Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful book that makes me smile
Review: This a great book! I really enjoyed it. I've read this book a few
times and some times I just open it and read a page or 2 and it
makes me smile. The page I read always seems appropriate for that
moment. I like how the authors discuss getting to the moment and
listening. Recently I opened the book to the Happiness chapter
which is one of my favorites. I also enjoyed the Principles
of Transformation chapter. It is very easy to read and I
definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a sense of satisfaction
and fulfillment without working hard.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing new under the sun
Review: This book and the ideas proposed by the author's have a registered trademark! This is an oversimplified layout of acheiving internal peace and transformation. The authors propose that living in the moment and forgiving others are the means to achieve inner peace. Although this has been pertinent advice throughout the ages I am unclear how they could claim a registered trademark on these ideas. Save your money.
Rating:
Summary: In a Class of It's Own!
Review: "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work" by Ariel & Shya Kane is a breath of fresh air in the everyday smog of life. I definitely recommend this book! "Instantaneous Transformation," a technology that the authors speak about in the book, includes becoming aware of each and every moment, not worrying about the past or the future. The book is about learning how to live life to its fullest and to be satisfied in all aspects of your life. The authors suggest we put awareness on how much we pick up prejudices and life choices from our surroundings. The Kanes go through "The Principles of Transformation," a toolset for looking at how you relate to your life that allows you to have a slight shift in how you experience things. It's amazing how a little shift can transform your life miraculously! This book would make a great gift!
Rating:
Summary: How to live life to its fullest
Review: I read this book for the first time a while ago, and I was impressed by the clear and concise presentation of thoughts and ideas for interacting with life that I found radically different from what I had known so far, and yet very simple. The Kanes introduce awareness as the key for profound transformation. In their experience, the mere looking at things, rather than exhaustive years of work towards "getting better", is sufficient to resolve limiting behavior patterns. I started to look at life differently, trying out new assumptions of how and why things were happening and what my part in it was. The book reads easily and each chapter, each thought can be digested on its own. I've been just picking it up from time to time, reading a few pages wherever the book opened, and feeling recharged and inspired to go about my life.
The recent terror events have given the book an added level of relevance and I really want to bring it to other readers' attention as a wonderful tool to remain centered amidst turmoil: How tempting it has been for me to surrender to the concerns and worries that occupy so many people these days, and to put everything else on halt ... this book has given me the tools to refocus, to remember that the moment is really all we've got. The moment is precious, probably more precious than ever given the threats and uncertainties that have entered into our world, and Ariel and Shya Kane's book shows the way how to live life to its fullest irrespective of - and in the face of - any circumstances.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Resource For Living In The Moment.
Review: What a treasured find! I saw this book suggested by another reviewer on Amazon and am so glad I bought it. Through life examples and their "Principles of Transformation," the Kanes present keys for obtaining and tools for keeping my life centered, productive and enriched on a day in day out basis. The Kane's book has become the centerpiece in my library of books I turn to for inspiration in going for what I want in my life. I highly recommend buying and reading this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not worth your money
Review: I bought this book while browsing through the self-help section.
I read it in two days. And after having finished it and putting it down, I felt like: 'And now what?'
I have read a number of self-help books and I can say this one comes at the bottom of the list.
The authors did not come up with any original ideas, only rechewed ideas, put in different terms, that others have already addressed. The book is not even that well-written.
So please, do not spend the money you worked so hard for on this book. There are other books or tapes well worth it, but this isn't the one.
One VERY SERIOUS criticism I have is: People that have gone through traumatic situations in life, DO need the help of a therapist, maybe even combined with some chemical treatment. And even remotely suggesting that just concentrating on being here and now, and finding a way around your W.O.R.M's will do it??? Come on. That is totally irresponsable.
This book is definately a thumbs down.
Rating:
Summary: Not unique
Review: I read the book - good advices there. But, please, safe your money. Because what they tell you is not new. The authors say: We have a unique approach for living a more fulfilled life. They haven't. Because you can found everything that they 'found out' in older philosophie - look at Tibet and elsewhere. So please buy another one or take the money and buy some flowers for the one you love.
Rating:
Summary: I met myself in this book.
Review: After reading "WORKING ON YOURSELF DOESN'T WORK" by Ariel and Shya Kane, I re-read the chapter on WORMs, the computer acronym for "Write Once Read Many." The Kanes compare WORMs to decisions and repetitive thoughts or emotions that re-play mechanically throughout our lives. They even list a page of common WORMs that seems to have been pulled from my own list of "greatest hits." These mechanical thoughts and behaviors that SEEM new to us are just oldies putting a limit on our realities.The real gem in this chapter is the Kanes' pointing out that these WORMs may never go away, but that simple awareness of them will free us from the restrictions they create in our lives. I don't know how awareness, or simply
noticing what's happening in my life sets me free, but I've found that it does. One of my WORMs is "there has to be an explanation for why awareness works," but when I apply the Kanes' principles of transformation, that WORM magically fades to the background and life is, quite simply, great. Having gone the route of hard work to fix myself, I can heartily recommend this book to anyone who's tired of trying to fix themselves, but who still senses that a magnificent life is possible. My deepest thanks to the Kanes.
Rating:
Summary: Seeing Life Through New Eyes
Review: One Saturday afternoon in my garden I began to reading. What a pleasure it was. A pleasure because after reading this book I have a newfound excitement about my life. In their book, the Kanes present a new way of seeing how you are in your life. They present their own personal experiences and principles of how to live your own life in a way that is spontaneous and satisfying. After reading this book, I started to become more aware of how I reacted to different circumstances and people. What I would have labeled as a "problem" in the past has become a lot less frequent of an occurrence and a lot less stressful. I find I am not living on "automatic" mode anymore. In simple terms, my life continues to become easier and enjoyable. I am sure I will be reading the Kanes' book again and again. As each time I open the pages and read it's like Christmas morning where the presents, a wonderful, rewarding and satisfying life, just keep coming my way. I highly recommend checking out this book and any of the Kanes' audiotapes as well.
Rating:
Summary: Not Deep, Not New
Review: There are some simple words of advice in this book that make sense, but the Kane's simple thesis is, "if you don't have any expectations, you won't be disapointed." They dress it up with fancy words that often sound very spiritual, "live in the moment" "Choose (with your heart), rather than decide (with your mind)" - but the reality is that the book simply tells people that they will be happy if they detach themselves from their hopes and dreams while doing whatever they want in the moment without ever critically examining what they are doing or the long-term consequences. To be sure, unrealistic expectations will crush us, but realistic hopes and dreams can propel us forward. Achieving what we set out to achieve over time brings satisfaction and discipline that can't be met by eliminating all of our "WORMS" (their term) of the past. The authors are also quite sure that in their past whenever they had to "decide", which means using your mind rather than your heart, it just didn't work out in the past. It was hard work, it took a lot of effort and they rarely made choices that were any different than what they had "felt" in the beginning. There is a valid insight here, that as you think through choices, you will inevitably imagine different scenarios that will lead you through how to get to that choice and what will happen after. When it doesn't work out that way, people are naturally disapointed - which is what leads to the assertion that "decisions" are bad and the feeling of the moment is what you need to trust. I certainly believe in spontenaity sometimes, but to never think? It just doesn't work for me. This book proposes just "living in the moment is the only way to achieve contentment." It is a comfortable fantasy for those who can, otherwise, I'd find a better book.
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