The Nine Fantasies That Will Ruin Your Life (and the Eight Realities That Willsave You

by Joy Browne

Book Overview

Dr. Joy Browne has spent nearly twenty years advising thousands of women and men about their frustrations and disappointments. She has diagnosed the ways we get in trouble and stay there. In turn, Dr.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 060960354X
• ISBN13: 9780609603543
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Good suggestions for all aspects of your life.

Heard THE NINE FANTASIES THAT WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE AND THE EIGHT REALITIES THAT WILL SAVE YOU, written and read by Dr. Joy Brown . . . she's a radio talk show, as well as a licensed clinical psychologist. I have occasionally heard her on the radio and when I have, I've been impressed with her no-nonsense approach to giving advice . . . she rarely gives sympathy; rather, she gives useful suggestions that apply to marriage, personal relationships, career, finances, health, and all other aspects of your life. Here, she first presents the fantasies . . . among the ones that most caught my attention were the following: There's no place like home. We all assume that everybody else's family is terrific and ours is dysfunctional. Don't believe it for a minute. Winning the lottery will free me. If money were the key to happiness, millionaires wouldn't have ulcers. They do and it's not. Good always triumphs. Life isn't fair. Get used to it. Do the best with what you've got. And no whining. Dr. Brown then discusses the realities of life . . . these made the most sense to me: Never tell someone something they already know. Compliment people sincerely and keep nasty thoughts to yourself. We're responsible for our behavior; feelings just happen. Everybody has bad thoughts. It's bad behavior that separates the good guys from the bad guys. Romance is the poison of the twentieth century. Unrealistic expectations mean never being satisfied with what you've got, and romance is the ultimate unrealistic expectation. Reader letters, read and answered by the author, added to my enjoyment of these cassette tapes.

Informative easy breath of fresh air

Dr. Brown easily explains the fanasties and the way we think that things are supposed to be in a straightforward and loving manner. Meanwhile, she points out the things that help us all get to reality in a way that makes her book an enjoyable read and comforting.

Incredibly Uplifting and Motivating

The author has some amazing insight into the human condition, and I recommend this book highly. Even if you don't harbor any of the "nine fantasies," understanding them can be extremely helpful in your dealings with others, both professionally and personally.

Original, thought-provoking and motivating.

Dr. Browne wrote this book as though you the reader are as intelligent as she - a refreshing change from the few other self-help books I have read. Her ideas strike me as sincerely thought out and are presented in a lively, upbeat manner. Her solutions to problems seem highly practical. I read almost the whole book at one sitting- captivated by her fresh yet feasible approach to life. I often think back to this book when conjuring up one of her no-no fantasies. A keeper!

Practical advice for accepting your responsibility!

I generally don't find psychology books very useful, too much pseudo science and impractical mush, sorry for the bias, but I am an Engineer and I am used to the "hard" sciences.Dr. Browne's no nonsense approach is refreshing.We are all dealt a hand of cards, that doesn't mean we have Aces or a full house, but we can play the hand we are dealt to the best of our abilities. If you accept this, and accept your responsibility to make the best of what you have, then you will have a happy life. This is what Dr. Browne is telling us in this book.Thanks for the common sense! Remember the plaque at Engineering corner of the Michigan Quad. It has advice of the first Dean of Engineering at University of Michigan, "Young Man, when theory and common practice diverge, use your horse sense!"