Self-Help Reviews, September 15, 2010
Aug 20, 2010Berger, Allen. 12 Smart Things To Do When the Booze and Drugs Are Gone: Choosing Emotional Sobriety Through Self-Awareness and Right Action. Hazelden. Sept. 2010. c.200p. bibliog. ISBN 9781592858217. pap. $14.95.
McAlister, Brian. Full Recovery: Creating a Personal Action Plan for Life Beyond Sobriety. 2d ed. MacSimum. Sept. 2010. c.240p. ISBN 9780982394816. $22.95. SELF-HELP
These two titles cover similar territory—how to free oneself from emotional bondage and to achieve abundant living after putting the plug in the jug. Psychologist Berger (12 Stupid Things That Mess Up Recovery) draws on the studies from psychological research and the lessons of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) founder Bill W. to offer 12 smart things to do to achieve self-mastery—the maintaining of a healthy relationship with oneself. Each chapter offers readings and instructions on such goals as pressuring oneself instead of others to change, appreciating what is, and not taking things personally. Essentially, Berger helps the reader to fill the hole once filled by addiction in a manner comfortable to those familiar with AA material. Motivational speaker and recovering alcoholic McAlister incorporates a strong reliance on God for assistance in achieving long-term success. He uses personal examples and case studies of both success and failure to help the reader explore old maladaptive habits/beliefs, find motivational activities, and develop a game plan that overcomes hurdles. He provides exercises and practical applications for career and relationship goals. All those in recovery or even actively drinking can get help from either book, but practicing Christians may prefer Full Recovery.
Bijou, Jude. Attitude Reconstruction: A Blueprint for Building a Better Life. Synergy. Oct. 2010. c.376p. ISBN 9780984387908. $22. SELF-HELP
Because she firmly believes that most problems in life and relationships are caused by unexpressed and unacknowledged sadness, anger, and fear, licensed marriage and family therapist Bijou has put together a compendium of work sheets, practical tips, and examples for dealing with the world in a healthier, happier way. She skillfully helps readers examine their feelings and replace destructive thoughts with truth (more constructive statements). Bijou incorporates lessons on active listening and "I" messages as well as instructions for obeying one's intuition. Whether the application of Bijou's advice really helps readers to cure indecision, handle sarcasm, or successfully ask for a raise and get it remains to be seen. Understanding one's emotions, however, can't hurt.
Cameron, Julia. The Creative Life: True Tales of Inspiration; Finding Your True North. Tarcher: Penguin. Sept. 2010. c.256p. ISBN 9781585428243. $23.95. SELF-HELP
Writing in short, easily digestible chapters, Cameron (The Sound of Paper: Starting from Scratch) encourages readers to weave their inner creativity into their everyday lives. She demonstrates, through diary-like vignettes, how the most everyday activity—e.g., walking dogs—can be seen as an artistic pursuit. The beauty of this book is that Cameron details the ordinariness of it all. One does not live on a roller-coaster ride of creative excitement. Yet one can still live the artistic life and offer good things to the world. Cameron's guide would be of particular help to new artists or those who fear they don't have the "magic" art requires.
Fine, Alan with Rebecca R. Merrill. You Already Know How To Be Great: A Simple Way To Remove Interference and Unlock Your Greatest Potential. Portfolio. Oct. 2010. c.256p. ISBN 9781591843559. $25.95.
Halvorson, Heidi Grant. Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals. Hudson Street. Dec. 2010. c.288p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781594630736. $25.95. SELF-HELP
While the purpose of both books is to help people achieve their goals, the authors take different approaches. Executive coach and trainer Fine, writing with Merrill (coauthor, The Speed of Trust), offers the GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward) system to help readers unblock "Faith, Fire, and Focus." Simply put, he works from an inside-out system to help readers get rid of the many distractions that prevent performance and creativity. Fine is definitely on to something, and his teaching can help employers better motivate their staff as well as assist coaches to help students succeed. If one can get past the overuse of acronyms, there is solid advice to be found. Halvorson (psychology, Lehigh Univ.) holds that an individual's mode of thinking (the abstract whys and concrete whats) can help or hinder achievement of goals. She points out that different strategies are needed for different types of goals of prevention and promotion. Most of the book concentrates on examining and setting goals, and concrete suggestions are offered for staying on course. Halvorson, similar to Fine, devotes a chapter to helping the reader help others. Both books offer quality material. Fine's is more achievement oriented, while Halvorson's would be helpful in that regard as well as in kicking a bad habit.
Gunn, Cameron. Ben & Me: From Temperance to Humility—Stumbling Through Ben Franklin's Thirteen Virtues, One Unvirtuous Day at a Time. Perigee: Putnam. Sept. 2010. c.272p. bibliog. ISBN 9780399536076. pap. $14.95. SELF-HELP
What started out with a promising idea—a journal of attempting to practice the virtues of Benjamin Franklin—gets mired in tiresome personal accounts and anecdotes. Self-proclaimed "ordinary guy" Gunn shares his efforts to lose weight (temperance), use scheduling software (order), and curb TV viewing (industry) in an over-the-fence neighborly style. He weaves in his work as a prosecutor and experiences as a family man, the former being far more insightful and interesting. While some may enjoy getting to know Gunn and his family, other readers would be better served by reading Franklin's original works, noted in the bibliography.
Hills, Lily & Karen Hudson. A Feminine Manifesta. G to G. Sept. 2010. c.147p. bibliog. ISBN 9780615354330. $18.95. SELF-HELP
Women are often their own worst critics. So say friends and workshop leaders Hills and Hudson, who seek to liberate women from their mental shackles and free them to bring about a more caring world. Based on their radio show, the Goddess to Goddess Empowerment Hour, this book presents the plight of the 21st-century woman undervaluing herself and offers practices to remedy the situation. The exercises include being aware of one's thoughts, accepting oneself and others, and being appreciative of oneself and one's talents and abilities. One does not have to be a feminist, neofeminist, or traditionalist to gain insight and power from this book. Good job, goddesses!
