued with His Holiness' vivacious spirit and sense of playfulness, How to Practice offers the Dalai Lama's own sage and very practical insight into the human psyche and what binds us all together.