Good Prose is an unconventional writing guide. I wouldn’t even call it a writing guide, it’s more of a memoir of a writing team, a writer and editor w...moreGood Prose is an unconventional writing guide. I wouldn’t even call it a writing guide, it’s more of a memoir of a writing team, a writer and editor who have been working together longer than the age of most readers of this book. Tracy Kidder, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and Richard Todd, a preeminent editor and a former executive editor of The Atlantic Monthly, have worked on numerous writing projects over their forty years together, including Kidder’s award-winning book The Soul of a New Machine. There is no question that Kidder and Todd are masters of the nonfiction form, but as a voracious reader of writing guides, I found Good Prose to lack the consistent guidance and mentorship provided in other well-established guides such as Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones, Stephen King’s On Writing, William Zinsser’s On Writing Well, John Gardner’s On Becoming a Novelist, or my favorite, Norman Mailer’s The Spooky Art.
This is not to say that there are not helpful chapters on writing nonfiction. In Beginnings, their first chapter, the authors introduce themselves with the following truism: To write is to talk to strangers. You want them to trust you. There are useful suggestions here. The next chapter is a study of each component of the narrative: story, point of view, characters and structure. In their discussion of story, a point of focus is the concept of revelation. The author and reader must learn something in a nonfiction narrative. Revelation is what transforms an event into a story. For characters, I found this to be most helpful: give telling details (mere description won’t vivify a statue).
The authors devote a chapter each to memoirs and essays. But those are the only two forms they devote exclusive chapters to. For memoir, they share key tips: say difficult things, stick to the facts and be harder on yourself than others. For essays, a fresh idea is just as important as the essay itself, and you must make it your own. In their editing chapter, they stress the importance of rewriting, and what a privilege it is to get a second chance to make a first impression. Kidder says he generally rewrites a book ten times, top to bottom. And that it takes about three years for him to complete a book. At the end of the editing process, they read their entire book aloud. Yes, the whole thing. This can take three days. Intermixed between their writing tips are long philosophical narratives of their own personal experiences.
There is great content here from true veterans in the field. And if you are seeking to fine-tune your craft, it’s worth the read. But oddly enough, I think the book could have used some more editing. The memoir parts didn’t seem to fuse with the writing-guide parts. Also, I found the tone to be too detached; I sensed that the authors felt a sort of pity for the emerging writer. The voice almost sounded like my first journalism professor at Northwestern who always seemed to talk down to the student. The tone isn’t terribly encouraging for the new writer, but maybe that’s not what it’s supposed to be. Writing guides are usually written with a lot of personality and enthusiasm, unless you are reading Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style. Actually, Good Prose is compared to that classic. But who wants to be reading Strunk and White on a Saturday night by the fireplace?
Better to read it at the library, or at your desk with a highlighter and a lot of patience. And don’t expect much cheerleading. (less)
The Butterfly Mosque is a spiritual memoir of a then twenty something American woman who falls in love with the Egyptian culture (as well as an Egypti...moreThe Butterfly Mosque is a spiritual memoir of a then twenty something American woman who falls in love with the Egyptian culture (as well as an Egyptian man) and becomes a Muslim. Though much of the memoir follows G. Willow Wilson’s odyssey, she devotes many of her pages to a frank discussion of women, Islam, and the relationship of Islam to the West. Part-essayist, part-poet, Wilson begins with the concept of the “clash of civilizations.” Is Islam really in conflict with Western values? She explores the many facets of this topic.
Wilson’s language is as consistently poignant as the title of her book. In one sentence she writes, “Down the center of this metropolis snaked the Nile, coffee-dark and wide.” And here is an excerpt from her memoir that is a microcosm of the book as a whole: “I didn’t know what waited for me in Egypt. I didn’t know whether the clash of civilizations was real, or whether being an American Muslim was a contradiction. But for the first time in my life, I felt unified—that had to mean something. Cultural and political differences go bone deep, but there is something even deeper. I believed that. I had to believe it.”
As a truth seeker, she is gutsy. During her sojourn abroad, she interviews spiritual leaders of Islam and even travels alone to Iran for answers. And though I wish she spent more time divulging her spiritual transformation (how she turned from an atheist to a God-believing Muslim), this is by far the best memoir about Islam that I’ve come across. In the post-9/11 era, it’s refreshing to read a book by an American woman extolling the virtues of Islam, portraying it as a religion of peace that protects women and gives them special attention. For Wilson, female empowerment is not inconsistent with Islamic values.
