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 Customer Reviews
I'm in two minds about this , 26 Oct 2008
On the one hand, I didn't really discover anything new by reading this book. Unless this book is literally your first step to getting better, you will probably, on some level, already know everything that's within its pages. But lots of information by itself can be overwhelming and so it's easy to be discouraged about facing up to it. On the other hand, where this book is useful is in breaking down and tackling piece by piece your dysfunctional thinking.
I do also like the IDEA that this book gives you exercises to do so that you are no longer passive in your troubles, but you are active in getting to grips with them. In theory that's good, but in practice I have to admit to skipping over many of them. It's easy to persuade yourself that YOU don't need to do them because you can imagine what they're supposed to teach and you've learned that lesson already -- from another book, your therapist or just because it's so obvious anyway.
These exercises mostly involve filling in tables (like the Thought Record), lists and questionnaires. I particularly liked the Thought Record (which is the central idea and tool of the whole book) and I think I can see myself filling out many of these worksheets as the months go by even if I am not confident that they will produce any lasting benefit. However, doing many of these exercises in this book you do feel a little bit like a baby being spoon-fed. But then again you do probably secretly enjoy it too.
Lastly, it is comforting to be reminded that you are not alone in having psychological problems. So I liked the four or five case histories that the reader follows through the book and through the exercises. You could easily empathise with these people and I saw a little bit of myself in many of their thoughts and their experiences. And I'm also glad that in the epilogue we learn that they all got significantly better. But then again the authors would hardly have picked unresponsive cases to highlight.
very effective self help guide, 07 Jul 2008
This is an excellent book to make you realise how your feelings are determined by your thoughts, and how you can positively influence your mood by changing the way you think. Some self-help books don't deliver because they're too vague but this book is also very practical, with many useful exercises. It's no wonder that many people are so enthusiastic about CBT and talking about it as an alternative to medication. I do not suffer from depression and was always a fairly happy person but this book has taught me how to be happier still. I would also recommended Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now for a slightly different perspective and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It for an invesigation into time and how we can learn to expand time and learn to live in the present.
The old made new, 07 Mar 2008
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition and he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.
Helpful Strategies, 04 Jul 2007
This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions and how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts and feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.
I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns and for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."
12 years on, still using it..., 01 Jul 2007
When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) and agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life and haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, and use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews and public speaking. Brilliant.
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Customer Reviews
I'm in two minds about this , 26 Oct 2008
On the one hand, I didn't really discover anything new by reading this book. Unless this book is literally your first step to getting better, you will probably, on some level, already know everything that's within its pages. But lots of information by itself can be overwhelming and so it's easy to be discouraged about facing up to it. On the other hand, where this book is useful is in breaking down and tackling piece by piece your dysfunctional thinking.
I do also like the IDEA that this book gives you exercises to do so that you are no longer passive in your troubles, but you are active in getting to grips with them. In theory that's good, but in practice I have to admit to skipping over many of them. It's easy to persuade yourself that YOU don't need to do them because you can imagine what they're supposed to teach and you've learned that lesson already -- from another book, your therapist or just because it's so obvious anyway.
These exercises mostly involve filling in tables (like the Thought Record), lists and questionnaires. I particularly liked the Thought Record (which is the central idea and tool of the whole book) and I think I can see myself filling out many of these worksheets as the months go by even if I am not confident that they will produce any lasting benefit. However, doing many of these exercises in this book you do feel a little bit like a baby being spoon-fed. But then again you do probably secretly enjoy it too.
Lastly, it is comforting to be reminded that you are not alone in having psychological problems. So I liked the four or five case histories that the reader follows through the book and through the exercises. You could easily empathise with these people and I saw a little bit of myself in many of their thoughts and their experiences. And I'm also glad that in the epilogue we learn that they all got significantly better. But then again the authors would hardly have picked unresponsive cases to highlight.
very effective self help guide, 07 Jul 2008
This is an excellent book to make you realise how your feelings are determined by your thoughts, and how you can positively influence your mood by changing the way you think. Some self-help books don't deliver because they're too vague but this book is also very practical, with many useful exercises. It's no wonder that many people are so enthusiastic about CBT and talking about it as an alternative to medication. I do not suffer from depression and was always a fairly happy person but this book has taught me how to be happier still. I would also recommended Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now for a slightly different perspective and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It for an invesigation into time and how we can learn to expand time and learn to live in the present.
The old made new, 07 Mar 2008
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition and he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.
Helpful Strategies, 04 Jul 2007
This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions and how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts and feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.
I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns and for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."
12 years on, still using it..., 01 Jul 2007
When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) and agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life and haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, and use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews and public speaking. Brilliant.
Opinion dressed up as science, 21 Oct 2008
Sue Gerhardt's style of argument can be summed up as follows. Some of the people with problem A also have B. One possible explanation for B is C. C might be linked to experiences in early years. Therefore problem A is caused by not being loved enough as a baby. This is used to explain every problem from asthma to unemployment.
Starting with the simple and uncontroversial point that babies who are cared for tend to do better than babies who are not, Sue Gerhardt's obsession with her view of how mothers should behave towards babies distorts everything from then on. She only quotes bits of scientific studies that she can use to support her ideas, ignoring contradictory evidence even if it is in the same studies she quotes. She hardly ever considers any alternative explanation than her own and even on the rare occasions she does raise a doubt, she dismisses it simply because it doesn't fit with her view of the world.
Some scientific studies quoted in the book have only the most tenuous connection to the paragraphs preceding them and seem only to have been included to pad out the references page and create the impression that this book has some basis in science. Her `case studies' sound more like excerpts from trashy novels than scientific studies. I think Sue Gerhardt's approach to proper research is typified by the fact that she feels qualified to make judgements about the families of the killers of James Bulger based on what she had read in the newspapers.
Most people I know who have started this book haven't even been able to finish it because they have been so appalled by the sweeping generalisations, stereotyped views and idiotic conclusions. If you want to read a book about child rearing, read one based on evidence rather than this collection of opinions written by a women who doesn't even appear to understand the science she is quoting.
Why love matters is a conversation starter, 10 Mar 2008
Taking the book with me on the bus or at the Waitrose checkout or at the barbers shop or Sussex University its title attracts attention. In the brief encounters which follow I enjoy speaking to parents whose infants obviously enjoy what's going on with the adults. I'm able to affirm that the love care and attention they give the child in those early years do make a difference and will set her up for life. To older people, and I am elderly, I speak of the 'forgiving space' that Sue Gerhart gives me in which to understand my chequered life. As Kierkegaard said 'Life must be lived foward, but it can only be understood backwards.'
An eye opener, 22 Jan 2008
I'm expecting my first baby in Feb-2008. I was looking for books about babies psychology, it's true that there are many things you know by instinct but many others are part of medical research, also important to consider.
I read the reviews of this book and that made me buy it immediately!. I loved it since the beginning, although it gives lots of technical info in the first chapters,I found it important as well, to understand in depth the rest of the book.
It's a great eye opener for all parents, parents to be, teachers and everyone in general, interested to understand babies and human behaviour... to improve our lives and the lifes of our loved ones.
100% recommended.
Rock solid scientific evidence and easy-to-folllow advice, 20 Dec 2007
The book is great. It presents many scientific data without being boring or worse incomprehensible for lay-people and it gives plenty of good advice. I myself have a four month old son and I have greatly profited from the book. Many parents who come to visit my wife and me find my son sociable, smiling and happy. In my opinion this book is a must for parents and people who work in nurseries and in general with newborns and small children.
Little bit too technical, 04 Sep 2007
I thought this book was good but I found it difficult to read because of all the references to brain chemistry. It is interesting to know how your behaviour towards your baby affects their development, and how it occurs in the brain, but I found there was too much focus on this and not enough focus on how to love your baby in the right way. A lot of people have said it should be a recommended book for all new parents, but I think the 'average' parent would struggle to understand most of the terminology in the book. However, I do feel more knowledgeable now I have read it and will never leave my baby to cry for prolonged periods due to what the book has told me, and now I love my baby as much as I can during the day and I do feel she benefits from it, she is a really happy baby. Perhaps a watered down version of this book should be available to new parents.
