Review
Like The Tao of Pooh and The Gospel According to Peanuts , Toni Raiten-D'Antonio's new book, The Velveteen Principles draws on well-known children's literature for inspiration. The author skewers the prevalent worldview that equates wealth, beauty, public acclaim, power and popularity with happiness. True happiness, she says, only comes from being "Real," and "Real" rarely means conforming to the standards of the "United States of Generica." Instead Raiten-D'Antonio extracts 12 principles for becoming real from the charming children's classic, The Velveteen Rabbit . It begins with realizing that "Real is Possible," confesses that "Real Can Be Painful," and defines "Real" as Generous, Grateful, Flexible and Ethical. "Real," she insists, is "a life well-lived, where we are true to ourselves," and "all the struggles and challenges only make us more Real."
-BookPage, December 2004
Review
... a surprisingly good exploration of how meaning and principles can guide one's life and work. Psychotherapist Raiten-D'Antonio bases her explorations on the wisdom of Margery Williams's classic The Velveteen Rabbit. The author encourages readers to "become Real" like the rabbit and the skin horse by rejecting the superficiality and surface beauty so prevalent in the "Generic State of America." Her work as a therapist informs and deepens her comprehension that becoming Real is the "purpose of every kind of psychotherapy." ...
-Library Journal
Book Description
In the tradition of The Tao of Pooh, a noted therapist shows how the wisdom of a children's classic can lead to a life of love, fulfillment and purpose. Who wouldn't want to go back to when life was simple and a stuffed animal could fix all your problems?
Botox parties. Extreme Makeovers. "Reality" TV. These are just some examples of how we have lost sight of something so basic yet so essential to true happiness: On our way to becoming status-seeking super-humans, we forgot how to be Real.
This charming gift book guides readers down a simple path to reclaiming joy, fulfillment and individuality, using an unconventional source-the children's classic The Velveteen Rabbit. By sharing the timeless insights and poignant quotes from the popular children's book, the author identifies 10 keys to becoming Real, with the promise that when you become Real you will love and be loved with all your strengths, weakness, faults and gifts. As the Skin Horse explains to the Velveteen Rabbit:
"Real isn't how you are made . . . It's a thing that happens to you. . . . Generally by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes droop and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But those things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
Destined to be a classic in its own right, The Velveteen Principles delivers a simple yet profound message for the ages.
About the Author
Toni Raiten-D'Antonio, is a well-known psychotherapist with a thriving private practice in Suffolk County, Long Island. She is a professor of psychology and social work at Empire State College. Prior to becoming a therapist she worked in television and theater as both a performer and producer. She has two daughters and lives in New York with her husband, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael D'Antonio.
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