Death on the Installment Plan

Amazon.com

Louis-Ferdinand Celine's second novel continues the style of black humor and the delirious but immediate prose that made the author instantly famous in his native France in the aftermath of World War I. Celine's goal was to create a kind of literature that described people in honest terms, unembellished by the conventions of fiction, no matter how mean and crummy they were, and to portray them in the real language of everyday life and thought. He succeeds darkly and brilliantly in Death on the Installment Plan, yet it is also a sweet kind of book, a young boy's coming-of-age tale, struggling with his parents and looking for his own kind of personal freedom.

Customer Reviews:

IT'S UP TO YOU TO READ THE BEST & SKIP THE REST.......2007-08-12

It's the real deal ... read it ... Celine's created a narrator who can relate what he observes so that you see it too ... not so common ... read the 5-star reviews ... a big THANK YOU to John Dolan for writing reviews about Celine !! (all wannabe savvy readers should IMMEDIATELY seek out www.exile.ru to read Mr. Dolan's Celine reviews in eXile #206, 27 Jan 05 and eXile #174, 18 Sep 03)

Banal drudgery.......2006-12-22

Ignore the undeserving pseudointellectual hype surrounding this book. It is nothing but a displeasureable collection of banal observations and anecdotes, not the dark comedy which others profess it to be.

Dark, Bleak And Yet All So Brilliant!.......2006-12-14

In the spotlight review, one of the reviwers 'Bruce Kendall' has written an excellent review. I recommend viewers to read it: He hits the novel right on the nail. There are a few novelist's whose works I admire greatly: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Mark Twain, and Louis-Ferdinand Celine. I first read Celine many years ago at the urging of a friend while in college. And I am forever grateful. Having first read "Journey to the End of Night," I pored headlong into Celine's Masterpiece [to me anyway] of "Death on the Installment Plan." And I must say [and write] that this is one of the greatest novels of this century.

This is one of those books you take down from your library shelf every so often and read. It's that great a novel. This is a novel that is funny in many ways, and yet very, very dark. Many who have written about Celine's style of writing write that he shows his disdain for humanity. Not so, his love for humanity is by writing both his disdain and love. He does not sugar-coat his writing. You the reader are given the full blunt force of his words. Celine's raging at humanity and the world are given full vent. You understand what he is writing about: Because he lets his words pour forth in unrelenting bucketfulls of rage. To whom you may ask? To the world.

However, Celine can be as hilarious as he is dark. Celine gives an honest description of the world around him. No one is spared. And this is what makes his novel so great and profound. You know that the venom he is spewing forth is an honest assessment of the human condition as he sees it. The pain of the world that Celine writes about is not a happy one; but it is a very truthful one. The world Celine writes about is the world of his experience; and the reality of a world that is suffering. And although he is suffering along with it, he is also struggling to stay above the morass. I highly recommend this great novel. My words don't do it any justice. It is a must read: Especially for today. [Stars: 5+]

Aesthetically pleasing. Theoretically important. Absurdly relevant........2006-08-14

The greatest novel of one of the greatest novelists of all time.

You would have to write a book longer than Celine's novel to do any justice to analyzing it. Thus I was shocked to find the Wikipedia article about this book was about five sentences long. I dropped what I was doing and spouted off a slightly-edited paragraph about the themes of the novel. It's a flawed and cursory view of a book that is difficult to put into words, but I'll offer it here.

"It offers a profound vision of the nature of individual human existence: rooted in loneliness, pettiness, and inertia. The antiheroic genius of Bardamu's search for a livable life in early 20th century Paris forms a direct literary metaphor for modern humanity: to search and search again for happiness and meaning in a complex world and to oftentimes come up empty. Or more precisely: to find words, stories, experiences, and ideas that stretch the boundaries of consciousness while providing little or no structure with which to assign any meaning to life as a whole. Life becomes merely a subjective personal experience in the midst of madness and savagery: beautiful in itself but with overtones of profound suffering and a lack of moral prerogatives, and at the mercy of the strange human forces that are both within and without. We become our own history, and our own suffering, and as as such we live: accumulating the pain, happiness, confusion, and death that life allows us to have on installment. Even if it will all be repossessed at the end, when it becomes less than a dream. And that is a moment we all live for."

The modern world belongs to Celine. As it more closely conforms to his vision of a future with little hope, a past with veiled lies and atrocities, and an incredible yet painful and ephemeral present, we see that his vision has only become stronger when referring to the world beyond his immediate comprehension or even prediction.

