Self-Destruction Made Easy - Paperback

by Bill Little (Author)

"A rather rare work in the field of psychotherapy: one with a profound sense of humor, and one that [makes] many serious, sensible points." --Albert Ellis, Ph.D.

Building on twists and paradoxes, licensed psychologist, and longtime pastor Bill L. Little shows you how to get rid of problems by understanding how they are produced. This warm-hearted, witty book dares you to cling to your depressions, your anxieties, and your unhealthy relationships and mess up your life with sundry colorful phobias, dependencies, and addictions. Misery is an art--not just a state of mind. Learn it. Wallow in it. Use it. Sneak up on your troubles from behind and throw them all into hopeful perspective.

By taking a lighthearted look at how you perceive your limitations, you can make positive changes that will enhance the quality of your life.

"By poking fun at my frailties, Bill makes it impossible to ever again take them quite so seriously." --Jeff Lair, Ph.D., author of I Ain't Much, Baby--But I'm All I've Got

Back Jacket

"Virtually anyone who reads this book can appreciably widen his or her 'free will' and intentionally create happiness and satisfaction instead of needless pain."
--Albert Ellis, Ph.D.

Building on twists and paradoxes, Bill L. Little shows you how to get rid of problems by understanding how they are produced. This warm-hearted, witty book dares you to cling to your neurotic symptoms, your depressions, your anxieties, and your unhealthy relationships and mess up your life with sundry colorful phobias, dependencies, and addictions. Misery is an art--not just a state of mind. Learn it. Wallow in it. Use it. Sneak up on your troubles from behind and throw them all into hopeful perspective. From a wise counselor who has been helping people with problems since the 1970s, this book is probably one of the most enlightening you'll ever read and also one of the funniest.

Bill L. Little, a native of Gideon, Missouri, holds a B.A. from East Texas Baptist College, a Th.M. from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, an M.S. from Southern Illinois University, and a Ph.D. from Washington University. He has taught at Washington University, University of Missouri in St. Louis, and Missouri Baptist College and has conducted conferences on alcoholism, marriage and family relations, stress, communications, management, and motivation.

Author Biography

Bill Little holds a basketball free-throw record--857 free throws made in one hour. Itís no accident. Granted, he has natural athletic ability, but just as importantly, he applies a mental technique of visualization when he shoots hoops. Little has shared this technique--the practice in which an individual imagines himself achieving a particular goal--in his professional career as a minister, counselor, and teacher to help audiences as diverse as cancer patients, professional athletes, church congregations, and business organizations. His first and longest-running credit is as senior pastor of Christ Memorial Baptist Church in St. Louis, where Little has served since 1959. He arrived there freshly graduated from East Texas Baptist College in Marshall, Texas, with a bachelor of arts in history. Since then, he has earned a master of theology degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, a master of science degree in education from Southern Illinois University, and a doctor of philosophy degree in counseling from Washington University in St. Louis. Little has served as an oncology counselor at St. Louis hospitals and was a regular guest media counselor for seventeen years on KMOX Radio, a CBS radio affiliate in St. Louis. Making history as the first psychologist to be officially employed by a major league baseball team, Little served as sports psychologist and drug counselor for the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners baseball teams in the early 1980s. An active speaker, Little has lectured for the brewmeisters of Anheuser-Busch, project managers and administrators for Associated General Contractors of America, and numerous sales staffs, the largest of which was the Million Dollar Round Table at Radio City Music Hall, where he captivated a crowdof over five thousand participants. He has led conferences on alcoholism, marriage and family relations, stress, communications, management, and motivation. East Texas Baptist University recognized him with the J. Wesley Smith Award as the outstanding alumnus for 2004. A native of Gideon, Missouri, Bill Little now resides in St. Louis. He writes poetry for his own enjoyment, with over three thousand unpublished pieces to his credit. He enjoys studying languages and continues to play basketball competitively in local, state, and national tournaments. He revels in his role as husband to Teresa Gay, father of four, grandfather, and great-grandfather.