Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out (Paperback)

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Review
Dr Phil McGraw, known as 'Dr Tell-It-Like-It-Is' on Oprah Winfrey's Change Your Life show discusses self-esteem with a whole new positive approach, proposing a plan to become your best self rather than using low self esteem as a crutch. It is time to say goodbye to the nagging fears that keep so many of us from fulfilling our potential and see how endless our possibilities are.

Sigmund Freud eventually concluded that human life is more to be endured than enjoyed, but that is not the attitude borne on the tide of relentlessly cheerful self-help books. Like others of its ilk, this one urges us to live by design, breaking free of the past events and encounters which shackle us in a perpetual victimhood. 'Dr Phil', who is 'known to millions' thanks to his appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show, counteracts negativity and excuses for failure with folksy anecdotes, stern admonitions and the glowing offer of hope. Habitual consumers of manuals for the reinvention of the self will find nothing original or startling here, though the reader new to the genre may as well commence with this as with anything else, since this volume is entirely typical, though less poetic than some. In the main, the book consists of laborious explanations of the obvious, e.g. someone whose face is burned and scarred 'will tell you that it changes how they feel about their inadequacy. They become far more uncertain about going out into the world. In other words, the same disfigurement they suffer physically has also affected their psyche.' It also includes exercises, usually ones which require the making of lists with such headings as Ten Defining Moments, Seven Critical Choices and Five Pivotal People. The rationale for the specific numbers is not revealed, but it is at these points that the book becomes potentially useful, since reviewing those events, decisions and encounters which have had the most powerful effects upon us is a sensible way of tracing the patterns of our lives. Some readers may question the concept of the 'authentic self' which exists untouched by experience, while others will take it as the definition of the soul. Again, acting on the recognition with inner passion may be viewed as regressive utopian folly, or as an essential stage in continuing self-development, depending on one's persepective. Certainly, according to the book jacket, the techniques he advocates have worked for Dr Phil, who now runs a consultancy specializing in 'high-profile' litigation cases, as well as seminars on life skills. (Kirkus UK)

Product Description
From the bestselling author of Life Strategies and Relationship Rescue comes a new title on self and self esteem. All of a sudden, while in the middle of conducting a therapy session, the psychologist thought to himself: 'Has anybody noticed that this crap doesn't work?' He looked at the couple in front of him and realised that what he was telling them about the 'nature of relationships' wasn't going to help them at all. The psychologist decided then and there to throw away the textbook theories, stop dispensing ineffectual advice and to 'get real'. Fifteen years later, the psychologist, Dr Phil, has two bestsellers under his belt and has helped hundreds of thousands of people to change their lives for the better. Now he tackles the issue of self esteem which he considers to be one of the greatest problems affecting people today. All too frequently we use it as a crutch, not a quality. In Self Matters, he takes a straight shot at this favourite excuse of low self esteem, proposing a new plan; a new way to become your best self. It is time to say goodbye to the nagging fears that keep so many of us from fulfilling our potential. With his new programme, Dr Phil will show people how to get in the game and how to make self esteem about one's possibilities, not one's problems.

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8 Reviews 5 star:  (4) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 3.8 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   20 of 20 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Does not get any better than this, 29 Jul 2005 By  "scottydunleevy" - See all my reviews This review is from: Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out (Paperback) I am a big collector of self help books but this one has probably influenced me more than any other. Dr Phil is so straight to the point, without any jargon to confuse you. He gives you good examples from his own life and gives you good advice to complete the exercises. Once you have completed the exercises you will have a clear focus of who you are and why you think the way you do. This book is simply brilliant, straight forward, easy to read and incredibly useful so if you feel you need to get your life together, this the best place to start Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   29 of 31 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Helped me get my head together, 28 Oct 2004 By A Customer This review is from: Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out (Paperback) At the risk of sounding like one of those gushy 'oh!, it saved my life'-types, I really can't rate this book highly enough. By reading it and working through the self-analysis exercises it contains, I managed to find events in my past that have shaped my life up to the present day. The book works by making you consider the impact of those events and then deal with the negative element of them. If you feel that your life is a bit off the rails, I hope you get some of the benefits I have experienced should you choose to get this book. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   27 of 36 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A no nonsense approach that works, 4 Jan 2002 By A Customer This review is from: Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out (Hardcover) This works, so many books on this topic are marginal, this one - every page delivers, you can feel the changes, and ive tried most other books, i reccomend it thanks Dr Phil. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 8 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 2.0 out of 5 stars An Important Subject Badly Handled Caution: This book contains many coarse words rarely found in self-help books, which are unnecessary to the main message and only serve to create cheap shocks to get readers'... Read more Published on 15 Jul 2004 by Professor Donald Mitchell 1.0 out of 5 stars You've got a lot to answer for, Stephen Covey Ever since the phenomenal sales of Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of somebody or other", self-development books have been swamped with numbers. Read more Published on 18 Sep 2003 by Karl 4.0 out of 5 stars Worked for me Dr Phil writes like he talks and the book makes a good read even if you don't have the massive amount of time spare that you would need if you were to do all the exercises. Read more Published on 30 Jun 2003 by M.S.45 3.0 out of 5 stars Oh, Dr McGraw, what can we do...? Dr McGraw is obviously an excellent teacher and a good public performer and clearly well versed in his subject, but, when it comes to putting his thoughts in writing then his... Read more Published on 10 April 2003 by Robert Park 5.0 out of 5 stars Step by step to getting better from illness The doctor elegantly saw through me and my deficiency and after seeing him on his friends tv show,(ophra winfrey) i decided i would put my trust in this mans hands. Read more Published on 16 Mar 2002 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 8 customer reviews...

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