Albert Einstein's famous quote sums up the message of this book: "There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is."

A large part describes the cultural and historical changes that have taken place that now allow miracles to take place by common people - rather than by the stereotypical monks that live in the mountains.

Smashing old and limiting beliefs with inspiring and liberating ideas, John Gray provides nine techniques that'll
allow you to use these nine principles to create miracles in your life in a simple, practical manner.

One technique, however, may be a bit superficial and impractical: The Blockbuster Technique.

In this short chapter, John Gray describes a familiar way of healing: writing a mock letter to whomever you are feeling negative towards. Gray provides a chart of "blocks" that are common to most. Examples include: Resentment, Depression, Confusion, etc. Your letter should explore the feelings attached to your particular block. By exploring emotions below the "block," one can attain healing. Examples of feelings attached to these blocks: Deprived, Angry, Abandoned, etc.

I tried this with a particular person I knew at one time. My biggest challenge with this technique? I would have been up all night writing this letter. And I would have wasted an entire notebook of paper to boot!

In trying to figure what was not working out for me, I realized one's beliefs about oneself and others determine how long this letter will go on for. So rather than using this technique of letter-writing to feel better, go read something by Albert Ellis instead - and change your ideas that lead to these feelings. That way, you will not only feel better...but you will GET better. There is a big difference between those two.

Regardless of the validity of writing letters, there is one fantastic part that I love: this book will teach you the
exact technique behind energy healing.

Yes, the mysterious stuff "those spiritual people" have used to create miraculous healings. Whether these techniques work or not, I cannot say - I still need to start applying them myself. These are not ideas that you grasp in an hour, however. There are three separate exercises involved with energy: Recharging, Decharging, and Natural Energy Healing. Each one has separate instructions, and John encourages you to take baby steps
and learn these concepts gradually.

John Gray has the background for this, too. From my hazy understanding of him, before he got his Ph.D. in psychology and created the Mars-Venus craze, he was a monk for nine years. His story of how he healed his own blindness is described in the book as well.

A great book: liberating, practical, and useful. Most important, if you've always wanted to learn how to heal yourself and others via meditation, touch, and energy, you must read this book.

Many books are one-sided arguments for the causes of depression and anxiety. According to these biased books, depressions stems from:

Past child abuse and other negative environment factors

Holding your body in a depressing way - bent down, frowning, etc.

Medical causes

Poor diet, lack of exercise

Isolation

Fill in the blank

But this book is different.

Healing Anxiety and Depression is a refreshing book, for it takes all of the above factors and mixes it into a complete approach to the causes and treatment of anxiety and depression.

Moreover, Daniel Amen, M.D. and his co-author, Lisa C. Routh, M.D. have pioneered the use of a brain imaging technology known as SPECT: Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography. This interesting brain scanning method is different than other methods because it allows one to see how certain parts of the brain interact to cause these debilitating conditions. Other
methods of brain imaging only give a surface view of the brain - which is of very little use for psychiatry.

The authors also touch upon how these areas of the brain cause insomnia, suicide and violence as well. They also point out the different causes of anxiety and depression between the genders. They convincingly describe gender differences from social, psychological, and biological perspectives.

In short: they give you the full picture on depression from every possible angle - literally. In between the pages, interspersed among case histories, personal stories, and scientific explanations, you will find actual pictures of the five areas of the brain they have focused on via SPECT technology:

1.) Basal Ganglia
2.) Deep Limbic System
3.) Anterior Cingulate Gyrus
4.) Temporal Lobes
5.) Prefrontal Cortex

Furthermore, the authors have taken these five areas of the brain, and through thousands of their own patients, compiled their findings on how these five areas interact to cause seven variations of depression and anxiety:

1.) Pure Anxiety
2.) Pure Depression
3.) Mixed Anxiety and Depression
4.) Overfocused Anxiety/Depression
5.) Cyclic Anxiety/Depression
6.) Angry Anxiety/Depression
7.) Unfocused Anxiety/Depression

There's only one drawback to this book: the technical terms can be a bit annoying. I constantly flipped back to beginning chapters to refresh my memory on what they were talking about. The medications and dosages - and their variations, are mind-boggling. Ask your doctor about them.

Despite this, the book is worth the extra memory and concentration required to comprehend it.

It's very empowering too: Dr. Amen is a strong advocate for natural supplements, exercise, and deep diaphragmatic breathing. He also gives the reader a simple, flexible, easy-to-follow diet that'll maximize your brain function. More wisely, however, he directs you towards a way of eating that's based not on a one-size-fits-all mentality, but a diet that is focused on your
particular type of anxiety and/or depression.

He also has his own version of cognitive therapy: ANTS (Automatic Negative Thoughts) and ANTeaters, developed by Amen as a child psychiatrist to help make the ideas a bit more concrete for children. Amen's short chapter on the power of thoughts can help you take more responsibility for your own
thinking.

