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The Power of Self-Esteem: An Inspiring Look At Our Most Important Psychological Resource by Branden, Nathaniel(January 1, 1992) Paperback
Excellent Book
Paperback
First published July 31, 1987
33 people are currently reading
546 people want to read
About the author
Nathaniel Branden
186 books567 followersNathaniel Branden was a Canadian–American psychotherapist and writer known for his work in the psychology of self-esteem. A former associate and romantic partner of Ayn Rand, Branden also played a prominent role in the 1960s in promoting Rand's philosophy, Objectivism. Rand and Branden split acrimoniously in 1968, after which Branden focused on developing his own psychological theories and modes of therapy.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 31, 2023
Nothing groundbreaking
September 5, 2015
I liked the author's views on the subject of self-esteem. But I think that this book was full of theory and rather small to make a point. I will definitely read the "Six Pillars of Self'Esteem", hoping that it will be more detailed and offer a greater insight.
July 25, 2015
It's more about defining self esteem than helping you with bad or low self esteem. However it's a scientific book not a slef-help rubbish!
September 23, 2024
Book Review: 📖
Book Name: The Power of Self-Esteem
Author: Nathaniel Branden
The Power of Self-Esteem Book was written by Nathaniel Branden, Ph.D., a researcher, and writer. He has done more than anyone to awaken America's Consciousness to the importance of self-esteem. He has written many books on self-esteem including The psychology of self-esteem, honoring the self, How to raise your self-esteem, and the 6 pillars of self-esteem.
In this book, Dr. Brendan explains the true meaning of self-esteem for students and youth, which gives us the power to make our lives. He outlines self-esteem in two terms which are self-efficacy and self-respect.
He quoted some good points that I learned. Self-Esteem play a vital role in our daily life Self-esteem plays a powerful role in the key choices and decisions that shape our lives. Most of people think that self esteem means we feel good about ourselves but no the fact is that self esteem goes beyond just feeling good. He also mentioned that a healthy environment of self esteem help us to adopt Self-Esteem so first we need to adopt it and create a healthy and positive environment for there peoples and especially for young generation and our students. young people need to watch out and read about pseudo Self-Esteem which is what most people practice today's time and adopting it. When we follow the rules of healthy and positive Self-Esteem and adopt Healthy and positive Self-Esteem it helps on work place, increase our performance and Productivity at work.
Dr. Brendan mentions about the obstacles to the growth of self-esteem and how to overcome them. He tells about how healthy self-esteem manifests. He said it makes no sense for a person to have his or her self-esteem at the mercy of factors over which a person has absolutely no control. He said that because knowledge is expanding, high self-esteem people need to make a commitment to lifetime learning. He said this is important not only in economically unstable times. Nathaniel Branden knew the subject matter of self-esteem very well.
Nathaniel Branden does a wonderful job to address this problem which effects our young generation in way you just can't imagine.
I recommend it to all of you!
Let me know what you think about it in comment section.
© Kishor Kumar Suthar
#kishor7suthar #bookreview #booknow #pyscology #selfesteem #bookrecommendations #quotes #pakistani #youthdevelopment #karachi #Pakistan
Book Name: The Power of Self-Esteem
Author: Nathaniel Branden
The Power of Self-Esteem Book was written by Nathaniel Branden, Ph.D., a researcher, and writer. He has done more than anyone to awaken America's Consciousness to the importance of self-esteem. He has written many books on self-esteem including The psychology of self-esteem, honoring the self, How to raise your self-esteem, and the 6 pillars of self-esteem.
In this book, Dr. Brendan explains the true meaning of self-esteem for students and youth, which gives us the power to make our lives. He outlines self-esteem in two terms which are self-efficacy and self-respect.
He quoted some good points that I learned. Self-Esteem play a vital role in our daily life Self-esteem plays a powerful role in the key choices and decisions that shape our lives. Most of people think that self esteem means we feel good about ourselves but no the fact is that self esteem goes beyond just feeling good. He also mentioned that a healthy environment of self esteem help us to adopt Self-Esteem so first we need to adopt it and create a healthy and positive environment for there peoples and especially for young generation and our students. young people need to watch out and read about pseudo Self-Esteem which is what most people practice today's time and adopting it. When we follow the rules of healthy and positive Self-Esteem and adopt Healthy and positive Self-Esteem it helps on work place, increase our performance and Productivity at work.
