Rating:  Summary: The LAST Self-Help Book I Will Ever Need Review: Over the years, I have read several self-help books to help me figure out why I am stuck and not getting anywhere. Most of them were OK, but they did not quite point in the direction I needed to go. I picked up Gray's book on a whim, and I am happy to say that it is changing my life. The ideas he presents are simple (when you think about them) yet so profound you cannot help but change if you apply them correctly. Most importantly, Gray outlines a plan of action to deal with what is holding you back that is clear, concise, and incredibly powerful.If you are ready to stop spending time and money spinning around on the self-help carousel and start finally getting on with your life, I would strongly recommend reading this work.
Rating:  Summary: This Book Is An Absolute Must-Have Review: The gist of the book is this: if you are not doing what you want with your life in any respect, (regardless if its success, money, love, and/or whatever you feel you are "missing") the reason is because you are blocked and/or empty. This book tells you EXACTLY how to remove your blocks and/or fill the emptiness - and simply by doing this you can obtain complete fulfillness, success, and happiness. This book will help you live your dream. When I first bought this book several years ago I skimmed it, read a few chapters and stuffed it in my bookshelf to collect dust because it seemed "boring". At the time I bought this book, I was simply not ready to work on myself (although I truly thought I was) and I was not able or willing to apply John Grey's life lessons. Then some things happened in my life, some time passed, and one day I picked up the book and started REALLY reading it. Sometimes I could read pages or chapters, and sometimes I could read only a paragraph before I had to put it down and absorb what I read and try to apply it to myself and my life. I think everyone in the world NEEDS to read this book, and I'm not saying that lightly. The book itself is easy to read and understand, but the message is a complicated one, and its even more difficult to put into practice and to actually apply it to your life. You will read some parts of this book and wince because it pinches a nerve; you will sometimes see yourself in its pages, and its not always a pretty picture being painted. The good thing though, is that this book is not just honest but it is useful - it tells you exactly what you need to do (literally, step by step) to help or "repair" yourself. This is not the sort of book you can read in a couple of days and say "Well, that was a good read", or "Whew, I'm all fixed now." This is a workbook that may take you many months to truly "complete", and even once you've read all of its pages, you will still need to go back and read it again simply to absorb it all. And, you'll need to reference it over and over because changing yourself for the better is a life-long endeavor that never truly ends. To read this book and practice its lessons are worth ten-fold the investment in time because of the immediate positive results it will bring to your life. This has been my experience ... for some things I read, when I applied them to my life, or did something recommended by John Grey, I got an immediate positive response. Other times, I tried and tried but nothing changed ... then just when I was about to give up, some response popped up that validated that my attempts mattered. This book is really changing me, my life, and my relationships in miraculous and unexpected ways. If you happened upon this book, or if you were recommended this book, you absolutely must get it. Don't just read it, absorb it. If you read it and its not clicking with you, put it aside for the future. Just remember that the wisdom in these pages are there for you to read when you are ready to take control of your life.
