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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."
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Becoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon
Readers will learn that we are, quite literally supernatural by nature if given the proper knowledge and instruction, and when we learn how to apply that information through various meditations, we should experience a greater expression of our creative abilities; that we have the capacity to tune in to frequencies beyond our material world and receive more orderly coherent streams of consciousness and energy; that we can intentionally change our brain chemistry to initiate profoundly mystical transcendental experiences; and how, if we do this enough times, we can develop the skill of creating a more efficient, balanced, healthy body, a more unlimited mind, and greater access to the realms of spiritual truth. Since then, his work has expanded in several key directions that reflect his passion for exploring how people can use findings from neuroscience and quantum physics not only to heal illness but also to enjoy a more fulfilled and happy life. He has been partnering with other scientists to research the effects of meditation during his advanced workshops, using techniques from brain mapping with EEGs to measuring heart coherence to demonstrating verifiable epigenetic changes in his students.
Reviews
"Becoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon, by Dr. Joe Dispenza, can place you on the path of transforming your future - in the present. If you want to live a more powerful life that is not simply a replay of your past beliefs and habits and is willing to take some reasonable steps to get there, then you need to read Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon. Given that Dr. Joe literally saved my life several years ago when he was still working full-time at his chiropractic practice, it's a small repayment. With his bodywork, meditative teachings, and encouragement, along with training suggestions from Professor Bradley Steiner, my martial arts instructor of 30 years, I was able to cheat the hangman as my disc repaired itself. Several years of quantitative analyses on students in his Advanced 4-day workshops in many venues, literally around the globe have led to this, his latest book. Confirmation of the model came from analyzing and measuring brain waves/scans, neurotransmitters, and heart coherence, as well as internal and external energy levels. You are the Placebo, now reinforced "on the proof side" with an additional four years of scientific, measurable, objective data as recounted in Supernatural, clears the decks. You might visualize the idea sailing away or disintegrating - before it can become a feeling, followed closely by a physical sensation of tension, anger or depression. Before arising each morning, I state silently, "I approach this day with Gratitude, Respect, Observation, and Wisdom (GROW)." Finally, release these thoughts into the Quantum Field, asking that they are organized in a helpful way; that they are returned in an unexpected, powerful, and positive manner. As you reflect upon and practice what Dr. Joe teaches in his seminars around the globe and now, in his fourth book, Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon, you will be acquiring the tools necessary to build an exceptional future before it even arrives!"
"Also to benefit from the Meditation CD's he mentions, you also need to buy his previous book "Breaking the Habit of being Yourself". I will definitely not take his classes, but will get the CD's (Probably around $200 additional cost)."
"I have one of the doc's other books, and I do love how he tackles each subject with such focus and detail, and backs it up with science whenever possible. In the book, he makes it sound like this will be a relatively quick, easy process, and I think he is setting up people for frustration and failure. which in context means that, when you are visualizing the future you want, you have to be able to create great feelings of joy, gratitude, etc. which are more powerful than whatever limiting belief or horrible body sensation you may currently be feeling due to disease, depression, etc. For every person who says they achieved amazing results after only one meditation or one weekend seminar, there are probably at least a hundred who didn't. After spending some time on Joe's forums and his Facebook group, I can see other people agree with me that parts of the book are a little confusing or difficult. He spends SO much time spouting off about the quantum field and manifesting, and I found myself thinking "Why don't we ever hear an actual physicist talking about any of this stuff? So I did a little digging, and it turns out the whole quantum mechanics connection to human consciousness, is a complete LIE. In addition, I saw a handful of reviews (of his other books) by other scientists or science-minded folks who say his neurochemistry or neurobiology info was wrong in quite a few instances."
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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. The book begins with a lengthy, austere, and deeply moving personal essay about Frankl's imprisonment in Auschwitz and other concentration camps for five years, and his struggle during this time to find reasons to live. The second part of the book, called "Logotherapy in a Nutshell," describes the psychotherapeutic method that Frankl pioneered as a result of his experiences in the concentration camps.
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."
"Frankl is able to find meaning in a concentration camp."
"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."
"If you're a student of any religion or ideology trying to figure out how to reach a point where you can take control of your own experience of life, and truly see the world from your internal perspective rather than from your external perspective this is an invaluable text for you to read through."
"The second part of the book is an analysis of logotherapy and a description of Frankl's studies on the subject."
