November 16, 2009

Michael W. Dean is a self confessed middle aged man who never expected to live to be 30. He has written a remarkable book about his early struggles with multiple addictions and rock star fame, wanting only to share his journey into hell - and out of hell into peaceful, productive life.

There are thousands (millions?) of self help books available, and every "method" under the sun to choose from, but rather than preaching or giving you endless "method," Michael simply shares what happened to him and how he found his way from certain death to vibrant life.

A User's Manual For The Human Experience sets the foundation with the "only two rules" 
Do not initiate, or accept, force.
Keep your word

Yes, it's just about that simple.

These two "rules," applied to all of our actions and choices, lead us to reevaluate the things we may have considered immutable roadblocks and yawning chasms - all the things that have prevented us from realizing our dreams. Michael challenges us also to evaluate our relationships with others in the light of these rules, with a goal of eliminating those that damage us and prevent us from reaching our goals.

Addictions come in all shapes and sizes. The best known are alcohol and drugs, but they are not even the most common - believe it or not.

How about an addiction to guilt, to living in misery and pain because you can't stop trying to "fix" broken people, usually the very people who are abusive and incapable of either love or integrity? This is called "co-dependence" and accounts for most of the divorce, domestic violence and empty relationships that abound in our society.

I highly recommend A User's Manual For The Human Experience to everyone. Practical emotional self defense is a much neglected topic in a world so filled with political correctness.

[Notice to any blog monitoring tax thugs: I received two free copies of this book for review. I gave one to a dear friend... He doesn't write reviews, but desperately needed the information. ]