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Customer Reviews
I'm in two minds about this , 26 Oct 2008
On the one hand, I didn't really discover anything new by reading this book. Unless this book is literally your first step to getting better, you will probably, on some level, already know everything that's within its pages. But lots of information by itself can be overwhelming and so it's easy to be discouraged about facing up to it. On the other hand, where this book is useful is in breaking down and tackling piece by piece your dysfunctional thinking.
I do also like the IDEA that this book gives you exercises to do so that you are no longer passive in your troubles, but you are active in getting to grips with them. In theory that's good, but in practice I have to admit to skipping over many of them. It's easy to persuade yourself that YOU don't need to do them because you can imagine what they're supposed to teach and you've learned that lesson already -- from another book, your therapist or just because it's so obvious anyway.
These exercises mostly involve filling in tables (like the Thought Record), lists and questionnaires. I particularly liked the Thought Record (which is the central idea and tool of the whole book) and I think I can see myself filling out many of these worksheets as the months go by even if I am not confident that they will produce any lasting benefit. However, doing many of these exercises in this book you do feel a little bit like a baby being spoon-fed. But then again you do probably secretly enjoy it too.
Lastly, it is comforting to be reminded that you are not alone in having psychological problems. So I liked the four or five case histories that the reader follows through the book and through the exercises. You could easily empathise with these people and I saw a little bit of myself in many of their thoughts and their experiences. And I'm also glad that in the epilogue we learn that they all got significantly better. But then again the authors would hardly have picked unresponsive cases to highlight.
very effective self help guide, 07 Jul 2008
This is an excellent book to make you realise how your feelings are determined by your thoughts, and how you can positively influence your mood by changing the way you think. Some self-help books don't deliver because they're too vague but this book is also very practical, with many useful exercises. It's no wonder that many people are so enthusiastic about CBT and talking about it as an alternative to medication. I do not suffer from depression and was always a fairly happy person but this book has taught me how to be happier still. I would also recommended Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now for a slightly different perspective and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It for an invesigation into time and how we can learn to expand time and learn to live in the present.
The old made new, 07 Mar 2008
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition and he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.
Helpful Strategies, 04 Jul 2007
This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions and how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts and feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.
I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns and for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."
12 years on, still using it..., 01 Jul 2007
When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) and agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life and haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, and use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews and public speaking. Brilliant.
Opinion dressed up as science, 21 Oct 2008
Sue Gerhardt's style of argument can be summed up as follows. Some of the people with problem A also have B. One possible explanation for B is C. C might be linked to experiences in early years. Therefore problem A is caused by not being loved enough as a baby. This is used to explain every problem from asthma to unemployment.
Starting with the simple and uncontroversial point that babies who are cared for tend to do better than babies who are not, Sue Gerhardt's obsession with her view of how mothers should behave towards babies distorts everything from then on. She only quotes bits of scientific studies that she can use to support her ideas, ignoring contradictory evidence even if it is in the same studies she quotes. She hardly ever considers any alternative explanation than her own and even on the rare occasions she does raise a doubt, she dismisses it simply because it doesn't fit with her view of the world.
Some scientific studies quoted in the book have only the most tenuous connection to the paragraphs preceding them and seem only to have been included to pad out the references page and create the impression that this book has some basis in science. Her `case studies' sound more like excerpts from trashy novels than scientific studies. I think Sue Gerhardt's approach to proper research is typified by the fact that she feels qualified to make judgements about the families of the killers of James Bulger based on what she had read in the newspapers.
Most people I know who have started this book haven't even been able to finish it because they have been so appalled by the sweeping generalisations, stereotyped views and idiotic conclusions. If you want to read a book about child rearing, read one based on evidence rather than this collection of opinions written by a women who doesn't even appear to understand the science she is quoting.
Why love matters is a conversation starter, 10 Mar 2008
Taking the book with me on the bus or at the Waitrose checkout or at the barbers shop or Sussex University its title attracts attention. In the brief encounters which follow I enjoy speaking to parents whose infants obviously enjoy what's going on with the adults. I'm able to affirm that the love care and attention they give the child in those early years do make a difference and will set her up for life. To older people, and I am elderly, I speak of the 'forgiving space' that Sue Gerhart gives me in which to understand my chequered life. As Kierkegaard said 'Life must be lived foward, but it can only be understood backwards.'
An eye opener, 22 Jan 2008
I'm expecting my first baby in Feb-2008. I was looking for books about babies psychology, it's true that there are many things you know by instinct but many others are part of medical research, also important to consider.
I read the reviews of this book and that made me buy it immediately!. I loved it since the beginning, although it gives lots of technical info in the first chapters,I found it important as well, to understand in depth the rest of the book.
It's a great eye opener for all parents, parents to be, teachers and everyone in general, interested to understand babies and human behaviour... to improve our lives and the lifes of our loved ones.
100% recommended.
Rock solid scientific evidence and easy-to-folllow advice, 20 Dec 2007
The book is great. It presents many scientific data without being boring or worse incomprehensible for lay-people and it gives plenty of good advice. I myself have a four month old son and I have greatly profited from the book. Many parents who come to visit my wife and me find my son sociable, smiling and happy. In my opinion this book is a must for parents and people who work in nurseries and in general with newborns and small children.
Little bit too technical, 04 Sep 2007
I thought this book was good but I found it difficult to read because of all the references to brain chemistry. It is interesting to know how your behaviour towards your baby affects their development, and how it occurs in the brain, but I found there was too much focus on this and not enough focus on how to love your baby in the right way. A lot of people have said it should be a recommended book for all new parents, but I think the 'average' parent would struggle to understand most of the terminology in the book. However, I do feel more knowledgeable now I have read it and will never leave my baby to cry for prolonged periods due to what the book has told me, and now I love my baby as much as I can during the day and I do feel she benefits from it, she is a really happy baby. Perhaps a watered down version of this book should be available to new parents.
not bad... but, 30 Aug 2008
this is a great, well organised textbook... a very good aid to learning. the only problem is, there's a factual mistake on every other page! all anatomy textbooks have mistakes, due to rushing the books through editing, but gray's is especially bad! make sure you buy another book if you want to gain a more accurate knowledge and read about topics from a number of different authors
Henry would have loved it I'm sure!, 03 Jan 2008
This is a very well presented book whose bright colours keep you awake just that little bit longer.
There are idiosyncrasies such as in some places it ventures off in to physiology and forgets the very anatomy that the book is based on but if you are a medical or physio student you will have great fun spotting these and working out what is missing... maybe! Physio students may want to add Levengie & Norkin 'Joint Structure and Function' to it to allow a flawless understanding of the musculoskeletal system.
I have used various anatomy and physiology books and this is by far the best one. This book, when used with Ganong Medical physiology, is the easiest way to achieve great Anat and Phys marks. This book also makes regular and, importantly, relevant references to clinical implications of anatomy to keep the reader focused.
Lost a mark as I would have like to see more biomechanical / joint force info in there.
The key to my success!, 28 Jun 2007
This book is wonderful i cannot praise it enough!
When i started med school i was told to buy clinically orientated anatomy (Moore and Dally) i struggled using this for the whole of my first year, and just before the exams i happened to glance at someone elses copy of Gray's and immediately ran out and bought it.
Topics that had baffled and evaded me all year became clear in an instant- the diagrams are that good! The explanations are more concise and not so waffly. The text is larger, so for me was much less intimidating. I will admit that the text is not as detailed as Moore and Dally, but for me this was a bonus, as i felt it was actually within my grasp, rather than just completely blowing me away!
