emp1234's review against another edition
3.0
When I started this, I kept thinking "who is this woman and why haven't I read anything else she's written?" I am coming late to the Beth Lisick party. I really enjoy her storytelling and like others have mentioned, she sounds like someone you want to hang out with and drink a few beers. I'm not sure how I stumbled across this book but I knew up front that it wasn't going to be an actual primer into which self help classes/books are the best or that I should take/read. I can see how some people might think that and be disappointed that she didn't come up with a lot of concrete answers. She sort of stumbles through and laughs at herself along the way. I did end up picking up a Jack Canfield book because she seemed to enjoy it. Overall, a fun and easy read.
kristidremljuga's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
3.75
bbckprpl's review against another edition
4.0
Different chapters devoted to different life changing goals: this book was interesting, and the author had a great voice. Just enough sarcasm and doubt to keep me involved.
mrsthrift's review against another edition
4.0
here are some of the reasons why i liked this book, presented to you as a numbered list:
1. i like series. i appreciate the gesture towards applying the same technique or material in a multiplicity of ways. beth lisick tries on various self-help programs, each for one month, for the duration of one year.
2. this book is about setting aside irony & apathy. this is a matter of great interest to me.
3. beth lisick is actually an entertaining writer.
4. there is a real effort to not be judgmental about the things that work for other people.
5. beth lisick describes sylvia browne as a seventy-year old courtney love.
it was fascinating for me to watch beth lisick descend into the language and practice of the self-helpers. within a few chapters, she was "visualizing" and "affirming" like she had been doing it for years. i loved her wry sincerity and the efforts to actually be a better artist, more financially sound, life-affirming and successful. i loved loved loved the richard simmons stories, and the worshipful audiences of the gurus. there are constant reminders that these gurus are filthy rich, but there is examination of some of their human sides - canfield as a step-dad, simmons exhausted at the end of the week, sylvia browne's blond frizz. the tension between the two kept me engaged. lisick is pretty broke for much of the book, and spends time resenting these gurus & their millions. me too! framing chuck palahniuk as a self-help guru for the new generation -- a brilliant moment in journalism. if i could change anything, i would have made her write the self-help chapter on her sex life instead of copping out! that chapter needed to be written, dammit.
beth lisick has history with sister spit, and i feel like this cultural anchor provided a specific viewpoint, which was apparent at every turn. i cannot imagine what it would have been to read this book if i didnt recognize her traveling-queer-spoken-word roots. aka you can tell she has hung out with michelle tea & company.
all in all, a charming and quick read with a little tiny bit of insight into our own desire to be, or not to be, a better person. often clever, occasionally "laugh out loud" (LOL) quality humor.
1. i like series. i appreciate the gesture towards applying the same technique or material in a multiplicity of ways. beth lisick tries on various self-help programs, each for one month, for the duration of one year.
2. this book is about setting aside irony & apathy. this is a matter of great interest to me.
3. beth lisick is actually an entertaining writer.
4. there is a real effort to not be judgmental about the things that work for other people.
5. beth lisick describes sylvia browne as a seventy-year old courtney love.
it was fascinating for me to watch beth lisick descend into the language and practice of the self-helpers. within a few chapters, she was "visualizing" and "affirming" like she had been doing it for years. i loved her wry sincerity and the efforts to actually be a better artist, more financially sound, life-affirming and successful. i loved loved loved the richard simmons stories, and the worshipful audiences of the gurus. there are constant reminders that these gurus are filthy rich, but there is examination of some of their human sides - canfield as a step-dad, simmons exhausted at the end of the week, sylvia browne's blond frizz. the tension between the two kept me engaged. lisick is pretty broke for much of the book, and spends time resenting these gurus & their millions. me too! framing chuck palahniuk as a self-help guru for the new generation -- a brilliant moment in journalism. if i could change anything, i would have made her write the self-help chapter on her sex life instead of copping out! that chapter needed to be written, dammit.
beth lisick has history with sister spit, and i feel like this cultural anchor provided a specific viewpoint, which was apparent at every turn. i cannot imagine what it would have been to read this book if i didnt recognize her traveling-queer-spoken-word roots. aka you can tell she has hung out with michelle tea & company.
