I used to read a lot of self-help books when I was younger, and a few religiously soul-searching books when even younger tThis is a hard book to read.
I used to read a lot of self-help books when I was younger, and a few religiously soul-searching books when even younger than that.
What's the meaning of life? Why are we here? Will guzzling piles of drugs answer every question?
I spent a few weeks sitting on a valley overhang when I was 22 reading the New Testament and the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which I enjoyed, especially John, much more than anything written by Sigmund Freud in 1913.
I have massive love and admiration for Jesus Christ, and Totem and Taboo didn't answer any of my questions and was pretty useless in that respect, but did serve as a crutch to delve deeper and maybe look beyond.
To be honest, the most memorable part of this book was walking down the street with it under my arm....more
John Diamond tells it straight and honest with zero self-pity about his gradual demise while his body falls apart due to cancerThoroughly recommended.
John Diamond tells it straight and honest with zero self-pity about his gradual demise while his body falls apart due to cancer.
Anyone else would give up at this point and tell the world to swivel on itself, but courageous John just gets on with it and even makes light of his plight with witty commentary and humour.
An incredible human being with an intrinsic desire to, not just survive, but live.
I've marked this as disturbing because he goes through hell, while also uplifting as it emphasizes anything is possible even in the worst possible situation....more
I churned through this book in my early 20s when seeking the meaning of life and trying to find my head up my own backside. I didn't find it, not thenI churned through this book in my early 20s when seeking the meaning of life and trying to find my head up my own backside. I didn't find it, not then, and probably never will.
This is profound and enlightening stuff, a bit like owning an original pressing of Jailhouse Rock or something, too fragile and valuable to be actually played, but an amazing book for your coffee table.
This is no thriller, but then again, neither is the Bible....more
It opens up pathways while never being satisfied and believing the grass is always greener. That's the thing about grass, once trampled, it's greener back where you came from. You need to water, nurture and look after it every day to remain verdant and worthwhile.
Published in 1918 and therefore antique, this reference book is still essential if you want to become a better writer.
It establishes the basics of whaPublished in 1918 and therefore antique, this reference book is still essential if you want to become a better writer.
It establishes the basics of what should and shouldn't be expressed in words, in a clear, direct and informative way.
Not all its contents are essential, but I picked up on tips and guidelines and 'I never knew that' revelations all the way through.
I recommend listening to what William Strunk Jr and E.B. White have to say and taking their wisdom on board. Many famous authors swear to the relevance of this book even today.
Think of it as a writing-standards reference manual on constant read, to help avoid obvious or glaring mistakes....more
I am sitting firmly on the fence with this book, giving it three encouraging stars.
It isn't written well enough for a better review, but instead put tI am sitting firmly on the fence with this book, giving it three encouraging stars.
It isn't written well enough for a better review, but instead put together by a biographer as a summary of tweets and quotes, therefore coming across as rather amateurish, bloggish and disjointed in places, while also making it hard to describe and rate.
Even though it's a disjointed affair, this is a good self-help book and some of the quotes within are amazing and the reason I'm writing this review is to share some of them with you. If you need motivational self-help and a kick up the proverbial back side, be sure to check it out.
"Be a maker who makes something interesting people want. Show your craft, practise your craft, and the right people will eventually find you."
"The worst outcome in this world is not having self-esteem. If you don’t love yourself, who will?"
"You have to enjoy it and keep doing it, keep doing it, and keep doing it. Don’t keep track, and don’t keep count because if you do, you will run out of time."
"If you can’t decide, the answer is no."
"If you have two choices to make, and they’re relatively equal choices, take the path more difficult and more painful in the short term."
"Working out for me is not fun; I suffer in the short term, I feel pain. But then in the long term, I’m better off because I have muscles or I’m healthier."
"Most fit and healthy people focus much more on what they eat than how much."
"To me, happiness is not about positive thoughts. It’s not about negative thoughts. It’s about the absence of desire, especially the absence of desire for external things."
“All of man’s troubles arise because he cannot sit in a room quietly by himself.”
"You are more than just your habits."
"But if you’re not spending your time doing what you want, and you’re not earning, and you’re not learning—what the heck are you doing?"
