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The 60-Second Shrink: 101 Strategies for Staying Sane in a Crazy World

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... The 60-second Shrink: 101 Strategies For Staying Sane In ACrazy World is a small volume jam-packed with mental health tips.It's a useful book, read from cover-to-cover, but the authors designed it for browsing. Simply flip through the pages until you find the specific information you need.

Arnold A. Lazarus, Ph.D. is an internationally-renowned psychologist, who has published several books and hundreds of articles, and has been honored as "one of the ten most influential psychotherapists of our time." His son, Clifford N. Lazarus, Ph.D. has also published books and articles, as well as maintained an active consulting practice. The two doctors participated in a radio talk show named Mental Health Matters, and drew much of the material in their current book from that show.

Because of that, the information is presented in easy-to-understand terms and emphasizes the practical aspects of achieving good mental health.

Drs. Lazarus divided the book into several main sections with titles like: Strategies for Staying Sane, Building Successful Relationships, Communicating Effectively, and Dealing with Depression, Anger and Moods. Each section is further divided into chapters.

The chapters are succinct, rarely more than a page or two long. Each starts with a real-life example, followed by an explanation of why the situation in the example occurs. Tips for overcoming each type of situation are shown in bold-face type, making them easy to find.

While some people may need long-term therapy, the doctors believe that many people simply need help in finding solutions to mental health problems. They concentrate on providing "solution-based therapy" that includes practical techniques and ways to incorporate those techniques in your daily life. Readers will find The 60-second Shrink full of good advice on how to keep daily life from driving them crazy.

Sandra I. Smith Reviewer

One hour, five days a week, father and son team Arnold Lazarus, Ph.D. and Clifford Lazarus, Ph.D. co-host a radio talk show. Those who call their show at radio station 1350 WHWH in Princeton, New Jersey, are offered advice on life's key issues, in ". . .succinct and straight forward bites." And this is how they wrote the book, The 60-Second Shrink: 101 Strategies for Staying Sane in a Crazy World--with compact and direct suggestions the layperson can understand.

Arnold A. Lazasrus,, Ph.D. is described as, ". . .an award winning, internationally acclaimed professor of psychology, therapist, author, lecturer and clinical innovator." His son, Clifford N. Lazasrus, Ph.D., has a practice in psychotherapy and neuropsychological testing and is the Director of Comprehensive Psychological Services in Princeton, New Jersey. They know of what they speak.

Each of the chapters tackle one problem. The dilemma is stated in a vignette, then steps are discussed in a sentence or two that will help solve the problen. I'll use Chapter 11, which discusses problem solving, as an example.

The vignette describes, "Eric's" tendency to wallow in self-pity. "I have so many problems," Eric says, "that I don't know what to do or where to start." The doctors say, "Eric was taught a five-step problem-solving sequence, learned how to be solution oriented, and matters started to change for the better."

The steps Eric took are outlined in the two-page chapter.

*Define the problem as specifically and concretely as possible. *Generate as many potential solutions as resonabley possible. *Evaluate the various solutions for merit and utility. *Select the best solution and try it out. *Decide on the effectiveness of the implemented solution.

Under each step are suggestions that help you complete the step.

The book is not written to be read from cover to cover, but it is a tool that you can turn to when needed. Other chapter titles are "Breaking the Bad habits," "The Dangers of Faulty Positive Thinking," and Self-fulfilling Prophecies and Negativity Cycles."

Areas covered in the book are Strategies for Staying Sane, Thinking Yourself Healthy, Getting Your Actions Together, Building Successful Relationships and Communicating Effectively. The book doesn't stop there, however. Other areas discussed are Handling Anxiety and Stress, Dealing With Depression, Anger and Moods, Managing Your Weight and "Shrinking" and Shrinks. The last chapter lists more mental health notes.

Each chapter is only a page or two long. The hint on how to deal with your problems are simple, the explanations are clear. The authors refer to work by other authorities in the field and list other recommended sources of information. The pros and cons of self-help books are even covered.

The answers may seem simplistic, but the brevity of the chapters demand this. However, the book does a good job of defining problems we all face and outlinig easy steps to facilitate correction of the problems. The book does deliver what it promises by putting all the information in , ". . .succinct and straightforward bites." handy, helpful and informative, the 158 page book is definitely worth the price.

