Rating: 
Summary: Informative
Review: I am a volunteer youth minister who recently started taking counseling classes for a Master's degree. This book has been an wonderful resource to me. Peck's descriptive explanations are educational on certain behaviours, the reflective nature allows a better understanding of them. Peck allows a person to become self-reflective, to realize and accept the fact that "life is difficult." He incorporates that all of us are composed of parts to make a whole, and the need to heal the whole person.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Just Exist -- LIVE!!!
Review: I have met many people in my life that choose to exist instead of actively participating in living. At times, these attitudes are contagious, and at other times, they make me angry at those that refuse to participate in life.I have known many people that don't set goals, because of their fear of failure, and those that don't have hopes because of their hopelessness. This book can make you want to LIVE again. It gives you the courage to set and accomplish goals, have hopes and dreams, and actively participate in LIVING. Life can be an adventure, if we don't give up the battle. Those that have suffered from the effects of addicted behavior, will find this book to be the shove that they need to start working on themselves. It is very enlightening, and requires a ton of soul searching, but the results are WORTH EVERY MINUTE of it. I highly recommend this book to not just some, but to everyone!!! If everyone were to read this book, there is nothing that we together could not accomplish.
Rating:
Summary: The beginning of healing
Review: I read this book about ten years ago and it truly changed, challenged, and encouraged me. If I had to pinpoint the original moment of true illumination in my own spiritual journey, I would have to point to this book. As an adult therapist, I frequently recommend this book to my clients who are seeking spiritual growth. Good book!
Rating:
Summary: If only common sense were truly common
Review: I tend to avoid self-help books but the title of this one intrigued me. After reading a little of it in the book store I bought it and have not at all been disappointed. Among all the books promising secret formulas for success, in a society which reads horoscopes and seems to be the repository of all the talismans in the history of the world, it is most refreshing to read a book that dares to tell the simple truth - life ain't easy. I most like Peck's discussion of love. True love requires a lot of work. It requires a lot of communication. The act of truly listening to someone is at one and the same time the simplest and the most difficult thing a person can do, the least and the most that can be done. There are so many people who could benefit from taking this message to heart. Having said this, I do have some criticisms of the book. Peck does not relate his thoughts to that of others. What he says resonates with the existential idea that we create our own meanings. It would have been nice to have had a discussion of this. I also do not care for his discussion of religious grace. It is not just that I am an atheist. It is that the idea that God's love works magic is at odds with the message about the work required for love. I have also looked at some of the books that Peck wrote after this one and found them disappointing. Nevertheless I whole-heartedly recommend this work. It contains a simple morning after sobering message that society as a whole can benefit from and that I as an indvidual found very useful.
Rating:
Summary: If only common sense were truly common
Review: I tend to avoid self-help books but the title of this one intrigued me. After reading a little of it in the book store I bought it and have not at all been disappointed. Among all the books promising secret formulas for success, in a society which reads horoscopes and seems to be the repository of all the talismans in the history of the world, it is most refreshing to read a book that dares to tell the simple truth - life ain't easy. I most like Peck's discussion of love. True love requires a lot of work. It requires a lot of communication. The act of truly listening to someone is at one and the same time the simplest and the most difficult thing a person can do, the least and the most that can be done. There are so many people who could benefit from taking this message to heart. Having said this, I do have some criticisms of the book. Peck does not relate his thoughts to that of others. What he says resonates with the existential idea that we create our own meanings. It would have been nice to have had a discussion of this. I also do not care for his discussion of religious grace. It is not just that I am an atheist. It is that the idea that God's love works magic is at odds with the message about the work required for love. I have also looked at some of the books that Peck wrote after this one and found them disappointing. Nevertheless I whole-heartedly recommend this work. It contains a simple morning after sobering message that society as a whole can benefit from and that I as an indvidual found very useful.
Rating:
Summary: Gimme Gimme Gimme I Need I Need
Review: I'm the type that likes someone to solve my problems for me or I throw a lot of casharoo at my troubles, hoping it will all go away. When that fails I engage in frozen,with salt cuervo-therapy, or I call my $180.00 per hour rent-a-friend. I was a big believer in denial, affairs, self-medication and elaborate pity-partys. Then came the day I boosted the Peck-Man's ode to growing up from my ex-in-law's house. Golly, what a jolt! The Peckmeister laid it all out before me. I came to realize that duplicity, co-dependency and the general jitters we all have about life is best understood in the context of being an adult instead of the man-child I have been. Read this book if you are post-35 and still think that everyone else has the problem and not you.
Rating:
Summary: THE classic self-help book
Review: If you read self-help books, this is the essential one. M. Scott Peck invented the self-help book, and none better than this one has been written. It's so insightful that it's appropriate to say it's wise--not many self-help books deserve that praise. Whoever you are, this book will challenge you (and help you) to make yourself a better person in practical, meaningful ways. If you're even considering buying it, then you probably should.
Rating:
Summary: Essence of Self-Love is Self-Discipline..Excellent Excellent
Review: If you subscribe to the theory that you and I (people, Soul)are down here for a reason and at least part of that reason is to grow (in some form) - then at least part of growing involves Discipline - not punishment, but the surrendering of Soul's immature attachments (lust, vanity, greed, fear, etc). Scott Peck does an excellent job of defining discipline through four aspects: delaying gratification, responsibility, dedication to truth & balancing. He provides anectodes for each one from both his childhood and his experiences as a psychiatrist. He uses himself as an example as often as others showing how attachments, from alcohol to wanting others to handle things for us, keep one from growing.
Socct Peck's narration is credible though his voice is not the best to listen to, but on this tape substance rules.
Also recommended "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey; "Whatever Happened to Justice?" by Richard Maybury.
Rating:
Summary: Very compelling book!
Review: If you want to know more about the nature of love other than the emotional or romantic aspect, then this book is for you. Peck explains and explores the concept of love from a scientific, psychological point of view to enable his readers to understand and learn how to love in a deeper and wholistic way. He tackles not just the romantic nature of love, but also the love of thy self. He illustrates how from loving one's self, makes one extend himself further to his family, friends, others and society. It might be hard to grasp what Peck is talking about in the beginning but he makes use of his patients' situation to help the reader relate and understand his point further.
Overall, this book is insightful and challenging. Peck challenges the reader to go the other way and see what a difference you'll make.
Rating:
Summary: A must read book as soon as possible
Review: In order for this review to be helpful for you I'll assume that you haven't read the book and debating whether it's going to be worth your money and while. I have just finished reading this book, and at once I logged on Amazon.com and bought a bunch of the author's other books! I also bought this same book as gifts for friends and relatives! This is how much I liked the author's mind and style and how much I appreciate his work in this book. This book falls under the "Popular Psychology" category. It's written in a very simple language and a very attractive approach. The author has some very revolutionary visions about the human psyche and mind, but he doesn't shock you with them immediately. Instead, he starts with very commonly accepted beliefs and takes you on a very smooth journey that is full with knowledge and often surprises! I believe that the book is a must read for everybody. However the last chapter, titled "Grace", might be quite controversial to many. The pace in that last chapter takes a faster approach and some readers might find themselves disagreeing with the author's approach. Nonetheless, the book is very valuable and it will definately change the way you perceive life and humanity overall! In summary, I think that this book is worth your money and while.
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