Category: self improvement

self improvement

The Truth: What You Must Know Before December 21, 2012

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Stephen Hawley Martin
Publisher: Oaklea Press
Genre: Body, Mind, Spirit: Inspiration & Personal Growth
ISBN: 978-1-892538-21-5
Pages: 256
Price: $14.95

Author’s website

The Mayan calendar, the I CHING, and a computer program called the Web Bot all predict the world as we know it will end in 2012. This may be as a result of catastrophic disasters or it could be a more positive event, caused by a shift in consciousness. Stephen Hawley Martin believes this shift is coming, and The Truth offers ideas on how to bring it about in your own life.

Delving into the mind and how it works, the author touches on the different stages a person may find himself in his outlook on life. Just as The Secret explained the importance of beliefs, The Truth shows us how they can even affect outcomes of scientific experiments. And prayer is explored in depth, clearly demonstrating how powerful it is by using the results from working with plants.

As one would expect from a book on shifting consciousness, the author encourages us to discover why we’re here, and how to get through the growing pains we can expect to encounter. Clear and simple instructions are provided on how to get in touch with our own intuition to help us make the right decisions.

Stephen Hawley Martin makes a bold claim that this enlightening book could save the world. It certainly could change your life, if you put the ideas into practice for yourself. And if you believe that one person’s changes can impact others, bringing about a bigger shift, then maybe the author is right.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

self improvement

Chameleon Butterfly Dragonfly

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Cindy Silbert
Publisher: Bring U to Life, Inc.
Genre: Self-help
ISBN: 978-1-4196-9910-8
Pages: 170
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Bring U to Life

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In a moment of divine inspiration, Cindy Silbert was led to share the wisdom given by the goddess Hina of Hawaii. After receiving enlightenment about the female archetypes of Chameleon, Butterfly and Dragonfly, she created this book as a guide for women.

Focusing on the archetypes individually, the author shares characteristics of each, giving examples of famous people who embodied their personalities. Then the reader is led to decide for herself which one is her Eminent Archetype. Once this determination is made, the goal is to embrace that True Self while also working toward balance with the other two archetypes.

I was intrigued by the introduction to this book, knowing that a goddess was directing the process. But once the archetypes were explained, I felt something was missing. The last twenty pages of this book are blank journal pages, and this brief text left me wanting more.

Chameleon Butterfly Dragonfly provides useful information in getting in touch with your own deeper wisdom, but I would have preferred a little more depth. Once I’ve connected with this Eminent Archetype, what’s next? How can I use what I’ve learned to create a better life for myself? For me, these questions were left unanswered.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

self improvement

Living the Law of Attraction

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Rich German & Robin Hoch
Publisher: iUniverse
Genre: Self Improvement
ISBN: 978-0-595-47411-0
Pages: 296
Price: $19.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

You’ve seen The Secret, which tantalized you with its infinite possibilities. You know the Law of Attraction is real, and you want to use it in your own life, but you still have questions or doubts. Maybe you just need to see examples of how it has worked in other people’s lives. Living the Law of Attraction shares these stories with us.

In the true spirit of attracting exactly what they needed, Robin Hoch and Rich German invited those who’ve enjoyed success utilizing this Law to submit the accounts of their experiences. This book is a collection of these stories, grouped into categories: Health and Wellness, Business and Career, Everyday Miracles, Happiness and Relationships.

It’s impossible to read this compilation of truly uplifting stories without being inspired to make positive changes in your own life, using the Law of Attraction. Many of the stories brought me to tears of joy as I delighted in reading about the authors’ successes. I highly recommend this amazing book that shows the Law of Attraction in action.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

self improvement

The Woman’s Field Guide to Exceptional Living

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Corrie Woods
Publisher: Morgan James
Genre: Self-help / Inspiration
ISBN: 978-1-60037-395-4
Pages: 179
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
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“Wake up! Don’t miss another minute of your life! Live it! Love it!” Corrie Woods writes, in the introduction to The Woman’s Guide to Exceptional Living. If you feel you’ve been sleep-walking through your life, her message is for you.

This delightful book is set up in three sections, which don’t need to be read in any particular order. In the first set of readings, the reader is invited to love and appreciate herself for the unique woman she is. The second part contains exercises in play and self-discovery. And the third group allows her to learn from the past in creating an exciting future.

