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tau's review
medium-paced
3.0
Very hard to review, because I immedately found the author unbearable. I'm writing this review a couple of weeks after finishing the book and can't remember learning anything from it, it was mostly repetition with a lot of arrogance sprinkled in.
I really disliked the general vibe of dismissing anything coming from the body-intelligence as idiotic. The ego is, in fact, not always the best judge of all situations. This is particularly obvious in the case of people with trauma, who can have a really distorted view of how they should be treated (including by themselves). I don't think mocking and calling the part of you that generates most of your thoughts a dumbass is very constructive. Where's the love, the care? There is a suggestion to thank your brain for thoughts and that's a small step in the right direction, but nowhere near enough.
He also early on mocks the idea of controlling your thoughts, and then gives half a dozen tools for controlling your thoughts. In my experience it can actually be super helpful to minfully direct your attention towards things that make you feel good, and as far as I can tell this is the only thing he's actually opposed to. Don't be annoyed at the loudly chewing person on the bus, watch the trees outside the window instead, dive into them with your mind so that the chewing becomes irrelevant, that sort of thing.
I really disliked the general vibe of dismissing anything coming from the body-intelligence as idiotic. The ego is, in fact, not always the best judge of all situations. This is particularly obvious in the case of people with trauma, who can have a really distorted view of how they should be treated (including by themselves). I don't think mocking and calling the part of you that generates most of your thoughts a dumbass is very constructive. Where's the love, the care? There is a suggestion to thank your brain for thoughts and that's a small step in the right direction, but nowhere near enough.
He also early on mocks the idea of controlling your thoughts, and then gives half a dozen tools for controlling your thoughts. In my experience it can actually be super helpful to minfully direct your attention towards things that make you feel good, and as far as I can tell this is the only thing he's actually opposed to. Don't be annoyed at the loudly chewing person on the bus, watch the trees outside the window instead, dive into them with your mind so that the chewing becomes irrelevant, that sort of thing.
aya_the_papaya's review
5.0
Practical and simply brilliant book about ACT, mindfulness, and avoiding chasing fleeting "happiness" and instead focus on a value-driven life. And fun to read! I loved it.
debralewi's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
itsybitsydino's review
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
3.5
The first self-help book I've actually finished. Not that I've tried to finish many others, but this was a lot more approachable and action-oriented. Self-help books are often anecdotal or just sooooo long and though that can be helpful for others, it's very boring for me. The Happiness Trap effectively gives examples of clients' stories to help the reader understand the concept without being needlessly long.
There's nothing revolutionary about the ideas here but it was helpful in framing what I already knew better. If you've tried mindfulness meditations before, many of the techniques are essentially that, but the book gives more clarity on what you might notice or do while being present. Plus, some of the techniques really just the same thing, I think. Not sure if that's just how ACT is, or it wasn't well explained.
There's nothing revolutionary about the ideas here but it was helpful in framing what I already knew better. If you've tried mindfulness meditations before, many of the techniques are essentially that, but the book gives more clarity on what you might notice or do while being present. Plus, some of the techniques really just the same thing, I think. Not sure if that's just how ACT is, or it wasn't well explained.
serru's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very thin, charmingly illustrated book about how to deal with negative thoughts. It distills down the core points of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ) into a succinct little volume. To summarize, ACT's main tenets are that negative emotions are normal and to allow yourself to feel the emotions instead of avoiding them. Negative or unhelpful thoughts can be stopped using a variety of diffusion techniques covered in this book. Finally, it encourages people to commit to living according to their values, despite any fear and anxiety that will inevitably arise in the course of their lives.
There is a full-length version of this by the same author, which I'm sure goes into far more detail than this one does. However, this book would serve as a good reminder for anyone who has already delved into ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) and knows what it is.
There is a full-length version of this by the same author, which I'm sure goes into far more detail than this one does. However, this book would serve as a good reminder for anyone who has already delved into ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) and knows what it is.