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8 min read
Age & reading levelAdult
Reader rating
4.5 · 8,993 Amazon ratings
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Feeling Good
Feeling Good: Overcome Depression and Anxiety with Proven Techniques by David D. Burns Review: A Landmark CBT Self-Help Guide
David D. Burns's Feeling Good is a cornerstone of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) self-help, designed to teach readers how to identify and reframe negative thought patterns driving depression and anxiety — without medication — and its standing among mental health professionals reflects decades of sustained influence.
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Best for
Adults experiencing mild to moderate depression, anxiety, guilt, or procrastination who want a structured, evidence-based CBT framework they can work through independently — and therapists seeking a clinically credible bibliotherapy resource to recommend to clients.
Worth it if
You are new to CBT and want a comprehensive, step-by-step toolkit covering depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and procrastination in one volume with a decades-long track record of professional recommendation behind it.
Skip if
You are already well versed in CBT through therapy or recent literature, need a concise introduction rather than a 736-page deep dive, or are dealing with severe symptoms that require professional clinical care rather than a self-guided tool.
What readers & critics say
Psychiatryresource.com awards the book 9 out of 10 stars, calling it "a classic book on CBT for the layperson" that has been "consistently recommended to patients by mental health professionals for decades." Reader accounts gathered at feelinggood.com describe meaningful relief from moderate depression within weeks of applying Burns's techniques, with one reviewer noting the results felt "unbelievable" compared to conventional expectations around medication timelines.
Sources: psychiatryresource.com, feelinggood.com4.5from 8,993 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
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Feeling Good: Overcome Depression and Anxiety with Proven Techniques by David D. Burns is a landmark CBT self-help guide that teaches readers to identify and reframe distorted thought patterns driving depression, anxiety, guilt, and procrastination — without medication. Rated number one among more than one thousand titles by mental health professionals in a national survey, it carries clinical credibility that is rare in the self-help genre, making it as relevant to therapists recommending bibliotherapy as to individuals seeking a structured, evidence-based toolkit. The key caveat: at 736 pages it demands genuine commitment, and it is not a substitute for professional care in severe cases — a limitation the publisher itself acknowledges.
- Is it worth reading?
- For readers new to CBT who want a structured, evidence-based framework they can engage with independently, Feeling Good remains one of the most substantiated self-help titles available — a national survey of mental health professionals ranked it number one from a list of more than one thousand titles, a level of clinical endorsement that is genuinely uncommon in the genre. Its techniques are practical and concrete, covering depression, anxiety, guilt, procrastination, and low self-esteem within a unified framework, and its decades of use as a formal bibliotherapy tool give it a track record few self-help books can match. The main caveat is length: at 736 pages, readers seeking a quick overview may find it demanding, and those already well versed in CBT through therapy or more recent literature may find much of the foundational content familiar.
- Similar books
- Readers drawn to Feeling Good's evidence-based approach to mental wellness will find strong companions in the books curated alongside it on this page. Jon Kabat-Zinn's Full Catastrophe Living offers a mindfulness-based counterpart for managing stress, pain, and anxiety, while Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now approaches mental quietude from a more spiritual angle. For readers interested in the mind-body connection, Gabor Maté's When the Body Says No explores how chronic stress manifests physically — a useful complement to Burns's cognitive focus. Carol S. Dweck's Mindset applies evidence-based psychology to self-perception and growth in a more accessible, shorter format, and Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson's The Whole-Brain Child adapts brain science for parents seeking to nurture emotional resilience in children.
- Who should read this?
- Feeling Good is designed primarily for adults experiencing mild to moderate depression, anxiety, guilt, procrastination, or low self-esteem who want a structured, evidence-based framework they can engage with independently. It is equally relevant for therapists and counsellors looking for material to recommend to clients, given its documented history of use as a formal bibliotherapy tool. Readers new to CBT will find its depth and step-by-step exercises most rewarding; those already well versed in CBT may find the foundational content covers familiar ground. The updated edition's Consumer's Guide to Antidepressant Drugs also makes it useful for anyone weighing treatment decisions.
- About David D. Burns
- David D. Burns is the author of Feeling Good: Overcome Depression and Anxiety with Proven Techniques. The verified biographical details available for Burns are limited to his authorship of this title; readers seeking a fuller profile are encouraged to consult the author's official website or the book's back matter.
- Is this a good book club pick?
- Feeling Good can work well for a book club with a specific interest in psychology, mental health, or evidence-based self-improvement, particularly one whose members are willing to try the written exercises together and compare experiences. Its breadth — covering depression, anxiety, guilt, procrastination, and low self-esteem within a unified CBT framework — gives a group plenty of discussion threads. That said, its 736-page length is a significant commitment for a club read, and its self-help format is more exercise-driven than narrative-driven, which may suit some groups better than others.
- What's the reading level?
- Feeling Good is written for a general adult audience with no clinical background in psychology. Burns deliberately brought CBT out of the clinical setting, presenting techniques in accessible, step-by-step language that avoids heavy academic jargon. That said, the book's 736-page length and its expectation that readers will actively complete written exercises mean it rewards patience and sustained engagement rather than casual browsing.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
About David D. Burns
Is this a good book club pick?
What's the reading level?
