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What You Can Change. . . and What You Can't: The Complete Guide to Successful Self-Improvement
If you believe that dieting down to your "ideal" weight will prolong your life; that reliving childhood trauma can undo adult personality problems; that alcoholics have addictive personalities, or that psychoanalysis helps cure anxiety, then get ready for a shock. In the climate of self-improvement that has reigned for the last twenty years, misinformation about treatments for everything from alcohol abuse to sexual dysfunction has flourished. Those of us trying to change these conditions are often frustrated by failure, mixed success, or success followed by a relapse. But have you ever asked yourself: can my condition really be changed? And if so, am I going about it in the most effective way? Grounding his conclusions in the most recent and most authoritative scientific studies, Seligman pinpoints the techniques and therapies that work best for each condition, explains why they work, and discusses how you can use them to change your life. Inside, you'll discover: the four natural healing factors for recovering from alcoholism; the vital difference between overeating and being overweight, and why dieters always gain back the pounds they "lost"; the four therapies that work for depression, and how you can "dispute" your way to optimistic thinking; the pros and cons of anger, and the steps to take to understand it and much more!
502 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1993
213 people are currently reading
4545 people want to read
About the author
Martin E.P. Seligman
67 books1,151 followersSeligman is the Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology in the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Psychology. He was previously the Director of the Clinical Training Program in the department. Seligman was elected President of the American Psychological Association by the widest margin in its history and served in that capacity during the 1998 term.[4] He is the founding editor-in-chief of Prevention and Treatment Magazine (the APA electronic journal), and is on the board of advisers of Parents.
Seligman has written about positive psychology topics such as The Optimistic Child, Child's Play, Learned Optimism, Authentic Happiness," and in 2011, "Flourish."
Seligman has written about positive psychology topics such as The Optimistic Child, Child's Play, Learned Optimism, Authentic Happiness," and in 2011, "Flourish."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
July 24, 2017
کتاب خوبی بود. در هر موضوع نظرات مختلفی رو از دیدگاه های متفاوت مطرح می کند. اما برای کسانی که رشته تخصصی شان روانشناسی نیست چندان کاربردی نخواهد داشت...و شاید کمی حوصله سر بر باشد
June 10, 2012
Amazingly, this book is out of date. There have been too many advances in psychological research since Seligman wrote it, that his summaries and conclusions are out of date. For example, the current research says that naltrexone is very effective at helping people avoid relapse of alcohol and opioid dependence. The read is interesting if you keep in mind that it is almost 20 years old and out of date. Also, Seligman begins the book with some exaggerations to make his point, and ends up sounding a bit cracked. Fortunately, when he delves into the actual topics he hits a good stride and is able to maintain a decent style and tone through the rest of the book. His theory of depth and strength is an interesting one, and seems fairly accurate, although it feels to me that he understates the ability for people to change many aspects of their personality and life. But I'm a therapist, so I'm biased in the direction of change.
February 2, 2012
Another Martin Seligman psychology book that just snuck into my pile and got itself read. Dr. Seligman fairly dispassionately gives us the good news and the bad news about what psychological traits, functional and dysfunctional, are amenable to change or are immutable for the vast majority of people, depending on how deeply these characteristics are embedded in the psyche.
Phobias are moderately changeable with treatments that were available when the book was written in 1996. Sexual identity is unchangeable. Panic attacks are curable. Not being a psychologist myself, I can't argue with his claims for these and many other specific disorders and behavior patterns, and thankfully I don't suffer from any of the ones he discusses so I can be as dispassionate is he is and take him at his word.
But he doesn't offer the book as a self-diagnosis and self-treatment manual. Instead, his overarching goal is to make those entering what he calls "the second season of life" aware of their potential growth, and which areas will be most amenable to change. The first season of life is the season of expansion, discovering and claiming your place in the world. He says "In the second season, your life will be defined not so much by the outside world as by certain realities that have been coalescing inside you...You will rearrange your life to fit what you have discovered you are." According to Dr. Seligman, this second season begins somewhere between the ages of 30 and 45 (and what with 50 being the new 40, I think we can safely adjust his timeline to allow some delay entering this second season for us late bloomers.)
