The Cult of Perfection: Making Peace with Your Inner Overachiever [Hardcover]

Cooper Lawrence (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2008

For some women, success is a relative term. One in six women is an overachiever, constantly striving to do more, better, faster, and look fabulous at all times--so if you are looking around the room at your five closest friends thinking they're all slackers, it's you! You know who you are: the successful woman who feels competitive with her own friends and family members; the stick-thin athlete who won't stop working out; the guilt-ridden executive who always feels she has to do more than others to stay ahead; the grown-up "Little Miss Perfect" who can't stop being the Stepford wife and mother. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you achieve, your life remains totally out of balance. Achievements should not be the total measure of how a woman feels about herself.

Syndicated radio talk-show host Cooper Lawrence has been there. With humor and compassion, she helps readers assess the overachiever's goals, their states of mind, the pressure from their families . . . and lets them know it's not a bad thing to be an overachiever--some people are just born that way! Cooper's book defines the physical and emotional effects of someone who suffers from the big "O," explains why she does it, and offers a reality check and advice on creating balance. With common sense and "Tales from the Treadmill" case studies, this book explores the best ways to do it all and still achieve real success--self-acceptance.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

One in six women is an overachiever, constantly striving to get more done and do everything better and faster, while looking fabulous at all times—so if you are looking around the room at your five closest friends thinking they’re all slackers, it’s you!

Twenty-four hours are simply not enough for all you do in a day. Your calendar is booked solid for the next six months. You set a higher standard for yourself than for everyone else, and you are never fully satisfied with your life, because you can see how much more you can achieve. You are an overacheiver, and that can be a
good thing.

The Cult of Perfection offers practical advice on how to monitor and ease your stress, prioritize your time, build lasting self-esteem, and always feel in control. The goal: To be at peace with your inner overachiever. Psychology and relationship expert (and self-professed overachiever) Cooper Lawrence reveals the positive aspects of an overachieving lifestyle, and how to make it work for you so that you don’t lose touch with family and friends . . . and your own sanity.
This book explores how personality, upbringing, and life events lead to overachieving, and how this drive has an impact on your home and family life, friendships, health, state of mind—and even your future.

Full of candid personal stories from fellow overachievers, The Cult of Perfection confirms that you are not alone in your quest for the best. Informative quizzes, tips, and “to do” lists all provide empowering tools for effectively managing your busy lifestyle.

So set aside some time in your schedule, step off the treadmill, and learn how to delegate, balance your needs, set priorities—and discover that you’re so much more than your achievements.

From the Back Cover

Quiz: Are You an Overachiever?

 

• Is your life ruled by a “to do” list of goals?
• When you get an idea, do you act upon it immediately, not resting until you have

   achieved a result?
• Do you always complete your work before the deadline?
• Do you often feel overwhelmed?
• Are you restless even on vacation?

If you answered “yes” to the above questions, chances are you are an
overachiever. But don’t worry—it’s not a dirty word. Join psychology expert and media personality (and self-professed overachiever) Cooper Lawrence as she details the upside of this way of life (whatever you set your mind to, you achieve) and the downside (the stress, anxiety, and self-doubt you sometimes experience).  Most important, she provides the tools you need to make peace with your inner overachiever. Packed with practical exercises and real-life stories of overachieving women past and present, The Cult of Perfection helps you harness your incredible energy, focus, and determination, to bring joy and success to your life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: skirt!; 1st edition (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599211793
• ISBN-13: 978-1599211794
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (194 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,418,410 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3,601 of 3,636 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Waste Your Money January 23, 2008

By Kevin Leistman

Format:Hardcover

This book is a pointless read and filled with old, rehashed ideas. Cooper Lawrence offers no new insight to the deeper problems that cause someone to need to be an over achiever. There are many other books out there that were written by actual practicing psychologists and which are respected by the psychological community at large. I seriously recommend Codependent No More by Melody Beattie for anyone that stuggles with this. Also, going to an actual licensed psychologist may be the answer.

Please don't contribute to the rash of pop psychology that promises quick fixes and delivers little or no results.

