The Phoenix Spirit - for the love of Books

Books........

by Barbara Kummer

A Course in Happiness: Mastering the 3 Levels of Self-Understanding That Lead to True and Lasting Contentment

By Mardi Horowitz , M.D.
Tarcher / Penguin

You can almost hear Dr. Horowitz ask "Got happiness?" A trained therapist and practicing psychiatrist with more than 40 years of experience, he provides the following answer: "You already possess all that you need to achieve dramatic new results in your lifeÉ All that is required is willingness for deep and honest self-exploration." While Dr. Horowitz admits there is no "golden key" to happiness, he argues that the hard work of self-exploration can lead to self-knowledge which can in turn lead to inner peace. Throughout the book he provides examples, strategies, exercises and self-appraisals to help readers evaluate and master problems--such as emotionally difficult situations--leading them to [re]discover themselves, their goals and their choices.

Willingness to do the work of self-discovery may be all that's required and understanding one's self is rewarding, but the work can be hard. Dr. Horowitz offers three levels of self-understanding to bring clarity to your goal: integration to assemble all the parts of one's self; intimacy to remain closely connected to family and friends; and integrity to know which of one's values are priorities.

Dr. Horowitz coaches the reader through a self-observation process using the Five R's: reconsider, reperceive, reappraise, revise and rehearse. Walking the reader through worst and best case scenarios using a "Three-Scenario Approach" to evaluate emotionally charged issues and clarify the thinking around them, he urges them to deliberately dig deeper while acknowledging new actions which may initially feel awkward.

An appendix that outlines the book's essentials messages and techniques is included along with additional books the reader may look to as resources.

The Forgiveness Solution: The Whole-Body Rx for Finding True Happiness, Abundant Love, and Inner Peace.

By Philip H. Friedman, Ph.D.
Red Wheel / Weiser

Meant to be a workbook of exercises and ideas that readers explore in their journal entries, Dr. Friedman provides support through the process of discovering and releasing negative emotions like anger, resentment and guilt. The goal is to help the reader give up the beliefs that hold them back, whether consciously or unconsciously, and recognize that their lives are full of experiences that exist for all parties' personal and spiritual growth and leads them to choose to forgive others and themselves.

He provides clear instructions to using the "Psychological Uplifter" which is his expansion on the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) developed by Gary Craig. Dr. Friedman includes photographs of the tapping positions and multiple affirmations for a thorough understanding of the process. There are also examples of the changes individuals have experienced, sharing their self-reported scores before and after they practiced the different techniques.

All of his exercises include assessing the level of discomfort or satisfaction (using a 10-point scale) prior to doing the procedure and evaluating any change afterwards. He recommends documenting these numbers in your journal. For those who like to see their progress on a worksheet, this is a great tool. For everyone else, it is just another step in the process. Either way, using Dr. Friedman's techniques brought a noticeable change to my levels of peace and happiness. The book includes a comprehensive list of recommended reading and resources.

A Man's Way Through the Twelve Steps.

By Dan Griffin, M.A.
Hazelden Publishing

In 1935, two men met in Akron, Ohio to talk about staying sober. Their conversations led to the development of The Twelve Steps, a self-help program for people affected by addiction. More recently, Dan Griffin met with men at various stages of their recovery to talk about being a man and being a man in the Twelve Step community. This book is modeled after A Woman's Way through the Twelve Steps by Dr. Stephanie Covington. Breaking through the "don't talk, don't trust, don't feel" rule many males are inundated with while growing up, Mr. Griffin asked the men he met with to disclose their feelings and thoughts on recovery through the Twelve Steps and other topics such as grief, relationships, violence and trauma. Each chapter includes a list of searching and revealing questions, suitable for personal reflection and review with a sponsor.

Readers will appreciate the thoroughness with which each of the Steps are discussed and the men's honesty and willingness to take the risk and explore these difficult topics. Mr. Griffin explains that the men interviewed were not heard as children and adults and that until they were in recovery, they weren't heard because they didn't speak. They are being heard now.

A Little Daily Wisdom: 365 Inspiring Bible Verses to Change Your Life

By Joel Fotinos and August Gold
Paraclete Press

This inspirational book contains Bible verses that are suitable for memorizing. Each daily reading includes a short verse that gives the reader a platform to rediscover or learn the Bible in small manageable bites. Each page also has an affirmation prayer that summarizes the verse. Intended to give the reader the solace of a memorized verse that can be called upon during times of stress, every book of the Bible is represented and Fotinos and Gold have reviewed nine translations of each verse to ensure the clearest message. The translations utilized are listed at the conclusion of the book for reference.

Although it is suggested that the verse be memorized, readers could also benefit from reading the verse and affirmation and then meditating on the entry using the questions offered by the authors in the introduction: "What does the verse say to me? How is it applicable in my life? How does the verse make me feel?" For example, June 25's entry, which is from the English Standard Version, states: "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone." Mark 11:25A. The affirmation was, "Today I forgive everyoneincluding myself-who has harmed me."

This exercise could be helpful to anyone, whether they have their Bible verses memorized or not.

Have a book you'd like to share with our readers? Contact Barbara at barbara.kummerreviews@gmail.com.