Average customer rating:
- Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude
- Excellent Book in Gitomer's latest
- Not Impressed
- I have to admit... it's helpful
- Yes Attitude
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Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude: How to Find, Build and Keep a YES! Attitude for a Lifetime of SUCCESS (Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Books)
Jeffrey Gitomer
Manufacturer: FT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0131986473 |
Customer Reviews:
Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude.......2007-10-13
This book will draw attention to you as you laugh out loud, nod your head and look for a pen to underscore sections, take tests and rate your own attitude. It is a fast, fun read. Gitomer puts into perspective your relationships - those that are good and valuable and those you might want to shed for better ones. It will also encourage serious soul searching while breaking up the weighty thoughts with plenty of comic relief.
Excellent Book in Gitomer's latest .......2007-09-27
I think this is a great book for anybody that needs an attitude adjustment or not. It is just a very good book with exercises in the book to help you realize what you are doing that could be setting you back or negative. Or what you are not doing that can help you improve and be more positive. It makes you think and ponder. Most people think they have a positive attitude. You may be surprised after taking his evalution tests whether you are. This book helps you go from a positive attitude to a Yes Attitude which is even better. Read the book it is definitely worth your time. And then say YES!
Not Impressed.......2007-08-29
Maybe 5 pages out of the whole book ENCOURAGED you to BECOME Positive with a YES attitude. The rest of the book was FLUFF.
He writes books...that's his job. He needs to sell books to buy the Beemer.
Did this book help me become MORE Positive?..... NO
Did it tell me how to become MORE Positive?..... NO.
So I went ahead and bought the "Magic of Thinking BIG" from Amazon instead.
ONE STAR because I liked the cover of the book.
Very overpriced and does NOT deliver.
I have to admit... it's helpful.......2007-08-14
Honestly, I wanted to dislike this book. It seemed shallow and more like a powerpoint presentation than a book.
Let's start: too simplistic, dumbed-down. Obvious. A rehash of what I already know. A huckster pushing a product...
But I have to admit that I just found it useful. I actually started to read it for 15 minutes a day in the morning - every weekday. And I actually found that it did help my attitude, that it did help me move forward and respond more positively to those around me. That it did help me take an extra moment when I am about to say something negative... and think it over.
I've started adopting various ideas from the book... and they help.
I'm almost embarrassed by liking this book. But it has been worth 10x the cover price to me.
In the end - well, I just will say "thanks".
Yes Attitude.......2007-08-11
This book was awesome. Very easy to read and FULL of inspirational things to think about and actions to take. I bought this book for all my employees to remind them to keep their "Yes" attitudes!
Average customer rating:
- Brand new - just like she said!
- Great Book!
- Real Positives for a Negative World...
- How Full is Your Bucket?
- Excellent
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How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life
Tom Rath , and
Donald O. Clifton
Manufacturer: Gallup Press
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Book Description
How did you feel after your last interaction with another person? Did that person — your spouse, best friend, coworker, or even a stranger — "fill your bucket" by making you feel more positive? Or did that person "dip from your bucket," leaving you more negative than before? The number one New York Times and number one Business Week bestseller, How Full Is Your Bucket? reveals how even the briefest interactions affect your relationships, productivity, health, and longevity. Organized around a simple metaphor of a dipper and a bucket, and grounded in 50 years of research, this book will show you how to greatly increase the positive moments in your work and your life — while reducing the negative. Filled with discoveries, powerful strategies, and engaging stories, How Full Is Your Bucket? is sure to inspire lasting changes and has all the makings of a timeless classic.
Customer Reviews:
Brand new - just like she said!.......2007-09-05
I ordered 25 books that were supposed to be in good condition. They were even better. They were just like new. They were missing one of the supplementary items as was clearly stated up front. I am completely satisfied.
Great Book!.......2007-08-27
Another new bestseller which I recommend - The Exclusive Layguide: When Dating and Having Sex with Incredibly Hot Women is No Longer Mirage Even If You Don't Look Like a Model or Don't Make a Fortune
Real Positives for a Negative World..........2007-08-03
I have probably referenced this book more in my training seminars and speaking engagements than any other book I have ever read. I just love it! (I gave everyone in my family a copy for Christmas) The author states that 99 out of 100 people report that they would like to be surrounded by more positive people. "And the church said; AMEN!" This short, interesting, and succinct read teaches the reader how to become one of those "more positive people." A must read about positive psychology for anyone who has to be around negative people in our negative world. I think that pretty much includes all of us, doesn't it?
SUCCESS: It Just Ain't That Hard Y'all! Three Things to STOP Doing and Three Things to START and KEEP Doing to Reach Your Greatest Potential
How Full is Your Bucket?.......2007-07-29
The book assigns theoretic valuations to philosophic concepts.
For instance, a full bucket has a net positive outlook + Energy
from every drop of strength expended. Relentless negativity leads to
death. The North Koreans broke down peer cohesiveness by insisting
that captors confess their transgressions publicly.
The author believes that regular praise= increased productivity,
tenure, loyalty and satisfaction. People leave when they aren't
appreciated sufficiently. Bad bosses increase stroke risk.
Activiely disengaged employees cost employers upward of $50B a
year or more. A strength of the book is that the authors attempt
to quantify universal concepts within practical contexts of
everyday life. To a considerable extent, the authors succeed.
Excellent.......2007-07-27
This was a great book that I handed out to my staff. Everyone found it valuable for life not just work.
