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*Amazon: £8.25
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 Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
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Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
Literally Saved my life!!, 03 Nov 2008
Before i purchased this book i was suffering from the most horrendous anxiety attacks and what i now know as depression.I was going to see a councilor to help me work through my problems but i found this no help.I was utterly desperate and then my GP recommended this book.By this time i was so bad i could barely leave the house.I was feeling so low taking my life seemed the only option then i discovered this book and it has literally saved my life.I am more positive i think more rationally and have a much more positive outlook on life.Please please if your feeling as desperate as i did just give this book a go what do you have to lose 10 pounds?Let this book help you on a new and more positive journey through your new and better life!
the best approach to solving life issues, 07 Mar 2008
The cognitive approach to the mind is by far the most empirically sound way to deal with emotional problems. This book helps us to understand the science behind the method. I would only add the book FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz as a companion. Stultz shows us the ancient roots of CBT in Eastern wisdom and offers and updated system that incorporates the best of Buddhist insight and Western technique.
Stop ruminating , start living , 18 Feb 2008
I know nothing about clinical depression but it is much bandied about. We all feel down from time to time and I am sure there are are those amongst us who hide behind this so as to wallow in their own self pity.
The most common thing you can do and I see it in both myself and other is ruminative thinking. That is allowing things to go round and round in your head. I see it with people who will not make a decision for fear of making the wrong decision. They defend this behaviour because they think by taking no decision they will not make another mistake.
It was the most important lesson from this book. Do not indulge in ruminative thinking.
Fill your life up with things to do so that you do not have time to keep thinking about all your problems .
I also liked the section of spotting errors in your thinking . It is easy to think somehow you are being a realist by accepting current cynical opinions such as turning molehills into mountains, overgeneralising and not thinking efficiently .
For the last few years I have had a set of goals in both my private and business life. It gives me plenty to do and stops me ruminating about my past " failures".
Also I try and practice mindfulness from meditation whereby you live in the moment and experience what you are doing right now.It is a form of concentration and can take you mind off the past and the future. dealing with the present is a full time occupation
A very good informative book on what could be a complicated subject. A must read who want to change their lives.
Excellent, 22 Nov 2007
This book is based on the NLP principles that work so excellently in "The Ultimate Guide To Cosmic Ordering, Empower Your Destiny: Take Control of Your Life" by Andronicos Andronicou. I found it to be full of insight. It is written with clarity and simplicity. I believe it to be a must have if you want to change your life.
An excellent self-help book, 08 Nov 2007
I cannot commend this book highly enough, speaking as someone who has benefitted greatly from the common sense approach of CBT described in this book. It is written in an easy to understand manner and I felt immediate benefits from reading this book. CBT won't change your life overnight but if you are prepared to put in the effort then I have found that my life is changing for the better. Old, negative ways of thinking, which I had believed would never change, have been replaced with a more positive attitude and outlook.
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Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
Literally Saved my life!!, 03 Nov 2008
Before i purchased this book i was suffering from the most horrendous anxiety attacks and what i now know as depression.I was going to see a councilor to help me work through my problems but i found this no help.I was utterly desperate and then my GP recommended this book.By this time i was so bad i could barely leave the house.I was feeling so low taking my life seemed the only option then i discovered this book and it has literally saved my life.I am more positive i think more rationally and have a much more positive outlook on life.Please please if your feeling as desperate as i did just give this book a go what do you have to lose 10 pounds?Let this book help you on a new and more positive journey through your new and better life!
the best approach to solving life issues, 07 Mar 2008
The cognitive approach to the mind is by far the most empirically sound way to deal with emotional problems. This book helps us to understand the science behind the method. I would only add the book FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz as a companion. Stultz shows us the ancient roots of CBT in Eastern wisdom and offers and updated system that incorporates the best of Buddhist insight and Western technique.
Stop ruminating , start living , 18 Feb 2008
I know nothing about clinical depression but it is much bandied about. We all feel down from time to time and I am sure there are are those amongst us who hide behind this so as to wallow in their own self pity.
The most common thing you can do and I see it in both myself and other is ruminative thinking. That is allowing things to go round and round in your head. I see it with people who will not make a decision for fear of making the wrong decision. They defend this behaviour because they think by taking no decision they will not make another mistake.
It was the most important lesson from this book. Do not indulge in ruminative thinking.
Fill your life up with things to do so that you do not have time to keep thinking about all your problems .
I also liked the section of spotting errors in your thinking . It is easy to think somehow you are being a realist by accepting current cynical opinions such as turning molehills into mountains, overgeneralising and not thinking efficiently .
For the last few years I have had a set of goals in both my private and business life. It gives me plenty to do and stops me ruminating about my past " failures".
Also I try and practice mindfulness from meditation whereby you live in the moment and experience what you are doing right now.It is a form of concentration and can take you mind off the past and the future. dealing with the present is a full time occupation
A very good informative book on what could be a complicated subject. A must read who want to change their lives.