This is the topic of the final section of the book titled "Shedding the Skins of Childhood" and for this section, I would recommend the book to anyone who wonders if it is too late to change.
Phobias are moderately changeable with treatments that were available when the book was written in 1996. Sexual identity is unchangeable. Panic attacks are curable. Not being a psychologist myself, I can't argue with his claims for these and many other specific disorders and behavior patterns, and thankfully I don't suffer from any of the ones he discusses so I can be as dispassionate is he is and take him at his word.
But he doesn't offer the book as a self-diagnosis and self-treatment manual. Instead, his overarching goal is to make those entering what he calls "the second season of life" aware of their potential growth, and which areas will be most amenable to change. The first season of life is the season of expansion, discovering and claiming your place in the world. He says "In the second season, your life will be defined not so much by the outside world as by certain realities that have been coalescing inside you...You will rearrange your life to fit what you have discovered you are." According to Dr. Seligman, this second season begins somewhere between the ages of 30 and 45 (and what with 50 being the new 40, I think we can safely adjust his timeline to allow some delay entering this second season for us late bloomers.)
This is the topic of the final section of the book titled "Shedding the Skins of Childhood" and for this section, I would recommend the book to anyone who wonders if it is too late to change.
October 30, 2011
I have just read this book for the second time. I read it as a work assignment with the intention of exploring the ideas contained in the book in an educational small group setting.
It is very well researched and referenced.
Martin Seligman challenges a lot of the perceived wisdom on depression/anxiety, addiction, obesity.
His views are thought-provoking and informative.
He emphasises how important it is to be aware of our belief system around these conditions. Our beliefs will influence how we regard people displaying these symptoms. This in turn, influences how we treat them and how much we think we can help them or they can help themselves.
He defines the part that character, enviornment and genetics play in the development of illness. He compares strategies for treatment and presents outcome studies.
The book is advertised as a self-help manual but I think it very detailed for someone new to the topics. I think it is a very good book for health professionals as it addresses attitudes and treatments. Helping people who suffer from these psychological conditions can be stressful for health professionals as so many treatments "fail". This book offers new insights into what aspects are worth addressing, what can be helped by apecific treatments or therapies and what people may need help accepting as unchangeable.
A very worthwhile read!
It is very well researched and referenced.
Martin Seligman challenges a lot of the perceived wisdom on depression/anxiety, addiction, obesity.
His views are thought-provoking and informative.
He emphasises how important it is to be aware of our belief system around these conditions. Our beliefs will influence how we regard people displaying these symptoms. This in turn, influences how we treat them and how much we think we can help them or they can help themselves.
He defines the part that character, enviornment and genetics play in the development of illness. He compares strategies for treatment and presents outcome studies.
The book is advertised as a self-help manual but I think it very detailed for someone new to the topics. I think it is a very good book for health professionals as it addresses attitudes and treatments. Helping people who suffer from these psychological conditions can be stressful for health professionals as so many treatments "fail". This book offers new insights into what aspects are worth addressing, what can be helped by apecific treatments or therapies and what people may need help accepting as unchangeable.
A very worthwhile read!
April 28, 2013
Marty Seligman wrote this book in 1993 as an antidote to the rash of self-help advice that came onto the market in the 1990s. His goal was to tell the public "which treatments work and which treatments fail, which problems can be conquered and which are intractable, which shortcomings can be improved and which cannot."
I thought he succeeded beautifully. He interprets the scientific literature for the lay reader in terms we can all understand, and he pulls no punches when he criticizes bad advice.
