Self Help Book Club

Book: 100 Ways to Build Self-Esteem and Teach Values

Author: Diane Loomans, Foreword: Jack Canfield, Contributor: Julia Loomans

This book is written by a mother and daughter team – Diane and Julia Loomans. This book has over 100 ideas, and techniques to help day-by-day family interactions more joyful and enjoyable too. This book is great for the entire family and even those without children. The book provides a pull-out portion of quotes that I put up in my room so that I could see it every time I passed by. I can read the quotes whenever I wanted some encouragement or a pick-me-up. I also wrote down the notes from the book as there was so much I learned and I have continued to re-read the book for further encouragement. My self-esteem has been fine but it’s nice to build it up anyway when there are times when I’m not feeling all that great emotionally. I know this book is perfect for parents who are looking to raise children with good self-esteem. This book is to easy to read and straight forward. Jack Canfield wrote the foreword of the book and mentioned this book provides an encyclopedia of helpful informational insights and useful ideas for ways on how to create “more love and less fear, more joy and less pain, and more achievement and less failure in people of all ages.” 100 Ways to Build to Build Self-Esteem and Teach Values. I have referred this book to others with kids and they found this book very helpful and useful.

Reference: http://www.amazon.com/Build-Self-Esteem-Values-Loomans-ebook/dp/B004LKRG98/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

How to Be Happy, Dammit: A Cynic’s Guide to Spiritual Happiness by Karen Salmansohn

I read this book several years ago and I found it to be absolutely amazing and inspirational. This book was exactly what I needed at that time. This book merges several different ideals such as psychology, biology along with quantum physics, eastern and western philosophies. All of the life lessons helped me out heavily and made me think about my life more including my relationships with my family, friends, my work friends, and myself. This book helped to improve my moods and made my days brighter and more enjoyable. The author didn’t approach these principles like other self-help writers and gurus. She approached these principles in a raw and straight to the point method. The author also used common sense practices such as, “not taking advice from people who don’t have careers, or relationship advice from people who don’t have relationships.” However, I don’t agree with what she said as there are some people who can “teach better than they can do.” I believe there are exceptions to some of these things and depends on the circumstances and backgrounds. The book is inexpensive and it was a quick read. I liked the graphics in the book and it was enjoyable to read. I know these days self-help books get a bad rap but there are some great self-help books out there such as this book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a little guidance in their lives and have a desire to learn and grow. This book changed the way I saw things and has provided me with a much brighter future.

Reference: http://www.amazon.com/How-Happy-Dammit-Spiritual-Happiness/dp/1587611198/ref=cm_cr-mr-title

Discardia: More Life, Less Stuff

Not what I was looking for, but a pretty good book for newbies

I'm in the awkward position of not really caring for or enjoying a book that objectively is pretty great. Part of the problem is that I have a semi-secret fondness for reading self help books from the "life improvement" and productivity enhancing end of the scale. If you have read most of the classics in this genre (books like It's All Too Much, Getting Things Done, and Your Money Or Your Life) you probably will not find very much new content here. I also felt like the book often veered away from the goal of "getting rid of stuff" and into the usual tips and tricks.

Book: How to Win Friends & Influence People

The First and Still the Best - Book of Its Kind-To Lead You to Success

Book: How to Win Friends & Influence People - The First and Still the Best - Book of Its Kind-To Lead You to Success

Author: Dale Carnegie

Link: http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034/

Book Review: Online Dating for Dummies

by Judy Silverstein and Michael Lasky

Book: Online Dating for Dummies by Judy Silverstein and Michael Lasky

Online Dating for Dummies is a helpful book for anyone interested in online dating to meet their match or someone special. This book breaks down the information easily and the techniques assist the interested dater on how to best prepare for online dating and avoid some of the horror stories.

This dating reference book provides the scoop on how to overcome preconceived notions of online dating and who is online. Learning about the online lingo, enjoying chat room conversations, consider the dating site options, how to establish a screen identity, and learn the consequences of not posting a picture on a dating profile.

Hurry Less, Worry Less at Christmastime

Hurry Less, Worry Less at Christmastime: Having the Holiday Season You Long For by Judy Christie is one the most popular self-help holidays books around and it is the perfect book to give as a gift for the holidays. This book focuses on helping busy people to learn how to celebrate the holidays more joyfully and peacefully during the holiday season, especially between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. This includes the Christian celebrations of Epiphany. The author provided a plethora of ideas on how to best celebrate the holiday season and reduce overall stress levels. I learned that we should be more peaceful and grasp overall thankfulness. A thankful attitude and outlook is the best way to go. This type of attitude is contagious and will transfer to others easily. If you're no longer panicking, anxiety-filled, stressed out and instead more at peace then many others will take that on too and use it in their own lives.

In my family we do not stress out about the holidays and have limited the amount of time spend on shopping for gifts. For most gifts we will instead choose gift cards as a gift for close friends to their favorite stores. We don't send out Christmas cards anymore and we don't receive them much anymore except from family. Instead we call and talk with family and close friends and that has a deeper meaning than the card. I would recommend this book to others in search for finding their own personal joy and peace during the holiday season.

Andew Weil's "Spontaneous Happiness"

Why your stuff makes you sad.

The old adage, “money can’t buy you happiness” seems to be particularly true in the case of the new book penned by psychologist and Santa look-alike, Andrew Weil, MD. In his new book, Spontaneous Happiness, he discusses why affluent people in the western world have a higher risk of depression than people who live in impoverished countries. Read more about Andew Weil's "Spontaneous Happiness"

Happiness, not success or wealth, will make you happy

Psychology professor Shawn Achor’s The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work is something of a revelation. Read more about Happiness, not success or wealth, will make you happy

"Guerilla Dating Tactics" by Sharyn Wolf

I Might Just Become a Guerilla Dater

Guerilla Dating Tactics and its strange 1980’s-style cover called to me in a whisper at the used bookstore while I looked in the Self-Help section. When I picked it up and read the first few pages, I was hooked and vowed that I, too, would become a Guerilla Dater.

Who could resist the tactics and strategies recommended by author Sharyn Wolf? No one. The nuance and subterfuge of Sharyn Wolf’s pick-up strategies—I really should say strategeries because they are THAT good—seem strong enough to woo even the most reluctant pick-upee.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

This book has been around for a while but it is still selling very well. Part of the reason is that it crossed over from the “general” self help category to the “business” self help category. It has spawned a number of sequels from the same author including “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Marriages”, “The 7 Habits of Happy Kids” and “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families.” The author, Stephen R. Covey is the head of a company and a non-profit which teaches leadership skills to corporations. Read more about The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People