Practical Fairy Tales for Everyday Living: Revised Second Edition

by Martin H. Levinson

In Practical Fairy Tales for Everyday Living , fanciful characters that one can identify with battle personal problems, mishaps, and mayhem. None of them are guaranteed a happily-ever-after, but by applying the fundamentals of general semantics--a communications-based self-help system--they are better able to evaluate and understand everyday conundrums to successfully vanquish challenging situations. While these twenty-four stories may not be true in the literal sense, G.K. Chesterton observed that, "Fairy tales are more than true not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten."

148 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jenny]

I really don't know what to think About this. Some of the author's Points were very valuable, others really not.

[Karen]

Martin H. Levinson has captured the conundrums we get into when we do not think in logical, practical ways. Practical Fairy Tales for Everyday Living is a compilation of 24 ingenious examples of how the characters create havoc in their lives with imperfect responses to life situations. In "Nathan's Nebulous Questions," he learns how to think in concrete ways so that goals can be reached rather waxing in big picture philosophical questions that have no answer; "Betty Blowhard" learns that the quickest way to alienate friends and colleagues is to set up her opinions as gospel for everyone. She learns that by adding "to me" or "from my point of view" she leaves the door open for connection and sharing with others. In "All that Jazz", Megan learns not to compare herself to her siblings whose concrete goals resulted in success. She moves past parental conditioning to set her own course. These are just a few of the delightful stories that open the way for positive interactions with others and peace and serenity within oneself.