Self Help Review June 2013

Yes, I am adding self help books to the long litany of items that I review. If you feel inclined to skip this post,  go ahead but if you have never read a self help book then I think you should give them a shot. They don't work miracles but they are usual for helping you put things in perspective and offering solutions you might not have spotted otherwise. These books deal with a range of topics from time management, and goal setting to romantic relationships and unhealthy addictions. Find a book that seems to address your needs- I have provided the name of the book, the author, what the book deals with and the overall rating (out of 5). The overall rating is a combination of how helpful the book was as well as how entertaining and enjoyable it was to read

Self Compassion

By Kristen Neff

Deals With: Self-Esteem, The Difference Between Self Esteem and Self Compassion,  Insecurity, Improving Self Talk, and Developing Self Compassion

Includes: Exercises that help the reader learn more about themselves ( http://www.self-compassion.org/test-your-self-compassion-level.html), the three elements of self compassion (common humanity, mindfulness and self-kindness) and suggestions to on how to develop self compassion

Overall Rating: 2.5 

Must-Read: No

The Soft Addiction Solution: Break Free of the Seemingly Harmless Habits that Keep You From the Life You Want

By Judith Wright

Deals With: Identifying Your Soft Addictions, Breaking Bad Habits, Identifying Spiritual Hungers,  

Includes:  Examples of soft addictions (such as surfing the net or gossiping), a quiz to help you determine if a habit is a soft addiction or just a bad habit (http://www.softaddictions.com/quiz.php), how to pinpoint the spiritual hungers that lead to soft addictions and effective strategies to break free from soft addictions.

Overall Rating: 4

Must-Read: Yes

Raising Your Emotional Intelligence

By Jeanne Segal

Deals With: Emotional Intelligence (What It Is and How It Is Defined), Listening to Our Emotional Reactions, Raising Our Emotional Intelligence, Getting In Touch With Our Feelings

Includes: Exercises, step-by-step instructions, examples, and practical suggestions
Overall Rating: 3
Must-Read: No

Emotional Resilience: Simple Truths for Dealing with the Unfinished Business of Your Past

By David Viscott

Deals With: Three Main Ideas (Natural Therapy, Emotional Debt and Toxic Nostalgia), Handling Past Emotional Hurts

Includes: Suggestions on how to deal with past emotions, and do's and don'ts for handling your emotions in a healthy way
Overall Rating: 1
Must-Read: No

Excess Baggage:            

               Getting Out of Your Own Way

By Judith Sills

Deals With: Five Blind Spots That Can Stand In Our Way to Happiness (We Need to Be Right, We Need to Feel Superior, We 

Can't Handle Rejection, We Cause Drama and We Hold Onto Our Anger), 

Includes: Personality profiles (that are eerily accurate) for each of the five blind spots, identifying your blind spots and realistic and helpful suggestions to help deal with each your blind spots.

Overall Rating: 3.5

Must-Read: No but enjoyable and helpful

 I decided keeping my self help reviews more concise than my other reviews would maximize the impact on the reader. The bottom line is that if the book scored a 3.5 or above, I think it would be an enjoyable and helpful read. But what do you think? Subscribe to this blog, like this post and check out my next one!