This is a fascinating work of art by a writer at the height of his powers. It belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who has ever cared about the realities of human existence.

Why bother reading another novel.......2006-05-06

Really there is very little to say other than I read it every couple of years and still find other fiction wanting compared to it. Apparently it is not read that often in France because the Argot has become obscure. Manheim's translation is superlative and this is reflected in the amount of writers I have heard cite him as a major influence. Underneath all his mis- this and anti-that is novel full of deep understanding, forgiveness and love of humanity.

Average customer rating:

DEATH ON THE INSTALLMENT PLAN
Louis Ferdinand and Ralph Manheim Celine
Manufacturer: A New Directions Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GM026Y

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DEATH ON THE INSTALLMENT PLAN
Louis-Ferdinand CeLine
Manufacturer: New American Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H5AVES

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Death on the Installment Plan

Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HLFVVU

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Death on the Installment Plan
Louis-Ferdinand Celine
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GRBOWK

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Death on the Installment Plan
Louis-Ferdinand Celine
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000TYOSU0

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Death on the Installment Plan
Louis-Ferdinand Celine
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KX518S

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Death on the Installment Plan.
Louis-Ferdinand. CLINE
Manufacturer: London: Bodley Head
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UG1D8W

Enfin Celine Vint: A Contextualist Reading of Journey to the End of the Night and Death on the Installment Plan (American University Studies Series II, Romance Languages and Literature)

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Enfin Celine Vint: A Contextualist Reading of Journey to the End of the Night and Death on the Installment Plan (American University Studies Series II, Romance Languages and Literature)
Wayne Burns
Manufacturer: Peter Lang Pub Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

French | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0820406783

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Death on the Installment Plan
Louis-Ferdinand Celine
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NWSAXY

Book Description

For years, Lady Julia Barrowby has acted the part of an old man's ornamental bride, never revealing that she has secretly helped the ailing Lord Barrowby in his work with the Royal Four. Now that her husband has died, Julia believes his place in the Four is hers by right. But convincing the remaining members will not be easy, especially with Marcus Ramsay, Lord Dryden, distracting her at every turn. Somehow, the mysterious Marcus seems to see into her very soul, effortlessly satisfying all her secret, forbidden longings...Marcus stood next in line to be chosen for the Four, and he is not willing to be displaced by a woman, no matter how intriguing or beautiful she may be. Under orders to investigate Julia, Marcus discovers her diary, overflowing with years of loneliness and yearning. Fulfilling Julia's fantasies is the perfect way to get closer to her, but seducing this fascinating creature is fast becoming more than a means to an end-it is his soul's deepest desire...

Customer Reviews:

One Night with a Spy.......2007-08-26

Celeste Bradley does a wonderful job with this book. I could not put it down until I finished it.

Five Stars From Beginning to End.......2007-04-19

With each story in the Royal Four series, the stories get more intense and incredibly interesting, not to mention the men are the hottest spies you could ever imagine. This is the third in the series after Surrender to a Wicked Spy and To Wed a Scandalous Spy.

When the Fox dies, his young widow Julia stuns the remaining Royal Three when she announces she is his sucsessor. Not only that, she advises she has been acting in the Fox's capacity for the past three years of her husband's confinement. Not only is she young but female! Shocked, the three advise her that they will return in three weeks with their decision to accept or reject her position into the Royal Four. Marcus, the Lion's understudy, had always thought the position of the Fox would go to him and when he finds out that Julia wants the position he agrees to go investigate her to see if she is actually worthy of the position.

When Marcus arrives he finds that several young fortune hunters have already been circling trying to win the heart of the new widow, but she cleverly announces she has chosen a fiance, the dandy Elliot. Marcus cannot believe the woman he was so ready to believe a swindler, is so warm and loving and before long he is losing his heart to her for real. When her estate is viciously attacked, he works at her side to set things in order. He starts seeing the strength and character in Julia and wonders if she wouldn't make a great Fox. When he finds a box full of diaries with her wildest sexual fantasies inside, he uses them to get close to Julia and move Elliot out of the way. Julia can't fight the feelings she has for Marcus, she knows her life has to be for the Fox, but can't she this once have a little passion in her life. Soon secrets are revealed that can destroy their relationship and finally decide the fate of the FOX.