Finally it is interesting that Birmingham University now reccomend this to their first year medics instead of Moore and Dally which they had used for many years. Also I'm pleased to say that having abandoned Moore and Dally, i aced my second year exams!!!
great for visual learners, 28 Jun 2007
As has been mentioned previously, Gray's Anatomy for Students has amazing illustrations. If you prefer to learn from pictures rather than descriptions this is the anatomy book for you. It very clearly illustrates relationships between structures and has multiple views of each area.
A must have.
Worth every penny!, 03 Feb 2007
I enjoyed this book very much. I am a medical student in Italy, and I used it for my Anatomy part 2 exam. I wish I had discovered it sooner!
Clear, simple, great pictures. I didn't use it alone because it lacks info sometimes, but it was great for understanding (really gorgeous pictures) and reviewing.
I strongly suggest it.
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Customer Reviews
I'm in two minds about this , 26 Oct 2008
On the one hand, I didn't really discover anything new by reading this book. Unless this book is literally your first step to getting better, you will probably, on some level, already know everything that's within its pages. But lots of information by itself can be overwhelming and so it's easy to be discouraged about facing up to it. On the other hand, where this book is useful is in breaking down and tackling piece by piece your dysfunctional thinking.
I do also like the IDEA that this book gives you exercises to do so that you are no longer passive in your troubles, but you are active in getting to grips with them. In theory that's good, but in practice I have to admit to skipping over many of them. It's easy to persuade yourself that YOU don't need to do them because you can imagine what they're supposed to teach and you've learned that lesson already -- from another book, your therapist or just because it's so obvious anyway.
These exercises mostly involve filling in tables (like the Thought Record), lists and questionnaires. I particularly liked the Thought Record (which is the central idea and tool of the whole book) and I think I can see myself filling out many of these worksheets as the months go by even if I am not confident that they will produce any lasting benefit. However, doing many of these exercises in this book you do feel a little bit like a baby being spoon-fed. But then again you do probably secretly enjoy it too.
Lastly, it is comforting to be reminded that you are not alone in having psychological problems. So I liked the four or five case histories that the reader follows through the book and through the exercises. You could easily empathise with these people and I saw a little bit of myself in many of their thoughts and their experiences. And I'm also glad that in the epilogue we learn that they all got significantly better. But then again the authors would hardly have picked unresponsive cases to highlight.
very effective self help guide, 07 Jul 2008
This is an excellent book to make you realise how your feelings are determined by your thoughts, and how you can positively influence your mood by changing the way you think. Some self-help books don't deliver because they're too vague but this book is also very practical, with many useful exercises. It's no wonder that many people are so enthusiastic about CBT and talking about it as an alternative to medication. I do not suffer from depression and was always a fairly happy person but this book has taught me how to be happier still. I would also recommended Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now for a slightly different perspective and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It for an invesigation into time and how we can learn to expand time and learn to live in the present.
The old made new, 07 Mar 2008
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition and he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.
Helpful Strategies, 04 Jul 2007
This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions and how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts and feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.
I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns and for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."
12 years on, still using it..., 01 Jul 2007
When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) and agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life and haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, and use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews and public speaking. Brilliant.
Opinion dressed up as science, 21 Oct 2008
Sue Gerhardt's style of argument can be summed up as follows. Some of the people with problem A also have B. One possible explanation for B is C. C might be linked to experiences in early years. Therefore problem A is caused by not being loved enough as a baby. This is used to explain every problem from asthma to unemployment.
Starting with the simple and uncontroversial point that babies who are cared for tend to do better than babies who are not, Sue Gerhardt's obsession with her view of how mothers should behave towards babies distorts everything from then on. She only quotes bits of scientific studies that she can use to support her ideas, ignoring contradictory evidence even if it is in the same studies she quotes. She hardly ever considers any alternative explanation than her own and even on the rare occasions she does raise a doubt, she dismisses it simply because it doesn't fit with her view of the world.
Some scientific studies quoted in the book have only the most tenuous connection to the paragraphs preceding them and seem only to have been included to pad out the references page and create the impression that this book has some basis in science. Her `case studies' sound more like excerpts from trashy novels than scientific studies. I think Sue Gerhardt's approach to proper research is typified by the fact that she feels qualified to make judgements about the families of the killers of James Bulger based on what she had read in the newspapers.
Most people I know who have started this book haven't even been able to finish it because they have been so appalled by the sweeping generalisations, stereotyped views and idiotic conclusions. If you want to read a book about child rearing, read one based on evidence rather than this collection of opinions written by a women who doesn't even appear to understand the science she is quoting.
Why love matters is a conversation starter, 10 Mar 2008
Taking the book with me on the bus or at the Waitrose checkout or at the barbers shop or Sussex University its title attracts attention. In the brief encounters which follow I enjoy speaking to parents whose infants obviously enjoy what's going on with the adults. I'm able to affirm that the love care and attention they give the child in those early years do make a difference and will set her up for life. To older people, and I am elderly, I speak of the 'forgiving space' that Sue Gerhart gives me in which to understand my chequered life. As Kierkegaard said 'Life must be lived foward, but it can only be understood backwards.'
An eye opener, 22 Jan 2008
I'm expecting my first baby in Feb-2008. I was looking for books about babies psychology, it's true that there are many things you know by instinct but many others are part of medical research, also important to consider.
I read the reviews of this book and that made me buy it immediately!. I loved it since the beginning, although it gives lots of technical info in the first chapters,I found it important as well, to understand in depth the rest of the book.
It's a great eye opener for all parents, parents to be, teachers and everyone in general, interested to understand babies and human behaviour... to improve our lives and the lifes of our loved ones.
100% recommended.
Rock solid scientific evidence and easy-to-folllow advice, 20 Dec 2007
The book is great. It presents many scientific data without being boring or worse incomprehensible for lay-people and it gives plenty of good advice. I myself have a four month old son and I have greatly profited from the book. Many parents who come to visit my wife and me find my son sociable, smiling and happy. In my opinion this book is a must for parents and people who work in nurseries and in general with newborns and small children.
Little bit too technical, 04 Sep 2007
I thought this book was good but I found it difficult to read because of all the references to brain chemistry. It is interesting to know how your behaviour towards your baby affects their development, and how it occurs in the brain, but I found there was too much focus on this and not enough focus on how to love your baby in the right way. A lot of people have said it should be a recommended book for all new parents, but I think the 'average' parent would struggle to understand most of the terminology in the book. However, I do feel more knowledgeable now I have read it and will never leave my baby to cry for prolonged periods due to what the book has told me, and now I love my baby as much as I can during the day and I do feel she benefits from it, she is a really happy baby. Perhaps a watered down version of this book should be available to new parents.
not bad... but, 30 Aug 2008
this is a great, well organised textbook... a very good aid to learning. the only problem is, there's a factual mistake on every other page! all anatomy textbooks have mistakes, due to rushing the books through editing, but gray's is especially bad! make sure you buy another book if you want to gain a more accurate knowledge and read about topics from a number of different authors
Henry would have loved it I'm sure!, 03 Jan 2008
This is a very well presented book whose bright colours keep you awake just that little bit longer.
There are idiosyncrasies such as in some places it ventures off in to physiology and forgets the very anatomy that the book is based on but if you are a medical or physio student you will have great fun spotting these and working out what is missing... maybe! Physio students may want to add Levengie & Norkin 'Joint Structure and Function' to it to allow a flawless understanding of the musculoskeletal system.
I have used various anatomy and physiology books and this is by far the best one. This book, when used with Ganong Medical physiology, is the easiest way to achieve great Anat and Phys marks. This book also makes regular and, importantly, relevant references to clinical implications of anatomy to keep the reader focused.
Lost a mark as I would have like to see more biomechanical / joint force info in there.
The key to my success!, 28 Jun 2007
This book is wonderful i cannot praise it enough!
When i started med school i was told to buy clinically orientated anatomy (Moore and Dally) i struggled using this for the whole of my first year, and just before the exams i happened to glance at someone elses copy of Gray's and immediately ran out and bought it.
Topics that had baffled and evaded me all year became clear in an instant- the diagrams are that good! The explanations are more concise and not so waffly. The text is larger, so for me was much less intimidating. I will admit that the text is not as detailed as Moore and Dally, but for me this was a bonus, as i felt it was actually within my grasp, rather than just completely blowing me away!
Finally it is interesting that Birmingham University now reccomend this to their first year medics instead of Moore and Dally which they had used for many years. Also I'm pleased to say that having abandoned Moore and Dally, i aced my second year exams!!!
great for visual learners, 28 Jun 2007
As has been mentioned previously, Gray's Anatomy for Students has amazing illustrations. If you prefer to learn from pictures rather than descriptions this is the anatomy book for you. It very clearly illustrates relationships between structures and has multiple views of each area.
A must have.
Worth every penny!, 03 Feb 2007
I enjoyed this book very much. I am a medical student in Italy, and I used it for my Anatomy part 2 exam. I wish I had discovered it sooner!
Clear, simple, great pictures. I didn't use it alone because it lacks info sometimes, but it was great for understanding (really gorgeous pictures) and reviewing.
I strongly suggest it.
Dont let the title put you off, 05 Oct 2008
This is a wonderfully honest and open book.The four authors are experts in their respective fields of psychology,psychiatry,psychotherapy and meditation so you know right from the start your in good hands.There are too many books out there written by so called experts that really do more harm then good this however is a breath of fresh air.
You dont have to be depressed to find value in this book in fact the authors recommend steering clear of it if you are suffering with a bout of depression.Read this book when you have some clarity in your mind,try to implement the techniques and maybe a clear mind will become more common.This book will show you how to befriend your feelings even the bad ones and you will look at the breath in a whole new light.The body scan is introduced and also the three minute breathing space and at the end of the book is an eight week mindfulness program that i personally found helpful and intriguing.This book is accompanied by a CD of guided meditations that will prove to be invaluable.This is a must read for anyone interested in mindfulness or looking for some relief from the "black dog".
There is light at the end of the tunnel!!
Simply Fantastic, 24 Sep 2008
Before I start I just have to say that this book is FANTASTIC and is a really exciting step forward in the treatment of depression. At last - a non-drug approach to one of societies most overwhelming problems: Depression.
As a person who has suffered from depression in the past and as a therapist, I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It told me all I needed to know about mindfulness and taught me the process in a very comprehensive yet easy to follow way.
I had read several books on mindfulness by various authors before receiving this book. Compared against the others that I read, I found this one to be the most clear, so even if you do not suffer from depression, but are looking to learn mindfulness, this book could be just what you are looking for. The other bonus with this title is that it is not repetitive like similar titles I have read - it just tells you what you need to know.
Some observations that I would make though are as follows.
1. There were a few spelling and grammar mistakes throughout, however they didn't affect my `reading flow', so this should be an issue.
2. The layout of the separate sections could have been better laid out. It shows you how to follow an 8 week program in the end of the last chapter. I would have liked to seen it laid out so that you read and practice a section at a time rather than learning everything before you start.
3. There is a warning in a couple of places in the book that warn you not to us the program in is entirely now if you are experiencing an episode of clinical depression. This somewhat confused me as the title of the book is `The Mindful Way THROUGH Depression.
4. The book comes with a CD... It was recorded using the voice of one of the authors, Jon Kabat Zinn. The meditation entitled `The Body Scan' seemed a little rushed. As a personal preference, I used an old CD that I had from Jon that was much better quality for me and worked well.
These were the only negative things that I picked up and wanted to include them to make this review as balanced as possible. There were so many things right with this book though that the comments above are small concerns against all the things that you will get out of reading it.
So in conclusion: this book is easy to follow, very inspirational and motivates you to learn mindfulness and overcome your depression. It is simply fantastic.
Warmly,
Richard MacKenzie
Author of Self-Change Hypnosis
wonderful, 07 Jul 2008
This book is an excellent guide to the technique of mindfulness. The principles of mindfulness are essentially very simple but amazingly effective. It's something that we all forget to do, and this book serves as a powerful reminder to bring our attention away from our thoughts and into our experience. The authors are free of academic jargon and are clearly passionate and extremely knowledgeable about the benefits of mindfulness, and the book is clearly not just for people who might be suffering from depression. I recommend it highly along with Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now, and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It, which uses mindfulness as a way of living in the present and becoming free of the future and the past.
The Penny Dropped, 14 Jun 2008
Having suffered depression for 2 years following a particular incident and very bad year this book allowed me to connect my emotional and physical systoms. Explaining in plain english what to do to stop the self turmoil. I am not saying this offers a cure but it certainly offers everyday coping mechanisims that are easy to introduce and stop decline. Highly recommended.
Good Sound Advice, 02 Jun 2008
This book holds advice that will help anyone. The wisdom of the practice of Mindfulness Meditation is the key. I highly recommend it along with 'Sacred Space' by Elizabeth Bailey.
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Customer Reviews
I'm in two minds about this , 26 Oct 2008
On the one hand, I didn't really discover anything new by reading this book. Unless this book is literally your first step to getting better, you will probably, on some level, already know everything that's within its pages. But lots of information by itself can be overwhelming and so it's easy to be discouraged about facing up to it. On the other hand, where this book is useful is in breaking down and tackling piece by piece your dysfunctional thinking.
I do also like the IDEA that this book gives you exercises to do so that you are no longer passive in your troubles, but you are active in getting to grips with them. In theory that's good, but in practice I have to admit to skipping over many of them. It's easy to persuade yourself that YOU don't need to do them because you can imagine what they're supposed to teach and you've learned that lesson already -- from another book, your therapist or just because it's so obvious anyway.
These exercises mostly involve filling in tables (like the Thought Record), lists and questionnaires. I particularly liked the Thought Record (which is the central idea and tool of the whole book) and I think I can see myself filling out many of these worksheets as the months go by even if I am not confident that they will produce any lasting benefit. However, doing many of these exercises in this book you do feel a little bit like a baby being spoon-fed. But then again you do probably secretly enjoy it too.
Lastly, it is comforting to be reminded that you are not alone in having psychological problems. So I liked the four or five case histories that the reader follows through the book and through the exercises. You could easily empathise with these people and I saw a little bit of myself in many of their thoughts and their experiences. And I'm also glad that in the epilogue we learn that they all got significantly better. But then again the authors would hardly have picked unresponsive cases to highlight.
very effective self help guide, 07 Jul 2008
This is an excellent book to make you realise how your feelings are determined by your thoughts, and how you can positively influence your mood by changing the way you think. Some self-help books don't deliver because they're too vague but this book is also very practical, with many useful exercises. It's no wonder that many people are so enthusiastic about CBT and talking about it as an alternative to medication. I do not suffer from depression and was always a fairly happy person but this book has taught me how to be happier still. I would also recommended Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now for a slightly different perspective and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It for an invesigation into time and how we can learn to expand time and learn to live in the present.
The old made new, 07 Mar 2008
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition and he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.
Helpful Strategies, 04 Jul 2007
This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions and how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts and feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.
I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns and for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."
12 years on, still using it..., 01 Jul 2007
When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) and agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life and haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, and use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews and public speaking. Brilliant.
Opinion dressed up as science, 21 Oct 2008
Sue Gerhardt's style of argument can be summed up as follows. Some of the people with problem A also have B. One possible explanation for B is C. C might be linked to experiences in early years. Therefore problem A is caused by not being loved enough as a baby. This is used to explain every problem from asthma to unemployment.
Starting with the simple and uncontroversial point that babies who are cared for tend to do better than babies who are not, Sue Gerhardt's obsession with her view of how mothers should behave towards babies distorts everything from then on. She only quotes bits of scientific studies that she can use to support her ideas, ignoring contradictory evidence even if it is in the same studies she quotes. She hardly ever considers any alternative explanation than her own and even on the rare occasions she does raise a doubt, she dismisses it simply because it doesn't fit with her view of the world.
