The name-dropping on the first page itself set the tone, that this would be more like a 'surface' look at issues and of course the author has all the tools to help... Having them constantly referred to as dragons, and with cutesy little cartoons, too, just made it seem a tad ridiculous, I'm afraid... And one thing I don't like about such self-help books is it assumes a person knows what their issues are because the tools to deal with them are there - how is someone supposed to know what their issues are? Wouldn't they be doing something about it already if they could figure this out? Why, then, need a professional to diagnose what the issue is?
Not one I'd recommend because it's just too slick and tries to be sciency and 'right', but it comes across forced and fake instead

Really enjoyed this text about the unconscious mind and how it absorbs everything and anything around it. Gives interesting outlook on how to help yourself overcome to subconscious chatter

As someone who has epilepsy, this book was a fascinating read. I love looking at my brain scans, MRIs, and EEG so I found his description interesting. I will say his writing is definitely doctoral. It read like a medical journal at times. Other than that it was interesting. For me, it was like having a conversation with my epileptologist.

A hugely helpful books. The author explains how the brain works in a way that it creates negative mindsets and put them into character, which I liked a lot. I skipped the parts not applying to me and finally understood what's making me act the way I act and how to tackle these behaviors.

An in-depth book about your brain and the dirty dragons that often keep us in a negative mindset. There is a lot of information in this book. Dr. Amen speaks of these dragons like characters, and the control these characters can have over you. He gives examples and shares stories and offers suggestions on taming these dragons.

I've always enjoyed reading Dr. Daniel Amen's books. This is another good one and gives you lots of information about negative thoughts and how to change your way of thinking. I read the e-book version but this is the type of book I'd like to have a paperback of and be able to underline, take notes and refer back to over the years.

He gives lots of ideas for taking care of your brain...mostly common sense but it always seems like I need a good reminder of these things. Plus, I find it helpful to read about his real-life patients and their stories.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This was a quick read. I did like how the techniques were broken down, so they were easier to do and understand. A very helpful book.

I wasn't a huge fan of this book, my copy was particularly hard to read (formatting/spelling issues) and I felt like the book could have been condensed considerably.

I talked about this book in this video, starting around 3:45: https://youtu.be/l5gbiwqc2yg

The past year of global pandemic and shutdown of normal life has given us way too much time to think about the negative things and reactions we’ve had to them. This timely and easily approachable book from one of the best known psychiatrists is a guide to taking these dragons by the reigns and coming out better on the other side.

Thanks to Tyndale Momentum and NetGalley Doran Advanced copy.

This was a quick read. I enjoyed the breakdown bites of information, although, a lot of it felt like common sense for the average person. I feel it's a beneficial read to anyone wanting to learn cognitive ways to sort out some psychological issues like anxiety.

First of all, I love Dr. Amen. Although he has been a controversial figure for some, I have found his books, clinics and information to be consistently solid. On four separate occasions, I have referred clients to his clinics after multiple treatment options for mental health issues have failed. On every occasion, they have been able to get a handle on the issues after visiting the Amen Clinic. The Amen Clinics use SPECT scans of the brain in order to diagnose and treat. Dr. Amen’s books outline how to have good “brain health” and he asserts that what we call “mental health” issues are really “brain health” issues. Personally, I don’t like a lot of his advice (I have to give up bread??? waaah), but I can see that his advice is based on research and solid.

My only complaint about this book is that it has so much information! It literally could be four or five books. Some of my angst about it is probably due to reading an advance reader copy on the Kindle; I suggest buying this book in hard copy, because 1. it would be great to just have handy as a reference and 2. I think it would be easier to manage the information.

This book reminds me of one of my favorite books, called “Taming Your Gremlin” by Rick Carson. Basically, it’s an externalizing technique where Dr. Amen outlines all of the “Dragons” that we might have running around in our heads, either from the past, from our experiences, or from other people. For example, you might have a “should” dragon, or an “angry” dragon. The first two sections of the book outline multiple “Dragons” you might suffer with, along with some suggestions about how you might know if you have this dragon and what you can do about it.

Next he addresses the thoughts that fuel the Dragons, and outlines them as “ANTs” – automatic negative thoughts. These are similar to the cognitive distortions we would find with CBT. It’s nice because he will say you can have an “All or Nothing” ANT, and then he will say which of the Dragons are fueled by this kind of thinking.

Next he discusses “Bad Habit Dragons”, like saying yes too much, or being disorganized. And he warns about forces outside of us that really try to get us into bad habits, like the food industry, or the internet/social media and how to cope with these “pushers”.

Lastly, he gives us a new, modified 12-step program that can help us combat all of these issues – and in this section he gives us lots of specific nutritional and supplement information based on your individual dragons and your brain type. (You can take a quiz about your brain type at www.brainhealthassessment.com). I have always loved Dr. Amen’s books, but he’s really outdone himself this time.