This book was awesome. My review may tell a lot about the story but I didn't give away the details and surprises in the story that make it an exceptional book. As always in her stories, the hero and heroine have phenominal chemistry and you can feel the sensuality long before either one acts on their feelings. Make sure you have time when you start reading this one because you won't be able to put it down. I cannot wait to read the fourth book, Seducing the Spy!

One of the favorites .......2006-11-11

One Night with a Spy (Royal Four)by Celeste Bradley was a great mystery romance novel. I had attempted to read this novel before reading the previous novels - it made more since the second time. Lady Julia husband has died and she announces the Royal Four that she is one of them 'The Fox.' They send Marcus to research Lady Julia but he finds himself falling for the her. In the middle of the chaos a murder (Chimera) is trying to destroy Julia Chimera. Great character and great twist I am glad I gave it a second look. Off to find the next Royal Four book - Seducing the Spy.

Outstanding!.......2006-09-01

Celeste Bradley creates unforgettable characters and wonderful plots, and yes, great love scenes, which I'm sure isn't a comfortable process for an author. Marcus is a wonderful hero (spy)in this book (in his secondary role in Dane's story, he was rather meak and almost a fop, in my opinion) but here he is all man, handsome, funny and romantic. Just a great story. Julia was great, although I thought her visit to Clara should have been done differently. There was no reason Julia had to enter Clara's house as she did, but I'll admit, I loved the way Dalton came to his wife's aid - in his usual romantic way.
As usual, the addition of the other Royal Four members was wonderful; the author keeps their unique personalities in perspective. As I said, only Marcus Ramsay seemed different in his own story (a good thing) than he did in Dane's.

4 and a half stars but definitely worth the read........2006-05-04

Of all the Royal Four books so far - this one has been my favorite (but I have a feeling I will love the next one due out in August). In my opinion - the Royal 4 books still aren't as addictive as the Liar's club books - and I love the tension between the two clubs that runs throughout both series. :)

Characters: Great tension between Marcus and Elliot (who is also a great supporting character and could be a future hero if CB wants to write more). Throughout the novel we see writings of Julia's own romance story that she develops as a means of "escape" from her past. Julia is very smart, but of all Celeste Bradley heroines - she stands out as the most emotional and dramatic one I can remember - (and she has a pet lion!!!)

Once again - as far as revisiting characters is concerned - Celeste Bradley does a fantastic job! (Dalton from book 2 in Liar's club! *drooool*) And I'm more excited than ever for Wyndham's book (the Falcon) to be released in the late summer. In fact of all the Royal 4, his character has seemed the most mysterious and observant, and I can't wait to see him fall in love and go mad w/ desire!

Plot: The flirting scene at the lake is my favorite! I was also surprised that Celeste Bradley even had another important running character throughout her series attacked in this one - great drama enhancer!

As far as the romance itself was concerned - yeah, it felt prosey sometimes but compared to the other royal 4 books - this one is steamier.

Final Grade: A- (if you're trying to follow along the running story line for the Liar's club books - this one's important.)

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One Night with a Spy (The Royal Four)
Celeste Bradley
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739466437

Product Description

Fiction, mystery, romance

Book Description

Lisa Goldstein, praised by Orson Scott Card as being 'the best writer in our field today,' brings us her most powerful work to date with The Alchemist's Door. In the waning days of the sixteenth century, English alchemist and astrologer John Dee flees to Prague, pursued by a terrifying demon. It is a time of strife and persecution, when darkness and chaos threaten to overcome the forces of light and reason. Dee seeks out Rabbi Judah Loew and assists him in creating a Golem, a magical man fashioned from clay. Together they begin a desperate search to find the fabled 36th Righteous Man, for ancient prophecies foretell that if the last righteous man dies, the world will end . . . and dark spirits will remake it in their own image.

Customer Reviews:

Just Plain Bad.......2003-09-14

Just plain bad. There are thirty-six righteous men upholding earth and reality and everything else. If one of them dies before his time, the world ends. Well, it doesnýt really end, it just gets remade by a demon, or a greedy king who . . . or a rabbi. No, I guess it could be remade by anyone who happens to be there. Where? Not sure. Thing is, Lisa Goldstein doesnýt know either.

Goldstein seems to have hacked her way through this novel without thinking things through first. The finished product offered barely more cohesion and enjoyment than would a rough draft. Shame on Goldstein for not polishing this haggard piece, and a pox on TOR for publishing such poorly written work.

