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Summary: "It's all about expectations" --
Review: -- that is the gist of the book, in simple terms. When you have a negative self-image deep down, you fail. If, on the other hand, you become accustomed to HIGH standards and success, then you expect success, and your behavior brings success too.The author (Maltz) was a plastic surgeon and I completely agree with his assessment that surgery often leads to having a different personality, as one of his examples of change in self-image. He was not, however, a psychologist, and he makes many mistakes that are particularly glaring now (the book was written in the 60s). Not everything, in behavior and personality, is caused by beliefs. For instance, depression, fear, and even social impairments may have biological cause, and are only treated effectively with medications. Rationalization, another concept he stresses, can be useless and even detrimental for somebody experiencing an anxiety episode. The way to destroy negative thoughts is NOT by saying "Stop" but rather confronting, ACCEPTING the thought. Aside from this, the book is quite inspirational and interesting.
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Summary: A Man Ahead of His Time
Review: This book carries a copyright date of 1960. It's author died in 1975. And to be quite honest, the age of the book sometimes shows through in the author's style of writing and in some of his basic ideas (no, human beings are NOT highly sophisticated servo-mechanisms, nor is the human brain some kind of super computer). Leaving these basic misconceptions aside, however, this is still one of the best books of its kind that you're going to find (though I understand that, after more than 40 years as 'king of the hill', it may at last be about to face some real competition).
This is all the more amazing given that the author didn't even have a basic qualification in psychology. On the contrary, he was a plastic surgeon. Yet there is more genuine insight in this book than in many of the later works on Cognitive Therapy, etc., by high powered Ph.Ds. This is not to say that the book is absolutely the last word on the subject. There are, for example, several places where the author has touched upon some really crucial piece of information and then passed on, apparently without fully understanding the importance of what he was writing about.
In the case of agression, for example, in Maltz' day 'catharsis' (acting out frustration, aggression, etc.) was all the rage and he tells us that: "All types of physical exercise are excellent for draining off aggression. ... Especially good are those games where you hit or smash something ..." Nowadays we understand that this approach is more likely to breed future aggression than to provide genuine relief. To be fair to Maltz, however, despite all his comments on providing release valves for the RELIEF of frustration and agression, he does, in passing, (pages 135-6) indicate the far more beneficial method for AVOIDING the kind of thinking that leads to aggression in the first place. Yet despite whatever flaws the book may have, it is still streets ahead of most of it's rivals. Whether you have actual problems that you are struggling to deal with, or if you just want to improve the quality of your life, this book is well worth your attention.
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Summary: A must read for everyone
Review: A great self-improvement book for anyone. Psycho-Cybernetics is a catchy sci-fi sounding term, but don't be put off by that. The ideas in this book have nothing to do w/ L. Ron Hubbard's psycho babble in Dianetics. The ideas in this book are solid and very applicable. Even without practicing the recommended exercises in the book, your life will take an immediate turn for the better. Initially, I had some reservations when I learned that Dr. Maltz was a cosmetic surgeon. But these concerns were quickly put to rest as I read a few pages of his book. Read this book, underline the important parts, and revisit periodically.
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Summary: The one and only true self-development guide
Review: Being a motivational junkie, I have personally spent a lifetime jumping from book to book in hope of finding the perfect one that would lead me to success and happiness. This one ended the search. The thing that's so likeable about Maltz's writing style is that it is simple and direct, with no bells, whistles or gimmicks. It's easy to read and understand. Too many so-called self-help authors try to make themselves look big and impressive, by using useless jargon to complicate their work. Not Maltz, he was genuinely interested in helping others and you can feel it from reading his work or listening to the tapes. Too many books give you a pump up and ask you to plow through them again in order to keep the motivation going. But this book is different in that it forces an individual to plow deep within themselves to "fix the cause" of their failures so they can succeed without constantly having to apply will power. It is a self-improvement book based on science and scientific fact. Using this book I was able to start my own business and it has been successfully running for 4 years now. My only complaint about this book, is that the cover is the most ugliest and unattractive I've ever seen ( But you know the saying about judging a book by it's cover).My advice would be to buy the book. Why not? it costs practically nothing and is more effective than most of the stuff that comes out today. I would also advise you to listen to the tapes also and avoid the 2000 version written by Bobbe Summers. And don't worry about geting bored, this book is a pleasure to read. No wonder it's sold over 30 million copies.