Closing with "32 Strategies to Overcome Anxiety and Depression," along with a chart summarizing "diagnostic and treatment principles," this book will give you the real knowledge you need to manage your life on a whole new level.

10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace is a beautifully written and illustrated book that gives you exactly what the title states.

The book itself makes a great gift. It's got beautiful artwork, ancient quotations interspersed throughout the text, and enlightening poetry as well. Surrounding the ancient wisdom are 11 short chapters portraying Wayne's wise and peaceful message. He writes with simplicity. And although the book is probably meant to be read in one sitting, you can turn to any page, any time, and absorb some of its comforting wisdom. Dyer writes of the importance of meditation, but I don't think he realized that reading his book is a meditation in itself!

His ten secrets are nothing new. But Dyer's extraordinary writing makes them feel fresh. My favorite "secrets" of his are, " Give Up Your Personal History," and "There Are No Justified Resentments." He acknowledges the existence of your past, but he persuasively reminds the reader that the past has no logical connection to the present. In a similar vein, resentments are created in your mind, since all relationships are not concrete objects, but ideas held within the mind. Hard truths to acknowledge - but coming to live Wayne's wisdom can bring inner peace like nothing else can. He also emphasizes the need for silence, living out your life's mission (a.k.a., "your music"), and the miracles made possible by having an open mind.

For those of a more rational nature, Dyer's eastern wisdom actually parallels many of the ideas found in western psychology. For example, a famous quote often cited by Wayne is, "As you think, so shall you be." The essence of all of Wayne Dyer's materials can be summed up in those seven words. But in a similar vein, cognitive behavioral therapy from the west can be summed up by those words as well. By taking charge of your thoughts, you can have much greater control over your emotions. Although Wayne Dyer and other spiritually minded people may sound much different than western psychologists, their insights are often the exact same thing dressed in different clothing.

Wayne Dyer has undergone a huge evolution in his thinking. His earlier works focus on life's issues in a more concrete manner. This recent book, however, reflects an attitude of higher consciousness, spirituality, and wisdom. The "secrets" don't tell you how to live, but instead direct you to find your own path - and follow it. And from the outset, Dyer humbly tells you to "discard" the ideas that don't work for you, allowing your own experience to judge the merit of his messages.

The book may be short and simple, but by living the insights taught here, you will know inner peace.

It took me approximately twenty minutes to read A Short Guide to a Happy Life. It's obviously one of the shortest books in print.

But it's conciseness and simplicity is where its power lies. It's definitely a collector's book, too. It's the perfect book to leave right on the corner of your desk whenever you need to drink some sips of inspiration, or bring yourself back to the present. It's underlying message can be read on every page. And if you don't have the time to read, take a look at the photographs. The black and white pictures interspersed among the pages sum up Anna's simple message: get a life.

She humbly admits her lack of specific expertise in regard to academia or any other technical subject. Instead, she humanely writes of her experience of real life, and the beautiful details she has picked up along the way. That's probably why she writes such fantastic novels.

The death of her mother as a young college student changed Anna forever. It allowed her to see the beauty in every moment of her life, to embrace all of life. She writes of the absurdity about many things that mark American culture: "the rat race," complaining, career growth. Periodic quotations of deep minds also back up her message.

A quote sums up her life, and the essence of this book: "I never think of my life, or my world, in any big cosmic way. I think of it in all its small component parts: the snowdrops, the daffodils; the feeling of one of my kids sitting close beside me on the couch; the way my husband looks when he reads with the lamp behind him; fettuccine Alfredo, fudge; Gone with the Wind, Pride and Prejudice." It's a casual definition of mindfulness.

Reading this book is like meditating. It's a quick and powerful way to bring you back to the only thing you ever truly have: the present.

Mindful recovery is a book that focuses on maintaining your abstinence from any addiction, once you have made the decision to quit: "...if you can build a happy, fulfilling, meaningful life, relapse will be much less of an issue." It's a flexible approach to recovery based on facing life with an attitude of acceptance, rather than running away from life through an addiction.

I love how Thomas and Beverly Bien integrated the spiritual concepts of the East with the more scientific ideas found in psychology: "While our approach is rooted in Eastern traditions of mindfulness...The West has its own approaches to mindfulness. Journaling, narrative psychology, insight-oriented psychotherapy, relationship work, and dream analysis...we present a blend of Eastern and Western wisdom." They also briefly touch upon the fallacy of black and white thinking, borrowed from cognitive styles of recovery. In ten "doorways," this book presents many little essays that elaborate on these themes through quotes, personal stories, and practical applications. By the time you finish this book, you will have a full understanding of mindfulness and how to use it to free yourself from addiction.

