PSYCHO CYBERNETICS 2000

Rating:
Summary: a little better than the original
Review: I enjoyed the original Psych-Cybernetics when it came out. This version is moreup to date in connecting psych-cybernetics to moderndiscoveries about how the brain works. The political correctness is a little overdone, emphasizing thatthe technique can be used by women who have careers, minorities, etc., but I guess one expects that sort of thing in the ninetees. I study the book a little every day, although I have already read it once through. Excellentfor people interested in the brain.

Rating:
Summary: Psycho-cybernetics 2000. You make the call.
Review: I have not read the original book by Maxwell Maltz yet, but after reading this book I will.

I was a newcomer to the conceptual ideas contained in this book. In the UK no-one seemed to know Maltz or his theory.

The ideas and the way this book was written are conducive to a clear understanding and application of Maltz's theory. As a newcomer I can recomend this book on it's own merits. It is clearly written, the theory is clearly laid out and in simple terms.

The theory itself is breathtakingly simple, but the repercussions on areas such as goal setting and goal attainment are INCREDIBLE. I had always grown up to understand that it is Willpower that will conquer all, and goal success can only be attained by using willpower. Everytime I tried to use willpower I seemed to fail. This theory explains why failure will occur, and what to do about it, and how to set goals and achieve them.

If you are a failed goal setter, who habitually prefers procrastination than action, this book and application of the theory, will change your life.

Application of the theory contained in the book will have a profound affect on your life.

Highly Recomended

Rating:
Summary: Psycho-Cybernetics 2000
Review: I read the original Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz in the early 70's. I read it again last month and then read Bobbe Sommer's version. I think the original is better. Maltz keeps it simple and focuses on the subconscious as the primary goal seeking mechanism. I thought Sommer's book diluted the message with cross messages from other self help techniques. Maltz's method works great. It's simple and effective. It's not a self help book, it's a book about reprogramming yourself. Sommer seems to turn the science into a self affirmation exercise.

Rating:
Summary: The origional is wonderful, 2000 is not!!!
Review: I read the origional book by Maltz 15 years ago and it really helped to change my life. I'm always picking up self help books because I believe if you get at least one new idea from it,then it is worth it. Well I can't really say that I got much from this book, nothing actually.
I picked it up mainly because I wanted to see how Dr. Maltz's ideas are viewed with the advancements in the field of psycology. I saw that it mentioned something about the right and left hemispheres of the brain which was something that the original did not touch on.
This version by Bobbe Sommer is long and drawn out, just filled with story after story after story, that really never address anything. A book just needs to tell a person the technics, don't give a thousand case studies. Sure the origional version gives a few examples, be they had a point to them.
The author claims that this book speaks in a language that people can understand today and not in the "outdated language" of the origional. All she does is use a few references that have happened since the origional and mention a few modern appliances that weren't around back then.
If you want something that will make a difference, buy the origional Psyco-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz. The ideas were true then and they are true now. If some of the expressions seem outdated, you know how to update it in you own mind. The truth of the book still stands strong today. I'm pulling my old copy off of shelf and reading it again.

Rating:
Summary: The origional is wonderful, 2000 is not!!!
Review: Pay VERY close attention: There are two versions of the book that look almost exactly the same on the outside but their contents are very different:
#1) "Psycho-Cybernetics" by Maxwell Maltz, M.D.,F.I.C.S [1960 ISBN 0671700758]
#2) "Psycho-Cybernetics" by Maxwell Maltz FOUNDATION & Bobbe Sommer [1993 ISBN 156731306X].

Make sure you get the original 1960 written by Maxwell himself. The 1993 "update" is so painful to read because the new author, Bobbe Sommer literally QUOTES Maxwell Maltz repeatedly while trying to add her own insightful messages. For example, on page 3 of her "update", she states:

"Whether we realize it or not," Maltz wrote, "each of us carries..."

