PERSONAL HABIT CONTROL

by Peter M. Miller ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 9, 1978

Miller assails the terrible trio of habit--smoking, overeating, and problem drinking--with more gusto than taste. His basic premise is that all three are learned behaviors that are ""developed and maintained in similar ways and that they can all be broken using similar self-control techniques."" There follows an unveiling of behavior modification tips that sometimes fall little short of desperate--one husband-and-wife team sought to cure smoking and overeating habits by penalizing each other's lapses with contributions to the Ku Klux Klan and John Birch Society. The bulk of the techniques deal with observation of personal-habit patterns, planning ahead to eliminate temptation, developing alternative activities (including physical and mental relaxation), and countering the potentially destructive effect of ""friendly enemies"" (""Marge went out of her way to make that dessert for me tonight""). By the time one has filled one's days with endless forms indicating at what time, where, and with whom the fatal urge struck, and manipulated one's lifestyle around the all-consuming mission, the entire project begins to loom as a substitute addiction.

Pub Date: Feb. 9, 1978

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1978

Categories: NONFICTION