Some scientific studies quoted in the book have only the most tenuous connection to the paragraphs preceding them and seem only to have been included to pad out the references page and create the impression that this book has some basis in science. Her `case studies' sound more like excerpts from trashy novels than scientific studies. I think Sue Gerhardt's approach to proper research is typified by the fact that she feels qualified to make judgements about the families of the killers of James Bulger based on what she had read in the newspapers.
Most people I know who have started this book haven't even been able to finish it because they have been so appalled by the sweeping generalisations, stereotyped views and idiotic conclusions. If you want to read a book about child rearing, read one based on evidence rather than this collection of opinions written by a women who doesn't even appear to understand the science she is quoting.
Why love matters is a conversation starter, 10 Mar 2008
Taking the book with me on the bus or at the Waitrose checkout or at the barbers shop or Sussex University its title attracts attention. In the brief encounters which follow I enjoy speaking to parents whose infants obviously enjoy what's going on with the adults. I'm able to affirm that the love care and attention they give the child in those early years do make a difference and will set her up for life. To older people, and I am elderly, I speak of the 'forgiving space' that Sue Gerhart gives me in which to understand my chequered life. As Kierkegaard said 'Life must be lived foward, but it can only be understood backwards.'
An eye opener, 22 Jan 2008
I'm expecting my first baby in Feb-2008. I was looking for books about babies psychology, it's true that there are many things you know by instinct but many others are part of medical research, also important to consider.
I read the reviews of this book and that made me buy it immediately!. I loved it since the beginning, although it gives lots of technical info in the first chapters,I found it important as well, to understand in depth the rest of the book.
It's a great eye opener for all parents, parents to be, teachers and everyone in general, interested to understand babies and human behaviour... to improve our lives and the lifes of our loved ones.
100% recommended.
Rock solid scientific evidence and easy-to-folllow advice, 20 Dec 2007
The book is great. It presents many scientific data without being boring or worse incomprehensible for lay-people and it gives plenty of good advice. I myself have a four month old son and I have greatly profited from the book. Many parents who come to visit my wife and me find my son sociable, smiling and happy. In my opinion this book is a must for parents and people who work in nurseries and in general with newborns and small children.
Little bit too technical, 04 Sep 2007
I thought this book was good but I found it difficult to read because of all the references to brain chemistry. It is interesting to know how your behaviour towards your baby affects their development, and how it occurs in the brain, but I found there was too much focus on this and not enough focus on how to love your baby in the right way. A lot of people have said it should be a recommended book for all new parents, but I think the 'average' parent would struggle to understand most of the terminology in the book. However, I do feel more knowledgeable now I have read it and will never leave my baby to cry for prolonged periods due to what the book has told me, and now I love my baby as much as I can during the day and I do feel she benefits from it, she is a really happy baby. Perhaps a watered down version of this book should be available to new parents.
not bad... but, 30 Aug 2008
this is a great, well organised textbook... a very good aid to learning. the only problem is, there's a factual mistake on every other page! all anatomy textbooks have mistakes, due to rushing the books through editing, but gray's is especially bad! make sure you buy another book if you want to gain a more accurate knowledge and read about topics from a number of different authors
Henry would have loved it I'm sure!, 03 Jan 2008
This is a very well presented book whose bright colours keep you awake just that little bit longer.
There are idiosyncrasies such as in some places it ventures off in to physiology and forgets the very anatomy that the book is based on but if you are a medical or physio student you will have great fun spotting these and working out what is missing... maybe! Physio students may want to add Levengie & Norkin 'Joint Structure and Function' to it to allow a flawless understanding of the musculoskeletal system.
I have used various anatomy and physiology books and this is by far the best one. This book, when used with Ganong Medical physiology, is the easiest way to achieve great Anat and Phys marks. This book also makes regular and, importantly, relevant references to clinical implications of anatomy to keep the reader focused.
Lost a mark as I would have like to see more biomechanical / joint force info in there.
The key to my success!, 28 Jun 2007
This book is wonderful i cannot praise it enough!
When i started med school i was told to buy clinically orientated anatomy (Moore and Dally) i struggled using this for the whole of my first year, and just before the exams i happened to glance at someone elses copy of Gray's and immediately ran out and bought it.
Topics that had baffled and evaded me all year became clear in an instant- the diagrams are that good! The explanations are more concise and not so waffly. The text is larger, so for me was much less intimidating. I will admit that the text is not as detailed as Moore and Dally, but for me this was a bonus, as i felt it was actually within my grasp, rather than just completely blowing me away!
Finally it is interesting that Birmingham University now reccomend this to their first year medics instead of Moore and Dally which they had used for many years. Also I'm pleased to say that having abandoned Moore and Dally, i aced my second year exams!!!
great for visual learners, 28 Jun 2007
As has been mentioned previously, Gray's Anatomy for Students has amazing illustrations. If you prefer to learn from pictures rather than descriptions this is the anatomy book for you. It very clearly illustrates relationships between structures and has multiple views of each area.
A must have.
Worth every penny!, 03 Feb 2007
I enjoyed this book very much. I am a medical student in Italy, and I used it for my Anatomy part 2 exam. I wish I had discovered it sooner!
Clear, simple, great pictures. I didn't use it alone because it lacks info sometimes, but it was great for understanding (really gorgeous pictures) and reviewing.
I strongly suggest it.
Dont let the title put you off, 05 Oct 2008
This is a wonderfully honest and open book.The four authors are experts in their respective fields of psychology,psychiatry,psychotherapy and meditation so you know right from the start your in good hands.There are too many books out there written by so called experts that really do more harm then good this however is a breath of fresh air.
You dont have to be depressed to find value in this book in fact the authors recommend steering clear of it if you are suffering with a bout of depression.Read this book when you have some clarity in your mind,try to implement the techniques and maybe a clear mind will become more common.This book will show you how to befriend your feelings even the bad ones and you will look at the breath in a whole new light.The body scan is introduced and also the three minute breathing space and at the end of the book is an eight week mindfulness program that i personally found helpful and intriguing.This book is accompanied by a CD of guided meditations that will prove to be invaluable.This is a must read for anyone interested in mindfulness or looking for some relief from the "black dog".
There is light at the end of the tunnel!!
Simply Fantastic, 24 Sep 2008
Before I start I just have to say that this book is FANTASTIC and is a really exciting step forward in the treatment of depression. At last - a non-drug approach to one of societies most overwhelming problems: Depression.
As a person who has suffered from depression in the past and as a therapist, I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It told me all I needed to know about mindfulness and taught me the process in a very comprehensive yet easy to follow way.
I had read several books on mindfulness by various authors before receiving this book. Compared against the others that I read, I found this one to be the most clear, so even if you do not suffer from depression, but are looking to learn mindfulness, this book could be just what you are looking for. The other bonus with this title is that it is not repetitive like similar titles I have read - it just tells you what you need to know.
Some observations that I would make though are as follows.
1. There were a few spelling and grammar mistakes throughout, however they didn't affect my `reading flow', so this should be an issue.
2. The layout of the separate sections could have been better laid out. It shows you how to follow an 8 week program in the end of the last chapter. I would have liked to seen it laid out so that you read and practice a section at a time rather than learning everything before you start.
3. There is a warning in a couple of places in the book that warn you not to us the program in is entirely now if you are experiencing an episode of clinical depression. This somewhat confused me as the title of the book is `The Mindful Way THROUGH Depression.
4. The book comes with a CD... It was recorded using the voice of one of the authors, Jon Kabat Zinn. The meditation entitled `The Body Scan' seemed a little rushed. As a personal preference, I used an old CD that I had from Jon that was much better quality for me and worked well.
These were the only negative things that I picked up and wanted to include them to make this review as balanced as possible. There were so many things right with this book though that the comments above are small concerns against all the things that you will get out of reading it.
