The New Psycho-Cybernetics: The Original Science of Self-Improvement and Success That Has Changed the Lives of 30 Million People

Rating:
Summary: Powerful medicine
Review: Any good counselor will tell you that the healing you need is already within you, and this is exactly what "The New Psycho-Cybernetics" proves, from cover to cover. In fact, this book is truly more therapeutic than a lot of overpriced counseling would be, and it has begun to change my life in extraordinary ways.

Dan Kennedy has created a masterful work, updating Dr. Maxwell Maltz' original 1960 book with obvious great regard for the Doctor's work. I am intrigued and impressed with the seamless presentation that Dan Kennedy has crafted, and I found the references to events in the 1920s and events in the 1990s gave the book a timeless applicability, and even an air of wisdom, like talking with someone who has great breadth of experience. The material is presented with intelligence and compassion, and with an informal style that makes the authors seem like old friends. They show numerous examples of Psycho-Cybernetics at work in the lives of everyday people, which keeps the reading always engaging and helps the reader apply the material to a broad range of one's own life experiences. The authors use examples from the lives of people in sports, education and a wide range of businesses, from boxers to comedians, from generals to students, and it's startling how often their experiences parallel my own. Also meaningful are the stories of how Psycho-Cybernetics impacted the lives of people with facial injuries and defects, which Dr. Maltz was called upon to treat surgically. The authors very aptly correlate inner emotional disfigurement with outer physical disfigurement. By the end of the book, it is clear that "self-image" seldom has to do with that which is visible.

Other self-help books I've read have seemed too ethereal, impractical, dry, pointless and even condescending. Perhaps the greatest difference between this book and other self-help books is that the authors cite a fair amount of scientific evidence, test findings and personal experiences that demonstrate the dramatic results of self-image alteration. This sufficiently answers any skepticism the reader might have about the proven effectiveness of Psycho-Cybernetics. Even so, as I listened to the book on tape for the first time, I found myself mentally protesting and finding differences between my experiences and those in the book (as if the amount of pain in my life wasn't reason enough to have lowered my defenses right away). But it amuses me to remember that each time I silently protested, the speaker on the tape would immediately seem to answer my protests. This is an indication of the insightful, astute writing you can expect from these authors.

I have recommended this book to everyone I know, because there is simply no one who would not benefit from it. This is an angry, frightened world where poor self-image is arguably the cause of all our social ills. In epidemic numbers, people feel frustrated, threatened, intolerant, reactive, terrified, combative and hopeless. Anyone who feels this way is responding to "the critic within", according to the book, and after just one reading you will have an array of proven methods to help you calmly disregard negative messages, refocus on fact and realize your worth. Even if self-image is not a pressing issue for you, there is a wealth of material here for use in all interpersonal relationships, whether in business, friendships or marriage. But I sincerely urge anyone who suffers with the pain of low self-esteem to look to Psycho-Cybernetics for help. It is good, solid, reliable psychology that will resound in all areas of your life.

I must add that as of this date, production of the unabridged book on tape has been suspended by the new publisher. This is really unfortunate because there are times in one's life when it's difficult to focus on reading, when the information would be much more "digestible" in cassette form. Various levels of stress, anxiety or depression can reduce one's desire to read, so listening to this material on tape becomes just the right therapy. Also, the speaker on the tapes is excellent; his voice is very pleasant and expressive, and his style of speaking is entirely likeable. Availability information on the unabridged cassette version of "The New Psycho-Cybernetics" is available from the new publisher at 888-330-8477.

Unfortunately, in this age of anxiety and instant gratification, most people seek quick fixes for low self-esteem, so invaluable resources like this are sometimes overlooked. It seems many people think that actually solving an emotional problem is just too much work. How sad, really. This is the reason use of anti-anxiety and anti-depressent medication has become frighteningly common, and these drugs are now easily obtainable on the internet, even though they have potentially serious side effects including suicide. There is no denying that these drugs are necessary in some cases, but there is also no denying that most users can be helped by other means. Statistically, most people taking these drugs still suffer with the pain of low self-esteem, but our culture has developed the reflex of throwing pills at all our emotional pains, and this is disempowering. There are great numbers of us to attest that Psycho-Cybernetics empowers the reader to silence a painful past, dispel persistent fears and-- without straining-- emerge into a much better life. Our culture is finding that pills CANNOT cure our injured beliefs or heal our aching spirits, but the "medicine" in this book CAN.

