Self-Help Books

Very useful as a Therapist and written in terms anyone can relate to.

I finally decided to buy this book after receiving many copied pages from my therapist. The small chapters are light reads and they have helped me in more ways than I can count.

A wonderful little book.

This book has the possibility to change your life in a very dramatic and positive manner. It is simple, concise and to the point. The author is well qualified and speaks to your very soul if you allow her. It may be a good idea to make an investment in this book.

Author's language is so clear and understandable. She makes things so simple.
She takes the most important questions and gives the answers without making complicated.
I got a lot more help from this book than I got from my therapist I have seen for 1,5 years.
This book has changed my life.
Although I red it twice already I still read it.
Everyone can learn something from this book.
Thanks to Susanna McMahon for writting such a book.

It's a great, wise, simple, highly readable book.

Still, I cannot give it 5 stars because I found it at times a little simplistic -- probably a function of the book's restricitve format that keeps each chapter very short, and therefore generic and thus a little shallow. It's good reading for people who don't have time for big volumes and intellectually challenging explantions -- but at a price.

Things in life are often more ccomplicated than this book suggests. However, the priamry principle that it promotes (the crucial and necessary need for Self-Esteem that's not based on external factors) is very true. Kudos to the author for making it so clear. Any effort aiming to expose and undo the harm of most people's upbringing -- which overemphasizes high achievement and competitivenss while neglecting spiritual development -- is a valuable contribution to our culture.

I appreciated the author's effort to avoid references to God (she allows atheistic readers to replace the concept of God with the notion of Goodness) -- but then, alas, she forgot that rule in the last chapter. That last chapter was also rather disappointing in content, the weakest of all -- just a pep talk with no concrete advice.

Throughtout the book, the author ascribes the often harmful "Model of Doing" to the Western culture, and the more benficial "Model of Being" to the East -- but that is a simplification too. Anyone familiar with high-driving, competitive, and sometimes cruel Asian societies knows that the East is in the grips of the "Model of Doing" just as we are in the West. (One can also think of some western saints, like St.Francis, who were very much into a "Model of Being".)

Also, I am concerend that the author's often repeated advice to "take care of yourself first" will be interpreted by many people as a permission to be selfish and self-centerted. She certainly understands the difference (and attempts to explain it at one point) -- but in her apparent effort not to undermine any reader's Self-Esteem, she stops short of telling her readers that having no compassion for others, and never giving of yourself is not a way to live. She just says "accept yourslef as you are". Then why change for the better?

This book will be of only marginal value to people who are well read in psychology, but it will be very useful and eye-opening to an average person trying to come to terms with the pain of living. It's like Psychology 101 -- a basic course for everyone, but it doesn't have enough depth to satisfy those who need to probe for deeper reasons and solutions. Nevertheless, I highly recommend it as a first step towards mastering "the art of living".

a book all girls from 10 to 100 should read its about the struggles of life that all girls go thru.

Though it was a bit hard to swallow in the format of a fairy tale, in the end I have dog-ear'd several pages and will refer to the life lessons it holds. I will also share this book with several friends and family members who are struggling with the curve balls life throws. This book is for anyone needing that wake-up call to say 'you can get through it' among other lessons... The Princess will learn with you.

This is an AWESOME BOOK for every woman to read!! Easy reading and lots of insights on why we do what we do and how to stop the cycle! It is a MUST read for any woman giong through a divorce or breakup, however, I think anyone could gather wisdom from this book!

This is one of those books that you swear was written by someone who is telling your story. I was very touched and learned a lot. Some elements in the story were a little sappy/cheesy, but I didn't mind at all. I am a professional songwriter and was so inspired by this book that I wrote a song that has now received great reviews and has been used by many different venues. Now that's inspiration!

I just love this book, and I read it before, but didn't buy it. I was going through a similiar issue, so I just went and bought the book, because this book is a must have for any princess who wants to grow up!

Dr. Bruce Schneider is the CEO & Founder of iPEC Coaching--a school that empowers individuals to become fantastic Life or Business Coaches. His holistic approach to human development is top notch. If you are looking to become empowered in any area of your life--this book is for you. A great, easy to read book. I recommend Relax, You're Already Perfect with 5 stars.

