Whether she has been too cynical to embrace self-help or too modest to think she should waste time trying to improve herself, Beth Lisick has never given much thought to self-help until now. Taking a stranger in a strange land approach, Lisick sets out to explore self-help culture - "with an unflagging sense of purpose, a wicked sense of humour, and a soul open to humiliation". She observes that, in this day and age, it's not enough just to feel okay. It seems that everyone has the easy answer to getting rich, looking gorgeous, and feeling absolutely fantastic and reports on her sometimes enlightening, sometimes painful, often hilarious experiences throughout her year-long journey.
Helping Me Help Myself
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Lisick has created a hilarious, knowing tale of a year of willing ridiculousness.” (San Francisco Chronicle )
“A witty, disarmingly earnest account of the year [Lisick] spent test-driving renowned self-help franchises.” (Entertainment Weekly )
not only hilarious but enlightening... Readers will be inspired: If a woman in a banana suit can clean her closet and pay off her credit card debt, surely you can, too.” (People )
“sweetly neurotic, funny and occasionally insightful.” (Los Angeles Times )
“wildly funny” and “a cross between David Sedaris and Susan Orlean.” (Seattle Times )
“Beth Lisick’s latest book is a wildly fun read that falls somewhere in between memoir and a Cliffs Notes guide to the self-help genre.” (Bust Magazine )
“A delightful, Plimptonesque exercise in immersive journalism...sharp, irreverent and endearingly screwed-up.” (Kirkus Reviews )
“A witty, disarmingly earnest account of the year [Lisick] spent test-driving renowned self-help franchises.” (Entertainment Weekly )
not only hilarious but enlightening... Readers will be inspired: If a woman in a banana suit can clean her closet and pay off her credit card debt, surely you can, too.” (People )
“sweetly neurotic, funny and occasionally insightful.” (Los Angeles Times )
“wildly funny” and “a cross between David Sedaris and Susan Orlean.” (Seattle Times )
“Beth Lisick’s latest book is a wildly fun read that falls somewhere in between memoir and a Cliffs Notes guide to the self-help genre.” (Bust Magazine )
“A delightful, Plimptonesque exercise in immersive journalism...sharp, irreverent and endearingly screwed-up.” (Kirkus Reviews )
About the Author
Beth Lisick, author of the New York Times bestseller Everybody into the Pool, is also a performer and an odd-jobs enthusiast. She has contributed to public radio's This American Life and is the cofounder of the monthly Porchlight storytelling series in San Francisco.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
57 of 62 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I wanted to like this book. I did. Being a skeptic of the self-help guru movement myself, I was eagerly anticipating the results -- hopefully acerbic! -- of a skeptic's indepth examination of ten different gurus from Richard Simmons to Suze Orman. The author promises to spend a year investigating ten different self-help programs to see if she can really change her life. The question is, does she really want to change her life? Or would she rather stay in her financially-painful, undisciplined comfort zone of a life?
The author was both less skeptical (drat! Not enough cynicism for me!) and not committed enough to actually trying to implement and test the gurus' advice. Her life is a mess both in terms of finance and focus, facts she cheerfully -- even defensively -- admits and also as she admits, ripe for some overhauling. Yet, she never fully commits to any of the (expensive) programs some of which not only might have helped her personally, but have made the book a better read. Her commitment to testing their theories was as vague as her focus in life. Her occasional forays into TMI territory (did we really need to know about her brief relationship with a pothead, every boring conversation and kiss included, while on a Richard Simmons cruise without her husband? How did that add to anything in the story? And worst of all, the incident wasn't even funny!) merely serve to distract us from the testing of the theories just as she uses these events in her life to distract her from actually accomplishing anything.
Some months the author's program report consists of a paragraph, but by the end of the year the author seems to lose interest in her investigation and in writing the story. She takes refuge in a nicely-circular summation of how her life fits together and ends the year apparently unchanged.
As a reader, I learned little I didn't know before about these self-help programs with the possible exception of her largely-positive review of Richard Simmons. I did learn far more than I wanted to know about the author's messy life, which suffers from the ultimate failure of being... boring.
