365 Ways To Attract Good Luck by Richard Webster – A Review

Title: 365 Ways to Attract Good Luck
Author: Richard Webster
Release Date: Oct. 2014
Publisher: Llewellyn
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A surprisingly practical, while simple book. Well written and to the point, each tip is grounded in habits that can be easily adopted. While this book does not bring up anything new, it does put it into a package that might finally get the reader to actually follow through on the self-help and luck techniques many of us have read, many times. A bite-size quick read!

The All-Day Energy Diet – A Book Review

Title: The All-Day Energy Diet

Author: Yuri Elkaim

Publisher: Hay House

Publishing Date: September 29th 2014

Rating: 2/5 Stars

 

Another anti-gluten diet book that brings nothing new to the table, but is only regurgitating what many have written before – get rid of sugar and gluten in your diet and you will feel better. Just as with any of the fads that have existed in your lifetime regarding food and diet (Atkins Diet anyone?), this book jumps on what sells, and that is a pretend quick fix, rather than a fundamental personal assessment of one’s individual needs are which are only possible to be implemented with the assistance of professional guidance such as a holistic practitioner, a dietitian, or a doctor who is willing to put the time it takes to find out underlying causes for lack of energy. There are no quick fixes, and there are no one size fits all. Of course, one can try out many of these diets on their own, but that would only add to a stress level that is one of the many potential causes of low energy. It’s not the worst book on the subject, but it promises too much.

Book Review: E-Cubed by Pam Grout

Title: E-Cubed

Author: Pam Grout

Publishing Date: September 16th, 2014

Publisher: Hay House

Rating: 5/5 Stars

I have been a fan of Pam Grout since her first book in the series E-Squared, which was enjoyable and fun to follow along, but E-Cubed is actually better than the first! More personal than the original, it relies on personal transformation rather on mere demonstration, and therefore has a more spiritual quality to it, while staying true to her style, humor and wit. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning or refreshing their spiritual Law of Attraction practice.

Book Review: The Herb Book by John Hurst

Title: The Herb Book
Author: John Lust
Publisher: Dover Publications
Publishing Date:July 16 2014
Rating:4/5 Stars

Description:
Also known as “The Natural Remedy Bible,” The Herb Book provides a comprehensive resource for building a livelier, healthier, happier life. More than 2,000 listings offer remedies for ragged nerves, nightmares, and coughing fits as well as suggestions for adding spice to recipes, coloring fabrics, freshening breath, and a host of other benefits. Complete and concise descriptions of herbs, illustrated by more than 275 line drawings, offer the most comprehensive catalog of “miracle plants” ever published.
Written by an expert and pioneer in the field, this easy-to-use reference features three parts. The first presents introductory historical information and background for using the rest of the book. The second part features individual numbered listings of medicinal plants with their botanical descriptions and uses. The third part emphasizes the variety of uses for the plants listed in Part 2, including mixtures for medicinal treatments, nutritious and culinary plants, cosmetic and aromatic purposes, plant dyes, and other applications. The book concludes with a captivating look at plant-related astrology, lore, and legends.” (Description by Netgalley)

Overview:
I was really looking forward to finding a reference book that promised to be not only comprehensive and thorough, but included additional information, even if only in its basic form, to add to my library.
The book is large and detailed, reaching 480 eBook pages, with very specific and thorough information on many herbs, even those who are not too common, as well as their uses.

What I loved:
In addition to the information on the individual herbs, this book offers an extensive list of resources, which includes websites for further studies. The author also took his time to add information on the various methods of preparing herbal remedies, and did this in a more extensive way, than most reference books of this nature offer. I loved the addition of the astrological associations, as well as the tidbits of lore. It added a charm to the book, even if I would recommend to purchase separate and specialty volumes if you are interested in that subject matter.

What I did not like:
The illustrations where very basic. As they were called in the introduction, they are line drawings, nothing more. In order to really identify a specific herb from the visual clues given, or for those like me whom are visually oriented, a different volume would be more appropriate.

In all, I liked the book. It does deliver what it promises, an extensive and comprehensive catalog of herbs and their information. This is a resource to keep on our shelf, and enjoy over and over again.

This book was provided to me by Netgalley.

Book Review: The Miracle Morning – Self-Help Book Experiment Part 2

 

Title: The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (before 8 AM)
Author: Hal Elrod
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Like I wrote yesterday, I am in the midst of not just reviewing, but also implementing some of the self-help books that are on my desk (or computer).

Currently I am working on “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod, and examine if a morning routine change can really change ones live, or at least have a large impact upon it.

But first to the review:

The Promise: To deliver a system, with clear steps on how to change your morning routine in an effective ritual, that will influence your life, and allow you to reach for your goals.

The book actually delivers on that promise. With clear, precise wording and examples, Hal allows you to create an easy to follow morning routine – that is, if you make the decision to commit to getting up earlier, and do the actual exercise. This is not a book for someone who is looking for a quick fix, but it is a book that will shake up your routine, if you let it.

It gives you precise ideas on how getting up earlier is possible, without feeling sleep deprived. It also gives you very clear instructions on how to implement some of the daily steps we all know we should be taking, such as meditation, exercise, affirmations and visualization. Do we usually follow through? No, but he even has a solution to that – accountability via partners (you can find your own, or join his community for free), and a printout routine tracker, which allows you to keep track of your new-found routine.

The Result: I started this challenge this morning (actually last night, as he suggests some preparation-steps to ensure a smooth morning routine), so I can not yet report on the long-term effects. What I can comment on thought is, that his suggestions of affirming a smooth morning, without feeling tired worked for well for me.

The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine – Mike Murdock

Beyond this book, I have decided to focus on what other authors and coaches think about morning routines. Those have ranged from the comical (Abraham suggesting to take a nap), to the well structures – Tony Robbins calls the morning routine “The Hour of Power”. I will post and try some of these out – not the nap part.

Which brings me to a question: What is your morning routine like? Do you rush out of the house, or do you take time for meditation and other techniques? What is the most important part of your routine? Until yesterday, I would have answered the last question with coffee, but now I am changing it to accountability.

What’s yours?

Three New Self-Help Books You Should Read

There are constantly new self-help books arriving on the market, and while some of them are absolutely questionable, or a simple rewrite of other volumes – I have reviewed some of these gems – there are a few new books, that are worth reading, and emerging yourself into. I will present three of them here for you:

1. The Chakra Wisdom Oracle Toolkit by Tori Hartman: A workbook for those serious about making a change in their lives, and are willing to put in the work required.

2. Manifest Moment to Moment: A spiritual self-help book that transcends the boundaries of a singular belief system, designed to assist you in the creation of the life you always wanted.

3. Habit Stacking by S.J. Scott: A book that emphasizes how deliberate little changes can add up to a profound shift in many aspects of your life.

What are your favorite self-help books? Which “classics” or contemporary self-help volumes do you enjoy?

 

 

 

Book Review: Habit Stacking by S.J. Scott

Title: Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less
Author: S.J. Scott
Release Date: May, 2, 2014
Rating: 4/5 Stars
While this book is based on a simplicity that will not shake up your life to the core, it will give you an idea, how easy it is to make time for small changes that stack up to a more profound change. S.J.Scott calls this process “Habit Stacking”, and packages it in easy to follow along advice that can be implemented by everyone. Habit Stacking is a cool book that despite its simplicity in activities should be taken seriously, and can add, if you follow through, a meaningful change in your life.
And if you are already doing many of this habits, you can always congratulate yourself on being on the right path!

Book Review: Change Your Mind – Heal Your Body

Title: Change Your Mind – Heal Your Body
Author: Anna Parkinson
Publisher: Watkins Publishing Limited
Release Date: May 1st, 2014

Rating: 1.5/5 Stars

While some people can learn from the mere telling of another ones healing journey, or find at least comfort within the pages of a book that tells one how the Author overcame the struggle of disease, I am not one of them. When looking for a self-help book, may it be on healing or any other area of life, I prefer to be given a run down of the facts that they learned from their journey, of course with a few anecdotes, but not the other way around. In order for a self-help book to be helpful beyond the giving of hope, it has to be above all practical.
This book fails this aspect completely.
A re-telling of ones healing journey to the fullest detail, as Anna Parkinson has done in this book is actually detrimental to her health, as it rather focuses on the aspects of what was wrong and the struggle of finding a solution, rather than focusing on the solution, which the side note of struggle. We get it. It is hard to over come a disease, as millions of others has discovered. But in order to make that struggle value is to share the lessons learned, not the struggle many of us share.
To me, this is not a self-help book but a memoir of a strong person who wants to tell her story of triumph, and should be marketed as such. If marketed as a self-help book, this volume does not help the person reading it, to overcome their personal struggle.
I would not recommend it as such.

Book Review: Chakra Wisdom Oracle Toolkit by Tori Hartman

Title: Chakra Wisdom Oracle Toolkit
Author: Tori Hartman
Publisher: Watkins Publishing Limited
Publishing Date: September 18th 2014
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

This is not a book that is to be read, but a book to be worked with. If you are willing to put in the time, commit to exercises (which are plenty and enjoyable), to make a change in your life, then this book is a worthwhile purchase. Beautifully illustrated and well written, the Chakra Wisdom Oracle Kit is not only for those who have some experience in the subject matter, but is easy enough to use, that it will be a worthwhile workbooks for those who are new to Chakras and Oracles.
As I stated in the beginning this book is one of action, not a book of leisurable reading, and it asks the reader to commit to the entire year journey. Self-discovery is not a fast process, especially when one wants to make a lasting impact on one’s life. As a companion on your journey, this book is a valuable addition in self-improvement.

Have you every worked with Chakra’s of an Oracle Kit before? What is your favorite and why?

Here are some other self-help books I recommend:

Manifest Moment to Moment

A Smart Girl’s Guide To Getting What You Want

Happy Lemons

 

 

Five Books You Should Read This Summer

Over the last few weeks I have come across quite a few gems of new arrivals, that you should not miss out on. Isn’t there something wonderful about reading on a hot summer day? To fill those days, check out the following fiction and non-fiction books, that are worth your time:

1. The Keepers by Rae Rivers – my absolute favorite new paranormal romance series this year!

2. Touched by Darkness by Catherine Spangler – another paranormal series, that is sure to keep you wanting for more!

3. Parker’s Passion by Sabrina York – now there is a hot one for not the not faint of heart! Steamy!

4. The Snow Queen by Linda Wisdom – a book that does not leave you cold. Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon!

5. Manifest Moment to Moment – because not all summer reads have to be pure entertainment.

Which books are you planning on reading this summer? What is your absolute favorite so far?