Guide to Rational Living

By Albert Ellis, Robert A. Harper (Joint Author), Melvin Powers

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Average Rating: (See all reviews) Format: Paperback, 283 pages, 3rd Edition Published In: United States, January 1997 Other Editions: Paperback, Australia $24.99 $22.23 View Quantity Available: 52 Ships within 6-10 days Publisher: Wilshire Book Company ISBN: 0879800429 EAN: 9780879800420 Dimensions: 20.98 x 13.61 x 1.55 centimeters (0.33 kg)

I found this book a very interesting read that had a profound effect on my value system after the first read. I straight away had a stronger emotional outlook on relationships, achievement, approval, work, etc. It is structured more as a logical argument for a particular value system that does not let you fall into times of bad anxiety and depression when it could be avoided by thinking differently. It is written by the people that pioneered this style of therapy so they are definately qualified to talk about the matter.

Its prime theme is the theory that you control the way you feel through your value systems and your thoughts. Also, that a lot of the time when we experience stress and depression, the thoughts that cause it are not always logical and constructive to our living.

My only complaint with this book is that it does not use a more modern free flowing style of language. It requires a level of intellect to follow their ideas, probably because of the style of language that was used when the authors wrote the book many years ago. The ideas in the book are still sound, it was just unusual to person in his 20's like myself.

I first read "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" and "The Feeling Good Handbook" by David D. Burns, and I found those books to be of more help. They had more applicable practicle methods to combat your illogical thinking and negative emotions, where this book was more an introduction to a good value system (and you have to figure out how to do the rest of the work to obtain it).

After reading those two books first, this book was a perfect icing on the cake. IT solidified the work I had done with the Feeling Good books in a way that they could not some how. I don't know if it really matters which order you read them in, they both try to get to the same result (you being happier and stronger). The only difference is David Burns' books are more practical, and this book is more conceptual. A great read all the same :)

Rational Emotive Therapy proposes that our beliefs can determine our emotions and our reactions to events. For many reasons we can develop one or many irrational beliefs that sabotage and interfere with our happiness and relationships.

By identifying and disputung these irrational beliefs we can improve our behaviour and level of happiness. The is the third edition of the work orginally published in 1961. It provides a good overview of the major irrational beleifs and how to deal with them.