With a PhD in psychology, and a background in philosophy, Nathaniel Branden is a practicing psychotherapist and a corporate consultant, and is widely recognized as the world authority on self-esteem, a field he pioneered more than three decades ago. His many books include The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, Taking Responsibility, Self-Esteem at Work, and A Woman's Self-Esteem. His newest book is My Years with Ayn Rand. He lives and works in Beverly Hills, California.

CONTENTSIntroduction1. Living Consciously: First PrinciplesAcquiring a sense of realityAwareness: Outer and innerReason: The noncontradictory integration of experienceReason and emotion: Challenging the necessity for conflict2. Choice and ResponsibilityFree will: The choice to turn consciousness brighter or dimmerContext determines what state of consciousness is appropriateStrategies of avoidanceAgainst consciousness: Motives for flight from awarenessTo be in love with life on earth3. A Conscious Life -- 1: Knowing What We Are Doing While We Are Doing ItWhat mindfulness entails as a way of life: Areas to be consideredThe joy of awarenessChoices and actionsSeeking knowledgeManaging avoidance impulsesSelf-awareness4. A Conscious Life -- 2: Bringing To Our Pursuits the Awareness They RequireConscious relationshipsConscious parentingConsciousness in the workplaceConsciousness of contextConsciousness of our ideas and their roots5. Self-Awareness: Examining Our Inner WorldConsciousness of the bodyConsciousness of our needs and wantsConsciousness of our feelings and emotionsConsciousness of our actions and reactionsConcluding observations6. Consciousness and Self-EsteemMisconceptions about self-esteemAwareness of what affects our self-esteem7. Consciousness and SpiritualityDefinitions: The importance of being clear about meaningsSpirituality: A this-worldly interpretationGod: An all-purpose word referring to -- ?Self-transcendence: But who is doing the transcending?Mysticism: What are its claims to legitimacy?Selflessness: Rethinking our basic assumptions and discovering enlightened selfishnessAfterwordAppendix: A Sentence-CompletionProgram to Facilitate Living ConsciouslyNotesSelected BibliographyAcknowledgmentsIndex

The bestselling author who pioneered the self-esteem movement challenges the "victim mentality" and shows how adopting the principle of self-responsibility can clarify our thinking and even help us live longer.