And that's pretty much the book in a nutshell, a self-help volume with endless streams of quotes, which definitely isn't for everyone because of how patronising and disjointed it is, but there are some strong messages here on how to lead a better life. This is a worthy read....more
This is a self-help book that I failed fully appreciate.
There are quite a few of them, churned out a million miles an hour with more advice and informThis is a self-help book that I failed fully appreciate.
There are quite a few of them, churned out a million miles an hour with more advice and information on how to have a terrific life than you can properly digest or understand.
Perhaps that's the reason I don't read these types of books any more? What once seemed essential doesn't feel like that any more.
The more you look for answers, the more advice you get from people. The aim of these people - to help others - is commendable, but the real answer lies within:
Feel The Fear is a really good self-help book and I recommend it.
If you're looking to make a transition in your life or get out of a tricky situation,Feel The Fear is a really good self-help book and I recommend it.
If you're looking to make a transition in your life or get out of a tricky situation, remain strong, read this and do something about it.
When in difficulty, we sometimes get too comfortable with life as a giant turd and just the way it's supposed to be, instead of listening to our hearts and making a positive step in the other direction, whether in love, career or something else that's lowering our potential.
Sure, sometimes it's better to stay put and count your blessings, but when that's no longer a viable option, reading this book is a good way to get moving and start believing in yourself again.
Even if it's just a lift in your career, it will help you with that....more
The word Persistence springs to mind when thinking about this book - a call to arms to the American public not to give up after the devastating Wall SThe word Persistence springs to mind when thinking about this book - a call to arms to the American public not to give up after the devastating Wall Street crash in 1929 and ensuing 1930s depression leading up to WWII.
It's a self-help book and a business statement to view that period as an opportunity rather than a time for financial despair, but it also feels dated and rather out of touch with modern society.
As entertainment goes this isn't a great read.
What it does well is emphasize the main reasons for failure and what we can do about them:
1. Lack of self-discipline and self-mastery. 2. Lack of control over unproductive desires and urges. 3. Too much procrastination. 4. Lack of persistence (failure cannot compete with persistence). 5. A negative outlook.
That pretty much checks all the boxes for me and explains why I'm not a billionaire with a fleet of executive cars and a queue of nubile ladies waiting at the door.
It's one thing to concisely list the basics of what you should and shouldn't be doing each day if you want success - go to bed on time, etc. - and another thing to actually implement those things, like reading an extensive list of new year's resolutions and religiously sticking to them, but this a positive book with a lot of good tips and I view it as a companion to How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, just not as instructive, friendly and practical.
I personally believe you can't change the fundamentals of your basic personality, and if you live in a self-induced dystopia it's probably because you're already comfortable there and no amount of fist-pumping or positivity can change what or who you are, but it does help!
This is a valid read and has been really helpful in certain aspects of my life, such as dumping the grinding of video games for reasons that I thought were important to me at the time.
Over time YOU CAN learn to focus and concentrate your energies on what's beneficial to you at social and psychological level, perhaps even financially if you're really persistent and determined, which is the point of this book....more
According to Jack Donovan, men need to take back a world conquered in recent decades by women, who now dEssentially, a bit of a dud and hard to grasp.
According to Jack Donovan, men need to take back a world conquered in recent decades by women, who now dominate and betarize us poor fellas into submission by giving us too much sex and turning us into withered slaves.
This is more like bad sci-fi than self-help and could be renamed Plan 9 From Outer Space or something equally non-functional.
I appreciate what Jack Donovan is trying to say - men have become too soft and need to take back control of their lives - but this book is borderline misogynistic in places, plus corrosive, hard to read and not very entertaining. Too militaristic.
However, I'm giving this book three stars for the amazing chapter called the Bonobo Masturbation Society, which I enjoyed. It explains how Bonobo ape clans are run by females who have relationships with any ape they want, even other females, while the males sit in the background and have no power. Its accuracy? I have no idea, but rather interesting because of how culturally different bonobos are to chimpanzees as much closer to humans than apes.
At the end of the day, no-one really cares what gender you are or whether the next president is a man or woman. One day we'll all be androgynous anyway and probably making babies with ourselves. We've gone far too LGBT+ for all of that.