Excellent, 22 Nov 2007
This book is based on the NLP principles that work so excellently in "The Ultimate Guide To Cosmic Ordering, Empower Your Destiny: Take Control of Your Life" by Andronicos Andronicou. I found it to be full of insight. It is written with clarity and simplicity. I believe it to be a must have if you want to change your life.
An excellent self-help book, 08 Nov 2007
I cannot commend this book highly enough, speaking as someone who has benefitted greatly from the common sense approach of CBT described in this book. It is written in an easy to understand manner and I felt immediate benefits from reading this book. CBT won't change your life overnight but if you are prepared to put in the effort then I have found that my life is changing for the better. Old, negative ways of thinking, which I had believed would never change, have been replaced with a more positive attitude and outlook.
A useful study resource on theorists and their influence, 25 Oct 2008
A clear and well set out book detailing approximately 20 theorists who have had influences in the way we approach early years education.
I would normally dip in and out of text books but this one I was happy to read as it's set out in such a undemanding and informative way.
The book is set out with headings about each theorist's;
- Life and upbringing
- Books and writing
- Their theory
- How those theories have been put into practise and their influence
The author also critiques the theories and provides web sites and books to find out more about each one.
Whilst it's definitely a useful book and one I've found interesting, I had hoped to find some information on Maslow, Rogers or Kelly so was slightly disappointed they weren't mentioned.
Essential at any level, 11 Feb 2008
Great book, great for all levels - good mix of theorists, excellent links to more information. Good links to those who oppose the theorists cited and why - would recommend as a good basic book for any level of learning
essential for child related degree, 16 Nov 2007
I'm doing an early years degree and this book provides lots of basic, vital info about theorists. Well worth the money & easy to read with lots of visual info too.
Excellent Book, 26 Oct 2007
Really helped give me a basic outline of each theorists life and studies. Has been my bible for my foundation degree in early years
excellent for nvq3 childcare, 21 Oct 2007
very easy to read and understand making it ideal for nvq3 childcare a must! great!!
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Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
Literally Saved my life!!, 03 Nov 2008
Before i purchased this book i was suffering from the most horrendous anxiety attacks and what i now know as depression.I was going to see a councilor to help me work through my problems but i found this no help.I was utterly desperate and then my GP recommended this book.By this time i was so bad i could barely leave the house.I was feeling so low taking my life seemed the only option then i discovered this book and it has literally saved my life.I am more positive i think more rationally and have a much more positive outlook on life.Please please if your feeling as desperate as i did just give this book a go what do you have to lose 10 pounds?Let this book help you on a new and more positive journey through your new and better life!
the best approach to solving life issues, 07 Mar 2008
The cognitive approach to the mind is by far the most empirically sound way to deal with emotional problems. This book helps us to understand the science behind the method. I would only add the book FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz as a companion. Stultz shows us the ancient roots of CBT in Eastern wisdom and offers and updated system that incorporates the best of Buddhist insight and Western technique.
Stop ruminating , start living , 18 Feb 2008
I know nothing about clinical depression but it is much bandied about. We all feel down from time to time and I am sure there are are those amongst us who hide behind this so as to wallow in their own self pity.
The most common thing you can do and I see it in both myself and other is ruminative thinking. That is allowing things to go round and round in your head. I see it with people who will not make a decision for fear of making the wrong decision. They defend this behaviour because they think by taking no decision they will not make another mistake.
It was the most important lesson from this book. Do not indulge in ruminative thinking.
Fill your life up with things to do so that you do not have time to keep thinking about all your problems .
I also liked the section of spotting errors in your thinking . It is easy to think somehow you are being a realist by accepting current cynical opinions such as turning molehills into mountains, overgeneralising and not thinking efficiently .
For the last few years I have had a set of goals in both my private and business life. It gives me plenty to do and stops me ruminating about my past " failures".
Also I try and practice mindfulness from meditation whereby you live in the moment and experience what you are doing right now.It is a form of concentration and can take you mind off the past and the future. dealing with the present is a full time occupation
A very good informative book on what could be a complicated subject. A must read who want to change their lives.
Excellent, 22 Nov 2007
This book is based on the NLP principles that work so excellently in "The Ultimate Guide To Cosmic Ordering, Empower Your Destiny: Take Control of Your Life" by Andronicos Andronicou. I found it to be full of insight. It is written with clarity and simplicity. I believe it to be a must have if you want to change your life.
An excellent self-help book, 08 Nov 2007
I cannot commend this book highly enough, speaking as someone who has benefitted greatly from the common sense approach of CBT described in this book. It is written in an easy to understand manner and I felt immediate benefits from reading this book. CBT won't change your life overnight but if you are prepared to put in the effort then I have found that my life is changing for the better. Old, negative ways of thinking, which I had believed would never change, have been replaced with a more positive attitude and outlook.
A useful study resource on theorists and their influence, 25 Oct 2008
A clear and well set out book detailing approximately 20 theorists who have had influences in the way we approach early years education.
I would normally dip in and out of text books but this one I was happy to read as it's set out in such a undemanding and informative way.
