Book Review of 'Smoke-free in 30 Days: The Pain-Free, Permanent Way to Quit' by Daniel F. Seidman, Ph.D.

This book review critically discusses core issues around the feasibility of self-help materials. By reviewing the aforementioned self-help book about smoking-cessation it argues that self-help materials should shift their purpose to focus less upon the goal of effectiveness in isolation, and more explicitly upon the adjunctive goal of guiding smokers in their pursuit of community and professional smoking-cessation supports according to their own specific needs and of course resources. Dependent smokers like many other people in need of psychological help are extremely resistant about accessing formal supports during their smoking-cessation attempts and yet less than 6% of self-initiated attempts to cease smoking actually succeed even with the aid of relevant self-help materials. Therefore this book review emphasizes above all the generally neglected importance of taking a fundamentally ecological approach when crafting self-help materials whereby the stated goal of these materials should be to persuade and then empower its recipients to recognize and access whatever techniques, (internet) community resources or indeed professional supports best synergize with their personal circumstances on an ongoing basis during their evolving journey toward change.