Disappointing and shallow

Based on reviews on Amazon, I purchased this book expecting great things, but it left me very, very disappointed.

Having just read two wonderful books by the Arbinger Institute ("Leadership and Self Deception" and "The Anatomy of Peace"), I was very interested in the HeartMath approach to clear thinking, decision making, and leadership. I had hoped for a book that would challenge me to think differently about my approach and relationships with others. But, instead of deep thinking, this book merely features a handful of techniques designed to leave a person in control of a moment.

The techniques themselves are defined in just a few pages, and the rest of the book feels dedicated to convincing you that others believe the few tips are meaningful. And what really turned me off was the regular suggestion that a CD of music--composed by the author and available at additional expense, of course--would really help one achieve the state of Freeze Frame.

I found this book quite shallow. Maybe I'd feel differently had I not been somewhat profoundly moved and challenged by the Arbinger Institute books, but I have not and cannot recommend this book to anyone.

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Simple solution to life stresses

We've all seen around us some people who, whenever things go wrong, seem to have this knack of riding over storms easily and picking themselves up again. Is it all in the mind? They must be able to curb the negative thoughts churning inside their heads. What allows them to do that? By looking on the bright side of things and appreciating what they see.

According to the author and the HeartMath Institute he heads, Freeze Frame is a technique that allows us to be like the resilient ones described above. Simply put, you take your mind off the stressful situation and focus on your heart. Then you think of something pleasant and feel it in your heart. Personally, I practice this technique and can attest to its effectiveness. It is simple and easy to do. It is scientifically proven. In fact, what this book has done is to explain in medical and scientifc terms what most of us have known intuitively - our heart needs to work with our mind so that we can have inner peace and harmony. When our heart and mind are entrained, we enjoy better health and relationships.

However, this technique's simplicity may also be its Achilles' heel. Some people doubt its effectiveness, while others may find it hard to remember to practice it regularly. Without regular practice, which is necessary to help build the heart 'muscle', one does not enjoy the benefits mentioned in the book.

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An excellent technique to begin with

This new edition of Freeze Frame makes one of the first and key tools of the HeartMath system even more accessible and attractive. It offers a most valuable technique: recognize and freeze the stressful frame of life, shift away from the mind and focus on the heart, step into a resourceful state, tap into one's heart intelligence, and come up with alternative solutions. Much sound research by people like Rollin McCraty and William A. Tiller undergirds such simple techniques. It works and it is so streamlined and clearly packaged that anyone can learn and master. I hope it will continue to serve many people. That is why I rate the book with 5 stars. My one reservation in reading through all the seven books by the author and a few others by the staff of the HeartMath Institute is the authors'tendency to reduce all the beautiful research down to a few key techniques and concepts repeated over and over in most of the books. I long for further developments. Coming from a background immersed in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), I hope people can be taught to generate their own techniques in changing their perceptions and develop a fuller and resourceful life by tapping into the unique role of heart intelligence.

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