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Author-signed copy of The New Rules of Attachment: How to Heal Your Relationships, Reparent Your Inner Child, and Secure Your Life Vision by Dr. Judy Ho (one winner) (USA and Canada) (ends June 20)

The New Rules of Attachment by Dr. Judy Ho Book Review Tour Giveaway

Psychologist and Comedian King explores the science behind stress in this witty, informed guide. The author uses a bevy of running jokes and punch lines to enliven technical explanations for how and why people experience stress. His metaphors of coming across a bear in the wild as well as being stuck in traffic are also used to great effect to explain a variety of stress responses, such as perceiving a threat and feelings of powerlessness. Reframing thoughts plays a large role in King's advice: Stress is simply a reaction to a perception of threat being able to consciously redirect choices made by other areas of the brain is the key to living a less stressful existence. He also provides breathing exercises, plants for painting physical health and useful advice for setting attainable goals. King's enjoyable guide to living with less will be of help to any anxious reader.

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Photo credit Jon King

I strongly believe in positive thinking. That's why I appreciate books such as Ingrid Kelada's 21 Days to Happiness. Need to get a gift for that person in your life who is struggling? This one's perfect. Read what I thought of the book and then scroll down for a chance to win a copy!

Book Details:

Book Title: 21 Days to Happiness: Increase Your Happiness, Productivity and Happiness
Author: Ingrid Kelada
Category: Adult Non-Fiction, 230 pages
Genre: Motivational, self-help
Publisher: Wellness Ink
Release date: September 19, 2017
Tour dates: Nov 27 to Dec 15, 2017
Content Rating: G (The subject is intended more for adults, but there's no explicit language or content.)

Book Description:

Struggling to find work-life balance? Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed and frustrated or just want to increase your happiness, you can learn how in just 10 minutes a day!

For some of us, feeling busy or stressed has become the new normal. Others feel okay, but just want a boost to productivity, energy and motivation.

Instead of hoping for happiness, what if happiness is something you DO, something you CHOOSE every day? The good news: it is and the solutions are simple.

Psychologist and happiness expert Ingrid Kelada provides a practical, step-by-step guide to help you increase your personal happiness and feel more motivated. You can learn how with simple 10-minute strategies. Each day of the 21-day journey focuses on one key area of your life, including:

• Time: how to break the cycle of chaos and manage your time effectively.
• Body Language: exploring the surprising links between body language and happiness.
• Relationships: how to make the most of the number one predictor of happiness.
• Work: how to use your strengths and talents so that you are engaged and motivated.
• Money: what you should spend your money on to feel most satisfied.

The book is interactive. Each chapter features resources like apps to try, videos to watch for deeper understanding, or tools to help you master these new habits. At the end of three weeks, along with increased happiness, you’ll find you’ve become more:

• productive
• focused
• patient
• energetic
• healthy
• motivated
• positive

Happiness is a choice. A daily decision to choose happy can be easy, fun and rewarding. With this book, in just a few minutes per day, you can practice one new happiness habit, add resources to your arsenal, and jot down your notes in the journal section.

Buy 21 Days to Happiness today to create a happier more satisfying life.



I strongly believe in positive thinking. It's what has gotten me through tough times and what helps me on a daily basis. But there are times when I just feel weak and cannot muster up the energy to do anything because I feel like the whole world is crashing down on me. That's when I appreciate books such as Ingrid Kelada's 21 Days to Happiness.

I've read several books on positive thinking and what I like best about this book is that although it provides stats and factual statements (which I liked learning), it is not bogged down by too many. Instead, it's a practical user-friendly book that allows you to put into practice the tips and helpful habits right away.  Within days of reading the book, I could see the difference in my mood because I was more in tune and aware as to what I could do to counteract those negative thoughts.

I now begin my day with thinking about 3 things for which I am grateful. I play music that I enjoy while I work. I watch a funny 20-minute show on Netflix with my hubby and make sure to laugh uninhibited. I've begun to read a book on minimalism and have decluttered certain parts of my home. But I run my own business and have two teen kids, so I tend to worry and I have a lot of work and stress on my plate. Kelada's practical tips on time, worry, work, and sleep are truly helpful and I am working on implementing them in my daily and weekly routine.

