Self help / development books

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 ThunderCat 08 May 2018

Cleaning out the spare room yesterday where most of our books end up and I saw an old copy of Allen Carr 's 'Easyway to stop smoking ' book. 

I struggled for ages to quit smoking,  and a mate recommended I read it. For some reason I didn't,  and struggled on with patches , gum, willpower etc. I think I had a ' well if I can't do it through willpower, how the bloody hell is a book going to help me' attitude. 

Gave in eventually and read it. Did the trick instantly and never looked back. No withdrawal pangs, no cravings.  Felt like I'd never been a smoker. An amazingly simple and short book that really did change me for the better. That was probably about ten years ago .

Wondered if anyone else has had similar experiences with others books in other areas that have drastically changed your way of looking at life, improved yourself...

(this was not intended as an advert for the book by the way )

 felt 08 May 2018
In reply to ThunderCat:

Wheat Belly by William Davis. Now I know that there are some who consider him a fraud, quack, whatever -- there no doubting he's a great self-publicist and a monomaniac -- but after I gave up the gluten the IBS that had blighted me for ten years disappeared and I lost two stone. Just like that.

 MischaHY 08 May 2018
In reply to felt:

Ever go and get an actual allergy test done? 

 felt 08 May 2018
In reply to MischaHY:

No, I didn't. 

 Mike Peacock 08 May 2018
In reply to felt:

> Wheat Belly by William Davis. Now I know that there are some who consider him a fraud, quack, whatever

Well, yes. A quick look at Wikipedia or his website are enough to see that clearly. I'm happy cutting out gluten worked for you, but the majority of claims that Davis makes aren't backed up by science.

 felt 08 May 2018
In reply to Mike Peacock:

> I'm happy cutting out gluten worked for you

Thanks, Mike.

 malk 09 May 2018
In reply to felt:

> No, I didn't. 


maybe you should. i'm surprised your doctors haven't suggested allergy tests in light of your present symptoms..

have you tried cutting dairy?

 Big Ger 09 May 2018
In reply to ThunderCat:

I used a self help book once, but there's better help on the internet these days.

 felt 09 May 2018
In reply to malk:

Allergy tests are hard to do when you are on a heavy anti-histamine/steroid regime afaik.

But hey, we're far off the subject of the OP's thread...

 Timmd 09 May 2018
In reply to ThunderCat:

'Buddhism For Sheep.'

Genuinely , bought in a charity shop on a whim and it's got useful snippets...

Post edited at 13:20
OP ThunderCat 09 May 2018
In reply to Big Ger:

> I used a self help book once, but there's better help on the internet these days.

Yeah, I suppose we could go beyond books.  Forums, speakers.  Whatever really?

The MoneySavingExpert forums helped me get my head around sorting my finances when I realised how stupid I was with money.  

 stevieb 09 May 2018
In reply to ThunderCat:

Not really self help as such, but I read What Everybody is Saying - Joe Navarro, about body language. Not read it in a long time, but it makes you more aware of the messages you are sending by your posture, actions etc. And it makes you understand your instincts more with other people.

 Blue Straggler 09 May 2018
In reply to ThunderCat:

> we could go beyond books.  Forums, speakers.  Whatever really?

Not even a song, but just the TITLE of a song. 
Courtney Barnett's "Nobody Cares if you Don't Go to the Party". The song isn't even one of her better ones but that title really stuck with me, it's not as negative as you might think, it's more to do with how you shouldn't stress out trying to please everyone and be in three places at once (or worry that someone will be offended if you chose to do something instead of turning up at their thing).

It heavily reduced my tendency to get unnecessarily wound up about that sort of thing. Just those nine words. 

 

 Timmd 09 May 2018
In reply to Blue Straggler:

That's a good interpretation. 

Edit: Thinking about my Buddhism For Sheep, I think Trump needs to read it. It has something about 'Not by enmity is enmity over come' in it. It came to mind with how he relates to the world - and Iran.

That's still a good interpretation, I like that a lot. 

Post edited at 15:41
 Big Ger 10 May 2018
In reply to Timmd:

First he'd have to learn to read.

Then to think.

Bellie 10 May 2018
In reply to ThunderCat:

The Magic of Thinking Big. Was recommended by a guy who was big into positive thinking. I used to dip in and out of it quite a lot. I ended up lending it out, but never got it back. So I'm not sure how it would stand up today.  I recall it was good (20 odd years ago), and this coming from me who cant be doing with motivational speakers.

 

 elliot.baker 10 May 2018
In reply to Blue Straggler:

I just heard a new song from the streets with the line: "you are not the voice in your head, you're the one who listens to it". Deep!

Also though I'm just reading Thinking Fast and Slow and it's blowing my mind with all the irrational and intuitive ways people including myself think and make decisions.


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