The Power of Losing Control

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY FEB 1, 2003

In this earnest volume, consultant and motivational speaker Caruso encourages readers to"remember that the only control you really have is over yourself," and demonstrates how readers can keep their focus on the things that they can control rather than waste time and energy struggling against a situation or a person they can't. In letting go of the need to control, he believes, readers can attain find power in situations that used to make them feel powerless,"move past" their fears, achieve greater self-knowledge and understanding, and take great strides towards happiness and satisfaction. The author underscores his points with apt quotations from great thinkers and philosophers, from Confucius and Aristotle to John F. Kennedy and Sam Snead. He also includes poignant stories from his own life--his struggles with sports and music and a miraculous recovery from cancer--and the wisdom that helped him gain perspective.. Some anecdotes of success from his work as a corporate teacher and inspirational speaker seem too simplistic, and his overuse of italics and"quotes" are distracting, but this friendly and readable book is an inspiration to make small but meaningful changes in the way one views and responds to the world.