Throughout history people have sought to cope with a life that is often stressful and hard. We have actually known for some time that developing compassion for oneself and others can help us face up to and win through the hardship and find a sense of inner peace. However in modern societies we rarely focus on this key process that underpins successful coping and happiness and can be quick to dismiss the impact of modern living on our minds and well-being. Instead we concentrate on 'doing, achieving' and having'. Now, bestselling author and leading authority on depression, Professor Paul Gilbert explains how new research shows how we can all learn to develop compassion for ourselves and others and derive the benefits of this age-old wisdom. In this ground-breaking new book he explores how our minds have developed to be highly sensitive and quick to react to perceived threats and how this fast-acting threat-response system can be a source of anxiety, depression and aggression. He describes how studies have also shown that developing kindness and compassion for self and others can hep in calming down the threat system: as a mother's care and love can soothe a baby's distress, so we can learn how to soothe ourselves. Not only does compassion help to soothe distressing emotions, it actually increases feelings of contentment and well-being. Here, Professor Gilbert outlines the latest findings about the value of compassion and how it works, and takes readers through basic mind training exercises to enhance the capacity for, and use of, compassion.
The Compassionate Mind (Compassion Focused Therapy)
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As somebody who suffers from severe depression, I know the depressive's harshest critic is themselves. It is never helpful to be told to pull ourselves together by others but saying it to ourselves leads us in only one direction - into a spiralling descent into despair. This wise and perceptive book teaches us self-compassion and the consolations of kindness. I recommend it all the time. (Sally Brampton, author of Shoot the Damn Dog: A Memoir of Depression and the Aunt Sally column in The Sunday Times )
The increasing drive to find a competitive edge in all aspects of our lives may create efficiencies but they are cold, heartless and unpleasant to live with. Gilbert shows how and why this occurs, and explains why our capacity for compassion is the antidote. (Oliver James, Author Of Affluenza And The Selfish Capitalist )
A timely book for a time when competitiveness, materialism and narcissism have failed us. This book provides timeless wisdom that you can use every day. It will make a wonderful gift for someone you care for - especially, if you give it to yourself. (Robert L Leahy, Author Of The Worry Cure And President Of The International Association For Cognitive Psychotherapy )
Fascinating ... thoughtful and well written ... this book is a resource to be owned and used with enjoyment (Nursing Standard )
A challenging and useful addition to anyone's self-help shelf, as well as a refreshingly rigorous look behind why our brains work the way they do. In fact, this is a self-help book for people who don't like self-help books. (ONEinFOUR magazine )
Important and enjoyable. (The Psychologist )
A landmark book (The Scientific and Medical Network )
Interesting and helpful. (Mental Health Practice )
The increasing drive to find a competitive edge in all aspects of our lives may create efficiencies but they are cold, heartless and unpleasant to live with. Gilbert shows how and why this occurs, and explains why our capacity for compassion is the antidote. (Oliver James, Author Of Affluenza And The Selfish Capitalist )
A timely book for a time when competitiveness, materialism and narcissism have failed us. This book provides timeless wisdom that you can use every day. It will make a wonderful gift for someone you care for - especially, if you give it to yourself. (Robert L Leahy, Author Of The Worry Cure And President Of The International Association For Cognitive Psychotherapy )
Fascinating ... thoughtful and well written ... this book is a resource to be owned and used with enjoyment (Nursing Standard )
A challenging and useful addition to anyone's self-help shelf, as well as a refreshingly rigorous look behind why our brains work the way they do. In fact, this is a self-help book for people who don't like self-help books. (ONEinFOUR magazine )
Important and enjoyable. (The Psychologist )
A landmark book (The Scientific and Medical Network )
Interesting and helpful. (Mental Health Practice )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Lady Fancifull
TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Firstly, I'm very sorry this has vanished from the Kindle - I have just finished reading mine ON the Kindle, so at some point last month it was available on download.
In many ways, the book has two audiences, which Gilbert has condensed into one : those who are particularly interested in neurobiology, and an examination of society, spirituality and altruism from an evolutionary angle, and those who might be looking at a practical approach involving an enhanced fusion of CBT and compassionate mindful meditation in order to deal with anxiety, depression and anger. And I can quite clearly see that the magnificent laying out of the first half of the book, where Gilbert explains the evolution of the classic fight, flight, and seeking/reward activities of the the sympathetic nervous system, and the ameliorating/consolidating activities of the parasympathetic nervous system is going to be extremely helpful to those who are reading the book in order to engage with the practical and self help exercises.
However, it made for a very long (and very repetitious) read for someone interested in the former, who already uses aspects of the latter. On one level I was tempted to stop reading at the end of Part 1, - except that I realised that there was more interesting Part 1 type material buried within Part 2.
And I completely understand the value of the Part 2 material being endlessly repetitive about bringing the image of your compassionate person/self to mind, sitting with the smile, journalling etc etc. Except that this wasn't the book I wanted to read.
I do think that Gilbert has a great, warm, personal and good humoured writing style, cites his references well, backs up everything meticulously, but personally, so wished he had edited the book in such a way that all the neurobiology, ethics, philosophy and analysis had been condensed into one place in Part 1, and Part 2 been purely based on the practical aspects and exercises.
