Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow

March 21, 2005
Veteran self-help author Casey's gentle advice is anchored in a strong spiritual commitment. Having given up alcohol and drugs in 1976, she developed many of the concepts she advocates through attending 12-step support groups. Casey firmly believes that the work of someone's life belongs only to that person and to God, and that we should thus each tend only our own garden. From this conviction flow several of her principles, such as refraining from judging others, recognizing that you cannot change friends or relatives, and learning to focus primarily on your life's journey rather than on the opinions and actions of others. Casey recommends quieting the mind by letting go of your ego and looking for the lesson in every experience and encounter, whether positive or negative. Although many of the insights and techniques are not new, Casey's voice is thoughtful and accessible. Readers with a belief in the power of God will be most amenable to her recommendations for a simpler, more rewarding life.

May 15, 2005
These books are based on the premise that while people may not have power over their circumstances, they can control their response to those circumstances. According to Hobbs, a licensed marriage and family therapist, more joy can be experienced in life if one becomes aware of one's current feelings and then responds differently to those that are negative. To that end, Hobbs recommends a three-step approach, which she developed from principles found in New Age spirituality, bioenergetics, and other disciplines. Using case studies and personal examples, readers are taught how to "make friends" with anger, fear, shame, and destructive belief systems. For those interested in digging deep into their psyches, this book would be helpful and is recommended for larger self-help collections.Best-selling writer Casey ("Each Day a New Beginning") offers a less intense read built around 12 meditations to help readers to "let go and let God," so to speak. While some religious and Alcoholics Anonymous -based solutions are woven throughout, the prescriptions for peace and well-being are sound and involve various truisms, e.g., that obsessing about others can make people sick. She encourages readers to stop judging, do no verbal harm, be peaceful rather than right, and learn from all experiences. This book is small, is easy to digest, and would likely be taken from the display shelf by someone needing a psychological boost. Recommended for most libraries.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.