Wilson shows us how there are many forms of Islam, just as there are hundreds of denominations of Christianity. What we see as limiting to women in Islam is often cultural rather than religious—for instance how women are forbidden to drive in Saudi Arabia. In fact, it is the only country in the world that bans a woman from driving. In Turkey, a 99.8 percent Muslim country, a woman was prime minister just two decades ago, and women enjoy all the freedoms that men do. Turkey’s constitution actually forbids women to wear the headscarf in public places. Wilson writes, “I was surprised by how often Islam, in its purely textual form, took my side. There is no religious limit on the public spaces that women can inhabit; nothing prevents them from running businesses or driving cars, there is no reason they must walk behind men or cover their faces. A woman’s role is not defined by the kitchen and the nursery.”
Besides her timely discussion of women and Islam, Wilson also confronts the frightening environment for American Muslims during the peak Bush/Patriot Act era. She is a brave woman with a poetic voice who shows the peaceful, lyrical, nurturing side of the religion that unfortunately few in our country see. I dearly hope Wilson writes more books and continues this conversation. (less)
Dr. Eben Alexander’s Proof of Heaven is by far the most convincing account of heaven that I've ever read, and I've read at least five accounts, includ...moreDr. Eben Alexander’s Proof of Heaven is by far the most convincing account of heaven that I've ever read, and I've read at least five accounts, including the bestselling Heaven is For Real, Flight to Heaven, and 90 Minutes in Heaven. As of date, Proof of Heaven still remains #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers List.
I am fascinated by the fact that many of these accounts are strikingly similar. However, I became somewhat of a skeptic myself when I noticed that most of the books I had read on the afterlife were written by ministers, missionaries, or someone affiliated with a church. To hear an account from someone who didn’t believe in God, didn’t go to church, and who had no interest in religious matters, made that account far more believable. In fact, Dr. Alexander is a neurosurgeon who relied on scientific proof to explain the workings of the world.
Unexpectedly infected with bacterial meningitis, Dr. Alexander remained in a coma for seven days. By the end of the week, doctors were convinced that he had no chance of waking, and even if he woke, he would never recover. But one day he wakes up and eventually completely recovers to the astonishment of the medical community. During the time he is unconscious, he gives a heartfelt account of what happens to him. Though Dr. Alexander’s voice is thoroughly engaging, his time in heaven is described quite generally. There are no incredible details of heaven. The most descriptive he gets is when he talks about puffy, pink-white clouds, flocks of transparent orbs, shimmering beings racing across the sky, and people singing and dancing among trees, fields and waterfalls. God is referred to as Om, and the most vivid character is a girl on a butterfly wing who accompanies him.
However, his descriptions of hell are compelling and disturbing. Here, Dr. Alexander is almost graphic in his details and his report stays with you for some time. As a reader, you are so sold on his story that you begin to think that hell really does exist, and that maybe it's a good idea to review the Ten Commandments. He also spends many pages informing the reader on near-death experiences and where his experience fits in that research. His insights on spirituality and God are alone well worth the read. (less)
Mary Oliver's collection of poems, A Thousand Mornings, published this fall, is a poignant meditation on nature and the self. It reminded me of the na...moreMary Oliver's collection of poems, A Thousand Mornings, published this fall, is a poignant meditation on nature and the self. It reminded me of the nature writings of Annie Dillard, the essays of Thoreau and Emerson, and the poems of Whitman and the Transcendentalists. Oliver could be an adopted poet of that movement.
The poems are almost naked, sometimes abrupt, but if nature could speak, this is what she could say. Oliver is certainly awed by her surroundings, the sea, animals and the spirituality of nature. I think the best way to depict her style is to include one of her poems.
I Go Down to the Shore
I go down to the shore in the morning and depending on the hour the waves are rolling in or moving out and I say, oh, I am miserable, what shall— what should I do? And the sea says in its lovely voice: Excuse me, I have work to do.
I had never heard of Mary Oliver before reading this little black and grey book of poems. I felt ignorant for not having heard of her. She is one of the most renowned poets of our time, a Pulitzer Prize winner and a recipient of the National Book Award.