Dr. Brendan mentions about the obstacles to the growth of self-esteem and how to overcome them. He tells about how healthy self-esteem manifests. He said it makes no sense for a person to have his or her self-esteem at the mercy of factors over which a person has absolutely no control. He said that because knowledge is expanding, high self-esteem people need to make a commitment to lifetime learning. He said this is important not only in economically unstable times. Nathaniel Branden knew the subject matter of self-esteem very well.
Nathaniel Branden does a wonderful job to address this problem which effects our young generation in way you just can't imagine.
I recommend it to all of you!
Let me know what you think about it in comment section.
© Kishor Kumar Suthar
#kishor7suthar #bookreview #booknow #pyscology #selfesteem #bookrecommendations #quotes #pakistani #youthdevelopment #karachi #Pakistan
February 4, 2025
Habla de cómo afecta y como experimentamos nuestra autoestima en ámbito personal y laboral, dando una definición del término bastante acertada, repasando anteriores versiones de distintos psicólogos y filósofos.
Analiza los procesos y conductas asociadas a estímulos que potencian o disminuyen nuestra autoestima y del como le damos importancia a lo que no deberíamos.
Es un un libro técnico, enfocado en la definición y el estudio de la autoestima, no tanto en ayudarte si tienes problemas asociados a la falta de amor propio.
A mi me ha gustado, me quedo con unas cuantas frases y datos.
“De todos los juicios que emitimos en la vida, ninguno es más importante que el juicio que emitimos sobre nosotros mismos”
Analiza los procesos y conductas asociadas a estímulos que potencian o disminuyen nuestra autoestima y del como le damos importancia a lo que no deberíamos.
Es un un libro técnico, enfocado en la definición y el estudio de la autoestima, no tanto en ayudarte si tienes problemas asociados a la falta de amor propio.
A mi me ha gustado, me quedo con unas cuantas frases y datos.
“De todos los juicios que emitimos en la vida, ninguno es más importante que el juicio que emitimos sobre nosotros mismos”
December 30, 2017
This book tells about the importance of self-esteem. The author mentions about the obstacles to the growth of self-esteem and how to overcome them. He tells about how healthy self-esteem manifests. He said it makes no sense for a person to have his or her self-esteem at the mercy of factors over which a person has absolutely no control. He said that because knowledge is expanding, high self-esteem people need to make a commitment to lifetime learning. He said this is important not only in economically unstable times. Nathaniel Branden knew the subject matter of self-esteem very well.
October 2, 2017
This book tells about the importance of self-esteem, the obstacles to the growth of self-esteem and how to overcome them. He tells about how healthy self-esteem manifests. He said it makes no sense for a person to have his or her self-esteem at the mercy of factors over which a person has absolutely no control. Nathaniel Branden knew the subject matter of self-esteem very well.
January 21, 2023
Una lectura corta , es muy introductoria en el tema mi opinión que se debe completar con otras lecturas del mismo autor el cual sugiere en el capítulo final. Ayuda a entender de manera clara los conceptos de autoestima y las implicaciones en ella .
Me quedé con ganas de seguir leyendo.
Me quedé con ganas de seguir leyendo.
July 14, 2018
Mega like n_n
December 3, 2020
Beloved🥰
May 2, 2022
Cortito pero preciso! Muy cool.
October 22, 2022
It was a short read, condensed with valuable information. I never knew a short book such as this would be so informative. I was made aware about a lot of new information and I am glad I read it!
Read
December 27, 2022It was amazing book ever I read.
May 8, 2024
This book teached me nothing, that kids get programmed at the beggining of their age i’v already heard.
February 22, 2025
This is the one and only book I have returned and asked for a refund. Honestly it’s just an extended dictionary of one psychological term.
June 14, 2025
Short and informative, but you need to read his other literary works for complementary informations.