Well, if you just read the original 1960's book, your eyeballs don't waste time on the "Maltz wrote" phrase altogether... duh!...because Maxwell was the one who wrote it!

The only reasons to endure Bobbe Sommer's endless "Maltz said....; Maltz learned that...; Maltz studied...; Maltz wrote...; Maltz realized..." is if she added some totally mindblowing ideas OR contradicted his work. In my opinion she didn't.

BTW, I was not prejudiced by reading the original first and then reading the 1993 update to see if it was any better; I actually (and unfortunately) read the 1993 book first. I thought the 1960 original was out of print but I accidentally stumbled on the original copy at Border's Books. I read a chapter and realized his true words were so much more inspirational. Not dry and academic like Bobbe Sommer's version. I think the publisher of the new book was deliberately trying to confuse the public by making the cover look the same as the old one. I think it's borderline unethical...buyer beware!

Apparently, Amazon's algorithm to link up user reviews with books is heavily based on the book's title. Most of the time, this works great when there's a paperback and a hardcopy version of the same book. But in this case, the 1960's book and the 1993 are completely different and should not point to the same user reviews! All the glowing reviews listed below? They are the same for both titles. You really don't know which book the reviewers were praising. I'm going to guess it's the 1960's version. See for yourself, plug in either ISBN #s and you'll get the identical list of user reviews.

BTW, this Amazon loophole gives me a great idea: I can write a new book about how to become a master at appraising and certifying jewelry like wedding bands and title it "Lord of the Rings"--and shazam--Amazon's engine will give my book the 5 stars and all the wonderful reviews of Tolkien's classic.

I give 5 stars for Maltz's 1960 original. I give 2 stars for Bobbe Sommer's update. Again, if the ISBN is 0671700758 click "add to cart". If it says ISBN 156731306X, try again.

Rating:
Summary: An Effective Overview of the Subject
Review: This work draws on the work of Dr. Maxwell Maltz in helping an individual see how self-perception can improve one's quality of life. In the introduction we're told, "by expanding your self-image, you expand the limits of your talents and capabilities." The liberating news for those seeking to change a negative self-image is that it is viewed as a habit which can be changed in six weeks. For those of us who are already familiar with the importance of maintaining a healthy self-image, this book reinforces our beliefs. Sommer explains she was first introduced to the concepts of psycho-cybernetics while in graduate school.

The first chapter explains how self-image creates an individual's reality regardless of how accurate it is. It is true to the one who believes it to be so. She goes on to briefly trace the work in the field which came before Maltz's book. She emphasizes that our actions grow out of our beliefs. "People always feel, act and behave according to what they imagine to be true about themselves and their circumstances," she reminds us.

This book is easy to read, yet scholarly based. Her sources are identified and documentation can be traced back to orginal sources for those seeking to explore the topic further. The subject matter is practical. In all this is a good book that teaches you how to improve the quality of your life through the thoughts you think.

Rating:
Summary: An Effective Overview of the Subject
Review: This work draws on the work of Dr. Maxwell Maltz in helping an individual see how self-perception can improve one's quality of life. In the introduction we're told, "by expanding your self-image, you expand the limits of your talents and capabilities." The liberating news for those seeking to change a negative self-image is that it is viewed as a habit which can be changed in six weeks. For those of us who are already familiar with the importance of maintaining a healthy self-image, this book reinforces our beliefs. Sommer explains she was first introduced to the concepts of psycho-cybernetics while in graduate school.

The first chapter explains how self-image creates an individual's reality regardless of how accurate it is. It is true to the one who believes it to be so. She goes on to briefly trace the work in the field which came before Maltz's book. She emphasizes that our actions grow out of our beliefs. "People always feel, act and behave according to what they imagine to be true about themselves and their circumstances," she reminds us.

This book is easy to read, yet scholarly based. Her sources are identified and documentation can be traced back to orginal sources for those seeking to explore the topic further. The subject matter is practical. In all this is a good book that teaches you how to improve the quality of your life through the thoughts you think.