Finding Contentment: When Momentary Happiness Just Isn't Enough

""Deep-down, soul-satisfying contentment"" is only found by ""living authentically,"" contends Warren (Finding the Love of Your Life), a clinical psychologist. He defines contentment as ""knowing yourself intimately, appreciating your unique gifts and abilities, and making choices moment by moment that demonstrate honor and respect for yourself."" Warren uses the metaphor of ""standing in the middle of your control booth"" to make decisions, rather than allowing others to make those decisions for you. Asserting that this kind of self-possession is attainable only by those who have experienced ""unconditional positive regard,"" Warren expresses the Christian viewpoint that only strong faith in a loving God can provide such a feeling of self-worth. Most of his book is free of religious proselytizing, however, focusing instead on helping readers to claim true contentment through healthy self-determination. Warren covers the many ways (addictive ""happiness highs"") and reasons (laziness, or fear of being thought of as selfish or impulsive) that can keep people from taking responsibility for their own choices, and he lists the rewards reaped by, and characteristics of, those pursuing the less-traveled road of authenticity. He is refreshingly honest about the strong resistance people often encounter from others who are accustomed to controlling them, and he encourages readers to ""stand firm and recapture your control booth,"" in order to gain ""a richness and satisfaction in life that most people can only dream about."" Simultaneous audio release; author tour. (Oct.)