I was recommended this book by a clinical hypnotherapist whom I've been seeing for treatment of a phobia, as well as counselling for generalised anxiety following a lot of personal change.
Reading the reviews on Amazon, I was a little sceptical at the number of positive reviews posted by people who seem to know the Speakmans personally. And I should also admit I generally find these sorts of 'postive thinking' books utterly nauseating.
Nevertheless, encouraged by the hypnotherapist's recommendation, I went ahead and ordered it. (He's also an NHS GP, so has a little more credibility than most self-appointed self-help gurus with their tinternet PhDs ).
And my, what a revelation! I am almost embarrassed to admit that I'm a sceptic no more.
The early signs are not good.
The book is full of annoying feelgood quotes (many of them misattributed or, even worse, self-referential), cheesy photos of the Speakmans and their deeply naff 'successful lifestyle', and probably the very worst typography and graphic design you've ever seen. Lose a star for this, Speakmans, particularly given your chapter on self-presentation.
But the content is just, well, "fantastic". There are some touching case studies, and a whole host of great tips and techniques (all NLP and CBT inspired, hence the hypnotherapist's recommendation), all explained in the clearest, most easy-to-follow language you can imagine.
And remarkably, they seem to work.
I've been following some of the anxiety techniques for a week now and I'm frankly amazed at how effective they can be.
The book also offers some 'lifecoaching', and some basic diet and lifestyle advice.
You may find this useful; I ignored it. I'm not at all convinced of the science behind, say, the Speakmans' advocacy of the blood-type diet, daily wheatgrass, avoidance of dairy and so on, or their qualifications to make such recommendations. However, I have friends who swear by such regimes, and as they're among the fittest people I know, I'm now keeping an open mind, particularly since my initial cynicism has been proven so wrong in this case.
If you're suffering from low-level anxiety, phobias, fears, or just dissatisfaction with your life and work, this book is a great basic roadmap. Buy it and Paul McKenna's 'Change Your Life in 7 Days', do the exercises in both books regularly, and you will soon be well on your way to being much, much happier. And a great deal less cynical.