August 2023 MBR The Self-Help Shelf

The Self-Help Shelf

Stay Sane in an Insane World
Greg Harden
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781665092418, $25.99, HC, 198pp

https://www.amazon.com/Stay-Sane-Insane-World-Controllables/dp/1665092416

Synopsis: Simply stated -- Greg Harden changes lives. This is why hundreds of world-class athletes, doctors, lawyers, teachers, business leaders, college students, and professionals from all walks of life have come to him for advice and direction -- including 7-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady, 23-time Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps, Heisman Trophy winners Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson, CEOs of major companies, and championship coaching staffs from all over the world.

Harden teaches his students how to practice, train, and rehearse to give 100 percent, 100 percent of the time, and challenges them by asking: If you don't believe in yourself, why should I believe in you?

Champions aren't born. They're built. Greg Harden spent over 30 years building them at the University of Michigan, including 400 future professional athletes, 50 NFL first-round draft picks, and 120 Olympians from over 20 countries. He gained national recognition when 60 Minutes Sports profiled him as "Michigan's Secret Weapon."

Now, with the publication of "Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive", Greg Harden is reaching out to help anyone who wants to live their best life by offering powerful and practical advice.

His readers will learn to: Stop being afraid of being afraid; Control the controllables; Commit, improve, and maintain; Become the world's greatest expert on themself; Practice self-love and self-acceptance.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, impressively timely, effectively organized and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive" by Greg Harden is an ideal, effective, inspirational, and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Stay Sane in an Insane World" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781665088619, $31.95, MP3-CD).

Editorial Note: Greg Harden (https://gregharden.com) is a life coach, motivational speaker and executive consultant who is best known for his work with 7-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady, Heisman Trophy winner and Super Bowl MVP Desmond Howard, and 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.

33 Letters of Compassion: To: The Unseen. Love, Rosie
Elaine Elizabeth
Independently Published
9798887596372, $14.99, HC, 84pp

https://www.amazon.com/33-Letters-Compassion-Unseen-Rosie/dp/B0C5P7M5LR

Synopsis: "33 Letters of Compassion: To: The Unseen. Love, Rosie" by Elaine Elizabeth is an inspiring memoir that will motivate her readers to embark on their own journeys to healing and self-discovery.

"33 Letters of Compassion" promotes the value of mental well-being and self-compassion. It is a collection of stories about patience, recovery, and personal development. This is your sign to finally take the first step in taking control of your emotions, practice self care, and live your life to the fullest!

"33 Letters of Compassion" deftly takes the reader on an insightful journey through Elaine Elizabeth's own inner thoughts on difficult emotions. This journey provides a glimpse into the healing process and the steps it took to healing, reclaiming joy and fulfillment.

"33 Letters of Compassion" reveals:

The path to self-discovery, which is the process of exploring those things that will help you in creating a better understanding of yourself. This will give you some insights in revisiting your values and principles in life.

The value of compassion. This act of kindness will help you in fostering a stronger sense of connection with yourself and others.

The value of self-empowerment and self care. This is something that will guide you in self-acceptance and personal growth. It is important to know that you can find joy and happiness the moment you start focusing on your holistic well-being.

Critique: Eloquent, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and ultimately inspiring, "33 Letters of Compassion: To: The Unseen. Love, Rosie" is particularly relevant and recommended for anyone who is experiencing trauma, as well as those who are trying to get past the past and start rebuilding a life full of joy and purpose. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement and Popular Psychology/Medicine collections, it should be noted for anyone who has ever struggled with trauma or who knows a friend or family member who has, that "33 Letters of Compassion is also available in a paperback edition (9798887595856, $12.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).

Editorial Note: Elaine Lamoreaux (https://generationalevolution.life/pages/about) aka Elaine Elizabeth created Generational Evolution to provide independent opportunities for those that wanted to battle their demons alone. She knows that not everyone knows where to start. She's hoping that generational evolution can be a start for those that are looking to change the way they live their life to experience life to the fullest.

Say It Out Loud
Vasavi Kumar
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way #1, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608688265, $19.95

https://www.amazon.com/Say-Out-Loud-Thoughts-Courageously/dp/1608688267

Say It Out Loud: Using the Power of Your Voice to Listen to Your Deepest Thoughts and Courageously Pursue Your Dreams comes from an author who tried journaling, but found a better way to address her own voice and its inherent insights.

From using the spoken voice to address underlying belief systems to accepting that talking out loud to oneself creates a cathartic opportunity that writing alone can't match, Vasavi Kumar reveals the triggers and forces that both repress and limit the notion that speaking aloud is a productive process. Her encouragement to defy these life messages to tap into an unprecedented form of enlightenment and growth through vocalizing exercises encourages readers to grow their own intuitive process and strength in a different manner.

