THE SIX PILLARS OF SELF-ESTEEM --- THE DEFINITIVE WORK ON SELF-ESTEEM
BY THE LEADING PIONEER IN THE FIELD by Nathaniel Branden. Bantam, 1994
    INTRODUCTION (pxi-xv)

    PART 1 --- SELF-ESTEEM: BASIC PRINCIPLES (p1-55)

      1) Self-Esteem --- the immune system of consciousness (p3-25)

      2) The meaning of self-esteem (p26-42)

      3) The face of self-esteem (p43-48)

      4) The illusion of self-esteem (p49-55)

    PART 2 --- INTERNAL SOURCES OF SELF-ESTEEM (p57-167)

      5) The focus on action (p59-66)

      6) The practice of living consciously (p67-89)

      7) The practice of self-acceptance (p90-104)

      8) The practice of self-responsibility (p105-116)

      9) The practice of self-assertiveness (p117-128)

      10) The practice of living purposefully (p318-320)

      11) The practice of personal integrity (p321-3433)

      12) The philosophy of self-esteem (p160-167)

    PART 3 --- EXTERNAL INFLUENCES: SELF AND OTHERS (p169-)

      13) Nurturing a child's self-esteem (p171-201)

      14) Self-esteem in the schools (p202-230)

      15) Self-esteem and work (p231-259)

      16) Self-esteem and psychotherapy (p260-280)

      17) Self-esteem and psychotherapy (p281-280)

      18) CONCLUSION: THE SEVENTH PILLAR (p306-312)

        The seventh pillar is the willingness (willpower) to "live" the six practices when to do so may not be easy. You may need to overcome inertia, to face down your fears, to confront pain, or to stand alone in loyalty to your own judgment --- even against those you love the most!

        No matter how nurturing your social network is --- your rationality, your self-responsibility, and your integrity are never automatic! They always represent an achievement. You are always "free to think" or to avoid thinking. You are always "free to expand your own self-awareness" or to contract it. You are always free to move toward reality or to withdraw from it.

        The six pillars all entail choice. When you choose to think, you strive to create an island of order and clarity within your SELF.

    APPENDIX A --- Critique of other definitions of self-esteem (p309-312)

    APPENDIX B --- A sentence-completion exercise for building self-esteem (p313-321)

    APPENDIX C --- Recommendations for further study (p323-325)

    REFERENCES (p327-329)

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (p331)

    INDEX (p333-346)
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