I found the book, "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" by Allen Carr to be critical in my success with quitting.  Many, many people have used Mr. Carr's method and have succeeded - just read the book reviews and you'll see what I'm talking about.  It is not hype - it really does work.  If you are ready to quit, then I highly recommend you get this book. 
 
I also purchased the audio version and listened to it numerous times during the day, at night before bed and basically any time I was feeling weak.  Keep in mind I did not want to stop smoking, and it took me a very long time to "reprogram" my brain into the correct way to think about smoking.  I had to first be convinced that I could feel normal again without cigarettes which was a very difficult thing for me.  However, when you start to understand the principles behind why you smoke, you start to see how what you are doing and why you are doing it makes absolutely no sense.  In fact, let me summarize it this way:  the only reason you smoke is to feel normal.  How do non smokers feel all their lives?  Normal.  The real reason anyone who is addicted to nicotine smokes is to feel like a non-smoker.
 
I personally found the drug Chantix to be helpful to me during the period that I was quitting.  Some people have extreme side effects with this medication, so if you can do it with the book alone that would be the best and safest route.  I was a hard-core case who had absolutely no desire to quit.  Chantix alone would not have done it for me, but with it and the book I was successful.  The only reason I mention this is that for some, the book may not be enough.  For most, especially for those who are ready to quit, the book will help you greatly and will likely be all you need.
 
I also highly recommend that you steer clear of Nicotine Replacement Therapy.  The success rates for people who try to quit using this method are frankly abysmal, and if you think about it it's not surprising.  It's very hard to break a drug addiction using the drug you are addicted to.  In essence, you will make your recovery period much longer by keeping nicotine in your body.  It sounds good in theory - gradually reduce your intake until you are "ready" - but it really only makes the process much longer and harder than it needs to be.  The faster you get the drug out of your body the better.  In fact, some say that the small percentage of people who succeed in quitting using NRT somehow manage to do so in spite of and not because of it.
 
Mr. Carr discusses all of this and so much more in the book and goes through all the common things you hear smokers say, such as "I smoke to relieve stress" or "I smoke because I'm bored" or "it's my only pleasure" and dozens of other such statements.
 
I have been completely nicotine free for 2 years and 7 months.  If you want to quit, buy that book or get it from your library.  Read it and re-read it if necessary.  If you're a thick headed person like myself, keep reading it until it sinks in, and when you are tempted to go back, keep telling yourself the only reason you smoke is to feel like a non-smoker.

Joe Meineke