Rating: 
Summary: I loved it!
Review: The book is really fun to read and gives you the opportunity to be alive and satisfied! I highly recommend it. "Working On Yourself Doesn't Work" is a wonderful book, which offers you the possibility to discover the greatness of your life. All of a sudden you have a big choice of what you can do, instead of being locked in mechanical behaviours or agendas. It is amazing to see how magical your life can be. When you ARE living in the moment, everything is possible!
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Summary: A FANTASTIC BOOK BOOK!
Review: I originally bought this book because the title intrigued me. You see, after reading many, many self help books and going to seminars by Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy and doing several "self awareness" workshops over the years, I became jaded. Why, after reading and trying so hard, did things not work for me? Why do I go right back to frustration and dissatisfaction?I understood the reasons why after reading the Kane's book. I understood that transformation and change and "self improvement" doesn't have to be a struggle: that there is no way I can live the life I want to live by "working on it." There are no techniques in this book. No 5 steps to success. No formulas. No, "we've observed and studied happy/successful people for years and this is what they have in common." In place of that, they urge us to be where we are at. Stop judging and blaming ourselves and others (especially our parents) for how we "turned out.". By just being aware of how we are in any given moment, and not judging that experience, we can transform. That is their message. Seems simplistic, doesn't it? It is far from it. It is hard for many of us to understand that non-judgemental awareness of how we are being in the world is the key. It is difficult to accept that fighting where we are at and how we are feeling keeps us in that space of pain and anger. This is not a rehashing of old ideas presented with new words in new ways. This was, for me, totally different than anything I had been exposed to. This is an easy book to read. it is very clearly written. I can't recommend it highly enough.
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Summary: Inspiring and Motivational
Review: I love this book! I bought it a couple months ago and read it every day. It's always got something inspiring and meaningful to tell me. I get a great feeling about the writers of the book. They are talking from their heart and trying in as simple a way as possible to share the essence of happiness and living in the moment. Their idea of "Not Working On Yourself", not getting caught in "Fixing" your self, has SIMPLIFIED MY LIFE and each day is fuller, happier and easier for me. And their metaphors and stories have helped me have a PRACTICAL understanding of enlightenment that made it feel much more attainable to me than longer treatises on Zen, Buddhism and the like... It's easy to read...and for me it has touched my heart and changed me deeply.
Rating: 
Summary: Vague and oversimplified
Review: This book has some great ideas, but they aren't exactly new: you must forgive others to truly be free, live in the moment, be self aware. These ideas are valid but that's about all you get from the Kanes. There is virtually no explanation of how to get there from here. There are a lot of other books that do a better job of explaining these concepts.
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Summary: A TRULY WONDERFUL BOOK
Review: From a couple in New York City. We highly recommend Working on Yourself Doesn't work to anyone looking for satisfaction in their life. We both read the Kane's book a few months ago, and loved it. Last night, we picked it up again and we rediscovered it. We were filled with warmth, and with a new look on life: that life can be easy, simple, and fulfilling. We won't reveal how, rather, we encourage you to buy the book and read it more than once. Enjoy!
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Summary: Grab this beautiful book.
Review: This book outlines the principles of Instantaneous Transformation in a very accessible manner. Reading it is like being part of a simple, straightforward conversation. Since reading the book, my life has been feeling lighter. I've found it easier to watch what's happening in my life without fighting it. Somehow, I just feel more at ease in myself. This radical shift in my way of being that happened without my doing anything to change myself is what the Kanes describe as transformation. This book describes an exciting way of living. It is about simply observing oneÕs life without judging what you see. And, as the Kanes so deftly describe in their book, this non-judgmental seeing of what is allows for transformation to occur. I can't explain it, but I have found them to be completely accurate. I know some people have compared their book to Buddhism, and I can understand that because it is a natural function of the mind to compare things to what you know when confronted with something new. But 'Working on Yourself Doesn't Work' is the only book I have ever read that resonates with the unmistakable essence of truth and the magic of life. For me, that is where comparison becomes irrelevant -- the book has profoundly touched me. I gave my parents a copy and they were delighted. This book goes beyond the limits of logic into the realm of everday enlightenment. If something in you is yearning for a more satisfying way of life and you're tired of trying to change yourself, this book is a godsend.
