The Self-Help Shelf

Your Best Life
Mike X
X-Up Press
https://www.x-up.press
9798985804300, $28.00, HC, 400pp

https://www.amazon.com/Your-Best-Life-Fulfillment-Abundance/dp/B0BSMQM57T

Synopsis: Thirty years after Tony Robbins released "Awaken the Giant Within=
", with the publication of "Your Best Life: Tactics, Tools and Insights to = Create a Life of Fulfillment, Joy and Abundance" by Mike X brings us what m=
ay be the only other book to deliver as much life-changing advice and insig=
ht as Robbins' original tome.

"Your Best Life" will change how you think about every aspect of your life.=
You'll upend your priorities, rethink your daily habits and find endless n=
ew ways to enjoy every moment of every day. "Your Best Life" is a singularl=
y impressive combination of motivational instruction and 'how-to' manual th=
at is as fun to read as it is life transformative.

Critique: A compendium of 'real world' information, with, wisdom, and insig= ht, "Your Best Life: Tactics, Tools and Insights to Create a Life of Fulfil= lment, Joy and Abundance" is exceptionally well written, organized and pres= ented. Of special note is the 'How To Use This Book' introduction. Simply s= tated, "Your Best Life" is especially recommended for personal and communit= y/academic Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections and reading lists.

Editorial Note: In a previous career (before dedicating himself to personal=
development) Michael X. Franzini, writing as Mike X, (https://en.wikipedia= ..org/wiki/Mike_X) was a multi-Emmy winning television director. He created = arresting 30-second TV commercials to promote a wide range of worthy causes=
, from HIV prevention to education reform. He worked closely on projects wi=
th Al Gore, Bill & Melinda Gates, Oprah, Elton John, Magic Johnson and coun= tless captains of industry. The skill he honed across those decades of work=
was that of converting dense, complicated, often boring subject matter int=
o a form that grabs people's attention and makes it fun to consume. "Your B= est Life" represents the combination of that skill with years of in-depth r= esearch directed at identifying the keys to living a life that is truly ext= raordinary.

Grittitude: Choose Your Own Life Story
Kay Woodburn, author
Jacqui Flavell, author
Authors & Co.
https://authorsandco.pub
9781915771032, HC, $22.99, 242pp

https://www.amazon.com/Grittitude-Kay-Woodburn/dp/191577103X

Synopsis: Is the story of your life an adventure, a thriller, a romantic co= medy or a tragedy? Are you living a life of choice? When did you last stop = and ask yourself challenging questions? Have you been avoiding your own col=
d, hard truths?

If the answer to any of these questions is Yes, then "Grittitude: Choose Yo=
ur Own Lif Story" by co-authors Kay Woodburn and Jacqui Flavell offers you =
a unique opportunity to explore these and other questions you may never hav=
e considered.

Critique: Reading what Kay and Jacqui have published is like chatting with = friends over a cup of tea, while getting the benefit of a combined fifty ye= ars' experience in transforming people's lives. A compendium of sound advic=
e, informative insight, motivational inspiration, and thoroughly 'reader fr= iendly' in organization and presentation, "Grittitude: Choose Your Own Life=
Story" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Se= lf-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted for personal readi=
ng lists that "Grittitude" is also readily available in a paperback edition=
(9781915771025, $12.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.14).

Editorial Note #1: Kay Woodburn is the Managing Director at Gritty People a=
nd Gritty People Athletes. She currently resides in Frodsham, England.

Editorial Note #2: Jacqui Flavell (https://www.2ndcupoftea.co.uk) is an Int= ernational Coaching Federation PCC Coach, a Master Practitioner NLP, Timeli=
ne Therapy, and Hypnotherapy, NVQ Level 3 in Management, Learning & Develop= ment, a Mindfulness Association Practitioner, and a Strengthscope Practitio= ner.

Soul Center
Jennifer Rurka
https://www.jenniferrurka.com
White Mud Publishing
9781778285837, $14.99, PB, 241pp

https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Center-Through-Control-Emotions/dp/177828583X

Synopsis: Do you feel overwhelmed and exhausted by mental chatter? Are you = wobbling back and forth from one emotional extreme to another, attempting t=
o find balance in your life? You may be asleep to past traumas, perhaps fro=
m childhood, which still have the power to cause pain that overrides and co= ntrols you.

With the publication of "Soul Center: The See It Through Method to Take Con= trol of Your Emotions, Heal Your Past, and Live a Soulful Life", perception=
facilitator and yoga instructor Jennifer Rurka explores how to connect you=
r inner world to your outer experience and examines how the past programs u=
s. She uses the soul, psychology, and events from her life to describe how = healing and transformation can take place in anyone who is genuinely open t=
o personal growth.

"Soul Center" reveals: Steps to use the SIT (See It Through) processes, beg= inning by writing down your issue in one sentence; The difference between r= eality and "reelality" -- a movie state of mind; Rurka's philosophy about w= here the seven major chakras reside in the body and how they work (e.g., th=
e heart chakra is in the chest and connects to love, relationships, and sel= f-acceptance); Ways to use meditation as a tool -- specifically, how to lis= ten; The effects inflamed thinking has on the body, like bloating and other=
gut issues.