All of the readings have “field notes” — discovery questions designed to help you get to know yourself better. There is also a study group guide, if you’d like to use this book in a group setting. And bonus materials are available on the author’s website.

Corrie Woods is a Professional Life Coach and Women’s Retreat Leader. The Woman’s Guide to Exceptional Living shares some of her best ideas on how to make your life sizzle with possibility.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

finance, self improvement

The Wealth Manifesto

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Mark T. Rafter
Publisher: New Knowledge Press
Genre: Self-help / Personal Growth / Success
ISBN: 978-0-9796682-0-3
Pages: 214
Price: $17.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

How do you define wealth? Do you even know, or do you just assume it has something to do with how much money you’ve managed to accumulate? According to Mark T. Rafter, money is only part of the wealth equation, and The Wealth Manifesto shows you what makes up the missing pieces.

This book, along with the downloadable companion workbook, helps you define a lifestyle that will ultimately make you wealthy, through a series of thought-provoking exercises. The first section looks at the path to wealth – how you define wealth and what you need to make you happy. The second section invites you to determine your own value and competencies, as you offer your services to the world. And the third section explores the accumulation of wealth through the concept of building systems.

If you’ve ever read The Science of Getting Rich, you may have felt the author left out a key element of how to get rich. Focusing on metaphysical elements has its place, and it certainly helps us to stay on course as we plan our future. The Wealth Manifesto explores those metaphysical concepts and takes them a step further, explaining exactly how to create systems that can generate wealth for us long into the future.

Creating wealth can feel like an insurmountable task, but Mark T. Rafter makes it seem simple and effortless. Follow the directions as laid out, and you’ll be inspired to take action and become wealthy yourself. I highly recommend this well-written and motivational book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

health, self improvement

The Lifestyle Fitness Program

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Debi Silber
Publisher: Morgan James
Genre: Health & Fitness / Healthy Living
ISBN: 978-1-60037-426-5
Pages: 218
Price: $17.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

A mom has so much to juggle each day that her own self-care is often the last thing she thinks about. But can a mom be effective taking care of others if she hasn’t met her own basic needs? Debi Silber doesn’t think so, and that’s why she’s created The Lifestyle Fitness Program to guide moms in looking, feeling and living their best.

This guidebook is divided into six sections: Nutrition, Fitness, Relationships, Emotions, Spirituality, and Stress Control. Each section is then further divided into chapter sub-topics, with goals set for each chapter. The author encourages moms to set only one goal per week, with the intent to create new healthy habits as these small changes become part of their lives.

Silber has a light and breezy style of chatting with the reader, almost as if she’s in a personal coaching session in her role as the “Mojo Coach.” But because she covers so much material in such a short book, the individual chapters don’t go into any real depth. Instead, they’re more motivational than informational. The author also provides an on-line forum at her website for readers to discuss the challenges and successes they’ve had in working this program.

If you’re looking for bite-sized chunks of information that will help you make small incremental changes that will lead to a happier and healthier life, you’ll find the guidance in The Lifestyle Fitness Program a valuable resource.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

self improvement

I.M. Heart

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Sue P. McDaniel, PhD
Publisher: Alternatives
Genre: Self-help
ISBN: 978-0-615-16178-5
Pages: 112
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

If you long to really live your life, but somewhere along the way you’ve forgotten how to feel, I.M. Heart will show you how. This charming line-drawn heart character will lead you through the many feelings you face, and will guide you in feeling them fully.

These feelings include pain, fear, love, and connection to spirit and others. Gently and lovingly, this little heart shares some experiences that create the feelings, and how he/she has learned to live with them.

Filled with “I am” affirmations, I.M. Heart reassures us we’re okay just as we are, and that we’re becoming even better. Feelings are the way we get in touch with ourselves and create a more dynamic and joyful life.

There are no “shoulds” in this book, and you won’t be made to feel guilty for anything. Instead, you’ll be coaxed to consider small changes and new possibilities to enrich your life. The positive energy in I.M. Heart will uplift and encourage you on your journey.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

self improvement

Just Snap Your Fingers and… Bingo You’re Sober!

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Maurice “Mo” Murray
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Genre: Self-help
ISBN: 978-1-4343-2881-6
Pages: 87
Price: $10.49

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Your true love, Ethyl, is dead. Ethyl Alcohol, that is – or Jack Daniels, if you prefer. And now it’s time to change your “Order of Loves.” In this recovery workbook, Mo Murray will guide you in learning to live without your first love.

