Addicted to the Monkey Mind: Change the Programming That Sabotages Your Life

In this uneven debut, addiction counselor Benoist urges readers to root out the core beliefs underlying self-sabotaging behaviors. Repurposing a Buddhist concept for his own uses, Benoist explains how one can, by listening to one’s “Monkey Mind,” fall into patterns of shame and self-blame that encourage unhealthy behaviors. Benoist uses anecdotes (populated by fabricated characters based on his experiences with real-life patients) as a form of role-playing to guide readers through their own self-inventory. Each character encounters Benoist (himself a character) and learns how to apply the “Observing Mind” to challenge core beliefs acquired through a lifetime of programming. According to Benoist, “We need to learn from the Observing Mind (which uses our feelings as its guidance system) to change what we believe and, ultimately, create the life we want.” The stories reach satisfying conclusions as characters learn how to choose different actions. However, unnecessary descriptive language slows the momentum toward each takeaway. While Benoist’s therapeutic concepts share many sound ideas with mindfulness and other methodologies, the anecdotal form obscures any larger message. Benoist’s attempt to distill counseling techniques into a self-help book is admirable, but may only appeal to those who are already interested in role-playing exercises as a therapeutic practice. (Self-published)