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Best Popular Psychology Psychopharmacology

Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America
Now with bonus material, including a new foreword and afterword with updated research In this astonishing and startling book, award-winning science and history writer Robert Whitaker investigates a medical mystery: Why has the number of disabled mentally ill in the United States tripled over the past two decades? Every day, 1,100 adults and children are added to the government disability rolls because they have become newly disabled by mental illness, with this epidemic spreading most rapidly among our nation’s children. Or did they find that these medications, for some paradoxical reason, increase the likelihood that people will become chronically ill, less able to function well, more prone to physical illness? Our nation has been hit by an epidemic of disabling mental illness, and yet, as Anatomy of an Epidemic reveals, the medical blueprints for curbing that epidemic have already been drawn up. In Anatomy of an Epidemic investigative reporter Robert Whitaker cuts through flawed science, greed and outright lies to reveal that the drugs hailed as the cure for mental disorders instead worsen them over the long term. Whitaker tenderly interviews children and adults who bear witness to the ravages of mental illness, and testify to their newly found “aliveness” when freed from the prison of mind-numbing drugs.” —Daniel Dorman, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, UCLA School of Medicine and author of Dante’s Cure: A Journey Out of Madness “This is the most alarming book I’ve read in years. Relying on medical evidence and historical documentation, Whitaker builds his case like a prosecuting attorney.” —Carl Elliott, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Center for Bioethics, University of Minnesota and author of Better than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream “ Anatomy of an Epidemic investigates a profoundly troubling question: do psychiatric medications increase the likelihood that people taking them, far from being helped, are more likely to become chronically ill? Robert Whitaker is a reliable, sensible, and persuasive, guide to the paradoxes and complexities of what we know about mental illness, and what we might be able to do to lessen the suffering it brings.” —Jay Neugeboren, author of Imagining Robert and Transforming Madness “Every so often a book comes along that exposes a vast deceit.
Reviews
"There's a bunch of reviews on here that say this book is invalid, but when you dig into their reasons, they are cherry picking data and using disproven research. But gradual withdrawal does work, and many people have gotten their lives back by learning how to use psych drugs appropriately as a tool instead of as the entire solution. This book cites like 400 studies, works with all the best patient advocates in the industry, and is the best science has to offer to explain both problems and solutions."
"Many of the harshest reviews of this book seem to be coming from those who currently depend on psychiatric medications, and find the author's conclusions heartless, given their own distress. I had been told by well-respected psychiatrists at two major research universities that the only way to prevent recurring depressive episodes was to be on medication for life. As I looked around at my many, many friends and family members on psychiatric medications, it seemed to me that most of them were still pretty substantially depressed a lot of the time. I understand how doctors came to use that analogy to reassure patients who were alarmed at the prospect of being on mind-altering drugs for long periods of time. I did a very slow, careful taper off of my psych drugs, over a period of months (this part is absolutely crucial). I have found daily aerobic exercise to be a far more reliable way of mitigating depression than my former medications, and research in this book shows this to be true for a majority of people as well. The "medical model" of psychiatry saved that branch of medicine from dying out, given our insurance-based healthcare system, and Robert Whitaker does a great job of exposing the collusion between the pharmaceutical companies and the American Psychiatric Association, with its frightening consequences. I found the section of the book describing the way research evidence was "rewritten" for medical school textbooks truly alarming. There's a lot at stake here for the psychiatric profession; it's not surprising that so many psychiatrists turn from this research with alarm and denial."
"I purchased this book as part of a personal project and, the further I get in it, the more interested I am."
"A must read for anyone considering taking or prescribing psychoactive medication."
"this is a book everyone who is on or about to go on any medications for mental health."
"Great book and highly recommended!"
"Not every claim in it - I my opinion is accurate - but enough are and enough important questions are raised that every doctor and every patient should be familiar with questions it raises."
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Best Popular Psychology History

The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds
Forty years ago, Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky wrote a series of breathtakingly original studies undoing our assumptions about the decision-making process. Amos Tversky was a brilliant, self-confident warrior and extrovert, the center of rapt attention in any room; Kahneman, a fugitive from the Nazis in his childhood, was an introvert whose questing self-doubt was the seedbed of his ideas. “Lewis is the ideal teller of [Tversky and Kahneman’s] story… You see his protagonists in three dimensions―deeply likable, but also flawed, just like most of your friends and family.”. - David Leonhardt, New York Times Book Review. “Brilliant… Lewis has given us a spectacular account of two great men who faced up to uncertainty and the limits of human reason.”. - William Easterly, Wall Street Journal.
