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The Tools  By  cover art

The Tools

By: Barry Michels, Phil Stutz
Narrated by: Phil Stutz, Barry Michels
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Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “I love the life these tools have allowed me to have.”—JONAH HILL, director of Stutz

Change can begin right now. Learn to bring about dynamic personal growth using five uniquely effective tools—from psychotherapist Barry Michels and psychiatrist Phil Stutz, subject of the Netflix documentary
Stutz, directed by Jonah Hill.

“These tools are emotional game changers. They do nothing less than deliver you to your best and most powerful self.”—Kathy Freston, author of Quantum Wellness

The Tools offers a solution to the biggest complaint patients have about therapy: the interminable wait for change to begin. The traditional therapeutic model sets its sights on the past, but psychiatrist Phil Stutz and psychotherapist Barry Michels employ an arsenal of techniques—“the tools”—that allow patients to use their problems as levers that access the power of the unconscious and propel them into action. Suddenly, through this transformative approach, obstacles become new chances—to find courage, embrace discipline, develop self-expression, deepen creativity.

A dynamic, results-oriented practice, The Tools aims to deliver relief from persistent problems and restore control and hope right away. Every day presents challenges—big and small—that the tools transform into opportunities to bring about bold and dramatic change in your life. Stutz and Michels teach you how to:

Get Unstuck: Master the things you are avoiding and live in forward motion.
Control Anger: Free yourself from out-of-control rage and never-ending grudges.
Express Yourself: Learn the secret of true confidence and find your authentic voice.
Combat Anxiety: Stop obsessive worrying and negative thinking.
Find Discipline: Activate willpower and make the most of every minute.

With The Tools, Stutz and Michels allow you to realize the full range of your potential. Their goal is nothing less than for your life to become exceptional—exceptional in its resiliency, in its experience of real happiness, and in its understanding of the human spirit.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2012 Barry Michels and Phil Stutz (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"With deceptively potent visualization exercises, psychiatrist Stutz and psychotherapist Michels promote a rapid and streamlined method of self-improvement.... The clear, user-friendly approach plus a belief that "the power of higher forces is absolutely real" is a winning combination. Here is the rare self-help book that doesntt end with the self" (Publishers Weekly)

"Barry Michels and Phil Stutz are profoundly talented guides to the inner workings of the psyche. The Tools is breakthrough material that ignites your own capacity to transform your life" (Marianne Williamson)
"These tools are emotional game changers; they can help you work through conflicts, get happier, and feel a deep sense of purpose. As simple and practical as they are, they do nothing less than deliver you to your best and most powerful self" Kathy Freston, author of Quantum Wellness: A Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness)

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You Owe It to Yourself to Try

Where does The Tools rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's the most important audiobook I've ever read, hands down. This may ultimately be the most life-changing book I'll ever read. If it doesn't change my life, it will be because I didn't work hard enough with the tools every day. This is not so much a self-help book as it is an existential guidebook to the universe.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Tools?

Barry tells about how he discovered, while talking to his very skeptical friend, that all the adversity we face in life is meant to get us to access the Higher Forces. It helped me to answer the question of suffering very clearly. Earlier in the book, Barry refers to Victor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning," in which Frankl recounts how he persevered in the Nazi death camps by holding onto the fact that the Nazi's could not take away his right to determine his response to his suffering. In my case, most of my suffering is not a result of human evil. I was born with a genetic progressive neuro-muscular disability, and now I am fighting day by day to survive. When I read Frankl years ago, I was very moved, but I didn't get satisfaction from the answer that I am in control of my response to my circumstances. I had nobody to point to as the cause of my circumstances but God, yet I couldn't bring myself to be angry at God the way Frankl was angry will the Nazi's. The standard Christian answer is that God let suffering into the world in response to the sins of the first humans, or that satan is the cause of suffering, not God. C.S. Lewis said that suffering in life was to prepare us to spend eternity with God, and we would become better people through our suffering. I now think Barry's definitely on the right track. The adversity is not to make us better people or to punish us for the sins of the first humans. For us to access the Divine, to get to know God, and to have compassionate, meaningful lives, we need to access the Higher Forces. To access the Higher Forces, we have to have problems, pain, and emptiness, or else we will not understand courage, love, inclusiveness, compassion, or creativity. These gifts are available to us all, but in first world countries, we are all tempted to either believe that humans can solve their own problems, or that there is a "treatment" for all suffering, whether mental, physical, or spiritual. The Tools are not cures, but they help you to access Higher Forces, which I call God, which makes life a powerful, divine undertaking.

Have you listened to any of Phil Stutz and Barry Michels ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

If Barry wanted another career as a reader for Audible, he could easily do so. He's in the top ten percent of readers. Phil's New York accent and soft tone make me feel like he's talking to me about the tools, and his life, in a restaurant over dinner.

What did you learn from The Tools that you would use in your daily life?

This Tools are not going to be easy to use daily, but I know I must use them. The methods in the book will be used side-by-side with my prayers, in my case. The tools will enable me to love my enemy, to walk with Jesus on the Jordan in a storm, and to break bread with my inner leper, unclean woman, and tax collector. I just hope the jeopardy tool will give me enough will power to become disciplined, because I have already died, and I am already in real jeopardy. I will have to be like Vinny and "just think about death all day."

