A Life With Books

I received an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of The Menopause Diet Plan by Hillary Wright, M.Ed., RDN and Elizabeth M. Ward M.S., R.D. from NetGalley.

I was looking for new information on this topic (menopause,) but really did not learn anything new from this book. However, if you're looking for more information on healthier eating habits and learning more about health concerns as you age, this book is for you! Topics covered are heart health, lowering your risks for diabetes and cancer, healthy bones, being cognizant of what you're drinking, physical activity and dietary supplements. All of these topics are covered in relation to menopause. The last two chapters are dedicated to the Menopause Diet Plan and provide eating tips and recipes.

Both authors are registered dieticians and present the topics with ease and in a way you can understand the subjects at hand. There are many studies and facts that are cited throughout the book, as well as a helpful resource list at the back of the book.

This is definitely a good book to have on your shelf for reference to look back on. I found myself highlighting things that I want to remember about specific vitamins and dietary supplements. I would definitely want my daughters to read this book when they are a bit older to understand the importance of all the topics discussed in this book!

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"One of the core ideas in his books is that it is possible to change other people's behavior by changing one's reaction to them."

As I read this book the main word that kept jumping out at me is 'manipulation.' 
By doing (or not doing) certain things, you are kind of manipulating the person into doing what you want. I am not a proponent of manipulation by any means. I do feel that helping the other person come to their own conclusions through some of these principles is helpful. 

I read a review on this book by a reader on GoodReads and she said that this book had a negative effect on her life. With any self-help books that you read, you must take things with a grain of salt. With "How To Win Friends And Influence People," I believe many of the insights are mainly geared to a person who is in business (salesperson.) That is not to say parts may not be applied to personal friendships/relationships. I think you have to remain true to your personality and not force something that is not natural. 

The negative reviewer said "The book basically tells you to be agreeable to everybody, find something to honestly like about them and compliment them on it, talk about their interests only and, practically, act like a people pleaser all the time. After being a smiley happy person with loads of friends for about a year, the unpleasant realization began to creep in, that by being so agreeable to everybody else, I rarely ever got my way. I also sustained friendships with people who were self-centered, so talking about their interests was all we got to do together, which drained me of my energy. The worst thing still, is that by trying to find something to like about every person, I completely disregarded their glaring faults. It didn't matter that those people did have redeeming
qualities - they weren't redeeming enough! I ended up with a bunch of friends I didn't really want and, because I was so preoccupied with "winning" those friendships I missed out on the chance to form relationships with good people."

I think what the reviewer did was to conform to the different principles and took them to heart a bit too much. There is definitely a time and place for everything and if you're using these principles all of the time, well that can seriously get tiring in my opinion. If you're thinking of reading this book because you are lonely & want friends, don't read it. 

I read this book on my Kindle and plan on going back to all of the notes I highlighted. A lot of what is presented in this book is common knowledge, it's just that it is presented in a way that really makes you think about how to use the principles. Having examples of each is also extremely helpful.

I think this book should be a requirement for college or anyone working in a business setting. I also believe it was completely written at the time aimed towards salesmen. Not all people have the natural ability to do the things presented in this book; some do. This book is obviously a best seller for a reason and I think the reason is the way the principles are presented.

I picked up this book thinking it was going to be about what everyone thinks of when they hear the words 'gifted' children....the academic or artistic kind. That it was not.

The context of gifted in this book refers to a child who is a victim of their parents actions and how the child deals with those actions by suppressing their wants & needs and becomes ultra sensitive due to the narcisisstic parent(s). (Narcissism in this book does not necessarily mean self-centered, and the author touches on that subject as well.)

I think everyone could probably see bits and pieces of their life in some of the examples shared in this book. No parent is perfect and many different generations of parents believe in different things. The main focus in this book is that children suppress their feelings, wants and needs to please their parents. Not exactly earth-shattering information to me, but important because if a child continues to do this, they lose their true-self and will most likely struggle with this throughout their life, which introduces the need for therapy later on to uncover why they're suppressing what they really want out of life.

