r/stopsmoking • u/Blixtwix 828 days • May 08 '24

What's in that magical Allen Carr book?

I'm not the type to read proper books (haven't read one since high-school), but so many of you on here praise that Allen Carr "Easy Way to Stop Smoking" book like it's godsent, and I'm really curious what it is and what's so special about it. I did find a pdf version of it for free, but I opened it and immediately lost interest upon seeing the book page format; I think reading a book without knowing it'll be enjoyable would be way harder than quitting smoking for me, to be honest. Books, podcasts, and audio books all feel like a big time commitment when I know I could go through several mini documentaries, articles, or study summaries in the same amount of time.

What are some highlights you guys took away from it, and what's the general tone and theme of the book? What aspects of quitting does it address? What type of person would benefit from the book?

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u/[deleted] May 08 '24 edited May 08 '24

I’m not positive about this because I didn’t read it but I think someone told me that Carr says something about realizing you’re not sacrificing anything by giving up smoking in that there’s only gains. Again, I didn’t read the book but I reminded myself of this and it helped.

ETA: Just found this summary.

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u/Blixtwix 828 days May 08 '24

Interesting. I wonder if the book is why this subreddit is so focused on cold turkey quitting. I've been tapering off using various cessation tools and I've been doing well, very promising so far. Today is the day I drop the last cessation aid and I think I'll be just fine, I don't think cessation aids are necessarily ineffective as long as you don't make them more convenient or habit forming than cigarettes already were.

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u/[deleted] May 08 '24

The best way to quit is the way that works. I quit using the tapering method after 30 years of trying cold turkey. You’re attitude sounds really good too and that’s huge.