I saw Dr. Braiker on the TODAY Show and I felt like she was talking to me -- and her wise words were just what I needed. The subtitle of her book is "Anxious Days and Sleepless Nights" and that is me all over! I've been feeling anxious and edgy ever since Sept. 11, but was afraid to talk about it because I figured we were all supposed to shut up and go on with our lives. That was a mistake. Dr. Braiker appeared on the show the day AFTER the one year anniversary and said, quite simply, "The anxiety is still with us...and will be for some time. And anybody who thought the anxiety would stop at the end of the anniversary woke up today and realized it's not that easy." That's me to a "T." Her 7 steps are solid techniques for getting a grip and I'm already using them. AND THEY REALLY WORK!! I also really like the fact that she's donating some of the proceeds from her book to World Trade Center-related charities and her website ... lists them.

The name of this book is misleading because Dr. Braiker's work is applicable to wide range of fear-based problems. As a psychotherapist and author who specializes in helping clients and readers face and overcome fear's control, I find the specific techniques (tools) extremely useful.

The book is well organized and easy to read, which is essential if readers who are (by definition) anxious are going to get the most out of it. Dr. Braiker introduces her methodology by moving through 7 practical steps that build on one another, guiding readers toward an understanding of personal courage that is quite simple, but well beyond how we usually think of courage.

The reassurance in this book is intelligent and credible. It is well worth reading, and telling anyone you know who remains anxious in our post September 11 world.

- Thom Rutledge, author of Embracing Fear (HarperSanFrancisco)

I saw Dr. Braiker on TV and immediately rushed out to buy this book. I have been suffering from anxious days and sleepless nights since September 11 and didn't know what to do about it. I thought I was the only one. And every time there is another terrorist warning I don't know what to do or how to cope. I don't usually buy these types of books, but this one is a true lifesaver. The government says there will be another attack -- not if, but when! That scares the hell out of me. But this book gives me hope and some control over my fears.

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ ON RELATIONSHIPS WITH ANY DEGREE OF PROBLEM. IT WAS THE ONE BOOK I READ THAT HELPED ME SEE THAT I HAD NO OPTION BUT TO LEAVE EVERTHING I HAD WORKED FOR AND JUST WALK AWAY. I LOST EVERYTHING I HAD WORKED FOR 20 YEARS FOR AND STARTED LIFE OVER AT 55, SICK, BROKE, AND ALMOST DESTROYED BUT ALIVE AND ABLE TO COME BACK. I CAN'T BELIVE THIS BOOK IS OUT OF PRINT. I HAVE ONE COPY WHICH I WILL NOT LET OUT OF MY HOME. ANOTHER COPY IS ON ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH OTHERS WHO NEED THIS BOOK. IT IS AS TRUE AS THE BIBLE AND EVEN RESTATES SOME OF THE BIBLE TRUTHS.

Why do some people try so hard to please others that end up pleasing no one - including themselves? Harriet B. Braiker anchors this phenomenon in early childhood problems, such as guilt or low self-esteem, and shows how it harms adult relationships, including those at work. Although she emphasizes interpersonal relationships off the job, executives, managers and employees at all levels will still find her book helpful in life and in work. Braiker describes three primary manifestations (compulsive behavior, distorted thinking, and avoidance of negative feelings) of being a people-pleaser, and notes that this problem can stem from a personal mind-set, a habit or an intense aversion to conflict. Most helpfully, she explains strategies for more productive behavior. Sometimes the explanations and self-help quizzes become repetitive, but her examples keep the book's pace flowing. Thus we [...] recommend this book as - dare we say it? - a real crowd pleaser.

I have recommended this book to so many people. I only hope that whoever reads it will follow the message.
This is an important book. I think it is a critical read for anyone who has been abused, used or taken advantage of. It is important for the individual to understand why and how they got to be in the position and how they aquired the "Disease to Please".

This book is one of the most important and helpful self help books which I have ever read. I felt as if it were written directly with me in mind. The author has been a practicing clinical psychologist for 25 years and gives examples through her patients' history's of problems and how they have been helped. In addition to that, she gives very specific ways that you, the reader, can apply these principles to your daily life. You might think that women have this problem more than men but that is not necessarily true. My husband is now reading this book and my grown children are also. You find that it helps you to understand not only yourself better but others as well. She writes in an easy to understand way. This is a book where you find yourself reading every word. There is nothing here which is not relevant or to the point. It has become, for me, a kind of textbook which I refer back to. In fact, she encourages the reader to read with a highlighter and to use the book as you would a textbook. I recommend this book to everyone except those who already feel that they know everything.

I still have my 1990 copy of Braiker's "Getting Up When You're Feeling Down," and I will have to replace it. I've read it so many times that the spine is broken and the book is held together with tape. The book is very helpful for women who are dealing with depression. Whether you're suffering a garden variety "blue mood" from a bad month, or you've had several terrible years, this book gives a lot of simple psychological techniques for keeping your moods "up" and coping with depressions when they do occur. Even people taking medication for more serious depressions will benefit from the simple mental exercises she recommends for "halting" negative thoughts; the book provides valuable insights on women's thought patterns, and how we can stop depressions from worsening. I came to Amazon today to buy this book for a friend!