Cure Your Cravings: Learn to Use This Revolutionary System to Conquer Compulsions

Yefim Shubentsov left the Soviet Union at age 40 to find freedom in the United States. Ironically, he came to realize that "many people in the free world are in a kind of prison as well": our addictions and cravings. He has taught 96,000 people to escape from food cravings and smoking addiction. Give up the idea of the magic bullet or quick fix--he wants us to "reject the miracles being peddled," grow tougher, and recapture our common sense. "Then, when you leave prison, there won't be a jail to send you back to. You will have destroyed it."

Shubentsov blames the "cult of self-esteem" and public opinion for stripping away our toughness and responsibility. Our cravings are not carved in stone because of our emotional histories, he says--they are under the control of our "creativity, common sense, and cleverness," tempered with patience and endurance. He describes a healing energy force he calls Bio Energy, a "sixth sense" we all can tap. The book is mostly motivation and psychological theory, with frequent case studies illustrating the points. Brief practical sections give techniques for developing your Bio Energy, losing weight, and quitting smoking. --Joan Price