So in conclusion: this book is easy to follow, very inspirational and motivates you to learn mindfulness and overcome your depression. It is simply fantastic.
Warmly,
Richard MacKenzie
Author of Self-Change Hypnosis
wonderful, 07 Jul 2008
This book is an excellent guide to the technique of mindfulness. The principles of mindfulness are essentially very simple but amazingly effective. It's something that we all forget to do, and this book serves as a powerful reminder to bring our attention away from our thoughts and into our experience. The authors are free of academic jargon and are clearly passionate and extremely knowledgeable about the benefits of mindfulness, and the book is clearly not just for people who might be suffering from depression. I recommend it highly along with Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now, and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It, which uses mindfulness as a way of living in the present and becoming free of the future and the past.
The Penny Dropped, 14 Jun 2008
Having suffered depression for 2 years following a particular incident and very bad year this book allowed me to connect my emotional and physical systoms. Explaining in plain english what to do to stop the self turmoil. I am not saying this offers a cure but it certainly offers everyday coping mechanisims that are easy to introduce and stop decline. Highly recommended.
Good Sound Advice, 02 Jun 2008
This book holds advice that will help anyone. The wisdom of the practice of Mindfulness Meditation is the key. I highly recommend it along with 'Sacred Space' by Elizabeth Bailey.
Interesting read, 27 Mar 2008
Fairly well written, and as someone who has no prior background in this field, it was easy to understand and descriptive enough to be interesting. it was not too technical that i got bogged down with terms, unlike some other neurology books i've read.
A little disappointing, 19 Mar 2008
An interesting book though I have to admit I didn't enjoy the writing style. I find Sacks to be overly academic (I'm in the medical field myself) and his use of technical jargon can be somewhat off putting. Unlike the popular work Phantoms of the Brains Sacks seems uninterested in explaining the ideas in scientific terms in any great detail, he instead takes a more anthropological approach and merely details the cases. Whilst the cases themselves are off considerable interest I found his analysis to be lacking. His writing style didn't sit well with me, though this may be more my fault than his, and ultimately I didn't find myself much wiser after having read the book.
The book is still worth reading, however for a non-medical reader I'd recommend the far superior Phantoms of the Brain before approaching this work as it'll help you understand a lot of what Sacks talks about. There were, within the book, one or two cases that viewers of House M.D. would recognise.
A Fascinating Read, 15 Feb 2008
A neurologist, Oliver Sacks, discussed and brought to light the neurological disorders in case by case in this book with an interesting choice of the title: "Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat." This is the first book by Sacks that I have read, and I found his writing style to be quite enjoyable.
Not only that, this book contains an extraordinary collection of cases of individuals with neurological disorders that brings one to understand a bit on how human brain works. While this book was first published in the early 1970s and the understanding of the human brain mechanism has changed and increased since then, I found this book to be very insightful.
Out of all the cases I have read from this book, I found the following cases (or stories) to be of great interest to me: "Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat," "The Man Who Fell Out of Bed," "Witty Ticcy Ray," "Cupid's disease," and "The Autist Artist."
This book is a fascinating read and deeply recommended.
A lovely book, 03 Feb 2008
I first came across Oliver Sacks in a doctor's waiting room. There, lying on the table, was a copy of his first book, "Migraine". Since I suffer from bad headaches, I picked it up and started reading. Thoroughly intrigued by the elegantly written case studies it contained, I asked the doctor if I could borrow it, took it home, and finished it that evening. I then began to notice that Mr. Sacks periodically wrote articles for the New Yorker on strange neurological cases, and every time one came out I read it with delectation. So when I saw Mr. Sack's book "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" at my local bookstore I bought it immediately.
I was not let down. The book is a fascinating compendium of neurological case studies, classified into four parts: Losses, Excesses, Transports, The World of the Simple. Mr. Sacks takes us on a journey through a series of neurological disturbances with extreme effects. Initially, one reads them with appalled fascination, with a feeling of being at the Circus staring at the Bearded Lady or the Elephant Man; I was forcefully reminded of Sylvia Plath's lines in "Lady Lazarus":
The Peanut-crunching crowd
Shoves in to see
Them unwrap me hand in foot --
The big strip tease.
But Oliver Sacks writes soberly and with great compassion about his cases, and drags us away from mere peanut-crunching voyeurism to finally contemplate what the cases tell us about what it means to be us.
Neurology cases at its best, 31 May 2006
Romantic science is the way forward, it has all the classical science terms and names of the deficits as to still keep it factual, but more importantly has the element of human contact and understanding the patients as people. If you read this book you shall see that in some cases of neurology such as autism, that we wouldnt find out their concrete talents and only think of them as hopeless beings, this is evident in allmost all the chapters, to fully appreciate and understand their illnes one must reach them on a humane level. Do you know what proprioception is? to explain it as our sixth sense, which it is, is eye opening itself, and thats only one chapter.
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Customer Reviews
I'm in two minds about this , 26 Oct 2008
On the one hand, I didn't really discover anything new by reading this book. Unless this book is literally your first step to getting better, you will probably, on some level, already know everything that's within its pages. But lots of information by itself can be overwhelming and so it's easy to be discouraged about facing up to it. On the other hand, where this book is useful is in breaking down and tackling piece by piece your dysfunctional thinking.
I do also like the IDEA that this book gives you exercises to do so that you are no longer passive in your troubles, but you are active in getting to grips with them. In theory that's good, but in practice I have to admit to skipping over many of them. It's easy to persuade yourself that YOU don't need to do them because you can imagine what they're supposed to teach and you've learned that lesson already -- from another book, your therapist or just because it's so obvious anyway.
These exercises mostly involve filling in tables (like the Thought Record), lists and questionnaires. I particularly liked the Thought Record (which is the central idea and tool of the whole book) and I think I can see myself filling out many of these worksheets as the months go by even if I am not confident that they will produce any lasting benefit. However, doing many of these exercises in this book you do feel a little bit like a baby being spoon-fed. But then again you do probably secretly enjoy it too.
Lastly, it is comforting to be reminded that you are not alone in having psychological problems. So I liked the four or five case histories that the reader follows through the book and through the exercises. You could easily empathise with these people and I saw a little bit of myself in many of their thoughts and their experiences. And I'm also glad that in the epilogue we learn that they all got significantly better. But then again the authors would hardly have picked unresponsive cases to highlight.
very effective self help guide, 07 Jul 2008
This is an excellent book to make you realise how your feelings are determined by your thoughts, and how you can positively influence your mood by changing the way you think. Some self-help books don't deliver because they're too vague but this book is also very practical, with many useful exercises. It's no wonder that many people are so enthusiastic about CBT and talking about it as an alternative to medication. I do not suffer from depression and was always a fairly happy person but this book has taught me how to be happier still. I would also recommended Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now for a slightly different perspective and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It for an invesigation into time and how we can learn to expand time and learn to live in the present.
The old made new, 07 Mar 2008
I always recommend books on cognitive psychology as they represent the cutting edge of psychotherapy. I also always recommend FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz-he helps us to see the roots of CBT are from the Buddhist tradition and he presents a system that combines CBT in a Buddhist orientation.
Helpful Strategies, 04 Jul 2007
This book offers many helpful cognitive therapy strategies to overcome mental distortions that lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cognitive therapy looks at changing thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings. Once you gain an understanding of your own distortions and how they contribute to your feeling down or anxious, you can then creative positive thoughts and feel better about yourself with the helpful cognitive therapy strategies offered in this book.
I highly recommend this book as a practical hands-on book on cognitive therapy. Also try "Feeling Good" by David Burns and for a novel about Logan's struggle with depression, check out "Nexus: A Neo Novel."
12 years on, still using it..., 01 Jul 2007
When I had post-natal depression, OCD (cleaning...) and agoraphobia, my GP referred me to a psychologist. Who sat me down with this book. We worked through it, chapter by chapter. As a medical professional, I was familiar with the concepts, but hadn't been able to see clearly enough to put them into practice for myself. Within 18 months, I was living a full normal life and haven't had a panic attack since. 12 years on, I still refer other people to this book, use it with my own clients, and use the techniques to get me through exams, interviews and public speaking. Brilliant.
