Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving, and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem (Paperback)

by Matthew McKay (Author), Patrick Fanning (Author) "Self-esteem is essential for psychological survival..." (more)
Key Phrases: cognitive distortions, pathological critic, reason for behavior change, Building Self-Esteem, The Shoulds, Accurate Self-Assessment (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A valueable storehouse of tactics and strategies for constructing (or renovating) the foundation of our self-estem" --Phillip G. Zimbardo, author of Shyness
-- Review --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Review

"A valueable storehouse of tactics and strategies for constructing (or renovating) the foundation of our self-estem" --Phillip G. Zimbardo, author of Shyness

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Paperback: 316 pages Publisher: New Harbinger Publications; 3 edition (May 15, 2000) Language: English ISBN-10: 1572241985 ISBN-13: 978-1572241985 Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,805 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #13 in  Books > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Self-Esteem #18 in  Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Personality #29 in  Books > Business & Investing > Job Hunting & Careers > Guides

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Self-esteem is essential for psychological survival. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
cognitive distortions, pathological critic, reason for behavior change, heavy lead pipes, healthier strategy, underlying should, unhealthy values, forbidding gestures, handling mistakes, healthy voice, backhanded praise, prediction log, assertive request, polarized thinking, more deeply relaxed, global labels

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Building Self-Esteem, The Shoulds, Accurate Self-Assessment, Disarming the Critic, Self Esteem, Self-Concept Inventory, The Nature of Self-Esteem, Global Labeling, Evidence Log

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 12 books:

• Messages: The Communication Skills Book by Matthew McKay in Back Matter
• The Addiction Workbook by Patrick Fanning in Back Matter
• Building Self-Esteem in Children by Patricia H. Berne in Back Matter
• Lifetime Weight Control: Seven Steps to Achieving and Maintaining a Healthy Weight by Patrick Fanning in Back Matter
• Critical Years by Doris E. Durrell in Back Matter

See all 12 books this book cites

 

54 books cite this book:

• Programmed to Run by Thomas S., Ph.D. Miller on page 92, and Back Matter
• Talking to Eating Disorders: Simple Ways to Support Someone With Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating, Or BodyImage Issues by Ph.D., Jeanne Albronda Heaton in Back Matter
• Eden's Legacy by Gabriel Deeds in Back Matter
• When Friendship Hurts: How to Deal With Friends Who Betray, Abandon, or Wound You by Jan Yager in Back Matter
• I Can't Get over It: A Handbook for Trauma Survivors by Aphrodite Matsakis in Back Matter

See all 54 books citing this book

---

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

The Self-esteem Companion by Patrick Fanning

Discusses:

• pathological critic
• global labeling
• unhealthy values

Couple Skills by Patrick Fanning

Discusses:

• global labeling
• forbidding gestures
• global labels

Focal Group Psychotherapy by Matthew McKay

Discusses:

• global labeling
• more deeply relaxed
• assertive request

High on Stress by Simone Ravicz

Discusses:

• global labeling
• polarized thinking
• emotional reasoning

The Self-esteem Companion by Patrick Fanning Discusses: pathological critic global labeling unhealthy values Couple Skills by Patrick Fanning Discusses: global labeling forbidding gestures global labels Focal Group Psychotherapy by Matthew McKay Discusses: global labeling more deeply relaxed assertive request High on Stress by Simone Ravicz Discusses: global labeling polarized thinking emotional reasoning Loading...

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	82% buy the item featured on this page: Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving, and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem 4.7 out of 5 stars (30) $11.53
	9% buy The Self-Esteem Workbook 4.6 out of 5 stars (23) $13.57
	3% buy The Self-esteem Companion: Simple Exercises to Help You Challenge Your Inner Critic & Celebrate Your Personal Strengths 4.8 out of 5 stars (8) $12.21
	3% buy Ten Days to Self-Esteem 3.8 out of 5 stars (38) $13.25

Explore similar items

---

Tags Customers Associate with This Product  (What's this?) Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people. Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below. self esteem(9) self-esteem(6) self-help(6) depression(5) psychology(4) motivational(3) project(2) psyche(1) See all 12 tags... Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