Book Description
Known as the father of the new science of positive psychology, Martin E.P. Seligman draws on more than twenty years of clinical research to demonstrate how optimism enchances the quality of life, and how anyone can learn to practice it. Offering many simple techniques, Dr. Seligman explains how to break an “I—give-up” habit, develop a more constructive explanatory style for interpreting your behavior, and experience the benefits of a more positive interior dialogue. These skills can help break up depression, boost your immune system, better develop your potential, and make you happier..
With generous additional advice on how to encourage optimistic behavior at school, at work and in children, Learned Optimism is both profound and practical–and valuable for every phase of life.
Customer Reviews:
Life-changing material.......2007-09-28
I have read 30 self-psychology/motivational books, and this is by far the best! The author presents an entirely different approach to changing your outlook. He shows the reader how to apply the psychological concepts of Cognitive Therapy to his/her own situation.
Finally, someone who does not just say to blindly be an optimist! He teaches you to become a REALIST, by showing you the tools to realize what a situation really is. Sometimes it's bad, but that does not mean that you are bad, or that it is necessarily your fault. Beliefs are the key to the equation. If you believe that you are the cause of everything bad in your life, or that you are helpless to change your situation, then you will become depressed. He helps you to interupt the equation of Action-Belief-Consequence, and look at it from a fresh, objective standpoint.
The only bad thing I have to say is that the middle of the book is a little dry. That is the area where he is supporting his claims with proven research. This part of the book is important to convince a more cerebral reader, and to separate his fact-based book from the litany books written during this self-help/motivational revolution that are all bells and whistles. So, it does serve a purpose.
Learned Optimism.......2007-09-26
This book has really changed my way of thinking. It is written so convincing and in such a language, that even a foreigner living in Spain can understand it. For me the book gives a new definition of the expression "if there is a will, there is always a way". Many thanks, André
Excellent book about optimism and pessimism.......2007-09-08
This excellent book contrasts pessimism and optimism in a compelling manner. It serves as an excellent eye opener, particularly for the individual with a negative explanatory style who is prone to depression. The book is also invaluable for the unrealistic optimist who believes they will find a parking spot just by thinking about it. Well balanced, well researched, and well presented, this book should be on the bookshelf of every family.
In addition, I unequivocally recommend Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self, a classic book that reveals to the reader the language of the best self. Optimal Thinking empowers you to balance optimism and pessimism with optimal realism (making the most of what is). These books in combination enable you to make the most of your thinking and life.
Great Book!.......2007-09-06
Great book that changed my life into positive way. Another motivating book that I higly recommend - How to be a Super Hot Woman: 339 Tips to Make Every Man Fall in Love with You and Every Woman Envy You
Information From Forty Years Ago.......2007-08-22
I can only assume the readers who raved about this book are young and have never read any basic self-help books before, because virtually everything in this book is at least forty years old. For anyone who has taken Psych 101, seen a therapist, or read anything on positive thinking, this book is of no value whatsoever.
For those who want to save money and time, the author suggests we Look On The Bright Side Of Life except in devastatingly traumatic situations where it might be inappropriate.
That's it.
If you want to find actual help, track down an old copy of You Can't Afford The Luxury Of A Negative Thought, which is written without rhetoric, with humor, and gives wonderful insights that really do help.
This book is woefully outdated, pedantic, and useless.
Book Description
In this national bestseller -- Martin Seligman's most stimulating, persuasive book to date -- the acclaimed author of Learned Optimism introduces yet another revolutionary idea. Drawing on groundbreaking scientific research, Seligman shows how Positive Psychology is shifting the profession's paradigm away from its narrow-minded focus on pathology, victimology, and mental illness to positive emotion and mental health. Happiness, studies show, is not the result of good genes or luck. It can be cultivated by identifying and nurturing traits that we already possess -- including kindness, originality, humor, optimism, and generosity.
Seligman provides the tools you need in order to ascertain your most positive traits or strengths. Then he explains how, by frequently calling upon these "signature strengths" in all the crucial realms of life -- health, relationships, career -- you will not only develop natural buffers against misfortune and negative emotion, but also achieve new and sustainable levels of authentic contentment, gratification, and meaning.
Download Description
Over a decade ago, Martin Seligman charted a new approach to living with "flexible optimism." Now, in his most stimulating and persuasive book to date, the bestselling author of Learned Optimism introduces the revolutionary, scientifically based idea of "Positive Psychology." Positive Psychology focuses on strengths rather than weaknesses, asserting that happiness is not the result of good genes or luck. Seligman teaches readers that happiness can be cultivated by identifying and using many of the strengths and traits that they already possess - including kindness, originality, humor, optimism, and generosity. By frequently calling upon their "signature strengths" in all the crucial realms of life, readers will not only develop natural buffers against misfortune and the experience of negative emotion, they will move their lives up to a new, more positive plane. Drawing on groundbreaking psychological research, Seligman shows how Positive Psychology is shifting the profession's paradigm away from its narrow-minded focus on pathology, victimology, and mental illness to positive emotion, virtue and strength, and positive institutions. Our signature strengths can be nurtured throughout our lives, with benefits to our health, relationships, and careers. Seligman provides the Signature Strengths Survey along with a variety of brief tests that can be used to measure how much positive emotion readers experience, in order to help determine what their highest strengths are. The life-changing lesson of Authentic Happiness is that by identifying the very best in ourselves, we can improve the world around us and achieve new and sustainable levels of authentic contentment, gratification, and meaning.