The book is definitely written for other psychologists and not necessarily the general public.
I found myself bored at times because it seemed as if points were being restated over again.
I wish I had highlighted some of the 'light bulb' areas of the book because there were definitely some good nuggets within the text. I just think the book was a bit drawn out on the topic it covered.

This book was recommended by one of AVON's top representatives, Lisa M. Wilber, Platinum Executive Leader. Lisa also wrote a recommendation at the very beginning of this book. Andrea Patten addresses the fact that everyone has always been told to hush the inner critic within you. Her approach is to try to work with that voice so that it can work for you, instead of against you. "Finding benefits hidden by annoyances is not an easy process. It takes effort, energy and focus. And creating a new, more peaceful relationship with your Inner Critic is complicated by the fact that, for years, experts have been offering advice on how to silence the Inner Critic." She believes that by trying to 'kill off' the inner critic brings it back to be "even stronger and naggier than before." What is an inner critic? Patten describes it in this way: "An Inner Critic is our brain's misinterpretation of stimulus or data that: amplifies harsh self-judgement, creates negative self-talk and, interferes with the confidence needed to take action toward personal goals and desires." The author also gives many ideas and skills to help "transpose the negative into positive." "Your Inner Critic can brilliantly detect threats but is none too bright about priority-setting." Patten also recommends giving your inner critic a new name....something that "brings both comfort and confidence." "Personal growth strategies are not Swiss Army knives: I can't think of a single one that works in every situation, that's why it's such a good idea to try them on for size." "Part of nurturing an inner ally involves deciding which messages to focus on and which ones to let go." Some negative key words mentioned within the writer's vocabulary in this book are: demoralization, enemy, flaws, faults, tension, bad mental habits, threaten, warning, shatter, permanent, worrying, harmful, dangerous, panic and undesirable, Positive vocabulary used in this book to counter-act the negative words above are: brave, honest, relax, soothe, energize, safe, forgive, strengths, peaceful, strong, partnership, healthy, powerful, brilliant, nurturing, honesty, acceptance, courage, flourish, opportunities, benefits, focus and energy. I wish I could say more and believe more about the topic presented in this book. I've tried many times in my life to turn things around by mental ability. I honestly think this is way to continue to motivate yourself to just keep moving on in life. I don't think that just by 'thinking' about something that it will happen. I could post examples here, but will refrain because I do not want to drudge up old memories just to upset myself on a book review. Change takes action, that I believe. But even sometimes with action and doing the best you possibly can do, that still isn't enough. It's discouraging, and unfortunately we learn to live with it. I do not totally disagree with the thoughts and exercises presented in this book. Like the author said, it's not a one-size-fits-all type of thing. Definitely read this book to get ideas to help yourself deal with your inner critic. Try to apply the mental exercises presented and choose the ones that are best for you!

The thing I liked most about this book is the isolation of Tuckernuck Island. I wasn't a total 'fan' of the characters and their attitudes towards one another; a bit childish at times. There were mother-daughter & sister dynamics, as well as marriage, divorce, death and love thrown into the mix. I've seen it said in another review that "the author makes you love & hate the characters".....this is totally true! With that said, it was definitely believable and not far-fetched, but be prepared for some drama!

This book is centered around the death of Greg and Tess MacAvoy and their circle of friends, three couples, who recount their past travels and memories with the deceased couple. Each couple thinks about how they may have contributed to their deaths. The book revisits the days when the friends met and grew up on the island and the chapters alternate between each friend's memories and viewpoint. There's a lot of storylines and characters to keep up with in this book. Affairs, gossip, drama, mistrust....a lot to keep up with.

Summer Snow's grandmother is dying and has written a bucket list for her!
The first item is to locate a childhood friend named Martin, who meant so much to Summer.
Summer finds herself in the middle of Martin and his quirky, dysfunctional brothers and their family secrets.

This book was a 'midway' like for me; meaning there were parts of the storyline I really liked, and others not as much; just some odd & quirky things to me. I liked Summer's grandmother out of all the characters, and Martin's brothers the least.

It would've been a quick read had I been more interested in the story, but I actually set it aside for awhile.

I was given this book as an Advanced Reader copy from NetGalley-----Thank You!!!!!