The book is set out with headings about each theorist's;
- Life and upbringing
- Books and writing
- Their theory
- How those theories have been put into practise and their influence
The author also critiques the theories and provides web sites and books to find out more about each one.
Whilst it's definitely a useful book and one I've found interesting, I had hoped to find some information on Maslow, Rogers or Kelly so was slightly disappointed they weren't mentioned.
Essential at any level, 11 Feb 2008
Great book, great for all levels - good mix of theorists, excellent links to more information. Good links to those who oppose the theorists cited and why - would recommend as a good basic book for any level of learning
essential for child related degree, 16 Nov 2007
I'm doing an early years degree and this book provides lots of basic, vital info about theorists. Well worth the money & easy to read with lots of visual info too.
Excellent Book, 26 Oct 2007
Really helped give me a basic outline of each theorists life and studies. Has been my bible for my foundation degree in early years
excellent for nvq3 childcare, 21 Oct 2007
very easy to read and understand making it ideal for nvq3 childcare a must! great!!
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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The Selfish Gene
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £3.76
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Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
Literally Saved my life!!, 03 Nov 2008
Before i purchased this book i was suffering from the most horrendous anxiety attacks and what i now know as depression.I was going to see a councilor to help me work through my problems but i found this no help.I was utterly desperate and then my GP recommended this book.By this time i was so bad i could barely leave the house.I was feeling so low taking my life seemed the only option then i discovered this book and it has literally saved my life.I am more positive i think more rationally and have a much more positive outlook on life.Please please if your feeling as desperate as i did just give this book a go what do you have to lose 10 pounds?Let this book help you on a new and more positive journey through your new and better life!
the best approach to solving life issues, 07 Mar 2008
The cognitive approach to the mind is by far the most empirically sound way to deal with emotional problems. This book helps us to understand the science behind the method. I would only add the book FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz as a companion. Stultz shows us the ancient roots of CBT in Eastern wisdom and offers and updated system that incorporates the best of Buddhist insight and Western technique.
Stop ruminating , start living , 18 Feb 2008
I know nothing about clinical depression but it is much bandied about. We all feel down from time to time and I am sure there are are those amongst us who hide behind this so as to wallow in their own self pity.
The most common thing you can do and I see it in both myself and other is ruminative thinking. That is allowing things to go round and round in your head. I see it with people who will not make a decision for fear of making the wrong decision. They defend this behaviour because they think by taking no decision they will not make another mistake.
It was the most important lesson from this book. Do not indulge in ruminative thinking.
Fill your life up with things to do so that you do not have time to keep thinking about all your problems .
I also liked the section of spotting errors in your thinking . It is easy to think somehow you are being a realist by accepting current cynical opinions such as turning molehills into mountains, overgeneralising and not thinking efficiently .
For the last few years I have had a set of goals in both my private and business life. It gives me plenty to do and stops me ruminating about my past " failures".
Also I try and practice mindfulness from meditation whereby you live in the moment and experience what you are doing right now.It is a form of concentration and can take you mind off the past and the future. dealing with the present is a full time occupation
A very good informative book on what could be a complicated subject. A must read who want to change their lives.
Excellent, 22 Nov 2007
This book is based on the NLP principles that work so excellently in "The Ultimate Guide To Cosmic Ordering, Empower Your Destiny: Take Control of Your Life" by Andronicos Andronicou. I found it to be full of insight. It is written with clarity and simplicity. I believe it to be a must have if you want to change your life.
An excellent self-help book, 08 Nov 2007
I cannot commend this book highly enough, speaking as someone who has benefitted greatly from the common sense approach of CBT described in this book. It is written in an easy to understand manner and I felt immediate benefits from reading this book. CBT won't change your life overnight but if you are prepared to put in the effort then I have found that my life is changing for the better. Old, negative ways of thinking, which I had believed would never change, have been replaced with a more positive attitude and outlook.
A useful study resource on theorists and their influence, 25 Oct 2008
A clear and well set out book detailing approximately 20 theorists who have had influences in the way we approach early years education.
I would normally dip in and out of text books but this one I was happy to read as it's set out in such a undemanding and informative way.
The book is set out with headings about each theorist's;
- Life and upbringing
- Books and writing
- Their theory
- How those theories have been put into practise and their influence
The author also critiques the theories and provides web sites and books to find out more about each one.
Whilst it's definitely a useful book and one I've found interesting, I had hoped to find some information on Maslow, Rogers or Kelly so was slightly disappointed they weren't mentioned.
Essential at any level, 11 Feb 2008
Great book, great for all levels - good mix of theorists, excellent links to more information. Good links to those who oppose the theorists cited and why - would recommend as a good basic book for any level of learning
essential for child related degree, 16 Nov 2007
I'm doing an early years degree and this book provides lots of basic, vital info about theorists. Well worth the money & easy to read with lots of visual info too.
Excellent Book, 26 Oct 2007
Really helped give me a basic outline of each theorists life and studies. Has been my bible for my foundation degree in early years
excellent for nvq3 childcare, 21 Oct 2007
very easy to read and understand making it ideal for nvq3 childcare a must! great!!
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.
