Desperately Seeking Self-Improvement

Desperately Seeking Self-Improvement PDF Author: Carl Cederström and André Spicerm
Publisher: OR Books
ISBN: 1682191036
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 384

Book Description
In these pages, the authors of the widely-acclaimed The Wellness Syndrome throw themselves headlong into the world of self-optimization, a burgeoning movement that seeks to transcend the limits placed on us by being merely human, whether the feebleness of our bodies or our mental incapacities. Cederström and Spicer, though willing guinea pigs in an extraordinary (and sometimes downright dangerous) range of techniques and technologies, had hitherto undertaken little by way of self-improvement. They had rarely seen the inside of a gym, let alone utilized apps that deliver electric shocks in pursuit of improved concentration. But, in the course of a year spent researching this book, they wore head-bands designed to optimize meditation, attempted to boost their memory through learning associative techniques (and failed to be admitted to MENSA), trained for weightlifting competitions, wrote what they (still) hope might become a bestselling Scandinavian detective story, enrolled in motivational seminars and tantra sex workshops, attended new-age retreats and man-camps, underwent plastic surgery, and experimented with vibrators and productivity drugs. André even addressed a London subway car whilst (nearly) naked in an attempt to boost attention. Somewhat surprisingly, the two young professors survived this year of rigorous research. Further, they have drawn deeply on it to produce a hilarious and eye-opening book. Written in the form of two parallel diaries, Desperately Seeking Self-Improvement provides a biting analysis of the narcissism and individual competitiveness that increasingly pervades a culture in which social solutions are receding and individual self-improvement is the only option left.

Desperately Seeking Self-improvement

Desperately Seeking Self-improvement PDF Author: Carl Cederström
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781944869397
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
A highly-entertaining account of two young professors attempt to improve themselves through the techniques of the burgeoning self-optimization movement, including drugs, surgical implants, the administering of electric shocks and stripping naked in public.

Desperately Seeking Self

Desperately Seeking Self PDF Author: Viola Fodor
Publisher: Gurze Books
ISBN: 093607776X
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 178

Book Description
This little book is a powerful reminder that your true nature is the most precious resource that you have to help yourself. Presented in the unique form of a dialogue between a therapist and a client, it encourages self-reflection and the daily practice of inner silence as powerful ways to nurture this true self and your full healing capacity. Tenets of psychology, philosophy, and spirituality are subtly woven into easily-understood messages of hope and change.

What You Can Change... and What You Can't

What You Can Change... and What You Can't PDF Author: Martin Seligman
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1857884388
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 305

Book Description
If you believe that dieting down to your "ideal" weight will prolong your life; that reliving childhood trauma can undo adult personality problems; that alcoholics have addictive personalities, or that psychoanalysis helps cure anxiety, then get ready for a shock. In the climate of self-improvement that has reigned for the last twenty years, misinformation about treatments for everything from alcohol abuse to sexual dysfunction has flourished. Those of us trying to change these conditions are often frustrated by failure, mixed success, or success followed by a relapse. But have you ever asked yourself: can my condition really be changed? And if so, am I going about it in the most effective way? Grounding his conclusions in the most recent and most authoritative scientific studies, Seligman pinpoints the techniques and therapies that work best for each condition, explains why they work, and discusses how you can use them to change your life. Inside, you'll discover: the four natural healing factors for recovering from alcoholism; the vital difference between overeating and being overweight, and why dieters always gain back the pounds they "lost"; the four therapies that work for depression, and how you can "dispute" your way to optimistic thinking; the pros and cons of anger, and the steps to take to understand it and much more!

The Wellness Syndrome

The Wellness Syndrome PDF Author: Carl Cederström
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0745688713
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 200

Book Description
Not exercising as much as you should? Counting your caloriesin your sleep? Feeling ashamed for not being happier? You may be avictim of the wellness syndrome. In this ground-breaking new book, Carl Cederström andAndré Spicer argue that the ever-present pressure to maximizeour wellness has started to work against us, making us feel worseand provoking us to withdraw into ourselves. The Wellness Syndromefollows health freaks who go to extremes to find the perfect diet,corporate athletes who start the day with a dance party, and theself-trackers who monitor everything, including their own toilethabits. This is a world where feeling good has becomeindistinguishable from being good. Visions of social change havebeen reduced to dreams of individual transformation, politicaldebate has been replaced by insipid moralising, and scientificevidence has been traded for new-age delusions. A lively andhumorous diagnosis of the cult of wellness, this book is anindispensable guide for everyone suspicious of our relentless questto be happier and healthier.