Pithy and stark, her new collection is a quick read, but you find yourself reading each poem over and over again. They are unlike anything I've ever read, and I highly recommend them to other readers of nature and spirituality. (less)
Janet Conner’s Writing Down Your Soul is the best-written spiritual writing guide that I’ve come across. Her latest book, The Lotus and the Lily, publ...moreJanet Conner’s Writing Down Your Soul is the best-written spiritual writing guide that I’ve come across. Her latest book, The Lotus and the Lily, published last month, is a perfect follow-up. By focusing on the teachings of Buddha and Jesus, Conner offers a complete life makeover in 30 days. She calls it a 30-Day Soul Program.
So how exactly does Buddha meet Jesus? How does the lotus relate to the lily? The lotus flower, a symbol of the teachings of Buddha, represents his poetic phrase, “When conditions are sufficient there is a manifestation.” The lily, a symbol of Christianity, represents Jesus’s belief that life will always be aligned if one seeks divine guidance. He once said, “When we pursue a right relationship with the Universal One, and allow this relationship to realign our lives, we product a condition of receptivity in which anything we need to help us complete our purpose in life will be supplied by the universe.” So how do these two concepts connect? To get the right conditions, Conner encourages her readers to activate their own innate spiritual intelligence.
The four-week program begins with what she calls preparing in the first week, then looking back at our past in the second, releasing what she calls “thought worms.” These are old negative thoughts implanted since birth. In week three, we release the old to make room for the new, and along the way, forgive those who have wronged us. We also learn to forgive ourselves. In the final week, readers look forward, identifying their purpose. The book culminates in creating an intention mandala to represent the vision of your ideal life. A mandala itself is a symbol widely seen in Buddhism and meditation, a spiritual teaching tool. Conner asks her readers to physically make one.
A life makeover is a popular and ubiquitous subject for many spiritual authors, but Conner manages to keep her pages continually stimulating and original by combining the ideas of two very different faiths. She encourages readers to move away from asking for things to creating the conditions that nourish a fulfilling life. There is also a focus on the divine, rather than desires, wants and needs.
Ultimately, I found that Conner’s voice makes her pages compelling. She is candid, raw, learned, and highly engaging. You never tire of her voice. Her frankness on the page is endearing and she leaves us with a plethora of insights, and a blueprint for a whole new life. (less)
Faith by renowned meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg is one of those books that can change your entire perspective of the world. There are few books t...moreFaith by renowned meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg is one of those books that can change your entire perspective of the world. There are few books that can do that, that can challenge the foundation of your reality. For me, such books were On the Genealogy of Morals by Friedrich Nietzsche and Walden by Henry David Thoreau. As a heavy reader of religion and spirituality, I thought I’d never read a book on faith apart from God, or a deity we know as God. I didn’t think the word could exist without God.
But Salzberg challenges all of this. She speaks of her version of faith, one that doesn’t revolve around God at all. Salzberg lost her mother at nine when she witnessed her hemorrhage right before her eyes. Her father left the family when she was a young child and ended up institutionalized. To experience such devastation in childhood, it is no wonder that she could dismiss God entirely, or any higher being. But miraculously, Salzberg doesn’t reject God, or she doesn’t say so. She just has a different view of faith.
She begins by explaining that the word faith in Pali, the language of the original Buddhist texts, means “to place the heart upon.” In Faith, part memoir, part essay, Salzberg shares the many beliefs and tenets of Buddhism that have shaped her spirituality and concept of faith. To her faith is to keep walking forward, even in the dark. It’s the strength to take that magnitude of risk, though you know not what lies ahead.
I found this concept of faith wholly original, a Godless faith. What kind of faith can you really have without the power of God?
Deeper into her book, Salzberg speaks of an immense interconnectedness among us, and a truth like protective hands that holds her. It sounds like God, but she doesn’t elaborate as to what this is. Her concept sounds oddly familiar, like the invisible hand that Newton referred to in his writings, or that unexplainable uplifting force that Tolstoy explains at the end of his memoir. Both are referring to God, and it sounds like Salzberg is too, but she isn’t.
Suffering, such as when we experience trauma or loss, she says, comes from feeling alone, separate from everyone and everything around us. The core aspect of despair is this sense of utter isolation and disconnection. She explains that Buddhist teachings reveal that it is in deep suffering that faith can be uncovered and renewed. It is at this low point, the abyss, that we begin to sense this interconnectedness, that we are intimately connected to a bigger reality.
