In Review

04 December 2008 05:03 BST

Burning Ambition by Allen Carr

A short tale describing how reformed smoker Allen Carr set up the Easyway method of giving up smoking before he died of lung cancer.

Published by Penguin Books, out March 1st 2007, paperback, 75 pages, £1.99

In a nutshell…

Inspiring, enlightening, intelligent, observational, not addictive

What's it all about?

Allen Carr used to be addicted to cigarettes and could find no easy way to give up what he himself described as a "soul-destroying habit". Until, that is, he stumbled across a method of quitting that involved positive thinking instead of negativity – focusing on the aspects of giving up that would not necessarily scare away those who wanted to try to kick the habit.

Carr called his revolutionary new method Easyway and this book tells the story of how he came across the plan, a brief synopsis of what it involves and how he finally put it together and used it to help millions of smokers across the world.

As this particular book is part of the publisher's 'Quick Reads' series, it is a short adaptation of Carr's full-length autobiography "Packing It In The Easy Way".

Who's it by?

Allen Carr is a shining example of a man who turned one of the most negative aspects of his life into one of the most positive.

From an addiction to cigarettes, Carr developed a method to stop smoking that first worked for him and then in turn for around ten million other smokers in hundreds of different countries across the globe.

His method – Easyway – has been translated into 27 different languages to date and his story, from how he got hooked in the first place to how he philosophically dealt with the onset of lung cancer as a result of his dedication to helping smokers overcome their habit, is definitely worthy of a story.

As an example…

"He had only come to the clinic for his wife's sake. She was the one who wanted him to stop smoking. But some of the things I had said in the session had made him think. Now he didn't know if he wanted to quit or not.

I said: 'First, stop worrying. You will find yourself thinking about smoking. Soon it will become clear to you that you want to be free of it. When that happens, come to see me again.'

The next day he rang to fix an appointment. After that session he quit."

Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster

Allen Carr's story is certainly an inspirational one, but whether or not it is Hollywood material or not is debatable.

For a moralistic film-maker, perhaps this may strike a chord but blockbuster status is certainly a long way off.

What the others say

"Allen Carr… really wants to be loved for the way he has helped many thousands of people stub out their last cigarette, but he does not come across as being particularly likable" - Michael Joseph, The Observer

"Allen Carr's book "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" is a must read for anyone who is considering quitting smoking" – Laurie Engler, Associated Content

So is it any good?

For smokers everywhere, Carr's tale should be held up as an example of how to quit the habit. However, at no point in his writing does he come across as one of those smug "I've quit – it's easy. You should too" types that are so annoying to everyone that harbours a soft spot for nicotine.

Whether you are interested in ways to stop smoking, ways to encourage a friend or loved one to stop, or simply out of interest in what is by itself a remarkable tale, this book is a good read.

While it is the shortened version of Carr's full autobiography (as mentioned above), it still captures the essence of his tale without going into unnecessary depth.

Neverthess this should be a good starting point for anyone interested in Easyway, for whatever reason, and is the perfect lead-in to reading the full story in the longer version, which is also on sale in book shops across the country.

7/10

Alistair Potter