Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Men [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Richard Carlson (Author, Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2001

Over the past five years, Richard Carlson has shown countless families, lovers, and workers how to live in a more calm and productive manner. Now he turns his attention to men, with numerous simple strategies and life lessons that blend humor, warmth, and uncommon wisdom. Carlson invites men of all ages to enjoy the benefits of simplification and discover what so many of us already know: that its a stressful world out there, but it doesnt have to be.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Carlson (Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, etc.) is back, with 100 brief chapters of advice, many of which acknowledge the male psyche. For example, men have told him that doing service feeds the soul, so he reminds readers to have a special cause. He also advises men to avoid letting their competitive natures rule their lives and to maintain their male friendships after they get serious with a woman. The chapter "Take Your Wife's Advice" makes clear that Carlson is targeting readers who are part of a nuclear family. Then again, a good number of chapters offer more gender-neutral advice: cast your choices in a positive light ("be in favor of simplicity" rather than "against clutter and chaos"); keep a spare set of keys and a wallet with a credit card and some cash, so that losing these items won't be catastrophic. There's inevitable repetition if read from cover to cover Carlson advises readers to do something nice for others and to be more generous, and to practice mindfulness and be present but this book is meant to be read in inspirational snippets. The author's "half full" outlook will indeed inspire and soothe: readers should "calculate the number of things that went right today" and observe that there's no bad weather, "only different kinds of good weather." Life, he reminds us, is "too precious to take for granted." (Sept.)Forecast: Publication in time for Father's Day might have worked better, but a $200,000 marketing campaign (including major TV advertising), Carlson's scheduled appearance on Good Morning America and his bona-fide franchise bode very well.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Best-selling author Richard Carlson, Ph.D., creator of the popular Don't Sweat the Small Stuff series and the just published Don't Get Scrooged, died suddenly of cardiac arrest enroute to New York on December 13. Carlson, 45, published his first book in 1985 and went on to publish more than 20 books that remain popular in English and in translation in 130 languages and 35 countries. Richard Carlson grew up in Piedmont, CA. He received his undergraduate degree from Pepperdine University and his Ph.D. in psychology from Sierra University. He was in private practice as a psychotherapist when he started to publish books about psychological and spiritual health. As his books started to attract a large audience, he began writing full time so he could teach more people how to live with presence and ease by cultivating gratitude and generosity. Dr. Carlson was a large supporter of and participant in the National Center for Family Literacy and at the time of his death he was working on a project with them called for "A Penny a Book" from publishers, authors and literary agents to promote literacy. Dr. Carlson is survived by his wife and life partner of 25 years, Kris Carlson, his co-author on Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love and the author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Women, his loving daughters Jasmine and Kenna, sisters, Kathleen Carlson Mowris of Olympic Village, CA and Anna L. Carlson of La Selva Beach, CA, and his parents, Barbara and Don Carlson of Orinda, CA. A private memorial service will be held next week. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made in Richard's honor to local food banks, Challenge Day, Girls Inc. or Children Inc.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Hyperion; Abridged edition (September 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786871520
• ISBN-13: 978-0786871520
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,738,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Books on Cassette > Authors, A-Z > ( C ) > Carlson, Richard

More About the Author

During his life, Richard Carlson, Ph.D, was considered one of the foremost experts in happiness and stress reduction in the United States and around the world and was a frequent featured guest on such shows as Oprah, The Today Show, The View, NNC, CNN, Fox, PBS and over 2000 other shows.Don't Sweat the Small Stuff continued to be a publishing phenomenon with over 20 titles in the brand franchise, two of which were co-authored and authored with his beloved wife, Kris. He died of a pulmonary embolism in December 2006, at the age of forty-five.

The words "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" have become a part of American Culture thanks to Richard Carlson's book that became a runaway best-seller and made publishing history as the #1 best-selling book in the United States for two consecutive years.
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff spent over 100 weeks on the New York Times Best-Seller list and is still considered one of the fastest selling books of all time and has sold over 15 million copies worldwide.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another useful book by Carlson that applies to men AND women, December 9, 2001

By 

Blaine Greenfield "eclectic reader" (Belle Meade, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Men: Simple Ways to Minimize Stress in a Competitive World (Don't Sweat the Small Stuff (Hyperion)) (Paperback)

Enjoyed reading DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF FOR MEN by Richard Carlson . . . this is the latest in Carlson's "small stuff" series, and it does not disappoint . . . he continues to offer simple ways to minimize stress in a competitive world . . . they seem to make sense, at least to me, and can be applied to virtually any situation . . . although directed at men, I think women would also benefit from reading it . . . by the same token, methinks men could benefit from reading the companion DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF FOR WOMEN (written by Carlson's wife Kristine) . . . I know that I'll be looking for it.

I liked many ideas that I got from the book; among them:
Have an affair. . . .The idea is to reignite your passion for living, and to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. Remind yourself how precious and how short this adventure really is. I read a great book called A PARENTHESIS IN
ETERNITY . . . What a great way to think about the duration of your
life--as a blip on a passing screen. We're here for a moment in
time--and then we're gone. Why waste one second of self-pity,
frustration, and all the rest? Our lives are so much more important than that.

Consider how you would respond to the following two sentences spoken by a spouse, lover, or friend. First, "I hate my stupid job; (its bad)." Or, "Do you know what I'd really love to be doing?" Wow--what a difference. In the first sentence, you, as the listener or receiver of the complaint, want to leave the room. Your instinct is to pull away. In the second, however, you want to hear more; you want to engage in the conversation because it brings you closer to the person who is sharing.

Be for something rather than against it. . . . You can see how easy it is to be working with very positive intentions, yet still find a way to drive yourself nuts. Some environmental activists, for example, are doing great things-choosing to be vegetarians, picking up litter, cleaning up the beaches, planting trees, recycling, and raising awareness as well as money for the causes they believe in. Others, however, yell and scream, block traffic, chain themselves to trees, and starve themselves in an attempt to accomplish their goals.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational!, October 22, 2001

By 

Jessica Davis "J.D." (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Men: Simple Ways to Minimize Stress in a Competitive World (Don't Sweat the Small Stuff (Hyperion)) (Paperback)

I am a female who recently bought this book as a gift for a relative. Before wrapping, I skimmed the book to see if it had the same Richard Carlson quality. Indeed it does!

This book, just like the other don't sweat the small stuff titles, includes ways to overcome difficult times. It will give you a positive attitude and help you gain peace with yourself, and uprooting events.

Good Christmas gift!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Help is here..., February 20, 2004

By 

A. N. Teodoro III (River Edge, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Men: Simple Ways to Minimize Stress in a Competitive World (Don't Sweat the Small Stuff (Hyperion)) (Paperback)

let me begin by saying that there is good advice in
this book, no question about it. if you are looking
for some help in getting a better perspective on life,
then there is help in this book. why do you think the
series is so popular? however, i dont think that the ideas
are original. you can find the same prescriptions for
a better attitude---such as more sense of humor, less
attention paid to difficult people, things are not as
bad as you think, the future is unknown and so do
stress yourself too much over it---in so many other
books in the self help section. it is old wine in a
new bottle. you can even get the same advice from a
wise old relative if your family is fortunate enough
to have one. it is also like listening to a friend
who knows something of life that you havent
realized yet. the format is easy. the book is pocket-size.
the chapters are very short, and the phraseology
non-technical. the cost is minimal. practically,
the lessons contained in this book can apply to
both males and females. if you are looking for your
first self-helpbook, then you have found a good one.