Neal Allen’s Book-Signing at Chaucer’s Books in Santa Barbara, with Special Guest Anne Lamott

There’s an inner critic in all of us — a bully, so to speak. No matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to shake the negative remarks that can eat away at our self-esteem. It may seem impossible to shut off that voice inside your head sometimes. Encouragingly, though, Neal Allen, the author of  Better Days: Tame Your Inner Critic, believes that this relentless parasite can be tamed if you have the right tools.

Renowned as a spiritual coach and writer, Allen unveils potential solutions in his upcoming book, set to release on December 5. Allen will be at Chaucer’s Books on Tuesday, December 12, at 6 p.m., for a book talk and signing, joined by his wife and New York Times best-selling author, Anne Lamott, who wrote the foreword to the book. 

Allen, who previously wrote the self-published 2021 book Shapes of Truth: Discover God Inside You, is dedicated to dispelling the stubborn ego within each of us. Better Days: Tame Your Inner Critic serves as a guide, aiming to educate readers on effective methods to quiet the critical voice within — the superego, as Allen labels it. 

Aligning with Freud’s theory that the superego shapes moral consciousness, Allen interprets it as a voice originating in childhood that lodges itself in the recesses of the mind. This internal voice utters discouraging phrases like “I’m not good enough.” “It’s a parasite, and I can prove it to you,” Allen said while sitting next to Lamott in a video on Instagram. “You don’t need it, and better yet, you can release it from its control over your life.” 

For more information about the in-store book talk and signing at Chaucer’s (3321 State St., in Loreto Plaza) on December 12 at 6 p.m., visit chaucersbooks.com/event/store-book-signing-neal-allen-anne-lamott.