New Psycho-Cybernetics: The Original Science of Self-Improvement and Success That Has Changed the Lives of 30 Million People

Just finished this book and I am going to start reading it again. It has so many important points and helpful tools in overcoming issues we create for ourselves, often in autopilot. There’s a lot to remember which is why I intend to keep reading over and over until most of its content becomes second nature. I know if I get to that point life will be incredibly different to what it is now for me, for the better.

This book is profoundly good. Do not let the artificial sounding title put you off - it contains chapter after chapter of elegantly written guidance for living. It is evident in the writing that this is the result of not years but decades of observation by Maltz. The chapter on negative emotional habits is in itself worth the money. I bought the book to try to resolve 11 years of tension headaches. After reading teh first chapter, I stopped reading in order to try out some ideas. The headaches are improving, but almost as importantly, I have learnt so much more about myself. Not speculative, extrapolated ideas of the author, but the result of close observations of patients who were councelled before cosmetic surgery. In many cases, the intended facial surgery was canceled, to be replaced by surgery of attitude. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Interesting read

If anyone wanting to learn more in self development I would recommend this book.

This is one of the best motivational books I've ever read - possibly THE best. Originally published in 1960, it was clearly ahead of its time. Dr Maltz not only describes in the book how positive mental imagery can help set you on a course towards achieving your goals, but he uses examples of scientific research to back-up his theories on how this mechanism works. Maltz compared the brain to a super-efficient computer system that is programmed by our thoughts (hence the name "cybernetics") - it is up to us, he said, to get the programming right. He also wrote about the power of relaxation and visualisation, subjects that are discussed by motivational writers today, but usually in a more glib way and with less scientific reasoning. The book also contains several practice exercises designed to replace negative thought patterns with positive ones and to facilitate relaxation. A very worthwhile read.

I read this book a long while ago in the original format and have since read and reread this later version. The words of Dr Maltz were ground breaking for our modern world when written. They remain so to this day, indeed I wonder if there is more of a need for many to consider his words as the pressure of our fast paced world impacts on us all so much more. The speed and ambition of our world is not set to slow down - we all know that it will only get faster. So enjoy the magic in this book and see how it can be used with powerful effect in your life.

This is one of those timeless self-development books. It's credited with having started off the modern self-development movement, and it's certainly a classic of its time. However, it is 'of its time'. A great deal of the content is excellent - priceless, even - but you'll perhaps find some more up-to-date techniques on the internet. Having said that, what keeps this updated volume at five stars is the very clear writing style, and the breaking down of the ideas into easy-to-swallow bites. When I was reading this, I found myself dehypnotised from a great deal of negative beliefs which had been building up over a period of months and years. I highly recommend it.

To be honest, I've yet to finish the book as it challenged me from the first few pages onwards. It's an eye opener and I only wish I had the guts to see it through.

Este livro destrincha o sistema chamado psico cibernética, criado pelo cirurgião plástico Maxwell Maltz com base em suas observações sobre seus pacientes, seus motivos e impedimentos na busca da felicidade. Aqui ele introduz conceitos que foram usados exaustivamente por grandes nomes no campo da autoajuda e profissionais afins nos anos que se seguiram à publicação da primeira edição deste livro. É uma leitura muito interessante, para ser feita com calma e atenção, e parte do princípio de que antes de mudar qualquer coisa na sua vida, você precisa mudar a autoimagem que você construiu para si mesmo desde o seu nascimento até os dias atuais. Com esta mudança, tudo pode ser alcançado a curto, médio ou longo prazo, dependendo dos embaraços em que você se meteu ao longo da sua caminhada. Ele ensina vários exercícios, que não fiz. Alguns, na verdade, achei estranhos e desinteressantes. O que me interessava neste livro eram os conceitos e a experiência do Dr. Maltz, coisas sobre as quais ele fala bastante. Recomendo, vale a pena ler.

Greetings: Join us at the Psycho-Cybernetics discussion group on [...] To date, I have bought three hardcover editions of the New Psycho-Cybernetics (NPC): one I gave to a friend, one I take with me to read during the day, and one I keep in my home office to work with on those days when I work at home. I have found it a significant improvement upon the original. (I have used up three paperback versions of the original over the last 10 years.) I remember when I first read the original version of PC, in around 1990. I thought it was somewhat hokey. I used to be an engineer, and I thought it somewhat strange to try to apply feedback control systems theory to people. We are not machines, after all. The strange thing, though, was that the system worked for me. Still, I was somewhat embarrassed about the whole thing, so I sort of kept my dabbling to myself. Then, in the mid-late nineties, I read Fritjof Capra's book, The Web of Life. In that book, Capra talks a lot about systems theory, and he also goes into the history of the original cybernetics group (not Psycho cybernetics, but rather a group of mathematicians, psychologists, biologists, and physicists who collaborated in WWII to create anti-aircraft guns that could effectively track and destroy enemy aircraft). In his discussion, Capra explains that the original cybernetics group's goal was to try to make machines that could do what people and animals do naturally and easily, without conscious thought. They tried to do this, in part, by observing the actions of animals and people. Based on such observation, the group devised the early foundation of what became our modern science of systems control as used in almost every modern electrical/mechanical system. What Maltz tried to do was take a bit of the science and art of systems control and apply it back to people, in an attempt to improve their functioning. I think one of the original cyberneticists, Norbert Weiner, also tried to do this in his book, The Human Use of Human Beings, but I could be wrong. Anyway, because Psycho-Cybernetics is based on systems theory, in contrast to other types of "self help" or positive thinking books, it recognizes that a person trying to achieve her goals is going to fail, and miss what she is pursuing, probably many times on her way to her destination. Rather than candy coating this fact and suggesting "positive thinking," PC suggests feedback control system oriented techniques to use, deal with, and not be completely stymied by such failures. It also provides techniques to help one deal with "drama queen" co-workers and supervisors who seem to go out of their way to provide damaging negative feedback (e.g., ignoring negative feedback in ch. 11, "How to Unlock Your Real Personality"), or retarding how fast responds to negative feed back (e.g., delaying the response, as in ch. 12 "Do It Yourself Tranquilizers that Bring Peace of Mind."). Now, on to the new version of PC: my own opinion is that it is better than the original. Dan follows the original structure of the PC book, and much of the text is in common. However, Dan has buttressed that text with additional examples taken from the many hours of recordings and reams of Maltz' notes that Dan owns. In addition, Dan also provides many practical examples of the successful application of PC techniques that have arisen since the original version of the book was published in 1960. Try NPC. If, like me, you have areas in your life where you would like to do better, I think you will find it useful.

I have enjoyed and learned a lot from reading this book. I will continue to work on myself to live a better life and to also help others along the way. This book is a must read.

L’un des meilleur livre à lire dans une vie

Philosophy explained in a scientific manner that is easy to understand. Highly recommend to everyone who wishes to learn more about the human experience.