This book can be summed up in one word: practical. While most self-help books are heavy on the aspiration, 'What's Stopping You?' is a no-nonsense guide to acknowledging, understanding and overcoming fears, especially the fear of failure. Robert Kelsey doesn't promote complete banishment of fears, nor does he promise happiness or spiritual enlightenment. By understanding the reasons for the often-paralysing fear of failure, Kelsey contends, we can short-circuit it and channel our energy towards effective goal-setting, after which we can make incremental - and measurable - progress towards these goals. The techniques described are scientifically sound, their roots straddling psychotherapy, psychology and motivational theory without veering off into NLP/hypnosis territory (which Kelsey considers a form of delusion). The book's advice on time management and people skills is also excellent. My only criticism is of Kelsey's sweeping statements in relation to people's hard-wiring being unchangeable. This is by no means an unmalleable truth: radical changes have occurred in many people's 'default' settings, often as the result of intense psychotherapy, trauma or sheer force of will.
For procrastinators, business people at all levels, blocked artists or those who feel that they aren't achieving their potential, this book is a godsend. Or if you just fancy a motivational kick up the backside, 'What's Stopping You?' is just the literature to do it.