I fear that those who have picked up this book in order to get to the exercises may never have got there, if they were uninterested in the theoretical and scientific analysis, and those, like me, who were interested in the former, needing no exercises because of prior practice in some other way, may have missed much interesting Part 1 type info which is still being given in Part 2 because of speed-reading to find Part 1 nuggets in Part 2, and trying to avoid the repetition.
In many ways, the book has two audiences, which Gilbert has condensed into one : those who are particularly interested in neurobiology, and an examination of society, spirituality and altruism from an evolutionary angle, and those who might be looking at a practical approach involving an enhanced fusion of CBT and compassionate mindful meditation in order to deal with anxiety, depression and anger. And I can quite clearly see that the magnificent laying out of the first half of the book, where Gilbert explains the evolution of the classic fight, flight, and seeking/reward activities of the the sympathetic nervous system, and the ameliorating/consolidating activities of the parasympathetic nervous system is going to be extremely helpful to those who are reading the book in order to engage with the practical and self help exercises.
However, it made for a very long (and very repetitious) read for someone interested in the former, who already uses aspects of the latter. On one level I was tempted to stop reading at the end of Part 1, - except that I realised that there was more interesting Part 1 type material buried within Part 2.
And I completely understand the value of the Part 2 material being endlessly repetitive about bringing the image of your compassionate person/self to mind, sitting with the smile, journalling etc etc. Except that this wasn't the book I wanted to read.
I do think that Gilbert has a great, warm, personal and good humoured writing style, cites his references well, backs up everything meticulously, but personally, so wished he had edited the book in such a way that all the neurobiology, ethics, philosophy and analysis had been condensed into one place in Part 1, and Part 2 been purely based on the practical aspects and exercises.
I fear that those who have picked up this book in order to get to the exercises may never have got there, if they were uninterested in the theoretical and scientific analysis, and those, like me, who were interested in the former, needing no exercises because of prior practice in some other way, may have missed much interesting Part 1 type info which is still being given in Part 2 because of speed-reading to find Part 1 nuggets in Part 2, and trying to avoid the repetition.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Michael
Format:Paperback
I loved reading this book - the author's cheerful demeanour runs through every page, and you feel like he's speaking directly to you, in a chatty anecdotal way. I've read books on CBT before which seemed dry and almost inhuman, treating human beings as if we've behavioural robots, but this book goes way beyond that perspective, and never forgets that we are multi-faceted, complex creatures who operate on many different levels. And most of all, I love the sense of hope the book elicits - it's a welcome affirmation of altruism and compassion in the face of 'scientists' who claim that we are nothing more than selfish survival machines and that altruism is some kind of error. I read this book at the same as Steve Taylor's Bach to Sanity: Healing the Madness of our Minds, which is a wonderful companion to it - an inspiring in-depth look at the discord and restlessness of human mind and how we can transcend it. Back to Sanity: Healing the Madness of Our Minds
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Suffered from depression, anxiety, emotional problems - this is the best book ever
8 Feb 2012
Format:Paperback
Having suffered from depression, anxiety and emotional problems from a very early age I was drawn to this book when I was introduced to Mindfulness during therapy. I'd recommend this book to any one, mental health problems or not. I've learnt so much.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very good book
this book is very useful for anyone interested in finding out more about self compassion. It's very easy to read and has some very relevant examples that you can identify with. Read more
Published 4 days ago by I. Singleton
5.0 out of 5 stars
brilliant
The reason why I have given this 5 stars is simple. I read a few books many of which rehash ideas found in other books. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Sparky
4.0 out of 5 stars
Psychology without the psycho-babble
The first half of the book looks at the science of compassion with the second half a range of activities to use for personal development. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Georgina Shaw
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good read
Very well written book would recommend it to open your eyes and it had a great calming effect on my partner who i thought suffered mood swings that turned out to be Asperges
Published 16 days ago by Vanessa
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great help
This was recommended to me by my specialist counsellor and looks to be just what I need to help heal. I have not yet completed the book but am impressed with what I have read. Read more
Published 18 days ago by kaytee
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent grounding in cft
Very accessible way to be introduced to a relatively new idea of helping people cope with high levels if shame and guilt. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ctsunshine
5.0 out of 5 stars
Learn to love yourself & the rest will follow !
I have heard Prof Gilbert speak on this subject and I can truly say that looking at the world with a compassion focus can change peoples self image , help them recognise and come... Read more
Published 1 month ago by FAFFYTAT
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Compassionate Mind.
This book was strongly recommended to me and to be fair I haven't finished reading it yet but it has been very heavy going so far and rather off-putting.
Published 1 month ago by Alison Bright
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good book, very useful
The book is very rich and very usefull.
A great tool to support our clinical practice. I recommend it a lot.
A great tool to support our clinical practice. I recommend it a lot.
Published 1 month ago by Luis Miguel Simoes
2.0 out of 5 stars
Heavy going!
I very much agree with the review by 'Bookworm'. This book is unnecessarily heavy going. And it's heavy going because the author insists on meandering away from the subject of the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sarasa
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