A frank, funny self-help book perfect for those who view the genre with a healthy bit of skepticism.
A guide promises to help readers get out of ruts and start living more authentic, fulfilling lives.
At age 35, Vincent (You-Nicorn Journal, 2018, etc.) looked like she had made it, at least professionally. She had a six-figure job at the Oprah Winfrey Network, but her work didn’t excite her, and her personal and inner lives were the “equivalent of a stagnant pond.” So she embarked on an intense journey of self-discovery and self-help and was able to turn her life from ho-hum into something far more satisfying. Now, in her manual, she offers a crash course for others who are looking to change their lives but aren’t sure how or where to begin. Vincent freely (and refreshingly) acknowledges that many, including herself, are skeptical about self-help mumbo-jumbo and openly declares that “this book is for cynics.” But she nonetheless urges readers to give her monthlong program a try, tackling a single chapter and its accompanying action steps per day. Each short, easy-to-digest section focuses on a different challenge or roadblock, such as success, mental health, friendships, forgiveness, and meditation, and the daily steps are meaningful but not so ambitious as to be overwhelming. Rather than demanding that readers transform their lives overnight, the author suggests low-commitment but still impactful activities like writing down a situation they’d like to alter and brainstorming solutions or putting together a list of daily affirmations. The result is a sort of “Whole30” diet for life, a plan meant to jump-start readers on the path to wellness. The author’s own experiences deeply inform her spirited, offbeat work, which gives the advice an idiosyncratic feel—she delves into managing road rage, discusses “esoteric magic items” like talismans and “bath spells,” and explains how Dreiser’s Sister Carrie inspired her attitude about work. It’s a bit of a wild ride at times, but her sheer enthusiasm, combined with her quirky, conversational style and the volume’s charming, uncredited illustrations, makes this an enjoyable and often thought-provoking read.
A frank, funny self-help book perfect for those who view the genre with a healthy bit of skepticism.Pub Date: April 30, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9994392-5-8
Page Count: 272
Publisher: HEA Publisher, LLC
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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