But what is that thread that connects us? What is it that makes us so united and so whole? What is the source of this unity? To me, that source of unity is God, and I wonder, what is this source to Salzberg? How does she refer to this interconnectedness that is just there?
Though Salzberg’s book doesn’t answer all of my questions, Faith is still a beautifully written, poignant, pivotal book that can stretch all notions of spirituality. (less)
Once in a while when sifting through an apple tree of books, you pine for a ripe one that has all the elements to satisfy, and hope you find it. That...moreOnce in a while when sifting through an apple tree of books, you pine for a ripe one that has all the elements to satisfy, and hope you find it. That is how I felt about Writing Down Your Soul when I was looking for a book on spiritual writing. Janet Conner makes a convincing and inspirational case that writing can be just as powerful and effective as prayer or meditation to connect to a higher consciousness. Through journal writing, she shows us the path to the all-knowing voice within us. Her method is similar to Julia Cameron’s morning pages in The Artist’s Way, but even more defined, deeper and further involved. Conner’s writing style is also engaging, tight and stimulating, a major bonus, and the book is well edited. I’m surprised it’s not a bestseller and wholly recommend it to spiritual writers or anyone seeking guidance.(less)
I have tender feelings for this little orange book of fiction about a Finnish-American family of eleven rooted in a deep, evangelical Lutheran faith c...moreI have tender feelings for this little orange book of fiction about a Finnish-American family of eleven rooted in a deep, evangelical Lutheran faith called Laestadianism. I consider myself a hearty reader of religion and spirituality, familiar with the Amish, the Mennonites and the Mormons. But before reading We Sinners, penned by a young author who grew up in this fundamentalist upbringing, I knew nothing of this faith. The story follows all nine children, three of whom leave the church, in modern-day Michigan. The Rovaniemis appear to be just like any other American family. They just don’t watch television, drink alcohol, dance, listen to music, or engage in any of the joys of the modern world.
There is no doubt that Hanna Pylvainen is a gifted writer. She writes with a Hemingway-like simplicity and a Woolf-like gravity. Something about the string of narratives in this book, each chapter showing the point of view of a different member of the family, reminds me of Virginia Woolf’s experimental novel, The Waves. In that book, each of the six characters has a direct voice, speaking in the first person. Though We Sinners is written in the third person, the author manages to make each family member appear to be speaking in the first person.
Surprisingly, the family doesn’t seem dysfunctional, even though Brita, the oldest and seemingly most devout child, shuns another, Julia, the middle child, for not believing. She tells her she doesn’t want her holding her baby anymore. Also, the parents don’t come to the funeral of their son’s partner. Their son Simon is gay, and has left the faith too. In each and every page, the reader feels the love that remains within the family. This makes the conflict brutal for the children who are disconnected from the faith. Julia, the most relatable character, has one of the most compelling points of views as depicted in the chapter “Total Loss.” Plyvainen writes, “She wanted to prove that she could leave the church and not become a disaster, that she could still be a good sister, a good aunt, find a good husband—she could still be loved, just the same.” Julia, together with her other two siblings who leave the faith, are given little compassion by their parents and devout siblings for their choices.
As for the remaining faithful children, life doesn’t seem to be any more settled. In “Rupture,” Brita is on the precipice of having her seventh C-section. Her doctor is petrified that her uterus will rupture due to her history. She suffers a massive hemorrhage during the surgery, but miraculously survives. Even with that miracle, she remains shrouded in hopelessness: “She realized she had run out of fantasies—out of husbands to imagine, homes to build, pianos—there was nothing, only life itself, only long and hard and always more of it, always more.” As positive adherents of religion, we think of faith as pulling us above the doldrums of life to the endless possibilities. Yet here faith is as limiting as it can get. A belief against birth control leads to Brita’s seventh C-section. The reader is left to wonder, would she survive the eighth?
Though the narratives are beautifully woven together, the book longs for a strong sense of place. There is little description of their town or city. I also didn’t get a palpable sense of their Finnish culture. I am left with many questions about their faith and family history. When did the parents come to the United States? Were they first generation? If so, what was life growing up in Finland like for the parents? What is it like to be Finnish-American?
