Koncocoo

Best Popular Psychology Counseling

Man's Search for Meaning
At the time of Frankl's death in 1997, Man's Search for Meaning had sold more than 10 million copies in twenty-four languages. Harold S. Kushner is rabbi emeritus at Temple Israel in Natick, Massachusetts, and the author of bestselling books including When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Living a Life That Matters, and When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough.
Reviews
"Read this book, read this book."
"Those that had developed purpose and meaning to the harsh conditions got out of bed every morning to face another unbearable day."
"I cried and became distressed as I listened to Viktor Frankl's personal journey."
"Profound insight."
"A little twist of ideas as to why some people survive the worst and why others don't survive medium bad."
"I am just now to the place he talks about how thinking of his wife and having mental conversations with her gave him strength to stay alive!"
"A nice read about the importance of finding meaning in your life."
"This is a great book from both the personal story aspect as well as for its philosophical aspects."
Find Best Price at Amazon
Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change, 3rd Edition (Applications of Motivational Interviewing)
This bestselling work for professionals and students is the authoritative presentation of motivational interviewing (MI), the powerful approach to facilitating change. The companion Web page provides additional helpful resources, including reflection questions, an extended bibliography, and annotated case material. This book is in the Applications of Motivational Interviewing series, edited by Stephen Rollnick, William R. Miller, and Theresa B. Moyers. MI has fundamentally changed the way we think about working with less motivated clients, especially in today's health care climate, with its emphasis on evidence-based brief treatments. --Scott T. Walters, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems, University of North Texas Health Science Center; member, Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). It is a 'must-adopt' text for courses in psychology, counseling, social work, mental health, addictions, and health care more broadly." " Motivational Interviewing is one of the few texts that I can assign to my MSW students year after year for my Clinical Practice course and know they will love it as much as I do. I have had more positive feedback from students regarding this book than any other text I've used, and it is wonderful to watch the light go on in their eyes as they gain understanding about behavior change and how MI works. ( Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions 2012-09-09). "Highly recommended to all practitioners in health settings and to clinicians supervising and teaching others." ( Community Mental Health Journal 2012-09-09). "This approach is one that can be powerfully used by occupational therapy practitioners who are working in mental health and substance abuse settings, or any psychosocial behavioral health setting....In preparing professional students for practice, I view this approach as foundational to their effectiveness in building motivation and strengthening commitment to change with their clients." The book illustrates clinical case examples to prepare psychiatrists who work in all different types of settings....This is a user-friendly, engaging, and comprehensive text that should be required reading for all practicing clinicians."
Reviews
"Perfect!"
"Buy it."
"Great book!"
"I love this book."
"Great book - great technique."
"Just exceptional."
"Not only does it provide useful information, it gives numerous scenarios that help you visualize the process."
"This is a complaint about the quality of the book not the content."
Find Best Price at Amazon
Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men
you will learn about: • The early warning signs of abuse. • The nature of abusive thinking. • Myths about abusers. • Ten abusive personality types. • The role of drugs and alcohol. • What you can fix, and what you can’t. • And how to get out of an abusive relationship safely. Bancroft, a former codirector of Emerge, the first U.S. program for abusive men, and a 15-year veteran of work with abusive men, reminds readers that each year in this country, two to four million women are assaulted by their partners and that at least one out of three American women will be a victim of violence by a husband or boyfriend at some point in her life.
Reviews
"In short, I wasted 35 years of my life with this man, who distorted reality and everything I knew to be true and tried his best to make me feel small and unworthy. He moved out of the house last week (I bought him out) and I have to say ... it is sad, but I've never felt more at peace with the decision and I am ALREADY much, much happier. NO ONE should have to live with someone who treats you like a child, or curses you out "just because that's the way he's feeling," or will not respect you or your career, or refuses to stop drinking or drugging, or who physically harms or threatens you."
"This book will stop making you feel sorry for your abuser."
"So, with a title like "angry and controlling men," they are more likely to pick up the book, thinking, "Hey, this might apply to the confusing situation I am facing." He can routinely blame her for everything that goes wrong in his life, or he can constantly critique her and tear her down, or he can call her names that when I tried to put them in this review, got it banned from Amazon. Abuse is not a binary kind of behavior that is only invoked when the fists fly, but a deeply ingrained, unrepentant attitude of ownership, entitlement, contempt and resentment that a man displays, not toward most people in his life, but toward "his" woman (including past women). This confusion is created by the abuser himself, in his highly successful attempts to justify himself to himself, to his victim, and to the people around him. Bancroft did not did start out with this assumption, by the way, but came to it after years of working with abusers in mandatory counseling groups. When he started out, he believed what the abusers told him about how their behavior was caused by their wives' failings, their traumatic childhoods, their unemployment, or the hurts done them by past girlfriends; that they didn't know what they were doing; that they "lost control." The abuser, meanwhile, is functional in his life at large (except when it comes to treating his wife well), and appears to be a sane, trustworthy person. Small wonder, then, that the abused woman, her friends, and society at large cannot figure out what her problem is. If they start from the assumption that the abuser is a decent guy who means well, they will never figure out the situation. For example, in one chapter Bancroft examines in some detail a frustrating conversation between a whiny, controlling man and his wife, which ends with him insisting on walking home in the cold, even though she would be willing to drive him. Of course, his main motive is to maintain the role of victim, to keep himself in the right and his wife in the wrong, so that he can tell himself (and tell everyone else later) how she "left him" to walk home in the cold. There is a fascinating, counterintuitive warning (late in the book), that women in abusive situations should not seek couples' counseling. The reassuring presence of the counselor might get the wife to open up and say things to, or about, her husband that she would never otherwise dream of uttering."
"Anger management will not help these people; they need to be in an abuse program. Because most abusers never change, the abuse program needs to consider the victims as their real clients, because they are the ones who will benefit most by feeling supported and validated, and they are a necessary component of the program to keep the abuser accountable. Interesting that the day after I read this in the book, I saw it on Facebook as a meme."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Popular Psychology of Sexuality