Rating:  Summary: Probably 3 and a half. Review: I expected to hate this book. I got it for free because a box of books was donated to my office for our garage sale (we're a non profit agency). Surprisingly, I generally thought the book was pretty good. Despite the fact that the phrase "love tank" is corny, Gray's point is a good one. He is trying to show people that true happiness and success isn't measured through the external trappings of wealth -- without an inner life, and an inner sense of worth, people will constantly try to fill up their emptiness with stuff. And all the "stuff" in the world won't make up for what is lacking in good relationships, a sense of emotional well being, spiritual development, and community. I agree with him there. I don't however, necessarily accept that you need all ten types of love to be happy. I do know people who don't have a romantic partner who are quite satisfied with their lives. Same with people who don't have children. The latter especially didn't fit for me -- Gray argues that being an aunt or belonging to something like Big Sisters won't fill you; you actually have to be a parent or have a pet, because otherwise you aren't experiencing enough responsibility. In Western culture that may be true. In other cultures, like mine (I'm of Eastern European descent) aunts and uncles view their nieces and nephews as being like their own. I certain do with my little niece. So it isn't as simple as Gray puts it. Oversimplification is the biggest drawback of this book, and the reason I didn't give it five stars. There isn't a whole lot in the book that's particularly new. The letter writing techniques he describes can be found in other Gray books. There is a wealth of material on meditiation on the market. So if you read alot of self-help, some of the material in this book might seem redundant. This fact makes the book, which is about 310 pages, seem even longer than that. Gray has a chapter that talks about different crisises at various life stages. Although he doesn't make the comparision, this chapter is reminiscent of Erik Erikson's eight stages of man. Had Gray referred to Erikson, this chapter might've had more weight. I was also frustrated because I know, as someone who's taken developmental psychology, that some of the life stages he mentions (mid life, retirement) have been shown in some studies to not result in crisis for a number of people. He makes no allusions to any evidence or research that might contradict his beliefs. In general, I was disappointed by the lack of references to other authors who share similar ideas. I did find that his chapters on identifying and addressing the twelve blocks were really useful for me. I can also see myself journalling with some of the questions he gives in Ch. 17 to help the reader explore their past. Some of the suggested meditations are pretty good, too. So overall, there is some material in the book I could see myself referring to in the future, either for my own personal work, or to help a client. If you like Gray, and/or you want to learn to deal with your emotions more effectively, I'd say that this book is worth reading.
Rating:  Summary: Simple But Incredibly Profound Ideas For Change Review: This is the self-help book that caused the light bulb to finally turn on for me. Other self-help authors I had read made a great deal of sense, but I could never make the changes they discussed stick in my day to day life. However, the meditation technique Mr.Gray teaches in this book has really tied everything together and helped me to implement the philosophies that many of these other writers are trying to teach ("The secret to living is giving" or "How can I help?"). The peace and stress relief has energized my life and produced some profound and very noticeable changes. I'd recommend this book and it's philosophies/ideas to anyone who's never experienced the power of meditation.
Rating:  Summary: Not nearly as good as Men are From Mars... Review: I'm a BIG fan of Men Are From Mars..., but this book was disappointing. Too simplistic, too many similes, and it repeated the same points far too many times. He sounds in this book like he's trying to emulate Deepak Chopra or Wayne Dyer. Much respect to Mr. Gray for his relationship books. This topic, however, seems to be outside his area of expertise.
Rating:  Summary: Excellent Book - Couldn't put it down!!!! Review: I have spent years avoiding hurts from my past. John Gray writes an easy step by step process to help one deal with negative feelings for good. He also equips you with some great meditating tools! I highly recommend this book!
Rating:  Summary: Highly Recommended! Review: Although I tend to be wary of self-help books, I found this book extremely helpful and insightful. After reading the reviews that criticize his emphasis on prayer and meditation, I just have to say try it yourself and find out how powerful it is. I can see how some people can be put off by some of the terminology he uses like "love tanks" and "love vitamins". But, given that the information is ultimately so insightful and useful, it should be given a chance. I have no problem giving Mr. Gray my money for this book considering how much I've gotten out of it in just a couple of weeks. I've recommended it to several friends already and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for personal success and happiness(just about everyone!).
Rating:  Summary: The ultimate snake oil man Review: This book is about the self promotion of John Gray and nothing else. Oh and his conversations with God.
Rating:  Summary: Give it 5 Stars Review: I listened to this book on audio tapes at the recommendation of a supervisor at work, not knowing what to expect. Boy, was I surprised. The simplicity John Gray uses is the key to absorbing the profound truths he exposes to his audience. I am buying the book now for a permanent reference in my library. The part about the love tanks was just wonderful, and explained things to me I was clueless about before. Too bad some of the negative reviewers can't see the depth and profundity of a work like this. I feel sorry for those who can't zero in and pick out the priceless gems in this book. Little things can make a stupendous impact if you're ready for them. Shalom to you all: "Perfect peace - nothing missing, nothing broken."
Rating:  Summary: Interesting and informative Review: As I liked Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus - this book too helps you to look at yourself and others in a more positive way and I found it helpful, especially if you desire to grow as a person and enjoy learning what makes people tick. It helps you to better appreciate and accept yourself, as well as others. We all have good things about ourselves and things that can be changed. We just need a little more time to do that. This book helps you do just that.
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