From page 244 of the hardcover version, here is the bottom line. If you want to know how these things can be changed, you'll have to read the rest of the book!
panic - curable
specific phobias - almost curable
sexual dysfunctions - marked relief
social phobia - moderate relief
agoraphobia - moderate relief
depression - moderate relief
sex role - moderate change
OCD - moderate/mild relief
sexual preferences - moderate/mild change
anger - mild/moderate relief
everyday anxiety - mild/moderate relief
alcoholism - mild relief
overweight - temporary change
post-traumatic stress disorder - marginal relief
sexual orientation - probably unchangeable
sexual identity - unchangeable
As to the diet industry, he has nothing good to say. He cites Oprah's struggles and temporary success with Optifast and his own on-going challenges.
Dieters: read it and weep.
I thought he succeeded beautifully. He interprets the scientific literature for the lay reader in terms we can all understand, and he pulls no punches when he criticizes bad advice.
From page 244 of the hardcover version, here is the bottom line. If you want to know how these things can be changed, you'll have to read the rest of the book!
panic - curable
specific phobias - almost curable
sexual dysfunctions - marked relief
social phobia - moderate relief
agoraphobia - moderate relief
depression - moderate relief
sex role - moderate change
OCD - moderate/mild relief
sexual preferences - moderate/mild change
anger - mild/moderate relief
everyday anxiety - mild/moderate relief
alcoholism - mild relief
overweight - temporary change
post-traumatic stress disorder - marginal relief
sexual orientation - probably unchangeable
sexual identity - unchangeable
As to the diet industry, he has nothing good to say. He cites Oprah's struggles and temporary success with Optifast and his own on-going challenges.
Dieters: read it and weep.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2012
Pretty interesting psychology book. A very candid look at what psychologists and biologists have found out about our changeability. Huge industries have been erected around change, particularly dieting. Every brand has its own promise for change, which often contradicts the other brands. They don't need to be right to make money, just persuasive. So why not learn about what the science actually observed works or doesn't work?
This book covers several things people commonly want to change about themselves: anxiety, panic, phobias, obsessions, depression, anger, PTSD, sexual habits and preferences, weight, and alchoholism. This book spells out exactly what evidence exists for how changeable each of these are, and how effective or promising each of the various popular therapies actually are.
Some of it is a little surprising. For example, he argues that weight is not so changeable. Dieting often just makes it worse. He makes a good case, and I don't disagree with him, but I think his case is incomplete. He only discusses dieting as a cutting back of calories. But then, oddly, he briefly mentions some approaches that do work somewhat: exercise, eating healthy instead of eating less, and eating slower. This seems to contradict somewhat his premise that weight isn't all that changeable.
He also makes an interesting case about alchoholism, namely that AA's philosophy is mostly wrong. He doesn't deny that it works for many, but suggests there's a confirmation bias, and so doesn't work nearly as well as people think. Furthermore, the philosophy it employs has a cost of making its adherents feel powerless (indeed, the first premise of AA is that we are powerless). All it does it replace one dependency (alchohol) with another (theology and the AA group). For those whom alchohol has ruined their lives, this may not be a bad trade-off, but Seligman believes we can do better. Unfortunately, no one dares challenge AA's monopoly on recovery.
This book is quite worthwhile to read, but be forewarned that it is pretty dry (pun not intended).
This book covers several things people commonly want to change about themselves: anxiety, panic, phobias, obsessions, depression, anger, PTSD, sexual habits and preferences, weight, and alchoholism. This book spells out exactly what evidence exists for how changeable each of these are, and how effective or promising each of the various popular therapies actually are.
Some of it is a little surprising. For example, he argues that weight is not so changeable. Dieting often just makes it worse. He makes a good case, and I don't disagree with him, but I think his case is incomplete. He only discusses dieting as a cutting back of calories. But then, oddly, he briefly mentions some approaches that do work somewhat: exercise, eating healthy instead of eating less, and eating slower. This seems to contradict somewhat his premise that weight isn't all that changeable.