Murray is a former substance abuse counselor who is also in recovery. Speaking from his years of personal experience and in counseling, he uses both humor and the truth about excess drinking to reach the alcoholic who still suffers. Several questions guide the reader through his own feelings and experiences of what his drinking has done to his life.

This book isn’t an early recovery guide, and it assumes that the reader has had some experience already in AA. Murray refers to the twelve steps and other program materials shared in AA, and without having attended meetings, the reader may find these references confusing.

The final chapter presents a self-hypnosis session, which allows the reader to reprogram his thinking and make an attitude adjustment. Murray believes that this positive affirmation statement will help the still-suffering alcoholic to rise above his limited thinking and achieve sobriety.

This is a fairly light-hearted book on a relatively serious subject, but recovery has its humorous moments, and learning sometimes comes easier with laughter. This book, by itself, probably won’t get someone sober, but along with the AA program and a sponsor working together, it would be a helpful guide in recovery.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

self improvement

Happy For No Reason

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Marci Shimoff
Publisher: Free Press
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 978-1-4165-4772-3
Pages: 336
Price: $24.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Are you truly happy from the inside out? If you’re like many people, you might say you’re happy, but is it only because things are pretty much going the way you like them? And what if your life isn’t perfect right now? Marci Shimoff believes it’s possible to be happy no matter what your circumstances are, and this book will show you how.

Research has shown that we all have a certain level of happiness that we seem to feel comfortable at. This set-point is partially genetic, but we have the ability to change the rest. By following the seven steps presented in this book, we can better control our happiness set-point and learn to be happy for no reason.

Marci Shimoff interviewed what she calls the Happy 100 to discover their secrets to staying happy in every circumstance. These steps outline their experiences, with deeply moving personal stories to demonstrate them in action. Fun exercises are also provided on how to use these steps in your own life.

The positive energy of Happy For No Reason is contagious. Marci Shimoff is one of the teachers featured in The Secret, and it’s obvious she lives what she teaches. If you want to be happy for no reason, you’ll find this book to be an inspiring and valuable guide.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

self improvement, teen

I’ve Got This Friend Who…

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Kidspeace
Publisher: Hazelden
Genre: Self-help
ISBN: 978-1-59285-458-5
Pages: 188
Price: $14.95

Kidspeace Website
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The pressure that teens face is intense. School makes demands on their time, and teens often feel like they need to act in a certain way to conform with their peers. This book focuses on six high risk behaviors – alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, eating disorders, self-injuring behaviors including cutting, and other high risk behavior like reckless driving and unprotected sex – and how teens can avoid getting involved in them.

The format of the book is a discussion session between six teens of various ages and experiences. Two of the teens had experienced some of the behaviors, and they could share their experience of how they got involved in the activities, and also how they managed to extricate themselves. This sharing of their experience was the strongest part of the book. As they discussed each topic, they came to the conclusion that the activity was not in their best interest, and then they devised ways they could avoid finding themselves in situations that could potentially lead to trouble.

Although the book was written from the voices of the teens, I felt that an adult was speaking through them, providing all the intellectual reasons why they shouldn’t get involved in these behaviors. More first-hand experience – for example, what happens when a teen gets arrested for stealing a car – would have been beneficial. Teens aren’t as interested in facts as they are in maintaining their sense of identity, and if they could see what happens when someone is brought into a police station in handcuffs, that might send a powerful message that it’s not as cool to engage in these activities as their peers may say it is.

I would have also liked to see more options presented for finding help, rather than the stock answer of telling their parents or a trusted adult. Many kids who fall into troublesome behavior have a poor relationship with their parents, and home is the last place they feel safe. Anonymous hotlines, 12-step groups, and a private counselor who isn’t required to “rat them out” to their parents would be their first choice. Providing a sample session with a phone counselor or explaining what happens at a 12-step meeting would give teens an idea what to expect in this situation, and help them to maintain their poise, even when admitting they need help.

Overall, though, this book definitely addresses a need in helping teens face the problems they’re dealing with today in a positive and proactive way. It uses teen language in presenting the many facts they need to know to keep themselves safe. Used in a classroom setting, it would be a great discussion starter in getting teens to think about these important topics.

Reviewer: Alice Berger