Turns life inside out, 28 Oct 2008
The author writes about living things as if the gene is the animal and the animal is simply a seed for the gene. He basically turns life inside out. It's a powerful mind tool to get a different perspective on life but don't get too carried away with the idea. The whole theory of evolution is valuable in understanding the world but like a lot of science it starts to become too difficult to use. So in conclusion I don't believe that the author has discovered the secret of life, he just has another way of looking at things that you may find useful. It should be one of the books you have read.
jean genie, 05 Oct 2008
Dawkins is excellent while he sticks to biology
however he may have lost the plot in the last chapter
as he has in thinking promoting science involves attacking
religion
If an evangalist is someone who does not leave people to work
it out for themselves but pushes his point of view Dawkins is one
Nutty Baptists and Dawkins looked similar on channel 4 for example
ie they both spin world events too far to promote a point of view
Imaginative guessing, 13 Sep 2008
I have attempted to read Dawkins's books on a few occasions but seldom get beyond the first 100 pages. I simply find his style of writing boring and his theories pure imaginative guesswork; I cannot take this author's ideas onboard yet biology fascinates me and especially that of epigenetics which seems to disprove all that this author advocates. I suspect that there is a snobbery value to those who support him. Irrespective of his academic standing I cannot avoid regarding the author as an imposter as I constantly want to wage war with his views. Admittedly, he comes across publicly as a very plausible academic but, that does not sway me.
Blind theorizing, 27 Jun 2008
Dawkins writes that "the argument of this book is that we, and all other animals, are machines created by our genes" (p.xxi) and that "We are survival machines - robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes" (p.xxi). Yet, according to him, this book "is not science fiction; it is science" (p.xxi)!
Dawkins contrives to overlook the twin discoveries that:
1. the observable traits of organisms are mostly conditioned by the interactions of many genes;
2. most genes have multiple effects on many of these traits.
Dawkins transfers characteristics with which he is familiar from human behaviour on the macro-level to the inanimate components, "genes", of which we are physically constructed. He then proceeds to argue that these impersonal entities, which he imagines to possess characteristically human traits, infallibly generate the same unpleasant traits in human behaviour on the macro-level. So he writes: "The gene is the basic unit of selfishness" (p.36).
The absurdity is evident in that genes or other nonconscious entities cannot be either selfish or unselfish. They cannot "compete" against anything or "choose" anything.
If Dawkins were right, what would be the point of declaring, as he does: "Let us try to *teach* generosity and altruism, because we are born selfish" (p.3)? For if we really were machines, as he believes, even these very concepts would be meaningless to us. And certainly his oratory could have no effect whatever on our actual behaviour.
In fact genes do not force us to behave in any particular way. Neither can they possess the ability to direct or to comprehend all that is required to adopt a course of either heartless selfishness or heartfelt, sacrificial compassion.
The arguments in this review have been challenged by the claim that Dawkins himself answers these charges. His claim is, in effect, that that "the evolution of behavioural reactions or patterns via natural selection" and "control by nonconscious mechanisms" are two vastly different ideas. Also it is said that Dawkins does not deny a freedom of choice as the very last lines in this book itself "celebrate the human ability to make choices that transcend genetic control and instinctive reactions." So it is said that Dawkins "repeatedly draws clear distinctions" to prevent his readers from jumping to the conclusions expressed above.
However, there is a vast difference between asserting that such distinctions exist and actually laying a solid theoretical foundation for such distinctions. To lay the kinds of foundations which Dawkins does and then to go on to insist that these foundations do not lead to their logical conclusion is nothing less than an act of faith on Dawkins' part. It certainly does not bestow any validity upon Dawkins alleged distinctions. The bottom line is that Dawkins' presuppositions simply do not lead logically to the sort of distinction which he asserts.
Essentially this debate is an argument not about data, but about underlying assumptions. Here is a example of what I mean:
ASSUMPTION: 1. "evolution is true";
DATUM: 2. "human beings have consciousness";
ASSUMPTION: 3. "therefore evolution is capable of generating consciousness".
Once again, it is a case of "garbage in, garbage out" (as Dawkins himself would say).
Scientifically sound but philosophically flawed, 29 May 2008
Darwin's theory of evolution is no doubt a successful scientific hypothesis, and Prof. Dawkins brings across this very clearly. However, I do have some doubts regarding his philosophical assertions.
Essentially Prof. Dawkins believes that:
1) Selfishness and competition is at the root of all biological phenomena - nature as "red in tooth and claw"
2) There is no basic "dis-continuity" between humanity and other animals - humans are not qualitatively different from other animals
3) There is however no ethical dilemma between this basic fact and the human desire for goodness - since descriptive and normative realities are intrinsically separate (what is and what should be are independent of each other)
Yet the basis for point 3) - the inherent seperation of "what is" and "what ought to be" is just a philosophical assertion. Prof. Dawkins is very correct in stating that the belief in God and all other religious assertions should be treated and critically analysed as scientific hypotheses. However, strictly speaking this should go beyond the subject of religion to include every other field of human intellectual activity, including of course philosophy itself. If we treat the assertion "'what is' is fundamentally separate from 'what ought to be'" as a strict scientific hypothesis in the same sense that "God exists" is treated as such a hypothesis, then it has to be said that it is no more than just a blank assertion without any kind of empirical justification.