The 60-Second Shrink: 101 Strategies For Staying Sane in a Crazy World is a small volume jam-packed with mental health tips. It's a useful book, read from cover-to-cover, but the authors designed it for browsing. Simply flip through the pages until you find the specific information you need.

Arnold A. Lazarus, Ph.D. is an internationally-renowned psychologist, who has published several books and hundreds of articles, and has been honored as "one of the ten most influential psychotherapists of our time." His son, Clifford N. Lazarus, Ph.D. has also published books and articles, as well as maintained an active consulting practice. The two doctors participated in a radio talk show named Mental Health Matters, and drew much of the material in their current book from that show.

Because of that, the material is presented in easy-to-understand terms and emphasizes the practical aspects of achieving good mental health.

Drs. Lazarus divided the book into several main sections with titles like: Strategies for Staying Sane, Building Successful Relationships, Communicating Effectively, and Dealing with Depression, Anger and Moods. Each section is further divided into chapters.

The chapters are succinct, rarely more than a page or two long. Each starts with a real-life example, followed by an explanation of why the situation in the example occurs. Tips for overcoming each type of situation are shown in bold-face type, making them easy to find.

While some people may need long-term therapy, the doctors believe that many people simply need help in finding solutions to mental health problems. They concentrate on providing "solution-based therapy" that includes practical techniques and ways to incorporate those techniques in your daily life. Readers will find The 60-Second Shrink full of good advice on how to keep daily life from driving them crazy.

For years, I have listened and read about how life should be lived, how to handle problems and issues that come up. The problem is, except for the most vigilant of us, problems of daily living compound and appear to be unmanageable and confusing. This book sorts through that, addressing common, real life issues that we all tend to let linger and just live with.

The authors take you back to a point, through example, that shows a practical and enjoyable way, how simple it is, to get things back on track. I hear similar advice from others that don't recognize the process of daily living and how issues interrelate. This book presents solutions through the experience, knowledge and expertise of two of the finest psychologists/authors I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

I applaud them for their de-mystification of how to handle and enjoy the psychology of daily living.

"The 60-Second Shrink" is an absolute gem of a book! Unlike many pop psychology or self-help books, "Shrink" can be delved into at any point, beginning, middle, or end and is written in plain and easy to understand language. The advice in this book is terrific - the authors have done an excellent job of distilling the essence of effective, psychological wellness methods into brief, easy to understand and apply "psych bytes" that can each be read in about a minute. "Shrink" is like 116 doses of sanity and would make a wonderful gift for anyone. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't thoroughly enjoy and benefit immensely from it. Consider it an indespensible guide for anyone serious about imroving or maintaining his or her mental health.

As a licensed psychotherapist, I often refer my clients to this book.

The Doctors Lazarus have a way with their subject matter. They make solutions fun to read, with clever and intriguing stories and approaches. I laughed with them, nodded in agreement and then was amazed at how effectively their comments applied to my life. I refer to it countless times throughout the work week. "I would not trade this book for psychological healthcare coverage!"

I'm still in the process of reading The 60 Second Shrink but I found the information very precise, direct and useful. I considered it a good buy!

I get this book for all my friends because it's a great pick-me-up for all situations. Procrastinate? Have trouble sleeping? Have trouble with anger? Having trouble starting to exercise? This book has quick little chapters on almost all of our problems. The best part is that you don't have to commit the time to reading many pages/chapters of a self-help book; this book is organized into mini-chapters that take about a minute to read (hence the title) that offer you *just* the right inspiration so you get can going and working on that 'issue' you're having. And, the advice is clear and down-to-earth, in addition to being very provocative and inspiring.

This book is like a good friend (or therapist) that can help you in any situation, with very clear, easy-to-follow advice. It's very deep in its simplicity.

This is an absolute gem of a book! It is packed full of helpful "psych bytes" that can each be read in about one minute. Better still, "Shrink" is written in every-day language and has a huge assortment of techniques, methods, and advice for taking control of your life - most of which can be immediately applied. The bottom line is that this book is a must for anybody serious about personal improvement or achieving and maintaining good mental health.