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Summary: Bobbe Sommer's version was one star, Dan Kennedy is four...
Review: Bobbe Sommer should have left the original "Psychocybernetics" by Maxwell Maltz alone. But she had to go and rewrite it, first under the title "Psychocybernetics 2000" (which flopped) and then a re-release of the 2000 book under the name "Psychocybernetics",(which is now on the bargain table). How confusing! But Dan Kennedy's version is not so much of a rewrite, it's more of an expansion. And he does a pretty good job. Of course, nothing can touch Maltz's original, but I don't think Kennedy is trying to do that. He frames the original book with today's ideas and experiences and then leaves the basic context of the original to speak for itself. The underlying theme of unconditional self-acceptance runs through the whole of the text. If Maxwell Maltz were around today I am sure he would give a hearty thumbs-up to Dan Kennedy's version. But if he saw Bobbe Sommer's, I believe he would have to have a talk with her. If you buy this title, PLEASE make sure that you get Maltz'z original and then Dan Kennedy's. They complement each other very nicely and you will learn so much about yourself that you won't even believe it.
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Summary: The original Psycho-cybernetics flows much more smoothly.
Review: Came across Psych-Cybernetics 2000 by accident and decided to take a look hoping to give it to my youngest daughter at high school graduation. The message here is certainly Dr. Maltz's but the presentation and writing are too dry, too wordy, too nineties, and too gimmicky for me. The original Psycho-Cybernetics published in the sixties virtually changed my life and how I look at myself and the world. I was happy to find that the original is still in print and decided to give that one to my daughter instead. My yellowing tattered old copy is still in my personal library having travelled all over the country with me from house to house to house and surviving several major bookshelf lightenings over the past thirty-five years. The late Dr. Maltz should be canonized for his insightful and timeless therapeutic messages, and his excellent presentation of his various theses. While Dr. Sommer's Psycho-Cybernetics 2000 brings his message a little more up to date, the original book is by no means dated except for an innocently pre-feminist, mostly male, fifties/sixties orientation. But Psycho-Cybernetics 2000 just doesn't flow as smoothly as the original, nor is it as compellingly written. Though it might, however, be better received by those not familiar with the original, I was probably spoiled by what I think is a more inspirational presentation. Either way, the psycho-biological message is unassailable in my professional biologist eyes. Maybe both books should be on one's library shelves since Psycho-Cybernetics 2000 is written from a somewhat different utilitarian perspective than the original Psycho-Cybernetics.
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Summary: You have a built-in spiritual thermostat ...
Review: Dr. Maltz teaches the self-image concept along with programming suggestions into the subconscious mind. Special points of interest: you must trust and believe in yourself, we need emotional and spiritual satisfaction, act as if..., cultivate the habit of happiness, tranquilizers erect a screen, you have a built-in spiritual thermostat, there is no conflict between science and religion. This is the best-seller that started me on my spiritual path over 30 years ago. It provoked a search for the meaning in life and cultivation of a close relationship with God.
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Summary: Amazing
Review: Excellent read, everything it claims to be.
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Summary: Post-Millenium personal development techniques from the 50's
Review: Forget the $100 motivational tape sets! This is where Tony Robbins and the other personal development gurus got there initial ideas.The author is a plastic surgeon who noticed that some people who had disfiguring facial scars and felt they couldn't face the world, didn't change their point of view even after reconstructive surgery. Some even insisted that their faces had not changed. Maltz realized it was the self-image we have of ourselves that is more important than the physical reality. This remaking of the self-image is the work of the book. Many very practical exercises. The author uses the analogy of WW-II torpedo guidance systems - the mind as a servo-mechanical mechanism (now we would visualize laser-guided smart missles) - that locks onto a goal and uses mistakes and setbacks only to adjust the trajectory and hone-in more precisely on the target. If we focus too much on our mistakes and errors we retarget our mind on the mistake rather than the desired goal. This book has exercises and images that can be used for greater understanding and real growth. An amazing kernel of wisdom from an era noted for its materialism and superficiallity!
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Summary: A MUST HAVE
Review: Having read close to 100 books on self improvement,I wasn't expecting too much.Wrong...this is the best book on the subject
bar none.Save yourself a fortune on NLP,tapes,cd's etc.
A great companion to this book is 'The Master Key',by Charles F Haanel,a classic that goes into much more detail than Maltz and will inspire you to for years to come.
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