Self-Improvement

Self-Improvement PDF Author: Mark Coeckelbergh
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231556535
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 98

Book Description
We are obsessed with self-improvement; it’s a billion-dollar industry. But apps, workshops, speakers, retreats, and life hacks have not made us happier. Obsessed with the endless task of perfecting ourselves, we have become restless, anxious, and desperate. We are improving ourselves to death. The culture of self-improvement stems from philosophical classics, perfectionist religions, and a ruthless strain of capitalism—but today, new technologies shape what it means to improve the self. The old humanist culture has given way to artificial intelligence, social media, and big data: powerful tools that do not only inform us but also measure, compare, and perhaps change us forever. This book shows how self-improvement culture became so toxic—and why we need both a new concept of the self and a mission of social change in order to escape it. Mark Coeckelbergh delves into the history of the ideas that shaped this culture, critically analyzes the role of technology, and explores surprising paths out of the self-improvement trap. Digital detox is no longer a viable option and advice based on ancient wisdom sounds like yet more self-help memes: The only way out is to transform our social and technological environment. Coeckelbergh advocates new “narrative technologies” that help us tell different and better stories about ourselves. However, he cautions, there is no shortcut that avoids the ancient philosophical quest to know yourself, or the obligation to cultivate the good life and the good society.

Desperately Seeking Snoozin'

Desperately Seeking Snoozin' PDF Author: John Wiedman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description
John Wiedman is neither a doctor nor a therapist, but the years he has spent

Desperately Seeking Self

Desperately Seeking Self PDF Author: Viola Fodor
Publisher: Gurze Books
ISBN: 093607728X
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 178

Book Description
The intimate dialogue that forms the basis for "Desperately Seeking Self" is between a therapist and a client with bulimia--a composite character based on the many patients Viola Fodor has helped in her practice. Touching and insightful, it helps readers to open their minds, explore their inner natures, and recognize the importance of self-love in overcoming their eating disorders. B&W illustrations.

Hope and Help for Your Nerves

Hope and Help for Your Nerves PDF Author: Claire Weekes
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593201906
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 226

Book Description
The bestselling step-by-step guide that will show you how to break the cycle of fear and cure your feelings of panic and anxiety. My heart beats too fast. My hands tremble and sweat. I feel like there’s a weight on my chest. My stomach churns. I have terrible headaches. I can't sleep. Sometimes I can't even leave my house.... These common symptoms of anxiety are “minor” only to the people who don't suffer from them. But to the millions they affect, these problems make the difference between a happy, healthy life and one of crippling fear and frustration. In Hope and Help for Your Nerves, Dr. Claire Weekes offers the results of years of experience treating real patients—including some who thought they'd never recover. With her simple, step-by-step guidance, you will learn how to understand and analyze your own symptoms of anxiety and find the power to conquer your fears for good.

Promise Land

Promise Land PDF Author: Jessica Lamb-Shapiro
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439101604
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 240

Book Description
“A funny yet surprisingly nuanced look at the legends and ideas of the self-help industry” (People, 3.5 stars), Promise Land explores the American devotion to self-improvement—even as the author attempts some deeply personal improvements of her own. Raised by a child psychologist who was himself the author of numerous self-help books, as an adult Jessica Lamb-Shapiro found herself both repelled and fascinated by the industry: did all of these books, tapes, weekend seminars, groups, posters, t-shirts, and trinkets really help anybody? Why do some people swear by the power of positive thinking, while others dismiss it as so many empty promises? Promise Land is an irreverent tour through the vast and strange reaches of the world of self-help. In the name of research, Jessica attempted to cure herself of phobias, followed The Rules to meet and date men, walked on hot coals, and even attended a self-help seminar for writers of self-help books. But the more she delved into the history and practice of self-help, the more she realized her interest was much more than academic. Forced into a confrontation with the silent grief that had haunted both her and her father since her mother’s death when she was a baby, she realized that sometimes thinking you know everything about a subject is a way of hiding from yourself the fact that you know nothing at all. “A jaunty, cannily written memoir” (Chicago Tribune), Promise Land is cultural history from “a witty and enjoyably self-aware writer…Jessica Lamb-Shapiro’s talent as a storyteller is undeniable” (The New York Times Book Review).
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