Defenders of the Heart: Managing the Habits and Attitudes That Block You from a Richer, More Satisfying Life [Paperback]

Marilyn Kagan LCSW (Author), Neil Einbund Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

Your heart deserves the best protection possible, but you can’t lock it away for safekeeping. You must keep your heart in touch with the world: giving and receiving love and reaching out to embrace the people, activities, and causes that create a deeply rewarding life. In this truly transformative book, Marilyn Kagan, LCSW, and Neil Einbund, Ph.D., well-known therapists in the Los Angeles area, help you discover the common defense mechanisms we all use to guard our hearts against being hurt. Over time, these mechanisms, which the authors have coined “defenders of the heart,” can become habitual and overly entrenched. In one way or another, they  are at the base of nearly all of our bouts with dissatisfaction. 

        Defenders of the Heart delivers a strong basic understanding of these 10 strategies, shows how to recognize which ones are sabotaging your life, and offers a comprehensive tool set to break free of their life-limiting powers. If you want to change your life yet are too guarded to see the very obvious paths that are open before you, this book will guide you toward the glorious, awe-inspiring, and utterly fulfilled existence you’re striving for!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

       Marilyn Kagan, LCSW, has been in private practice for over 25 years. She is well known and respected as one of the media’s most sought-after psychological experts. Her popular talk show on Los Angeles radio station KFI aired for seven years, and she hosted the Emmy-nominated The Marilyn Kagan Show for three years. Additionally, she’s been a frequent commentator on all of the major television networks, including a stint as guest host on E! Channel’s Talk Soup.

        Neil Einbund, Ph.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist who has been in private practice since 1988. His expertise covers a wide range of specialties, including family dynamic/relationships, marriage counseling, addictions, divorce, and grief work. For the last 20 years he’s taught in the “Making Marriage Work” program at the American Jewish University, where he works in partnership with Marilyn Kagan.

        This is their first book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Hay House (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401920373
• ISBN-13: 978-1401920371
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,795,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Defenders of the Heart, November 4, 2008

By 

B. Hoffner (Sausalito, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Defenders of the Heart: Managing the Habits and Attitudes That Block You from a Richer, More Satisfying Life (Paperback)

My wife and I greatly enjoyed reading this book together!
By giving real life examples from known people it was a
great way to learn about some of the typical problems
people exhibit in relationships and every day life.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Better Understanding of Habitudes, November 21, 2008

By 

Ted Ziegenbusch (southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Defenders of the Heart: Managing the Habits and Attitudes That Block You from a Richer, More Satisfying Life (Paperback)

When it comes to many books about happiness and improving your closest relationships, most of them fall short of being either interesting or entertaining. Worse yet, many well meaning relationship books are often full of the obvious. This book is a cut above the rest.

Marilyn and Neil have authored an easy-to-read guidance manual with fascinating stories and anecdotes that can trigger your thought process about WHY we do the things we do. What could be better than having an aid to help us gently search our own hearts and intentions?

As I read through the book, I would share a thought or chapter with my wife. In turn, she would explain how she felt about what was being said. It led to some eye-opening discussions between the two of us - married to each other for more than thirty years and friends for fifty. If you were wondering, that's a good thing!

If you're a lifetime procrastinator, you'll find some easy steps for getting unstuck in Chapter 8. Plus, the entertaining Talk Stories in Chapter 11 will leave you saying, "Wow! I never heard that before."

When you've finished the book, if you've truly taken time to digest what is being said, you'll have a better understanding of yourself and other people.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Satisfying Read for a Richer, More Satisfying Life, November 5, 2008

By 

Book Review Girl (Ithaca, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Defenders of the Heart: Managing the Habits and Attitudes That Block You from a Richer, More Satisfying Life (Paperback)

I found this book to be honest, simple in such a smart way, and realistic in its approach to helping people. Kagan and Einbund are naturals - nothing in this book is forced. Comic relief comes at the right moments, and individual stories are relatable. A bonus - proceeds of this book benefit cancer research. This book will be hot on the holiday gift guide lists.