733 of 736 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Just Plain Bad January 24, 2008

By Jimmy Palmer

Format:Hardcover

Cooper is at best only interesting in superficial qualities of life. It truly disturbs me that this woman is held up as a role model for young women in this country. Her advice is heard by many, many young women across this country despite that fact that Cooper has very little real world psychological experience. Essentially this women went straight from college into the entertainment industry: talk radio, magazines, and tabloid news television. As of the writing of this review she has yet to complete her Doctorate.

558 of 559 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Sure didn't Overachieve with this title January 24, 2008

By Greg J. Wyatt

Format:Hardcover

My sister recently bought this book and quickly pawned it off on me.
That's the best thing I can really say about this book.

Unfortunately, it seems like Ms.Lawrence really took some meaning from the title of her book; she not only made peace with her inner overachiever but forgot about it completely.

The best word I could use to summarize her work is this, lazy. It's as if she doesn't do any research on any of the topics that she brings up as factual. Instead she seems to have taken from other pseudo-psychology books on the topic that manage to get some coverage and shape what they said into something that is written in stone.

Any actual professional in the fields relevant to the material would have agree that she has no basis for any of her claims she presents as fact in her book.

On a side note, more as a review on the author than the book itself, she has no ethics what-so-ever. She recently went on TV to criticize something she had no experience with at all simply because it would grab her some air-time hoping to get her name and book out to the public. Besides the fact that her book is definitely undeserving of a purchase, I would never knowingly support anything this woman does knowing that she would use such underhanded and ridiculous methods of gaining some TV-time as blindly bashing random things that happen to be in the spotlight at the time.

547 of 549 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Encourage my inner superiority complex? No, thank you! January 24, 2008

By Cam Soper VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I've read far better books than this. This book clearly encourages conceitedness and a superiority complex. I want this 1.5 hours of my life back.

413 of 413 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible book January 24, 2008

By Coleman Horton

Format:Hardcover

Please do not waste your money on this book.

In this text Cooper Lawrence makes unjustified statements and ridiculous claims that have no rational basis. She supports arguments without establishing her credibility--and sometimes outright denying her experience--regarding the issues she raises. The entire book seems to be a childish and naive inner rambling on a topic with which she has no know real knowledge or expertise.

401 of 401 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Not an enjoyable read January 24, 2008

By M. Harrelson

Format:Hardcover

Ms. Cooper's book, like herself falls short on many levels. Her research as a "psychologist" is lacking and her skills as an author are dismal. What is incredibly fascinating is how she does not hesitate to say anything she is told to in order to advance herself...is that really what being an "overachiever" is all about? If so, then we would all be well suited to never, ever read this book. Probably better to burn it.

And all of you that are interested in commenting on the reality of how bad this book is be warned: Amazon deleted over 400 posts earlier, and appears to delete all reviews that are not shining. Corporate policy? Maybe so, but that policy is a dangerous one and it is time people become aware of this company that rewrites what is supposed to be free, honest opinion.

504 of 506 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the time, money, or the effort to read... January 24, 2008

By J. Gedde-Dahl

Format:Hardcover

Looking for an appropriate book with insight on how we, as people, strive for perfection, I came across this book, though sadly, it fell extremely short of my expectations.

To start off, the book is a simple rehash of ideas that have been and remain present in the psychology community. It provides little to no new insight on the subject. What is even worse is that the very little new insight that is provided is poorly backed, based on illogical and often false assumptions.

It seems as if the author did very little proper research in writing and developing the ideas presented in this book. Some ideas are taken from new studies and discussions, though the ideas are taken very selectively, omitting important background information that, in the wrong context, completely loses its original meaning. I think it goes without saying that the context in which the author puts these ideas in is, in fact, entirely wrong.

As such, I cannot say that I recommend this book, and I will soon be looking for another (better) book on the same subject. As stated in the title, save your time, money, and effort. It is better spent looking for another book, or even doing some research yourself.

502 of 504 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money January 24, 2008

By Robert Rottmann

Format:Hardcover

I purchased this title as a gift for my mother, as she is a successful driven business woman who would be able to glean any useful information from almost any publish work. After she completed it, she told me that this book unfortunately falls into the small group of works categorized as 'completely useless'. Not only are the theories and suggestions completely unresearched and unsupported, she uses her on air personality as a means to make her statements credible. There are many books available on the subject that are far superior, I see no reason to waste the money to purchase or time to read this one.