Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #105766 in Books
• Published on: 1998-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Customer Reviews

What a nice change!
Unlike most self-help books out there, this one is actually based on research for a change. Based on this Phd's work on how people change, this guy has uncovered the different, predictable stages of change that people go through when they attempt to get themselves to change. Although the stages are fairly predictable, not everybody goes through them in the exact same order as some people skip various stages on their way to changing their behaviour. A great book all-in-all, it's definitely worth a look. Also liked The Sixty-Second Motivator.

"I knew that..."
This book is both revolutionary and profoundly familiar. Change happens not all at once, but in progressive stages, and there are unique tasks that must be accomplished for each stage. It's like gardening--starts with tilling the soil, adding compost, laying out the beds, planting, etc. It would be absurd to simply arrive at the untilled garden patch and shout, "I want tomatoes!" It is also a mistake to try to change oneself before the preliminary work is done. The book is particularly useful in talking about the earliest stages, which the authors call the Precontemplative ("I don't have a problem") and Contemplative ("Ok, maybe I have a problem, but there's nothing I can do about it") stages. One of the clearest and most practical books I have read, for either therapists and self-changers.

Don't call it denial anymore-that doesn't help!
This easily explains why some people can stop behaviors, while others cannot. I have worked with criminal offenders for over 10 years and have begun incorportating the step by step techniques described in this book to all of our programming for offenders. It also helped me to begin something that I have wanted to do, but always found excuses to avoid. The book is simple to read, with personal stories to illustrate each point. Whether you would like to quit smoking, drinking, or want to start an excercise program, you must read this book. Understanding the change process will help you move to a point where doing "something different" becomes possible.