I'm a stickler for order and I appreciated the book's clean layout, making it easy to read. I read the digital version, which includes links to websites, apps and videos. Again, I found this information to be practical and useful. Each chapter ends with questions to ponder over the daily practice just discussed in the chapter. There is space to write your answers, much like a workbook. For this reason, I would prefer also getting the print copy so that I can use it this way. And I will get a copy for each of my kids too. The sooner they start implementing good habits, the better.

21 Days to Happiness is the kind of book I like to keep handy by my bedside so that I can read a portion every day. It's a book that can be re-read so that one can take the time to assimilate the chockful of beneficial information. I'm a firm believer in neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to change. With such books as this one, a person who wants to be happy can do so by developing good daily habits that foster healthy living and happiness. This one's a keeper!


To read more reviews, please visit Ingrid Kelada's page on iRead Book Tours.

Disclosure: Thanks to the author for sending me this book. I was not told how to rate or review this product. All opinions are my own.

Meet the Author:

Ms. Ingrid Kelada is an experienced psychologist and happiness expert. She is a speaker and has facilitated over 1000 workshops all over the world. People find her to be pragmatic, inspiring and funny! She has an online personality questionnaire store to help people identify their talents and interests. With over 25 years experience, she offers her expertise to a wide range of clients. She is bilingual and a member of the professional association of Psychologists of Quebec. Visit her online at www.keladacc.ca

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ LinkedIn ~ Instagram

Connect with them: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Hardcover, 222 pages
Content Rating: PG 13 + M

Book Description:

“Our celebrity captivation seems out of proportion,” says Michael S. Levy, PhD, addiction expert and author of CELEBRITY & ENTERTAINMENT OBSESSION: Understanding Our Addiction

Dr. Levy wrote CELEBRITY & ENTERTAINMENT OBSESSION to shed light on why we as a society are obsessed with people who work in the entertainment field—movies and television in particular—but singers, musicians sports figures and people on reality TV as well. Dr. Levy, whose previous book, Take Control of Your Drinking…and You May Not Need to Quit, resonated with many people, finds it remarkable that people who work in the entertainment field get more recognition and adoration than a competent brain surgeon who saves people’s lives, or a pathologist who has made inroads in cancer treatment.

This wasn’t always the case. Sixty years ago, a Gallup Poll study showed that people who were most admired included Einstein, Winston Churchill, Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur. Not one entertainer, sports star or media personality made the list. Fast-forward to 2000 – 2009 and we have stars like Bono, Tiger Woods, and Denzel Washington making the list.

Dr. Levy can discuss society’s obsession with beauty, how our vulnerability to addiction, our need for idols and our voyeuristic predispositions all contribute to our celebrity obsession as well as:

• How the mass media controls our thinking, the nature of our social intercourse and interactions with each other and our preoccupation with celebrities

• How the media exploits our voyeurism and how our voyeurism serves as a form of distraction and amusement

• Why being entertained has become our primary preoccupation

• Why celebrities’ real-life, off-screen stories get more publicity than anything they have done in their careers

Dr. Levy laments that television news programs focus as much, if not more, on the lives of high-profile celebrities than about other more important issues of the day. He believes that our obsession with entertainers is something to be concerned about since we will have missed opportunities to learn from others who could provide us with valuable ideas and standards for our young people. While the entertainment machine has given us a quick fix to feel good, Dr. Levy asks: “is our obsession with celebrities the best use our time? What will be important to reflect on at the end of our lives: Will it be what we knew about some celebrity or might it be something else?”

Book Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Having taken both psychology courses in the past and having worked in Social Services, I'm always interested in learning more about human behaviour. Psychologist Michael S. Levy has explored a relatively new field, that of our society's addiction to celebrities and entertainment. We all do it, and perhaps don't realize that we do. And in today's world with super easy access to the Internet 24/7, we and our children are even more vulnerable to this addiction.

Dr. Levy writes in the first person, sometimes mentioning his own personal experiences which makes this intelligent and well-written book a pleasure to read. It's not dry even though he does mention statistics and quotes from many studies and includes 40 page of notes and references in the back section of the book. The thorough index makes it easy to find information.

I was fascinated but not surprised by the information presented because I have researched how to help my kids not become so addicted to the entertainment scene. But what I did learn was why and how we are inclined to do certain things and how both our inherent nature and the social scene contribute to this. For example, we have a natural tendency towards voyeurism so even if we don't want to view something we are still drawn to it. Also we live an increasingly isolated existence and this coupled with boredom and loneliness will draw us toward this obsession with celebrities and their lives.

