Best Selling Self Published Books (2024 Updated)

4. 5★s “There are clues to making sense of a stranger. But attending to them requires care and attention. We should accept the limits of our ability to decipher strangers. ” Talking To Strangers is the sixth book by British author, Malcolm Gladwell.

Is it a book about social interaction? Yes, certainly, but not so much a “how to” as a “why do we get it wrong”. Gladwell explores the reasons that we seem to be so bad at telling when strangers are lying to us.

He does this with reference to a myriad of psychological experiments, research, case studies and examples. Gladwell holds that we are successfully deceived by strangers through a combination of three main reasons: the fundamentally human tendency to default to believing we are being told the truth; that facial expression and demeanour are much less reliable than we believe; and context matters a great deal.

“We fall out of truth-default mode only when the case against our initial assumption becomes definitive. We do not behave, in other words, like sober-minded scientists, slowly gathering evidence of the truth or falsity of something before reaching a conclusion.

We do the opposite. We start by believing. And we stop believing only when our doubts and misgivings rise to the point where we can no longer explain them away. ” Gladwell cites examples of Cuban spies and the CIA, Hitler and Chamberlain, Bernie Madoff and the SEC, the Penn State Paedophile Case, a murder in Perugia, and more “If every coach is assumed to be a p3dophile, then no parent would let their child leave the house, and no sane person would ever volunteer to be a coach.

We default to truth-even when that decision carries terrible risks-because we have no choice. Society cannot function otherwise. And in those rare instances where trust ends in betrayal, those victimized by default to truth deserve our sympathy, not our censure.

” Gladwell talks about whistle blowers, bail judges, alcoholic blackout and sexual assault, the effects of torture on.

4. 5★s “There are clues to making sense of a stranger. But attending to them requires care and attention. We should accept the limits of our ability to decipher strangers. ” Talking To Strangers is the sixth book by British author, Malcolm Gladwell.

Is it a book about social interaction? Yes, certainly, but not so much a “how to” as a “why do we get it wrong”. Gladwell explores the reasons that we seem to be so bad at telling when strangers are lying to us.

He does this with reference to a myriad of psychological experiments, research, case studies and examples. Gladwell holds that we are successfully deceived by strangers through a combination of three main reasons: the fundamentally human tendency to default to believing we are being told the truth; that facial expression and demeanour are much less reliable than we believe; and context matters a great deal.

“We fall out of truth-default mode only when the case against our initial assumption becomes definitive. We do not behave, in other words, like sober-minded scientists, slowly gathering evidence of the truth or falsity of something before reaching a conclusion.

We do the opposite. We start by believing. And we stop believing only when our doubts and misgivings rise to the point where we can no longer explain them away. ” Gladwell cites examples of Cuban spies and the CIA, Hitler and Chamberlain, Bernie Madoff and the SEC, the Penn State Paedophile Case, a murder in Perugia, and more “If every coach is assumed to be a pedophile, then no parent would let their child leave the house, and no sane person would ever volunteer to be a coach.

We default to truth—even when that decision carries terrible risks—because we have no choice. Society cannot function otherwise. And in those rare instances where trust ends in betrayal, those victimized by default to truth deserve our sympathy, not our censure.

” Gladwell talks about whistle blowers, bail judges, alcoholic blackout and sexual assault, the effects of torture on brain function, and ultimately relates it all back to the tragic consequences of a traffic stop in Texas.

Regards reading faces and behaviours: “Each of us, over the course of our lives, builds our own set of operating instructions for our face, based on the culture and environment we inhabit. The face is a symbol of how different human beings are, not how similar we are, which is a big problem if your society has created a rule for understanding strangers based on reading faces.

” He tells us “Our strategies for dealing with strangers are deeply flawed, but they are also socially necessary. We need the criminal-justice system and the hiring process and the selection of babysitters to be human.

But the requirement of humanity means that we have to tolerate an enormous amount of error. That is the paradox of talking to strangers. We need to talk to them. But we’re terrible at it” And also “The thing we want to learn about a stranger is fragile.

If we tread carelessly, it will crumple under our feet. And from that follows a second cautionary note: we need to accept that the search to understand a stranger has real limits. We will never know the whole truth.

We have to be satisfied with something short of that. The right way to talk to strangers is with caution and humility. ” Fully indexed, and with footnotes and thirty-one pages of comprehensive end notes, this is a fascinating and enlightening read.

