A User's Manual for the Human Experience [Paperback]

Michael W. Dean (Author), Kenneth V. F. Blanchard (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2009

A USER'S MANUAL FOR THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE
by Michael W. Dean

Foreword by Pastor Kenneth V. Blanchard, Sr.

SUBJECTS:
*Self-Help: Codependency;
*Self-Help: Substance Abuse & Addictions - General;
*Biography & Autobiography: Personal Memoirs

Published by The Nestlandia Institute Think Tank. WEBSITE, forum and contact: LifeAmp.org

OVERVIEW: This is the first-ever book on LIFE AMPLIFICATION or "LifeAmp." LifeAmp is learning to be comfortable in your own skin, and make a living doing what you love.

This stunning new guide applies libertarian "no free lunch" and "no initiation of force" ideals to self-help.

The book teaches that self-defense is appropriate and right, and shows how to practice PRACTICAL EMOTIONAL SELF-DEFENSE, using the same standard of integrity when dealing with family, friends, strangers, work, community, the nation, and the world.

It's RECOVERY WITHOUT MEETINGS - from codependence, dope addiction, booze addiction...in short, any destructive pattern you'd like to delete from your own internal wiring. It then teaches you how to MAXIMIZE YOUR WORK ETHIC after you eliminate the toxic patterns and SERENITY VAMPIRES. A USER'S MANUAL FOR THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE is a post-modern guide for today's realist - everyone who knows that meditating on rainbows, angels and puppies won't fix them.

AUTHOR: Michael W. Dean is the author of the books $30 Film School, $30 Music School, $30 Writing School, Starving in the Company of Beautiful Women, The Simple Pleasures of a Complex Girl, DIY NOW! Digital Audio and YouTube: an Insider's Guide to Climbing the Charts.

Michael directed the films Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow and D.I.Y. or DIE: How to Survive as an Independent Artist.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE BOOK:

"I knew Michael Dean back in the day, when he was a 19-year-old punk rocker with an appetite for self-destruction. I honestly didn't think he'd live to be 30. But guess what? It turns out that Michael isn't just a survivor; he's a survivor who's learned how to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness after recovery. For everyone who wants to know how to stay sane, develop a great work ethic, and make a mark on the world, Michael Dean has a great story to tell.
--Professor Michael Bérubé, Ph.D.(Penn State), author of What's Liberal About the Liberal Arts? and Life as We Know It

"Part intellectual memoir, part self-help book, Michael W. Dean's Practical Emotional Self-Defense (PESD) techniques flow from a wealth of life experiences, both positive and negative. 'The Only Two Rules in Life' have some radical, refreshing implications. You'll have to read the book to find out what they are!"
--Jason Sorens, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, University at Buffalo, SUNY), founder of the Free State Project

"You owe yourself the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and put yourself in the court with this modern-day Socrates."
--Pastor Kenneth V. Blanchard, Sr., author of Black Man with a Gun

Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: The Nestlandia Institute (March 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970539231
• ISBN-13: 978-0970539236
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,115,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Michael W. Dean gets right to the heart of things here, April 13, 2009

By 

John Haynes (Oklahoma City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A User's Manual for the Human Experience (Paperback)

The reviewer below might not "get it." It appears Marci Twain reviews many books that make the case for why the government should take money from the hard working and give it to the less productive---which Michael W. Dean calls "STEALING" in Chapter Ten of "A User's Manual for the Human Experience." Given the apparent divide between their respective political philosophies, no wonder Ms. Twain seems lukewarm in her review of Mr. Dean's book.

If you focus exclusively on Dean's occasional sociopolitical comments, you'll miss the real value of the book: its wealth of practical information designed to jump-start a (perhaps tragically stalled) life, via the aptly-named "Life Amplification" methods he describes. This is no new-age tome, nor is it a book written by a shrink who never hit the skids himself. Dean DID hit the skids, but he lived to explain not only how he survived, but also how he's been thriving as a successful filmmaker, musician, and author since beginning his recovery some fifteen years ago. Best of all, he explains how you can do it, too.

"A User's Manual for the Human Experience" reads like a no-nonsense talk from a wise and successful friend who has Been There & Done That---first the stupid, unhealthy way and then the smart, healthy way. Dean wants you to finish up with the former and get started on the latter.

It starts with ridding oneself of what might be called "toxic people" through the use of what Dean calls PESD---Practical Emotional Self Defense. Emphasis on the "practical"---like any effective method of self defense, there are tried and true methods that WORK. Dean knows them and shares them.

I bought two copies of this book for friends who know their lives are disintegrating, but are unable to figure out a way to rid toxic people from their lives and get on with the business of being happy. Dean shows exactly how to make what he calls "Serenity Vampires" de-materialize, and I'm hoping my friends have the smarts to absorb the information in this book and apply it to their own situations.

People who let others drag them down often have drug and / or alcohol problems, in addition to their co-dependency. Dean addresses this topic at length and suggests, perhaps in defiance of conventional wisdom, that one CAN eventually wean oneself of dependency on AA. He doesn't knock AA or its many contributions, but instead suggests that there comes a time in a person's recovery when the message has been received, so it's time to hang up the phone. When that time comes, Dean explains how to make the transition from dependency on recovery groups. (And yes, you can be as dependent on AA as you ever were on alcohol.)