Relax, You're Already Perfect really opened my eyes to the fact that I can do whatever I want and be whatever I want. The techniques were very powerful and easy to do, and they really work! I've recreated my life and am continuing to grow each day.

I read this book more than once and noticed that the second time I read it, it was much different. After doing the exercizes for a while, not only my impressions of what I was reading changed, but my whole life changed. I am deeply indebted for the awareness this book has brought to me and I recommend it to everyone.

I've read this book now three times and I'm going to read it again. Every time I read it, it speaks to me in a different way -- seemingly reading my mind as to what I need each time.

I've read tons of books on spiritual awareness and am amazed that even though some of these messages were not new to me, they were expressed in a most powerful, enjoyable, practical and enlightening way.

I truly believe this book will be remembered as a guide book that helped raise the consciousness of many, many people.

This is a beautiful, fascinating book revealing the author's discoveries about a personal path to healing available to anyone, found within one's own dreams and imagination. The body believes in images and if the healing images are personal and come from the self, via dreams, they have more power to heal. Wanda tells use her story and inspires us to pay attention to our own story. She provides healing images we can borrow and make our own, and gives us guidelines on how to work with our dreams. I will give this book to anyone I know who faces a health challenge.

Wonderful book.
For those of us who have very active dream times... this book is so informative and for those who may not be heavy dreamers but are interested in the wisdom that our dreams can bring us, it is a must read. V

Dreaming is healing. Our bodies speak to us in dreams, giving us early warning of symptoms we might develop, showing us what they need to stay well. Dreams give us fresh and powerful images for self-healing. Dreams are also the language of the soul; they put us in touch with wells of memory and sources of creativity and energy far beyond the clutter and confusion of the little everyday mind. Beyond this, dreams are experiences of the soul, and can take us - sleeping or hyper-awake - into realms where we can have direct access to sacred healers and teachers.

These themes and possibilities come vividly alive in Wanda Burch's brave and beautiful book She Who Dreams, which is both the narrative of a personal journey into healing through dreaming and an incitement to bring the gifts of active dreaming into our everyday lives.

I have been sharing dreams with Wanda since early in 1987, and I know the depth of experience and the deeps of dreaming from which this book flows. Her dreams diagnosed a life-threatening illness (breast cancer) a year before the doctors found symptoms. Her dreams guided her choice of treatment, gave her powerful imagery for self-healing and recovery, enabled her to grow a creative relationship with her physicians and awakened her to a deeper life and a vital engagement with the world as a dreambringer - one of those who creates a safe space for others to open to the gifts of dreaming, and can bring a dream to someone in need of a dream.

Her personal story is quite fascinating. Her first dream mentor was her Irish-American grandmother, a "wise woman" of the Alabama hill country. Later she met the dreamers of the Iroquois, one of whom appeared at her back door in the form of a white wolf.

But it is the story of everyday trials, more than the extraordinary elements in this book, that will touch the hearts of many readers and bring them practical guidance that is urgently needed. Wanda shows how dreams can get us through. One of her most valuable contributions to the literature of healing and recovery is to show us how we can use the self-healing tools that flow from dreamwork to support conventional medical treatments, smoothing the process and reducing adverse side-effects. For this alone, She Who Dreams is an invaluable resource for healthcare professionals, therapists, healers and caregivers.

SHE WHO DREAMS is a powerful book. Wanda Easter Burch gives us a beautiful portrait of a life lived on many levels - as we all live - and, by offering the harrowing and hopeful details of her life, inspires us to look at our own lives with the same degree of curiosity and compassion.

With the quality of pacing and skillful foreshadowing that a seasoned novelist would offer, the author lays out her personal story. On one level it follows her roots in the American South to travels in Africa, important interactions with the Mohawk tribe and her home in a rural New York hamlet. We follow her struggle with cancer including her mastectomy, the emotional despair her chemotherapy induces and, ultimately, her path as one who heals. On another level it follows the story of her dreams. Her childhood is guided by a grandmother who understood the power of dreams to foretell and bring healing. Her adult life is blessed with the incomparable friendship of well-known author and dream explorer, Robert Moss - whom she first met in a childhood dream. The author's dreams insistently foretell of a cancer her doctors repeatedly ignore. As insistently, her dreams predict her death at age 43.

