The Little Book of Big Change by Amy Johnson

Advance copy provided by the publisher.

★☐☐☐☐
The author writes: "Habit is broadly defined in this book as a repetitive thought or behavior that one wishes one did not experience." I was taken aback by the negative assumption.  Habits can be positive or have many other factors besides avoidance.

The author assumes an impersonal life force in the universe, similar to Buddhism, and humanity as a positive blank slate that does bad things through misunderstanding of their true (peaceful, positive) nature. Urges are merely impersonal and controllable thoughts. And the Addictive Voice is not the addicted person's voice. (Whose is it, if not our own?)

Having raised 4 kids, I'd have to use more than imagination to see them as blank slates with a true perfect nature. They wouldn't have needed a mother if they were inclined to goodness!

Strangely, Johnson does not give a source for the Addictive Voice or other negative internal impulses. Who then is speaking when we are prompted to engage in destructive behavior?

The author advises positive thinking and offers pseudo-science for her methodology. I was not impressed by the examples given or the research presented. (Can the results be scientifically replicated?)

Sadly, seemed like a waste of time to read the book. The advice was to 'think away' anything we just want to get rid of. (Shades of the cultic positivism of Christian Science and Scientology.)

I really looked forward to this book from the description but can't recommend it.