Mindful recovery, however, has a potential negative: the reader can easily become overwhelmed by the myriad of "Practices" the authors have developed to explore mindfulness in every capacity - work, relationships, dreams, and the like. The "Practices" seem to be endless. But the authors wisely predict this: "...having so many tools can also seem a little overwhelming - as though you had a lot of things to do and remember. It isn't so. Whenever you feel this way...remind yourself that there is really only one thing to remember and it is the simplest thing of all: to be mindful, to be aware."

I also strongly agree with their paradigm of change. It's a process of six stages, borrowed from James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente, who co-authored Changing for Good. And it's empowering, because their notion allows for relapse with a mentality of acceptance and learning: "...most people do go through these stages several times before establishing permanent change. For this reason, it is equally important to be able to view a slip...as a temporary setback rather than ultimate failure."

At the heart of this book are the practices of meditation and journaling. Regardless of how many Practices mentioned throughout the book, these two are definitely the twin pillars that support mindfulness. They are simple, flexible, and easy to implement in your life.

I highly recommend this book. Just make sure to stay on course with the simplicity of mindfulness, and let your intuition guide you as to how to implement it into your life.

Night Falls Fast is impossible to fairly review with the 1000 word limit here on Amazon.com. With this limitation though, I'll try and sum up the understanding one gains in reading this disturbing book.

Kay Redfield's thesis is depressingly convincing and accurate: "The causes of suicide lie, for the most part, in an individual's predisposing temperament and genetic vulnerabilities; in severe psychiatric illness; and in acute psychological stress."

As sad as her statement is, Kay backs up this notion with personal experience as a bipolar patient, suicide survivor, and psychiatry professor. Not to mention 95 pages of research notes taking up almost a third of the book.

She begins with endless and boring statistics regarding suicide; albeit objective, enlightening, and saddening. But the book soon picks up in intensity with the tragic suicide story of Drew Sopirak and his dashed Air Force dreams, thanks to manic depression. For history buffs, an objective essay on the controversial death of Meriwether Lewis is offered as well. In addition to other tragic narratives, Redfield explains the science behind suicide. She delves deeply into the neurotransmitter serotonin, the drugs that have been developed to help regulate mood - especially Lithium, and the genetic factors that often lead to these nasty mood disorders.

Finally, she writes on a more hopeful theme: prevention. Her opinions on prevention are depressing, given the uncontrollable variables that cause suicide. Despite this, she still conveys the possibility that many lives can be saved. In addition to the usefulness of psychiatric drugs, she persuasively writes of the need for a combo of medicine and psychotherapy for the patient (rather than just one or the other), family awareness and cooperation, as well as a more open-minded society regarding mental illness.

The final chapter is dedicated to those left behind. With insight from her own experience, poetry, and personal narratives, she portrays the anguish, questions, and shame those left behind are forced to deal with.

Like most people, I always considered the act of suicide to be the result of extreme personal circumstances: a lifetime of rejection, endless professional failure, years of horrific abuse, etc. But Kay Redfield shatters that myth, proving that the majority of life's survivors do not commit suicide, while very successful people may commit suicide in an instant - thanks to unfortunate heredity, mental illness, and drug abuse. With these three "hits" in place, without help on many levels - medical, psychological, and social - suicide is highly likely.

Kay Redfield Jamison is a courageous leader in the field of mental health. She lifts the ignorance, shame, and silence surrounding suicide. And she writes to the public in a chillingly honest, direct, and compassionate manner.

Read this book today - and get the real truth.

In his usual playful, motivating, and exciting tone, Anthony Robbins begins his tape with a question nobody can ever fully answer: "Who are you?"

Robbins presents a simple approach to expansion: the idea that if you want a better life, you need to define who you are right now, and act that way. Eventually, the outside world will begin to reflect what's going on inside via positive reinforcement. In a nutshell, his approach parallels an AA saying: "Fake it till ya make it."

Clearly, Anthony did this himself as an overweight loser years ago, and he presents general evidence that others have as well (drugs addicts who left the drug scene when they no longer defined themselves as drug addicts). Psychologically, he backs up this approach to personal development with the need that we all have to match our behavior to our identity - even if that identity is a negative one. By deciding to expand our identity, we can change our behavior - and ultimately, our destiny.

His message is both empowering, and overly simplistic. Based on one little experience, we often label ourselves - as well as others - stupid, ugly, a failure. By choosing to expand our identity, we can break these distorted barriers. This idea has tons of scientific merit thanks to Albert Ellis, Aaron T. Beck, and Dave Burns. Self-Esteem, by Matthew McKay, also thorougly describes this distortion (Chapter Five: Cognitive Distortions).

At the same time, behavior is not as simple as what one labels oneself, or a matter of reinforcement from the outside world. Unlucky genes, disabilities, and unjust social circumstances often influence the options available to you. Robbins fails to acknowledge this.

