Rating: 
Summary: A mixed bag
Review: This book and Branden's philosophy have some redeeming qualities. The sentence completions are a sort of self-introspection which is important for anyone who wants to change, and self-esteem is topic worthy of discussion. Branden seems to think however that self-esteem is something quantifiable by a number, you either have high or low or in-between. I think that's pretty simplistic and not very helpful to most people. I would argue that people have an image in their minds of who they are which is formed by their past experiences, what they think other people think of them (especially their parents), and also partly their own beliefs. It can't be classified as a number. Branden says people need to "raise" their self-esteem, what they really need to do is change the image they have of themselves in specific areas. I don't feel Branden offers much framework in this area. The sentence completions are helpful but not life-changing by themselves. Throughout the book he points out people's problem areas but we don't see examples of people making life altering changes over time. Another major flaw I find in Branden's writing, although not so much in this book, is his work on what he calls "social metaphysics". It sounds complicated, but it's what everyone else calls "people skills" or networking. Branden's philosophy doesn't have room for people who care about what others think or change themselves to "fit in". He dismisses this as people being afraid to think for themselves and thus relying on other to think for them, in the traditional Objectivist, Real Person-Second Hander model. While Branden is right to an extent that people need to be able to think for themselves, the truth is their is an evolutionary reason behind why people act this way. I realized this why working on my resume and my paper on antitrust legislation. What I learned was that, in any given situation, there are just so many facts out there it's impossible to get them all, and that a lot of times the facts are just misleading. A lot of people with high GPAs are idiots who know how to brown-nose and take easy classes. As a result, when the facts aren't conclusive, you have to rely on people's judgement. In that manner, what people think is important. In addition, fitting into society and various smaller sub-societies requires people to adhere to certain subtle unwritten rules. For instance, I'd be happy wearing my wrinkled shirts every day because it's just as comfortable to me and I don't waste time ironing them. But people see that as sloppy, so I do iron my clothes. I also am nice to people I don't really like, because that makes life easier than the alternative. People have evolved characteristics to do these sorts of things automatically to make life simpler. You can read more about them in the book _Influence_ by Robert Cialdiani (sp). Branden is right, sometimes it's better to ignore these impulses, but his quick-fix, always be an individual philosophy is not going to make you a happier person. It's just going to make your life harder. Like most things, you have to find a balance. All in all this is an ok book. It has some fundamental problems, but it is easy reading and can be of some help to someone who is caught in a rut in life. It is not Oprah book club worthless pop psychology or discussion on whether you're unsuccessful because you lusted after your mom or your sister growing up. However I think it is of limited benefit, certainly over-stated by many reviewers, and Objectivist ethics as a whole is not a healthy or satisifying way to live your life. As an alternative, I recommend a book called _Psycho-cybernetics_ by Maxwell Maltz. The book covers much of the same material but offers real solutions and a workable philosophy. The key to getting rid of negative feelings and bad self-esteem is to relax away and ignore the thoughts and feelings, not dwell on them or neurotically try to make them go away by "proving" them wrong. That is something I learned from personal experience, reading Rand/Branden in 1999 and Maltz in 2002. As an aside, while Branden talks a lot about reason and facts in his book, Maltz actually quotes actual scientific studies whereas Branden rarely if ever does. Ever since 1999 I have been reading psychology and philosophy and after all this time I've come to the conclusion that life is keeping a positive attitude, keeping your cool, doing your best and letting the dice fall where they may. The rest is intellectual ....
Rating: 
Summary: AWAY WITH THE FOGGY THINKING ABOUT YOURSELF
Review: This book is a thrilling message to all who enjoy rising their consciousness and awareness above the cloudy and foggy thinking about themselves. In case you support the psychological rule of the importance of the self-image this book will be an indispensable appendix to all you have read from Maxwell Maltz and others. The language is fantastically clear and the reasoning plain. You will enjoy it...
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the effort
Review: This is a good book for anyone who enjoys a systematic approach and enjoys doing exercises, because the book provides both. It's called "The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem", but one thing that is important to grasp is that self-esteem is not built directly; rather it is an indirect result of what you do. Branden breaks this down into the six practices of Living Consciously, Self-Acceptance, Self-Responsibility, Self-Assertiveness, Living Purposefully and Personal Integrity. If you are aware (conscious) of the real conditions of your life, accepting of yourself, take responsibility for yourself, assert yourself, have a sense of purpose and are rigorously honest, then self-esteem is the natural result. The heart of this book is the sentence-completion exercises which Branden has developed during his decades as a practicing psychologist. The exercises are designed to bring about change gently. Because the effect is gradual and cumulative, you will begin to notice subtle positive changes in your thinking and behavior without having to summon superhuman resources of willpower. The exercises take about fifteen minutes a day to do and there are about a year's worth in the book. The most profound beneficial effect this book has had on me so far is to make me more aware of my own values and desires and to keep me honest with myself; this awareness of who I really want to be has served as a reminder when it comes time to make choices, and has helped me to make the right choices for myself.
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars is a No-Brainer
Review: This is probably Brandon's most famous book. It is his clearest and most complete analysis of the meaning of Self-Esteem, and its central importance in each person's life. If you come to this book, as I did about five years ago, with sufficiently low self-esteem, and knowing nothing about its importance, this book will be the equivalent of being hit head-on in a traffic accident: the end result being that you will either change your life with effort and considerable inner pain and finally begin to live -- or you will realize that you are dead and want to remain dead! In summary: Read this book at your own peril! ...And if you faithfully do the exercises at the end two or three times over, then gradually over the course of a year, you will begin to feel self-esteem sprout into your life. It will soon grow into a beautiful green plant. This will also become a book you will want to come back to now and again throughout your life, to drink from its healing clear waters.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing book
Review: This is probably the best self help book i've ever read. It's easier to integrate into general life than other books i have read. it deals with a range of topics and problems that that other books would only deal with individually. and it's not as tedius and boring as some books can be. I would suggest this book to anybody.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely worth reading several times
Review: This is the first comment I've ever placed. If there was ever a book I would support it would be this one. The book, in its value towards my life, has well exceeded its purchase price. I highly endorse it. He packs so much into it that I suggest it be read several times, attacked with highlighters, and underscored with pens, pencils, and crayons. There is a saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear". Well...for many people (who want to improve their sense of self esteem) Nathaniel Brandon is that teacher. As Siskel and Ebert used to say "Two Thumbs Way UP!!!". Aloha
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is THE self discovery book. If you want to learn more about yourself and overcome your fears and be more self-confident this is the book you should reach for. Forget all the other books on the market that are written by motivational speakers. Reading this book will help you become more aware of yourself.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece of self-help books
Review: When I was a teenager, I had a very low self-esteem. This I knew, but I wasn't exactly sure why. Then one day at the bookstore, "The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem" caught my eye, and I have read it many times since then. This book has literally changed my life. I like it because Dr. Branden seems to understand what it is like to have low self-esteem, and that comes though in his writing. Furthermore, he defines self-esteem in simple terms by breaking it down into pillars. He also explains how to build one's self-esteem with sentence completion exercises. Overall, I have found that there are three levels to this book: reading it, understanding it, and living it. This book is a lot of work because there is a tremendous amount of material to digest. And raising your self-esteem takes time and is painful, but the rewards are priceless. I just wish they taught this in high school. I easily give this book five stars!
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