Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life by Byron Katie, Stephen Mitchell Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life
Book Review: I Used To Be A Byron Katie Fan - No More!
Summary: 1 Stars
I got taken in by Byron Katie's "work", used to think it was great. It seemed to "work" in the beginning. Over time I started finding holes in it. Bigger and bigger holes. Then I did some internet research and learned that people have been reporting big problems with Byron Katie and her method. I've come to agree that she's full of it.
Under NO circumstances do I recommend taking a seminar with this woman. I urge you to do a search for "Byron Katie" and "cult" and evaluate the info that's been coming out about her.
As an alternative source of self-help, I recommend "Authentic Happiness" by Martin Seligman. I've found it incredibly helpful and completely without harmful side-effects, unlike what I ended up experiencing with Byron Katie and her bogus "work".
Book Review: Free yourself from negative thoughts
Summary: 5 Stars
Instead of going into detail about the contents of this book (many already have), I'll just relay some of my own personal experience.
I've been in cognitive therapy for the past year and a half, and I've gotten a lot out of it. Identifying negative thoughts is a big part of that therapy, and my therapist has very frequently talked about how I need to become more aware of my thinking. Until I listened to Katie's audiobook, I did not know how to do that. But now I do.
Suddenly, I've become much more aware of these negative thoughts, and while I recognize it may take some time to let go of my belief in those thoughts, I have taken the first important step. For example, when I went to the performance of a friend's original play, I got angry at myself. Because of a greater understanding I gathered from Katie's teachings, I was able to identify several untrue thoughts that led to that anger. My thoughts went from : "This performance is terrible" to "I should not be critical" to "I should be writing." And through inquiry I learned that these thoughts are not true. And with that understanding I have experienced some freedom I haven't experienced in years. I've been keeping myself in mental jail with the thought "I should be writing."
I know I have a lot of thoughts I believe that are not true, and it may take time to free myself from the belief in those thoughts. But I have taken a large step. And for that, I am grateful to Katie.
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Book Review: This book is a waste of your mind
Summary: 5 Stars
Please don't waste your any part of your life on this book. The teachings in this book can lead to severe dissociation, giving the reader the illusion of relief.
I'm speaking from personal experience. When I quit doing The Work, and became reacquainted with myself, I discovered that all that pain that I thought was gone was still there... festering, buried, dissociated. I have friends who experienced the same thing. The Work did nothing to actually heal me, it only taught me to disconnect from and ignore pain and stress.
This is the book that dragged me into Byron Katie's nightmare.
I recommend the book "Snapping" by Flo Conway and Jim Sieglman for anyone who wishes to understand why people report such amazing experiences with it. And, I recommend "Releasing the Bonds" by Steve Hassan for anyone who has had a loved one who attended Byron Katie's workshops, and came back with a different personality.
As always, the promise of emotional freedom and happiness are ever alluring... but not worth the price. If dissociative mental illness and psychotic bliss is your goal, then this is the book for you.
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Book Review: It's all about style
Summary: 2 Stars
Self-help books are categorized that way for a reason -- it is a tool to help you help yourself for whatever you are seeking. The issue I had with this book is the style. Most of the text is a transcript of the author and conference participants interacting. What may seem playful and charming in person seemed stilted and insincere in writing -- all the "sweethearts" and repetitive cliches made by the author. And in almost every case, the participant went from "I don't understand" to this "A Ha" moment where everything is brilliantly clear in an instant. They have this epiphany of understanding, almost like a "You are healed" experience at a revival. That didn't ring true for me. Too convenient.
I'm one who likes reading the explanation of the theory better than reading a lot of real-life examples of everyday people and their awakenings. The format was as tedious as listening to a court transcript. I think a lot of books of this genre have a very similar message -- there are gems in this book as with most others -- but the style and delivery of the message is not for everyone.
Book Review: Happiness Made Simple
Summary: 5 Stars
The world is the way it is. We can argue about whether it should be the way it is or not, but we cannot argue over the fact that it IS the way it is.
There is genuine peace to be found within genuine acceptance. This book is about how to allow the world to be what it is anyway.
Katie is a diamond--she can seem to be hard, but she always shines brilliantly. Let her into your life and she'll improve it--by improving you--almost instantly. She's the Real McCoy.
Peace to you.