Opinion dressed up as science, 21 Oct 2008
Sue Gerhardt's style of argument can be summed up as follows. Some of the people with problem A also have B. One possible explanation for B is C. C might be linked to experiences in early years. Therefore problem A is caused by not being loved enough as a baby. This is used to explain every problem from asthma to unemployment.
Starting with the simple and uncontroversial point that babies who are cared for tend to do better than babies who are not, Sue Gerhardt's obsession with her view of how mothers should behave towards babies distorts everything from then on. She only quotes bits of scientific studies that she can use to support her ideas, ignoring contradictory evidence even if it is in the same studies she quotes. She hardly ever considers any alternative explanation than her own and even on the rare occasions she does raise a doubt, she dismisses it simply because it doesn't fit with her view of the world.
Some scientific studies quoted in the book have only the most tenuous connection to the paragraphs preceding them and seem only to have been included to pad out the references page and create the impression that this book has some basis in science. Her `case studies' sound more like excerpts from trashy novels than scientific studies. I think Sue Gerhardt's approach to proper research is typified by the fact that she feels qualified to make judgements about the families of the killers of James Bulger based on what she had read in the newspapers.
Most people I know who have started this book haven't even been able to finish it because they have been so appalled by the sweeping generalisations, stereotyped views and idiotic conclusions. If you want to read a book about child rearing, read one based on evidence rather than this collection of opinions written by a women who doesn't even appear to understand the science she is quoting.
Why love matters is a conversation starter, 10 Mar 2008
Taking the book with me on the bus or at the Waitrose checkout or at the barbers shop or Sussex University its title attracts attention. In the brief encounters which follow I enjoy speaking to parents whose infants obviously enjoy what's going on with the adults. I'm able to affirm that the love care and attention they give the child in those early years do make a difference and will set her up for life. To older people, and I am elderly, I speak of the 'forgiving space' that Sue Gerhart gives me in which to understand my chequered life. As Kierkegaard said 'Life must be lived foward, but it can only be understood backwards.'
An eye opener, 22 Jan 2008
I'm expecting my first baby in Feb-2008. I was looking for books about babies psychology, it's true that there are many things you know by instinct but many others are part of medical research, also important to consider.
I read the reviews of this book and that made me buy it immediately!. I loved it since the beginning, although it gives lots of technical info in the first chapters,I found it important as well, to understand in depth the rest of the book.
It's a great eye opener for all parents, parents to be, teachers and everyone in general, interested to understand babies and human behaviour... to improve our lives and the lifes of our loved ones.
100% recommended.
Rock solid scientific evidence and easy-to-folllow advice, 20 Dec 2007
The book is great. It presents many scientific data without being boring or worse incomprehensible for lay-people and it gives plenty of good advice. I myself have a four month old son and I have greatly profited from the book. Many parents who come to visit my wife and me find my son sociable, smiling and happy. In my opinion this book is a must for parents and people who work in nurseries and in general with newborns and small children.
Little bit too technical, 04 Sep 2007
I thought this book was good but I found it difficult to read because of all the references to brain chemistry. It is interesting to know how your behaviour towards your baby affects their development, and how it occurs in the brain, but I found there was too much focus on this and not enough focus on how to love your baby in the right way. A lot of people have said it should be a recommended book for all new parents, but I think the 'average' parent would struggle to understand most of the terminology in the book. However, I do feel more knowledgeable now I have read it and will never leave my baby to cry for prolonged periods due to what the book has told me, and now I love my baby as much as I can during the day and I do feel she benefits from it, she is a really happy baby. Perhaps a watered down version of this book should be available to new parents.
not bad... but, 30 Aug 2008
this is a great, well organised textbook... a very good aid to learning. the only problem is, there's a factual mistake on every other page! all anatomy textbooks have mistakes, due to rushing the books through editing, but gray's is especially bad! make sure you buy another book if you want to gain a more accurate knowledge and read about topics from a number of different authors
Henry would have loved it I'm sure!, 03 Jan 2008
This is a very well presented book whose bright colours keep you awake just that little bit longer.
There are idiosyncrasies such as in some places it ventures off in to physiology and forgets the very anatomy that the book is based on but if you are a medical or physio student you will have great fun spotting these and working out what is missing... maybe! Physio students may want to add Levengie & Norkin 'Joint Structure and Function' to it to allow a flawless understanding of the musculoskeletal system.
I have used various anatomy and physiology books and this is by far the best one. This book, when used with Ganong Medical physiology, is the easiest way to achieve great Anat and Phys marks. This book also makes regular and, importantly, relevant references to clinical implications of anatomy to keep the reader focused.
Lost a mark as I would have like to see more biomechanical / joint force info in there.
The key to my success!, 28 Jun 2007
This book is wonderful i cannot praise it enough!
When i started med school i was told to buy clinically orientated anatomy (Moore and Dally) i struggled using this for the whole of my first year, and just before the exams i happened to glance at someone elses copy of Gray's and immediately ran out and bought it.
Topics that had baffled and evaded me all year became clear in an instant- the diagrams are that good! The explanations are more concise and not so waffly. The text is larger, so for me was much less intimidating. I will admit that the text is not as detailed as Moore and Dally, but for me this was a bonus, as i felt it was actually within my grasp, rather than just completely blowing me away!
Finally it is interesting that Birmingham University now reccomend this to their first year medics instead of Moore and Dally which they had used for many years. Also I'm pleased to say that having abandoned Moore and Dally, i aced my second year exams!!!
great for visual learners, 28 Jun 2007
As has been mentioned previously, Gray's Anatomy for Students has amazing illustrations. If you prefer to learn from pictures rather than descriptions this is the anatomy book for you. It very clearly illustrates relationships between structures and has multiple views of each area.
A must have.
Worth every penny!, 03 Feb 2007
I enjoyed this book very much. I am a medical student in Italy, and I used it for my Anatomy part 2 exam. I wish I had discovered it sooner!
Clear, simple, great pictures. I didn't use it alone because it lacks info sometimes, but it was great for understanding (really gorgeous pictures) and reviewing.
I strongly suggest it.
Dont let the title put you off, 05 Oct 2008
This is a wonderfully honest and open book.The four authors are experts in their respective fields of psychology,psychiatry,psychotherapy and meditation so you know right from the start your in good hands.There are too many books out there written by so called experts that really do more harm then good this however is a breath of fresh air.
You dont have to be depressed to find value in this book in fact the authors recommend steering clear of it if you are suffering with a bout of depression.Read this book when you have some clarity in your mind,try to implement the techniques and maybe a clear mind will become more common.This book will show you how to befriend your feelings even the bad ones and you will look at the breath in a whole new light.The body scan is introduced and also the three minute breathing space and at the end of the book is an eight week mindfulness program that i personally found helpful and intriguing.This book is accompanied by a CD of guided meditations that will prove to be invaluable.This is a must read for anyone interested in mindfulness or looking for some relief from the "black dog".
There is light at the end of the tunnel!!
Simply Fantastic, 24 Sep 2008
Before I start I just have to say that this book is FANTASTIC and is a really exciting step forward in the treatment of depression. At last - a non-drug approach to one of societies most overwhelming problems: Depression.
As a person who has suffered from depression in the past and as a therapist, I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It told me all I needed to know about mindfulness and taught me the process in a very comprehensive yet easy to follow way.
I had read several books on mindfulness by various authors before receiving this book. Compared against the others that I read, I found this one to be the most clear, so even if you do not suffer from depression, but are looking to learn mindfulness, this book could be just what you are looking for. The other bonus with this title is that it is not repetitive like similar titles I have read - it just tells you what you need to know.
Some observations that I would make though are as follows.