Sauer, Jost. Drug Repair That Works: How To Reclaim Your Health, Happiness and Highs. Inspired Living: Allen & Unwin, dist. by Trafalgar Square. Nov. 2010. c.224p. bibliog. ISBN 9781741751789. pap. $19.95. SELF-HELP
Sauer, a therapist and Chinese medicine expert, offers drug users and their families a comprehensive recovery regimen to help them achieve a successful, sober lifestyle. According to Sauer, a former drug user, drugs are all about the experience, and drug treatment programs should include the knowledge that people take drugs because they love the way they make them feel. The author then shows how a combination of creating chi, eating the right foods, and finding support from others can help those in recovery feel extraordinary again. He discusses the highs and lows of various drugs and offers the uninitiated a window into the addict's world. In addition to individuals in recovery and those who love them, this book should be read by all those considering using a recreational substance.
Schwarzenegger, Katherine. Rock What You've Got: Secrets to Loving Your Inner and Outer Beauty from Someone Who's Been There and Back. Voice: Hyperion. Sept. 2010. c.224p. ISBN 9781401341435. $22.99. SELF-HELP
As a preteen American girl, Schwarzenegger, daughter of the California governor, told her mother she thought herself "fat, ugly, stupid, and totally disgusting." After struggling for ten years with self-image issues, she has come out on top and wants to share with other girls how to get through physical changes, ignore media's profit-driven images, and develop one's inner beauty. A chapter for mothers warns them not to hold their daughters to society's physical standards or to become food police by constantly commenting on what their daughters eat or don't eat. Schwarzenegger writes in a style that will appeal to most teens and their moms. Despite the author's link to a celebrity family, this book definitely stands on its own.
Walker, Val. The Art of Comforting: What To Say and Do for People in Distress. Tarcher: Penguin. Nov. 2010. c.320p. ISBN 9781585428281. pap. $15.95. SELF-HELP
In an effort to write the book she couldn't herself find, rehabilitation counselor Walker discusses the nature of comforting and illustrates how to restore this most important skill. The whys of developing one's ability to comfort lie in helping others feel relieved, validated, calmer, connected, and valued in the throes of life's harsher moments. She offers suggestions for both verbal and nonverbal soothing, and even artistic ventures to explore with adults and children. Walker includes an extensive guide to comforting movies, TV, music, and websites in the final section of her book. Her message comes not only from experience, but from others in the grief/trauma counseling field, in this guidebook that rings true and pulls the reader in for more. Recommended for all interested adults.
Women Reinvented: True Stories of Empowerment and Change. LaChance, dist. by IPG. (Voices of). 2010. c.225p. ed. by the Healing Project. illus. ISBN 9781934184257. pap. $16.95. SELF-HELP
A somewhat different take on the plight of women is offered by this collection of personal essays by women who are coping with chronic or life-threatening illness. To them, connecting with others is a part of the healing process and a stronghold amid suffering. Over 30 women from all walks of life share their stories of ordinary yet extraordinary lives—loving and losing, giving birth and mourning, surviving illness and emptiness of spirit—which give hope and inspiration to readers. This is a collection of "adversity to triumph" reading and a sure raft to keep someone afloat through dark waters. Not essential, but inspiring.
additional self-help
Carson, Shelley. Your Creative Brain: Seven Steps To Maximize Imagination, Productivity, and Innovation in Your Life. Jossey-Bass. Oct. 2010. c.400p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780470547632. $24.95. self-help
Basing this book on her Harvard psychology course, Creativity: Madmen, Geniuses, and Harvard Students, Carson sees creativity in a broader context—not just coming up with new ideas but being able to evaluate them and put the good ones to practical use. Each phase of this process utilizes different brain states, and each person feels more comfortable in some brain states than in others. Carson includes self-tests for discovering which brain states the student favors, exercises to strengthen the weaker brain states, and help in sticking to the program. Unlike most self-help books, this is grounded in solid experimental work. The only downside is that the actual text is a bit dull, and attempts to lighten it (e.g., with a series of unfunny jokes and cartoons about a creative caveman and his dim sidekick) fall flat. Readers with whom this title will resonate will probably skip straight to the "What brainset do you prefer?" quiz. VERDICT Readers who liked Michael Gelb's How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci will love this. So will the self-improvement and business seminar–loving crowd. And for once they're getting some substance!—Mary Ann Hughes, Shelton, WA
Guillebeau, Chris. The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World. Perigee: Putnam. Sept. 2010. c.240p. ISBN 9780399536106. pap. $14.95. self-help
We are living in austere times, but this inspiring book suggests how to survive and even thrive in this environment. Guillebeau, creator of the online manifesto A Brief Guide to World Domination, embraces challenging the status quo and valuing personal freedom and service to others above all. From the perspective of his extensive international experiences, unconventional higher education, and reliance on self-employment, he describes ways to escape the constraints of a typical life and construct a more remarkable one based on one's passions and focus on a worthwhile legacy. Like a modern-day hippie, he espouses countercultural values concerning money, possessions, and formal higher education, though hard work and determination are also emphasized. Trained in sociology, Guillebeau maintains his own website and is a regular contributor to news outlets such as CNN and BusinessWeek. In addition to his personal story, the book contains further sources of information on innovative travel and frugal living. Though his book is thought-provoking and well crafted, the ambitiously simple lifestyle he advocates may not be practical for many. VERDICT A spirited self-help guide to reclaiming work and reinventing life in the 21st century. Recommended for free-thinking readers.—Antoinette M. Brinkman, MLS, Evansville, IN