He also makes an interesting case about alchoholism, namely that AA's philosophy is mostly wrong. He doesn't deny that it works for many, but suggests there's a confirmation bias, and so doesn't work nearly as well as people think. Furthermore, the philosophy it employs has a cost of making its adherents feel powerless (indeed, the first premise of AA is that we are powerless). All it does it replace one dependency (alchohol) with another (theology and the AA group). For those whom alchohol has ruined their lives, this may not be a bad trade-off, but Seligman believes we can do better. Unfortunately, no one dares challenge AA's monopoly on recovery.
This book is quite worthwhile to read, but be forewarned that it is pretty dry (pun not intended).
July 27, 2011
This was a hot self improvement-pop psychological mess. It is a shame because I agree wholeheartedly that any therapy should be forward thinking and allows a person to assume personal responsibility, but having distinctions in degrees of emotional difficulty in child abuse cases--mild fondling by strangers to forceful rapes by close relatives--is downright crazy, and expecting people to "turn down the volume" on such matters is fucking problematic. All this from a guy who wrote Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life.
I just wanted to read something to tie up any loose emotional ends on the cusp of my 28th birthday so I guess I'll stick to old standbys Emotional Resilience: Simple Truths for Dealing with the Unfinished Business of Your Past and Six Pillars of Self-Esteem to see if I missed anything or hold beliefs that no longer serve me.
I just wanted to read something to tie up any loose emotional ends on the cusp of my 28th birthday so I guess I'll stick to old standbys Emotional Resilience: Simple Truths for Dealing with the Unfinished Business of Your Past and Six Pillars of Self-Esteem to see if I missed anything or hold beliefs that no longer serve me.
July 31, 2016
I am a bit disappointed with this book: it seems to under-rate the capacity of people to change - More importantly I find a contradiction in his book: Seligman has dedicated an entire chapter on "Shedding the skin of childhood". In this he argues that "childhood events - even childhood trauma - and child-rearing appear to have only weak effects on adult life" (page 237). He clearly says "events from childhood do not coerce our personalities in adulthood" and bluntly asserts "the first inner-child premise - that childhood events determine adult personality - is false"
Yet, on page 129 he says "I believe that many children react to their parents fighting by developing a loss of security so shattering that it marks the beginning of a lifetime of dysphoria". He mentions how "once parents start fighting, these children become unbridled pessimists...years later their pessimism persists". He quotes this from a research he himself has conducted. To my mind it is too fundamental a contradiction in a book which claims to tell you what you can change and what you cannot.
I think there are much better books that are more current and relevant. For those interested in self-help and personal change, I would particularly recommend Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals by Heidi Grant Halvorson.
Yet, on page 129 he says "I believe that many children react to their parents fighting by developing a loss of security so shattering that it marks the beginning of a lifetime of dysphoria". He mentions how "once parents start fighting, these children become unbridled pessimists...years later their pessimism persists". He quotes this from a research he himself has conducted. To my mind it is too fundamental a contradiction in a book which claims to tell you what you can change and what you cannot.
I think there are much better books that are more current and relevant. For those interested in self-help and personal change, I would particularly recommend Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals by Heidi Grant Halvorson.
February 22, 2009
I'd actually rate this more like 3.5 to 4 stars. I greatly enjoyed the whole book with the exception of a couple of chapters, but the last part on childhood put me off badly enough with it's blatant bias and cherry-picking of studies that I had to downgrade my overall rating of the book. It's too bad, because I really loved the book and was enthusiastic about it and wanting to recommend it to my friends until then.
Seligman is usually upfront with you when he's arguing his own perspective and not being unbiased, and that's a good thing. This book is a pretty good overview for lay people of much that was covered in my undergraduate psychology classes, and is a fun, readable introduction to how the mind works (as many in the field today currently see it.) His style is direct but personable so the book is not at all dry.
Overall I think this was a worthwhile read but I'm glad I stuck with a library copy instead of purchasing it.