Customer Reviews:
A novel approach.......2007-08-23
This book begins with a bang and got me very motivated. However, Mr. Seligman lost my favor in the later chapters which became or were at least interpreted by me as a bit preachy and self-righteous. I've read many such books and liked the focus on the positive. In the later chapters the message I received was that if you don't do A, B, or C then you are a bad person doomed to a life of unhappiness. So buy the book or don't but stop before the second half and you'll get more out of it.
Two Steps Further.......2007-08-06
Although I'm not a psychologist (but a dilettante one), in the course of life, I have encountered my share of obstacles. In trying to cope with them, I attended to traditional psychoanalysis for some time. It's OK, if you have the patience - and time and money - to dig in the depths of your infancy or the long development of your personality. Besides, all the psychoanalytic theory comes originally from the ideas of a man. A brilliant e insightful man, at that (others not so brilliant came afterwards). But his doctrine is punctuated with flaws, like the famous theory of imprisoned passions. There are many people who live with that firm belief and, what is worse, live up to them.
Theorists of cognitive-behavior school, on the other hand, have reached the next step. With a therapy that focus on specific problems (eg. a lost of a child), they teach you how to think - and act - accordingly, if you are not to become a mental sick. ("What's to gain in thinking about your loss?"). It, too, has its limitations, of course. Serious mental or personality disorders almost always require medication, as well as more specialized treatment.
With the positive psychology of Martin Seligman, the discipline has reached the zenith. Although not intended, its lessons have almost become a way to sanctification. Understand me. This is not a warning for you not to open his books. On the contrary. But it's difficult to put his teachings into action without some kind of personal transformation, be you a religious person or not. In the above mentioned lost of a child, for example, maybe Seligman would inspire you to care of other children in order to overcome your bad feelings. Difficult, but fulfilling when put into practice.
Intellectual & Insightful.......2007-05-12
Despite the fact that the field of Positive Psychology is new to me, Seligman managed to utilized his extensive intellect of the field & delivered a readable & insightful book. Along with various tools at the book's website, 'Authentic Happiness' offered me a lucid perspective about the power of positive choices; it also altered the way I view myself & others in a positive manner.
This is science?.......2007-05-06
Professor Seligman addresses his audience in two distinct costumes. In the first, he wears the white lab coat of the scientist, and he presents findings in the form of regularities across population groups: this empirical data is descriptive, in that it relates what is the case and makes no exhortations as to what should be the case; it is also objective, in that it relies on a methodology that allows another scientist to potentially duplicate the findings. Seligman's second costume is that of the sage, or archetypal wise man, so that he can be seen as wearing flowing orange robes, or a comfortable tweed jacket, or the vestments of a cleric or rabbi: in such garb he tells us what should be the case; the methodology here is such that it positively invites disagreement - consensus is neither necessary nor presumed; instead of relating what humans do in fact strive for, he instructs us as to what humans should strive for.
*
If Professor Seligman wore each of these two outfits in turn, then his performance would be clear and comprehensible. However, he changes costume frequently, and without warning, and he often speaks as if dressed in an odd combination of both - white lab coat thrown over black cassock, his stethoscope tangled with his tzitzis. The scientist starts to sound like the preacher-man. This is not just confusing, it is deliberately misleading.
*
As a scientist, Seligman is helpful and informative. In an appendix, he provides the bones of a conceptual analysis of the term `happiness'. He dissects the term along several axes: firstly, by temporal direction - whether the happiness is seen as of the past, the present, or the future; secondly, by sensory or reflective faculty - whether the happiness is purely sensual, or whether it requires the engagement of rational processes; and lastly, along the axis of passivity versus activity - whether it is passively experienced by the subject, or whether the subject actively engages in behaviour which engenders, or even constitutes, happiness. This analysis might be incomplete, but it is useful as far as it goes. If you like, he distinguishes various `sub- types' of happiness. These `sub-types' can co-exist, and conflict, within an individual - thus it makes sense to say that an individual is `unhappy' with regards his/her past, but `happy' in the present; or `unhappy' sensually, but `happy' in terms of the activity that is being performed (say an athlete in great pain on approaching the finishing line of a race). By making these distinctions, Seligman makes it possible to comprehend the results of the studies he cites.
*
The studies themselves are interesting. Most of them track a sub-type of happiness that involves the reflective faculties, and which is directed towards the past - answers to questions along the lines of, `How satisfied are you with your life as a whole?'. As an example: one might expect that as a nation becomes economically wealthier, its inhabitants would respond to such a question more positively - the average `happiness' of the citizens would increase. Not so. If you sample the physically healthier segment of the population, they would on average be `happier' than those ill, surely? No. The beautiful, as opposed to the plain - happier? No. And so on. All these counter-intuitive findings are intriguing and, given that the limitations of the methodology are spelt out, uncontroversial. You can, if you wish, call these scientific findings, or at least statistical ones.
*
The problems begin when Seligman, or anyone for that matter, tries to do something with these findings. Seligman suggests that it is `better' to be happy. One can well ask, "Better in what way?". Seligman's answer has several strands. The most prominent is an appeal to self-evidence - he presumes that it is a ubiquitous human trait that humans prefer to be happy. His auxillary strands have happiness as conducive to a human society that is more productive (in some sense), more peaceful, and more knowledgable. His answer might be said to rely on common sense, or on uncommon practical wisdom, but it certainly does not rely on scientific method. Relatedly, he cites six ubiquitous virtues, gleaned from reading over thirty texts of traditional repute - while many other virtues are mentioned, these six are common to all. He then commends these six virtues, apparently the consensus of the thirty texts lending them the authority to be regarded as prescriptive. As a methodology this might well be pragmatic, but again it is not distinctively scientific. As a scientist, Professor Seligman presents the findings - but when he champions an increase in the amount of individual or collective happiness he does so not as a scientist, but as an ordinary citizen, or, perhaps, as a citizen who has read the wisdom of the ages.