This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Penguin UK.

Gladwell used multiple anecdotes from transcripts and interviews to bring “truth-default theory” to life in “Talking to Strangers. ” He worked through this theory as a way to explain the position most people default to when talking with strangers.

Truth-default theory originated with Timothy R. Levine, a distinguished professor and chair of communication studies at the University of Alabama Birmingham. Gladwell explained that when talking to others, we accept they’re telling the truth.

We look at two scenarios, and we go with the more likely answer. Something has to push us over the threshold for us to not default to truth. “To assume the best about another is the trait that has created modern society,” Gladwell said.

“Those occasions when our trusting nature gets violated are tragic; but…to abandon trust as a defense against predation and deception – is worse” (342-343). Gladwell opened and closed the book with the case of Sandra Bland, pulled over for failing to use a signal on July 10, 2015 in Prairie View, Texas.

That minor traffic violation led to a troubling exchange between her and state trooper Brian Encinia that led to her arrest. I didn’t remember this story so this was a fresh telling for me. He ended with the Bland case after a journey through other stories where he further developed “default-to-truth theory” and moved on to what I’ll call companions to default-to-truth for how we make sense of the stranger.

He moved from a look at Cortez vs. Montezuma II to Fidel Castro & Cuban spies and the CIA, UK ambassadors and Adolf Hitler, finally turning his attention to stories from today’s headlines. He talked about the controversial cases of Jerry Sandusky, Larry Nassar, and Bernard Madoff, as well as Amanda Knox, and Brock Turner.

A chapter labeled “Sylvia Plath” caught my eye. She and Anne Sexton were included. I couldn’t wait to see why. I kept thinking, “I feel like singing the Sesame Street song, “One of these things is not like the other.

” Some of these stories were not like the others and didn’t appear to belong. They did connect eventually, and that’s what made the book a stimulating mental treat. I thought Gladwell triumphed as a storyteller.

I talked about this book often as I read, so riveted was I by these stories and the new insights I gained. I told people he’s like Paul Harvey in that he gave you “the rest of the story” once he developed his argument further.

So many of his cases invited further study. He’s restored my faith in journalism. I could tell he thoroughly researched the cases presented and worked to give back an unbiased re-telling. He conducted interviews and used transcripts to bring life to the stories.

(Yes, that meant I did see curse words. ) Included were copious notes in the back. And he even gave an email address in the notes section for readers who notice an error they want to dispute. I felt better informed about past and present cases, and I appreciated how Gladwell showed compassion and empathy for people the media had tried in the court of public opinion.

When I finished this book I thought: “Give this guy a Pulitzer!” Such a departure from my usual nonfiction fare. I do like to take deep dives into subjects. I love the rush of the “A-ha moment. ” I could easily see someone taking Gladwell’s ideas and applying them to literature to make sense of misunderstood characters, like Frankenstein’s monster in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” or Heathcliff in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights.

” The more I read, the more I saw how often I have let social media and news media influence what I believe about some of the high-profile cases covered again in the book. And I think Gladwell accomplished his goal because I reflected often on each case presented.

Not giving away the thrill of discovery, I will say they’re ones we should never forget.

With a reasonable price & free from needless jargon, it was impossible to pass on such a bargain. I specifiically sought out this title having heard wonderful things about the topics it covered & was by no means disappointed.

“Self-editing for Fiction Writers” will broaden the complement of weapons in the editing arsenal of fiction writing novices or reassure & quickly remind those old warhorses already stalwart at the task.

If you are unsure of which How To title to chooose than look no further than “Self-editing for Fiction Writers” (2nd Ed).

Possibly the best booking on self-editing and on writing a novel that I’ve read. Very will written itself. Clear concise and full of insights.

This book contains a wealth of information for writers. Whether you intend to self-edit or not, the tips and examples used will elevate both your current and future work. Self-editing for fiction writers has earned it’s place on my go to reread shelf.

Can’t wait to read this book. Hopefully getting it next week. I enjoy watching Greg on the five and on the weekend with all his sarcasm and truth comments! Going to be a great read I’m sure.

I havent read the whole book yet but I have enjoyed the parts I have read so far. I am a huge fan of Greg Gutfeld, so I am sure the rest of the book will be just as good.

