Secrets You Keep from Yourself : How to Stop Sabotaging Your Happiness
Author: Dan Neuharth
List Price: $24.95
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ISBN: 0312312474
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (25 March, 2004)
Sales Rank: 1,547,014
Average Customer Rating: 3.67 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
Clear and thought-provoking
This is an amazing book. Denial and self-sabotage would seem to be difficult topics to approach and define. How can one talk about what one may not be consciously aware of, after all? But this book tackles this subject in masterful fashion. By using both a light touch and reassuring manner, the author encouraged me to approach my own foibles (of which I am sometimes quite critical) with an open mind and heart, enabling me to learn about and accept myself in new ways and on a deeper level than most self-help books I have read. At the same time, the book takes complex phenomena such as defense mechanisms, the ego and self, and personality traits and, without sacrificing accuracy or psychological sophistication, shows in clear, precise, and plain-spoken ways how our innate human complexity can trip us up or work against us without our knowledge. Moreover, the book addresses these potentially-uncomfortable topics in a supportive, positive manner. Through features like identifying your "usual suspects" and the four "litmus test" signs of self-sabotage, this book stimulates powerful introspection into one's own self-sabotaging patterns, which is the necessary first step to positive change. I especially liked the book's chapter on the nine "Inner Characters" like the Moviemaker, Dr. No, and Mini-Me. These ingenious "character" portraits gave me entirely new ways to recognize and avoid my everyday ways of drifting into potentially troublesome habits.
Rating: 5 out of 5
What an eye-opener!
Beginning with the Introduction's stirring and encouraging words ("You could change the course of your life. Let's get started") all the way to the Conclusion's uplifting thoughts on creating greater compassion, gratitude, and sense of purpose, this book never let up in its gentle-but-determined journey to help me raise my awareness and motivation to live the best life possible. The first half of the book had me both chuckling and shaking my head in amazement as I had insight after insight about the various (and sometimes sneaky) ways I put stumbling blocks in my path. I gained a much deeper understanding of my quirks, both lovable and damnable, as well as an appreciation of the awesome power of denial. I felt hope, not hopelessness, as the author's steady guiding hand and well-laid-out structure helped me take stock of my hidden strengths. The second half of the book was replete with stunningly effective tools for identifying what I really want in life and negotiating around the obstacles -- both self-inflicted and other-inflicted -- that stand in my way. If you want to turbocharge your life, this book is a must!
Rating: 1 out of 5
Confusing and Not worth the Money
This book is not only confusing - I was lost before the end of the second chapter, it seems like the Dr. Neuharth may need to do just a little more real life research into the Real World. He tries to make simple the complex issues that surround so many of us. His over use of labels to attempt to be cute just does not work. I visited his website and even his photo posted there is over a decade old and does not look like the picture of the man on the back cover, what is the secret that he is keeping from himself? What is it about this "Dr." that makes his second literary self-help attempt so desperate? Does the fact that he is the son of Al Neuharth make a difference in getting anything published? His use of quotes got old as I tried to plow my way through the confusion of each section of the book. I am more confused than ever - it was little help.
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