A Self-Help Book Worth Reading

By Charlotte
Book Review: Meet the New You: A 21-Day Plan for Embracing Fresh Attitudes and Focused Habits for Real Life Change by Elisa Pulliam
Official FC Rating:

Ah, the wonderful world of self-help books. You know I've been there. Most of the self-help books I've read have been so-so. Nice talk, but no clear cut directions. (Others have been downright awful.) The very best author I've read in the genre is Gretchen Rubin (cue realization that I've not written a review of any of her books, slacker). So on a scale from 1 to Gretchen, this book is somewhere around a 6 or 7. I know it shows 3 stars up there, but really it's more of a 3.5.

Pulliam rises above most other self-help authors in that she doesn't just offer up happy stories and pretty, encouraging rhetoric. Sure, she mentions repeatedly how beautiful life can be and how it's never too late to change or to form good habits, but she also gives us stories of her own experiences. Moreover, she gets groovy with list-making and question-answering! I don't know about you, but for me it's pretty essential that self-help or guide books have very detailed info, examples, and prompts. This is where Pulliam is similar to Rubin. They don't just talk about change, they put the tools in front of you. I like to think I'm a "big idea" person........ but that's definitely not the case when we're talking about self-improvement and self care. I like bullet points, targeted questions, good instructions, etc. Can anyone relate? 

So Pulliam's book really excels with that. Another thing I really like about that book is that it's rooted in faith. She draws inspiration and guidance from the Bible and other holy writings, which can be really terrific if you happen to be Christian. Would I recommend the book? Yes, absolutely. My one caveat would be that it might not be your flavor if you're not religious. Could an atheist glean insight from this book? Yep! But if you don't believe in God, I can see this book being frustrating. The entire thing is rooted in faith. Good for me, yes. Good for you? Maybe! (I guess now is a good time to mention - this book is specifically aimed toward women. But never fear, menfolk, I shall review Gretchen Rubin's book soon.)

Overall, I count this book a success and am glad I read it. It's not often I find a truly good self-help book. 

xoxo 

Char

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from theBlogging For Books program in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.