Reviews

Select Reviews for Life Happens

“I loved the book! It´s really so deceptively simple, easy to understand and yet the more you read it, the more profound it becomes. It is powerful and lifechanging and goes beyond those books [that are] so unforgiving of individual weaknesses and the ups and downs of daily life. This book gives the tools and, more importantly, the space to feel that it´s OK to not always know best.”

Dr Sanda Ionescu, Sociologist and Business Coach

“Cheryl Rezek has rendered a great service to everyone who has ever wondered why life isn’t quite what we want, or expect, it to be. Her clear and accessible explanation of the mix of genes, environment and experiences that have shaped who we are provides a firm foundation for simple, yet profound, instructions on how to regain a sense of balance and perspective. Dr Rezek brings the ancient practice of mindfulness firmly into the 21st century, harnessing its quiet power to offer everyone the possibility of becoming more aware of the present moment and more responsible for our actions and their consequences. … it will provide the support that will enable us to ‘tread caringly and carefully’ through life, balancing strength and flexibility and clearly seeing the links between our actions and their consequences.”

Pip Hardy, Director of Pilgrim Projects and co-founder of the Patient Voices Programme

“What a remarkable book – original, immediately engaging and funny. One can´t help but get taken along by the insight, gentleness and remarkable ability of the author to make a statement that stops you dead in your tracks. It really is a book for everyone and it has a charm all of its own.”

Dr Erica Warner, Clinical Psychologist

“I started reading Life Happens with a series of questions in my head. I hadn’t expected that it would also provide such an essential guide for self-awareness and professional development for all mental health practitioners. The book is presented in an immediately accessible way. The accompanying CDs give a real voice to the author, but the text also feels like a conversation that engages the reader in a nurturing dialogue.”

Ian Noonan, Mental Health Lecturer, Kings College London.

“Life Happens is a book that I know I will read many times. Cheryl Rezek combines the depth of knowledge that comes from an experienced clinical psychologist with humour and easy advice. It encourages you to both like yourself and to recognize and deal with issues. It is a journey I can recommend!”

Roger Puttick, Marketing CEO

“I found this book extremely readable and thought provoking. In our sometimes very busy and need to aim high world, it made refl ecting on the past and its effects on the future understandable. It is an easy book to dip in and out of.”

Maureen Kirby, Administrator

“I found the book very easy to engage with, it felt witty in places and a useful tool for the types of clients we see here. It’s really good that CD’s (have been provided) to enable the user to follow the exercises and be able to do this as a means to begin to make changes in their own time and at their own pace.”

Roy Brazington, Cascaid HIV/AIDS/Hepatitis C Services

“The recordings most clearly show Rezek´s strengths as a teacher. Her voice is very pleasant to listen to, and conveyed to me a sense of warmth and gentleness, combined with precision. [Her] work as a clinical psychologist deeply informs her writing, which shine light on the mental processes that create much of our suffering, and which recognize our complexity as human beings … and I suspect many people … will have “aha!” moments of self-recognition, and will feel relieved to have put a finger on what has been hindering their happiness. I suspect most people for whom this book would be useful will simply be focused on, and grateful for, the content. “Life Happens” (the book and CDs) could potentially benefit many people, and I hope Rezek´s work finds a wide audience.”

Bodhipaksa, Wildmind

“The book’s … real strength comes in its practical suggestions and through using friendly language, which provides the reader an effective and straightforward approach to life and well-being. It focuses on the present and uses strategies relevant for everyday contexts. Therefore, though ‘living in the here-and-now’ is not a new idea of cultivating mindfulness, the book should prove accessible to a wide audience.”

British Psychological Society Review, Qing Wang, PhD student, University of Bristol