Rating:
Summary: Even Better Than the Original...
Review: BRAVO!! I've read the original Psycho-Cybernetics many times over the years and didn't think it could get any better, but the updated stories and insights/updates (via Dan Kennedy) make a real difference. I like a the new easy-to-read flow in the way the information is laid out. This is a refreshing update of a book that has been a little-known treasure to many. 30 million people may have been helped over the years by Psycho-Cybernetics, but in these modern times--people are missing out. This stuff works... Dr. Malt's "Theatre of the Mind" techniques alone are worth the price of the book. I plan to give copies of this book to family and friends.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Thing Made Even Better
Review: I heard about the first PSYCHO CYBERNETICS book in the 60's (yes, I am over 21 years old) and when I read it I thought it was wonderful. In fact, I thought that if I only would be able to have one self-help book, it would be this one.

THE NEW PSYCHO CYBERNETICS has taken a good book and made it even better. The masterful editing and adapting by Dan Kennedy is great. It still is done in the voice of the original author, Dr. Maxwell Maltz, but it has up to date examples of people most of us know from this time in history, yet it still includes the examples Dr. Maltz wrote about in his original book.

The theme hasn't changed -- Dr. Maltz claimed that the human mind has a "servo-mechanism" which can help us accomplish what we desire, but we must let it do its work once the desire is "fed into" the mind. He drew upon his knowledge of the then fledgling work of computers. And now in the 21st century, computers have advanced in an unbelievable manner, and yet the principle behind which they work is still the same; the goal-striving mechanism which works towards its teleological end by negative feedback, correction, and positive feedback.

I have other self help books, but for me, this one is the basis on which all the others are carried out.

I can't recommend it highly enough.

Rating:
Summary: 40+ Years Later, It's Still A Must!
Review: In the past 16 years, I've "used up" two paperbound copies of Maxwell Maltz's PSYCHO-CYBERNETICS. Both my wife and I have found this classic invaluable in overcoming business challenges, self-image challenges, and challenges in our marriage.

Now, Dan Kennedy has done us all the great service of revitalizing Maltz's book for a new generation. It's still the classic work, but it's got LOTS of new material, new case studies, and new spirit. Even if you have read the original over and over again, this new version deserves a spot right next to it on your bookshelf.

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Summary: This Book Will Become a Life-Reference For Me.
Review: Not only does this book tell you why, it tells you what to do about it if you want to change your habits. It is chock-full of examples and studies that prove the points.

It is easy to read and explains in an easy-to-understand way of why we do the things we do and how to make ourselves do the things we want to do.

Actually, I can't believe that the original book has been around for 40 years and I haven't read it. In fact, it kinda makes me mad that someone hasn't said, "Bill, you have to read this" a long time ago. This is awesome. There are action steps at the end of each chapter to tell you exactly how to implement each idea. It is even subtitled to make it easy to read and highlight for future reference. You have to read this!

Dan Kennedy did an incredible job updating the book to be meaningful for today's world, yet preserving the integrity of the original book. It reads like an original!

I believe the lessons I have learned from reading this book will take me to another level of accomplishment.

Rating:
Summary: Are you ready?
Review: This book is filled with good sense and powerful encouragement, but you HAVE to be willing to leave your old fearful thinking in the dust, where it belongs. If you're not, even a book this good can't move you. I've seen it happen more than once with friends who found fault after fault with the best resources because they were challenged to do something frightening and revolutionary-GET WELL. Even when the best strategy is within our grasp, we can still choose to reject it or embrace it, depending on how afraid we are of an unfamiliar healthy life. So if you're REALLY fed up with all the problems in your life that stem from your awful self-esteem, if you're honestly committed to finding a better existence, if you're ready to outsmart your fears, then this book will transform your life. It's just that simple. This book is too good to pass up, and I highly recommend it.