Rating: 
Summary: Not worth the price I paid for...
Review: A preliminary warning... this book is full of case studies that are specific to the American socio-cultural landscape. Australian readers should take note. The advice that she gives are not without cultural bias either (eg. her advice that you should only "tell the whole truth" to either a priest or a therapist needs to be taken with a grain of salt), though her emphasis that one should live in reality rather than fantasies should be applauded. However this book is so full of "case studies" that little room is left for further elaboration of the points she's trying to make. You can gleam those points from the case studies given as well, but practical life studies should be balanced by some proper arguments. Not what I expect from a properly trained psychologist.If you're used to popular psychology though (and I obviously am not), you might like this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Very, very, very bad
Review: Dr. Bowne's efforts is a disorganized mish mash that often comes across as a stream of consciousness. It is unfortunate as her syndicated show is insightful open minded and nonjudgmental. (A refreshing change from the nasty preachy and tyrannical psedeuo-psychology that is popular on the airways these days) She should stick to radio - writing is obviously not her strongest compentency.
Rating: 
Summary: Only For The Courageous
Review: Dr. Brown easily explains the fanasties and the way we think that things are supposed to be in a straightforward and loving manner. Meanwhile, she points out the things that help us all get to reality in a way that makes her book an enjoyable read and comforting.
Rating: 
Summary: Informative easy breath of fresh air
Review: Dr. Brown easily explains the fanasties and the way we think that things are supposed to be in a straightforward and loving manner. Meanwhile, she points out the things that help us all get to reality in a way that makes her book an enjoyable read and comforting.
Rating:
Summary: Original, thought-provoking and motivating.
Review: Dr. Browne wrote this book as though you the reader are as intelligent as she - a refreshing change from the few other self-help books I have read. Her ideas strike me as sincerely thought out and are presented in a lively, upbeat manner. Her solutions to problems seem highly practical. I read almost the whole book at one sitting- captivated by her fresh yet feasible approach to life. I often think back to this book when conjuring up one of her no-no fantasies. A keeper!
Rating:
Summary: A very cynical book
Review: Dr. Browne's approach in this book is sometimes called "reality therapy." In my opinion, she takes it a bit too far. She criticizes common wisdom, such as "Somewhere I have a soulmate," and "Confession is good for the soul," as fantasies. These views have served many people well through the years. They certainly display an optimistic view of the world and hope for the future(something most of us need). When someone has family, relationship or other interpersonal problems, Dr. Browne seems to say, "That's the way it is in this world and that is the best I can expect from my fellow human beings." I think the truth is somewhat less pessimistic. We do have a right to expect others, especially our loved ones, to respond positively and lovingly to us, but sometimes it just doesn't happen, and there are usually reasons for their behavior. Being able to trust and having ideal pictures of the way we wish things to be in our lives is healthy and sane. Realizing that things won't always happen the way we wish, but being willing to do our part to make our dreams come true is basic to modern life. As Earl Nightingale said, "Where the mind goes, energy flows."
Rating: 
Summary: Clever and pithy, but personal reflections got on my nerves
Review: Dr. Browne's approach is creative and often pithy. But her personal reflections were tacky enough to get on my nerves. Was her ulterior motive in writing this, I asked myself, to enlighten readers or to aggrandize herself? She has tended to do this on her radio programs. First she describes a generic/typical scenario of ours, e.g. what do we do when we can't leave our disabled parent to get a job to pay for food, and she parlays this into a reminder of her recent invitation to preside over a global conference on hunger. A little creativity on my part to get the point across, but her condescending personal asides are downright tacky......
Rating:
Summary: Good suggestions for all aspects of your life.
Review: Heard THE NINE FANTASIES THAT WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE AND THE EIGHT REALITIES THAT WILL SAVE YOU, written and read by Dr. Joy Brown . . . she's a radio talk show, as well as a licensed clinical psychologist.
I have occasionally heard her on the radio and when I have, I've been impressed with her no-nonsense approach to giving advice . . . she rarely gives sympathy; rather, she gives useful suggestions that apply to marriage, personal relationships, career, finances, health,
and all other aspects of your life.
Here, she first presents the fantasies . . . among the ones that most caught my attention were the following:
There's no place like home.
We all assume that everybody else's family is terrific and ours is dysfunctional. Don't believe it for a minute.
Winning the lottery will free me. If money were the key to happiness, millionaires wouldn't have ulcers. They do and it's not.
Good always triumphs.
Life isn't fair. Get used to it. Do the best with what you've got. And no whining.
Dr. Brown then discusses the realities of life . . . these made the most sense to me:
Never tell someone something they already know. Compliment people sincerely and keep nasty thoughts to yourself.
We're responsible for our behavior; feelings just happen. Everybody has bad thoughts. It's bad behavior that separates the good guys from the bad guys.
Romance is the poison of the twentieth century. Unrealistic expectations mean never being satisfied with what you've got, and romance is the ultimate unrealistic expectation.
Reader letters, read and answered by the author, added to my enjoyment of these cassette tapes.
Rating:
Summary: This book seems to be based on opinion rather than fact.
Review: I agree with Dr. Brown that people have to take responsibility for their lives rather than blaming their dysfunctional families, however I find that she is very harsh on her advise to the people. I disagree that people should not have fantasies - fantasies are what gives us a break from oftem rough realities, it is a form of relaxation, and most people do not act out their fantasies anyways. I feel sorry for people who as a result of this not so well written book will deprive themselves of fantasies. If you want to read a good book about relationships that will really teach you something based on years of research, read "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" by Dr. John Gray. Do not take the title literally of course.That book is written after tons of research and is not written based on the author's opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Practical advice for accepting your responsibility!
Review: I generally don't find psychology books very useful, too much pseudo science and impractical mush, sorry for the bias, but I am an Engineer and I am used to the "hard" sciences. Dr. Browne's no nonsense approach is refreshing. We are all dealt a hand of cards, that doesn't mean we have Aces or a full house, but we can play the hand we are dealt to the best of our abilities. If you accept this, and accept your responsibility to make the best of what you have, then you will have a happy life. This is what Dr. Browne is telling us in this book. Thanks for the common sense! Remember the plaque at Engineering corner of the Michigan Quad. It has advice of the first Dean of Engineering at University of Michigan, "Young Man, when theory and common practice diverge, use your horse sense!"
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