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Category: Self-Help

Review: Fast Media, Media Fast by Dr. Thomas Cooper

[ 4 ] January 26, 2012
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Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

Reviewed by Shannon Hopkins

Do you ever feel as if the world around you is moving too quickly, that you are drowning in a constant stream of stimuli, that you have forgotten what it means to be you?

In Fast Media, Media Fast, Dr. Thomas Cooper discusses the increasing speed and saturation of media of all forms in the world, and establishes a framework for taking a “media fast” – for divorcing yourself temporarily from all of the outside noise in order to rediscover the individual within.

The book is divided into four parts: Part 1 discusses the how and why of a media fast; Part 2 is an indictment against fast media, charging that fast media damages every aspect of our physical, emotional, and environmental well-being; Part 3 highlights group fasting and cultural groups who are continuously separated from media; and Part 4 highlights the “Ultimate Choice” between speeding up and slowing down. This division is convenient for those who simply want to try a media fast, allowing consumption of only those sections that are relevant to their goals.

Cooper outlines several methods, potential purposes, and goals for those intent on a media fast. He also encourages personal observation of feelings and trends before, during, and after a fast, the better to evaluate the effects of the fast on one’s approach to consuming or creating media. Two appendices provide even more detail on the ways one can successfully fast.

While his perspectives are compelling, reading past Part 1 is difficult due to Cooper’s stream-of-consciousness writing style. Many points are reiterated, and there is little organization of his thoughts beyond the chapter headings. There are also several editorial issues: extra or missing words make sentences awkward; punctuation errors are jarring to one’s concentration; and in two separate chapters he misspells the names of different countries (Colombia and Kiribati, the latter being correctly spelled in the preceding and following paragraphs).

Cooper notes that “…I had originally intended this to be three books: one for the general public, one for teachers leading classes on media fasts, and a third for their students.” (p. 111); despite his justifications for consolidation, a two-or three-part book series would have made this a more coherent and enjoyable read. I will use Cooper’s suggestions for taking my own media fast, but otherwise Fast Media, Media Fast is merely another contributor to the media overload against which Cooper rails.

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Shannon lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her fianc é and a room full of books that she peruses when she isn’t trolling Apartment Therapy for new decorating ideas. In her free time she enjoys maintaining her blog, The Writer’s Closet, planning her wedding, and baking tasty gluten-free treats.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Newman Communications. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: For Men Only by Shaunti & Jeff Feldhahn

[ 3 ] January 21, 2012
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Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

For Men Only is a handy pocket guide into the minds of women. It follows the logic of how women think or behave at various times in their lives. The book shows men how to listen to women, instructs them on what not to say and gives tips on getting along with women in romantic relationships. The book also includes responses from female respondents who explain how they would feel in regard to various relationship issues.

For Men Only is grey-tabbed on the edges of the pages and separated into sections on sex, beauty, listening skills, security, emotion and reassurance. Each chapter has bullet points, examples, call-out quotes, truths about women, exceptions to the rules, quizzes for the reader, definitions and solutions to typical problems presented in relationships. It tells men what not to say in many emotional situations, and explains to men when they are missing the point with the women in their lives.

One section that I thought was incredibly sensitive and handled well was the one relating to the desire levels of men and women. Men’s level of desire is usually higher than women’s but interestingly, the authors point out that men use sex as a relief from the daily grind while women have to pull themselves out of the daily grind (taking care of the family, work obligations), in order to feel ready for being sexually assertive. Because women are typically caretakers in the family, they do have more distractions.

The authors of For Men Only truly see the women’s position in male and female relationships. I’d recommend this book to anyone over 21 years old who wants to know more about relationships in general.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Multnomah Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Shut Up & Dance! by Jamie Rose

[ 2 ] December 17, 2011
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Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

Tango lessons provide a backdrop to the rules of etiquette and other life lessons in Shut Up & Dance! by Jamie Rose. The book highlights life lessons learned in partner dances and shows the reader how to manage relationships – professional, romantic or otherwise.

Rose discusses her personal life and how she has embraced professional dancing as an important part of that life. She uses a glossary of terms, short quotes about the joys of dance, photos and funny stories about her own life to explain the power of dance to the reader. All the while, her childhood with famous show business parents is the true inspiration behind the story. Her parents worked hard but kept the most important priorities in sight: taking care of the family and meeting the needs of their children as best they could.

Rose is very honest through the book; her life lessons start with guiding the reader to self-love, then move to showing the reader how to find her inner goddess. She then goes on to describe how important it is to listen to your own heart, and to practice active listening in your life. Rose admits that she enjoys allowing men to take the lead on the dance floor and in her personal relationships. To this end I agree. If we are not allowing ourselves to live in the moment and enjoy the relationship, we get ahead of ourselves and risk ruining it with over-thinking what every gesture could mean. Dancing and tending to relationships should be instinctual and are best enjoyed when we let nature take its course.

