Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I recently read an interview Ethan Kross did with a magazine publication (I can't remember which? The Atlantic?) where he shared some of his techniques to deal with inner chatter. At the end of the article it stated that his new book would be released on January 26. I was excited. I counted down the days until it was on the shelves and picked it up from Barnes & Noble the day it was released. I had been scouring the internet for a psychology book that dealt with the topic of self-talk. I didn't want it to be overly-complicated nor overly-simplified (I tend to find that pop psychology often falls into the latter category.) What Kross offers is an entertaining, light-science, intelligent, and incredibly useful book to deal with the internal conversations we have with ourselves. It was exactly the book I had been trying to find on the subject. Kross's ability to use clear, easy-to-understand examples but not draw them out too long is perfect. Many authors unfortunately commit the common sin of using examples that drag on and on until tedium turns into disinterest and you're forced to put the book down. Not with Kross. He is keenly aware of how to pace his writing, knows when to use an example and how to bring it around to his point with a sharp and effective edge. He also plays the fiction writer's game of leaving cliff-hangers at the end of chapters to keep momentum. Smart. Chatter, in its entirety, is a book of substance. Every sentence counts, every point coheres, and every tip and tool are practical. Instead of summarizing at the end of each chapter, Kross summarizes his main points after the conclusion of the book--a nice touch in my opinion. The primary take-away from Kross' book is how you can reframe how you talk to yourself and the incredible effect that can have on your (and others') well-being, especially during hard times. I would have liked to see a chapter on actual examples of positive things you can say, affirmative action statements, statements of willingness etc, but he leaves what you say kind of up to you. All in all I am very pleased with Chatter. I'm glad I spent the money on it and look forward to any future work he might release.