Review: Take Back Control of Your Mind by Glenn N. Levine MD, FACC, FAHA

Author Glenn N. Levine has produced a remarkably clear, intuitive and insightful roadmap for cognitive control and emotional stability in Take Back Control of Your Mind: A Guide to Understanding, Taming, and Controlling Your Thoughts and Emotions, and Thereby Achieving True Happiness and Inner Peace. Reflective of the length of its title, the book is packed with wisdom and applicable strategies for the average person wrestling with their inner demons and struggles, even if those battles are happening unconsciously.

Many self-help books seem to miss the mark, often rehashing old proverbs and anecdotes with updated examples, but often lacking authenticity. In Take Back Control of Your Mind, the language is far more organic and emotionally engaging, rather than the rehearsed verbiage of self-help advice from generations past.

The idea of re-wiring the way we think and what we think about is something that everyone can benefit from, and this core goal of the outlined strategy sets this book apart. The concept of “subminds” is fascinating, and the scientific findings cited in the book are sound. While many of the ideas remain partially theoretical, this book functions as a blueprint that is straightforward to decipher and put to use.

Part philosophy, part neuroscience for laymen, part personal journey, and part life coach lessons, the book touches on everything from our mental tics and habits to the enticing powers of memory and the addictive cycles of emotional wallowing. Educating readers on the power of language, of cognitive discipline, and of being honest with oneself, the author delivers vital lessons for people at any stage of the journey, whether they are an old pro at self-work or a novice looking inward for the first time. This flexibility and efficacy is another unique aspect of this text that makes it shine among a crowded genre of gurus and flimsy guarantees.

While many self-help or personal improvement books draw in real-world examples that feel a bit too perfect, this book boasts a believable voice and relates everyday experiences that feel contemporary. There is a humility to the author’s tone that is bolstered by logic and research. Advice on how to process one’s personal failures, depression, anxiety, jealousy, anger, and other destructive emotions is done without judgment; the physical and the mental is blended beautifully, including an easy-to-follow introduction to meditation, breathing, and mental harnessing.

The main downside to the language being so accessible is that some of the explanations get a bit repetitive, and may be more simplistic than is necessary, or at least circuitous. This happens quite rarely, but the author does have a tendency to sometimes assume a low level of understanding of his audience. As a whole, the depth to which Levine takes readers into their own insecurities – seemingly knowing us better than we know ourselves – is impressive and very often profound.

A blend of heady philosophy, solid science, personal discipline, and cognitive strategies, Take Back Control of Your Mind is an exceptional tool for actionable personal improvement.