The Illustrated Art of Manliness: The Essential How-To Guide: Survival • Chivalry • Self-Defense • Style • Car Repair • And More!
How to disarm an attacker How to fell a tree and start a fire anywhere How a car engine works, and how to fix it How to use every tool in your toolbox What to wear on a first date and to a job interview How to lead a meeting and command the attention of a room How to dance, fight, shave, shake a hand, pick a lock, and fire a gun And other advice for when you're lost, in danger, or merely confronting a shirt that needs to be ironed. Brett McKay is the founder of The Art of Manliness, the internet's #1 independent men's lifestyle side.
Reviews
"A fine and rare balance of useful, fun, and aesthetically pleasing."
"Amazing illustrations with fantastic information."
"Looking forward to reading this with my son."
"This is an excellent book."
"Got this as a gift for my teenage son."
"Brett has a easy going style to bring subjects to light in an easy going understandable style."
"A quick, but highly useful and meaningful read."
"This book is so phenomenal that I wanted to write a review."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Jewish Biographies

Man's Search for Meaning, Gift Edition
With a foreword by Harold S. Kushner, Frankl’s classic is presented here in an elegant new edition with endpapers, supplementary photographs, and several of Frankl’s previously unpublished letters, speeches, and essays. One of the classic psychiatric texts of our time, Man's Search for Meaning is a meditation on the irreducible gift of one's own counsel in the face of great suffering, as well as a reminder of the responsibility each of us owes in valuing the community of our humanity. "Dr. Frankl's words have a profoundly honest ring, for they rest on experiences too deep for deception… A gem of a dramatic narrative, focused upon the deepest of human problems." "An inspiring document of an amazing man who was able to garner some good from an experience so abysmally bad… Highly recommended."
Reviews
"Read this book, read this book."
"Those that had developed purpose and meaning to the harsh conditions got out of bed every morning to face another unbearable day."
"I cried and became distressed as I listened to Viktor Frankl's personal journey."
"Profound insight."
"A little twist of ideas as to why some people survive the worst and why others don't survive medium bad."
"I am just now to the place he talks about how thinking of his wife and having mental conversations with her gave him strength to stay alive!"
"A nice read about the importance of finding meaning in your life."
"This is a great book from both the personal story aspect as well as for its philosophical aspects."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Popular Psychology Research

The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients
The culmination of master psychiatrist Dr. Irvin D. Yalom’s more than thirty-five years in clinical practice, The Gift of Therapy is a remarkable and essential guidebook that illustrates through real case studies how patients and therapists alike can get the most out of therapy. •Create a new therapy for each patient.
Reviews
"The first book I've read by the author, I now want to read the rest of his works."
"It is wonderful to have thirty years of expereince counseling and supporting clients in their therapy work and read thought-provoking and practical ideas that improve my practice."
"great read for both seasoned clinicians and newer ones as well."
"Very good book."
"An enjoyable read, somewhat difficult to digest as a student who prefers more structured and detailed information."
"For the therapist - beginning or seasoned, this is a great book full of shared experiences that one can add to their toolbox for working with clients."
"As a young soon-to-be clinician, this book is an absolute must."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Popular Psychology Psychotherapy