*
Taking this analysis in a slightly different direction, one can ask what `sub-type' of happiness should be prioritized. Seligman's own taxonomy has made it possible to be happy in one way, while unhappy in another, so the question arises which type of happiness is most important. Here Seligman suggests that the `gratifications' trump the `pleasures' - that is, happiness involving the rational faculties and reflection is more important than happiness consisting of sensual pleasure alone; and that `active' happiness, that is behaviour that actually constitutes `happiness', holds a higher priority than a passively experienced subjective feeling of happiness. He goes further and claims that even more important is `meaning', this vague concept being said to arise when a human's activities (presumably happy ones) are connected to `something larger'. Again, one can either endorse or reject Seligman's ranking of the various sub-types of happiness, along with his claims in regard `meaning', but this is in no way a `scientific' dispute. No study can be cited, nor no experiment performed, to prove Seligman right or wrong. His speculations come from the armchair, an armchair where he has no doubt read many secular and sacred texts, but an armchair nonetheless.
*
While the paragraphs above mention claims which are, at least at first blush, plausible, Seligman also makes claims that are immediately disputable. Several reviewers have rightly taken issue with his advice about child-rearing. His speculations regarding God appearing as the culmination of some evolution of the universe are similarly unconvincing. Strangely, Seligman wishes to bolster his claims with weak gestures towards `science' - as previously, his topics here are, prima facie, not amenable in any way to scientific investigation, so how `science' is meant to intervene is utterly unclear. He uses the word `science' as some unspecified ultimate authority, almost as if he were appealing to a deity himself.
*
Occupying a territory somewhere between his more outlandish claims and his accounts of the responses to questionnaires, there is his account of `signature strengths'. This is laid out as if it were a quasi-scientific classification, as per genus and species in biology. Actually, the system here is one of Seligman's own invention, one which might prove practically useful, but one which is underdetermined by the objective data - one could, with equal validity, classify personality traits in any number of ways - it remains to be seen whether Seligman's classificatory systems attracts more adherents than the poet W.B.Yeats' theory of 28 personality types, and whether it is incorporated into a practice that could be justifiably termed scientific. Furthermore, Seligman's advice to cultivate the one or two `signature strengths' is not a piece of advice based on any established science, but the practical suggestion of a thoughtful man.
*
In this book, the actual recounting of scientific findings is limited. The problematic assumptions behind these findings are barely discussed. The `self-improvement' fraction of the book is extensive, and oracular - it is also, in part, misleadingly disguised as being directly implied by the findings and, consequently, `authorized' by `science'. The vast bulk of the book is actually Professor Seligman's personal recommendations for living a better life. You might care to listen to him, or you might prefer to listen to Buddha, or your local pastor, or to Robert Nozick, or Fyodor Dostoevsky, or to your mum and dad, or, and this gets my vote for what it's worth, to as many sources of wisdom as time allows.
too much info makes it Confusing.......2007-04-11
This book has a lot of information in it. However, it is just too much for the book to be very useful in real life. I found this book to be one of the hardest to look up a quote or piece of information later. Which really negates all the useful information in there. If you can't find it, it's of no use. And it was absolutely packed with quizzes. I personally like quizzes, but I could not get my husband to read a word because it was too quiz-oriented. I recommend "Learned Optimism" over this book.
Book Description
Human beings are selfish, small-minded, violence-prone savages, civilization is a blight on the earth, and the rising tide of chaos ensures that everything's going to fall apart any day now. Right? Wrong, says Rob Brezsny. In Pronoia Is the Antidote to Paranoia, he declares evil is boring, the universe is friendly, and life is a sublime gift created for our amusement and illumination. This buoyant perspective is not rooted in denial. On the contrary, Brezsny builds a case for a "cagey optimism" that does not require a repression of difficulty, but rather, seeks a vigorous engagement with it. The best way to attract the blessings that the world is conspiring to give us, he insists, is to dive into the most challenging mysteries. This witty, inspiring how-to shows how any reader can become "a wildly disciplined, fiercely tender . . . lustfully compassionate Master of Rowdy Bliss."
Customer Reviews:
I love this book!.......2007-09-30
This is my favorite book, at the moment, to have by my bed and read a random page or two every night. I've always enjoyed reading his horoscopes, and I look forward to them mainly for his unique and fun information and personality. This book is chock-full of that.
It's a real comfort-book to savor like fine wine or dark chocolate, (with no calories!) after a long day.
Enjoy.
To Have and to Give: giddy, hilarious, inspiring and fun.......2007-06-01
This morning I read an excerpt from Rob's book called "Glory in the Highest." It so moved me that I felt inspired to write this as a gratitude gift to him. A client gave the book to me several months ago. It has been a constant joy to me. I love everything about it. The cover pleases me. The title makes me smile. And the contents are tasty treats for the mind, the heart and whatever internal organ is in charge of laughing.
I just had several of my organs removed and spent almost a week on my back. I waited for for a phone call from the doctor with the results of a patholgy report. And dreamed the report I wanted into being. As my sweetheart so often says, "Never surrender your power to the menu" (and yes, thank you, it was great outcome!).
