This is my review of this book that I posted on my website, it might of interest to some people in case they consider buying it.
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Title: "A Guide For Rational Living"
Author: Albert Ellis and Robert A. Harper
One cannot evolve and grow as human being without mastering
his own thoughts, his own beliefs. You can do all the
courses on this blog, but if you still have psychological
problems inside waiting to be solved, you won't go far. It's
nothing to be ashamed of, everyone has/had them. Including
me. It's how you deal with them that matters.
You can go through all your life with ineffective thinking
processes and truly harmful belief systems or you can do
something about them. That's why I'm introducing this book
to you.
Don't make the mistake of putting this book on the same
category as all the other personal development books you
bought. It will be a big mistake. As far as personal
development books go, this is the only one you absolutely
need to read.
It's about self-analysis, with that said, it won't be for
everyone. Self-analysis itself is a process that requires
honesty and contemplation about your intimate self to
conduct it. Don't get scared by that, if you found this blog
then most likely you are interested about your own inner
processes and knowing yourself. Most people are able to do
it, with some effort and ruthless honesty about themselves.
"Direct, get-to-the-heart-of-the-problem methods teach you
what you often do to needlessly upset yourself and what you
can do, instead, to make yourself emotionally stronger"
I'm glad I found this book early in my life. It allowed me
to conduct it on the best way I thought possible without
being affected by emotional problems or the bad belief
systems I had early on.
The authors of this book are the creators of the Rational
Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), which can be shortly
summed by the following quote:
"REBT's central premise is that events alone do not
cause a person to feel depressed, enraged, or highly
anxious. Rather, it is one's beliefs about the events which
contributes to unhealthy feelings and self defeating
behaviors"
I won't go into many details about the REBT. If you want a
more complete description, check the following links:
Welcome to the Albert Ellis Institute The Essence of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Practicing the teachings of this personal development book
won't make you a purely rational person with no emotions.
That's often the criticism offered to the REBT. Albert Ellis
defends our emotional part, as long as it is used on a
healthy way. With this he means, not on a self-defeating or
self-pitying basis as many people do. Learn to "think
effectively" for YOUR best interest. YOU are the center of
YOUR life, not anyone else. Think in a way that's best for
YOU.
In short: If you can only buy one personal development book,
make it this one. This was the only book that I bought
several copies and gave it to members of my family and close
friends.
Yes, it's that good.
Rating: 10 out of 10