Man's Search for Meaning
At the time of Frankl's death in 1997, Man's Search for Meaning had sold more than 10 million copies in twenty-four languages. Harold S. Kushner is rabbi emeritus at Temple Israel in Natick, Massachusetts, and the author of bestselling books including When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Living a Life That Matters, and When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough.
Reviews
"Read this book, read this book."
"Those that had developed purpose and meaning to the harsh conditions got out of bed every morning to face another unbearable day."
"One of the best works you can take in."
"Life would have been easier if I had read this book sooner in life."
"A little twist of ideas as to why some people survive the worst and why others don't survive medium bad."
"The second part of the book is an analysis of logotherapy and a description of Frankl's studies on the subject."
"I am just now to the place he talks about how thinking of his wife and having mental conversations with her gave him strength to stay alive!"
"Part 1 was easier to read."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Popular Psychology Personality Study

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. NPR BESTSELLER. WASHINGTON POST. BESTSELLER. LOS ANGELES TIMES. BESTSELLER. USA TODAY. TOP 50 BESTSELLER. INDIEBOUND BESTSELLER. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. BESTSELLER. Fast Company. ’s #1 Best Business book of 2012. INC Magazine’s. Best 2012 Books for Entrepreneurs. People. Magazine’s 10 Best Books of 2012. O, The Oprah Magazine. 10 Favorite Books of 2012. Christian Science Monitor. ’s Best Books of 2012. GoodReads Nonfiction Choice Award Winner. Audible’s #1 Non-Fiction book of 2012. Amazon’s Best Books of 2012. Barnes & Noble Best Books of 2012. Library Journal. ’s Best Books of 2012. Kirkus REVIEWS’. Best Books of 2012. Her diligence, research, and passion for this important topic has richly paid off.” —Publishers Weekly “This book is a pleasure to read and will make introverts and extroverts alike think twice about the best ways to be themselves and interact with differing personality types.” —Library Journal “An intelligent and often surprising look at what makes us who we are.” —Booklist “Charm and charisma may be one beau ideal, but backed by first-rate research and her usual savvy, Cain makes a convincing case for the benefits of reserve.” —Harper's Bazaar. “Those who value a quiet, reflective life will feel a burden lifting from their shoulders as they read Susan Cain's eloquent and well documented paean to introversion--and will no longer feel guilty or inferior for having made the better choice!” —MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI, author of Flow and Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management, Claremont Graduate University “Superbly researched, deeply insightful, and a fascinating read, Quiet is an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to understand the gifts of the introverted half of the population.” —GRETCHEN RUBIN, author of The Happiness Project. Drawing on neuroscientific research and many case reports, Susan Cain explains the advantages and potentials of introversion and of being quiet in a noisy world.” —ANDREW WEIL, author of Healthy Aging and Spontaneous Happiness “Susan Cain has done a superb job of sifting through decades of complex research on introversion, extroversion, and sensitivity--this book will be a boon for the many highly sensitive people who are also introverts.” —ELAINE ARON, author of The Highly Sensitive Person.
Reviews
"My entire life has been on hold since this started, I get home from work too exhausted to do anything except veg out for a couple hours and go to bed, and even weekends aren't much better. I learned that the job situation I'm currently in - the non-stop deadline demands, interruptions, never being able to work quietly or alone no matter how difficult a project was, phones ringing incessantly, people in my face all day long, etc. And as enlightening as it was to learn how many of the traits I've beat myself up for over the years are just a product of my introverted temperament (being highly sensitive, shutting down when subjected to stimulation overload, preferring to think a thing through before I speak - something I never get to do at work, as if it takes me more than 5 seconds to say something, I get interrupted and cut off), the most important thing I got from this book is that it's okay to be myself, it's okay to feel the way I do. I am not weak or a failure because I don't feel or behave like my extremely extroverted boss (who thrives in high-energy crisis mode, and is bored unless he's doing 10 things at once - and expects the rest of us to keep up). I also found the information on the history of the "rise of the Culture of Personality" completely fascinating, it really gave me a new insight as to just exactly how we 'grew' this tendency to value extroversion over introversion. I know I will meet resistance from my boss (I'd love for him to read this book, but unfortunately I know he won't), and I know I won't instantly fix everything in one day, and that I'll probably always need to be able to stretch myself a bit to do things that are not ideal for me ... but this book taught me that there are ways to make that work, too, if you understand and honor the need for recharging around such tasks, instead of trying to force yourself to do them 8 hours a day with no break. The wealth of information and insights in this book cannot be overstated - especially if you are an introverted type of person who has always felt there was something not quite right about you, or that you somehow needed to change to fit in or succeed. Thank you, Susan Cain, from the bottom of my heart (which is finally beating at a more normal speed because I'm not panicked about going to work for the first time in months)."
"As somebody who has been called at some point or another the gamut of terms associated with introversion, from "shy" (which I don't object) to "anti-social" (which I most certainly consider unfair), I found in Susan Cain's "Quiet," the validation and appreciation many introverts have been searching for. In "Quiet," Ms. Cain explains the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the 1920s and how it is that today we associate talkative, risk-taking, and action-oriented people with intelligence, beauty, power and success. She interviews scientists who have conducted hundreds of studies to test different theories in an effort to determine how much of our temperament is a result of genetics and/or of our free will. For those still deciding on a career, the author reminds readers that research shows that introverts are not reward-seeking like extroverts, but rather motivated by the enjoyment they find in pursuing an activity; in other words, by being in what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls the "flow"."
"Helped me understand a lot of tendencies in my life and in the lives of many others."
"As an introvert I found it very helpful, it explained who I am that the way I see the world and how I socialise is quite normal, not to judge myself against extroverts, that to limit my social contract is quite normal and that I can get overwhelmed by too much happening around me and that quiet time is important to my well-being."
"An engaging non-fiction book that doesn't just devolve into confirmation bias or a single note thesis."
"This book was not at all what I expected."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Popular Psychology Creativity & Genius