Essentially, as Dr. Levy states, "...we have come to rely on entertainment to feel good." Is it no wonder we are a depressed society? Entertainment has "capitalized on our humanness", Dr. Levy continues. As a mother, this book reinforced my vigilance towards what my children watch but has also made me more conscientious as to what I can do to keep my children actively engaged in society.

This book is an excellent resource and should be part of any curriculum in the studies of Psychology. I also think it's good reading for parents and social workers. Dr. Levy includes an epilogue summarizing his findings and this quote touched me:

In a world where celebrity equals talent, and where make-believe is called reality, it is most important to have real love, truth and stability in your life. - Bernie Brillstein

Indeed, how true.

 

To read more reviews, please visit Micheal S. Levy's page on iRead Book Tours.

Buy the book: 

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About the Author:

Michael S. Levy, PhD is a clinical psychologist who is the director of substance use services at North Shore Medical Center in Salem, Massachusetts. He also maintains a private practice in psychotherapy in Andover, Massachusetts and is a lecturer in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He has often been interviewed on radio and television. Levy has published numerous articles and book chapters, gives many lectures and workshops, and is the author of one previous book, Take Control of Your Drinking...And You May Not Need to Quit.

This is an excellent parenting book and resource. It is informative, enlightening and comforting for parents who want to help their children suffering from depression. I decided to read this book because having suffered post-partum depression, I am keenly aware that depression is more likely to occur in children whose parents have it. Knowing what to look for as symptoms and knowing I can do something about it is empowering for me as a parent.

Psychologist and professor Deborah Serani comes across as empathetic, kind and knowledgeable. She writes both about her personal and professional and clinical experiences, relating her own struggles with major depressive disorder as a child and discusses real cases to highlight the issues addressed in each chapter. I loved reading the cases. Serani defines pedriatic depression, surprising me with the fact that even babies can be depressed. She goes on to help parents identify if their child is suffering with a mood disorder in a section entitled Ten Questions to Ask Yourself. I think I will be re-reading and referring to this section often as my children go though the different stages of growth.

I paid particular attention to the different treatments of childhood depression and was happy to see Serani even included a whole chapter on holistic approaches to depression. She discusses how the five senses can be refueled with complementary and alternative medicine. I also paid attention to the topics of self-harm and suicide, giving me more insight. Serani states a list of warning signs and risk factors for youth suicide.

What I liked the most about this book is that Serani empowers parents to take an active role in their child's life. She helps parents to understand the illness, what to expect from medication and psychotherapy, and prepares them for the reality of parenting a child with depression. I think that as parents it's good to know as much as we can about mental illness because depression is a common illness with a stigma attached to it and soon to be the second leading cause of disability worldwide. We want to be prepared to help our children who can easily experience depressive episodes because of the high levels of stress living in a society much different than our own. Cyber bullying and its repercussions are getting worse.

I recommend this book to all parents. It is easy to understand, eye-opening, and very informative. I consider it an excellent parenting book and resource. I now want to read her other book Living With Depression.

As I read the book, I realized a few things. The most important one is that breathing is extremely important in handling stress. I knew this already, but Dr. Maciuika speaks extensively of using good breathing techniques to calm the mind and body. She emphasizes it's one of the most powerful tools we have. The next tool the author stresses we use is Being Breaks, that is taking time throughout the day to take a break and practice deep breathing in a relaxed manner, and becoming aware of our breathing while removing the bad energy from our running overactive minds.

If I learn to use these two tools I know I will be less stressed. It seems so simple, but it can be hard because the more one takes time to break the cycle of “doing” that keeps us too busy to feel our emotions, the more our emotions will surface and we will have to deal with them. Once we've mastered this (no easy task!) then we are in control of our minds and can feel less stressed, more energized and peaceful.

I think Dr. Maciuika is definitely on the right track about how we can change our old habits of dealing with stress by giving us useful tools: engaging our breath, taking Being Breaks, changing the direction of our thoughts, and EFT—Emotional Freedom Techniques. (For more info on EFT, see my review of EFT for the Highly Sensitive Temperament by Rue Hass) These are all tools that give us internal control without the use of drugs. Breaking old habits that may mask difficult emotions, though, is not easy and may require professional assistance. However, I do believe that becoming aware of the strong mind/body connection and respecting this connection by going back to the basics, like breathing properly, is a first step that can lead to healing.