Rose also explains how the best dancers in the world dance with intention. Dancing is an art, but it is also a conversation that one partner has with the other, and which both partners have with the audience. She says that even novice dancers can tap into this magic, if they allow themselves to let go and embrace the dance to its fullest measure. I have taken professional dance classes in the past and I was always amazed by how light on the feet the professional dancers were – it was as if they glided on air! Shut Up & Dance! gives the reader a glimpse into this special world.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Tarcher. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Meet to Marry by Bari Lyman

[ 2 ] December 14, 2011
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Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

Meet to Marry by Bari Lyman is a guidebook for anyone interested in changing the way he or she thinks about dating and eventually getting married. The Meet to Marry philosophy is one that approaches dating as a precursor to marriage and that encourages the daters to look for a deeper, lasting and more meaningful love while choosing their lifetime partner. Granted, finding a lifetime partner is probably the goal for most daters already, but they may waste valuable time dating around and dating the wrong type of person from the very start.

The steps in the Meet to Marry program are easy to follow. They include becoming your own best friend first, understanding your perfect type of relationship by evaluating your own emotional needs, choosing meaningful conversations with your partner , and creating your own dating plan of action. The book has a helpful Date to Marry Tip pull out, Readiness Quizzes, and a hypothetical question and answer section.

Of course, most people report getting that tingling feeling when they think they’ve met the right person. But it is possible to miss the subtle signs that someone you are dating is the right person if you don’t know what to look for in the first place.

By writing down your expectations and doing the work to find out your true needs and expectations, it is possible to put yourself in the best possible position for finding a more than suitable mate. Lyman even provides a section on how to teach other people to be a match maker for you. Dating is a lot less scary when the rules for success are written in a clear and concise manner, making it easy to understand and follow guidelines.

Most people assume that once they meet the “right” person it is the best time to get married. But it is critical to discuss the issues that are the most important to the couple. The core issues can be difficult to discuss outright, because it can make the couple uncomfortable to bring up these sensitive topics. However, without an agreement or understanding on these core issues in the early stages of the relationship, the couple may be on the road to certain failure.

Meet to Marry offers information on getting through the best and worst of dating times. Lyman gives advice which is appropriate for men and women and hope to anyone currently unattached that the right person is out there.

Rating: 5/5

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by HCI. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Work, Love, Pray by Diane Paddison

[ 2 ] November 29, 2011
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Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

In Work, Love, Pray, Diane Paddison shares advice to help women balance – as the title indicates – their jobs, families and faith.

Diane started out her own career as a commercial real estate broker and after twenty-two years, she found herself in the position of a chief operating officer. She was not required to sacrifice time with her family because the company she worked for shared her values. When Diane left the company for another position, her new employer initially understood Diane’s need to spend time with her family. However, the declining housing market of 2008 struck and for the first time in her life, Diane was asked to put her career before her family.

Work, Love, Pray is a guide for women who are placed in the same situation and offers information through narrative chapters, reflection and discussion questions. The questions at the end of each chapter allow the reader to focus on brainstorming problem solving solutions to the career and life problems mentioned within the chapter.

The book goes over every conceivable issue and obstacle that could stand in the way of a woman achieving balance in her career. These barriers include: family planning, keeping fit and making time for regular exercise, making time for each season in life, understanding the value of networking with other professional women, handling money matters and making a conscious effort to grow your faith.

Diane also takes the time to discuss the current inequalities in the workplace and how they affect women in general in the workforce. The appendix includes a resource of professional organizations for women with websites and summaries of each company. Work, Love, Pray is a great resource for working women and can be used for beginning a career or re-starting one after raising a family.

Rating: 5/5

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Zondervan. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood

[ 4 ] November 26, 2011
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Reviewed by Erin McKibbin

Biking in Foothill Ranch, California, Anne Hjelle is attacked by a mountain lion. She survives the attack. JAT Flight 364 explodes in the air over Czechoslovakia. The only survivor is Vesna Vulovic, a flight attendant, who plummets 6 miles to the ground and lives. Brian Udell is forced to eject from his plane going faster than Mach 1 at sea level. The impact breaks both his legs and severely dislocates one shoulder, rendering that arm useless. Despite having only one working limb, Udell manages to inflate a raft, climb aboard, and wait to be rescued. In the Gulf of Mexico, Tim Sears falls off of the cruise ship Celebration wearing nothing more than his boxer shorts, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt. Without any floatation devices and without anyone coming to his rescue (the ship’s crew never knew he was missing), Sears literally swims for his life over a course of 17 hours where he is finally rescued by a Maltese ship.

