Resources: Books

Anderson, CEO of the American Psychological Association, believes in a new approach to health as a way to understand longevity. Instead of the traditional view of physical health, Anderson says the interaction of six "well-being" factors-biological, psychological, behavioral, economic, religious/spiritual and emotional-can explain the differences in longevity. He argues that there must be a scientific explanation for why some people recover from serious illness such as a heart attack while other patients remain disabled. According to Anderson, this multifaceted approach goes beyond the increasing acceptance of nontraditional medicine; it is an entirely new way to approach life, with specific medical support. Anderson's background as associate director of the National Institutes of Health for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research lends authority to the research support, and the work is more inclusive than many other popular psychology books on changing and improving one's life.

Changing for Good distinguishes itself from the many other self-help materials available by espousing a sound therapeutic approach based on the authors' years of professional work with people in all sorts of damaging behavioral patterns, including smoking, overeating, alcohol abuse, and toxic relationships. The six steps to change, the social processes one must understand while changing, and the criteria used to measure success will prove useful to all self-helpers.