A. Butterfly suggested this product show on searches for "motivational". What do you suggest?

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

30 Reviews 5 star:  (24) 4 star:  (4) 3 star:  (2) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.7 out of 5 stars (30 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 228 of 229 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Read Self-Esteem- It's Worth It, November 19, 2008 By  Tonya - See all my reviews Who's the book for? Anyone who wants to improve their self-esteem. What's the goal of the book? To improve your self-esteem. How does it do this? By showing you how to disarm your "inner critic", you know, that negative inner voice that attacks and judges you. Everyone has one, and people with low self-esteem tend to have a more vicious inner critic. Is it easy to read? Yes, the book is laid out well and written in a very friendly tone. The first three chapters cover the most important and universally applicable information. After finishing them, there is a chart for you to look at. It will direct you to the appropriate chapter(s) that deal with your specific problems. Neat! You don't have to read the book cover-to-cover unless you just need general info- but that's what's good about it; you can use the book to fit your individual needs. With over 600,000 copies sold, it must have helped a few people! Other self-help books I liked include "Finding Happiness in a Frustrating World". Good luck! 142 of 146 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book!, August 9, 2002 By  Andreas Fellner "afellner" (München) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This is a very comprehensive self-help book about the nature, cause und treatment of low self-esteem. It is ideal for everyone with low self-esteem and contains many exercises. The authors deal with the following aspects: - The nature of self-esteem: here the basic concept of the whole book is being introduced: your thoughts determine your self-esteem - The pathological critic: you explore your inner critic, explore the origin of this critic and get information how to catch your critic - Disarming the critic: in order to combat your inner critic, you first have to understand its function, then talk back so to make him useless - Accurate self-assessment: this is one of the highlights of this book. You'll learn the art of accurate self-assessment without using pejorative terms like useless, bad, or inferior - Cognitive distortions: this chapter deals with the important concept of wrongly perceiving reality and how to combat this tendency - Compassion: this is one of the most powerful techniques for dealing with low self-esteem. You'll learn ways to better understand, accept, and forgive yourself and others - Handling mistakes and responding to criticisms: I greatly like the attitude of the authors towards mistakes. There are no mistakes in the world, because all the decisions you chose to make were based on your needs and assessment of the situation. A decision can only be labeled as a mistake with hindsight - Asking for what you want: this chapter shows how to assert your right without being aggressive - Visualization and hypnosis - Building self-esteem in children: the last chapter shows ways how to raise children with high self-esteem by listening to them and validating their feelings. At the same time, it is important to set clear limits and be consistent. Altogether, this book is full of useful information and exercises. It can be used both as a self-help book and a supplement to therapy. 54 of 58 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Books I've Ever Read on Personal Development, February 8, 2004 By  T.J. Lynch (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews Self Esteem is a practical book. It's about taking control of your thoughts to take control of your feelings. That's all there is to it. With inspiring simplicity and logic, McKay and Fanning educate the reader about the causes and effects of strong self-esteem. It also introduces the Critic - the voice in your head that brings you down no matter what you do. Most importantly, it helps you to expose what psychological needs the Critic meets. Once this is figured, one can resolve to meet needs in a healthier manner. Next, with the reader aware of the needs his or her critic meets, a chart is offered, guiding the reader towards the specific resources mentioned in the book. Some of the written exercises are designed to enhance your awareness. Others are day-to-day activities in which you keep track of your exact thoughts in order to replace them with more realistic ones. In addition, visualization is offered as well, a powerful and simple tool for creating a healthier self-image. Yet, the authors wisely understand that rebutting old beliefs sometimes isn't enough. As a solution, they offer the technique of hypnosis. The logic behind this is that often the memories that rob us of our worth are not remembered consciously. As a result, many of the exercises in the book will not work, since no memory is there for one to work with. Hypnosis allows one to directly access the subconscious, allowing one to implant healthier ideas of who we are. Self-Esteem's ultimate goal seems to be to get the reader to measure up against a new standard of worth. An inspiring passage sums it up: "The truth is that your value is your consciousness, your ability to perceive and experience. The value of a human life is that it exists. You are a complex miracle of creation. You are a person who is trying to live, and that makes you as worthwhile as every other person who is doing the same thing. Achievement has nothing to do with it. Whatever you do, whatever you contribute should come not from the need to prove your value, but from the natural flow of your aliveness. What you do should come from the drive to fully live, rather than the fight to justify yourself." Reading Self-Esteem, and implementing the solutions, will allow you to feel better about yourself no matter what life throws at you.		Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars You will read this over and over again. From the moment I opened the book, I saw myself in it. It has challenged me to deal with the "inner critic" and look at situations in my past that has framed my mindset. Read more Published 3 months ago by A. Butterfly 4.0 out of 5 stars Very professional This book which I haven read completely yet seem to be a very good and professional one. A lot of good advices explanations! Published 3 months ago by AP 5.0 out of 5 stars very good book about cognitive techniques and who they can help Great book to get to know cognitive techniques and the personality types that they can help. Published 6 months ago by Robert Forsythe 5.0 out of 5 stars An instructive guide on enhancing self-esteem Each individual manifests self-esteem, or the lack of it, differently. Generally, people with strong self-esteem had parents who nurtured them constantly during their early... Read more Published 7 months ago by Rolf Dobelli 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book You'll see results from this book if you stick to it. Go through the chapters slowly and take time to follow the suggestions - I've found them quite helpful! Read more Published 9 months ago by Jane Book Reader 5.0 out of 5 stars How to Cope With Stress This work provides practical strategies on how to identify both constructive and non-constructive criticisms . People need motivation. Read more Published 13 months ago by Joseph S. Maresca 5.0 out of 5 stars If you're only looking for one book on Self Esteem, then this is the one This is one of the few books on self esteem that covers the inner critic and the outer critic. If all you ever do is reduce the criticism in your life, your self esteem will... Read more Published 15 months ago by Roger Robins 5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended I cannot speak highly enough of this book. I found it to be absolutely invaluable in developing better self esteem. Read more Published 17 months ago by Leenie 5.0 out of 5 stars Books in excellent condition and delivers fast even on standard delivery I order two books the same day. This seller had my stuff to me during the holidays with in days and I did standard delivery. Read more Published 18 months ago by C. Benton 5.0 out of 5 stars The best self esteem text I've read so far This book was recommended to me when I was studying and it's a text I seem to always go back to and use especially when working with clients who have concerns about self esteem... Read more Published on May 17, 2007 by A. Nguyen Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)   Discussion Replies Latest Post   No discussions yet Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   [Cancel] Guidelines Active discussions in related forums   Discussion Replies Latest Post religion First Causes and Rational thought 358 37 seconds ago religion Death 18 53 seconds ago health I was nearly squeezed to death by a huge anaconda over the weekend. Will there be any lingering side-effects? 6 5 minutes ago health how do you get your wife to lose weight? 463 14 minutes ago self-help If you want to change, do this...... 12 6 hours ago self-help Decluttering 3 17 hours ago self esteem Author & Illustrator of "More to Love" new interview 0 8 days ago

