A useful, thought-provoking but familiar collection of meditations.
A devotional offers daily lessons in practicing positivity and cultivating self-love.
In 2021, OBrien was inspired to start a Facebook group called “It’s Time to Believe in Yourself.” Now, that band is more than 45,000 members strong, and the author has turned what she has learned through facilitating the group into this devotional, a guide “to a new perspective and a new way of living.” Many of its underlying concepts will be familiar to self-help fans—especially those who read manuals designed and packaged for women. The author delivers the now-conventional dictum that we cannot take care of others until we take care of ourselves. Yet most of the guidance presented here focuses more on the self and not so much on the others. This may be precisely what some readers need to hear, but those interested in systemic, communal change—rather than personal transformation—may long for something more. OBrien does encourage readers to work on their relationships with God—also referred to as “source energy” and “my higher self”—but, again, this is more about increasing their own happiness than serving a greater good. “Make God your partner in life,” she writes. “Go on a journey together and create an amazing and beautiful life in alignment with love.” One fundamental premise of this book, which features paintings by the author, is that individuals create their own realities. This idea comes from the New Thought movement of the 19th century and is likely familiar to some readers from such self-help classics as The Power of Positive Thinking, You Can Heal Your Life, and The Secret. This is a powerful concept and—clearly—one that resonates with people eager to take control of their own destinies. OBrien’s writing style is clear and unadorned, and, although each entry is brief, they all contain plenty to think about. The myriad reflections are in the spirit of Simple Abundance(1995) by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
A useful, thought-provoking but familiar collection of meditations.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781039188259
Page Count: 462
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.
All right, all right, all right: The affable, laconic actor delivers a combination of memoir and self-help book.
“This is an approach book,” writes McConaughey, adding that it contains “philosophies that can be objectively understood, and if you choose, subjectively adopted, by either changing your reality, or changing how you see it. This is a playbook, based on adventures in my life.” Some of those philosophies come in the form of apothegms: “When you can design your own weather, blow in the breeze”; “Simplify, focus, conserve to liberate.” Others come in the form of sometimes rambling stories that never take the shortest route from point A to point B, as when he recounts a dream-spurred, challenging visit to the Malian musician Ali Farka Touré, who offered a significant lesson in how disagreement can be expressed politely and without rancor. Fans of McConaughey will enjoy his memories—which line up squarely with other accounts in Melissa Maerz’s recent oral history, Alright, Alright, Alright—of his debut in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, to which he contributed not just that signature phrase, but also a kind of too-cool-for-school hipness that dissolves a bit upon realizing that he’s an older guy on the prowl for teenage girls. McConaughey’s prep to settle into the role of Wooderson involved inhabiting the mind of a dude who digs cars, rock ’n’ roll, and “chicks,” and he ran with it, reminding readers that the film originally had only three scripted scenes for his character. The lesson: “Do one thing well, then another. Once, then once more.” It’s clear that the author is a thoughtful man, even an intellectual of sorts, though without the earnestness of Ethan Hawke or James Franco. Though some of the sentiments are greeting card–ish, this book is entertaining and full of good lessons.
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-13913-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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