Reviews
"Thanks to works like Psychonomics: The Scientific Conquest of the Human Mind, we know that the field of Behavioral Economics is a kind of wild west of the sciences, filled with speculation, outlaws, and not a little shenanigans. With his characteristic accessibility and knack for turning the complex into palatable pieces, Lewis presents the foundations of the science by crafting a story about its two visionary scholars, Daniel Kahneman and the late Amos Tversky. How they came together from similar backgrounds, approached life from different angles, agreed to set off on their intellectual journey together, and collaborated on some of the greatest psychological studies of the 20th century sets us up for a classic buddy story—an intellectual Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid if you will."
"With no doubt, I had great fun reading “The Undoing Project.”. I was introduced to the work of Tversky and Kahneman as a college sophomore in 1988 by my teacher, hydrologist Joseph Harrington, who was a great admirer of their ideas. So I swallowed whole “Thinking About Thinking” within a week of having read the Michael Lewis review on Bloomberg. Chapters 1 and 8 should not have made it into the book, they ought to have been relegated to the pages of Vanity Fair, where the author regularly provides fantastic material. Even the title of the book, much as it has its roots in the work of Tversky and Kahneman, does not do justice to their contribution."
"Michael Lewis successfully blends two biographies, an intellectual love story (there really is no other way to describe the Kahneman/Tversky partnership), astute sketches of the work they did (in heuristics and biases), and how the partnership had ripple effects in a myriad of areas (from economics to psychology, from medicine to the military, and beyond)."
"I started with having read "Thinking Fast and Slow" several years ago - and using ideas from the book in my Psychology class."
"Brilliant and very interesting mixture of the story of how psychology has become a paramount component of economics and of just about every other science, and of a unique friendship between two outstanding brains, further spiced by the explanation of the many fallacies we are subject to in our judgement and decisions, and not only us but the people we most trust to make them for us!"
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Best Popular Psychology Reference

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5(TM))
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
"I’m not reviewing the book."
"The DSM 5 is a required reading for my mental health and psychopathology."
"The only thing wrong with mine was that the cultural formulation section was upside down!"
"Is perpetually going through changes as we learn more and more about mental disorders."
"It's the DSM."
"This manual will be very helpful for many years to come."
"Yes so happy I was able to get this book really needed it for my abnormal behavior class I'm taking 🙏🏾."
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Best Popular Child Psychology

On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep
For over 20 years, On Becoming Babywise has been the de facto newborn parenting manual for naturally synchronizing your baby's feeding time, waketime and nighttime sleep cycles, so the whole family can sleep through the night. Practical discussions then focus on broad and niche topics including feeding philosophies, baby sleep problems, baby scheduling challenges, nap routines, sleep training multiples, baby sleeping props, Colic and Reflux and many other dimensions which impact breast feeding schedules, bottle feeding tips and baby sleep training. 1) Taking care of baby and mom. 2) A timeline of what to expect and when. 3) Baby Sleep Training Problems and Solutions. 4) Monitoring Your Baby's Growth. 5) Healthy Baby Growth Charts. It can help any parent develop a plan that meets both the needs of a new baby and of the entire family. Instead of being in baby bondage, I was liberated to be the mother God wanted me to be. We highly recommend ONLY purchasing the newest and most current version of On Becoming Babywise (isbn 1932740139). In becoming one of America's leading infant management guides, On Becoming Babywise has continued to improve its methods and practices throughout its 24 years and this latest version is the result of all the best over the last two decades. and co-author Gary Ezzo in this book helps parents successfully and naturally synchronize their baby's feeding time, waketime and nighttime cycles. Happy, healthy and contented babies who sleep through the night on average between seven and nine weeks of age. The best evaluation of any parenting philosophy, including Babywise, is not found in the reasoning or the logic of the hypothesis. Rather, our larger objective is to help prepare minds for the incredible task of raising a child. Your baby will not care if his head rests on designer sheets or beside Disney characters, nor is your success tied to his wardrobe or bedroom accessories, but rather to the beliefs and convictions that will eventually shape your parenting experience. It is our opinion that the achievements of healthy growth, contented babies, good naps, and playful wake times, as well as the gift of nighttime sleep, are too valuable to be left to chance. We realize there are a number of parenting theories being marketed today, most of which come gift-wrapped with unrealistic promises and unnecessary burdens. Spend time with relatives and friends who follow the Attachment Parenting style of infant care. The principles contained within the pages can help parents develop workable strategies that meet the needs of their babies and the rest of the family. However, your pediatrician or family practitioner should always be consulted when questions arise about the health and welfare of your baby. Because the principles of On Becoming Babywise are so effective, I consider it part of my extended health care for the family. They consistently produce babies who are healthy, content, and who sleep through the night at an early age. ". As family physicians and a husband-wife team, we are often asked questions related to parenting and the general care of children.
