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Summary: Accepting Yourself and Running with it!
Review: I usually don't like self-help books because they are too mushy, too much love yourself as you are [stuff]. This book is different. McGraw insists that you take inventory of yourself and chart your own course through life. I enjoy the triumph of individual will throughout. Phil's book inspired me to 1) lose a hundred pounds 2) finish graduate school 3) and write my own book ...Thanks, Phil.
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Summary: talk and more talk
Review: Dr. Phil does hold your hand. I can appreciate that. Some people need it more than others. I prefer to discover myself in creative ways. I don't like to be told what to find when I look inside. . . The book Personal Renewal by Letha Hadady is an undiscovered gem that was written several years ago. It enables the reader to find "The Original Self." Do we see a trend? The difference between the two books is that the earlier book steps back and allows the reader to look inside with guided imagination not with a questionnaire. When imagination fails, Personal Renewal offers herbs, diet, and massage. For me, they improved my health, vitality, sexuality and commitment to personal goals. Self Matters talks the talk. It does what is excpected. But some people want more.
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Summary: Awesome!!!
Review: Using the concepts in Self Matters and the principles in Baron Baptiste's book "Journey Into Power" have completely changed my life! I've lost 40 pounds since Jan. 2002,I also exercise DAILY (Mon - Sat), my business is exploding and I feel like everything is finally falling into place after years of struggle and disapointment. For me, I'm finally taking care of myself -- the combination of Phillip McGraw's work and Baron Baptiste's teaching's on yoga and transformation of Body and Soul have been deeply profound for me on every level. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Focus on eating right, moving more, believing in your authentic intuitive self and you'll feel so much better about yourself and your life will start to work the way it should. Buy both Phillip McGraw and Baron Baptiste's book!
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Summary: Refreshing modern version of traditional philosophy
Review: This book, like Dr. McGraw's others, is enormously practical and helpful for anyone seriously interesting in changing himself. Recently I read Aristotle Would Have Liked Oprah: Lessons for Living, which provides insights from different philosophers on how we can better live our lives, and I was amazed after reading Self Matters how similar McGraw's suggestions are to those of Aristotle and Socrates. For anyone who has found Dr. Phil's recommendations to be helpful, I would definitely suggest reading Aristotle Would Have Liked Oprah as well - makes you appreciate how fundamental Dr.McGraw's advice is.
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Summary: Understanding Matters, Too
Review: Fascinating book. Offers valuable insight into subjects of character and self-improvment. Take this book seriously. Practice what it tells you. It's a life changing experience. To enhance your life changing experience, also read "West Point: Character Leadership Education, A Book Developed From The Readings And writings Of Thomas Jefferson" by Norman Thomas Remick, a book that enables you to fully understand the philosophy in easy language behind everything "Self Matters" talks about. Understanding matters, too.
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Summary: Thought provoking
Review: I was enthralled by Dr. Phils skills of knowing how to help us find our lost journey. I greatly appreciate his direct approach. Sometimes it hurt but the truth is always what's best. Thank you for your insite and willingness to help us all. Fascinating to finally find yourself.
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Summary: Shall We Tell It Like It Is?
Review: As I psychologist, I am consistently confronted with clients who do not know "who they truly are." They come in, plop down in a cozy chair and after summarizing (sometimes over months) their difficulties and past traumas...they oftentimes feel more exhausted than "better." They don't feel "fixed." It's frustrating for them at this point and usually this leads to the inclination of giving up; feeling that that nothing can make it "all better" and they buy into the lie that "I am worthless!" If you have ever been in therapy, you may identify with this. If you haven't, then you may still understand the frustration that can derive from doing everything you can to "feel better" and not experiencing the "pay off" for all your effort. That's why this book is so valuable. It breaks down the cycle of expectation - effort - undesired result - failure and explains, in no uncertain terms, the "formula" for knowing who you are; not who other people SAY you are, not who you THINK you should be, but who you are at the CORE. I consider this book a hands on tool to evaluate and understand YOU. It's especially helpful for those who feel any or all of the following: 1. I have spent so much of my life trying to please others and live up to their expectations, that I have forgotten and neglected who I truly am. 2. When I do muster up the courage to do something for myself, (take on a new hobby, career, etc.) I feel guilty that doing so would be taking time away from my family and/or responsibilities to others. 3. I have bought into the labels others have placed on me instead of defining myself on my own terms. I have become what others said I would become. 4. I know there is so much more I could be doing with my life, but I don't have ______ (the finances, the support of others, the time, the energy, etc.) so I guess I have to just accept my lot in life and deal with it. These are just of the few indications that this book is appropriate for you. It's helpful for anyone who is not living life to the fullest and cannot break the ties that bind from the past which confine them and hold them back from experiencing life in all its wonder. Finally, and very importantly, this book is written in candid form. It is interactive with self-tests that will bring to light things about yourself you may have never considered before. Dr. McGraw gives you a clear cut, no nonsense schematic of how to go from point A to point B without all the psycho-babble and cuts straight to the chase, which is just the way I like it. I would not recommend the abridged version. Make sure when ordering that the title does not indicate "abridged." Also, if you purchase any other titles by this author, consider ordering the accompanied "workbook" when available.
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Summary: Nolan on "self-matters"
Review: Dr. Phil McGraw goes all out in his "in your face" self help book. Dr. Phil examines why and how we end up living our lives the way we do, why we think the way we think, and explains the reality of our problems. The book stresses the point that the only thing in this world we have complete control over is ourselves. We can use this control to open up a whole new life for ourselves, from the inside out. I enjoyed the common sense approach in this book and agreed with almost everything Dr. Phil had to say. My only problem would be the fact that this book doesn't directly apply to my life yet because of my age.
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Summary: The Best Ever
Review: This book was the best book I've ever read. And I really mean that. I really recommend 'Life Strategies' by Dr Phil too. Both these books work so well together. 'Self Matters' gave me such clarity and much needed information about who I am. This book completely changed my life. If you want this book to work for you, you must read it slowly and thoughtfully. That can't be stressed enough. You must do all the exercises honestly and in no hurry whatsoever. Be seriuos about this book and it will change your life too. And make sure you keep an open mind too.
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Summary: Errors
Review: Page 54: ignore the formulas. They should be: Congruency Score (in %)=100 X Actual Self Score (divided by) Total Potential Score. And in Appendix A and B, here is the code: A=8, AS=6, DS=4, D=1.
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