What all these people have in common is that they are all survivors of situations that would normally be fatal to the average person. Ben Sherwood, journalist and author, sets out to discover why some people live where others would perish in his book The Survivors Club. Sherwood takes the reader on a tour of the remarkable and the astounding while all along collecting research into the sciences of extreme first aid, faith and prayer, fear, will power, adversity, and luck. He includes countless tales of survival and death defying feats as well as advice from rescue workers and scientists who investigate the various forms of death.

The Survivors Club is more than just a study in the art of survival; it is also a reference manual. Sherwood invites the reader to take a quiz that will provide him/her with a “survivor profile.” This individual profile identifies the test taker’s “survivor type” (fighter, believer, connector, thinker, or realist) and details the top three survivor tools in the test taker’s arsenal. The reader is then invited to join an online community of survivors where members can share their stories and “build a private support group of friends and family.”

Ben Sherwood’s The Survivors Club is a must read for those who desire a long life and wish to be prepared for all eventualities in life.

Rating: 5/5

Erin fell in love with the written word as a small child and subsequently spent most of her life happily devouring literature. She works as a freelance news, marketing, and technical writer as well as a full-time researcher/investigator in the sign industry. Erin lives just outside of Cleveland, Ohio enjoying the beauty of life with her children and grandchildren.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Grand Central Publishing. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: A Cluttered Life by Pesi Dinnerstein

[ 5 ] November 3, 2011
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Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

A Cluttered Life is about finding oneself among chaos. The author, Pesi Dinnerstein, is a 50-year-old woman that finally realizes that she is disorganized and out of touch with herself. She decides, with the help of her friends (the Holy Sisters), that she needs a major life change to become more efficient, happy and balanced. She believes that she can get her life back on track by eliminating the clutter in her home and car. Dinnerstein finds a new relationship with God in the mix; her real life exploits on the way to overcoming the clutter make for an interesting story.

Our state of mind is either cluttered or not, and so is our spiritual being. Dinnerstein goes on a spiritual quest and struggles with staying present and truly enjoying her life. She learns as we all do that trying to live is actually living itself. And we can take away from the book that “finding yourself” is never easy but always satisfying – especially when we know that there are no wrong answers.

A Cluttered Life was interesting because I could relate to Dinnerstein’s sincere attempts to find a better balance. What I liked about her personality was that she did not give the impression that what she was doing had to be perfect or that there was only one way of being. Her journey seemed authentic and you saw her personality shining through each epiphany that she had regarding where her life should go (in relation to where it was).

Rating: 5/5

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Seal Press. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Rich Kiyosaki & Sharon Lechter

[ 5 ] October 20, 2011
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Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Guest Review by Amy Young

Rich Dad Poor Dad is a financial self-help book written by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. Basically, the authors try to get the reader to gain financial independence through investments, real estate, owning a business, and using finance protection tactics. The book is written in a set of parables and is based on Kiyosaki’s life experiences.

Kiyosaki says things at times that the reader may not want to hear, but the strategies and tactics he used to become rich have worked for him as well as many other wealthy people. Kiyosaki says at one point that a house is not an asset. This statement made me a little skeptical because I’ve always thought of real estate as an asset that can increase in value and is, therefore, a good investment. After thinking about his explanation, I realized that a house is more of an asset to the banks, real estate agencies, insurance companies, and local government agencies who charge taxes on the home. When a person buys a large house, it is supposed to be a symbol of wealth, when in reality that person is paying the bank a substantial amount during their 30 year mortgage.

I was so pleased to see that Kiyosaki discouraged debt connected to anything other than investments like real estate and stocks. There are so many people in this country who use their credit cards to pay for things they can’t afford (like dining out, clothing, and other non-essential items). Going into debt is a slippery slope, and some consumers need a wakeup call, like this book, to avoid or defeat poor spending habits.

For the most part, people either love this book, or they hate it. The topics covered and the opinions made by the authors could be debatable. Rich Dad Poor Dad has taken hits of criticism for years, and will continue to do so because of the controversial statements made by Kiyosaki. John T. Reed is a very open critic of this book and Kiyosaki’s money strategies. He has even said that this book holds “some of the dumbest financial advice… [he has] ever read.”

As for me, all of the comments have really opened my eyes to some of the financial problems people have in this country. I was taught at a very young age how to work hard, save money, and lead a successful life, but I was not prepared for some of the harsh facts of reality. With the help of this book, I also learned how to take responsibility for my life.

I believe there is a reason why Rich Dad Poor Dad was on the best seller list for years and continues to be a popular book today. This true story shows everyone, even the most financially unstable, that there is hope for a successful financial future.

Rating: 4/5

Amy Young is the author of articles relating to business, marketing, and help with personal finance.

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