The following review was contributed by: RACHEL NEWCOMBE

I'm a big believer in the power of positive thinking, so was pleased to get the opportunity to review this title. However, to be honest, my expectations for discovering new methods and techniques were sadly not met.

Robey has gathered together a selection of habits, covering key issues such as health, fitness, weight loss, success, relationships and self-esteem. Most of the habits are given only a single page of coverage, and include details of what the habit is, how to achieve it and, where appropriate, references to related studies.

Although all the tips are practical and sensible, none of them are new. Most of the health, fitness, diet and exercise habits are things I've come across numerous times before and others are simply commonsense. For example, it doesn't really take a genius to realise that always ordering a baked potato plain (habit 6) is healthier than always ordering it laden with butter, or that walking up the stairs is healthier than getting the elevator (habit 17).

There are some useful chapters which aim to help people change old, bad habits into new, great ones but, again, the approaches used aren't exactly new -- especially if you're familiar with existing books on the same topic. Although it's clearly has good intentions and has been written with the stance of helping people, for me it just didn't make the mark.

If you're seeking totally new ideas and an original approach to achieving positive habits, then this book probably isn't for you. If, however, you want to refresh your mind and reinforce existing theories, then it's more likely to appeal.