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Rating: 
Summary: Not worth the price I paid for...
Review: A preliminary warning... this book is full of case studies that are specific to the American socio-cultural landscape. Australian readers should take note. The advice that she gives are not without cultural bias either (eg. her advice that you should only "tell the whole truth" to either a priest or a therapist needs to be taken with a grain of salt), though her emphasis that one should live in reality rather than fantasies should be applauded. However this book is so full of "case studies" that little room is left for further elaboration of the points she's trying to make. You can gleam those points from the case studies given as well, but practical life studies should be balanced by some proper arguments. Not what I expect from a properly trained psychologist.If you're used to popular psychology though (and I obviously am not), you might like this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Very, very, very bad
Review: Dr. Bowne's efforts is a disorganized mish mash that often comes across as a stream of consciousness. It is unfortunate as her syndicated show is insightful open minded and nonjudgmental. (A refreshing change from the nasty preachy and tyrannical psedeuo-psychology that is popular on the airways these days) She should stick to radio - writing is obviously not her strongest compentency.
Rating: 
Summary: Only For The Courageous
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Original, thought-provoking and motivating.
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: Good suggestions for all aspects of your life.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Practical advice for accepting your responsibility!
Review: 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!"
Rating: 
Summary: Some Will Like It, Some Won't
Review: Let's face it. There isn't THAT much difference between a lot of these pop psychology/self-help books. The question is often HOW it's said, rather than WHAT is said. Personally, I find Joy Browne's "wake up and smell the coffee" style entertaining and invigorating, like a splash of cold water in your face on a winter morning. If Fran Drescher was going to play a Psychologist, instead of a Nanny, maybe she would sound like this. Take Joy Browne's advice in good humor, with a grain of salt and ENJOY it!
Rating:
Summary: Practical, not preachy
Review: The title caught my eye, so I decided to give this book a read. I am glad that I did. I saw a lot of myself in some of the "call-in's" questions. I thought that Dr. Browne's advice was useful and practical---in other words, good common sense. I really enjoyed the "Soulmate" part of the fantasy half, as well as the "Romance" part of the reality half. I have been fighting some emotional demons of my own lately, and reading these two sections really helped me see my situation from outside of myself. Is there stuff in this book that I've heard before? Yes, but what is nice is that it is written and can be referred to again and again. I also like Dr. Browne's flow in the book---funny, but to the point. It makes it very easy to read. I work and go to school part-time, plus I have a family. I found that I was able to read this book in less than a week at different intervals. I don't know if this is a book that will "turn your life around", but I know that, for me, it's a book that can be used as a good reference tool when I feel those old demons creeping up on me again.
Rating:
Summary: Practical, not preachy
Review: The title caught my eye, so I decided to give this book a read. I am glad that I did. I saw a lot of myself in some of the "call-in's" questions. I thought that Dr. Browne's advice was useful and practical---in other words, good common sense. I really enjoyed the "Soulmate" part of the fantasy half, as well as the "Romance" part of the reality half. I have been fighting some emotional demons of my own lately, and reading these two sections really helped me see my situation from outside of myself. Is there stuff in this book that I've heard before? Yes, but what is nice is that it is written and can be referred to again and again. I also like Dr. Browne's flow in the book---funny, but to the point. It makes it very easy to read. I work and go to school part-time, plus I have a family. I found that I was able to read this book in less than a week at different intervals. I don't know if this is a book that will "turn your life around", but I know that, for me, it's a book that can be used as a good reference tool when I feel those old demons creeping up on me again.
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