In other words, Prof. Dawkins is mistaken in assuming that his particular view of evolution and Darwinism does not leave us with an ethical dilemma, because it evidently does. The only argument Prof. Dawkins has offered against this is the mere assertion that "what ought to be" must be seperate from "what is", yet this assertion, just like religious assertions regarding God, cannot be scientifically or empirically proven.
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Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
Literally Saved my life!!, 03 Nov 2008
Before i purchased this book i was suffering from the most horrendous anxiety attacks and what i now know as depression.I was going to see a councilor to help me work through my problems but i found this no help.I was utterly desperate and then my GP recommended this book.By this time i was so bad i could barely leave the house.I was feeling so low taking my life seemed the only option then i discovered this book and it has literally saved my life.I am more positive i think more rationally and have a much more positive outlook on life.Please please if your feeling as desperate as i did just give this book a go what do you have to lose 10 pounds?Let this book help you on a new and more positive journey through your new and better life!
the best approach to solving life issues, 07 Mar 2008
The cognitive approach to the mind is by far the most empirically sound way to deal with emotional problems. This book helps us to understand the science behind the method. I would only add the book FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz as a companion. Stultz shows us the ancient roots of CBT in Eastern wisdom and offers and updated system that incorporates the best of Buddhist insight and Western technique.
Stop ruminating , start living , 18 Feb 2008
I know nothing about clinical depression but it is much bandied about. We all feel down from time to time and I am sure there are are those amongst us who hide behind this so as to wallow in their own self pity.
The most common thing you can do and I see it in both myself and other is ruminative thinking. That is allowing things to go round and round in your head. I see it with people who will not make a decision for fear of making the wrong decision. They defend this behaviour because they think by taking no decision they will not make another mistake.
It was the most important lesson from this book. Do not indulge in ruminative thinking.
Fill your life up with things to do so that you do not have time to keep thinking about all your problems .
I also liked the section of spotting errors in your thinking . It is easy to think somehow you are being a realist by accepting current cynical opinions such as turning molehills into mountains, overgeneralising and not thinking efficiently .
For the last few years I have had a set of goals in both my private and business life. It gives me plenty to do and stops me ruminating about my past " failures".
Also I try and practice mindfulness from meditation whereby you live in the moment and experience what you are doing right now.It is a form of concentration and can take you mind off the past and the future. dealing with the present is a full time occupation
A very good informative book on what could be a complicated subject. A must read who want to change their lives.
Excellent, 22 Nov 2007
This book is based on the NLP principles that work so excellently in "The Ultimate Guide To Cosmic Ordering, Empower Your Destiny: Take Control of Your Life" by Andronicos Andronicou. I found it to be full of insight. It is written with clarity and simplicity. I believe it to be a must have if you want to change your life.
An excellent self-help book, 08 Nov 2007
I cannot commend this book highly enough, speaking as someone who has benefitted greatly from the common sense approach of CBT described in this book. It is written in an easy to understand manner and I felt immediate benefits from reading this book. CBT won't change your life overnight but if you are prepared to put in the effort then I have found that my life is changing for the better. Old, negative ways of thinking, which I had believed would never change, have been replaced with a more positive attitude and outlook.
A useful study resource on theorists and their influence, 25 Oct 2008
A clear and well set out book detailing approximately 20 theorists who have had influences in the way we approach early years education.
I would normally dip in and out of text books but this one I was happy to read as it's set out in such a undemanding and informative way.
The book is set out with headings about each theorist's;
- Life and upbringing
- Books and writing
- Their theory
- How those theories have been put into practise and their influence
The author also critiques the theories and provides web sites and books to find out more about each one.
Whilst it's definitely a useful book and one I've found interesting, I had hoped to find some information on Maslow, Rogers or Kelly so was slightly disappointed they weren't mentioned.
Essential at any level, 11 Feb 2008
Great book, great for all levels - good mix of theorists, excellent links to more information. Good links to those who oppose the theorists cited and why - would recommend as a good basic book for any level of learning
essential for child related degree, 16 Nov 2007
I'm doing an early years degree and this book provides lots of basic, vital info about theorists. Well worth the money & easy to read with lots of visual info too.
Excellent Book, 26 Oct 2007
Really helped give me a basic outline of each theorists life and studies. Has been my bible for my foundation degree in early years
excellent for nvq3 childcare, 21 Oct 2007
very easy to read and understand making it ideal for nvq3 childcare a must! great!!
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.
