List Your Self: Listmaking as the Way to Self-Discovery [Hardcover]

Ilene Segalove (Author), Paul Bob Velick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996

AMP's Journals come in a crowd-pleasing array of styles, themes, and materials -- from motivational to lighthearted, from pets to peacocks, and from currently popular licenses to stylish in-house creations featuring a variety of materials of the highest quality.

A treasure trove of list ideas will reveal the vistas of your heart and soul.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0836221796
• ISBN-13: 978-0836221794
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #492,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Self-Help > Journal Writing

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Topics, Hard To Write In, January 3, 2002

By 

Ruth Edlund "dark goddess of replevin" (King County, Washington:) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: List Your Self: Listmaking as the Way to Self-Discovery (Hardcover)

After a short introduction, this is almost a blank book. Each page is headed by a list topic (e.g."List all the idiotic things you've done for money"; "List all the phone calls that changed your life"). The rest of each page after the topic is blank ruled paper. When completed, the book is a self-inventory. For people who are not otherwise inclined to keep a journal, this book could be an excellent freestanding tool for self-discovery. As a practical matter, however, due to the thickness of the book and the stiffness of the binding, it is a bit of an effort to write in neatly. This book would have been a lot easier to use if it were spiral- or coil-bound.

I actually like this book quite a bit and use the topic suggestions as journal prompts, because it is easier to write in a separate notebook than in this actual volume.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It IS a Provocative, Personal Expedition!!, February 29, 2004

By 

Amy Graham (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: List Your Self: Listmaking as the Way to Self-Discovery (Hardcover)

This book, if used thoughtfully and with the right intent could take months (perhaps even years) to complete!

I don't really know what I was expecting when I requested this book...but I saw it on Amazon and thought it "what a neat idea" -- my mind rushing with possibilities based on nothing more than the title and brief editorial description! When the book arrived at my door...I practically ravaged the packaging to get at the books (normally, I am excitable when it come to books...and I got all three in this List Yourself series: List Yourself; More List Yourself; and List Your Creative Self). Now I knew this was a book for you to fill in, but I was still surprised to find that after two very brief chapters (an introduction and "How to Use this Book") that it is virtually empty...most of the pages (14-297) are list topics. That is to say the very top portion of the page (about two lines worth) is a List Topic, the remainder of the page is blank lines to be filled in...allowing you to do exactly what the title says...List Yourself!

I found that the brief first chapters actually are more than adequate, this will be particularly appealing to individuals who do not have the patience for long-winded explanations or tons of in-depth analysis of this technique...there is just enough good information to get you going -- with a simple, easy "how to" your on your way to listing!

What is great about List Yourself is that it is not all "serious" or "proper," not all probing and full of angst...this book has lists that will help you capture ALL of who you are...even the funny and irreverent!!

Serious topics include:

"List All the People You Wish You Hadn't Trusted"
"List What Heals Your Aching Soul"
"List those Moments in Nature that Remind You of Your Connection to the 'Big Picture'."

Silly Topics Include:

"List All the Times You've Hit the Jackpot"
"List All the Foods, Candy, and Other Treats You Loved to Snack On" (as a child)
"List All the Foods You'd Eat if Guaranteed You Wouldn't Get Fat" (I must be hungry...lol)

and it goes on and on on for more than two hundred pages...there are lists about the past, the future....allowing you to explore EVERY aspect of who you are...from home and family to career; covering entertainment, your inner most thoughts to the funny and irreverent in your life! THIS is NOT your mother's journal! What you get here really allows you to capture who you are in a relatively easy to use listmaking format!

I truly believe the best use of this volume is for the time challenged journaler (or potential journaler)...you can keep this by your bed or near your favorite spot on the couch -- list yourself when your restless at night or when there's nothing very interesting on TV...keep it handy and out in the open and I can almost GUARANTEE you'll find yourself picking it up every now and again -- it's compelling in a way!

For the more "serious" journaler...List Yourself would certainly make a fun addition to your current journaling -- or a supplement if you like! The materials and methods certainly dovetail nicely into nearly any journaling style!

Upon completion, List Yourself will certainly be interesting to read over every few years...a gauge of who you were, who you are, and who you will be in the future!!

Sooooooooo...do I recommend List Yourself???? The answer is an definite YES! I most certainly do! As a supplement to "regular" journaling or as a stand-alone technique used for self-discovery -- I think it's invaluable!!

Do I absolutely LOVE everything about this volume...HECK NO...the hard bound format is annoying at best (my comments were less than "G" rated in this area...lol)...and size make this book hard to handle. Personally...for books I have to write in, I like a slightly larger size and this book would be MUCH better served with a spiral or library binding...the combination of size and binding choice are (to me at any rate) extremely annoying. I would also absolutely LOVE it if a date line had been included...it's certainly not difficult to simply add the date in at the top...but for neatness and uniformity -- a printed date line would be a nice addition!!

For myself (because of the format the book is in), I'm going to incorporate the lists into my regular journal -- recording only the date(s) that I make the list in the hardbound book...so that I can easily find a particular list later on...and if I do a list several times over the years...I'll know where to find each to compare and contrast them!!

Overall, this is a neat idea -- and the book DOES live up to the entire title! I give it an "A"+ for content and a "B"- for usability - the hardbound format does leave much to be desired.

I give list yourself an "A"- for price, coming in at 296 pages of great listmaking opportunities with a list price of $14.95 (Amazon currently has it listed at $10.47), I think it's money well spent!!

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars List of reasons I love this book: Fun,Creative,Analytical..., April 30, 2000

By 

LeiLani Mussell (Payette, Idaho USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: List Your Self: Listmaking as the Way to Self-Discovery (Hardcover)

This is a book which you fill in pages that have a title for each page/list. The Titles are for things you list. Example: List all of the people who love you for who you really are. Another example: List the things you would change if you could change history. Or: List the things you hide when friends come to visit.

Some of the List headings are serious and some are silly, some delve into the past, others look to the future. They explore home, family, work , the world , your inner thoughts and so much more.

This is a delightful book for anyone who loves to make lists, who loves psychology, or who wants to understand themselves a little better. It is a whole lot of FUN!