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. NPR BESTSELLER. WASHINGTON POST. BESTSELLER. LOS ANGELES TIMES. BESTSELLER. USA TODAY. TOP 50 BESTSELLER. INDIEBOUND BESTSELLER. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. BESTSELLER. Fast Company. ’s #1 Best Business book of 2012. INC Magazine’s. Best 2012 Books for Entrepreneurs. People. Magazine’s 10 Best Books of 2012. O, The Oprah Magazine. 10 Favorite Books of 2012. Christian Science Monitor. ’s Best Books of 2012. GoodReads Nonfiction Choice Award Winner. Audible’s #1 Non-Fiction book of 2012. Amazon’s Best Books of 2012. Barnes & Noble Best Books of 2012. Library Journal. ’s Best Books of 2012. Kirkus REVIEWS’. Best Books of 2012. Her diligence, research, and passion for this important topic has richly paid off.” —Publishers Weekly “This book is a pleasure to read and will make introverts and extroverts alike think twice about the best ways to be themselves and interact with differing personality types.” —Library Journal “An intelligent and often surprising look at what makes us who we are.” —Booklist “Charm and charisma may be one beau ideal, but backed by first-rate research and her usual savvy, Cain makes a convincing case for the benefits of reserve.” —Harper's Bazaar. “Those who value a quiet, reflective life will feel a burden lifting from their shoulders as they read Susan Cain's eloquent and well documented paean to introversion--and will no longer feel guilty or inferior for having made the better choice!” —MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI, author of Flow and Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management, Claremont Graduate University “Superbly researched, deeply insightful, and a fascinating read, Quiet is an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to understand the gifts of the introverted half of the population.” —GRETCHEN RUBIN, author of The Happiness Project. Drawing on neuroscientific research and many case reports, Susan Cain explains the advantages and potentials of introversion and of being quiet in a noisy world.” —ANDREW WEIL, author of Healthy Aging and Spontaneous Happiness “Susan Cain has done a superb job of sifting through decades of complex research on introversion, extroversion, and sensitivity--this book will be a boon for the many highly sensitive people who are also introverts.” —ELAINE ARON, author of The Highly Sensitive Person.
Reviews
"My entire life has been on hold since this started, I get home from work too exhausted to do anything except veg out for a couple hours and go to bed, and even weekends aren't much better. I learned that the job situation I'm currently in - the non-stop deadline demands, interruptions, never being able to work quietly or alone no matter how difficult a project was, phones ringing incessantly, people in my face all day long, etc. And as enlightening as it was to learn how many of the traits I've beat myself up for over the years are just a product of my introverted temperament (being highly sensitive, shutting down when subjected to stimulation overload, preferring to think a thing through before I speak - something I never get to do at work, as if it takes me more than 5 seconds to say something, I get interrupted and cut off), the most important thing I got from this book is that it's okay to be myself, it's okay to feel the way I do. I am not weak or a failure because I don't feel or behave like my extremely extroverted boss (who thrives in high-energy crisis mode, and is bored unless he's doing 10 things at once - and expects the rest of us to keep up). I also found the information on the history of the "rise of the Culture of Personality" completely fascinating, it really gave me a new insight as to just exactly how we 'grew' this tendency to value extroversion over introversion. I know I will meet resistance from my boss (I'd love for him to read this book, but unfortunately I know he won't), and I know I won't instantly fix everything in one day, and that I'll probably always need to be able to stretch myself a bit to do things that are not ideal for me ... but this book taught me that there are ways to make that work, too, if you understand and honor the need for recharging around such tasks, instead of trying to force yourself to do them 8 hours a day with no break. The wealth of information and insights in this book cannot be overstated - especially if you are an introverted type of person who has always felt there was something not quite right about you, or that you somehow needed to change to fit in or succeed. Thank you, Susan Cain, from the bottom of my heart (which is finally beating at a more normal speed because I'm not panicked about going to work for the first time in months)."
"As somebody who has been called at some point or another the gamut of terms associated with introversion, from "shy" (which I don't object) to "anti-social" (which I most certainly consider unfair), I found in Susan Cain's "Quiet," the validation and appreciation many introverts have been searching for. In "Quiet," Ms. Cain explains the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the 1920s and how it is that today we associate talkative, risk-taking, and action-oriented people with intelligence, beauty, power and success. She interviews scientists who have conducted hundreds of studies to test different theories in an effort to determine how much of our temperament is a result of genetics and/or of our free will. For those still deciding on a career, the author reminds readers that research shows that introverts are not reward-seeking like extroverts, but rather motivated by the enjoyment they find in pursuing an activity; in other words, by being in what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls the "flow"."
"As an introvert I found it very helpful, it explained who I am that the way I see the world and how I socialise is quite normal, not to judge myself against extroverts, that to limit my social contract is quite normal and that I can get overwhelmed by too much happening around me and that quiet time is important to my well-being."
"An engaging non-fiction book that doesn't just devolve into confirmation bias or a single note thesis."
"This book was not at all what I expected."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Popular Applied Psychology

