Archive for the ‘Self-Help’ Category
Thursday, March 29th, 2007
Trade, 231 pages, 2007
Rating: 9/10
Reason for Reading: My bridal wave started last year.
Synopsis: The subtitle of this book is A Survival Guide to the Everyone-I-Know- is-Getting-Married Years, and when you need this book, you will absolutely know. The Bridal Wave offers up tips on everything from dealing with your ‘lobridemized’ friends, to managing nosy relatives who want to know what’s wrong with you that you’re not next down the aisle, to basic etiquette, to handling your own panicky, “I am going to be the last single girl on earth?” feelings.
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Posted in Non-Fiction, Etiquette, Finance, Self-Help | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006
Trade, 376 pages, 2005
Rating: 8/10
Reason for Reading: Like most people, there are always things I’m putting off doing ‘until I know enough to do it right.’
Synopsis: Has there ever been something you wanted to do - eating sushi, getting a massage, going to a foreign country - but you pushed the idea aside for fear of looking stupid? McCutcheon has assembled a group of women that are experts in their fields to play big sister and talk you through ten areas of life (entertaining; health & fitness; spirits & sustenance; dating; travel; work; the great outdoors; art & culture; fashion; money) where you might want a little help.
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Posted in Non-Fiction, Etiquette, Fashion / Beauty, Culture, Self-Help, Fitness | No Comments »
Friday, January 14th, 2005
Trade, 179 pages, 2005
Rating: 9/10
Reason for Reading: I’m usually pretty skittish about poetry, but was lured in by the subtitle: ‘Love Poems for Real Life.’
Synopsis: Why pretend that love is all wonderful, all of the time? Esselman and Vélez counteract the elated bliss of most love-themed anthologies with a shot of reality, dividing the book into sections on Ecstasy (When Love Rocks); Stability (When Love Rolls); Monotony (When Love Lulls); Uncertainty (When Love Keeps You Guessing); Misery (When Love Stinks); and Clarity (When Love Shines). You Drive Me Crazy includes timeless authors such as Shakespeare, but is mainly composed of modern poetry culled from an international group of poets (mini-biographies are included at the end of the book).
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Posted in Non-Fiction, Humour, Self-Help, Poetry | Comments Off
Monday, November 22nd, 2004
Trade, 164 pages, 1938
Rating: 7/10
Reason for Reading: It’s always fun to see what standards previous generations had to live up to in comparison to today. I think I heard about the book on BookCrazy.
Synopsis: Better Than Beauty is just what the subtitle says, a guide to charm. It begins with personal hygiene (you have to start somewhere, right?), and strolls through exercise, diet, and fashion before moving into the more obvious areas of social interaction - meeting people, parties, and awkward situations, for example.
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Posted in Non-Fiction, Etiquette, Fashion / Beauty, Self-Help | Comments Off
Tuesday, September 21st, 2004
Hardcover, 116 pages, 2003
Rating: 7/10
Reason for Reading: I saw it when I was browsing the shelves at the library, and picked it up because I’ve been enjoying the television game show Win Ben Stein’s Money the past few months. There’s nothing better than people that have brains crammed to bursting with random knowledge.
Synopsis: Jack-of-all-trades (master of quite a few) Ben Stein weighs in with a humorous book of tips for ruining your love life - keeping potential love interests terrified of dating you, driving away people you’re currently with, and ensuring anyone that does stay with you remains satisfactorily miserable.
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Posted in Romance, Non-Fiction, Humour, Self-Help | No Comments »
Thursday, May 20th, 2004
Hardcover (available in trade), 148 pages, 1975
Rating: 8/10
Reason for Reading: I was looking for a simple how-to book on meditation.
Synopsis: Hanh, a zen master, explains meditation techniques that keep the mind focused on the current moment. Through short anecdotes and instructions on breathing techniques, Hanh shows the reader how to live in the current moment instead of dwelling on the past or future.
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Posted in Non-Fiction, Religion, Self-Help, Health | No Comments »
Monday, March 1st, 2004
Hardcover (available in trade), 256 pages, 2004
Rating: 7/10
Reason for Reading: I think the tv show is hilarious.
Synopsis: Television’s Fab Five continue their quest to improve straight men, this time in book form. Each expert focuses on their area of expertise in an individual section: food and wine (Ted); grooming (Kyan); interior design (Thom); fashion (Carson); and culture (Jai).
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Posted in Non-Fiction, Etiquette, Humour, Fashion / Beauty, Television, Culture, Self-Help, Cooking, Interior Design | No Comments »
Monday, February 16th, 2004
Hardcover (available in mass market), 336 pages, 2003
Rating: 8/10
Reason for Reading: I’ve become mesmerized over the past few months by Dr. Phil’s big shiny head. No, really.
Synopsis: Dr. Phil looks at a triad of weight loss factors: eating, exercising, and perhaps most importantly, the psychological aspects that hold people back. Seven ‘keys’ are presented, with quizzes to check your starting point and progress, as well as to identify the areas that you may need to focus on the most.
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Posted in Non-Fiction, Self-Help, Health | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 14th, 2004
Trade, 330 pages, 2002
Rating: 9/10
Reason for Reading: I happened upon this one on Amazon and was intrigued by the title, being an introvert myself.
Synopsis: Laney explains the personality traits of introverts in contrast to extroverts, and goes through how introverts can use those traits to succeed in relationships, work, and social occasions in a world where the fast-paced extroverts make up the majority of the population.
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Posted in Non-Fiction, Self-Help | No Comments »
Saturday, November 15th, 2003
Trade, 239 pages, 1985
Rating: 8/10
Reason for Reading: It caught my eye on Amazon.
Synopsis: Lerner, a specialist in the psychology of women, takes a look at anger: how it hurts us when we avoid it or express it in the wrong way. The ‘circle’ of the title refers to the useless patterns of arguing people fall into, creating an endless circle where nothing ever actually gets changed by anger.
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Posted in Non-Fiction, Self-Help | No Comments »