What helped me find the strongest place to do this from? Walking outside. I felt the intense rush of nature, all of it sun, grass, sky, energy from the earth, the trees. Living things, Life itself. The sheer and utter pleasure of LIFE.
The passage in "Pronoia," called "Glory in the Highest" so perfectly reflects the feeling I experienced and the way I still feel...a heady yet grounded blend of gratitude, amusement, enthusiasm, wonder, joy, appreciation and empathy for the poignancy of our adventure trips on planet Us as we learn to be kind and gentle to ourselves, to accept who we are and just be full-tilt humans, in all our wonderful weirdness.
I recommend his book in my hypnosis and coaching practice and to my friends. I thank him for the Divinely on-target and hilarious inspiration in "Pronoia," a light yet deeply satisfying souflee of short, easily accessed pieces blended together in a yummy concoction. Perfect for bedtime reading or refreshing moments throughout the day. Nutty, insightful, gorgeous and lots of fun. Great gift book for yourself or someone you love.
Some of the drops do sparkle!.......2007-05-29
As part of a valiant effort to shake Luddite tendencies, and despite a Credit Card perilously close to being maxed-out, I pressed the buttons to order 'PRONOIA' with the humble intent of making a silent gesture to thank Rob Brezsney for his Free Will Astrology. 'The least I can do is up this guy's sales - even if only by one - to thank him for his freely-shared gift and balance the cosmic scales a bit', thought I! Wrong! Wonderfully wrong! This book is such a rich cornucopia of wild and wondrous Truth - I feel like I'm now even further on the back-foot in this undeclared war - i.e. I'm even further challenged to yet out-bless Mr. Brezsney! Please buy this book to remind yourself of who you really already are! Effortless joy awaits, I promise! I also can't believe the incredibly low cost for a book this rich and voluminous, with every page a life-enriching treasure. And this mere token cost included shipping from half across the world! This book is simply the greatest gift in the whole world to give a friend or loved one, not only because it will look like you've spent a fortune on them, but more importantly because there's no way they won't LOVE it! How do I know this? Because I know there's a part of each of us that longs to simply let go of false-knowledge! The rewards are instant and ecstatically joyful. More than a necessary antidote - it's such a tonic! Brezsney you legend! I WILL get you back! Meanwhile, thanks to you too, good folk at Amazon, for such courteous and speedy service. Best buttons I've ever pressed! '... just a drop in the great blue motion of the sunlit sea ... but some of the drops sparkle ... Some of them DO sparkle'! (T.H. White)
Maybe We Could Just Be Happy.......2007-05-10
What a childish thought: just be happy! Yes, it is, and that is just the point. Few have considered the thought that life may be hard only because we have not really entertained the thought that it could be easy. Even Jesus recognized that we must become like children to enter God's Kingdom. That means childlike, not childish. And what is more childlike than the joyful perception that the universe is fundamentally friendly. If we get the God/world/life we believe in (and quantum research is proving that we do) then why not let a dose of Pronoia help you drop the cynicism and create something beautiful? If you are determined to remain a proud alumni of the "no pain, no gain" school of hard knocks, this is not the book for you. But if you would like to see the world from a fresh perspective, and have fun doing it, buy the book, relax, laugh and turn your world upside down.
Lee & Steven Hager are the authors of
Quantum Prodigal Son: Revisiting Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Perspective of Quantum Mechanics
Pronoia; The Antidote For Paranoia.......2007-05-06
The Best book I've ever purchased. Rob Brezsny and The Beauty and Truth Laboratory is entirely infused with anti-cynicism. The truths they have researched and reported in these pages validate what I've always known and give me so much more insight into a way of transforming myself into the person I believe The Universe intends for me to be. It is Buddist in nature, very eastern in its philosophy, and so much more. There are quotes, notes and facts to back every word.
Amazon.com
Child psychologists Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein are too humble to promise a "sure bet" method for fostering resilience in all children, but their book Raising Resilient Children certainly does an impressive job of upping the ante. The authors open their comprehensive study with two bold questions: Why do many parents insist on pointing out their child's weaknesses and try--in vain--to mend these, when harnessing the child's strengths bolsters self-esteem? And how can parents change their erring ways to help these kids become thoughtful, confident adults? Their answer is a wisely crafted set of 10 essential parenting behaviors ("guideposts")--a prescription of sorts, for nurturing resilience in kids. Ironically, it's the parents who may reap the greatest rewards from putting these guideposts to work.
Drawing heavily from 50 years of combined clinical practice, Brooks and Goldstein conclude that a child's resilience grows its deepest roots in the home, nurtured by parents who incorporate healthy doses of empathy, practical optimism, respect, unconditional love, keen listening skills, and the patience to administer these values every day. Sounds logical, but the gap between knowledge and action is deceptively wide. The authors knowingly share a caseload of tales from their own clients' histories--familiar scenarios of well-meaning parents who say and do counterproductive things. But they also present a treasury of suggestions for righting the wrongs, including detailed steps for rewriting negative parenting scripts, teaching and modeling empathy, and creating opportunities for kids to act responsibly and compassionately. This timely, insightful book will prove an effective tool for parents who are willing to scrutinize--and improve upon--their own resilience. --Liane Thomas
Book Description
TOP CHILD PSYCHOLOGISTS OFFER EXPERT INSIGHT AND PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR RAISING STRONG KIDS IN TODAY'S COMPLICATED WORLD
"Thoughtful and sound in its approach, practical and clear in its suggestions, direct and supportive in its tone, Raising Resilient Children is the perfect book for parents searching for a caring method to help their children grow into healthy, happy, loving, and mature adults."William Pollack, Ph.D., author of Real Boys
". . . the down-to-earth strategies ensure this title will be used as well as read . . . truly valuable material." Publishers Weekly
" . . . a remarkable book that pulls together the research on resilience and makes it readable, understandable, and practical."Work and Family Life
"A very important work. This not-to-be-missed book debunks the paradigm ('Good enough for me: I turned out OK') and replaces it with a new model fostering resilience capable of meeting obstacles head-on."Library Journal (starred review)
Download Description
In the tradition of such important books as Raising Ophelia and Emotional Intelligence, Raising Resilient Children is an engaging and wise work that will revolutionize parenting.