By actively following guidance her dreams provide, the author is led - and leads us - through a healing process that proves, beyond a shadow of doubt, the power of the spirit and the mind. And, even more profound, it leads to a rewriting of a life contract that, in its extension, offers us a writer whose unfolding talents provide unique inspiration that inside each of us lies the ability for our dreams to reveal our own infinite wisdom. Reading SHE WHO DREAMS may well change your life.

I confess that I came to this book as something of a skeptic. To my rational, scientific mind, the idea that one's dreams can affect or predict the future seemed pretty iffy. Yet it is hard to deny the truth of personal experience. Wanda Burch has a fascinating story to tell, and I was drawn in by it. She describes her life-and-death experiences in vivid detail, with honesty and insight that leap out from the page. The author is more than a survivor; she is clearly a woman of extraordinary courage.

For anyone who has struggled with special health challenges, or anyone who has wondered what their dreams mean, or for that matter anyone who just enjoys a good original biography, I highly recommend this book.

After reading this book, it's really good to know that we can change our lives for the better, as well as be able to create our miracles at will. To have this book being introduced to me is already a miracle in itself! Highly recommended!

This is an engaging primer on manifestation and the law of attraction. the first section deals with quantum physics and suggests that science supports the metaphysical program offered in later sections. The book provides a program to assist in the manifestation of goals and desires.

While there is nothing new here, it is nicely written and accessible. I liked the fact that the third and final section of the book actually provided an outline of basic steps to manifestation with some helpful examples. It would be nice if authors would put in new stories as opposed to relying on the same, old, tired vignettes. This book provides a nice review of the Science of Mind principles for advanced students. Perhaps more importantly, it provides a solid foundation for beginners.

I have to admit, I was hoping this book would cover far more new ground than it did. The worst thing I can say about the body of this book is that it simply reclycled most of what Louise Hay already covered in her two books, You Can Heal Your Life and The Power is Within You. That said, the premise of this book, even though science hasn't yet been able to fully explain the practical "how," of how energy is transmuted into the "matter," of objective experience, makes it an invaluable read. For anyone who has moved beyond the cultural mythology of religion and is looking for a Cosmic explanation of why prayer works, this is the book for you. The in depth introduction to Quantum physics and it's connection to the realm of possibility is a fascinating read. It can help to claify confused, unfocused thinking and set you in the direction of being able to co-create with this brilliant, creative Cosmic Mind the life of your dreams.

"Pioneering research into quantum physics and human consciousness" is applied to human achievements and the creation miracles in this highly readable look at the law of attraction and human potential. The book is divided into three sections: Why Miracles are Possible, Where You Fit In, and Making Miracles. The authors conclude with an extensive bibliography and endnotes. What I found best about this book was its clarity. For example, on page 121, the authors conclude the chapter with "The real shortcut is in finally knowing what to do and doing it. Don't waste time or limit your life any longer." I highly recommend you read this book.

If you are interested in reading about financial success, you may want to look at "The Richest Man in Babylon," by George Clason, and "The 17 Principles of Creating Wealth," by Phillip Collinsworth.

I've read dozens of books on this general topic and I'd have to agree that is one of the very best I've read so far. It's filled with clear, easy to understand principles coupled with useful suggestions on how to apply those principles to our day to day life. This book is a very helpful "how to" treatment of a topic that's often treated in very fuzzy terms. Studied and applied, this book can help us learn how to take spiritual control of our lives ... how to live the lives we dream of without working ourselves to a frazzle trying to achieve those dreams "the hard way".

I've felt for a LONG time that our "hopes and dreams" reached for things our "abilities to make our dreams come true" just couldn't accomplish without incredible damage to the rest of our lives. Working 90 hours a week, ignoring our families and punishing our bodies can't be the best way to make our dreams come true. This book is one of the best in showing us how to make all our dreams come true in a balanced, healthy, mutually beneficial and "effortless" way.

