I got this book because I thought the title sounded interesting. I had no idea about the background of the author.

Overall, the message presented and the thoughtfulness of the framework presented by Meyer is helpful for those that have not considered how approval addiction has impacted their life, family, personal and professional relationships. She provides specific examples on what approval addiction is, the need to control associated it with it and where it is derived from. Her examples of how to correct the issue if someone is acting out on you or you are acting out on someone are incredibly clear and can easily be carried into anyone's life situations. Indeed, this is one of the better books I have ever read on control dynamics in personal and professional relationships.

That said, Meyer is a devote Christian. The point of view of the books comes directly from this way of thinking about the world and spirituality. While many other books within the "self-help" space also have religious undertones, Meyer's piece is more overt and can be distracting.

Without the over use of Christian themes, I would have given the book 4-5 stars. However, I gave it three because although I found it helpful, I think her message gets lost, because her main goal is to talk about God at the expense of her message. There are other authors who have been better able to accomplish both with more nuance.

If you're trying to decide to get this book and are a Christian, then go for it. Meyer's book is interesting, specific, and immediately applicable. She is realistic about what you should expect and how you should approach internally thinking about the change you are hoping to make.

If you are a stout atheist, as some of my friends are, the skip this book or take a very deep breath before reading it.