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
People with a fixed mindset —those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset —those who believe that abilities can be developed. She introduces a phenomenon she calls false growth mindset and guides people toward adopting a deeper, truer growth mindset. “If you manage people or are a parent (which is a form of managing people), drop everything and read Mindset .” —Guy Kawasaki, author of The Art of the Start 2.0. Dweck proposes that everyone has either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. In other words, you are who you are, your intelligence and talents are fixed, and your fate is to go through life avoiding challenge and failure.
Reviews
"The book is valuable for its conceit: that there are two types of mind-sets; the growth and the fixed. It's an informational book, but not a great book."
"However, most of the book seems to focus on discussing the difference between "fixed mindset" and "growth mindset" applied to different fields. It is like the author uses the entire book to emphasize how important "growth mindset" is but doesn't really offer much help."
"I was forced to but this book as requirement to read for my Spring semester, my professor that asked for this book believe she has great mindset and can affect us, but in reality she sucks."
"Explaining how to change was well worth the time to read it."
"The book started by effectively comparing competing mindsets and then referenced examples of those mindsets by comparing the specific mindsets of famous people in business and in sports."
"It is a compilation of a century of studying patterns of attitudes that have created champions and happiness in lives from every sector of life."
"The gist of the book is very important and mind blowing BUT the book reiterates the same message time and time again to the point I just skipped ahead entire examples because I already understood where it was going."
"This book had a good message, but it wasted a lot of potential with the topic and the author did not really convey the power of her message very well."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Popular Psychology Mental Illness Books

Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men
you will learn about: • The early warning signs of abuse. • The nature of abusive thinking. • Myths about abusers. • Ten abusive personality types. • The role of drugs and alcohol. • What you can fix, and what you can’t. • And how to get out of an abusive relationship safely. Bancroft, a former codirector of Emerge, the first U.S. program for abusive men, and a 15-year veteran of work with abusive men, reminds readers that each year in this country, two to four million women are assaulted by their partners and that at least one out of three American women will be a victim of violence by a husband or boyfriend at some point in her life.
Reviews
"In short, I wasted 35 years of my life with this man, who distorted reality and everything I knew to be true and tried his best to make me feel small and unworthy. He moved out of the house last week (I bought him out) and I have to say ... it is sad, but I've never felt more at peace with the decision and I am ALREADY much, much happier. NO ONE should have to live with someone who treats you like a child, or curses you out "just because that's the way he's feeling," or will not respect you or your career, or refuses to stop drinking or drugging, or who physically harms or threatens you."
"This book will stop making you feel sorry for your abuser."
"So, with a title like "angry and controlling men," they are more likely to pick up the book, thinking, "Hey, this might apply to the confusing situation I am facing." He can routinely blame her for everything that goes wrong in his life, or he can constantly critique her and tear her down, or he can call her names that when I tried to put them in this review, got it banned from Amazon. Abuse is not a binary kind of behavior that is only invoked when the fists fly, but a deeply ingrained, unrepentant attitude of ownership, entitlement, contempt and resentment that a man displays, not toward most people in his life, but toward "his" woman (including past women). This confusion is created by the abuser himself, in his highly successful attempts to justify himself to himself, to his victim, and to the people around him. Bancroft did not did start out with this assumption, by the way, but came to it after years of working with abusers in mandatory counseling groups. When he started out, he believed what the abusers told him about how their behavior was caused by their wives' failings, their traumatic childhoods, their unemployment, or the hurts done them by past girlfriends; that they didn't know what they were doing; that they "lost control." The abuser, meanwhile, is functional in his life at large (except when it comes to treating his wife well), and appears to be a sane, trustworthy person. Small wonder, then, that the abused woman, her friends, and society at large cannot figure out what her problem is. If they start from the assumption that the abuser is a decent guy who means well, they will never figure out the situation. For example, in one chapter Bancroft examines in some detail a frustrating conversation between a whiny, controlling man and his wife, which ends with him insisting on walking home in the cold, even though she would be willing to drive him. Of course, his main motive is to maintain the role of victim, to keep himself in the right and his wife in the wrong, so that he can tell himself (and tell everyone else later) how she "left him" to walk home in the cold. There is a fascinating, counterintuitive warning (late in the book), that women in abusive situations should not seek couples' counseling. The reassuring presence of the counselor might get the wife to open up and say things to, or about, her husband that she would never otherwise dream of uttering."
"Anger management will not help these people; they need to be in an abuse program. Because most abusers never change, the abuse program needs to consider the victims as their real clients, because they are the ones who will benefit most by feeling supported and validated, and they are a necessary component of the program to keep the abuser accountable. Interesting that the day after I read this in the book, I saw it on Facebook as a meme."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Popular Adolescent Psychology

Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men
Now, Dr. Leonard Sax delves into the scientific literature and draws on more than twenty years of clinical experience to explain why boys and young men are failing in school and disengaged at home. Dr. Sax has spoken on issues of child and adolescent development not only in the United States but also in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, England, Germany, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Scotland, Spain, and Switzerland. He has appeared on the TODAY Show, CNN, National Public Radio, Fox News, PBS, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, New Zealand Television, and many other national and international media.
Reviews
"This book is a great book to understand some of the struggles our boys are facing."
"I am a mental health counselor that works with many adolescents and. Dr. Sax assaulted me with facts and data and truth that explains so much that I see in all of the boys I have the privilege to work with."
"Fantastic read, speaks well to many aspects of society and the environment and how they affect our growing boys."
"I love this book and I'm only beginning chapter 2!"
"I recommend this book for any parent with a boy."
"I was recommended this book by a family doctor."
"I liked this book a lot."
"Wish I had read when I was raising my son."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Popular Neuropsychology

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself
Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization. Copublished with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) The. Untethered Soul begins by walking you through your relationship with your thoughts and emotions, helping you uncover the source and fluctuations of your inner energy. The accuracy and simplicity of this work is a measure of its pure mastery.”. — James O’Dea , past president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). It is the clearest statement I know of who we are and what we face in our emerging humanity.”. — Jean Houston , philosopher, psychologist, and author of A Mythic Life and Passion for the Possible. It may take more than one reading and many hours of introspection, but The Untethered Soul is a must-read for anyone in search of greater understanding of themselves and of the truth.”. — Louis Chiavacci , senior vice-president of Merrill Lynch, ranked in Barron’s top fifteen US Investment Advisors. “This publication has released boundless joy for the hungry souls of the world.”. — Ma Yoga Shakti Saraswati, founder of Yogashakti International Mission and recipient of Hinduism Today’s Hindu of the Year 2000 award. With great eloquence, wit, and compelling logic, Singer’s brilliant book completes this thought by showing them to be two poles of the same selfless devotion.”. — Ray Kurzweil , National Medal of Technology recipient and author of The Singularity Is Near. Singer takes the reader on a journey that begins with consciousness tethered to the ego and ends having taken us beyond our myopic, contained self-image to a state of inner freedom and liberation. Michael A. Singer’s book is a priceless gift to all who have futilely searched and yearned for a richer, more meaningful, creative life.”. — Yogi Amrit Desai , internationally recognized pioneer of modern yoga.
Reviews
"I read the audio version of this book multiple times, bought copies of it for clients, and shared it with friends. After reading Michael's book, I simply allowed irrelevant, erroneous, totally made up thoughts to just float on by without attaching my emotions to them. It means you're no longer an emotional puppet on the string of everyone else's behavior, attitudes, decisions, choices, etc. I LOVED the audio version of the book because the person who read it was perfect for the content. I've read TONS of other books on similar topics but the way Michael conveyed the material was unique and different and I really GOT IT!"
"Some of the points made in The Untethered Soul are: 1. Learn to relax and stay open no matter what. Do not identify with the experiences you are observing. Facing the fact of bodily death can help you to realize that all of the observed is temporary. Do not allow painful experiences from the past to influence the present. If you want a life full of joy and love you must make a commitment to having a life full of joy and love. Learn how to live from your heart, not from your ego. The Untethered Soul is my second most favorite book on the subject of how to transcend the ego and how to realize the true Self and directly experience that perfect infinite consciousness that has only joy and love and has no suffering. My most favorite book on that subject is THE SEVEN STEPS TO AWAKENING which is a collection of quotes by these seven authors: 1."
"I see life and the spiritual journey differently, and though I do believe we all should strive for a happier life and a more peaceful spirit, I don't believe it is desirable to live without some unhappiness, some worries, some fears. The author contradicts himself many times, but more importantly doesn't indicate any awareness that he has contradicted himself. Thus, while the author makes many statements throughout that I agree with, he also constantly is making other statements that contradict previous ones, giving me the impression that he is just writing a stream of consciousness of statements cherry-picked to resonate with a broad range of spiritual-enlightenment-seekers, without much regard to whether those statements gel together to form a cohesive whole. Structure. I would not want to take that away from anyone, but sadly, it is not the book for me."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Popular Social Psychology & Interactions

