How to Survive Your Parents: a Book Every Parent Should Read

by Roy Masters

Freud realized that most of our present troubles and anxieties originate in the home. The way you relate to your parents sets the pattern for all of the relationships in your life. All too often we find that "Your past becomes your future." If we grew up with an alcoholic father, we marry an alcoholic, or become one ourselves. If we are abused, we marry an abuser, or become one ourselves. We marry a person, and realize one day that he or she is curiously like our father or mother. Why? Roy Masters, father of five and grandfather of twelve, reveals with unique and penetrating insight the underlying dynamics of family how they affect us, how they lead to our current problems, and what we can do to become free from the past - so we are free to develop strong and honest relationships with our own children and parents. "The process of becoming a real good parent is in itself a growing-up experience. As you correct your child, the naughty child in you is loved." With such hard-hitting chapters as "Parental The Cause of Violence," " Forgive Them, For They Know Not What They Do," "What Kind Of Woman Marries a Wimp?" and "The Power of Emotionless Love," Masters offers a map of our past so we can find freedom and peace in the present. This is a book every parent should read.

Genres: Nonfiction

190 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1982

About the author

Roy Masters—who in his 80s continues to broadcast the longest-running counseling show in talk radio history—started his journey toward understanding human nature in the most unlikely of places. Growing up in pre-WWII England, he watched a performer easily put his volunteer subjects under a hypnotic spell and induced each of them to do strange and outlandish things. How, the young Roy wondered, could a smiling, personable stranger cause well-dressed, educated, competent adults to forget their names? Puzzled by the mysterious power the hypnotist had exercised over his subjects, Roy distinctly remembers pondering the question: “Why can’t hypnotism be used to make people act sensibly, rather than foolishly?” Inspired by the idea of harnessing this baffling force for good, he later pursued the art of hypnotism and established a successful hypnotherapy practice. Over years of counseling as well as personal experience, Roy realized that the root of the power of negative suggestion lay in our wrong emotional response, and so he began to search for a way to help people overcome the hypnotic power of stress. After years of searching, he discovered a remarkably effective meditation method, and has been teaching it—with spectacular results—ever since. For over 50 years Roy counsels people primarily through his internationally syndicated daily radio program Advice Line, where callers discuss their most intimate problems and find genuine help and healing. He has served as a daily voice of sanity and conscience to his listeners, with the uncanny ability to zero in quickly on core problems. As the institutional home for his counseling work, Masters’ formed the Foundation of Human Understanding in 1961. Through his daily radio broadcasts, lectures, seminars, his 18 books, countless audio and video programs—and the Internet—he has helped millions worldwide. He has also established a successful prison outreach and an innovative private K-12 school. Beyond all this, and at a time in life when most people would have long since retired, an energetic Roy Masters is delving deeply into yet another long-time interest—physics and cosmology. He has authored “Finding God in Physics” as well as a more technical treatise, “Gravity Driven Universe” and has lectured on “Electricity from Gravity” at the American Physical Society in Denver. Roy Masters and his wife, Ann, have been married since 1952. They have five grown children and 18 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Reviews

[Avel Rudenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Impatience is strong before the weak and weak before the strong." Have patience for yourself and others." Patience comes from seeing clearly and not doubting what is revealed. Just watch your challenges, don't give them any emotional energy, your upset and resentment will disappear. Don't seek approval or look for validation, it may kill you in the end. When resentment grows in you, intelligence highly diminishes. This book may open your eyes to realizing the real reality hidden behind the pseudo-reality.

[Kellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave this book a shot but I couldn’t take it anymore. Although this man probably has some wonderful ideas about how our parents have screwed us up so bad and therefore we are screwing up our kids, however, I decided I had enough of the preaching. This book seems to be a bunch of random disorganized thoughts. Some of his comments were a little offensive and chauvinistic. I think I gave up after the chapter called “Meddling Mother”. Maybe someone else can get something out of reading this book, it’s just not for me.

[Kellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12741806