Full of charts and assignments, this book has no use for discovering why you might feel low. Instead it uses cognitive behavioural therapy which means think about it a different way and you'll feel different. "Your thoughts--not events--create your moods. Bad things that happen do not really cause us to become upset. We get upset because of the way we think about these events", explains Burns. If you have persistent negative thoughts, Burns suggests a cost-benefit analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of thinking that way. Seeing it written down makes it much easier to challenge.

The idea of Burns' approach is to raise self-esteem to the point that self seeks to matter. That, says Burns, is incredibly freeing. His approach links self-improvement to the Buddhist ladder to nirvana, combining eastern and western thought in an easy-to-use practical package. --Laura Marcus