Human behavior, Dr. Burns and Feeling Good!

I have always been a student of human behavior. I find it fascinating- why do people behave the way they do, the way they react to different situations and the way they deal with stress- are all questions that I find intriguing and incredibly interesting. It is no surprise then that I tend to read a lot of human behavior/ psychology related books.

Recently, I found one at my cousin sister's place in San Diego, that I can stack up against the very best in the subject. Titled "Feeling Good" and written by Dr. David Burns, it is the best treatise on cognitive behavioral therapy I have read. The premise of the cognitive model of human behavior is based on three simple ideas-
a) We feel the way we think.
b) Anxiety results from distorted, illogical thoughts. He clearly lays out 10 mental distortions and the way to deal with each.
c) When we change we think by correcting the distortions, we can change the way we feel.
Very simple, and very powerful.

I read the book over a weekend and got so taken in by it that I ordered his others books- When Panic Attacks, Ten Days to Self Esteem and The Feeling Good Handbook. I would highly recommend When Panic Attacks because the book builds on the foundation of CBT and takes it to another level by combining it with other techniques to reduce or completely eliminate anxiety.

Having read all these books, I am glad I was browsing my sister's library in San Diego when I was there a couple of months back, otherwise I would not have been introduced to one of the finest students of human behavior of our times!