It’s a think piece about a mid level band struggling with their own limitations in the harsh face of stardom.

I’ve read all of Mr. Gladwell’s books and if you’re only going to read one, IMO, this is his most important, and at the risk of hyperbole, I’ll call it brilliant. He argues, and supports with substantial evidence, the idea that sheer luck plays an enormous role in how our lives turn out.

He stops short of taking the extreme deterministic position agreed upon by, oh, Einstein, Freud, and BF Skinner, to name a few of the 20th centuries most influential thinkers, but many readers will have their minds opened to consider that possibility more seriously.

The book is also the story of failure. I guess if that had been incorporated into the title it would have been less appealing. And although examples of failure due to bad luck are no doubt far more common than The Beatles or Steve Jobs, thus who experience failure, also because of (bad) luck, don’t stick out to be studies and included.

If there’s a weakness it’s that examples that con’t support his thesis are ignored. On the other hand. if his thesis is correct, and I think it is, there are no contradictory example. Outliers is, IMO, a truly great book.

I can’t thin of a book I’d recommend more highly.

A book that challenges the stereo type thinking of who is an exceptional person or group of people. The author has demonstrated that outliers are products of history and community, of opportunity and legacy.

Their success is not exceptional or mysterious. It is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky, but all critical to making them who they are.

The book has so many examples of circumstances but the wonderful example of the Jewish emigre family to New York, the Borgenichts’ showed how Louis and Regina may have been tired and poor and overwhelmed.

For Louis being his own boss and making his own decisions, engaging his mind and imagination resulted in a relationship between effort and reward. The three things – autonomy, complexity and connection between effort and reward are, most people agree, the three qualities that work has to have if it has to be satisfying.

Meaningfulness is very important in one’s job or task for us to excel in it. Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning. Once it does, it becomes the kind of thing that makes you grab your wife around the waist and dance a jig.

For me, a crucial lesson to those who want to tackle the upper reaches of a profession is if you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desire.

Working hard is what successful people do. Even for subjects like mathematics, it’s not ability as attitude. Success is a function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work. As the Chinese say “No one who can rise before dawn three hundred city days a year fails to make his family rich”.

In summary, outliers are those who have been given opportunities and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them. As the author summarises, “The outlier, in the end, is not an outlier at all.

A classic book which looks at success through a different lense. Lots of books out there look at success via meritocracy etc. whereas looking at success through Gladwell’s lense we see things a lot more clearly.

He is unique and a great author and writer. An influential book and Gladwell somewhat a thought leader because of it. Nice printing job, buy the hardcover and keep it for life. Very happy I bought this again as a hard cover.

I purchased this study guide as an e-book because I thought I would be able to print the pages I only needed to take notes on from the online class and personal notes in the margins. However, I was disappointed that you could not use the book this way.

I ended up needing to purchase the pysical study guide and I have not yet received it. This has stahled my study loosing my motivation/spirit. My recommendation is do NOT ever buy a study guide/workbook online because you won’t get the same interactive experience than a regular good ole’ fashine hard copy.

I have learned my lesson and will not do that again. Why something like this is even offered as an E-book is beyond me. Once I receive the study guide and can use it appropriately, I will have a more valued opinion of the materil.

The text book is AWESOME!!! So I have to assume the study guide will not disappoint! I’m just disappointed in the method of how it was advertised and sold.

Excellent companion study guide with the video series as well as the book by the same name. I used this with the video study when it was offered through FaithGateway. We are led to look at our own feelings and motives through the direct, yet sensitive questions and suggestions.

This level of honesty becomes critical as we wrestle through those things in our lives that weren’t supposed to happen (or in some cases, not happen). Don’t compare or rate the author’s crises on a scale showing they are much worse than what you are going through – I can say it makes the study questions much more challenging.

We each have our own struggles that leave us as walking wounded, whether physically or emotionally, and in both cases, spiritually. If one is going through trauma or disappointments, this workbook is a valuable part of going forward with the Lord.

I highly recommend it.

I had the book in my cart to read in the not so distant future on Amazon due to the fact that I read Uninvited a while ago. Both books are amazing. However, when you all announced an online Bible study for “ITs Not supposed to be This Way”, I knew this waS the time to buy, read and get involved in this wonderful study! It’s timely, raw and exactly what I thought it would be.