I was a student of Mrs. Wattles' English class back in the 90's. I was also a friend of Mandy's.
I try to read this book at least once a year to remind me of the importance of family and why I should live each day as if it were my last. I have battled addiction for years and this book has helped, and still continues to help me immensely!!
I plan on sharing this book with my son in the coming years. He is now 10 years old.
Today, I ordered a copy as a gift for a lady who I work with. She lost her teenage daughter in a car accident a few short years ago. I am hoping this book will touch her heart, as it has mine - and will somehow bring her a sense of peace, knowing that she is not alone.
Mrs. Wattles, thank you for writing this book. You remain in my thoughts and prayers, yesterday, today, and always! Much love to you!
Carrie Malloch
MSHS Graduate, 1993

"Today I Smile," offers each of us a glimpse into the raw pain of dealing with the death of a loved one. Readers experience the havoc drug addiction creates for the no-longer-denying-addict and her family. "Today I Smile," is insightful and offers hope to all in the midst of dealing with addiction or the loss of a loved one. I applaud the author's courage at opening up her experience with her daughter's addiction and the grief that raged at her daughter's untimely death. God Bless You, Diane....

I just finished reading "Today I Smile." I was struck by the author's honesty in telling a painful story. This is a well written story that allows the reader into the author's life. I felt as if I knew Mandy. I wanted to hug Kelsey and Diane. I highly recommend this book, for anyone that has lost a child, or for anyone that has a loved one involved in drugs. The story is told without self-pity, only with love and a need to share. There are many important facts that are written for all parents.
This is a "must read."

My greatest fear is losing my son or daughter, and this book was not only heartwrenching, but insightful as well, delving into young people and the continual problem with drugs and addiction. Excellent book, especially for parents or teachers of our young ones.

An important and timely read for parents and those involved with children and young people. We must all be aware and alert concerning the dangers to the unwary in our present time. A sensitive and moving story. A must read for everyone!

I received a tip about this book from my daughter's preschool teacher. They use it for school and when I picked it up, I expected this to be a teacher's manual. It does have lots of education material and should be a class! My husband and I enjoyed the funny little stories and I really got some great tips on the kinds of toys to buy for our preschool daughter and her newborn sister. Already, we have more toys that we probably need but this is a great guide to help us as the girls get older and then ask for everything. It really helps you put a value on the dollars you spend on toys these days. This is a great book for first time parents to read before they start toy shopping. There is a great chapter about technology toys.

I can't stop reading this book! Each chapter is better than the previous one and there is SO much I learned about toys. I'm pregnant with my first child and my mom bought me this book as a gift. She told me that I need to know everything about toys now so I do not make the same mistakes as my siblings who bought way too many toys that my nieces and nephews rarely play with. This is an amazing resource for preschool and kindergarten teachers too and the best part is that this book does not dictate what toys are the best. The reader is left to decide that based on what the authors have taught you. It's really a parenting book and class all in one! They have a website too.... toytips.com lists tons of toy reviews based on research for you to review. I LOVE that! I've looked at other websites that have reviews and opinions of a few parents and their experiences with specific toys but this is so much better than that! Great find. Great buy! Thanks, Mom!

I am a pediatrician living in Ireland. A friend of mine in the United States told me about this book that he uses as a reference to help his patients with toy-related questions (categories of toys appropriate by developmental age, safety, etc.) He bought me a copy for Christmas. After reading this book, I realized that not only is this book helpful to parents but also to physicians. Toy safety and selection is not a course that is taught in medical school and this book is ideal for all pediatricians. I am familiar with other toy-rating and toy-suggestion books published and none come close to the detail and amount of research put into this book. If anyone is looking for a gift for their pediatician, this is IT!

I'm a stay at home dad who bought toys for my 5 kids this Christmas. I bought this book to learn how to choose and what kinds and types are better to buy. This book gave me the confidence I needed to figure out what toys were best for Lilly, Max, Zoe, Kate and Nick versus what they asked for (Xbox and Ipod, Barbie and My Little Pony) I made some good choices and I was pleased that they actually play with them. It seemed we have so many toys from last year that are just sitting in the playroom. I really like the chapter that talks about family board games. I never really thought about this before and now we play games every friday night (weeknights are out because of homework, ballet practice and swimming!) My wife thinks I am a genius and I'm never telling her this book helped me but I think it can help other guys like me so I felt compelled to write this review for all the other dads out there like me!

