this is a funny little book. the people in it and their interests are very '70s, and some of the examples of the recommended techniques sound silly - telling yourself aloud to STOP when you catch yourself thinking of someone, picturing a person in a repulsive manner (i really don't want to give the imagery on that one). the thing is though, i can really picture these things working, and many psychological theories are cited to back them up.
i can't say whether i'm a lab rat for whether they do, b/c fortunately by the time i found this book, i didn't really need it, and to be honest, by the time one realizes they should pick up this book, perhaps they're done too. i read it anyway though out of curiosity about how 185 pages, as opposed to an article in, say, redbook, could be devoted to this topic. i might hang onto it just in case i need it down the road.
it does suggest some worthwhile exercises in mental self-exploration, and make some good points: "no matter how clearly you see that a particular emotional behavior is unhelpful to you, rational insight alone will not equip you to behave in a different fashion."