Turns life inside out, 28 Oct 2008
The author writes about living things as if the gene is the animal and the animal is simply a seed for the gene. He basically turns life inside out. It's a powerful mind tool to get a different perspective on life but don't get too carried away with the idea. The whole theory of evolution is valuable in understanding the world but like a lot of science it starts to become too difficult to use. So in conclusion I don't believe that the author has discovered the secret of life, he just has another way of looking at things that you may find useful. It should be one of the books you have read.
jean genie, 05 Oct 2008
Dawkins is excellent while he sticks to biology
however he may have lost the plot in the last chapter
as he has in thinking promoting science involves attacking
religion
If an evangalist is someone who does not leave people to work
it out for themselves but pushes his point of view Dawkins is one
Nutty Baptists and Dawkins looked similar on channel 4 for example
ie they both spin world events too far to promote a point of view
Imaginative guessing, 13 Sep 2008
I have attempted to read Dawkins's books on a few occasions but seldom get beyond the first 100 pages. I simply find his style of writing boring and his theories pure imaginative guesswork; I cannot take this author's ideas onboard yet biology fascinates me and especially that of epigenetics which seems to disprove all that this author advocates. I suspect that there is a snobbery value to those who support him. Irrespective of his academic standing I cannot avoid regarding the author as an imposter as I constantly want to wage war with his views. Admittedly, he comes across publicly as a very plausible academic but, that does not sway me.
Blind theorizing, 27 Jun 2008
Dawkins writes that "the argument of this book is that we, and all other animals, are machines created by our genes" (p.xxi) and that "We are survival machines - robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes" (p.xxi). Yet, according to him, this book "is not science fiction; it is science" (p.xxi)!
Dawkins contrives to overlook the twin discoveries that:
1. the observable traits of organisms are mostly conditioned by the interactions of many genes;
2. most genes have multiple effects on many of these traits.
Dawkins transfers characteristics with which he is familiar from human behaviour on the macro-level to the inanimate components, "genes", of which we are physically constructed. He then proceeds to argue that these impersonal entities, which he imagines to possess characteristically human traits, infallibly generate the same unpleasant traits in human behaviour on the macro-level. So he writes: "The gene is the basic unit of selfishness" (p.36).
The absurdity is evident in that genes or other nonconscious entities cannot be either selfish or unselfish. They cannot "compete" against anything or "choose" anything.
If Dawkins were right, what would be the point of declaring, as he does: "Let us try to *teach* generosity and altruism, because we are born selfish" (p.3)? For if we really were machines, as he believes, even these very concepts would be meaningless to us. And certainly his oratory could have no effect whatever on our actual behaviour.
In fact genes do not force us to behave in any particular way. Neither can they possess the ability to direct or to comprehend all that is required to adopt a course of either heartless selfishness or heartfelt, sacrificial compassion.
The arguments in this review have been challenged by the claim that Dawkins himself answers these charges. His claim is, in effect, that that "the evolution of behavioural reactions or patterns via natural selection" and "control by nonconscious mechanisms" are two vastly different ideas. Also it is said that Dawkins does not deny a freedom of choice as the very last lines in this book itself "celebrate the human ability to make choices that transcend genetic control and instinctive reactions." So it is said that Dawkins "repeatedly draws clear distinctions" to prevent his readers from jumping to the conclusions expressed above.
However, there is a vast difference between asserting that such distinctions exist and actually laying a solid theoretical foundation for such distinctions. To lay the kinds of foundations which Dawkins does and then to go on to insist that these foundations do not lead to their logical conclusion is nothing less than an act of faith on Dawkins' part. It certainly does not bestow any validity upon Dawkins alleged distinctions. The bottom line is that Dawkins' presuppositions simply do not lead logically to the sort of distinction which he asserts.
Essentially this debate is an argument not about data, but about underlying assumptions. Here is a example of what I mean:
ASSUMPTION: 1. "evolution is true";
DATUM: 2. "human beings have consciousness";
ASSUMPTION: 3. "therefore evolution is capable of generating consciousness".
Once again, it is a case of "garbage in, garbage out" (as Dawkins himself would say).
Scientifically sound but philosophically flawed, 29 May 2008
Darwin's theory of evolution is no doubt a successful scientific hypothesis, and Prof. Dawkins brings across this very clearly. However, I do have some doubts regarding his philosophical assertions.
Essentially Prof. Dawkins believes that:
1) Selfishness and competition is at the root of all biological phenomena - nature as "red in tooth and claw"
2) There is no basic "dis-continuity" between humanity and other animals - humans are not qualitatively different from other animals
3) There is however no ethical dilemma between this basic fact and the human desire for goodness - since descriptive and normative realities are intrinsically separate (what is and what should be are independent of each other)
Yet the basis for point 3) - the inherent seperation of "what is" and "what ought to be" is just a philosophical assertion. Prof. Dawkins is very correct in stating that the belief in God and all other religious assertions should be treated and critically analysed as scientific hypotheses. However, strictly speaking this should go beyond the subject of religion to include every other field of human intellectual activity, including of course philosophy itself. If we treat the assertion "'what is' is fundamentally separate from 'what ought to be'" as a strict scientific hypothesis in the same sense that "God exists" is treated as such a hypothesis, then it has to be said that it is no more than just a blank assertion without any kind of empirical justification.