1. There were a few spelling and grammar mistakes throughout, however they didn't affect my `reading flow', so this should be an issue.
2. The layout of the separate sections could have been better laid out. It shows you how to follow an 8 week program in the end of the last chapter. I would have liked to seen it laid out so that you read and practice a section at a time rather than learning everything before you start.
3. There is a warning in a couple of places in the book that warn you not to us the program in is entirely now if you are experiencing an episode of clinical depression. This somewhat confused me as the title of the book is `The Mindful Way THROUGH Depression.
4. The book comes with a CD... It was recorded using the voice of one of the authors, Jon Kabat Zinn. The meditation entitled `The Body Scan' seemed a little rushed. As a personal preference, I used an old CD that I had from Jon that was much better quality for me and worked well.
These were the only negative things that I picked up and wanted to include them to make this review as balanced as possible. There were so many things right with this book though that the comments above are small concerns against all the things that you will get out of reading it.
So in conclusion: this book is easy to follow, very inspirational and motivates you to learn mindfulness and overcome your depression. It is simply fantastic.
Warmly,
Richard MacKenzie
Author of Self-Change Hypnosis
wonderful, 07 Jul 2008
This book is an excellent guide to the technique of mindfulness. The principles of mindfulness are essentially very simple but amazingly effective. It's something that we all forget to do, and this book serves as a powerful reminder to bring our attention away from our thoughts and into our experience. The authors are free of academic jargon and are clearly passionate and extremely knowledgeable about the benefits of mindfulness, and the book is clearly not just for people who might be suffering from depression. I recommend it highly along with Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now, and Steve Taylor's Making Time Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It, which uses mindfulness as a way of living in the present and becoming free of the future and the past.
The Penny Dropped, 14 Jun 2008
Having suffered depression for 2 years following a particular incident and very bad year this book allowed me to connect my emotional and physical systoms. Explaining in plain english what to do to stop the self turmoil. I am not saying this offers a cure but it certainly offers everyday coping mechanisims that are easy to introduce and stop decline. Highly recommended.
Good Sound Advice, 02 Jun 2008
This book holds advice that will help anyone. The wisdom of the practice of Mindfulness Meditation is the key. I highly recommend it along with 'Sacred Space' by Elizabeth Bailey.
Interesting read, 27 Mar 2008
Fairly well written, and as someone who has no prior background in this field, it was easy to understand and descriptive enough to be interesting. it was not too technical that i got bogged down with terms, unlike some other neurology books i've read.
A little disappointing, 19 Mar 2008
An interesting book though I have to admit I didn't enjoy the writing style. I find Sacks to be overly academic (I'm in the medical field myself) and his use of technical jargon can be somewhat off putting. Unlike the popular work Phantoms of the Brains Sacks seems uninterested in explaining the ideas in scientific terms in any great detail, he instead takes a more anthropological approach and merely details the cases. Whilst the cases themselves are off considerable interest I found his analysis to be lacking. His writing style didn't sit well with me, though this may be more my fault than his, and ultimately I didn't find myself much wiser after having read the book.
The book is still worth reading, however for a non-medical reader I'd recommend the far superior Phantoms of the Brain before approaching this work as it'll help you understand a lot of what Sacks talks about. There were, within the book, one or two cases that viewers of House M.D. would recognise.
A Fascinating Read, 15 Feb 2008
A neurologist, Oliver Sacks, discussed and brought to light the neurological disorders in case by case in this book with an interesting choice of the title: "Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat." This is the first book by Sacks that I have read, and I found his writing style to be quite enjoyable.
Not only that, this book contains an extraordinary collection of cases of individuals with neurological disorders that brings one to understand a bit on how human brain works. While this book was first published in the early 1970s and the understanding of the human brain mechanism has changed and increased since then, I found this book to be very insightful.
Out of all the cases I have read from this book, I found the following cases (or stories) to be of great interest to me: "Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat," "The Man Who Fell Out of Bed," "Witty Ticcy Ray," "Cupid's disease," and "The Autist Artist."
This book is a fascinating read and deeply recommended.
A lovely book, 03 Feb 2008
I first came across Oliver Sacks in a doctor's waiting room. There, lying on the table, was a copy of his first book, "Migraine". Since I suffer from bad headaches, I picked it up and started reading. Thoroughly intrigued by the elegantly written case studies it contained, I asked the doctor if I could borrow it, took it home, and finished it that evening. I then began to notice that Mr. Sacks periodically wrote articles for the New Yorker on strange neurological cases, and every time one came out I read it with delectation. So when I saw Mr. Sack's book "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" at my local bookstore I bought it immediately.
I was not let down. The book is a fascinating compendium of neurological case studies, classified into four parts: Losses, Excesses, Transports, The World of the Simple. Mr. Sacks takes us on a journey through a series of neurological disturbances with extreme effects. Initially, one reads them with appalled fascination, with a feeling of being at the Circus staring at the Bearded Lady or the Elephant Man; I was forcefully reminded of Sylvia Plath's lines in "Lady Lazarus":
The Peanut-crunching crowd
Shoves in to see
Them unwrap me hand in foot --
The big strip tease.
But Oliver Sacks writes soberly and with great compassion about his cases, and drags us away from mere peanut-crunching voyeurism to finally contemplate what the cases tell us about what it means to be us.
Neurology cases at its best, 31 May 2006
Romantic science is the way forward, it has all the classical science terms and names of the deficits as to still keep it factual, but more importantly has the element of human contact and understanding the patients as people. If you read this book you shall see that in some cases of neurology such as autism, that we wouldnt find out their concrete talents and only think of them as hopeless beings, this is evident in allmost all the chapters, to fully appreciate and understand their illnes one must reach them on a humane level. Do you know what proprioception is? to explain it as our sixth sense, which it is, is eye opening itself, and thats only one chapter.
Indispensable, 09 May 2008
Have had every edition and I still carry a copy in my bag. Anyone doing acute takes who thinks they don't need to reflect on some aspects of some cases will come to grief. I am reassured when I see junior docs carrying a well worn copy.
Brilliant , 05 Feb 2008
This new book is even better than the 6th edition as its tiny! Meaning it's even easier to put in your bag/pocket and delve into on ward rounds/acute takes when your unsure of diagnosis/what to do next!
possible, THE best medical book out there...of all time, 02 Jan 2008
Guys, and gals, this book doesn't even need an introduction. Being only a 2nd year medic, I thought I'd get this now for later usuage, but it really has helped me out so much already. From the handy revision of essential anatomy and physiology for key conditions, to the layout, including advice on OSCEs, emergencies and much more, this book truly is a life saver, and should be given to every 1st year medical student, as it will benefit them for the rest of their career. What are you waiting for, buy it now, and lap it up!! Invaluable!!
Must have for med students!!, 30 Dec 2007
This book covers all areas of internal medicine and surgery in a clear concise way and whats more is that its easy to carry around when your on the wards. This book covers everything from aetiology, epidemiology, clinical features through to the necessary investigations and management of varying conditions. I dont actually know a medical student who doesn't own it!
Perfect for medical students for several reasons:
- Easy to carry
- Includes medical pneumonics (they make its so much easier to remember)
- concise - makes a great revision tool to test your clinical partner
- covers such a broad spectrum of topics
- the radiographs, CT images, MRI section is definately worth a read!!
- it contains evidence-based medicine with easy links to websites
...could it be any better??
The best ever, a must have, 28 Jul 2007
This 7th edition of OHCM, while retaining the much loved concise and essence of the previous editions has been greatly revised, improved and updated. It contains a new chapter on radiology, new information on how to handle common calls and a wider coverage of medications and doses, clinical skills and surgery. The best feature has to be the integrated colour illustrations with pictures and cartoons; and tons of radiographs, CT images, MR1 images etc. The layout is very reader friendly. This is an invaluable study aid for plab and all medical exams. It also has a PDA version, and web links from the book for instant access to evidence based clinical information. This is a must have and if you have a previous edition it is worth the upgrade.
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