Choices: Taking Control of Your Life and Making It Matter

A series of short chapters, most of them just three or four pages, gives us meditational gems in Melody Beatty's characteristic warm, fearless and personal style. Each one is the personal story of a real person whose experience illuminates a facet of a learning experience. One of my favorites is her account of her visit to the dying Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, herself a pioneer in the understanding of humane death. In just a few words, she paints an unforgettable picture of a life well lived. The author's immediate and engaging persona shines through, like a trusted friend, telling us that if we keep moving on our path, no matter what the obstacles, all will be well.

This is a book of short essays written for the average person who doesn't care or simply doesn't know the psycho-babble terms written by professionals that only other professionals can comprehend.No matter what your life experiences or level of education there simply has to be a short story that hits home . I have read many books on relationships,psychology etc, and this book is just great.For someone just getting started in self help and rebuildingrelationships and personal growth this is a great book.

Choices is a series of short essays, each two or three pages long, each illustrating a point the author wants to make. Some are New Age-y: A woman closing her business is surprised when someone says, "I feel that I should speak to you..." Others are more straightforward and down-to-earth.I couldn't relate to all -- even most -- of the stories here. If you haven't had the experience, the story is meaningless. Several involve getting tough about relationships. Two essays were especially powerful: "She saw a monster in her bedroom" is about a woman who realizes she must leave to escape a "monster" husband -- at age seventy-one. Beattie concludes, "It's hard to be a newcomer at anything." "He had to backtrack" is the story of a young delinquent who turns his life around after a gifted counselor roots out long-buried feelings. I see each episode as a turning point rather than a choice: each time the protagonist hit bottom, his or her life changed. It's not always about choices: the delinquent doesn't face a crossroads.I'd probably recommend this book to clients whose lives felt out of control, who wanted role models and examples of taking charge, or who wanted to understand the concept of change. One negative: Each chapter ends with a small lesson that could be omitted. It's overkill. The book's power comes from the stories and the way Beattie tells them. The lessons themselves are not particularly new or original. Leave them out.