Rating: 
Summary: A difficult read, but worth it.
Review: I bought this book hoping to unravel a reason why my soul mate has eluded me for 20 years. I did not get the answer, but I did get to look inside myself and understand more about why I am who I am. I have to say that I got much more out of another book called OPTIMAL THINKING: HOW TO BE YOUR BEST SELF. Optimal Thinking showed me how to be my best in any situation, how to master my disturbing emotions, and how to live my best life. It totally changed my life and I am a happy person now.
Rating: 
Summary: McGraw focuses on surface issues, not the core
Review: As a person and psychotherapist, I have studied human motivation, behavior, and relationships professionally for over 40 years. My conclusion (so far) agrees with other practitioners of *inner-family* therapy. This concept proposes that the behavior of typical adults and kids is regulated by active members of a group of personality "subselves." Each subself or personality "part" has a special talent or gift, and major limitations. One subself everyone appears to have is the "true Self," (capital "S") which is a wise inner-family leader and decision maker. Self is often paralyzed by other excited, needy, distrustful subselves (a "false self"), until the personality owner becomes aware, and intentionally reorganizes her or his inner family to trust and follow the Self and Higher Power. I was disappointed to learn that as a Ph.D. psychologist, McGraw did not write about this true Self. His ideas sound practical and useful, build hope, and DO promote healthy self-awareness. However, I suspect that most people will be unable to benefit significantly from his suggestions because they're unaware that their lives - and perhaps McGraw's - are often ruled by false selves. This is one explanation for vexing compulsions, why most diets don't work, widespread trouble keeping New Year's resolutions, and often doing self-harmful things "anyway." ...
Rating:
Summary: Best thing I've done for myself in a long time!
Review: This book is inspirational. I'm learning how to take ACTION in my life instead of REACTING to the events going on around me. It's definitely worth the few dollars you will spend on this book because you'll certainly receive a life-transforming experience in return!
Rating:
Summary: Best Self- help book written to date
Review: I really did not want to like this book. It was probably the tone of reading a couple of pages that set me off. It seemed as though the author was being too pushy, trying to convince the average individual that they had problems when they really didn't. But I did have problems and that's why I continued to read. I have read practically all the famous self-help books out there and still hadn't experienced any significant changes in my life. This book in my opinion is like Psychocybernetics, where you are to go into your own past and dig deep to find out why you think the way you do and most importantly why its stopping you from achieving success. It is similar as I said but this book actually contains helpful exercises that Psychocybernetics does not. The homework is long but its well worth the insight you gain. In short this books is probably the best packaged self-help book to date. The only flaw I find in it is that it is vague on how to tell about using your imagination/ visualization as a tool to help you excel in future endeavors, that is what Pyschocybernetics had that this book does not. It also lacks some good goals setting strategies but that's what Life Strategies is all about. It certainly isn't the be all and end all of all self-help books and the material isn't exactly new. But IT IS the best packaged self-help book out there to date.
Rating:
Summary: A great way to get to know yourself!
Review: The book Self Matters is a great way to get to know yourself. I've been surprised several times over the things that I learned about myself when I worked through this book. It's easy to understand because the author explaines all difficult words so even I, who don't have English as my maternal language, can understand everything.
Rating:
Summary: Find yourself in this book
Review: I enjoyed reading this book because it made me answer some tough questions. I also recommend my favorite book, Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self. Self Matters shows you how to be real, Optimal Thinking shows you how to be your best no matter what your situation.
Rating:
Summary: lost and found
Review: Dr. Phil is very tough, but he helped me remember who I was when I was my 'Authentic Self'. For that alone, the book was worth reading. I highly recommend this book. Another book that helped me is Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life, by JoAnna Carey.
Rating: 
Summary: He is better on t.v.
Review: I love the Dr.Phil show. Big fan. I am having a very hard time getting through this book, though. I think you really need to be in the perfect frame of mind for it. If you are searching for "answers", it is the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: Good Inspirational Book
Review: I rated this book rather well, but, let me be honest, this book bored me and I soon found it was not written for me to read. Maybe its because of my young age, relatively inexperienced and happy life, or inability to consistently watch Opera or Dr. Phil on television. The reason I rated this book well is because I think this is a wonderful book for others to read. The writing is frank, as Dr. McGraw is on television; the advice is sound and determined to turn one's self-perception on its head so to kill the old, decaying, mired self and begin afresh. If you feel stuck in your life, are about 30 years or older, have even a key-hole to open the door to change, I think you ought to give this book a shot. While "Dr. Phil's" personality is not very endearing to me (although I applaud what he does for others) and I soon lost interest in reading this book, I do think it was well-written (I lost interest because I had no interest in revolutionarily changing myself because I was and am perfectly content with who I am--therefore giving me little interest in religiously following the doctor's every word). In short, buy/borrow/check out this book if you have any reason to change.
Rating:
Summary: like a phoenix from the ashes...
Review: Many said that "Dr. Phil" would never recover from his traumatic and emotional breakup with media mogul Oprah...but with this book McGraw has put all his doubters in their place! A well thought-out and insightful piece of work, this is the ideal self-help book for the depressed sad-sack in your family. Dr. Phil believes in tough love, and I appreciate how he never hesitates to tell someone just how lazy, stupid, annoying or worthless they are, if that's what it takes to make them better. However, I did think that he should lighten up (no pun intended) on all of the petty low-blows at his former partner...this is one book that won't be making Oprah's book of the month club reading list!
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