How to develop self-esteem and stop self-defeating behaviors are Branden's themes in this clearly written and practical manual. The author explains what self-esteem is and why it's important. Then in a logical manner he leads the reader through a series of exercises designed to deepen self-awareness and free the person from foolish, destructive habits. The author firmly believes that people can be assisted in learning how to lead fulfilling lives. Self-acceptance, living consciously, liberation from guilt and authentic living are some of the areas covered. In the exercises, the reader is given a sentence stem and asked to complete it, quickly and without thinking too much. For example: ""If the child within could speak, he would say. . ."" The completion of these stems provides insight into a person's status as far as self-esteem goes. Branden's main virtue, aside from being experienced and sensible, is his energetic optimism. He is infectious, encouraging and believes that individuals can accomplish much by themselves. Of course, there are more complex situations which need therapy, but many people could deepen their enjoyment of life with a little conscious effort. This book could help them considerably. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

This is the seventh book by popular, California-based psychologist Nathaniel Branden in which he promotes his theory of self-esteem. Like his earlier works, including Honoring the Self (Booklist 80:927 Mr 1 84), this one discusses the components of healthy self-esteem, uses personal anecdotes and brief case histories to illus-[FJ]trate it in action, and relies on Branden's trademark series of wide-ranging sentence-completion exercises to help readers get in touch with thoughts and feelings that may be blocking the pursuit of actions that would enhance self-esteem. Fans will appreciate the greater practicality of this work over the others, emphasizing as it does the day-to-day behavior that can help individuals break away from negativity. We also see a clearer influence here of rational-emotive and cognitive-therapeutic models on Branden's thinking. Though the author's message is a bit overexposed and his presentation tends to ramble, the book will still be of interest to self-help fans, particularly those whose self-esteem hasn't been sufficiently buoyed by the earlier books. MB. 158'.1 Self-confidence / Self-respect [OCLC] 86-14644

Branden, psychotherapist and specialist in the field of self-esteem psychology, here offers a ``how-to'' follow-up to his popular Honoring The Self (Tarcher, 1984) that gives a detailed account of the importance of self-acceptance in human existence. Intended for use without the aid of a psychotherapist, Branden's book shows that there are many paths to self-esteem, as exemplified by accounts culled from his own private-practice files. A series of progressive self-exploration exercises gives us most of the ingredients necessary to reverse completely our negative self-assessments. Among them, living consciously, without guilt, and with authenticity receive top billing. Recommended for general as well as professional psychology collections.Robert L. Jaquay, William K. Sanford Town Lib., Loudonville, N.Y. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.