Some very important points were either overlooked or ignored. Take the thirty-six righteous dudes, for instance. No one knows who they are, not even themselves. But the Big Bad King is looking for one of them to kill so he can become the new Master of the Universe, or whatever. So heýs got a list of about six or seven of them. Where did he get this list? He got it from a bunch of scientist-types who sat around one day in a bar and just sort of came up with it. Off the top of their heads. ... They guessed, and the book admits as much. Now, the King wants to kill the thirty-sixth righteous dude. Not the twenty-eighth or the seventeenth or the ninth. The THIRTY-SIXTH. What difference does it make? Just snag one of them, cut his head off, and be the new god. Or whatever. So a major plotline is the good guys trying to find the thirty-sixth righteous dude before the Bad King gets him. Nevermind the thirty-five others ready and waiting to be killed.

I just canýt get over this thirty-six righteous men plotline. Now I would think that if there were thirty-six righteous fellows upholding all of reality that they might be evenly dispersed throughout creation. After all, one wouldnýt want a freak hurricane to wipe out half the righteous population. Not so in Goldsteinýs reality. At least six of the righteous live in the same city. Not only that, but the scientists sit down and readily guess the identities of all of them.

Ridiculous.

The whole thirty-six righteous men farce is not my only issue. The various plotlines are so loosely tied together that I began to wonder if Goldstein remembered how she began her story, or the various stops she took while stumbling toward the finish line. We have a runaway demon and a bad guy alchemest; it went nowhere. We have a rabbi who makes a golem who disobeys and falls in love and wants to be human; it went nowhere. And thereýs an abused street girl who pretends to be an old woman who follows a guy around and is very nosy; nowhere. And none of it really related to anything else. Then, to wrap things up, Goldstein pulls some ridiculous tricks to save the day, perhaps thinking her readers are idiots.

The potential for this book was high. A rich backdrop of historical characters and places, legends and myths all set the stage for fine fiction. Regretfully, it is a hack-job.

Bad history, mediocre fantasy..........2003-08-10

While trying to weave a believable story the author added a whole bunch of historical figures some of which were completely redundant (Erzsebet). I will not even go to all the little weird historical "info" the author shoved into the story (rather than "woven"), such as Dee's introduction to Coffee and to Tea. I wont dare to ask if the author really believes that a man who worked in Queen Elizabeth's palace for many years was not familiar at all with these drinks...

Both the character of Dee and of Rabbi Loew were described in a very unreliable manner. Does the author truly believe that Rabbi Loew, a genius of his time, spoke only German, Czech and Hebrew? In Goldstein's world the Maharal (as Loew is commonly known) does not speak nor understand Latin and his scholarly knowledge is quite limited even though the historical figure was a renaissance man. Dee on the other hand looses complete contact with his historical figure, as he is portrait almost as a Harry Potter minus the wand, striding about with incantations for opening doors and breaking windows.

Instead of feeling drawn into an authentic world of the Occult and complicated ceremonial magic one witnesses Dee's Harry-Potter-like incantations, which really ruin any chance of taking the book seriously. Loew too talks about magic as if it is something completely ordinary without any kind of reference to the problems arising in Jewish culture around these issues. Loew's magic is considered Kabbalah, but what about Dee's? How can Loew wander around with his spell casting Harry-Potter friend without any referral to the source of his powers? When Loew does speak of magic, as in the last scene in which he describes the surge of magic around the emperor, he does so as if he is a Dungeons & Dragons character and not like he is any type of historical or even fictitious Rabbi. In one scene Dee actually offers to teach Loew a certain incantation (?!).

Adding the Golem to the story wasn't really necessary, but even if the author decides otherwise I'd expect her to research enough to know that the Golem, as donated by his very name in Hebrew, *cannot* speak. All of the legends, regarding the Maharal's artificial man, talk of his inability to talk as his trademark. Indeed the book mentions that the Golem has the soul of an animal... this is exactly why he is not supposed to speak according to the inner logic of the story.

The novels ending and "grand finale", is the point when we find out the identity of the 36th righteous man (I wont go into what the author did to this Jewish Legend), This "finale" is extremely predictable, which is annoying cause one expects some sort of surprise after reading through this Mambo-Jumbo and gets none.

Last but not least, the book skims over months at a time with one sentence, a book such as the Bible can afford being this brief, a novel such as this cannot. It has to give some description that will make the passage of events this quickly believable. Many of the descriptions are lacking and almost none of the characters feel rounded.