August 24, 2013
What makes Nathaniel Branden more interesting to me than his works in psychology and his writings on self-esteem is his romantic affair with Ayn Rand in the 1960s, at which time he heavily promoted her theories of objectivism and the value of selfishness. I was skeptical of Branden's work in part because of my aversion to Rand, but I was able to evaluate the work for what it was -- an attempt to define the concept of self-esteem and discuss how this can be shaped and nurtured. For me, this work did not offer anything new, but there were a few things I found interesting, the first a concept tied somewhat to the philosophy of Aristotle, Hegel and De Beauvoir, that people are continually unfolding and realizing new potentials:
"[W]e need to remember that the self is not a static, finished entity, but a continually evolving creating, an unfolding of our potentialities, expressed in our choices, decisions, thoughts, judgments, responses, and actions. To view ourselves as basically and unalterably good or bad . . . is to negate the facts of freedom, self-determination, and self-responsibility. We always contain within ourselves the possibility of change. We need never be the prisoner of yesterday's choices."
The idea is not new, but it was a pleasant reminder.
Second, I found Chapter 5, "The Power of Self-Esteem in the Workplace" to be a useful and practical chapter, which can apply not only to workplace dynamics but to classroom dynamics as well. This served as a good reminder for me, as an educator, of the importance of nurturing self-esteem and, relatedly, potential in my students.
Third, I was pleased that Branden recognized that job-related stresses have become greater in the move from "a manufacturing society to an information society," but I feel that he downplays many sociological forces in his work, focusing instead solely on psychological factors. Despite some flaws, I prefer the psychology of Freud and the Freudians in the sense that they do acknowledge more the interplay between the two.
And finally, I found it both distasteful and humorous that Branden writes repeatedly throughout that self-esteem is about valuing who one is, and not about making oneself seem better than others ("People with high self-esteem are not driven to make themselves superior to others; they do not seek to prove their value by measuring themselves up against a comparative standard. Their joy is in being who they are, not in being better than someone else"), and yet the book's cover (perhaps this was not his doing, but part of the publisher's marketing gimmicks)says "Nathaniel Branden has done more than anyone to awaken America's consciousness to the importance of self-esteem." It seems a bit hypocritical. And, I would have to read some of his other books before making an informed decision, but based on what I have read so far, I think that this cover claim is a stretch of the truth.
The work has some merits -- a good attempt to define what self-esteem is, why it is important, how it is developed/nurtured and how it applies to the workplace -- but nothing profound should be expected. A good introductory work, perhaps, but nothing significant is offered from either a theoretical or a practical standpoint.
"[W]e need to remember that the self is not a static, finished entity, but a continually evolving creating, an unfolding of our potentialities, expressed in our choices, decisions, thoughts, judgments, responses, and actions. To view ourselves as basically and unalterably good or bad . . . is to negate the facts of freedom, self-determination, and self-responsibility. We always contain within ourselves the possibility of change. We need never be the prisoner of yesterday's choices."
The idea is not new, but it was a pleasant reminder.
Second, I found Chapter 5, "The Power of Self-Esteem in the Workplace" to be a useful and practical chapter, which can apply not only to workplace dynamics but to classroom dynamics as well. This served as a good reminder for me, as an educator, of the importance of nurturing self-esteem and, relatedly, potential in my students.
Third, I was pleased that Branden recognized that job-related stresses have become greater in the move from "a manufacturing society to an information society," but I feel that he downplays many sociological forces in his work, focusing instead solely on psychological factors. Despite some flaws, I prefer the psychology of Freud and the Freudians in the sense that they do acknowledge more the interplay between the two.
And finally, I found it both distasteful and humorous that Branden writes repeatedly throughout that self-esteem is about valuing who one is, and not about making oneself seem better than others ("People with high self-esteem are not driven to make themselves superior to others; they do not seek to prove their value by measuring themselves up against a comparative standard. Their joy is in being who they are, not in being better than someone else"), and yet the book's cover (perhaps this was not his doing, but part of the publisher's marketing gimmicks)says "Nathaniel Branden has done more than anyone to awaken America's consciousness to the importance of self-esteem." It seems a bit hypocritical. And, I would have to read some of his other books before making an informed decision, but based on what I have read so far, I think that this cover claim is a stretch of the truth.
The work has some merits -- a good attempt to define what self-esteem is, why it is important, how it is developed/nurtured and how it applies to the workplace -- but nothing profound should be expected. A good introductory work, perhaps, but nothing significant is offered from either a theoretical or a practical standpoint.
