Character Makeover: 40 Days with a Life Coach to Create the Best You (Paperback)

by Katie Brazelton (Author), Shelley Leith (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Embark on a forty-day journey with a personal life coach to develop Christlike character. A continuation of Katie Brazelton’s bestselling Pathway to Purpose for Women, this book was created for women of all ages who want a character-rejuvenating experience that will inspire them to live out God’s unique purpose for their life.

From the Back Cover
Get the kind of makeover that will transform your life!

Bestselling author and life coach Katie Brazelton takes you on a deeply personal forty-day journey of developing your character. Discover how to close the gap between understanding God’s purpose for your life and carrying it out as you put an end to well-worn patterns of defeat, woundedness, insecurity, unworthiness, and self-centeredness.

Teaming up with coauthor Shelley Leith, who is a highly sought-after speaker on strengthening marriages and family, Brazelton focuses on eight character traits essential to living a purpose-filled life: humility, confidence, courage, self-control, patience, contentment, generosity, and perseverance. Step-by-step you’ll experience a complete character makeover—and become the best “you” God intended you to be.

Ideal for small groups, women’s church ministry, and one-on-one study.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310256534
• ISBN-13: 978-0310256533
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #116,988 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Character Makeover: A Review, January 5, 2008

By	C. Moore "The Christian Manifesto (www.thechr... (Rochester Hills, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I feel a little bit like I'm cheating by writing a review of the book, "Character Makeover: 40 Days With A Life Coach To Create The Best You" (Zondervan, 2008), by Katie Brazelton and Shelley Leith. First, it is geared towards women. I'm a man. Second, it is laid out in a such a way that a person really ought to spend 40 days with it. I've only had my Advance Reader Copy for 2 days. So, given that I am not of the female persuasion, nor have I had the 40 days to live out the principles discussed in the book, I will give my general impressions.

Generally, I shy away from any product that promises to change a person after so many days or weeks. They tend to be too simplistic, not speaking to the difficulties, interruptions, and disappointments that tend to come with real life. I am even more wary of Christian self-help books, because they tend to garner more of their techniques and bullet points from pop psychology rather than Scripture. This is dangerous in that it retards a person's ability to discern things spiritually.

That being said, I like how much "Character Makeover" relies on Scripture and does not attempt to trivialize the things that people go to. This book isn't about pretending real life doesn't happen. Quite the contrary. Through the use of the stories of various women who have struggled with character issues as they face everyday life, "Character Makeover" keeps its head out of the clouds and its feet firmly planted on the earth. Rather, this book is a resource women can turn to in order to help them change their perspective and temper their reactions when life isn't fair.

Its greatest strength comes from the fact it starts off with the notion that if we wish to develop better character, we must first attend to our relationship with Jesus. The authors thus start the book with a section about humility. This is a great approach, as a person who "changes themselves" can be tempted to boast about all the changes they have made and how good that makes them because of it. However, by connecting true change to God, this encourages women to be humble in how they approach the rest of the book (and their lives).

However, "Character Makeover" is not without its drawbacks. Actually, one of its greatest strengths is one of its greatest flaws. This is not a book that a person can just sit down and enjoy like a novel. It is meant to be an immersive experience. This is accomplished through journal entries, charts to fill out, and boxes to check (on self-evaluation checklists). It is a lot of work and a person has to be totally honest with themselves (or others if they are participating in a group), if they wish to truly get anything out of the experience.

And the questions are not easy ones. For example, on Day 4 of a section about self-control, the reader is asked, "What habit or temptation has power over you?" While this question might seem simple on the surface, it is very easy to answer this question simply, avoiding darker things we know we ought to deal with in our lives. A person might answer, "I have a problem with chocolate," and that may very well be true. But, if they have a habit of gossiping or not controlling their thought life, having a problem with chocolate is the least of their worries. But, the main drawback is that some people don't have the time each day to sit down and follow this kind of program. While the authors might not mind 40 days stretching into 80 or 120 days, some readers may become frustrated and give up.

Overall, "Character Makeover" is a good resource for those who can stick with a 40 day program. I believe they will come out on the other side with the ability to discern situations from a thoroughly Christian point-of-view without sacrificing their ability to live in the real world.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're searching, stop when you see this book!, February 26, 2008

By	S. Tupper - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I picked up this book at a bookstore a couple of days ago. I'm going to be completely honest and say that I was looking for a different book, but they didn't have it. The Holy Spirit literally put this book in my hands as I waited for the clerk to check the back room for the book I was looking for. Instead, I ended up buying "Character Makeover" and I know that God hand delivered it to me for this time in my life. I've read lots of self-help books and completed numerous Bible Studies, but this book is different than anything I've encountered before. The daily "exercises" in the book really cause me to change my behavior. The best part is that the book starts with an issue that I have battled time and time again...being HUMBLE! Until I read this book, I really didn't understand what being humble means. Brazleton & Leith give you about 5 different points to think about with respect to humility. I also really enjoy that the authors utilize different formats..."email letters", online assessments, time in scripture, time in prayer. Excellent, excellent book. Enjoy.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A daughter's perspective...by Heather Leith, December 20, 2007

By	Gregory J. Leith (Rancho Santa Margarita, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a review of the Generosity chapter in the book, written by Heather Leith, the 14-year-old daughter of one of the co-authors.

"I just read the chapter on Generosity...and it was PHENOMENAL! It was easy to understand. I think women, young adults, and teenagers can all benefit from this book. It was clear and straightforward, and I could totally understand it all! It covered all aspects of Generosity! When I was reading one section, and a question came up in my mind, it was ANSWERED in the next day's reading!! The authors did an amazing job of thinking of the reader and what they would want to read about.

-It was fun and I wanted more after I was done. All the rhyming stuff, quizzes, journals...it kept me interested! A lot of books are just boring and there is tons of unnecessary stuff. But this had lots of fun stuff in every section to keep the reader interested.

-I loved all the verses in it. There was tons of spiritual wisdom and insight in it, and I felt like the authors were talking to me directly."

Basically, Mom, you get an A++++++ from me, and I am SURE everyone else will think the same!

Heather Leith