Reviews
"On Becoming Babywise taught me to tap into my God-given parental instincts while providing me medically-sound advice to equip me in teaching my infant to sleep through the night."
"My baby was sleeping 8 hours at night at 8 weeks old thanks to this book."
"Does he look like he's dehydrated, depraved, abused, malnourished or in a dangerous environment as what a majority of the downright idiotic 1-star reviews and their preposterous claims that would like you to believe to be the end result of following this book? I seldom write lengthy reviews, buts if I come across a product that I am passionate about because it affected our life positively, then I take the time to do so. I do this while I commute to work 100 miles round trip M-F. Needless to say, my blood pressure was at 206 mmHg at its peak during the first 6 weeks, waking up every 2 - 2.5 hours to feed baby with each feeding session lasting 30 minutes, then commuting 50 miles to work at 6:30 AM and returning home at 6:30 PM to cook for the family. I need to mention that it is imperative that you wake up your little one at set schedule to feed before he gets hungry and start crying. Sleep training, preemptively waking up your baby to feed or following a set schedule does NOT make you the devil incarnate, nor does choosing to feed your infant formula, and if you are one of those 1-star reviewers that feel this way, you need to go back to the freezer with your mother's guilt because your snowflake a$$ is probably melting just from reading my review. During this transition, we did not experience any attachment or neediness from him, thanks to Baby Wise's "Parent Directed Feeding" concept (PDF). He began taking in solid food, starting with baby cereal, pureed fruits and vegetables (we use BEABA Babycook 4 in 1 Steam Cooker and Blender, 4.5 cups, Dishwasher Safe, Cherry to steam and puree fresh fruits and vegetablee, then freeze them in Infantino Squeeze Pouches, 4-Fl Oz using the Infantino Squeeze Station). He enjoys sitting in his 5-10 minutes in Bumbo infant seat but loves his Graco high chair more - this at age 4.5 month. By 5 months, our son is fully engaged in the "Early Reading Program for Baby, Toddler, Preschool, Kindergarten- Alphabet, Vowel Phonics & 200+ Sight Words - Little Champion Reader 9 DVD, Flash card, Book Kit" DVDs. Our son, born at 37 weeks via scheduled C section, a miracle in itself, is outpacing our friends' babies in terms of mental, physical and cognitive development by a mile and I sincerely believe sleep plays a large role in it all. We never force our baby to go on long distance road trip with us, rather, we only go as far as he is ready to handle, starting with 50 miles, then 100, 250 then 300+. The book repeatedly reminds the reader to make adjustments and be flexible based on the cues exhibited by baby! I absolutely refuse to believe this and we attribute our well behaved son to the steps we've followed as outlined in Baby Wise. The same pundits "predicted" our future by saying we won't be going on road trips or eating dinner at restaurants once our baby is born. That is, while we strictly follow the BabyWise guideline (with flexibility), we still showered our son with love, stimulation, appreciation, engaging interaction, encouragement and positive re-enforcement. Who's to say that you and your spouse can't enjoy life and need to be locked in the house feeling miserable and eating TV dinner the minute you give birth to baby? Some parents overcompensate their fear of having their freedom "taken away" by taking their newborn and infants to places like Las Vegas and other trendy locations to "prove" that they can still "hang", all the while their baby is fussy overnight and throughout their trip and the parents are exhausted to the core, defeating the purpose of a family vacation altogether. The concept may or may not work as smoothly in all situation for a variety of reasons, particularly if your baby has a medical condition such as colic or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which the book addresses. Follow the guidelines outlined in BabyWise, but be ready to be flexible and make adjustments or changes to accommodate the personality of your little one!"
"This was on a baby gift registry, and it seems to have sensible advice."
"Good read- great scheduling ideas."
"Baby wise was helpful for sleep training."
"The book was good and has good ideas."
"And if crying-it-out works for you then great I've tried their method to a T. I just did not know at the time that it was considered their method."
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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."
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Best Popular Forensic Psychology

Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us
Presenting a compelling portrait of these dangerous men and women based on 25 years of distinguished scientific research, Dr. Robert D. Hare vividly describes a world of con artists, hustlers, rapists, and other predators who charm, lie, and manipulate their way through life. --Hugh Aynesworth, author of Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer "Fascinating, chilling, and accurate....The world's most renowned psychopathy researcher has leavened sharp scientific insights with page-turning case descriptions in a rare publishing feat: a book that is both highly readable and highly reputable."
