Customer Reviews

Who Would You Be Without Your Story?: Dialogues with Byron Katie

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is a series of dialogues taken from workshops and seminars, so you get a good flavor of what it would be like to attend one. The dialogues, like The Work, aren't spectator sports. Reading her technique without trying it gets zero results, and reading these dialogues without 'playing along' may also yield very little results. However, if you dive in as an active audience member, these dialogues take you deeper than you may have gone doing The Work on your own.

I first discovered _Loving What Is_ a few years ago when I was going through a tough time, and couldn't get my brain out of the hamsterwheel of 'why did this happen?' 'what did I do wrong?' and most of all 'why can't I get over this?'. In less than an hour of doing The Work, my entire perspective changed. It was almost miraculous. Needless to say, I've been a believer ever since.

This isn't to say I agree with everything Katie says. And I do find her calling everyone 'sweetheart' a bit wearing. She says in one book (and again in this) something to the effect that if her kids ever tell her they won't miss her when she dies she'll celebrate because they'll be 'free.' That's a little harsh, to me. I don't aim to go that far! But that doesn't mean that I can't go a long way on the journey with good results.

The Work isn't easy, and it takes a certain amount of patience and mental flexibility to do it right. In a sense it's a relief to read these dialogues because you realize you're not the only one who reaches these walls in your thinking; and you get to see how Katie helps them break through, which you can then apply yourself.

If you're new to Byron Katie's works, there is a tiny appendix and the Judge Your Neighbor form in the book, but I don't think that's quite enough--doing the 'turn it around' statements is tricky for beginners and the appendix doesn't focus on those. You can learn by careful study of the dialogues, but you may find her website or her earlier books to be more helpful. If you've got her other books, don't pass this one over as quickly as you might. It served as a needed reinforcement for me, and in her parts of the conversations there are plenty of wonderful insights--mine is already heavily underlined.

Greetings,

I found this book very useful as a supplement to her online blog. I think I would have been confused by the book had I not already been familiar with her work. There is no substitute for watching her in action. Her kind, empathic approach does not come across in the written script of her work. What is useful about the book is it gives me a way to deeply reflect on some of the ways she handles struggles and resistance from her clients. I'm a business coach, so I find this book a useful way to dissect her work, her theory, and the way she works with clients. I think her four questions are brilliant and I use them with my clients.

If you've never heard of Byron Katie I highly recommend reading her books. She is an amazing person. This particular book is a transcript of her converstions with people who have filled out an inquiry worksheet. I can read the same converstion again and again and get instant insight into my own stories that I'm believing. I savor every dialog. I am so grateful to have learned about inquiry--so much so that I am filling out this survey!

This book was the beginning of a fresh new path for me. I've never been a devotee or follower of one particular phiosophy or guru and Byron Katie doesn't ask for that. She simply points to the path of inquiry into our thoughts. Her no-nonsense kindhearted loving approach, is clear and puts all responsibility right where it belongs, with each and everyone of us. The formula is simple, 4 questions and a turn around, but these small steps can lead to a complete transformitive perspective. Her questions are called "The Work". This Work can be a huge step on the path of ending suffering and bringing peace. She has several other books. Most people suggest the first might be "Loving What is" Either one might just be a life changer for you If you'd like to notice how you opperate with your friends and loved ones. She gives us so much in this book and does it with love and a beautiful sense of humor.

Who Would You Be Without Your Story? (2008) is a collection of 15 dialogues with Byron Katie. In each of the dialogues, which includes such topics as "My Mother Made Me a Victim", "My Father Abused Me", and "Cancer Ruined My Life", Katie showcases her Work technique which consists of writing down your judgment, asking 4 critical questions, and turning it around. Suffice it to say, Katie has come up with a method that seems to get to the core of the problem and answers the perennial question of Who Would You Be Without Your Story?.

If you are ready to face the truth about yourself and be free from untrue thoughts that rule your life, you have found the right author and book.

Well, Byron Katie is great, her dialogs are great, her compassion and humor are a gift. It is a joy to learn The Work with her books.

As a life coach in training, I've been studying how to do The Work with clients. While Katie's four questions and turnarounds seem simple in theory, in practice it can be daunting working through them with a client. I can't say enough about how helpful it was to just read the back and forth dialogue between Katie and each participant. It covers a lot of different thoughts people are struggling with, including someone going through a betrayal, a woman who thinks cancer ruined her life, a mother who is worried about her drug addicted son among others. These are all heavy issues, and it helped me really grasp how to apply The Work in my own practice.

But be careful - if you are not familiar with The Work, and have not read Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life yet, then you will likely be very confused about what this book is for, because it does not offer training on what The Work is - it is literally just transcripts of Byron Katie doing The Work with clients. I think that is what happened to the person who only gave this one star.

However, this is a perfect book for anyone trying to gain mastery of The Work by reading exactly how Byron Katie steps through each question (and sub questions) with actual people in so many different and serious situations. It's given me a confidence and a facility with the tool I couldn't have had otherwise.

Outstanding work, worth reading for many of us. Book arrived in otherwise new condition, but appeared to have been dropped and stepped on in a warehouse environment. Cover was dirty, but the rest of the book is just fine. Not a significant complaint, just not perfect on arrival.

I have been reading this book at every opportunity I get during my busy day. It is really helping to put a lot of things together about The Work. I feel so grateful to have it and would recommend it to anyone interested in The Work. There have been moments when reading the book has given me experiences of the truth Katie talks about.