The Last Self-Help Book You'll Ever Need by Pearsall, Paul -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Title Page Dedication Acknowledgements Introduction PART I - Why Self-Help Hasn’t Helped

1 - Self-Help Needs Our Help

FIND A PITCH AND PULP IT THE SELLING OF SILLINESS THE FATHERS OF SELF-HELP DONAHUE, DR. RUTH, AND THE KINSEY INSTITUTE THE GURUTOCRACY ELITE THE TONO-BUNGAY EFFECT CLOSED MIND, OPEN WALLET LETHAL PLATITUDES WHO SAYS SO AND HOW DO THEY KNOW? SCIENCE OR SCIENTISM? WITHIN OR BETWEEN? THE MONSTER BETWEEN WHAT KIND OF A PRISON GUARD WOULD YOU BE? I’VE HAD MY FILL OF DR. PHIL CREATIVE SELF-HELP

2 - The Facts of Life?

THE “WIDENING CIRCLE” PHENOMENON FARFETCHED MEMORIES SUPPRESSING THE IDEA OF REPRESSION THE ESTEEMED CONCEPT OF SELF-ESTEEM GUILT: THE NOBLE EMOTION NEGATIVITY AS STRATEGY, NOT SYMPTOM THE ADDICTION FICTION A LESSON FROM RATS IN PARADISE SELF-HELP HERESY MAYBE, MAYBE NOT

3 - Savoring Your Own Good Life

THE SILENT EPIDEMIC MINDFULNESS VERSUS EVALUATION WHY POSITIVE THINKING IS DEPRESSING THE WISDOM OF A FOUR-YEAR-OLD MIND HAPPINESS STRESS DARK CLOUDS WITH GRAY LININGS TRANS-PARENT SURGERY DR. BUDDHA’S FOUR TRUTHS RE-MINDING OURSELVES THE WISDOM OF BEING “LIGHT”-HEADED

PART II - ... And How It Can

4 - Developing a Contrarian Consciousness

HOT AND COLD RUNNING PEOPLE THE POWER OF THE MADE-UP MIND QUITE THE CONTRARY SOME IDEAS OF MINE THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ACCEPT SHATTERING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS TEN CONTRARY COMMANDMENTS OF SELF-HELP

5 - Love Lies and Why We Believe Them

PROPOSITIONS ABOUT LOVE MISMANAGED UNIONS LESSONS FROM TERMITES WHY HAPPILY MARRIED PEOPLE AREN’T IN LOVE WHY CAN’T WE STAY TOGETHER? BLINDED BY THE LIGHT OF YOUR LIFE BONDING, BOREDOM, AND BLISS LOVE’S TWO SIDES REJECTION SENSITIVITY A HEALTHY LOVE TRIANGLE TOO SELFISH FOR LASTING LOVE? OPPOSITES DISTRACT PROPOSITIONS OF LOVE THE LOVE-WORTHY TEST

6 - Committed to a Family Asylum

PROPOSITIONS ABOUT “FAMILYING” DELIGHTFULLY DYSFUNCTIONAL SAFETY IN THE MADHOUSE FAMILIES AREN’T FOR CHILDREN THE PROBLEM AND PRIVILEGE OF PARENTING FAMILY LESSONS FROM THE IRON MAIDEN TOO MUCH CREDIT, TOO MUCH BLAME RESILIENT TWIGS LOST CHILDREN GROWING DOWN INSTEAD OF UP THE QUESTION OF A LIFETIME THE DECISION TO DIVORCE PROPOSITIONS ABOUT FAMILYING

7 - A Lively Livelihood

PROPOSITIONS ABOUT WORKING WORKING TOWARD POVERTY TOXIC-SUCCESS SYNDROME WIST-FULL SPIRITUAL UNEMPLOYMENT THE PRIVILEGE OF DOING GOOD WORK ROSY THE HEALER PSYCHOLOGICAL ABSENTEEISM THE BLISS AND BENEFITS OF BEING TYPE A

8 - Escape from Health Hysteria

PROPOSITIONS ABOUT HEALTH AND HEALING HOW ARE YOU? THE GREAT DIET SCAM PERPETUAL PATIENTS ARE WE ALL CRAZY? FIVE PROPOSITIONS ABOUT HEALTH AND HEALING

9 - Overcoming the Burden of Youth

PROPOSITIONS ABOUT AGING THE GIFT OF A THIRD LIFETIME WHAT’S WRONG WITH LOOKING YOUR AGE? AGING IS A LAUGHING MATTER GERONTOLOGY OR PATHOLOGY? FEELING OUR AGE AND SAVORING IT SAME PERSON, DIFFERENT BODY THE CIRCLE OF OLD LIFE GRAYING OR GLOWING? FIVE PROPOSITIONS ABOUT AGING

10 - Healthy Dying and Good Grieving

PROPOSITIONS ABOUT DYING AND GRIEVING A QUESTION FOR EINSTEIN WHAT DOES DYING MEAN AND WHAT’S THE BENEFIT? SELF-HELP’S WORST FEAR THERE WAS AN ELEPHANT IN MY ROOM CLAUDIA’S GENTLE DEATH THE DEATH DELUSION NOTES ON NARCISSISM THE MAGIC OF MEMORIES WATER LOGIC TIMELESS SOULS FIVE PROPOSITIONS ABOUT DYING

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