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"Emotional Traps is an important book by a creative and experienced psychologist who is willing to stand up for his convictions and his point of view. I have known Dr. Hill for many years, and he certainly practices what he preaches. He raises disconcerting and seminal questions about the direction our culture is taking. He premise that emotion rather than logic and morals have become the benchmark of our actions/behaviors is certainly topical and germane. "In my opinion, he is accurate in stating that attorneys, mental-health practitioners, and educators have led us down the false path of making decisions based on our emotions rather than on logic and rationality. I like his demand that we own our emotions and take responsibility for empowering our self with self-talk to make the right moral and logical choice in our decision-making. I agree with him that only God can decide if we sinned, but he rightfully emphasizes that we need to try to use our rationality and logic to arrive at better choices. "I strongly recommend this book for any individuals that want to firm up their boundaries so that we can get away from the feel-good culture we live in." Elliot S.
Cohen, M.D. *** "For nearly thirty years, I have known Dr. Ray Hill as a friend and fellow psychologist. He is always eager to learn and increase his skills by attending many professional conferences, reading, and examining the latest theories, techniques, and practices. He is truly an example of a hard-working yet kind, ethical, and successful psychotherapist. Ray has more energy than anyone I know, and now he has put his years of experience into a compelling and helpful book. "Emotional Traps is practical, well written, easy-to-read, and almost conversational in style. Those in the healing professions and those who are seeking help can benefit from reading this comprehensive work. As an additional byproduct, the reader will also get to know Ray Hill because he is very self-disclosing in his off-handed remarks and examples. "While I sometimes sit on the other side of the fence from Ray in political views, I am certainly in full agreement with almost all of his psychological (and common sense) presentations in his landmark book. "Emotional Traps is a thorough overview of emotions and 'emotional traps,' written from a holistic perspective that includes our physical, intellectual, and spiritual selves. "Ray himself has a fine mind, solid logic, and clear thinking. It is no surprise that he urges us to use our intellect in order to handle more effectively whatever the world presents us with to confront and resolve. We can often be carried down the wrong path by letting our emotions alone rule. If we are willing to dust off our intellect and thinking again, realizing that this is where our emotions arise from, then we can emerge more competent, healthy, and fully functioning. "What Dr. Hill has written has roots in time-honored principles and is now presented to us in the up-to-date and down-to-earth realities that we face every day. He gives us practical ways to view a wide array of situations: personal relationships, the media, politics, the military, and spirituality. "This book brought me back to basic truths for a better life, which I may have let slip over the years. For that I am thankful that Ray wrote in this powerful and engaging way." Martin G. Olsen, Ed.D.,
P.C. *** "Emotional
Traps is a wise and insightful book. It discusses how we
over-emotionalize in our culture. It discusses how emotions can override
the intellect, and it helps to bring us to an understanding of the
balance between thinking and emotion." I
found the book to be very readable. Part II of the book is especially
helpful, as it lays out ways to overcome multiple emotional traps,
including the traps of blind ideology, anger, depression, anxiety and
fear, pride, arrogance, the existence of evil, prejudices, and the
influences of power, money, and fame. Not only were these sections clear
and well written, but each chapter addresses specifics and 'self-talk'
to bring that balance back into play between our logic and our emotions. "Dr.
Hill's section on spirituality and religion was particularly
thought-provoking and certainly would serve as a catalyst for much
discussion. I appreciated Dr. Hill's directness, bluntness, self-disclosures,
and personal experiences in the preparation of this book. It made the
reading very human and enjoyable. "Finally,
Part IV of Dr. Hill's book addresses practical applications in logic
that nicely help tie his book together." Steven
Stockdale, Ph.D. *** |