Lysa’s heart and authenticity; as well as struggles with truth, honesty and revelation is a comfort to my soul. I thank you and her, for such a decision to share. It is my hope that I will gain even more insight to God’s character and heart.

And that I will continue to flourish in light of the set backs and hurdles that God has allowed but never wanted me to bear alone! I feel the love and love y’all right back. Thank you again!!!!.

Fanatical Prospecting has been recommended to me through various channels and I only wish Id read it sooner! Already seeing improvements in my prospecting. Never disappointed with the book quality from World Of Books either!.

Everybody in sales should read this book. Thank you

Jeb Blount makes lots of sense. His book was well paced and a great read, very timely for me starting out in a new sales role.

An excellent look at what impacts on our life choices and our ability to change things that no longer seem right for us. I would highly recommend anyone to read Self Matters to gain a better perspective on what we do and why we choose to do them and at the end of the day – is it really want we wanted in the first place? The book is well written, easy to follow and covers topics in logical sequence.

All in all, an awesome self-help book for those seeking answers to feelings of an ‘everyday struggle’.

Self Matters by Dr. Phil starts out a little slow, but gets better as you go. If you watch his show, the beginning is basically like reading what you’ve already heard. He has very good principles in the book that are very thought-provoking.

You could spends hundreds of dollars on counseling to get the information he draws out. I think it would be good to read the book and write down your thoughts before going to counseling. That way, you could get to the heart of matters much more quickly.

These 2 books literally helped save my mental life… I am giving them for Christmas. I HOPE the recipients take the help….even if THEY dont think they need it.

I read this book in several days rather than one page a day throughout the year as suggested. It was inspirational as I started journaling short snippets myself each morning. Hoda has an open, sweet spirit and a good sense of humor, too.

This is an easy, uplifting read which will make you reflect, smile, and sometimes laugh. When you gain a little weight just remember you can probably still slip right in to you flip flops, LOL! This is a good book to read and pass on to share.

Love love love this book. It sits by my computer where I enjoy my coffee. Everyday I read the quote. Some I share via text, some I don’t. Sometimes I add a note to the page or a comment how it relates to me.

Will be fun looking through it next year to see where I was and I how I was doing.

Definitely could have filled the pages with quotes or made the book smaller. First book of hers I purchased and am sure itll be the last too. Waste of trees for mostly empty pages and very little quotes, or other info in it.

Dont waste your time or money on this book!.

Great story; one of Stephen King’s best. The book is small, easy to hold and the print is big enough to keep your eyes comfortable. You might have nightmares afterwards though. A beautiful package!

This was the exact book that we wanted. The only thing I can say is the description was incorrect. It said that the book was hardcover, which it is not. It is paperback. Lucky for us its exactly what we wanted.

I read this book for the first time a few years ago! It took me 2 weeks to finish it but I could not put it down! Plus every time I would read the book, I had the worst nightmares of my life! Nightmares not from the book! The way he writes this book is incredible !.

Looking for straight forward advice and easy read? Well look no further this book is amazing and simple with powerful principles if you follow them will improve your financial status 100 fold.

People are always looking for that magic number to save that will make them a millionaire. According to the author David Bach, you can become an automatic millionaire by saving about 10-15% of your gross income first, and then smartly paying off your mortgage.

the concept of ‘pay yourself First’ is something that needs to be paid attention to save first and then spend instead of the other way around. Making it automatic is a great advice too. All the people on the fence about buying a home, should read this book.

This book has helped me in my struggles to achieve financial success. I have purchased it for a number of family members. I truly thank David Bach for sharing his personal experiences with us!

I had purchased this book while living in Canada for the first time. Being able to know the subconscious reasoning behind your dreams no matter how whacky they get can be quite the motivational tool or even to just piece of mind.

When i left Canada i had to leave it behind but it was that good i bought it again as soon as i got home.

I love this book for so many reasons! there is such detail with each word, and it allows you to find common themes and patterns within my dream. Totally recommend for someone who is looking to see what their dream mean instead of Google.

A This book is a great way to learn more about what the possibility you can learn about your dream. Whether it’s a dream to help others or for ourselves.

Great book. From page 152 onwards there are examples of affirmations to say to yourself. Whether you want to quit smoking, lose weight, change habits, etc. This one differs from others as it considers the permanence of your affirmations.