Libraries strong in self-help, psychology, and new age studies will find Say It Out Loud a fine opportunity for transformation beyond the usual admonition to use written words alone.

In Search of I
Avi Raa
Independently Published
9798392250196, $32.47 Hardcover/$22.96 Paper/$9.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Search-I-Alchemy-Meditation/dp/B0C2RPBJKG

Readers who would better understand the process, history, and foundations of meditation will find Avi's In Search of I a solid starting place for understanding.

It nicely supplements the many books on the market about how to do meditation, opening with the all-essential question of why meditation is a worthy, enlightening venture. This touches upon not only its promise, but its usual approach to transformation: "Meditation affects everything - it touches every single dimension of life, and at the same time, it doesn't change anything ... Meditation transforms our emotional landscape, our self-perception, our inner dialogue, cognitive processes, and the way we relate to the world. Yet, it leaves us absolutely free, for it operates not at the level of thoughts, but someplace deeper."

Avi's exploration is absolutely essential as a start to the process because those who embark on meditative efforts typically are not as well grounded in what to expect from the effort as they should be. Chapters unfold the rich possibilities of meditative approaches, choices, and results, reviewing its mindset, processes and impact with a careful attention to considering both the benefits and challenges of embarking on a meditation routine.

Avi's diversion from the usual "how to" themes running through too many similar meditation guides allows for a far better understanding of not just the routines of meditation, but what to expect from its practice. The real magic and potential of meditation lies not in a goal-oriented approach, but in a celebration of the moments involved and the adventure of self-discovery and growth that evolve not from a set course of action and anticipated results, but from the flexibility of remaining mindful, open, and cognizant of surprises that emerge from the meditative experience.

Avi readily admits the challenges involved in setting aside preconceptions, routines, and expectations of results. The result is a discourse that should ideally come first, putting the 'why' before the 'how' as In Search of I explores the promises and potential pitfalls of embarking on a meditation journey and shows how best to embrace its possibilities.

While new age libraries and readers will be the most likely audience for this discussion, ideally, In Search of I will gain attention from book clubs and groups interested in pursing meditation in its best form, who would better understand both its historical connections and the legacy it passes down to those who imbibe. Its importance in delving into the heart of meditation's processes cannot be overstated, making In Search of I a top recommendation for anyone and any collection interested in self-help, personal transformation, and journeys of enlightenment.

Own Your Work Journey!
Edward D. Hess
Independently Published
9798987442302, $7.95 Paper/$3.95 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/OWN-YOUR-WORK-JOURNEY-Meaningful/dp/B0BW2SL7Q3

Own Your Work Journey! The Path to Meaningful Work and Happiness in the Age of Smart Technology and Radical Change advocates integrating technological savvy into the quest for finding meaningful life work, promoting a sense of independence and accomplishment that comes from the unification of two seemingly disparate approaches to life.

It's unusual to see a book that is part new age insight and yet is inclusive of the technological opportunities that typical new age writings tend to eschew. But the foundations of Edward D. Hess's revised and revitalized approach to satisfaction lay in adopting new survival strategies to mitigate the faster life pace introduced by new technologies, and chapters focus on building self-awareness and insight while working alongside such changes. In this process, becoming your "best self" is key to not only survival, but thriving.

Hess reveals how to take on the perceptions and life strategies that enable such winning roles in life's journey, drawing important connections between the time taken towards self-realization and overcoming negative and limiting attitudes and the success that can stem from adapting one's life journey to a rapidly changing world. The prerequisites for successfully utilizing this title are a willingness to work on self and an acceptance of tools such as mindfulness, meditation, journaling, and practicing the lessons Hess outlines here.

But, then, readers not on this path and unwilling to work on or look at themselves might not be the prime audience for this book. That would be a shame, because likely this kind of reader is exactly who needs the book the most. Hess points out the many business and personal changes that the new era of technology poses, indicating how these necessitate adaptations in the business and personal pursuits of everyone.

Understanding how these changes and choices in responses work to either create greater satisfaction and opportunity or result in less of each is key to adopting the kinds of attitudes that lead towards satisfaction on many levels. That's why the practical observations and psychology of Own Your Work Journey! is so essential. It is an interconnected analysis of what constitutes satisfaction, demonstrating how to maintain equilibrium and upward momentum in times of fast change, and how to tailor one's life to make the most of all of its influences.

There is no better blueprint for such success than Own Your Work Journey! The Path to Meaningful Work and Happiness in the Age of Smart Technology and Radical Change, which should be in any self-help or business library, and utilized in book club discussion groups of all kinds, whether they be holistic, business, or psychological in nature.

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