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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
I was very kindly given an e-ARC of this book through Netgalley and Picador publishing in exchange for an honest review.
It's a self-help book about self-help. This paradox of a book is actually a very sweet, very honest take on how self-help can often not be worth the paper it's printed on, but in some cases can make you take a sincere look at your life and consider what you need to do. It talks frankly about depression and mental illness, in particular how the voice in your head can tell you constant lies that gives you unhealthy behaviours and actions. It's something I'm endlessly guilty of, and to read someone elses account of it and put it into words was very cathartic for me. Power jumps between moments of grand wisdom, to more intimate moments considering her relationships with her friends and family. I don't think I've ever read a book- fiction or non fiction- that so accurately appears to portray depression and a negative brain in the way I have experienced. This is a really interesting read and I hope others pick it up when it's published.
'Help Me! One Woman's Quest to Find Out if Self-Help Really Can Change Her Life' is published by Picador and will be released in the UK on September 6th, 2018.
It's a self-help book about self-help. This paradox of a book is actually a very sweet, very honest take on how self-help can often not be worth the paper it's printed on, but in some cases can make you take a sincere look at your life and consider what you need to do. It talks frankly about depression and mental illness, in particular how the voice in your head can tell you constant lies that gives you unhealthy behaviours and actions. It's something I'm endlessly guilty of, and to read someone elses account of it and put it into words was very cathartic for me. Power jumps between moments of grand wisdom, to more intimate moments considering her relationships with her friends and family. I don't think I've ever read a book- fiction or non fiction- that so accurately appears to portray depression and a negative brain in the way I have experienced. This is a really interesting read and I hope others pick it up when it's published.
'Help Me! One Woman's Quest to Find Out if Self-Help Really Can Change Her Life' is published by Picador and will be released in the UK on September 6th, 2018.
Overall, an enjoyable and hilarious read. The ending is a bit lackluster, but honest. Recommend to anyone even the littlest bit familiar with self-help books.
If you read one self help book this year choose this one. Ok Im not a self help book kind of person. I don't like people preaching to me or telling me what to do. This book was funny and insightful. I struggled a bit in the middle but most of it was an enjoyable read.
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"Rhonda says: 'When you feel bad about yourself you are blocking all the love and good that the Universe has to offer you.' I had been blocking a lot of things for a long time. It felt safer that way. Better not to dream at all than to dream and be disappointed. I had to get over that."
"It's actually scary to dream big because it meant opening yourself up to disappointment when / if your dreams didn't become reality."
"John explained that F**k It doesn't mean doing nothing - it just means not caring so much about the outcome. "
"Brene Brown writes: 'Joy comes to us in moments - ordinary moments. We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extra ordinary. I had been trying to chase down the extraordinary when actually I had everything I would ever need."
"But I see now that perfection does not exist and happiness comes not from getting what you think you want but from opening your eyes and recognizing that you have everything you could possibly need right now."
"I realized you can't love others when you are busy hating yourself."
"Most importantly though, have a cup of tea (or glass of wine) and remember this: You're doing great. You really are."
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"Rhonda says: 'When you feel bad about yourself you are blocking all the love and good that the Universe has to offer you.' I had been blocking a lot of things for a long time. It felt safer that way. Better not to dream at all than to dream and be disappointed. I had to get over that."
"It's actually scary to dream big because it meant opening yourself up to disappointment when / if your dreams didn't become reality."
"John explained that F**k It doesn't mean doing nothing - it just means not caring so much about the outcome. "
"Brene Brown writes: 'Joy comes to us in moments - ordinary moments. We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extra ordinary. I had been trying to chase down the extraordinary when actually I had everything I would ever need."
"But I see now that perfection does not exist and happiness comes not from getting what you think you want but from opening your eyes and recognizing that you have everything you could possibly need right now."
"I realized you can't love others when you are busy hating yourself."
"Most importantly though, have a cup of tea (or glass of wine) and remember this: You're doing great. You really are."
I’ve never really got on with self help books, but I really enjoyed this account of Power’s attempt to live her life according to one self-help book a month for a year. It reminded me a bit of “The Happiness Project” (although Gretchen Rubin comes across as a *very* different type of person than Marianne Power) and I thought it was interesting that, in the end, they both came to the conclusion that their lives were already pretty good, and that, rather than making fundamental changes, they just needed to appreciate what they already had.
I found this book both funny and sad at times and quite thought-provoking about our love for self-help and needing to be 'fixed'. 3.5 Stars
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
If you picked up this book you probably like reading self-help books and/or finding out about other people's attempts to improve their happiness. Help Me! is a great story about what happens when Marianne decides to live by self-help books. The tone starts off comic and light before turning dark as we follow her jumping from book to book looking for a perfect answer. It shows how much actual work and effort trying to change your life is as well as the toil it takes on the author.
Marianne is honest and real even when it doesn't put her in the best of light. It was hard reading about her berating herself constantly partly because it reminded how I do similar things to myself. If you want a quick comic read this book is probably not for you, but if you want to get a realistic, funny, well-written account of battling yourself in order to become better human, I'd wholly recommend this book.
Marianne is honest and real even when it doesn't put her in the best of light. It was hard reading about her berating herself constantly partly because it reminded how I do similar things to myself. If you want a quick comic read this book is probably not for you, but if you want to get a realistic, funny, well-written account of battling yourself in order to become better human, I'd wholly recommend this book.
Dit boek was leuk om te lezen en deed me soms denken aan over mijn eigen leven. Maar het is niet dat het écht diepgang bracht. Wel wat diepgang, maar soms miste ik het wat geloof ik.
Verder zitten er geweldige, grappige opmerkingen in. De droge humor bevalt me wel!
Verder zitten er geweldige, grappige opmerkingen in. De droge humor bevalt me wel!