In other words, Prof. Dawkins is mistaken in assuming that his particular view of evolution and Darwinism does not leave us with an ethical dilemma, because it evidently does. The only argument Prof. Dawkins has offered against this is the mere assertion that "what ought to be" must be seperate from "what is", yet this assertion, just like religious assertions regarding God, cannot be scientifically or empirically proven.
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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Irrationality
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Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
Literally Saved my life!!, 03 Nov 2008
Before i purchased this book i was suffering from the most horrendous anxiety attacks and what i now know as depression.I was going to see a councilor to help me work through my problems but i found this no help.I was utterly desperate and then my GP recommended this book.By this time i was so bad i could barely leave the house.I was feeling so low taking my life seemed the only option then i discovered this book and it has literally saved my life.I am more positive i think more rationally and have a much more positive outlook on life.Please please if your feeling as desperate as i did just give this book a go what do you have to lose 10 pounds?Let this book help you on a new and more positive journey through your new and better life!
the best approach to solving life issues, 07 Mar 2008
The cognitive approach to the mind is by far the most empirically sound way to deal with emotional problems. This book helps us to understand the science behind the method. I would only add the book FREE YOUR MIND by Anthony Stultz as a companion. Stultz shows us the ancient roots of CBT in Eastern wisdom and offers and updated system that incorporates the best of Buddhist insight and Western technique.
Stop ruminating , start living , 18 Feb 2008
I know nothing about clinical depression but it is much bandied about. We all feel down from time to time and I am sure there are are those amongst us who hide behind this so as to wallow in their own self pity.
The most common thing you can do and I see it in both myself and other is ruminative thinking. That is allowing things to go round and round in your head. I see it with people who will not make a decision for fear of making the wrong decision. They defend this behaviour because they think by taking no decision they will not make another mistake.
It was the most important lesson from this book. Do not indulge in ruminative thinking.
Fill your life up with things to do so that you do not have time to keep thinking about all your problems .
I also liked the section of spotting errors in your thinking . It is easy to think somehow you are being a realist by accepting current cynical opinions such as turning molehills into mountains, overgeneralising and not thinking efficiently .
For the last few years I have had a set of goals in both my private and business life. It gives me plenty to do and stops me ruminating about my past " failures".
Also I try and practice mindfulness from meditation whereby you live in the moment and experience what you are doing right now.It is a form of concentration and can take you mind off the past and the future. dealing with the present is a full time occupation
A very good informative book on what could be a complicated subject. A must read who want to change their lives.
Excellent, 22 Nov 2007
This book is based on the NLP principles that work so excellently in "The Ultimate Guide To Cosmic Ordering, Empower Your Destiny: Take Control of Your Life" by Andronicos Andronicou. I found it to be full of insight. It is written with clarity and simplicity. I believe it to be a must have if you want to change your life.
An excellent self-help book, 08 Nov 2007
I cannot commend this book highly enough, speaking as someone who has benefitted greatly from the common sense approach of CBT described in this book. It is written in an easy to understand manner and I felt immediate benefits from reading this book. CBT won't change your life overnight but if you are prepared to put in the effort then I have found that my life is changing for the better. Old, negative ways of thinking, which I had believed would never change, have been replaced with a more positive attitude and outlook.
A useful study resource on theorists and their influence, 25 Oct 2008
A clear and well set out book detailing approximately 20 theorists who have had influences in the way we approach early years education.
I would normally dip in and out of text books but this one I was happy to read as it's set out in such a undemanding and informative way.
The book is set out with headings about each theorist's;
- Life and upbringing
- Books and writing
- Their theory
- How those theories have been put into practise and their influence
The author also critiques the theories and provides web sites and books to find out more about each one.
Whilst it's definitely a useful book and one I've found interesting, I had hoped to find some information on Maslow, Rogers or Kelly so was slightly disappointed they weren't mentioned.
Essential at any level, 11 Feb 2008
Great book, great for all levels - good mix of theorists, excellent links to more information. Good links to those who oppose the theorists cited and why - would recommend as a good basic book for any level of learning
essential for child related degree, 16 Nov 2007
I'm doing an early years degree and this book provides lots of basic, vital info about theorists. Well worth the money & easy to read with lots of visual info too.
Excellent Book, 26 Oct 2007
Really helped give me a basic outline of each theorists life and studies. Has been my bible for my foundation degree in early years
excellent for nvq3 childcare, 21 Oct 2007
very easy to read and understand making it ideal for nvq3 childcare a must! great!!
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.
