A self-help book, you scoff? It’s smart to be cautious about some of the books floating around this genre, demanding your money and time as many simply aren’t worth either. I must say though, I enjoyed reading the American bestseller The Tools by psychotherapists Phil Stutz and Barry Michels.
Forget the glossy blurb which loudly announces that the authors have worked with Hollywood’s ‘A-List’ and give it a shot. The Tools is designed to help you ‘work through whatever has held {you} back – be it insecurity, trauma, anger, lack of willpower, negativity or avoidance’. They introduce the five techniques that will help you work through the aforementioned problems: The Reversal of Desire, Active Love, Inner Authority, The Grateful Flow and Jeopardy. As nutty as they sound, the authors are impressive in their introduction and explanation of each ‘tool’ and how you can apply them in your life. The Tools also makes it clear that making positive changes to your outlook is a learned behaviour that only occurs with time and patience, avoiding the ‘quick fix’ mentality of many self-help books. There are plenty of quotable little nuggets too that will probably be adorned on a Pinterest board soon, including:
“Pain is not absolute. When you move toward it, pain shrinks…the more intense the pain– the more you move into it– the more energy you create.”
Bio: Phil Stutz graduated from City College in New York and received his MD from New York University. Barry Michels has a BA from Harvard, a law degree from University of California, Berkeley and an MSW from the University of Southern California.
Praise: “Transcendent . . . a rapid and streamlined method of self-improvement.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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