- Do you make New Year resolutions? Almost everyone does, because we want to achieve positive personal change. But did you know that most resolutions are repeated five years in a row, and that the vast majority are broken by June.

- Have you ever dieted? Yet if diets work, why do we need so many, and new ones all the time? The evidence shows that we persist in buying diet books and following fitness fads because we want to believe the new approach will be the one that works... Today, we seem to be obsessed with advantage and disadvantage, fairness and the level playing field, without realizing that in life, the ability to overcome obstacles is a key part of any success strategy - as is our inner drive and motivation. In The Motivated Mind, award-winning author and psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud investigates the latest research on this fascinating subject - and he comes to some surprising conclusions. Complete with fascinating case studies, The Motivated Mind offers fresh & inspiring insights into understanding the key to success - the key to fulfilling your dream.

Dr Raj Persaud is a consultant psychiatrist working at London's Maudsley Hospital, the author of the critically acclaimed books Staying Sane and From the Edge of the Couch, and the presenter of Radio 4's All in the Mind. Unusually for a psychiatrist he also holds a degree in psychology which he obtained with First Class Honours. He has received numerous academic awards and prizes for the innovative nature of his research, including the prestigious Royal College of Psychiatrists Research Medal and Prize and The Maudsley Hospital's own Denis Hill Prize, as well as the exclusive medical award for the Osler Medal. In 2004 he was appointed Gresham Professor for Public Understanding of Psychiatry. In 2002 the Independent on Sunday conducted a poll amongst members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Institute of Psychiatry to discover who were the top ten psychiatrists in the UK as rated by fellow clinicians. Dr Raj Persaud was the youngest doctor to make it into this esteemed list. He lives in London.

·Do you make New Year resolutions? ... Almost all of us do, because we want to achieve positive personal change. But did you know that most resolutions are repeated five years in a row?

·Have you ever dieted? ... If diets work, why do we need so many? The answer lies in our belief that the latest approach will be the one that finally works - although we may be suffering from what psychologists term 'False Hope Syndrome'.

·Do you constantly strive to fulfil your dreams? ... We seem to be obsessed with advantage and disadvantage, fairness and the level playing field, without realizing that it's our inner drive, motivation and the ability to overcome obstacles that are central to any success strategy.

In The Motivated Mind, award-winning author and psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud investigates the latest scientific research on this fascinating subject, and he comes to some surprising conclusions. As he shows how most incentive schemes actually demotivate, and why the brain pursues happiness, he also reveals how, ultimately, it is an intriguing mind strategy that will help you get what you want from life.

'The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and Raj's direct application of his motivational theories to three case studies on our programme was an unqualified success. The plan works!' Richard & Judy, Channel 4