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BAD CHILDHOOD - GOOD LIFE

How to Blossom and Thrive in Spite of an Unhappy Childhood

Dr. Laura Schlessinger

For thirty years, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a bestselling author and an internationally syndicated radio host, always has her finger on the pulse of America's most important social issues. A Marriage and Family Therapist known for frank talk and heartfelt, straightforward insights, she helps innumerable people with her no-nonsense approach and her ability to extract emotional truth from deeply hidden places.

Frequently, people in pain do not recognize the destructive influence of their past on their present. Dr. Laura has noticed a trend articulated by many of her listeners - a hurtful childhood has led to an unhappy adulthood, with callers feeling stuck because they can't figure out why! Now she responds to this common problem in BAD CHILDHOOD - GOOD LIFE: How to Blossom and Thrive in Spite of an Unhappy Childhood (Harper Paperbacks; May 2007; $13.95) with a message of hope and a proactive plan for moving forward in a book certain to improve many lives.

"While many people may be quite aware of their early life challenges, they still may be seriously unaware of how their choices in people, environments, decisions, behaviors, and attitudes are connected to those experiences, and how those choices are the major factor in their current predicaments and unhappiness," Dr. Laura notes.

Full of confessionals from listeners, BAD CHILDHOOD - GOOD LIFE guides readers on an inspirational journey from powerless victim to powerful conqueror. With empathy and understanding, she reminds adults that they are in control now, unlike in childhood, and may use their power to make positive, optimistic choices for themselves. Dr. Laura outlines the steps on the path from Bad Childhood to Good Life while warning of some potential pitfalls along the way.

One of the first stages in a successful transformation: relinquishing bad habits like routine, revenge, dependency, fear and excuses. The move towards a Good Life demands an honest self-assessment and often leads to a challenging struggle with internal forces that can be imprisoning and destructive. Qualities critical in transcending victimhood include realistic self-evaluation, replacement of unhealthy behaviors and acceptance of a larger spiritual or religious force.

Dr. Laura emphasizes the importance of resilience, the ability to move forward with grit and determination without automatically viewing present day events through the prism of the past. In working towards a Good Life, she warns of potential roadblocks including ignorance, character weakness, isolation, self-centeredness and negative thinking. This Good Journey is an active, hands-on effort, requiring self-discipline, open-mindedness, insight and determination for starters. As part of the process, BAD CHILDHOOD - GOOD LIFE distinguishes between "evil" and "annoying" parents and offers strategies for handling both.

BAD CHILDHOOD - GOOD LIFE also details:

  • Exchanges between Dr. Laura and her listeners featuring many "Ah-ha!" moments when the connection between early family dynamics and current situations suddenly becomes clear
  • Personal stories of people who fought back from early victimhood and exactly how they did it
  • Six questions on closure, the surprising answers from hundreds of listeners and Dr. Laura's analysis of the feedback
  • The learning curve in the evolution from Bad Childhood to Good Life, from shock and denial to letting go and moving on
  • How positive thinking is the foundation for a Good Life
  • When a parental relationship can be salvaged - and when it shouldn't
  • How giving to others is the key to getting for oneself
  • Ways to jumpstart the Good Journey including writing a journal, getting perspective on the past, choosing to be good and embracing values, morals, ethics and religion

While not an elixir to erase a painful childhood or a magical immediate cure, BAD CHILDHOOD - GOOD LIFE provides an invaluable roadmap to the Good Journey for anyone still struggling with an unhappy past and incapable of moving beyond old pain. With equal parts compassion and tough love, Dr. Laura lays the powerful foundation for life-enhancing choices and life-changing transformations in her most important work yet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Laura Schlessinger received her Ph.D. in physiology from Columbia University and holds a postdoctoral certification and license in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, as well as four children's books. Her most recent book, Woman Power, was a national bestseller. She is also the host of an internationally syndicated radio program, and writes a monthly column for NewsMax. She lives in Southern California with her husband. Their son, Deryk Schlessinger, is enlisted in the U.S. Army.

BAD CHILDHOOD - GOOD LIFE
How to Blossom and Thrive in Spite of an Unhappy Childhood
Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Harper Paperbacks
June 2007
$13.95
Paperback
ISBN: 0060577878

Visit Dr. Laura's website to read fan reviews of her book.

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Audio Books Corner carries Dr. Laura Schlessinger's book as a CD.

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MSNBC interviews Dr. Laura about her book, career, and life.

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