The last chapter named “Whiskey Dragon, 1847” was completely disconnected from the rest of the story. Here we are given a completely impartial narrative including Laestadius, the founder and leader of their church. But giving us a whole new story about a woman and her alcoholic husband in the Scandinavian tundra of the nineteenth century, whereby the drinking leads to devastating consequences, didn’t shed much light on the faith or culture of the early Laestadians.
Still, We Sinners is one of those rare books that stays with you long after you’ve read the last chapter. It disturbs, it moves, it gnaws. At times the author’s words were so moving and penetrating that I saw chills running up my arms. I haven’t had that reaction in some time. (less)
I’m not going to say much about this book since it’s not the kind of book I usually read or review. I will say that I am stupefied as to how this book...moreI’m not going to say much about this book since it’s not the kind of book I usually read or review. I will say that I am stupefied as to how this book remains #1 on the Bestseller’s list week after week. I’m not sure what it says about our reading public. The only reason I read it in the first place was because the book was so ubiquitous. I’d see it everywhere: stocked to the brim at the entrance of the bookstore, on the Bestseller’s list, hear that friends were reading it. I didn’t even know what it was about. I wanted to know what the hype was all about. For me, I found no developed characters, setting, plot or storyline. Basically none of the basic elements of a good story, let alone, good fiction, were in place. All I can say is that there is no way that I could possibly sit through another two books of the series!!! It would be another fifty shades of the same storyline.(less)
I was left in a “State of Wonder” myself after reading Ann Patchett’s new novel, wondering what made critics clamor to sing its praises. Eager to be p...moreI was left in a “State of Wonder” myself after reading Ann Patchett’s new novel, wondering what made critics clamor to sing its praises. Eager to be pulled into the jungles of the Amazon, I was expecting to meet exotic and likable characters such as the author herself. She is so darn likeable, as I had discovered when reading her memoir, Truth & Beauty, which chronicles her close friendship with the late writer Lucy Grealy. It’s one of my all-time favorite memoirs.
The main character of State of Wonder is forty something Marina Singh, a pharmaceutical researcher who is still single and sent to the Amazon by her company to find the details of her coworker’s death. I found her as likeable as a lamppost. I was going to first say tree, but I find trees quite likeable, and a lamppost really did the job in expressing my tepid and blasé feelings for her. As the pages turned, and I reached three-quarters way though the book, I began to find Marina’s presence irritating. I was so bored by her and the storyline that I found myself trudging through the rest of the narrative. I also didn’t find the plot, involving her boss, the company and a distant researcher who had been lost in the jungle for years, to be believable. Anacondas jumping on boats, tribal women giving birth at sixty, it all seemed too implausible for a literary novel. I was expecting human-size bugs or pink dolphins perhaps. But for me, the Amazon didn’t come to life in this story, and I was at least expecting some satisfaction from the setting if I didn’t get it from the plot or the characters. (less)
Dr. Sherry Lee Hoppe, an academic, counselor and wife who has herself endured the loss of a spouse, is the author of this heartfelt study on grief. Wi...moreDr. Sherry Lee Hoppe, an academic, counselor and wife who has herself endured the loss of a spouse, is the author of this heartfelt study on grief. With forty-seven chapters, half of the book focusing on personal stories, Faces of Grief covers the myriad aspects of grief: the depression that can follow, the spiritual and transformative nature of loss, and the intimate stories that can encourage and teach us how to overcome grief itself. Hoppe attempts to console while chronicling the fates of mothers, daughters, and spouses who have dealt with the untimely death of their loved ones.
I found several of Hoppe’s chapters to be helpful for those making their way through the crippling and overwhelming nature of grief. For instance, at the outset of Chapter 3, “Finding Your Way Through the Blizzard of Grief,” she writes, “If we hold onto the aura of our loved one—if we know in the depth of our soul our spirits remain connected and will someday be reunited, we can survive the fierceness of the storm.” Hoppe also devotes several chapters to depression and suggests helping others to keep it at bay. She writes, “As challenging as it may be to force ourselves out of self-imposed exile, one of the best ways to discover how much we have to be grateful for is to help others. In our desolation, we may discover others who have lost more, who have suffered more greatly, whose agony is more acute.”
Other notable chapters include Chapter 8, “Why is Life So Unfair?,” Chapter 9, “I Prayed for a Miracle but the Answer was ‘No,’” and Chapter 14, “Resilience When Losses Come in Legions.” While moving through her narrative, Hoppe turns to famous writers and thinkers including grief expert Elisabeth Kubler-Ross.
Hoppe gives serious effort to tackling a very challenging topic. However, all her efforts and passion can’t save the book from its ultimate weakness: its disorganization and need for better editing. There are too many chapters (forty seven as stated before), subheadings, and references to other writes and personal stories, resulting in little continuity. As a reader, I’m unable to hear the author’s voice, her ultimate message, and believe the book longs for an original stance. All together, it’s a hodgepodge of ideas, advice, stories and insights, but not enough to unify as an authoritative book. (less)
Once in a while when sifting through an apple tree of books, you pine for a ripe one that has all the elements to satisfy, and hope you find it. That...moreOnce in a while when sifting through an apple tree of books, you pine for a ripe one that has all the elements to satisfy, and hope you find it. That is how I felt about Writing Down Your Soul when I was looking for a book on spiritual writing. Janet Conner makes a convincing and inspirational case that writing can be just as powerful and effective as prayer or meditation to connect to a higher consciousness. Through journal writing, she shows us the path to the all-knowing voice within us. Her method is similar to Julia Cameron’s morning pages in The Artist’s Way, but even more defined, deeper and further involved. Conner’s writing style is also engaging, tight and stimulating, a major bonus, and the book is well edited. I’m surprised it’s not a bestseller and wholly recommend it to spiritual writers or anyone seeking guidance.(less)
How does womb life affect a fetus? Does it shape his infancy? What about the rest of his life? Can a mother affect her pregnancy adversely by her mood...moreHow does womb life affect a fetus? Does it shape his infancy? What about the rest of his life? Can a mother affect her pregnancy adversely by her mood, behavior or actions?
Arthur Janov, in his new book, Life Before Birth: The Hidden Script That Rules Our Lives, would go as far as to say that pregnancy and the first few months of life can determine whether someone will develop depression, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, or cancer. Janov, who is a leading psychologist and bestselling author, integrates neuroscience, psychotherapy, clinical observation and research in his narrative.
I was seven months pregnant when assigned to review this book, eager to begin, and hanging on every word.
Aside from his innovative gestational trauma therapy (he suggests a psychotherapy that accesses womb-life to relive early traumatic experiences), Janov tells us a lot about how a mother’s behavior during pregnancy shapes her unborn child. If a mother experiences significant anxiety during pregnancy, her child may be at risk for a higher output of the stress hormone cortisol. Maternal stress can have disastrous effects on a fetus, affecting oxygen levels, which can lead to placental failure. Janov also focuses on epigenetics, how genes are affected by intrauterine life. Apparently, genes can be changed through experiences the fetus undergoes while in the womb. The fetus may decide whether to express or repress certain genes.
I agree with Janov that stress is an anathema to pregnancy, but I have issues with some of his assertions. For instance, he cites one researcher who claims that the fetus is so incredibly vulnerable and fragile that even subtle perturbations in the mother’s mood can have measurable affects on the fetus that last for years. He also suggests that the low level of serotonin found in SIDS babies may be the result of previous traumas in the womb and at birth. What is the mother to do? Live in a bubble? How can a mother control subtle perturbations in her mood?
Continually, Janov stresses that a mother’s actions while carrying her infant have a lifelong effect. I found this to be his mission far more than spreading the message of his new therapy. Babies in the womb feel their mother’s anxiety as early as four months gestation, he states, so pregnant women should watch their stress levels, avoiding tasks or projects that could exacerbate it.
It’s hard to believe that the root of all of our problems come from what happened in the womb. I am not entirely convinced of his argument. But I do have to say that our society makes pregnancy seem like it’s not a special condition. Doctors tell pregnant women that they can do anything, run, work fulltime, travel. So I do champion Janov for elucidating that stress does affect the fetus and that a mother has a responsibility to her unborn child to avoid it.
Life Before Birth is a thought-provoking read. Janov is obviously well informed and knowledgeable, but the book itself suffers from too many generalizations, poor structural editing and organization. Chapters don’t progress from one to another. I think many writers of these types of book forget that both fiction and nonfiction books need a strong narrative to pull the reader thorough.
My upshot: It’s worth a read, but you may abandon along the way. One with a serious interest may hang on. (less)
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