Customer Reviews

Happiness and the Human Spirit: The Spirituality of Becoming the Best Person You Can Be

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I love Dr and Rabbi Twerski, however this book is really just fluff. You can breeze through it in a few hours and read some nice stories, but it didn't give me a great picture on "Being the best you can be". I was expecting something more detailed and directed towards strategies on becoming more spiritual and happy. You don't get much of that here. I was also expecting him to draw on the wealth of jewish sources on spirituality, ethics, happiness etc. I guess this book is directed to a broader audience and hence he might have wanted (unfortunately) to avoid making it a "jewish book".

Although I admire Twerski's insight into people, I'm not satisfied
with what this book delivers in the end. His stories are wonderful and
sometimes surprising, but his use of psychiatric cases and Jewish
texts reduces to the same level as his interesting personal tales:
mere metaphors or inspirational homilies. I was hoping for a more
in-depth application of those powerful traditions to our everyday
struggles. Although I think people on a certain stage of a journey to
better living will benefit from Twerski's prescriptions, the ultimate
message is "Frankl lite."

This is a good book for people who are looking to add spirituality to find happiness in their lives. I was expecting it to help psychotherapists who want to add spirituality into their treatment, but found it somewaht lacking in this area.

As a psychotherapist for over 20 years I continue to be amazed at the epidemic of "Happiness Illiteracy". This book speaks clearly to some basic truths: We must exercise Choice in creating a life that supports well-being. "Self-Esteem" is not a magical feeling endowed by our parents alone. It requires engaging ourselves in acts we feel proud of. Twerski speaks clearly and outlines the basic ingredients that compose a good life. This is very accessible and universal Wisdom. Contrary to the reviewer who perceived this as "fluff", I find myself in a world where such clear principles can not be re-stated often enough! Some may find this "simple" book very challenging because it rests on the assumption that happiness is not a fleeting feeling, but the result of personal behavior, choices and the ongoing development and exercise of our Will. We are awash in an epidemic of narcissism these days. This book offers the corrective that a balanced, happy life requires the recognition that we are not the center of the universe. It offers a clear reminder that our spirits need better nutrition than our current culture is offering. Thank You Rabbi Twerski!