Customer Reviews

You Can Choose To Be Happy: "Rise Above" Anxiety, Anger, and Depression

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Only read this book if you want to change your life. This book is for people who want to help themselves and believe that they have choices in their lives. As a therapist, I believe this concept is one of the most important awarenesses you can have. Once a person accepts this they know they can have more control over their reactions in every life situation. Dr. Stevens book is not to entertain but to give well thought out strategies for rising above difficult situations and moving towards "harmonious functioning", which he defines as having happiness and harmony in your life.

This is a great book. Each sentence is relevant with a point and it's structured very well. Complex material is presented in a simple manner and there isn't any filler. It is clear the author is a great teacher. It reminds me of all the good professors I've had who were so comforting with sound advice from life experience and sincere wisdom. I found this book the day after I was given a diagnosis for bipolar disorder and it changed everything for me in a matter of hours. I am ordering a copy so I can highlight passages and come back to it again and again. I'm not a sucker for self-help books. I am skeptical of most books and bored very easily. My first impression of this book was that it may be too simple as I have been forced to read many dry, complicated texts as I earned a Masters of Science. However, I soon found that the material was very deep and presented so well that it was easy to understand and impossible to put down. Thanks to the author for helping me to rediscover the internal sources of contentment that I had lost in my post grad life and presenting the tools I needed to reject my life-long diagnosis and easily gain control of my moods and my own happiness.

said it all above plus it's free on author's website.

It is rare for me to give a 5 star rating on a book, but it is completely worthy of it.

But then again any self help book is only as effective as the receptiveness of the reader. Don't get this book to find out why you should change; buy this book because you've decided to. Also be ready to face the hard truth: you and only you are responsible for the way you feel, and your aren't entitled or deserve to be happy by default, it is a goal that must be asserted for. If that statement makes you mad and you refuse to think otherwise, you reading this will be worthless and only server to make you more bitter. If not, this book will change you life. :)

I highly recommend going to his web site and taking the Shaq test BEFORE opening this book up. This will help guide you through the book and identify strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, do the exercises on paper, not in your head. This will give you the most effective results, and will allow you to more accurately reflect and track you progress.

I would also recommend the book "Why Forgive" by Johann Christoph Arnold (it is free to download from his web site or to buy on amazon as well) to read in tandem with this if you are blaming life's transgression on specific people, or even if you blame yourself for the transgressions of others. It's not a self help book, but more of an inspiration.

Yes the book is free off of his website, and downloadable as a PDF, but I'm ordering a copy for myself to carry to remind myself whenever I start to feel unhappy or anxious.

I have read quite a few self help books but few are as packed with information as this one. Dr. Stevens is a man on a mission. His book, as well as his website make this help freely available to all. I initially got the free pdf of the first edition. I purchased the hardcopy just because my eyes start to have a tough time staring at my computer after a while, and I wanted access to the new information as well. There are chapters that cover most of life's obstacles to joy, and he even gives excellent advice on how to implement the information and how to deal with boredom as well as impatience when reading a work like this. If you seriously want to improve the quality of your life, this book is a true gem. Take advantage of his website as well! I don't think you will be disappointed.

I was most sceptical when I did order this book which I came to by accident. After reading I say: "This is the very best I've ever read about in this genre. If you won't get happy you will understand why at least. Although the book it's not a religion one all these stuff gets to be understood as Tom G. Stevens is a master himself. So I will only say: "Try out and rise above, guys!" This is a promise...

It's a great book for learning to be happy and the work involved. It's not a panacea by any means, but, so far, it's been a real help.

I disagree with the author that you can learn to like anything or any activity - if I'm understanding him correctly.

Some great tips, although, some of his flow charts are bit over complicated. i think they can be simplified a bit.

The author provides this material for free on his website, including the full text in pdf format. I purchased the book because I HATE reading from a computer screen (I still can't learn to like that!) and buying the book is a lot cheaper than printing it. It's also a lot prettier.

You Can Choose to be Happy has practical, easy to follow suggestions to improve one's attitude, reduce anxiety and anger and achieve more happiness. It's packed with useful information and fun to read. I highly recommend it to people in the mental helping field as well as to the general population.

Just received the book and it looks intelligently written and logical. I am enjoying it so far and it came very quickly.