A Guide to Rational Living

Rating:
Summary: Best self-help book available!
Review: This is by far Ellis' most classical book about the orígins of emotional disturbances and how to overcome them. I agree with Philip, another reviewer, in that the REBT approach is the most profound and consistent way of cognitively, emotively, and behaviorally disputing your irrational beliefs. It not only urges the reader to ask: Where is the evidence for the validity of my beliefs? (like other Cognitive therapy approaches), but goes one step further by questioning the basic philosphies, e.g.: Even if I fail at very important tasks, does that make ME a failure? The answer: certainly not, because I am not my behavior and I am far too complex to be given any single global rating. In the essence it all comes to this: rate behaviors and deeds, but never the total person. Accept yourself and others unconditionally, even if you don't like certain behaviors, and, finally, achieve high frustration tolerance.
This book is the best starting point to get introduced to the fascinating philospohy of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. If you want, you then can proceed to the book by D. Burns: The new mood therapy. This is also an excellent book and can be a valuable supplement.
So get "a guide to rational living", read it and begin reducing your psychological problems. It certainly helps!