Critique: "Soul Center: The See It Through Method to Take Control of Your E= motions, Heal Your Past, and Live a Soulful Life" is particularly recommend=
ed to the attention of non-specialist general readers needing to drive out = the negative thoughts, beliefs, and emotions that create fear and anxiety -=
- and to instead, delve into the inner workings of what's holding them back=
in life, develop habits for lasting change, and begin understanding themse= lves from a new and insightful perspective. While also available in a digit=
al book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Soul Center" is a truly exceptional and re= commended addition to personal, professional, and community library Self-He= lp/Self-Improvement collections and reading lists.

Editorial Note: Jennifer Rurka (https://www.jenniferrurka.com) is a yoga in= structor and energy facilitator. She enjoys working one-on-one with clients=
and wants to help them find freedom from their pasts and the strength to m= ove forward. In Soul Center, Jennifer shares her life experiences and the t= ools she used to overcome the buried trauma driving her emotions, thoughts,=
and behaviors.

Brave Boundaries
Sasha Shillcutt, MD
Health Communications, Inc.
301 Crawford Blvd, Suite 200, Boca Raton FL 33432
https://hcibooks.com
9780757324192, $16.95, PB, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Brave-Boundaries-Strategies-Control-Empowered/dp/075= 7324193

Synopsis: No matter how educated they are or how far they have climbed up t=
he ladder, women are taught one thing over and over at every stage of their=
lives: when someone asks you for help, you say yes. Women are supposed to = agree to take on whatever is asked of them, regardless of how busy they are=
.. No matter how much a woman deeply desires to say no, the societal expecta= tion is that women are helpers - taught to fix problems, show up at all tim= es, and not let people down. They are instructed to never say no to tasks o=
r duties asked of them, even when they are drowning in work and barely hang= ing on by a thread. Rather than say no, they often become avoiders and lose=
opportunities for personal growth. This leads to feelings of immense failu= re, inauthenticity, and burnout.

Dr. Sasha Shillcutt has known this feeling, too, but now she understands an=
d shows women there is another way. Having coached thousands of professiona=
l women and business leaders in her classes and conferences, she knows that=
setting boundaries is the essential lesson that they need to learn in orde=
r to avoid burnout and a loss of themselves in their incessant drive to ple= ase and say yes. In her special down-to-earth way, Sasha will show readers = how to erect fences that protect their physical and mental health while pro= viding opportunities for joy and growth. Readers will learn that boundaries=
are kind, not restrictive, and being a person with boundaries is the most = empowering and peaceful way to live. They will learn to say no to others an=
d say yes to themselves.

Critique: An essential and 'real world practical' instructional DIY guide f=
or women on how to set strong, workable boundaries to safeguard their healt=
h, happiness, and wellbeing, "Brave Boundaries: Strategies to Say No, Stand=
Strong, and Take Control of Your Time: The Key to Living Empowered" is exc= eptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization an=
d presentation. Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of=
a two page listing of Resources, a two page listing of Recommended Reading=
, and a six page References and Bibliography section. While also available = for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99), "Brav=
e Boundaries" is a strongly recommended addition to community library Motiv= ational Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections.

Editorial Note: Sasha Shillcutt, MD (https://womenasone.org/resources/shill= cutt) is a tenured professor of anesthesiology at the University of Nebrask=
a Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. She is a gender-equity researcher, awa= rd-winning clinician, professional coach, and speaker. In 2016, she launche=
d her organization Brave Enough, where she leads a community of thousands o=
f women. She teaches women how to have work-life control through coaching, = courses and conferences. Her passion is empowering women to be brave enough=
in their professional and personal lives to set boundaries. She speaks oft=
en at conferences, workshops, and retreats, including her annual conference=
for women's leadership and wellbeing on the topics of career burnout, boun= daries, and developing resilient leaders. In 2016, Sasha was awarded the na= tional American Medical Association's Women Physician's Inspiring Physician=
Award by her peers.

We Are All Addicts
Carder Stout, PhD
Viva Editions
http://vivaeditions.com
9781632280817, $16.95 PB / $9.99 Kindle, 188pp

https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-All-Addicts-Compulsions/dp/1632280817

Synopsis: Expert therapist Dr. Carder Stout believes that the soul's authen= tic voice has the ability to heal addictive cycles and completely remove th=
em from the psyche. The soul is pure consciousness untethered from human ex= perience, and Dr. Stout has maintained sobriety for seventeen years by util= izing this untapped resource. In turn, he has successfully treated numerous=
clients for addiction and other mental health conditions using the same te= chnique. It is with this expertise, he breaks down his theory of "We Are Al=
l Addicts" in a compellingly readable guide.

With the publication of "We Are All Addicts: The Soul's Guide to Kicking Yo=
ur Compulsions", Dr. Stout deftly presents a spiritual approach to ridding = the mind of the complex problems created by addiction. These solutions to o= bsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors are unconventional, and have pre= viously been shared exclusively with his patients in therapy -- until now!

Through exercises, meditations, visualizations and writing, Dr. Stout will = demonstrate how to connect deeply to your soul. Readers will not only gain =
an understanding of the addiction holding them back, but how to overcome it=
through self-honesty and self-love.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "We Are All = Addicts: The Soul's Guide to Kicking Your Compulsions" is both a practical = and a spiritual self-help guide to liberating oneself from destructive and = addictive patterns. Exercises, meditations, visualizations and more are pre= sented as therapeutic tools. An excellent guide emphasizing the importance =
of being honest with oneself and loving oneself, "We Are All Addicts" is hi= ghly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "We Ar=
e All Addicts" is also available in a Kindle edition.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
s from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these=
reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, inte= rnet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested indivi= duals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

--- MBSE BBS v1.0.8 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/280.2@fidonet)