Even if you don't have problems with toxic people or drug / alcohol issues, the chapters devoted to creativity and productivity are worth twice the price of the book all by themselves. Dean is a guy who lives to Create Lots Of Art and knows how to Get Things Done; a quick glance at his impressive CV proves this. He knows how to start with an idea, turn it into an actual physical thing (book, music, film) and market it to the public. And this is where the book really speaks to me----I don't have problems with toxic people or chemicals, but I've been struggling all my life to figure out efficient, practical ways to channel my creative / marketing energy. Reading Dean's many helpful hints on this subject I thought: "Finally----real-world DIY advice that really makes sense, for a change."

If you've ever spent way too much time trying to figure out exactly how to focus your creative energy for the best possible results, Dean will show you how to stop spinning your wheels and start gaining the kind of traction that propels you down the road to an Amplified Life.

"A User Manual for the Human Experience" gets my highest recommendation. I hope you (and the two friends I bought copies for) benefit from it as much as I have.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Open Mind's Bible, February 21, 2011

By 

Tony T - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A User's Manual for the Human Experience (Paperback)

If the title of this book interests you at all, buy it, read it, and pass it on!

Michael W. Dean keeps getting better with every book he puts on the shelf. This one is his most informative, empirical and inspirational to date. Every word jumps off the page and hops right inside your "think tank".
The author doesn't tell you what to do with different "toxic" problems in your life. He simply shows you different ways to deal with those problems. Positive ways to shield yourself from conflict without igniting new conflicts or feeding the flame of an existing one. I'd suggest picking this book up if you have ever had any problems at all in your life, not just substance abuse. This isn't just an alternative to 12 step programs. A User's Manual for the Human Experience is exactly what the title says.
It might be time to cut out any negativity that's been keeping you from enjoying your life. This book will help you do just that. Reading this book isn't like having someone tell you what to do to improve your life. The author won't guide you through the human experience. Instead he shares his experiences and some other people's experiences with you, to help you undestand what works and what doesn't work. The essence of the book isn't some self-help propanganda being shoved down your throat. Painting a picture of some perfect life that you will live, as long as you do exactly what the book tells you to do. This book is different. You will forget that you're reading a book because it's like sitting next to a friend and listening to him share his "experience, strength and hope".
A User's Manual for the Human Experience is different from other self-help books because the author, Michael W. Dean, has a soul, (unlike most other self-help authors), and he wants everyone to free their soul from everything that is holding them down or holding them back. Reconnect with your individuality and ideals. Find whatever it is that drives you and leave every "toxic", waste of time in the rear view mirror. Freedom is real. It's in everyone's deck of cards that life has dealt them. If you don't have it in your hand then let this book reshuffle the deck for you.
Want to better yourself? Have more time to do what you want and protect yourself from any person or thing that will keep you from doing just that? Then please READ THIS BOOK AND PASS IT ON!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I needed., April 15, 2009

By 

Zoe Marr (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A User's Manual for the Human Experience (Paperback)

WARNING: Michael W. Dean is NOT your next door neighbor. Michael has been to hell and back, from homeless junkie to published author and talented filmmaker. His story is heartbreaking and what he's been able to accomplish can't be told by anyone else. He's done what few people can do and has gone where few people have been. Who better to learn self-help from than a man who has actually LIVED it (unlike those PhD-authored books void of personal experience and impersonal writing)? If you are an overly conservative type, this may not be your match. If you can't handle hearing truth, you probably shouldn't read it or should wait to pick it up until you can. If you aren't ready to make any changes in your life, it probably won't do you much good. But if you are truly serious about making positive changes in your life and approach the material with an open mind, you will take something (if not plenty) from it that you can apply to your own situation and start living the life you want to lead.

I'm a big fan of this author, who has written everything from college text books to blogs, all aimed at providing his audience with crucial pieces of knowledge that provide insight and the tools necessary to take your talent and life to the next level. Michael W. Dean's books are sprinkled with life lessons, educational materials and furry kitties, all the while speaking directly to you as a reader. Upon reading his writings, I was surprised at what fascinating reads they made and it occurred to me that if all school texts were written in this manner, I would have actually read them and we'd all be getting straight A's.

This author has a gift for sharing knowledge and being brave enough to use personal real life examples to demonstrate lessons learned. He creates art and tells stories that tug at the heartstrings and produce great results if taken seriously. He doesn't seem out to make a quick buck but rather make materials that will improve lives and actually be seen and read by people who long for change and creative solutions. This guy screams cool. And his work and style taught me a lot about the value of living for your art and the integrity of your work.

I learned so much from reading "A User's Guide To The Human Experience". I learned many new ways to deal with life problems and find a healthier balance in my own life. Some of the information echoed paths I was already beginning to embark on but I needed someone to reinforce it and tell me it was ok to make certain changes I was in the process of initiating, which this book fully did. I am confident that this book armed me with several tools that will continue to aid me in having the best life possible and I wouldn't want to deny any of you the opportunity to improve something and apply it to your life, thus this recommendation. I was happy to tell my friends about it and am pleased to put in my two cents for all of you. It spoke to me in a manner I could relate to and brought into focus the next steps I need to embark upon to continue to evolve into the butterfly I am aiming to be.

Some of this book covers a lot of tips and tidbits about recovery. I have never been an addict. However, this book is about all around life improvement and even the recovery bits were very insightful and taught a lot of valuable things that can be applied in other ways. As far as self-help books are concerned, this one seems to cover it all and gave me the inspiration I was looking for and the strength I needed to go for it. Great book from what must obviously be a great man.