The author was both less skeptical (drat! Not enough cynicism for me!) and not committed enough to actually trying to implement and test the gurus' advice. Her life is a mess both in terms of finance and focus, facts she cheerfully -- even defensively -- admits and also as she admits, ripe for some overhauling. Yet, she never fully commits to any of the (expensive) programs some of which not only might have helped her personally, but have made the book a better read. Her commitment to testing their theories was as vague as her focus in life. Her occasional forays into TMI territory (did we really need to know about her brief relationship with a pothead, every boring conversation and kiss included, while on a Richard Simmons cruise without her husband? How did that add to anything in the story? And worst of all, the incident wasn't even funny!) merely serve to distract us from the testing of the theories just as she uses these events in her life to distract her from actually accomplishing anything.
Some months the author's program report consists of a paragraph, but by the end of the year the author seems to lose interest in her investigation and in writing the story. She takes refuge in a nicely-circular summation of how her life fits together and ends the year apparently unchanged.
As a reader, I learned little I didn't know before about these self-help programs with the possible exception of her largely-positive review of Richard Simmons. I did learn far more than I wanted to know about the author's messy life, which suffers from the ultimate failure of being... boring.
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
My first reaction to seeing this book was that it was a rip-off - been there, read that, got the T-shirt. "Helping Me Help Myself" seemed to be a blatant copycat of Jennifer Niesslein's "Practically Perfect in Every Way." Both books involve young 30-ish married women in hip towns (Charlottesville, VA and Berkley, CA) with one little boy and husbands with unconventional jobs. Both take a month-by-month approach to improving their lives: financial, parenting, fitness, relationships, home organization, etc.
The kicker here is that Lisick decides to go straight to the gurus themselves, instead of just getting their books. Some of her "guru" choices are curious. For example, pursuing fitness by going on a cruise with Richard Simmons is like flying to Paris and eating a Big Mac at McDonalds. What? No Oprah, Dr. Phil or Dr. Ruth? A week in Tuscany to read a book about artistic creativity?? Come on!!
Incurring the costs of dabbling in each of these self-improvement ventures sounds like it darn near bankrupts her family financially. It's hard to afford these trips when one of your main jobs is wearing a banana suit, though maybe she could get a job with Fruit-of-the-Loom for future marketing efforts.
The result is a relatively entertaining, albeit somewhat self-absorbed, journey down the path of reputed self-improvement.
At one point, Lisick quotes Henry Miller,
"Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself."
Maybe she should ponder that quote a little more. "Forget yourself," indeed!
The kicker here is that Lisick decides to go straight to the gurus themselves, instead of just getting their books. Some of her "guru" choices are curious. For example, pursuing fitness by going on a cruise with Richard Simmons is like flying to Paris and eating a Big Mac at McDonalds. What? No Oprah, Dr. Phil or Dr. Ruth? A week in Tuscany to read a book about artistic creativity?? Come on!!
Incurring the costs of dabbling in each of these self-improvement ventures sounds like it darn near bankrupts her family financially. It's hard to afford these trips when one of your main jobs is wearing a banana suit, though maybe she could get a job with Fruit-of-the-Loom for future marketing efforts.
The result is a relatively entertaining, albeit somewhat self-absorbed, journey down the path of reputed self-improvement.
At one point, Lisick quotes Henry Miller,
"Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself."
Maybe she should ponder that quote a little more. "Forget yourself," indeed!
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Molly P.
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
On January 1, 2006, author Beth Lisick realized she wanted to make some life changes, so she set off on an inspiring and amusing year-long journey. In 'Helping Me Help Myself' she brings readers along for the ride. She is honest and doesn't mind poking fun at herself. (And she especially doesn't mind poking fun at others.)
The journey begins immediately and starts out slowly, and at times I wasn't sure what the author was going to learn or accomplish. But things start to get rolling around the "April" chapter, in which she goes on a "Cruise To Lose" and encounters the one and only Richard Simmons. The whole experience is fun to read about, and though I'm not sure how badly she needed Richard's help in the first place, it doesn't matter. How many of us have secretly wondered what happens on those cruises? It's like a tell-all, and it's fantastic. Richard Simmons has helped a lot of people, and maybe you can't afford to cruise with him, but you can afford to read this book.