Seligman is usually upfront with you when he's arguing his own perspective and not being unbiased, and that's a good thing. This book is a pretty good overview for lay people of much that was covered in my undergraduate psychology classes, and is a fun, readable introduction to how the mind works (as many in the field today currently see it.) His style is direct but personable so the book is not at all dry.
Overall I think this was a worthwhile read but I'm glad I stuck with a library copy instead of purchasing it.
September 27, 2021
Although almost certainly out-of-date, Martin Seligman’s What You Can Change and What You Can’t offers a sobering critique of human plasticity. Certain things—being transgender—are so hard-wired that no therapy or medication can move the needle. Dieting and alcoholism can respond to behavioral change, but even when folks adopt new, healthier habits, many revert to their original status quo. Panic attacks, however, can be managed.
Seligman is a reasonably engaged writer, but some of these chapters could be better organized. For instance, the chapter on alcoholism started with a recounting of a study that showed individuals with depression evaluate reality more clearly than those who are not depressed. I do wish this could be updated for the 21st century as a riposte to all the self-help industry that talks in slogans and guilt-tripping.
Seligman is a reasonably engaged writer, but some of these chapters could be better organized. For instance, the chapter on alcoholism started with a recounting of a study that showed individuals with depression evaluate reality more clearly than those who are not depressed. I do wish this could be updated for the 21st century as a riposte to all the self-help industry that talks in slogans and guilt-tripping.
November 6, 2018
4.5 stars
September 10, 2011
This book is a great view into the mental reasons of why we have a difficult time changing our habits. It starts with understanding the troubles of our psychological world (i.e. anxiety, phobias, depression, etc.), then discusses a number of key areas people struggle (i.e. diet, alcoholism) and finally draws a conclusion of expectations we can assume during our seasons of expansion and contraction. The studies are a little shocking in their findings, but Dr. Seligman does a wonderful job of presenting facts without conjecture. He shares his opinions with the reader without making the reader feel they were just pushed into his philosophy. Even written over 20 years ago, the arguments still hold water ... and even though new findings have been discovered this book is a great foundation to understanding powerful change in anyone.
November 17, 2017
There was a lot of really good information in this book, but unfortunately a lot of it is dated. So much so that after reading the chapter on sex I almost had to stop reading, and wondered whether I should discount everything he had written so far just because of how appalling it was.
The sections on panic disorder and on weight were both incredibly enlightening to me. The others were interesting but not as amazing as what I learned in those two chapters. The sex chapter, though... it was physically painful. As an asexual, biromantic woman dating a transgender nonbinary person... it was extremely painful. However, I think the information in the rest of the book was good enough that I can still give it three stars.
The sections on panic disorder and on weight were both incredibly enlightening to me. The others were interesting but not as amazing as what I learned in those two chapters. The sex chapter, though... it was physically painful. As an asexual, biromantic woman dating a transgender nonbinary person... it was extremely painful. However, I think the information in the rest of the book was good enough that I can still give it three stars.
July 18, 2014
This is where your emotional health journey should start. This is the skeptic's... the curious person's... the science-hungry person's survey of self help and therapy. Emotional health broken down and evaluated piece by piece, examined in light of, well, what you can change and what you can't. A fantastically clear cleave between nature and nurture. Great concise survey of the therapies available and their efficacy, drawn from psychological research. (Along with some theories from the author that appear as-yet untested). The last chapter is good review. Follow this with his book Authentic Happiness.
January 26, 2012
The sections on depression, anxiety, phobias, and anger are excellent and insightful. In much of the rest of the book, however, the author seems to overstep his bounds, spending exhaustive amounts of time presenting personal postulates on subject areas outside his expertise. The most frustrating examples of this are the sections on biological factors in dieting, transsexualism, and homosexuality.
March 3, 2020
CBT works for some, but Seligman relies too much on this primary tool as the only way one can change. He also makes claims that have been proven false, so it may need updates/revisions.
