Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Funny and thought-provoking, May 18, 2007
I really looked forward to this book since I love the magazine that Jennifer Niesslein helped create, Brain Child. I was not disappointed. This is a funny book, and I laughed many times. For instance, here is the author, describing her imagined discussion with a Catholic priest: "I tried to picture the exchange between us, but the furthest I could get was a cartoon version of me standing before a cartoon version of him. We would have thought bubbles above our heads. Mine: Has he EVER had sex? EVER? His: Does she know she's supposed to be obeying her husband?
This is also a thought-provoking book. Niesslein bravely delves into a topic that many people worry about but don't often discuss: mainly, what is happiness, do I have it, and if I don't have it, how do I get it? She pursues happiness, literally, by reading and gamely putting to the test various self-help books and methods, from Suze Orman on finances to Dr. Laura on marriage (not surprisingly, Niesslein's take on some of Dr. Laura's advice is hilarious). Along the way, the author goes from writing about the mundane (the disappointment of a master bedroom "littered with used dryer sheets") to the more philosophical (trying to arrange to have a "beautiful day" and concluding that such a day is "something I should keep behind glass, to be used in an emergency of bad mood.")
Finally, the book is a good conversation-starter. I think that many of us muddle through life asking ourselves the same questions that the author poses (What is happiness, do I have it, and if not, how do I get it), but that few of us ever really open up about it or are brave enough to take real action to get there. The last part of Niesslein's book suggests, to me, at least, that real happiness can come from focusing outward rather than inward. As the author notes, this doesn't necessarily involve being religious in the traditional sense or even helping others in common ways. In the author's case, it was "something extra I volunteered to do," something that made her, in her son's eyes, "noble."
The writing is impeccable; a perfect blend of readability, intensity and humor. Highly recommended!
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read it. Read it now., June 6, 2007
I just finished reading this book and I loved it so much it's hard to be coherent, but I'll try:
Jennifer Niesslein spent two years honestly and unironically doing her best to follow self-help advice to improve herself and her life--but without abandoning her intelligence, skepticism, or common sense. She learned a lot and shares a lot of what she learned. The verdict, at least in part: Self-help programs can often help you, but they can't change you, and sometimes they can actually hurt you. Niesslein's writing is variously (and often simultaneously) hilariously funny, thoughtful, and moving. It's just a really, really good book. You should read it.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Come along for the ride!, June 20, 2007
As a big fan of Brain, Child (Niesslein co-edits the magazine) and a voracious reader of self-help books, I couldn't wait to read this book, and I was not disappointed. I was curious to see what would happen if someone actually followed all the advice, did the goofy exercises, etc. instead of merely reading the self-help and hoping it would rub off by osmosis (which is what I tend to do.) This author actually gets with the program (or programs, as there are many,) and we get to go along for the ride. Of course, things are not so simple-- life, in all its imperfection, intervenes at every turn, yet she perseveres and comes to some interesting conclusions. The writing is funny, honest, and intimate, and makes for a great read.
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