The Self Esteem community Latest activity 17 hours ago 596 customers have contributed 439 products, 35 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Self-help community Latest activity 6 minutes ago 12,569 customers have contributed 9,220 products, 248 discussions and more... › Explore the community The Self-esteem community Latest activity 19 hours ago 1,301 customers have contributed 892 products, 75 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community Related forums depression (9 discussions) health (537 discussions) religion (1023 discussions) self esteem (1 discussion) self-esteem (4 discussions) self-help (248 discussions) Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Listmania!

Psych Books: A list by silverarrow   Books to read when your self-esteem tank is on empty.: A list by a researcher   Dr. Kathy's Favorite Self-Help Books: A list by Dr. Kathy Nickerson "Dr. Kathy Nickerson" Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

Be a seagull: A guide by Sansannah Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > Business & Investing > Job Hunting & Careers > Guides
• Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Personality
• Books > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Personal Transformation
• Books > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Self-Esteem
• Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age

---

Free Songs, Cheap Albums Visit our Special Deals Store to find ultra-low prices on great albums, daily deals, and over 500 free songs. ›Shop now

Best Books of 2008 Find our top 100 editors' picks as well as customers' favorites in dozens of categories in our Best Books of 2008 Store.

Better Than a Sharp StickBrowse outdoor power and woodworking equipment in the Home Improvement Store.

Best Books See our editors' picks and more of the best new books on our Best of the Month page.

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Where's My Stuff? Track your recent orders. View or change your orders in Your Account. Shipping & Returns See our shipping rates & policies. See FREE shipping information. Return an item (here's our Returns Policy). Need Help? Forgot your password? Buy gift cards. Visit our Help department.

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)

You have no recently viewed items or searches. After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.	Continue shopping: Top Sellers Paranoia by Joseph Finder 4.1 out of 5 stars (193)$0.00 My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent 4.3 out of 5 stars (3)$0.00 Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck 3.8 out of 5 stars (258)$6.59 Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck 3.8 out of 5 stars (258)$6.59

Amazon.com Home  |   Directory of All Stores

International Sites:  Canada  |  United Kingdom  |  Germany  |  Japan  |  France  |  China

Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Build an eCommerce Site  |  Advertise With Us  |  Developer Services  |  Self-Publish with Us

Help  |  View Cart  |  Your Account  |  1-Click Settings

Investor Relations  |  Press Releases  |  Careers at Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: New Harbinger Publications; 3 edition (May 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572241985
• ISBN-13: 978-1572241985
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,805 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #13 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Self-Esteem
  #18 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Personality
  #29 in	Books > Business & Investing > Job Hunting & Careers > Guides

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

228 of 229 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read Self-Esteem- It's Worth It, November 19, 2008

By	Tonya - See all my reviews

Who's the book for? Anyone who wants to improve their self-esteem.