Reviews
"Although many of us will not encounter a criminal psychopath, there are plenty of us who have lived with them and experienced their crazymaking and destructive behavior behind closed doors."
"Great resource for Therapists, Counselors and anyone who needs to know whom they are dealing with in sensitive areas."
"Fabulous book about antisocial personality DO."
"I couldn't put this book down, it was a fantastic read."
"Book came within 2 days through Prime, looks just like the picture, and packed properly with no bends or folds."
"I love this book, because it describes a personal situation I had been dealing with...a real Sociopath."
"I've been doing research on psychopath's for a book I'm writing."
"Since I'm researching Pyschopaths for a story, this book really helped me understand what is going on in their heads...and also to understand that you may not have any idea whats going on in their heads!"
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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."
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Best Popular Psychology Testing & Measurement

The Highly Sensitive Person's Workbook
A collection of exercises and activities for both individuals and groups, this workbook will help you identify the HSP trait in yourself, nurture the new, positive self-image you deserve, and create a fuller, richer life. Identify your specific sensitivities with self-assessment tests. Reframe past experiences in a more positive light. Interpret dreams and relate them to your sensitivity. Cope with overarousal through relaxation, breathing, and visualization techniques. Describe your trait in a work interview or to an unsympathetic family member, new friend, doctor, or therapist. Can 1.2 billion exceptionally nervous nervous systems be wrong? There are plenty of blanks to fill in as you analyze your childhood, health concerns, work history, and psychic wounds, with plenty of guidance on how to do it--sample entries as intriguing as someone else's diary. She gives a quick course in dream analysis (Freud couldn't outdo her job on a dream about The A-Team 's Mr. T and a tiger), and rather boldly invites you to envision and prepare for your death.
Reviews
"Instead I found a smart, astute, science-based book which explained to me why I was slowly dying at my job, why I could not sleep at night, and why I was so stressed at work that I literally could not stomach my sandwich at lunch but would almost throw it up every day (but I could eat at home) -- I was operating at a level of physical stress which was impossible for a highly sensitive person to sustain, and yet I was somehow sustaining it. Once I actually looked at myself, looked at my actual situation, stopped blaming myself for being "weak" and "broken" and "not tough enough" and stopped trying to be what I am not, I saw clearly that I was ignoring my physical body's symptoms of extreme stress and hurting myself bad. Reading this was a wake up call at a time in my life when I really needed it, and gave me enough confidence to finally stand up to my impossible to please, bullying, manipulative boss and just quit. I am going back to school and retraining to become a software developer so that I can work in an environment that won't kill me."
"I took her test on line at her site... highly sensitive person test, and answered yes to all the questions! I think you only need to answer yes to about 14 of the many questions. Because you might have a friend, partner, child who is highly sensitive and knowing how to treat them, can change both your relationships. It turns out not only are 15 - 20% of humans highly sensitive, so are animals and insects in the same percentages!"
"This is a really good book for those who are highly sensitive or having one in their family."
"This book helped me view my extra sensitivity as a gift to others by being conscientious, at the same time it has made me aware of over stimulating situations that may cause me restlessness."
"It is very good, but I thought it was more about sensory-overload...I haven't finished it ye3t."
"Very insightful!"
"Since I have identified myself as a highly sensitive person recently this book has helped me a lot to maneuver easily in a non-sensitive world."
"If you are highly sensitive or an empath this is an amazing read."
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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."
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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."
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Best Popular Developmental Psychology

The Animator's Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators
In this book, based on his sold-out master classes in the United States and across Europe, Williams provides the underlying principles of animation that every animator--from beginner to expert, classic animator to computer animation whiz --needs. Richard Williams has won more than 250 international awards for his animation.
Reviews
"One of the best well written art books I have read in a long time, Mr. Williams is full of knowledge, which he generously shares with others."
"This is a must have for everyone learning animation, it could be used by yourself or by teachers to teach about animation principles, and the amount of knowlege in the content of the book and animation exercises is amazing."
"It has so much detail to it that it still blows my mind every time I. open it."
"If you are getting into animation this is the book for you; in depth information on all the necessary topics that you need."
"An excellent book."
"Bought this as a gift for a friend when she started her Animation degree."
"This is one of the most useful animation books I have every purchased."
"One of the most detailed animating books I have purchased so far, it is really helpful."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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