Inner Peace for Busy People: 52 Simple Strategies for Transforming Your Life (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "When I was directing the Mind/Body Clinical Programs, a stress-disorders program at what is now the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, many of..." (more)
Key Phrases: Feng Shui, Mother Teresa, Thich Nhat Hanh (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the Comfort ZoneNew York Times bestselling author Joan Borysenko (Minding the Body, Mending the Mind; A Woman's Book of Life) offers Inner Peace for Busy People: 52 Simple Strategies for Transforming Your Life. Using anecdotes from her personal experience, Borysenko identifies the elusive sense of inner balance we all seek and suggests practical, and often small, changes such as keeping track of energy reserves and practicing patience that "crazy busy" readers can make over the course of each week to feel a bit more balanced. Agent, Ned Leavitt.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

This book consists of 52 weekly entries of 800 to 1,000 words that are both inspirational and practical. Through story and science, spirituality and humor, the readers will be given easily learnable skills to help them change their lives and attitudes to recover inner peace, one week at a time.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Hay House; 1 edition (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561708704
• ISBN-13: 978-1561708703
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #695,526 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sound Self-Help Advice Based on Mind-Body Research!, July 10, 2001

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

Many people report that the more they succeed or have materially, the less at peace they feel. Yet they feel driven to do more and more. Dr. Borysenko has written a practical book that draws on the latest mind-body connection research to show you how to balance using stress to focus your attention with bathing your life in tranquility to bring satisfaction and joy. The book is greatly improved by her many self-deprecating personal examples of being a perfectionist overachiever with many demands upon her. Having been on the front lines of being overcommitted, she definitely knows what she's talking about! Anyone who is feeling less than satisfied with meeting their responsibilities will find this book to be a refreshing and valuable guide.

The book is divided into sections based on strategies for guiding your life overall, taking care of yourself, changing your relationship with time, managing your state of mind, developing the quality of your emotional connections, and adding meaningful purpose to your life.

The book has 52 sections, which I would normally describe as overkill. But Dr. Borysenko takes a gradual, step-at-a-time approach that makes these like desserts to be sampled over time rather than rigid prescriptions to apply every day and immediately. Even if you only read the first six sections and remember their lessons, you will probably end up taking a lot of unhelpful strain out of your life. So use as little or as much as you feel comfortable applying!

I read a lot about mind-body research to understand how physiology affects psychology and vice versa. These connections are well documented in the medical research literature, and are explained in simple, compelling ways in the book.

Personally, I can report enormous benefits from meditation, which is just one of 52 concepts in the book. Although this book will help you understand why taking time to meditate makes the rest of your day go better, you will probably want to get another book or some personal instruction to actually begin doing this practice in the most satisfying way for you.

If your spouse, child, grandchild, or friend shows signs of too much stress, this book may also make a wonderful gift to show your compassion and understanding.

After you finish this book, I hope you will take some quiet time to reflect on what the purpose of your life will be in the future. How can you shift your attention to make that purpose come true in ways that are more emotionally rewarding for you and others?

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific, As Usual, August 5, 2001

By	Belleruth Naparstek "belleruth" (Cleveland, Ohio) - See all my reviews

Joan Borysenko, who is possibly the smartest AND nicest woman in America, has done it again with this gem of a book. For those of us with To Do lists that appear to be on steroids,(and sadly that's just about everybody, right?) this is the book. Practical, helpful, based in grounded psychology and integrated spirituality, eminently readable and instantly translatable into action... what can I say? Read it, use it and benefit from it.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clarity, wit, and compassion, January 10, 2002

By A Customer

This is a beautifully written book: simple, clear, funny, and brief. The author shares lots of personal experiences that make it interesting to read and easier to relate to. There are 52 very short (2-3 pages)chapters, one for every week of the year if you want to use it that way. Even an insanely busy person like I used to be can read 3 pages a week!

There are so many chapters in this book that have helped me to get my life under control: Practice Patience, Understand What Saving Time Really Means, Make the Mind Your Ally Instead of Your Enemy, Try Power Whining, etc. Some of the suggestions you will have heard before, but Joan restates them with such clarity that they resonated with me for the first time.

I approached the age of 50 with the determination that I would finally quit making my life miserable with stress and over-work, and this book has given me many insights and helped me make some very significant changes. I recommend it without reservation to anyone who feels they are "too busy" and "have too much to do."