How to Make Yourself Happy and Remarkably Less Disturbable [Paperback]

Albert Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1999

Each of us has healthy, constructive and creative tendencies, but unfortunately, we also have their unhealthy, destructive counterparts. These self-defeating tendencies, moreover, are usually powerful and frequent. Ellis shows precisely what our natural constructive inclinations are and how to use them to overcome harmful leanings. See how to: defeat inherited and acquired tendencies to become severely anxious, depressed, enraged, self-hating, and/or self-pitying; change thoughts, feelings, and actions that lead to disturbances in order to make yourself considerably less upset and less self-defeating; persistently and strongly keep using REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) methods until they become automatic and habitual, thereby making yourself less disturbable even when adversities occur in life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Impact Pub; 1 edition (July 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886230188
• ISBN-13: 978-1886230187
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,096 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

(1913-2007) Albert Ellis held M.A and Ph.D. degrees in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University. He was the founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), the pioneering form of the modern Cognitive Behavior therapies. He was the president of the Albert Ellis Institute in New York, where he practiced individual and group psychotherapy, supervised and trained psychotherapists, and presented many talks and workshops at the Institute and throughout the world. He published over seven hundred articles and more than sixty books on psychotherapy, marital and family therapy, and sex therapy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars If you stick with it, it will be helpful., April 4, 2000

By 

Marilyn Dalrymple "MaLing" (Lancaster, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: How to Make Yourself Happy and Remarkably Less Disturbable (Paperback)

At first I didn't know what to think of this book. Ellis, an internationally renowned psychologist and founder of the Albert Ellis Institute for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, writes like a psychologist--a little too deep for the layperson. He also uses initials in his writing. Whenever you read "REBT," you are to remember it stands for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. "IB" stands for (Irrational Beliefs), "USA" (unconditional self-acceptance), and "UAO" Unconditional Acceptance of Others. I found it distracting to be reading a chapter and having to go back and find for which "IB," REBT," "UAO," and all the other initials stood. About haf-way through the book, things fell into place, made sense and became interesting. I started to understand what Ellis was saying, and the book became helpful and informative. His theory is, we are the captain of our ships--our minds. No matter what storms we must weather, we have what it takes to overcome these disturbances and continue our journey with smooth sailing, under our own power. On page 49 Ellis says, ". . .you have little control over many unfortunate Activating Events or Adversities (A's) that plague you, but you largely can control your Beliefs (B's) about these Adversities." He continues, "You can control and exhange your own disturbance-creating demands!" This is the heart of his therapy. Ellis relates patient's stories, how they were treated and how the overcame their problems. When reading these anecdotes, it gives the reader a feeling of, I'm not alone with my problems and they can be overcome. This is always helpful. Included in the book is an REBT Self-Help Form. This is a worksheet that allows us to put our problems on paper, examine them, research them, put them under a microscope and find an answer to them. Although a little intimidating at first, this book really does offer helpful suggestions if you are willing to stick with it and do some work. On the back cover of his book Ellis is described as controversial, charismatic and innovative. The answers to life's problems aren't easy and having someone shake us up a little just might be the push we need to get ourselves going in the right direction.

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68 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT BOOK BY A SIMPLY GREAT MAN!, June 19, 2000

By 

Bill Butler "Bill Butler" (Tarzana, Ca. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Make Yourself Happy and Remarkably Less Disturbable (Paperback)

I have ruthlessly criticized Albert Ellis in other reviews and I apologize. I now have many of his books and tapes. This book really stands out and will show you new "flavors" of how to make yourself less miserable. And Thank God, in this book, Ellis is taking the whip in his hand and stating PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. This book is simply a Godsend. I have already benefitted from it greatly. Ellis pounds home the fact that humans can be happy. They have a choice. I am now dropping "wanting the approval of others". So the anxiety pitches down. This is becoming more and more ingrained in my brain. In this book, Ellis has come up with a beautiful new acronym. USA. Unconditional Self Acceptance. I can now relax. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. I didn't practice hard before so I blasted Ellis. But this book is a Godsend for anybody who has problems with depression or anxiety. Yes, you can make yourself happy. Thank you, Dr. Ellis.

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good Ellis book, February 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Make Yourself Happy and Remarkably Less Disturbable (Paperback)

I think that this is a very good book by Ellis. All you will need to know, to understand the Ellis system, is covered here. Ellis was voted one of the top three therapists of this century, but he is NOT THE BEST TEACHER OF HIS THEORY in the self help books he writes (I have heard him in action on tapes and seen him in action once: he is great IN PERSON)

The BEST SELF HELP BOOK FOR THIS SYSTEM is "Unfair Advantage" by TOM MILLER. It is interactive (a workbook where he makes you write down things)