Summarize this book
Feeling Good by David D. Burns is a self-help guide grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that argues anxiety, depression, guilt, procrastination, and low self-esteem are not fixed character traits but the products of identifiable, distorted thought patterns — and that those patterns can be changed without drugs. Burns walks readers through recognising cognitive distortions such as all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralisation, and 'jumping to conclusions,' then pairs that diagnostic framework with concrete exercises, including written thought records where readers log automatic negative thoughts, identify the distortion at work, and rewrite them as more accurate, balanced statements. The updated edition — published by William Morrow Paperbacks — adds an all-new Consumer's Guide to Antidepressant Drugs, positioning the book as a balanced resource that acknowledges medication's legitimate role alongside its core drug-free approach. Case examples, including a fictional therapy patient named Sheila, illustrate how the techniques play out in practice.
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Our Review
This review covers the book's content, structure, and reception as documented by published sources; it does not reflect hands-on use or clinical application by this editorial team.
What the Book Is and What It Sets Out to Do
Feeling Good: Overcome Depression and Anxiety with Proven Techniques by David D. Burns, M.D., is a self-help guide grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Its central argument is direct: anxiety, guilt, pessimism, procrastination, and low self-esteem are not fixed character traits but the products of identifiable, distorted thought patterns — and those patterns can be changed without the use of drugs.
Burns, a psychiatrist, wrote the book to bring CBT out of the clinical setting and into readers' hands, offering structured techniques they can apply independently. The updated edition — the second revised and updated edition published by William Morrow Paperbacks — adds an all-new Consumer's Guide to Antidepressant Drugs alongside a new introduction addressing treatment options, positioning the book as a more complete resource than its original form.
Significance and Professional Standing
Few self-help books have earned the kind of professional endorsement that Feeling Good carries. According to the book's publisher synopsis, a national survey of mental health professionals rated it number one — from a list of more than one thousand titles — as the most frequently recommended book of its kind.
That ranking places it not merely as a popular read but as a clinically recognized resource, sometimes prescribed by therapists as a formal bibliotherapy tool. The book's influence spans decades, and its framing of CBT for a general audience helped make the therapy's core concepts widely accessible long before CBT became a household term.
Core Content and Structure
The book's techniques center on a deceptively simple premise: thoughts, not events, create feelings. Burns walks readers through the identification of what he terms cognitive distortions — recurring errors in thinking such as overgeneralization, "jumping to conclusions" (encompassing both mind reading and the fortune teller error), and all-or-nothing thinking.
He pairs this diagnostic framework with practical exercises. One core technique asks readers to write down automatic negative thoughts (for example, "I never do anything right"), identify the specific distortion fueling them, and rewrite them as more accurate, balanced statements.
Throughout, Burns uses case examples — including a fictional therapy patient named Sheila — to illustrate how these methods play out in practice, making abstract techniques concrete. The book also addresses procrastination and the excessive need for approval as distinct topics, rather than treating them as secondary symptoms.
Genuine Strengths
The book's durability as a recommended resource points to several real strengths. Its CBT framework is presented in accessible, step-by-step terms, written for readers with no clinical background.
The scope is notably broad: rather than addressing depression alone, the book covers anxiety, guilt, low self-esteem, and procrastination as interconnected targets, giving readers a toolkit applicable across multiple struggles. The addition of the Consumer's Guide to Antidepressant Drugs in this edition reflects a measured, non-dogmatic stance — Burns presents a drug-free approach while acknowledging that medication has a legitimate role when needed, a balance the publisher synopsis makes explicit.
Limitations and Who May Find It Frustrating
At 736 pages, Feeling Good is a substantial volume for a self-help title, and readers seeking a quick or highly condensed introduction to CBT may find the length demanding. The book is also, by design, a self-guided tool — and the publisher synopsis itself notes that professional help is advised for severe cases, a caveat that matters for readers whose symptoms go beyond what bibliotherapy is equipped to address.
Those already familiar with CBT through formal therapy or more recent literature may find that some of the foundational material covers ground they know well, since much of what was novel when the book first appeared has since entered mainstream mental health discourse. The book's case-example style, anchored in individual therapy vignettes, suits some readers well and may feel less immediately applicable to others who prefer a more purely reference-style format.
Who This Book Is For
Feeling Good is designed for adults experiencing mild to moderate depression, anxiety, or related mood challenges who want a structured, evidence-based framework they can engage with independently. It is equally relevant for therapists and counselors looking for material to recommend to clients, given its documented history of clinical use as a bibliotherapy resource.
Readers new to CBT will find its depth and structured exercises more rewarding than those simply looking for a brief overview, and the updated edition's added section on antidepressants makes it useful for anyone weighing treatment decisions. As a publisher-described "groundbreaking, life-changing" resource that has reached millions of readers, its reputation as an entry point into cognitive behavioral thinking remains well founded.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
- Further reading
- 2
David D. Burns, LuvemBooks
- 3
stanfordmag.org
- 4
psychiatryresource.com
- 5
feelinggood.com
Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Adult
2 content notes · who it suits
Content to know about
detailed discussion of depression and suicidal thinking
clinical case studies involving anxiety and mood disorders
Skip if you are looking for a short, narrative-driven introduction to mental health and have no interest in completing written CBT exercises.
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