Although the sentiments within are often interesting, especially at how outlooks can becoming increasingly unbalanced between men and women in modern society, the book feels a bit hysteric, archaic and rather too old-fashioned and Marlboro man for me.
As literary enjoyment it's rather turgid, overly regimental, quite badly written and hard to comprehend....more
I read this book a few years ago after going through divorce and trying to reestablish my life as an alpha stud or something of that ilk but I strugglI read this book a few years ago after going through divorce and trying to reestablish my life as an alpha stud or something of that ilk but I struggled to have a concrete opinion of it then (and now) because of how much posturing it does and the message it gets across that men rule the world and women supposedly tremble in our wake.
A lot of what it says is true: if you don't rate yourself as the bees knees then nobody else will and it's good to get to grips with who you are and your core needs and desires (like shagging everything that moves), so this is a very personal journey and one you should probably keep to yourself because, after all, giant gonad-laden alpha males are rather one-dimensional and boring, not intellectual at all and crush beta pansies at the local watering hole.
No, it's not your fault for having low self-esteem and many of us are simply made that way, but that doesn't mean this book is abhorrent either, but an attempted kick up the backside by an author who wants to help himself by helping you.
More importantly, is there anything particularly memorable about this book, or juicy tips to get knickers falling down in their droves? Not really.
> Look after yourself and learn to focus. > Work hard, or work harder than before.
Other than that, there's nothing particularly enlightening on display here, but I also feel I'm now a better and more worthwhile person than in the past, so three stars from me because that could, in part, be attributable to reading this book? Plus I didn't absolutely hate it.
Overall, I can't recommend The Unplugged Alpha because the ego on display is horrible and there are better and more earnestly rewarding books of this type around....more
Sometimes you simply have to say no, regardless of how other people feel about it.
No more mister wimpy trying to fit into everyone's expectations and Sometimes you simply have to say no, regardless of how other people feel about it.
No more mister wimpy trying to fit into everyone's expectations and afraid to be yourself. You can't please everyone, but you can please yourself.
This book helped me understand that you have to put your interests first before you can be happy or make anyone else happy. It's not about becoming an egocentric asshole, and your personality will never essentially change, but it's about accepting deep-rooted toxic shame deep down inside and ridding yourself of the erroneous inbuilt belief that you're worthless or did something incredibly wrong in the past.
It may not 100% fit your personal experiences and you may not agree with everything written in this book, nor is it scintillating reading, but it helps the process of accepting who you are, being less of a pussy and more in control of your personal requirements.
If you're in a bad relationship or going through a tough time, this book can really help you understand the escape and recovery process....more
I read this book on recommendation, not long after getting divorced.
It's what you'd expect from a dating-type manual - how to pick up women, what to sI read this book on recommendation, not long after getting divorced.
It's what you'd expect from a dating-type manual - how to pick up women, what to say, how to act, etc... the sort of stuff that looks good on paper but in practice doesn't work that well.
This is my book and this is how to be like me!
But what it does do well is help you pick up your self-esteem through some very important tips. I also recommend this book for women to better understand, maybe, how guys think, or whatever sexual orientation you are.
It reinforced some very important things about my life at the time and now. You've got to look after yourself first and foremost before worrying about anyone else, not just about the opposite sex, but in life, friendship, practically anything. If you don't respect yourself, other people won't either.
It also taught me that you need to look after your physique, grooming, fitness and general presentation... it's the same cycle throughout life, you can't afford to let it go completely. Life is too short and you don't know what's around the corner.
If you've got a good life, good things will hopefully come to you in abundance. Try not to feel sorry for yourself... it's basically a giant pep talk on being a real alpha male, which is laughable because I've never been like that and can only be me and hopefully be better at being me.
I recommend this book though, not necessarily to get laid, but on how to work it out in your own mind, understand that you're worthwhile and not beat yourself up for being less than superhuman all the time....more
This is a road-trip style book published way back in 1974, a sort of Easy Rider reimagining on a Harley Davidson while journeying across America.
