The Enlightened Smoker's Guide to Quitting

By B. Jack Gebhardt

Book Overview

This text is based on the premise that people stop smoking most often because they feel good about themselves. Smoking is first a psychological and then a physiological addiction, and the most... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1862041849
• ISBN13: 9781862041844
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Element Books
• Length: 241 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

An approach worth checking out

We've all seen them, the smokers huddled at the doorway of a smoke-free building. For the most part, they seem furtive and possibly embarassed - our society has decided to make smoking a shame-based activity. Enter Bear Gebhardt and his revolutionary approach that emphasizes the inherent dignity and essential worthiness of the smoker. Gebhardt doesn't point fingers, doesn't assign blame. Rather, he employs a message of self-worthiness and practical behavior patterns. If you're a smoker, or care about one, check out this helpful book.

a book based on practical experience

Bear G. has written a book based on many years of clinical, and especially, personal experience. The best thing about this book is it embodies his upbeat view of the world, and optimistic but realistic approaches to the challenges our habits create. I can unreservedly recommend this book to anyone trying to overcome the very difficult and addictive lifestyle of smoking, or tobacco use in general. Bear was recently invited to speak on the subject at a conference at Oxford University; a well- deserved honor because of his ability to help people.

After you've tried everything else....

After you've tried everything else, try this. Like any true change, quitting is an "inside-out" job. When you stop beating yourself up and start supporting and understanding yourself, you will be empowered to walk away from smoking forever. My husband quit for good 1 1/2 years ago, cold turkey, after reading only part of the book! He had smoked for 25 years~ but once he truly understood why he'd started and realized that the reason no longer existed for him, that was all it took. Hopefully you'll find this book first, before trying all the other methods~ If you truly want to quit, this will work for you too.

A new way of life!

I have searched for a long, long, long, long, long (need I go on?) time for a way to stop smoking and have finally found it! Gebhardt's book focuses on ways to change your thinking - not only about smoking but about the zillion other things we all have in our life. He recognises that all smokers berate themselves day after day about their smoking and asks the question: Has this negativity ever helped you to quit? Step by step, he helps his readers bring more joy into their thoughts and this, seamlessly, brings more joy into their smoking. Paradoxically, by feeling joy when smoking, we are able to "forget" how to smoke. Suddenly quitting seems like a fun and graceful next move. I would recommend this book to anyone who is able to open their heart to feeling joy. If you're steeped in logic and cynicism then even you might like to give it a try. However, if you're already on the way to letting spirituality into your life then get this book and watch a controlling addiction slip away gently.

FINALLY NO GUILT

Jack has a lot of credentials to his name. He has his own school for those trying to quit smoking as well as years of studying under the government and private agencies. I had a wonderful time learning how to "Forget to smoke. Jack teaches you how to stop the cycle of guilt in the quitting process and how to stop trying to quit and simply forget! His 7 step program worked for me better than all of the programs from the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association because they use slight scare tactics to accomplish quitting. Well worth the money!