I read this review from Fagan (below) and have to add to it. I am an emergency room nurse and we see many toy-related injuries. Most could have been prevented. I think if parents took the time to understand the importance of buying age-appropriate toys and then took the time to play with their children, we might see less accidental injuries. I bought a copy to keep at the hospital for our health care workers who will benefit from reading this book. It's nice to see two authors who care so much about what they write about. Thank you to Ms. Marianne Szymanski and Ms. Ellen Neuborne.

In my opinion this book is an excellent resource for those suffering and those who know someone with diabetes.

My teenage son was diagnosed recently with Type 1 Diabetes, it was very scary not knowing anything about Diabetes. This book is easy to understand and it explains everything about Type 1 diabetes. Wonderful help to me.

Great book for the Type 1 patient or the parent/spouse/family member of one.
Gives good suggestions on a variety of topics. Well worth the money.

I have found this book VERY helpful. From time to time we have questions/concerns that come up, we have found easy to understand answers/advise for real life issues.

This book has helped us so much.
The doctors don't help you too much so you are left with a million questions and this book has helped so much.
This disease is so overwelming and this book is so helpful in easy to understand words.
Instead of going into a panic when something happens we now just go to the book and it calms us right down.
Thank God this book is here.

Underdog Advertising is a unique book written with the small business in mind. It shows how the small business can take proven marketing principles and compete in the marketplace and win.
The author opens the book with the tale of David and Goliath. Just as in the old story, David represents the small business and Goliath is the giant advertising agencies.
The underdog principle consists of the Underdog Advantage Principles, the Big Dog Branding Process, and the Junkyard Dog Execution. The Underdog Advantage Principles goes into depth on the ten foundation priciples that guide the development of marketing strategies and tactics to help your business compete and win. It teaches you how to consistently deliver creative, nontraditional ways to win the high ground with limited responses. Big Dog Branding Process is essential so your business can carve out a niche in your chosen field and puts your company in the minds of your customers. The Junkyard Dog Execution shows you how to find unique ways to stand out from the crowd and how to impliment them.
David and Goliath are revisited as a review of how to use all three of the disciplines to help your business compete and win advertising spots against the Goliath's. To help you put the principles and disciplines into action, the author provides a workbook at the end that takes you through each ten principles. Also included are branding worksheets that allow you to find your target prospect, define it and validate it.
Every small business should have this book in their libraries so they can follow Mr. Flower's principles to help them define an advertising campaign that will reap benefits for their business.
This is a book that will be used over and over again. A must have, keeper for your business.

This book is a great tool for helping small businesses focus their marketing efforts. It is a great follow up to taking a marketing course. The former primarily provides the "what", this book provides the "how". The concepts and strategies are equally applicable to large busnesses.

First of all, let's have a look of the proven principles preached by the author:-

1. Think outside the box
2. Take risks
3. Strategy before execution
4. Be contrary
5. Select your battlefield
6. Focus! Focus! Focus!
7. Be consistent
8. Demonstrate value
9. Speed & surprise
10. Have patience

Cliche and common sense? Depends! Nevertheless, the beauty of it is not the provision of unique and extravagant concepts, but easily understandable and adoptable ideas furnished with plenty of real life practical examples. The two workbooks from page 175-206 of step to step guidance to apply the 10 principles well worths the price of the book (consider how much you have to pay for an external consulting agency). If you had not taken any marketing course before and you have to do marketing now, highly recommended! (though I think the much emphasized David vs Goliath metaphor is quite out of place)

Below please find some of the passages I like the most for your reference:-

You miss 100% of the shots you never take. - Wayne Gretsky pg 32
Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. - Sun Tzu pg 34
Strategy is the who, what, when, where, and why of advertising...Execution is the how...Because the key to creating effective advertising is to have the right strategy. pg 35
The superiority in numbers is the important factor in the result of combat...the greatest possible numbers of troops should be brought into action at the decisive point. - Karl von Clausewitz pg 78
Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until they are brought into focus. - Alexander Graham Bell pg 90
It is better to overwhelm a few than to underwhelm many. pg 100
Any damn fool can put on a deal, but it takes genius, faith and perservance to create a brand. - David Ogilvy pg 134

p.s. In the very case you want to read something of the advanced level, "The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding" by Al Ries is a very good choice.

