Fear Busting by Pete Cohen (Element, £9.99)

DO you worry about making mistakes? Are you afraid to try in case you fail?

Do you make do with your life because you are afraid to change?

These are the questions Mr Cohen - life-strategist, sports consultant, agony uncle for She magazine and regular contributor to GMTV - asks you to answer. If you answer yes to any, then he provides a strategy to help you to start changing your life - but only if you want to.

Like so many things, such as alcohol addiction and smoking, you have to admit the problem and really want to stop doing them if you are to succeed in beating the habit.

How much you are prepared to commit to this change is up to you.

His style of writing is clear, simple, chatty and alluring. There are simple exercises to follow, interlaced with inspiring quotes, and I'm sure if you immerse yourself in the philosophy you will benefit from the man who has helped top sportsmen and women to achieve their personal goals.

It's all a question of mind over matter.

Like so many of these self-help books, they are incredibly positive and believable until you put the book down and forget about it for a day or two.

I'm sure if you take up the task seriously and follow Pete Cohen's advice you will see substantial changes. You have to make the commitment to see if it works. I'm off to visualise myself running a marathon...

Jackie Harris