EssenThis is a road-trip style book published way back in 1974, a sort of Easy Rider reimagining on a Harley Davidson while journeying across America.
Essentially, it's a book about the philosophical meaning and values of life, which is difficult (at first) to ascertain from the title.
Zen is achieved through simplicity, awareness of the present, improved focus, open understanding, and the ability to simply sit and be yourself (meditate).
Theoretically, by traveling, being self-reliant and knowing how to maintain your mode of transport, whether motorbike, horse, boat, starship or something else, you can achieve a state of zen and simplicity, a happier life and closer relationships with mother earth, God and real people.
It's been a while but I'll have to try getting on my bike sometime.
Life is so complicated with so many distractions and so much pressure to be someone you're probably not, we often lose focus and track of what makes us effectively tick. Keeping up appearances, concentrating on status and worrying about what other people think are just a few wasteful traits that spring to mind.
Maybe we all need to disappear into the sunset now and again, to remember how to rely on ourselves and the basics of life instead of all the tiny details that no-one actually cares about besides our egos.
This was a massive bestseller. Maybe time for a reread?...more
I have read this book twice, about 25 years apart, and it kind of clashes with my negative personality because I'm not the sort of person to spend houI have read this book twice, about 25 years apart, and it kind of clashes with my negative personality because I'm not the sort of person to spend hours mailing out Christmas cards for pseudo popularity. Or maybe it's the price of stamps?
For people with the right mindset, this is a potentially life-changing book on how to make mega bucks and become even more popular while trumpeting that success and billions of followers to the bank.
Think of it as a sales person's best friend or companion guide.
Cynicism aside, there is a LOT to be gleaned from this book and the reason I rate it so highly: it has taught me a number of important lessons. You can't essentially change who you are but you can be better at what you do. Performing effectively as a timid dog is difficult, but you can still enhance your abilities and interactions if you really want to. Try and get on better with people, learn to be more generous in your praise, attempt to listen instead of blabbing on about yourself. Do not slag off other people behind their backs just for the sake of it. Keep it to yourself!
Try to be confident in who you are regardless of what other people think. I know it's hard and criticism stings, but when I realised that everyone's too busy thinking about themselves to worry about me, it really helped. This makes you stronger and gives you more power.
Even though I don't agree with the corporate and capitalist push instilled in this book, it's still an upbeat and positive read from the perspective of a man who knows how to make the best out of himself and wants to share that with others.
A bit dated, but really friendly, encouraging and positive....more
This is an essential read for so many reasons, not just because of morbid fascinations with concentration camps or Nazi brutality.
Even though the contThis is an essential read for so many reasons, not just because of morbid fascinations with concentration camps or Nazi brutality.
Even though the contents are morbid and disturbing, the esteemed author never gets judgemental or bitter about his plight, but instead decides to focus on facts and practicality.
Most of us would have given up and never made it out alive, but dear Viktor decided to see the positives even when there were none, by imagining reunions with his wife on death marches, by understanding that the Nazis could never take away his dignity or inner light, no matter what.
The facts are astonishing. Sometimes when I make dinner for my children I joke about ladling the soup from the bottom of the bowl to get the peas - I don't know why - maybe to make them appreciate my effort more? I sometimes think about the prisoner who never smokes his last cigarette - why would you do that - it's far too valuable, observing that it's the last day of life when you see someone doing it. It's heartbreaking that life comes down to a quick smoke before death.
I still can't believe people were subjected to that and I still can't fathom how amazing Viktor pushed himself through it when I and everyone else would have given up. You have to be a real human being to do that, to empathise and not feel sorry for yourself. It takes superhuman courage that is beyond most of us.
The second half of the book is focused on a type of psychotherapy called logotherapy, developed by Frankl himself, to emphasise that there must be a reason for everything we do, that there is a reason for suffering, that it's not in vain and it's worth surviving no matter what. I have felt suicidal at times and yet here I still am, alive and kicking. Perhaps this book helped me survive when I might have given up?
Thank you dear Viktor for surviving and telling your story and making life seem a little more worthwhile. Yes, the book is dark and depressing, but that's because of how bright the light is on the other side. Sometimes we forget that. ...more
Richard Alex
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