I read it in 4 days. 200 pages. Definitely a book to work on afterwards.

I see no cons in this Book unless you don’t buy into the initial premise. It has been my go-to resource for dealing with my self defeating challenges. I loaned it to someone and obviously they never returned it because of its value, so I had to find a new one.

‘The author seems to assume both that they have some commentary worth their while as well as implicitly getting respected for that. While amongst the readers, they may be those that don’t feel that they want to contribute further on the subject, even though they feel their thoughts worthwhile, nor would they be likely to asume that they would be respected for having those views.

Somewhat akin to explaining reactionary politics to a liberal activist. So the question remains only clinical; does talking to yourself depend upon what you say to yourself or upon what you omit, paraphrase, re-ificate or plain and simply do NOT say to yourself? The answer may be only the proverbial pudding; but Mr Helmstetter seems to be of the persuasion that there exists some formula for an individual, presumably his clients, should communicate to themselves.

Aside from the lapses of style; suppose that you re-interpret what you say using another language or some period style of speech, Mr Helmstetter seems to be saying that talking to th e self amounts to a sort of ‘self-confession.

‘ While there are still any number of perspectives that are not considered; the speaker could be a repeat victim of crimes, from some alien, or non-native, culture or they may be handicapped. Particularly if the speaker were to be linguistically handicapped, with defective dentures, congenital deformities of voice cavities or other, to the extent that they could not possibly pronounce certain sounds or words.

So that the whole premise of talking to yourself ignores the idea that the individual may either ultimately or only ever, have themself for an audience. So the reader with those doubts, as to exactly the way that they may sound to themself, may have only further doubt or even confusion upon reading the book, but at least they are advanced to some degree beyond where there would not be a single word, from anybody, spoken in behalf of their defense or to their credit, either.

‘.

It always seems kind of pointless to try to add the mountains of praise heaped on books like Educated. Having arrived late to the party, I did not realize what a sensation this memoir is in the literary community.

Therefore I was not adequately prepared to be so fascinated by three distinct aspects of this particularly engaging story. First, I was enthralled with the inner workings of devout Mormon fundamentalist families, even the especially unique survivalist ones.

Having had the opportunity to visit extensively with local LDS missionaries on dozens of occasions (I live one block away from the local Mormon congregation), I have developed a tremendous admiration and affection for the Mormon people, even as my estimation of LDS doctrine and theology has devolved.

Second, I read with great enthusiasm this story of a young girl who discovers an entire world (literally) through the gift of education, a blessing that had been denied her for most of her childhood.

What a joy it is to read of someone who miraculously discovers the gift of learning and flourishes beyond the wildest imaginings of anyone in her family. Third, I am struck with dichotomy present in the divide between educated and uneducated people in contemporary American culture.

The misunderstanding, distrust, and contempt that is present between those with an access to education and those without is portrayed with astonishing clarity in this amazing story. Educated calls all to bridge that gap and find a way to communicate with each other, regardless of our exposure to the ideals of higher learning (see also: Heartland, by Sarah Smarsh).

There is a good possibility I will always think of Educated as one of the best books I’ve read.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was a difficult read, and for numerous reasons, the first being Tara’s childhood. It’s very difficult to imagine her life when I have no reference point, having had a “normal” childhood.

She has no reference point to compare to her traumatic childhood, thus bringing her to spontaneously go back to her childhood home periodically, with the hope that things would change for the better.

Her quest for knowledge outweighed her fears of failure, although failure was always a component in her mind. Her strength overcame her weaknesses, which is an amazing attainment! I must commend her for her continued drive to survive her past, and become a hero for others to admire and respect.

Take the time to read this eye-opening memoir!.

Difficult to read. Impossible to put down. A powerful, powerful book that you shouldn’t miss. I can’t just leave it at that because Tara Westover’s story deserves more than those few words. I don’t often read memoirs, but when I do I want them to be told by extraordinary people who have a meaningful story to tell and that would be faint praise for this book.

It sounds odd to say how beautifully written this is because we are not spared of the ugly details of what this family was about, but yet it is beautifully written. I had to remind myself at times that I wasn’t reading a gritty novel, that Tara and her family were real as I got more than just a glimpse of a life that was hard for me to even imagine.