April 19, 2024
Good book to read on different topics related to mental health, improvements, how far can medication help you or not... He presents both good news and bad news without prejudice.
June 3, 2020
Quite insightful, lots of useful tidbits throughout. Though I wondered if some of his info was outdated, I appreciated his smart analysis of sources, and his straightforward disclaimers when he was venturing into the personal opinion realm.
December 7, 2019
If I had read the title of the book probably wouldn't have bought it or even picked it up. Otherwise, this book just deals in a very basic manner about common afflictions- basic outline of what anxiety, depression, addiction is, etc, and not in the weird dramatised way it's shown on tv or in movies. The way you have a basic idea of what a cold is, you should also have a basic idea of what an addiction or phobia is. The chapter on gender roles is pure archaic bull***t. If there's another newer book out there that deals with these topics, read that one, if there isn't, read this.
May 28, 2025
I did not read the entirety of this book so I don’t count this as one of my reads for the year. But I think any person could benefit from this. I read only the chapters that applied to me in aspects of my life that I wanted to better myself in; and I would highly recommend checking it out. Some of these are such simple things and tools that are put into a different perspective and way of thinking. That makes you realize it might be easier than you thought if you just try and apply some of the things that are listed. I really appreciated how it gave examples and scenarios and then afterwards showed what that scenario could have been if applied differently. I really appreciated this book even if I only read a few of the chapters. Definitely written well!
March 7, 2016
My opinion wavered between liking this book and loving it. I hadn't read it since I first bought it back in spring of 1996. As an armchair psychology student, I found it a great overview of what approaches work to "fix" certain "problems" (not that homosexuality is a problem, and he DOES say so). I especially felt that my own opinions of PTSD symptoms, what will fix PTSD, what will fix depression, and what it takes to have appropriately developed self-esteem were validated.
As a matter of fact, Seligman says that he takes on the self-esteem "movement" in the last chapter of his book on Learned Optimism, which I have read some of, but not all of. I now plan on reading that whole book just to see what this renowned scholar has to say about THAT.
As a matter of fact, Seligman says that he takes on the self-esteem "movement" in the last chapter of his book on Learned Optimism, which I have read some of, but not all of. I now plan on reading that whole book just to see what this renowned scholar has to say about THAT.
August 27, 2016
Книга основателя позитивной психологии Мартина Селигмана поможет сохранить и преумножить наш оптимизм относительно способности стать лучше. Будучи популярным справочником по результатам испытаний лекарственных и психотерапевтических техник изменений (в книге немало статистики), книга помогает отделить легко решаемые проблемы (здесь оптимизм преумножится) от тех, попытка взяться за которые скорее всего разочарует и подорвет силы для изменений прочих сторон жизни (здесь книга поможет оптимизм сохранить).
Результатом разбора очень разнообразных проблем становится шкала сложности изменений -- от половой идентичности и лишнего веса, где изменения маловероятны, до фобий и эректильной дисфункции, где желаемый результат почти гарантирован.
Результатом разбора очень разнообразных проблем становится шкала сложности изменений -- от половой идентичности и лишнего веса, где изменения маловероятны, до фобий и эректильной дисфункции, где желаемый результат почти гарантирован.
May 3, 2024
I can't say it was a book that went in-depth about anything. There is so much more to add on each topic that even someone who started studying psychology (seriously) knows more than what's covered in these chapters. What annoyed me the most was the author briefly mentioning why so many types of therapies don't work - leaving us all hanging. Well, duh, most therapeutic approaches do not work, do we have to beg for your opinion on why, kind sir?
One phrase that I did like, and I believe is quite smart, is the one mentioning that with medications, what we consider to be curative is the side effects of another type of disease the medicines are causing in the body, and the side effects are, the disease caused by the medicine we use, to cure or manage, another disease.