Customer Reviews:
The Most Helpful Book I Ever Read.......2007-04-12
I would recommend this book to any mother but especially mother's of young children who feel their kids or their lives with their kids aren't what they imagined they would be. This book helps you love the child you've got without any "but if you'd onlys." This book shows you the possibility of unconditional love and appreciation for your child that can be mixed with guidance and strengthening support.
A mother of two school aged children LOVES THIS BOOK.......2006-11-21
I must say I'm tempted to give away every single other parenting book I own. This book is the first book to ever "speak" to me. I've spent some time trying to figure out why this book touched me so much. It hit me - resilience is the BIG picture - I CAN operate and understand the big picture and then apply it to my life as a parent. I've spent most of my life as a parent searching for solutions to the little picture problems which change daily and spontaneously. I was never ready.
Reading Dr. Brooks' philosophy made me want more than ever to adequately prepare my children for the joys and upsets of life and in two short weeks I'm beginning to feel prepared to do so. In the moments of chaos I feel more connected to the long term and my parenting has changed. Funny how my heart seems to have grown for our two adorable kids as well.
Case Study after Case Study.......2006-05-11
Oy! If I have to read one more 'great save' case by these authors/psychologists, I will pull out my hair. This book was one case study after another outlining in great detail what their patients said and did and how wonderfully the authors managed to break through in each case, solving all problems for the troubled family, leaving them all happy and saved as the doctors ride gloriously into the sunset. Ugh! I wanted more substance, more "this is what you need to do". There was plenty of good advice in this book, but usually it came in the first sentence or at the end of a case study. By the end of the book, I was skipping all the case studies and just searching around for the moral of the story and looking for their not bad advice. I think if the authors had simply printed out their observations and suggestions in outline form, the book would be much more helpful and most importantly, shorter.
Sensible Guidance towards Positive Change.......2005-04-05
I just had the pleasure of hearing author, Robert Brooks speak at our school about nurturing sef-esteem and resilience in our children. I found his parent friendly book to have the same warm tone that he conveys in person. His lessons and opinions are documented with true case studies and anecdotes from his professional career and peppered with a welcome sense of humor. I am learning to be a more authoritative parent with the specific, practical guidance offered in this book and I see a definite positive change in the way we as parents are communicating with our children. This book has been the key tool in helping us empower our grade school children (10 and 12) with a better attitude towards adversity. If you have toddlers or preschoolers (2's, 3's, 4's, & 5's), we also highly recommend "The Pocket Parent" as a very compatible guide to "Raising Resilient Children". Both books view "Discipline" and "Punishment" as very different procedures and both offer many positive strategies to communicate and discipline (teach children right from wrong) WITHOUT yelling, bribing, nagging, threatening, criticising and punishing. The authors of both books feel we often spend too much time remediating the weaknesses of our children and not enough time identifiying their strengths and seeing that they have ample opportunities to succeed in what they are passionate about and good at. Both authors believe that it is not only important what you need to say to your children, but HOW you choose to say it that can make the difference. We recommend both "RAISING RESILIENT CHILDREN" and "THE POCKET PARENT" for home and school libraries for parents.
For parents' workshops, perhaps for teacher in-service ed..........2003-06-25
This curriculum workbook springs from Goldstein's and Brooks' book, Raising Resilient Children, which (for some reason I do not know) is no longer available through Amazon.com (you would have to buy it used). (Perhaps the authors are planning a second edition?)
This is a 9-week course covering: (1) Teaching and conveying empathy; (2) re-writing negative scripts; (3) Discplining in ways that promote self-discipline and growth; (4) Making decisions, solving problems; (5) loving children in ways that help them feel special and appreciated; (6) learning from mistakes; (7) Expecting success, "islands of competence"; (8) hope and courage.
It is accompanied by a video tape (not available from Amazon.com) but which would be good for persons planning parent groups or in-service for teachers.
The age-group that the authors write about is children, but with some modifications (especially with discipline) it could be applied to adolescents.
This book is an easy beginning to the practical aspects of resilience education. It is graphically good looking and substantively good.
Book Description
Price Pritchett, one of the world's most renowned thought leaders on corporate culture and organizational change, presents a groundbreaking program for developing the positive mental practices that will not only improve your performance on the job, but enhance the quality of every part of your life.
Drawing upon research from the influential field of positive psychology, Pritchett shows you how to adopt hard optimism-a forward-thinking mindset that incorporates resilience, energy, innovation, and hope into the way you approach every task. Hard Optimism gives you 12 powerful, proven practices for reducing negative thinking and adopting the attitude of a winner-the keys to seizing opportunity, overcoming obstacles, and wielding a positive influence on the people around you.