Stephen King has been one of my favorite authors my whole life and is one of the few i continue to read. This is not your traditional night out at the horror show. This book is Stephen King peeling the curtains of his brain, where we can not only gain a better understanding of the man, and what makes him tick ( he speaks of a band that he plays in and he’s made references to them in other work) , but also in doing so (for me) I was able to find a better understanding of the way that my brain works and what makes me tick on writing.

Not only is it compelling on the level that it is written by a beloved writer, but it is also compelling in the way you will approach writing in the future. I’m a song writer, I’m no novelist. But this book is good medicine for those writer’s blocks.

I must also mention that this is the 2nd time I’ve purchased the same book after I “lost” the first one. It’s that good. Happy Reading! Julio Morales.

This book by Stephen King is excellent like his others. He is teaching you about writing, also telling a story about his life as a writer. This book is a great learning aid for future writers. You will find yourself walking in his life’s shoes.

He actually needs to make a movie about his life in this book. This is like reading one of his novels, but not fiction. I enjoyed this book thoroughly, and felt it was a gift to own it. Thank You again Mr.

King.

I’m not very far into the book yet because I don’t have a lot of free time to read. I do love it so far though. I love Stephen King and learning little tid bits about his childhood and how he became the writer he is today is just a treasure to me.

If you love Stephen King and you won’t regret this book.

When Becoming by Michelle Obama was published, I was interested in reading the former First Lady’s life story. That interest grew when I started hearing rave reviews about it. One year ago, I made the trek to my local Barnes and Noble Booksellers and purchased the hardcover of Becoming.

Within a couple of weeks, I started reading it but put it aside for awhile. Eventually, I picked it back up and began reading the autobiography again. I was not disappointed. I always knew that Michelle Obama was a very smart and classy lady just from listening to her speak and how she acted from television news stories, but I didn’t realize how much so.

On top of that, she is a very talented writer. I’m very picky about the non-fiction books I read because the topic has to interest me and be written well. There were several things I learned about about Michelle Obama’s personal life that I had no clue about.

One is that she graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. I didn’t know that her father had multiple sclerosis and that he succumbed to complications from it. My favorite part of her life story is how she and Barack Obama would get into disagreements about marriage.

Michelle believed in the institution of marriage, and Barack did not. Then, one night they went out to a restaurant for a multi-course meal and ended up having a disagreement about it at the restaurant.

This disagreement was cut short when the waiter brought Michelle’s dessert and removed the lid covering it to expose a box with an engagement ring. I love the fact that Barack compromised and married Michelle because it was something that was very important to her.

Where can I find a man like Barack Obama? I definitely recommend Becoming by Michelle Obama and gave it five out five stars for being well written, interesting, and informative.

This memoir by Michelle Obama was soooo good! I always listen to memoirs/biographies by audiobook, and I 100% recommend that you do as well. Former FLOTUS Michelle has written a beautiful story taking us back to her childhood days all the way to her last days in the White House.

She broke the book up into 3 sections: Becoming Me, Becoming Us, and Becoming More. I finished listening to this, and thought. WOW!! She is BADASS!!! Michelle is what I strive to be like one day. She is so classy, eloquent, and down-to-earth.

You can just tell by her voice. 😍 I also have conservative views when it comes to politics, but that didn’t deter me from reading this. On my TBR list now, is A Promise Land. ♥.

I’m not someone who generally reads memoirs but I knew I had to read Michelle Obama’s. She is an accomplished and intelligent woman and it was interesting to read about her upbringing and how her life flipped upside down with her husband becoming president.

I loved reading how she took being First Lady as a way to make a difference in the world for children. My respect for her multiplied after reading this!! She is truly an amazing woman.

Having lunch with our daughter yesterday, she related details of a time when she was seventeen and I had a problem with food at a restaurant and she had had to drive me to the doctor for an allergic reaction.

I asked her how she could remember it so well seven years later. ‘You might recall the good times, but you never ever forget trauma,’ she responded. Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore reminds me of this as I journeyed along with her as she experiences her adult years out of sync with time chronology.

And what a trippy journey it is! Imagine if at the stroke of midnight each year on your birthday you were randomly swept along to a year of your life that might be four or five decades down the road or three decades back to an earlier point in your life.