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Summary: I LOVED THIS BOOK, IT'S REFRESHING!
Review: I loved this book, it's great! This book is very light, easy to read and at the same time very touching. I especially enjoyed the discussion of the 3 Principles of Transformation. The first principle the authors talk about is: "Anything you resist, persists -- and gets stronger". I like this principle since I see how it applies to my life. When I am upset it sticks around because I resist being upset. However, when I am happy this goes by quickly because I am not resisting it. Another chapter I really liked is on "Happiness". I can really relate to this chapter since it talks about happiness being a desired state and how we often forget to feel the in between states like sadness. It has a great illustration and this great quote: "Only by being the way you are can you find that elusive state of contentment". I found this very refreshing. Most of all, I found the book very practical and fun. It is not a belief system which I really liked. It is just about being yourself in any given moment. There are many other wonderful parts and stories in the book but I don't want to give away all the goodies! I highly, highly, highly recommend it!
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Summary: Author does not walk talk
Review: The book had many good and fundamental, if not overly simplistic, points. I agree that we should concentrate on the here and now and that forgiveness is so important to mental wellbeing. But the examples used did not follow the principles they supported. The authors spent much of the text talking about not judging things and then made several judgmental statements. Example the mother's (Ida) crafting her own cloths and putting designer labels on them and how the designers would not like to see their labels on her creations. How could one make that statement without judging and what value did it add to the book? Logically timing of events does not match up. Like they discovered the point of "just being" after a long stay in Europe but the one example that they used for living in the "now" was an event that happened on their 3rd date when she burnt her leg. They totally negated the power of the mind to heal. The premise I walked away with is that they felt that the pain went away because they experienced it. This may have partial truth to it but again is an overly simplistic view, which eliminates many details of real life. Another point they made was that when one resist, the situation stays, such as pain. But I know people who do not wish to be happy and they will not allow themselves to be happy. Question, why are they not plagued with constant happiness? I was also offended by the double spacing. It reminded me of a High School freshman trying to make a page count. This was a 50 page booklet at best, thus leaving me a little disappointed at that cost/value. I was left with the impression that the Authors were out to make money and not to help people or why would they trademark Instantaneous Transformation? After reading the book I was convinced that the authors do not walk their talk.
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Summary: This is Buddhism.
Review: The book was actually quite good... but I gave it a 2 star rating because it is Buddhism, and I am disappointed that the authors try to pass it off as their own teachings (Instantaneous Transformation technology? ). Like all examples on present awareness (in Buddhism it is known as Mindfulness), it is inspirating and lifts the heart. Because it is so simple, yet we rarely practice it. And to the reviewer who said that it is oversimplistic.. "if forgiveness really was that simple we would all be doing it.". IT IS SIMPLE! How hard can it REALLY be to say 'I forgive you.' To let go of the hatred and contempt? We often do not want to for personal egostical reasons, but not wanting to and not being able to do so are two different things. You pretend you understand the basic principle of psychotherapy... that it is to 'feel their feelings'. I'm no expert on psychotherapy, but I know enough about psychology to understand THE FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTION ERROR. And that's where forgiveness starts. But I agree, this book is vague. It is vague because the authors do not wish to ally themselve with Buddhism. They take the ideas, but they do not accept where those ideas come from... maybe they do so because they are afraid that it will seem too Buddhist. You can read this book and be inspire by it, like so many readers have, and take it's teachings as faith... or you can turn to Buddhism once you're done with this book, and see where these ideas come from.
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Summary: Personal Transformation for everyone,It's about time!
Review: Working on Yourself doesn't work offers a clearly written way for an individual to access transformation. The principals of transformation descibed by the Kanes are simply brilliant. After reading the book I am no longer fighting my day. I notice those things that I resist and it is truly amazing that just in the noticing of things they dissolve.I always knew that getting into the moment would be a life altering experience, and now I feel like this book has given me the way to get there. Thank you Shya and Ariel Kane
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