Don't Sweat the Small Stuff--and it's all small stuff by Richard Carlson

Got a stress case in your life? Of course you do: "Without question, many of us have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives worrying about a variety of things all at once." Carlson's cheerful book aims to make us stop and smell–if not roses–whatever is sitting in front of our noses. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff… offers 100 meditations designed to make you appreciate being alive, keep your emotions (especially anger and dissatisfaction) in proper perspective, and cherish other people as the unique miracles they are. It's an owner's manual of the heart, and if you follow the directions, you will be a happier, more harmonious person. Like Stairmasters, oat bran, and other things that are good for you, the meditations take discipline. Even so, some of the strategies are kind of fun: "Imagine the people in your life as tiny infants and as 100-year-old adults." The trouble is, once you start, it's hard to stop.


This single audiocassette version of yet another bestseller about caring for the soul is the Zeitgeist in a nutshell. The author's softly spoken message, aimed at people who feel that their lives have become overwhelmed by trivial demands and the shadow of stress, is a series of practical, homely tips on how to regain both perspective and control. The key is to remember–or rather, to learn to bear in mind–some simple truths that we already know. As Carlson observes, "when you die, your in-box won't be empty," so you should stress less about emptying it now. And a century from now we'll all be dead and gone–so things that seem blisteringly urgent now are really trivial, and will soon be forgotten. Carlson is particularly good on the importance of controlling self-pity, especially the sense that we are the ones doing all the hard work, which can be so damaging to our relationships with others.
Two kinds of people might be disappointed by this tape. Those who have already thought deeply about these issues are likely to be underwhelmed by advice such as "change what can be changed, and learn to accept what can't be changed." And those who expect a single cassette to transform their lives will find, not surprisingly, that Carlson is much better at saying what we should do than at explaining how we can do it. But he reads well, and for overtaxed people who don't expect a miracle cure, the message on this tape could be a small first step to a saner life. (Running time: 90 minutes, one cassette) –Richard Farr