all in all, a charming and quick read with a little tiny bit of insight into our own desire to be, or not to be, a better person. often clever, occasionally "laugh out loud" (LOL) quality humor.
sarahfett's review against another edition
I expected to love this book, but I didn't. I'm not entirely sure if it is the book or just what I'm in the mood to read right now. It's probably a bit of both, but I just could not get in to this book even though I'm a fan of immersion journalism, self help books, and sarcasm.
stenaros's review against another edition
3.0
I think the universe was telling me something when the library system sent me both "The Secret" and this book at the same time. I'm not the skeptic that Beth Lisick is; in fact I had already read four of the self-help gurus she consulted: Steven Covey, Suze Orman, Deepak Chopra and Julia Cameron. I also have my own organization self-help guru, the Flylady. So this was familiar territory to me.
"The Secret" lives on the edge of this book. She keeps hearing about the movie, but never actually gets to see it. This is too bad, as I would have loved to hear what she thought of the whole thing.
The book was funny in parts, but reading it I could sense how indifferent she felt; about some of the self-help gurus or writing the book itself, I'm not sure which. I think that is what kept me from really liking this book, though I did enjoy it.
A fitting quote: "This seems like a linchpin of why so many people get sucked into self-help and empowerment programs. They can't trust that what they are doing is the "right" way to be doing it."
"The Secret" lives on the edge of this book. She keeps hearing about the movie, but never actually gets to see it. This is too bad, as I would have loved to hear what she thought of the whole thing.
The book was funny in parts, but reading it I could sense how indifferent she felt; about some of the self-help gurus or writing the book itself, I'm not sure which. I think that is what kept me from really liking this book, though I did enjoy it.
A fitting quote: "This seems like a linchpin of why so many people get sucked into self-help and empowerment programs. They can't trust that what they are doing is the "right" way to be doing it."
msjoanna's review
3.0
Beth Lisick is funny. She's someone I would want to be friends with. And, impressively, she's able to convey this in print in a way that comes across as genuine and endearing rather than presumptuous or annoying. She opens herself to the reader in this memoir as she discusses her own shortcomings.
The book itself is a fun concept -- exploring different self help books (and even guru conferences and such) during the course of a year. But the project was executed lazily and haphazardly in a way that ended up interfering with my enjoyment of the project. It's funny though, because the way the book project goes is representative of Lisick's personality and part of what makes her personally so endearing. If she'd been more rigorous in her self-help exploration, it might well have made her less accessible as a person.
In any event, I enjoyed the book in a light reading sort of way. I didn't really learn much or have deep insight here, but I'm not sorry to have spent the nine hours that the audiobook took to listen to.
The book itself is a fun concept -- exploring different self help books (and even guru conferences and such) during the course of a year. But the project was executed lazily and haphazardly in a way that ended up interfering with my enjoyment of the project. It's funny though, because the way the book project goes is representative of Lisick's personality and part of what makes her personally so endearing. If she'd been more rigorous in her self-help exploration, it might well have made her less accessible as a person.
In any event, I enjoyed the book in a light reading sort of way. I didn't really learn much or have deep insight here, but I'm not sorry to have spent the nine hours that the audiobook took to listen to.
sharonfalduto's review against another edition
Beth, a freelance writer (also occasional high school teacher and banana-costumed-banana-hander-outer) goes on a year-long plan of following self-help gurus in order to get her life together. She tries Jack Canfield for general "life organizing," John Gray (of the Mars/Venus books) for relationships, Richard Simmons for exercise, suze Orman for finances, Sylvia Browne for--I'm not sure what that chapter was, but something. She tries to keep her innate cynicism in check, but her humor and warmth still shine through. She is funny and relatable. I really hope she made some money off this book so she can pay some bills, though.
mhall's review against another edition
3.0
I like this. She seems fun to be around. Like her other book Everybody into the Pool, this is a cheerful read. She goes on a Richard Simmons weight-loss cruise.
meli65's review against another edition
4.0
This was a lot of fun -- she has a light, engaging writing style and I breezed through it quickly.