Rating: 
Summary: Penis Envy and Other Such Banter
Review: Levenkron is much like Freud, somehow he means well but over all he is spreading misinformed propaganda. The reason that "self-mutilation" is not in the DMS - IV is because it is a symptom of multiple mental illnesses, not an independent condition (to answer a question posed by Levenkron). The main fault I found with this book is Levenkron's tendancy to place himself in the role of savior, which could be construed as sign of narcissistic personality disorder. Instead of describing the more clinical aspects of cutting, as well as reasons behind the coping mechanism, he implies that the only way to "get rid" of this "disorder" is to place all one's trust in the perfect therapist (himself). To add to the further irony of this book, there was an ad for cutlery (50% off) next to the "ad" for this book.
Rating:
Summary: Cutting: Understanding and Overcoming Self-Mutilation
Review: I found this book too frustratingly self-congratulatory to gain any insight from it. As I read the author's accounts, it seemed he was more interested in portraying himself skillfully penetrating these girls' psyches like a master swordsman, leaving these poor waifs astonished and broken by his superior knowledge of them. I also bought "Bright Red Scream" by Marilee Strong, which I found much more objective and covered a much bigger picture on the topic than this book. A lot was applicable and insightful, a lot made sense and explained a lot. Some of it was very indirectly relevant and perhaps superfluous, but interesting nevertheless.
Rating: 
Summary: everyone must read if you are a cutter or know of one...
Review: this book is very good and i reccommend it to everyone. i myself am a cutter and it helped my friends and family, those that wanted to know and understand it, actually understand it. i found myself in this book agreeing with most of it. my only problem is that denver doesn't offer programs to help people out here. you have to go to another state to find help. i wish that i could talk to steven levenkron himself and get the help that i need but can't find out here.
Rating:
Summary: Off Base
Review: Having read this book, I have to say that Mr. Levenkron has gotten some of his facts wrong. He makes self-injury into a form of psychosis, as opposed to the coping mechanism it is (even if it is maldaptive). He views it entirely as a sickness, and never seems to fully take into account why his clients use this form of coping. I find this book to be almost insulting as it invalidates all reasons a person might have for using such a painful coping mechanism, which at the same time causes an invalidation of the person. There are some excellent books on the market that address self-injury; this is definitely NOT one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Everyone should read
Review: I found this book on the shelves at a bookstore, found a seat, began reading and kept reading until they asked if i were going to buy the book, which i did, then bought the book home and carried on reading and didn't put it down until i finished it.
Being a self-mutilator for quite a while now, i found this book very insightful and it made me feel a little less lonely in the world of self-mutilation. I could relate to the people in the book and suddenly i wasn't alone.
It's a good book to read for both self-mutilators and families of self-mutilators alike. It doesn't just drone on saying "well this is this and that is that". he actually intorduces you to some of his patients (with names changed) and tells their stories. Some of the stories were so much like mine that he could've easily been writing about me.
If you are a self-mutilator or if you a friend or family member of a self-mutilator, you should buy this book. It can help the self-mutiltor understand why s/he is doing what s/he is doing and it can also help friends and family by giving insight as to why.
Read this book....it's worth its weight in gold!
Rating:
Summary: Miracles do happen
Review: This book helped me overcome my habit. Each page kept me wanting to read the next and the next. Although I carry many scars, most are fully healed now and I am in complete remission from cutting - thank you Amazon.com :)
Rating:
Summary: More annoying Levenkron
Review: I skimmed this book in a bookstore because I would never lay out money to buy it, but I was curious to see if Levenkron was still writing in the same self-satisfying way. In my opinion, he is. I became so disgusted I put the book back. I read Best Little Girl and Kessa when I was an adolescent, and I didn't quite like the books, but I didn't understand why. Now I do. The characters are completely unbelievable and motivated by Levenkron's own theories and method of therapy, which I detest. He wants to be this all-knowing paternalist father-figure, as if having a "good" Dad would solve all our problems. I find it patronizing and full of his inflated male ego. So I am not surprised that I do not like his most recent books--this one, and the one about the skater who self-mutilates, I can't remember the name. So why do I read them? There aren't a lot of books on the topics. And I always think, I can't believe he is writing this! But this last book just blows the top and there won't be any more skimming for me. He calls himself an "expert" but I find his methods really questionable and not at all consistant with the latest research. But they are consistant with popular mythology about anorexics, like we want to be babies, children, and we need a strong father figure (i.e. the book Going Crazy based on the movie where an anorexic allows her male psychologist to cradle her in his arms and feed her with a baby bottle? Ugh!) Why do people want to believe this? I know about the latest research (which disproves these kinds of psychobabble theories) because I have been a part of it--as a patient. And if I had a psych like Levenkron, bent on saving young vulnerable women with his strong male superiority, I would have given up long ago.
Rating:
Summary: Helpful to the very end!
Review: Being a self-injurer for a while now, I found this book extremely helpful. It had some good words of wisdom and just made me feel not so isolated. One thing it could have done better though, I didn't feel it was written directly toward me, it could have been a little more direct. But otherwise, it was a very helping book.
Rating:
Summary: A great book for people who cut (and people who don't)
Review: This book is amazing. It helps to explain the way a cutter (or self-mutilator) feels when they are hurting themselves. It shows what causes a predisposition to the problem. It's a really good book for someone who is trying to explain the problem to someone they know and/or love. Written by Steven Levenkron, a therapist who's treated many self-mutliators, this book explores why people can do this to themselves. It is written not only for the self-mutilators, but also for friends, family, and therapists. The book describes the typical characteristics of a self-mutilator. To quote it: "The self-mutilator is therefore a likable, somtimes high-achieving person." It described me to a "T". It uses real-life situations (changed names) that Kevenkron has experienced in his years of treatment of self-mutilators. It helps the self-mutilator to learn how to control their habits. If you're a self-mutilator or know one, this book is for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Info.
Review: I bought this book to become more informed and to not feel so alone. I have been cutting myself for the past year and this book was very on the mark about how out of control I feel. The only thing I thought was lacking were suggestions on how to overcome self-injury. This book is very informative and I think it is a great read for anyone who is or personally knows a self-injurer.
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