I've spent the last 15 years in marketing and always enjoy reading about principles and concepts to apply to my work. This book focuses on the "underdogs" - but not necessarily the small business owner. Some of the "underdogs" he profiles have large enough advertising budgets to allow them substantial print campaigns to compete with their bigger competitors. For this reason smaller business owners should read this book and take note of the bigger picture of what author Paul Flowers is saying. The concepts he mentions are solid and refreshingly free of the usual marketing jargon. I especially appreciated the attention Flowers paid toward attitude and mindset, as I feel this is something that can define success in an organization.

Paul Flower's UNDERDOG ADVERTISING is a gem for every small business owner. I especially appreciate Mr. Flower's honesty throughout this book, particular in the anecdote he shares in his introduction, where he reveals how he and his partners realized (to their horror, no doubt) that they themselves had "...fallen into the trap of copying what our bigger competitors ... did--the same trap we were warning our clients to avoid." It takes guts to be honest in marketing, and Mr. Flower's has guts ... in spades.

His recognition of David (of David/Goliath fame) as the archetypal underdog is brilliant, and Mr. Flowers uses the David/Goliath metaphor as a touch-stone throughout the book. BTW, much of the Underdog Advertising philosophy seems to be very much in keeping with the philosophy of the non-violent martial art of Aikido.

Mr. Flower's Ten Principles of Underdog Advertising are worth the cost of the book alone (for myself, I'm continually working on the last one - #10. Have Patience).

Kudos to Mr. Flowers for his discussion of psychographics for in the chapter on "Know Your Prospect". (I continue to be amazed at the marketing books that I read that stress demographics without ever mentioning psychographics).

Finally, when approached with an open mind, the appendix of the Underdog Advertising Workbook can provide you with a wealth of information for improving your brand.

My copy of Underdog Advertising is full of highlighted passages and notes in the margin. I'm planning on implementing these strategies over the next six month.

I can think of no higher praise to give a book.

This book is perfect for anyone wanting to understand this controversial subject. It provides a very scientific look into many long-standing myths associated with the plant and drops humorous comments along the way.

Dr. Earlywine's book "Understanding Marijuana" explains the uses of marijuana on a level that can be understood by all readers. Remaining unbiased, he combines the political aspect to the benefits of decriminalization the substance as well as the harmful effects and beneficial uses. The long term research becomes clear as the author takes you into a world not clearly understood by most in everyday society. This book comes highly recommended to those who can benefit from Dr. Earleywine's years of dedicated research into the variations of the legalization of marijuana and in my opinion, the end of the tireless "war on drugs".

I first experienced pot at age 16 and soon learned that what little I was told was NOT TRUE. This book lays it out in all its splendor. It is not a harmless drug- but it is the next best thing. The pharmacology section was very useful as it explained the way THC is produced and broken down by the plant. On the way up to THC Cannabidiol is produced. Cannabinol is produced as the plant starts to break down. The medical section is fabulous. I was not aware of its medical applications fully until I became a Medical Assisting Student and was placed as an intern in a Multiple Sclerosis practice. This drug does wonders for them! Few knew about it. More need to learn about it. That and I just love the look of those leaves! They are Serrated!!

With all of the misinformation circulating about cannabis over the last 70 years its nice to have a refreshing, scholarly, intelligent review of the subject. I wish everybody in the country who had anything to do with the War on Drugs - from both sides of the debate, would stop bantering about unsupported nonsense and old cliches about that vegetation and look at the evidence, the history, and see the nonsense that is currently floating unabashedly about on that subject. Thanks Dr. Earlywine for your significant effort to try to get out the facts. Del

Yep. Another book that's packed full of research to support this incredible little herb. SIGH! We really need to get "with it" and make this available for health and well being for our people and our planet.