A Book Review of Life Strategies by "Dr. Phil"

Dr. Phillip C. McGraw, known popularly as "Dr. Phil," may rightly be subjected to criticism that he has sold out, that his televised therapy is merely entertainment, and of questionable psychological merit. Even so, his staunchest detractors would have to admit that he is an intelligent, extremely successful man, certainly possessing enough practical knowledge and experience to author a book such as Life Strategies (Hyperion, 1999). His breaking down life's lessons into ten discrete units seems to be for the sake of expediency. Others might contend that there are seven, nine or even 14 lessons, but a nice even number like ten is much easier for readers to digest. So perhaps Dr. Phil consolidates or extrapolates to reach his magic number.

Dr. Phil's Life Law #1: You either get it, or you don't, sounds so over-simplified as to not make much sense without an explanation. Speaking as one of the people who "get it," Dr. Phil goes on to state that an awareness of what motivates human beings is essential to understanding them and oneself. At least three of the life laws make sense without even reading anything more than the titles of chapters five, six and 11 -You Can't Change What You Don't Acknowledge, Life Rewards Action and You Have to Name It To Claim It. After identifying his ten life laws, Dr. Phil wraps up the book with exercises and strategies aimed at implementing what the reader is supposed to have learned in the previous ten chapters.

Dr. Phil's tone is understanding and sympathetic where necessary, but not delicate or cajoling. He does not feel sorry for anyone, nor does he think that anyone should feel sorry for himself. He challenges the readers to take ownership of their lives. This means realizing that whatever the root of your problems -bad genes or bad upbringing- the problems are still yours and you had better deal with them. Dr. Phil is not rude like Dr. Laura Schlessinger, but he makes clear that he has little patience for whiners.

The stories and life experiences that Dr. Phil relates in Life Strategies very effectively illustrate many of his points. Some of the anecdotes are funny, like the one about a middle-aged colleague of Dr. Phil's who got into a fistfight in a laundromat and told everyone how childishly "the other guy" was acting. Others will shock and sadden the reader, particularly when Dr. Phil relates how a prominent psychiatrist friend went into depression and shock after witnessing a bank robber fatally shoot three people, and then attempt to kill the psychiatrist, as well. Humorous or horrific, all of these anecdotes are part of life lessons, which are necessary to build effective life strategies.

The book does not profess to be a magic cure for all of the reader's problems, nor does it make any promises that by merely reading the chapters, the reader will have a more satisfying life. Dr. Phil is pretty demanding, listing exercises that call for the reader to put down the text periodically and think seriously about what he wants and does not want from life. Many of the discoveries may be painful, but Dr. Phil suggests that ultimately, they should be liberating, but only as much as the reader is willing to address those issues.

Reading this book, one could believe that Dr. Phil is as regular as any of us, in spite of the fact that he is wealthy and famous. The book's introduction, however, could be omitted without any real detriment to the rest of the text, and might even improve the book. He begins with "Target: America's Sweetheart," and describes the ordeal that Oprah Winfrey endured when she was facing a lawsuit by Texas cattlemen who claimed that she had maligned and slandered them with a segment about Mad Cow Disease on her show. As in integral member of the defense team, Dr. Phil knows the intimate details of this legal battle. The lawsuit was ridiculous and vengeful, but Oprah was not and is not a poor, helpless victim. Very few readers can identify with the billionaire talk show hostess who, even if she had lost a multi-million dollar judgment, would remain fabulously rich.