Hanh, T. (2002). Anger: Wisdom for cooling the flames. New York, NY: Riverhead Trade.

Reviewer:
Danielle Richards

Genre:
Spirituality

Subject Headings:
Anxiety disorders, Depression, Family dynamics, Grief & loss, Relationships, Spiritual practice

Review:
Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames offers the reader a practice of "mindfulness” to transform anger and to live each moment to its potential. The author of this book, Thich Naht Hanh is an expatriate Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, author and peace activist. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 by Dr. Martin Luther King. I believe that Thich Naht Hanh is one of the most well known Buddhist teachers in the West because his teachings and practices are adapted to the western mind-set

One does not have to be spiritual to benefit from his work. Mindfulness training has applications for counselors and counselors-in-training who are working to be present with clients. As a counselor in-training I find Hanh’s approach on how to practice compassionate listening to be invaluable. This book is powerful because it paints a vivid depiction of what it means to truly "be" with another person and how it is possible to train oneself to do so. The part of the book that discusses working constructively with anger has clinical applications for clients dealing with anxiety and depression and can be used as a technique to promote psychological fitness.