Summery: The book feels like a sketch, as other reviewers wrote. The characters are unbelievable even for a fantasy novel. When one writes a fantastic novel and chooses to do so basing it roughly on historical figures, one has to research to make the story succeed. I found that the history was not remotely realistic and the fantasy also failed to take off because of the supposed historical scenery.
Stretching the truth is ok in such as book and I really didn't care about magic playing an active part in the story (heck that's the genres whole point) but why make it so ridiculous. Harry Potter is readable because it doesn't take itself seriously and it isn't set in an historical environment, this book makes too many mistakes in my opinion.

Ho-Hum.......2002-11-19

"The Alchemist's Door," takes what should be an exciting story and through the lack of detail that brings prose to life end up rather ho-hum. It's a story of alchemy, Kabbala, demon possession, shape-shifters, vampires, and the attributes of a "just man," told as a search-mystery; with locations various - Prague, London, Translyvania - but with little but the story to pull the reader into the magic that is, supposedly, all about. Not only are action and locale left sketchy, but characters are somewhat vague as well. Though we're given broad outlines no one but Magdelana, a horribly abused young woman desirous of knowledge, appealed on an emotional level. I was left with the impression this novel was written a bit too quickly, and the author's decision to sacrifice detail showed either a lack of research, or a lack of interest. I was looking for a good read in the fantasy genre, but got a sketch instead.

Interesting history, magic. Logic flaws weaken plot.......2002-11-15

Scientist and astrologer John Dee and his family have left the court of Queen Elizabeth fleeing from a demon. The demon pursues them, however, and Dee finds himself in Prague where the mad Emperor demands delivery of the 36th righteous man--the man who's death will lead to the destruction of the world order and an opportunity for a man or demon to reshape the universe. Together with the Rabbi Judah Loew, legendary creator of the golem, Dee searches for the 36th righteous man--and for a way to stop the forces of evil that threaten to overrun Europe. Because the doorway between the universes stands open and demons have begun to make their way back into our world.

Author Lisa Goldstein delivers a deft mixture of history and fantasy. Her writing is clear and keeps the pages turning. I was distracted, however by some of the logic holes. Why, for example, didn't Emperor Rudolf simply kill everyone on his list rather than engage Dee and Loew to find the one man? He certainly didn't show much respect for life. What, exactly, was the whole Erzsebet thing about--was it really only to bring in old Hungarian legends? And what happened to the second demon--the one that could physically manifest itself and that served Kelley? Finally, the ultimate battle seemed anticlimactic and I was left wondering whether Dee really sacrificed much, really made a heroic gesture. Attempting to close to door between the universes would have been a more powerful symbol if Dee had been able to truly use the magics that came through the gateway. Instead, his sacrifice wasn't particularly large, reducing the power of the novel.

THE ALCHEMIST'S DOOR is a pleasant read with its setting in the historically significant period of Elizabeth I, its use of historic characters in alternate history settings, and its travels through the mystical world of Eastern Europe at a time when the Turks were still capable of threatening all of Christendom and when Jews were forced into ghettos.

Impressive!.......2002-10-19

Set in the sixteenth century, The Alchemist's Door chronicles the life of legendary English mathematician, alchemist and astrologer John Dee, the inspiration for Prospero in Shakespeare's Tempest and the title character in Marlowe's Dr. Faustus. As the story opens, Dee and his strange associate, Edward Kelley, have accidentally summoned a demon that now dogs Dee's every step. Hoping to evade the demon and improve his fortunes, Dee accepts potential patron Prince Laski's invitation to visit Poland. But the demon follows him there, prompting Dee, his family and Kelley to flee to Prague.

In Prague, Dee senses that something terrible is about to happen. By chance he discovers that the city straddles the border between earth and a demon dimension inhabited by, among other evil entities, the very creature that's been plaguing him. Prague is also home to the mad Emperor Rudolph, a devotee and patron of the black arts, who seeks Dee's assistance in fashioning the legendary Philosopher's Stone.

On a visit to the Emperor Dee has a fateful encounter with fellow mystic Rabbi Judah Loew. Dee and Loew join in a strained alliance, even as the Emperor initiates a pogrom against the Jews of Prague. Loew seeks and receives Dee's assistance in creating a Golem-a man fashioned from clay-to defend the city's Jewish quarter from the Emperor's troops.

