Science of change
This is a wonderful book about the nature of change. Its conclusions about change are based on the reports of 200 people who successfully kicked nicotine dependence on their own. Therefore, this book is not a theory of change but a description of how people successfully change a problem behavior. (Imagine time lapse photography, where a film maker films a cigarette smoker from his or her first thoughts of giving up nicotine, through the early days of quitting, all the way to a year or more of abstinence from nicotine!) The book highlights and appreciates the normal ambivalence one feels in the face of an important life change. Whether giving up alcohol or leaving a bad marriage, one follows a predictable path to change. One starts out in the "I don't have a problem" stage (Pre-contemplation) to the "maybe it's a problem" stage (Contemplation) all the way through to "thank god that is finally over" stage (Termination). Changing for Good offer practical tips on how to negotiate each of the six stages of change to "speed up" the change process. The book is most practical when read philosophically. As one understands how change occurs, one is free to address any aspect of life that one wants to change. Changing for Good is the ultimate self-help book because it breaks the mold of the genre.