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10 Steps to Positive Living
You can feel confident about life and gain an optimistic outlook with Windy Dryden's practical, straightforward advice. These ten steps will encourage you to take control, be flexible, accept reality, come to like and be fair to yourself, accept change and improve your relationships with others. You can follow the steps in order, or use them individually to attain your goals. Either way, these few basic guidelines for happy living will equip you to tackle anything life can throw at you.
144 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 1994
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127 people want to read
About the author
Windy Dryden
392 books57 followersWindy Dryden is one of the leading practitioners and trainers in the UK in the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) tradition of psychotherapy. He is best known for his work in Rational-Emotive Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (RECBT), a leading CBT approach. He has been working in the field of counselling and psychotherapy since 1975 and was one of the first people in Britain to be trained in CBT and has trained with Drs. Albert Ellis, Aaron T. Beck, and Arnold Lazarus.
He has published over 200 books and has trained therapists all over the world, in as diverse places as the UK, the USA, South Africa, Turkey, and Israel.
He is Emeritus Professor of Psychotherapeutic Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London.
He has published over 200 books and has trained therapists all over the world, in as diverse places as the UK, the USA, South Africa, Turkey, and Israel.
He is Emeritus Professor of Psychotherapeutic Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 8, 2018
A little book that covers a lot of ground. As a result, it's fairly shallow, with few, and sometimes rather cheesy, examples. It's a quick read though, and gives a bit of an overview of some of the ideas underlying Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Recommended for people whose mental health is mostly good.
December 23, 2018
Surprisingly useful, to reference back to
September 14, 2015
Mmm can't be bothered finishing it - says it all
February 14, 2021
Page references in this review are from 1994 Sheldon press edition with cover by John Erasmus.
Firstly the book is called 10 steps to positive living yet the cover shows only 8 steps unless you count the ground and landing.
I really liked the concept of this book but upon reading it wasn't quite what I expected. It started off well and there are alot of good concepts, I liked the takes about anxiety, constructive approaches to productivity and mindset, self-esteem and acceptance and hobbies.
However; the author addresses specific gender pronouns (she/her/he/him) and frames these around ideas which seemed to link negative notions to females. This annoyed me throughout the book, may be a nod to mysoginistic past notions as author was born in the 50s.
Page 33 - "Such a person is likely to have a very poor opinion of herself, may tend to be exceptionally needy and will do anything to please you."
Page 74 - "... Since the other person is basically a human being with problems, weaknesses and failings, these may well lead her to act in a way which may be at times hurtful to you. "
Pages 76 and 77 also make references specifically to men (he/him),
Page 77 - "show him respect by listening to him without interruption".
All references throughout should be neutral so they can be relatable to the reader and this is done well for the majority of the book but should be consistent.
Author gets on the defence really quickly to explain away the age old generalisation 'all men are only after one thing'.
On hobbies and interests - God forbid you are a trainspotter as you may be offended but sure doesn't the author explain this away and you should be proud of it and your hobbies ... 🙄
Except for the cautionary tale of the jealous man who neglects his baby and wife for his trainspotting perhaps Dryden had the hots for her and was a bit jealous himself. Maybe a few rocky relationships himself to explain the way women are sometimes mentioned in this as causing men hurt etc?
Step 7 had some really good content about scientific, critical and creative thinking which I appreciated although the way author speaks about some of his own studies seem like he himself is not following his own advice on not becoming "overly invested in proving to yourself that your hypothesis are true."
Also contradictory statements on being true to yourself and doing what you enjoy, light nod to hedonism, using your deathbed 'what-ifs' to only do what you enjoy but then saying to persist with hobbies you might not enjoy and give them 3 chances before throwing the towel in.
All in all, don't get me wrong I did enjoy parts of this book, the voice was annoying in places a bit smarmy, egotistical. I have no doubt that the author is well educated in the subject matter but I think that the multiple nods to other books especially his own books show more of a desire to push many books out the door for money or reputation. I am also surprised no one else has picked up on some of the things here or got mildly irked about them, or that nothing like this was pulled out in editing phase before publication such as the reference to consistent addressing of the reader or subject in the same way.
I would still invite people to read this book and form their own opinions and to take the steps as a guide or see if there are any philosophies they can relate to/live by in their own lives. I might consider reading other books in the series and not write them all off based on this as I did enjoy bits and pieces which seemed helpful.
I hate to leave such a cynical review but the book didn't resonate as I thought and it's a bit counterproductive coming away from a book on positive living feeling a little more disturbed based upon the content...
Firstly the book is called 10 steps to positive living yet the cover shows only 8 steps unless you count the ground and landing.
I really liked the concept of this book but upon reading it wasn't quite what I expected. It started off well and there are alot of good concepts, I liked the takes about anxiety, constructive approaches to productivity and mindset, self-esteem and acceptance and hobbies.
However; the author addresses specific gender pronouns (she/her/he/him) and frames these around ideas which seemed to link negative notions to females. This annoyed me throughout the book, may be a nod to mysoginistic past notions as author was born in the 50s.
Page 33 - "Such a person is likely to have a very poor opinion of herself, may tend to be exceptionally needy and will do anything to please you."
Page 74 - "... Since the other person is basically a human being with problems, weaknesses and failings, these may well lead her to act in a way which may be at times hurtful to you. "
Pages 76 and 77 also make references specifically to men (he/him),
Page 77 - "show him respect by listening to him without interruption".
All references throughout should be neutral so they can be relatable to the reader and this is done well for the majority of the book but should be consistent.
Author gets on the defence really quickly to explain away the age old generalisation 'all men are only after one thing'.
On hobbies and interests - God forbid you are a trainspotter as you may be offended but sure doesn't the author explain this away and you should be proud of it and your hobbies ... 🙄
Except for the cautionary tale of the jealous man who neglects his baby and wife for his trainspotting perhaps Dryden had the hots for her and was a bit jealous himself. Maybe a few rocky relationships himself to explain the way women are sometimes mentioned in this as causing men hurt etc?
Step 7 had some really good content about scientific, critical and creative thinking which I appreciated although the way author speaks about some of his own studies seem like he himself is not following his own advice on not becoming "overly invested in proving to yourself that your hypothesis are true."
Also contradictory statements on being true to yourself and doing what you enjoy, light nod to hedonism, using your deathbed 'what-ifs' to only do what you enjoy but then saying to persist with hobbies you might not enjoy and give them 3 chances before throwing the towel in.
All in all, don't get me wrong I did enjoy parts of this book, the voice was annoying in places a bit smarmy, egotistical. I have no doubt that the author is well educated in the subject matter but I think that the multiple nods to other books especially his own books show more of a desire to push many books out the door for money or reputation. I am also surprised no one else has picked up on some of the things here or got mildly irked about them, or that nothing like this was pulled out in editing phase before publication such as the reference to consistent addressing of the reader or subject in the same way.
I would still invite people to read this book and form their own opinions and to take the steps as a guide or see if there are any philosophies they can relate to/live by in their own lives. I might consider reading other books in the series and not write them all off based on this as I did enjoy bits and pieces which seemed helpful.
I hate to leave such a cynical review but the book didn't resonate as I thought and it's a bit counterproductive coming away from a book on positive living feeling a little more disturbed based upon the content...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2024
Simple and easy to follow instructions, beneficial to my life
February 25, 2024
Some useful and actionable things in there. Read the French version, translation was poor and edition had few issues
July 17, 2025
Chill guide to being optimistic and not caring
October 13, 2015
Motivational very positive book : I loved it. I think I'm gonna read it again after some time to really appreciate the theories and the exercices... To be continued :)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews