Rating: 
Summary: Same Info - Different Package
Review: All the books in the world can't change a chemical imbalance in your brain. I have a bookshelf full of this
type of material and tried for 10 years to "cure" myself.The answer was far simpler....SSRI drugs. I resisted for years. Drugs?! No way, they're for nuts. Now I can see that as one of the multitude of bad thoughts I had when I was perpetually anxious. Talk to your doctor, not your bookseller.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent. Has helped me a lot
Review: I have been reading a lot of self-help literature lately and have passed thru most of the classics, from Dale Carnegie to Maxwell Maltz and others. I tried stuff like "Feeling Good", "Learned Optimist" and many others. This little book with the tacky cover stands out when it comes to the social anxiety aspects. I've always felt too shy and sometimes too pessimistic. That sparked my urge to search for motivational titles and anything that could help. Some are interesting, others plain useless. This book however felt different. For a start, it is not full of padding. I actually managed to get some content out of every page. Plus, it's not full of self-promotion, does not mention seminars, previous books, etc. It feels as if the author is primarily interested in passing the content, something that isn't always felt. But the biggest advantage is perhaps the "Wow, this is me" feeling I got while reading it. Anyone who has been feeling "shy" for most of their life should consider taking a look at this. The book covers a lot of aspects in life, including work ,dating, job interviews, etc, but in general, the biggest advantage to me was getting to understand myself better. It will explain you very well why you behave the way you do. The flaws? Well, it covers many possible ways to approach your thoughts and improve, but unfortunately, it is more effective at explaining you what's going on than at helping you solve it. There are no clear methods, no programs, no suggestions. The author tells you about several possible ways to deal with issues and lets you try things for yourself. Once you understand how you think, you can define your own tactic. I find this a drawback in a way, but not totally. After all, books preaching one-size-fits-all solutions have mostly proved useless to me. As a complement to this book I recomment perhaps "The Magic of Thinking Big", by David Schwartz You can also try "Feeling Good", which is useful, but definitely a lot longer than it should have been.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid and on target
Review: Author knows the topic inside out having lived it and worked with it and done research on it. She explains everything fully in easy to understand, conversational language with humor. There is a logic to the way the material is presented to be learned. While some relevant study results are noted to support the points the author makes, there is nothing researchy or academic or upper-level about it. She spends some 80 pages of 400 to focus in on what social anxiety disorder (formerly called social phobia) really is, differentiates it from other similar conditions then discusses the many ways it shows itself in the phobic's life and the many problems it creates. The book then explores a wide range of ways to deal with it. The reader comes away with a deeper understanding of what the condition is, what it feels like and means to the sufferer. The reader also finds there is help of all kinds available. There is nothing superficial about this book. In fact it probably could get by with less information. But if it did it wouldn't be as useful and comprehensive a resource for recovering from social anxiety disorder it is.
Rating: 
Summary: Unfocussed mere listing of research into social phobia
Review: This is a book of lists. Lots of aspects of life for people with social phobia are described, but ultimately the person with social phobia is left without a clear message of what simple steps he or she should take to make this problem better. For every life situation that was addressed by the author, she would give many (too many) possible solutions, without really explaining any one method in detail: how to put these solutions into practice.
The book reads like a research survey for a higher degree, rather than a practical manual to really make changes in one's life.
Furthermore, I don't think that the author really described the essence of social phobia, as a phobia: she gave many examples of sufferers, but could not really pin it down in it's core. For me there was something missing at this most basic level.
I don't think that lists constitute real understanding, and I think that the author failed to convey such an understanding to her readership.
I was disappointed in a book I had high hopes for. I think the reviewers, mainly social phobics themselves, and unwilling to offend, have been typically non-assertive and way too kind in this instance.
Rating:
Summary: Understanding and practical
Review: Book is crammed (408 pages) with important information. Minimum of clinical discussion (neurotransmitters and medications). Most is easy to read. Material presented in stairstep form. Basics of social anxiety presented in the order needed to work on them. First physical symptoms then thinking then behaviors. Exercises follow same pattern. Book later covers in depth things like meeting people and doing better at work. Need to master basics before working on advanced topics. Otherwise advanced topics might be anxiety provoking. Book is personal and knowledgeable. Written with been-there understanding. Useful with or without therapist. Would be good as two-book set - reader and workbook. Recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Great useful info, effective exercises
Review: Recently I discovered I have social phobia. I thought I was crazy because I did not want to answer the door or use the phone or go out with the guys. I avoided speaking to customers, colleagues and my boss. Everyone seemed to think I was angry all the time or aloof. I was too scared to open my mouth for fear of what they would think of me. I was so relieved to find out there is such a thing as social phobia. I was also very glad I found Dr. Dayhoff's web site and read about Diagonally Parked. I borrowed the book from the library and feel so much better because I see myself in its pages. So far every question I have had has been answered by the book. Sometimes it makes me laugh, sometimes I shed a tear. The book really knows me and my problem from the inside out. Dr. Dayhoff also offers a consulting service where she answers my questions and personally directs me to resources. This book has been the light at the end of my tunnel. I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Eye-Opening
Review: There are many books on social phobia and more coming out all the time. But this book does them one better. Instead of talking generally about what social phobia is and the primary ways to work on it, it goes into depth. It tells the reader all the different factors which can contribute to the appearance of social phobia, when it might not be social phobia after all, what happens in therapy, what EMDR and ETS are, what promise, if any, alternative therapies, herbal supplements and exercise may hold for treatment, the pros and cons of relying on online communication, what resources are available, and much more. But what makes this book soar above the others is that is doesn't stop with describing social phobia and treatment. It breaks out of the box to show how social phobia affects every part of the phobic's life. It addresses fundamental needs such as loneliness, meeting people, developing relationships, surviving at work, finding jobs, and becoming more effective as a person, not just as a social phobic. It provides necessary life strategies as well. I very much like this integrative approach and find the scope to be wide-ranging, useful and use-friendly.
Rating:
Summary: Great information resource, but...
Review: Like many who suffer from social anxiety/social phobia, I knew I something was holding me back in my life, but I didn't know quite what. Dr. Dayhoff offers an incredible insight into SA/SP, it's symptoms and treatment options. The Case Studies section was enlightening, allowing me to finally see what it was that I was suffering and putting a name to my pain. While this book is a great resource for self-diagnosis and gaining a better understanding of SA/SP, it tends to be overly clinical and the treatment section falls far short. That's probably, in part, because SA/SP is best treated by a therapist. If you already know as much as you'd like about SA/SP and are simply looking for a good 'self-treatment' plan, I would recommend "Overcoming Shyness and Social Phobia" by Ronald Rapee. My therapist made me buy this, and it's been a life-saver.
Rating:
Summary: bad
Review: lots and lots of extraneous information. poorly written and too many weird little diagrams. it tries to wrap in some sort of philosophical viewpoint along with the information on social anxiety which is really annoying and preachy. it spends the first half of the book talking about what social anxiety is. it's like, the people reading this book ALREADY KNOW WHAT IT IS, THEY HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH IT FOR YEARS!!! we don't need 200 pages of going into gruesome detail about it, just get to the medicine man!! this book needs to be edited to the essential information.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: This self-help book is a fantastic resource for socially anxious individuals. Dayhoff provides instructions on several relaxation techniques, including progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, abdominal breathing, and self-hypnosis. Dayhoff also offers helpful information about modifying thoughts that lead to anxiety, improving social skills, using medication to treat social anxiety, and finding qualified therapists. This book is thorough, provides several useful techniques, and offers the reader a sense of hope because it is written by a recovered individual. Lee J. Markowitz, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada)
| 