Any additional comments?

If you have clinical depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, schizophrenia, addiction, or any other major psychiatric disorder, do not kid yourself into thinking that the tools are going to be all you need. You do need professional help and quite possibly medication. Consider going to a support group such as the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance or Alcoholics Anonymous (or other Anonymous programs.) The Tools will help you, but you must get your brain chemistry under control to actually use the tools effectively. Trust me, I've been there.

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Real Tools to deal with Real Situations

Any additional comments?

Be sure to download the PDF. The illustrations really help make the points. I have to say that this is one of the few books where I felt that the author understood what I'm going through. YES! I've been "in the maze" and I need a way out. YES! I've felt like I had a black cloud over my head and I need a way to break through and YES! I've felt that I resisted things because of "pain" and needed to break through that barrier too.

Honestly...I borrowed a bunch of audiobooks from the library and with nothing invested, I was ready to let this one go back to the "shelves". But I tried it, having nothing better to listen to and this book (not the others I was so eager to listen to) is the one that had really helped. I came back and bought it from Audible because I know that I'll need to play it back and remember the tool/lessons.

I will say that I felt that there were some phrases that I might have changed to reach a larger audience. The religious undertones...I didn't like it. They tried to stay very neutral and I appreciate that. But how about thinking of it as an "inner self confidence" or "a stronger self coming out" Some people may want to believe it's a force outside of themselves...cool! If that works for you, that's great. I'd like to believe that it's more like the illustrations - there's me, there's a barrier and I have broken through the barrier that *I* self imposed upon myself.

The concept of "pain". The word 'pain' implies a physical sensation. Admittedly, some people work themselves up to a point of physical pain. But really, what they mean is that you're facing a "discomfort" or a "wall". I don't want to call people to ask for a job. Ok, I need to psych myself up, work through that level of discomfort or "don't wanna". Now use the tool..."I wanna do it, I welcome the challenge of doing it". Blah blah. See? Same tool, different words, now I can "swallow" it better than "I welcome pain in my life". No...I don't welcome "pain"

I know it's a semantic game but if I want the tool to work for me...I have to "wanna" and I don't "wanna" invite pain. I'll invite gratitude in my life...ok, got it. I will eagerly exit the maze. No thanks on the pain thing. :)

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Mental Alchemy

What did you love best about The Tools?

Its quick results after years of fruitless talk therapy.

What did you like best about this story?

Its giving me the methods to change my life without expensive therapy. Although talk therapy is helpful for diagnosis and medical treatment, it does comparatively little to truly change one's interpersonal relationships.

Have you listened to any of Phil Stutz and Barry Michels ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I only heard them interviewed on the Charlie Rose show.

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

Visualization tools in the book really do work.

Any additional comments?

I only wish I had this book many years ago. It would have spared me many lost friendships and made my life far, far more enjoyable.

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Horrible pseudo-science.

I could not take this claptrap seriously. Avoid if you're looking for something serious to help your life.

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Overcome Your Past

What did you love best about The Tools?

Made me think of the "little girl" and who she was and put her with the person I want to be now.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Tools?

Overcoming my fears and become a confident person I want to be

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, finding the complete me and learning to accept and become more confident with who I really am inside.

Any additional comments?

I started playing the piano again. I wish I could get my sister reading the book and listening as well, I know it would help her also.

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Psychobabble

Psychology mixed with New Age. Nothing new. Just a waste of time and money. Two more guys that had no business writing a book. Absolutely nothing scientific here - nothing provable. Might as well take LSD or go on an Aborigial Walkabout. I couldn't even stand to finish it. Biggest disappointment of ANY Audible book I have ordered, ever.

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Useless Nonsense

I was very taken in by the books description of having concrete tools to use to make a difference and empower people toward change. This book offered none of that, only vague descriptions of harnessing the power of “the source” and reworked Jungian ideas of revealing “the shadow self”. Not one single “tool” a pragmatic person could use.

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Good, proactive advice

The tools given in this book are great for helping me balance my thought process and encourage my efforts to be a spigot of creativity. I also liked the ideas for pulling yourself out of negative thought patterns (the maze). Hopefully this will help you, too.

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Ability to change is here

Any additional comments?

Tools gives anyone the necessary equipment to make real changes in their life - but it is not easy and it takes time to get it down. But It's Worth It!

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It's up to you...

What did you love best about The Tools?

It gives you practical tools for dealing with your troubles.

What other book might you compare The Tools to and why?

What color is your parachute? Both books give you tools for facing your future and advocate finding a higher purpose to give your life more meaning. You don't have to believe in God to seek meaning.

Which scene was your favorite?

Vinny clutching the doctor like a life preserver. On the one hand he deserved his mess, but on the other hand he had the good sense to return for help.

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

The visual image of the mall as the pit of ultimate evil. I completely agree that one does not fight a war by spending money at the mall, and a society that does not sacrifice to make the world better is sick.

Any additional comments?

I'm planning to buy copies to give to family members. It should be great for dinner time discussions.

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