This book is easy and quick to read with short paragraphs with spaces in between each paragraph. I would have preferred more case studies or examples, because I like learning through illustrations. They drive the point home better than several paragraphs that seemed repetitive. I also think that the text needed some editing. For example, the last sentence of chapter 8 was incomplete (p.94). The book cover is perfect, though, with the flower alluding to the idea that changing is a process like the birth of a new flower.

If you want to learn more about energy psychology and stress reduction techniques that are empowering, you will enjoy this book that presents the information in a simple step-by-step format.

Also 10% of all proceeds from the sales of Conscious Calm support the international humanitarian work of Embracing the World, a group of not-for-profit charities supporting communities with food, shelter, education, healthcare, and livelihood in over 30 countries.

Both my kids take music lessons. My daughter plays the piano and my son plays the violin, and they're both good at it. I, on the other hand, have a hard time grasping the concepts of music as I watch my kids quickly apply what they are taught. So when I saw Guitar Zero, I knew I wanted to read it.

Almost 40 year-old professor of psychology Gary Marcus decides to learn to play the guitar even though he had been previously told he has no sense of rhythm whatsoever. Marcus really desires to play guitar, and so he embarks on a quest to find out if he could learn to play even at his age and with no previous or innate musical talent. He sets out to explore the questions of whether music is built into the brain and how we learn to become musical.

I am always fascinated with the topic of the science of learning and this book was right up my alley. I really liked the fact that Marcus not only shares with us the latest studies on the human brain with regards to music, meets with and relates the views of scientists, teachers, famous musicians and other experts, but he also applies this knowledge to himself as a new musician. This personal aspect of the book prevented it from being a dry account of scientific literature. His fun experience of attending DayJams, a rock-and-roll summer camp for kids where he got to play in a band with 11 year-olds made me smile as Marcus relates his innermost and honest feelings about it.

I especially liked reading 1) about the differences in the way children and adults learn music and that one is not necessarily better than the other, 2) why learning music is hard–it has to do with our memory, 3) that music taps into two different brain reward systems at the same time rendering music as cocaine for the brain–explains the rush musicians get, 4) that both talent and practice matter, and finally, 5) that learning a new skill such as music makes us happy.

Having said all this, Marcus explores man's physical and mental nature in relation to music, which I found thought-provoking and insightful, but fails to acknowledge the spiritual nature of man in relation to it. The closest he comes to expressing it is when he talks about the pleasure we get from music that can be derived from a single note. He states, “...in the right circumstance, that resonance can bring a sublime, almost unearthly sense of connectedness to the universe.” (p.130)

Essentially, though, Marcus' theories stem from the belief that man has evolved. From my experience in reading scientific literature, evolutionists are baffled by the fact that man has a consciousness, pursues music and art, and has moral values. The book Life Ascending, while favoring a mere biological explanation admits: “When we ask how a process [evolution] that resembles a game of chance with dreaded penalties for the losers, could have generated such qualities as love of beauty and truth, compassion, freedom, and above all, the expansiveness of the human spirit, we are perplexed. The more we ponder our spiritual resources, the more our wonder deepens.” Indeed. When it comes to music and man's love of everything it encompasses—composing, playing an instrument, and deriving pleasure and awe that makes our spirits soar from listening to it—it seems logical to me that this awareness and attraction to music is placed in humans by an intelligent Creator in whose image we are created and who wants us to worship him with music and song as understood in Ephesians 5:19. I couldn't help thinking of this as I read this book.

However, even though I don't know much about the mechanics of music, I was impressed by how much Marcus learned in such a short time and how well he told it all in his new book. I sometimes struggled to understand the technical guitar jargon but it did not detract from the book's overall topic at all. A guitar player or any musician for that matter would have been able to relate, I'm sure.

After reading Guitar Zero, I have a new-found appreciation for music and musicians. I recommend it to all   musicians, parents, and anyone interested in the science of learning, guitar playing and music in general. Marcus states, “Music is the perfect storm for the human mind: beautiful in form, intricate, and eternally new.” (p.145) I wholeheartedly agree.

To read more reviews, visit the TLC Book Tour page.

Disclosure: Thanks to The Penguin Press and TLC Book Tours for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.