fancylibrarian's review
5.0
So good, a recommendation for those who enjoyed "Grit" by Angela Duckworth. Really was helpful for me when considering areas where I am rigid or perhaps too hard on myself. If you are a "bottler" like me, trying to bottle your emotions until they inevitably explode, this book encourages you to experience your emotions and listen to what they are telling you instead of avoiding them. She also has a TED talk if you aren't quite ready for the book yet!
ave_reviews's review
4.0
It's been awhile since I've read anything in the self-help or adjacent genres, but I was drawn to pick up "Emotional Agility" after hearing Susan David's interview on the Armchair Expert podcast.
The general idea presented in the book is a hybrid of mindfulness, self-acceptance, and value-alignment to become "emotionally agile" in navigating stressors in life and at work. Though many of the ideas seemed familiar, I appreciated David's use of accessible language, humor, and relatable examples to make her point.
I thought the book was structured well, and it felt like a practical, straightforward explanation of concepts that can sometimes fall on the wrong side of woo-woo. She gives plenty of tips for how to apply these teachings to everyday life, and they have already inspired me in my daily journaling.
The general idea presented in the book is a hybrid of mindfulness, self-acceptance, and value-alignment to become "emotionally agile" in navigating stressors in life and at work. Though many of the ideas seemed familiar, I appreciated David's use of accessible language, humor, and relatable examples to make her point.
I thought the book was structured well, and it felt like a practical, straightforward explanation of concepts that can sometimes fall on the wrong side of woo-woo. She gives plenty of tips for how to apply these teachings to everyday life, and they have already inspired me in my daily journaling.
iteechesinglish's review
3.0
There were some helpful bits of wisdom here, I felt like it reviewed or reinforced a lot of things I'd already read or knew. A bit on the theoretical side but still worth reading.
rick2's review
2.0
https://nobaproject.com/modules/the-replication-crisis-in-psychology -probably a more valuable read than this book
This is a corporate feel-good self-help book. More or less designed to take somewhere between $10 and $19 from you, waste several hours of your life, and leave you with a fleeting feeling of comfort or improved ability to handle the “big scary world.” Secondary effects may include additional marketing for the authors private practice or consulting career, a feeling of superiority as you recommend this book to others having a “difficult time,” and the imperceptibly slight curving of the earth as you add yet another worthless book to the jumbled bottom shelf your bookshelf.
This book has the added bonus of being based upon a HBR viral article. Which I’m starting to see as short hand for “empty platitudes to avoid.” If you’ve already realized this, congrats to you, let me know if there any counterexamples.
The authors big point is that people “sometimes get stuck doing things that aren’t the best for them.” This is a “radical” stance in similar sense to Nike or Disney tweeting out #WereAllInThisTogether is radical. Sometimes we “feel feelings” and the best way to deal with this is to feel them. Thanks, my depression and trauma is cured.
If you’ve never read a self-help book in your life, this isn’t a terrible one. The author writes clearly and speaks confidently about things that we really haven’t confirmed as “truths.” (see the link at the beginning of my review). And I did notice a slight pep in my step for the afternoon after I finished this book. But this book is generally pretty useless if you’re looking to delve any sort of deeper truth about the human experience. I’d be willing to bet all my dogecoin that this was written to further her relatively unimpressive consulting practice.
This is a corporate feel-good self-help book. More or less designed to take somewhere between $10 and $19 from you, waste several hours of your life, and leave you with a fleeting feeling of comfort or improved ability to handle the “big scary world.” Secondary effects may include additional marketing for the authors private practice or consulting career, a feeling of superiority as you recommend this book to others having a “difficult time,” and the imperceptibly slight curving of the earth as you add yet another worthless book to the jumbled bottom shelf your bookshelf.
This book has the added bonus of being based upon a HBR viral article. Which I’m starting to see as short hand for “empty platitudes to avoid.” If you’ve already realized this, congrats to you, let me know if there any counterexamples.
The authors big point is that people “sometimes get stuck doing things that aren’t the best for them.” This is a “radical” stance in similar sense to Nike or Disney tweeting out #WereAllInThisTogether is radical. Sometimes we “feel feelings” and the best way to deal with this is to feel them. Thanks, my depression and trauma is cured.
If you’ve never read a self-help book in your life, this isn’t a terrible one. The author writes clearly and speaks confidently about things that we really haven’t confirmed as “truths.” (see the link at the beginning of my review). And I did notice a slight pep in my step for the afternoon after I finished this book. But this book is generally pretty useless if you’re looking to delve any sort of deeper truth about the human experience. I’d be willing to bet all my dogecoin that this was written to further her relatively unimpressive consulting practice.