Turns life inside out, 28 Oct 2008
The author writes about living things as if the gene is the animal and the animal is simply a seed for the gene. He basically turns life inside out. It's a powerful mind tool to get a different perspective on life but don't get too carried away with the idea. The whole theory of evolution is valuable in understanding the world but like a lot of science it starts to become too difficult to use. So in conclusion I don't believe that the author has discovered the secret of life, he just has another way of looking at things that you may find useful. It should be one of the books you have read.
jean genie, 05 Oct 2008
Dawkins is excellent while he sticks to biology
however he may have lost the plot in the last chapter
as he has in thinking promoting science involves attacking
religion
If an evangalist is someone who does not leave people to work
it out for themselves but pushes his point of view Dawkins is one
Nutty Baptists and Dawkins looked similar on channel 4 for example
ie they both spin world events too far to promote a point of view
Imaginative guessing, 13 Sep 2008
I have attempted to read Dawkins's books on a few occasions but seldom get beyond the first 100 pages. I simply find his style of writing boring and his theories pure imaginative guesswork; I cannot take this author's ideas onboard yet biology fascinates me and especially that of epigenetics which seems to disprove all that this author advocates. I suspect that there is a snobbery value to those who support him. Irrespective of his academic standing I cannot avoid regarding the author as an imposter as I constantly want to wage war with his views. Admittedly, he comes across publicly as a very plausible academic but, that does not sway me.
Blind theorizing, 27 Jun 2008
Dawkins writes that "the argument of this book is that we, and all other animals, are machines created by our genes" (p.xxi) and that "We are survival machines - robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes" (p.xxi). Yet, according to him, this book "is not science fiction; it is science" (p.xxi)!
Dawkins contrives to overlook the twin discoveries that:
1. the observable traits of organisms are mostly conditioned by the interactions of many genes;
2. most genes have multiple effects on many of these traits.
Dawkins transfers characteristics with which he is familiar from human behaviour on the macro-level to the inanimate components, "genes", of which we are physically constructed. He then proceeds to argue that these impersonal entities, which he imagines to possess characteristically human traits, infallibly generate the same unpleasant traits in human behaviour on the macro-level. So he writes: "The gene is the basic unit of selfishness" (p.36).
The absurdity is evident in that genes or other nonconscious entities cannot be either selfish or unselfish. They cannot "compete" against anything or "choose" anything.
If Dawkins were right, what would be the point of declaring, as he does: "Let us try to *teach* generosity and altruism, because we are born selfish" (p.3)? For if we really were machines, as he believes, even these very concepts would be meaningless to us. And certainly his oratory could have no effect whatever on our actual behaviour.
In fact genes do not force us to behave in any particular way. Neither can they possess the ability to direct or to comprehend all that is required to adopt a course of either heartless selfishness or heartfelt, sacrificial compassion.
The arguments in this review have been challenged by the claim that Dawkins himself answers these charges. His claim is, in effect, that that "the evolution of behavioural reactions or patterns via natural selection" and "control by nonconscious mechanisms" are two vastly different ideas. Also it is said that Dawkins does not deny a freedom of choice as the very last lines in this book itself "celebrate the human ability to make choices that transcend genetic control and instinctive reactions." So it is said that Dawkins "repeatedly draws clear distinctions" to prevent his readers from jumping to the conclusions expressed above.
However, there is a vast difference between asserting that such distinctions exist and actually laying a solid theoretical foundation for such distinctions. To lay the kinds of foundations which Dawkins does and then to go on to insist that these foundations do not lead to their logical conclusion is nothing less than an act of faith on Dawkins' part. It certainly does not bestow any validity upon Dawkins alleged distinctions. The bottom line is that Dawkins' presuppositions simply do not lead logically to the sort of distinction which he asserts.
Essentially this debate is an argument not about data, but about underlying assumptions. Here is a example of what I mean:
ASSUMPTION: 1. "evolution is true";
DATUM: 2. "human beings have consciousness";
ASSUMPTION: 3. "therefore evolution is capable of generating consciousness".
Once again, it is a case of "garbage in, garbage out" (as Dawkins himself would say).
Scientifically sound but philosophically flawed, 29 May 2008
Darwin's theory of evolution is no doubt a successful scientific hypothesis, and Prof. Dawkins brings across this very clearly. However, I do have some doubts regarding his philosophical assertions.
Essentially Prof. Dawkins believes that:
1) Selfishness and competition is at the root of all biological phenomena - nature as "red in tooth and claw"
2) There is no basic "dis-continuity" between humanity and other animals - humans are not qualitatively different from other animals
3) There is however no ethical dilemma between this basic fact and the human desire for goodness - since descriptive and normative realities are intrinsically separate (what is and what should be are independent of each other)
Yet the basis for point 3) - the inherent seperation of "what is" and "what ought to be" is just a philosophical assertion. Prof. Dawkins is very correct in stating that the belief in God and all other religious assertions should be treated and critically analysed as scientific hypotheses. However, strictly speaking this should go beyond the subject of religion to include every other field of human intellectual activity, including of course philosophy itself. If we treat the assertion "'what is' is fundamentally separate from 'what ought to be'" as a strict scientific hypothesis in the same sense that "God exists" is treated as such a hypothesis, then it has to be said that it is no more than just a blank assertion without any kind of empirical justification.
In other words, Prof. Dawkins is mistaken in assuming that his particular view of evolution and Darwinism does not leave us with an ethical dilemma, because it evidently does. The only argument Prof. Dawkins has offered against this is the mere assertion that "what ought to be" must be seperate from "what is", yet this assertion, just like religious assertions regarding God, cannot be scientifically or empirically proven.
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 vers | | |