This review could be really short:  If you’ve ever wanted to do something and then didn’t do it… you need The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield.

That’s all I need to say.  Skip the rest of this review and go get a copy of The War of Art.

Here’s why you need it:

I don’t care if you came to a complete halt before you even began the project, this book contains the uncomfortable, bedrock answer to what stopped you.

Writers often talk about mid-book slump.  That’s something that hits any creative project, whether it’s a book, a diet (that infamous “plateau”), a relationship, or finally cleaning out the garage.

And then, near the end of an important project, there’s that deer-in-the-headlights moment.  It might be fear of failure or fear of success, but we suddenly come up with a bazillion reasons not to complete whatever-it-is.  The following are typical:

• The book needs another edit.  And, it’ll take more time & focus than you’ll have for the next week or two. Or three. Or five.
• You’re too busy to keep exercising, or you absolutely have to eat everything in sight during the upcoming holiday/party/Star Trek marathon.  Then you’ll get back to your diet.
• You can’t get rid of the clutter in the garage without asking your parent, spouse, sibling, or your child who moved out and left his discards behind, oh, about ten years ago.

No matter where you’re stuck or why, you need to own a copy of The War of Art.  It needs to be next to your reading chair, or your bed, or whatever physically represents the faltering project.

This is the kind of book you can pick up, open it to any page at all, and see what’s really holding you back… staring you in the face on that page.

It’s one of those very rare books I give five stars to.

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My very best advice is to go through Steering by Starlight first, to find your authentic goals and dreams.  Then, keep The War of Art next to you at all times, along with your “perfect life” notes from Steering by Starlight.

That’s the combination that totally changed my life for the better.

See larger image The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles (Paperback) By (author) Steven Pressfield List Price: $12.95 USD New From: $27.98 In Stock Used from: $9.95 In Stock

Unstuck, by James S. Gordon really is Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression.

Of course, no one should deal with severe depression on their own.  Professional help may be key to successful recovery.

However, as rave reviews by doctors from Deepak Chopra to Andrew Weil explain, this is an extraordinary book offering an integrative approach to recovery from depression.

This holistic approach is a breath of fresh air.  Though pharmaceuticals are discussed, medications aren’t the first recommendations, and they’re far from the primary focus.  99% of Unstuck is about drug-free choices, and even when anti-depressants are the only answer, Dr. Gordon strongly recommends a very conservative approach.

What I especially like about this book is how it guides the reader through the process of creating his or her own prescription for happiness.  The steps may be the same for everyone, but the actual path isn’t one-size-fits-all.  The patient and therapist (or counselor) will use this book as part of a process and a journey.

Reading this book, I learned many things I didn’t know about depression.  I was astonished at the amount of mind-body information — and wealth of natural and holistic options — available through the pages of this book.

Though I cannot recommend this as a stand-alone, do-it-yourself manual, I think it can be a useful resource in combination with other supports that help the patient recover and emerge as a stronger and more self-aware  person.

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See larger image Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression (Paperback) By (author) James S. Gordon M.D. List Price: $16.00 USD New From: $7.25 In Stock Used from: $4.35 In Stock Release date May 26, 2009.

The Celestine Prophecy, by James Redfield, was the beginning of a series of books.  Some are better than others.

I was not impressed with the writing style of the initial novel, The Celestine Prophecy. Even on the first reading, it seemed trite, dated and fairly tedious.  More than once, I muttered, “Get to the point!”

The plot devices seemed contrived and, at times, even downright silly.

So, you’re probably wondering why I’m bothering to review this book at all.  It’s more than ten years old, it’s written like something from the 1970s, and I didn’t enjoy much of it.

The answer is simple: The brief sections of the book that were good… they were (and still are) brilliant, timeless, and a breath of fresh air.

In my opinion, it’s worth struggling through the rest of the book just to get to the good parts.

Most of the “insights” were good but not great.  However, by the time the story built up to the concluding insights, my attitude towards the book improved.

Since you can find a used copy of this book for under $1, and your public library probably has a copy, I recommend reading this book… if only as a foundation for the better books that followed it.

That said, I still remember the recognition I felt when Redfield described a garden in The Celestine Prophecy. He was talking about something I fully understood, and it was one of the first times anyone had represented that kind of experience with such clarity.

It’s okay to skim the boring parts.  As long as you have a general understanding of what’s going on at each step in the story, the important, concluding sections will still make sense.

When you reach the part of the book that rings authentic, and if you’re like me, you’ll be glad you didn’t give up on the book altogether.  The Celestine Prophecy’s delightful moments of brilliance, though few and far between, make the rest of the journey worthwhile.

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See larger image The Celestine Prophecy (Paperback) By (author) James Redfield List Price: $14.99 USD New From: $5.54 In Stock Used from: $0.01 In Stock

The Serotonin Solution, by Judith J. Wurtman and Susan Suffes, suggests that it’s a diet book… about weight loss.

If you struggle with depression more than your weight, it’d be easy to overlook this book.  It would also be a mistake.

Dated in some respects, Dr. Wurtman’s information is still vital if you’d rather alter what you eat than take drugs to boost your mood.  (Medications that often don’t do as much as we’d hoped.)

To achieve a deeper understanding of how food — what you eat, and when — is a key factor in  your moods, read this book.

I particularly like the chapters written for stressed moms, ex-smokers, shift workers, etc.  Dr. Wurtman seems to have thought ahead and covered the most popular “what if?” questions and objections.

Most public libraries probably have a copy of this book or a more recent edition.  Read it and take notes.

I’m not sure how well this book will help with weight loss, but you’ll learn a lot about the mood-influencing effects of food.  If you need help with depression, talk with your doctor about Dr. Wurtman’s advice.

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See larger image The Serotonin Solution: The Potent Substance That Can Help You Stop Bingeing, Lose Weight, and Feel Great (Hardcover) By (author) Judith J. Wurtman New From: $3.14 In Stock Used from: $0.50 In Stock

If I could only recommend one self-help book, it might be Steering by Starlight by Martha Beck. The subtitle, The Science and Magic of Finding Your Destiny, is an understatement.

For me, the magic was a real surprise.  This has completely transformed how I start my day and the kinds of surprises and serendipity — often pure magic — that show up.

I did all of the exercises in the book. I think that’s important.  However, I was a little loose with a couple of them and it didn’t seem to significantly impact the results.

I’m still a little stunned at how well this book works.  In fact, the magic part baffles me.  It’s like a science fiction movie or a fairy tale, in which the road magically appears just a few steps ahead of you, always extending just a little further with each step.

When I finished each exercise, I almost always found myself in the middle of exactly what the next chapter addressed… even when it seemed pretty distinct and non sequitur from whatever Ms. Beck was about to talk about.

Be prepared.  It’s not an easy book to go through.  Some of the self-examination can get messy.  It is very likely to shake up a lot of what you thought you wanted out of life.

However, the clarity of vision you’ll gain… it makes the difficult truths worth facing.

One small note: If you’re LDS (Mormon), you may find some of Ms. Beck’s comments a little snide or harsh.  Given her past, I think her attitudes are understandable.  I just wouldn’t want those few comments to detract from your experience, or even put you off reading this book.

All in all, this is one of the best self-help books I’ve ever read.  I recommend it 100% and — except for the comments about Utah — I’d give this five stars.

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See larger image Steering by Starlight: The Science and Magic of Finding Your Destiny (Paperback) By (author) Martha Beck PhD List Price: $15.99 USD New From: $6.90 In Stock Used from: $2.21 In Stock Release date June 9, 2009.