What's the goal of the book? To improve your self-esteem.

How does it do this? By showing you how to disarm your "inner critic", you know, that negative inner voice that attacks and judges you. Everyone has one, and people with low self-esteem tend to have a more vicious inner critic.

Is it easy to read? Yes, the book is laid out well and written in a very friendly tone. The first three chapters cover the most important and universally applicable information. After finishing them, there is a chart for you to look at. It will direct you to the appropriate chapter(s) that deal with your specific problems. Neat!

You don't have to read the book cover-to-cover unless you just need general info- but that's what's good about it; you can use the book to fit your individual needs. With over 600,000 copies sold, it must have helped a few people! Other self-help books I liked include "Finding Happiness in a Frustrating World". Good luck!

142 of 146 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book!, August 9, 2002

By	Andreas Fellner "afellner" (München) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a very comprehensive self-help book about the nature, cause und treatment of low self-esteem. It is ideal for everyone with low self-esteem and contains many exercises. The authors deal with the following aspects:
- The nature of self-esteem: here the basic concept of the whole book is being introduced: your thoughts determine your self-esteem
- The pathological critic: you explore your inner critic, explore the origin of this critic and get information how to catch your critic
- Disarming the critic: in order to combat your inner critic, you first have to understand its function, then talk back so to make him useless
- Accurate self-assessment: this is one of the highlights of this book. You'll learn the art of accurate self-assessment without using pejorative terms like useless, bad, or inferior
- Cognitive distortions: this chapter deals with the important concept of wrongly perceiving reality and how to combat this tendency
- Compassion: this is one of the most powerful techniques for dealing with low self-esteem. You'll learn ways to better understand, accept, and forgive yourself and others
- Handling mistakes and responding to criticisms: I greatly like the attitude of the authors towards mistakes. There are no mistakes in the world, because all the decisions you chose to make were based on your needs and assessment of the situation. A decision can only be labeled as a mistake with hindsight
- Asking for what you want: this chapter shows how to assert your right without being aggressive
- Visualization and hypnosis
- Building self-esteem in children: the last chapter shows ways how to raise children with high self-esteem by listening to them and validating their feelings. At the same time, it is important to set clear limits and be consistent.

Altogether, this book is full of useful information and exercises. It can be used both as a self-help book and a supplement to therapy.

54 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Books I've Ever Read on Personal Development, February 8, 2004

By	T.J. Lynch (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

Self Esteem is a practical book. It's about taking control of your thoughts to take control of your feelings. That's all there is to it.

With inspiring simplicity and logic, McKay and Fanning educate the reader about the causes and effects of strong self-esteem. It also introduces the Critic - the voice in your head that brings you down no matter what you do. Most importantly, it helps you to expose what psychological needs the Critic meets. Once this is figured, one can resolve to meet needs in a healthier manner.

Next, with the reader aware of the needs his or her critic meets, a chart is offered, guiding the reader towards the specific resources mentioned in the book. Some of the written exercises are designed to enhance your awareness. Others are day-to-day activities in which you keep track of your exact thoughts in order to replace them with more realistic ones. In addition, visualization is offered as well, a powerful and simple tool for creating a healthier self-image.

Yet, the authors wisely understand that rebutting old beliefs sometimes isn't enough. As a solution, they offer the technique of hypnosis. The logic behind this is that often the memories that rob us of our worth are not remembered consciously. As a result, many of the exercises in the book will not work, since no memory is there for one to work with. Hypnosis allows one to directly access the subconscious, allowing one to implant healthier ideas of who we are.

Self-Esteem's ultimate goal seems to be to get the reader to measure up against a new standard of worth. An inspiring passage sums it up:

"The truth is that your value is your consciousness, your ability to perceive and experience. The value of a human life is that it exists. You are a complex miracle of creation. You are a person who is trying to live, and that makes you as worthwhile as every other person who is doing the same thing. Achievement has nothing to do with it. Whatever you do, whatever you contribute should come not from the need to prove your value, but from the natural flow of your aliveness. What you do should come from the drive to fully live, rather than the fight to justify yourself."

Reading Self-Esteem, and implementing the solutions, will allow you to feel better about yourself no matter what life throws at you.