Available for the first time in English, this ideal guide to doing better than your best at anything, written by a Nobel Prize winner, contains lessons in the form of aphorisms that will delight anyone with a desire to reach beyond quality, even beyond excellence.

Few have written more memorably about the work of poetry and the poetics of work than Juan Ramón Jiménez, winner of a Nobel Prize and discerning teacher of an entire generation of Spanish poets. In this series of aphorisms, Jiménez brings together the elements of perfect work, both in writing and in other realms. Among these elements--the wellsprings of any kind of creation--are instinct and inspiration, memory and forgetting, silence and noise, love and regret. A treasure for poets and writers, The Complete Perfectionist includes helpful commentary by noted translator Christopher Maurer and shows perfection as a process of "becoming" rather than an end product. In these insightful pages, a poet haunted by perfection reveals his methods of writing and revision, and measures the social and ethical dimensions of el trabajo gustoso, or pleasurable work. This revised and expanded edition includes many aphorisms recently published in Spanish and not previously included.

An unforgettable portrait of France’s legendary chef, and the sophisticated, unforgiving world of French gastronomy Bernard Loiseau was one of only twenty-five French chefs to hold Europe’s highest culinary award, three stars in the Michelin Red Guide, and only the second chef to be personally awarded the Legion of Honor by a head of state. Despite such triumphs, he shocked the culinary world by taking his own life in February 2003. TheGaultMillau guidebook had recently dropped its ratings of Loiseau’s restaurant, and rumors swirled that he was on the verge of losing a Michelin star (a prediction that proved to be inaccurate). Journalist Rudolph Chelminski, who befriended Loiseau three decades ago and followed his rise to the pinnacle of French restaurateurs, now gives us a rare tour of this hallowed culinary realm. The Perfectionist is the story of a daydreaming teenager who worked his way up from complete obscurity to owning three famous restaurants in Paris and rebuilding La Côte d’Or, transforming a century-old inn and restaurant that had lost all of its Michelin stars into a luxurious destination restaurant and hotel. He started a line of culinary products with his name on them, appeared regularly on television and in the press, and had a beautiful, intelligent wife and three young children he adored—Bernard Loiseau seemed to have it all. An unvarnished glimpse inside an echelon filled with competition, culture wars, and impossibly high standards, The Perfectionist vividly depicts a man whose energy and enthusiasm won the hearts of staff and clientele, while self-doubt and cut-throat critics took their toll.

The complete set of self-help guides from the popular Overcoming series. Each guide is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), an evidence-based therapy which is recommended by the NHS for the treatment of a large number of psychological difficulties. Each guide comprises a step-by-step self-help programme based on CBT and contains: -Useful information about the disorder -Practical strategies and techniques based on CBT -Advice on how to keep recovery going -Further resources The Complete Overcoming Series contains 31 titles: Overcoming Anger and Irritability Overcoming Anorexia Nervosa Overcoming Anxiety Overcoming Body Image Problems including Body Dysmorphic Disorder Overcoming Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating Overcoming Childhood Trauma Overcoming Chronic Fatigue Overcoming Chronic Pain Overcoming Compulsive Gambling Overcoming Depersonalization & Feelings of Unreality Overcoming Depression Overcoming Grief Overcoming Health Anxiety Overcoming Insomnia and Sleep Problems Overcoming Low Self-Esteem Overcoming Mood Swings Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Overcoming Panic and Agoraphobia Overcoming Paranoid and Suspicious Thoughts Overcoming Perfectionism Overcoming Problem Drinking Overcoming Relationship Problems Overcoming Sexual Problems Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness Overcoming Stress Overcoming Traumatic Stress Overcoming Weight Problems Overcoming Worry Overcoming Your Child's Fears & Worries Overcoming Your Child's Shyness and Social Anxiety Overcoming You Smoking Habit

This practical guide to overcoming the dangers of being a perfectionist--from debilitating feelings of self-doubt to difficulties with other people--shows readers how their perfectionist tendencies can actually help them succeed.

It's only natural to want to avoid making mistakes, but imperfection is a part of being human. And while perfectionists are often praised for their abilities, being constantly anxious about details can hold you back and keep you from reaching your full potential. In this fully revised and updated second edition of When Perfect Isn't Good Enough, you'll discover the root cause of your perfectionism, explore the impact of perfectionism on your life, and find new, proven-effective coping skills to help you overcome your anxiety about making mistakes. This guide also includes tips for dealing with other perfectionists and discussions about how perfectionism is linked to worry, depression, anger, social anxiety, and body image. As you complete the exercises in this book, you'll find it easier and easier to keep worries at bay and enjoy life — imperfections and all. This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit — an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.