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The Breakout Principle

How to Activate the Natural Trigger That Maximizes Creativity, Athletic Performance, Productivity and Personal Well-Being

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About The Book

Would it surprise you to learn that to solve a seemingly unsolvable problem, you need to get up and leave the room? A walk in the woods will help you finish your novel? Humming can make you a better tennis player? Or completely giving up is the way to succeed?
In The Breakout Principle, the bestselling author of The Relaxation Response delivers the ultimate self-help principle -- simple instructions to activate a powerful biological trigger that converts conflict and confusion into clarity and extraordinary performance, a state athletes refer to as "the zone.
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More than three decades ago, Dr. Herbert Benson of the Harvard Medical School began research into why some people are devastated by stress while others thrive, turning it into brilliant achievement. Now The Breakout Principle reports the discovery of an easy-to-access inner switch that increases mental function, enhances creativity and productivity, maximizes athletic performance, and enriches spiritual life. The same internal mechanism that improves a tennis serve or golf putt strengthens your speaking skills, makes you a better negotiator, and fosters inner peace and belief.
Dr. Benson and coauthor William Proctor explain the cutting-edge science behind the phenomenon in accessible language, clearly describe the four distinct phases of the Breakout, and provide simple, step-by-step instructions on how to activate the Breakout "trigger." Compelling case histories and information on how to incorporate Breakouts into daily life are woven throughout the book.
Dr. Benson's previous discoveries have helped millions reduce the harmful effects of stress. The Breakout Principle now reveals how to maximize your untapped abilities and powers.

About The Authors

Photograph by Margaret Kois
Herbert Benson

Herbert Benson, MD, is the Mind Body Medical Institute Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School. He is the author of the mega-bestselling book, The Relaxation Response, as well as ten other trade books. His groundbreaking work established the modern field of mind body medicine. Dr. Benson is the Director Emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Photograph by Ferdinand Becker
William Proctor

William Proctor, JD, is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School and has written or co-written more than 80 books, including Beyond the Relaxation Response with Dr. Benson; The Templeton Touch with Sir John Templeton; and several international bestsellers with the “father of aerobics,” Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Scribner (March 18, 2003)
  • Length: 336 pages
  • ISBN13: 9780743245791

Raves and Reviews

W. Timothy Gallwey author of The Inner Game of Tennis and The Inner Game of Work Timely and profoundly insightful, this book takes us one more important step toward the possibility of enjoying life free of injurious stress.

Rabbi Harold S. Kushner author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People After clearing away the debris of anxiety with The Relaxation Response, Dr. Benson now teaches us to build a wonderful new structure of confidence in the clearing.

Bernie Siegel, M.D. author of Love, Medicine & Miracles and Prescriptions for Living Anyone with inspiration and the desire to change will be guided in the right direction by the wisdom, experience, and words of Dr. Herbert Benson.

George Gallup, Jr. Cochairman of The Gallup Organization The Breakout Principle is a breakthrough book. Herbert Benson is a leading-edge thinker, and the result of his teaming up with William Proctor is a book that is not only fascinating for its insights but also of great practical value, helping readers "zone out" and view life from a totally new perspective.

Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C. President Emeritus, University of Notre Dame Herbert Benson, M.D., and William Proctor have been enlightening pioneers in their studies of The Breakout Principle. Now their work can be shared by everyone, not just health-care practitioners. This imaginative book is highly recommended.

Sir John M. Templeton founder of the Templeton Prize for Progress and Templeton Growth Ltd. Dr. Herbert Benson and Mr. William Proctor have proven their top talents and diligence. Millions of people can benefit from The Breakout Principle.

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