Stop Whining, Start Living [Hardcover]

Dr. Laura Schlessinger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 11, 2008

Living life is about action: courageous, benevolent, worthy, Wise, and productive action. Start living with some help from Dr. Laura Schlessinger.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger agrees that there are things worth whining about. A certain amount of whining allows for venting of reasonable pain, disappointment, fear, frustration, or rage. However, staying stuck in whining mode can become a lifelong problem. This is where Dr. Laura steps in with Stop Whining, Start Living to help folks conquer the temptation to retreat from living life to the fullest.

Illustrated by calls and letters from members of Dr. Laura's huge international audience, Stop Whining, Start Living features testimonials from real people facing real challenges. These folks have benefited enormously from Dr. Laura's powerful lessons.

Stop Whining, Start Living gives readers the jump start they need to break out of reactive mode and get proactive, moving in the direction of a joyful, meaningful, fulfilling, and purposeful future. Everyone can use a kick in the pants sometimes, and Dr. Laura, who "preaches, teaches, and nags" to millions every day on her radio program, is here to deliver it!

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Licenced therapist Schlessinger has made a small media empire out of "telling it like it is," exemplified nowhere better than in the titles of her numerous bestsellers (Ten Stupid Things Women do to Screw Up Their Lives; Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands). She does it again in her latest, giving readers the same get-over-yourself kick in the seat she delivers daily on the radio; in fact, the book is heavy on transcripts lifted directly from that show. Fan email is also used to illustrate Schlessinger's points, which mostly amount to learning when to stop complaining. Strategies for this include counting blessings and suffering in silence: how does she cope with a son serving in combat? "The truth is I just live with it. ... I endure." Most of Schlessinger's values, encompassing maturity, compassion and responsibility-especially to family-can hardly be argued with, but her "Preaching, Teaching, Nagging" delivery can be condescending.
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About the Author

Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a licensed marriage and family therapist, is one of the most popular talk-show hosts in radio history and the only woman to win the prestigious Marconi Award for syndicated radio. She is the author of twelve New York Times bestsellers, writes a daily blog, and is a regular Newsmax columnist. She is heard daily on Sirius/XM Channel 155 live, and her program is streamed and podcast on www.drlaura.com. Dr. Schlessinger has her own YouTube Channel (YouTube.com/drlaura). She is also the skipper and driver of a racing sailboat program that won the 2010 international race from Newport Beach to Cabo San Lucas. She and her husband live in Southern California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1St Edition edition (March 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060838337
• ISBN-13: 978-0060838331
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #412,372 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Laura Schlessinger received her Ph.D. in physiology from Columbia University and holds a post-doctoral certification from the University of Southern California and licensing in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is the author of nine New York Times bestsellers, including THE PROPER CARE AND FEEDING OF MARRIAGE. Her award-winning radio program is internationally syndicated by her Take On The Day company. It's broadcast every day on more than 250 stations, XM Satellite Radio, and the Armed Forces Network, and is stream-linked and podcast on www.drlaura.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If You Are Thinking About Changing...., March 16, 2008

By 

William McPeck "Coach/Consultant" (Maine) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stop Whining, Start Living (Hardcover)

This is the first Dr. Laura book I have read. I picked it up thinking it might be helpful in my current review of published materials on negativity and behavior change. I was not disappointed. If you are looking for a research based, clinically focused book, this is not the book for you. However, using her past clinical experiences and her experience with callers on the radio, I think Dr. Laura does do a good job addressing the book's subject in a manner the lay person will find helpful. I particularly liked how Dr. Laura intertwined her psychotherapeutic insights with caller conversations and listener emails. I think they added a lot to the book.

I found the book to be an easy,quick read (one weekend), but still definitely worth the time and effort. If you are thinking you need to make some changes in your life, I believe this book would be a good place to start. The highlight for me was reading Joe's 15 Minute Rule (p. 196) Don't miss it!

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Straightforward, good examples!, March 19, 2008

By 

Catherine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stop Whining, Start Living (Hardcover)

This book is straightforward advice on how to live a happier life based on your attitude. Her concept is simple - You choose whether you want to focus on all the bad things that have happened in life, or choose to focus on the light, no matter how small that light may be. She uses real-life examples from listeners who have called the show and written letters about their life lessons and experiences, then offers commentary and advice on how to apply these concepts to your life.

What I also find interesting is that her concepts are not that much different than many of the "positive outlook" pop-psych books that have been extremely popular over the last couple of years. It's good advice, and frankly, it works.

I might also mention that some people reviewing here have never even bothered to read the book, they simply give her negative reviews based on her political stance. Someone even wrote a bad review because they disagree with her position on the war. Totally irrelevant! Her political views have basically nothing to do with the premise of this book, which is that the individual is in charge of their own life's happiness.

Try having and open mind, and you will most likely find this material very helpful!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good sound advice, March 29, 2008

By 

S. Battista (Garden City, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stop Whining, Start Living (Hardcover)

I was prompted to buy this book after seeing Dr. Laura all over TV. As some others who have posted reviews have said, some of the tenets mentioned in the book have been written about before, but that's true of a LOT of self-help books. I thought this was a simple to read, straightforward guide to taking personal responsibility, which I think can't be stressed enough in today's culture of "blame." I work with young adults, many of whom don't think there's any need to take any responsibility for their actions! While they may not be the ones reading this book, their parents sure should be reading it. And anyone who finds themselves in a rut could benefit from this as well. It's very comfortable to "whine" -- to our families, our friends, and even to ourselves. The hard part is (as Dr. Laura says)to STOP whining, and start taking responsibility for the life you want to lead.