How might you learn to live your life to the fullest, appreciating each moment, not taking people, places, or any relationship for granted? How might that change you forever? This is an extraordinary book that is both thought-provoking and fun, philosophical and unexpected.

Looking at life through out-of-order sequences can cause a momentary uneasiness, but also a rare glimpse into moments of the truly sublime. Pick up Oona Out of Order as a treat for yourself and your own appreciation of life.

This book was very intriguing – an easy and enjoyable read! It is a great twist on how to look at life regardless of your perspective/time period. I found the characters likable and the story relatable as we all try and navigate our way through life and love.

I just did not like the main character. I like time travel, but did not like the use of vulgar language, drug use, etc.

Gottlieb writes about her experience as both therapist and patient, and the revelations she experiences as the patient made me have some of my own revelations while reading the book, and I have a list of new topics to discuss at my next therapy appointment with my own therapist! I really connected to each of the characters presented in this book, and I appreciated the candid nature she wrote with.

It is only through honesty with ourselves that we can fully grow and become more self-aware, and putting it all in a book definitely does that. Thank you for putting your story out there to help fight the stigma surrounding mental health! It it such an important topic to talk about.

#sweepstakes.

Great insights into the world of therapy. If you are wondering how it all works, read this very interesting story. As a licensed therapist, she goes through her own therapy, sometimes second guessing along the way.

But you see that it’s not invasive, not intimidating, and real work gets done- even if the “work” sometimes is just her letting off steam. You will see that therapists do NOT tell you what to do. Rather, they lead you towards insights, so you can help yourself understand motives.

It appears to be fairly painless. This book may give you the personal confidence to actually see a therapist yourself. They are not to be feared. And understanding motives is not to be feared. Author gives good insights to those who know little about the therapy process.

Also, it’s a very good read: well written, great true story, honestly delightful.

I havent finished reading the book because I dont want it to end. Its very intriguing gaining insight on the therapists thoughts and feelings as well as the patients and how they can teach each other.

Great book! Kind of an eye opener.

Or you could just buy it and Burn it! Oprah has become an advocate for the New Age, New Life, Buddha type of Belief for some time now! Don’t misunderstand me, I absolutely Love Oprah, just not sure why Oprah has shockingly embraced this liberal train of thought.

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. Luke 12:48 – KJV.

This book could turn things around for the good of all: We need to take stock – ask ourselves -why are we so unfulfilled? Eckhart Tolle, shows us through his own experience o a life time of anxiety, depression and hopelessness, transformed to a deep love of life, great well-being, and remarkable success as a Spiritual Teacher who has drawn together the most essential truths of all the great, and compassionate thinkers who ever lived – to uncover the essence of our being and its awakening – possible when we stay present.

living in the moment – the only time, to enjoy the fruits of the outer world, whilst at the same time surrendering to the reality of impermanence. ‘Good or bad – it will all pass. ‘ This balance – reached through simple practices we can all learn and benefit from our mind’s recovery of the primal egoless-ness and compassion that is our true nature.

I enjoyed The Power of Now when it first came out because the concept was kind of new to me. Im not sure if perhaps Ive changed and become slightly cynical over time or what, but I found this book to be mostly a load of old waffle.

What I also didnt like was in one part in particular he hinted at himself having some special powers. Some of his wording was also manipulative. For example he said something along the lines of- if you, the reader didnt agree with him then youre not enlightened or ready.

I think the fella is loosing his mind and perhaps has delusions of grandeur or just wants to brain wash people into thinking hes some kind of prophet! Soz Egg Heart!.

Loved this book. Interesting from the start. Funny, sad and unpredictable. Well worth the reading time.

Bought this for my nan. She read it & then I had it after her. Brilliant. Couldn’t put the book down. On to the next

Expected it be funny and sad at times too as I had read reviews saying as such but I felt it was neither. the book got wet at the pool before I had chance to finish I was about 2/3 the way through it but I wasn’t really bothered as I hadn’t warmed to any of the characters.

This is a brilliant and insightful and honest look at how one should live their life and leave a legacy. Highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to leave an impact on all the lives that you come across while on earth!.

Apply business’s most effective principles to your life. This book covers setting up a meaningful career, balancing relationships with an emphasis on family, and keeping your commitments.

A book with a few curve balls in how we view common variable in life like school and business. Found certain sections expanded my view and appreciation of otherwise common observations.