One phrase that I did like, and I believe is quite smart, is the one mentioning that with medications, what we consider to be curative is the side effects of another type of disease the medicines are causing in the body, and the side effects are, the disease caused by the medicine we use, to cure or manage, another disease.
October 27, 2011
Ignore the self-improvement bit for a moment, as I'm pretty sure that was added to help sell the book. This is a fascinating breakdown of what's caused by nature and what we can attribute to nurture in a series of common ailments--from alcoholism to depression to sexuality. The breakdowns are clear, smart, and fascinating, especially if you're a pop psychology junkie like myself. The useful part is giving you a sense of what aspects of yourself are worth working on and which you can just give up on, what problems drugs can help with (not many if you want lasting change) and which can be tackled by therapy (and what kind of therapy, at that).
June 16, 2013
This is the best psychology book for the general public that I have read. Written concisely and with illuminating examples, Seligman sticks to the empirical evidence rooted in rigorous methodology. It highlights that we can change many aspects of our lives, but that there are other arenas in which we will face much more difficulty.
While some of his claims are likely to be wrong or inaccurate, most of them seem to be grounded in clear thinking and what the evidence tells us.
I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether you're a fan of the genre or not.
While some of his claims are likely to be wrong or inaccurate, most of them seem to be grounded in clear thinking and what the evidence tells us.
I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether you're a fan of the genre or not.
February 7, 2018
The book is outdated, makes sense given it was written around the start of the “decade of the brain”. The premise of the book is that somewhere between biology/genes and therapy lies what we can change and what we can’t. The book aims to help us change what we can with the suggested treatments and learn to cope with what we can’t change. The field has advanced rapidly since the book was written and a lot of the speculation and content in the book is either irrelevant or obvious now.
There are some good bits in there but there are more up to date books than this that aren’t stretched so thin.
There are some good bits in there but there are more up to date books than this that aren’t stretched so thin.
November 11, 2023
Psychological and deep
It took me a long time to read this book. I’m not sure I agree with all the premises. I do believe in childhood trauma affecting future psychological health. It is an intelligent book. There is hope in the belief that we can be free of childhood explanations of who we are and change ourselves. The book is not an easy read. Seligman is an excellent writer and scholar. I still would like to believe I can keep my weight loss , and not regain. It does seem to be a struggle. So, he could be right that it’s hard to change! I’ll keep trying.!
It took me a long time to read this book. I’m not sure I agree with all the premises. I do believe in childhood trauma affecting future psychological health. It is an intelligent book. There is hope in the belief that we can be free of childhood explanations of who we are and change ourselves. The book is not an easy read. Seligman is an excellent writer and scholar. I still would like to believe I can keep my weight loss , and not regain. It does seem to be a struggle. So, he could be right that it’s hard to change! I’ll keep trying.!
April 15, 2012
This is one of my favorite books. Have you ever wondered why you can't keep off weight through dieting? Or whether one childhood incident scars someone forever? Or whether AA really works for alcoholics? Dr. Seligman covers all this and more. He discusses what goes on in the brain and body for a whole variety of human conditions, whether it's trans-sexuals or homosexuals or just weight loss. I find this a fascinating book and a marvelous dissection of the human condition.
December 21, 2012
I was attracted by the title of the book. However, the book is not very helpful to me. The negative emotions talked in the book seem exaggerating and far away from me. It maybe helpful for those who suffer from the problems. As I read through it fast, I picked up one positive message in the chapter of Shedding the skins of Childhood, "It is more important to focus on responsibilities and being forward looking." I like books helping strengthen positiveness.
July 5, 2015
The first two chapters caught my attention....he has some interesting theories, which are different than the mainstream of thought. He is very meticulous with his writing and his research, but sometimes pretty funny. A good quote: "so hard to swallow were these findings for learning theorists that the leading textbook writer in that field said at the time that they were no more likely to be true than that 'you would find bird shit in a cuckoo clock!'"
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