Man's Search for Meaning
At the time of Frankl's death in 1997, Man's Search for Meaning had sold more than 10 million copies in twenty-four languages. Harold S. Kushner is rabbi emeritus at Temple Israel in Natick, Massachusetts, and the author of bestselling books including When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Living a Life That Matters, and When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough.
Reviews
"Read this book, read this book."
"Those that had developed purpose and meaning to the harsh conditions got out of bed every morning to face another unbearable day."
"One of the best works you can take in."
"Life would have been easier if I had read this book sooner in life."
"A little twist of ideas as to why some people survive the worst and why others don't survive medium bad."
"The second part of the book is an analysis of logotherapy and a description of Frankl's studies on the subject."
"I am just now to the place he talks about how thinking of his wife and having mental conversations with her gave him strength to stay alive!"
"Part 1 was easier to read."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Evolutionary Psychology

The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature
In The Blank Slate , Steven Pinker, one of the world's leading experts on language and the mind, explores the idea of human nature and its moral, emotional, and political colorings.
Reviews
"As a parent of two children I was particularly interested in his parenting section, where the argument of "nature VS nurture" is torched."
"The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature by Steven Pinker. The Blank Slate is an ambitious book that goes after the blank slate fallacy that is the idea that the human mind has no inherent structure and can be inscribed at will by society or ourselves. The Blank Slate, the Noble Savage, and the Ghost in the Machine, Part II. Steven Pinker the well known Professor of Psychology at Harvard University writes thought-provoking, well-researched books and this book is no different. Professor Pinker goes after the doctrines of the Blank Slate, the Noble Savage, and the Ghost in the Machine and does so with gusto and a mountain of scientific evidence. "The evidence is overwhelming that every aspect of our mental lives depends entirely on physiological events in the tissues of the brain". How genes affect our behavior..."Small differences in the genes can lead to large differences in behavior". Fascinating look at how our brains remain active during "assembly". Evolutionary biology used to explain the complex cognitive and behavioral adaptations. The religious opposition to evolution and its intended corruption of American science education. The dangerous fallacy of equating evolutionary psychology with "Social Darwinism". Debunking the four fears over the anxiety of human nature. The disposal of eugenics, discrimination, and Social Darwinism. Many excellent messages throughout the book, "An idea is not false or evil because the Nazis misused it". The importance of respecting women's fundamental rights to their bodies. The compatibility of human nature with social and moral progress. The ethics of autonomy, community and divinity explained. How to anticipate and limit that corruption became an obsession of the framers. Fascinating look at the fallacy of the connection between media violence and violent behavior. A good grasp of how the mind works is indispensable to the arts. This could be considered a positive but it's not because the author does unleash ad hominen attacks to some of his opponents. A more comprehensive summary at end of each chapter would have been added value. This book is worthy of five stars just based on the wisdom you will obtain. Many important ideas and thoughts are found throughout this ambitious book. Further suggestions: "Human" by Michael S. Gazzaniga, "SuperSense" by Bruce M. Hood, "The Myth of Free Will" by Cris Evatt, "Hardwired Behavior" by Laurence Tancredi, "Braintrust: What Neuroscience Tells Us about Morality" by Patricia S. Churchland, and "The Brain and the Meaning of Life" by Paul Thagard."
"Important scientific corrective to the current politically correct insanity."
"Accessible to the layman without sacrificing the standards of academic scholarship."
"Witty, well-thought out, and fully anotated, this touchstone came to me highly recommended after I mentioned other books about human nature like Matt Ridley's THE AGILE GENE."
"This book argues against the premise that the human brain begins as an empty tablet awaiting the experiences of life to teach it how to think and act."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Occupational & Organizational Popular Psychology

Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles That Fuel Success and Performance at Work
When it comes to the pursuit of success and happiness, most people assume the same formula: if you work hard, you will become successful, and once you become successful, then you'll be happy. Success does not beget happiness. He gives more than 150 lectures a year on the science of happiness and human potential, which have been covered in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and NPR.
Reviews
"I saw Shawn Anchor's presentation on PBS where he explained a simple 5 minute technique called 'The 3 Gratitudes'. I was brought up in a culture of pessimism and had 50 years of experience that was so deeply entrenched that I decided that I would be the perfect candidate for experimentation with such a simple exercise. I've never had much luck trying to change my 'default mode' of negative self-concept (no matter how much therapy I've had or how many self-help books I've read) so I was really on a mission to prove this man and his ideas wrong! I listened to the whole book on tape to make sure I was doing it as explained in the television presentation and this is what I did: It takes exactly 21 days to create a new neural pathway so you have to do the exercise everyday for 3 weeks. You want to find the part of your routine in the morning where you have a moment (well, 5 minutes) (when you're having a cup of tea or coffee for instance). THE FUN-15: This one is the optional one but will speed up the process: You want to get 15 minutes of fresh air and exercise...a lovely walk with some sunshine if possible (if you're NOT up to this yet, you can add it in after 21 days when you feel better). After 3 months I figured there was something to this neural construction thing (or whatever it's called) and I kept doing 'The 3 Gratitudes' straight through till August. In September I decided to experiment and I stopped doing the exercise just to see whether I would go back to default (after 7 months of being a happy, optimistic, creative and grateful person). The only time I've slipped back into feelings of real pessimism was one week when I had the flu but it lifted as soon as I started recovering."
"I loved the TED talk and wanted fyi learn more."
"So much goodness is packed in here."
"Interesting to read (never seemed like a slight) and I remind myself, daily, of the suggestions it provided."
"More productivity, more smarts, more cooperation, more accomplishment. This one goes next to other keepers like New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and some other really impressive books that I just can't think of now but surely would know if I was standing right in front of my bookshelf at home that holds all the 'bibles' i've collected over 30+ years. Marcianne Waters, avid reader and avid happiness promoter (I hope)."
"This should be a must read for everyone that works in an organization environment."
"One of the best books out there on happiness."
"Hard to use a highlighter on an audio book."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Physiological Aspects in Psychology

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems
In this completely revised and updated edition of the breakthrough bestseller, neuropsychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen includes effective "brain prescriptions" that can help heal your brain and change your life. Filled with "brain prescriptions" (among them cognitive exercises and nutritional advice) that are geared toward readers who've experienced anxiety, depression, impulsiveness, excessive anger or worry, and obsessive behavior, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life milks the mind-body connection for all it's worth.
Reviews
"This book would be so much better if it focused purely on the science and what behaviors can be modified with actionable tasks/steps people can take (i.e. changing the questions they ask themselves, writing goals on paper, joining support groups). The authors concept is this: Spend thousands getting your brain scanned, then spend hundreds on supplements he sells for your special kind of brain, and join a church."
"it helps reduce guess work, and generalized treatments that sometimes cause more problems for people seeking help. I have been reducing alcohol for years, looking at Scan of Alcohol use has given me enough Reasons to Quit. In this Book Dr. Amen Identifies problems, causes, and potential Solutions and a ton of resources to help manage and treat bad behavior."
"Product came on time and was as described."
"Very informative."
"loved the book made me smarter on the function of the brain."
"Excellent..simple and easy to read."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Psychiatry

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM-5
This new edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose and classify mental disorders, is the product of more than 10 years of effort by hundreds of international experts in all aspects of mental health.
Reviews
"This 5th edition keeps up the tradition but goes well beyond as a clinical handbook and reference."
"Very informative for professionals or those aspiring to be in the field."
"Needed for a class, worked great, not too expensive."
"Love it!"
"The DSM 5 is a required reading for my mental health and psychopathology."
"My copy is literally falling apart and I've only used it for class."
"I ordered this book, and the book I received had about 40 pages that were upside down."
Find Best Price at Amazon