June 21, 2023
A decent primer on "self-esteem". Two things stood out particularly for me from this book:
1) The very helpful manner in which the author defines self-esteem...in terms of our:
- feeling of worthiness,
- ability to make good decisions,
- ethics,
- willingness to make self-improvements without feeling like it takes anything away from our self-esteem.
2) The insightful discussions of the roots of low self-esteem (e.g. witnessing parents fighting with each other during childhood) and how certain personality traits (e.g. competitive nature, excess focus on success/self-promotion, being too critical of others, etc.) actually mask any deficiencies in self-esteem.
I took off one star because of the way the author equates the ability to improve self-esteem with the ability to make rational decisions. One can argue that rationality is subjective and decisions that ignore the heart are not always the best decisions.
1) The very helpful manner in which the author defines self-esteem...in terms of our:
- feeling of worthiness,
- ability to make good decisions,
- ethics,
- willingness to make self-improvements without feeling like it takes anything away from our self-esteem.
2) The insightful discussions of the roots of low self-esteem (e.g. witnessing parents fighting with each other during childhood) and how certain personality traits (e.g. competitive nature, excess focus on success/self-promotion, being too critical of others, etc.) actually mask any deficiencies in self-esteem.
I took off one star because of the way the author equates the ability to improve self-esteem with the ability to make rational decisions. One can argue that rationality is subjective and decisions that ignore the heart are not always the best decisions.
July 28, 2009
I think i like more action oriented books. This book is not one of them. Reading definitions and examples is not enough to learn a subject. There should be home works where you can apply what you think you learned to real world situations too..
So far, i have read two books of this author (the other one is "The Psychology of Self-Esteem: A Revolutionary Approach to Self-Understanding that Launched a New Era in Modern Psychology"). He seems to be one of the pioneers of this field but i did not like writing style (presentation) of both of the books.
So far, i have read two books of this author (the other one is "The Psychology of Self-Esteem: A Revolutionary Approach to Self-Understanding that Launched a New Era in Modern Psychology"). He seems to be one of the pioneers of this field but i did not like writing style (presentation) of both of the books.
March 10, 2015
This book seems to be a condensed version of the author's previous book "6 pillars of self-esteem." It covers what self-esteem is, where it comes, self-esteem and work, and self-esteem and achievement. As a person who likes to get to the point, I found it to be a great overview of the author's philosophy. I would not recommend reading this book instead of the full work but more as a companion to it. The 6 pillars of self-esteem is around 400 hundred pages so this book is a nice refresher to have around.
March 21, 2016
I was listening to an audiobook and I didn't like it mainly because he was talking about topics which somehow are related to self-esteem but not about self-esteem itself. Perhaps I need to read the 6 pillars about it.
I got 3 pearls from this book:
>> Repressing anger leads to depression; unlocking repressed anger casts out depression
>> Strange complains from intelligent women (housewives or at low profile jobs) are solved quickly when they get to work which stimulates their intelect
>> Personal integrity is the core of self-esteem
I got 3 pearls from this book:
>> Repressing anger leads to depression; unlocking repressed anger casts out depression
>> Strange complains from intelligent women (housewives or at low profile jobs) are solved quickly when they get to work which stimulates their intelect
>> Personal integrity is the core of self-esteem
June 20, 2023
The Longest Book I have read so far "𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕆𝕗 𝕊𝕖𝕝𝕗-𝔼𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕞" This book is associated with psychological power of self-esteem the author is from the psychological background itself. Must read the book it has taken me longer than usual to complete this whole book. But finally, I did it.
The six pillars of self-esteem
▶️Living Consciously
▶️Self-responsibility
▶️Self-acceptance
▶️Self-awareness
▶️Living purposefully
▶️Avoid negativity
The six pillars of self-esteem
▶️Living Consciously
▶️Self-responsibility
▶️Self-acceptance
▶️Self-awareness
▶️Living purposefully
▶️Avoid negativity
Read
October 8, 2012Book covers various aspects connected with self-esteem formation and what various things can be roadblocks from a child's developmental years/etc. from truly developing as much of good self esteem as one should have to function well in the world.
January 13, 2015
Not very interesting and the writing was somewhat patronizing. Disappointed at Branden.
December 5, 2016
amazing book which explains many behaviors
November 1, 2020
Nice, good if you want to know more about the topic. Otherwise not very oriented on practicing, as other Branden's books are.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews