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aj5629's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
abby_3's review
5.0
Just starting this book and I can’t seem to put it down! I knew it wouldn’t disappoint!
mayrow26's review
1.0
I first heard of Dave Hollis, probably like a lot of people, through his ex-wife, Rachel Hollis. I had read her book, Girl Wash Your Face, and wanted to see her in person. So in 2019, I went to RISE Dallas. That is when I saw Dave speak. I thought he was an excellent speaker and loved his message. I had drunk the kool aid and was on the Hollis train. I signed up for coaching classes with Dave, listened to their podcasts and their "daily show" podcast. Once they announced their divorce, I really started to follow Dave more than Rachel. This year I decided to finally read "Get Out Of Your Own Way," Dave's first book, and then immediately after read "Built Through Courage" (BTC). Reading BTC felt like I was reading his first book again, but revamped to include the major life event of going through a divorce. I also felt that BTC was leaning too hard on the whole nautical theme he was going for based on his tattoo. There was too much emphasis on the nautical metaphor that some of the context was lost. If there was less emphasis on the theme, it would have resonated a lot more.
The content itself was OK, but he was basically rehashing the content from his first book, re-writing it to make it seem different, and then inserting A LOT of material from other personal development authors and psychologists. He gives credit when credit is due, but do I really need to read a book in which someone paraphrases another person's research and how it applied to their life? Not really. And, since I had signed up for his personal coaching back in 2019, the majority of the logbook activities are THE EXACT SAME as the ones from his coaching classes. In a way, I am paying for the same content twice (book and coaching form). It is not new material but a different way to sell the same material.
And the life circumstances he went through (career change, divorce, move) aren't all that earth-shattering. I went through similar things at the same time (lost job, moved states, had a baby). Does that make me qualified to write a book, even though I may not have had such a high-profile job or in a marriage to someone famous? No. So when I read the book with all of his advice, I think, "Good for him. But does this qualify him to give me advice? What other background/experience does he have to make me want to read another book by him or follow him? Why should I listen to him when I can listen to others, like Brene Brown?" The content felt like he was trying too hard to convince me to listen to what he has to say about other people's research.
The book organization is annoying. There are chapters and a basic map he provides with different sections, but there are 40 different buoys (again with the nautical theme) that I wasn't quite sure what their purpose was. I get the map, but then what am I supposed to follow with these sub-section buoys? It felt like he wanted to include as much as he could and tried to organize it with these buoy subsections, but it just added more confusion.
Lastly, with the underlying foundation of believing you were created with a specific purpose by a creator, you cannot follow the rest of his advice without believing this creed. That is the bedrock of this book. He tries to open this up to those who are not Christian by saying "another higher power". But really, this is the foundation in which all of his advice and guidance stems from. If you believe anything differently, you will have a hard time trying to follow his advice without thinking, "why am I doing this?"
I do appreciate this conclusion in which he highlights the need for us to look outside of ourselves to learn about and support marginalized communities and voices.
The content itself was OK, but he was basically rehashing the content from his first book, re-writing it to make it seem different, and then inserting A LOT of material from other personal development authors and psychologists. He gives credit when credit is due, but do I really need to read a book in which someone paraphrases another person's research and how it applied to their life? Not really. And, since I had signed up for his personal coaching back in 2019, the majority of the logbook activities are THE EXACT SAME as the ones from his coaching classes. In a way, I am paying for the same content twice (book and coaching form). It is not new material but a different way to sell the same material.
And the life circumstances he went through (career change, divorce, move) aren't all that earth-shattering. I went through similar things at the same time (lost job, moved states, had a baby). Does that make me qualified to write a book, even though I may not have had such a high-profile job or in a marriage to someone famous? No. So when I read the book with all of his advice, I think, "Good for him. But does this qualify him to give me advice? What other background/experience does he have to make me want to read another book by him or follow him? Why should I listen to him when I can listen to others, like Brene Brown?" The content felt like he was trying too hard to convince me to listen to what he has to say about other people's research.
The book organization is annoying. There are chapters and a basic map he provides with different sections, but there are 40 different buoys (again with the nautical theme) that I wasn't quite sure what their purpose was. I get the map, but then what am I supposed to follow with these sub-section buoys? It felt like he wanted to include as much as he could and tried to organize it with these buoy subsections, but it just added more confusion.
Lastly, with the underlying foundation of believing you were created with a specific purpose by a creator, you cannot follow the rest of his advice without believing this creed. That is the bedrock of this book. He tries to open this up to those who are not Christian by saying "another higher power". But really, this is the foundation in which all of his advice and guidance stems from. If you believe anything differently, you will have a hard time trying to follow his advice without thinking, "why am I doing this?"
I do appreciate this conclusion in which he highlights the need for us to look outside of ourselves to learn about and support marginalized communities and voices.
alisa4books's review
2.0
Another entry in the Self-Help You- Can-Do-It genre that summarizes much of what can be found on Instagram or through podcasts on any given day. Dave Hollis has gathered up the wisdom that has led him through the last two years of life transitions and stacked them up neatly in one place with a nautical theme as an organizing principle. The chapter and section headings are illustrated using buoys which brilliantly helps the reader track what has been covered and what's coming next. While the information in the book and the stories he tells are not earth-shaking, they will be helpful for anyone looking for a plan to execute or a structure to frame their journey. The book is written from a place of privilege, which Dave acknowledges, but also from the place of a cis-hetero-parent. Most of Dave's motivation is connected to his kids in some way and there is nothing here acknowledging that the reader may not be a parent. There is a repeated, disturbing use of the phrase "sometimes you have to be willing to shoot a hostage" which should not have made it past the editor, but is another example of Dave's privilege, living a life free of violence that he didn't recognize the insensitivity of using this phrase. For anyone who follows Dave online or listens to his podcast, there won't be much new here, but if you are looking for a summary of other people's wisdom gathered in one digestible place, this is it.