With the action steps outlined in Hard Optimism, you'll discover how to:
- Recognize and dispute pessimistic thoughts
- Gain an edge by adopting an optimistic style to interpret events, both good and bad
- Use positive reappraisal to handle problems and disappointments
- Know how and when to use negative thinking to your advantage
- Play to your signature strengths
- Practice gratitude and forgiveness to fight off negativity
By taking a hard look at reality rather than sugarcoating it, by managing your thought processes to improve hard results, you'll master hard optimism and meet the challenges in every area of your career and life.
Customer Reviews:
Glass half full, or half empty? IMy choice!.......2007-06-09
I was introduced to this fine short book at a business seminar. I read it only because I respected the opinions of the people conducting the sessions I was attending. Recently re-read it and bought copies for my employees to read. We used it as the primary topic of discussion at a recent office meeting and have been talking about it ever since! What a great thing for our office culture to be able to recognize pessimistic thinking when it arises. The book is too short for anyone to kick about having time to read it, and too good for anyone to have anything but positive comments about. The best part for me was being able to identify the "realist" as a pessimist in disguise.
Great quick pick-me-up reminder.......2007-02-15
This book is easy reading, and when you are discouraged or worse, you don't need hard hitting heavy reading, you need something that goes down easy and reminds you of the tools to the brighter side of life.
One point that really sticks out for me is the clearly identified four C's of negative thinking, how to identify them and what to do about them. A second point is that we have a natural tendancy toward negative thoughts, and only seem to recognize about 30% of them as being negative.
Great book, I expect to see it on the New York Times best seller list soon, and I'll be helping out by giving copies to my friends & family.
Wimpy little book with nothing new.......2007-02-14
If you have not read anything on optimism or related topics - this book could possibly be helpful. There are so many other books about similar subjects that put this book to shame - save your money and buy a real book.
Practical Positive Thinking.......2007-01-31
Price Pritchett has written more than anyone about organizational change and exactly how some people learn to cope with and even thrive on change. Hard Optimism is not about putting on rose-colored glasses. It's all about facing reality and not letting negative thoughts hinder peoples'natural inclinations and abilities to succeed.
For three decades Pritchett has facilitated mergers, acquisitions, and other organizational changes. He is an astute observer of how some people snatch success out of the jaws of defeat and some do exactly the opposite.
Hard Optimism shares his wisdom and practical advice. And, like all the other Pritchett books, his writing is powerful, compeling, and entertaining.
As an organizational psychologist who has assessed/coached over 6,000 executives, I'd recommend Hard Optimism to any manager or company facing significant change -- and those two categories pretty much include everyone in the business world!
Book Description
ARE YOU HOLDING YOURSELF BACK?
Without knowing it, most of us impose limits on our achievement and our happiness by approaching life's problems and challenges with unnecessary pessimism. Now, Dr. Martin Seligman, a pioneer in cognitive psychology and motivational research, tells you how to identify your own self-defeating thought patterns -- and how to harness the powers of your conscious mind to break those patterns.
The Science of Personal Control
Based on years of rigorous research, Learned Optimism examines the importance of "explanatory style" -- the way in which we explain our problems and setbacks to ourselves -- and offers a series of exercises that will help you target unhealthy habits of pessimistic thinking and bring them under your control. More powerful and pragmatic than a simple program of positive thinking, Dr. Seligman's principles of reasoned, flexible optimism will help you:
* Attain maximum personal achievement
* Avoid feelings of helplessness and depression
* Develop a hopeful, healthy outlook
"A Marvelous Achievement!
Learned Optimism blends hard-edged science with practical advice to give us an understanding of how we hold ourselves back and how we can change for the better."
-- Dr. Wayne Dyer
Customer Reviews:
helpful.......2006-11-10
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.
Nothing new or not obvious here.......2006-07-14
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.
CD on Learned Optimism is good supplement to book.......2005-10-01
If you are interested in how optimism can be learned, Seligman's book/CD is a great resource.
Learned Optimism.......2005-02-06
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.
Great book, but awful audio version!.......2003-07-26
I received this book several years ago and can say it literally changed my life. It gives great advice on how to deal with habitual pessimism and the free-floating anxiety that often accompanies it. I use the techniques in the book and they really do work. My copy is dog-eared and tattered from lots of use!! Thank you Martin Seligman!!!!!!!!
I cannot recommend the audio version. I got it several years after buying the book, thinking it would be a nice refresher. It was so badly done I was amazed. The abridged version of the book is read in a very boring style and LOTS of minutes are wasted in a detailed explanation of how to do a written self-test. I remember thinking "I can just read the instructions, why are they reading all the instructions out loud?" Horrible.
So definitely BUY the book and benefit from it, but SKIP the tape version.
Customer Reviews:
Growing Rich.......2007-05-07
**** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ****
This book is not about money but I can certainly see how people who would incorporate the knowledge in this book could get ahead. For me this was a book of "Golden Rules", which if followed, would definitely bring riches to ones life. I don't know of a single person I wouldn't recommend this book to. Get it, you won't be disappointed.
Weekly Devotional For success.......2007-03-25
Napoleon Hill is the recognized expert on all things success. In this book, Hill reveals how you can grow rich, and keep your mental act together at the same time. Typical of Hill's writing style, the book is easy to read, and features numerous examples from his real life experience. Specifically, this book covers, among many other things:
Why some succeed and others don't.
Helping your children succeed.
Overcoming fear
Living your own life
This book focuses on achieving success through positive relationships and a healthy mental attitude. For more information on achieving financial success, you may want to read "The 17 Principles of Creating Wealth," by Phillip Collinsworth.
