Rating: 
Summary: great book
Review: best book I have read on topic--practical, how to approach by someone who appears to be highly qualified in the field.
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Summary: Resolved 35 years of pain
Review: Doesn't preach, doesn't nag, doesn't lay on the guilt. Just lays the foundation for people to work at their own pace to find forgiveness to untenable situations. I didn't have to allow my stepmother to keep hurting me to forgive her. Although the family's situation has not changed, I have. After reading this book, 35 years of anger and pain have been lifted off my shoulders, and my self-esteem has improved immensely. That Dr. Enright is a licensed psychologist and not a "self-help guru" gives me confidence that his approach will continue to work in the future. He should have his own forgiveness program on PBS.
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Summary: the only self-help book on forgiveness you'll ever need
Review: Finally, a book has been published that actually takes the reader on a step-by-step path toward genuine forgiveness. The author has spent many years researching the most effective path in helping people forgive. All of that work has been gently and carefully distilled into this book and it shows. The gist of forgiving is this: First, you must acknowledge that someone hurt you deeply. Sometimes that hurt can turn to anger and the anger can actually bring down the one who is and remains angry. The reader is asked to examine how angry he or she is at the offending person. Next, comes the courageous act of committing to forgive the other person. This involves a truthful look at what forgiveness is and what it is not. Then comes the work of forgiveness: trying to see the offender in new, more helpful ways (without compromising the truth of what happened). From these exercises, the reader becomes open to feelings of empathy and compassion toward the offender. Such emotions can be greatly beneficial to the one who forgives. The reader is encouraged to accept the pain of the injury so that the pain and bitterness are not spread to others. Other healing steps are included. Throughout the book, the author challenges the reader to keep a journal to reflect on the healing process of forgiveness. What gave me confidence is that the author has actually researched the effectiveness of his approach and has shown it to work. I could not put the book down. Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The Very Best on the Market
Review: I am a person in the "hard sciences," studying physics, chemistry, and related disciplines. I rarely take seriouisly the "self-help" crowd because their books are based on impressions and opinions only, not science. This book, however, is the grand exception. Forgivenss Is a Choice is based on years of research into how people forgive. The research, from what I can tell, is strong and the results also strong. I gave this book as a gift to a close friend who had a very serious break up with someone years ago. After reading the book, she decided to take the risk of forgiving and reconciling with the other person from whom she was estranged for years. The book provided the necessary help to achieve the goal. The two are now reconciled and my friend credits this book with the success. The reader is given systematic exercises in the forgiving process. You start with exploring the anger you have, then you turn to a decision to forgive, including a clear exposition of what forgiveness is and is not. Next, you are given cognitive/thinking tasks to aid your forgiving, followed by affective/feeling tasks. In the Discovery Phase of forgiving (the final phase of the forgiveness process), the reader learns a great deal about onself, the other person, and relationships. The author's encouragement of the reader's journaling as a means of reflection is very useful. Although the author makes the point that forgiveness benefits the forgiver, he is clear that forgiveness itself is not at all a self-focused process. Instead, as the author notes, forgiveness is a moral process in which you reach out with compassion and understanding to the one who hurt you. Within the past month, this book has received much national attention. I read an article in USA Today favorably reporting on this book. I also caught the radio program, Talk of the Nation, on National Public Radio in which this book was featured. I highly recommend this thoughtful and helpful book.
Rating:
Summary: The Very Best on the Market
Review: I am a person in the "hard sciences," studying physics, chemistry, and related disciplines. I rarely take seriouisly the "self-help" crowd because their books are based on impressions and opinions only, not science. This book, however, is the grand exception. Forgivenss Is a Choice is based on years of research into how people forgive. The research, from what I can tell, is strong and the results also strong. I gave this book as a gift to a close friend who had a very serious break up with someone years ago. After reading the book, she decided to take the risk of forgiving and reconciling with the other person from whom she was estranged for years. The book provided the necessary help to achieve the goal. The two are now reconciled and my friend credits this book with the success. The reader is given systematic exercises in the forgiving process. You start with exploring the anger you have, then you turn to a decision to forgive, including a clear exposition of what forgiveness is and is not. Next, you are given cognitive/thinking tasks to aid your forgiving, followed by affective/feeling tasks. In the Discovery Phase of forgiving (the final phase of the forgiveness process), the reader learns a great deal about onself, the other person, and relationships. The author's encouragement of the reader's journaling as a means of reflection is very useful. Although the author makes the point that forgiveness benefits the forgiver, he is clear that forgiveness itself is not at all a self-focused process. Instead, as the author notes, forgiveness is a moral process in which you reach out with compassion and understanding to the one who hurt you. Within the past month, this book has received much national attention. I read an article in USA Today favorably reporting on this book. I also caught the radio program, Talk of the Nation, on National Public Radio in which this book was featured. I highly recommend this thoughtful and helpful book.
Rating:
Summary: so encouraging
Review: I found this book mentioned on the Nightmares Echo book site as one of the books bought with, so I purchased both. This book is so encouraging, so helpful...so uplifting. I would tell the reading audience to buy both Nightmares Echo and Forgiveness is a choice....I have learned so much
Dori Halston, survivor
Rating:
Summary: Just the Guide Most of Us Need
Review: I found this book well-written, thoughful and useful. Enright spends plenty of time describing what forgiveness is (and what it is not) before he leads us through the forgiveness process. I found that his instruction on what forgiveness is was particularly helpful, because so many of us throw the word 'forgiveness' around without really knowing what it means. I can think of about ten people in my life who have stopped growing because of anger at parents, from a divorce, etc. and who could really benefit from this book.
Rating:
Summary: Just the Guide Most of Us Need
Review: I found this book well-written, thoughful and useful. Enright spends plenty of time describing what forgiveness is (and what it is not) before he leads us through the forgiveness process. I found that his instruction on what forgiveness is was particularly helpful, because so many of us throw the word 'forgiveness' around without really knowing what it means. I can think of about ten people in my life who have stopped growing because of anger at parents, from a divorce, etc. and who could really benefit from this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Helpful Book, Really
Review: I have read at least 30 books on forgiveness and have to say this one is in the top three. The process of forgiving is clearly outlined and you are gently encouraged to walk through it. Enright provides suggestions for journaling, including sending you back to reveiw your progress in the process.The examples he uses are realistic and constructive, everything from children of divorced parents to parents of murdered children. Most of the examples show how the person felt during the different stages of forgiving. Although Enright does mention God and even suggests journaling your belief, he doesn't emphasize that God can help us walk through the forgiveness process. That would be my only criticism. If you really want to get over your anger, this book would help you go a long way toward your goal.
Rating:
Summary: Like the way, Read SB 1 or God
Review: I like the way this book brings the message, nothing negative to make you want to put it down. If you are in fact having a problem with anger for something another person has caused, you will be immediately drawn into this book. The point I am saying is that this book gives you exact reason why you should forgive for your own well being. But this book does not just dwell on that simple subject, it is a surprise of mental wealth. I have read amazons policy on giving book reviews saying it is suggested to mention related books, I strongly recommend reading SB 1 or God By Karl Mark Maddox.
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