DON'T READ THIS REVIEW (Positive Thinking - Vera Peiffer)

Member Name: Epiphany

Product:	Positive Thinking - Vera Peiffer
Date:	26/10/05 (1009 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Life changing, well written, inspirational

Disadvantages: None.

Positive thinking begins with an experiment. Vera Peiffer’s foreword is subtitled “Do Not Read”. The point she is trying to make is that no matter how hard you try to avoid something, you still end up doing it. Unfortunately, I’m the kind of person who reads forewords to find out what the book is about and to get some idea of the author and the style of writing, so, I thought I would try my own experiment here and see if I get more reads than normal.

So that has explained my choice of title, and one of Positive Thinking’s underlying theories, on to the review…

Since reading this book, I have become a big fan of Vera Peiffer’s work. This is the very first self-help book I bought and read and was my first step to recovering some of my mental health. When life seemed it’s bleakest and negativity ruled my world, this is the book that started to help me out of my hole. Even the cover brightened my mood! It’s mainly white with rainbow lettering and is uncluttered and eye-catching. The other books in the series also follow the same kind of design and to me it just looks smart and highly appealing.

Essentially (at least in my understanding), Positive Thinking is based on theories of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). The aim is to try and programme the way we behave and feel (our minds) by changing the way we communicate verbally and non-verbally (which includes talking to ourselves). Vera never talks about NLP however, and everything is easy to understand with little jargon. She has a very accessible writing style; it’s friendly, humorous and very down-to-earth.

The book is split into four parts. The first part is an introduction to the underlying theories and concepts and the second part is the point at which you begin to notice the way you think and are encouraged to train yourself to think more positively. This section is really good. Vera Peiffer seems to ask the right questions and in just the right way. It doesn’t feel like a test, or that if you can’t think of an answer to a question you are somehow abnormal or a failure, but it gently encourages you to ask the questions to get to the underlying reasons for thinking the way you do. She also seems to tap into the way that I am feeling and undermine the negative thoughts that crop up now and again.

The third part looks at specific issues people face in their lives such as loneliness, stress, anxiety, illness, jealousy and envy. It’s this part that contains self-affirming scripts. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of these scripts because they feel so long and un-natural, but then I have never really given them the chance to become a natural part of my thinking. The short versions are better, but even so I struggle to believe what I try to tell myself.

The final section covers hypnosis/self-hypnosis and creative guided affective imagery. This section is aimed at people who want or need to get to the root of deeper issues in their lives.

I have a lot to thank this book for. It was a source of positivity at a time when I had none. It enabled me to take back the reins and start to control my life again. I felt like the book was written for me and enabled me to take responsibility for my life and everything that happens to me. It also was the first step in rediscovering my love of books and reading, and the first in a long journey back to DooYoo. I guess you could say it was a life changing and inspirational read. (It was also the start of my addiction to book buying which was costing me a fortune on impulse buys almost every time I left the house!)

It is worth bearing in mind that the emphasis is on taking action and not merely reading passively. Only you can build your confidence and belief in yourself. It helps to have support networks around you, but only you have the power to change your life and choose and build the life that’s right for you.

“You can because you think you can.”
“You are your own best friend. Be kind to yourself.”
“Just because you can’t see a way does not mean there is no way.”
“Believe in yourself.”

I bought Positive Thinking at it's full RRP of £8.99. It is currently available from Amazon at £7.19, and Amazon Marketplace for around £2.50.

¤ Paperback 208 pages (December 3, 2001)
¤ Publisher: HarperCollins
¤ Language: English
¤ ISBN: 0007130996

Summary: Fabulous!