52 weeks to growing rich with Napolean Hill.......2004-06-11
I have to admit that I am a huge fan of Napolean Hill. I loved Think and Grow Rich and I love virtually everythingelse he wrote as well.
I found this book to be excellent as a supplement to Think and Grow Rich. I keep a copy on my desk and read Napolean Hills wisdom before I commence the day. It works.
Home Truths.......2002-11-05
Napolean Hill talks about attitude, outlook and how they influence a person's destiny. He's right and communicates this message to anyone who will listen. This book also has updated material more relevant to our time. If anyone is serious about changing their circumstance then this book is a good place to start.
Manuscript for Success.......2002-08-19
This is a wonderful book. What you are supposed to do is read a chapter a week. I had to plow right through the whole thing.
What Mr. Hill teaches, among other things is that you have to decide Exactly what you want, make a plan and go for it. He teaches about 40 other things too, but that is the main point.
Mr. Hill uses excellent examples from personal experience how to accomplish great things.
I'm sure you will love this book if you love success/self help type books.
Book Description
An Inspiration for Each Day of the Year
Norman Vincent Peale's philosophy of positive thinking has had an unprecedented influence on millions of people throughout the world. Now, the wisdom of nine books -- including The Power of Positive Thinking -- can be found within these pages. Timeless in their message, invaluable in the course of daily life, Dr. Peale's classic books provide inspiration when you most need it and lead the way to a fuller, happier, more satisfying life. With a new introduction by Dr. Peale, Positive Thinking Every Day will help make your every day the best it can possibly be.
Customer Reviews:
Great Ideas to Meditate On.......2007-06-10
Thousands of studies have shown how much stress affects your emotions and health - and how reducing stress can have an incredibly powerful effect on your daily life. The mindset you set up for yourself each day can literally make you more healthy - and keep you that way.
This is where Norman Vincent Peale's book comes in. Every day it provides something for you to consider, a blurb to think about. You don't have to read the book straight through. In fact, it works better if you don't. Just keep it on your desk. Pick it up every day or so and see what it says. Think about the words. If you come across a favorite saying, post that up by your computer monitor. Each of us will find different pages which speak to us personally - which is why it's great that there are 365 of them!
For example, here's one. "For the next twenty-four hours, deliberately speak hopefully about everything, about your job, about your children's marks in school, about your health, and about your future." Isn't that an amazing thought - that it might be a challenge to be hopeful, just for 24 hours? If you were actively hopeful, what kind of beneficial ripple effects might that have on others around you? It could literally make your entire environment incrementally better.
It is tempting to want this information in calendar form, one of those page-a-day to go through. On the other hand, with that system you'd have to buy a new one each year. With this book, you can just move a bookmark through it each day, and you don't have to buy another book when the year is up.
If I have a complaint, it's that the book doesn't say it's Christian up front - but there are a fair number of God references in it. I don't mind books that promote Christianity, but they should let you know they're going to do that, rather than just having it pop up once you've already bought it.
Positive Thinking Every Day.......2006-08-21
Book was a gift for my daughter. She loves it. Focusing on the positive things in life truly lifts the spirit.
Book arrived within a week, great condition!
Packed with Inspiration!.......2004-04-28
Dr Norman Vincent Peale's gifts continue working, long after he has gone to receive his reward. My life is enriched every time I am privileged to pick up one of his books. This well-edited volume will give you a "vitamin" dose of positive thinking for every day of the year. If you're like me, you'll just go ahead and read through the entire thing at once. In a world where the negative occurs by default, programming one's mind with a positive antidote is necessary on a regular basis. Books such as this will help you obtain that needed mental nourishment.
Consider his powerful conclusion to this book, the December 31st reading and as you think about this message, remember he is, in a way, speaking from the "other side," as he is (present tense)a follower of Jesus Christ:
"Know that there is no death; that all life is indivisible, that the here and hereafter are one, that time and eternity are inseparable, that this is one unobstructed universe. We are citizens of eternity."
A daily boost of encouragement and personal power.......2001-08-31
I look at this GREAT little book every single day. Why? Each page has date. And below each date there is a short, highly meaningful quotation from Norman Vincent Peale that helps me keep my perspective. When things are going well, I look at this quote and think about it. And when things are looking bleak (which they do at times) I look at the quote and think about it, and even go back and review the previous day's quote. These short but potent quotes are like a shot of psychological and spiritual Vitamin C. Do you like to simply take mental stock? The quotes are for you. Or are you into prayer? Then these quotes are for you. Or are you into meditation? Then these quotes are for you. And if you're into all three of these things (to each his/her/it own) they're also for you. The great thing about this book is that you can keep it by your bedside and take it along with you when you travel. Just a minute or two a day, reading and (if you can make the time) pondering the quote can do wonders.
Exceptional Inspirational resource.......2000-06-03
I have kept this book by my bedside for several years. I may or may not read it every single day, but I do consider it to a 'working' bible for which each day has a message that brings hope, facilitates clarity, and reminds one of what is truly important. I have also bought it as a gift for others.
Books:
- Little House (9 Books, Boxed Set)
- Martin Van Buren : The Romantic Age of American Politics (Signature Series)
- Mary Chesnut's Civil War
- Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography
- My Life in France
- NeuroTheology: Brain, Science, Spirituality, Religious Experience
- Never Let Me Go
- Nietzsche: Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits (Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy)
- One River
- One Writer's Beginnings (The William E. Massey Sr. Lectures in the History of American Civilization)
Books Index
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