I was privileged to read a digial ARC of this title.
*Full disclosure: I've known Dave IRL for over a decade.
I was privileged to read a digial ARC of this title.
*Full disclosure: I've known Dave IRL for over a decade.
mandymarie1017's review
5.0
I love the conversational style of this book. It feels like your friend is sharing vulnerable parts of their life and offers you perspectives on how you too can make it through the hard things.
kellymooney's review
3.0
Dave has once again put out a book that inspires readers to dig deep and be vulnerable. He provides real-life stories and helps the reader apply it to their lives. The authenticity in the book is refreshing. I follow Dave on Facebook and have gotten to know his personality through posts and videos. So, after “knowing” him for a few months, reading his book was not a surprise that I would get the deeper side of life revealed. If you are a person who is seeking growth of any kind, this book is for you. If you are a person who is stuck in a rut asking yourself why, this book is for you. If you are a skeptic who lives in a negative space, this book is most certainly for you too. I dare you not to find nuggets of wisdom that make you reach deep into your soul to do the hard work that needs to be done. I can’t wait to do the book club with Dave and the Built Through Courage group.
literaryhypewoman's review
4.0
Time to irritate the Hollis Haters once again...
I actually enjoyed this one more than Dave's first book and plan to get it for a couple people in my life who are going through similar situations. He processes through his public divorce and how he made other major decisions in his life. There is a lot of hate about him writing about his divorce while still relatively close to it, but that time of intense healing is when moving forward takes the most courage. Moving forward is better than wallowing and being stuck, so let the man enjoy his life. It's not yours people!
Yes, a lot of it is basic self help you'll find everywhere, but different voices connect and resonate better with different people. If that's not you, cool. Move on. Let those who can glean some lesson from his experiences do so without the hate. Be kind, y'all. Here acknowledges his privilege and tries to hear from others and learn. It's a lot more than many people can say.
I actually enjoyed this one more than Dave's first book and plan to get it for a couple people in my life who are going through similar situations. He processes through his public divorce and how he made other major decisions in his life. There is a lot of hate about him writing about his divorce while still relatively close to it, but that time of intense healing is when moving forward takes the most courage. Moving forward is better than wallowing and being stuck, so let the man enjoy his life. It's not yours people!
Yes, a lot of it is basic self help you'll find everywhere, but different voices connect and resonate better with different people. If that's not you, cool. Move on. Let those who can glean some lesson from his experiences do so without the hate. Be kind, y'all. Here acknowledges his privilege and tries to hear from others and learn. It's a lot more than many people can say.
jilliebeanreads's review
4.0
Dave Hollis is courageous in so many ways. And his gives readers to how-to roadmap to overcome the negative self-talk and get to work anyway.
He has had tons of success and some very public failures. And in this book, he shares the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Bravo to him for being vulnerable and writing both a memoir post-divorce and a kick-in-the-pants self-help boom. It's quite good!
He has had tons of success and some very public failures. And in this book, he shares the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Bravo to him for being vulnerable and writing both a memoir post-divorce and a kick-in-the-pants self-help boom. It's quite good!
kaitlinleppert's review
3.0
As someone who has followed the Hollis family for many years, I was excited to read Dave's latest book. I admire him in many ways and always gain nuggets of wisdom when I hear him speak.
However, because I've followed him for so long and listened to so many podcasts, Instagram lives, and coaching, a lot of this book was repeated stories and knowledge. I found myself skimming the pages more than I would have liked.
One thing I LOVED about this book was the journal prompts. The issue with so many personal development books is that the reader finishes it, feels inspired, but hasn't done any actual work to apply it to their lives. This was a fabulous addition to go along with each section and where I got the most out of it.
I may not be the ideal audience for this books since I've been doing personal development for many years with the Hollises, but I still feel empowered and excited about what the future holds and thanks to the journal prompts, I have a better idea of how it looks for me.
However, because I've followed him for so long and listened to so many podcasts, Instagram lives, and coaching, a lot of this book was repeated stories and knowledge. I found myself skimming the pages more than I would have liked.
One thing I LOVED about this book was the journal prompts. The issue with so many personal development books is that the reader finishes it, feels inspired, but hasn't done any actual work to apply it to their lives. This was a fabulous addition to go along with each section and where I got the most out of it.
I may not be the ideal audience for this books since I've been doing personal development for many years with the Hollises, but I still feel empowered and excited about what the future holds and thanks to the journal prompts, I have a better idea of how it looks for me.
ketutar's review
3.0
I think it was OK, even though it's rather... well... it's filled with cliches and self-evident things, and Dave Hollis seems to believe he's the first person to ever think about these things, so there was nothing new to me in this book, and his attitude was kind of irritating (even though he also seems to be totally sincere and willing to help people, I mean, he seems to be a nice person, though extremely self-centered and oblivious and ignorant about life and other people's conditions.) I think it's sound advice, though, so if it's new to you and you can ignore the irritating bits, it's a good self-help book.