Finally, Robbins seems a bit biased towards expansion, achievement, and the traditional symbols of success. Great empowerment can be felt in accepting and embracing your limitations rather than trying to change them. Again, Self-Esteem seems to present a more holistic view of labels based on objectivity and acceptance, while also allowing for expansion and change.

Despite the faults, Anthony Robbins' tape his highly inspiring, motivating and entertaining. He can lift your spirits no matter what's going on. And, he always points you in the direction of possibility rather than limitation - a far more effective paradigm than pessimism.

Ironically, the second cassette is a casual conversation with Dr. Wayne Dyer. Wayne Dyer, as many know, seems to disregard labels altogether. Instead, he solely identifies as a "spiritual being having a human experience." This allows him to transcend any cultural labels while also respecting the limitations of his physical body. It's a more difficult way to identify yourself, but I think it's more empowering.

The interview explains Dyer's evolution as a person, writer, and speaker. He speaks of how he distributed his first book, Your Erroneous Zones and ultimately ended up on the bestseller lists through his own traveling and touring around the country on countless radio stations. In addition, he talks about the lessons his father gave him from his alcoholic lifestyle. The forgiving of his father marked a new journey for him, to the disappointment of his other family members who were fraught with hate. Forgiveness has been a constant theme in Dyer's work, and it seems to stem from that fateful day he forgave his father. In addition, his views on health and his general lifestyle are discussed in a lively, fun, and comedic way. You'll listen to this interview many times - if only for the humor.

I really enjoyed these tapes. They're inspiring, funny, and enlightening. But balance Robbins' optimism with a reading of Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate.

Nasty People is a tiny book. It can be read in one sitting.

But unlike the tiny books in gift shops with the superficial advice, fancy typography, and flowery cover design, this book discusses the deep, logical, fundamental principles that motivate nasty people. Jay Carter refers to these people as "Invalidators." Their victims - confused, sad, and enraged - are called the "Invalidated." These people try and use logic to understand the "Invalidator."

Usually, they fail.

Jay then takes an unexpected turn: there is no such thing as an "Invalidator." Rather, there is the mechanism of Invalidation. This separates the person from the mechanism of "Invalidation." When you attach a person to his or her behavior, the resulting resentment eats at you like a relentless cancer. But separate the person from the behavior, and you might have a solution.

He also directs a section to the "Invalidator." Despite the pain "Invalidators" cause, "Invalidators" are written to with respect. And the victims are guided without pity. Despite Jay's detachment, one can't help but feel incensed at past "Invalidators" - as well as the invalidation one may have done to others. It's an unpleasant idea to face. And this is why many "Invalidators" don't even recognize their own nasty behavior. In their eyes, they could never do anything wrong.

Because of this, Jay's solutions to the "Invalidator" are designed for you to maintain your self-respect, without taking the dignity away from the "Invalidator." In addition, Jay wisely recognizes the uniqueness of each individual. Therefore, few exact solutions are offered. Instead, the reader is encouraged to design his or her own resolutions.

Closing with a blunt letter to Invalidation, Nasty People will change how you relate to others forever.

Self Esteem is a practical book. It's about taking control of your thoughts to take control of your feelings. That's all there is to it.

With inspiring simplicity and logic, McKay and Fanning educate the reader about the causes and effects of strong self-esteem. It also introduces the Critic - the voice in your head that brings you down no matter what you do. Most importantly, it helps you to expose what psychological needs the Critic meets. Once this is figured, one can resolve to meet needs in a healthier manner.

Next, with the reader aware of the needs his or her critic meets, a chart is offered, guiding the reader towards the specific resources mentioned in the book. Some of the written exercises are designed to enhance your awareness. Others are day-to-day activities in which you keep track of your exact thoughts in order to replace them with more realistic ones. In addition, visualization is offered as well, a powerful and simple tool for creating a healthier self-image.

Yet, the authors wisely understand that rebutting old beliefs sometimes isn't enough. As a solution, they offer the technique of hypnosis. The logic behind this is that often the memories that rob us of our worth are not remembered consciously. As a result, many of the exercises in the book will not work, since no memory is there for one to work with. Hypnosis allows one to directly access the subconscious, allowing one to implant healthier ideas of who we are.

Self-Esteem's ultimate goal seems to be to get the reader to measure up against a new standard of worth. An inspiring passage sums it up:

"The truth is that your value is your consciousness, your ability to perceive and experience. The value of a human life is that it exists. You are a complex miracle of creation. You are a person who is trying to live, and that makes you as worthwhile as every other person who is doing the same thing. Achievement has nothing to do with it. Whatever you do, whatever you contribute should come not from the need to prove your value, but from the natural flow of your aliveness. What you do should come from the drive to fully live, rather than the fight to justify yourself."

Reading Self-Esteem, and implementing the solutions, will allow you to feel better about yourself no matter what life throws at you.