'Emotional stress produces physical illness' is the sturdy, and somewhat rusty, hook from which all of Schindler's observations on how to live a better life dangle. Originally published in the pre-biotech era of the mid-1950s, the book introduced readers to the idea that an elevated stress level, related to everything from financial insecurity to the fear of dying, can manifest itself in the nervous and endocrine systems, resulting in symptoms that mimic diseases-a syndrome that Schindler dubbed EII (emotionally induced illness). It is from this familiar, though certainly relevant, concept that Schindler tethers a surplus of one-liner philosophies for achieving happiness: 'Get up on the right side of the bed,' 'Allow yourself the delightful feeling of being happy' and 'Avoid running your misfortune through your mind like a repeating phonograph record.' The introduction to this new edition, by health care journalist Holtz, cautions that 'Schindler's message-that right thoughts bring health and wrong thoughts bring disease'-can be dangerous if carried too far. This warning is essential as one peruses the cheerful, overly simplistic advice (including the prohibition of sex outside marriage) that ultimately-like a phonograph record-has limited relevance to today's world.

Reviewed on: 08/01/2002
Release date: 08/01/2002
Genre: Nonfiction

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