Throughout the year (and the book), the author seeks help for various things, including disorderliness and hoarding, parenting, her financial situation, and success. She reads self-help books by leading gurus and attends seminars and conferences, then summarizes all the information she's gathered and puts it in simple terms for us readers, all the while adding her own insight and reactions. She is a funny writer, and while sometimes she goes off on tangents that don't seem relevant, she always comes back to the point.
'Helping Me Help Myself' was a worthwhile read, and after reading it once, I'm tempted to read it again. Several of the chapters didn't apply to me, but others did, and after reading those, I feel inspired to go out and make some changes in my own life. Thanks, Beth Lisick!
The journey begins immediately and starts out slowly, and at times I wasn't sure what the author was going to learn or accomplish. But things start to get rolling around the "April" chapter, in which she goes on a "Cruise To Lose" and encounters the one and only Richard Simmons. The whole experience is fun to read about, and though I'm not sure how badly she needed Richard's help in the first place, it doesn't matter. How many of us have secretly wondered what happens on those cruises? It's like a tell-all, and it's fantastic. Richard Simmons has helped a lot of people, and maybe you can't afford to cruise with him, but you can afford to read this book.
Throughout the year (and the book), the author seeks help for various things, including disorderliness and hoarding, parenting, her financial situation, and success. She reads self-help books by leading gurus and attends seminars and conferences, then summarizes all the information she's gathered and puts it in simple terms for us readers, all the while adding her own insight and reactions. She is a funny writer, and while sometimes she goes off on tangents that don't seem relevant, she always comes back to the point.
'Helping Me Help Myself' was a worthwhile read, and after reading it once, I'm tempted to read it again. Several of the chapters didn't apply to me, but others did, and after reading those, I feel inspired to go out and make some changes in my own life. Thanks, Beth Lisick!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Books
Great book, entertaining and very help. I didn't feel like I was the only one with these problems and concerns
Published 5 months ago by K. Fell
3.0 out of 5 stars
Didn't I already read this book?
Didn't I already read this book? No, it wasn't this one, but the idea behind it was exactly the same. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Debnance at Readerbuzz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very funny
I loved this book, though I see it got a lot of lukewarm reviews. You really have to share her sense of humor. But if you do, this book is a treasure.
Published 18 months ago by Ginger L. Grey
4.0 out of 5 stars
Helpful and Enjoyable Read
This was an enjoyable read, laugh out loud funny at times especially the self reflecting ones! Beth Lisick decides to make some changes in chosen areas of her life, and looks to 10... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Reading my way thru life
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good humor, not enough substance
Three stars because I love Beth Lisick as a person, plus she's a local writer. But this one wasn't all there. Read more
Published on October 24, 2010 by A. Drugay
3.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining But Ultimately Unfulfilling
Beth Lisick doesn't really believe in New Year's resolutions, but, in 2006, she decides that her life could use a few changes. Read more
Published on May 25, 2010 by Silmarwen
2.0 out of 5 stars
Wanted to like it, but no dice
I really wanted to like this book, but by the last chapters, I found myself skimming the pages, looking for something interesting to read. Read more
Published on October 18, 2009 by Dawn M. Millsap
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lisick is likable, but this book is lukewarm at best
I really enjoyed Lisick's Everybody Into the Pool so I was really excited about this book. I went into thinking it was going to be a funny and somewhat scathing, revealing view of... Read more
Published on August 30, 2009 by Rayna
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Slice of Life
If you read this book expecting to find out anything about the self-help programs mentioned in the book, you will be disappointed. Lisick never commits to any of the programs. Read more
Published on May 21, 2009 by Voracious Reader
2.0 out of 5 stars
Funny but maddening
The good news is the author is a good writer and probably should do essays for the New Yorker. That bad part is she doesn't try to improve - leaves the basement a mess etc and so... Read more
Published on April 29, 2009 by jinx
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