Customer Reviews

The Resilience Factor: 7 Keys to Finding Your Inner Strength and Overcoming Life's Hurdles

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I brought this book because I am a stressed out college undergrad trying to place a deterrent to the inevitable stresses and concerns everyday. After reading the author's bio, I decided to purchase it. After flipping through the first pages, though, i realize that it is a book with too much ambition - although a little bit of everything is talked about (post-traumatic stress/other psyc stuff, think patterns, life-stories), it tries to reach all different types of audiences - parents, lovers, managers. It is helpful, but I would not recommend it if you want to own this book like a life line.

As a psychologist, I have read a lot of self-help books. Typically, I'm disappointed by the flimsy substance and empty "pump up" aphorisms. I was prepared to think the same of The Resilience Factor -- but I was wrong. The Resilience Factor is based on years of scientific research into the "ingredients" of resilience and seven skills that can increase your resilience no matter how resilient (or un-resilient) you are today. The authors describe the work they have done with children, parents, and corporate employees and how these skills can improve your productivity and happiness. Better yet, the book is filled with vivid, compelling case studies (and a lot of humor) which makes the book a pleasure to read. I will recommend this book to all of my clients (and my family and friends). It's a must-read.

The authors have provided sufficient support from a broad range of previous research to lend credibility to their model without deterring the lay reader. The book is full of illustrative stories that demonstrate the problems and credibly demonstrate the efficacy of their strategies and tools. Unlike many writers, they provide adequate explanations of the application of the techniques. I was able to apply several of them beneficially to my own situation in a manner that provided valuable insights. Reivich (who worked with Seligman) and Shatte promise wide-ranging and substantial benefits from careful application of the 7 skills they outline. Anyone with an interest in and increased ability to "persevere and adapt when things go awry" would do well to obtain a copy.

This is a self help book to enhance readers¡ ability to ¡§persevere and adapt¡ to adversities. Authors preached that thinking style is the most critical factor. They introduced 7 skills, which are pretty comprehensive ¡V before and after non-resilient events, short term and long term, physical and underlying belief. 3 of the skills are about knowing thyself, 4 are about changing thyself.

I find myself getting emotional easily, not persistent when facing challenges, shy from reaching out in life. The book is useful. First, it helps me to understand my problems better (A ha ! ¡K that¡s me ! ). Second, the materials assist me to develop a program to increase my resilience (e.g. be more conscious of incidents that turn on my emotions).

The book is motivational. It encourages people to believe they do have control of their life. It is easy to read, and properly structured.

I agree that 7 is a lucky number, not just for book titles or subtitles. The authors focus on "the thinking rather than feeling side of the human psyche, but their intent is to ultimately affect readers' emotional reactions through helping them reprogram their thoughts." New directions in cognitive therapy, such as this book, are helping people live better lives. I recommend this book highly -- it is almost as good as my favorite, The Positive Power of Negative Thinking by Julie Norem. Resiliency is a good name for adaptive, constructive strategies for dealing with negative thoughts and feelings. For those of us who don't want to be optimists, being 'resilient' is as good a label as 'constructively pessimistic' or any other.

I FEEL EMPOWERED READING THIS BOOK..I CAN PUSH THROUGH THE OLD
MATERIAL IN MY MIND THAT WEIGHS ME DOWN AND DISCOVER WITH A LITTLE EFFORT THAT I CAN CHANGE THE THINGS IN MY LIFE THAT ARE STRESSFUL AND CONTROLLING AND KEEP ME FROM LIVING A FULLER LIFE.
BELIEFS I HAVE CAN BE REEXAMINED AND MY ENERGY CAN BE USED TO PUNCH THROUGH TO FACE ANY ADVERSITY WITH RENEWED INSIGHTS I like
TO JUST OPEN THE BOOK AT WILL AND READ WHAT EVER I TURNED TO.IT IS ALWAYS EFFECTIVE AND CREATES NEW POSSIBILITIES IN THESE DDIFFICULT AND CHANGING TIMES. ITS A HOT READ ON AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.

The information in this book is too important to wait. The Resilience Factor is an honest book; it does not underestimate the reader by pretending that making change in your life is easy. Instead, it admits that real change requires dedication and practice. Most importantly, it teaches you the necessary skills to make real, long-term change. It teaches you the skills to improve every area of your life, from work to your relationships with others. It teaches you how to help others you care about, such as children or significant others, do the same. It teaches you how to choose the changes you want for your life. It teaches you not only how to overcome obstacles, but how to make things even better when they are already good. That's why this book is important for everyone to read. On top of all this, it is fun to read, with many stories about regular people that we can all relate to.

So, if you want to feel uplifted for an hour or so, just read another empty self-help book. But, if you want to be empowered to change your life- read The Resilience Factor and do it!

Usually, I am highly skeptical of any psychology book. Most times, these works are either a smattering of feel good nonsense or a rattling of facts about theory that cannot be applied to life outside of the ivory tower unless you have a PhD.

This is NOT the case with The Resilience Factor.

The authors do a fantastic job identifying and conveying skills that a regular person can use in his or her day to day life. Each of the seven skills that they mention are rooted in past psychological research studies which they explain in layman's terms. What's more, they tell you how anyone can actually implement these skills in a useful way. The Resilience Factor is a must read!

I found The Resilience Factor to be an excellent book! It was written in a very clear and entertaining style. The examples and dialogue were easy to relate to, and often very funny. This book contains many skills one can use to increase his/her resiliency at work, as a parent, and a spouse. The skills can be applied immediately, and already I feel that I handle stress more effectively! The authors, Reivich and Shatte, explain the importance of developing these skills, and their years of work with businesses and families is evident. After reading many self-help books, I can highly recommend this book because it teaches concrete skills and ways to implement them successfully!

in less than four hours...
when i first picked up this book, i thought "yeah right, seven skills to overcome ALL that life throws at me..." however, i found myself immersed and intrigued by this wonderful book. reivich and shatte have written a book that is not only interesting, but extremely useful/helpful to the mass population. "the resilience factor" taught me new ways to think about and deal with those seemingly persistent roadblocks in life. i highly recommend this book to *anyone* and *everyone!* far from being a self-help book, it is instead a practical guide to effectively and consistently overcoming "life's inevitable obstacles."