Archibald D. Hart

Disclaimer: this review is written by a non-Christian

Had I read more closely and seen that this book was written by a professor of Fuller Theological Seminary I would have given this book a pass. That would have been a mistake. For some time now I've noticed how people, particularly teenagers, seemed to have a lack of emotional range. They seem to either be angry/frustrated or zoned out. I suspected that modern technology might have something to do with it but wasn't sure. This book confirms show more what I suspected, explains the problem and has directives on what can be done about it. The problem is called anhedonia and is caused by an over stimulation of the pleasure centers of the brain. This causes a reaction very similar to drug addiction where more and more stimulation is required to achieve the same 'high'. Eventually the pleasure center wears down and no amount of stimulation has an effect. This then is the state of anhedonia which closely mimics depression.

The author then explains a number of different ways the brain pleasure center gets over stimulated (and if you don't see yourself in some of these explanations than you are either Amish or have been living under a rock). But the news isn't all bad, these effects can be counterbalanced and the author provides a 7 step recovery process for doing so. This recovery process will be very eye opening for many people but none of the steps are impossible to do - most basically it is just a return of more healthful living.

I found the book to be a fascinating read and very much enjoyed it. The Christian references were short, sweet and very general - until you to chapter 12 where the author discusses gratitude; there it starts to get a little more heavy handed. Then it is as though the floodgates opened for chapter 8 in which meditation is explained. There are no generic/non-Christian meditation techniques in this chapter at all (although all could be tweaked to make them so). I found this very unfortunate as there are many non-religious methods that could have been included (just one would have been nice). But the worst offense is in chapter 14 where the author states that it is impossible to have a contented life without a spiritual basis and goes on to give empirical arguments supporting this belief. I don't want to rant here but that is an opinion and not necessarily true; I had to remember to consider the source (after all, to a cobbler everything is a shoe). While these transgressions did not ruin the book for me they were off putting. In this I followed the author's own advice of forgiveness and not holding a grudge.

I still hold the opinion that this book is a gem; I learned a great deal about a problem that could have far reaching consequences, now and in the future, and would recommend it with the caveat to the non-Christian to be prepared. Hopefully in the future there will be other books on this subject without the religious references. show less

Most people have one or more of these symptoms and not realize it. Left untreated it can cripple you emotionally but it doesn't have to rule your life. He gives us practical guidelines for understand and treating depression. He helps you to understand the causes of depression, overcome its negative effects, turn it into a haling emotion.

It is evident that we live in a "tired" society. Thousands of people suffer from various effects of not getting enough sleep. And yet sleep is still considered by many to be the one "non-essential" in life. Sleep is more likely to be diminished than work, television, the Internet, or other such things in life.

In Sleep: It Does a Family Good, Dr. Archibald Hart attempts to affirm the great value and importance of sleep. He analyzes popular myths about sleep and demonstrates their error-- over show more 99% need about 9 hours of sleep a night, more for children and those fighting illness, and it should be obtained over the night hours. Sleep is important for rejuvenating and restoring the body, and those who do not get enough sleep are more likely to experience marital strife, diminished function, and a host of modern plagues-- heart trouble, greater stress, anxiety, and the like.

Dr. Hart elaborates on the various challenges modern people have in getting to sleep and provides many excellent suggestions about how to improve the duration and quality of sleep. He also addresses the challenges of sleep aids. He also talks about the importance of sleep for everyone in the family and how best to manage sleep in the various phases of life. Sleep disorders are also addressed.

The author waits until the end of the book to address matters of spirituality, and there is great value in this last section. He powerfully affirms the spiritual value of sleep and getting proper sleep, standing firm against the popular notion that a full night's rest is somehow akin to being a sluggard. By pointing to the example of Jesus the author demonstrates how all of us have need of rest, and it is good for us to give consideration to this important element in our lives.

Few are those among us who can say that they are getting the right amount and quality of sleep. We can all do well to take many of the suggestions in this book!

*book received gratis as part of early review program. show less

This book was written 35 years ago but in many ways is just as relevant today. The link between stress and physical and mental illness is even more well known today but the science used in this book is the same used in similar books today. Likewise the techniques to reduce stress are found in many forms today. What is interesting is that our lives have really become more stressful and more hurried but are still ignoring the recommendations to stop these things that have been around for decades