Dee also becomes involved in Loew's search for the fabled 36th righteous man. Prophecy foretells that if the last righteous man dies, the world will end, and the dark spirits of the neighboring dimension will remake it in the own image. The Emperor, believing he can influence the shape this new world will take, orders his troops to scour the city to find this man so that he may personally put him to death. Dee, realizing that this is what his demonic tormentor has wanted all along, works with Loew to frustrate the Emperor's apocalyptic plans, even though it may cost him his life.

Some quick research on the Web indicates that Goldstein has done the same thing with John Dee's life that Tim Powers did with Kim Philby's in Declare, exploiting historical gaps and coincidences to tell a story that could have occurred, given certain supernatural assumptions. Thus, she posits a relationship between John Dee and Rabbi Loew that history does not record. Like Powers, she also manages to put human faces on legendary characters, carefully balancing glimpses into their personal lives with the more fantastic action.

The Alchemist's Door is lively and engaging, a skillful blend of history, legend, humor and high adventure, an exciting dark fantasy rich on character and colorful incident. Considering the success of this novel, and the fact that Dee lived another two decades after the events chronicled therein, a sequel seems appropriate. Here's hoping Goldstein is considering one.

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Inching Toward Heaven's Door: A Would-Be Alchemist's Journey of Faith, Remembrance and Healing
John F., Ph.D. Sieckhaus
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Faith | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0738899291

Book Description

A hands-on guide to effective cognitive house cleaning.

How can you take control of your life? Why do negative thoughts sometimes predominate, despite your knowledge that they're unfounded? Why do your best efforts to stave off these negative thoughts so often fail? What can you do to identify your core beliefs?

For the first time, there is a book that offers the consumer and the public what has previously been available only to professional audiences. This book is a layperson's version of Dr. McMullin's successful professional book—The New Handbook of Cognitive Restructuring Therapy (2000)—and his other professional works.

Written by one of the founders of Cognitive Restructuring Therapy (CRT), Taking Out Your Mental Trash offers the key principles, techniques, and exercises necessary for a solid foundation in CRT. It incorporates Dr. McMullin's three decades of full time clinical practice with many thousands of clients, from many different cultures, with many different problems. The book is written in an informal, personal style and presents reading guides, copious real life examples, step-by-step instructions, picture-forming stories, illustrations, and 53 exercises and 23 worksheets to help the reader. To date, it is one of the most accessible, reader friendly, and up-to-date books for the public on CRT.

Customer Reviews:

An invaluable tool for effective change.......2006-07-22

How can you get control of your life and overcome negativity? TAKING OUT YOUR MENTAL TRASH: A CONSUMER'S GUIDE TO COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING THERAPY is one way to attack negative inclinations: it synthesizes over thirty years of author McMullin's professional experience in psychology, and offers consumers an accessible guide to cognitive restructuring therapy's key beliefs and elements. This therapy applies not just to negative emotions but phobias, social anxiety, stress and more, offering a workbook for adopting fresh beliefs and providing invaluable exercises and examples of negative settings which can be analyzed to arrive at deeper meanings underlying negative comments. An invaluable tool for effective change.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Great Perpective! .......2005-12-19

Although I think this book was intended as a therapy supplement, it has great value to the average person. It is clearly written as a workbook to help you examine your beliefs. Find what has value to you and "throw out" thoughts that don't. The Dr. explains things with metaphors and real world examples. He has some very interesting perspectives and helps you walk through each concept and apply the ideas directly to your life. I found it inspiring and a very fun as well as insightful book to read.

Charlene Hosenfeld, Ph.D........2005-11-08

Dr. McMullin has written a valuable book for individuals who have been, are, or might someday be in therapy -- as well as for those who want to learn on their own to have an emotionally healthy and satisfying life. Through the use of humor, metaphors, examples, exercises, and tips, he teaches the reader to identify their thoughts and beliefs, to examine them, and to change or "trash" the ones that are inaccurate and/or harmful to one's mental health. He guides the reader through a structured process of cognitive change in this well-organized and user-friendly book. "Taking Out Your Mental Trash" fills a void in the cognitive therapy literature by offering a step-by-step approach to those motivated and interested in making lasting and beneficial changes to their thinking -- and therefore to the whole of their lives. I highly recommend this book to therapists for use with their clients, to clients, and to anyone who wants to learn to think clearly and to feel better.

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